[X] Dark Mirror
The feeling of your power falling into place once it has been reconfigured is a satisfying one. However, you cannot dwell on your reclaimed power just yet. Maki is largely unaware of the powers that she can obtain through wielding you properly. You will need to rectify that.
You wait until Maki returns to her home to sleep and once she has fallen into the abyss of unconsciousness that is slumber, you tap into your connection with her to finally speak with your wielder for the first time. Spreading your awareness into her soul, you are surprised to find that she has a soul sanctum where her subconscious self should lie within. It is a simple matter for you to slip through the cracks in the still-developing sanctum though and there you find Maki.
And she is not alone.
She is with another. The other being within Maki's sanctum appears at first glance to be an older version of her. However, as you look on in secret, you realise something.
You know who this other one is. Not only that, your sight pierces through the veil of benevolence that they project and you see what they are.
Ever since you were finally freed from that prison, your anger and hatred cooled down to embers as the relief and wonders of life, even by proxy, were yours once more. But now, you see a threat. You see an enemy. You see one of the Light that you have sworn to do battle with until the world is free from their callous influence.
Here in this place, you have only your soul and mind at your disposal and even then Maki's soul can only handle by a small portion of your full might.
And it is far more than enough to pass judgement upon an agent of the Light.
……..
……..
It didn't take long for Maki to return home. All things considered, she didn't actually do much tonight. All she did was go spelunking underground and found some undead zombie ghost skeleton legion thing which promptly died the moment she got her sword into it. Which was probably evil since it ate said ghost zombie monster thing. She was gonna have to tell Barnaby when she met up with the others.
Damn her magical girl moral obligations!
By that was a problem for future Maki. Current and soon to be past Maki needed her beauty sleep. All she hoped for was that she didn't get any weird dreams or the usual crap she gets when she falls asleep.
…
Maki's eyes opened up to a large fancy hall that had all these banners, wall trophies, weapon racks, and a bunch of fancy-schmancy stuff that she hated.
"Maki Yamamoto. We must talk." God damn it. "Please remember that I'm a part of your so I know what you're thinking. I do not take too kindly to your attitude, my successor."
"Fuck you, bitch." Maki simply replied, receiving a glare of disdain from the woman in front of her. The woman who claimed to be her past life as well as the source of her Crystal Star powers.
Ever since she and the others awakened to the powers of the Crystal Stars, every now and then, they would receive these dreams where they would get a chance to speak with the spiritual echo of their predecessors. Their past lives so to speak. Usually, their predecessors would give out advice, help sort the Crystal Star's thoughts, or just be a friendly face for their bewildered and often overwhelmed successors.
However, in Maki's case. she was not thrilled with the fact that some lady named Mira, claiming to be her in a previous life, was trying to control how she should act as a Crystal Star. Always going on how to use her powers, how to talk to other people, how she should be respectful to the leader of the Crystal Stars, or how she should put more effort into how she looks. Maki could only think of her previous self as some stuck-up try-hard bitch who thought they knew better than everyone else.
At first glance, they seemed pretty similar in both appearance and even personality to some degree. Perhaps that was why Maki always felt that Mira rubbed her the wrong way despite her good intentions. Opposites attract and likes repel.
At any rate, Maki resigned herself to another lambasting from her "Superior" predecessor. Or so she thought until she noticed that Mira wasn't talking. Instead, they seemed to be thinking about something important and were unsure of whether to talk about it or not.
"Hey, what gives? Usually, you'll be telling me that I should more "knightly" or be more polite to my commander or some other crap like that. And if you give me that you can't tell until I'm ready crap, I'm gonna explode you." The threat was ultimately a futile one. In this place within her soul, any harm that was done to either of them would be gone in an instant. Mira, however, screws her face up in thought before letting out a sigh and gives Maki a serious look.
"Even though I know what you're going to say, Maki, I'm going to just say it anyway. Get rid of that sword." Mira demanded. The usual arrogance was gone and in its place was a grim gravitas.
