TO Rewrite: B4 — 4. Butter’s Offer

Quick Edit: After talking with one of the proofreaders, I decided to quickly add a part with White and leadership. Just a few lines that seem appropriate, given the situation.

PoV:

1. Rachel Park (Our Awakened MC!)

TO Rewrite Index

Previous Chapter

In-line Edit

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With the lingering rattle of chains echoing through Rachel’s mind as she watched Adoncia walk straight into the shattered Crystal, vanishing immediately. Above, the radiant clouds remained, obscuring the sun-lit heavens, the airship hovering overhead, cannons still aimed at the golden-haired woman.

I suppose that solves that question. Even if there’s a Crystal Break, you can still travel between worlds. Everything’s smoothing over, but misfortune’s threads…are tight, to say the least. I can see why Yseress and Izanami didn’t want to be anywhere close to this portal… Butter’s a totally different kind of animal.

She glanced away from the retracted aureate aura as White, the CEO of Fable, moved to join her team. Red, Gray, Green, and a very reluctant Black were converging on the dark-haired beauty; the rat woman’s tail was stiff as a board, and she kept looking toward Red and Butter, clearly perturbed about more than a few things. Rachel couldn’t blame her.

Scarlet hovered nearby, focus never leaving the golden woman while she engaged with Tom, Barbara, and several others, including a bewildered El Santo. Wakalapi stood off to the side with his chief, observing with stoic faces, much like many of the unsure and reluctantly hopeful soldiers or private military contractors.

Grace was swift to skip up to them, a big grin on her face. “What an entrance, boss? How’d ya know the goddess lady just wanted to play a few games?”

[Beastial Instincts III] and [Bringer of Misfortune III] were going crazy, even without a trace of malice from Butter.

“Flipping misfortune,” Scarlet huffed, arms crossed and glaring at the bubbly conqueror like a snake that could bite at any moment. “Look at her, just moving around like she’s our friend or something. Yeah, no, I don’t trust her. When I look inside her, she’s like…not even human! It’s weird and I don’t like it. Rachel, she canceled my Soul Expansion! Like, how?” she grumbled.

Rachel flexed her fingers before lifting her gaze to the blinding clouds, their radiance eradicating every shadow. [Strategic Mind III] ran circles around everything she’d listened to while Nike stabilized her soul’s disharmony.

“I plan to find out. In the meantime, Grace, how do you feel about going through the portal and checking out what’s on the other side?” she asked, shifting her head to give the cowgirl a challenging smirk that made the brunette’s muscles tighten a tad.

Scarlet’s eyes widened, leaving Butter for the first time. “Wait, Rachel, that’s too dangerous. What if there’s an ambush on the other side?!”

Rachel kept her focus on their newest member as she processed the inquiry; she did ask how she felt and not give an order.

Only a few seconds after Scarlet’s veto, Grace grinned and tilted her hat up with a thumb, eyes gleaming like sun off a tin roof. “Rach, sugar, you ain’t even gotta butter the biscuit. I was born for that kinda crazy.”

She jerked her head toward the pulsing portal, the hum of raw energy makin’ her braid twitch like a spooked colt. “Back home, we had bulls meaner than payday and smarter than most politicians, and if I can rope one of those while mid-milk shift, I reckon I can handle a lil’ cosmic rodeo.”

She clicked her tongue, calling Jim with a whistle as he trotted up, mane tossing like he already smelled a storm.

Turning to Scarlet with a wink, she added, “Now don’t get your tail in a tangle, Fangs. If somethin’s waitin’ on the other side, I’ll wrangle it, brand it, and be back before your eyeliner smudges—wait, you don’t use eyeliner, do ya? Damn, I keep forgettin’ ya got that natural look.”

Scarlet’s left fang poked through and Rachel could see her mind running circles, no doubt wondering why she wasn’t asked to investigate. Before she could start interpreting it as a sign that she didn’t trust her, Rachel nudged her.

“I’d ask you to go with her, but I think we need you nearby. Good work buying time.”

“Yeah… Careful, Grace. You haven’t even signed any contracts…not that any of us have yet,” she added with a slight groan. “Rachel, we really need to calm down and actually formalize Omen… And now what is that blonde elf doing—healing soldiers’ broken bones? I’m totally lost…”

Rachel nodded at Grace as she mounted up, letting Scarlet mumble to herself. She was making progress, but her question about her Soul Expanse was a valid one. However, listening to Fable question their CEO and getting the fuller story, she had to reevaluate Butter.

