A Real Goddess Would Let Nobody Die

Twilight sighed at Her reflection. She had tried many ideas, but couldn't quite manage a dignified mana outfit yet, even without gloves, tights, or shoes. She was close. She had enough mana to produce multiple swords and a platform, but that amount was not enough for something a Goddess could wear at any conceivable public appearance.

Wait.

"It would be fine if I wore something like this at the beach, right?" She asked. They normally only went swimming at the Island, where They had total privacy, but Rokesha had famous beaches. Clothing that would be scandalous anywhere else was normal at the beach, and there was no reason a Goddess couldn't go, was there?

Izzie and Her Mother just stared at Her for a while, from the doorway.

"This style would be on the conservative side!" Twilight argued, feeling some pressure from Their stare. "Some people sunbathe naked!"

Now, She could see that a reply was on the way, and that it treated Her proposal much more seriously than She had expected. They had actually been choosing Their words carefully, not staring Her down to express disapproval.

"It is not something You should do casually, on a whim or out of impatience," Izzie advised. "Let Me confirm something, first. You would be Your normal self? You would assure people that they are welcome to look at You, as much as they want? To stare if they want? To take images of You and with You, and recordings? You would do twirls and skips and winks and strike poses? You would not only be comfortable with attention, but behave in a way that attracts it, like You always do? You are fully--fully--comfortable wearing that in public, as long as it is in an appropriate setting?"

"Yes, I'd be the same Me." It was Twilight's attitude as much as Her appearance that had made Her the consensus Goddess of Beauty for seven centuries before Her transformation. Beauty had always sought beholders. "I feel Lucky to be alive, to be Me, and I want to spread that Joy as much as I can. I am proud of what people see, when they look at Me, and that many enjoy seeing Me. I want to be seen. I would be even more proud to be seen in mana clothing, if there's a way to do that without being scandalous."

Twilight knew that what She was saying sounded like simple exhibitionism. She searched for the words to explain, chin in Her hand, tilting Her head back and forth. She loved how Her hair followed in slow motion, rippling.

"Mmmm...I do not want to be seen literally naked. That's not the point. Wearing a mana clothing swimsuit is no more or less appealing to Me than wearing a mana clothing snowsuit. I want to be seen wearing mana clothing, whatever the style as long as it's pure mana clothing, because...that is the truest representation of Me. Like: This is Me!" Twilight chimed, spreading Her arms wide. "This is how magical I am! I am Beauty! Why should I be bashful? I owe no apologies. I am unashamed, because Who I am is not shameful! I am proud! Look at the Twilight Goddess, if you wish! Behold! My body is twice-marked by mana, and My clothing is made of Me! My soul! This is My true form! My Essence!"

Twilight was breathless and trembling. That reflection felt so right. This was Her, that sparkling Goddess in the mirror wearing only Her Own mana, pure magic from top to bottom, inside and out. Ultraviolet magic in the form of a person.

"I am so proud of that, the idea of being seen as I truly am! Imagining it makes Me--, makes Me--, I'm bursting!" She exclaimed, throwing Her arms out. "Just pure Me, body and clothing, a Goddess of fabulous sparkles and ultraviolet magic. That is Me! I want everyone to see!"

Oh, uh...

"Sorry Mom. I got carried away."

"Iss 'zena, hic, too," Her Mother croaked.

"G'over 'ere," Izzie commanded, words uncharacteristically slurred. Their arms were spread wide.

Twilight could foresee that the hug would be suffocating, but submitted to it anyway.

<Feeling fabulous?> Keekee teased, from the Temple of the Stars, while Twilight struggled to breathe. <You were an interstellar beacon of it, for a minute there.>

<Like the Goddess of it!> Twilight gave the standard reply.

<Tell Me about it, during the dusk spells!>

<I will!>

"I love that confidence, so much," Her Mother said, from Her shoulder. "You started out a little shy, You know?"

"I remember."

