"What is it, I suppose?" Beatrice asked impatiently. She was suspicious of this newcomer, because what are the chances that a random, unknown person just shows up and defeats Capella and gets so close to (Y/N) so fast? This is just like the 'deus ex machina' thing that Subaru mentioned once, and she didn't like that.
Omega locked the door to the isolated room, earning a glare from Beatrice.
Subaru looked nervous and tightened his grip around Beatrice's hand. Only one thing could explain why Omega was acting like this, and he didn't expect it to come so soon. He looked at you, expecting to see a similar reaction, but he couldn't find anything other than acceptance.
Omega displayed and felt no anxiousness. What she was about to say was about as nerve-wracking as giving a certain someone the correct directions.
Beatrice did not feel good about this situation, so she tensed her body and prepared to protect herself and Subaru.
When the spirit began to raise her hand for protection, Omega smirked. "Interesting... you believe that your mother-figure would raise a hand against you after being separated for so long?"
Beatrice prepared to answer 'Yes, in fact,' before Omega's words finally registered after a moment. Confusion brewed in her eyes, and her beautiful butterfly pupils were blurred by rejection. "Y-you have no idea what you are talking about, in fact! And how do you know about Mother, I suppose!"
Omega patted Beatrice's stiff head, since that seemed to work in anime. "Is it perhaps my appearance that confuses you?" She disengaged the illusion, and Omega suddenly no longer looked like Makisu Kurisu. Now, she looked just like the Ryuzu clones, since she had effectively possessed one of them.
As soon as the illusion dropped, Subaru gasped, and Beatrice began to shake.
"Hmm?" Omega hummed. "What is this? Are you scared? Angry? Happy?"
There was no reply, so she sighed. "I would like to reveal my true form, but that is impossible as long as we are here, as I can be detected by-"
"Mother!"
Beatrice looked up, tears overflowing. Interrupting Omega, who had finally been revealed to her as Echidna, Beatrice hugged the woman whom she had been missing for over four hundred years. "M-mother! How are you alive?! How are you here?! Betty was alone for so long... Why?! Tell Betty, Mother! Why?!"
Beatrice dropped her usual speaking pattern and began to cry into Omega, who rolled her eyes. In the sweetest voice she could muster, Omega delicately replied, "I am so sorry for leaving you alone, Beatrice. However, you must be informed I am not the same Echidna that you knew. I am a version of her before you were created, but that does not negate any special connection you had with her. You see, I am actually contracted to (Y/N), and he suggested that we reveal the truth. That is why I am telling you about my identity even though I am not truly your 'mother'. Reality is often disappointing."
Beatrice shook her head. "Even if you are not Mother, you have her voice, in fact." She sniffled and broke the hug from someone who went from potential enemy to one of the people closest to her heart. Continuing, she said, "Hearing your voice makes me happier than you can imagine, I suppose. That is more than enough to give to Betty, so do not be sorry, in fact."
Beatrice stepped away from Omega and turned to Subaru. "This is what she told you yesterday, I suppose."
Subaru silently shook his head, which made Beatrice sigh. "Subaru truly is a fool, in fact... But you are my fool, so I will forgive you, I suppose."
Quickly, before Subaru could complain, Beatrice addressed you. "And (Y/N), this is what you promised you would tell me the night the mansion burned, I suppose."
You nodded your head. "Yeah. And I'm really sorry for keeping that hidden from you and everybody else. You can probably imagine why, so I hope that we can still be on good terms after this."
Beatrice looked bitter, but she nodded her head. "Betty does not like it, but I understand, in fact."
Omega clasped her hands together and hid her body once more with an illusion. "Wonderful! I might not be your version of Echidna, but I hope that we can share a happy future together!" With her voice raised slightly higher and gentler than usual, Omega closed this encounter with Beatrice.
Beatrice seemed as if she was in a trance as Omega opened the door. You followed, but Subaru stayed in the room with his contracted spirit.
Omega gently closed the well-crafted door and began to casually walk down the hallway.
Telepathically, you told her, 'To be honest, I half-expected you to lie and tell her that you were the same as her Echidna.'
'And why would I do that? I do not wish to create complications where they are not needed. However, with that said...'
With this next part, you could hear the smugness in her grin. 'There is a certain person who I will gladly manipulate.'
As soon as she said this, it was obvious who Echidna was referring to.
Roswaal.
