A Real Goddess Would Let Nobody Die

"We're almost there," Sieniel warned, as the forest whooshed by on all sides. She was driving. "When we get there, you will see security people. I know that you have already been told this, but I think I should repeat it: They are not supervisors, they are security. That said, they need to look a lot like supervisors, to keep up appearances. Don't be alarmed."

"Right," Yonen replied. It would help that they would be wearing blue, not black.

Matching his train of thought, she asked, "Do you know the difference between blue and black power?"

"Only a little. I know black makes fire." It was impossible to live in the Limbot domain and not know that much. "And blue makes enchanted things, like weapons." Everyone could see that all enchanted things were shiny blue, unless they needed charging.

"That's a decent summary," Sieniel confirmed. "A big difference is that anyone with blue power is completely unable to defend themself. They're like you and me, if we couldn't use enchanted items--not weapons or shields or vehicles or anything else. They can only make them and charge them; their power does nothing more. So, security is the Keyics' sole defense. If you feel like security seems tense, or nervous, that's why. It is not a cause for concern, it's just how they are." She grimaced. "How they need to be, and you know why."

Yonen did, and he understood. If he were in charge of protecting the only place like this in the entire world, and the servants of the Goddesses who made it possible, he would be a nervous wreck, too.

As they continued down the road, a clearing soon became visible through the dense jungle. In its middle sat the Blue House, on a small hill. For now, Yonen mostly could only see the gleaming blue wall surrounding it, but part of the building itself could be seen through the open gate on their path. It was rectangular, with a grid of windows not too different in basic layout from his own living quarters.

"Thank you, for coming," Sieniel said to him, as security people waved their vehicle through the gate. They wore blue armor, matching their enchanted weapons. "And remember, there is nothing to fear in this place."

Yonen knew she was right, but old habits were so hard to break. The Blue House looked very different from the Patriarch's palace--in a way, it was more like his new home--but at the same time, it was too similar.

Sieniel brought the enchanted vehicle across the clearing beyond the walls, and stopped near a door into the main building.

"If you do not want to be here anymore, we can leave at any time," she offered. Never looking away from him, she raised a hand, and an approaching pair of security people stopped where they were, waiting. "Let's sit here for a moment, until--"

Yonen shook his head.

"No need," he insisted, exhaling. "Just nerves. How do I get out?"

He had things to say. Not just things about the Patriarch, but also gratitude, especially if 'Miss Suri' was the Messenger.

"Mmm! Let me get that!"

Soon, Yonen was standing outside the enchanted transport. Sieniel had a short conversation with the security people, until they were satisfied and walked away.

"Don't they know you?" he asked. "What did they need to check for?"

"They were making sure you weren't threatening me, to get me to act like you are trustworthy. We have code phrases that I could have used, if I needed help." She gestured to the door into the Blue House, and started walking. "Like I said, they're very paranoid. It's their job."

"I see, that's wise." He was a newcomer, and they didn't know all the details. He himself had always been nervous that newcomers to Unit 119 might be working for the supervisors. You couldn't be too careful.

Sieniel smiled knowingly at him, as he caught up and walked next to her. "The fact that you understand all of this kind of thing, how important it is to keep secrets, to be cautious, and to remain calm and rational, was a big part of why the Matriarch decided to invite you today. You are trustworthy. And, as I understand it, your cool head is what brought you to us in the first place. Those are all precious qualities."

It was nice, being treated like a person. The Patriarch's 'compliments' were just a different flavor of insult. Not these.

"What is 'rational?'"

"It means being smart and thinking carefully, instead of acting on emotion. That's difficult to do, when you receive a big shock."

They reached the door.

"I'll send word to the Matriarch that we've arrived, but the first thing to do is get cleaned up," she announced, tugging at her collar as she had earlier. "Would you be okay with an outfit like mine, for a change of clothes? We can try to find something more like what you have on, if you prefer."

Yonen looked down at himself, and thought. He was no attendant, but that was the uniform used by the servants of the Goddesses...

----

Yonen tugged at the sleeves of his borrowed blue uniform. Wearing something this fancy made him feel awkward, but...it was hard to describe. It was awkward, but not unpleasantly awkward?

They were climbing to the top floor, where the Matriarch's office was.

"Who will be there? The Matriarch, and who else?" he asked.

"My security counterpart will definitely be there--his name is Vavilly. The Matriarch's husband, too, most likely. You met him, before. Aside from them, I'm not sure. The Heiress would normally join for this kind of thing, but she has mostly kept to her rooms since getting married. When I left this morning, she had been in her rooms playing music for quite a while, but I don't hear it now. That might mean she is with the others, waiting for us. If she is, her new husband, Zyriko, is most likely with her."

Yonen was glad to hear that. He was curious, about 'Miss Suri.' He hoped she was going to come.

"Do I really just..." He waved forward, vaguely. It was so hard to believe that he was going to be talking to the Matriarch and her family, without anything special needed, even if they were all servants of the Goddesses.

Sieniel had the same smile as when she had said he would be staying overnight. "In public, with outsiders around, you would need to follow the forms that your neighbors have shown you, but not here in private. Do be respectful, but basically, treat them like you've been treating me, and it will be fine. The Matriarch knows you're not some fancy ambassador. And remember, you got along with her husband just fine; she's not any different."

That was a good point. Thinking about this meeting as 'with the Matriarch' was...even though he knew it was fine, it was still uncomfortable. Thinking about it as 'with Immur and his family' was a lot easier.

As they reached the top floor and approached what must be the Matriarch's meeting room, Yonen felt like the pair of guards on either side of the door looked odd. They seemed not exactly nervous, not in the way Sieniel had been talking about, not like the other security people so far, but instead...shaken?

It wasn't just him who thought so.

"What is it? Has something happened?" Sieniel asked them, speaking rapidly.

They looked at each other, then back at Sieniel.

"Nothing urgent, secretary," the one on the left bowed slightly, then tried to explain. "We--The Heiress, she--" He shook his head. "She is inside, with the others. Just--" He waved to the door. "You'll see."

Sieniel frowned, blinked a few times, then turned to Yonen.

"Well, there's your answer, I guess," she said, still puzzled. "Seems like everyone is here. Ready?"

"Let's go." Yonen tried to breathe out his nervousness.

Sieniel nodded, opened the door, and walked in. Yonen followed.

Katchik. The door clicked shut behind them, as they both stopped and stared.

There was a square table surrounded by chairs on one side of the room. People were standing behind some of the chairs. Yonen's mind did not have room for any other details at the moment.

The Messenger had not said anything about the Blue Goddess, but She was here, in person, glowing with True Divinity like the Messenger described, standing behind one of the chairs.

His mind couldn't make sense of what it was seeing. She was...floating above the world? Not above the ground, above the world, like She was a blue petal resting on a clear water surface, denting the surface a little around Her, and the world was submerged. Everything else, everything else here and everything he had ever seen, was a little dimmed and blurred because it was underwater.

"Welcome back, Sieniel," called a woman who must be the Matriarch. She was grinning and swollen with pride, as happy and proud as a person could be. "And you must be Yonen. I was glad to hear that you decided to come. Thank you, and let me add my own welcome to the Keyic domain to those you have already received. I must say, our livery suits you."

Distantly, Yonen was aware that the Matriarch herself had just welcomed and complimented him, and treated him like a person, and he was also distantly aware of how incredible all of that was, but there was something even more incredible pulling his attention right now.

Wait! Did the Matriarch meet with the Goddesses regularly?! He knew that the people here were servants of the Goddesses, but even--No, that didn't make any sense. The Messenger said that the Goddesses wouldn't arrive for a long time. So, how was the Blue Goddess here, already?! Hmmm...The Messenger hadn't said anything about the Blue Goddess not arriving for a long time, but she hadn't said anything about the Blue Goddess at all. He had thought there were only the four: Black, White, Red, and Violet.

This was so confusing.

Yonen's instincts were screaming that he should do something to acknowledge that the Matriarch herself had spoken to him, but he was too stunned to do anything, so stunned that his mind felt detached from his body. So much for having a cool head! But who could be calm and 'rational,' in this situation?! A True Goddess was here, right here in front of him! What was a Matriarch compared to a Goddess?!

Thankfully, the Matriarch seemed to be the farthest possible thing from upset over the fact that he was too awed by the Goddess to acknowledge her.

...Even without looking too closely at the Matriarch, it--Did she base her hairstyle on the Goddess'? It was a perfect match, an even curtain of finger-sized curls hanging down to her shoulders, starting just past her eyes on both sides.

"Magnificent, isn't She?" The Matriarch nodded approvingly at Yonen. "I am sure you both have some questions for the Sky Goddess." She had really enjoyed saying those words. "We will get to what we are here to talk about soon, but first, we had better let Her explain."

So, the Blue Goddess was the Sky Goddess, like the White Goddess was the Sun Goddess? That was easy to believe. She was the color of the sky all over, and literally glowed it. At least this made perfect sense.

Ah, no no no, that must be backwards. The sky was the color it was, because that was the color of the Sky Goddess.

Yonen had so many questions that he couldn't pick one.

"...Suri?" Sieniel almost whispered.

...Huh?! Now he was even more confused. This was 'Miss Suri?' He had heard what she did for everyone, like making and charging the cooling units. He knew that his neighbors had a very high opinion of her. But how could they not have noticed that She was an actual Goddess?! It was not subtle! He had thought Miss Suri might be the Messenger, but the Messenger had said she wasn't a Goddess.

"Yes, it's Me. Good afternoon, Sieniel. And, let Me add My Own welcome to My mother's, Yonen. Thank you for coming."

A Goddess not only greeting him, but thanking him for coming...It was just like how the Red Goddess always Listened, no matter who you were. The fakes would never.

"...How?" Sieniel asked another one-word question, in the same half-whisper.

The Goddess smiled slightly, toward the person to Her right, dressed in Her color. He must be Her husband, Zyriko?

