Bless This World With A Stranger

by RhineWrites

Arc 13: Of Memories and Vengeance

69. A13-5: About a Girl Named Aqua

{|} Chapter 5: About a Girl Named Aqua {|}

} A-Part {

"Where... am I?"

"Kazuma, you... you're finally awake!"

Chris was quick to move to Kazuma's side, taking hold of his hands as tears formed in her eyes. Kazuma didn't seem to hear her, nor did he seem to even be aware of her as he was more focused on looking around, trying to understand just where it was he was currently at.

Off to the side, Aqua stood up and leaned back against the wall as she watched them. It took her a moment to realize that she was smiling, tearing up, and becoming rather emotional herself. She was quick to tell herself that she wasn't happy that Kazuma was finally awake, but rather she was just happy for Eris, seeing her look all relieved like she currently was. To confirm this, she says-

"It's about time you woke up, you damn NEET. Do you have any idea just how worried we... Eris was about you!"

"Eris?"

said Kazuma, finally registering something since waking up. He looks around till his eyes finally fell onto Chris's face, making him stare for a few moments before finally saying-

"Eris!"

"Yes, it's me, Kazuma. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. Are you OK? Are you feeling alright?"

"Eris... Eris..."

"Ah... yes, that's right. Eris is one of several names I am known by. What's wrong, Kazuma. Are you still half asleep..."

Before she could finish, Kazuma reaches out and places both his hands gently upon her cheeks. This makes Chris blush as her eyes remained focused on him. And then, Kazuma did something unexpected by anyone.

He leans in while pulling her forward till their lips meet in a kiss.

"AHHHH, WHAT THE HELL? YOU DAMN PERVERT, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MY JUNIOR LIKE...?"

shouted Aqua, preparing to deliver divine punishment on this otaku pervert. Before she can take action, she realizes something. Chris wasn't responding like Aqua expected her to react; that being pulling away while wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

No, she appeared to be returning his kiss, seemed to be really enjoying it too, if the sounds coming from her were any indication. And the kiss didn't end with just a simple peck either. No, this was turning into a deep and very passionate kiss and Aqua was sure tongue on tongue action was happening.

Now, you would think Aqua would find herself feeling immediate disgust from the sight of a perverted NEET making out with a goddess. Instead, she just marveled at the sight of seeing her junior seemingly becoming lost in the kiss, enjoying it fully. And that made her feel a desire she hadn't felt before, at least as far as she knew.

'NE... Kazuma, I never knew he could be such a good kisser. I wonder if he'd...'

Aqua realizes what it was she was thinking, was about to think; making her quickly shake her head to purge those thoughts from her mind and memory. She then turns and makes some gagging noises as the sounds of Chris moaning behind her seemed to grow louder and louder.

Finally, the kiss came to an end as Kazuma removed his hands from their touch against her cheeks. It takes a moment for Chris to open her eyes which had a misty, dreamy look about them. Once her mind catches up with her, she reaches up with a finger which she presses against her lips.

'It's been so long... since I last experienced a kiss from you, Linear. So long that I've forgotten what it could feel like. How I have missed your kisses and not even realized it till now.'

In the back of her mind, Chris knew they had other things to be doing and worrying about, but at the moment, all she could think about and want was to be kissed by him again, to relieve those beautiful past memories again and again in the most physical way possible.

Maybe finally even do that which they hadn't been able to do in the past.

Chris was about to take the lead, pull Kazuma into a kiss now when she realizes his eyes had closed. His body wavers before falling forwards onto her. This makes her panic for a second as she hugs his body against her, but she quickly calms as she hears the sounds of his light snoring.

Aqua, aware of what had just happened too, quickly says-

"Oh no, please tell me we're not going to have another long bought of Kazuma sleeping his life away."

Chris lays Kazuma back down, then places a hand against his head for a moment before looking back at Aqua and saying-

"Don't worry, Kazuma's fine. Sure, he's back to being asleep but this is different from before. Before, his slumber was a side effect of what happened when he unleashed his Lich Reap. This sleep, I believe, is more of a response to the first sleep. I don't know how or why but I feel confident he'll awaken in a few hours and when he does, he should be more back to normal than he was just a moment ago."

"So he SHOULD be back to normal when he next wakes up. I guess that will be a good thing. Anyways, just what the heck happened back there with you, Eris. Loosing yourself like that when he... he... What about the rules?"

"I'm sure the higher-ups will overlook a little kissing. After all, they usually overlook all your zany actions, some of which are a lot more frowned upon."

Aqua wanted to argue that one but decides to let it slide. Instead, she asked a question she knew she needed to ask, if only to get it off her mind and out of her system.

"So, was that kiss... really all that?"

"Mmmm, let's just say that, as I thief, I've found something new I'm going to be stealing a lot of here in the future. You should give it a try sometimes, Aqua. It may actually change you for the better."

Chris was teasing her, of course. But she also was being a little serious and sincere. Aqua scoffs at the thought, saying-

"I'll take a hard pass, thank you very much. So, what do we do now?"

"Now... we get some sleep ourselves. We still have quite the trip ahead of us and now, I'm feeling more energized than ever to see it through."

"Works for me. I'll have myself a little nip of this (holds up a bottle of wine) and let sleep claim me once again."

Chris nods as she watches Aqua take a long hard drink from the bottle before she lays down and closes her eyes. She then looks at Kazuma's sleeping form, smiles, then lays down beside him. She even moves herself so she could take his hand into hers before finally closing her eyes and letting sleep claim her as well.

A few minutes later, a portal opens and [Glutton] Komekko emerges, holding the Know-It-All at her side. She looks around and considers what she should do first when a voice speaks up in her mind.

'Komekko, let's play it safe and use a Sleep spell, less we accidentally wake them up early.'

"Got it, [Know-It-All] Eris. Sleep!"

said [Glutton] Komekko softly and quietly. She holds her free hand out, a glow flowing from said hand that fills the room. Once the light had finished, Komekko then turns her attention to Kazuma and asks-

"So, should I hold you out over Kazuma. Let you help get his mind back on track? I'm not sure how, but I know both his mind and soul are in this kind of flux right now and we... that's to say, you, have the power to stabilize both at a faster speed than what it'll take for him naturally."

"Before that, bring me closer to Aqua."

[Glutton] Komekko does as asked, moving to stand beside Aqua. She then holds [Know-It-All] Eris over Aqua's body as the sentient tome begins to glow, shining a light down at Aqua's body for a moment before the light fades and Eris says-

"I thought so. It seems Aqua has had the Alka-ma elixir used on her."

"The what?"

"The Alka-ma elixir. Don't fret about not having heard of it before as it is a special concoction that exist exclusively up in the heavens. That little number is only meant to be used under the most extreme of conditions to help a god, goddess, or an angel overcome a powerfully painful memory that's having a negative impact on them and their ability to perform their duties."

"Is that really an issue for you high and mighty types, Eris?"

"Sort of. I honestly can't think of of time it has been used back in our timeline though that doesn't mean that it hasn't been used before. That said, I have observed several timelines where it has been used, including one or two where its use was for, let's just say, more dubious reasons. It seems this Aqua has also had it used on her in order to aid her with overcoming a painful experience she suffered."

"OK... don't know if I understand any of that. No matter: what happens now?"

"Now... I'm going to make Aqua remember the the past she's wanting to run from, even if she doesn't want to ever face it. Despite that, she NEEDS to face the truth, whatever that truth may be."

"Wait, you don't know? I thought your current form allowed you the ability to tap into the Divine Archives of any timeline you happen to be in."

"That's true, doesn't mean I go looking up and and all bits of information. I could, and probably will, look into her past here in the future. But at the moment, I have more important priorities to focus on. Now, hold me over Aqua's body so I can work my magic on her."

[Glutton] Komekko nods before doing as asked. She extends her arms out, holding the Know-It-All over Aqua, a light shining from the tome that rains down onto Aqua, making her glow as well. After a moment, the glow connecting them ends and Komekko pulls [Know-It-All] Eris back close.

"The rest is up to her now. Now take me over to Kazuma and let's see what I can do for him."

} B-Part {

The sound of someone humming in a sing song way brings Aqua back to being aware. Once she had opened her eyes, she realizes she was floating inside a place that was very familiar to her, a place she hadn't set foot in in a very long time: her holy throne.

"What's going on? Have I finally come back home? Does that mean all that craziness was just a dream?"

"I don't think so."

Aqua jumps at hearing the voice of a child. She then looks around, finally spotting a young girl, a kid really, sitting, or rather floating, on the open air. She had gone back to humming her little tune while swinging her legs back and forth. She had a serene look about her, on top of being rather cute too.

Not that any of that mattered to Aqua who had only one real thought on her mind at the moment.

"Who the hell are you? What are you doing inside MY sacred throne. In fact, how did you even get inside here to begin with?"

The girl stops her humming as she looks at Aqua with a confused look on her face.

"Why shouldn't I be here. Take a good look at me and ask yourself an important question. Doesn't this child you're looking at seem in any way familiar to you?"

"What the hell are you talking about. Why would you look familiar to me when we've never met before."

"Seriously, you don't even recognize your own... oh my god, that dumb elixir big brother Pathos recommended I drink really did quite the number on me, huh?"

"You're not making any sense here. Either tell me who you are or else I'll kick you out of my holy abode in the hardest and most painful way possible."

"(sigh) Pops was right, I actually can be a pain in the butt. Who would have thought it. Look, believe it or not, but I-AM-YOU, Aqua. To be more exact, I am a representation of how you looked in your youth. I guess you could say I am your inner child, or something like that."

"Uh... OK?"

"Look, you don't have to understand. Just get your butt over here, take my hand, and we can go about doing something that's been a long time coming; restoring all those old, past memories you've been running away from for the last several hundred years."

"... I've been... running away from past memories?"

Aqua then burst out into a laugh, making her younger self take on an annoyed look.

"That wasn't a joke, idiot."

"Of course it was a joke. If you knew anything about me, then you'd know I would NEVER run away from anything. I'm a goddess, you hear me. A GODDESS! As such, there is never anything that I would need to run away from."

"Geez, you're even more an idiot than I dared feared."

"You're the idiot, idiot... wait, I know who you are. You must be the source of that voice that's been hounding me ever since I was forced down into Eris's world. (starts cracking her knuckles) Prepare yourself, evil spirit, because it's high time I destroy you and finally get some much needed peace and quiet."

"(sigh) So this is how my day's gonna go, huh. Oh well, time for plan B! Fine then, if you're really too afraid to face the truth..."

"Afraid? AFRAID? What did I just tell you a few moments ago. I am a goddess and as such, there is nothing, repeat...NOTHING, that I fear."

"(holds out her dominate hand) If that's true, then you won't have any issue with coming over here and holding my hand. If you truly mean those words you speak, then surely nothing I can show you will have any impact on you."

"FINE! I'll play your game. Just be ready to face my wrath once this is all over!"

Aqua stomps over to her younger self and grabs her hand rather roughly. The moment of contact, a light envelops them both as Aqua finds herself being pulled into a whirlpool of light. It takes a moment, but she soon sees a world being born around her as a little story begins to be told.

And thus began her learning about her own back story or perhaps it should be considered a relearning...

{Little Orphan... Kid}

When her eyes opened, she found herself looking up at a ceiling which was strange as she was pretty sure she had been outside when she had had that little accident that had resulted in her losing consciousness. A moment later, she also realized what she had been sleeping on felt rather nice.

Turning her head to one side, she confirmed she was lying in a soft and comfy bed, complete with a pillow. What did that mean for her? Had she been kidnapped. Was her kidnapper planning on doing something rather nasty to her.

That thought makes her bolt up into a sitting position with the intention being to jump out of this nice feeling bed and make a run for it. Instead, she realizes something else was off. She was no longer dressed in the dirty rags of a street urchin, but instead a somewhat cute looking dress that felt good against her skin. This got her a thinking about her situation.

'OK me, remember how you got yourself into this little situation. I was out and about, looking for someone who would be generous with giving me some money for food, even if they didn't know they were being generous. I saw that old fart walking around with a money pouch on clear display. I go to grab it only to be grabbed by him. I managed to break free and tried to make an escape... only to go smacking into... something. Then I felt something very hard hit my head and everything went black.'

