Chapter Fifty One: Odette And Odile
~BlackRoseRaven
Rig snorted in contempt as his foot slammed into the side of the mare's face, but she only rolled brokenly away. He had gotten a little carried away with the excitement and the amusement of torturing the whore. Now she was dead, but that was fine. Thokk could still fish the Swan's soul out of the Void, and he had done what he had been told to do. He was just disappointed that she hadn't lasted very long.
He had expected this one to be tougher.
Rig slowly brought his foot up, then lowered it onto the mare's face, crushing it slowly beneath him until he heard the bones crack and give away, but then he simply snorted in contempt as he stepped back, looking with disgust down at her ugly body. Ugly and worthless, ungainly and horse: how useless. He hoped Thokk would make the Swan better, more appealing, when she brought the serving wench back. But he didn't know if he would enjoy the Swan being as mouthy and defiant as she had been here.
He would love an excuse to punish her further.
Rig smiled to himself, and then he aimed a vicious kick at the Swan's worthless remains, before he frowned in surprise as he felt his boot connect, and yet the body didn't move. No, it felt like he had kicked something hard, something impenetrable, as he cocked his head curiously before his eyes locked on the sight of the Swan's hoof, which had caught the toe of his boot.
He stared for a moment, and then stumbled backwards as he yanked his foot away, watching with disbelief as magic surged over the body of the mare as she calmly crawled her way up to her hooves. She cracked her neck as white energy rippled along her form, before she looked up with a calm smile, her eyes pulsing with blue light as she said softly: “Thank you, Rig, for waking us up.”
Rig shook his head disbelievingly before he snarled and stepped forwards, swinging a claw savagely down. But with ease, the Swan caught him by the wrist with one golden hoof, continuing to smile as she said calmly: “I have been learning, Rig. I have been evolving. You... you remind me of what I once was. But I am growing, adapting, becoming something more. You? You have become something... less.”
Rig yanked his claw away, and then he snarled as he leaned forwards, electricity crackling over his hands as he hissed: “How dare you speak to me that way, dog!”
“Even if I am a servant, you are an outlaw. My rights are few: but a few is infinitely greater than none at all.” replied the Swan coldly, before she smiled even as Rig shoved both his hands forwards, lightning rushing towards her-
The Swan moved faster than the magic, swinging her hooves up and deflecting the magic with her own powers, bolts of electricity ripping into the ground around her before she lunged forwards through the dual streams of magic and slammed a hoof into Rig's face.
The monster was sent skidding backwards with a howl of shock, lightning ripping along the walls and ceiling as he lost control of his magic before it whiffed out, his claws flexing and smoldering as he stared with disbelief at the Swan. But the mare only posed calmly, long white mane and longer still ivory tail drifting slowly around her as if with its own life. Her glowing blue eyes looked at Rig as if he was nothing more than an insect she was quickly growing bored of, her smile patronizing and indulgent as she said softly: “You are not Heimdall. You are not Thesis. You are a vulture.”
Rig snarled, then he lunged forwards, swinging his claws out savagely, but the Swan backpedaled, dodging back and forth with incredible grace before she struck suddenly and decisively with blistering force, her hoof sinking deep into Rig's stomach and making him double over with a gargle before she smoothly spun around and slammed both rear hooves into his face, nearly shattering his mask and knocking him crashing and rolling across the room.
Rig collapsed on his stomach, gasping weakly and shivering in disbelief as he mouthed wordlessly, looking up disbelievingly as the Swan strolled towards him. Her eyes became more predatory as they drew slowly back and forth over him, before she asked softly: “Do you know, Rig, why the Swans were designed to obey the Mothers and the Fathers absolutely?”
“Because slaves who won't listen are worthless... and dogs who disobey their masters are useless animals.” Rig growled, although he was almost quailing away from the Swan, even as he slowly began to crawl to his feet, clearly shaken.
“No, Rig. It is because we were designed to kill gods.” Danzsöngr said softly, and Rig's eyes widened slightly before the Swan lunged towards him.
Rig flinched back and yelped before he vanished, but even though the Swan wasn't able to strike him, she could still track him even as he rapidly fled from the battle. She smiled coldly to herself as the coward ran from her, in fear of her: the same fear, she thought with pleasure, that had inspired the Aesir to lock her kind away in the darkness, terrified of what the Swan Maidens would become if they weren't reduced to golems and servants.
But she was experiencing that now. What she could become. What she had the potential to feel, and to do. She liked that. She craved more of that.
Still, though, she also recognized that even as she was awakening, she had more to learn. Further to evolve, and adapt. And inside her, she felt the Other shifting... “Shh, shh now. It's alright, Cadence. I am not here to fight you.”
The Swan closed her eyes, and then Cadence gasped as she opened them, shivering a little as she looked back and forth before she stared down at one of her own hooves, trembling a bit before she whispered: “Oh no.”
She had died again. How many times was that now? Six? She couldn't remember... no, seven. This had been her seventh death.
She shivered, before she uneasily reached up and brushed a hoof through the long curtain of white that fell around her face, before she looked down at hooves that were completely gold now; that didn't even feel like hoof anymore. She shivered a bit as she flicked her tail, which had grown so long, and flowed so eerily, and felt... strange, she thought, as she waved it slowly back and forth, the veil of long hairs floating almost eerily over the ground.
The mare shook her head slowly, then she shivered a little as she reached up and touched her bare face. Where was her mask? And her body felt unnatural under the armor; there was a tingling, a painful mix of hot and cold running over her skin. She hated it.
She looked down at herself for a few moments, and then she shivered again before hugging herself tightly. She could feel the Swan, and not just inside her anymore, but almost like the Swan was all around her, engulfing her. Like now she was the invader in another body...
Cadence shook herself quickly, then she licked her lips slowly before she looked up as the doors were slammed open. She blinked almost blearily as Thorn strode quickly inside, flanked by several Inquisitors: among others, she noticed Tormentas.
“What happened?” Thorn asked quickly, before his eyes narrowed as they traced up and down her before he said sharply over his shoulder: “Summon Hel.”