Somewhere
A petite girl stood in the center of a vast forest, and her surroundings were dead silent. No animal, mabeast, or any other living thing would produce noise in her presence.
The girl smiled and looked up at the sky. Some may have expected anger or frustration to boil in her eyes, but this was not the case. Only serenity would ever exist in those deep blue eyes.
Things did not go her way this time, but that was no matter.
Opening her mouth, a charming voice called out to the world, "Archbishop Emerada Lugnica was never instructed to attack (Y/N) (L/N)."
Time Skip
Crusch smiled as she found you and Omega in the hallway. "I was never able to express my gratitude for the safe transportation of those crystals. Thank you, (Y/N), for doing your part in keeping that treaty that we made when... before I became like this."
You waved Crusch's compliment off. "Don't look down on yourself so much! I'm sure that we will get your memories back, but in the time being, be comfortable with who you are. Trust me, that makes everything so much easier. And as for those crystals... it's because of your assistance that I was able to make it here safely."
Crusch tilted her head when she heard this. "Is that so? I do not recall anything that I did to aid you in your journey..."
Confused, you said, "I guess that you weren't really a part of the action, but Wilhelm sure did play a big part."
"Wilhelm-san? Are you sure? He was with me this whole night..." Crusch looked at the ground, puzzled as to what you were saying.
At the same time, Omega was frozen.
'(Y/N). There are abnormalities in my physical memories. Something has happened. Enter my Castle of Dreams as soon as possible.'
This shocking revelation from Echidna made your blood run cold. What was happening? Did Gluttony somehow do something? Was this an illusion? Did you eat something weird again? Did Pandora somehow change reality?
'That platinum-haired midget... I knew that she would get closely involved sooner or later.'
'So it was-'
'Meet with me. Hurry.'
Omega suddenly scoffed and playfully hit you in the arm, addressing Crusch's puzzlement. "Come on, (Y/N)! Stop messing with Crusch-sama's head right after you told her not to worry about her memories! Say sorry!"
You slightly bowed your head and said, "I'm sorry about that. I guess that I'm a little tired, so I'm making bad jokes now."
Crusch lifted her eyes off of the ground and awkwardly smiled. "Oh! Do not apologize! It was my fault for not seeing through your joke. I suppose that I was caught off-guard when the wind of untruth did not blow around you."
Omega hummed. "I guess things such as jokes and sarcasm do not count as lies. Now, I must go and chastise this boy, so please excuse us."
Crusch unassuredly nodded her head and watched as Omega dragged you down the hallway before making a right turn.
'(Y/N), there are a few things that we need to confirm, but that can wait for later. Nobody should encroach on us while we rest in your room, but if they do, part of my theory will also be confirmed.'
'What-'
'There is no time for questions. Focus on getting to your room as fast as possible. Think later.'
You did just that, and your room came into sight a mere minute later.
Omega opened the door without playing games and pointed you towards the bed. "Lay down. While you enter my Castle of Dreams, I will use this physical body to keep watch in case a pest decides to interrupt our time."
"This complicates things..." you muttered as you sat down in the bed and reached for the pendant that always hung around your neck.
Instantly, the waves of distorting reality flowed through your body, but since you had experienced them countless times, they were of no effect.
When reality settled back into place, you were already sitting across from Echidna at her tea table. Without hesitation, Echidna began talking.
"(Y/N), I will begin by informing you that the part of my soul that resides here has not experienced a change in memories, but my Omega form has had its reality rewritten. As you guessed, this must be Pandora's doing. The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony cannot interfere with those who it has not touched, so do not even consider them as a potential suspect."
Echidna acted dead serious this time, unlike any other time she had talked to you, which was very concerning.
"Is there anything we can do about it? If Pandora just goes and erases all of our fights against Archbishops, then everything we do is useless!"
"(Y/N), there is nothing that can be done about the effects of Pandora's powers, but I believe there is something we can do about her using them. Consider this: why did she allow Petelguese to remain dead?"
You considered this point, and there was only one answer that you could come up with. "Is it because Subaru killed him? Both me and him have a resistance to Authorities, although my resistance is stronger."
Echidna nodded her head quickly. "We can only confirm this if Capella remains dead, but I agree with your answer. I believe that Pandora changed reality in order to prevent the battle against her Archbishop of Lust, but I doubt that her Authority can negate actions taken directly by you. In short, she erased the fight, but Capella - in theory - is still dead because you were the one to deal the finishing blow."
