My heart felt heavy, and I didn't want to open my eyes, but I smelt something strange. I opened my eyes to see that Truth had taken a glowing human form and was eating popcorn on a couch.
"What are you doing back here? Things were just starting to get good! I don't even know what that nut job is talking about, but it really sounds like he has you on the ropes! And wow! That Aquarius is really something! You really have done a bang-up job of messing up everything in your life!"
"Shut it!" I growled as I sat down on the couch beside him as we floated through the infinite void. I could see the three zodiacs all frozen but just about to strike my body on a large flat display.
"Well, I suppose that this isn't completely your fault, but at the same time, both of us know it is. No matter what angle you look at, this is your fault, unknowing or not," The 4th-dimensional being said as we drifted.
"I know, and it's eating me up, Truth. I never wanted things to turn out this way." I sighed heavily, looking at the frozen figure of my body, surrounded by the three loyal warriors who had once fought by my side with loyalty and honor.
"I wish I had paid more attention, and treated them better. Maybe then Kadeon wouldn't have been so successful in stealing them away." I clenched my fists, my anger resurfacing.
Truth shrugged, "Well, the past is the past now. There's no use crying over spilled milk. What you need now is to step up and correct your mistakes."
I blinked at the straightforward Truth, his casual demeanor in stark contrast to the intense situation unfolding on the screen.
"Me? You are saying I can fix this mess? How am I supposed to do that, Truth? I didn't even know I was capable of such harm!" I snapped, my frustration and helplessness seeping into my voice.
Truth looked at me before breaking into a grin, "Oh, that's the thing you see. By confronting and acknowledging your mistakes, you've already taken a step toward fixing things. Here, let me show you."
With a wave of his hand, a four-dimensional cube floated in front of us and images of my past, my countless experiences, and interactions with the Zodiacs who were once my Royal Guards on Prime. I had saved them all from Kadeon once, but I failed. Just like Matthias, I didn't kill him, and he ruined everything, made me forget everything, and now we were stuck in these myriads of twisted realities.
Truth pointed at the images, each showcasing a different face of my past relationships with the Zodiacs. The happy moments, the times of camaraderie, the warmth, and loyalty - it was all there. But so were the instances of neglect, my preoccupation with matters of immediate concern disregarding the needs of my loyal followers, and worst of all, the instances where I had rejected them in favor of the more appealing Mortal Realm partners.
"These fragments are the key to your redemption, Galio." Truth's voice became serious. "Look at them, understand what they reveal about your past. The love you bestowed upon them as well as the hurt you unknowingly caused."
He motioned with his hand, causing another set of images to rise from the cube's deep recesses. This time, the images were tinted with a darker hue, revealing the twisted transformation of my followers. Their bodies, once lithe and full of life, were now grotesque caricatures under Kadeon's loathsome influence.
"Compare them, the past, and the now. See the transformation that you brought upon them, without even realizing it."
His words were like daggers, each word pricking my conscience. A twinge of guilt shot through me as I took in the horror of my actions. Unintended they might have been, the consequences were irrefutably real.
But Truth wasn't done yet. "Now, your task is to embody this understanding, accept the mistakes you've made, and prepare to rectify them. How, you ask?"
He paused, letting me digest his words. I waited anxiously, my mind buzzing with questions.
"By using the power that's been yours all along. The power to empathize, the power to forgive – and most importantly, the power to love unconditionally... Just kidding. The only thing that is going to work here is True Magic! You have messed up too much to try to make them come back around the easy ways with words and such! Now you need to create something new to defeat them! That is, without killing them! You know, because you're such a big softy!" Truth laughed, shifting through forms to suit his tone as he prattled on.
"Can you ever be serious?" I snapped, but Truth merely shrugged, appearing utterly unconcerned by my stern tone.
"I'm always serious," he retorted with a grin. "But seriously, Galio, you need to use True Magic. It's the only means you have to reach them, to counter Kadeon's influence, to show them you're here for them."
True Magic - In reality, this is what got me in all of this trouble. Umbramancy was my first real attempt at using it to make a new kind of magic, but what was I supposed to create that would help me? Binding magic? So sort of ability that would restrict them?
"No, no, no. Restricting them is the last thing you want to do. That way, you'll just be repeating Kadeon's mistake," Truth waved his hands, dismissing the thought before switching into a form that looked eerily like an academic professor.
"Think about it, Galio. All this while, they were confined, controlled. What they need is freedom, a sense of their own selves. They need to remember who they are. So, you need to create something that will aid their memory, revive their true selves."
I mulled over his words, looking at the fragments of past and present floating around me. I thought about all the times we'd spent together. The shared laughter, triumphs, and even the discord. They weren't merely my guards, or followers. They were...family.
That's when it struck me - A magic that would act like a beacon, guiding them back to their true selves, reminding them of the bonds we shared. Could such a thing even exist?
A ripple ran through the cube, as if in response to my thoughts. Truth glanced at it, a strange glow in his eyes.
"Ah, it seems like you are onto something. Keep going, Galio. Explore that idea further. It's the only way to save them."
His words reignited the determination within me. I would save them, bring them back. Not as a God, a Master, but as someone who cared for them, who regretted his past mistakes and was ready to make amends.
I closed my eyes, focusing on every moment, every memory with them. There was a sense of warmth in those memories, a connection that transcended the norms of loyalty, duty, and royalty. Could I perhaps... manifest those feelings into magic, into a force capable of tearing down Kadeon's borrowed influence and bringing back those I held dear?
And so, the preparations began, under the whimsical yet wise guidance of Truth. I dove deep into my memories, summoning the warm glow of love, camaraderie, and shared bonds, ready to wield it as my sword against Kadeon's twisted creations.
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