By the sounds of things, Butter isn’t even the top dog. The way she talked about her twin sister, it’s like she’s trying to bridge a slight gap between them. It’s true that she’s using some other divine being for her power…

She glanced at the Native Americans, likely communicating with one another in some unique way, judging by the micro-expressions they were making. Butter had her own way of communicating with Adoncia, as well, which wasn’t surprising, considering she had her own unique way of talking to Nia.

Then again, most of my power came from Unique Moons and divine sponsorship. However, Butter wields it on a whole different level. Her claim about being a goddess in her previous life is also a red flag… How did she become mortal? Does that mean her sister is the same?

Grace studied her from her lofty position for a moment before muttering low, just loud enough for Rachel to hear, as she adjusted the saddle, “I already feel like I’m gonna miss somethin’ big. Oh well. I didn’t walk outta Calamity’s legend just to sit on the porch while the world burns. Time to kick fate in the teeth. Hey, Big Guy, you comin’ with me on this little adventure, or am I ridin’ solo into the great unknown?”

Rachel’s ears perked up slightly as the cowgirl offered a crooked grin and invitation to the Mexican folk hero, immediately snatching most people’s attention. El Santo’s confused frown lifted into a small smile as he looked between Grace and the pulsing portal.

“¿En serio?” he asked, then gestured toward one of the nearby soldiers. “Un momento, por favor. Radio?”

The soldier handed over a military radio, and El Santo quickly switched to a new channel. “Comandante Ortega? Sí, es El Santo. La situación aquí está... complicada. ¿Permiso para acompañar a la vaquera americana en reconocimiento?”

A brief exchange in rapid Spanish followed before El Santo nodded and handed the radio back. He turned to Grace with a broader smile, switching back to English.

“Rafael says I need to clear my head anyway after…whatever just happened to us,” El Santo said, touching his chest where Butter’s influence had been. “And honestly? I could use something productive to do, Señorita. These cosmic politics, they make my brain hurt.”

“Same!”

He gestured toward the portal with theatrical flair. “Besides, we did make a good team against that djinn, ¿verdad? Lead the way, vaquera,” reaching up to take Grace’s offered hand as she pulled him up behind her.

And with that, she gave a soft “Hyah!” and rode for the breach, hair flying like dusk-churned hay. Her silhouette framed in radiant mist, like a myth riding off to war, El Santo and her vanished into the breach.

Butter shifted her stance to watch, a twinkle in her illuminated, aquamarine eyes.

Rachel tracked her every movement—each action was calculated, every perfectly timed laugh, every seemingly spontaneous compliment—it all felt orchestrated by someone who understood the psychology of power better than most people understood breathing.

“So…we won?” Scarlet whispered. “She sent her oni maid into the Crystal to get some other people… Why is that so cool? Oni maid? Gah! I’m so—mmmgm!”

“I know. I know,” Rachel acknowledged. “But this is complicated. We can talk about it later…but she let me win that game.”

“Wait, huh? What do you mean? Didn’t she say she rushed into it?”

“Oh, she did,” Rachel confirmed. “That’s not the interesting part. No, it was her reaction. The coin flip, the number selection, even her gracious defeat—none of it was chance. It was a choice,” Rachel softly explained, seeing Tom hold up a phone so the president could speak to Butter through video call, cautious and probing. “Now, she’s tempting me to follow and force myself into the conversation.”

Scarlet’s hands tightened at her front, following her gaze. “So…she’s a master manipulator, like Elizabeth or Twilight?”

“Not exactly… This is instinctual,” she observed, picking apart her gaze that occasionally drifted her way. “Where Elizabeth and Twilight plan…this is just who Butter is. No mask. She has no need for one. I think she wanted a peaceful resolution and just wanted to have fun and chat with people… She’s a social butterfly.”

“Ugh.” Scarlet winced. “My kryptonite.”

“Major?” Adult Nia’s voice whispered through their spiritual connection from back at the house. “Your brother is stabilizing. Do you have any theories as to why he reacted like that when Butter came through the portal? Also, Alexa’s been asking about the golden light she saw on the horizon.”

