She only had one left to remove. That friend Betsy had kept going to for help in the other city. She just was not sure how yet. Her Sister owed her no more favors, their Eldest would not interfere even if their was favor owed. She could manifest her power in subtle ways, she supposed, in an attempt to drive the girl insane. But that would leave traces, unlike doing so with the witch. The archer would have been as easy to remove as the witch, but she went and removed herself when she tried to face the corrupted shadow that was Betsy’s crush. She didn’t even have to lift a finger to direct that, though admittedly the girl was still alive. Still, she was seeing to that problem, it took little enough effort on her part to keep the archer from waking again.

She paused in her ruminations. She would probably need to arrange an accident for herself. Something that forces her to fade from this world, temporarily of course. It would give dear Betsy yet more of that heroic push, and when she returned it would drive Betsy further into her arms. And it would not even be that much of a stretch. Apparently the humans of this plane had plenty of tales and folklore of heroes and powerful beings coming back from seeming death.

But first, she had to deal with the last human girl. A writer of some kind. She tried to learn entertaining scandals or something and write them down for others to read. And she apparently was not even good enough for that yet, and was still in training. Perhaps some of it was due to how late humans on this plane started pursuing actual skills to provide for them throughout life. That is what she understood of the girl.

And Betsy. Dear, sweet, loyal Betsy. A new champion, and with great potential. She could not wait. Its been a while since she had one. Sure, Betsy was somewhat naive, but that wouldn’t be a problem for too long. She could just teach the girl when it comes to it. It is much more important to build up a sense of loyalty and love. She had seen what those feelings could do in mortals. And, if she played this right, Betsy might even rise to that coveted rank of Eternal Champion. There few such servants more desired among the gods.

And Betsy would be all hers. If she could find a subtle enough way to get rid of the last girl. She’d been irritated when the witch survived. That was unexpected, especially considering she’d been weakening the power the witch had, both to sabotage her efforts to create a stone that could transform a mortal’s body and to make her run out of power more easily.  After the witch still managed to defeat the minion her Sister had raised up due to the shadow’s resistance, she realized she’d need to step in or else removing the girl would become much more difficult, and likely less subtle. She even used a sword, the same weapon the foolish fighter had been using.

But how to deal with that scandal spewer. She was in a relationship. Perhaps do something to the girlfriend. A blatant attack there, and on the two especially, would be blatant. There had been no attacks outside of this town, even when Betsy and the two others she had empowered had been gone for some holiday. So what then. The girlfriend was some kind of researcher, perhaps she could introduce some virulent strain or some other contagious something to remove them both. It would look like a bad accident then. If she targeted the research institution, then she might even be able to make it look like some fault of theirs.

Strange. Betsy was facing off against the signature given off by the corrupted shadow. She was under the impression that the creature had fled, too absorbed in feelings of remorse and love to do that which it had been bidden to do. Perhaps she should check on the fight? No, breaking through that sensory deprivation that her Sister gave the creature would require enough power as to be blatantly sensed by her future Champion. She would just have to trust that Betsy would not lose to nostalgia. Besides, yet more proof of the degeneration of the shadow psyche would only do her plan good. She’ll let it play out. For now. Instead, she decided, she should deal with this visitor.

“Ah, but you ever were so skilled at breaking my toys,” her Sister’s voice drawled at her from behind.

“Of course. I have even limited myself severely in this round, after all. If I were to win every time with ease the game would grow boring. Besides, this serves as a better crucible for me dear Champion.”

“I have not seen you this invested in a toy since that hammer wielder. What was her name, again?”

“Glyndala. Strongest of Miercigans. Bravest of Braves.”

“Ahh, yes. Too bad her great strength and bravery could do little against the perils of time. And you were so sure she would reach Eternal Champion level.”

“Do you come here solely to taunt me so over the loss of loved ones, dear Sister?”

“No,” she took a sip of wine that looked suspiciously similar to the kind she described in the corrupted shadow’s apartment. “It feels like the endgame is approaching, no? Should we start with the final rule set?”

“Mm… I do believe that shall be a splendid idea. Dear Betsy will improve quite well with those, I should think. Now shoo, I do believe I sense your corrupted one fleeing once again. I do wish dear Betsy would finish it off.”

She ignored the laughing and cleaned the stench of alcohol from the room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Welcome back. I sensed a demonic presence, are you unhurt? My sister must be gaining in strength, my power’s are lessening even further. I do believe even you should be feeling the strain now,” she flickered in and out as if to drive the point further home, planning to continue intermittently for this entire conversation.

“I’m fine, thank you,” she gave a smile, her thoughts drifting to the shadow creature, before it was corrupted.

“Physically, perhaps. But is that true completely. Your grief seems deeper, now, then it has been since just after the fall of Charlene.”

“It- it was Hana. I thought she had left, a while ago. And yet she just, keeps coming back. I guess she degenerated even further.”