The girl then looks at her new attire again, then the bed. She allows herself a moment to enjoy the feel of both before a new thought crossed her mind-

'Actually, this doesn't seem so bad. If becoming some old pervert's plaything means I can have nice things and enough food to fill my belly, then maybe letting myself becoming someone's little toy wouldn't be such a bad trade off... yeah right. As if I'd ever dirty myself like that. OK, time to make an escape. And see if I can steal some more nice things as I...'

The girl then realizes she had eyes on her. Snapping from her thoughts, she looks around the large room, taking notice that it was both big and rather nice looking, making her have a moment of hesitation with her plan to make a run for it. She snaps back to her senses and continues looking, finding a small child peeking around a partially opened door.

The girl narrows her eyes then says to the child-

"Will you stop staring at me already. It's really creepy, alright. If you need something to do, then go make me a sandwich or something. I've starving here, ya know!"

And the response made by the girl was to 'eep' before breaking into a run as she makes her escape, crying out as she goes-

"Papa, big sis... the new girl's awake."

'Ah crap, maybe I should have been nicer to that brat. No choice now. I need to make a run for it before it's too...'

The door to her room opens and the very old guy she had been planning on robbing steps into the room, making the girl shout out-

"FUCK!"

The older man, looking to be either in his later fifties or early sixties due to the amount of gray in his hair and thin beard, cocks an eyebrow before responding by saying-

"You're a little young to be saying words like that. You do know that, right?"

"Shows what you know, old timer. I'll have you know that I am a strong, mature, and independent seven-year-old!"

"(not impressed) Is that right?"

"Yeah, that is right. Now tell me what you intend to do with me, ya old fart. Looking at you, I can tell right away you must have a thing for little girls. I bet you're planning on having your way with me or something."

"(sigh) Just my luck. I just had to bring home THAT kind of child. Well, the rest of my day is ruined."

"Ah-hah, I knew it. You don't deny. You are going to do terrible, nasty things to me, aren't you. Don't go thinking I'm just going to let you have your way though... Ah, well maybe if you bribe me with enough... Damn it, you're already corrupting me, geezer. You really are a lolicon pervert. Admit it!"

The older man sighs before muttering something under his breath. Before he could properly respond to the girl though, the door opens again and another person comes walking into the room. This person was a girl, or perhaps a young woman would be a better term. She looked to be in her very late teens or my likely early twenties. She had curly chestnut colored hair and was smiling from ear to ear.

"So, our newest guest has finally awakened. You know, the funny thing is, pops. She isn't ENTIRELY wrong when she claims you have a thing for little girls, though the context is way off."

"Cici, please. I don't need you to start up on me too."

The girl named Cici giggles before turning her attention to girl in the bed and says-

"Well, now that THAT is out of the way, mind telling us who you are. As you heard said just a moment ago, my name is Cici, and this gruff and rough looking fellow is pops. Well, his proper name is Lok so many of the kids that live here with us have come to know him either as pops or Papa Lok."

"..."

"Come on now, don't be shy."

"Think of you giving us your name as payment for bringing you back to this place, giving you some nice clothes to wear, a nice bed to rest in, and for trying to rob me back there. And... side note, you really suck when it comes to robbing someone. I heard you coming from a mile away."

"Screw you old... wait, did you say there's a lot of young girls living here in this place?"

"Yes, there are a fair number of young girls... AND boys too. In case the meaning is lost on you, this place is an orphanage; owned and operated by us two here."

"So does that mean your father and daughter then? I would assume so, especially as the alternative in my mind would make me say that the age difference between you two is a little alarming."

"Yep, this one is really going to be a troublesome one, to be sure."

"Papa, manners. To answer your question slash observation. No, we are not lovers, nor are we father and daughter... sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Cici here was the first child orphan I took in, alongside my wife. This was around the time the plague that swept across the land. Since then, we took it upon ourselves to open up an orphanage and take in any and all strays we find ourselves coming across."

The girl nods, seemingly understanding, then she says-

"You completely lost me there, old fart."

"(sigh) Is it too late to knock this one out and take her back to where I found her. Something tells me she's a lost cause, no matter what we try to do for her."

"Papa, seriously. Look, just know we run a place where kids who have no one to rely on can come to find a place to belong. Now, can you tell us your name, kid."

"Kid!"

Cici and Lok look at each other then back at the girl. Lok then says-

"Yes, she just called you a kid because you ARE a kid. Please, will you tell us your name already."

"I just did, stupid old man!"

Cici blinks then says-

"So, you're saying your name is... Kid?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"... Sounds like her parents didn't have much of an imagination when she was born."

"For your information, geezer, I never knew my parents. They died when I was still small."

This clearly takes both Lok and Cici aback as they hadn't expected to hear that from this girl. Cici then asks-

"Your parents died when you were... so you can't even recall your actual name? (Kid shakes her head) Do you at least remember your parents? (Kid shakes her head again) Then where did you get the name Kid from? And if you didn't have your parents with you, how did you manage to survive out there in the world?"

"(shrugs) Beats me, your guess is as good as mine on how I managed to survive to this day. Guess that confirms I'm made of sterner stuff than most. As for the name Kid? That's just what people around me would call me. They would say 'Get out of here, kid. Stop bothering me, kid. Come with me and I'll be your daddy, kid.' That last one I punched in the nuts and stole his wallet when he was on the ground. I had so many people call me Kid that I guess it just kind of stuck with me."

"I see. Do you have a place to live? Are you living with anyone right now?"

asked Lok. Kid smiles as she proudly says-

"Nope, not anyone. I'm already old enough that I don't need to live with anyone or rely on any kind of charity. I'm an independent and capable young woman who doesn't need help from anyone. In fact, I can say with all the confidence in the world that I'm..."

The sudden sound of her stomach growling, loudly at that, makes Kid go quiet. Her face goes red with embarrassment as she looks down, unable to look these people in the eye. Lok and Cici look at her a moment longer, then at each other before the pull away and start whispering something to each other.

As for Kid, all she could think was-

'Crap-crap-crap-crap-crap, why'd you have to go do that when you did, stomach. Now they're going to look down on me and see me as some little kid or something. That does it, I need to get out of...'

"Kid."

'FUCK!'

Kid looks up, seeing Cici sitting on the bed beside her. She couldn't see the old man anywhere. Were they planning something funny with her? Doesn't matter as her mind was made up on what she was going to do here.

"I have a question to ask you, Kid."

"Oh yeah. And that would be?"

"Well, me and pops had a quick little talk about it, and we were wondering if you would like to live here with us... well, us and all the other kids that currently live here."

"... Are you being serious with me?"

"I wouldn't have made this offer if it wasn't a serious was. Sure, things will be different than what you're used to. I mean, you'll have a bunch of new siblings as well as a father figure. You'll get plenty of food to eat, new clean clothes to wear, nice hot baths, and so much more. So, what do you say?"

In truth, Kid didn't know what to say. Sure, it had crossed her mind that she would get such an offer and she had planned on turning it down, if only because she liked her freedom and independence even if that came at the cost of an easy living. But to actually have that offer made, to hear all that came with her accepting it, was making her hesitate and actually consider the offer.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch, beyond abiding by the rules of this place. Behave, don't cause any trouble. Treat your fellow orphans with kindness, have each other's backs if the need arises. Don't go damaging anything if at all possible. Beyond that, you are free to do as you please for the duration of your stay here."

"The duration of my stay? Does that mean I can only live here for a set amount of time then?"

"Not exactly. Some of our kids might get lucky and find themselves getting adopted. A couple have actually found family members who have come taken them in. One child was actually reunited with his parents, who he had thought were dead. The rest usually leave once they feel they're ready to fly the nest and go out into the greater world. For those members of our little family, pops gives them a little seed money from coin pouch to get started with. In the end, it's all up to you. So, what do you say?"

"... I... well, I... Look, the thing of it is, I..."

"I'm back and I bring with me something nice and HOT for our guest to eat."

Came Lok as he stepped into the room, a tray held with both his hands. Kid can't help but gulp as the aroma from the food on the tray reaches her nose. Once he had reached her, he places the tray down before her and seeing what was on display makes her eyes water and drool to form on her lips.

Lok and Cici look at each other, smile, then back at Kid as Cici once again asks-

"So, what do you say. Want to come live here with all of us?"

For Kid, the answer was obvious.

"YES!"

{A Gifted Girl}

After Kid had finished eating the food Lok had brought her, Cici had decided to show Kid around the large house that served as the home for all the orphans as well as introduce Kid to everyone. Lok had wanted to join as well but he had other duties to attend too as he was the bread winner in their little family.

As the went around, it became obvious that Kid wasn't all that interested in most she was being shown. Also, while she did say her hello's to all the other orphans in the place, it was pretty obvious to Cici that Kid wasn't too interested in learning their names or making friends with them. She hoped that would change in the future.

The only things Kid did seem interested in was the location of the bath, the kitchen and pantry, and especially the wine cellar, forcing Cici to say-

"Just to let you know, Kid. The wine cellar is strictly off limits to everyone except for me and papa, understand!"

"Ahhhhh... booze!"

"KID!"

"Huh, what? Oh right, I understand. You can count on me, big sis!"

Cici had her doubts about that and decides to talk to Lok later about adding some additional locks onto the wine cellar in order to keep Kid out. Cici wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling getting her hands on and drinking booze was a very common thing for this strange girl.

Finally, the reaches the last stop on their little tour.

"Here we are, Kid. This will be your room going forward. I know it's a little sparse, lacking much beyond a bed, a side table with a lamp, an empty shelf, and a writing desk but if you're good and are willing to help around the house, you'll get an allowance you can use to buy yourself anything that would interest you."

"Like stylish clothes, entertainment, and some fancy bubbly?"

"I told you before, NO on anything alcoholic till you hit seventeen or you leave this nest here. As for clothing? We'll provide you with the simple things in life when and if it is needed. As for anything for high-class and expensive, as well as whatever you deem as entertainment, that will come from your allowance. So, any questions?"

"Yeah, a couple. First, just what exactly is your relationship with the geezer? I recall hearing said that you and he aren't related by blood, and I know it was said you and he aren't slapping skin with one another, which I'm still thinking is a thing. But assuming neither is a thing, then just what is your role here and relationship with the old fart really?"

Cici steps past Kid and takes a seat on a stool beside the writing desk while Kid sits down on her bed.

"Well, it's a long story..."

"Ugh, can I get the abridged version."

"We really have a lot of work to do with you, don't we. Well, to make a long story short, I guess you can say I was the first orphan papa Lok took in, back when mama Zio was still alive."

"Mama... Zio?"

"Lok's wife. She was a very lovely woman, if a little... crazy in the head. Anyways, they found me on the streets after my parents abandoned me. This was back during the early days of the plague, when people were all freaked out about everything, and everyone had the whole survival of the fittest mentality about them. Because my health wasn't always the best back when I was small, my parents must have seen me as a liability and thus chose to leave me behind to save themselves."

"Did you ever find them after they abandoned you?"

"Never looked, actually. Despite being a small child, I very much understood what they had done and hated them for it. That's why when papa and mama found me, took me in, and ultimately adopted me, I became fiercely loyal to them and will always be so. I did learn what became of my parents a few years ago though."

"What happened to them?"

"Dead from the plague. Kinda fitting, when you think about it. Just so you don't have to ask, I didn't bat an eye or shed a tear when I learned of their fates. In fact, I shrugged, I may have chuckled, and I felt they got what was coming to them."

"How do you know they weren't thinking of your wellbeing when they left you? How do you know if they never regretted their actions after the fact?"

"Oh, I can say with full confidence they weren't thinking of you as they left me a little letter when they left me, saying why they were doing what they did. As for them possibly regretting their actions. Who knows, maybe they did. Regardless, I really don't care as I no longer see them as my family. This here is my family now and I can't be happier for that."

Kid nods, then cocks her head in confusion as she asks-

"When will I be meeting this mama Zio? I just realized she wasn't present when I met you and the geezer."

Cici looks away, her features becoming darker and sad.

"That's not... going to be possible. You see, the things of it is, mama... died a few years after I was taken in by them."

"... What happened?"

"Same thing as with many others; the plague. There was a difference though. She was actively working on finding a cure for the plague and actually managed to succeed in that venture... though it came at a price."

"Her life?"

"(nod) Mama was an incredible alchemist, having skills that were beyond those of any others. She was also someone who could be rather obsessive with her research. Once she decides to do something, she'll stick to it till the very end. That's why she injected herself with a pure concentration of the plague and studying how it worked its deathly magic inside her own body and from that information, she was able to create a cure though it killed her as a result. The cure will only work if taken before the plague can reach a certain point in its development."

