Self Reflection [Chapter VIII]

[Miracle]

Miracle needed time away from her friends. Time away to think and Hallowton was the perfect place. Often the High Priestess solace always included just her, God and her own thoughts for she was never truly alone even when she appeared to be alone, that, and her escorts weren't far off if she needed them but normally, she relied on God to provide for her so she wouldn't worry. She didn't even see a reason to have escorts because of her protection by the Lord but Solomon insisted on it and Miracle could not find it in her heart to argue with him over it since it was only to protect and serve her.

The young High Priestess found a secluded part of Hallowton just outside it's city walls where she gazed up at the suns that were beginning to set, putting an end to another long and eventful day. Closing her eyes, Miracle sat down on the ground and crossed her legs, bringing both hands together and up to her face as she began to pray. Blocking out all other distractions from her mind until it was just her and her God. Suddenly the sounds of footsteps approached her ears and broke her out of deep prayer. When she opened her eyes to look up at the person, they went wide. Shocked at who was now standing directly in front of her.

[Ayen]

The person she saw standing before her, was her!

The same long purple hair, the same determined eyes of a warrior of Yahweh, the same sacred white holy robes and the same soothing fragrance radiating off of her divine being. There was virtually no difference between the Miracle sitting down and the one that was standing up across from her, but how could this be? Was this one of many outer-worlds incarnations of the Will of God, or something else entirely? Either way, this Miracle did not seem surprised at all to be staring at herself. It was almost as if she was expecting her.

There was an unsettling silence in the air as the wind ceased to blow, and the suns appeared to be lowering down the sky even slower. What started off as a simple glance between two shared resemblances soon grew more intense as the motivations of this Miracle remained a mystery to even the other young High Priestess. The burning orange suns cast down their lights on this unknown Miracle, her eyes glowing as a result of Emmanuel's warmth as the intensity in the air was so thick one could now cut it with a knife, and still there was silence as darkness began to chase away the remaining light in the day.

[Miracle]

Miracle quickly stood up from her sit and looked around distraught. Night has befallen Hallowton and there didn't seem to be another soul present for miles, not even her escorts who she knew never ventured too far away from her position was anywhere to be found. Looking back to her apparent counterpart she began going over several different scenarios why a second Miracle would be standing in front of her and she didn't like any one of them. Keeping on her guard the young High Priestess ultimately knew what she would have to do to find out more about this girl. She could only hope that it was just another her, lost and searching for a way home. Even though the intensity in the air stated otherwise.

"Who are you? What is this?"

[Ayen]

“You don't know?”

An honest look of curiosity covered the other Miracle's features as she looked this Miracle over. Noting battle torn hedges on her dress and seeing the clear visual of disturbing horrors that reflected in her bright hues of violet. Miracle B shifted weight from her left foot to her right, seeing that they both had a sword strapped to their waist and a staff on their back. Both knowing that they were underused and both knowing what they were for when and if they were ever needed to be drawn. Neither had ever wanted to draw for their weapons even while fighting.

“You summoned me, more specifically, your guilt summoned me.”

[Miracle]

It was like looking into a mirror without the glass. Miracle moved her head, thinking that the other Miracle would make the same movement but she only remained in the same stance she was in studying her Genesis counter-part and seeing what the past several months has done to the child. Returning the favor, the young High Priestess looked towards her weapons and saw that they too were the same. There was very little doubt in Miracle mind that this was a version of her from another world, but how could she have summoned her? How could guilt had summoned her here?

"Guilt? What are you talking about?"

[Ayen]

“A child will cradle the seed of destruction in his breast as the heart of man falls under the shadow.”

Words of The Second Aspect ringed inside of The High Priestess' heart and her mind. Words that were spoken not that long ago, yet feels like a lifetime has passed since they were first uttered. Words that until now the young High Priestess has refused to acknowledge. A prophecy for the most part ignored by The Second Coming on Genesis. In the moments to pass, Miracle B was circling around Miracle A like a vulture, eyes of judgment staring not towards her outer shell, but the soul within.

“You have defied God's will and prevented the Arashi from fulfilling its duty. You have doomed all of existence and tainted his house. For allowing the damned you have damned yourself and your people. You are the reason The First Aspect laid its eyes upon the human race for the first time. It was never meant to happen. Because of your foolishness it has. You have cradled the seed of destruction under his breast.”

[Miracle]

Miracle felt a feeling of great unease when prophecy was recited, something she had neither heard nor thought about since that one fateful day in Aircano and now it was coming back to haunt her. Watching as her other self circled her, staring towards her with the judgmental eyes of God she herself laid upon many in the past. Back before all this chaos even started. Something else she has not done in a while. It was almost too much to take finally being on the receiving end of it. To the accusations the young High Priestess was quick to shake her head in denial.

"I didn't know! I swear I didn't know! Did I not stand down when all was revealed? Was it not Maricul who forced the Arashi's hand?"

