A Real Goddess Would Let Nobody Die

Izenakee could feel Zyriko and Suri's anticipation as the party approached the main chamber. They had met some non-mages of the Trusted Guard, but the false gods and goddesses of their world also had armed non-mage guards, who were granted special privileges. The Trusted Guard were not too far outside the norm of their experience. What they most wanted to see, what they most aspired to achieve, was a world in which average non-mages did whatever they pleased, not just a select few given oversight roles.

Zyriko in particular had seen the worst of it. The Zyzz lineage's treatment of its non-mages was brutal and tyrannical. Fail to show 'the proper respect' to a mage? Punishment. Refuse to 'breed' with whomever your owner told you to? Punishment. Object to the scattering of your family? Punishment. Harbor resentment that your 'red god' masters detected? They would break you, or you would die. Pray to Izenakee? Summary execution. Zyriko had felt it all empathically, and had been forced to smother his ever-growing outrage to avoid detection.

It was remarkable, a testament both to his character and to the depth of his spite for his unforgivable parents, that he had remained sane until contacting Izenakee for the first time. She had never in all of Her millennia respected anyone's dedication to The Creed more than Zyriko's as a child. He had reasoned its tenets out himself, despite being raised by anathema on a planet ruled by them. Many red mages had lived on Zyriko's world during the time Izenakee had been active on it. Only this one had contacted Her.

Today, he and Suri would see non-mages walking around freely, families intact, in a Temple built and operated mostly by non-mages, of their own volition, out of gratitude and reverence toward a set of immortal mage Sisters.

Hmm. It was important that Izenakee's guests not misunderstand what they were about to see.

<We are about to enter,> She announced. <Please keep in mind that My aura makes people unsteady and emotional in much the same way that you have felt yourselves, and that everyone in this chamber will feel the same general awe that you experienced in the Temple of the Stars. You may see things superficially similar to what is demanded of non-mages on your world. Do not misunderstand: We demand nothing. On the contrary, We strongly discourage anything beyond kneeling. Everything you will see is spontaneous and voluntary.>

Izenakee and Her Sisters would have discouraged kneeling, too, if They had not been aware that it was already a lost cause, and something most people simply needed to do, to feel properly respectful.

Neither Suri nor Zyriko replied--they knew it was unnecessary, when speaking with Izenakee--but both were mentally nodding to themselves.

The party waited by the door to the main chamber while the Guard made preparations, then entered. Twilight pranced and twirled at the front. She had been enjoying Her slight buoyancy lately, especially the way Her hair flowed gracefully in Her wake when She did spins. Izenakee sympathized: even She gasped regularly at the sight of Her Sister's new form.

Twilight had, from birth, inherited Menelyn's white mana coloring and daintiness. Combining this with Her fabulous pop star aesthetic and equally sparkly personality, plus the effect of Menelyn's spells, She had already been the consensus Goddess of Beauty. Now, Her Own glittering and transparent ultraviolet mana coloring had superimposed itself onto Menelyn's baseline. Such a double-dose of magical infusions produced a truly supernatural appearance, possible only for Twilight's unique origin, but then, since She was Luck Herself, She got a little extra bonus: Her diaphanous, airy appearance was even further enhanced by Her developing buoyancy.

Thus, Beauty Herself was a celestial fairy, transcendently ethereal, liable to sublime at any moment into the glittering Divine Light from which She had materialized.

Naturally, She was the focus of attention as They entered the main Dome, which hushed immediately. The Temple's patrons were so captivated that Izenakee was spared most of the typical wave of adoration.

Many inside were already sitting or kneeling, to cope with Izenakee's aura, or out of respect in anticipation of the Goddesses' entry. Many of those not already on the ground dropped where they were when the Goddesses walked through the door, some more gracefully than others.

Izenakee looked around the chamber, to show Zyriko and Suri what a world free of anathema looked like. Unfortunately, the Goddesses' presence was badly distorting this scene, as it would any that Izenakee could show directly. Aside from parents whispering explanations in their children's ears, the chamber was mostly kneeling or sitting in silence. Even so, Izenakee could feel that Suri and Zyriko were moved. These people’s clothing and health and demeanor and autonomy were a stark contrast to the oppressed non-mages of their world. They were clearly here by choice. This reverence had been earned, not extracted.

On that note, it was time to get to work.

<The woman waiting for You, third on Your left, is in pain. Arthritis, I think,> Izenakee told Menelyn. <Twilight, could You call the birds here?>

Anticipating a likely question, Izenakee explained to Zyriko and Suri.

<We have a few pet birds, flightless, who normally accompany Us. They are in a different Sanctuary now, the one nearest to the Temple of the Stars. As you can see, most people struggle to approach Us. Some who come to meet Us are excited at first, eager to introduce themselves and meet what they think of as a kind of celebrity, but this usually transitions into quiet awe and hesitation when they see the reality, and when they feel it. As We get closer, they feel My Love more and more strongly, they see Menelyn and Izena's brilliant-but-transparent aura, and all the rest. It's too much.>

Izenakee could feel that Her listeners completely understood.