The situation is still evolving. Keep monitoring Nam for now, Rachel internally replied, her attention split between the conversations and Butter’s behavioral patterns. There is a lot happening right now and I’m trying to compile everything while Butter breaks the ice. She’s tempting me to come to her, but if I don’t, she’ll come to me… She can’t resist.

“That sounds just like you,” Nia snickered. “More power games, hmm? Alright. By the way, Nike wanted to warn you that the buns are going to awaken soon. Don’t be surprised if they pop out.”

Good to know…

Her broad field of view shifted slightly to watch Snow White interact with her group, the Fable’s pristine appearance a stark contrast to the soldiers who crowded to listen in. Rachel’s [Seventh Sense] immediately flagged something unusual about the young woman—an otherworldly quality that went beyond typical Legendkin manifestation.

What did she do to her?

“I get that you all have…a lot of questions, surrounding the High Queen and my behavior,” White said, her voice carrying a musical quality that made Green pause, hare ears rising slightly. “How long has it been?”

“Just under two weeks,” Gray responded, exchanging a glance with Black. “How long has it been for you? What about the Crow Nation’s Mystic?”

“Under two weeks? Wow,” the woman whispered, eyes downcast. “Bíiliiche is dead. We held out as long as we could, but, for us, it wasn’t two weeks… It was three months, and we were assaulted daily by incredibly resilient insects and these toad people, who literally wielded weapons of death—that drained the life from their victims.”

Rachel’s heart elevated at that revelation. Both Running Elk and Wakalapi zeroed in on the conversation, the chief nodding toward the Native American warrior. He broke off to join Fable, holding his pipe behind his back, seemingly out of herbs.

“I can sense the scars on your heart, Ms. White…or should I address you as Snow now, as the High Queen has?”

Fable immediately put up their guard as the tall, red-skinned man approached, yet White held her hand up to calm them. Her bright blue eyes wandered between the faces she’d gathered under her banner, and Rachel saw frustration and sorrow in them.

“I know you’re all worried about me… About how I treat Butter, but you must understand, she saved me. Literally from the specter of death. Without knowing me. She stood against the Susime’s vanguard of death, healed me… When I’d lost hope, she was there to pick me up and give me power to fight back.”

Red leaned forward with obvious interest, her crimson cloak rustling in the Montana breeze. “So…she’s not our enemy?”

“We can’t be sure of anything,” Black whispered, arms crossed and flute tapping her side. “With power like hers, how can we possibly know you aren’t under her control, like El Santo and Paul?”

Gray rubbed the back of his neck and nodded as the Native American patiently waited for his answer. “Black makes a fair point, White. She calls you Snow, as if you’re an entirely different person. What was the point of that show anyway? Was it just a way for her to blow off steam?”

Red’s brow furrowed, placing a hand on her hip. “She smells like White. Look, I get you’re all worried, but it’s White we’re talking about. I wouldn’t even be here if she didn’t save me with that faulty Dracula info.”

Black’s fingernails curled in. “This isn’t about what she smells like, Red. Don’t be naive. This is serious. She could be a shapeshifter for all we know with mysterious powers like Butter has. I can’t be your voice of reason every time. You were taken over by her precisely due to that impulsive, instinctual nature of yours.”

The brown-haired wolf’s tail bristled, ears flying up. “You promised you’d never bring up anything like, like—you didn’t just go to my Fable, thinking—”

“No, c’mon, guys,” Green sighed, trying to be the voice of reason while coming between them. “We don’t need to bite each other’s heads off…”

White breathed a melancholy sigh before moving closer to pull a reluctant Black into a hug, her tail going stiff as she whispered, “It’s okay, Red, Black has such a kind heart… She tries hard to protect all of us and sacrifices so much of herself. It will take time to regain her trust, as it should be… I know I’ve changed. My Seed has been stabilized and has been allowed to grow.

“I know my behavior isn’t acceptable for your leader as I am. At least temporarily, I’m planning on passing leadership over to one of the executives until I can rebuild my trust with the organization.”

“What?” Black mumbled, ears flying up.

Red and Green had the same reaction, but Gray gravely nodded, seemingly agreeing with that assessment.

Rachel’s mind ping-ponged between data points, shifting to stare at Butter again, going over weird demands like seeing a video of a unicorn.

That’s a huge development. Everyone in Fable respected White since she basically broke them away from the Scarlet Hand and personally helped every member. It shows how big of an influence Butter has on people… That’s not necessarily a good thing.