"And she had past that point by the time she found the cure."

"Correct. The cure can not only save some who were already infected but create antibodies to safeguard them from any future outbreaks of the same plague. As you can imagine, both me and papa took her loss hard. Papa especially as they two of them had always been... rather close in their relationship."

"... They had a lot of sex is what you mean."

"You're a little too young to already know about stuff like that, which makes me have some rather disturbing questions I'd rather not ask you right now. Anyways, after the period of plague had ended, there were a lot of kids that had been made homeless, orphaned. And when I say a lot, I do mean A LOT! As he felt bad for them all, papa took it upon himself to take them all in and since then, this place has become a makeshift orphanage for all the homeless kids around."

"And yet you're still here."

"Because I want to be. I love it here. I love helping papa with raising all these kids as well as being both a big sister and a mother figure to them."

"So, has anyone else you've taken in opting to stick around like you did?"

"(shakes her head) No, just me. A few kids have been adopted, one actually found a living relative and went to live with them. The others usually leave us once they reach seventeen or eighteen years of age. When that happens, papa gives them some seed money to help them get by until they can find a proper job and place to call their own."

"Have any of those who have left ever bothered to come back around?"

"One or two, every now and then. Usually though, we receive letters from them, giving us an update on how they're doing. Kid, can you do me a favor and try to take it easy on papa. He's not as young as he used to be and as such, he doesn't have the energy these days to deal with any quote unquote PROBLEM CHILDREN!"

"Then it should be fine because I am anything but a problem child!"

"I feel that's debatable. Now, what's your next question."

"Well, I was wondering about..."

Just then, the door to Kid's room burst open as a boy who appeared to be ten or so comes running in, looking panicked.

"Big sis, big sis, come quickly. It's Linka..."

A few minutes later, they had left the house and had gone down to the local hospital. Lok and Cici were standing at the bedside of a pale looking girl named Linka. Also, there was a doctor present, looking over the clearly badly injured child of six.

According to the boy, a horse had gone wild and, in its rampage, had trampled poor Linka who had been unable to get out of the way in time. Currently, Kid as well as the other dozen or so kids were standing out in the hall, waiting for the doctor to say something.

Finally, the doctor turns his attention from Linka to Lok and Cici, his face grave as he says with a sorrow filled tone.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do for her. I give her a few hours but..."

"No, that can't be true."

cried out Cici who quickly buries her face into Lok's shoulders. The older man then asks-

"Are you sure, doctor. Surely there must be some healers who could..."

"I'm sorry, old friend. But from what I can see, even the best healers we have around these parts won't be able to help this child. I wish I could do more here, I really do. But I'm afraid..."

This causes the gathered children to start crying and cursing. Some even called the doctor some rather choice names, not that any of that would make a difference. As for Kid, she wasn't sure what to think or feel. Sure, she was feeling bad for this Linka girl, just not nearly as bad as she could given the fact she hadn't actually met her proper yet. Despite that, she couldn't help but grit her teeth and clench her fist as she thinks to herself-

'Damn it, stupid doctor. Stupid healers too. Surely there has to be someone who can help that girl.'

"There is, but only if she can answer the calling!"

'Eh? Who said that?'

Kid begins to look around for the source of the voice, finding no one who's voice matched the one she heard. She then looks back at Linka while wondering what that mystery voice meant when it said "answer the calling" and suddenly, a strange feeling comes over her. It wasn't the first time she had this feeling and like with those other times; she didn't know what had happened.

Only that it had and, in those moments, she had done some pretty weird things.

Kid then pushes past the others, walking into the room which causes the doctor, Lok, and Cici to have a reaction. Kid ignores them as she walks up to the bed, holds her hands out over it, and a curious light envelops her hands before raining down onto Linka's body, making it glow as well.

"Kid, what's going on? What are you doing?"

"Now isn't the time to be... playing around..."

Everyone goes into a stunned silence as they see something unexpected. Linka's body was healing. She was actually being healed by the strange power Kid was using now. The doctor quickly examines Linka, then says-

"Amazing, incredible even. Something that should have been impossible is actually happening before me. (looks at Kid) Just who are you?"

Kid doesn't answer, instead she maintains her focus on her healing. A few minutes later, the light fades and Kid wipes the sweat that had formed on her brow before she seems to come back to her senses. She becomes confused and starts looking at everyone, asking as she does-

"What just happened? Why is everyone looking at me like I did something wrong."

Clearly, Kid was completely clueless on the power she had and the fact she had just used it.

{That Girl Aqua}

The sound of footsteps walking upon stone flooring was the first thing to begin bringing the girl back to consciousness. She had at first planned on ignoring it and letting her beautiful slumber take her again, but the troublesome noise just kept getting louder and louder till it finally came to an end.

Only to be immediately replaced by the sound of a lock being released and the creaking grind of a metal door being opened. She could feel the shadow of someone come over her followed by words telling her to wake up. She ignored it, was told again to get up except more forcefully and she now responded by saying something rather rude, not that her mind was aware enough to realize it.

Then came the light kick against her legs, finally making her wake up so she could angrily shout out-

"What the hell? Who dares disturb the beauty sleep of a sainted... oh, it's just you, geezer!"

Lok looks down at the girl, his face one of aggravation and annoyance, and says-

"You never came home last night, which had me worried. Still, I figured maybe you were just keeping busy: helping others, entertaining the locals, and so on. Instead, where do I find you when I finally came a-looking for you once the morning had risen. Right where I seem to find you a LOT as of late here, inside a jail cell. So, what do you have to say for yourself... or do I really need to ask, Aqua?"

"Ah... I could use a raise in my allowance!"

It had been seven years since the girl formerly known as Kid, now known as Aqua, had come to live in the house owned by Lok and Cici. During those seven years, a lot had happened to the girl named Aqua, including her getting the new name Aqua applied to her.

After discovering she had powerful healing abilities, she practiced using that power constantly till she had mastered it. It wasn't long after that before everyone had learned of this amazing young girl who seemingly could heal any injury.

She also discovered another power she seemed to have, after a mysterious stranger appeared before her and made a curious remark. Aqua learned she could purify any body of water and liquid element into the purest and most heavenly of waters that seemingly could give anyone who drank from it or bathed in it superior health and vigor.

It also did wonders when it came to skin and hair care too.

Because of her amazing, if mysterious, powers, something began to change about Aqua; namely her hair and eye color. Originally, Aqua had been sporting brown hair with a little cherry coloring mixed in. But as time passed, her hair and eyes slowly but surely shifted from that original coloring to being a watery blue, something she was actually OK with as it turned out blue was her favorite color.

It had actually been Lok who gave her the name, after hearing all the other kids talk about how they felt Kid seemed like a water goddess in mortal form. If only he could have foreseen how such praise would impact her mental development, not that it was in a great place to begin with.

Now fifteen, Aqua had become something of a Primadona, a glory hound who lived for the praise she now found herself being given with on a constant basis. Everyone loved her and there were even talks within the religion to make Aqua an official saint though nothing final had been made yet.

With her ego, Aqua was always off doing her own thing, despite what Lok, and occasionally Cici, asked her to do different. By far her worse vice was he total lack of self-control when it came to anything and everything alcoholic. She loved the drink more than life itself and never failed to find the time to have a bottle in each hand, much to Lok's annoyance.

Side note, Aqua was also really good when it came to performing. Whether it be dancing, performing a magical show, or playing any musical instrument, she seemed to be an expert. Don't ask her to sing though as while she did have a good singing voice, her choice of songs when she sings always seemed to have some questionable content to them.

"How many more times are we going to be doing this, Aqua. You're getting yourself so drunk that you start puking up a storm or going on a rampage when you're told you've had enough; both seeing you collected by the local law and thrown into a cell to sober up. I mean, don't you have any shame at all? You're a celebrity now, kid. You have the love and accolades of more people than I can count. You need to be setting a better example."

"But I am setting a good example, geezer. I'm showing them that life's way too short to be worrying about such simple, dull, and pointless little details like 'setting a good example.'"

"I won't even waste time pointing out how none of what you just said makes any sense as I know it'll just go over that empty head of yours."

"Hey, I take offense to that!"

"I hope so. Anyways, what are you doing getting yourself dead drunk to the point of needing to puke or starting a fight. I thought I've told you, multiple times in fact, you are still too young to drink."

"Ugh, not this again, ya old fart. Surely you've learned by now anything you say to me goes in one ear and right out the other."

"Clearly! You know, I have half a mind to not give you anymore allowance..."

"You wouldn't, right. You won't actually cut me off when I'm still considered a minor, right."

"If only I could, Aqua. If only I like you'd be in trouble anyways, seeing as I know you receive a ton of donations from everyone you help out... which I've told you NOT to do... multiple times."

"Hey, I'm not asking them to pay me for my services. They're choosing to do that all on their own."

"And YOU COULD REFUSE their money, tell them you'll help them for free."

"And make myself look cheap and easy in their eyes. No way."

"Seriously, what am I... (hacking and coughing)"

Lok's coughing fit has him double over, even falling to his knees as he brings a hand up to cover his mouth. Without wasting a second, Aqua was at his side, kneeling down with her hands held out as she used her healing powers on him till he appeared to finally calm down, though he still looked rather pale and had some blood on the hand he had used to cover his mouth.

"Are you OK?"

asked Aqua, her tone very much showing her worry.

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks to you."

Aqua looks at Lok for a moment before saying-

"This has been happening a lot with you, hasn't it. These coughing fits of yours."

"Unfortunately. These last few months in fact and a lot more frequently as of late."

"I don't understand. I heal you so it should all be good and yet it keeps coming back..."

"I'm sure it's all me, Aqua. I just need to remember that I'm not a young spring chicken anymore. I really should be taking it easy here in my twilight years, otherwise I'm going to end up killing myself."

"Hah, that's a good one, geezer. As long as you have me here at your side, you'll continue to live for a long-long-LONG time to come."

'Besides, I can't imagine my life without having you there to keep me on the path.'

While Aqua was constantly causing Lok headaches, ignoring his words of advice and giving him plenty of reasons to suffer headaches and feeling annoyed with his never-ending lectures, the truth is she did care about him and was grateful to him for all he had done and more importantly, for putting up with her and her annoying antics.

"Yeah, I guess so. Anyways, I need to go get some stuff from the store as Cici is off having that little museum tour with the others. She said she would take care of this herself once she got back but I..."

Lok tries to stand but has trouble finding his balance, resulting in Aqua helping him back to his feet.

"What you need right now is some serious rest, geezer. Just tell me what's needed to be picked up and I get it myself."

"... Are you sure, Aqua. We both know how you feel about doing stuff like this."

"Yeah, because I usually have something better to do. But this is different as I'm the one making the offer. So, what do you say. Give me the money and I'll take care of it for you. Promise!"

"... (sigh) Alright, if that's what you want."

Lok hands her a money pouch which she happily accepts. He then tells her what is needed, then adds one final thing-

"And Aqua, no matter what, don't go spending any of what's in here on booze. We have plenty of that back home so if you're a good girl and buy only what I asked you too, I'll... let you have one bottle of Red's Wrecker to drink to your hearts content."

"YES! You can count on me."

Aqua does a salute before turning and walking off with confidence in her step.

"Seriously, what am I to do with you, kid. (sigh) If only I had the time to see what you will become..."

Aqua stops and finds herself looking back towards Lok when those words had reached her ears. It couldn't have been from him as the distance between them would have made that impossible unless it had been shouted out which it hadn't been.

'Was that just my imagination?'

She couldn't be sure but there was something she was sure of; that being the sudden fear and dread that had begun to arise within her. She pushed the feeling off to the side, figuring it was just her mind being weird with her for some reason. Despite that, the feeling and thought she was having remained.

That thought, that feeling, was this. She didn't know why but she couldn't help but feel this would be the last time they would ever talk to one another.

{A Bitter Pill to Swallow}

The sudden impact of something being slammed down against the table causes Aqua to wake up with a start. Her groggy, intoxicated eyes blink from the shock and surprise before she begins to angrily look around for the one who interrupted her slumber so she can chew them out for waking her.

That plan changes the moment she sees the one who had awakened her. She then smiles a big dumb goofy smile up at the person while taking the half empty bottle of booze she had managed to keep hold of in her sleep and lifts it up while saying-

"Hey, big sis Cici. When did you get here? Wanna comes have a little drinky with me?"

