The darkness came flooding back, sweeping away the mourning crowd, leaving only Ryll in the midst of it. When it cleared away, someone else was standing in the distance.

A willowy teen who sparkled.

Blanc hadn't seen a suit jacket this tacky in ages, with all of its shiny sequins and fancy embroideries. Her long fuchsia scarf flowed freely in the wind; even though her face was mostly hidden in the shadow of her fedora (seriously, was she trying to look like a gangster on purpose?), every inch of her was grinning with a loud, invasive confidence.

Blanc already didn't like this girl. She reminded her of Vert at her most smug moments, with none of her softness and regality.

Ryll and her entourage were no more receptive to her presence. The soldiers had their guns out and ready, and for a moment, everyone just stood there, without taking a single step forward.

"Venus," Finally, Ryll spoke up, "You are not welcomed here."

She was trying way too hard to conceal the nervousness in her voice. It ended up not achieving the intended purpose at all, if the way Venus shook her head was any indication.

Venus...well, Blanc couldn't say she was surprised. Only a Planeptune CPU could be this annoyingly hip and eye-catching.

"Then perhaps you should have tossed out my letter, and told my messenger to take it back with him, instead of keeping it." She took a small step forward. Immediately, the entire squad raised their guns and aimed them at her.

"Halt your steps, or we'll fire!"

Venus laughed in an eerily gentle, almost patronizing tone, and blew a kiss at them. Damn, even her white gloves were sparkly. It was a real miracle that she hadn't gone blind from her own light pollution yet.

"Isn't that a warm greeting? I'm hurt, really. If I intended to invade your nation, Ryll, I would not come here in my human form, without an army of droids at my back," she said. "And if I wished to slay you before you gain your Heart title, you would never see me in this form. Doesn't that make my peaceful intent clear?"

"I know. I'm only here to deliver our response to you in person," Ryll answered. "The Panason Coalition has no interest in negotiating with Planeptune."

"Before the Coalition even saw my terms?"

"You just want us to help you fight Lowee." Ryll narrowed her eyes. "The Council of Oracles had spoken. Our people will not aid one tyrant against another."

"Tyrant?" Venus tipped her fedora. "I'm no tyrant. I'm the first rebel. If you truly want to change the world, you should be siding with me. With Planeptune. Don't we both want the same thing? To end this war, and unit the continent under one banner?"

Ryll scowled. "Don't pull us down to your level. You are no different from Rubis."

"And, pray tell, what do you know about Lowee? What do you know about the glorious," Venus squeezed out the word in a mocking tone that made Blanc even more tempted to slug her in the face, despite knowing she was just a piece of memory, "Ruby Heart and Mauve Heart? Or are you just parroting your Oracles' words?"

"They divided their own people into castes—"

"Planeptune doesn't. Our love for speed, excitement and progress makes it impossible for such a barbaric hierarchy to take root."

"But you are still dragging your people into a senseless war, just like her. Your words are laws, just like hers," Ryll exclaimed. "The moment people refused to become Planeptune citizens or support your wars? Well, everyone here used to be a heretic, and knows how Planeptune treats heretics! You are every bit the ruthless monster she is!"

"Monster," Venus repeated the word, slowly, like she was savoring every syllable. "Is that how you call someone who lives, and thrives on sincere love and hope, Ryll? Because it is my people's love that makes me into who I am today."

"They are the ones who urged me to expand our territories, to fight against Lowee's draconian reign. Without their love and faith, Rubis would have imposed her tyranny on the entire continent. I know my people wouldn't pretend to negotiate with a city, while siccing the Scourge of Lifedrain on its defenseless citizens in secret!" Venus raised a fist into the air, as she spoke the last sentence.

"If I really am a monster, it's because Planeptune needs a monster, wants a monster." Venus's voice was as smooth and silky as ever, yet Blanc still felt a chill running up her spine when she heard these words. "And shouldn't a Goddess always serve the will of the people?"

"You aren't serving the will of the people. You are just manipulating their feelings, making them want..." Ryll paused, "Things they never need in the first place!"

"So, if your people want you to do the very same thing I'm doing—waging wars, exiling disbelievers, taking resources to fuel your thriving industries, you will say no to them? Impose your own ideas of right and wrong on them, despite their objections?"

Ryll looked stunned for a brief moment. Before she could make a retort, Venus was speaking again.