She also remembered being repeatedly encouraged to play with Keekee's hair, Her Mother comparing Her to the brightest and most beloved stars, Izzie telling Her all the ways She was cute, being shown off to adoring billions in the girliest dress ever conceived by humankind--what shyness could survive that?!--twice-daily pampering sessions from Goddesses...She also remembered that, on any other world, She would have died before being born, and She remembered Who had provided the baseline of this appearance She was so proud of.

"Thank You," She said. She said that often. Her parents would be proud of Her.

When They parted, Izzie cleared Her throat and resumed where She had left off.

"That is basically what I expected. So, use Your foresight. This should be very predictable: What would happen if You jumped to the beach, as You are, right now? Wearing that?"

Twilight frowned, but did so.

Her jaw dropped.

Her Sister nodded, satisfied. "The Goddess of Beauty making an appearance in a translucent two-piece swimsuit just barely sparkly enough to preserve modesty would be an iconic moment in Our world's mythology. A religious event."

Twilight studied Her reflection...

Yeah.

"Do not worry about people comparing themselves to Your impossible standard. We never apologize for being 'too' sublime; there is no such thing. We never hide how magical We are; We show it proudly. But, do consider the other consequences. Call Your other mirrors here, and look at Yourself from all angles."

Twilight followed Her Sister's advice.

She had been working on managing vanity since She transformed. All things considered, She felt like She was doing a remarkable job. Where even was the line between vanity and denying reality, for someone Who looked like this?! The public had never even seen this fully ethereal true form, only what She looked like with Her usual clothing hiding it. As fabulous as that clothing was, it did not integrate seamlessly like Her mana clothing. How could it?! Mana clothing was Her!

While Twilight looked Herself over, Izzie listed the consequences that She needed to think about.

"Images and recordings of You, dressed like that, would be among the most iconic ever made. Are You prepared to turn around and see an image of Yourself, forty stories tall and nearly naked, on a tower? Similar images would permanently appear in serious scripture. The event would finish crystallizing Your primary identity as 'Beauty' in the public mind. There would be an exhibit in Benevin recounting the event, viewed with solemn awe by millions of visitors every year. The public is already feeling the need for a holiday that celebrates Your 'objectively perfect humanoid form.' This would be the final impetus. Are You comfortable with 'Beauty in a swimsuit of Her Essence' being the focus of an annual religious holiday, and regularly attending that ceremony, forever?"

Currently, not a single ceremony on the calendar featured Twilight as its central star, except Her birthday. She knew that Her Sister was right. The public was primed to latch on to something, ever since Her transformation.

"If You want to show them why they worship, I will not stop You. I will not incinerate any eyes, if You want those eyes to see You. But, I will tease You mercilessly every time the Essence of Beauty holiday comes around. I will permanently get a kick out of watching the public treat You walking around in a swimsuit as a religious event. You had better make sure You are truly unashamed."

Twilight had already reached Her conclusion. She was not embarrassed, certainly not about Her appearance, least of all what She looked like when clothed in Her mana. She wanted to make the world sparkle, and if what She looked like in a swimsuit made of Her Essence was so sublime that the sight of Her would motivate an appreciative holiday, then the world was going to be in for a treat soon.

"Originally, I was thinking that I would do a beach version of My usual Luck routine, or even just walk around chatting with people, but if it will be such a big deal, maybe I'll put on a more special show? That would help to reassure everyone that it's not only allowed but encouraged for people to look and take images."

Izzie and Her Mother laughed lightly.

"We'll need to pick an exact location and give the Guard some notice," Her Mother said. "For now, put some real clothes on. We need to head to the hospitals."

----

Twilight had always felt a little repressed in Rokesha, and also Esto, because their climates were too hot and humid for Her to wear Her gloves and tights. In recent times, though, She had not minded so much. Not being able to wear gloves and tights was an opportunity in disguise!

She admired Her glittery nails, painted with Her mana, as She and Her Mother approached the entrance to the first hospital of the day, ringed by Guards.