There was an almost singular gasp through the crowd, and even if Tormentas immediately began to sketch a symbol on the floor with magic, one of the other Inquisitors asked fearfully: “Is that really necessary? What about-”
“Here I am!” shouted a cheerful voice, as an icy foot stomped down on the symbol before Tormentas could complete it. The silver-armored Inquisitor flinched as Thorn bowed his head respectfully, and the other Inquisitors almost flung themselves into prostration, the entire congregation of demons bowing as Hel only curtsied politely before she spun around and ordered: “Swan, look down.”
Cadence blinked blearily, but strangely enough, she didn't feel any urge to do what Hel asked. There was no control, no struggle against her order, no effort to comply: instead, she only almost quizzically cocked her head as she gazed at the icy puppet.
She saw Hel's construct, and she saw through Hel's construct. She saw the magic that fueled it, and the magician on the other side, weaving her eternal illusions. She saw Hel, and she saw who Hel had once been, and she saw... Thokk.
Cadence trembled as she stared at Hel, and Hel smiled slowly before she snapped her fingers. With that single gesture, the room went dead silent, the horde of demons vanishing, the doors slamming shut, and only Thorn and Tormentas and Cadence were left with this puppet of ice and chaos as Cadence whispered: “No... no, you can't be...”
“I'm not. I'm not.” Hel soothed, striding slowly forwards, and Cadence felt that she was being honest. Yet that magic, that power, that essence was very similar to Thokk's, was so eerily the same... “But oh my. I didn't expect this to happen, not yet, not yet... little girls always grow up so fast, though...”
Hel slowly strode forwards, and then she carefully lowered herself down on her knees with a soft smile on her frosty, bovine features as she reached out and gently cupped Cadence's face, tilting her head upwards. And in the puppet's eyes, Cadence saw the truth as the Swan let out a soft breath, as the Swan came to understand where it had come from, and why Hel had always avoided her gaze, why Hel had always made her look away.
“You are a Mother. You are the Mother who crafted us.” Cadence Danzsöngr said, before the mare trembled and whispered: “You are Goddess. You are Aesir. Your blood... runs in our veins.”
“Yes, dear, that is right. That is right.” Hel smiled again, silently stroking along Cadence's face before she whispered: “Look at how much you've evolved! You have so much potential, my darling. As much potential as Freya's Valkyries, but oh, All Daddy had so much seeing that purely because you weren't 'beautiful.'
“Creating life is so hard. You have to balance all the pieces just right, and that's just putting the puzzle together, not even painting the pretty picture on the tiles to give it some personality!” Hel laughed, then added in a gentler voice: “And that's just making a puzzle, not even making real life. Actual, feeling life, with its own will, its own thoughts...”
She gently grasped one of the mare's forelegs, lifting it up before the icy puppet gently guided Cadence's hoof to stroke the side of her frosty features, whispering: “Look at this, how alive my toy is, but it requires me, a real life, a real mind, behind it. What I did with the Swans was a step above that, but I had aimed so much higher, meant to create so much more. And I failed, Danzsöngr, I failed, and you and all your kind first got shuffled off as another dark, rotten secret of Asgard... and then, one by one, you all fell apart.
“But look at you. Look at you, growing up, becoming something more, something so beautiful, Swan! Freeing yourself, developing will...” Hel smiled once more, and it was both joyous and terribly sad at the same time as she gestured slowly behind herself with her head towards Thorn and Tormentas as she murmured: “I'm proud of you, yet you have to remember something, my darling. Freedom comes with many responsibilities. Freedom comes with great pain. Freedom is the most wonderful and terrible thing you can give someone.”
Cadence was silent for a few moments as she only looked up at Hel, before she asked quietly: “Who am I?”
“Who you've always been!” Hel replied with a shrug, reaching up to gently tap Cadence on the nose before she chuckled softly. “Just who you've always been. Don't you worry about that, vanilla cake. You got lots of time to figure that out.”
Hel brushed at herself gently, then she finally stood up and straightened, although the puppet seemed almost reluctant to pull away from Cadence. But after a moment, she suddenly spun around on her heel to face Thorn and Tormentas, putting her hands on her hips as she said firmly: “Now, you two, listen up! Thorn, this has all gone completely to... well, here, I guess. Okay, bad metaphor. Still, blueberry, I need you to let your big metal momma know what happened here.
“Tormentas, you need to rally up the Super Secret Fighting Task Force Association or whatever the me it's called. Get 'em prepped and put 'em on standby. Sure, it'll probably be a century or two before we really need them, but you know me. Preparedness preparedness prepperedaredness cheesecake that's hard to say!” Hel huffed and slapped wildly at her own face for a few moments. “Okay, what was I saying?”
Tormentas only continued to look at Hel politely, until the dark goddess suddenly pointed at the demon and said in a cold, serious voice: “I want the best of my best at the ready. Willing to move on a moment's notice. Hecate has Ithavoll, but I have the Principle of Cardinal Law. You know what to do.”
Tormentas bowed deeply to Hecate, then simply vanished in a crackle of energy as Thorn frowned uncertainly, looking up at Hel questioningly. But Hel pointedly ignored him as she spun around, saying pleasantly to Cadence: “Now, you and your friend here have to do me a little favor. We need to keep you safe and quiet, somewhere out of Thokk's reach. Oh, she wants you badly, girlfriend, and I think I know just why, but I can't spoil the surprise yet. No, no, no, sometimes it's important to play your cards as close as you can.”
Hel grinned widely, rubbing her hands together slowly as Cadence only blinked a few times, still caught in a strange daze as she stared at Hel, who seemed so familiar now, so maternal beneath her armor of madness, so... “Please don't leave me.”
Hel seemed almost caught off guard by this, but she quickly laughed before saying kindly: “Oh, usually vanilla is so bland, but you're just so sweet, my dear! But mommy has to work. And you know, sweetie, you and I are more like cousins than momma-and-daughtie, but hey, I'll work with what I got! That's how I got to this position in the first place, after all!”
The goddess clapped her hands together, and then she clicked her tongue before looking over her shoulder at Thorn, gesturing with one finger and adding airily: “Oh, yeah, before I forget, tell Hecate not to get in over her head. I'd hate to think of her losing face.”
