//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 - The Crossroads 
// Story: The Code's Apprentice 
// by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch 
//------------------------------//

Twilight Sparkle's mind was surprisingly calm. In spite of the changeling invasion currently threatening her town, and Lilith's insane threats Twilight felt completely in control of the situation. Of course, logically that was probably a result of the extreme stress of the past few days finally breaking down her emotional response. 

Her hooves lifted from the ground as she slowly approached the pony currently holding the Elements of Harmony hostage. Of course, this was planned from the very beginning. Twilight thought, her eyes looking straight into Lilith's.

No words were said because they didn't need to be. Twilight could not read Lilith's thoughts, but she didn't have to. "You knew there was going to be an attack." Twilight stated. "You let yourself be captured. You're stronger than you've shown me and you could have gotten away." That was pretty obvious. Lilith was not saying a word, but her smile never wavered. 

Twilight took a deep breath, her emotions were still in shock so her logical mind had taken over. Trying to analyze every angle of the last few days, she continued to piece together what she had been too exhausted or scared to figure out before. "You've been keeping spike out of the way, probably with some kind of sleeping spell." That was pretty glaring too, given how deeply the dragon was snoring nearby. 

Twilight kept talking, her comments less questions than statements. It was appalling how stupid she had been. "You knew the only way to get me to even consider your point of view was to force me to live it. You set up all of the blocks and I've been diligently knocking them over one by one." Twilight should have been angry about that, yet she could not be.

Twilight felt as though she had been awakened from a dream. Forced to acknowledge that the world was not as simple as 'Us versus Them' and that there were ponies on the other side of that conflict. Ponies that simply held different beliefs, a different outlook on life. Celestia had kept her sheltered her entire life from this understanding, to mold her into an unquestioning champion of Harmony. 

In truth, Twilight could not be angry at her mentor. She would never cease to love Celestia for all she had taught her, no matter what Dissonance might say about her motives.  Logically, both sides were doing what they thought was right. Unfortunately, that brought Twilight right back to her problem - both sides had merits. Both sides were correct in some things and wrong in others. Worst of all each side could not abide the tenets of the other.

So she stood there gazing into the eyes of this damnable unicorn that had sown confusion into her ordered life. Twilight felt a wild and desperate urge to run. To forget Ponyville, forget the Elements and just run for Canterlot. There, she was sure that Celestia would help her.  The world could be forced to make sense again. 

That was a trap, of course. Twilight did not need to be that smart to realize it. It would be the same as slitting Lilith's throat on the spot. Eventually, Lilith would die, as would all of her comrades. Twilight did not doubt she would be sent to do the deed herself.  Ponyville had a Dissonance cult in it, one that would need to be cleansed in the name of Harmony. 

There was no telling who else would be caught up in the hunt either. Inquisitions had always been messy, imprecise things throughout Equestrian history. Twilight even understood why now, due to the nature of the Cult's organization. Harmony would not care about that, though. It was concerned with the greater good, not the good of a few poor souls burning in the fires of the Sun Princess' gaze.

Of course, there was no telling what she would become should she walk the other path either. The vision of her possible future still burned in the back of her head.  Would she become no better than Sombra or any of the other infamous Dissonance sorcerers?  The road to Tartarus was paved with good intentions after all. Twilight might believe she could change things, but that did not mean she would not simply change into those things. 

Twilight had felt for herself the seductive allure of that power. The freedom to be the pony she had never dared dream of. Her magic and her love for knowledge would be able to grow without boundaries or restriction. She would never have to get involved in the politics. She'd simply have to convince Celestia that she was ready to engage in independent research. 

Twilight cracked a wry smile at that. Yes, and convince her to leave me alone for the rest of my Alicorn like lifespan. Right, and tomorrow Fluttershy will outpace Rainbow Dash in a race. It was not going to happen. Following Dissonance meant she would have to confront her Mentor. What would happen then, Twilight could not begin to imagine. 

Worse still, there was no time for prolonged introspection. Every moment she hesitated the attack outside would claim more victims, more innocent ponies dragged away to some unspoken fate. For all Twilight knew, Chrysalis herself was out there and she would not have forgotten Twilight's interference at the royal wedding. Her friends were mostly valiant fighters, except for poor Fluttershy. Yet Cadence would be far too busy defending the rest of the town to go to their aid. 