This wonderful idea had always been fringe, a niche counterculture at most, but not anymore. Far from it. The Goddess of Beauty could fairly be called a bit of a trendsetter, for a variety of industries spanning entertainment and fashion. As evidence, an advertisement for the recently-skyrocketing class of cosmetic towered over the plaza, on the skyscraper to Their right.

Blue, Twilight noted with a grin. Poor Suri would never see any of the royalties She deserved.

"Teeteeteet!" She couldn't help tittering, half from how mad Suri would be at the idea that She deserved a reward, half because She was bubbling over, and it had to go somewhere.

Twilight tried to imagine Herself in the place of that model, wearing a translucent-but-sparkly mana swimsuit, to double-check that She truly wouldn't mind. As She had expected, not only didn't She mind the idea, it was thrilling. She did a jumping twirl, waving to the spectators as She fell in subtle slow motion, in the best mood She had been in since getting a little Sister. For Joy Herself, that was saying a lot. What a fantastic morning this had been!

She landed lightly on the ball of one foot, and Her sparkly cape of hair descended into place behind Her as She walked, rippling slowly. Being an ultraviolet mage really was the absolute--

Joy caught Herself just in time. She was already close to rupturing, euphoria as strong as Her Mother's spells forcing Her muscles to tense to keep it contained. She knew from experience that it would get painful if She continued to dwell on such happy thoughts.

They had reached the entrance. It was time to prevent and undo some tragedies.

For seven centuries, it had almost always been Keekee Who accompanied Her Mother on these trips, but She had been in the Temple of the Stars full time for the last week, helping Zyriko. So, Twilight had a new job, and She liked it a lot. She well remembered being in a hospital just like this one, and what it had meant to little Kenna when the Goddess of Love walked through the door.

Beauty didn't have an aura of fuzzies, but sparkles seemed to work well enough.

As the door to the first room of the day opened, Twilight jumped to catch the patient's mother as she fainted.

The father was rather flustered.

Twilight smiled at him and shook Her head. "It happens to so many people that I check in advance. Don't worry about it! My Mother will bring her right back."

It happened multiple times a day, in fact. These families had often been chasing a cure for weeks, many with a loved one fading in front of them. One way or another, they had eventually been told that only the Goddess of Salvation could help. Sometimes, they had been transferred a considerable distance to wait for Her. Then, at last, the long-awaited day arrived, the day that Salvation would fix everything. The first sign would be the hushing of the hospital. Finally, the door would slide open, the Light of Salvation would shine through, and all of that tension, a week of it or more, would suddenly snap. The sequence could not be better designed for causing people to collapse.

Twilight turned to the original patient, as Her Mother moved to revive the new one.

"Hiiiii, Azenumkee!" She sang softly. "Your mom will be fine. She's just so glad that you're not going to be sick anymore!"

The poor boy was dead weight on his bed, one foot in the grave, but his eyes were wide with wonder.

"Grandfather would be so proud to share his name with someone as brave as you," She said, making a stool for Herself next to the bed.

"Dr. Bryer says You had lookymia too?" he quavered out. "But not like mine?"

Brave indeed!

"I did! Leukemia is no fun at all, is it?"

Azenumkee shook his head.

"Nuh-uh!" Twilight agreed. "Salvation had to come and heal Me, just like this! What Dr. Bryer means, about yours being different, is that Mine was caused by My magic. Justice and Salvation still need to put a special shield on Me, twice every day, to keep My magic from making Me sick again! Can you believe it?!"

"Does it hurt?"

Twilight cocked Her head, chin in Her hand, and frowned. "Do you mean My magic, or the shield?"

"Your magic."

Twilight's Mother had moved into position, only watching for now. Her patient's parents were both praying, behind Her. It was a nostalgic scene.

"It doesn't hurt!" Twilight answered. "In fact, I love it a lot! It's what makes Me all sparkly! See My stool?!"

Azenumkee was too distracted: He had noticed Twilight's irises. Soon, he followed his parents' example, and closed his own eyes in prayer.

Twilight took his hand.

"I'm going to heal you now, alright?" Her Mother said. "You will feel a surge of excitement, rushing around inside you. The sudden change will be a shock, but it won't hurt. Quite the opposite."