This catch gave you some hope. "So, as long as either me or Subaru kill the Sin Archbishops, everything will be fine, right?"
Echidna scoffed. "Yes, but this will be nigh impossible. I cannot imagine that Pandora will allow you to easily destroy her cult, so I propose a second theory: she is limited in what she can change."
You shifted in your seat and leaned forward, since this was new. "How limited are we talking about?"
Echidna also leaned in, so your faces were only inches apart. "While I was alive, I never learned of her ability, but I have gained enough information to formulate an idea of her limits. You might remember this from what you saw in the anime, but Pandora did not force Emilia to unlock the seal in Elior Forest, even though she clearly desired for it to be opened. I speculate that Pandora cannot create changes to things that she did not directly cause. For example, she was able to send Regulus away from his fight with Petelguese and Fortuna only because she ordered him to come with her. If this is true, then Capella was also ordered to attack you, meaning that Pandora is actively trying to kill you."
"I should've known..." You slouched back into the chair and looked upwards. If Echidna was right, then things weren't pretty. Pandora was taking action and trying to end things before they got bad for her.
Echidna huffed a sigh of discontent. "Obviously, my plans will have to change, so as soon as I reunite with Colette and Palmyra, I will make sure to stay by your side just in case an attack commences. As much as I hate it, I will not be able to keep my distance from all of those prying fools."
You weakly grinned, trying to find a bright side to this situation. "Well, at least we can mess with Roswaal now, right? And we can physically spend a lot more time together too."
"And now I have to deal with that suspicious butler, live with a spirit who treats me as if she actually knows me well, and be forced to act out a painful facade." Echidna scowled at all of those inconveniences, letting her true feelings bleed out.
As Echidna complained, a thought hit you. "Wait, if we never fought Capella, then how are you still with me? Is it because you came because of me?"
"This is a difficult question," Echidna admitted. "You may be correct, since Omega is obviously affected by these changes. On the other hand, perhaps Pandora decided to keep me with you. I cannot say for sure. However, if she did plan for me to stay with you, I will have to plan around her plan once I deduce its specifics. Of course, she might also plan for that, so I will have to make several plans around the plans that she plans around my plans."
As Echidna's thought process wandered into the superhuman realm, the Witch suddenly grimaced.
"Tsk. It seems as if my fear was correct. My algorithm is no longer applicable, and we have an unexpected intrusion on our alone time. I suppose that it is time to wake up. I will inform you of the timeline change that Omega remembers later."
Just like that, reality warped once more as Garfiel entered your room.
"Hey (Y/N), Cap'n was lookin' f'r ya." The demi human grinned when he saw that Omega was also occupying the room. "Ah, did I interrup' somthin'? I didn't think that you'd be makin' moves on this gal' but good fer' ya!"
Omega sighed as you shook your head. "If I was bold enough to do that, then I wouldn't be single right now. Omega's just in here to talk to me about The Crusaders."
Garfiel covered up his disappointment with a smile. "I though' ya already made 'er a member, but I guess tha' there's a lot 'a other stuff ta' talk 'bout. Anyways, Cap'n's wantin' ya to come ta his room. An' ya can bring 'er along with ya if ya wanta'."
"Do you know what he wants to talk about?" you inquired.
Garfiel shrugged his shoulders. "I dun'no. Didn't ask. Ya c'n fin' out when ya get there!" With that final remark, Garfiel closed the door and went away.
Immediately, Omega put a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. "I really do not want to have to translate what that boy is saying just to understand a simple message... This will be a nuisance in the coming months."
You got off of the bed and stretched. No matter how long someone stays on a bed, a stretch always seems to be necessary.
"Hey Omega, what happened in this new reality? Obviously, Garfiel is fine now, so what else changed?"
Omega took her hand off of her forehead and answered, "Your group was not attacked in this reality, so the entire trip went without hazard. It seems as if I still teleported to this location, but only insisted that I wanted to join The Crusaders. Apparently, I became your eighth official member after I displayed my magic in the front courtyard. Soon afterwards, your group arrived and delivered the magic crystals, and a discussion about the Royal Candidates ensued. To sum it up, Anastasia Hoshin has the backing of merchants in Kararagi, and now countless stores backed by the Hoshin Trading Company are springing up in Lugnica. The Crusch Karsten Camp has partial credit for the defeat of the White Whale but has several unsatisfied lords that resulted in Crusch asking the retired Duke Karsten for assistance. The Emilia Camp has credit for the defeat of the White Whale, the Archbishop of Sloth, and the Great Rabbit. The Felt Camp has assembled and consulted with those who have resigned from office and those who come off of the streets, and under Felt's directives, the Astrea territory burst into activity and lords have begun to welcome Felt. Additionally, the Priscilla Barielle Camp has made allies with territories and lords in Vollachia, going on to revitalize their lands that had been ravaged by war. In conclusion, all camps but the Crusch Karsten Camp are doing well, so keep that in mind when confronting Crusch."