And what does that even mean? Fable Seeds seem to be the most unstable out of the Seeds so far, considering they’re an evolution from Lesser Seeds to a volatile medium between it and a Greater Seed. Black Hat was inside Ali Baba’s… Does that mean Butter can purify them?

Reluctantly drawing away, Black’s ears flew back. “So, your appearance means…you’ve become a True Fable? I don’t know if I believe that or if she is making you believe that.”

“Which is a fair assessment and I’d expect nothing less of Gray and you,” White said with a small smile, shifting to nod at the man. “I’ve learned so much… The Scarlet Hand forced Butter and her twin sister off our planet for a reason during the Oscillation.”

That snatched Rachel’s attention. The Scarlet Hand? If that’s true, Fate also wanted them gone, she reasoned, focusing on the blonde, radiating beauty and light, showing child-like glee at learning about Maria, a ‘living unicorn.’

Breaking Fate’s string, my misfortune might have had a large part in drawing them back…but maybe not since I can’t affect her. Is it because of her necklace…or Butter herself? That’s worth figuring out. Where does Nungal fit in this, though? A Primal Goddess of the Sumerians has to connect somehow.

White’s attention moved away from her group to the Native American. “Butter is more of a friend at this point, but I do give her the proper respect I feel I should. She really isn’t one for titles and bowing, despite how she comes off on first impressions.

“The reason she calls me Snow is because she has a general named White, the Horsewoman of Conquest… Yes,” she added at Black and Gray’s lifted eyebrows, “the raised horseman of the apocalypse via her older sister, Elinor. She also goes by Conquest. Her two brothers are War and Death, while her big sister is Famine.”

“That’s not a red flag,” Green joked with a strained laugh. “So, where do we go from here?”

“The only way I can go,” White replied with a strained laugh, “forward. Butter is eccentric, but she’s pure. The reason the others joined her side was because she showed them who she truly is…which, not even she knows, ironically, and yes, I will get to your question, Wakalapi.” she added with a sigh and motion to the man.

 “Butter’s goal is simple: return victorious to her sister with the best possible rewards she can bring to prove herself to her twin. She’s extremely competitive but loves competition in a good spirit. She literally has the power to resurrect the dead, as does her twin, but in opposite spectrums. Butter is Life, Elinor is Death. She’s—”

Rachel pivoted toward them, causing Scarlet to stumble after, still trying to figure out what to do herself; ultimately, she just wanted to be stronger and help more. She was frustrated about her progress, but compared to where she was a little over a month ago, it was night and day.

“I know this is getting convoluted and dragging on, White, but to clarify, will this Elinor be joining Butter?”

The dark-haired Fable shook her head, causing Rachel to breathe in relief.

“No, she’s on another planet, which is something I also need to explain,” she groaned, rubbing between her eyes. “There’s just, so much…”

“Then do us the service of summarizing,” Rachel said with a friendly nudge to Black. “I get this is overwhelming for a lot of you, but much of this can be solved by just letting you ramble for a bit. I’m sure Butter will butt in when she’s feeling ignored too much.”

White’s smile lifted. “It seems you are a good judge of character. Very well, here are the cliff notes,” she started, regaining a somewhat military-like cadence.

She swiftly explained what she knew about Bíiliiche’s death to Wakalapi, and Butter’s confirmation that the Native spirit supporting him had also dissolved or had been lost once untethered. It was grave news, but the man took it with a single nod, stating it was what Old Man Coyote feared had happened since they’d lost connection with him.

Snow White then went over their final days before the Susime, a clan of golden-skinned, humanoid toads called the ri’bot, that heavily reminded Rachel about her first day after the First Oscillation. It was nice to have a name behind the creatures, but White had no clue about ri’bot who could convert themselves into sand.

It did confirm something to Rachel, though—the world Elinor and Butter were sent to seemed to have a strong Crystal connection to Earth.

So far, it was pretty clear that Butter was an opportunist that happened to align with Earth because she came from a group of Colombian, small jungle town humans who were captured by four ri’bot clans during the First Oscillation, and forced into their world as captives. Crystal battles were something those on their planet were well accustomed to.

As for the actual Montana Crystal, it was linked to a Battle Royale, but they’d need to get more details from Butter on that since Snow wasn’t there for that discussion with the Susime Fingers—they appeared to rank themselves by a finger number and left or right hand.

