Author notes: I started looking again in this story during my hiatus and worked on a partial rewrite as I tried to go over my writer block. I didn't change events but reworked a bit the language and some elements of worldbuilding, as I had better ideas on stuff like how the government of Hell functioned in this story and (hopefully) got rid of some inconsistencies.
I replaced all the chapters with the updated version before uploading this one. The events in this chapter are therefore understandable if you didn't read the updated version, but you're going to miss some references that I explained there.
I hope you will enjoy this new version and the update below.
- Sunnydale, Friday 4 November 2011, 20:15 -
"Buffy, do you have a little time to talk?" asked Dawn as she half-opened the door to peek into her sister's bedroom.
"Sure," replied the blond demoness as she rotated her desk's swivel chair to face the door. "Was just doing some homework."
"The chair is new, right?" asked Dawn as she closed the door behind her and went to sit on her sister's bed. "Also, you're not… patrolling?"
Buffy looked at her sister. She could see the awkward face her younger sibling was making and thanks to Mara, she was a lot more perceptive about some things.
"First, yes, the chair is new, a compromise with Mara's tastes and I got it for cheap. Second, no vampire left in town, like I mentioned today in school. Not that it's a reason to be careless."
Dawn nodded. The whole High School had to sit through an information session presented by Giles, Buffy, and Drusilla. They had been told about the most common supernatural menaces and how to react to them. Dawn also knew that the adults had received similar information through various means.
"You knew before Halloween, right?" asked Buffy.
"I had my doubts since you tried to tell us after the gym burned down in LA. Even when… you know, I wanted to believe you. I knew for sure during the parent-teacher night last September. I think it didn't fade like it did for my classmates because it meant you were right… as awful as it was to see Maddie being…" she replied, her eyes filling with tears.
"Fuck," swore Buffy as she saw the obvious pain on her sister's face. "Why didn't you… right, given how well that worked out for me, you just bottled it up?"
Dawn nodded quickly. Buffy rose from her chair and sat next to her on the bed, hugging her.
"It's… I mean, we Shedim just get back up and use it to make ourselves stronger, right? I'm doing that, but I need a little help with what you told me about the road between our two selves. You said old Buffy and Mara were able to talk during a dream. Can you show me how to do that spell? I want to fix that problem and for that I need to be able to speak with Pam."
Buffy smiled as she hugged her sister a little tighter. She knew that before Halloween, her human self would have handled things very differently. The thing was that Dawn was right. Shedim were strong believers in 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. As Satan's daughter, Dawn was expected to think about her issues and find solutions or die trying. That didn't mean that Buffy couldn't help, of course.
"No, sorry, you need a first-class license to pull that off," she replied, thanking the fact she had an ironclad excuse to prevent her little sister from taking potentially lethal risks when experimenting with soul magic. "But I can cast it on you if you tell me how you want it."
"Thanks, Sis. So…"
- Elsewhere, time irrelevant -
"Ouch, that hurt!" said Pam Akumachi as she rubbed the back of her head.
She had just hit her head against a large wrought iron bedframe. She wasn't really clear on what she was doing here but it wasn't the first time she had been through some wacky stuff, thanks to her adventures in the Spirit World. Suddenly appearing into a room with no clue about how she got there sure wasn't usual but certainly not inconceivable. She quickly took in her surroundings, noticing that she was in a palatial bedroom. The walls were made of obsidian and showed many hellish motifs, making her think of some of the wealthy devil homes in Deamonea. She was herself sitting on a big red carpet the bed was set upon.
She rose, noticing that while the room was furnished in a rather macabre style using a mix of black wrought iron and bone as main materials, it still looked like a girl's room. Looking at the bed, she noticed a devil girl sleeping in it. Pam could not help but think that the sleeper's horns looked like her own, and that she had the same shade of dark red hair she did. She also noticed that the sleeping devil had some strange red tattoos on her brow and temples.
Pam thought about waking her up and apologizing for intruding but froze as she heard a sniffle coming from under the bed. Moving silently, the she-devil crouched to look and saw a shape cuddled in the darkness. She was pretty sure it was a black-haired, pale-skinned girl clad in a frilly black dress. The whole mystical soul sense wasn't her forte, but she thought that the girl was a human.
"Eh… you're alright?" she asked softly in Japanese.
She heard the girl say something back, in a very fearful voice. Pam frowned, thinking the girl had said something in English, maybe about not eating her.
"Sorry… English bad. I try something," replied Pam slowly in that language.
Pam's hand tried to reach for the Tupsimati pendant she usually wore around her neck, hoping to wish for some translation help but noticed it wasn't there. She sighed but silently thanked the fact that Vine had made sure to pound that particular spell into her thick skull, because of all the meetings with officials they had to attend after the Spirit World became her Earth's second moon. She started to chant in a language that the linguists of her Earth had called 'a dialect of Sumerian' and that was used for magic in Deamonea. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt the translation spell operate.
"Here, I used magic to speak English better," said Pam. "I promise I won't hurt you and I have no clue where we are. Can you come out?"
Again, a sniffle and maybe a nod. Pam rose and saw the human girl rising from the other side of the bed, looking fearfully at her. Pam also noticed that the she-devil in the bed was still sleeping. Pam and the human girl both startled as a scroll unrolled from the ceiling above the bedhead, displaying a text in English.
DAWN AND PAM, YOU ARE IN MY DREAM. I USED A SPELL TO TEMPORARILY UNMERGE YOU. IF YOU FOCUS, YOU CAN KNOW WHAT WE DID AFTER HALLOWEEN. SORT THINGS OUT AND BUILD A BETTER US. YOUR MERGED, POST-HALLOWEEN SELF.
Pam tried to remember what she was doing just before being here… she had been back in the Spirit World after a few months on Earth… and sleeping in her girlfriend's arms… no that wasn't it. The word Halloween reminded her of a town in chaos and Malphas telling her to help another devil called Hild with her plan… except she hadn't been in her body then. She looked at the girl called Dawn. She could see that she was looking at the sleeping devil, a sleeping devil whose face looked a lot like Dawn's.
She looks what… fourteen or fifteen? Also barely holding herself together. Guess it's serious oneechan time, thought the she-devil. Thankfully, I had some experience doing that lately…
"That's… me?" asked Dawn. "You… Halloween. I told you to do it," she continued, looking at Pam.
"Your face, my horns and hair color… and the place looks like some I have seen in Deamonea… the furniture with all the bones and skulls though…"
"I think that's from me. I looked it up a few months ago… Giger made it for an adaptation of Dune that never got filmed. She changed the colors, though. The ones I saw were black. That poster is from me as well. I have the same in my bedroom," said Dawn, pointing at a poster for a band called 'Opéra de Nuit'.
"I don't think she will wake up… and I see tea on that table. You want some?"
Dawn nodded and Pam saw with relief that the human girl seemed to be less fearful as they walked to the other end of the room where a coffee table lay between two swiveling armchairs. From the look of concentration on her face, she was likely accessing the 'post-Halloween knowledge' mentioned on the scroll. Pam went to pour two cups of tea from the fuming kettle set on the coffee table while Dawn sat in one of the armchairs.
"Thank you," said Dawn as she took the cup Pam was handing her. "But now that I think about it…"
"Are we sure it's safe to drink that? I think hospitality is a big thing for her," replied Pam while making a nod in the direction of the sleeping devil as she sat in the other armchair and took a sip from her cup.
"Xenia," replied Dawn while looking at her cup. "I read about it, in the old Greek myths. The old hospitality rules, the ones where angry deities punish you when you break them. Another reminder that she is… us. It's important to her because it's important to me. I mean, in my world the whole vampires can't enter uninvited thing is true and I think it's related to xenia rules, that's why I researched it… she said to build a better 'us'. What do you think happened?"
