Here we are at Chapter 20. Time for the big reveal of Yukitsuki's past. I do not own Code Vein. They belong to Bandai Namco. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 20. Enjoy.
Chapter 20: Child of the Goddess
"I'm the what now?" Yuki is confused.
"I understand your confusion. Allow me to explain. Years ago, in our territory of Theodosia, there was a young woman. She was a devote believer of the goddess and was a simple commoner. She and her husband had only wanted one thing: a child of their own. However, try as they might, they could not conceive. The situation for them only became worse when the husband died from illness. Despondent and in so much pain, the woman pried fervently to the goddess. She did not want her husband back. She only prayed for one thing: a child of her own. And so, the goddess took pity on the woman. The next day, the woman awoke with a baby girl in her arms. She believed her prayers had been answered by the goddess. That child was you, Your Eminence," Gregor tells the story.
"I was born... from the goddess herself?" Yuki asks.
"Yes, you are the child of the goddess, a very special person. That is why we brought you here. But first, let me finish explaining the story... Your mother raised you on her own, and from what I gathered, your lives were peaceful. But then the war came. When the monsters from the empire attacked our homeland, many died. Your mother was tragically wounded in the chaos. Tell me, you have a scar on your chest, correct?" Gregor asks.
"How did you know that? Did you touch me will I was unconscious?" Yuki glared.
"Please, perish the thought, Your Eminence. That duty was left to your new servants. Men were not allowed in your chambers at all. I was going to say that the scar on your chest was a wound from that chaos during the war. You see, before that tragic event occurred, we came to your mother when we learned about you. When she explained to us how you came to be, we explained that she would one day become the saint, the child of the goddess that would eventually lead us into a new dawn. We explained that when she was older, we would accept her into the church, teach her, care for her, and prepare her for her future role. Your mother understood the significance of your existence and agreed to entrust you to us when the time was right. However, the war destroyed those plans. Your mother died in the chaos and you were injured. We have been searching for you for so long. It became even more difficult after we lost much of our strength as a result of the conflict. I apologize that it took us so long to find you," Gregor bows his head.
"And what exactly is it you want from me, as this 'saint'?" Yuki asks.
...
Back in the capital, Emilia and the others are still shocked by this revelation from Veronica.
"You're... a demon?" Emilia breathes.
"Yep, one of the very last," Veronica smirks.
Iris takes out her sword, Anelia prepares her staff, and Sophia readies her wand.
"You're rather bold for admitting as such to us, demon! Don't tell me you have something to do with Yukitsuki's kidnapping," Iris looks angry.
"I'm not surprised by your reaction. However, let me be clear; I am not your enemy. The war between our two peoples happened a very long time ago. And I'm not interested in revenge or restarting that conflict. My father started that war, and he paid the price for it. If anything, being free of him has allowed me to do what I want to do. Anyway, can we get back on topic?" Veronica replies.
"Very well, for now at least. What do you know about Yukitsuki's kidnapping? You said she was a 'child of the goddess'. What do you mean by that?" Princess Iris asks.
"I'm sure some of you wondered why she was taken. Well, the people who took her were from the church of the goddess. At least, a part of them that's a bit more fanatical so to speak. Anyway, your daughter was a gift to an ordinary woman in Theodosia from the goddess herself. Her mother loved her and raised her. But... the church eventually learned of her existence and wanted her for themselves. They saw her as a 'saint', figure to lead the church. But the reality is, they only wanted to use her status and power for their own selfish ambitions," Veronica explains.
"She was born... from the goddess herself?" Sophia asks.
"Yes. However, despite what those fools think, Yukitsuki does not have any kind of 'holy' power. She was just a normal human girl when she was born. She had no real power. The mother, despite being a follower of the church, refused to become separated from her beloved daughter. So, the church took the child by force during the war. And... they killed her mother," Veronica explains, shocking them.
"They... what?" Anelia gasps in shock.
"I can't say I'm too surprised. They once attacked my family in our home to get back at Fuyumi when she refused to join them," Emilia recalls that sad incident.
