Chapter 12

(Celestia POV)

I lift my head off Rhea’s shoulder and notice a damp spot on her shirt, “I’m sorry about the mess.” I say apologetically.

 

“Don’t worry about that, Celestia, I don’t even care about this shirt. I’m just happy to see you aren’t as perfect as I thought.” She said with a chuckle.

 

“I’m about as far away from perfect as one could get. The better description would be broken, something we both have in common.” I give a smile back, “But, it’s time to release the past and look towards the future. We still have to find out about the cradle and what exactly, I have to do.” With that I look over at Hieko and Mila, “sorry for the scene, you must think your master is pathetic.” I said with a sigh.

 

‘Not at all master, you’re the first I’ve ever seen who isn’t completely driven by power.’ Mila says in astonishment with how corrupt all her masters were before.

 

‘That’s right, like the former demon king from one-thousand years ago was very self obsessed. He completely disregarded the whole point of the cradle and just used it as a way to wage war. In my eyes, you’re the best master, we could have ever hoped for.’ Hieko encourages.

 

“Thank you both. Please lead the way to the cradle; I’ve really been dying to see what it actually is.” With that, Hieko and Mila nod their heads. Rhea and I both follow as they lead us to the base of the mountain, where a large opening was created.

 

At the start of our descent into the mountain, it gave off a feel of a completely normal cave with nothing special about it. That was until, about a mile deep into the cave system, everything starts to change. The walls become colored with jewel like murals. The air also got extremely humid. There must be some kind of water source close by. After about an hour of a decently paced walk, we finally reach some enormously huge doors.

 

They were both made out of a similar type of crystal that the fairy wings and Mila’s horn had in common. It was a crystal door, but clouded at the same time, it shines with multiple colors. At the base of the door, there is a slot for a hand print. That must be the key to entering.

 

‘Master, I need you to place your hand on that indentation’ Hieko points with one of her paws at the hand marking on the door. ‘Try to use your magic to open the door.’

 

“How do I use my magic?” I ask curiously because I have no idea.

 

‘Think of something you wish to destroy and allow your instincts to take over. There’s no doubt in my mind if you listen to your body, you will be able to cast magic. It’s something I do second nature, so all you have to do is figure out how to unlock it.”

 

I nod to Hieko as I start to think about the enemies I currently have. My biggest enemy at this time is the Voltaire household. They will all eventually fall under my wrath; it’s only a matter of time. Especially, that bitch, Caroline. What I wouldn’t give to see her face right now. Knowing that I am the enemy of mankind, she must be so excited. I wonder if the Kingdom has already come down on the Voltaire estate, considering I was raised there.

 

Wouldn’t the family of the enemy of the world also be an enemy? They’re probably having a horrible time because of me and the king might have even imprisoned them or resorting to all types of torture for information. Those bastards better not kill them before I get a chance to see them pay.

 

“CELESTIA...” Rhea yells, pulling me out of my thoughts. I notice a massive orb on my palm rotating violently. It has a very deep red color to it with a tinge of black all around. If I didn’t know any better, it reminds me of a rasengan shuriken from the Naruto series. I look over at Hieko for some help.

 

“What do I do, Hieko?” The ball within my hand kept on rotating at insanely high speeds, just trying to escape and cause mass devastation.

 

'Master, just force it into the handprint; everything should be fine.’ She looks on in awe at the most powerful spell she’s ever witnessed and couldn’t feel prouder. If that was fired off in the middle of a city, it would probably destroy at least half of it in an instant with no survivors.

 

Following Hieko’s words, I slam my hand with a powerful blast into the hand print. It instantly dispersed the magic, as if it were nothing. The high winds and violent pressure that were all around my body subsided as the door lit up with multiple colors of light. After a few seconds, a loud bang was heard as both doors start to swing open.

 

‘Well done, master; that was an amazing display of power.’ Mila said with admiration.

 

‘That’s right, master; it was the most powerful magic I’ve ever witnessed. It’s very commendable. If the hero from one-thousand years ago touched that spell, he would have been incinerated in seconds.’

 

“So you’re saying if it exploded just now, we all would have been screwed?” I said with a sigh as I looked over at Rhea, who had sparkles in her eyes.