"No... No, I don't want to have a little drinky with you. YOU shouldn't be having a little drinky in here either. Seriously Aqua, does anything pops tell you even register inside that simple minded head of yours?"

"Ah... maybe?"

"(sigh) Do you even know what time it is right now, Aqua?"

"Not really. Don't own a time piece, big sis. I need to remember to have the old geezer get me one here one of these days."

"At your current age, it's your responsibility to get your own. Anyways, I'll tell you what time it is. It's almost dinner time. Why are you in here, at the local pub, getting yourself all shit faced AGAIN? Didn't you have a little task to do for papa Lok this morning? Something you yourself offered to do for him."

Aqua blinks, her drunken state having left her brain all foggy and confused. It takes her a second before she says-

"Did I? That doesn't sound like something I'd... oh right, I think I did say something like that. You see, big sis, I was on my way to the shops to pick up what was needed, then I saw they were having a special sale here in this place on drinks."

"And you probably figured it wouldn't hurt to come in and have ONE quick drink to start your day with, am I right?"

"...Yeah, that's it exactly. I would have a quick drink then make my way over to the shops to get the goods."

"And what about the money pops gave you? I doubt you had any of your own money left over from the previous night to pay for even one drink from this place, even if it was at a discount."

"It was fine, it was fine. I have a way with people, ya know. I was confident I could haggle down the asking price, maybe even get some of the requested items for free. After all, the people in this town, if not the greater region, absolutely LOVE me!"

"Correction, they love what you can do for them. You can heal them of any injuries or state of being they're in. You can purify any and all water, and you can entertain them... in multiple ways. On that note, you really need to invest in a bra, Aqua. With how big and bouncy your boobs are, you're getting a lot of guys, and girls, leering at you constantly from just them looking at your boobs swinging all over the place."

"Eh, you're just jealous I have such big boobs."

"Nope, not jealous... and for the record, Aqua. My boobs are actually as big as yours. Unlike you, I actually wear a bra and I try to not have any attention drawn to them by anyone other than my special someone."

"You sound like such a GOOD, and boring, girl, big si... wait, what's this about you have a special someone?"

"Never mind that right now. How much of the money pops gave you do you have left? From just looking at you, you clearly had more than just a SINGLE drink."

"Um... let's see, I think I have..."

"She's probably flat broke!"

came a third voice, making both Aqua and Cici turn to see an older man, the barkeep from the looks of him, working behind the counter on cleaning glasses. He had been listening to them talk and had finally decided to chime in.

"How much did this one buy this time, sir?"

"Enough that what she had in that little coin pouch wasn't enough to cover it all. I'm afraid I'll need you to make up the difference, if you would be so kind."

Cici groans in exasperation, then mumbles something under her breath as she walks over to the barkeep and gives him the rest of the money owed. She then walks back over to Aqua and sits down opposite her before saying in a stern tone.

"OK Aqua, this has gone on long enough. It is clear to me, to everyone really, that you have yourself a drinking problem. One that needs to be dealt with... and dealt with it will be!"

"What are you talking about? I don't have a drinking problem. I could stop whenever I want, I just don't see a need too. The only problem would be for anyone who tries to stop me from having a drink whenever I want to have one."

"And what about papa Lok? Surely you realize that he's worried about you. He knows what doing stuff like this can, and likely will, do to you. He may have never told you, but his parents were a bunch of drunkards, and they did some bad stuff to him when they were drunk, which was often according to him."

"Must have been rough. Don't worry, I'm confident I won't end up like that."

"And what about the lecture you know you're going to get once we get home. For wasting the money he gave you for other things on booze and for getting drunk AGAIN so quickly after having been picked up from the local jail after getting drunk the previous night, you do realize he's really going to let you..."

"Who cares, big sis. You and I both know his lectures mean nothing to me? How many times has he talked to me about anything, and I've taken his words to heart. Heck, I can't even remember most of the things he has said before. The old geezer... he's just nothing but a kill joy if you ask me."

"I can't believe you. After he found you, brought you to our home, gave you a place to live, food, clothing, a family, this is how you think to show him gratitude. How could you have become such an ungrateful child?"

"I... look, I know I don't say it, and I definitely don't show it, but I am grateful. I'd rather not think about what my life would be like today if it hadn't been for that old fart."

"But..."

"But, this is my life we're talking about here. My life, my choices. At the end of the day, I decisions have to be my own."

"As will be the consequences if things go wrong. What happens then? You come running back to papa, expecting him to fix everything for you like he's been doing. Has that even occurred to you, Aqua. Whenever you have a positive happen to you, it's all about you without acknowledging anyone else having a part in it and when you find yourself in a bind, you come running to papa, or me or anyone really, to solve that problem for you so that you don't have to do it yourself."

Aqua averts her gaze, not wanting to comment on what even she knew was the truth. Cici sighs again then asks the question she's been wanting to ask Aqua for a while now.

"Aqua, tell me... just what are your REAL thoughts and feelings towards papa Lok. It's just us two here in this conversation so spill already. What is Lok to you?"

Aqua doesn't answer at first as she was really giving it some serious thought before she finally says-

"Well, I can say there are times, usually when he's in the middle of lecturing me, that I find myself thinking 'geez, stop nagging me already, old geezer.' I then sometimes find myself thinking 'why can't you hurry up and die already and leave me in peace, damn old fart.' But..."

Before Aqua could continue or Cici respond to hearing Aqua say she wishes Lok would just hurry up and die already, the door to the pub flies open as one of the other orphans comes running inside.

"Big sis, big sis, come home quickly. It's papa Lok. He's collapsed..."

A little while later, Cici, Aqua, and the remaining kids at the orphanage (5 in total at this point including Aqua) were gathered around Lok's bedside. Aqua had her hands extended before her as she worked her magic on healing Lok.

However, her attempts seemed to be failing as she had been at it for about fifteen minutes now, yet he had shown no sign of improving.

Linka, the next oldest after Aqua, asks-

"What's wrong, Aqua? Why isn't your power helping papa any here?"

"Why does Aqua smell all funny?"

asked the youngest child in their little family.

Aqua, for her part, was trying with all her might here. Trying more than she had ever tried before. The hangover she was now suffering wasn't helping her with her focus though.

'Damn it, what's going on. Why isn't my power helping the old geezer. It's never failed to work for me before. If only I wasn't...'

Just then, the doctor finally arrived after being delayed due to another patient who was having a baby. He has everyone leave the room so he can examine Lok and while Aqua protest, saying he needed her healing powers, Cici grabs Aqua by the shoulder and forces her out of the room along with the others.

After twenty minutes of agonizing waiting, the doctor finally emerges and when he looks at them, his face was grim.

"I'm sorry, but the shadow of death seems to have finally come over him. I'm afraid he won't be with us for much longer. He'll... probably be gone before the sun rises tomorrow."

Hearing this gets the three orphan girls crying and the one orphan boy to shout something out at the doctor, though he's quickly quieted by Cici, who looked like she just had the world kicked out from under her yet was doing her best to remain strong for the sakes of the others.

The doctor goes to leave, but stops to look at Aqua and says-

"There are some things even your magic can't stop, child. I'm sorry..."

Once he was gone, Cici and the others head back inside to be with Lok in his final hours. Aqua doesn't follow, instead lingering at the rooms entrance. As her eyes focus on Lok, she can't help but think about certain things.

If she had only been sober, she could have healed him.

If she had only done as she said she would earlier today, she could have been here and made a difference.

If only she hadn't confessed to wishing he was dead sometimes...

The sounds of footsteps running down the hall was heard as Cici calls out Aqua's name.

But Aqua didn't hear or did but just care. All Aqua could think to do in that moment was to run.

Run from the most bitter of pills she had been forced to swallow!

{Regrets and the Offer}

Aqua ran away from her home that night!

In all her life, she had never felt as weak, pathetic, and worthless as she did in that moment. Despite all her power, all her self-confidence, she had been unable to do anything to make the old geezer better.

What was worse was the fact she believed that if she had only done what she had said she would do and JUST get the items needed and not betrayed her own words when she said she wouldn't take a drinking detour, she could have been there when he collapsed and maybe have been able to do something for him then. Instead, she had been drunk like always and surely that had impacted her ability to utilize her FULL power in the moment it was needed most.

An entire week had passed since that night, an entire week that had seen Aqua returning to her previous home, a burnt-out old hovel just a ways outside the city, to squat. She was surprised to find it still around. Surprised, but grateful.

During that week, she had barely eaten or drank anything as she was just too lost in her own thoughts, her own guilt and regrets to really care about her own health and wellbeing. For the first time in her life, since learning she had special powers, she wished that they hadn't been wasted on her, instead given to someone who actually deserved the power, who'd use it in the best way possible without need of reward.

During that time, the mysterious man she had seen, and on occasion interacted with, around suddenly appeared before her again.

"Just go away. I don't want to see anyone right now."

She said, not lifting her head up to look at the man. Currently, Aqua was all curled up like a ball with her face and hair a mess and clear signs she had crying a great deal over the last week.

"The loss of that man has impacted you deeply. Far, far more than you had ever thought possible."

"Please, just leave me alone."

"Very well. I shall leave you for now, but only because there is another who will be coming to see you soon. I will, however, be coming to see you again here in the near future. At that time, I will be talking to you about a subject long overdue with you. And at the end, I will be making you an offer. One I feel confident you will end up accepting."

Aqua finally moves to look at the man, to ask him what he was talking about, only to find the room empty. Had that mysterious guy been just an illusion, a byproduct of her imagination. It was a thought she had considered more than once as whenever he had shown up before, no one else around her seemed to have taken notice of him.

Aqua buries her face into her crossed arms again and mumbles-

"Can't I just be left alone to wallow in my own grief?"

"Sure you can, but that won't help you with moving on from your pain and suffering."

Aqua's head shoots up, seeing Cici looking at her from the entrance of the burnt-out old shack. There was no anger present on her face, only concern. Aqua wanted to ask her to leave, to let her be alone. Instead, she says-

"How did you know I was here? How did you even now where to find me?"

"Because you told me about this place once, years ago in fact, when I asked you about where you lived before coming to live with us. I guess you've forgotten about that, as long as it has been since you told me about this place. As for how I knew you'd be here. Well, where else would you be if not here or back home."

"If that's true, then why did it take you so long to come find me?"

"Because there were things that needed to be done. Matters that needed tended too. Besides, I figured you wanted some space and... and I hoped you would come back home without needing someone to come find you."

"I can't go back, not there... not now. Not after I failed to..."

Aqua goes quiet for a moment before finally saying-

"Everyone must hate me now, don't they. You included."

"No, no one hates you Aqua. Sure, Keri and Apple are mad at you for running away, but none of them hate you. We're all worried about you and want you to come home."

Aqua looks at Cici for a moment more before looking away, her eyes drifting to the bottle of wine at her side. Cici looks at it too, then asks-

"You've been drinking again, haven't you? Not that I blame you, not now."

"Actually... I haven't had a drink since that day. This bottle here, something I found years ago, before I found myself meeting you, that I had hid here and forgot about. I've tried to drink it but every time I go to do so, I'm reminded of that day, and I put the bottle down, feeling nothing but hatred for the drink now."

"I see. While not the manner papa would have chosen as your breaking free from the curse of the drink, I'm sure he'd still be fine with it."

Aqua's eyes go wide, realizing she hadn't even asked about him, yet which only adds to her guilt.

"How is he? Is he... is he doing any...?"

Cici shakes her head, a wave a sadness appearing in her eyes as they water.

"He's gone, Aqua. Like the doctor said, he passed on before the sunrise of the following day."

Hearing that makes fresh tears begin to fall for Aqua. She had known in her heart he was gone but she had still hoped his stubborn nature would have somehow seen him to still being alive right now. Of course, this means she would never have a chance to become the kind of adopted daughter he deserved to have in his life.

"Before he passed, he did wake one last time, giving him a chance to say his goodbyes to all of us. He even had some parting words for you as well. (this gets Aqua looking at Cici again with wide eyes) Since you weren't able to be there, he decided to leave you a letter instead. Of course, he didn't have the energy to write it himself so I did it for him. Would you hear his final words to you?"

Aqua nods immediately, making Cici reach into her pocket and pull out a piece of paper. She then clears her throat before speaking, adjusting her voice to make it sound as much like Lok as she could.

"Aqua, I've been told you tried to heal me earlier and ran away after realizing your powers weren't helping me. After hearing I was going to die. I can't imagine the pain, the anguish, you must be feeling right now. Hell, you're probably hitting the bottle extra hard because of what's happened too."