<The birds are very innocent and friendly, and their nature can make people more comfortable. Their goofiness breaks tension, softening any sense of Us being above the concerns of mortals, too exalted to annoy with 'petty' problems like debilitating grief or arthritis. We have derpy pet birds who love everyone, so it must be alright to chat with Us. It is well-known that We want people to feel comfortable speaking with Us, to speak as they would with anyone else, but you have seen how We appear. Even knowing that We are friendly, knowing that We want to help you, it is still not so easy to walk up to a Goddess and ask for Her time. People used to have an easier time with Kennalaria, but not anymore.>

The pair still made no reply, only continuing to watch, and giving that same sense of mentally nodding to themselves.

<That said, We do actually have things to do right now, with you. The birds will be good helpers in the meantime.>

By now, Menelyn was already kneeling next to the woman Izenakee had pointed out. She was staring at the ground, wide-eyed.

"Good morning," Menelyn cooed. "My Sister can feel that you are in pain. I can heal you. Is that alright?"

Seeing no objection and with Izenakee's confirmation that it was very much alright, Menelyn grasped the woman's hand and shoulder, to cast a healing spell. It made her glow briefly, and gasp. Menelyn's spells were injections of liquid euphoria, even for someone healthy, mixed with the warmth of feeling cherished. This patient currently felt like she could jump across rivers, age be damned. Izenakee passed Her knowledge of the woman's state, through the link.

<Anyone can come for this?> Zyriko asked, finally breaking the pair's silence.

<Yes. And, do you see that Pool there?>

<...A Pool of liquid sunlight can only be a Pool of the Sun Goddess' mana.>

<Correct. It is essentially a healing elixir, called Salvation's Essence. There is a Pool of Salvation like that one in every Temple. My Sister keeps them all filled, and anyone can enter. This woman traveled here to see if it would help her. It would have helped, but My Sister's spells are a much faster, more effective fix.>

Menelyn was still with Her patient, accompanying her through a religious experience. Every health problem in her body had just been eliminated within two seconds of being enveloped by the Light of the Salvation Goddess. She had felt Her Compassion rush through her body. And that radiant Goddess, smiling softly, sitting outside reality right in front of her, dust scoured from the air in Her vicinity, would never ask anything in return. Who wouldn't be feeling pious?

Izenakee stared at the Pool while waiting for Her Sister, since She could feel that Her guests wanted Her to. Eventually, Zyriko broke the silence again.

<Do You look for people who need healing, or do they come to You, like this?>

<The vast majority of people that Menelyn heals are diagnosed by physicians as cases beyond help for anyone but the Salvation Goddess, and are transferred to the nearest city that hosts one of Our Temples. Menelyn visits all the hospitals in each city whenever We arrive, and heals all such patients. Advanced cancer is the most common single cause. This healing circuit is Our primary task, and the primary reason that We travel from city to city frequently.>

Next, Izenakee couldn't resist bragging a little. She was deeply proud of what Her elder Sisters had accomplished, this society that They had raised from the ashes.

<My Sister's healing includes resurrecting those who have died before their time. On Our Garden, premature death is an illness that the Salvation Goddess heals.>

Again, both Suri and Zyriko were silent for a while, until Suri at last had something to say.

<If You had asked me, I would have been more surprised if resurrection wasn't within Her power. But still, to hear the words, confirmation, that the White Goddess not only heals any disease, but undoes death routinely, that death requires Her permission...>

Suri trailed off, and collected her thoughts.

<The non-mages of our world tend to believe that You live in a separate dimension, a Divine Realm where there is no disease, no pain, where everyone pursues whatever makes them happy, and no one wants for anything. I understand that they are technically mistaken, that You were born in our same Universe and live in it, like us, but the vast majority of non-mages have no education. They have no way to understand things like planets orbiting Suns and stars being other Suns and the vastness of interstellar distances. Stars may as well be points of light that represent paths to alternate dimensions beyond the sky. So, I cannot distinguish their belief from this reality that I see. What is the difference? Are You not literal Goddesses living in an everlasting Divine Realm of Your Own making?>

<The short answer is: There is none, only a difference in vocabulary,> Menelyn replied while returning to Izenakee. Twilight was off doing Her Luck and Joy routine somewhere else, with the birds.

Izenakee admired this aspect of Her Sister. As awkward as identifying as a Goddess made Menelyn feel, She knew Who She was, and never turned away from the reality.

<When I realized that, I accepted that I was, literally, the Goddess of Salvation. Not a Goddess because people thought I was one. The reverse. People believed that I was a Goddess, because I am a Goddess. I accepted that these feelings of reverence and gratitude and religious devotion, that lead people to build Temples in My name and worship Me in them, are inevitable consequences of being a Goddess Who provides blessings freely. What else can be the response to a helper of the highest class? Rejecting those sentiments or denying that reality would be diffidence, had always been diffidence, not humility.>

She paused for a moment. Izenakee could feel Izena's blazing approval, and how proud Kennalaria was of Who She came from.

<I just get butterflies. I still remember being a helpless, starving, filthy five-year-old at a refugee camp, an orphan wondering if she had any right to be alive. Now I am Hope Herself, I don't need to eat, clothing that I haven't worn in millennia keeps its exhibit clean, and there are no longer any orphans because I do not grant death that privilege. For the rest of the long answer, let's go to the museum, and recount Our history. Kennalaria and the birds can handle things here.>

"The Others must go to the Sanctum, now, but I will be here!" Kennalaria sang to the Dome. "And Our birds will be with Me!"

Izenakee, Menelyn and Their escort crossed to the museum entrance with a few waves, nods, and smiles, then walked inside.