Well, here's all the explanations. I hope you like this one, it was a pain to write even though I've thought about it so many times. Do not own SC characters.
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Chapter 16: Divine Intervention
Taki and Sophitia just stared at her in awe as she held the same smile. She casually walked over to Sophitia and slowly pulled down the hood of her cloak, her kind expression didn't change as she saw what was underneath it.
"Don't be afraid, I'm no different than you. The only difference between you and me is that I'm a demigod, that's why I was able to change into a cat-beast so fast." Setsuna stated coolly.
"I should've seen this." Taki suddenly spoke. "I should've known, how else were you able to hear us when we were on the boat; you were on the other side of it. How you spoke so fondly about cats, and when you flinched on the boat, got salt water in your eyes, that wasn't it, someone or something was speaking into your head. Isn't that right?"
Setsuna's eyes narrowed a bit. "I'll have you know that that something happens to be the voices of the two goddesses that stand before you!" Setsuna spat, then slowly calmed herself as she looked down. Taki turned to look at the statues of the two goddesses.
"So... they spoke in my head as well..." Sophitia spoke softly.
"I speak to all my daughters in their minds, I cannot come before them nor can I see them outside of my temple. Setsuna, I wish to see my new daughter."
Taki and Sophitia spun around to find the source of the voice, which was deep and had a soft motherly tone to it. The voice seemed to come from the back of the room, Taki had a look of bewilderment on her face; she thought it came from one of the statues.
"Of course mother." Setsuna spoke but didn't move.
Sophitia and Taki watched as the statue of Bastet seemed to change, its body becoming more life-like and colors from her garments started to show, as if someone was painting upon the statue. The eyes soon showed color of a brilliant crystal blue with, of course, black vertical slits. The statue began to move forward off of its stage as it brushed off any extra sand as the transformation completed. The goddess was very elegant and graceful as it moved towards her three visitors. She smiled as she gazed at Sophitia and gasped slightly.
"She's perfect. She'll fit right in." She came closer to Sophitia and raised a hand to brush a strand of hair behind Sophitia's ear. "Beautiful too." Bastet smiled, to Taki it was odd to watch a woman with the head of a cat to smile. Sophitia just stared and remained silent.
"Yeah, I knew you'd like her, she looked promising when I saw her at the Japanese port." Setsuna stated.
"She'll fit right in where?" Taki spoke up, suddenly in alarm. Bastet smiled at Taki briefly.
"There are maybe twelve more that are half-beasts as well. Setsuna, show them the book of all those that were gifted by me." Setsuna nodded obediently and went rummaging for the book.
"Getting into someone's head is quite difficult to do without causing any major pain. What pain did you go through?" Bastet asked with a look of concern.
"Ju-just sting in my head, like a migraine almost." Sophitia answered hesitantly. Bastet let out a sigh.
"Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I'm sure the second one was worse, Sekhmet was the one that pried into your head and told you to bite that man on the boat."
"The first mate?" Sophitia questioned as Setsuna came back from the front of the room holding a book with papyrus pages. She was nervous to take a look inside, she let her finger slowly run along the edge of the book before she opened it to find sketches of women in their cat-beast forms, all beautiful yet mysterious at the same time. When she got to the back she found herself, holding her sword and shield in a very proud pose.
"Heh, not half bad." Taki was looking over Sophitia's shoulder and at her image. Sophitia's gaze rose a little as she slowly turned her head to look at Taki with a raised eyebrow. Taki just gazed back at her.
"Well, you being the real person is much better... Ahem." Taki stammered a bit as Sophitia's eyebrow raised more. Taki slowly looked away and placed her hands behind her back as she straightened herself. Sophitia smiled shyly as she gently yet quickly brushed her lips against Taki's cheek, who sharply turned to look at her and smiled sheepishly. Both seemed as though they didn't know or even care a goddess and her demigod was watching them. Bastet raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Oh well isn't this a cute sight." Another voice broke in, Bastet spun around and looked at the second statue that seemed to go under the same transformation as Bastet only in a quicker, sharper way. The lioness moved across the floor in a more abrupt way, as if she were marching to a battle area. The woman's voice was deep but had more of a serious tone to it.
"May I introduce Sekhmet; Goddess of rage of war and the heat in the desert." Bastet informed. Taki could already tell that Sekhmet was associated with war due to the linen that she wore, it bore the color of red. The goddess had blazing green eyes and had round pupils, if you took a closer look, the edge of the pupil seemed a little jagged in texture. "She helped me in a few battles. We are never usually seen together like this, but when it came to cat-beasts, we are linked." Bastet stated as Sekhmet stood next to her and crossed her arms over her chest.
