Where am I?

I push myself off of the ground and rub my head. I had expected a little shakiness when I got out, but my whole body feels like someone took a sledgehammer to it. I’ve done teleportation before but I guess this is on a whole different level. I then laugh at how silly the thought is that this was just ‘another level of teleportation’. Bro would get a kick out of that.

I take a deep breath in and my eyes sparkle. I do a quick check of my surroundings, noting the drab, stone walls, the cold feeling that permeates the air, and how the hairs on my arms rise just by being here. Perfect. I had been worried I’d end up in the Mercury Lakes or something but no, I was close to exactly where I’d been before. That would make the mission so much easier.

But a quick snack wouldn’t hurt. I look back for a second to see a brief glint of something before it vanishes. That was maybe okay? “Uh, T man, you do recognize I need to be able to- Okay, okay, you’re right. Shouldn’t have doubted and,” I devolve into mumbling as I get up and look back to the door. I could smell the kitchens from here and it was so tantalizing. They were even making scones! Who could resist scones?

I poke my head out of the closet before my hood comes over my eyes. A high pitched squawk escapes my mouth before I slip back into the closet and cover my mouth. You’d think after so many missions like this… Well, ‘like this’, I’d remember about my damned uniform. What was I wearing again today?

She lifted her sleeve to see a bright yellow, light blue, pink pattern striped up her arm. That’s right. Pan, for ‘unification’. I let out a brief chortle at the joke before leaning against the door to see if I hear anything. No one seemed to have caught my little outburst though. Good. I step back from the door and pull my arm up to look at my right palm where a small, white square sits. With my left hand, I grab a marker out of one of the pockets to the cloak I wore and begin scribbling on the small whiteboard. It would be so much easier if I could cast but nooooo, I had to miss A’s genes, didn’t I? Then again, I think as I look at my left arm with a smirk, I suppose that got slightly fixed eventually.

I didn’t have time though. I was supposed to just be out and about with some friends today and dinner was in a few hours. I then maybe had a few more hours as they tried ruling out what I might be trying to break this time. Oh, poor Viney would have a heart attack if she found out I had disappeared without warning again. Then again, she should have torn down the abomination wing herself then, funds be damned.

What was I doing again? Oh, right. I lift my sigil hand up before slamming it into my right shoulder. I then reverse my hand while the magic is hot and swirl it. The symbols coalesce before spreading out like a cyclone over the fabric of my cloak. I can feel as the fabric tightens around my arms, I take one more breath of fresh air before a mask flies over my mouth and nose, my body is wrapped up like a mummy’s as the normal flowing nature of my outfit tries to become a straight jacket before remembering that I need to breathe. It was something that early on I tried to fix but eventually stopped having bro try to ‘fix’. The discomfort and pain made it easier to refocus with it.

Which meant no scones. I had dinner and a kingdom to grab after this after all.

I leave the closet as a dark blue clad shadow. I could still remember when my stealth teacher got mad at me for only ever coming to class in pure black. Pure black didn’t blend. After all, especially after one’s eyes adjusted, the world very rarely was as dark as one made their clothes. Not that I could always tell the difference was when I looked at the cloth but I suppose that’s the point, isn’t it?

They would be proud of me now though. Waiting on guard patterns. Shifting between shadows. I had a shroud sigil cued on my whiteboard if the need arose but the more magic I used, the more likely someone sensed it. After all, Isle defenses were most used to combatting witches. Not that I wasn’t one, but it was best to pretend I wasn’t while breaking into somewhere.

It was weird getting around though. Usually only two guards at major intersections instead of eight, patrols with only one guard walking through a hall, and sometimes they were more focused on their phones than their job. Mom was right. The Emperor was shit at this stuff before she came along. Then again, I could break into here when she was younger, I really shouldn’t be surprised. I expected some sort o- Oh crap!

I scramble against the wall, holding my breath tight as the doors to Belos’ chambers open and Steve stepped out. My heart was almost unable to beat as I made sure to make as little noise as possible. After all, this was Steve. Head of the guards, Steve! If he caught her, she was screwed! Well, that and she’d have to hear about it from her uncle but that was beside the point.