What she knew about Butter personally was that she seems to be in a reincarnate cycle of endless battle with her twin sister. In her last life, she was a sun elf and her sister a night elf. Butter didn’t particularly think highly of that version of herself, it seemed—a royal named Ashrit that ascended to godhood, likely nearly breaching the 7th dimension into the 8th by how the woman described Butter’s stories.

That certainly raised Nike’s interest as she passively listened with Nia over the several minutes they were discussing the various topics. Scarlet remained silent for much of it, absorbing all the information she could, yet the last subject she bit onto.

“The Scarlet Hand are in that world too? Where doesn’t Revilla’s influence reach! Gah, she’s like a cockroach!” she snarled, making Rachel snort; she was talking about a maybe-dead or partially dead, likely 8th dimensional or higher entity. “How many worlds has she infected?”

“Well, not necessarily on that planet,” White carefully articulated.

She glanced toward Butter, who was wrapping up initial talks with Tom, Barbara, and the President. She was sure she’d get roped in for her opinion eventually, and she’d been paying close enough attention. The bubbly blonde had been expressing how thoroughly she’d devastated one of the factions in the battle royale before reclaiming the human gateway before the bugs could break the Crystal Hub nodes to create a Reverse Crystal Break—no, she did that herself.

“What Butter told me was that the Scarlet Hand had an extensive file on a few special individuals that they gave to a South American cartel to execute. Essentially, they orchestrated the means to trick their parents into going on a humanitarian aid mission…where a lot went wrong. Butter only became conscious after The Oscillation jogged her soul awake within her sister’s since she absorbed her twin in the womb as their…latest battle.”

“Yikes,” Red laughed. “That’s certainly one way to win. So, the Scarlet Hand weren’t just getting rid of troublesome people but very problematic people, huh? At least, that’s what it sounds like… You’d wonder why they didn’t do that to Rachel.”

“They actually tried to,” Rachel mumbled, scratching the base of her left ear as Butter invited her group to join theirs with zest. “My misfortune intervened and…that caused a lot of problems for them, as you all know.”

“Not me!” Butter chimed in, hopping forward and greeting each of them as if meeting for the first time. “I’m fascinated by this concept of misfortune that you mentioned. There certainly is something unique about your soul compared to everyone else’s.”

Rachel’s tail stilled at that, tempering the emotions that threatened to rise up from her mother’s deflections about this topic. “What…can you tell about my soul? No, maybe we should wait until we’re in a more private setting. Is your sister as powerful as you?”

For the first time, Butter’s lips pursed into a line and she did a quick check of her outfit with a mixture of affection and exasperation. “Priss? She’s…complicated. Brilliant, absolutely dedicated to order and proper procedure—frighteningly disciplined, but sometimes is so focused on maintaining balance that she forgets why balance matters in the first place… She’s better in our new life, but still can fall into that agonizing hole.”

The golden light around her flickered, and for just a moment, Rachel caught a glimpse of something vast and ancient lurking beneath Butter’s exterior—a presence that made even the Eldritch whispers of Melishna feel small.

She’s not just powerful, Rachel realized with growing caution. She’s fundamentally alien. Whatever she was before this reincarnation cycle, it wasn’t anything remotely human. My guess, she’s on par with Nungal to some degree. Or maybe Nungal is trying to elevate them to her level.

Wakalapi’s eyes widened as his spiritual senses apparently reached the same conclusion. “You seem to be the expert on souls, but yours… It’s not bound by the same dimensional limitations as mortal beings, which is how you can utilize that necklace to such an alarming degree. You exist partially outside the framework that contains the rest of us.”

Rachel saw Scarlet’s ears rise as she began picking at her nails. Don’t go thinking this is your fault for messing up on the dimensional walls or anything like that. You have no clue what you even did, so don’t even go down that route.

“Guilty as charged,” Butter replied with a theatrical sigh. “It’s a more recent development since unlocking more of my memories of Ashrit, but this lovely body—what do you think? It’s absolutely divine, isn’t it? It used to be my big sister’s!”

Red’s ears pulled back, brow furrowing in confusion before Butter added, “Oh, no. I didn’t steal it from her or anything. Actually, someone else stole it…for me, admittedly! It’s complicated,” she snickered. “It isn’t like she was using it, and she already said I could keep it since her soul sort of…rejected it.”