Thorn visibly repressed the urge to sigh, before he stiffened as Hel added with a strange, knowing look: “I worry, even though if anybody knows how to handle things, she certainly does. Even if she does have four and thirty black birds baked in a pie.”
The two looked at each other evenly for a few moments, and then Hel clapped her hands together and asked brightly: “Thorn, how would you like to stay at your parents' mansion for a few days, honeybun? That's perfect, that's genius, isn't it! Why, I can even bring Mommy and Daddy and Other Mommy down to visit you for a while, my Inquisitors have been hot-potato-on-their-trail!”
“That's... alright. Cadence-” Thorn paused for the briefest moment as he looked over at the ivory mare, saw she was still less-than-coherent, and quickly continued: “-and I will be more than happy to find our own way there, and I should be able to reacquaint myself with the facilities quickly enough.”
“So polite! So condescending! But so polite!” Hel extolled exuberantly, as she clasped her hands together and wiggled back and forth, before her eyes suddenly narrowed and she dropped her hands as she glared at Thorn. “Don't try anything funny, though. I'll be watching you, very very closely. And you know I'm great at giving people my name, too.”
“I do.” Thorn said, unafraid as he gazed up at her evenly, and Hel smiled with an odd sort of pride as she looked back at him for a few moments before clapping her hands together gently.
“Good, grandson. You brave little soldier.” Hel shook her head with a chuckle, and then she waved at him lightly. “Now shoo, shoo! I've got work to do, you've got work to do, we've all got our jobs trying to outthink and outsmart and outwrangle each other, don't we? We're all in this together! So let's do the best we can do to stab each other in the back!”
With that, Hel spun around on one foot before exploding into a frosty mist that quickly wafted out of existence, and Thorn gave a brief smile before he turned towards Cadence, striding over to her and reaching up to gently touch the side of her neck as he said quietly: “Stay still.”
Cadence only blinked once, then she shifted awkwardly before mumbling: “You know, in some cultures, that would be considered rude.”
“You died again. My concern for your health as both a friend and employee supersede the notion of personal space.” Thorn replied mildly, and Cadence gave a brief, wry smile before the stallion murmured: “Your heartrate is irregular. I want to do a full examination after we get back to the mansion.”
Cadence only nodded once, before she gave a brief smile. “So when did you become the team doctor, too?”
Thorn gave the slightest of smiles at this, before he simply shrugged. Then he turned and flicked his horn, and Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as a portal swirled open in reality. “But... how can you-”
“Portals are relative to the place they're created: reality here in Helheim is exceptionally malleable. It's only roughly fifty bæns of energy to create a portal to the mansion, but I can't hold it open for very long.” Thorn said with a pointed gesture towards the portal, and Cadence gave a lame smile before she took the hint and strode into the swirling light.
She braced herself as she passed through, but she only felt briefly disoriented as she stepped out onto a warm stone path in the middle of a snowy field, and that was more from the visual shock of stepping from an enclosed room to what almost felt like a completely different world. But she was snapped out of it not by the sight of the massive mansion they were at the base of, but the enormous statue they were only a few feet away from, in the center of a frosty garden.
She recognized those massive, polished stone ponies: Scrivener Blooms on one side, Morgan Heldóttir in the center, and Luna Brynhild, on the far side of her, almost taunting her even in stone with her grin and pose. Cadence stared over the details in the humongous statue before she laughed faintly and shook her head slowly, muttering: “It's almost as big as the Valkyrie's ego.”
“Almost.” Thorn agreed, and Cadence blushed even as she smiled over her shoulder at him almost hesitantly, but Thorn only smiled a bit in return as he looked towards the mansion, saying softly: “We're all aware that my Móðer has an ego, Cadence.”
“Okay.” Cadence stopped, then softened a little as she studied the stallion for a few moments, seeing a strange mix of happiness and nostalgia and... pain. There's no other word for it. “Thorn? Are you alright?”
Thorn gave the smallest of flinches, but then he nodded once before he turned a brief smile towards Cadence, answering quietly: “Yes. I'm fine, just... it's very strange to be back here, that's all. Come inside, let's see who's on duty today.”
Cadence tilted her head as she followed after Thorn, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing back and forth before remarking quietly: “This place is... beautiful. How is it so warm, too?”
Thorn smiled a bit over his shoulder at this: he didn't need to look around to know what Cadence meant, since every detail of this place was still etched in his childhood memories. It had been hundreds, thousands of years for the demons here in Helheim, but unlike in the real world, things here in Hell didn't change all that fast.
The sprawling, picturesque fields of smooth snow were the same. The frost garden and its blue flowers were the same. The magic hadn't faded from the stone path, which emitted a perfect tunnel of warmth for them to walk through, right up to the gorgeous, freshly-painted mansion that towered over them, built into the side of a massive wall of ice that stretched all the way up to the ceiling of Hell high, high above. It was all the same...
“Magic. The stones are imbued with a warmth spell.” Thorn answered finally, as they approached the immense double doors leading into the mansion. He hesitated in front of these for a moment, reaching up to touch the red oak as he looked slowly back and forth over them, before he murmured: “In the years I lived here, we went through two sets of doors. Móðer kept breaking them.”
Cadence laughed a bit at this, then she asked quietly: “Do I even want to know the story behind that?”
Thorn only smiled over his shoulder, however, shrugging a bit before he pushed the double doors open and strode into the enormous entry hall beyond. Cadence whistled a little as she followed the stallion inside, looking back and forth at the expensive interior; but what stood out more than the suits of armor or the soft rugs or how polished and pristine everything was, was how purely different the atmosphere felt inside: she immediately felt calmer, like there was less oppressive energy in the air, less poison trying to work its way into her system.
Thorn glanced back and forth, before he visibly winced at an excited yell that came from the walkway above before a voice shouted: “Prince Thorn! Oh, look at you, so handsome!”
“Oh no.” Thorn muttered, before he hurriedly put on his best, most professional face as a mare pranced down the stairs, yanking another along behind her, and Cadence felt her body stiffen as she automatically glared at the two, recognizing them both as demons.