And then one of the guards next to the door laughed at Steve as he seemed to notice the platter in his hands. Did he not know to fear that? She’d watched him take out an entire platoon with nothing but that! But instead, Steve just got pat on the head as the guard asked, “Kikimora tell you to get more coffee?”

Steve’s usual, cheery tone came to my ears though as he said, “Yep! Two shots of espresso for her and two pumps vanilla, soft cream, and palisman juice for Belos.”

His humming as he walked away warmed my heart and soothed my nerves before I frowned. Did Belos take less vanilla in his coffee now? She did shudder at the mention of palisman juice. I sometimes try drinking the stuff to see if it’s an acquired taste thing and no. No it is not. I do reach into my pocket though where a cracked palisman and an intact one still. I admittedly also don’t like using them because they were once living beings, even if the ones she got were already cracked or similarly damaged to a state where they weren’t alive. It just felt… wrong. But I know why it works and how important it was that mom was making a stockpile of them for me.

No, I couldn’t get distracted. I was too close to my goal. Besides, if I know right, I should be being let in in three, two, one-

The large door began to open of its own accord as I finally cast my shroud spell. It won’t help me against Belos, but it would help me confuse his guards and Kikimora until I could make it so that it was just him and I. The guards beside the door seemed confused by it until they looked terrified. They quickly shuffle in right behind me as I walk through.

Belos. He wasn’t looking so good today. Not while he was slumped to the side as he was and his breathing labored. Good. The large, green heart behind him was beating in double time to what it normally was at. Cute. Concerning too, but cute. There were only two braziers at the back to light the whole room which cast an ominous glow upon it all and apparently no one had bothered putting up a wall at the back to cover the gears that surrounded the heart. I wish that were the case back home. Would make breaking into the throne room so much easier.

The six guards surrounding the dias looked like they were already on edge. They must have been warned of my arrival. It wouldn’t matter. The Good Witch always won after all. I decide to wait a second though. See if Belos will acknowledge that I’ve come in, or admit to my demands. Unless he didn’t know them. If he didn’t, then I would need to reevaluate his abilities but would also be very, very happy.

He said nothing though. That wasn’t too surprising either. I even feel bad for him for a second. But only a second.

I looked to the back first. Someone with an odd, barn owl mask in the back had to go first. I reach into my collar and pull out one of the few copies I had of a sigil with the face of an owl. It was one of my most powerful spells but also one of the most dangerous. After all, summoning sigils were always temperamental without, you know,

It being Hooty.

I then quickly scrawled a set of instructions on my palm before smacking both the card and whiteboard against the ground. Everyone’s heads snapped towards the sound and I can see Kikimora and Belos’ assassin tense up. Kikimora even prepared a spell circle. That was adorable.

Their tension made them not notice as a slender figure rose from the ground. There was brief bit of hacking, which made the assassin turn, but that only made the sigil card that Hooty spat up smack them straight in the face. Hooty then looked at me and said, “Have fun, Azura. Hooty out!”

I giggled for a second before pausing. I had told it to use a sealing sigil, but my Hooty shouldn’t be here. In fact, unless I was further forward than I thought, that sigil sh-

On cue, a giant mountain of ice came up instead of chains. It was almost enough to catch Belos in its rise but the heart beat erratically for a second and melted almost half of the ice. Made sense since it almost got stabbed in my recklessness. I needed to get moving though to fix it.

Fortunately, this version of my cloak extended to my feet and made me move silently, even when I ran at a dead sprint. I couldn’t prep a sigil card, not as a red net was spread over the room. Kikimora now had a read on her sigil magic and even holding one would charge it and she’d be able to find me. I would be able to use that to my advantage in a second but if the assassin had given me far more trouble than her in the past and had been one of the reasons my recent assault on Belos had failed.

I was almost too fast though. The ice was being melted from within by the assassin but without some part of them exposed I wouldn’t be able to finish the sigil on my whiteboard and take them down right. Worse was that my default on emotions would be too strong at this point to not just free them if I used a different sigil. And with Belos right there, it would be hard to calm myself. There had to be something I could do though.