"That is exactly what Rubis would do. She thinks all humans are shallow, foolish, shortsighted brats who will readily sabotage themselves, and turn to corruption and sin in the blink of an eye. Only divine law and order, coming straight from a Goddess, can keep them on the right tracks and stop them from ruining everything."

"Some brats can't help but be rowdy troublemakers. Some are natural snitches and teacher's pets who will always butter up to the adults. Why shouldn't she take away the troublemakers' power to make decisions for themselves, if they'll never get anything right? It's for their own good, she swears!" Venus stretched out her arms in a dramatic gesture. "No wonder she doesn't give humans enough credit. No humans could possibly want war on their own with a fiery passion. Not without her wise guidance."

"My people are better than that! They are not children, but they don't want your war and your...kind of guidance, either!" Ryll turned to the soldiers, "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah!" They answered in unison, followed by a few extra yells.

"Leave at once, tyrant!"

"We'd die before siding with a monster like you!"

The barely concealed nervousness in Ryll's voice was gone, replaced by steadfast determination, as she turned back to Venus. "You heard them. You have long overstayed your welcome. Time to leave. I won't repeat myself."

"Well, that's a pity. Mr. Hawkens is a great man, whom I will always hold in high regards, despite our differences." Venus caught her scarf, just as the night wind sent it flying off her shoulder, and wrapped it back onto her neck. "I'm afraid I can't say the same for you. Still, as you desired, I won't linger."

The moment Venus faded away, along with the rest of the scenery, the rainbow colors came back.

"Of course." Blanc groaned, before sitting back down. It was so weird, literally seeing past memories from an opponent. Weren't such trippy moments supposed to be Neptune's thing?

After a few minutes of eerie silence, interrupted only by the sound of dripping water, she was quickly starting to wish for another one of those magical flashback beetles to come flying at her. Just so she could get some bloody context about the things she had heard.

About Lowee. And its...caste system.

Azna=Leb's "licensing system" wasn't just a mad bastard's power fantasy, like she once thought, was it? Such an overexertion of power was not the Lowee she swore to protect...yet it was what her Lowee was built on.

If Rei's words were accurate, Rubis had really considered accepting such a proposal from her court, before rejecting it. Which might have been a solace, if she didn't know the rest of her predecessor's deeds.

In another world, Rubis might have accepted that proposal without any hesitation. Made Lowee into an authoritarian regime, one that chose the citizens' entire lives for them and stifled all the magic and fun in the nation, out of her misguided idea of what was good and orderly and just...

Blanc bit into her lips. She wanted to be mad at Rubis, or at least, madder than she already was. If all Rubis ever did was act like an controlling asshat and bring the Deity of Sin into existence, it would have been much easier.

But she was also the slayer of the Megaprimatus, the architect of a unified Lowee, who was still remembered fondly for the many right decisions she made. Was it not for her, the pictures of the magnificent Gunpei Corps warriors and the Rumania Academy in her books would just be pretty fantasies, instead of a real, concrete, glorious past that everyone was proud of.

Sighing, she put a hand to her forehead. Maybe that Venus girl was exaggerating. She had every reason to sling mud on Lowee and its CPUs, seeing how Planeptune and Lowee seemed to be mortal enemies in her world. Her questions, though...

"My people are better than that too," Blanc muttered to herself. "...They better be."

The beetle didn't bother to buzz around, when she stood up and headed towards the floating black dot in the distance. It flew straight into her palms.

Just like last time, she saw Ryll first, followed by the stranger in front of her, and the garden they were in. It was a nice place—a little hastily constructed, perhaps, judging by the fresh dirt around some of the plants, and the fact that the benches didn't quite line up with each other.

Unlike Venus, this young woman wasn't dressed like a giant disco ball. Thank goodness for that.

But there was an odd familiarity to her baseball cap, blue-and-white motorcycle jacket, and short platinum hair. Which was quite irking, because Blanc could swear she had seen someone like that recently. She just couldn't match up that face with a name.

"Hello. You sent me..." Ryll fidgeted with the zipper of her vest, "That letter, right? Miss Ambassador? Asking for a private meeting?"

"That is correct."

"I'm glad! But, just a reminder, if you want to discuss national matters, or negotiate any trade deals for Lastation City, you should go to the Council. I can't make all the important decisions on my own, without the people's agreement."

"I know. That's why I'm not here as Lastation City's ambassador." The young woman looked into her eyes, "I'm here as Elizabeth Abraham, daughter of Mr. Hawkens."