"From what I remember of Halloween night, I was in your body… something not nice, likely from Remy, and I'm sorry about it. We helped other devils and the angels who were there to do something big… not as big as when I recreated the Spirit World with Linfa, but definitely big. I just hope Linfa…"
"You're back in your own body. I can see it in… what I will call the merged memories. I think you are… kind of an echo that Pam left after the possession ended. I think the problem is that we're not getting along very well, and this dream is… kind of a weird therapy session?"
"Right, like that little angel and little devil on the shoulder thing. So why… oh! Of course. She makes us have to focus so that we're one hundred percent us. If we really remembered the things that she did, it wouldn't really work. I see why it's important and I'm glad to know that… the real Pam is fine."
"I'm sorry for being cruel. I'm sorry this will only last the time of a dream," said Dawn while looking down, not daring to face Pam's gaze.
"Eh! Don't be sad. I'm fine, really! You know, in Japan we believe Kamis have two souls… kami… oh! Dawn-chan… in the merged memories, look what the red tattoos mean."
"Su… oh my God! I'm Satan's daughter! Mom is Satan!"
Dawn's fit was interrupted as she felt arms holding her gently. Pam had moved blindingly fast and was now hugging her.
"I know, I had the same doubts right after I became a devil, wondering if that meant I would become evil… but it's not that simple. Devils, Angels or humans, we all care about the ones we love… it's just that we do that a little differently, kind of like how a cat and a dog are different. As for Satan… from what I see, that's just what the devils of Hild's world call their Emperor… but there are things we need to discuss, because I freaked out a lot about them."
"Which things?"
"When I was getting used to being a devil, I first just thought about the obvious. I was stronger, faster, and tougher and that was nice. But when I talked with some of the teachers at the Pandemonium… I realized that devils lived for a very long time. Sure, you can think it's nice too but then I remembered that my parents, my little brother and all my friends from Japan are humans. I would watch them grow old and die. I thought that maybe I could be human again but no, I realized I was a devil for good. I had to make my peace with it. The thing is… it's worse for you. You're not just long-lived. You're immortal."
Pam cuddled next to Dawn, noticing with a small smile that the biomechanical armchair was adapting to make them comfortable.
"You say you… but we're…" said Dawn as she looked at the sleeping devil.
"I'm the intruder here. I have no right to steal your life, Dawn-chan. That's why I say 'you' and not 'us'… and I think you're right. The 'mix' after Halloween wasn't right and that's why this is happening… I see you realized there was a problem on Thursday… sorry again."
"Why… Thursday… I almost kissed Liberty?" said Dawn indignantly as she looked through a certain memory. "Eh… not that there is anything wrong with liking girls, but her? She's mean! And a cheerleader! I'm losing Goth cred just by standing next to her!"
Pam had a smile as she held the younger girl. Given the current situation and how much adulting she had to do lately, hearing Dawn behave like a typical teenage girl draped in innocent high school drama felt strangely nostalgic to her.
"Eh, this Liberty is like you, just with my girlfriend Linfa. Maybe give her a chance? I'm not saying as a girlfriend, but just be nice to her, right? It must be hard for her too."
"I see merged us agreed to some kind of truce… okay, I'll give her a chance."
"Do you have an idea why I overdid it like that… or rather why I influenced you so much?"
"The parent-teacher night in September," replied Dawn immediately, her tone feeling almost dead to Pam as the younger girl cuddled stronger, as if she looked for warmth and protection. "I was so afraid… by day I could fake it, distract myself with school and friends, but at night… I lost count of the times I muffled my screams by biting my pillow. I think I was happy to let you be in charge, just to be able to rest… but she… we… I? Merged us doesn't agree."
"What did happen that night?"
"I saw a vampire torturing and killing someone… and… and… I just hid in a locker. I… I know that if I had tried something, I would have died too, but…"
"Shh… it's alright. I'm here."
Pam focused on manifesting her wings and shifted a bit in the chair to drape the trembling girl in them. Another speck of power and the leathery wing around the human became as warm as a blanket.
She's so scared… I must have felt it subconsciously and just taken charge… and with devil puberty being really intense, things became crazy… looks like Dawn was taking back some control but…
"Thank you, Pam. I must finish my story about that night and why it happened that way… roughly a year and a half ago, my big sister Buffy started to behave strangely. So far, she had been one of the popular girls at school… I think you would say an ojou-sama?"
"I see the kind," replied Pam with a soft giggle.
"She had scratches and Mom and Dad were worried about her getting into fights and maybe doing drugs. Then, one night, the school gym burned down, and Buffy ran away. There was also a story about a gang of bikers that had vanished. When Buffy came back some weeks later, she told Mom and Dad that the bikers were vampires and that she was a champion chosen to fight them… they didn't believe her and she went to the madhouse, not for long but she denied anything about vampires after that. There were other things but… that was one of the big reasons for the divorce."
"Oh… right, because of that, rather than looking for help after that night in September, you just hid it all. Couldn't you have tried to talk to your sister?"
"She was trying so hard to look normal… but I knew better. I could see how tired she was. I put on a brave face for her too, because I didn't want to make her worry about me."
"And now?"
"Now, I suppose I can try… maybe even already did. Pam, I want to thank you for helping me after Halloween but, I think I must own all that darkness, all that suffering. Use it to make myself stronger."
"Spoken like a true devil," said Pam as she poked playfully Dawn's cheek with her left index. "So…"
"So, just as you said, I think I'm a devil for good… how do you deal with the whole goddess stuff?"
"Eh… I… don't really? I mean I only had the full power of the Tupsimati around the time of the Renewal of Royal Power Ceremony. Most of the time… it's kind of like having a genie lamp. I can make as many wishes as I want, but Remy has his own goals and he can say no. Small stuff is usually fine, but I need to pay a lot of attention to the consequences for anything big. I'm actually glad it's like that… the power I had during the ceremony…"
"It was too much?"
"Yes. It's not just what you can do, but all the things I felt back then. How to describe… for a moment, you are everything. You are nature. You breathe and the winds change direction. You move your hands, and you rearrange continents… You know everything. All the hopes, all the fears of every living being in your domain… and I'm barely scratching the surface. That's just too much. Linfa and I think that's one of the reasons why it's always two people doing the Ceremony. We mostly focus on each other and the big idea, then Remy handles the details without us becoming crazy. The thing I understood that day is that being a god… it's not as simple as in some stories. It's hard work and you really don't want to mess up. From what I see in the merged memories, I think the devils of Hild's world are using that whole license stuff to make sure people don't get too much power before they are ready."
"Thankfully it's not just me… the full town was transformed, including Mom and Buffy… Dad. Pam… how did your parents react? I mean, the horns and all."
"Eh… not that bad actually. My grandmother had told us stories about meeting a nice devil, which I discovered were about her going to the Spirit World and falling in love with Marduk. So, it was more 'her stories were actually true?'. I must say that I was very busy preventing people from freaking out, so I didn't have much time to see them… and also thankfully, the Japanese government had my family under protection… some deranged people thinking I was the Antichrist, so I can relate about the whole Daughter of Satan thing. They… the people of my Earth got over it, but I had to make a few wishes that I hope won't have too many bad consequences. My advice here… first discuss with your mother and your sister about what to do, as this concerns you all."
"Okay… it's a little random but I see that merged us has been researching about devil sigils and she seems unhappy with you about something."
"Yeah, those are important for magic, and I think I know why. The thing is that when I filled in my registration paperwork for the Devil Academy, I didn't know the language well enough. The translation magic Remy used on me made sure I could speak it, but I had to learn to read and write in it. At that time, I heard the Japanese 'hanko' when someone mentioned a devil sigil. A hanko is the seal you use to sign paperwork in Japan, so it made sense for me, and I just marked the kanjis for my name in the sigil field of the form. I understood only later how important it was and how much of a problem it could become, so I was planning to change it when Halloween happened. You should think about it and find one that works for you."
"Makes sense… I see that Amanda is using the one from Vine in the Goetia. Speaking of things that work for me… Would you mind if I changed a few things like the horns?"
"Of course not, it's your body… how are things with Raim, I mean Kit?"
"Quite good, she's one of my two besties with Amanda. I know I'm spending more time with Amanda, because we both love books… and I'm now calling her cousin?"