So Twilight stood there in the grim silence. Twilight knew better to try and talk a fanatic down from her martyrdom.  Time was running short. So what to do? Accept a lifetime of bloodshed against those guilty of nothing more than disagreeing with the status quo, or risk becoming a monster that might one day make Nightmare Moon look like a bad batch of cupcakes? 

In the end, the answer was logical and it was not. There was no time for hesitation. It was time to choose.

~~~~~

Prince Shining Armor slammed a bright purple shield into a heavily armored changeling. Smashing him into a stone wall and sending his broken form crumpling to the ground. A skirmisher changeling wielding a spear took a leap from a nearby rooftop only to be batted away by a thick band of shield energy, and sent flying off into the distance. His hooves kept him moving even as the bright shield bubble absorbed incoming magical blasts and redirected them at other targets.

There were stronger warriors in the Royal Guard and there were unicorns better at battle magic, but none could match Shining Armor's skill with shields.  He barreled into a mass of changelings blocking a doorway, and with only a brief thought, the bubble expanded dramatically to blast them away. "Go! Head for the guards barracks!" Shining yelled to the group of ponies who had holed up inside, who quickly began piling out of the house 

The town guard was not cut out for this kind of attack, but they were holding  a safe zone where the town was evacuating its citizens to. By sheer dumb luck, another unicorn with a special gift for magic had been passing through town.  Last Shining Armor had seen of her, she had been unleashing massive magical blasts on the changelings while the guard evacuated the locals. Shining Armor didn't know who this 'Trixie' pony was, but she was going to be getting an invite from the Royal Guard if he had anything to say about it.. 

With the ponies now in retreat, Shining Armor pressed towards the town square. Twilight was probably heading there herself,  and Cadence was going to need every bit of help she could get. Once I get to the middle of the town, maybe I can replicate my City Barrier. It wasn't going to be an easy spell to cast, and he was only going to get one shot at making it work against the Changelings. Gonna need Cady's help to do that again.

Of course, that wouldn't save everypony, but it was all he could hope to do right now. The rest, they'd simply have to rescue once the town was secure and Celestia could be contacted directly. Shining armor turned a corner into the market square to find a truly remarkable sight.

The changelings were packed twenty deep, and surrounding a little alcove in between three big  stone buildings. Packed into the alcove, the shoppers and merchants who had been in the square were hiding. Protecting them were a patchwork of inexpertly crafted shields by a wide variety of pegasus ponies, and three other figures, 

Two earth ponies and a zebra of all things stood against the Changeling horde. That has to be Zecora. Shining Armor had heard of the zebra shaman, and her powers over strange forces and spirits. The other two ponies were none other than Applejack and her brother Big Mac, and Shining Armor quickly learned how he had earned that name.

The Changelings surged forward on the attack - no few of them suddenly going flying into the sky by well-placed apple-bucking on the part of Applejack, who was holding the left. On the left Zecora seemed to dodge a pair of changeling energy blasts - only to somehow grasp the blasts in her hooves and hurl them back at her foes. 

That was astonishing enough, but In the middle Big Mac was holding a massive log of wood in both hooves. He swung the huge piece of timber like it was nothing more than a stick, and half a dozen changelings were crushed under its weight. A moment later, he turned and swept the log at the attackers, batting a dozen of them into the stalls and buildings in the market square. 

By Celestia, is everypony in this town crazy!? Crazy or not, they were still badly outnumbered. Shining armor gritted his teeth and charged towers them. His shield morphed from a perfect sphere into a dozen foot wide strips of energy. He leapt into the changeling horde from behind, startling them with a piercing cry "For the Guard, and EQUESTRIA!" as he sliced and smashed his shields into the unprepared changelings.

He could only hope he would reach Cadence in time.

~~~~~~

The Great and Powerful Trixie was feeling quite bushed. She slumped down onto a stump to wipe the sweat from her forehead and admire her handiwork in the form of a swarm of defeated changelings. It had not precisely been elegant work, but Trixie was not being paid to be elegant today.  All around her, hastily armed and armored guards ponies were engaging in hoof-to-hoof combat with the Changelings as a steady stream of refugees galloped down the road.

To Trixie's surprise, no few of them had stopped to grasp her hoof and weep their thanks to her before continuing down the road.  Some had promised rewards when this was all over, which Trixie would be very thankful for given the lean state of her pocketbook. Not that she'd tell them that.

A grizzled and scarred pony marched up to her - She recognized him as the local commander of the guard, a former Royal Guardsman who'd come to Ponyville for a quiet retirement. "Miz Trixie. I Wan'ta thanks you for yer help." He had not been nearly so polite the last time they had met, following the little incident with the Alicorn Amulet.  Still, praise was praise and Trixie blossomed under it like nopony else.

"The Great and...Humble Trixie thanks you for your compliment."  In the months since that debacle, Trixie had decided that perhaps a little politeness really could go a long way. Though only a little bit, she was not about to turn into Twilight Sparkle. "Trixie wishes to know where the battle might still be joined?" Great and Powerful or not, she had no hope of outrunning a changeling swarm like this.  The only way to survive was to fight back.

The Guard Commander raised an eyebrow over his only remaining eye, and nodded in what Trixie was sure was grudging approval. "There's pocket's o' resistance all over tha' city." A Guardpony quickly trotted up and saluted the commander, who gestured at him. "Reports indicate that there's fightin' goin' on in the town square, by tha market and over by Sugarcube corner.  We also got reports of some kinda fightin' retreat goin on down Lavender street. Big group o' foals and civvies  being guarded by a buncha animal’s if'n you can believe it." The commander grabbed the scroll from his subordinate and quickly tore open the seal, running his eyes down it. "Looks like they're bogged down around the Carousel Boutique. Tha's the biggest group if'n yer still feelin' like a hero." 