I then have my face become blank as I grab a fire sigil. I could hear Kikimora shouting something about me being here but that wasn’t where my focus was. No, it was on the most boring thing I could think of.

“Now, you see, during the savage times, they found things like rocks interesting. They would turn over each rock in the Isles thinking some sort of magic would- Azura, don’t start turning over rocks. You need to pay attention. History is important.”

I slap the fire sigil right above the assassin’s shoulder as my emotions return and I smile. I didn’t let it last though. I need more emotions than just excitement right now. I need myself at full power.

What is your goal, child?

“To free the Isles!”

Then what do you do now?

“Fixing a mistake.”

The guards who are in my line of sight freeze as I open my eyes and a red glow comes around my normally yellow irises. The air around me becomes thick with emotional energy as the heart in the room begins beating faster and faster. My greatest statement of intentions. My greatest mistake. My conviction. My hesitation.

It was time to fix all of that.

I slap my palm against the assassin’s shoulder as I walk around the side of the throne. I ignore the blue chains that surround the servant. Ignore the chains that reach out and yank the poor guards in the room into the slowly growing cocoon of blue. I stare at Kikimora instead as I pull out a sigil card. Chains slide past me while I do this to grab Kiki but she dodges them almost as easily as she breathes while making a wide casting circle.

The demon then says, “Goodbye,” before tapping the circle. The circle shrinks to be as small as a pinhead before shooting forward. Good. Her strongest spell. Just what I want. I throw up the card and it catches the spell in the middle of the air. The two spin around before a white fire surrounds the ball. I then wave my hand and the blast flies through the air back at the user at a speed greater than even Kiki’s quick blasts. The demon is barely given the time to throw up a shield before it slams into her. The white fire shatters the ward before Kiki’s poisonous, torture magic sinks into her magic and slams her into the ground. It would keep her there for a few hours before the pain and shock would finally subside enough for her to stop being in shock.

That left her and Belos.

The two both step towards the middle of the room as Belos’ staff flies to his hand. His voice comes into my head with the same, imperial tone it always has. “Have you had your f-”

“Five.”

Belos falls silent for a second before asking, “Is that how many minutes you expect to last against me.”

I shake my head while writing down a sigil on my hand. “No. Your limit. It’s five right now in ten minutes, right?”

“You act as if I have limitations.”

I merely smile before finishing my next sigil. Finally. It was finally time. “O-”

I dash forward but the old trick doesn’t slow Belos down as his staff glows and a blast of magic fires straight at me. One. And the easiest to dodge as I throw down a sigil and get pushed up by an ice pillar just in time for it to get shattered rather than me. The Emperor then looks up and tilts his head as his staff begins to glow again.

The sound of buzzing fills the air around me before I begin seeing a hundred small motes of red light surrounding me. Belos’ voice enters my mind again as he taunts, “Pests to take care of the pest. Fitting, is it not?”

“Your dad jokes were never funny!” I then slap my palm. I’ve already been through this once before after all. A barrier of wind surrounds me as the gnats come closer before shards of ice begin joining the wind and ripping apart the summoned bugs. I then shoot down with the wind following a moment later and exploding into a powerful gale that crashes anything not nailed down crashing into the walls.

Well, except Belos, who simply walked in front of the heart so its natural survival instinct would protect him. Perfect. “Two.”

Belos merely shakes his head before spinning his staff to charge his next spell. This was actually kind of nice. Having a Belos who wasn’t casting the second he saw me. It’s almost a shame that this would be their last dance. Almost.

This time, Belos’ energy blasts appeared all around the room. Almost a hundred of them in fact by what I could immediately count. That wasn’t great. But nothing I could deal with, especially given time to write out another sigil. “Three.”

That only made the blasts move faster. They converge on me as I slap my hand to the ground and summon a barrier around me. I pause for a moment to let the smoke of the explosions hide myself before beginning to rapidly scrawl on my palm my next spell. After all, this trick of Belos’ wasn’t a spell that merely blasted something. No, it would continue attacking the target until something died. Limitless magic lets someone do that apparently. What a waste.