"I see your Mom and your sister explaining to you a lot of stuff that makes me think about a mix of period drama and yakuza movies. Seems Amanda's dad is your mother's sworn brother and that your devil clans are allies."
"Right… really hope merged me knows more about that, because it looks awfully important… About Kit, she's more into fun… what's that memory of her building plumbing?"
"Raim is not book-smart, but she knows a lot about building stuff, I mean the practical part. She wanted to become a devil to have enough money and power to help improve things in her home village. … you looking at blueprints and having technical conversations with that angel called Alice?"
"New… I think it's a compromise. The mad science stuff appeals to my Goth nerd side and doing constructive things with friends is more your thing, right?"
"Yes, I think you're right," said Pam as she briefly broke the hug to get them tea. "Anything else you want to ask?"
"Eh… you're into girls. Do you think…"
"I actually asked Professor Lizyerra about it. Most devils like boys and girls. It's because of the soul sense."
"Of course! A lot easier to find your soulmate… sorry," she said while hushing a giggle in her hand. "Just thinking about some poets I like to read and what they would think about having such a sense… I can easily see some of them say that it's kind of cheating."
"I can imagine…" replied Pam with a laugh.
They were interrupted by a crack coming from a wall, soon followed by others. They could see that the scroll now sported a 'Thank You' and was hanging on a wall covered in fissures.
"Looks like we're out of time," said Pam.
"I think it's more like we reached the point she wanted. It was nice meeting you, Pam," said the human teen as she hugged the she-devil.
"The same for me, Dawn," replied the Japanese devil as she hugged the human back, while, around them, reality shattered in the clamor of broken mirrors.
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale, Saturday 5 November 2011, 07:15 -
"Morning," said Dawn sleepily as she arrived fully dressed in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Dawn. You're up early for a Saturday," replied Buffy who was sitting at the kitchen island while eating a copious breakfast.
"Mom promised to teach me how to teleport, but we're starting at half past seven, so I got up. Your excuse?"
"Still have the old Slayer metabolism… maybe even worse food-wise," she replied, pointing at the heap of scrambled eggs and bacon on her plate. "Productive night?"
"Very, thanks a lot for the Inner Parley spell," replied Dawn as she aimed for the coffee machine. "It was actually… I mean, Pam was really nice, said she had no right to steal my life. So… I'm what I will call Dawn plus. How was your time with Mara?"
"More on the 'training from hell' side, but to be fair, she needed to rub my face into a few inconvenient truths. I still need to iron out some details, though. I'm going to see cousin Byleth to discuss a few things."
"You need Dream magic? From what I heard…"
"No, I want to pick her brain out on a few topics. Slayer stuff."
"Got it. Just tell me if I can help."
"Good morning girls," said Joyce as she entered the kitchen and hugged them both as they greeted her back. "Buffy, you already have your planning from the Abaddon?"
"Yes, Mom. Nothing serious this weekend but I'm on call in case one of the opposition factions attempts something."
"Good. Dawn, your sleepover at the Morningstars?"
"We're definitely doing it. My bag's ready and homework for Monday was done yesterday evening as we agreed. I'll also spend the afternoon at Alice's place. We want to work on the power plant before that… and we'll likely drag Alice with us to the sleepover."
"Corrupt her well, honey," replied Joyce with a laugh. "Did you already eat?"
"No. I read the manual," deadpanned Dawn.
Joyce smiled at her daughter. Dawn knew that before Halloween, her mother would have mentioned everything… like the fact that learning to teleport led to severe motion sickness until you found out how to tweak the spell for your personal needs. As a shedim mother, however, Joyce had voluntarily omitted a few non-lethal things, both to see if Dawn would bother checking them and to make them object lessons if she didn't.
"Good, finish your coffee and we'll start."
"Just leave your cup in the sink. I'll do the dishes before leaving," said Buffy.
"Thanks, Sis!" said Dawn right before downing the rest of her coffee.
Buffy waved at her mom and sister as the former teleported them away, likely to some desert place where a few 'accidents' would not be noticed. As she nursed her own cup, she could not help but think about her reaction, the first morning after Halloween.
Have to be honest with myself… I spent so much time trying to preserve what was left of my pre-Slayer life that I had come to consider any change as likely bad and hurtful. This change though… a mom I can again confide to about my problems. A little sister who has my back and I have hers. Not saying there aren't downsides, like getting used to the fact that my conscience doesn't work the same way anymore, because new brain chemistry.
"But we'll make it work," she said as she brought her dishes to the sink and started to clean them.
- Bric & Broc Factory, Sunnydale, Saturday 5 November 2011, 19:15 -
"Time to call it a night," said Kit as she checked her watch. "Amanda's expecting us at half past seven."
"You're sure you don't mind me tagging along?" asked Alice as she started to power down her station.
Dawn had a look at Alice. She knew the reason of course. It wasn't the question that she was an Eloah and the three of them were Shedim. It was simply the question that she was younger than them and while she felt confident handling things in the lab, Alice was feeling a lot more awkward about just hanging out.
"Nah… as Dawn said, we just plan on having the horror movie night we had to postpone a bit because of the Halloween madness and a nice sleepover after that. I must say I'm curious to see if I will react the same as I would have… before," replied Kit.
"Alice, did you tell them you're coming with us?" asked Dawn.
"I told Spike, and he said to have fun," she replied with an enthusiastic nod.
Alice bit discreetly her lower lip. Yes, she had technically told Spike… when he was busy with something. No matter how awkward she felt, Dawn, Kit and Amanda were currently her only friends, and she didn't want to be left out. It would maybe change after she started school… but it wouldn't really solve her age problem. Thanks to Skuld, she was going to skip a few grades.
"Alright," said Dawn as she grabbed her overnight bag. Come near me, I will transport us."
"To think you would be a natural with teleportation," said Kit with a smile. "I mean… I remember the flight lessons."
Alice looked at her friends. She remembered comments from Kit and Amanda about Pam Akumachi: nice, stubborn, and powerful for sure, but definitely not a model student. Pam's first attempts at flying had been a chaotic mess.
But there is a huge difference. Just like Drusilla convinced me to be me and not just Skuld, Dawn is not just Pam…
Dawn raised an eyebrow in mock irritation at Kit and space suddenly started to feel wonky around them, curving at unnatural angles while acid green light seemed to pour from the walls behind reality and ensnared them like tentacles. Kit and Alice felt an instant of impossible vastness and unfathomable dread as they contemplated the infinite abyss below them, glimpsing the abominations that lurked below.
"Okay," said Kit as they materialized on the lawn in front of Amanda's house. "I confirm you're one hundred percent goth. You really had to go for the full Lovecraft experience?"
"Maybe," replied Dawn with a smirk.
Alice giggled softly. This reminded her of the kind of pranks Urd was fond of.
"You Shedim are so lucky. Our teleportation spells are always keyed to our domain, and we can't customize them like you do."
"Nidhogg users, not Shedim," replied Dawn with a slightly sultry smile as she remembered her mother's advice concerning Alice.
- Bric & Broc Factory, Sunnydale, Saturday 5 November 2011, at the same time -
"The girls left for their sleepover," said Spike as a monitoring spell triggered in a corner of his mind. "All according to plan."
Drusilla had a little smile as she lowered the novel she had been reading.
"Belldandy would be worried out of her mind if Skuld had done the same," she said.
"And Urd would likely have made some reckless attempt to save her from demonic influence… because some people brainwashed her into despising the culture she was born in."
"Yes. As an Eloah… as Belldandy, I know how easy it is to convince yourself that it's for the Greater Good, that it's fine to 'help' people to fit in. As Drusilla…"
She rose the novel she was reading, a copy of George Orwell's 1984. That book was in itself a symbol that she wasn't Belldandy to anyone who knew the middle Norn. There was just no way that the cheerful goddess would have touched such a book unless it was part of her work. True, the love Belldandy felt for the human Keiichi Morisato had been pushing her to think more outside of the Elohim mold, but not to the point Drusilla did.