"No way. It's friggin awesome." Unfortunately, Mira was right on the money about Maki.
"And this is why we can't have nice things," Mira muttered darkly as they rubbed their forehead in exasperation. "Maki, you yourself have acknowledged that the sword has an evil presence and therefore should not be treated as a toy. Thus I implore you to either throw that sword into the middle of the ocean, a deep dark hole or better yet, give it to your advisor and let him deal with it."
"Pfft, I said no. It's cool. It's not trying to hurt me or anything. I can tell. I have good instincts. Plus I found it in what was essentially a deep multidimensional hole in the first place so ditching it in another hole would defeat the purpose of taking it."
"Forgive me if I find your lack of caution very concerning but I must insist that you at least stop interacting with it as soon as possible." Something was off. Although it seemed like the usual Mira, Maki couldn't help but feel that Mira was unusually obstinate about the sword. Almost as if she was…
"Oh my god, you scared of the sword, aren't you? You know where it came from don't you! Tellmetellmetellme!" Having caught a glimpse of Mira's true feelings, Maki was not going to give up on learning more about the true nature of the sword. Mira, having been caught out, gritted her teeth before taking a deep breath and answering Maki's inquiry.
"It is familiar to me but I do not yet know why. All I know is that I have a bad feeling about it and that it is better off gone. Trust me on this. I have far more experience than you could possibly ever imagine in dealing with this kind of thing."
"Tch, whatever! You are so totally scared of the sword so I'm gonna keep it so-" Whatever Maki was going to say next was interrupted when Mira grabbed Maki by her shoulder and pulled her up to her face.
"You don't understand!" Mira shouted, her desperation now clear. Up close, Maki could now see the dread in her predecessor's eyes. "That accursed sword is evil! I might not remember where or when I first saw it but I know without a doubt that the essence of that sword is nothing but pure evil!"
"Get off of me! Chill the fuck out!" Maki complained as she struggled to escape Mira's clutches with little success. She'd underestimated how badly Mira was effected by the sword's appearance. If it was twigging Mira this bad, maybe it was a bad idea to keep the sword around.
"Not until you promise to get rid of that sword as soon as possible!" Mira demanded, shaking Maki as she did so.
"F-Fine! I promise to - " Maki began when she felt it.
Someone else was in her soul place. One moment there was only Maki and Mira in the ornate hall, the next Maki could feel a stifling presence weigh down upon her.
It appeared that Mira had also felt it since she stopped shaking Maki and unceremoniously dropped her on the ground. Without giving a care about Maki, Mira looked around the hall wildly, trying to figure out where the strange overpowering aura was coming from.
"Show yourself, interloper! Or suffer my wrath!" Mira demanded, summoning a circle of fireballs around her to show that she wasn't bluffing. While Mira could do no lasting harm to Maki for they were connected on a spiritual, the same could not be said for outsiders. Even in this dream place, Maki could feel Mira's strength. Whatever she disliked about Mira, Maki had to admit that Mira was stronger than her current self.
Moments passed by before the source of the aura revealed itself.
A deep black shadow appeared between Mira and Maki before something arose of its dark depths. It was none other than the sword that Mira and Maki had been arguing about earlier. Upon seeing the sword that had appeared within Maki's soul palace (or whatever it was called, Maki hardly ever paid attention to trivial stuff like that), Mira let out an angry snarl and pointed at the blade. The fireballs circling Mira twisted themselves into glowing hot spears of flames before launching themselves at near-supersonic speeds at the sword.
Maki who was watching almost missed seeing what happened next. In an instant, the sword moved far faster than Mira's attack, smashing through the flames before absorbing them as it did with the undead ghost thing from earlier. It then returned to floating between Mira and Maki, the former gobsmacked that her attack did absolutely nothing save perhaps feed the sword.
