Bab 9: Forgiveness leads to Sisterhood
I'm proud to say that I'm a man with priorities.
In other words, I had a good excuse, and I'm abusing the hell out of it to buy some much-needed time. The time needed to put off child porn.
Sexual Misconduct from a Minor?
A million little Herasteruses in my head slammed their own heads against the roundtable while the other million descended into an all-out brawl which then escalated into a gladiator battle royal tournament.
A giant sign was raised in my Brain Assembly which read 'Meeting Adjourned'. Screams could be heard throughout my cerebrum, to my cerebral cortex, and out of my skull.
Mayday, mayday, jump the fuck off the fucking ship before she fucking sails! Yes to lolita, No to touching!
The conclusion was solidified.
"Nope."
"Huh?"
Skye blinked. She looked utterly bewildered as if she couldn't comprehend the fact that a fertile male with a functioning reproductive organ would let go of a chance of, in crude words; getting a free fuck.
If I were a hormonal, hot-blooded, and precocious demigod with ancient greek standards, she would've been absolutely right.
Unfortunately for her, I had a healthy sense of self-preservation, modern ethics, and self-restraint. There was no way in hell I was going to go all horny brain-dead teenager mode on a child-rape victim.
Heracles nodded with a relieved smile and sheathed her sword.
...Wait.
When did she unsheathe it in the first place? And did she point the sword tip at Skye!?!
A-anyway...it wouldn't do to hurt her feelings. Let's use the ancient words of a wise man.
The friend approach.
"Let's start from being friends. Besides...we have another girl to take care of."
I pointed my chin to the green-haired girl Heracles had picked up in a bridal carry. Tears still stained the girl's skin as she sniffled in her sleep.
Skye's pout morphed into a solemn blank mask. She sighed.
"You are right...except, this is something I need to take care of."
...
.....
....
A few hours later found myself and my new acquaintances behind closed doors inside the medical temple of Apollo.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGHH!!!!!!! LET ME GO!!!! LET ME BITE HER HEAD OFF!!!!!!!!!!!"
Skye stood before the girl who was tied to the bed with blankets and ropes. The girl managed to bend forwards in a surprising burst of brute strength with a crazed snarl, despite the multiple restraints around her torso and limbs.
The girl bit into Skye's arm like a feral beast and jerked her head back and forth as if trying to tear the chunk of flesh off the bones. Her sharp canines pierced through Skye's skin. Red blood started to trickle down her arm and onto the floor.
Skye did not try to pry the rabid girl off of her arm in panic. In fact, she did not even wince or grimace from the intense pain she must have been feeling.
I closed my eyes once and sighed. I had a feeling it would turn out like this.
I had respected Skye's wishes to let her deal with the girl whose mother bear she had killed, though if she thought he would stand back and let the other girl tear a chunk out of her arm in her misguided attempt of 'atonement', she had another thing coming.
After all, self-sacrificial acts are the worst kind of redemption.
"Skye. Is your idea of handling this girl letting her bite a chunk out of your arm and making her a cannibal?"
Skye glared at me. I calmly stared back at her, my face as blank as a clean slate. After a few seconds, Skye lowered her gaze and bit her lip. I sighed.
I snapped my fingers which generated amplified soundwaves right beside the ears of the frenzied girl, successfully catching her attention. A small trick I learned from my palace mage that uses mana reinforcement.
"What is your name, you who carry the scent of Lady Artemis?"
The name of her (supposedly) patron goddess seemed to bring her sanity back to her. The girl blinked a few times, and let go of Skye's bloodied arm.
"...At...Atlanta. I...I...!"
Her pupils dilated.
"They took the cubs hostage. I...they made me drink something...my mother...!"
An ugly snarl emerged as her attention refocused on Skye.
"She...that girl killed my mother! She slew her!"
Skye stood like a statue carved out of marble. She said nothing to defend herself. She just nodded in affirmation.
Before Atlanta could continue with her verbal assault, Heracles stepped forward and smacked Skye on the head. I nodded my thanks to my sister. She smirked back.
Skye stood back up from her crouched position on wobbly legs, her eyes slightly moist from the pain.