"You know, I never once regretted bringing you home that day, giving you a place to live. Even now, at this moment, I stand by that decision. I have watched you grow from being a stubborn brat into a headstrong, confident, and beautiful young woman."

"Sure, you have your faults and vices, quite a lot actually, and I've had no end to the headaches you cause me to suffer. Despite that, I am very proud you and I know someday, you'll become an amazing person. With those powers of yours, I know you can work miracles."

"So please, don't let this one moment, this one failure cause you to despair and stop moving forward. You have so much to offer, so much more you can do and while I may not be there in the flesh to see you work your magic, know that I will be with you in spirit."

"And know I'll always love you, like I loved all your honorary siblings. Till we meet again, my little goddess in the making!"

Aqua began to bawl her eyes out at hearing this and Cici walks over, kneels down, and hugs Aqua close to her. Aqua returns her hug, crying hard with all her might as Cici joins in with the crying. The two girls stay like this for a bit before finally calming down and breaking apart.

Cici stands then says-

"So, ready to come back home? Today is papa Lok's funeral and I'm sure he'd love for you to be there. And... you could really use a bath too."

Cici then holds her hand out, one Aqua takes as she is helped back onto her feet.

"Alright, I'll come home... at least for now. Until I can figure out what I'm going to do with my life from here on out. Oh right, almost forgot."

Aqua then grabs the bottle of wine, making Cici sigh as Aqua steps outside shack. Aqua looks back at her and says-

"Don't worry. I didn't grab it for the reason you think. Instead, I grabbed it so I could do... THIS!"

Aqua then sends the bottle of wine flying with all her might and the two girls watch as it shatters against a rock a fair ways away. Aqua then stands proudly as she says-

"From this day forth, I will never ever allow another drink of anything alcoholic to ever touch my lips."

"That's good to hear, assuming you can stick with it. Now, let's head home, Aqua."

Aqua nods happily as the two of them begin their walk back. After a few steps, Cici realizes something, then says to Aqua-

"You know, thinking about it. I think it may have been a good thing you DIDN'T go ahead and drink that bottle of booze, Aqua."

"Why's that?"

"Well, because it may not have been wine awaiting you inside that bottle. You said you found it just laying around, right? (Aqua nods) Well, then that could mean instead of wine, the bottle may have been filled with someone's piss. Someone who failed to properly dispose of the bottle after the fact... assuming you didn't find it in the trash... you didn't find it in the trash back then, did you?"

Aqua refused to answer that question.

The funeral came and went. Aqua was welcomed back home by the others, but she was sure two of the four kids weren't as happy to have her back as they could have been. Maybe they were just mad it her which she was OK with. After that, Cici, as Lok's chosen heir, inherited his entire estate and money, though she said she would be giving the others their share when the time came.

Even some of the orphans that had moved on, either from reaching a certain age or were adopted, made an appearance at the funeral. Not all of them, but some.

A few days later, Aqua was out on an errand for Cici when she found herself meeting the mysterious man once again.

"So, are you feeling any better now?"

"No... well, I guess maybe I'm in a better frame of mind than I was before. That said, I know there is a part of me that will never fully recover from this. For as long as I live, I will have these regrets deep inside me that will forever haunt me."

"Understandable."

"Look, no offense... whoever you are. But I'm getting tired of being hounded by all the time. Will you just tell me who you are and what you want with me so I can tell you no and move on with my life. And do be quick about it as I have places to be and things to buy for big sis Cici."

"As you wish. My name is Pathos and I'm... well, would you believe me if I said I am a god?"

Aqua stares blankly at Pathos for a moment before she starts laughing. In between her laughter, she manages to get out some words.

"You... you're a... a GOD? And here I thought I was a little loopy in the head. What kind of joke is..."

Before she could finish, Pathos snaps his fingers, causing the world around them to shift. Aqua now found herself floating in the sky. Pathos does this several more times, sending them to the top of the mountain, under the vast ocean, and even into the infinite void of space before returning them to their starting point.

"How did you do that?"

"Like I said, I am a god. As a god, there are a lot of things I can do."

"OK, let's say I believe you. What would a god want with someone like me?"

"To make you an offer, of course!"

Aqua eyes Pathos suspiciously then asks-

"What kind of offer?"

"The best kind any mortal could hope to have presented to them. Tell me, Aqua..."

"Would you like to become a Goddess?"

{Moving On}

A few days had passed since her talk with Pathos and Aqua was still unsure on what she should do. Pathos had told her that the power she currently had were just a weaker version of what she could have if she accepted his offer, as well as the fact she would gain so much more. Sure, she would have some limitations and responsibility placed upon her as well.

But what she would gain from becoming a Goddess would be worth it.

Of course, he didn't expect Aqua to give him an answer right away. He would give her one month to think about it before he returned. If she accepted, she would be taken up to the heavens where she would begin her training. If she didn't, then the special power would need to be taken from her so it could be given to another candidate as the source of the power was a divine seed all gods and goddesses had within them. Even angels had this divine seed present within them, though it wasn't fully developed yet.

Since then, Aqua had spent all her free time thinking about the offer, wondering on what she should do. Sure, she could do so much more if she accepted the offer. But if she did, she would have to say goodbye to her family and she wasn't sure if she could just leave them behind, especially so soon after having lost the old fart.

As such, she hadn't told anyone about the offer yet. She also wasn't sure if they would believe her or not. Finally, the last of her days to think about it had arrived and Aqua had decided to go talk to someone about it. That person wasn't a person though, but a grave.

Lok's grave. She was standing before it now, allowing herself a few moments to let her tears fall before finally speaking.

"It still doesn't feel real, geezer. You not being here, I mean. I still wake up each morning, expecting you to be there with that look on your face that warned me that a lecture was coming over my activities from the previous day. As I walk around, I can sometimes still see you doing your thing."

Tears begins to fall as Aqua looks to the ground.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, SO sorry for not being good enough. For not being able to save you that night. I'm sorry I never paid any attention to the things you said to me. What I wouldn't give to have another day, even just another moment with you. I know I would be a better person... a better daughter to you."

"You were already good enough, Aqua."

Aqua jumps before turning and looking back behind her, finding Cici walking towards her and Lok's grave. Once she was standing beside Aqua, Cici kneels down and places the bundle of flowers she was holding upon the grave. She then reaches out, touches the grave for a moment, then stands and closes her eyes while clasping her hands together as she prays and silent prayer.

Aqua stays quiet, letting Cici have her moment. She even joins in by praying as well. Once that had passed, Cici places a hand upon Aqua's shoulders and says-

"Remember Aqua, papa Lok loved you. He loved ALL of us. We were his kids, his family and I know in my heart he'll always be with us, watching us, guiding us as we walk into the future."

"Yeah... yeah, I know. Still, I really wish I could see him one more time. Hear him once more so I can tell him all the things I wish I had told him while he was still here."

"Then do it now. While he may not be alive, he is here with us still. So, what better time would there be than right now?"

Aqua nods, then turns her attention back to Lok's grave. She kneels down and places a hand upon the grave before saying-

"I was quite a handful, huh? Always going around, causing you nothing but trouble and grief. Despite that, you still supported me and did everything in your power to help me. To guide me down the right path. Know that while the road was a rough and difficult one, the end result will speak for itself. I swear to you, I WILL walk the road you wanted me to walk. While I may not be able to recall any of the lessons you imparted onto me, I believe I know what it is you would want me to do and how to act going forward. And someday, when my time here in this life comes to an end, I hope I'll be able to see you again and then you can tell me if I did alright."

Aqua then stands and looks to the sky with a big smile and tears falling from her eyes.

"Thank you for everything you did for me... papa Lok. I love you!"

Cici smiles as she walks up and hugs Aqua. Hearing Aqua finally call him papa Lok instead of geezer or old fart was a sign of just how much she had truly grown. Once the hug ended, Aqua asks-

"So, what's going to happen now? I mean, what's going to happen to the orphanage and everyone?"

"Well, I guess I'll take over for papa and run things from here on out. There's only a couple of kids left and it won't be to much longer before they're old enough to leave the nest, as it were. If no new additions come my way... hm, I don't really know. Guess I'll just wait and see. What about you, Aqua?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're fifteen now. Almost at the age where you'd be setting out to make your name and find your place in this world. What do you plan on doing with your life?"

"I... haven't decided yet. There's this guy I've had a run in with a few times over the years. He's made me an offer. A chance to becoming something more, something greater. To become someone who can help a whole worlds worth of people. I'm still thinking on my answer over that."

"I see. This guy... is he someone you feel like you can trust?"

"Yeah, I believe so. Would you believe me if I said he was a god and that his offer was for me to become a goddess?"

"Nope, but I've heard stranger things that have ended up being proven true. Well, whatever you decide, never forget your past and always keep moving forward with your life. And if you do end up accepting his offer, do try to make time to come pay us a visit from time to time."

"Alright, I'll do that."

"Good. Now, I need to be getting back. I promised Linka I'd help her with a little project she's working on."

Cici turns and begins to walk away. Aqua watches her go for a moment, before shouting out-

"Cici, I wasn't lying or spitting out words before, ya know. I really do love papa Lok and I wish I could have been his REAL blood related daughter!"

"Yeah, I know. Many of the kids have told me as much. I loved him too, both as a father figure in my life... and as a man!"

Cici goes back to walking away, leaving Aqua alone to say to herself-

"Yeah, loving someone is pretty nice... wait, what did you mean when you said 'as a man?'"

"It probably means what you may think it means."

Aqua jumps at the sound of Pathos's voice. She looks around for him, finding him standing beside the grave, seemingly paying his respects to Lok. Once he was done, he gives Aqua his attention and asks-

"So, you've made your decision yet?"

"I thought I had till tomorrow before you were to return to hear my answer."

"Yeah, you did have another day... technically. But I had a feeling you had found your answer, so I decided to show up now. So, have you made your choice?"

"Before I answer that, a couple of questions. If I become a goddess, will I REALLY gain the power the help everyone?"

"Yes, though there are some rules and restrictions that govern us divine types. A necessity, if you will, for if we did anything and everything for mortals, then they would lose the desire to improve and grow into something even better than what they currently are."

"Fair enough. My only other question is... would I be able to see papa Lok again if I become a goddess?"

"Someday, perhaps."

"Someday... not now?"

"Seeing him now would be impossible. After dying, Lok was finally reunited with his wife, Zio. As the two of them are soul mates, which is a rather rare occurrence, they really can't do anything in the afterlife without the other being present. Once they were together again, they decided they would go through reincarnation once again and be reborn into a new world so they could find and love each other once more. Currently, the two of them are being reinvigorated within sea of souls in preparation for their rebirth into the mortal realm."

"I'm sorry... the sea of souls?"

"You'll understand soon enough, Aqua. The point is that you will be able to see him again someday, though if you pay him a visit while he's alive, he won't remember you. You'd have to wait till he returns to the heavens before you can have a proper conversation with him again."

"I see. That's fine."

"So, does that mean?"

Aqua nods and says with a happy and confident tone-

"Alright, I accept your offer. If it means I can see papa Lok again someday and if I can help others, then I'll do it. I will become a Goddess."

{Goddess of Water: Aqua}

Following one amazing, beautiful and surreal trip through a tunnel of spiraling rainbow and stars, ending with a blinding flash of light that forced her to close her eyes, Aqua finds herself gazing out upon...

Nothing all that special, to be honest. Just some open field that seemed to stretched on forever under a calming blue sky with a few clouds here and there. There was nothing to this open field, to be honest. Sure, there were flowers all over the place; some of which she had never seen before, but none of this wasn't anything she hadn't seen before down below or could see if she had set out on a journey.

"So, what do you think?"

"If I'm being honest with you, Pathos..."

"Please, call me big brother or big brother Pathos!"

"Right... like I was saying, if I'm being honest, I'm not all that impressed. Is this really all there is to Heaven?"

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised over your reaction. Believe it or not, but Heaven is a lot more familiar looking to everyone than what you would naturally expect it to be. In fact, Heaven is literally what you make of it. To be more exact, everyone had their own little idea of what Heaven will look like for them and as such, we all create our own little slice of Heaven into the image most comforting to us."

"So this is my idea of comfort then?"

"You tell me? Seriously though, this particular location is one of those preset locations. Once you finish your transition into being a full Goddess, and deal with a little training on top of that, you'll be able to create your own personal throne... your own personalized idea of what you feel is Heaven to you."