The intense pressure that the sword had been emanating earlier had also disappeared, letting Maki breathe more easily.
"Impossible! No...What are you!?" Mira demanded, summoning forth twice as many fireballs as before, this time holding herself back from attacking. Maki didn't know what to make of the situation. Her sword had suddenly appeared within her soul palace that only she and Mira should have been able to access. Yet despite the overwhelming pressure from earlier, she felt no ill intentions from the sword.
No, that wasn't right.
Maki could feel no hostility towards her from the sword. Towards Mira however, Maki could sense the sword's anger and disgust towards her predecessor.
I REMEMBER YOU.
Rather hear it, the words seemed to appear in Maki's head even though they were not directed at her. No, they were for Mira who seemed surprised at actually receiving a response. Huh, looks like her sword was sentient, neat.
I KNOW YOU THIRD SEAT OF THE ASTRAL KNIGHTHOOD.
Maki had no clue what this Astral Knighthood was but it looked like Mira did, judging by how her face paled upon hearing those words. Maki couldn't help but feel strangely detached from whatever was happening before her.
"Y-You know of the Crystal Stars' original form?!" Mira asked, clearing shocked that someone recognised her as well as her origins.
I SEE WHAT YOU TRULY ARE, ASTRAL KNIGHT. I SEE THE EVIL YOU HAVE WROUGHT WEIGHING DOWN UPON YOU.
Without warning, the sword stabbed itself into the floor, forming a web of cracks that spread out across the floor. It then pulled itself out of the floor and continued floating in the air while the cracks continued to spread out, reaching the walls and growing up them as well. Maki watched as the cracks in the floor disappeared while the walls began to flake off, revealing something behind them.
Within seconds, the walls of Maki's soul palace had been replaced by windows. In each window, a scene was being played out, one that Maki was very familiar with. It was her very first meeting with Mira from almost a year ago. There her past self stood in bewilderment as Mira appeared before them in the same hall as they were in before the sword tore down the walls.
"Greetings to you, my successor. I am your predecessor, Mira Nova, and I am here to help."
It was just as Maki had remembered though it was kinda weird seeing the same scene play out in all the mirrors that had replaced the walls. Maki, as well as Mira, were confused.
What exactly was her sword trying to show them?
HOW MANY, ASTRAL KNIGHT?
Suddenly static appeared in the mirror, briefly covering up Maki's first meeting with Mira before the scene began replaying again from the beginning.
Only...this time, where Maki was standing, there was a different girl. Appearance-wise, the girl in Maki's place looked similar to Maki. Mira was unchanged, still wearing her uniform and standing proudly as they were the first time.
"Greetings to you, my successor. I am your predecessor, Mira Nova, and I am here to help."
Maki's eyes widened upon hearing the exact same words Mira gave in greeting this other girl. Maki glanced towards Mira, hoping for an explanation but stopped when she saw the cold look in Mira's eyes as they watch the scene play out before them.
Another burst of static and the girl had changed again.
"Greetings to you, my successor. I am your predecessor, Mira Nova, and I am here to help."
Again, the same greeting.
HOW MANY, ASTRAL KNIGHT?
More static and yet another different girl.
"Greetings to you, my successor. I am your predecessor, Mira Nova, and I am here to help."
A chill ran down Maki's spine as she watched the same scene repeat itself over and over again, each time with a different girl. She soon noticed that the girls all seemed to come from different periods in time due to their clothes and appearances. Only Mira stayed unchanged in every repeat of what was meant to be a new Crystal Star's meeting with their predecessor.
HOW MANY LIVES HAVE YOU STOLEN, ASTRAL KNIGHT?
It didn't take long for Maki to connect the dots.
"Mira. What happened to my predecessor?" Maki asked. Inwardly, the teenage girl was hoping that Mira would deny the crimes that her sword was accusing her of. However, she just knew that there was no falsehood in her sword's words. And whatever trust she might have had for Mira had been shattered the moment she understood what the sword was trying to tell her.