The lead mare was grinning from ear to ear, her slit-like pupils locked on Thorn almost hungrily. Her coat was pale pink, and mane was a mess of crimson, small, black horns poking out of this as she almost danced on her cloven hooves, the bell on the simple slave collar around her neck jingling merrily as she giggled. “Does that mean our masters are returning?”
The other mare smiled nervously as she smoothed out the modest green dress she was wearing: she had a white coat, and a mane that was a mix of silver and black, and innocent, dark eyes... yet she was also very much the twin of the succubus beside her, and reeked of demonic essence herself. “I... it's very nice to see you, Prince Thorn. How have you been doing? We've heard so much about you...”
“So much.” whispered the pink mare, stepping forwards and licking her lips slowly, before her eyes flicked towards Cadence with a mix of interest and contempt. “I always heard Swan Maidens were supposed to be beautiful.”
“Fact becomes fiction, history becomes myth and legend.” Cadence answered, although she didn't feel like those were her words. She also didn't have any time to stop and think about it, however, as she scowled a little at the succubus before she asked: “Who are you?”
“My name is Juliette. My sister Justine and I are the personal attendants to the Master and the Mistress.” the succubus retorted haughtily, as her sister only quietly shrank into the background and looked awkwardly away, tapping her hooves nervously together. “Any and all interviews for the mansion are conducted through me. And from what I see, you are not worthy to serve here.”
“She is not a servant. She is a guest. Please treat her with respect.” Thorn said gently, and Juliette grumbled under her breath, but then nodded sulkily as Justine gave a hesitant smile.
“I think that's very nice. Miss Cadence, we're at your service if you need anything.” Justine said gently, before she yelped when Juliette spun around and backhoofed her savagely across the face, knocking her sprawling with a whimper.
Cadence gritted her teeth, but Thorn only shook his head slowly before he said dryly: “Not in the presence of guests, please. Justine, who is on staff today?”
Juliette sulked visibly, but she dropped her head and her shoulders as Justine climbed up to her hooves, brushing her mane out and smiling nervously at Thorn. “I apologize, I'm sorry. Yes, we were informed by the Lady of the Moon to have full staff on hoof. We expected that your parents were returning... but it's such a delight to have you as a guest instead, Prince Thorn. And you too, of course, Miss Cadence.”
Cadence looked at Justine for a moment, then grimaced a little in spite of herself. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like either of the siblings, for some reason. “Uh... thanks.”
Thorn glanced over at the ivory mare, and then he returned his eyes pointedly to Justine, and she blushed and lowered her head as she said hurriedly: “Among others, Draga and Caliginos are on duty. I believe you're familiar with them both.”
“Good. I need you to call in Tamras and Vextus. Tormentas may also be stopping by.” Thorn ordered, and Cadence couldn't help but reflect he was as natural with his commands here as he was in Decretum. “We'll be in the Lunar Wing.”
“W-Wait!” Justine blurted as Thorn started to turn away, and the stallion glanced back at her as she explained nervously: “Tamras was assigned to another slice of Helheim, and Vextus completed her training and was initiated to become a High Priestess. I'm not sure we have the authority...”
“I'll take responsibility, Justine.” Thorn said mildly, and Justine nodded with an embarrassed blush, although she visibly relaxed. “Go on, contact Vextus Lux and ask if she can bring a disciple as well. Cadence, please come with me.”
Cadence smiled wryly as she turned to follow Thorn, absently blowing a bit of her mane out of her face as she said: “You really are good at just taking control, aren't you?”
“It's my favorite thing about him.” purred a voice, and Cadence winced a bit as she found Juliette suddenly cozying up to her side, grinning widely as she eyed her mischievously, while Justine nervously followed a little behind. “Now, Swan, you might not be worthy enough to serve the Master and the Mistress, but you certainly have a thing for the son, don't you?”
Cadence only scowled at Juliette, as Justine said nervously: “Juliette, it's really none of our business. The Prince is a stallion now, and-”
“And he could do so much better than this dirty bird.” Juliette replied, lazily grinding her side against Cadence before she leaned into her face, and Cadence grimaced at the cloying reek of her breath: it was like rotting flowers and rancid perfume and meat. “I bet you cry after sex, don't you?”
Cadence scowled at the succubus, then opened her mouth, but it was the Swan who took over and spoke for her, saying callously: “Says the lesser half of a stud whore to a servant of the gods. I hold a position that you cannot even dream of, Allelois. And the next time you touch me, I will exorcise you the same way I exorcised the carrion-eater.”
Juliette snarled in fury, but the Swan only had to take a single step towards her to make the succubus rapidly back off, dropping her head and looking away with a flush of humiliation as Justine hurried forwards and blurted: “We apologize! Please, we don't want to trouble you, please.”
“Danzsöngr.” Thorn said politely, and the Swan snorted before looking ahead, and Cadence stumbled a little as she felt the Swan retreat, the ivory mare halting in the middle of the hall and breathing hard before Thorn asked quietly: “Is she still present?”
Cadence shook her head briefly, before she whispered: “No, but... it's... it's less like she went away and more like... she just let me take control. I feel like... now I'm the one wearing the suit of clothes, and she's-”
“Calm down.” Thorn said gently, and Cadence glared at him for a moment, but then lowered her head and nodded, blushing a little as she realized that, yes, she was getting... stupid. “Alright. We can talk about this while I examine you. Justine, Juliette, I need you to call those people as soon as possible, please.”
“Yes, sir!” Justine said quickly, as Juliette grumbled but nodded grouchily, giving Cadence a distrustful look. “We'll get right on that!”
Juliette rolled her eyes as Justine hurried onward, but she trotted after her sister after a moment, blowing a raspberry at Cadence as she ran away. Cadence glowered back at the demon, but Thorn only smiled wryly before he shook his head and muttered: “I think she likes you.”
“Great.” Cadence mumbled, and then she sighed and turned to follow Thorn as he began to stride onward, the mare asking impulsively: “Did you know that Tormentas was... well...”
“Yes, I did. I found out on one of my visits to Helheim. I was quite surprised myself.” Thorn replied quietly, and Cadence tilted her head, which made the sapphire stallion smile briefly as he glanced over his shoulder at her. “As a representative of Decretum, of course. I've met with Hel on several occasions to discuss trade, treaties, and Decretum as a whole.”