He nodded a little.

Seconds later, Azenumkee's eyes shot open with a yelp, and his hand went from limp to gripping tightly. When the spell finished, he raised his free right arm, stared at the glow, then followed the other to Twilight's Own glowing hands.

Visibly summoning his courage, he looked up at Her eyes again, then quickly looked away.

Hm. Was it inappropriate to invite a brave young man to stare at Her eyes? Um...

"It's alright," Twilight's Mother said. "It would make Beauty happy if someone as brave as you looked at Her eyes."

Suri was right. Twilight's Mother really was the Goddess of Goddesses.

----

"Haaaht, haaaaah."

Twilight was copying Keekee's birthday megafestival breathing exercises. It was not that She was nervous. Rather, She was so excited that it would be difficult to sing, if She didn't calm Herself.

Since She was going to be performing on a public beach with little advance notice, the set was basic by Her standards. She usually liked to incorporate long range jumps and acrobatics, but today, there were simply five cylindrical platforms rising above the sand to roughly Her height, arranged at the points of a pentagon, in the middle of the famously expansive West Bay Beach. She had chosen this particular beach because it was on the interior edge of the ridge enclosing the Bay of Rokesha, the same one Her Mother had soared over, like dawn rising in the west, during Her Return. A statue depicting the moment, shining in the sunlight, was on the ridge immediately above the set's location.

"Saaaaht, flaaaaaah."

She had prepared one original song for today, similar in style to Her very first, and would otherwise sing some old favorites. Some very old.

As was tradition, the audience knew that Twilight would be the performer, and they could see the set, but all other details would be a surprise. She felt like She could feel a little extra excitement in the air today--This was the first performance after Beauty's transformation, right?! Why a beach?! Have the Goddesses ever been to a public beach?! Why so little notice?! Why only five simple platforms?!--but that might be Her projecting Her Own state onto the crowd.

"Bluuussssss."

As soon as She appeared, everyone would know. The appearance of Her Essence was common knowledge. Everyone knew that the elder Goddesses wore only mana clothing.

...As soon as She appeared, everyone would see!

"Faaaht, kluhhhhhh."

It was time.

She jumped to one of the platforms, clothed in the very same mana swimsuit that She had been wearing when She had proposed this event. Her hair was a stream of sparkles rippling slowly behind Her, horizontal in the ocean breeze. The breeze wasn't all that strong, but Her hair was light.

"Hiiiii everyone!" She called, waving with both hands. "It's just Me today!"

Normally, a singer would feel very awkward if She walked onstage, introduced Herself, and was met with nothing but reverential silence, but Beauty had expected as much.

She was trembling, but not with nervousness.

She felt like jumping through a roof, bouncing off walls, but there were none here, nothing but sky, sand, crashing waves, the breeze, and an audience. And Her, the Goddess of Twilight in Her true form, a prophesy fulfilled, a goal achieved, after more than seven centuries!

There was only one way to release this need to bubble over.

"I hope everyone is enjoying the beach! I know I am!"

She swept Her hands across Herself, grinning ear-to-ear. Behold!

"I'm feeling extra sparkly today! I hope everyone likes it! But stay tuned! I have some other designs to show you, and I hope you will like them, too!"

She swept Her eyes over the other platforms, then winked.

"Make sure you take a good look! It may be a while before I visit a beach again!"

Finally, She twirled to look directly into one of the recorders broadcasting Her to billions, and waved again. The feed was shown on large displays, too, for those in the back.

"And don't think I've forgotten everyone watching from around the world! Hello from Rokesha's famous West Bay Beach!"

Still total silence. The world was holding its breath.

It was time to begin. She flashed instantly into the opening position of Her dance.

Normally, She would need to wait for the cheers to die down at this point.

~~I looooove so many things; it can be hard to choose oooooone!~~

She jumped to a different platform, and was wearing a different swimsuit when She arrived. The dance continued, seamlessly.

