Evernight Forest.
Temple To The Mother Goddess.
Temple Heart.
Artificial sunlight, created via magical crystals hanging on the walls, filled the antechamber located at the heart of the ancient temple. Various bird species, who found their way into the temple by the many tiny passageways scattered throughout the temple structure, sang merrily whilst flying through the antechamber. On the floor of the antechamber, Evernight predators and their natural prey were seen sleeping peacefully against one another. The source of this phenomenon was the divine energy that the new Mother Goddess was passively releasing into the atmosphere, swiftly absorbed into the slumbering animals filling them with a sense of peace and harmony.
The new Mother Goddess, more commonly known throughout the world as the miracle healer Panacea, was seated upon the large stone altar located at the far back of the antechamber. Napping by the deity's feet was a small red fox whose white-tipped ears occasionally twitched in response to the various songs that the birds up above would happily sing.
"Okay, Amy, let's recap the utter insanity of your current situation and then maybe you'll figure a way past the army of ghosts wondering the hallways." The divine entity absentmindedly reached downward and scratched between the ears of the napping fox while organising her mind into a more orderly manner so she could devise a plan to get past the ghosts roaming the hallways. As for the slumbering fox, the little trickster made approving noises whilst his legs randomly kicked the empty air in response to the divine head scratches.
"First, I've somehow been transported into some kind of ancient temple," Amy's eyes. Which had been changed into a moonlight silver, examined the walls and ceiling of the antechamber to better understand where she was and guessed that Brockton Bay was probably pretty far from wherever this temple was located. "And I awakened awhile ago to find I've gotten a makeover that'd make even Vicky green with envy." She glanced down at her improved form and was beyond thankful that her hero costume had somehow grown to match her new measurements.
"Secondly, there's a literal army of ghosts roaming the halls outside this antechamber." The new Mother Goddess gazed towards the sole entrance to the antechamber where she'd seen the elven ghosts mindlessly roaming the decayed hallways of the temple. "They didn't seem hostile; however, I'm definitely not going out there to test that theory." Without Vicky or the other members of New Wave to act as support, it'd be stupid to go outside to test if the ghosts were hostile to her presence; Amy was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them.
Amy also noticed the elven ghosts travel the temple in groups ranging from 3-6 and never seemed interested in entering the antechamber that she'd awakened in. Another interesting detail was the ghosts appeared to be the only entities roaming the temple since Amy only heard their ghostly chanting echoing throughout the hallways. Of course, the possibility of other people in a different section had entered her mind. Yet, until she saw signs of life, besides the animals that wandered into the antechamber, the Mother Goddess was just going to assume that there were zero humans or living elves present within the temple.
"Thirdly, since I've awakened in this strange temple, I've felt drained of energy and can't move very far from this alter without feeling like I'm about to pass out." She'd tried to exit the antechamber an hour ago and had nearly fainted from the sudden overwhelming fatigue that hit her like a speeding train. Fortunately, none of the elven ghosts had been present during that moment of weakness, and Amy managed to drag herself back to the alter; once she returned to the nexus of natural energy, the deity's energy levels returned to normal.
The various wildlife of Evernight had arrived shortly after that incident. Amy had been understandably worried that the predatory beasts would attempt to harm her or the defenceless prey animals that accompanied them. Yet, such thoughts of potential violence proved to be unfounded as the creatures of Evernight, much to the young deity's surprise, scattered to different parts of the antechamber and proceeded to lay down for a peaceful nap. The fox had been the last to enter; the little trickster had fearlessly skipped past the others and kneeled beside the altar.
"At least I still have my powers." Amy grumbly whispered as she scratched the napping fox's soft ears. The miracle healers Parahuman abilities were already mapping out the clever carnivore's internal biology and the variety of ways she could manipulate and improve the tiny fox. It was a minor comfort since she highly doubted that the ghosts outside could be affected by her bio-kinetic capabilities, and that wasn't even considering how they'd react to such an attempt to manipulate their ethereal forms.