"Fully agree, luv. Funny thing is that one thing Halloween taught me is moderation. Loki showed me bloody too well what it means to take everything personally and hold grudges for millennia, letting it cook until… boom!"
"Until Balder, you mean. You know, I have also been reading some of the old Elohim philosophy texts, the ones from Atum."
"You mean the old view on the Ma'at principle. Yeah, I think that's part of the answer. Harmony in that each of us has to find his rightful place in the Great Scheme, not hammered down to fit in whatever society thinks is convenient. The Pesedjet are still sticking to it a lot and we have most of them here."
"So are the Kami, and Amaterasu is here as well. So, I wish for Alice to spend a good evening with her friends… and if she decides that her place is as one of Satan's subjects, so be it."
- Sunnydale, Saturday 5 November 2011, 20:27 -
"Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some. Angels to others," said the entity on the screen.
Alice could not help but stifle a giggle. She knew that the movie she was watching with Dawn, Kit and Amanda wasn't supposed to be funny. Before Halloween, she would likely have been very scared and have nightmares for days after watching this one. But she wasn't that person anymore. She was an Eloah. She was a goddess, and she had already lived through situations like the one the protagonist was going through.
The reason she almost giggled was because of what the being usually called Pinhead had just said to the protagonist Kirsty Cotton on the screen. As an Eloah, Alice felt that she was just like that: demon to some, angel to others. In fact, the whole movie was calling to her in several ways, the cursed puzzle box that was at the center of story reminding her of how a simple phone call to order a pizza could end up with contacting the Goddess Relief Office. Sure, having Belldandy coming through a mirror was a lot less terrifying than the Cenobites arriving, but the basic principle was the same.
I wonder how it is for Dawn… she was the one suggesting we watch Hellraiser… said she was curious to see how she would appreciate it now compared to her first time as a human last summer…
They were currently in the gaming den slash home cinema that Amanda's father had set up in his home's basement. Alice, Kit, and Dawn had left Alice's workshop a little over an hour ago and joined Amanda for a movie night and sleepover. Dawn had actually picked up Hellraiser from the Ditchiks' extensive collection of horror movies.
Alice brought her attention back to the screen where Kirsty was trying to bargain with the hellish beings she summoned by mistake with the puzzle box. What was fascinating for Alice was that, in her opinion, the Cenobites weren't the antagonists. The real antagonists were the heroine's uncle and the wicked stepmother, very human monsters who chose evil. To her, the Cenobites were more a hazard triggered by the antagonists' actions and that the protagonist had to deal with.
"…we'll tear your soul apart!" said Pinhead on the screen, telling the heroine what would happen to her if she broke the contract.
"I brought you girls some snacks," softly said Lily "Lilith" Ditchik as she entered the room, a tray levitating next to her.
"Thank you, Aunt Lilith," said Dawn while Amanda paused the movie.
"I can see you have a question," said Lily as she noticed the way Alice was looking at her.
"Sorry but… this is an R-rated movie and…"
"Why am I not complaining about you all being too young? In short, this movie is R-Rated for humans, not for us. I fully expect a good movie like Hellraiser to inspire Amanda, Dawn, and Kit. As for you… I know what you went through. I know that you fought and made your tormentor feel the might of your godly wrath rather than let him destroy you. Tell me, Alice, will a simple movie crush your pride as an immortal?"
"No," replied Alice as she sat straighter on the couch, looking defiantly at the elder demoness.
"Good! Now I'll let you enjoy your movie night. Amanda…"
"We'll use the futons and sleep here, Mom," replied Amanda.
"Alright. Have fun!" replied Lilith as she left the room and closed the door.
"So, how did you find it?" asked Kit as the end credits rolled. "Personally found it fun."
"Well, most people don't have our baggage," said Dawn. "I bet we all thought something like 'she's a goner' when Kirsty agreed to a pact where the demon says 'maybe'."
"Even I thought it," said Alice. "In her defense, she was really not in a position to negotiate fairly… actually, I wonder about one thing. Does Kirsty become a Cenobite in a later movie?"
"Not in the movies, but there is a comic book series that started this year so… maybe," said Dawn, remembering a discussion about Hellraiser with her goth friends in LA. "Also, I don't advise watching anything beyond the first 2 movies. Many of the old horror franchises have the same problem."
"Yeah, the first movie's good and then they try to milk it," said Kit. "So, another one?"
"Yes, but change of pace," said Amanda as she went to her father's collection. "Any objection about watching a movie in Swedish?" she added while holding a DVD titled Let the Right One In. "I want to take advantage of Nidhogg's 'Tongues' ability."
"Just a question," said Dawn. "I think I saw a movie…"
"Let Me In, American remake of the original Swedish one," cut in Amanda. "Of course…"
"Your dad considers the original one superior," said Alice with a smile as she pointed at the DVD collection and its large number of foreign movies. "Note that I'm going to say the same… because Norse goddess here," she added in perfect Swedish.
"And I readily admit I would likely have a similar reaction if I had to choose between the original Japanese Ringu and its American remake," said Dawn.
"Yeah," said Kit. "It's funny, before Halloween I would have considered it too much of an effort to watch a foreign movie. Excuse would have been subtitles, but in fact it's because of all the cultural stuff that wouldn't immediately make sense to me as an American teenage girl. I know it's lazy and I'm not saying everybody thinks the same, but it tells me how much I changed. Because now, I remember how much fun Raim had discovering shonen anime like Bleach with some of the boys in Japan during that exchange year. How… energizing it was to discover new horizons."
"Add to that the problem we have now," said Dawn. "We're adapting to a culture that has seen all human civilizations rise and wane… a culture that created humans."
"All too true," said Amanda as she put the DVD in the reader. "So, let's watch the naughty, naughty stuff our kids came up with…"
After a good Swedish vampire movie, the girls had made some space for the futons and started to change into their respective bedclothes.
"By the way," said Kit as she put on her pajamas. "Zu…"
"I gave him the weekend off… in fact, we have talked and we're likely going to sever the familiar contract," cut in Dawn who was doing the same. "You know what he is…"
"Actually…" said Alice who was sitting cross-legged on her futon.
"Right, you weren't in Deamonea, so you wouldn't know," said Kit. "Familiars there are normally minor elemental spirits. They get a lot of advantages by being bound to us. Zu now… to use a Norse equivalent, it's like if Pam and now Dawn had Fenrir as a familiar."
"Ouch!" said Alice, remembering Skuld's rather disastrous encounter with her world's Fenrir. "How did it happen?"
"Remy… he's the spirit of the Tupsimati, kind of like if Yggdrasil had an AI," said Dawn. "That was all part of his scheming. He helped Pam to bind Zu, taking advantage of her naïveté… not saying it wasn't necessary to save the Spirit World, but what was good then isn't necessarily good now. So, I offered to free him and make him a vassal of our House. I gave him the weekend off so that he could think about it."
"As we're speaking of Deamonea… you and Linfa?" asked Kit with a cat-like grin.
"I'm not against being friends with her, but… I'm going to need time before I think about dating anybody. Amanda, you knew Liberty well already before Halloween, right?"
"Yes," replied the young Morningstar with a scowl. "Okay… our parents are good friends, one could say sworn brothers and sisters and apart from Mom, they work at the same place. Us kids… we managed to stay civil at gatherings, but we were in different cliques at school."
"Which one?" asked Alice.
"Liberty is a cheerleader, as are Aphrodisia, Gwen and Harmony," replied Dawn with a disgusted pout. "I let you imagine how bad they consider a goth like me or a shy nerd like Amanda."
"Were and considered actually," corrected Amanda. "Halloween changed things here too, as I could easily see during the barbecue at Uncle Max's place at noon. It was quite different from the usual. Among other things, Aphrodisia has a girlfriend now and Buffy was there, two events that would have been impossible before. It was of course a lot easier to talk with Libby as well. She's nicer and Vine taught me that it's not because you're nice that you have to be a doormat."