 

“That was so beautiful Celestia, and it felt so scary at the same time. But more than anything, it was amazing!” Rhea ran up to me with a huge smile, giving me a big hug in congratulations.

 

“I’m just glad we all survived my first use of this dangerous magic.” I said with a chuckle, but at the same time I was in awe of just how powerful it was.

 

‘The cradle awaits, master; we should head in.’ Hieko suggested.

 

I nod my head as we start to enter the cradle that was covered in a thick fog. But as we enter about thirty steps in everything clears up and a scene that I will never forget appears before me.

 

There was a massive horseshoe-like structure with a huge waterfall coming down the middle. The rock face seems to sparkle as if it were completely made out of diamond. On each side of the falls, there were weirdly shaped trees. The water was just as crystal clear as the lake outside.

 

I saw the outline of something behind the waterfall as I scanned the surroundings to find anything of interest. That’s when Rhea taps my shoulder.

 

"Celestia, look up.” Rhea points with her finger.

 

I look up at the ceiling my mouth goes wide at the insane sight. It’s like an entire solar system is present within this room. Tons of bright lights flying through the sky, as if I’m star gazing at an observatory during a meteor shower.

 

“Wow! That’s crazy!” I said with astonishment written all over my face. The person or god who created this room is far beyond my understanding. My only guess would be that God is probably also the one responsible for bringing me to this world.

 

‘Master for you to absorb the creation magic to stabilize your body, you must go behind the waterfall. It’s somewhere only the master can enter and will violently throw out any other intruder.’ Hieko instructed.

 

“But what do I do when I enter?” I am not understanding the process to all this.

 

‘Just go through the waterfall and everything will be clear. Please trust me; what you want to know the most will be shown to you on the other side.’

 

I look over at Rhea, who has a sad look on her face, not being able to follow. So I go over to a startled Rhea as I plant a soft kiss on her lips. “Wish me luck.” I said with a smile as I started to walk towards the waterfall.

 

“Good luck, Celestia!” Rhea yells as I take off my shoes and socks to enter the water, placing them on some rocks, before I enter the shallow pool.

 

The water level was about to reach my waist as I reached the falls. My anxiety is now going through the roof, not knowing what in the world is about to happen. I looked back just as I was about to enter, seeing all three of them waving with encouraging words.

 

“Screw it.” I say to myself as I lunge towards the falls, only to fall face-first into an all-white room. Feeling utter embarrassment at my mistake, the only thing I was grateful for was that no one else saw it. But, of course, that was only wishful thinking.

 

“That was quite amusing Celestia Voltaire or should I say Atlas Langston.” The voice laughs lightly.

 

I instantly look up in surprise, as someone actually knows my name from my last life. It could only be one person who would possibly know of my old name in this world. It was the person who brought me here.

 

“Umm... hello, are you the one who brought me to this world?” I am certain of the response I will receive.

 

“But you already know that answer, don’t you?”

 

“I guess that’s true, but where are you and how come I can only hear your voice?” Why isn’t she showing herself, I wonder?

 

"Well, it’s not quite that easy for me to reveal myself in the mortal world and this will only be a one-time thing. Possibly in the future, if you meet my requirements.

 

“What do you mean by requirements?” Is she talking about some kind of trial?

 

“Let’s just say you can become much more in the future if you prove yourself.”

 

“Are you at least going to tell me who you are and why you brought me here?”

 

“For whom I am, that is something easy to answer. My role is that of the Goddess of Rebirth and Foresight, Noah. As for why I brought you here, it’s very simple. I just had a feeling, not to mention that your soul is quite powerful. When you become a god, you will rival the very strongest. So you could say I’m making an investment for the future.” The voice echoed in my head, saying some crazy things.

 

“That’s all very hard to believe; I couldn’t even imagine becoming a god. Also rivaling the strongest gods out there? What does that even mean? Do you plan to wage war or something?” I was curious about what kind of godly entity I was conversing with.

 

"Well, something like that. The mortal world is just the beginning, and only a select few can actually learn what’s beyond. But, if you can prove yourself, I will give you that chance. That’s the whole point of the cradle.”