That was a lot of information to process, but Omega's conclusion made it easier to understand.
It would be nice if you could offer Crusch some help with her situation, but politics would dictate that as a sign of weakness, so it would do more harm than good.
Omega read your thoughts and nodded along. "You are correct. Now, please consider this: do you plan on supporting that half-elf's goal of becoming this nation's ruler? Do you believe that she is the best candidate? Will you allow her to use your accomplishments to potentially take the throne?"
"Well," you thought out loud, "out of the better-off candidates, Anastasia would bring a better economy, Emilia would try to bring equality, Felt would destroy the political system, and Priscilla would bring prosperity. I like all of those, but I don't do what I do to help Emilia take the throne. I do it to help this world and the people I've grown to care about, but if I had to support a single ruler, I guess Emilia or Felt would be my choice."
Omega raised her eyebrows. "Would you care to elaborate?" she asked.
"Well, one way to look at the candidates is to relate them to people in my world. Anastasia would be a greedy person who just cared about money and power, and Priscilla would be prideful and power hungry. I hated those kinds of people. On the other hand, Felt would have the same mindset as a normal person, so I would like her platform. Similarly, Emilia would be a person who did things to help the people and not herself, so I would support her too. So it seems pretty fair that I'm helping her. Felt has Reinhard, and Emilia was The Crusaders, so whoever helps Lugnica more will win."
Omega turned around and touched the brass door knob. Before opening it, she commented, "There are several flaws in your reasoning, but I accept your answer."
Without explaining herself, Omega opened the door and waited for you to exit the room.
Time Skip
As it turns out, neither you or Omega knew where Subaru's room was.
"Tsk. That demi human should have stayed to show us the way to his "Captain's" room. There are only two possible hallways left, so we should arrive soon."
Observing Omega, you noted, "You know, you seem a little pushy today. First, you rushed me and didn't really let me talk, and now you're getting frustrated really quickly. After the first hallway, you've been muttering insults."
Unexpectedly, Omega stopped in her tracks and turned to face you. Her eye was twitching, and you could almost see some veins popping out of her forehead. "Do you have no idea why I am upset?" She asked quietly in a threatening voice.
"Nope!"
"You see," Omega whispered harshly, "I was caught unprepared due to being distracted, so now Pandora has gotten the better of me. I was not thinking like I usually was, so I did not plan well enough and now I am scrambling for a solution. I was stupid, so of course I am frustrated."
As she talked, Omega's fists balled up and her knuckles turned white. It was obvious that she hated being when she didn't mean for it to happen.
To her complete surprise, a pair of arms wrapped around her back.
"Huh?" She looked up into your eyes, which were already looking at hers.
"Omega, there was a time when I was obsessed with plans and making everything go the way it was supposed to go. You know that. And you also know that it didn't go well. I destroyed Subaru's mental health with my 'plans,' and a lot of people died. In this world, don't rely so much on plans. Sure, it's fine to think about them, but don't get so caught up in planning for the future that you destroy the time you have now."
After hearing this monologue, Omega pushed away from your body. "(Y/N), this advice goes against my very being. You realize this, do you not?"
You nodded your head.
Omega grinned. "I never thought that this would happen, but I will choose to follow your advice about something very personal. If this turns out to be a poor decision, I will not hesitate to blame you."
Before you could answer, Subaru's voice rang in the hallway. "Helllooooo??? (Y/N), Omega, are you there?! I heard some voices, and I'm following them!"
Omega sighed and sent one last smile toward you before wearing a neutral expression. "Yes, it is us. We did not know where your room was, so we were actively seeking it out."
Subaru turned the corner and smiled apologetically before he turned very serious. "Sorry about that, but I really need to talk to you about something. You probably already know, but this needs to be in private."
"Will Beatrice be in there too, or just us?" you asked.
Subaru confidently replied, "I asked her to let us talk alone, so she won't be in there. It looks like she forgot... you know..."