The idea of facing an angry horde of ghosts wasn't a pleasant one, especially since Amy wasn't a frontline fighter as those kinds of situations had always been handled by either her sister or the other members of New Wave. It hadn't helped that Brandish, otherwise known in her civilian identity as Carol Dallon, seemed obsessed with preventing Amy from participating in any actual combat. Which was now coming back to bite the deity in the ass since she had zero options when it came to fighting the ghosts if they suddenly decided to turn violent.
"Urgh, I should've ignored Carol's desires to keep me away from active combat," the new Mother Goddess didn't like fighting; however, with the kind of lifestyle she lived, it was sadly unavoidable. "Perhaps if I had, then maybe I wouldn't be so defenceless as I am right now." Heck, even a few self-defence classes would've made a significant difference. Yet, thanks to her mother's constant insistence that fighting wasn't an option since, as the team's healer, she couldn't put herself in any potential danger. The others in New Wave hadn't argued either as they valued her healing capabilities above anything else and didn't want to risk losing Amy in a fight against the gangs.
Honestly, Amy vowed that when she found away out of this temple that she'd attend some defence classes and screw whatever bullshit her mother would scream at her for daring to try gaining some form of protection that wasn't provided by the family. "Argh, at least things can't get any worse." The miracle healer muttered whilst moving her hand away from the fox's head, who gave a protesting grumble at the loss of head scratches, and started to rub its soft belly. Unaware that something had emerged from the wall, and was now observing the deity with keen interest.
"Trust an old soul M'lady," an ethereal voice echoed from behind the new Mother Goddess, causing her to yelp in surprise. "Things can always get worse; it's just a matter of how fate wishes to manifest these misfortunes." Amy twisted around to stare at the sudden newcomer and was understandably startled to see a ghost elf floating within the air as if it was the most natural thing in the world. However, unlike the other ghosts Amy's seen since waking up within the temple, this one was taller and possessed pale brown skin rather than ethereal blue.
"Okay, this is definitely taking a turn for the weirder." Amy nervously thought as she picked up the napping fox and held the small mammal in a defensive position. "Okay, mister ghost, just stay right where you are," the young deity stepped backwards so she could create some distance between them. "Cause I've got a fox, and I'm not afraid to use him." The fox in question awakened at that moment and yelped in confusion. The little trickster had such a nice nap until he woke up to discover that he was now being used as a living shield by the Mother Goddess.
The elven spirit raised an amused eyebrow at Amy's antics while flouting over until he stood before the new Mother Goddess. "Whilst, I'm sure your foxy companion is a fierce protector," the fox released a mighty yelp at the comment, trying to show that he was indeed a fierce warrior. "However, his protection shall not be necessary since I'm here to offer my assistance and provide any information that might be required for you to know M'lady." The elven spirit bowed to the deity and waited for her to respond to his assurance of assistance.
Amy's now silver eyes narrowed in distrust. "Forgive me for finding that rather hard to believe." Amy retorted while tensing her muscles to throw the fox at the spirit if he tried anything funny. The elven spirit sighed while flouting backwards to give the goddess some much-needed space.
"Your hesitance to trust me is understandable, M'lady." The elven spirit knew that it would be hard to gain the goddess's trust, especially when she didn't have any knowledge as to how she got to the temple in the first place. "To amend this problem, I suggest that we introduce ourselves to build up a sense of trust and understanding." The ghost's noble features were set like an unmovable stone yet held a soft, sincere tone that helped calm the young deity. He bowed profoundly whilst introducing himself to Amy Dallon.
"Greetings, young one. I am Oberon Greenhaze," Oberon smiled disarmingly while leaving the bow. "Also known by other titles as Oberon The Archer, Oberon Of The Eight Heroes, Oberon Protector Of Evernight, Oberon The Great Dreamer, Oberon Father Of Nightmares and Oberon The Fallen Hero." The last two were uttered with great shame as if the dead elf had committed some great sin to earn those titles. Amy made a mental note to subtly ask about the origin of his titles at a later date because right now, she had to focus on the situation at hand.