Eventually though, the blasts did kill something and the smoke began to clear. Belos tilts his head as he gets to see the present I left him where my corpse be. You know, an illusion of his dead body that devolved into abomination goo. Meanwhile, I tap him on the shoulder and say, “Hey, what do you know of tunneling spells? Because I just dig them.”

One of Belos’ hands raises to tap his mask. He’s learning. He knows better than to keep going on the offense. Too bad for him it’s too late as I take a step back to meet his eyes. I raise my palm for him to see the sigils but none of them are ones he should recognize. The thought had actually never crossed my mind what fighting a younger Belos would be like, but I hadn’t expected it to be easier than mine. But, it was over.

A glow comes from the sigil on Belos’ shoulder as I use a shroud sigil to disappear. Belos might know everything that was in his castle but he couldn’t track it as well if it was well hidden. With the knowledge of what was to come, I could channel enough emotional magic to properly vanish from him. A touch of concern to cross his mind as he tilts his head. The fact that chains are now growing out of the sigil on him seems to not be as much of an issue to him.

Why should they? I know his magic well enough that having him snug in a bug as a rug won’t stop him from casting. In fact, when I did this in my time it was part of the strategy. But he’d delay now and that would let me get close enough to win. I send a thought to my magic and tap my whiteboard and vanish. Large chains come down upon Belos from the ceiling. He looks upon them with the same disinterest as the rest of the chains. He’s waiting for me.

Well, he’ll have me. I come out in a puff of smoke at the end of one of the large bindings. We lock eyes as he sees that my eyes are entirely red now. But he still ignores me as a threat. I have no weapons after all. I haven’t even summoned an ice spike to threaten him like my mom did decades ago. Or, er, months? Time travel was weird.

But I did have feet planted on his shoulders. I reach down and grab the sides of his mask before beginning to push against his with my legs. That gets his attention. I feel the palace shake as his staff glows but the spell fizzles before he can finish it. I only smile wider and wider as the schlera of my eyes begin to bleed with red and yellow energy. “Oh, forgot that Titan doesn’t like being threatened? Shame. Looks like you’ll just have to waste time ripping through my magic slowly. Don’t worry though, I’ll keep your mask nice and safe when I get to put it on your corpse!”

I begin pulling with everything I have as my hands begin to glow vibrantly with every color of the rainbow. Meanwhile, red lightning begins crackling from the edges of the mask as it begins to peel away from its master. I can only imagine the pain he’s in but I have to push it away. He can make another one. He won’t like it, but he can, I know that. I know how to make one after all. And I know that once it’s gone, he won’t feel bad about it for very long.

The chains break on Belos right as I finally manage the last push against his magic to rip the mask off. I fly back as I think to myself how that’s four. I then look up and see that not running him out might have been a mistake. I expected him to simply fall back and become docile. Sure, I know the mask isn’t perfect at its job, but I thought it was a cap.

When Belos turns though and looks at you with eyes so filled with rage that most of his face is covered in red energy, you begin questioning what you know. I did know one thing though as Belos and his staff began to glow. I only hoped it would work. If it didn’t… Well, you’ll help me, right big person?

...Thanks for the vote of confidence.

I didn’t have long to think though. I raised the mask as a telepathic roar was sent across the Isles. A pure wave of rage that only became silent as Belos pointed his staff at me. A red bolt of energy strong enough to perhaps harm Titan itself came straight for me. I knew that if I didn’t stop it, it would expand until it likely carved a line through the isles until something like Hooty stopped it, but could wipe out entire towns too in the process.

I couldn’t risk that.

I plant my feet, raise the mask and meet Belos’ gaze head on as the blast hits me. Or, more specifically, the mask. Good news was that the mask was in fact able to absorb the magic and emotions, just as I expected. Bad news was that it still put an incredible strain on my arms and legs and I began to slide back. I was able to fix the second problem by leaning forward and taking a hiker’s stance to brace myself better.

The arms were more of an issue, especially now that the mask was directly in front of my face. From this side, it looked pitch black. There were no eye holes but also no visible way to actually keep the damned thing on your face. But I could hear the magic in it beginning to whisper. About unification. About peace. About the joining of my magic and emotions so that I wouldn’t worry. That I would find my place. I merely needed to put it on. To submit to its desires. To Belos’ desires.