Trixie was most definitely not feeling like a hero at that moment. Trixie felt like taking a nap, perhaps followed by a nice hot bath and a cup of tea. Trixie was not going to get what she felt like sadly. "Trixie will go to them at once." A quick burst of power snatched up her trademark hat and laid it upon her head gently. "No changeling shall stand before the might of  the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Tossing back her mane in a suitably heroic fashion, she galloped off towards the indicated street uncaring of the bemused looks of the other guards ponies. The commander shook his head and smiled a little, showing the number of teeth he'd lost over the years fighting every dark creature imaginable. His voice rumbled over the din of the battle to every guard around. "She may be a pain in the flank, but I don' want any stallion or mare here suggestin' that girl ain't got courage."

~~~~~~

Rarity liked to brag to her friends sometimes that she had seen practically everything. When one works in fashion, one gets to see ponies often at their most vulnerable. Sometimes, those lead to some very interesting situations. Oftentimes, it leads to learning things about other ponies nopony would ever expect. 

Today, Rarity was prepared to admit she'd never seen anything quite like this before. When the attack had come, she'd bundled Sweetie Belle into her vault where she kept her gems and high-priced materials. Secure in the knowledge that her little sister would survive the attack, Rarity had decided she would go down like a lady ought to. With style, sophistication and most importantly courage in the face of adversity. 

To her shock, Her boutique had only experienced flyby attacks at first. Shattering windows and scorching her lovely paint job on the outside of the shop. It had not been until she'd spotted the convoy of ponies battling wave upon wave of changeling's down the street that any serious attack had come against her. She had fought what few attackers she could, but she was no Twilight Sparkle. And then, a hero appeared.

Rarity would never forget how the tiny white whirling dervish had crashed through her front window like something from an action film. The creature hurled itself at the changelings surrounding Rarity and had proceeded to bite, punch, kick and ravage the chitin creatures with impossible ferocity. Rarity wisely took cover as the changelings tried to land so much as a single blow on the white whirlwind, but to no avail.

When the noise had finally stopped Rarity poked her head out from behind a desk, just in time for her jaw to drop at the sight before her. A small white bunny rabbit with a bright red bandana wrapped around its forehead stomped in the head of one last changeling and then gave a piercing whistle towards her door. 

Her shop had then been invaded by a veritable swarm of little fillies and colts, being herded by Cheerilee and Bon Bon. Rarity had only enough time to trot out from behind cover before Sweetie Belle came running out of her back room to hug her closest friends. The three of them were still sitting together on the floor when a hulking black bear walked into the room and stole away all of Rarity's attention. "Darling!" Rarity shrieked as a pale yellow form was gently laid on her fainting couch.

Fluttershy had been hurt - there was a roughly wrapped bandage around her forehead that was still trickling blood. Rarity immediately seized her very best white linen cloth and began to re-wrap the bandages. The wound was not bad, but she had clearly been knocked completely unconscious.  She would need a doctor, but not immediately. 

Behind her, Angel Bunny was already marching back outside, followed by a pair of hulking brown bears who had carried in Fluttershy.  Rarity stared for a moment at the animals, and quickly rushed over to her window. There she saw the sight she would have to admit, she'd never seen before.

A small army of woodland creatures were battling the changelings blow for blow. Bears, badgers and even a Manticore of all things were holding the line against the attack. All around them swarmed squirrels, eagles, hawks and dozens of other animals bit and clawed at the flanks, driving back any attempts to surround the bigger creatures. 

Angel Bunny was a force of nature. Where he walked, Changelings fell. He moved so fast, it was hard to trace him with the naked eye. A Pegasus could have, but no other kind of pony. Despite all of the carnage, Rarity knew it was not a battle they could win. Hold off for a time, but the changelings seemed endless. 

Behind her, Cheerilee was soothing her class of foals and Bon Bon was giving a little hard sweet to a blonde unicorn filly that sucked on it happily.  Rarity shook her head a little bit, eyeballing the crowd. It would be a tight fit but..."Girls, I have a secure room in the back of my shop. It is not large - but it will hold the children and yourselves. The door is solid griffon steel, and should keep you safe until help arrives."  Rarity forced back the lump in her throat. The children would be safe. That was what mattered.

Cheerilee stared at her for a moment, She started to talk before Bon Bon touched her shoulder. "C'mon Miss Cheerilee. Rarity knows what she's doing.  Come on kids, we've got a safe place to hide." The kids started shuffling towards the back room, with Sweetie Belle stopping and turning to look at her big sister.

Rarity had sat down next to Fluttershy and was checking her temperature with the back of her hoof. "Sweetie, Darling...Go. I'll be fine. I can’t leave Fluttershy out here alone."  She shook her head and floated over a basin of water and a cloth. Sweetie still hadn't moved, and neither had either of her filly friends.  "I said go, Sweetie Belle." Rarity's voice came far more firmly, her eyes fixed on her little sister in a stern glare. "I can handle a few uncouth ruffians." 

The crusaders looked at one another for a brief moment before quickly trotting into the back room with the rest of the class. They'll be fine...and there's the door lock. Good, Cheerilee and Bon Bon would make certain the door stayed closed until help came. Rarity squeezed the excess water out of the cloth and mopped away the dried blood from Fluttershy's forehead. She stood up after a moment and glared at her window. 

Rarity would not allow these brutes to get away with this.  She began to march her way towards the door, head held high. A touch of magic threw open her front door and she carefully brushed her mane back with a hoof.  Her windows were ruined, her shop was in tatters, and her best friend was in jeopardy. Grace. Style. Courage.

Rarity stepped onto her front porch with every bit of dignitas as a canterlot noble. She raised her hoof and laid it delicately on her railing and regarded the changeling swarm with disdain. Her horn lit up as brightly as she could as she summoned every ounce of her magical power. It was not much - but Rarity knew how to make the most of what little she had.  If it's going to be your last stand darling, give them a show they won’t soon forget!

Suddenly, Ponyquins came flying out of her windows and careened into the swarm - smashing bugs left and right as pony-shaped dolls launched from the boutique like missiles.  Right behind them were a swarm of razor sharp needles, scissors and fabric knives. The changeling force stopped in its tracks, many of them staring in wary fear at the long slender steel needles the filled the air behind Rarity.

The swarm of sharp objects hovered as Rarity spoke. "You are disturbing my work." she calmly spoke to the crowd of Changelings staring at her. "If you do not get off my property this very instant, I shall become extremely cross." Rarity’s voice rang with conviction across the little square in front of her home. "So Leave. Now!"

Silence held for just a moment. The chitin mass milled amongst each other as though contemplating her threat. Rarity's eyes narrowed and a burst of wind gently blew across the ground between them - The animal guard had moved in front of her, Angel bunny having taken a place on the railing next to her hoof and glaring menacingly. The Swarm began to surge forward and Rarity tsked. "Such manners. You all need to be taught a lesson."

A moment later, the lesson arrived.

Rarity stared wide eyed as a bolt of bright blue magic streaked from somewhere down the street. Hitting the ground in the center of the swarm and detonating beneath them - Sparks of bright blue magic flew off the blast of energy and set off a series of smaller detonations all throughout the crowd. A second bolt followed a moment later, striking one of the foremost changelings and turning into a blast of wind and ice that left the ground covered in a thin white frost and hurled back another massive section of the enemy.

Rarity whipped her head around, fully expecting to see Twilight Sparkle charging to her rescue. What she did not expect was the appearance of The Great and Powerful Trixie...who had apparently learned a few new tricks since last time they'd met. 

Trixie did not waste time with declarations of greatness or boasting. Her horn flashed again as she charged down the street,  rapid firing unicorn energy blasts into the stunned crowd of changelings. Well now! Certainly cannot let her get all the glory! Rarity huffed out and dramatically whipped out her hoof towards the Changelings "Have At Thee!" A moment later a massive barrage of sharp steel flew at her foes.

Angel Bunny let out a battle cry that Rarity would later describe as 'Cute, but terrifying' and the animal guard force launched themselves back at the enemy. Faced with overwhelming assault on three fronts the changeling swarm broke completely. The black creatures scattered before blasts of magical power, flying steel needles and a pissed off bunny rabbit. 

The battle lasted only a few moments more, until finally the street in front of Carousel Boutique had been cleared of whatever changelings still lived. Rarity sighed dramatically at the scene of her beautiful Ponyquins lying battered and bruised amidst the wreckage. It would take forever to get them fixed too.

Trixie slowly picked her way cross the pile of the unconscious and the dead, looking incredibly weary. Rarity quickly dragged her spare couch onto the porch. Trixie half collapsed upon it a moment later, only to be nudged up fully with the aid of Rarity and one of the bears.

Trixie cracked open an eye and smiled fiercely at Rarity. "Trixie feels compelled to tell you that they will be back soon, and in greater numbers." Trixie then took a deep breath and gave a rough laugh. "Trixie is also compelled to inform you that she is currently the Greatly Pooped Trixie, and will not be worth much in another fray." 

Rarity shook her head. "You've done more than enough dear." She sighed again, leaning against the couch. "I fear we'll need something of a miracle at this rate. Where in Equestria did all these changelings come from? Chrysalis certainly has not had the time to rebuild her hive to this strength."

Trixie shook her head jerkily, licking at her dry lips. "Different hive. Trixie has heard rumors about another hive being absorbed by the bug queen. She likely does not care about the casualties - they are not her children. Trixie was coming to warn Twilight Sparkle about these events," Trixie sighed dramatically "and now Trixie is going to be forced to await her purple flank to come and save us. Truly, the great and humble Trixie is cursed to live forever in that silly filly's debt."

Rarity stifled a laugh. Twilight...get here quickly. her thoughts turned grim, if humorous. Else I'll have to share my last moments with Trixie, and that just will not do.