She didn't realize it yet, but Miracle was doing what people has done since Adam and Eve in the garden. Pointing the finger at another to shift blame that was rightfully her onto someone else. Even though she was technically right, she tread on the path of a hypocrite.

"I thought I was doing the right thing! I thought it was what God wanted! Sazan and Michael, they never did anything to cause harm. They wanted to do good. They wanted to do your work. They all wanted to help preserve humanity, is that not my job as well? What was I supposed to do?"

[Ayen]

“You thought?”

Miracle B came to a stop in front of Miracle A, keeping that piercing gaze on her. She would know the one. The one so intense and leaking with Yahweh's power it felt like God himself was staring you directly in the face in righteous anger and that any minute he would smite you down for your sin against him.

“You thought!?”

Miracle B's holy presence exploded on Miracle, bringing her down to her knees just in time for where man usually groveled at the feet of their Lord.

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

[Miracle]

Miracle fell down to her knees, clenching the ends of the other Miracle's robes and begging, "Please don't kill me!" begging for mercy. It was so terrible being on the receiving side of this, was this what she were doing to the guilty all this time? Miracle just wanted this to end, she wanted the judgment to stop. She wanted to go home, or at the very least what was left of it. When her other self quoted James chapter 2, verse 10, she began to weep openly. Realizing she was guilty of a terrible crime. A crime that got many people killed. No longer being able to look anywhere except the ground, Miracle brought her hands to her breast, feeling a heavy weight now on her heart.

"I am not worthy. I do not deserve the power handed down to me by our Lord. I deserve to be struck down for my transgressions but please, I beg of you, have mercy on me. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Please. Please!"

[Ayen]

“I am not here to kill you. To do so would mean destroying myself.”

The pieces of the puzzle would slowly start to piece itself together for the young High Priestess, as the other self standing before her was neither an outer-worldly incarnation or God in her flesh. It was a product of her own creation. Brought to life through guilt and a secret desire to punish herself for all the wrong she felt she did while her conscious state denied it. She was staring into the face of her own subconscious.

“You know what must be done.”

[Miracle]

The young High Priestess suddenly felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. In truth it has always been this way in one form or another but never before was it so apparent to the child as it was now.

“You know what must be done.”

At those words Miracle felt a sharp pain in her chest, slowly lifting her head up to look her subconscious dead in the eye. Even if she did decide to point the finger elsewhere, there was nowhere to point it. This was all her. She was both the accuser and the accusee. There was no longer any denying what she knew to be true in her heart. For her, this was as tragic as losing her home on that fateful day.

"I know but I don't want to."

[Ayen]

Miracle B felt the same weight on her shoulders but regardless she stood with her head held high, breathing regularly and not succumbing to love of the mortal realm that tempted her to deny the one true God and his plans for them. Miracle had been led astray from the very beginning. Allowing the words of The Night Angel, The Legendary Dark Knight, The Hybrid and The Paradox to confuse and blind her to the truth. Now it was up to her inner strength to bring her back to the road of righteousness.

“It is His will.”

[Miracle]

"It is His will."

A hint of dread could be detected in her voice as for once in her life, she would not take pleasure in doing the Lord's work. It was a hardship that her God tried to spare her but through her own failure and incompetence it was something she could no longer be shielded from. Now standing at eye-level with herself, body shaking as anxiety took a hold of her for each step closer she took to the task ahead. Is this what Jesus felt when the hour drew closer to his death? In a way, it felt like she was willingly walking into her own death as well with no hope of resurrection.

"Let us pray it is not too late."

Closing her eyes her other self walked into her, the two halves becoming whole once more as the High Priestess of Yahweh turned around and reentered the city. Returning to the church settlement long since abandoned by the evolved people of Hallowton that the Queen allowed them to use. Entering the sanctuary where the elders of Aircano and the rest of her surviving army rested. They all immediately felt something wrong as they saw the hardened expression now on their Savior's face. Ridding the normally peaceful facial expression that hung there.

"Rise, O' Aircano. We've one task left to fulfill."

At her words did they stand up and gather around her. As if she was her old self again. The one that could do no wrong.

"Take the heretics from world's end out of Hallowton and behead them by the ocean side."

There was an irey silence in the room. Even the elders were speechless at the words that left Miracle's lips. For the months they argued over this and now, now Miracle was finally raising her sword against the aliens that threatened their world.

"Then we march north and destroy the gateway once and for all."

Miracle masked her real emotions from her people as they raised up their swords and praised the name of Yahweh. They were quick to flee the temple and gather up those that came from other worlds in Hallowton for the slaughter. Looking up to the altar and cross at the end of the room, Miracle allowed her real expression, an expression of sorrow to overcome her features as it was now just she and God alone together. A tear dripped down her cheek as she spoke.

"Forgive me. I dare not mask my true thoughts from you. This feels wrong."

There was no comfort, only silence as Miracle looked down to the ground at her own tear drop.

"But not my will, your will, be done."