~~So heeeeere's a perfect plan; choosin' 'em all is most funnnnnnn!~~

The line was punctuated with a leap of Joy into the air, but She appeared on another platform instead of landing, wearing another new design.

~~I'm gooooonna need your help; tell Me the truth when I'm doooooone!~~

New platform, and new design.

~~Of allllll I'm gonna show; which did you think was most funnnnnn?~~

One more jump, to the fifth and final platform.

~~Look! Look! Please answer My plea!~~

~~Look! Look! Which One's the best Me?~~

As She sang the chorus, every single twitch, every finger wag, every step, changed the design She was wearing.

The Goddess of Beauty had never felt more gorgeous.

...

----

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" Beauty called to the still-silent audience.

It wasn't that the performance had flopped. Salvation's songs had the same effect. This world prayed in calm, solemn silence.

"I hope you can stay a while longer! We have a lot of daylight left! I hope to hear, from as many of you as I can, which designs were your favorites! If you want an image of Me or with Me, wearing your favorite, please tell Me! I want everyone to have a souvenir! We can make some together!"

Beauty moved to one side of Her current platform and sat on the edge, crossed legs hanging off the end while She leaned back on Her hands, awaiting someone brave enough to speak the first word since She had appeared.

Hezzered was a Helper at the Rokesha Temple. He suspected that it wasn't a coincidence that Beauty had chosen a spot so close to him. He had interacted with Her far more than most people here, and he knew all of scripture by heart, including Her instructions for worship.

"If you would offer worship in My name, then seek not only to help those who need help, but also to spread joy to any around you, including yourselves, be it needed or not. Turn adequate into abundant. Turn satisfactory into extraordinary. Turn acceptable into spectacular."

Putting aside everything else about Her performance that had required courage, how many would have the confidence to do that completely solo, a single voice, a single dancer, in front of a completely silent live audience of thousands? How many would have the skill and talent to make that performance mythical?

Hezzered stepped forward. If their world could not manage even this much, it assuredly did not deserve Her.

"Hi Hezzered!" She said at once. "I'm glad you could make it! Will you come up here, with Me? Or should I jump down?"

As he tried to determine how far his own courage went, his train of thought took the scenic route.

She had already been ethereal, but now there was absolutely nothing veiling it. Pure Beauty, just Her, unadulterated, a divine ideal bared to the world.

The Goddess' hair flowed out behind Her, fading out into sparkles in the breeze, as it had for the duration of Her performance. Her body, too, seemed not to be as tethered to the ground as it should be, resting too lightly on the platform. Compounding this, She had that sense of incomplete opacity, much more noticeable without mundane clothing to block the light. Altogether, the Goddess of Beauty was fragility personified, a delicate bundle of sparkles held together by violet plaster, in danger of bursting, of being lost forever.

But not on this world. On this world, there were Goddesses Who could and would preserve Her irreplaceable perfection.

All She wanted was for him to take Her hand. So he did. It was, after all, the more extraordinary choice.

"I would like to come up," Hezzered said, and was astonished at how stable his voice was. He was making the order proud.

He tried not to think about how doing this was likely to put him in a Benevin mural. He also tried not to think about all the recorders pointed at the scene.

Next thing he knew, he was standing next to Beauty on the center of the platform.

"Thank you!" She chimed quietly. "I know how much courage this took."

Hezzered spoke immediately, before he lost his nerve.

"My favorite style was the very first, the one You were wearing when You appeared. And, the way You started, in the same pose Your Mother was in when She made Her Regalia of Light, with Her statue over Your shoulder...That image belongs in the Temples, I think. But..." He swallowed. "You sitting on the edge of the platform, at the end, waiting...If that counts, that was what I personally thought was the best You."

"I agree about the best style," She murmured. "I wouldn't make a first impression in My least favorite, that's for sure! The Temples will get their image, but..." She looked toward the edge, then back up at him. "Together? Or Me alone?"

He thought about Her instructions again.

The Goddess smiled and nodded excitedly when She foresaw his answer.

"Yes!" She gushed. "Never halfway!"