"I didn't understand a word you just said."

"You will with time... I think, I hope. Anyways, follow me for a bit."

Pathos then begins walking with Aqua just a few steps behind him. After a bit, the finally come to a stop before a small pond filled with sparkling, perhaps glowing crystal-clear water. Surrounding the pond were four ornate and very extravagant pillars lined with shimmering crystals.

"Here we are. The Pool of Ascension!"

"The pool of what...? Care to tell me what's going on."

"It's rather quite simple, really. You step into the waters here. You'll lay down in them and enter a deep slumber and after a set amount of time, you'll awaken as a full goddess."

"Ah... but haven't I already become a goddess?"

"Not quite yet. You've began your ascension, Aqua. But you are still technically a mortal who has powers like that of a god. By stepping into these waters here, you'll be able to begin you ascension right proper, the waters washing away the mortality within and bringing the divine power to its apex."

"And how long will this take exactly?"

"Usually about a year of slumber, sometimes less. The shortest time I'm aware of is eight months and the longest was a little over two."

"I see, then I'll show you and all the other god and goddess's around how amazing I am by doing it in seven months or less. Out of curiosity, what will happen after I awaken, Pathos."

"Please, call me big brother or big..."

"Ugh, just get to the answer already!"

"Fine. After you awaken, you'll spend a few months being trained by me; to make sure your powers have fully awakened and so that you can learn to use them properly and effectively."

"Does it really have to be you, who trains me?"

"Is there a problem with ME training YOU? It's tradition. The one who recruits a new member is the one who shows the newbie the ropes. Anyways, once our training is over and done with, you will be passed onto a god or goddess to begin the real training; that being learning the ends and outs of overseeing an entire world. Once you complete THAT training, you'll be put in charge of your own little world and get to be the one everyone there sends their prayers and faith to. Now, ready to go for a little swim?"

While Aqua didn't say it, she was feeling a littler nervous. She was also feeling wary of Pathos, worried that he might try something funny with her body while she was asleep. Still, if she really did gain the powers of a Goddess when this was all over, then she'd be able to seriously punish him after the fact.

Aqua steps into the water, walking out to the very center. She figured that's what she needed to do as she could make out a curious symbol beneath the waters. Once she had reached the center, she sits down, and takes one last look at Pathos who sends her a nod.

"OK, here I go."

"Yeah, see you again in seven months, as you so proclaimed."

"Yeah!"

Aqua then lays back in the water, looking up at the sky. She wasn't sure but she couldn't help but think the crystals on the four pillars had started to glow. She closes her eyes and waits, waits, and waits some more. But nothing appeared to happen, and she finally sits up, slightly annoyed, and shouts out-

"Geez, just how long does it take for something... to happen?"

She looks around, finding the day had turned to night. A little more looking and she finally spots Pathos, sitting off to the side on a bench she hadn't seen present before. Pathos was taking a sip from a fancy looking teacup before turning his attention to Aqua and saying-

"Finally, it took you long enough to wake up. Far longer than what anyone was expecting?"

"Wait, what do you mean? Is it already over? Have I... have I already become a Goddess?"

"You tell me, Aqua. How do you feel? Any different from before."

Aqua realizes then that she did feel different than she had in the past. Stronger and more attune with her powers and the world around her. She stands and walks over to Pathos, saying-

"I... I feel so... wow. I feel like I can do anything now."

"And that's just the beginning. Once I'm done helping you come into your own with your newfound divinity, you'll be feeling a billion times better. So, ready to get started?"

"You bet... but first, exactly how long was I out for? From the way you sounded, I ended up taking longer than what was expected."

"You could say that. You see, the thing of it is... you've been asleep for... your transition into being a full goddess... it took you seventy-three years."

Aqua was too shocked to respond to that startling revelation.

After that, Aqua's training to master all her powers began. Unlike her ascension into being a full goddess, her training time was far-far shorter, only lasting a few months. She was actually pretty adept when it came to using healing magic, empowering and sealing, purification, and anything that had to do with water.

Any offensive attacks, like God Blow and God Requiem on the other hand, she sucked at using unless it was against the most undead of creatures or anything that was powered by arcana. She was also found to have amazing overall stats, except for low intellect and rock bottom luck.

During this time, Aqua had learned that Cici had finally passed away and the two of them were given a chance to meet each other again and talk before Cici entered the renewal waters so that she could eventually be reborn too. Aqua also learned that Lok, along with his wife Zio, had been reborn onto a world called Arbel. And even better, Aqua learned she would be training under Kyna, the goddess of Arbel once her training with Pathos was complete so she would be able to see Lok again... sort of.

Finally, the day came for her to go from Pathos to Kyna. After a quick little trip through the rainbow tunnel. Aqua found herself and Pathos appearing in a nice little grotto that had a very Fall and harvest like theme. After passing by some trees covered by various shades of leaves, and a few pumpkins too, they finally found Kyna standing before a mirror that seemed to be showing her something Aqua couldn't quite make out.

Kyna was a curious looking beauty. Her hair wasn't especially long, rather it didn't hang down past her neck. It did poof out a fair bit and looked very messy and unkept. While it had a nice shade of brown to it, there were patches of red, gold, and orange visible too, as well as what appeared to be twigs. Aqua wasn't sure if those were simple hair ornaments, things that had gotten into her hair without her taking notice of them, or if she actually had twigs growing out of her head.

Pathos clears his throat, making Kyna squeak before looking back at them with a sheepish expression. She then says with a rather mousy sounding voice-

"Oh, Pathos... I didn't hear you come in. Do what do I owe the... pleasure of your visit this day?"

"Kyna, I've told you before. Please call me big brother Pathos."

'I'm getting the feeling this is a common routine with this guy.'

"Um... OK? Still, what brings you here to my throne. Did I miss another meeting again?"

"No, not this time, Kyna. Have you forgotten? Today's the day you begin training our newest recruit. Allow me to introduce her to you now. Aqua, this is our resident Goddess of the Harvest, also known as Kyna. Kyna, this is our newest Goddess of Water; Aqua!"

"Huh, what do you... oh right, I was told I'd be training a potential successor. Nice to meet you, miss Aqua!"

"Nice to meet you... too, I guess?"

Aqua wasn't so sure about this now. She tugs on Pathos's sleeve, making him lean in close so he could better hear her. Aqua then whispers into his ear, asking-

"Are you really sure about her being my primary teacher going forward. No offense but she seems so... flighty and forgetful."

"And I'm sure you'll find yourself in good company with her."

That earns him a glare from Aqua. Pathos chuckles before turning his attention back to Kyna and saying-

"So, how are things going down on Arbel?"

"It's not looking great. The Destroyer has damaged the Mana Tree, nothing that I can't fix of course. But what's worse, he managed to find and forcefully steal the light of Reiki and is currently using it as a power source to make its destruction of the world far easier and more efficient. I have to ask Pathos, am I really NOT allowed to go down there and deal with this matter myself. It seems unfair to put the responsibility of dealing with this matter on the shoulders of mortals, especially seeing as it has the Reiki at its beck and call. And also, I knew keeping it hidden away in the mortal realm was a bad idea."

"So you have said many times before. It'll be alright, Kyna. Mortals are stronger than you think they are. Both I and the others that make up the great council have faith that the heroes chosen for this task can save the day and the world."

"It's not that I don't doubt the strength of mortals, Pathos. I just think its unfair for them to shoulder a burden such as this. I mean, just how many mortals will have to die before the chosen heroes are even ready to combat the Destroyer. And once they do face it down, how many of them will need to die..."

"If that is what fate demands, then we have no other choice but to adhere to fates decree."

Kyna turns her head away, a look of anger on her face. Aqua also takes notice of Kyna mumbling something under her breath, something she didn't catch. She wonders if Pathos might have heard it. If he had, it didn't seem to have an impact upon him as his features remained neutral.

"Anyways, you have your successor. Please train her well and make certain she'll be up to the task of becoming the next goddess of Arbel. Now, if you both shall excuse me, I have other duties to attend too."

With that, Pathos turns and walks away, entering a portal of light he himself made. Once he was gone, Kyna walks over to a chair and collapses down upon it. She then rubs her temples while saying to herself-

"Seriously, that man can really piss me off sometimes. Both him and the higher-ups. It's no wonder I'm wanting to retire from all of this..."

Remembering that she wasn't alone, Kyna looks up at Aqua and sends her a smile.

"Sorry about all that, ah... Aqua was it?"

"Yeah, my name is Aqua. I'm guessing you don't like Pathos all that much, do you."

"It's complicated. He's a good guy... sort of and he does have a kind side. But he can be totally annoying at the same time. Take for example his whole call me big brother schtick. It gets SO annoying whenever he says it and he's always saying it."

"I'm guessing he's been saying it to you a lot, huh? He's been doing it with me too."

"He does it with almost all the Goddess's. The only ones he doesn't do it with are those goddess's who are higher rank and older than he is because he knows better. He has this little sister complex about him, wanting all goddess's that joined up after he did to call him big brother. It helps to stoke his ego. Between you and me, I think he's compensating for something lacking down there, wink-wink!"

Aqua can't help but burst out into a giggle at hearing that. She then asks-

"So, what happens now? Begin my training, I guess? And what did he mean when he called me your successor?"

"We'll do all that, talk about all that, soon enough. Before that however, why don't you take a seat there before me and let's take a little time to get to know each other. You tell me about your past and I'll tell you about mine. How does that sound?"

Aqua nods as she takes a seat. For the next several hours, she and Kyna go back and forth, talking about all manner of topics, getting to know each other and becoming fast friends. Perhaps even like sisters.

And once they were done learning about it each other, the real training began.

{To Rise...}

It turned out, being in charge of an entire world's worth of mortals was both harder, and surprisingly easier, than one would assume it would be.

Aqua learned that the bulk of what Kyna had to deal with in her role as Goddess of Arbel was having a little chit-chat with the souls of the departed following their deaths. She would explain to them how they had died, if needed, then offer them a choice of either reincarnation or Heaven.

Occasionally, she would need to work her godly magic to perform a miracle or two, just to keep up appearances, though she was fairly limited in what kind of miracles she was actually allowed to do. Sometimes, she may help a mortal out by giving them a little "push" in the right direction, in order to help them with fulfilling and achieving some greater destiny.

The hard parts usually came with the bigger matters. Say there was some sort of natural disaster that happened or terrible event that was taking place. The hard part was in the fact she was only allowed to watch it all happen, not get involved and do something herself to stop it from going any further, due to the rules placed upon them.

There was also the tedium of having to deal with a ton of souls from recently deceased mortals showing up all at once, but this was more of a personal gripe than anything else.

Aqua also got to meet Fern, Kyna's angel assistant, who was the serious, somewhat snobbish, hardworking type. While dealing with Fern was a bit of a headache, Aqua soon learned the angel had a kinder, sweeter side to her that would occasionally shine through, once there wasn't any more work to do in that particular day.

"Say, when will I get my own personal angel assistant?"

asked Aqua, one lazy afternoon of a particularly slow day.

"Once you've been given your own world to watch over. Probably mine, once your training under me is finished and I've retired from all this."

Aqua looks at Kyna, still confused about that whole thing. She then looks towards the sky while asking-

"Why would you want to retire? This job doesn't seem so bad. Sure, the limitations can be a bit... annoying at times. OK, all the time, but the perks that come with this job, such as the unlimited supply of one's favorite food items, makes the whole thing worth it."

"You'll understand with time. By the way, Aqua. How come you never drink anything but water?"

"I don't just drink water. I also drink tea, milk, and various kinds of soda too."

"Fair enough. My point though is what about wine or beer? You've been offered a chance to drink those as well, but you never allow yourself to indulge in those kinds of drinks. May I ask why?"

"I... there was a time that I would have drunk those kinds of drinks. In fact, there was a time I drunk nothing but those types of drinks when I had an option. But then came THAT day and since then, I haven't allowed myself to let those kinds of drinks touch my lips, out of fear of what that could do to me in a time of need."

Kyna didn't need to ask what Aqua meant when she said THAT day as she recalled what Aqua had told her during the whole back story talk. Instead, she simply says-

"I understand. If that's how you feel, then it's fine. Just so you know, we gods can't actually become drunk. Sure, some may go around and act like they're drunk from time to time, but they're usually just putting on a show... or they cut off their divinity for a short bit so as to enjoy alcohol to the fullest. Also, you have the power to purify any form of liquid and turn it into the purest of water. You could technically do that with wine, beer, and so on if you so wished."