Her face grew contemplative. “Personally? I think she rejected it due to my body being united with it, to a degree. I wonder if that means, I actually didn’t fully lose our contest and…I won in the end? I’ll have to bring it up to her when the opportunity strikes!”

“And the amulet?” Black pressed, now fixated on it and for good reason.

“This little thing?” she inquired, pressing a hand against her breast with a soft giggle. “Oh, it’s just the dying essence of a ri’bot deity, the Supreme Chief of Life, not that that means anything to any of you. Her brother is already gone. Fun fact, he wants to kill his whole race because he thinks they, eh, what’s the term Valentina used that one time… They suck.”

Scarlet couldn’t help suppressing a laugh at that. “Ouch. Well, okay, so you’re against the Scarlet Hand?”

A chill swept through them as Butter’s smile became razor sharp, cadence changing immediately. “Oh, absolutely, my sweet Eldritch soul. Let’s just say they chose the wrong targets…repeatedly. I’d be happy to eradicate them as a side project! Anyone want to have some genocidal fun?”

“Well, that turned south fast,” Gray mumbled.

Even Scarlet wasn’t quite on that level, considering her mother was in the organization.

Rachel swiftly butted in. “As fun as that sounds, we have our own mess to clean up first with this Crystal.”

“Totally fair, my fine-eared friend!” 

“Major, there’s something you should be aware of,” Nia interjected. Somehow, Butter knew because her interjection snatched the blonde’s blinding eye. “The Moon Buns are awakening—Hayan, Coral, and Aurelia, at least—are stirring. The Unique Moons and other Event Moons are still locked in Selene’s cage. I…think they’re about to manifest physically.”

Perfect timing, Rachel thought with resignation. Because this situation clearly needed more supernatural complications. How’s Nike feeling so far?

“Still tired after everything, but with Butter on our side, she basically sees sure victory ahead…if she remains with us or wherever she is. Also, she can see and hear us, Nike says. She has a level of spiritual intuition and discernment that goes beyond mortals.”

Noted…

“High Queen,” Tom interjected, his military bearing reasserting itself as he processed the implications of what he’d learned thus far and providing cover for her. “This Crystal Evolution you mentioned—if you join us and conquer us later, as you said, almost ceremonially, then…it will increase the difficulty. By how much?”

Butter clapped her hands together with obvious delight. “Oh, wonderful questions! And I can’t wait to meet these buns, Rachel. Your soul is so…fascinating. Ahem, back to your question, good general,” she chimed, snapping her fingers and creating a visual image out of bright, holy water.

“I already crushed one, and my addition certainly ups the evolution difficulty. I was let in to clean the palace, so to speak, I’d say. The Crystals are all about imbalance in actuality,” she chortled. “Now that I’m choosing not to take out Earth and joining with it, the Susime’s history on Crystal conquests states at least…four more Crystal factions with relative strength to compete with me.”

Rachel’s blood turned cold as Butter’s perfect teeth flashed with anticipation. “Doesn’t that sound exciting?! What will they bring to challenge me? I can’t wait to dance to my heart’s content. From what I’m told, you…also have a little trick up your sleeve, Ms. Ears,” Butter said, voice dropping to a sultry eagerness as she pressed forward to study her eyes, coming far too close.

She could smell the flowery perfume she seemed to naturally produce that spoke of vitality and life. “There’s someone inside you that…is suffering. I’d like to help! She feels so pure and valiant. I like you, Rachel. Pretty, competitive, smart… You’re the full package. And your soul is…dazzlingly convoluted! Like a puzzle.”

“Ahem,” Rachel didn’t retreat, her lips rising into a small smile under her inquisitive gaze. “Weren’t we going to wait until we had a chance to talk in private to discuss these topics?”

“Why wait?” she breathed, leaning back and glancing up at the shimmering clouds she created. “I can feel higher beings trembling to join our discussion. Wait, do you hear those chains? You sly woman, Nungal… Is that what you want?”

Somewhat confused, everyone followed the mysterious woman’s gaze. Tom was still digesting Butter’s claim that worlds who can match Butter, with all her glory, and the others were grappling with other details the Spirit of Conquest had brought to light.

However, Rachel felt a spur of excitement. This giggling show-girl can give me the answers I’m looking for… Scarlet, myself, and the way she moves… She’s the real deal. We don’t want her as an enemy, we want her as a coach. The right path is to work with her. And, I’m sure, in the end, we’ll have a chance to fight one on one. I’ll win!