"...What?" Blanc blurted out.

Yeah, okay. Now she remembered—she was that friggin' jackass who bailed at the first sign of trouble, and left her bitchy employee behind to deal with her mess. She didn't seem like an ass in Ryll's world, though, if her polite, slightly sorrowful tone was any indication.

Ryll was no less surprised than her, it seemed. She took a step back, mouth agape.

"W-Woah? I, I," she stuttered. "They never told me—where have you been—?"

"Unfortunate, but understandable." Elizabeth shook her head. "I have been quite...misguided in the past, before rising to my current position in Lastation City." A sigh. "I used to work for Planeptune's Basilicom, as a faithful attendant of Lady Venus."

Ryll grimaced when she heard that name. Honestly, after seeing their first encounter, Blanc couldn't blame her. Her change in expression did not escape Elizabeth's keen gaze, either.

"I suppose you'd met her before. She loves flaunting her power in the name of diplomacy, doesn't she?" A smile crawled up Elizabeth's face, which never quite reached her eyes. "All glitter, sparkles, and grand speeches?"

"Right. You don't sound like you like her very much."

"You are half-correct. I didn't like her when she demoted me to a border outpost," Her tone had made a 180 degree shift and became completely devoid of warmth, even though she was still smiling, "But I only stopped making excuses for her, after she forbid me from attending my father's funeral, and exiled me from Planeptune. No, I hate her."

Ryll fell silent, as if searching for words, before finally settling on a sheepish mutter, "I'm so sorry."

"Why? You have nothing to be sorry for." Elizabeth moved closer, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have only spent a short time in this nation, but long enough to know that Panason isn't built upon lies and false promises. Unlike Planeptune."

"See, Venus might say her nation is all about speed and excitement, about progress," She continued, "Yet she never, ever mentions the cost of progress, the harsh demand she imposes on her citizens in order to support the war efforts. If she did show the unseen majority of workers slaving in the mines and factories, how she'd been pouring money and resources into her war machines for decades, instead of using them to improve people's everyday life? Planeptune's Shares would plummet in an instant."

"Why did it not happen, then? Why hadn't she perished from a lack of faith?"

"Because she knew how love could be built on lies and false promises, and how people could cling onto these falsehoods, despite all evidence to the contrary. Oh, she knew it very well. I knew it better," Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, "Because, in Planeptune's Basilicom, it is our everyday duty to weave lies, to placate the people, to paint war as a bloodless and heroic endeavor. To convince them that nothing is broken, and nothing needs to be fixed."

"The extent of my ignorance is only obvious in hindsight. It didn't matter how much effort I had dedicated to my work, how I had shown nothing but loyalty towards Planeptune." A sigh. "No, I love my father like anyone else, and when I'm not ready to discard that love for Venus, our flawless, radiant leader, that already counts as treason."

"My colleagues are probably decrying me as a traitor now. Well, I am a traitor because Venus makes me into one, with her conceit and dishonesty," Elizabeth clenched her fists together, "And I'll bear that title proudly, if it means I'll be carrying on my father's torch, and making his dreams come true."

"What do you mean?" Ryll frowned. "I don't want to be rude, but aren't you still..."

"Lastation City is thinking about joining the Panason Coalition. When my father first came to them, they declined his offer, thinking that they could stay neutral in the conflict, and didn't need to ask their poor little neighbors for protection. Needless to say, the Lifedrain has shattered that illusion of safety once and for all."

"I intend to become Lastation City's representative, as part of the Council of Oracles. To serve a CPU who truly represents the will of the people, instead of using it as an excuse to abuse their power." Elizabeth lowered her head. "My father had wanted me to come back for so long. Yet I'd been blaming my demotion on him. When I realized how right he was, I was already too late."

Her voice was trembling, as she made eye contact with Ryll again. "It's the least I can do, to make up for my failings as a daughter—"

Without warning, Ryll pulled her into a hug. It was almost funny, seeing this preteen kid comforting a young adult like that.

"It's alright. Welcome back. I, I won't hate you for believing in these lies." She paused, "I'll show everyone that they are tyrants and liars, and they'll never get to break people's hearts like that!"

"...Oh, my little sister," Elizabeth sighed, as she patted Ryll on the head, "Dad would be so proud of you, if he could hear those words."

"What?" Seeing Ryll's expression, she added, "You saw his last letter. If he sees you as a daughter, then I should too. Even if we aren't related by blood, we'd still be siblings."