"But, if they had her, how did she get away?" Sophia asks.
"The war caused quite the commotion in Theodosia. Yukitsuki likely ran away in the chaos and ended up all the way in Anatolia. And then she was lucky enough to be found by Fuyumi Kusanagi. You know the rest," Veronica explains.
"Wait, how do you know so much about this?" Hana asks.
"Because... I once worked with them," Veronica confesses.
"The church working with a demon princess?" Hiei mutters.
"Quite the scandal, isn't it. Demons have incredibly long lives, like dragons and elves. After my people were eradicated and my home lost to time, I quickly grew bored. Was I angry, yes. But, there's more to life than simple revenge. I passed the time by studying magic, some of which I learned to wield without chants or incantations. I also studied alchemy, medicine, herbs and apothecaries. All kinds of subjects. I had plenty of time to do so. Along the way, I found those idiots from the church. They somehow learned of my studies, especially those in magic, and asked for my assistance. I was a little curious, so I agreed. Little did I know what would happen later on. You see, they wanted my research into magic gemstones... and the human body itself," Veronica says.
"What are you talking about?" Hiei doesn't like where this is going.
"I researched magic stones and how they can help focus or amplify people's magical aptitude. But, what if the stone was inside the human's body? Could their powers increase to even greater heights. What if... a magic gemstone was implanted directly into a human heart?" Veronica says.
"Are you saying... that Yuki... she has... she has a..." Hiei can't finish.
"Yes. Yukitsuki has an ice magic gemstone implanted directly into her heart," Veronica says.
Hiei lunges at Veronica, only for Hana to hold her back, "You monster! You did that to Yuki! What kind of sick freak are you!" she is livid.
Veronica sighs, "Of course you would automatically jump to that conclusion. No, I did not do that to Yukitsuki. The people of the church did years ago,"
"And why should we believe you?" Sophia asks.
"Because if I did, then she wouldn't have had that scar on her chest. Those idiots stole some of my research documents and used it for their own machinations. They didn't do it properly. If they did, not only would Yukitsuki not have that blemish on her beautiful skin, but her control over ice magic would be even stronger than it is now," Veronica explains.
"And how do you know this?" Princess Iris asks.
"Because I've tested it on other humans in the past," Veronica says, horrifying them. "Oh, don't give me those looks. Remember, humans and demons were enemies before. And I didn't test it on just anyone. I do have some morals. I only tested it on the worst of your people. Criminals, bandits, crime syndicates. Scum that no one would miss. The results were promising with some, not so much with others. And to make sure they didn't use that power with ill intent, I killed them afterwards. And don't judge me like that. How many wars have you humans waged against each other over the passing of time? You slaughter each other for the pettiest of reasons, sometimes for no reason at all. Both of our people's history is bathed in blood. There are no innocent people here... well, except for Yukitsuki. She is the only innocent person here," Veronica says.
The others can't say much against that argument. Humans can be cruel at times, many times.
"We should focus on the task at hand. What about Yukitsuki? Without the gemstone, she can't use ice magic?" Emilia asks.
"No, she always had an affinity to it. The gemstone merely increased her power. Nothing more. If she didn't, it wouldn't have worked," Veronica replies.
"Okay, but what about her kidnappers? If the people from the church are the ones responsible for her condition, how exactly do they plan to use her for their ambitions now?" Anelia asks.
"Well, considering those idiots didn't listen to me or follow my research materials to the letter... my guess is that they'll try and finish what they started with Yukitsuki years ago," Veronica surmises.
"And what is that exactly?" Emilia asks.
...
"As our saint, we want you to help us rebuild the church, to fix it after all the tragic mistakes we made in the past, and to lead humanity into a new age. As the child of the goddess, you hold great weight with our people. We would help you in this endeavor," Gregor explains.
"What about those who would stand against you? For one, I know you don't like the Dragon Alliance, and my mother Hikaru is a princess of that nation. Plus, my fiance Hiei is a kitsune. The church hasn't been known to be kind to those who aren't human," Yuki says.
