AUTHOR'S NOTE !
early chapter so that the execution can be published on the 16th hehe
"HOW DO WE PROTECT SOMETHING THAT IS NO LONGER HERE?"
Sara questions bitterly, gripping a diary from one of the vessels of the Nether goddess — Ohana.
The Trix have been reading diaries for the past several weeks, going from older diaries to the newer ones, learning both about themselves and about the Revival Book.
Apparently, the Trix are minor goddesses created by Death herself, meant to protect the book. DreamXD is the last line of defense, though he is a god with his own purpose — unknown to the Trix. None of the vessels the current Trix have read about in their diaries have met the god personally.
"Huh, did you know that Ionia has the ability to turn regular apples into golden apples with a mere touch?" Nia questions, getting through a chapter about this vessel finding out that she can turn apples from normal to golden.
"How could we?" Stela replies with an answer, turning a page of the diary she's reading.
Nia shrugs. "I dunno. You could've read about it in the other diaries."
"Nope. Most of them talk about their own powers and how they're supposed to be the guardians of the Revival Book." Sara shakes her head, biting the inside of her cheek. She does not bother looking up from her diary.
"They keep saying how they all appeared near the Trix base," Stela notes with a huff. "This one — from a woman named Callina — says that she and her fellow sisters all appeared near this mountain and found the entrance to the stronghold almost instantly."
"Yeah, Azar here says the same thing," Sara concurs, having turned the diary to its very first pages.
Nia does what Sara did, her eyes darting over the beginning of the diary. "Okay, Hadea says the same thing. They've all been together when they appeared in the Overworld."
"Then what the hell happened to us?" Sara asks with an arched brow. "I appeared in the middle of the freaking Dream SMP!"
"That is a great fucking question." Stela throws her arms in the air. "I didn't even appear in the Dream SMP. Just near it."
"I appeared in the Dream SMP as well," Nia adds, shrugging.
"What does it mean?" asks Sara.
Stela hums, narrowing her eyes at all the diaries. She puts back the one she just read, taking out one that is dated as the latest one of them all. "What if," she starts, "and this is a huge what if . . . what if the book is somewhere at the Dream SMP?"
"Even if that was the case, who would've had it?" Sara raises an eyebrow at Stela.
"Schlatt," says Nia instantaneously, not even giving it much thought. To her, it simply makes sense that Schlatt would have the Book of Revival. After all, what would've been an item so powerful that it would make Dream go from despising Schlatt to being willing to fight for him? Nia couldn't think of many things. Of course, it's still merely a theory.
But if the book does what it has in its name, then it surely is a powerful item to be in possession of, especially at the grounds of the Dream SMP. What would it mean for most of the ex-L'Manburgians if they could possibly get Wilbur back because of the Revival Book? Surely, a lot.
"You're not thinking what I'm thinking, right?"
"I think we're all thinking the same thing," says Stela, giving Sara a look. "If, and I mean if Schlatt had the Book of Revival, then it's very possible that Dream has it now."
"So, that makes Dream the one person who can bring back Wilbur."
"But it's still a hypothetical," Nia adds, shaking her head. "We don't know if Schlatt actually had the book, or if he gave it to Dream in exchange for allegiance. Maybe Schlatt gave Dream something else. Quackity never said it was a book; he just said it was a powerful item."
Stela nods. "For all we know, it could've been a Totem of Undying or something like that."
"Exactly," Nia agrees.
Sara sighs. "Okay. But that still doesn't change the fact the book might be somewhere around the Dream SMP, if not in it. I mean, how else are you going to explain where we appeared?"
"We're not disagreeing with you about that. We're just saying that Schlatt and Dream having the Revival Book are mere theories." Stela shakes her head.
Sara rolls her eyes. "I get that. I'm just saying that we might have to go back to the Dream SMP."
"I don't think I'll be exactly welcome there."
"L'Manburg doesn't exist anymore, Nia. I don't think it matters," says Stela nonchalantly.
The three women fall into one of those uncomfortable silences again. The one that clings onto you and refuses to leave, making the air thicker with tension about the most ludicrous of arguments — if it can even be called an argument. The trio turn back to reading their diaries, hoping that the awkwardness will soon dissolve.
Nia doesn't find many interesting things besides the vessels of her goddess — Ionia — talking about their trials and how they discovered their powers. She does read a bunch regarding her healing power, as they've all had to learn how to use it properly. Apparently, her healing can be even more powerful than that of an enchanted golden apple, if she practices it enough.
There are also comments about Ionia's connection to nature, which gives the vessels the ability to hear nature and its elements whispering information to her. Nia hasn't exactly thought about it before, but it does make sense to her. She has had the feeling that the trees or the wind have been trying to tell her something back when they were still at the Dream SMP.
"Oh, shit," leaves Stela's lips as she continues reading the diary of the last vessel of Enderia before Stela. "I think I know why the Revival Book's missing," she says, looking up from the text, glancing at both Nia and Sara to make sure they're paying attention.
"Why?" Sara furrows her eyebrows at the enderwoman.
"I'll just— I'll just read it to you both," says Stela, reverting her eyes to the diary. "This is what Amaia — the previous vessel — writes, okay?"
We've been tasked to protect this book, the Book of Revival, from the outside world, making sure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. It seems, however, that Death and her husband have doomed us from the very beginning of our duty. It seems that Mira — Ionia's vessel — has already failed her duty. She has stolen the book, claiming it for herself, planning to use it. We, me and Ersa — Ohana's vessel — will try our best to stop her. We won't let Mira defy the basic law of life.
Death is permanent.
Nia and Sara gape at Stela, utterly baffled by the information they have just received. Stela, however, looks like she's not done yet. She spares the two women a glance, licking her lips.
"There's more. And I think it explains why instead of appearing all at once, we all appeared separately with gaps in time," Stela clarifies before continuing to read an excerpt from a different chapter in the diary.
Mira killed Ersa. She did so in cold blood, not even hesitating. Mira knew that with her enhanced strength and healing abilities, she could easily overpower Ersa, who has still been struggling to use her pyrokinesis properly.
We were trying to stop Mira from using the Book of Revival, attempting to bring back her deceased family.
I worry that she will now go after me to prevent my further interference or attempts at stopping her. I have fled the stronghold. I am able to keep a distance between myself and Mira for now, as my powers allow such a feat. However, I won't be able to keep running. I will have to face Mira one day.
I must acquire the Revival Book, no matter the cost.
"What the hell?" Sara mutters under her breath. She looks at Nia. "You don't have any deceased family members you wish to revive, do you?"
Nia shakes her head. "I don't know if my mother is dead or still alive. And for all I know, my father can rot in hell."
"Okay, good." Sara nods. "Is there anything more?" She turns her attention back to Stela, who shakes her head.
Stela browses through the diary further, the only thing she finds being blank pages. Until she comes across one splattered in blood and a red handprint, most likely from the very blood on that page.
Enderia is gone, I killed Amaia. The book belongs to me, now. It's mine.
"Oh, fuck," Sara breathes out. "How long ago has that happened?"
"A decade, give or take," Stela makes a guess.
"And considering I'm here, it means that Mira died a few years ago," Nia comments, biting her bottom lip in thought. "Do you reckon she died naturally and someone got the Book of Revival off of her corpse, or someone killed her to get their hands on the book?"
"I have a sick feeling of it being the latter." Sara presses her lips into a thin line.
"So, if our theory is right, Schlatt possibly killed Mira?"
"It definitely wouldn't surprise me."