~~~~~

The door to the golden oaks library swung open in silence. Arrayed before the library were ranks of hooded and cloaked ponies, seemingly oblivious to the chaos of the town around them. A single purple hoof set foot outside of the library and then another, slowly pacing towards them.

Time felt like it slowed to a crawl around them. 

Twilight Sparkle looked around her at the two dozen or so ponies that stood as though waiting for something.. To her right one of the other ponies laid a bundle of black cloth at her hooves and quickly backed away from her, falling back into the ranks. Silence fell upon the strange group, and a calm but familiar voice gently spoke. 

"They will call you damned." The voice began, as a gentle lavender magic plucked the bundle from the ground. "They will call you cursed." It was a strange thing, being dressed like this. The cloak gently tucked round her throat and was pinned together by a little metal disc that Twilight was sure bore her cutie mark. "They will call you a betrayer." Twilight felt the soft wool of the cloak settle against her coat, and the black woolen hood gently tugged over her head.

It obscured her mane and her face from easy view, but did not impede her sight. Useful. "But you are none of these things." Lilith slowly stepped into view, wearing her own cloak and hood drawn over her face. Her voice was soft, but it rang with pride and love. Twilight had heard a voice like that only from her Teacher before. 

She doubted Celestia would ever speak to her in such a way again. Lilith continued as though she did not notice Twilight's thoughts. "For you know the truth, Mistress." The other unicorn was now very close. She leaned in and kissed Twilight's cheek gently. "You will never be alone, Mistress." she whispered, in words meant only for Twilight. "I swear it." 