"Have things changed for the better for you too, Kit?" asked Alice.
"Sorta, kinda, we're still trying to make sense of it all. Unlike you lot, my Mom and I are, or rather were not neck deep into politics. Of course, now that a lot of demons think I'm the minion of Satan's daughter, I'm suddenly a lot more important… and it means playing the political game."
"Your Mom is also from Deamonea?"
"No, her alter ego is from a minor Shedim family from Skuld's world, nobody important, the kind to be considered a 'nameless legion demon' by a Goetia demonologist. To be clear, things were not that bad before Halloween, even with the sperm donor deserting six years ago. Mom's job at the water company wasn't the best but it paid well enough. Things are changing there too, of course and Mom is having a lot of fun misleading people from outside… must also say she got a lot more respect from some shitty colleagues recently. Bet they're quaking in their boots because we're connected now."
Alice nodded. As an Eloah, she knew how important being part of a group was and how much support you could get. The problem as far as she was concerned was finding a group that she could feel comfortable with. Currently… apart from her sisters and Spike, the people she felt the best with hanging out with were the ones she was with right now… which on the old world would have been enough to brand her a traitor in some people's minds.
They continued discussing for a bit, then got under the duvets to sleep as Amanda switched off the few lights they had kept on. Alice knew that Skuld not have felt safe sleeping in the house of the Great Traitor Lucifer. Yet, here, she felt safe. She could feel the comforting darkness of Dawn's soul next to her, like a warm blanket she could cuddle under and feel nice and accepted.
As the Norn of the Future drifted into sleep, hidden under the duvet, her brow briefly flared, and she started to dream. She saw Halloween again… but different. No Shedim or Elohim this time, just fear and people scrambling to save their lives in the chaos. She saw herself die, drained by that vampire after he finished toying with her in so many horrible ways, because this time, Skuld had not saved her. She saw Amanda being killed by a demon sometime later, then Harmony being turned into a vampire. Dawn's haunted gaze as she saw her sister sacrifice herself to close a dimensional anomaly. Kit still alive, but forever afraid. She saw how Willow, mad with grief after her girlfriend's murder, nearly became a monster. Spike and Drusilla were still vampires there, though things were complicated with them…
"Stop! Now!" she said, taking control of the dream as the images froze.
She focused and the scene shifted to become one of an ancient well sitting among huge roots. Her dream-self sat next to it and contemplated its dark waters.
"Hate that aspect of my powers… that was really horrible. Let's see…"
The images in the well shifted as she reviewed them.
"Good, it's a failed one," she said with a sigh of relief. "Likely what would have happened without Halloween being what it is. As for the real future…"
She knew she could have tried to look at it, to make sense of the many threads, but she agreed with Skuld on one point: no spoilers. The truth was that Skuld hated her domain, a domain she and her sisters had no choice but to get, because it was what had been foretold for the three of them. This disgust was at the source of the reason Skuld preferred to use science fiction technology to create solutions rather than magic.
Alice looked at the place in the roots where a gigantic serpent had sunk its fangs in the wood and pumped venom into it, while the wood grew to cover the snake, who regularly shook to dislodge it. She knew what it was: an allegory of the interface between Yggdrasil and Nidhogg and the attempts of each system to hack the other. Yet… this time, she could not help but feel that the image was tamer than the one Skuld remembered, as if the tree and the snake were playing rather than really fighting.
She felt Dawn's comforting darkness push against her soul and let the dream go to bask in its embrace. In the physical world, she moved to cuddle against the demoness.
- Sunnydale, Sunday 6 November 2011, 9:15 -
"So, what do you have planned for today?" asked Amanda as the four girls ate breakfast in the Morningstars' kitchen.
They had woken up almost an hour earlier and taken turns in the shower while the others tidied up the den, before coming to prepare breakfast. Dawn had even made a quick teleport to a bakery open on Sundays to get croissants.
"Mom wants some quality time and discuss a bit about the future, so I'm flying back home soon," replied Kit.
"I have some studying to do… no biggie, it's just because I'm testing for high school tomorrow morning," said Alice.
"Says the superhumanly intelligent girl with an eidetic memory who's going to skip a few years," replied a pouting Kit, which made the girls giggle. "And you Dawn?"
"Mom texted me that she and Buffy are out for the day, Dark Cabinet stuff. So, I'm free to hang out, Amanda."
"Thanks! Sundays are honestly not the best here. Mom has her shift at the hospital and Dad's too often working in his office, so it's just me and Cathy."
"Aah… no love for little old me, sister?" said Gwen as she entered the kitchen wearing a negligee that left very little to the imagination and a barely closed silk bathrobe.
Dawn had an intense feeling of déjà vu as she saw the horns of the elder Morningstar daughter. She was sure that she – or rather Pam – knew that she-devil. Suddenly, she remembered very vividly where she had seen that particular devil and she blushed, hard.
"Eh… Dawn, are you all right?" asked Alice.
"She just remembered when Pam and Linfa visited a certain shop in Uruk, owned by my alter ego," said Gwen with a saucy grin. "As we have a young, impressionable angel here, I will just say it's…"
"A sex shop," deadpanned Alice, before taking a deep breath. "I know I'm twelve and that Skuld was not much older in Elohim years, but I know that kind of shop exists… and Drusilla had a long talk with me earlier this week to make sure I understood a few points Skuld… had weird ideas about. To be clear, I have no interest in that… yet, but I know how it works."
"My, my, what a deliciously… gargl!"
Gwen was looking with a mix of awe and terror at her little sister, who was just smiling innocently. Kit and Dawn visibly shuddered, having recognized one of Vine's – and now Amanada's – signature powers: Hell's Heavenly Smile. The two of them knew that when Amanda smiled like that, unless you were strong enough to resist the technique, you just felt your willpower crumble until everything Vine said made perfect sense, no matter how absurd.
Thankfully, Vine was way too nice and never abused it, thought both girls at the same time.
"Remember our deal, sister," said Amanda, still smiling innocently.
"Yes, thanks, but please stop that," replied Gwen while averting her eyes. "Sorry about this, my alter ego Asmodia can be a handful and… we're still negotiating."
"Ask your parents about the Inner Parley spell," said Dawn. "It lets your aspects split the time of a dream and talk things over. It's possible to tweak it to let your pre-Halloween self and your Deamonea one un-merge and talk, but it's first category stuff. It helped me a lot to sort out my conflicts."
"Thanks for the advice," replied Gwen as she aimed for the coffee pot and poured herself a mug. "Have a nice day, all!"
Gwen snatched a croissant from the breadbasket on the table and disappeared into the house. The girls finished their breakfast and quickly did the dishes before Alice and Kit prepared to leave. Alice hugged everybody, thanking them for the nice evening and saying she would see them soon, before using a nearby puddle to teleport back to her home. Kit soon followed, flying toward her home, completely unfazed by the wind and rain that had just started.
"So, how do boardgames and video games with Cathy and I sound on that rainy day?" asked Amanda as the two girls came back inside the house.
"All good but… Amanda, do you think I could speak to your Dad a little bit?" asked Dawn. "I need some… legal advice."
"Knowing how early he usually gets up, I think he won't mind a break."
- Sunnydale, Sunday 6 November 2011, 9:43 -
"Good morning, Uncle Lucifer," said Dawn as she peeked into a broom closet. "Do you have some time for me?"
Of course, the broom closet had gone through some post-Halloween remodeling, in this case becoming a portal between the Morningstars' home and Lucifer's office in an office building set in another part of Sunnydale. The fallen angel was currently sitting at a large desk and working on a computer set up with four screens. Dawn could glimpse from the content of the many windows on them that he was working through Shedim legal stuff.
"This is no problem at all, Dawn. Tell me what brings you into my office on a Sunday morning," he said with a smile as he turned on his chair to face them.
Dawn entered the office, soon followed by Amanda. With a gesture, Lucifer made two of the chairs from the meeting table in another part of the office levitate and positioned them in front of him.