“Ah. Yes, the one my Sister so cruelly took from you. I must admit something. I fear that that is my fault; that she corrupted the one you desired so simply because you helped me,” she wrapped Betsy in a hug, sending a feeling of comfort and warmth and something more through the bond Betsy’s empowering created between them. “Though I must ask, did you actually care for her in the way Charlene believed you did? I was never sure.”

“Ah, I was interested. But, I don’t think I realized I was interested,” she saw an image of the corrupted shadow when it was still human flash through Betsy’s mind, wearing rather clingy clothing, and a blush lightly color Betsy’s cheeks.

She was surprised. While she had seen Betsy’s mind linger on similar images, they were never dressed in such a manner before. And recently Betsy seemed to be transferring what few moments of such thoughts she had to her. No matter, though. It was perfectly sensible that Betsy’s memories would be tinged with nostalgia. That’s all those thoughts would ever be, now. Nostalgic memories and memories of hopes. Soon even those memories will be like dusty relics of the past; the names Charlene and Kim and Johanna nothing but signs of her weakness and youth, a quaint time that Betsy will have long moved past with her help. She moved Betsy back enough to look into her Champion’s face

“Life deals us many trials, and many setbacks. We have any every right to be upset, to grieve and to rage. But then, we must move on. But we need not move on alone. I am always willing to help, in any way that is in my power.”

She smiled at Betsy, taking on the image of the greatest lovers in the the mortal media of this world. It conveyed patience and a willingness to help and an unconditional love that might need just a hint of a push to come out into the open. It was inviting but not lascivious.

“Thank you,” Betsy’s thoughts went towards her diaphanous outfits, before the young Champion forced them in a different direction, thinking instead about the witch’s funeral, which had for some reason only just happened.

She knew this was going to be a long game when she started. Nevertheless, she always wondered if it would have been quicker to have just excluded the other two girls at the beginning. While she had originally thought that leveraging them against Betsy would cause the girl to bloom into a splendid Champion sooner, and a greater one even more than that, she also might have been had better luck had she been able to get sole status as confidant.

“It is my pleasure, to help. You are dear to me, after all. I have also lost friends, before I manifested here and again recently, with the loss of dear Kim and Charlene. I would be devastated if I lost you, as well,” Betsy’s mind went to a common one for when she grieved, the three celebrating after finishing their training, before Betsy pushed it out with a determined thought that surprised her.

“I, I’ve been thinking… That is, um, wow I’m bad at this. You know what, I’m just going to.”

She had seen what Betsy was about to do. She considered beating her Champion to it, but decided it would probably be better long term to let Betsy go for it. So it was quickly indeed, that she reacted to Betsy’s kiss. It was strangely fumbling for someone who had been in a relationship, but she quickly realized that it was because Betsy was pulling up her experience with her boyfriend. Perhaps because of some strange custom of this world, they honestly had several that baffled her, perhaps due to some personal preference on Betsy’s part but it seemed like all her memories were of her on the passive, receiving end. For her part, she acted surprised and kissed back hesitantly but willingly, before they eventually stopped, an event she coincided with another flicker.

“We, we should not. I have no idea whether or not I can even remain. My Sister grows ever more powerful, and I ever weaker, and yet we still have no idea what foul ritual she is working. I do not want to hurt you further, if I cannot be saved.”

“Then just promise me you’ll be waiting. Please. I… I need something to come back to. Some one,” Betsy’s emotions were in disarray, with a deep and abiding need, and Betsy’s thoughts kept settling back on her.

“I. I cannot… Oh fie, I cannot deny you such a promise. I swear, I shall hold on, ever if I need cast off all my power to do so, I shall remain here for you.”

She actually was surprised when Betsy kissed her again, though considering her lovely Champion had decided on such an action last second she supposed she didn’t really have any more foreknowledge of the even than Betsy did. She held off on the dramatic flickering this time, letting the kiss last as long as Betsy could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have Betsy slip up in her mental protection game, the goddess gets a look and realizes Betsy is plotting against her somehow. Goes into a rage and the showdown begins

It would appear that the corrupted shadow was back again. She was surprised. Her Sister had long ago implied that that specific tool was essentially worthless, too much lingering sentiment in its instinctual actions. Perhaps Betsy was right about it degenerating further. She was not sure, her Sister had done too good a job at the sensory deprivation abilities she provided the creature; she could not see its thoughts, if it even had any to see. Still, it was strange. It seemed like Betsy had not yet dived into the creature to drive it off with her radiance from the inside. So she cast her consciousness out at her beloved Champion. She froze, then she screamed in rage, the entire pocket space erupting around her, as she gathered her power in full to bring down on her errant Champion. Plotting against her. How? Why? She tore through the girl’s mind and found it, before Betsy’s thoughts were suddenly blocked from her. That damned scandal spewer had poisoned her Champion, had she?