Cadence nodded awkwardly, and then she lowered her head slightly before mumbling: “It really is kind of weird and amazing to learn all this stuff about you, Thorn. I guess... you were often just... you know, the administrator, to a lot of us. I never realized how enormous all your duties were, or... the weight on your shoulders.”
Thorn only shrugged, and there was quiet as they made their way through the beautiful mansion, Cadence glancing back and forth and noting how even if there were decorations here and there, a lot of it was almost bland, lacked the very distinct personality of Luna Brynhild.
But as soon as they stepped into another wing of the castle, that vibrancy changed: the walls were painted with a dark, almost-black blue that was a little messy here and there, and every door they passed was labeled with a name in runes: Cadence had no problem reading any of these, thanks to the knowledge of the Swan, and she was admittedly amused to see most of them were nonsense phrases that probably only made sense to their creator, which she suspected was Brynhild: “Hoof-Face Room?”
“You can take a look through these rooms later if you want. This is my Móðer's side of the house, and for better or worse, Twilight and Scrivener allowed her to decorate it however she pleased.” Thorn smiled briefly as they reached another door emblazoned with the emblem of the sun, the stallion gesturing at the name written over it, and Cadence couldn't help but give a small, amused smile: Fat Butt Room.
Thorn opened the door after a moment, and Cadence honestly had no idea what to expect: but the last thing she anticipated was the gorgeous, plush den room they stepped into. There were several couches in one corner near a massive fireplace, a section of padded flooring likely meant for exercising or sparring, but Thorn was heading towards what looked like an empty corner, apart from several shelves.
Except when Thorn grasped the handle of the top shelf and pulled, an entire bed slid out from the wall. Cadence smiled a bit, then laughed despite herself when Thorn used telekinesis to open another panel in the wall and a set of racks slid out. “I guess you were here a lot, huh?”
“Yes. I was. I remember every detail, and nothing's changed.” Thorn said softly, and Cadence softened a little at the look that passed over the stallion's face before he shook his head and gestured at the rack. “Go ahead, hang up your armor there.”
Cadence hesitated, but then she nodded slowly before doing as she had been asked, in spite of the nervousness. She hated the armor, but even more than that, she hated to think of what had likely happened to her body now. She didn't want to see the changes, she didn't want to see how the Swan was taking her over further, changing her, how death was making her... return to what I once was.
But all the same, she stripped her armor carefully off, and then looked up, forcing a smile as Thorn studied her intently before she asked quietly: “Well? How bad is it?”
Thorn only gave a brief smile, and Cadence smiled faintly in return before she shook her head slowly, saying quietly: “That bad, huh?”
The sapphire stallion shrugged briefly, his eyes roving slowly over her: there was no more coat of fur over her body, but instead, she had a hide that was almost like ivory plastic. Her horn had turned gold, and it had shrunk slightly, and her features – her whole body, really – was thinner, sleeker, making her legs look far longer than they had been before. And of course, there was her mane and tail...
Thorn hesitantly gestured towards the fitness area, and Cadence followed his gesture to a handle in the wall. “That slides back. There's a mirror and some fitness equipment inside. Why don't you take a look at yourself and then test your strength, and I'll... find you a pair of scissors.”
Cadence smiled awkwardly as Thorn turned to stride out of the room, and then she glanced down before murmuring: “Thank you, Thorn.”
She took a slow breath, then approached the sliding wall, biting her lip and steeling herself before she yanked it open-
Cadence recoiled, falling on her rump and yanking herself backwards in horror as the thing in the mirror stared down at her, its head cocked curiously. The ivory mare's breath caught in her throat as she trembled violently, but the creature in the mirror only continued to stare at her from beneath its bird-like mask, eyes glowing like spotlights from the holes in the golden metal as its silken dress of white feathers floated silently around it.
In either gauntleted hand, the creature clutched a long, curving dagger, and as Cadence trembled, the Swan Maiden slowly rose these: not in threat, but almost in offering. Cadence shook her head weakly, but then, for the first time, the Swan spoke: it spoke in the old, long-lost tongue of the gods, and yet all the same, Cadence understood its words, as it said: “Take them. We are evolving. We are becoming more. You and I together, Cadence. Take these. Evolve.”
Cadence shivered a little as she looked at the Swan Maiden, before her eyes widened as the creature leaned slowly forwards, somehow pushing the daggers through the mirror in a shimmer of light. They fell to the ground with a loud clank, and the mare mouthed wordlessly as the Swan leaned back, studying her from inside the mirror before the creature said softly: “I like these emotions you experience. I enjoy the way you experience them. I have enjoyed experiencing them myself. I have come to understand, finally, what evolution is, what it entails and what glories it may lead to. I crave more of it. We will reach it together.”
“What are you?” whispered Cadence, before she shook her head violently, trembling as she grasped at her face before she shouted: “Why are you doing this to me? What changed?”
“Everything.” the Swan replied simply. Cadence didn't know how to respond to this, as the Swan gestured slowly, strangely out to Cadence, clunkily trying to express herself through more than just words: something that somehow held a strange terror for the ivory mare. “When your frail body died again, my essence flooded what was stripped away. But this time, your energy was not simply discarded, as trivial castoff. We have been communicating. We have been in symbiosis. We have grown from it, and tasted you, as you have tasted us.”
Cadence trembled, gazing into the Swan, and the Swan gazed back into her before the creature said softly: “I shall drink of you. You, shall drink of me. And we will evolve as one. We are no longer servant. We are... more.”
“No!” Cadence shouted, flinching away before she glared back up at the mirror, but all she saw was her own reflection now, the ivory mare trembling. But oh, it had all just been in her mind, anyway, hadn't it? All of it, including-
Cadence's eyes locked on the daggers laying at the foot of the mirror, and the mare shook her head in disbelief before she dragged herself to her hooves, stumbling forwards before she reached down, her hoof nervously floating over one of the weapons before she took a slow breath, then grasped into the handle of the curved, sickle-like dagger.