She stepped back a moment later. Her voice grew in volume, now meant for all the ponies there. "Let no force bar her way down the True Path. Let her throw off the chains of Harmony that may she know Freedom. Speak your new name, that all the faithful might know it."

Twilight took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. Forgive me. She did not know who to ask for forgiveness. Perhaps it did not matter. "I am Hecate." The words seemed to hang in the still air, as power began to erupt through her body. For the first time, she did not fight it. She let it come and fill her up from within. A wild warm power took hold of her magic and shaped it in front of her eyes.

Twilight's eyes filled with luminescent green energy and shadowy power slowly began to seep from the corners of her eyes. She could feel the strength inside of her, strength far beyond ordinary magic. All around her the other cloaked ponies sank to the ground on their knees and hooves, bowing towards her.  Twilight took no notice of them for now. She was too busy seeing the world in a whole new way.

All around her, streams of power in every color of the rainbow ran. Under the ground, inside the walls and around the walls of the buildings all around her. Her tree was practically glowing with hundreds of little magical streams. Each one was different, each one represented an emotion. Love, anger, sorrow, hope, determination. And deep under the earth, Black and white streams of power pushed and pulled at one another - ever in conflict, yet always working together to keep the world moving. 

It was glorious. At last, Twilight could understand. Harmony and Dissonance existed to oppose one another, but without either the world would fall to ruin. Both were needed to have a healthy world, and Dissonance was so clearly being overwhelmed by the Harmony beneath her hooves. So. That's why I'm connecting so strongly with it. Clover's Second Law of Power - For every Magical Force, there is an equal but opposite reaction to that force. It's simply choosing to express itself through me.

What was even more astonishing was that she could not just touch the Dissonance - but she could still touch the Harmony too. Would that change? Or is there more to this power than Celestia was willing to admit? Twilight's thoughts went back to that moment before the Crystal Empire - Celestia had to have summoned Dissonance that day. Nothing else made sense. So. It seems my Teacher has a lot of questions to answer.

She would answer them later. Twilight held her head high up for a moment. There was no turning back now. She could not kill Lilith. That had been more than enough to tell Twilight what she must do. I will not kill those who are innocent of the crime of thinking for themselves. The price of her morals would be high, she did not doubt for a moment.  Yet Twilight could face herself in the mirror now, and say with conviction I did the right thing.

Twilight's attention came back to the present, the power still pulsing through her. Not more than a few moments seemed to have passed as a voice gently sang through her ears. It was full of thunderous power, but there was also a kindness in it.

Through Truth, I gain Courage.
Through Courage, I Gain Victory.

Words came unbidden from her lips. "Through Victory, My chains are Broken."  It made sense of course. Twilight had been living in a cage her entire life. A beautiful cage, one of golden bars and velvet pillows, yet it had been a cage none the less. She could no longer be caged now. 

She would finally know the truth, no matter what it might cost her. Shiny. Cadence. Luna. My friends. a lump caught in her throat, and she closed her eyes again Celestia. Freedom had a price, like all things that were truly important in the world. Twilight only hoped the price she would pay would not be too great.

Magic will make me Free.

Vast power whipped out around her for another moment and settled upon her shoulders. Twilight took a deep breath and looked around her with fresh new eyes. Lilith was kneeling before her again in that odd position. Twilight made a mental note to ask her about it later, but this was not the time. She looked good on her knees, but that was also not appropriate right now.

Twilight spoke in a calm and commanding tone, "Acolyte Lilith."  And It no longer felt odd or wrong to call her that. She was her Acolyte, and that was all that mattered for now. "Rally the faithful. Make sure all the citizens of Ponyville are made safe with all speed. I'm going to deal with this changeling infestation personally." 

Twilight walked past her, confident her orders would be carried out to the letter. She grabbed the power of dissonance with both hooves and pulled it into herself. Her eyes igniting with green fire and black shadow. These bugs are going to find out how good they had it with the Twilight I was before.

Behind her, Lilith quietly sat in her kneeling position. She could not speak or stand for a few moments, so powerful had the flood of magic been into her body.  This was going to become a very awkward, if enjoyable relationship if her new Mistress kept letting so much magic loose around her.  Yet she smiled as she breathed out deeply, and spoke quietly.

"As you command, Mistress Hecate. We are yours."