"I kind of want to see what this new girl has in store in a warrior sense, seeing as to how she'll be joining us."
"Who said I would be joining you?!" Sophitia abruptly spoke. 'I'd rather not be spoken of as if I'm an addition to a collection!' Sophitia thought to herself. "All I want is to be normal again please. You turned me into this and I want to be myself again. What must I do to prove this to you?" Sophitia pleaded, Taki heard her voice crack.
Bastet and Sekhmet were taken aback; no one had ever refused a gift from the gods. Bastet understood nonetheless, but Sekhmet thought of the mortal as foolish.
"To prove yourself, why not just fight a demigod? Setsuna, perhaps?" Sekhmet suggested. Bastet turned sharply to her with a look of concern on her face.
"How is that going to prove anything?" Bastet asked, shock stricken with the thought of telling her own daughter to fight another cat-beast, and one as fragile as Sophitia appears to be.
"You'll see. Just watch." Sekhmet smiled evilly as she strode over to the back of the room.
"Setsuna, do you mind?" Bastet asked, concern still flooding her face.
"I'll do as you wish mother." She spoke plainly. Bastet walked slowly over to the back of the room with Sekhmet.
"Sophitia, do you?" Bastet wanted to make sure that she wasn't uncomfortable about this sudden decision.
Sophitia's gaze became solid, strong and fierce. Anyone could tell she was more than ready. "I'll do what ever it takes to make myself... myself... again." Sophitia shed her cloak and let it lay on the floor as she walked to one side of the stage. She drew her sword and readied her shield. Setsuna didn't hesitate to walk to the opposite side of the stage, on her way she grabbed two Arabic swords, each with a rope looped around the end of the hilt. One hilt she held in her right hand, the other she wrapped the looped rope around her left wrist. She raised the sword in her right hand and kept the sword in her left hand behind her as she gently let it sway from side to side behind her.
"Ready?" Setsuna asked with a smile and narrowed eyes.
"Just fight me." Sophitia ground her teeth together, she couldn't wait until the fight both began and ended so that they could turn her back to normal, she couldn't wait to have the rage and lust flashes out of her, most of all, she wanted to spend time with Taki as a human, her as a cat-beast didn't seem the same, and since the beast part of her will be out of her soon, Taki wouldn't push her away. She looked to Taki, who backed away to get herself out of the way. She looked at her with a soft gaze, how she loved those almond eyes that always looked at her with a sense of love, she was not only doing this for herself, but for Taki as well.
"No no, you two won't be using weapons." Sekhmet noted, Setsuna obediently threw her weapons to the side, Sophitia was hesitant about this, this was the first time that she fought against someone without her weapons. She reluctantly laid her weapons to the side and took her place on stage once again. "You two may start whenever you-" Sekhmet stopped and was taken aback a Sophitia fiercely came towards her opponent and threw her claws forward.
Setsuna, unshaken, dodged Sophitia's thrusts. Setsuna found an open spot as she dodged another thrust and took it. She slashed Sophitia rather lightly across the side, hearing Sophitia grunt as she tightly shut her eyes.
Sophitia became annoyed immediately and threw the back of her hand against Setsuna's cheek. Setsuna yelped as she bent over a bit due to the force. Sophitia took the advantage and kneed her into the stomach. Sophitia watched as Setsuna fell to the ground.
"I'd think you'd do better than that." Sophitia mocked.
"I'd think you'd learn to keep your guard up at all times." Setsuna did a leg sweep and brought her opponent to the ground with a thud. She rolled over so that she was on top of Sophitia and held her down. She leaned down so that she was close to her ear.
"You know, Taki would also make a nice addition don't you think?" Setsuna taunted with a smile.
"I won't ever let that happen." Sophitia spat.
"Oh ho, Why? It isn't like you love her or anything like that right?" Sophitia hesitated, but she knew the answer well. She rolled the both of then so that Sophitia was on top. She raised her clawed hands and started to thrust her hands into Setsuna's face. Her opponent, however, was quick enough to roll out of the way and just ended up slamming her claws into the floor.
Setsuna pulled herself to her feet and kicked Sophitia in the chest, sending her a little ways across the floor. Sophitia quickly got to her feet despite the pain she felt in her upper chest. She ran up to Setsuna on all fours and leaped into her, slamming her claws into her shoulders. Setsuna grunted as she hit the floor with Sophitia on top of her once again.