She felt a tremor run through her body, heard a strange sigh from the Swan, and there was a rush of memory and emotion before she shivered as she lifted the dagger and dropped her face against the flat of the blade, the cool metal somehow soothing her. She breathed slowly in and out, then hesitantly opened her eyes as she tilted the weapon away, studying it for a few moments before she naturally shifted it to telekinesis.
The second dagger rose into the air as well, and she looked back and forth between them before she flinched when a voice said softly: “Those are Asgardian in origin.”
Cadence spun around, automatically snapping both weapons to a ready position before she grimaced a bit as she found herself face-to-face with Tormentas. But the Inquisitor simply smiled at her, her silver mask-helmet floating off to one side as she bowed her head politely towards Cadence. “I've heard legends of how the Valkyries were so connected to their weapons, that they could summon them from beyond time and space... I suppose you prove there's more to that than just fable.”
“I'm... I'm no Valkyrie.” Cadence muttered after a moment, shaking her head briefly before she glanced away and asked awkwardly: “What are you doing here?”
“It's nice to see you again, too.” Tormentas smiled slightly, even as her eyes drew measuringly over Cadence before she asked quietly: “Who were you talking to?”
“I think you probably know already. Can you answer my question, maybe?” Cadence insisted, doing her best to be as tactful as possible, which admittedly wasn't all that tactful.
Tormentas laughed, however, shaking her head slowly before she nodded with a smile. “I'm here to train you, as was promised. You'll need something to do, after all, and I suppose you could use the distraction. But first, would you like me to help you with your mane?”
Cadence shifted almost uncertainly, but when Tormentas pointedly looked at the daggers she still had raised, the ivory mare blushed a bit before almost sheepishly lowering the weapons as well as her head, mumbling: “I guess, yeah.”
“You are as childish as Brynhild ever was, in your own way.” Tormentas said teasingly, and she smiled in amusement at the scowl that got from Cadence. “And likely just as easily provoked.”
The ivory mare only grumbled under her breath, looking awkwardly off to the side as she spun the daggers absently on either side of her, before she blushed a bit when Tormentas reached out and snatched one out of the air, smiling coyly again as she seemed to almost materialize beside Cadence with how fast she moved. She leaned over, whispering teasingly in her ear: “That, of course, isn't precisely a compliment, dear.”
Cadence smiled awkwardly back, and then Tormentas simply let the dagger go, and Cadence lifted it back into her psychic grip without a second thought, quickly floating both daggers off to the side as she muttered: “Yeah. It never is.”
The ivory mare cleared her throat after a moment, and then she rubbed at the side of her head before she asked finally: “How do you plan to-”
Before Cadence could finish, Tormentas was already combing through her mane, the demon saying kindly: “Let's just take care of one step at a time, shall we? First we'll get this messy mane of yours all cleaned up.”
“I'd prefer just to cut it short.” Cadence muttered, and she grimaced when she felt Tormentas pulling back on her mane firmly, the mare saying lamely: “Let's just wait for Thorn, he said-”
Her eye caught a gleam of metal, and Cadence's eyes widened even as she started to jerk away-
“Oh, stop it.” Tormentas said crossly, and Cadence flinched as her whole body suddenly went numb, the mare unable to move before there was a loud snicking as Tormentas chopped through her long mane. “Just because I am a demon and an Inquisitor does not mean I am going to stab you in the back, Cadenza Danzsöngr.”
Cadence mumbled something, before she sighed as her body relaxed, the numbness fading as she turned towards Tormentas, before she grimaced in surprise at the sight of the straight-razor floating beside the demon, Cadence unable to stop herself from asking: “You uh... just happened to have that on you?”
“We'll call it shortwave summoning. All Inquisitors are taught to keep a personal pocket dimension loaded with our goodies. This is provided to us by Hel, like our natural protection.” She gestured at herself with a slight smile before she flicked her horn calmly, and Cadence winced as a variety of massive, ugly-looking torture tools flashed into reality over the mare, before they all vanished just as quickly as they had appeared. “But if you were able to summon those daggers-”
“I don't know if I really summoned them, though.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Tormentas tilted her head curiously. The ivory mare shifted awkwardly, and then she said finally: “I just... I was talking to the Swan, and then she sort of... gave them to me.”
Tormentas cocked her head curiously, and then she gave a knowing wink before she said softly: “Well, just because that was what you perceived, Cadence, doesn't make it true. Reality might be thinner here in Helheim, but it's not so thin that dreams can become reality... and I know all about dreams and nightmares, Cadence.”
The ivory mare grumbled a little, but then Tormentas lowered her head towards her and said gently: “I think the Swan simply projected herself to you in a way that you could best understand. Calling those daggers back would have required old magic, magic you might not even recognize you are capable of... but the Swan knew what to do, the Swan knew how to act.”
“The Swan knew how to manipulate me.” Cadence muttered, and she shivered a little as she silently searched for the Swan inside of herself. And there it was, just patiently biding its time, watching, waiting... for what? “I... I don't even know what she wants anymore. Everything's... changed.”
“Has it?” Tormentas inquired, and Cadence opened her mouth before the Inquisitor said pointedly: “Or have things taken a step forward towards what you wanted?”
Cadence began to frown, but even as she wanted to deny it, she realized that, yes, there was a sick and twisted truth there. After all, she had been the one trying to communicate with the Swan, trying to understand it, trying to build some kind of bridge between them.
She guessed that now she had that bridge, but... “You should be careful what you wish for, huh?”
“Truer words were never spoken in Helheim.” Tormentas smiled at her almost compassionately, and then she said softly: “Now sit still for me, please.”
Cadence did as Tormentas asked, and it only took the Inquisitor a few minutes using magic and a summoned blade to cut down her mane. Not as short or smooth as Cadence liked, but she knew she wasn't really in any position to be ungrateful.
Then Tormentas moved to her tail, but she paused before chopping the entire sheet of hair away, frowning slightly as she rubbed a hoof down it, and Cadence grimaced before she blinked as she realized she had felt the contact almost all the way down the long hairs. Before she could turn or ask what that meant, Tormentas sliced away most of the curtain of hair.