As she manifested fully in the inferno she’d reduced the girls’s once hideout to her eyes focused as she directed them upon a point a distance away, if you were mortal, but a mere step away for those of real power. She saw her Sister’s damnable creature, standing in the vague form of a human leaking smoke dark as the void, spitting Betsy back out. It would seem that was the reason her mental probe had been blocked. No matter. She stepped forward and was there. The shadow creature looked surprised to see her. Perhaps it did possess more lingering intelligence than she had given it credit for.

“Dear Betsy. How long have you been betraying me?”

“Not nearly as long as you’ve been betraying not just me, but Kim and Charlene as well. And Hana, selling her to your sister. And why, for some strange divine desire for some hero? What kind of sick, twisted, desire is that that you plot to kill my friends? The other people who helped you? And don’t even get me started on the fact that this is a game! With your sister?”

“Hardly a game. It is combat, as direct as we are able, structured and with rules. Perhaps you will come to understand that.”

“I have no idea what you mean. But if it means helping you further, I can guarantee you that I will not.”

“No, you will. You do not understand now, Betsy. You are mine. And if I can not bring you gently to that realization, I will break you down and reshape you around it.”

And she attacked. Betsy was not expecting that, apparently. Her fire blast caught her dear Champion dead on. The shadow, however, reacted much quicker. She quickly flowed back over Betsy, reforming in front of the disobedient Champion. She snarled, apparently her Sister had put too much power into this one. While it was quite clearly pained, it was nowhere near as greatly pained as it could. Interesting. She remembered that it was greatly pained by the radiance that Betsy fed it. And so she increased the brightness of her corona. The creature gave of a discordant, hissing scream.

“Hana!”

She barely had a chance to turn before her lovely Champion in need of disciplining slammed into her chest. Foolishly she had not been using her sword, so all Betsy managed to accomplish was staggering her back some. Her brightness remained undimmed. But apparently Betsy had picked up some unarmed skills. Grappling was something she could do easily. The combo punch follow-up was unexpected, however, throwing her for a loop. Still not enough to actually dim her magnificence. And when Betsy threw another punch she easily gripped the arm in her smoldering hand. Betsy screamed in pain.

“I will brand this lesson into your soul. So that you never again even consider such traitorous actions.”

“You don’t get to lecture to me about betrayal! You killed Charlene! You sold out Hana! And I bet you put Kim into that coma! You’ve been lying to us all at every turn! Have you ever told us the truth!”

Betsy threw her knew forward, but she dodged the blow. Betsy’s mind was raging anger and chaos, but she still thought through her moves in advance. It was simple to dodge and counter, now that she was bothering to read Betsy’s mind, open like a book as it was. Then Betsy’s thoughts changed, replaced with a memory of a conversation. The one she’d had with Charlene before killing her. Betsy’s next attack got through, her defenses easily bypassed considering her lack of actual combat experience. The blow was enough get her to loosen her grip enough for Betsy to slip free and attempt a chokehold. She didn’t need to breathe.

“You hide your thoughts from me! Is that how you were hiding this treason! How did you learn this?”

She sharpened her mind like a heated spike and thrust into Betsy’s mind. She cared not for delicacy or subtlety; she purposely barreled through like a raging boar, causing Betsy to roar in pain and fall back and away. She ransacked her naughty Champion’s mind, searching for the secret as Betsy did her best to rebuff her, crawling backwards away from the goddess. Her armor was melted and burned in most places from just the radiant heat. The parts that where Betsy had touched her looked fused to the whimpering girl. She stalked forwards slowly, engulfing Betsy in her heat and radiance, driving further into the girls mind. Then she stopped. That book. How? How, how?

“How?”

“Doesn’t matter. While you got here a bit earlier than we were expecting, I must say. You splendidly tripped the trap nonetheless,” Betsy practically slurred from the ground, her mind all but melted.

It didn’t matter. Betsy’s mind was not what was necessary for the next step. Her eyes became panicked as she tried to flee. She crashed into an iridescent cage of light and shadow. She tried to fly away, knowing it was in vain, then teleport just in case. She was trapped. And she felt her power leeching away, flowing to what appeared to be a burning shadow. She’d been played. She lunged for the corrupted shadow, but Betsy was closer and in this cage, Betsy was faster. There a cacophonous boom and she was thrown back, only to lift her head and see the shadow flowing into Betsy. The burns healed, her eyes regained clarity and focus. The shadow was raging now, like a river racing to the sea. She stood up just in time to see what looked like a woman with red and purple hair smiling tenderly at Betsy, and receiving a tender smile in return. They cupped each other’s cheeks and she saw Betsy’s mouth move. ‘I’m sorry. I should have realized sooner.’ The woman vanished, and Betsy turned towards her, eyes darkly glowing.

“I think, for once in my life, I’m going to listen to my anger,” now Betsy was the one stalking forward, her mind unreadable save for the anger plain on her face. “And you. You won’t live to regret what you’ve done.”