"Huh, never really thought about that before. Maybe... maybe I'll..."

More times passed and Aqua could feel she was getting closer and closer to completing her training. She knew Kyna was happy about that as her mentor goddess seemed to be losing more and more of her inner drive to remain as a goddess herself.

The conflict with the Destroyer had come to an end, with only one of the chosen heroes being lucky enough to survive the final battle, a young priest by the name of Calaster. Aqua had found herself finding out firsthand just how busy a goddess could become due to the mass deaths of many as she, Kyna, and Fern had been kept busy for several mortal days seeing soul after soul after soul.

It was then, around five years following the end of that period of time involving the destroyer, that Kyna finally made her announcement.

"Aqua, this will be the last week for your training."

"Huh? Are you... are you serious? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I believe I have taught you everything you need to know on how to do this job. These last few years, I've been letting you deal with more and more of the work load and I'm pleased to see you handle yourself rather well. There really isn't anything more for me to teach you."

"That's not true, Kyna. I feel there's still a lot I can learn from you."

"You're just saying that because you don't want to be left alone and hanging, having to deal with it all yourself. Don't forget, you'll be getting your own angel assistant once all is said and done."

"Does that mean Fern isn't going to be filling the role then?"

"Fern will be moved onto other projects. Besides, Fern is a nature angel which won't quite work for a water goddess like yourself. You'll be given a water themed angel to act as your assistant. Now, before this week is over, there are a few things that need to be done."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters... we need to transform my throne into YOUR throne!"

And that's what they ended up doing over the course of that first day; turning the harvest festival themed throne of Kyna's into one more befitting of a water goddess. Once they had finished, Kyna looks the place over, then says-

"A throne situated beneath an ocean; a bubble hidden deep beneath some great expansive sea. Pretty impressive. The coral decorations and the illusionary sea life swimming around in the waters beyond the bubble... also a nice touch. Even you chair has a majestic look to it while still being shaped water."

Aqua blushes at the praise and complements. Kyna then motions to Aqua, telling her-

"Well, what are you waiting for. Go take a seat and finalize the change. Also, to make sure your throne is comfortable against the old buttock."

Aqua nods as she approaches her throne, reaching out and letting her fingers run along the watery surface. She then takes a seat, finding it to be incredibly comfortable. She then smiles as she looks around before looking at Kyna and saying-

"I think I'm going to like all this."

"Being able to go out and have yourself a little swim whenever you want is a nice feature too. Now then, onto the next matter that needs tending to."

That matter was the conversion of all of Kyna's followers over into being followers of Aqua. The water goddess had thought making such a change on Arbel would be difficult; requiring Kyna to personally step down onto the world and have a little talk with her followers, letting them know what was up.

Nope, it was actually mush easier than one would expect it to be. In a nutshell, she would wait till her followers were asleep then she would make a few tweaks to their memories. They would go to bed this night as her followers but awaken in the morning as followers of Aqua, not realizing that this change had happened.

Furthermore, any and all references to her in books, scripture, and so on would be changed to talk about Aqua. Statues of Kyna replaced with statues of Aqua, and so on. Even the origin story for the creation of the world of Arbel was adjusted to account for their new goddess.

Of course, Kyna couldn't just change the ENTIRE world in one go. Well, she could have done it but found it easier to do it as the sun and moon moved across the sky. Besides, long distance communication was still a work in progress so few would ever notice the change.

A few individuals were allowed to maintain awareness of this alteration though. Allowed to keep a few physical references to Kyna around. Individuals whom Kyna trusted, knowing they would understand and keep some record of her own legacy alive for her.

When the new day came, Aqua had her first taste of being filled with the faith of her new-found followers and she found she rather liked the feeling of having people worship her. It reminded her of her past, her mortal life, except this time the praise and accolades of the people actually meant something beyond feeding her onetime overinflated ego.

A few days later, Aqua was introduced to her own personal angel assistant; Tsunami, a kindhearted and hard-working girl who liked playing games. Aqua knew the two of them would get along well together.

And then came Kyna's final day as a goddess.

At Kyna's request, they had gone down to Arbel. More specifically, they were inside Arbel's holy place, the Pure Land where the tree of life for Arbel resided. They had been down here a few days before, to end the trees link to Kyna and set up Aqua's link to it in her place.

They were currently standing before said tree, that now sported leaves of various shades of blue. Kyna placed her hand against the tree, getting a feel from it, then turns to Aqua and says-

"This mana tree is healing well from the pain and stress the destroyer caused it. I believe she will be fine though I would recommend you stop by every now and then to check up on her, make sure she's still doing good."

"Will do, boss."

said Aqua, making a salute. They then head off to the side where Tsunami and Fern had set up a little blanket for them to sit on. The two goddess's sit down and enjoy them meal prepared for them, capping it off with a little bubbly.

Aqua looks at the glass of wine before her then says-

"I'm... still not sure about this one, Kyna. I mean, I did promise I would never..."

"It'll be fine, Aqua. Remember what I said before, you can't become drunk when in your full godly state. Also, you CAN purify it into high-quality water if you really want to. Now... cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The two of them clink their glasses together then drink the wine. Once Aqua was done, she smirks and says with a deeper, more satisfied tone-

"Oh god, I've missed this stuff. You never know how much you liked something until you do it after a few hundred years of not doing it. I'll have myself another sip, thank you."

As Aqua pours herself another glass full of wine, Kyna watches her and wonders if she may have made a mistake and reawakened a long slumbering beast here.

Once they had finished, the two goddesses were laying back upon the ground, staring up at the star filled sky. Aqua looks at Kyna for a moment, then back up at the sky again while asking-

"So, tonight will be your last night as a goddess, huh?"

"More or less."

"I've been meaning to ask you. What does it mean for a god or goddess to retire? What goes into a retirement for one of our stature?"

"Simple, we're stripped of our godly powers then we're sent back down into the mortal realm where we'll live out a mortal life. At the end of that life, we can choose to either return to Heaven as a simple soul or reincarnate into another mortal body."

"In other words, you return to the cycle of life and death. Become part of the great flow once more."

"Yeah, that's right. In truth, Aqua. I've been waiting for this day for a long, LONG time!"

"... I don't understand. Why would you want to give up being a goddess? It seems like such a fun job if you ask me."

"Sure, it is a fun job... or at least it can seem that way at first. Truth is, once you've done this for a few thousand years, you'll come to not enjoy this job as much as you once did when you started out. I can't help others in the way I would want to help them. I have to watch the man I love be reborn over and over and over again, always hooking up with another girl, or a guy in once particular case. I've had so many regrets and failings happen over these last... I have no idea really. It's just... just..."

Kyna looks over at Aqua, a sad smile present on her face.

"It's just not CUTE, no matter how you look at it."

"I guess... being a god or goddess isn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be."

"No, it won't. That's why I'm going to give you a bit of advice here, Aqua. Consider this the final lesson between teacher and student... or think of it as a suggestion from one friend to another. Have fun, enjoy yourself, do what you feel is the right thing to do. And above all else, don't let any silly rules that don't make any sense stop you from doing what you feel you need to do for your darling faithful and even those who don't believe."

"Don't make the same mistakes as I and suffer an eternity of regret from not taking action when the action was needed most."

"Alright, I'll do that. If Pathos and the other higher-ups have any issues with me, I'll just give them the finger and do my own thing."

"Good call... though maybe NOT do the whole finger showing thing. Don't want to push it too much."

They both laugh before going on to talk about other topics and soon, Aqua found her eyelids becoming heavy before sleep finally claimed her. And when she awoke, the morning sun was shining down on her...

And Kyna was gone. Aqua knew then she would never see her teacher again, at least not as a goddess.

{To Fail}

The first two centuries of Aqua's time as Arbel's goddess were long, slow, and very much boring. Despite that, she didn't spend too much time complaining as she found various ways to help keep herself busy; namely she spent a lot of time playing games she had Tsunami go obtain from other worlds.

During her time, a new religion had taken shape on Arbel, that being the Arkt Church. While this had been a concern to her at first, her fears had been quelled when she found out it was an official name given to those who believed in her.

Tsunami had noted though that this faith wasn't something present across the whole of Arbel, just on the main continent. Despite that, all the non-members of the Arkt Church still themselves remained her loving and devoted followers too, which was an oddity. Aqua's response to this strangeness-

"Eh, maybe the Arkt Church has some rules or requirements that all members have to adhere to. The kind of things some people don't want to deal with, thus remaining independent."

"Like what, lady Aqua?"

"Ah... like I really know the answer to that. All I know is that the people are still sending me their prayers, their faith, and everyone appears to be happy. That's good enough for me. If you're really curious though, then go ahead and look into it and see what you can find out."

Aqua was also becoming somewhat lazy with how she handled things, slowly reverting back to how she used to be as a mortal. Perhaps she was starting to become complacent with her position. Despite that, Tsunami believed if the need ever arose, Aqua would be on it faster than she herself could react to it.

A few centuries later, something began to change. In recent months, Aqua had begun to act... odd. She would often times find herself becoming exhausted... tired. She even felt a little on the sick side from time to time. And on one particular day, after seeing a few poor souls off onto a new journey, Aqua slumps back into her chair, rubbing her temples as a look of exhaustion had appeared to come over her.

A concerned Tsunami walks up to her, offering her some tea she had just finished making.

"Thanks Tsunami, I really needed this."

"No problem, lady Aqua. Ah... I hate to ask but are you feeling OK? I mean, these last few months, you haven't been acting like yourself."

"Tell me about it. Is this normal for us divine beings? Having periods of exhaustion and weakness come over us. I guess I've been working way to hard as of late, huh?"

Tsunami looked like she wanted to say something about that, but she doesn't. Instead, she says-

"We have been seeing a surprising number of souls sent our way as of late. I wonder if something is going on down below?"

"I've had that thought as well. I've been doing my usual check-ups on everyone on Arbel and everything appears to be fine. At the very least, I can't seem to find anything that's out of place or any trace of wrongness in the world."

"Maybe we should consult the Divine Archives. If there is something going on, something we haven't been able to see or detect, then the Divine Archive will let us know about it."

"Yeah, that does sound like a good idea. We'll go do just that... as soon as I get back up here."

"Huh? What do you mean by that, lady Aqua?"

Aqua gets up off her throne and after a moment where she stumbles before steadying herself, she opens a portal before looking at the worried Tsunami and says-

"I'm going to step out and take a walk around the Pure Land for a few, breath in the air and clear my head. I feel it'll do me a world a good if I go do that. While I'm gone, go talk to Pathos for me and make sure it'll be OK for us to go use the Divine Archive for what we're planning on using it for."

"Understood. I hope you feel better, lady Aqua."

Aqua nods before passing into the portal, emerging within the beautiful, forested land known to legend as the Pure Land. She is greeted by some animals, the original creatures that spawned all others that roam the larger world. Once she was done with them, she begins to walk around and admire the scenery while taking in the nice, clean, calming air.

And for a bit, she was starting to feel better... till a fresh wave of exhaustion came over her, making her decide that there was only one thing to do to counter this little issue. She finds herself a nice, comfortable looking spot to sit back, lay down, and close her eyes for a little nap.

'A few hours of sleep will be fine, I think. I'm sure this will do me a world of good and besides... I doubt anything funny will happen while I'm sleeping this... whatever it is, off.'

Luckily for her, sleep was quick on the claiming and soon, she was well on her way to slumber land. But as she drifted into REM, a voice far off in the distance spoke up, saying-

"Faith, it can be such a funny, fickle little thing. Tell me, goddess. Did you know that Faith can be turned into a double-edged sword. Sure, it can act as an enhancer to boost your already existing godly powers even further. But it can also be used against you."

"Case in point, by mixing in a slight amount of Taint into the Faith of those foolish children of yours who are a part of the Arkt Church, I can cause you to suffer a negative effect when you take in the corrupted Faith. It won't be enough to end you, but that's not what I am seeking here. Just sleep, my dear goddess. Sleep... and leave me free to do what I have been wishing to for oh so long..."

"The death of this here Arbel!"

And Aqua did just that. She slept and slept and slept some more. Even the voice and actions of Tsunami wouldn't rouse her. Her deep slumber just kept on going and going until one day, she finally managed to awaken at last.

She sits up, stretches, and begins to rub the sleep from her eyes as she grumbles out-

"Ugh, how long was I asleep for. My whole body feels so incredibly stiff. Hey Tsunami, what time... is...?"

