Chapter 75

Truth and Consequence

“Hello Mel, I think we have a lot to talk about, in particular why you seem so fixated on ruining my life.” I say, I’m trying to be calm, but this is a conversation that I think is long past overdue.

With my words Mel, or the puppeteer of the current Jenna Da’anvil and former puppeteer of Melissa Gardner, my once soul mate. Though once she died, all my emotions to her suddenly vanished as if they had never truly been there. At first, I thought I was just a callous jerk, I still might be, this is me we are talking about, after all. Still, I think there is more to this. To the way I went from just seeing her, to almost instantly falling for her. I even went so far as handing her my winning crypto ticket. Granted everything seemed to turn out fine in the end. By this of course I mean that I was an emotional wreck, a fool who acted like a whipped puppy. One who constantly went over and beyond for her.

I thought it was over, and for a few days it was over. I felt nothing. Somehow even before I was told of her passing, I already knew. She was gone, the part of me that bound me to her had been erased. I felt well and truly free. Well, I was emotionally free from the bands that held me so tightly. But I was still a prisoner, being held in captivity. Only to be released and immediately picked up by her Dwenvarian team of experts. Lead by none other than the Goldhammer, who at the time was one of the most feared Dwenvarian mercenaries in space.

“So, you… figured it out?” Jenna asked a little sheepishly. This was the same way Mel would talk, a way that used to drive me wild. Just seeing Mel in this state would have made me instantly forgive her. Now however, I feel nothing for her, nothing but anger.

“Kind of hard not to notice the coincidences, then the forced thoughts and feelings. I’ve built up a resistance of sorts, but it still takes time to realize when you are being played.”

At my words, Mel visibly shrinks in on herself. I almost feel sorry for her, almost.

“Well, I guess since you are about to do what I think you are going to do, you are right?” Mel in Jenna’s body asks.

I nod, not trusting my words to set this straight.

Seeing my look and my solemn expression, she pauses for a second. Then I see the moment resolve overtakes her. Resolve to do the right thing.

“I guess I owe you an apology and a bit of an explanation. I am, well I can’t really tell you what. Needless to say, as you are already aware, I have taken over this body. Taking over a body takes energy. Coming into a world with items, also takes energy.” She says, while pointing to the necklace dangling around her neck.

Looking at it, I can see that there are three different gems set in the piece. One is completely dark, while one is faintly glowing, and the third and final bauble is glowing brightly.

“My first time through I managed to gain two items, the most we can get. I got this because I took the body of a nobody into this world. Melissa, as you have likely already guessed, didn’t exist in these universes before I came. That was why the first time I was able to take two artifacts with me. The first was to set Star Crossed Lovers, as you are likely aware this makes two people fall in love. Two people that might or might not normally fall in love will. This is great for political liaisons, great for ending feuds earlier, so empires can band together and focus on fighting the Prolaxians. Or indulge the stupid fantasies of a…one of my kind.” She states. As she speaks, she points to the dimly lit glowing gemstone in the center of her necklace. The one that looks like it is almost completely out of energy.

“So, you used it on me?” I asked. I was surprised that I was able to keep my wings from flapping at this point, as I felt a form of tension filling my body.

“Not just that one, I also used the False Conviction artifact on you as well. So that you would join the military.” She says, pointing to the first gemstone, the one that is completely dark.

“What?”

“The False Conviction is one where a false charge is brought up against anyone. Then a final verdict is chosen by me, based on the level of details and severity of the crime.”

Upon hearing this, my mind immediately flashes back to “the Kangaroo Court, that was all you? The corrupted judges. The forced sentence to go to the military? That was all you?” I say, rage and anger filling my voice.

“Yes.” Jenna, or Mel says meekly. “Imagine my surprise when I get a Clean Escape gemstone for free. Where all ties to me will be severed. I then manage to get this role, hoping that I can help. I even got a new artifact that I am certain I will be able to use effectively.” She says the last part, pointing to the third gemstone the one that is still glowing brightly.

“So, what happened?”

Hearing my question, Mel let out a defeated sigh. “I happened. Or rather my greed happened. We can only have two artifacts. I even only chose one, thanks to this body. So imagine my surprise when I came back to this new life with not one, but three. I of course instantly tried them. The first one I tried was the False Conviction one, as I realized there was something off about Mave. So, I thought, why not incarcerate her, then move Goldie, or the Goldhammer to help investigate her. The only problem was that the artifact was already keyed into you, from my first time using it.”

“The bogus court case against me for stealing my own certs?” I asked, anger filling my voice.

Hearing my anger, Mel grimaced.

I felt anger, but unlike previous times when my own resonance would go off and cause problems for my surroundings. I realized the resonance this time was going directly to my violin. I looked down to the case by my side, a permanent fixture at this point, and even through the specially made case, I could see the glow of the world tree wood picking up my resonance easily.

“Yes, once I activated it, I had to use it. But that was when I figured since I already had to use the Star-Crossed Lovers on you, that I might as well use it for the betterment. Thus, I wanted to use it on you and Goldie, as you have likely already realized.” Mel said.

Hearing this, so many pieces all slated together. So many things that made no sense or seemed like some terribly contrived writers plot all fell into place so easily.

There was only one problem to this whole explanation. Now I would need to spend every moment second guessing myself. I realized from now on I would second guess my own experiences.

“So, is there anything else? Anything you want to get off your chest before we do this?”

Hearing that, Mel, well the Mel in Jenna’s body sighed. Then after a second she paused to reach up and take the necklace off her head.

“Here take this.” Jenna said, as the one last bauble still glowed brightly.

“What does it do?”

Mel just shook her head. “If I tell you what it is, then it will activate, thus losing its effect. I think you will know when the time is right.”

Hearing that, I began to raise my hand for the item, but paused.

“Don’t worry, as the holder it will never affect you. Also, this way you know these two cannot be used against you in the future.” Mel said, pointing to the two stones that had already been used against me, twice.

With that, I reluctantly picked up the necklace and held it in my hand.

Then I turned my attention back to Mel. Looking at her, I could now see the part where the body suit of Jenna ended, and the aura of Mel began. That was part of her decaying state. She was slowly dissolving, the more I forced her awareness.

I was just about to activate my Revelation Sight to end this farce of a time loop. When I felt an overwhelming compulsion to ask. “Any last words to say?”

Mel paused, then shook her head.

With that, I took a deep breath, and switched Revelation Sight from a passive ability to an active one. Almost instantly the slowly decaying body of Jenna Da’anvil washed away, revealing the golden light of Mel. Or the being I now knew of, as Mel. She was beautiful, like a golden sun sent to warm a winter’s day.

I almost felt bad for doing this, as I realized with her permanent removal the universe was slightly worse off. With her celestial form revealed, I felt the now all too familiar motions of time unwinding around me.

“Now that this is over. I can tell you the good news. Your fears of sterility are well and truly over.” Mel said.

“What?” I asked, my mind going blank as I tried to process her comment.

“You succeeded in your task as a bro. Congratulations.” Mel said, then gestured to the door.

Hearing that I turned and realized that Goldie was out there. Then I remembered her cryptic message about having something important to tell me about. Something that she seemed to want to celebrate. I was going to be a dad? I had the chance, and it was all ruined?

ANGER! And angry buzzing.

I was angry that she waited until now to tell me. I turned my eyes to her, only for her to now be standing. Since her failing mortal shell was no longer confining her to a hospital bed, she could now stand up and move around as a free ethereal being.

“You needed to both know this, and not have this as an option. This is better for you in the long run. You know this, don’t you. That was why I waited until now to tell you.” Mel said.

Rage filled me, as I felt so drained. I felt so lost, so tormented. I was nothing but a play toy to these beings.

Shattering glass.

I felt something in my mind break, a barrier that had always been in place suddenly was removed. That was when I felt as if I met a new understanding in my powers. It was a moment of revelation, one that I would normally celebrate with. But instead, I focused that newfound insight directly at this source of my rage filled inspiration. I focused my mind and was surprised to find the mind of the celestial being before me.

Here in this backwards flowing river of time I felt not only her mind, but the minds of the other Prolaxian Infiltrators. Here, going backwards in the river of time, their minds were unprotected. Focusing on the four minds that were now part of my targeted list, I found them. Then I destroyed them. Here in the reversal time and space were overlapped with each other. In a moment of insight, I realized that I could act on known minds from around the universe. As time unwound hundreds of thousands of minds came back to life. I even felt the three minds of the Prolaxian heralds that were on my hit list come back to life. Feeling them, finally, I used this once in a lifetime moment to strike.