"Nice to meet you, Oberon," Amy returned to the stone alter; however, she didn't allow the ghost elf to leave her sight as she obviously didn't fully trust Oberon. "I'm Amy Dallon, otherwise known as the miracle healer Panacea." Amy put the fox onto her lap and resumed scratching the little mammal's ears. The deity wasn't worried about revealing any information regarding her identity since being a member of New Wave meant that everyone already knew who she was behind the scarf Amy usually wore while working at the hospital.
Oberon hummed with interest upon hearing Amy's heroine name. "A healer," the ghostly Oberon flouted next to the alter while studying the deity seated upon its stone flooring. "One that claims to be able to perform miracles." Those black eyes analysed the Mother Goddess with the strength and wisdom of a being that has lived far longer than most mortals. "A bold claim yet somehow fitting for the one chosen to be the new Mother Goddess." Oberon nodded whilst his black eyes shined with pleasure as if he saw something within Amy that he sincerely approved of.
Meanwhile, Amy's silver orbs widened in disbelief at what she'd just heard the ghost elf say. "Wow, wow, wow, hold on there, Oberon, I'm not a goddess," granted her new appearance was gorgeous and outshined even her sister's, yet that didn't mean she was some kind of deity. "I'm just a regular Parahuman that's gotten herself involved in the usual madness that comes with having Parahuman abilities." Judging by the blank expression etched upon his features, the elven hero disagreed with Amy on the subject of her divinity.
A knowing grin came to Oberon's lips. "If what you say is true," the ghost elf's tone was teasing whilst Amy glared defiantly back at the elven hero. "Then, of course, you obviously possess no knowledge on the fall of the Forgotten God." Oberon watched as recognition flashed within Amy's eyes, followed quickly by an irritated scowl, and without thinking, she opened her mouth to respond to the elven hero.
"The Forgotten One, also known as the First Betrayer, fell from grace after the Mother Goddess caught him cheating with a water nymph." Amy's hand slapped over her mouth whilst her eyes widened in alarm as she uttered knowledge that she shouldn't have known. Oberon smiled in triumph as the young deity would have a hard time denying his claims after she'd spoken that bit of ancient history.
Amy removed her hand after a moment to calm down from the shock of knowing something she's never heard of before now. "That still doesn't prove I'm a goddess," Amy, at the core, was a realist; thus, she wasn't just going to accept Oberon's words without some kind of proof first. "If anything, I could be under the influence of a master or someone with the capability to create illusions." Those two explanations were far more likely than what Oberon was saying; however, as firmly as the heroine was denying the claims of divinity, she felt something deep within her soul saying that Oberon was telling the truth.
The elven hero sighed at the goddess's continued denial. "Both ideas, while likely scenarios, have major flaws given the current situation," Oberon crossed his legs and flouted until he was hovering inches off of the stone floor. "The biggest is why anyone with magical capabilities to either control the mind or cast elaborate illusions would go to such lengths to kidnap a young girl solely to place her inside a temple so she could merely chat with a spirit such as myself." Amy grimaced since she knew that Oberon had a point as this did seem rather elaborate for a random person to create so they could imprison the world's greatest healer.
Another obvious point against this being an elaborate mental prison was that the effort of capturing and then imprisoning Panacea just wasn't worth it. The world needed her healing capabilities to better survive against worldly threats like the Slaughter House Nine. Anyone dumb enough to harm her would've definitely faced the wrath of not only New Wave but the rest of the Parahuman community, and that wasn't taking into account the government's and protectorate's reaction to such an attempt on her life.
"Okay, point taken." Unlike her sister, Victoria, Amy knew when to pick and choose her battles, and spending hours arguing with Oberon about her divine nature wasn't going to help her situation in the slightest. "If this temple really isn't some kind of projection or master effect, then can you please explain how I got here?" She was honestly getting pretty sick and tired of being left in the dark. The new Mother Goddess wanted answers, and Oberon owed her an explanation as to why she was here and transformed into an elven beauty.
Oberon nodded. "An explanation is in order, M'lady." The elven hero snapped his fingers, causing a ball of light to appear. Amy watched, fascinated as the light sphere transformed into something resembling a TV screen. "Although, I must warn you, M'lady, that the explanation to your current situation is rather long and will take some time to properly explain." An understatement since Oberon would be covering several millennia worth of history, religion and mythology of his old world.