Sophitia growled as she fiercely punched Setsuna in the stomach and to the jaw. She shot out her hand and grabbed Setsuna's throat. She slowly lifted herself from Setsuna's body and lifted Setsuna into the air by her neck.
'Finally, I'll show even the gods that I deserve to be normal again.'
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Taki just stared as the upper hand jumped between the two.
'Wow, she really wants to become human again, I wouldn't blame her either.' Taki thought to herself but then watched as Sophitia lifted Setsuna into the air. Her eyes widened at the look on Sophitia's face, it seemed almost menacing.
"Sophitia! What are you doing!?" Taki shouted. "You're becoming more of a beast than a human!"
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Sophitia stared at the woman in her fist, struggling for air, her face broke into a smile.
"Sophitia! What are you doing!?" She heard Taki shout to her, she turned to she Taki's horror stricken face. "You're becoming more of a beast than a human!" Sophitia's menacing face slowly turned to one of shock and realization. She gasped as she let Setsuna out of her grasp and hit the ground. She slowly looked at her hand, which shook.
'My gods... I'm even becoming the demon that possessed Taki!' Her shaking hand came to her mouth as she dropped to her knees. She looked over to Setsuna, who choked and gasped for air.
"This one isn't meant to be a cat-beast. It's too much for her to handle." Bastet noted quietly as she watch the rather fear-stricken smaller figure before her. 'Was this what you were hoping for Sekhmet!?' She thought as she narrowed her eyes at Sekhmet, who watched the scene before her, unmoved, but still rather taken aback.
Taki ran hastily over to Sophitia and wrapped her arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. The younger woman shivered in her arms. She felt Sophitia's clawed hands touch her arms and held her tighter as she slowly ran her hands up and down her arms. Her gaze swept to the two goddesses who had their eyes fixed on the two of them.
"I think she deserves to be what she used to be, don't you?" Taki spoke in a way as if she wasn't asking them a question and wasn't their opinion.
Bastet slowly nodded her head as she strode slowly over to the two. She pulled something out of her pocket as she kneeled down to them; it was a necklace with a scarab pendant. Sophitia refused to look at the beautiful sight that was the pendant that was nothing but gold with rubies and amazonite stones, she just kept her head down and her eyes closed.
"You might need this, it'll protect you from any harm." Bastet informed in a gentle tone.
"Why? What harm?" Taki asked, bewildered.
"If you want to be a human completely, you have to go to the river of renewal, it'll turn you into a human again. It isn't that far from here. Setsuna can show you the way."
"That is if I can move my abs enough to walk properly..." Setsuna spoke up in a broken voice as she rubbed the back of her head. "Speaking of pain I would ask you, Sekhmet to never shout in my head again like you did on the boat when I met them!" She eyed Sekhmet, who just smirked.
"Why didn't you kill the Japanese woman when I told you?" Sekhmet asked as her eyebrows lowered with question.
"Because I only listen to my mother's orders, plus I knew Sophitia wouldn't do much without her." Setsuna spoke plainly.
"You can't turn her back to normal?" Taki was in complete disbelief at what Bastet said as Setsuna and Sekhmet were oblivious to her. "How could a goddess not change a person back to normal?"
"Becoming a cat-beast is a permanent process, the river of renewal can fix that." Bastet informed.
"And how far is 'isn't far from here'?" Taki asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.
"Other side of the desert. It looks like an oasis." Bastet stated plainly, then sharply turned to Sekhmet.
"Sekhmet, don't make the heat too fierce for them, alright?" Sekhmet paused, then sighed as she looked to the side.
"Alright, if you say so." Sekhmet spoke a little reluctantly. Bastet turned to the two of them with a warm smile.
"Tomorrow you three will leave. You certainly won't be meeting anyone else in the desert, so I don't think that you'll need that cloak Sophitia." Sophitia looked up slowly and nodded slightly.
"I still believe that you would've made a fine cat-beast once you've gotten control of your desires. It was nice to have met you in the least. And from the love that I'm picking up between you two, I'm sure you two will live happily in each others arms." Bastet spoke in a sincere, wistful voice that made both Sophitia and Taki blush slightly as they both tried to hide it.
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To Kenshinlink42889: I hope you were satisfied with this one, I could have them do another but just for fun when they get to the oasis. ;P
To Aeris Savior: I'm working on Link... trying to get some ideas for scenes he could be in. :)
To Witch-Hunter 51: I'm glad you like my story, I love getting your reviews, as well as from others of course. ;P