It was only now that she finally took notice of it, the current state of the Pure Land and it wasn't anything good. The Pure Land was in ruins. All the trees were dead husk, the waters long since dried up, and all the animals were gone, with only their bones laying on the ground as sign as they had once been there.

"What the hell? What's happened to my Pure Land?"

Aqua was back onto her feet in an instant, quickly running around checking everywhere. She finally reached the Mana Tree only to find herself falling onto her knees at the sight of it. The Mana Tree was all withered and a shadow of what it used to be.

"Why... how... how did all this happen?"

Aqua knew there would be only one way to find out. She opens a portal back to her throne and quickly steps inside. Upon reaching her throne, She found Tsunami down on her hands and knees, clearly in a state of despair. Aqua runs over to her, kneels down beside her, while saying her name.

It takes a moment for Tsunami to register Aqua's voice before looking at her with wide, teary eyes.

"La... Lady Aqua, you're finally awake."

"Yeah, I guess I did oversleep a little, huh? Never mind that for now. Tell me, what's happened? The Pure Land... it's in a state of complete ruin. How did that happen? What state is Arbel in and how is everyone doing?"

"Lady Aqua, I'm sorry. I tried to wake you, I did my best... but Arbel... and everyone who lived there. They're all gone!"

Aqua wasn't able to respond for she was too stunned by this revelation to even be able to think.

Sometime later, Pathos was looking in on Aqua who was currently sitting inside her throne. Not upon her throne itself but rather sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, her legs pressed up against her chest, arms resting upon her knees, and her faced buried in her arms as she wept.

Pathos lets out a sigh as he feels the presence of two other Gods approach him.

"How's she doing, Pathos?"

"About as well as one would expect, given what happened."

The other present, a goddess, asks-

"How did this happen? How could she have not..."

"Because we as a whole screwed up. That Destroyer... he actually managed to find a loophole in the Faith system we didn't know existed."

"How is that possible?"

"Good question? Maybe it was due to THAT MAN, the one who's an outsider to our timeline that met with him early on."

"I knew it would be a mistake, not allowing Kyna to take direct action against that thing. Please tell me this situation was enough to convince the higher-ups that some changes are needing to be made."

"There will be changes, though not the changes I know you're wishing for. For the moment, the Faith system will be undergoing some adjustments, adding a filter to insure what happened here with Aqua can't ever happen again. As for the rest... only time will tell though I doubt anything of significance will change."

"And little Tsunami. How is she doing?"

"Better than Aqua, I can assure you of that. The other angels are helping her in her recovery."

"So, what happens now?"

"Currently, there is a vote to be held on possibly using the Alka-ma on Aqua in order to help her in her recovery."

"Wait, did you say the Alka-ma?"

"Isn't that a little extreme, Pathos? I mean, what about the side effects using that concoction can have on our kind?"

"It is a risk, but it's a better option than doing what Aqua wants, which is to end her existence. I'm not just talking about her standing as a Goddess, but the very existence of her soul as well."

"She doesn't want to exist anymore. Geez, this is really bad if her mind has gone to that place."

"Yeah. Anyways, we should get going. After all, the vote to use the Alka-ma will require ALL of us to participate."

As the three gods turn and walk away, the male god recalls something and asks-

"By the way, what about the issue concerning Kismit and that newbie Eris? If I remember correctly, taking the action those two did, moving around a hundred or so children off Arbel over to Kismit's world. While it's a noble action, is was also forbidden unless permitted by the higher-ups and from what I've heard, they weren't given permission."

"They're getting a pass; the matter will be overlooked this time. We have bigger issues to deal with... and besides..."

"Besides?" x2

"Even the most stubborn of our order agree they did the right thing and as such, how could we even think of punishing them. I just hope that maybe they're actions could one day lead to a great change for all of us."

A few hours later, Pathos entered Aqua's throne and walked over to her.

"Aqua..."

he said in a calm and soothing voice.

Aqua doesn't move from her current position, though she does respond after a pause.

"Please Pathos, just let me end myself already. I can't do this, I never could. I was a fool to think I could. I've failed... I've failed my darling children, I've failed Kyna's faith in me, and I failed myself. I can't... I just can't. Please... please just let me die already."

"You and I both know that isn't an option here, Aqua. There is, however, another option."

This gets Aqua to finally move, to look up at him.

"What do you mean?"

Pathos then presents to her a fancy looking bottle, very ornate in its design as he says-

"This is a special elixir, one that will bring your pain and suffering to an end. We call it the Alka-ma."

"The Alka-ma? What exactly will it do?"

"Like I said, it will end your pain and suffering. Just drink this and I promise you'll feel a million times better."

"I don't want to feel better. What I want is to undo all past mistakes and right the wrongs of my past. I want to give all those poor souls that had to die because of my weakness to have another chance."

"They've already gotten their other chance, Aqua. Maybe not a chance to redo the lives that ended abruptly, but they're living new lives or will be soon enough."

"And Arbel? Will she ever be able to recover?"

"That... will be a bit more complicated. Anyways, please Aqua. Drink this. We can't afford to lose someone with your talents."

"I see, so that's what this is all about. It's not really about MY wellbeing, but because you all need me for something. Well, you know what you can do with that damn potion? You can take it and shove it right up your..."

Before Aqua could finish, Pathos snaps his fingers, causing Aqua to freeze up. Pathos then sighs as he reaches out and places his hand gently against the back of her head.

"I'm sorry, Aqua. This is for the best and I'm sure one day, you'll come to understand that."

He then tilts her head back before pouring the Alka-ma into her mouth. Her body then begins to glow as he takes a step back and awaits the end results. It takes a few moments before the glow fades and Aqua's eyes come back into focus. She then blinks, looks around, then at Pathos while asking-

"Where am I? Who am I and who are you?"

"What, don't tell me you've forgotten already. You're inside your throne, of course. Seriously, Aqua. You're always spacing out, always so forgetful. Not a good thing for our resident Goddess of Water."

"Goddess of Water? I'm a... (thinks for a moment before her eyes light up) That's right, I am a Goddess. I am Aqua, Goddess of Water. Who else would I be? And... who were you again?"

"... Silly Aqua, it's me, your big brother. Pathos. Don't tell me you forgot about me too?"

"Ah... No, of course not. I remember. I guess my brain is still waking up from the nap I was taking. Anyways, what's going on. What brings you by my throne, big brother?"

Pathos wanted to cry, cry tears of joy at finally getting a goddess to call him big brother. He probably would be crying if he didn't feel guilty at having more or less forced Aqua into drinking the Alka-ma.

It didn't take long to confirm she had indeed lost all her past memories. Instead, she now believed she had always been a Goddess, something few were in a hurry to correct her on as they feared she may suffer a relapse on the elixir's effects.

They also soon discovered what kind of side effects came with using the Alka-ma on Aqua. In a nutshell, it seemed to have revived all of her worst qualities from her days as a mortal. In other words, she had become self-absorbed, vain, shallow, and suffered a very high opinion of herself. She had also gone back to being a total lazy bones and an uncontrollable drunkard.

Still, it was a better state of being than what she had been like before in their minds.

There was a fear putting her in charge of another world would be a bad idea as it could cause her to regain her sealed memories and possibly suffer the same mental breakdown she had been suffering before. Also, her current attitude didn't foster much confidence in her to manage an entire world.

To that end, she was given a single location on a planet called Earth, an island nation by the name of Japan. There were two others who oversaw the Earth; a brother and sister pair who were fine with letting Aqua have a small piece of the planet.

And since then, she has been doing what she does best, being herself till her lazy nature finally caught up with her, resulting in her being sent down onto Eris's world in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, living amongst the mortals would help her to once again find some balance within her world.

And thus, the flash back came to an end!

} C-Part {

Aqua's eyes open wide as her handhold with her younger self is released and she goes stumbling back onto the ground. Little Aqua leans forward, looking at her with expecting eyes as Aqua brings a hand to her head, unsure on how to process any of what she had just seen.

"I... how... what... what the hell was that just now."

"That was your past of course, silly. Wasn't that obvious to you?"

"My past? No, that can't be my past. I'm a goddess, a GODDESS! I always have been. There's no way that... that any of what I saw could be true."

"Hm... I wonder about that. Tell me, what does your heart tell you. How does all of that make you feel inside?"

Aqua looks at her smaller self for a moment before turning her focus inward. She does as suggested and looks to her heart for the answer. She thinks of Lok, of Cici, of all the other brats, and Kyna. She thinks about them all and finds such warmth rising up within her.

And with that warmth, feelings she hadn't had in a long time. Feelings she had long since forgotten about. This makes her bring a hand up over her heart as tears begin to fall.

"It's true. It really is all true, isn't it. To think... I actually forgot all of that."

"Not by your own choice, remember. It was Pathos who made us drink that weird tasting stuff after putting us into a trance. Side note, the fact he was able to do that is rather concerning."

"It was probably because of my mental and emotional state at that time, being so fragile, weak, and all doom and gloom. I'm pretty sure that's not something that can be done under normal circumstances... at least it better not be something that can be done whenever and to whoever."

Aqua then stands, pumping her fist repeatedly into the air.

"Now that I've remembered my past, you better make sure you're ready for me, BIG BROTHER, because when I next see you, I am SO going to be sending my strongest God Blow your way. Landing it right between those eyes of yours."

"Which means it probably won't do any damage, seeing as you suck when it comes to dishing out damage to anything that isn't demonic or undead."

"Quiet you!"

"(laughs) So, does this mean you'll be keeping those old memories of yours then."

"Damn right, I'm keeping them. Sure, letting them stick around will mean I'll have to put up remembering all the bad stuff that's happened in my life but if the price of forgetting all that means I have to forget the good stuff too, then I'd rather have the bad alongside the good. Besides, I really want to see what big sis Cici, master Kyna, and even the old geezer is doing these days, and I can't very well do that if I don't remember them."

"Glad to hear it. Now, I guess it's time for us to become one again."

"Guess so. How do we do that again?"

Little Aqua smiles before running over to Aqua, hugging her. Aqua, understanding, hugs her back as the two of them are enveloped in light. Once the light had faded, it was just Aqua who remained who then looked up towards the sky with a big smile on her face.

"Now then, I guess it's time to wake up."

And that's exactly what she did as the next thing Aqua knew, she was opening her eyes and found she was looking at the ceiling of a building. Most likely the building they were using as a rest spot, if her memory remembered correctly.

Aqua sits up, yawns, and stretches before looking around. She can't help but smile at seeing Chris having moved closer to Kazuma in her sleep and was now practically hugging herself against him. While she still found that whole relationship somewhat disturbing, she wouldn't lambast her junior for the choices she makes. OK, she wouldn't do that ALL the time.

Aqua then gets up, deciding to step outside in order to get some air, not that the air outside would be any better than what was inside at the moment. Once she was outside, she turns her gaze skyward before saying to herself.

"Arbel... seeing what you have become. It's really tearing me up inside. I can't help but wonder what you would say if you saw all this, Kyna. I really did a horrible job as your successor. I wonder though... is there any chance something can be done to revitalize Arbel? To make it a world full of life once more? I'll have to ask big brother about that when I see him next... either before or after I deck him one."

The thought of beating the crap out of Pathos brings a smile to Aqua's face as she goes to head back into the little shack. She stops as realization hits her. She looks around here and there till it all finally clicked for her, making her go running back inside the building where she proceeds to shake Chris hard.

"Eris, Eris, wake up already. We have a serious problem here."

"Mmmm... huh, what... what's going on, Aqua. Can't I sleep for a little..."

"No time for that. Just hurry up and get up so you can see what I've seen."

Chris groans, mumbles, but still gets up before finding herself being forcefully dragged outside. Kazuma also stirs though he is a bit slower to react to everything.

Outside, Aqua begins to point out everything around them while saying-

"You can see it, right? You notice the issue here, right? We're not where we were when we went to sleep before. We're somewhere else... inside what looks to be some big city or something."

Realization that Aqua was right helps Chris to finally fully awake. She then begins to look around herself, finding that there was something familiar about this place. As Kazuma finally appears to join them, Chris realizes where it is they were at now.

"Aqua, I know this place. I know where we're at right now."

"You do? That's good. So, where exactly are we?"

"I don't know how it happened, but we've somehow been sent to Laga Mergo, the onetime center of the Arkt Church... and my original hometown!"

{|} to be continued... {|}