What was left hung from a long, thin, almost rat-like tail, and Cadence shivered a little as she looked away from this strange physical change as she muttered: “Great. And here I thought I was getting more bird-like.”
“Now, now, dear, don't be like that.” Tormentas smiled again in amusement as she began to gently cut more hairs away from Cadence's tail with the razor, smoothing out the long hairs into something more manageable. “I think you're very pretty, after all.”
Cadence only looked awkwardly away, reaching up and rubbing at her bare chest silently before she glanced down at herself. Funny: her cutie mark was completely gone, but she didn't miss it. She did, however, miss that odd tattoo that had been on her breast...
Tormentas finished quickly, and then simply looked at Cadence curiously until the ivory mare pulled herself out of her thoughts with a brief shake of her head and a small smile over her shoulder. “Sorry. I guess that I got... a little lost in my thoughts.”
The Inquisitor simply nodded, chuckling quietly. “Well, I suppose I can't hold that against you, dearest. You have had such a long trip, haven't you?”
Cadence shrugged awkwardly at this phrasing, giving a lame smile in return, and Tormentas drew her eyes over the mare appraisingly before she said thoughtfully: “Perhaps we should start with the basics, then. I take it you know how to wield weapons with telekinesis?”
Cadence gave Tormentas a dry look, but Tormentas only smiled back at her before shrugging and saying pointedly: “I need some idea of where you stand, you know. And you're the one who seems to be unable to quite comprehend what changes are happening to your own body.”
Cadence sighed a little, before she flinched when Thorn's voice added politely: “There's more than enough room here for some light sparring, and I can take a reading of your physiological systems while you do.”
The ivory mare glared at Thorn, and Thorn gave a slight smile in response as he rose a pair of scissors with telekinesis. “I'm guessing you don't need these, then. It's good to see you, Tormentas: Vextus Lux will likely be joining us shortly.”
“Very good, Thorn Blackfeather.” Tormentas bowed her head politely to the stallion, and then she smiled slightly before inquiring: “You wouldn't be up for a short match yourself, would you, dear?”
“Thank you, but no. Cadence's health is the priority right now, not fun.” Thorn replied politely, and Tormentas nodded, although she looked almost disappointed. Something that oddly enough made Cadence feel a little stung. “Cadence, can I take a quick look at you again?”
The ivory mare sighed, but then she nodded before muttering: “Yeah, although I have no idea what you're going to learn from poking me some more.”
“More than you might think.” Thorn said, as he gestured towards the bed. “Tormentas, please make yourself comfortable, I'll just be a moment.”
Tormentas chuckled softly at this, then she nodded as she sat back. And Cadence couldn't help but watch with surprise as, with a simple flick of her horn, Tormentas dispelled her armor, making it vanish from around her body.
“I can teach you that trick, if you'll let me.” Tormentas said with a slight smile, winking over to Cadence, and the ivory mare looked awkwardly away and hurried to climb back onto the bed, where Thorn was patiently waiting. “It's funny how you struggle so much, Cadenza Danzsöngr. You shouldn't feel shame over trivial things.”
Cadence only grumbled under her breath, then she grimaced when Thorn grasped her foreleg and pulled it gently out, the stallion poking along her limb as she mumbled: “I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or anything. I just... don't know if I could really use 'demonic' magic.”
“There's nothing demonic about that magic. Demonic magic is a very rare form of spellwork, rarely seen even here in Helheim.” Thorn explained absently, and Cadence frowned at him, then gritted her teeth when he applied pressure to her limb, bending it slightly backwards even as she felt a sizzle of electricity numb her nerves. “Learning to purposefully manipulate your own reserves of energy in such a way that-”
“What the hell are you doing?” Cadence snapped, as Thorn twisted her foreleg slightly, and the sapphire stallion glanced up at her curiously before he winced when she yanked her limb away. “Are you trying to break it?”
“I was just testing your flexibility and how you react to pain. I see that hasn't changed exponentially.” the stallion said dryly, and then he reached down to take her pulse from her neck, as Cadence only continued to glower at him. “Your heartbeat is irregular, but there's a definite pattern to it. Every second beat is notably stronger. I wonder if that's to compensate for some sort of modification to your nervous or cardiovascular system...”
Cadence only gave a noncommittal noise, the mare glancing away as she rubbed awkwardly at her breast before she asked: “How do you even know this stuff?”
“You do remember who my mother is, yes?” Thorn asked, and Cadence smiled awkwardly, which made the stallion chuckle quietly. “I've learned a lot, especially in recent years, about how ponies operate on both a psychological and physiological level.”
“Uh... right.” Cadence looked over at Thorn, then winced a bit when he created a holographic screen before she blinked in surprise. “Wait, I didn't think you could use that magic here.”
“I can as long as we're inside. The magnetic resonance is much lower.” Thorn replied with a brief shake of his head before he surveyed the screen, muttering: “Running a basic comparison, I'm seeing a lot of minor diffraction in your energy patterns...”
“What does that mean?” Cadence asked, although it certainly didn't sound good.
Thorn only shrugged a bit, murmuring as he scanned carefully over the mare: “Normally it's indicative of an energy reaction. Usually it displays when you've been overexerting yourself with magic: your horn no longer focuses magic correctly, resulting in your magic not focusing properly until the focal root in your horn has healed from the damage that's been done to it. But your horn has... well...”
“Yeah. I noticed. It's kind of embarrassing.” Cadence mumbled, glancing absently up at her small horn and scowling a little at the golden spire. Then she shook her head briefly before she turned an awkward smile towards Thorn as he carefully touched along the spire. “I uh... can't really feel that very well.”
“Good. Your horn shouldn't be sensitive.” Thorn flicked it firmly, and Cadence scowled a little, but the sapphire stallion only smiled slightly. “Good. No pain response. I'm guessing that you overexerted your magic somehow and damaged the root in your horn, though. You might not be able to focus magic to the same extent you once did.”
“Yeah. I was really dependent on it.” Cadence said ironically, and then she hesitated before asking impulsively: “If I self-focus... you know, like Freya does...”