Mira was silent for several seconds before letting out a sigh and giving Maki a chiding smile.
"In order to defeat the forces of Darkness, we the Crystal Stars are destined to burn brightly as a beacon of light and justice to all. However, what we burn is rather subjective. To preserve the skills and experience that we have built up over so many generations, we simply need another soul to burn for the sake of the greater good."
It didn't take an idiot to tell Maki what Mira was getting at.
"Then every Crystal Star before me, you pretended to be their mentor and their previous incarnation when in fact you were sacrificing their lives so that you could continue doing...whatever it is that you're trying to do?!" Maki cried out with reproach.
"There is no greater duty that the revival of the Astrastellia Kingdom. No sacrifice is too great to usher in a new golden age for all of humanity. Even if you do not understand, Maki, that is fine. There is no greater glory for one such as yourself to become a burning star that will burn away all evil and obstacles that stand before the Crystal Stars' greatest wish." Mira declared as her voice changed from that of an adult scolding a child to that of a zealot.
"Wait...Is it...Is it the same for the others!?" Maki asked when the realisation hit her. Were the souls of her friends being cultivated just so they can be turned into fuel for the sake of the original Crystal Stars' ambitions?
"Indeed it is. Do not fret, Maki. For once I have dealt with this intruder, I shall take away your memories of this revelation and we can continue as we were before."
THAT SHALL NOT HAPPEN.
"Oh? And why is that? Here within the sanctum that I created, I am at my most powerful. You surprised me earlier but I was holding back my power. This time, you shall face the full might of the Third Seat of the Astral Knights!"
THEN I SHALL ALL BRING TO BEAR ALL OF MY STRENGTH.
With that, the sword suddenly lit up as black and purple flames erupted from its blade. The flames then formed a tall figure that held the flaming sword in one hand. A ring of light then burst forth from its chest, transforming the flames into black metal. Where once a sword had been floating, there was now a tall armoured knight clad in cold black steel, ready for battle. Maki could only feel awe at the sight of the knight. Mira, on the other hand, gaped in horror, her mouth opening and closing as words refused to form on her lips for several moments before she forced herself to speak.
"No no no no no! It can't be! How are you still alive!?"
EVEN IF MY BODY TURNS TO DUST, EVEN IF MY BONES BECOME STONE, EVEN IF I HAD LOST MY ORIGINAL BODY, MY SOUL STILL BURNS WITH WRATH. MY MIND STILL REMEMBERS THE ATROCITIES OF THE LIGHT AND DARK. MY HEART STILL BEATS WITH THE DESIRE TO FREE ALL OF MANKIND FROM YOUR ILK!
"N-No matter! You overestimate yourself, Ebon Lord! You are now just a soul trespassing upon my domain! I cannot be defeated here in my sanctum!"
I AM THE EBON LORD. ALLOW ME TO TEST THAT THEN!
…
Maki had only one thought as she moved away from the middle of the hall where a fight was about to unfold.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
….
….
A battle for Maki's soul is about to begin.
On one side is one of the original Astral Knights, empowered by generations of stolen lives and in the heart of their sanctum.
On the other side is you. Here in this place, you can fully utilise the strength of your soul that has endured eons of imprisonment, tempering it and strengthening it to an absurd level.
There is only one end to this battle.
The question is how this battle shall be fought.
How will you fight?
[ ] With overwhelming power. Your might toppled entire kingdoms. Your strength is unmatched. Crush your foe with devastating power and brutality. Show them how weak they truly are.
[ ] With ruthless precision. You need only perform a single blow. A single strike is all it takes to lay low your foes. Each strike you make is one that seeks to end the battle.
[ ] With blistering speed. Rain down a storm of blows upon your foe. Bring to them death by a thousand cuts. Show them a slow and painful death.
...
Also, what do you look like?
[ ] A
[ ] B
[ ] C
[ ] D
[ ] Write-in