Emotionally I knew I could beat Belos. That meant magically I could at least match him, even if I was human and without support. Physically though? Against this? Especially as I could feel the mask feeding on my emotions. I needed a way to stop Belos before I had to have the damned thing ripped off of me. Or, well, probably my corpse. I didn’t think Belos was in any sort of mood to talk.

“Lord Belos, I forgot to check if you didn’t mean to ask for four…”

The blast almost immediately stopped as both Belos and I looked at Steve, who now stood in the doorway just behind me. I hesitated as the guard took in the scene before I tried to just duck past him. It was a long shot but I was tired, my head was screwed up by the mask, and all I had to do was run back to the closet I came in.

I didn’t move more than maybe a foot before one of Steve’s arms wrapped around mine. I tried reacting. Tried putting my training to use. But, as always, Uncle was just a bit faster as he fractured my elbow. He then spun around and smashed the platter he was carrying against the back of my head. The last thing I could remember before blacking out was Steve offering Belos back his mask. Didn’t… Didn’t he know I needed that…

======+++++======

Belos tapped his mask as he stared at the girl who was hung up by chains in one of the dungeons. They’d tried removing her cloak but the closest they got was to reverting it to purple and white. In fact, Belos had ordered it not removed so he could have some slight amusement in her silly costume. The fact that she wore the colors of ‘the good witch’ was confusing though since the girl’s hair was cut incredibly short and brown. Her yellow eyes gave him pause though, especially when added to her caramel skin and round ears.

A human that looked surprisingly like Miss Noceda but Miss Blight’s eyes. He had at first dismissed the idea but then he had begun speaking. Or, continued to. Today was the first time in a long time that Titan had decided to be so vocal to him. It was both almost comforting while also almost terrifying. He was happy to have it back to almost though. When the mask had been taken…

Belos shut his eyes for a second as he calmed himself. It would take a little bit for the mask to dull the memory but it would do its job. As it always had. Besides, he thought as he tapped the child’s forehead and a crackle of red energy slipped into the assassin’s head.

The girl groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. Her head rose next before she met eyes with Belos. There was a moment of silence before Belos went to speak. She stopped him though as she began struggling against the chains and yelled, “I beat you fair and square so give me that stupid fucking mask!”

Curious. He was still wondering why she was so passionate about his mask. When she had gone for it, it would have just been as easy to have tried to kill him. Had she intended to cause him more pain with its removal? She would not speak of wanting it now though. “Why do you want it so much.”

The figure pouted for a second as she failed to free herself through rampant flailing. “Because I am The Good Witch Azura and with that mask I can free the Isles from your tyranny!”

Belos tapped his mask again before simply asking, “Would my life not do?”

“It’s so I can take your- It’s complicated!”

“Well, I have time. Explain.”

The girl sighed before looking up. “He’s not going to believe me if you don’t back me up. Feel like going doublespeak for a touch?”

Belos wondered what she might mean before an ancient voice left both of their mouths. “This is Azura Noceda Blight, successor of my voice and heir to the throne of the Isl-”

The voice cut out for a second as she said, “Actually, I’m hoping more chair than throne. More comfortable and easier to give up once I change the government.”

Belos narrowed his eyes before the voice began once more. “Belos, in her time you challenged her to the impossible task of giving you a copy of your mask that was made by him. If she did so, he would give up his throne and life quietly. As I gave you the power to exert your will, I gave this girl a means with which to fulfil this mission.”

Belos was quiet as the girl smiled at him. Then, in a flash, Azura was slammed against the wall with Belos’ staff slammed against her throat. “Young child, what have you done so as to corrupt Titan like this?”

Azura coughed as she tried to get her breath back before hissing out, “Saving… Your… Stupid… Life.”

“You think I’ll believe that?”

Some sort of weird schlorping sound came to Belos ears before the purple hand of an abomination grabbed his staff. A hand that was attached to Azura’s left shoulder. The ancient voice came back to his ears as it said, “She gave up that hand because she could not let you suffer in the agony of burning alive, as no one should suffer. It was the proof of her convictions to harmony and acceptance I needed, just as your willingness to sacrifice who you were to find a way to bring order to magic did for you.”