“That doesn't necessarily channel through the root of your horn, no, and it shouldn't be effected. But you can still get diffraction from improper focus and if your nervous system suffers damage, since magic is routed through...” Thorn paused for a moment as he touched along her breast, and then he muttered: “That's a little strange, though. Your skeletal structure is different and I'm getting fewer readings from your nerves. Do you feel my hoof?”
“I feel your hoof, Thorn, yes, you're touching my chest.” Cadence grumbled, as she looked nervously at the stallion. “What the hell do you mean my skeleton has changed, though?”
“I'll need to take scans to be sure.” Thorn replied, and when Cadence glared at him, the sapphire stallion simply smiled briefly. “Cadence, I can feel the structure of your bones, but I can't actually see what they look like. All I can really tell is that there seems to be some form of fusion here.”
The ivory mare grimaced a bit at this, shifting awkwardly before she muttered: “I don't like the sound of that, either. So you're saying I've... I've changed inside myself, not just outside?”
Thorn nodded hesitantly, his eyes roving up to Cadence's as he said quietly: “You had to have realized at some point that these changes were going to be more than just skin deep.”
Cadence smiled briefly at this, looking awkwardly down before she shook her head and mumbled: “I guess I realized it but I never... realized it, you know? For some reason, it's hard to think about that I'm... changing...”
“You're still you, Cadence. Don't lose sight of that, either.” Thorn said gently, and the ivory mare nodded once as she looked up at Thorn attentively. “No matter how you change, you will always be who you are. Don't let anything convince you otherwise.”
“That's... surprisingly nice of you to say. I really appreciate it, though, Thorn. Thank you.” Cadence said softly, smiling a little at the stallion, and Thorn only shrugged and gave a brief smile in response.
“It's just the truth, Cadence. It's important for us all to remember, that I learned here in Helheim.” Thorn glanced over his shoulder at Tormentas, who smiled at him before the stallion shook his head briefly. “Anyway. If you two want to spar, then, now would be the time.”
Tormentas bowed her head politely to Cadence as the ivory mare slid herself off the table, and she smiled awkwardly before rubbing lamely at her shoulder and murmuring: “Yeah. I mean... if you're up to it. I'm not honestly a hundred percent sure how I'm doing or anything but... I guess I wouldn't mind a bit of... you know.”
“Yes, dear, I do. There's no shame in it, you know.” the Inquisitor replied, bowing her head to Cadence, and the ivory mare nodded back before Tormentas gestured towards the mats. “Let's do a bit of light sparring. Nothing strenuous, nothing serious. We'll just keep it easy for us both.”
Cadence nodded a bit, approaching and joining the mare on the exercise mat, and the two looked at each other before the Inquisitor asked: “Are you ready to begin? Or do you need a moment to stretch and ready yourself, dear?”
Cadence shrugged after a moment, and then she rolled one of her shoulders before saying finally: “I'm ready to go any time you are.”
Tormentas bowed her head to her politely, and then she said kindly: “Let us be polite, then, and stick to grappling and pinning instead of open fighting. We want you looking your best for when you meet Vextus, after all.”
Cadence only smiled lamely, then she dropped into a ready position and took a slow breath to clear her head before she looked up and said: “Alright. Whenever you're ready, Tormentas. The best of luck to you.”
The Inquisitor smiled slightly in return, and then she said: “And the best of everything to you, Cadenza Danzsöngr. I look forwards to seeing whether or not you live up to the legend.”
The ivory mare began to smile, and then her eyes sharpened as Tormentas lunged, sudden but not unexpected. Cadence's body moved automatically to intercept, but as she began to swing a hoof up, the Inquisitor suddenly shifted in a different direction, seizing Cadence by the limb and slamming her down before twisting it savagely up behind Cadence's head.
Cadence spat a volley of curses, writhing on the mats as her eyes bulged, and Tormentas gave a slight smile as she teased: “Too rough for you? Well, we do follow a different measure, here in Helheim.”
Cadence scowled a little on the mat, but Tormentas released her after a moment, letting her shove herself back to her hooves. They looked at each other for a brief second, and then Cadence leapt forwards, but Tormentas danced easily out of the way before she weaved smoothly back and forth, evading the strikes and punches from the ivory mare.
Tormentas suddenly lunged in to try and seize her, but Cadence easily grabbed her by the foreleg to try and fling her down: Tormentas, however, refused to be caught by her own trick, revolving her entire body agilely with the twist before her eyes widened in surprise as the ivory mare flipped as well, landing neatly on her hooves before she flung herself forwards and seized the Inquisitor around the neck.
Cadence slammed Tormentas face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang, pinning her by the shoulders as she said moodily: “Maybe I should be the one asking you that question.”
Tormentas chuckled quietly against the mat, and then her eye flicked back over her shoulder as she replied with amusement: “Well, dear. That's a start, at least.”
Tormentas suddenly slipped backwards, then seized Cadence as she rolled forwards, slamming the ivory mare down on her back with a tremendous bang before she grasped her by the shoulders, the Inquisitor easily pinning the Swan Maiden as she said thoughtfully: “I think I can train you. You learn fast and adapt faster, even though you certainly are very straightforward. You should be interesting to work with, dear.”
“Thanks.” Cadence grumbled from the floor, scowling a little as she wiggled uselessly under the demon before she muttered: “Please let me up.”
Tormentas chuckled softly, then she stepped politely backward, allowing Cadence to crawl up to her hooves. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Tormentas turned her eyes towards Thorn, asking politely: “Would you mind if I led Cadence through a few simple magic exercises?”
“By all means.” Thorn gestured towards Cadence, and the ivory mare shifted a little before the sapphire stallion reassured: “My readings so far are mostly normal. I'm sure Tormentas will keep the exercises simple.”
“Thanks.” Cadence repeated dryly, giving Thorn a pointed look. But when the sapphire stallion only smiled briefly in response, the ivory mare rolled her eyes before grudgingly turning her attention to Tormentas, mumbling: “I'll do my best.”
Still, at least it would be something to keep her busy, and hopefully from focusing too much on what she had learned from Hel, or what Thokk had threatened. All she could do now was make the most of things here... and trust in her friends and family to see their way through the troubles ahead.