Jack and Diana looked at the annoyed faces of the Goddesses with varying degrees of confusion and worry.
“Indeed, this was always a possibility,” Lisaseron said. “For them to check this world more thoroughly- especially in the light of our powerful initial strike and... other preparations- is quite reasonable.”
“We aren't under immediate threat, at least,” Syraviel said. “But things are going to get more hectic real soon.”
“So, what's the plan?” Jack said. “ We hide under here until this search blows over?”

Syraviel shook her head.
“Sorry, Jack,” Syraviel said. “The dome's external camouflage and silhouette distortion won't hold up to serious examination. Hiding won't work. We're going to get Alicia ready and then we're going to move out.”
Jack felt a sense of unease pass through Alicia before he sensed the girl communicating with Syraviel.
***
“What do you mean, 'get me ready'?” Alicia asked. “I am extremely not ready. You saw my Innate. Are you going to 'teach' me and then I magically figure out my path?”
“Like I said, we'll get you ready,” Syraviel said. “It's time for you to wake up Alicia. We can't have Jack carrying you around all the time.”
“But my soul is-”
“Your soul is going to be fine,” Syraviel said. “Did you really think I didn't have any other ways to stabilize a Rank One soul? ”
“You lied to me.”

“Oh honey... don't be like that. I wanted you to continue your soulwork as long as possible. Do you know how rare the chance to do extended soulwork is at your level? Honestly! This is such a missed opportunity!”
“It doesn't matter,” Alicia said. “I was right not to trust you two. You're both liars.”

Syraviel shrugged.
“We're not trying to hurt you, we just want you two to grow quickly.” Syraviel said. 
“Oh, my bad,” Alicia said. “I guess I'm just an idiot. I must be too stupid to see through your great, divine plan. Please. I saw what Lisaseron was willing to do to herself just to keep this mission from crashing and burning. If that's how you treat yourselves, it's pretty obvious how you intend to treat us. We're cannon fodder. Expendable. Loose cannons you can fire and forget.”
Syraviel looked to Lisaseron, mentally communicating what the girl said.
“Alicia,” Diana said. “Think about what you're saying. The Goddesses have constantly been teaching and helping you out. You've made an incredible amount of progress in just five days. Sure, they can be a little pushy but they mean well-”
“Diana, stop,” Alicia said. “I like you, but you need to back the fuck off. This is between me and these Goddesses.”
Diana shrugged her shoulders.
“Play nice, you crazy kids.” she said.

“Alicia,” Lisaseron said. “These words you speak and the suspicion you harbor... it seems that you will not be swayed.”

“It's not just her,” Jack said. “As much as it pains me to agree with Alicia- especially when I can't hear whatever she's saying in her little fucked up place- you can't deny it. I said it earlier and I don't mind saying it again. You two are sketchier than pencils scratchings on paper.”
Lisaseron raised an eyebrow at the boy. Syraviel rubbed her temples.
“Anything else?” Syraviel asked.
“Even though you're a siren leading me to my doom, I still want to blow your back out, Syraviel.”
Syraviel attempted to keep her face neutral but a small corner of the Goddess's mouth lifted up
“Anything to add, Alicia?” Syraviel asked.

When Alicia didn't say anything more, Syraviel sighed.

She turned to Lisaseron.
“I think you were right. We'll go through with what you suggested.”
“Both of them,” Lisaseron said. “This only works with both of them.”
Syraviel clicked her tongue.

Jack felt a pang of unease.
"What's going on?" Jack asked. "What are you talking about 'both of them'?"
Syraviel held up a finger to him while she turned to Alicia.

“Alright, Alicia. Just letting you know, that fixing your soul isn't going to be pretty. Buckle up, honey.”
She turned to Jack and passed him a new bottle of soul elixir.

“Give her forty drops of the soul elixir,” Syraviel said.
“Forty drops?” Jack asked. “Two at a time already felt like-”
“Yes, Jack, I am well aware,” Syraviel said. “Forty drops and then I want you and Diana to walk over to that corner. We don't want you caught in the crossfire.”
"Crossfire?" Alicia and Jack asked.
"Yes, Crossfire," Syraviel said. "She's going to need all forty drops of that soul elixir."
"But what is-"
"I asked for forty drops, not twenty questions, Jack," Syraviel said. "If you doubt me so much, why would I waste my time explaining something to you? Are you going to believe me?”
Jack thought about it for a second and nodded in acknowledgment.
“What if I just want to hear your lovely voice?” Jack asked. “Knowing the Siren's song means death, doesn't make it any less beautiful.”

Syraviel rolled her eyes at the boy.
“Forty drops. Don't overpour."
Jack hesitated before he opened Alicia's mouth, counting each drop of elixir falling in.

