Side Story: Tearwyn works (see: plays) hard!
I sigh dramatically as I fall back onto one of my many fluffy tails and shout, “This is not fair! Everyone is having fun!” Feeling a presence, I shot up ramrod straight and corrected myself, “I mean working! Working is what I meant!”
Looking around myself I see nothing but my beautiful trees and puddles of my sister's wondrous corruption. Seeing nothing out of place I relax and mutter, “That was close. I don’t need Big Sister Lilith giving me another project…”
Even so, I couldn’t help but grumble, “But Sister’s Hecate and Raven are having such fun! Oh, that reminds me, I need to repair the worlds they’ve destroyed… eh. I’ll just send the souls off on some grand adventure.”
With a huff, I fall onto my tail again and complain, “I want to play with Artoria!! I can’t even watch her right now because of the shielding from those stupid Light gods!”
My eyes shoot open and a smile blooms on my face as I get an idea, “Oh! Oh oh oh! If I remember correctly, there are a few patches of resistance to Sister Artoria’s corruption in a few worlds. I can play AND do something nice for her at the same time! Genius!”
Sitting up again, a small frown forms on my lips as I fall into thought, ‘But I can’t just go down. My Sisters would never forgive me if I were to get hurt. And I don’t want to worry them. Hmmm…’
My eyes gleam with excitement and I quickly snap my fingers to summon one of Artoria’s followers. I hum to myself in anticipation for a few seconds before a portal opened up and Salem stepped through.
With a flourish and a deep bow, she said, “My Goddess Tearwyn. You have summoned me?”
I clap my hands excitedly and bounce around a little as I answer, “Yes, yes! So I want to play–” I cough awkwardly into my palm and correct myself, “I mean do some work. All of my sisters are busy, and Artoria is currently on an extended mission from Big Sister Lilith. So, I was thinking I’d do something nice for her!”
Salem straightened her posture, gave me a gentle smile, and asked, “That is a wonderful idea, Goddess Tearwyn. How may I help?”
Beaming her a large smile I said, “Well, I don’t want to worry any of my sisters by going somewhere personally. So, I am going to send you an avatar that I’ll control. I think Hecate takes to calling that form of mine ‘Plushwyn.’ And I agree, it’s very plushy looking.”
Nodding to myself with a proud smile I continued, “So! You’ll get a Plushwyn, and we’ll go and stomp out some of the resistances left on the world's my sister has been to.”
She was about to respond when I interrupted her, “No wait! You’ll get an Artwyn Plushwyn! I’ll be going there in an official capacity, and should proudly show a connection to my sister!”
With a snap of my fingers a tiny version of myself, a mini-me if you will, appeared. And she had the gear I wore that one-time Artoria and I went trick or treating. Hearing a sharp inhale, I glanced at Salem as she whispered to herself, “Too cute, criminally too cute!”
I smiled as I said, “Of course! My sister has great taste after all!”
I suddenly heard a click that sounded awfully like a camera taking a picture. Turning to Salem, I could only blink in confusion as she was currently taking pictures of the Plushwyn. Tilting my head I asked, “Where did you get the camera?”
She stopped taking pictures for a second to look at me and answered, “The System store. Your sister would literally murder me if I did not take pictures of this adorable display in front of me!”
A sneaky smile crept up on my face as I said, “You think that’s cute? What about this?!”
I picked up the mini-me and squished our cheeks against each other, and we both gave Salem a bright smile and a “peace” sign.
She managed to take several pictures before she ended up fainting…
Looking at mini-me I said, “And people say you can’t weaponize cuteness.”
Mini-me barked a laugh and said, “But I can!”
I set her down and then she drew her tiny little Excalibur and held it up high as she yelled, “TO WAR! TO FUN!”
As mini-me was walking over to the unconscious Salem, a sly grin formed on my face as I thought of a fun prank to play against Hecate. After all, she needed to be punished for making us worry about her! It’s only right!
Reaching out with my hand, the camera in Salem’s hands floated over to me and I started to fiddle with it. Finding all of the pictures I liked, I snapped my fingers to make physical copies of them and then laminated them for good measure.
With a sinisterly childish giggle, I sent them into the inventory of Sister Hecate and flagged them as new so she’d be informed about them. With a large toothy grin, I said, “Mischief managed! Maybe she’ll get distracted long enough for Raven to bonk her on the head, good and hard for worrying me!”
With a proud nod of my prank, I joined mini-me in waking up Salem. We had things to do after all!
She blinked a few times after Artwyn gently slapped her on the cheek before blushing up a storm and saying, “My apologies, Goddess Tearwyn. I was not prepared for such a scene.”
The both of us smiled at her as I answered, “It’s fine! Here is your camera by the way. Keep it safe, I am sure all of my sisters would love to see the pictures you took. And you’re welcome to share them with more of Artoria’s followers as well!”
She smiled at me as she got up and said, “Thank you very much, Goddess Tearwyn. I had recently bought the inventory function from the System store, and I’ll keep it there.”
Nodding at her I said, “Good of a place as any! Now, are you okay with helping me on a world or two? It makes me so mad that anyone would refuse any of my sisters' goodwill like that! Even more so for Artoria! She works hard!!”