 

“It’s just a test to become a god? I mean, how can you actually create life through it?” Hieko was telling me something similar before we got here.

 

“A god is someone who has to oversee multiple worlds and species, keeping them in line. We destroy and protect what we must. The world you're currently in is out of control and needs to be altered. The human race has lived with impunity for far too long with the atrocities they have committed. The cradle will help in aiding your test to create life and look after its well-being till it’s self-sustaining.”

 

“Were the one’s before me given the same test?” I asked quizzically.

 

"Yes, they were, and everyone before you has failed. The humans use dark magic to pull people from other worlds. They sacrifice hundreds or thousands of lives to summon a hero who will fight for them. That magic academy, while it does create mage’s, is also designed to find the new master of the cradle. That’s the whole purpose of that little test you went through.”

 

“So, you’ve been watching this whole time.” I hesitate, but at the same time, I really want to know! “Can I just ask one thing?”

 

“Sure, go ahead.”

 

“Why did you turn me into a girl?”

 

“Ha-ha…” The goddess laughs for a good thirty seconds as I stand there dumbfounded. “Is it really that big of a deal? You seem to have taken a liking to it anyway.” Noah said it with more light laughter.

 

“I can see how you’re getting a massive kick out of this, but seriously, why?”

 

“What if I told you, it’s just my preference?” Without even seeing the goddess, I could tell she was smirking.

 

“Seriously, that’s the only reason you turn me female—just because you prefer female to male, and that’s it?”

 

"Celestia, tell me honestly, do you actually hate being a girl? What if I told you I could turn you male right now. Would you honestly take me up on it?”

 

“Would you actually do it?” I ask, wondering if I really want to be male once again.

 

“You’re just lying to yourself Celestia being a god has its perks and I can read your heart. I know for a fact you actually enjoy your new body and hate your old one.”

 

“While that is true, if my old body wasn’t a fat piece of garbage, my mind could change.” My words were so small, as if I was hoping she wouldn’t even hear them.

 

“That doesn’t sound very convincing. I will give you one chance; just say yes or no to becoming a male. If you agree, I will change you into a very handsome man with your current features. But your power will be cut in half. It’s the price you pay going against fate.”

 

“That’s not even an option at all!” I yell at the Goddess, but at the same time I feel a sense of relief at not having to lose my current body. It’s true, I don’t hate being female, and I do love how I look.

 

“By the way Celestia, I’m very much capable of reading your mind and have been listening in on your inner monologue this whole time.”

 

Well, fuck, so I can’t keep any kind of secret from her. It’s true, that I don’t want to become a male once again. I do enjoy my current body. Not to mention, I haven’t even been able to explore it the way I truly want too.

 

“It’s not good to stay in denial, Celestia; you have to admit to yourself that you love being a girl. Say, thank you Goddess Noah for your grace of feminine charm.” Noah said with more light laughter.

 

"Well, you’re obviously enjoying yourself, Goddess Noah.” I said with a sigh as I thought about a certain blue-haired goddess.

 

“You know, Celestia, I know about all your dark secrets and about the stuff you enjoyed secretly in your past life. Would you like me to share them with Rhea?” She said with a harsher tone, “Don’t you dare compare me to some idiotic Goddess.”

 

“I’m very sorry Goddess Noah, I made a mistake! You’re right! I actually do love being a girl and wouldn’t ever consider changing back. Some part of me just wants to hold on to being male, and it was tough to let that side go. But I know deep down that I do enjoy my current body and honestly wouldn’t change it for anything.”

 

"Well, good, as long as you understand. The honest answer to your question is that your soul was more compatible with a female body. Like I said before, if you were to turn male in this world, you would have half the power of your current self. I wasn’t just pulling those numbers out of nowhere; it’s why I made the decision. The female version of you is a much truer and more powerful self.

 

“That makes me feel a lot better. Thank you very much for everything you have done for me, Goddess Noah. I truly do respect you.” I said with a bow.

 

"Well, Celestia, our time has come to an end. I will grant you your gift. The creation magic is to offset your destruction magic. There cannot be creation without destruction, just as there cannot be destruction without creation. Together, they create equilibrium and also increase the power of each other.”