Rejuvenation flooded through Alicia. She could barely even feel pain from the new wounds that appeared in her soul as they healed so quickly. By fifteen drops, her soul swelled, feeling as if it was about to burst.
“Faster, Jack,” Syraviel said.
A massive headache built in Alicia's temples, while Jack poured out the remaining drops down her throat.

The boy backed away with Diana. Lisaseron and Syraviel sat down side by side with Alicia, looking down on the girl. Alicia's aura surged up as the girl broke into convulsions.
“Sorry about this, dear,” Lisaseron said. “We do what we must.”

The two Goddesses unleashed their auras onto Alicia, tamping down on her aura and the soul elixir. Alicia screamed, feeling as if her mind and soul was caught between two molten hammers. Her sense of time and self warped as the overwhelming regeneration of the elixir, her innate and the horrific auras of the two Goddesses blended together.

In the mix of it all, she felt the rampant power of the elixir trying to burst out of her soul. In her soul space, a piercing prismatic light and a sharp line of pure shadow pressed against the rampaging force of the elixir, forcing the medicine deeper. The tyrannical elixir wedged its way into every little wound she had on her soul, healing and rehealing until it expunged every last bit of her leftover aura outside of her Innate. The bright and shadow auras swept around the external parts of her soul multiple times, checking and rechecking their work. When they were satisfied, they used their auras to push the soul elixir deeper, forcing it against the boundaries of Alicia's Innate.

Tears flowed down Alicia's actual face as she trembled in agony. Slowly, the soul elixir's vigorous nature weakened, congealing around her Innate. The dark and shining aura continued to hammer the solidifying elixir around the girl's Innate until it formed a tightly sealed barrier for her unruly aura.
Alicia breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the strength of her Innate wane.

"Thanks," she said. "You know you could've just done this earlier. Was that so hard?"

She felt two odd presences appear, similar to the Goddesses yet completely off. 

The girl looked around and flinched back, seeing two pairs of eyes looking at her from above her soul space. A blindingly bright pair of eyes stared imperiously at her while another glared menacingly from the dark. A sense of dread filled the girl.
“W-We're done, right?” Alicia asked.

“Recruit.” A harsh voice echoed. “Bare your soul. Reveal your colors.”

Visions appeared before her. She tried to see the pupils behind the visions but her brain wasn't responding properly. She felt her thoughts repeating themselves four times, each time they popped into her head. She saw the pupils again, memories of her life overlapping with the eyes.
“Recruit,” A cruel voice spat. “Bare your soul. Reveal your colors.”

She saw herself quietly spreading rumors about a rival and then framing one of her old enemies, watching them both tear into each other. She had to suppress a giggle every time she saw them slowly ruining their own and each other's lives. She saw herself planting drugs in a girl's locker, one who'd always backtalked her. She remembered feeling giddy with intense anticipation welling up in her stomach as she waited for the inevitable bust, the kind of excitement cheesy Christmas movies could only dream of inspiring in children. Finally, she saw herself talking to Jack about what she'd seen of the Unceasing planet's defenses and how powerful they were.

The scenes vanished. The two pairs of eyes regarded her with a more placid gaze.
“Pledge yourself, Recruit.” The harsh voice said.
“Pledge yourself, Recruit.” The cruel voice said.

“You two are so fucked up,” Alicia said. “You know what? No. I'm not pledging. What are you going to do about it? Stare at me?”

“Pledge yourself or suffer annihilation.” The cruel voice said.
“Pledge yourself or face your unmaking.” The harsh voice said.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Alicia asked. “Syraviel? Lisaseron? When are you going to stop this automated voicemachine and talk to me?”
“PLEDGE!”

The auras pressed down on her, soaking her mind in pain and loss. She saw armies drowning in their own rotting blood and hulking beasts torn apart by invisible slashes. She turned her head away only to find barrages of lasers tearing stars asunder and horrific winds flaying the flesh off oversized, monstrous bones.

A horrible pain burst in her throat. With her remaining consciousness, she tried to see if a vein had ruptured in her neck. She quickly realized she'd torn apart her vocal cords- her real body was screaming uncontrollably.

“Alicia! Alicia! What the hell is going on?” Jack thought at her.
"Expand Pledge.” The cruel voice said.

The visions stopped. She suddenly felt Jack's presence right next to her. His soul form appeared right next to hers.
“Where the hell is- Holy shit. ” he said.

The eyes reappeared, staring down at Jack.
“Recruit, bare your soul. Reveal your colors.” the harsh voice said.

TheAscendentQuill

Took me awhile with this one. Had to rewrite and tweak this one a bit. I've ended up what was supposed to be one chapter into two. This is a pivotal moment and I didn't want to mess it up. Pretty happy with what I've got, compared to what I started with. It's been an absolute blast working on this chapter and the next. Supremely spicy stuff.

Let me know if you see any errors or discrepancies. As always thanks for the support!