"Our duty is to guide all down the right path, to serve our goddess' will. This would include them and others. I'm sure, with you speaking to them, they would listen. Of course, we wouldn't harm them. We know you care about them. Just like a saint should," Gregor replies.
"And what if they don't want to listen?" Yuki narrows her eyes.
"They will. I know you can convince them. Once we unite all of the land under the guidance of the church, under the protective watch of the goddess, true peace may come and be forever more," Gregor says.
"But, we are at peace now. All nations, even the empire. There's no need to go that far," Yuki shakes her head.
"Oh no, that's not true peace. You misunderstand, Your Eminence. Only the goddess can grant true peace. The only way for that to happen is for everyone to follow her will. As her child, you can guide them all. You are the key to true peace and prosperity. The saint. Only with your word, and with the church's guidance, can everyone truly live in harmony," Gregor says, raising his hands into the air.
"I see. In the end, he's just another fanatic. Like with Mother Fuyumi, they want to use me as their tool for more power," Yuki sighs inwardly.
...
"Okay, so we settled the issue of Yukitsuki's power, the people who took her, what they want with her, and who you are, and your involvement with them. However, there's still one more question to be answered. Why do you want to help us? Why do you care about Yukitsuki so much?" Princess Iris asks.
"Okay, that's two questions. For the first one, I want to help for a few reasons. One of them being that I want to get some payback at those bastards for stealing and misusing my research materials. I hate it when people mess with what is mine. As for the second...it's because Yukitsuki is my destiny,"
"Your destiny?" Hana asks, perplexed.
"Tell me, do you think the goddess speaks only to humans? That she doesn't speak to other people... Even to demons?" Veronica asks.
"Wait, are you saying that the goddess... spoke to you?" Iris asks.
"Yes, in a dream. She said that one day, I would find my destiny in the form of a human girl with eyes like the deep ocean, hair as black as night and as white as snow. That she would show me a new path to walk. That she would become my new purpose. I found her as a child, but back then she only had black hair. The white undertones only came after she had the ice stone implanted into her body. By the time I realized she was the one I was destined to meet, it was already too late and she was gone. Then, when I found her again, years later, and saw how much she'd grown, it was then that I... I fell in love with her," Veronica confesses, holding hand over her heart.
"You... what?" the women in the room keep getting shock after shock.
"I meant what I said. I fell for Yukitsuki. To me, she is the most beautiful person in this world. Her pure nature is beyond measure," Veronica coos, blushing like a fangirl.
"You can't be serious. You're part of the reason Yukitsuki is in this mess in the first place," Iris notes.
"And that is one of the reasons why I will help you find her. I want to save Yukitsuki too," Veronica retorts.
"And how do we know we can even trust you? What if you do something to Yukitsuki the second you get the chance?" Anelia asks, not trusting the demon girl either.
"Because I am your best and quickest chance at finding Yukitsuki before it's too late. You know who took her; the church of the goddess. You know why. However, you don't know where. I've been tracking them ever since I came to the capital. If it wasn't for me, they would've had more people attacking the school during the dance. I believe I have a pretty good idea about where they're hiding. If we are swift, we can rescue Yukitsuki and take down their ringleaders so this never happens again. That is, if you're willing to trust me," Veronica argues.
The fact is she has a point. The only reason they have so much information about this whole situation now is because of her. Without her, they'd be running blind and that would waste time. Time that would go to the kidnappers to do whatever they wanted to Yukitsuki. Still though, they're not sure if they can trust a demon.
"She's right," Emilia speaks up. "We don't have time to worry about things such as this. Yukitsuki is out there and she needs our help. I don't care who we get our aid from. All I care about is getting my daughter back, safe and sound. I'm sure Fuyumi would say the same thing if she were here right now," she walks up to Veronica. "Demon Princess Veronica, I ask for your aid in rescuing my daughter. If she is returned to me alive and well, you will be compensated for your assistance. If it is within my power, I will grant whatever reward you want,"
"Well, I can see why you're the head wife in his family. You got a good head on your shoulders. I was planning on helping anyway. Well, since you're offering, after we succeed, I'd like your blessing to allow me to become Yukitsuki's mistress," Veronica smirks.