"I get it," you said to Subaru. "So let's get going."
Subaru nodded his head and led the way to his temporary room. As it turns out, it was at the end of the next hallway, which was the one that Omega was going to explore next.
He opened the door for you and your contractor and made sure nobody was in the vicinity before closing and locking his door.
Subaru turned around and motioned for you and Omega to sit.
Omega was the first to sit down, and she did so on the bed. Seeing as Subaru didn't seem bothered by this, you did the same and sat next to her.
Subaru sat down at the desk that was to the right side of the bed and began talking. "I'm pretty sure that the two of you already know about this, but it seems like the timeline changed, even though I didn't die. Do either of you have any idea why? Does Gluttony have a power that we didn't know about?"
Omega shook her head and prepared to give a shortened version of what she had told you earlier. "(Y/N) and I have concluded that Pandora was the one who did this. You see-"
"Hold up," Subaru interrupted Omega with his arms held up. "Who in the world is Pandora? Is there a Pandora's box or something in this world?"
This caught you by surprise, but it made sense that Subaru didn't know about Pandora. In terms of friendly people, only Emilia and the other Witches would know about this mysterious person.
"Basically," you explained, "Pandora is the Witch of Vainglory, and she's really OP. She can rewrite reality, but Omega thinks that there's a limit to what she can change."
Subaru mouthed 'rewrite reality' and sank into his chair. "Man, this sucks! Why are we going against someone who is a living cheat code?! It's almost like this world is designed for suffering and failure!"
After taking a deep breath, Subaru continued, "But I guess that we'll just have to find a way to beat her. Now, do you know what happened in this new reality, Omega? Or are you like me and can only remember the old one?"
"You see, my soul remembers the original timeline, but this body remembers the new one, so I will give you a summary of my summary of what transpired. After arriving here safely, your group discussed the political standings of the Candidates, and Crusch is the only one not doing well. Additionally, you received an interesting piece of information from Felix: your gate is not broken."
Subaru jumped up. "What?! My gate isn't broken?! So I've been able to use magic this entire time, and nobody told me?!"
Omega nodded her head. "It appears as if your Great Spirit was aware of this fact, but she withheld the information in order to keep you from damaging it until it was fully healed."
Subaru sat back down and thought about what Omega said. "Huh. I guess that I really am untrustworthy if Beako is afraid of me destroying my gate... but it should be fine now, right? When I first went to the capital to get healed, Felix told me to let it rest for six months, and it's been more than half a year since then, so I should be able to use magic, right?"
Omega nodded her head slowly. "That is correct, but I would advise caution. You would need a skilled instructor if you do not want to risk an explosion again."
Subaru narrowed his eyes. "You really want me to ask you to help me, don't you? I know that we're supposed to be on the same side, but I still can't help but find you a little suspicious. What are you looking to gain by helping me learn magic?"
Omega glanced at you before answering. "I am planning nothing. As of right now, I am doing certain things because they seem like a good idea, not because I have a grand scheme. As it turns out, plotting ten steps ahead about every aspect of life does not promote mental wellness."
Subaru reared back after hearing this odd sentence that came from Omega's mouth. He looked between you and her and connected the dots. "(Y/N)... did you somehow change the way she thinks? Or is this just another act..."
You grinned. "Trust me, she's not lying about that."
After all, it was a part of your contract with Echidna that she wouldn't hide things from you without reason, and then she would have to explain that reason.
Subaru didn't know about the terms of your contract, but he did know that he trusted you. "In that case..." He got out of the chair and extended an arm out to Omega.
"Will you help me? Not only learn magic, but to live. I don't want something as official as a contract, but I do want to start over with you and rebuild the trust that I lost. Omeg- no, Echidna, will you help me?"
"You fool..." Omega muttered. This phrase held no malice or ill intent; the words that came from her mouth sounded nostalgic.
She shook Subaru's hand, and the black-haired teenager grinned.
"Now then, shall we begin?"
Hey guys!
To be honest, everything past the encounter with Beatrice was not planned out to be like that. In fact, I rewrote what I originally had since I came up with that new idea earlier this week. Now, the whole plot for this story just got a little more complex and I'm so excited to be sharing it with you in the future!
Now, as a notice, I'll let you know that I'm about to go on a week-long trip, and I won't be able to write at all during that time. So I won't be getting another chapter out for about three weeks if everything goes according to plan.
I'll see you next time, where I'll have an OVA-type chapter!