"Well, I've got nothing but time." Amy let out a chuckle and relaxing against the stone altar while preparing to listen to Oberon give the answers that she wanted to know about the temple and the reasons behind her situation. Oberon cleared his throat before beginning the lecture with the story of how the first Mother Goddess and The Forgotten One created the world and the races that lived within it.
Time Skip, And One Very Lengthy Lecture About The Mother Goddess And The History Of The Old World Later.
"Okay, let's see if I've understood everything thus far." Amy's elven ears twitched as she continued to scratch the fox's ears. "I'm the reincarnation of the Mother Goddess, a creation deity whose main domains revolve around nature, fertility, childbirth, wisdom and warfare." Her elven teacher nodded in confirmation while the screen of magical light showed images depicting the first Mother Goddess performing actions that matched the domains that Amy had just mentioned. The heroine from Brockton Bay studied her predecessor and could admit they shared some characteristics; heck, people could honestly mistake them for mother and daughter if they stood side by side.
"The original world she existed in was destroyed by some unknown force, and as a result, my world has undergone a transformation into a merged version of both worlds." The idea of other worlds existing wasn't a ridiculous one since Earth Bet had learned years ago about the existence of different dimensions and realities during the emergence of Parahumans. They'd even contacted and established regular trade with Earth Alpha which was considered the closest parallel version of earth.
Amy stared out into the antechamber as the now awakened animals played with each other without giving in to their natural instincts to either run away or hunt and kill each other. "To top more craziness onto this situation, you're now my advisor and teacher on the ways of godhood." A teacher didn't sound so bad, and given what she'd learned about the ghost of Oberon from the aforementioned man's lecture, it would be a great help to have the elf stay to teach her the ways of combat. If he was correct about her divine nature, he'd be essential in learning how to control her newly gained divine powers.
Oberon grunted while ignoring the birds as they landed on his shoulders. "A basic summary of events that lead to the world's current state but overall, yes, that is indeed correct." The elven heroic spirit took a moment to enjoy the birds singing. "During the end of the old world, I was released from the Infernal Abyss and gifted knowledge on how to properly teach a deity in the ways of godhood." Oberon had been beyond surprised when his old friend had come to him with a proposal to become a teacher to the next Mother Goddess.
Oberon had been hesitant to accept his former ally's offer since the elven spirit truly believed he deserved to suffer eternal torment in the Infernal Abyss for his sins. Yet, during the last few hours the old world had left, the Second Infernal God had amazingly forgiven Oberon for what happened in the past and said that if he wanted to make things right, he should accept the deal and help train the future Mother Goddess. The once famous elf hero wasn't embarrassed to admit he cried tears of gratefulness that day, and without delay, he agreed to the Infernal God's offer.
"Tch, and here I thought worrying about my next maths exam was my greatest concern." After hearing about the old world's history and the legacy left behind by the old Mother Goddess whose mantle she'd inherited, Amy felt slightly overwhelmed. "At least I'm not the only one having to deal with this craziness." Granted, the other person was the ruler of hell or the Infernal Abyss, as Oberon called it, yet Amy would take any small comfort that she could get at the moment.
"Indeed," Oberon agreed while waving away the birds. "However, I'd advise not to seek out the Infernal One until you've reached an acceptable level of divine strength." Whoever inherited the mantle of darkness wasn't likely to play nice with their counterpart. So for the Mother Goddess safety, it was for the best such a meeting was delayed until she was capable enough to fight against the Dark God and, if necessary, banish them back into the Infernal Abyss.
"Yeah, I'd rather wait until I've gotten strong enough to hold my own in a fight before meeting the devil." Amy nodded while setting the fox down, who yelps in protest at losing head scratches. For a moment, the new Mother Goddess contemplated how the world would react when they learned that the devil was real and gathering strength within the Infernal Abyss. The miracle healer imagined priests of different religions walking the streets while screaming how they need to repent before the Infernal One emerges from the earth to claim their immortal souls.
The Protectorate and world governments would likely try to deny the existence of the literal embodiment of satan. Heck, they'd even deny she was a goddess, not that Amy would blame them as she had a hard time believing it herself. The various criminal factions might try to use gods' existence to improve their standing on the world stage. The biggest group that might attempt such a thing was the Gesellschaft, a Neo-nazi organisation that Amy wouldn't honestly mind smiting the moment she had the chance.
"A wise decision," Oberon praised while remaining ignorant to his student's current thoughts about the world's possible reaction to the existence of actual divine entities. "Now, with the basic history and divine revelations out of the way, we can begin our first magical lesson." The magic screen changed into what appeared to be the basic foundation of magic and how to use it safely. Amy groaned at the screen and wondered if she could use her divine authority to force Oberon to wait a few days before actually getting into magic lessons.
An inquiry about such a possibility later and the young deity learned that not even the divine can escape schoolwork.
Time Skip.
Outside The Sacred Temple Of The Mother Goddess.
The sun hung over Evernight's canopy whilst Oberon Greenhaze exited the sacred temple. The elven heroic spirit had just finished teaching Amy Dallon the basics of magic and how to properly control her divine energy so she could leave her altar without feeling like she was about to pass out. The former member of the Eight Heroes had been impressed with the young deity's progress as she seemed to have a talent for magic and would become a powerhouse once she was properly trained in the mystic arts.
"Young Amy has such potential," Oberon gazed towards the forest that he'd called home for centuries, which after the 'The Transference' was restored to the state it had been before his nightmares had infested it. "However, for all her talent in the mystic arts, she possesses a tiredness that is hauntingly familiar." She managed to hide it well, yet Oberon could still see the same tiredness of the spirit that caused his downfall. The elven spirit figured before ascending to godhood, Amy was constantly healing and fighting the forces of evil.
Granted, Oberon was tricked by the Second Overlord into falling into a great slumber, yet that didn't mean the damage caused by his foolishness wasn't his fault. The nightmares nor the dwarf invasion wouldn't have happened if he had just accepted the guilt he felt for leaving his comrade to die at the bottom of the Dark Tower.
"Hopefully, she'll not take the same dark path as I once took." Oberon would try his best to help the girl, yet past experience taught him that the soul was hard to understand at the best of times, and the tiredness which builds after years of fighting wasn't an easy thing to cure.
Oberon floated away from the sacred temple and headed towards an elven village built a short distance away from the temple's location. The heroic spirit hadn't mentioned the elves living within Evernight to the Mother Goddess as he didn't want to overwhelm the poor girl with the knowledge that just outside the sacred temple were hundreds of elves that worshipped her as their divine creator. Numerous other villages were being constructed in Evernight since the forest was far more extensive than it had been in the old world.
"To think I'd once again walk the paths of Evernight." Oberon smiled while entering the elven village; the heroic spirit saw many elf children playing near the village centre. "Truly, it is a gift I do not deserve." The living elves saw the legendary hero and were quick to bow in respect. Oberon waved the bowing elves away, allowing them to get back to work constructing the necessary houses to house their population and flouted towards a massive hut home to the village elder. Oberon entered the hut, which smelled of scented oils and was greeted by an elderly elven woman sitting next to a small fire pit.
"Ah, so the mighty Oberon Greenhaze has decided to honour us with his wise presence." Elder Baba Yaga greeted the heroic spirit whilst throwing different types of plants into a large cooking pot. The elderly elven woman was rather shrivelled and petite with greying hair that was once a stunning silver. Grey eyes glanced at the spirit before returning to the pot; however, Oberon saw the fogging within those eyes, signifying that Baba was starting to lose her ability to see. A dark green cloak covered her small frame hiding what clothes she wore underneath from view.
Oberon bowed in greeting. "Indeed, Elder Baba Yaga." The spirit of Oberon moved closer to the elven elder. "I've come to inform that her divine majesty has awakened from her slumber and that I've begun her education in the ways of magic and of the gods." A throaty chuckled escaped the elderly elf as she took a sip from the contents of the pot. A satisfied hum was given before Baba threw more herbs into the pot, currently boiling over the blazing campfire.