The rattling of chains echoed through Rachel’s mind again, louder this time, accompanied by what might have been cosmic approval.

Rachel looked around at the assembled crowd—Scarlet still grappling with her own limitations, Tom and Barbara calculating military implications, and the Native Americans discussing the blonde off to the side.

The real game is starting now, she thought. Whatever Butter is, whatever she wants, whatever Nungal has planned—it’s all about to come out into the open. They’ve been building for it up until now… I guess when you have this much power, it is fun to put on a show.

“No need to keep us in suspense,” she grinned. “So, you do know Nungal?”

Butter's aquamarine eyes sparkled with what could only be described as professional appreciation as she studied Rachel with renewed interest. “Oh, yes I do, and what a cheeky lady she is,” she breathed, one hand pressed to her chest in apparent delight.

“I can see it now. That’s absolutely fascinating! You have a space within your soul that allows mortals and gods to meet on equal terms. How wonderfully clever! Was it that little spark of victory in you that came up with that idea? It’s brilliant!”

She began to circle Rachel like an artist examining a masterpiece, her golden aura casting shifting patterns across the assembled crowd. “What do you call it?”

Rachel caught Tom’s eye as he snapped out of his internal military projections of the battle to come and what he likely had to do. Barbara looked unsure as to what she should do, but Rachel was convinced. The best way forward, was with Butter.

“The Yin-Yang Chamber.”

“Fascinating concept with so many layers. Such elegant symmetry. Positive, Negative, and Neutral forces in perfect balance. It’s a remarkably sophisticated use of your unique Seed’s influence on a smaller scale, providing harmony… Priss would die over something like this—this balance. Most beings would never think to architect their soul in such a deliberately inclusive manner. Your outfit is just—I didn’t want to say anything until I met Nia myself, but you are gorgeous!”

“Why thank you,” Nia chirped within Rachel’s soul. “I’ve made some recent adjustments.”

“I’ve noticed. Quite the design change… So foreign. It’s very rare I get the impression I am looking at something for the first time. I see the pulse to expand. It’s constricted.”

Rachel’s ears twitched at the casual way Butter dissected her spiritual construction. She can see the entire framework just by looking at me and even communicate with Nia. That level of perception is dangerous…and useful. It likely has something to do with the necklace’s influence pushing her past life experiences to the surface.

“Are you implying that you could bring those around us into my Soul Sanctum? Create a space where we could all speak openly?” Rachel inquired with a creased eye.

Butter’s smile was radiant as she clapped her hands together. “Oh, I wasn’t even considering it, but what a delightful suggestion! I could absolutely facilitate that kind of expansion. In fact… She tilted her head, studying something invisible to everyone else. “I’m already feeling the prompting from your soul. It’s practically inviting me in! Now, isn’t that intriguing?”

She stepped closer, golden light beginning to dance between her fingers. “All you have to do is accept the connection. You aren’t scared, are you, sweetheart?”

Rachel heard Scarlet stiffen beside her, the vampire’s protective instincts flaring. “Rachel,” Scarlet urgently whispered, “she’s playing to your ego. This feels like—”

“Like what?” Rachel interrupted softly, her gaze never leaving Butter’s expectant face.
“Scarlet, she could destroy all of us with a single thought if she wanted to. No, she’s here because she wants to have fun and explore… She’s here to mutually benefit from us.”

The tactical part of her mind was already analyzing the risk-reward ratio. Butter’s shown nothing but curiosity and cooperation so far. If she wanted us dead or controlled, she could have done it a dozen times over by now. This feels like…genuine enthusiasm for connection.

“She’s comfortable taking that first step with us,” Rachel continued, extending her hand toward the glowing ‘goddess.’ “I’m willing to return that trust. Let’s see what Nungal’s design is and get it from the horse’s mouth.”

Butter’s expression softened into something approaching real warmth as she reached out to clasp Rachel’s offered hand. “I knew you were a kindred spirit! I’m as eager as you are to learn our mysterious, sunglasses-wearing super goddess’ true intentions. Let’s cut past all the red tape. By the way, we could have had this lovely conversation in the Red Sea, as well,” she added with a wink to Scarlet that made the girl’s lips part in shock.

The moment their skin made contact, the world dissolved into brilliant golden light.

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