That's right! Her husband! Who could marry a True Goddess?! Zyriko didn't look like a True God? Were there any True Gods?! He did have orange eyes and long, curly red--

Yonen's eyes widened.

The Red Goddess' Messenger said she wasn't a Goddess herself, but she clearly worked closely with Them, and had been given some of the Red Goddess' divine powers. Was Zyriko like the Red Goddess' Messenger, but serving the Blue Goddess?! The Blue Goddess' Messenger? It would make sense for every Goddess to choose Her Own Messenger, and he supposed it would not be that strange for a Goddess to marry someone She had chosen.

Now that was a real honor. Wow.

Yonen thought all of this through in the time it took the Goddess to begin answering Sieniel's question.

"When I spoke with the Others, They told Me that I am the Blue Goddess, and showed Me how to use My power to make Myself into what you see. I have accepted Who I am, embraced My sacred purpose, and transformed, permanently. I will serve as the Blue Goddess for the remainder of eternity."

As the Blue Goddess was speaking, Yonen realized why the Messenger hadn't said anything about Her. She was the Blue Goddess, and as Sieniel said earlier, that meant She could make wonderful treasures for other people, but She couldn't use them Herself. Making things for other people, people like him, was the only thing She could do...

She had no way to defend Herself!

Her presence here was a secret beyond secrets. Other secrets existed so that this secret could hide among them. Yonen's hands were shaking.

"Are You safe?" he blurted out.

She turned toward him, smiling more brightly than She had before. "Thank you, for being concerned for Me! I am partially safe. The body I occupy can be killed, but Goddesses do not fully die if that happens. I would remain on this world as a dormant, disembodied spirit until the Prophesy of Twilight is fulfilled. The White and Red Goddesses, working together, would be able to place Me into a new body when They arrive."

The Blue Goddess began blushing for some reason, and sat in Her chair unsteadily.

"I think the Violet Goddess would volunteer."

She stared at Her Own lap, like She was in awe of Her Own words. Her husband chuckled.

The Matriarch and Immur were crying. Sieniel was staring in shock and so was...that must be Vavilly, the secretary in charge of security? He was a man of Immur's age, with short gray hair, wearing the same style of uniform as Sieniel. Yonen was just glad to hear that the Blue Goddess was like the Black Goddess, in this way, but hoped it would never matter.

"Of course, it would be better if the destruction of My body could be avoided," She continued, "so I must be cautious. Thank you for being so careful not to share secrets that could endanger Me. In the future, it is alright for people to know that I am the Sky Goddess--try to use that name, not 'Blue Goddess'--but do not share details. You already knew a lot, and are about to hear more, so it's fine for you to know all of this, but do not tell anyone else, including Elli. Most importantly, never tell anyone that I communicate with the other Goddesses, or about My sacred purpose."

She reminded Yonen so much of the Red Goddess, not treating him like he was lesser than anyone else here. That outburst from him had been disrespectful. He knelt, and closed his eyes to pray in the same way everyone prayed to Her elder Sister.

<What is it?> he asked. <Your sacred purpose?>

She said nothing, but he could hear Her rising from Her chair, walking toward him, and kneeling right in front of him.

"I am the Sky Goddess." She was speaking very quietly, for him alone. "If you would pray to Me, then I prefer that you do it with your eyes open, and My Sky in view, or even better, staring as straight at Me as you are comfortable. Most of all, never stare at the ground."

The Patriarch was such a fake.

Yonen opened his eyes, and found himself staring straight into Hers. He quickly looked at Her hair instead. That was basically the same as looking at Her Sky. It was the same color, shining the same way, with the same brightness.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." She was still speaking very quietly. "Now, let's answer your question. When you arrived here, with your family, how did you feel?"

He thought for a moment. <Thankful. Amazed.>

"Why? What about being here made you thankful and amazed?"

He thought for a little longer this time, and spoke the list as it came to mind. <We are treated like people, with respect. There is no one we need to be afraid of, nothing that we are forced to do. We can choose what we want to do with our time. We can pray to You and Your Sisters openly. We don't need to be careful what we say. We have good food, and clothes, and water, and things like that. Our home is nice. It even has a cooling unit.> He had not forgotten Who put it there.

The Sky Goddess held his shoulder and tapped his chest gently, nearly killing him.

"That feeling, what you are feeling right now, is what I am the Goddess of. Making everyone who deserves it feel that way is the sacred purpose of My existence."

Everyone who deserves it? What about those who don't?

<Do You have a list of the damned?> he dared to ask.

"A long one."

Yonen's whole body was tingling. His ears were ringing.

She smiled again. This one wasn't bright; it was predatory. She had heard his next question even though he hadn't thought it in words.

"He's at the top." The tingling progressed to full-body numbness. "That is why you were asked to come here, today. We hope you can help."

Being able to help the Goddesses punish the Patriarch was an answer to a prayer he hadn't made. "How? What do I do?"

She stood, offered him a hand--even Her nails looked like Her Sky--and gestured to the table with the other.

"We would all like to listen to what you have to say."