Belos stepped back as he let Azura swing back to the middle of the room. He then slowly came around to her front before asking, “But you would inflict upon me my own emotions again?”

Azura coughed a little before saying, “Everyone should be allowed to express themselves. Honestly,” she said as her eyes glanced away, “if I could figure out a way to restore that to you, I would.”

“But instead it is my life you see as the solution.”

“Well, that and as Titan said,” Azura said with a gleam in her eyes, “I am to be the next Empress of the Isles so I can fix your mistakes and you’re pretty stubborn about not accepting that.”

Belos shook his head. “I would be willing to recognize that once Titan spoke to you.”

“Yeah, you said that to me in my time too before blasting me out a window.”

Belos let out a warm hum before saying, “Just because I have a successor doesn’t mean I must abdicate.”

Azura merely stuck her tongue out at him before trying to grab his mask with her free hand. Belos merely grabbed it by the wrist before it dissolved back into abomination goo and came back to her. “Titan also said that you lost that. Was Amity able to provide you with a prosthetic?”

Azura leaned in as best as she could as she hissed, “Oh, better than that. If you close your eyes, I’ll show you just how good Natia here is.”

Belos tilted his head before doing as the girl asked. Then nothing happened. Nothing continued happening until Azura yelled, “Oh, you’re actually doing it! Holy shit!”

======+++++======

“What in the world do you think you’re doing, young miss!?”

Amity blinked a few times as she had no idea where that had come from. She then looked around at her classmates and turned bright red before slamming back into her seat. It was enough to make her forget about the tug at her magic that had caught her attention in the first place, especially when her familiar rubbed the blossom in her ear to distract her.

======+++++======

“Oh…”

Belos opened his eyes as he saw a spell circle in the air fizzle out. Azura looked properly demoralized at that. That. Not the chains or him choking her. It was that she apparently couldn’t cast spells like a witch. “You’re human. You shouldn’t have tried in the first place.”

“I borrow magic from my mom, you ass!” Azura looked at her left arm before nuzzling it. “It’s not your fault. I should have thought about that before we jumped.”

“Well, do not be so sad. You may leave freely to your own time and I shall start working on getting closer to your parents so that they do not raise a child who hates me so.”

Azura scowled before yelling, “They’ll always fight you! They’ll always stop you! Besides,” she said as she began trying to pull herself up and look for weaknesses in the chain, “once I’m gone, Titan plans to wipe your memory of me. Keep the timeline pure and what not.”

“Even if you had succeeded?”

“You wouldn’t have known who I was then, idiot.”

Belos took in a slightly longer breath before saying, “Your best option is still to go. Give up on this dream of being rid of me. The Isles are better with order.”

Azura almost managed to kick Belos this time as she let herself fall and swung her legs at him. “And those you imprison!? Those you keep locked up for longer than rapists and murderers simply because they are disorderly? Eda has never harmed a soul and you were going to have her petrified while Kikimora of all people serves at your side! Is that order!? Is that just!?”

Belos stepped back from the yelling, especially as touches of Titan’s voice came into hers. It had been so long since he commanded that sort of connection with the god. If she did… Belos tapped his mask before looking back to her. “All you need is a copy of my mask, correct?”

Azura panted for a few moments, especially as she processed the strain she’d just put on her right arm. When she was able to give an answer, she only nodded. It was enough for the emperor though. “And you know I can make more, so there is no need for you to inflict more pain upon me if I were to simply make a copy and give you it, correct?”

“Yes…”

“Well, then I think there is a deal we can make, just as you did with the me in your timeline. I warn you that it is almost as impossible as what he demanded of you.”

Azura grinned at the challenge before hissing, “I’ve traveled through space and time to get rid of you. Anything you ask, I can manage.”

“Good.” Belos said with the slightest bit of mirth to his voice. “Then getting your parents together shouldn’t be a problem.”

Azura was silent for a second before merely saying, “Oh.”

“I understand that all too well.”