"Good, good, the Dark One has awakened as well." Baba Yaga revealed with a tone customarily used to discuss the weather. "With both divine awake, it's only a matter of time until different forces start to gather underneath their banners." Of course, how long until such forces are drawn to each side Baba couldn't say as the world was currently in chaos since 'The Transference' and with others scheming in the shadows, it was hard to say how future events will play out.
"Yes, I too felt the Dark one's awakening through the roots of the forest." Oberon was far more sensitive to the natural magic that flowed through Evernight thanks to once being merged with a massive oak tree. The days of restless slumber wasn't something Oberon ever wanted to experience a second time. Yet, it was thanks to that experience Oberon managed to sense the malevolent presence that appeared somewhere else on the planet. The darkness felt weak and inexperienced yet still possessed that underlining hungry to devour everything good and innocent that lived within the world.
Baba Yaga sipped more of the pot's contents before grumbling. "Huh, needs more black root." she put the aforementioned plant into the pot. "Anyway, when can I visit the temple?" Grey hazing eyes turned upwards to stare into Oberon's black orbs. "I'd like to meet our goddess before I'm blind, and the other villagers would be more at peace knowing that Her Highness is fine and guiding their souls to the afterlife." Baba knew she only had a few more years left before death claimed her. The elder would've to choose a successor soon. However, Before she kicked the bucket, Baba wanted to spend her last remaining years on earth knowing that Amy was watching after the elves of Evernight.
Oberon sighed at the question. "Soon, I've not yet told her about our kind building a village nearby the sacred temple," Baba stared inquisitively at the visiting spirit while subtly inching her hand towards a staff that was resting beside her. "She's already overwhelmed with everything that's happened, and I didn't want to make things worse by admitting that there are hundreds of worshippers just outside the sacred temple." Before Oberon could register what happened, Baba grabbed the staff and smacked him over the head.
"Foolish, boy." Baba scolded the legendary hero like he was one of her grandchildren. "The goddess will learn of us either by listening to our prayers or when we finally visit the temple." The elderly woman put the staff back where it was previously resting. "Hiding our existence will only succeed in causing Her Celestial Highness to mistrust you and believe that you've hidden other matters from her." Baba had sired over thirteen children and was a grandmother to over forty grandchildren. She knew from past experience that hiding something important can cause fractures in relationships if not fixed quickly.
"I understand, Elder Baba," Oberon rubbed his head while wondering how the elven woman's staff was able to hurt him. "However, it's better for everyone involved that I slowly ease the goddess into her role." Forcing Amy into a role she wasn't ready to handle would only lead to disaster for everyone in Evernight. Hence, until Oberon was sure she could take visitors from the elves, the temple would remain closed to the inhabitants of Evernight.
Elder Baba studied Oberon for a moment before huffing in acceptance. "You're the goddess teacher, so I'll place my trust in you for now." Baba removed the pot from the fire pit and walked towards the entrance of her hut. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a family dinner with some of my grandchildren to attend too." One of her daughters had invited Baba for midday dinner, and the elderly elf woman wasn't the type to deny a chance to spend some time with family. The pot swayed side to side as Baba crossed the exit.
"I'm sure they'll enjoy the food you've prepared for them." Oberon followed the elderly woman. It was rather kind of Baba to cook for her grandchildren even though she was just an invited guest.
"What are you talking about, Oberon?" Baba stared at the ghost as if he was crazy. "This ain't food; it's fertiliser for my flowers and home groom herbs." Baba cackled with glee as she threw the contents of the pot onto the garden. Once that was done, Baba put the pot down and headed for her daughter's home, leaving behind Oberon, who sighed at the strange elder's antics. Many children and villagers cheerfully greeted their wise elder as she hopped along the dirt path while singing some random song about apples and how they keep evil at bay.
"I think I'll just return to the temple." Oberon floated in the opposite direction of the elderly Baba Yaga; unaware of the knowing smile, she shot the spirit before disappearing into another section of the elven village.