"Her mistress?!" Hiei yells.
"Well, it might cause trouble if I were to become her wife and people found out that she married a demon. However, becoming her mistress should cause less drama. We can just say that I'm a dragonewt from the Dragon Alliance. I look similar enough to them anyway. Of course, that depends upon you, Princess Iris," Veronica turns her eyes to the young royal. "What is the royal family of Anatolia's opinion on this?"
Everyone turns their attention to the princess. For a few moments, Princess Iris appears deep in thought, considering the scope of this situation and Veronica's words. Knowing that a demon princess was lurking in her kingdom is definitely a security concern, but the more immediate concern is the safe return of Yukitsuki and the apprehension of those that kidnapped her. If this demon princess is willing to help them, then they may have little choice. Plus, if she truly does harbor romantic feelings for Yukitsuki, then the crystalglove family could be charged with keeping an eye on her. Besides, her family employees Fuyumi on a number of missions and she's not human. A person's origins should be the only thing they are judged for.
"Very well, as a representative of my family, I agree to this proposal, Demon Princess Veronica Blackwind. I implore you to help us rescue Yukitsuki Crystalglove, daughter of the Crystalglove family, and my dear friend," Princess Iris makes her decision.
"A wise choice, Your Highness," Veronica bows her head.
"Your Highness, are you serious?" Iris asks.
"I am. We have no time to argue. We must find Yukitsuki, no matter what,"
"I for one... agree with the princess. I want to get Yuki back. I don't care how it's done," Hiei adds.
"If that's what Hiei thinks, then that's what I think too. Besides, I'm an arachne. I know what it's like to be judged simply because of your species," Hana says.
"I don't much like this idea, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We must get Yukitsuki back," Anelia adds.
With everyone in agreement, they begin preparations to rescue Yukitsuki.
...
Back with Yukitsuki and Gregor, the cardinal finished his little speech.
"Now then, I believe I've answered all your questions, Your Eminence. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, are you ready to join us, Lady Yukitsuki? Please, will you become our saint and help us lead the people of the land into a brighter tomorrow, all under the protective gaze of the goddess?" Gregor's inner fanatic is leaking again.
Yukitsuki sighs, "I've heard your speech... and I decline," Yukitsuki replies.
Gregor twitches a bit, "I... beg your pardon?"
"I said I refuse. I entertained your little speech and it made me sick to my stomach. I have no interest in being some saint nor do I have any interest in being the church's pawn. I am my own person. I am Yukitsuki Crystalglove, daughter of Duchess Emilia Crystalglove and Fuyumi Kusanagi. And I decide my own path and destiny in life, just like my parents before me. And this conversation is over," Yuki stands from her seat.
"I see. That truly is a shame. I was hoping you'd be more receptive to our holy mission than your mother," Gregor snaps her fingers.
The doors open up behind Yuki and she looks to see the wolf beastman from before in the doorway.
"You! Flow through me... what? My magic?" Yuki realizes that her magic isn't working.
"Apologies for the deception, Your Eminence, but we couldn't take any chances. That choker around your neck is a mana-inhibiting collar. You won't be able to use your magic with that on, and you can't remove it by yourself. You must understand, you are far too valuable to let go. The church needs you to help us achieve our holy mission," Gregor says as he stands.
Before Yuki can do anything, the wolf man shoots over and nails her stomach with the pommel of his sheathed sword. Yuki loses her breath and passes out before he catches her.
"Thank you, Ookami. Please, bring her to the antechamber in preparation for the ritual. Time is of the essence," Gregor says. Ookami nods and carries the unconscious Yuki away. "Soon, we will have our saint and bring the church back to where it should be, as loyal followers of the goddess,"
And that's the chapter. Veronica has joined the party to rescue Yukitsuki. But, will they save her in time? Until then, please Read and Review.