“DIIIEEE!” I yelled, as I hurtled backwards through space and time. I felt the three targeted minds of the monsters on my hit list all collapse under my strike. They were easy to find, as they seemed to stick out like dark pulsing piles of slime and tar. I swear I could almost smell the rot coming off of not just them, but others. There were others that existed outside of this universe, and while I felt confident that I knew who the other two were, I paused. I targeted General Wolfram, the beastkin general. Mave, the human diviner. And finally, I targeted Wild Stag, the bland Endarian secretary to General Fellina. All three minds were from this universe. Each sticking out due to the way they all glowed with an eerie sheen of malevolence. One that caused an automatic gag reflex to activate. Thinking about it, I also targeted the two from the other universe. The one where I felt a strong connection to four spiritual trees that all begged me for help in this one moment. Hearing their plea, I acted and targeted the two external minds that spoke of corruption and malevolence. That done, I took a breath, then I realized I wasn't quite done. Not yet. I also targeted the mind of the celestial in front of me. The angelic tourist who seemed to delight so heavily in torturing me. I was done with this game that the gods and heralds were playing. Life was tough enough normally, especially when we were little more than amusing puppets for them to walk around in when they got bored.

“What are you? AHHH!!” She screamed out in pain, her voice hitting angelic decibels that spoke of being able to smite entire cities with but a sacred note. Now this same voice was crying out in pain, but I focused through her suffering. My ears began to bleed, but I focused through my own pain.

Then finally the four minds that I had focused on disappeared. The brightly glowing being before me dropped to the ground.

That was when I received a divine message from the Gods themselves. Or maybe from a being that somehow was one step higher than these beings who labelled themselves as Celestial beings and Heralds.

Title Gained: Celestial Slayer Title Gained: Herald Slayer (X5)

I was just about to read the new titles that seemed to come with a lot of perks and abilities. But I was stopped, as my current body was forcefully slammed into my old body of the past.

Whoom.

I stumbled forward, as my time looping form was forcefully pressed onto my old physical form. A physical form that had just left the cockpit of my fighter.

Riiipppp.

I felt my tri-weave suit burst from my wings. Just like that incredible green guy, I sharp wings tore through the dense space protecting fabric, only to be revealed.

“Holy shit, what is happening?”

“Is a monster emerging from him?”

So many questions, but all I felt was pain. My ears were still bleeding, and I was now dealing with my body having to readjust to my newly formed wings once again. Wings that should not have existed in this body. The only problem was, I was now a guardian for the sacred world tree. A tree I had commented on as being a rebel for being able to exist outside of time and space like that.

If the connection I now felt was to be believed, I was still the guardian of a fully living spirit tree, Prime. Well not just Prime, four other trees as well. Were they why I was able to act so differently in the reversing river of time?

I wondered, though that was unnecessary at the moment. For now, I had bigger fish to fry, like healing my own body and mind.

Clatter.

Something metal hit the deck of the landing bay. With a start, I was surprised to see the necklace that Mel, well Mel wearing her Jenna skin suit, had given me. Looking down I visibly relaxed, when I saw that only one of the stones still glowed brightly. The last one, the mysterious third.

If what Jenna had told me was to be believed, the first two were the ones used to mess up my life. So now, I only had this last one to me, one last bauble that I would supposedly know when to use.

Then I did a slight inventory of the changes from this past time loop. I had the random necklace of life fuckery, stupid wings, a spiritual connection to five rebel trees, and two new titles. Titles that I had to wonder about. Yeah, I can safely say that this last time loop was eventful.

“What is happening!” A demanding voice calls out. In a second I realize it is the voice of my Drill Instructor, DI Hopewell. Just looking at him I can tell he is pissed off at something. I am about to ask why, then in a moment of crystal clarity I remember. I am the reason he is angry.

“I gave you a direct order. One to turn back and return to base.” DI Hopewell says.

With this, I feel a mounting headache form, as I realize while I might have just reset time. I reset time back to a point where I was well and completely screwed. I almost felt this was Mel’s way of cursing me from beyond the grave. In fact, I half expected that to be part of what my title Celestial Slayer offered to me.

Sighing, I let out a long breath. Then turned to face DI Hopewell.

“And just what the fuck happened to you, cadet?”

“Would you believe, I had a bad day?”

“Gods damn cadet. Are you like some bastardized Pinocchio, or something, except for every time you break an order you grow fucking wings?”

With this, I could tell it was going to be a long day.