I ignored the trees around me that started to sway from the pressure I gave off and had no idea my eyes had turned a deep red. It wasn’t till Salem's worried voice reached my ears that I even snapped out of it, “Goddess Tearwyn? Goddess Tearwyn! Are you okay?!”
Blinking a few times, I immediately tried to calm myself down. Thankfully it only took a few seconds before everything returned to the way it should be. Smiling up at Salem I said, “Sorry about that. I can get really mad sometimes when my sisters are involved… more so if it is Artoria as well…”
Salem smiled softly at me before she bent down and pulled me, along with Artwyn, into a gentle hug. She gave both of us soft head pats as she said, “I am sure that all of your sisters would smile in joy that you can get so angry on their behalf.”
I had my eyes closed as I pushed my head deeper into her palm. She may not be one of my sisters or Big Sister Lilith, but she still gives great head pats!
Withholding the sigh as she withdrew her hand and stood up, I smiled at her. Smiling back, she nodded her head and asked, “So, where to first, Goddess Tearwyn?”
I leaned back onto one of my tails as I fell into thought, ‘Which world indeed? There are a few, and all of them need equal treatment. More or less. Ah, I know which one! Time to put down a stupid rebellion from an upstart devil!’
Turning my attention back to Salem I said, “We’ll be going to the universe that parts of our Realm came from. Seems a bit of a rebellion has been going on, and that it is practically our backyard.”
Raising an eyebrow Salem asked, “A rebellion? And Lady Artoria’s faction has not put it down?”
I pouted angrily as I answered, “No because the leader of our faction on that plane is a total siscon!” Noticing Salem's amused look I continue, “Don’t give me that look! I know what I am just fine! But he refuses to bring his sister into the fold. And he’s letting her just run rampant because he won’t do anything about it. So we need to step in.”
Nodding her head, Salem said, “Fair enough. Why is this woman rebelling?”
I scoffed and said, “Because Sister Artoria killed her ‘true love’ to make better use of the Sacred Gear that was attached to his soul.”
A sly grin crossed Salem’s face as she teased, “You seem rather cross with this man.”
The atmosphere grew heavy as I explained, “Because he was nothing but a massive, disgusting pervert! He looked at my Sister with such unrestrained lust! Or, he would have! He was too weak to see her, but still! Pervert! PERVERT!
”Chuckling softly, Salem nodded her head and said, “A most understandable stance. Shall we?”
Nodding my head, Artwyn jumped up onto her left shoulder and raised her sword again while saying, “We shall! Onward!”
With a smile, Salem nodded her head and waved goodbye to me. Smiling back, I snapped my fingers to open a portal to the planet. As she walked through my smile darkened as I thought, ‘It’s time for them to learn that it is very unhealthy to refuse my sister's goodwill…’
— P.O.V change(?) Artwyn Alter —
As we came out of the portal, I quickly took in our surroundings. It seems we are interrupting a tea party of sorts.
A redheaded man quickly stood up and asked, “Who might you be? You are intruding on a meeting of the four Satans, not a wise thing to do.”
Salem glanced in my direction, and with a nod of my head to confirm that is who we were here for, she looked at him with a vicious sneer and demanded, “Kneel. You are in the presence of the Goddess Tearwyn.”
The man, Sirzechs if I recall correctly, looked confused and asked, “Tearwyn? As in the goddess Lady Artoria worships?”
I crossed my arms and scoffed at him. Seeing they were all looking at me now I said, “She doesn’t worship me, she is my sister!” I blink a few times before I add, “Err, okay. Maybe she does worship me, but not in the way you are implying!”
Looking at them all, I pointed my finger at Sirzechs angrily as I continued, “And I am cross with you, mister! Why are you doing nothing about the temper tantrum your little sister is throwing? It’s disrupting things!”
The magic girl looking one snickered as Sirzechs scratched the side of his cheek and said, “Ahh…She means well, I am sure. She just needs time to calm down and-”
I interrupt him and yell, “Time, you say! It’s been ten years since my sister has left this world in your hands! Either bring her into the fold, or I will do something about it!”
His eyes narrowed and gained a dangerous (for him) gleam as he said coldly, “Don’t you dare threaten my sister. I don’t care who you are, no-”
Our surroundings blurred as Salem practically teleported right up to his face and backhanded him through several walls. An aura of black-red began to seep out of her as she lowered her hand, and with venom in her voice, she calmly said, “You dare? It is by Goddess Tearwyn’s grace you even live, boy. And yet you spurn her sister's gift, and act in such a way towards the one person Lady Artoria would do anything for? Are your survival instincts truly so useless?”
We both glanced at the other “satans” but they all just put up their hands in submission and backed off. Salem scoffed at them and started to make her way to the groaning heap of a siscon.
As we came up to the miserable man, I hopped off Salem's shoulder and landed on his chest forcing him down onto his back. Holding up my gleaming pink Excalibur, I gave him an ultimatum, “Either you get your act together, or I show you why I am a Dark Goddess and that my sister isn’t the only one with rage.”