"What was that for!?", she shouted. My sister and I raised an eyebrow.
"For being a damn idiot.", we answered as one.
When Skyle still looked reasonably peeved, I elaborated.
"Do you think that it is the best option to receive all the scorn like some god-damn martyr? Do you think that it'll actually solve the root of the problem at hand? Do you think that it'll help you and Atlanta if you let her do what she wanted to do?"
I stabbed a finger into her chest before she could object and continued on.
"What you are trying to do is nothing but an act of self-satisfaction. It is the narcissism inside of you that is tricking you into thinking that you've done 'Justice' at the price of your well-being. Letting her hurt you while you only protected yourself in self-defense is not a valid option. If you truly want to repent, you should talk with her and explain."
Skye looked downwards with a scowl. Her hands balled into fists. I sighed again and relented a little.
"Of course...what you do is, ultimately, up to you. Only you can choose your life. I'm merely providing my opinion and an alternative path. Whether you choose to tread that path or look the other way is, in the end, up to you."
Skye was silent for a few seconds. Then, she raised her head up. The hesitance and doubts that were previously within had disappeared, and in its place, there was a clear conviction, one as transparent as spring water.
She walked over to the green-haired girl-
-and SUCKER PUNCHED her in the face.
Wait.
Wait, hold on, what the fuck?????
I felt as if my eyes would bulge out of my sockets. Heracles slapped her face with a groan.
What...I persuaded her to 'talk', didn't I !?!? Or...does 'talking' in ancient Greece involve fists...!??
...Oh, who am I kidding? OF COURSE 'communication' in ancient times involved physical violence.
And Skye was far from finished.
She pointed right at the place between Atlanta's brows, making the girl's eyes swivel inwards. It was a comedic sight if it didn't just involve a punch to a restricted drug patient with PTSD.
"I am terribly sorry for your mother bears loss and you have my deepest condolences. However-"
Skye thumped her chest.
"-I accidentally slayed your mother in self-defense, and it was by her will that I'm still alive. Your mother sacrificed herself for it was the only way. You were drugged and held captive as a hostage. I was forced to fight beasts lest my neck is electrocuted off my shoulders. It was her or me. And...your mother chose me."
It was as if Skye had suddenly let loose of everything that was weighing on her chest. Atlanta was frozen, wide-eyed, and thoroughly stunned by the reveal. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
Finally, Atlanta let out a choking, wrenching sound that was like a sob.
"What...what am I supposed to hate...!? The culprits...you killed them, did you not? I smell their blood on your hands...!"
Atlanta squeezed her eyes shut as tears gushed out from her closed eyelids. Her face scrunched into one who had experienced deep loss. Her entire body trembled.
"WHAT AM I TO HATE IF YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME!? WHAT AM I TO DO WITH THIS PAIN, THIS IRE TOWARDS YOU!? TELL ME!"
Her outburst held great agony and it slammed into Skye's gut like Atlas' fists. For one rare moment, Skye was completely speechless and at a loss of what to do.
I felt her pain. I truly did. It squeezed and twisted my heart. It was excruciating. I don't know why, but I sympathized with Atlanta more than I could have with my life devoid of tragic deaths.
I stepped forward and hugged Atlanta. Words flowed out of my mouth without any thought.
"Good. Admit that you hate Skye while she is also a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Admit that you hate her regardless."
"...Huh?"
Atlanta's face of pure, unadulterated bewilderment was adorable. I rubbed her cheek and prompted her to look into my eyes.
Splendid, at least that was enough to shock her out of her tantrum.
I chuckled and explained myself.
"Believe it or not, the fact that you feel intense hate regardless of the situation is actually a...healthy reaction. You're...letting loose of all your pent-up frustrations. However, hate is a destructive tool that hurts others as well as yourself. It unwise to rely upon it as a crutch."
Atlanta furrowed her brows.
"Then...why did you say it was a good thing that I hate...Skye."
I smiled warmly. She was using Skye's name. She was adapting.
"I'm not telling you to not feel hate. I'm telling you to learn to temper it. Hate and love are actually very similar. The opposite of affection is not contempt, but indifference. I'm asking you to not be indifferent to another's thoughts."