"I need some information and advice," she said as she and Amanda sat on the chairs. "I heard that your posting in Hell is a mix between the head of the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court's Chief Justice."
Dawn remembered from the recent civic education classes in school that the existence of the networks meant that a lot of the safeguards which were necessary in human society could be dispensed with, like a clear separation of powers. Heaven side, most of the people in charge were first categories incapable of lying and courtrooms had special wards that compelled people to speak the whole truth, which turned most celestial trials into sobbing sessions of self-criticism where a panel of judges decided on the punishment.
Hell side, being magically compelled to keep your promises sure changed a lot of things for politicians and how justice was handled. In most cases, Shedim preferred to handle legal matters through deals, with the judge acting as a referee. Dawn had also asked her mom about corrupt judges, to which Joyce had laughed, saying that they knew better. While Lucifer did not ask them any oath about it, all judges knew that it was in fact a trap to test their righteousness. In Hild's world, a corrupt judge was kept, alive and conscious but completely paralyzed, in a block of Cocytus Ice in the lobby of the Justice Department building, with a plaque explaining his crimes, as a warning to the others.
"Someone has to put Order in all that Chaos … unfortunately for my Sunday," replied Lucifer with a sigh while waving at his computer screens.
"It's that bad?"
"I'm being a little melodramatic. The main problem is that I still need to put together a team and this cannot wait. Actually, it concerns you both directly as those are amendments to Hell's Laws to make sure everything is covered for Deamonea Shedim… and your mother needs that tomorrow so that the Dark Cabinet can vote on it. Thankfully, making the treaties with Heaven is not my responsibility… but enough ranting. What kind of information and advice are we talking about?"
"Well, you're more reasonable than Uncle Belial…"
"This is starting to sound like those times Urd and Mara came up with a crazy idea when they were your age," cut in the fallen angel, looking somehow half-amused and half-disapproving. "Though it is true that they used to go to Belial when looking for a partner in crime. So…"
"Right, there are two things," replied Dawn, fighting the urge to ask about what kind of shenanigans her sisters' alter egos had gotten themselves into. "First, I need to cut my familiar contract. Zu is a greater demon, and he should not have been bound. He was made a familiar because of what I will call a political intrigue where my alter ego was one of the pawns. I will offer him to become my vassal instead."
"Familiar contracts are recorded in Nidhogg, but they are private contracts. As long as you and Zu agree, you just need to file the annulment with…"
Lukas briefly turned back towards his computer and typed a few commands. The printer started and Lucifer made a gesture to make the printed sheet levitate into Dawn's hands.
"Fill this form. Both of you have to sign it with your blood and it's done," he said while turning back to face them. "The form will burn once signed and be recorded in Nidhogg… before you ask, we have to do this with actual paperwork because it's a Deamonea contract. Think of this form as a compatibility patch. Once it's done, his familiar Nidhogg account will become a full third category account for a magical creature aligned with us. Upgrading it to the second category will need a separate request, but it can be rolled in the vassalage registration. This falls under House Law and in your case, you need two witnesses from your House for the oath, and one has to be your mother, as you're not yet of age."
"So, in practice Mom and Buffy?"
"That would be the best. Even if Max and his family are part of House Darkflame, there are still data integrity patches to deploy here and there to make sure the bonds created by Halloween are fully official. As I'm sure you already guessed, your still mortal family members like your father cannot be witnesses because they are not Nidhogg or Yggdrasil users. The exact oath is for the concerned parties to agree upon, but your mother will know the traditional ones if needed. You mentioned two things…"
"The second one is about names… and I mean true names, invocation stuff."
"We are far from being established enough for it to be an issue… yet, but I commend you for forward thinking. You are powerful, Dawn, and I have no doubt that mortals will seek your favor in the future."
"That's the matter. I want a… let's say a real demon name, Uncle Lucifer."
Lukas looked at her. He knew that all of them had been trying to find some balance between their original self and the one Halloween bestowed upon them. Name changes were often a good symptom of that problem… but there was more. No matter what pre-Halloween human habits they tried to preserve, they were becoming divine beings and names would not just be a personal matter. He knew that for the mortals invoking him, he would be Lucifer Morningstar, not Lukas Ditchik. He looked at Amanda who had been sitting silently in the other chair.
"Amanda… or Vine?"
"Vine, Dad. I think Dawn is right and that I have to be Vine Morningstar, daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. I'm not the Vine of Deamonea but also not Amanda anymore. Vine Morningstar is my reality now. However, I want the family to discuss it before making that official because I think it would be better if we do it all at the same time. Dawn's case is different, and I think it's important for political reasons that it appears that the decision was hers only."
"I see… changing this in Nidhogg's database is simple enough. How should I call you?"
"Leviathan Darkflame," replied Dawn. "I verified in Nidhogg, and Leviathan's name is not used yet in this reality, at least not by us."
"Any link with you both watching Hellraiser last night?" asked Lucifer as he remembered how the infernal deity of the Cenobites was called in that franchise.
"I like the movie, and my magic has a lot to do with portals, but no. I'm not against being a little dark and edgy, but not to the point of making pain and suffering my main thing. I was more thinking of the demonology Leviathan and in particular about the Seven Deadly Sins. I'm a little sister, so I know a lot about Envy. Also, the Leviathan cross appeals to me as it includes the infinity sign. For the dragon stuff, I have been thinking about changing my base shape to make me more Ryu-like, given that part of me is Japanese now."
"I see… the Seven Deadly Sins is not something they used in Hild's world, but I will mention your idea to Satan, crediting you of course. We have been looking into adding a few checks and balances, and this may work."
"Given what Satan means for us, it means Aunt Joyce cannot be Wrath. I would advise giving the title to Baal," said Vine.
"Good catch," said Lucifer with a smile for his daughter. "Dawn, for your name change, your reasoning is sound, so I see no reason not to grant it. Just know that your mother has until next Sunday at dusk to veto it."
"That works. Thank you, Uncle Lucifer."
Lucifer turned back to face his screen while Dawn and Amanda rose to stand behind him. He called Dawn's Nidhogg file on the screen and put his hand on a palm scanner modified to read auras to enter his admin password. He quickly moved the name 'Dawn Marie Summers' in the 'Mortal avatars' category and then typed 'Leviathan Darkflame, daughter of Asherah' under the name one. He then added 'Ryujin' in the 'Local variants' field, which made Dawn raise an eyebrow, but finally nod. It was logical as she had mentioned integrating oriental dragon elements and the Kamis were a mix of Elohim and Shedim.
Dawn felt a sting coming from her Nidhogg marks. She knew that the system was scanning her soul and that the update to her file would soon be reflected in her very being. At Lucifer's invitation, she put her right hand on the palm scanner and focused to channel her acceptance into Nidhogg.
Dawn's gaze zeroed in the seal field, seeing the kanji-based sigils she inherited from Pam. She smiled as it changed, becoming the Leviathan Cross. She knew that it was originally a symbol for brimstone in alchemy and that it had only been associated with satanism because of its use by Anton LaVey in the Sixties. It didn't matter. It was hers now and she would decide the reality it represented.
"And done," said Lucifer as he turned again to face the two girls. "Note that I cannot update your domain. That falls under House Law, so your mother is the only one who can grant you one before you are of age. Regarding your idea for the Seven Deadly Sins, explain your idea to your mother and tell her I'm thinking about it as well. As we're talking politics… I see you have a Baphomet lapel pin, so I suppose you have the basics?"
"Yes," replied the newly christened Leviathan. "Vine and I also already discussed about the Native Bond Act and its consequences for us… to be frank, Pam would not even have thought about uniting the Deamonea Shedim under her banner, so…"
"Neither did you," finished Lucifer with a nod. "Though you must understand that some feared that your mother would push you into it."
"Yes… but I think I'm not unhappy that it happened that way. True, we're losing something, but if we had stayed apart… Things would have gotten a lot worse. Shedim are competitive, and they think about their immediate circle first. Taking advantage of a separate group is easy, but we will protect members of our House. Also, even if there are hidden motives, the open goal of the Act is good. I want Mom to be Mom and Sis to be Sis without needing an adoption contract."
Lucifer stood up and put his hand on the young she-devil's shoulder as he smiled warmly at her.
"You are right, my niece. There is also another point you may have noticed. The Shedim and Elohim from the Spirit World do not have a culture that teaches them how to handle immortality and divine power. We do. Fragmenting the Deamonea Shedim and integrating them at high speed in our culture has bad points but as you said, it's definitely the lesser evil… one last thing: Leviathan, tell Buffy that Giles will be welcome in my House if he wants to and that she can use that to negotiate with him. I know that him joining your House could… result in complications given the whole Slayer issue and your mother's temper."
"Understood. Thank you for everything, Uncle Lucifer."
"You're welcome, Leviathan. Now scoot, I still need to finish my paperwork before tonight."
- Sunnydale, Sunday 6 November 2011, 19:01 -
"So, a stunt one of my daughters pulled today means that we need to have a little family discussion," said Joyce.
Willow had initially come to see Buffy and discuss the Giles issue. Their plans had, however, been scuttled when Joyce barged into Buffy's room and forcefully levitated them, as well as Dawn and Zu, to the living room. They were now all sitting there, the three girls and the familiar on the couch while Joyce had moved an armchair to be just in front of them.
The half-goddess started to raise a finger to ask something but froze when she saw Joyce's gaze, feeling all of her 'Urd' bluntness being buried into a massive 'shy Willow' landslide. She knew that the arch-demoness knew exactly what she had been about to ask. The answer was no, she couldn't leave. She was family and this concerned her.
She wondered if this had something to do with Dawn. The younger Summers daughter did not seem very surprised by the situation. Willow remembered that Buffy had mentioned that she had cast an Inner Parley on her Friday night. Maybe it was something related.
This is effectively about Dawn; she thought when Joyce displayed a projection of the young she-devil's Nidhogg file on the wall on their left.
"Buffy, Willow, can you tell me what's important here?" asked Satan with a smirk.
The two teens started to read the file, noticing that Dawn was actually looking rather smug.
"You changed your name?" asked Buffy, looking at Dawn. "Why? And how?"
Willow's gaze zeroed on that field in the file. She had been searching lower, trying to see if Dawn had made some embarrassing contract Joyce would have to cancel. She could now see that the problem was much more fundamental. Dawn Summers was now just an alias for her little half-sister. She was now Leviathan Darkflame, daughter of Asherah.
"Can you enlighten us, Levia-chan?" asked Joyce, her smirk turning into a warm, motherly smile.
"For the how, I asked Uncle Lucifer," replied Leviathan. "As Hell's Chief Justice, he has all the necessary admin privileges. For the why, I don't know for my oneechans, but I intend to fully own the 'divine being' thing, and I wouldn't mind having my own cultists. So, a human name… just didn't do it. I didn't aim for anything sunrise-related like Eos or Ushas because… well, goth and proud of it."
"Mom?" asked Buffy. "Memory's a bit fuzzy, so how important is the name thing?"
"I am not that surprised that you didn't think much about it. It's true that we had a lot of people switching between names as they adapted to their new circumstances, but it was more like if you started using nicknames in everyday life, but the paperwork stayed the same. Leviathan is the first to make the change official by asking an admin to edit her Nidhogg file. Now, to understand how important it is, I want you two to think about a person that Mara and Urd know very well and for whom a real name change was a very important matter."
"Right. Lucifer used to be Samael," said Buffy.
"That's true. I also remember Urd seeing a few cases from the technical side but… well, you know Urd and boring administrative stuff," added Willow. "I just remember that there were a lot of forms to fill in. What are the limitations and consequences?"
"As usual, the administrative processes for a name change differ between the two sides, but that's not important now. What's important is what I will call the cosmic rules regarding names. Our luck is that this is one point we have a treaty for, so those are the same on both sides. For the restrictions, this is mostly about avoiding duplicates in Nidhogg and Yggdrasil, which is what was done here. There is a Leviathan in the other world, but there was none here until this morning. The consequences, now, that's another can of worms and what we need to talk about. Levia-chan?"
"Right, I did research before deciding that. First, as you said, I'm the first one to do this and you can bet that all the Compacts took notice and are waiting to see if you will approve it or not, which will in turn have political consequences. As for which ones, I need to talk about the practical stuff so that we're all on the level. As you already noticed, this is not a 'everybody think I always was Leviathan' thing. Non-Nidhogg paperwork still has my old name on it and my friends from LA remember me as Dawn. It's just that it's kind of a fake identity for me now. By the way, another point I want us to talk about is the matter of Dad, but that's for later.
"Anyway, the core of the issue is that changing my name is a lot more serious for us than a mortal… let's say considering a pseudo more important than his birth name or even changing his name by making an official request. For us, the rewrite is done on the soul too. In magical tradition, what I did would mean I changed my true name."
"Correct," said Satan. "Making such a change is deep. Before some of you start panicking, you must realize that this is not something one does on a whim. To use Elohim concepts, this is a way to make yourself fit better in your place within Ma'at. The name change is in the end just a way to acknowledge all the changes you went through and cement them. So, no, your little sister is not going to suddenly become a stranger. This name is the one she chose, according to her personality. Her magic and divine domain on the other hand… as I don't think you had a special thing for the abyssal depths or sea in general before Halloween, can you explain why Leviathan?"
"There are several points behind that. For starters, Pam has inherited the power of Marduk, who has a water aspect and a dragon familiar, so that's a first link. Second, my own magic… let's just say that when I use it, several people, Mom included, mentioned it was like staring into the abyss and knowing it was staring back. Third, we watched Hellraiser last night, which also uses the name Leviathan. Not that I want to be a pain and suffering goddess, but this reminded me that Leviathan is also present in classical demonology as an abyssal monster and the embodiment of Envy… and I'm a little sister. The name just felt right to me."
"The Seven Deadly Sins… a human invention in Hild's world, but indeed something that we can consider using in this world. Now, there are the political consequences of your act. Did you think about them?"
"Yes. I have two reasons for that. One is linked to the Deamonea devils and how important Pam is for them. I understand the point of the Native Bond Act and I know why all Princes approved it. Of course, some of their reasons are not nice, but I understand why they think that way. However, I also know that we Spirit Worlders have no choice but to integrate. As Uncle Lucifer told me, you have a culture designed to handle immortality and divine power, we don't. By becoming Leviathan Darkflame, I acknowledge that fact officially and tell the Dark Cabinet that I approve of your policy. The second reason is for my own personal gain, because devil here. As I said, I want to fully own my divinity. Being the first gives me clout, even if it meant I had to act fast."
Willow looked at Buffy… and saw that her best friend turned half-sister was nodding appreciatively at the being now called Leviathan. She remembered how awkward things had been between the two sisters in September, who then seemed to rather tolerate each other. As weird as the situation had gotten since Halloween… Willow knew that she didn't want to go back. They had all gained too much for her to consider it.
"Thanks, honey," said Joyce. "Last point: I see Ryujin in your local names field. Can you tell me about it?"
"Uncle Lucifer's idea, as I mentioned I would lean on the oriental dragon side, given that Pam is Japanese."
"Very well. Leviathan, I approve of the change of your true name. For Ryujin, I want you to talk with both Susanoo and Amaterasu as they are the leaders of the Kamis in town. Remember that you will take orders from them for Japanese matters."
"Understood."
Satan cast almost negligently a spell at the screen and a red 'CHANGE APPROVED' stamp appeared on the file. It soon disappeared, at the same time as the provisional flags that could be seen in some fields of the file, except the one on Ryujin that now had a note stating 'approval deferred to Kami leadership'.
"Guess I will have to get used nicknaming you Levia instead of Dawnie… Mom, one question," said Buffy. "Are you going to be Asherah Darkflame soon?"
"Yes, for similar reasons," replied Joyce. "I will try to preserve our family life as much as I can, but I am Satan, with phenomenal cosmic powers and with that comes phenomenal responsibilities rather than an itty-bitty living space, to mashup some well-known quotes. I will use Asherah rather than Hild both because I like it more and to make it clear to our people that I am a different person. Buffy, I want you to think about your case and present a project to me by next Thursday. Mara was one of Hild's favorite minions, but you're my daughter and you control the Slayer."
"Yep, already realized that. Mara was a Trickster, I'm not. My Domain is a bit blurry, maybe something like Night and Vengeance, thanks to the Slayer and a name ch… Willow?" asked Buffy as she noticed that her best friend slash half-sister was badly trying to keep a laughing fit under control, just before she failed miserably in a very 'Urd' manner.
"Sorry," she replied after nearly a minute of manic laughing. "Random thoughts about what you just said, the Joker, Batman and what Xander is likely…"
"Stop. I am not… actually dressing up like a bat might be fun misdirection. I will think about a name. Also, I think that long-term, I will work with Uncle Lucifer in our Justice Department rather than with the Abaddon. I feel more like being FBI than Special Forces or CIA if you see what I mean."
"As we are talking about our future as divinities, I need to mention something," said Willow. "It's possible Alice, Drusilla and I won't stay the Norns. Domains are evolving on our side as well, but… you know how our side is about bureaucracy."
"That fits with something I noticed," said Leviathan. "Alice is really focusing on the technology and invention aspects, and I think she would be happier if this became her Domain, rather than her being the Norn of the Future who happens to like to invent things. Willow, you're the one who knows Skuld the best. Would you say that this is who Skuld would have liked to be if her Norn status had not been decided before her birth because of a prophecy?"
"That's… complicated. It was not something we talked about, too much pressure to conform, and we just got used to it. What I can say is that here the three of us are different from Skuld, Belldandy and Urd. To take an example…, no offense," said Willow looking at Joyce, "but Urd is a slacker."
"Absolutely none taken," replied Satan with a 'Hild' smile on her face. "Human Willow on the other hand was a model student and an overachiever. Where does that leave you?"
"Well… since I met Buffy, sure, there was all the supernatural stuff I helped her with, but she also helped me to loosen up a bit. Not saying that she was turning me into some kind of debauched girl, but just making sure that I had some fun. Not that kind of fun, even if I cannot deny that I thought about it, because hormones. Anyway, Urd didn't change me that much. I know that I don't risk becoming an alcoholic because we just don't react to alcohol that way, and I'm not even talking about how Urd has that trick to convert alcohol into mana that Tepoztecatl taught her. No touching Coke anymore but that's no big loss anyway. Where she really helped is with my self-confidence. You know how the empathy field on Sunnydale used to reinforce people's worst traits. For me it made sure the bullying I went through made me some kind of doormat person. It was only thanks to Xander and Jesse that I didn't end up as Cordy's personal valet or lashed out like Marcie Ross…"
"Willow, breathe," said Buffy as she put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "First babble attack since Halloween… personality shift?"
Willow closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
"Nothing permanent, but I need to resolve an internal conflict," she replied as she opened her eyes again. "Normally, Urd would be on guard with a touch of angry being in presence of Hild… but your mom was always nice to Willow-me. Add to that my Yggdrasil connection sending me warnings about any attempt at avoiding the problem with doublethink, so yes, I got a little stressed."
"There will always be a place for you in my House, Willow. Making it official is up to you. Now there is one last matter to attend to tonight… isn't that right, oh silent one?" asked Joyce, turning toward Zu.
"Yeah," replied the small lion-headed eagle as he shifted into his boy form. "I need to make clear a few points so that you understand why it's not a simple decision."
He rose and stretched, before coming to stand in front of the screen.
"You all must understand that Remy – the spirit of the Tupsimati – created me for a reason. Sure, most of the time, I have my own will and I'm nice enough. But every time the Spirit World reaches the end of a cycle and it's time for a Renewal Ceremony, the Spirit World gets destroyed and rebuilt. The creation part is done by a pair formed of one angel and one devil, who impart their vision for the new cycle on the reborn Spirit World. The destruction part… that's me. Remy forces me to enter what you could call a berserker mode, and I rampage until there's almost nothing left. Then Remy makes me slumber to make sure everybody forgets about me and wakes me up with a bad case of amnesia near the end of the next cycle.
"The thing is that it didn't happen like that last time. I'll spare you the details, but the important point here is that Remy had made me Pam's familiar to shackle my power until the Renewal Ceremony. When he activated me because it was destruction time, Pam was able to stop me, in part because the familiar link gave her authority over me. This allowed Pam and Linfa to use the Ceremony to… let's say update the Spirit World rather than recreate it from scratch. After that, I remained her familiar. I owed her a lot, but it was also safer for me."
Leviathan rose and put a hand on his shoulder, nodding understandingly. She remembered all the things Zu had not said, why a first attempt the conduct the Ceremony had been foiled by Pam's grandmother who could not accept the genocide of the devils and the angels to renew the world… and how it led to Pam being involved with a second attempt in which she managed to change the rules.
"I see. Given the tools at your disposal in the Spirit World, the decision to remain Pam's familiar was sound. However, the situation is different here. I can easily insert locks in your Nidhogg account to prevent you from 'hulking out' against your will, or at all depending on what you decide," said Joyce. "What do you choose?"
"Zu… as I told you Friday night, I am not casting you out, I just think it's unfair that you had to shackle yourself that way. If you want to stay with us, will you do it as my knight rather than my familiar?" asked Leviathan.
"I… yes, I would like that."
"Good," she Leviathan as she took out the form Lucifer had given her and a small dagger. "That's the annulment form for the familiar contract. I filled it already. We just need to sign this… the old-fashioned way, I'm afraid."
"You really did the whole sign with your blood stuff?" asked Willow.
"From what Uncle Lucifer told me, there are compatibility problems between the Deamonea contracts and Nidhogg. The form and the blood ensure everything is connected. Zu?"
"I really need to pay more attention to how things are handled on our side," replied Willow with a frown. "I know I'm not a sysadmin for the new Yggdrasil, but still…"
"Let's do it," said the familiar while taking the dagger and pricking his finger before signing the form with his blood.
Levia did the same and the form immediately took fire. Zu almost collapsed but managed to just put a knee on the ground, as he fought to keep his mana under control. He knew why it was happening of course. A normal familiar was a minor magical creature who gained a lot of power by being able to draw on his master's much larger mana pool. In Zu's case, Remy had used the familiar link to suppress his personal mana unless he was in berserker mode. He could feel the pressure, like a dam breaking down and… he looked at Joyce. He knew that this was a test, that she would not accept her as her daughter's knight if he failed miserably at the simple task of controlling his own power… but he knew what was wrong. This humanoid shape was not his true one.
He shifted, becoming a black, rhino-sized lion-headed eagle, fighting the urge to spread his wings as he was already barely fitting in the living room. He thanked Buffy and Willow with a nod when he saw that they had moved the furniture away by magic to give him a little space.
"All better… sorry for the mess," he said, his voice a deep rumble reminiscent of the sound of thunder.
"It's all right," said Levia while she leaned in his mane to hug him, before coming to stand in front of him.
"Interesting shape and fitting some mythological representations of Anzu. Your pet-sized variant of it was just to spare your master's mana as a familiar?" asked Joyce.
"Yes."
"Good. Now, face Leviathan and swear fealty to her by using the words I display on the wall. Levia, I will display what you have to reply the same way. Willow, Buffy, on the side. You're witnessing the oath with me for the official records."
They all moved in position. Willow and Buffy both knew that this was important stuff thanks to their alter egos.
"I, Anzu Imdugud, promise on my honor that I will in the future be faithful to Leviathan Darkflame, Daughter of Asherah, until she relieves me of my bond or dishonors my vow by her acts. As long as our bond endures, I will never cause her harm and will observe my homage to her completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit."
"I, Leviathan Darkflame, receives your homage and declare you my knight, Anzu Imdugud. May our bond endure until the stars grow cold."