I massaged her scalp to ease the tension in her muscles. She leaned into my hand. Another good sign. She was listening. I continued, deciding to beat the iron when it was hot.
"Take revenge as an example. Let's say you want to kill Skye no matter what.
What would happen if you stay indifferent to her perspective and believe your vengeance is in the right? You would discard her opinions as meaningless rabble. You would be more prone to hate, for we hate what is different from us. We hate what we don't understand.
What would happen if you give in to your hate and contempt? What if you lose yourself to your anger and justify all your acts of violence? Did it ever occur to you that she may have a family?
...What will stop you from dooming the few innocents in your way as a 'necessary sacrifice'?
One thing will lead to another, and soon enough, the accumulation of your deeds will come snowballing down the steep slope like an avalanche.
As they say, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Thus, you condemn the innocents that shall suffer for your folly and worthless grudge.
Self-righteousness? Your sense of 'Justice'? All of that doesn't mean shit if it causes misfortune for the general populace. That's why it is so important to try to stand in another's shoes.
Ask yourself once more from Skye's perspective, and look into your conscience deep within. Is Skye the one to blame for your mother's death? Do you still find her as something your hate can latch onto?"
I stopped. I had put everything I wanted to teach her into my words. I wanted to convince her that the direction of her hate and her hate itself is misplaced, and could be transformed into something much more beneficial.
If there is one truth I know deep down it is this;
Change the perspective and the world shall change with it.
Kill one man single-handedly on the street and you're a murderer.
kill a hundred men single-handedly on the battlefield and you are a hero, kill a thousand and you are a god. Or if you were standing on the opposite side, you would be considered a demon.
Everything is about perspective.
I just hoped that Atlanta would find some wisdom in my words, no matter how minuscule it may be.
To my relief, Atlanta shook her head in denial. She looked more lost than she ever was. It was time to nail it in. Her direction.
"What is your hate then?"
Atlanta blinked. My question was so out of the blue, that it had caught her unawares. She thought for a moment, then answered.
"I...my hate is anger. Rage. Fury at the injustice I suffered at the hands of those inhuman scum. I...I want to crush them. Eradicate their kind. I know what you are trying to say. I'm not aiming for a life of revenge."
I let out my breath. For one terrifying second, I thought she chose her life as an avenger. She continued.
"I want to make sure scum like those may never reproduce. I'm going to CRUSH their testicles and the PATHETIC WORM that is stuck with it."
Yes, yes........Huh?
"Wut?????", I said calmly.
She blinked and repeated with a serious face.
"I'm going to turn their dick and balls into MEAT PASTE."
......I'm gonna follow the words of a wise old Chinese hermit who ascended into sagehood.
"...Ok. Yeah, why not? Go, girl. Do your thing."
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
In other words: I'm done.
I've stopped the negative spiral of revenge. The only price is some transgender operations, free of charge. Yeah, I'm all for it. World peace is near. Hallelujah.
...Why does Skye look so fucking aroused!?!??
Atlanta seemed to notice Skye's queer behavior. She narrowed her eyes. I cheered inwardly.
Yes, Atlanta! Tell her off!
To my utter dismay, they wordlessly shook hands as if they were comrades who survived two world wars.
...Yeah, I knew it. Friendship is invincible. Yay.
...?
...Wait. Did she just untie herself when I was busy preaching love, forgiveness, and brotherhood?
God fucking damn it all to Maria's glory hole!!!!
I felt someone drill a hole in the back of my head with their eyes.
I raised my head to meet Skye's scrutinizing gaze. Skye seemed to be regarding me in a whole new light.
"You are one, scary, charismatic, and manipulative man. I want to tie you so hard right now."
"You have the fucking worst turn-ons EVER."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
KarmaIsOP
KarmaIsOP Poor Herasterus...what did you do? You've made the worst sisterhood for mankind's genitals! The family jewels shall go extinct! ALAYA will cry! GAIA will...actually GAIA might be pleased, lol.
Now I have a female version of the first Hassan's cult which specializes in Azrael-ing male crotches inside my head. Damn it.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone