The Light Fades As The Sun Sets [Arcadia, Cyrus]

"You'd damn the subjects who violate your divine law rather than try to guide them to a greater state of being? My, I think I like the sound of this aspect of you far more already, it feels like we have so much more in common."

Letting her words sit in the woman's mind while twisting them, such was the nature of Arcadia. To twist and warp the meaning until the person themselves believed that was the initial intent.

"It's always so sad when those you regard as children become so twisted, once upon a time I believed people were inherently good. Believe me, I wanted it to be so. I gave them everything, helped them grow and build cities. Tools for work. Do you know what they did with that? Their gift of uniqueness turned on them, individuality became selfishness and tools of harvest became tools of war."

Cyrus' embrace was so nice, her childish side would be lost in this woman certainly. This was a talk between women though, a talk between mothers no less.

"I talked, I negotiated, I even begged and do you know what came of it? Nothing. You see, peace and radiant prosperity you talk about is only able to be obtained when those people give up their sense of self for in it is that seed of selfishness that will break apart what you work so hard to achieve."

It was as simple as that, the Swift Flame didn't accept it. Arcadia would just make the Blissful Flame accept it instead.

"It must be done. How else might I protect the good in the world if not by removing the sinful? I cannot risk the good of those who have done nothing wrong, simply in the hopes that the wicked might yet mend their ways."

Cyrus listened to Arcadia's words, running her own hand through the Angra Mainyu's hair gently and lovingly. She did deserve this sort of affection, did she not? How sad she seemed, from Cyrus' own view.

"If I am to take away this individuality, Acadia dear, then I may as well simply kill them all. There is no worth in a life free of choice, for that is what makes each life special. Those irreplaceable things, those precious lives, I will not be satisfied until the whole world is wrapped in their voices of joy."

Despite her nature, Cyrus of the Blissful Flame was not any more willing to accept a world where she might demand the people simply bend to her will. For she loved each and every life equally, and to rob them of their choice was to take the meaning of life itself.

"I may convince them, I may even cull those who bring harm and discord to others. But I will never demand anyone give up themselves for my own sake. This ideal, no matter how difficult and how impossible it may well be, is nevertheless that which I must do. It is my role, as their sun, to guide them and nurture them through all things, until that utopia is reached."

"Remove the sinful. If you do, you condition the good to not be evil. As long as the looming threat of your divine judgement hangs over the people you are just like me because at their core, in their hearts it is just natural. The only difference between a good person and a sinner is their reluctance to act on that evil nature and when those actions are held back by fear of your wrath. You find Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu are not that dissimilar."

She gently leaned back to give them some space between one another before continuing to twist Cyrus' words.

"The sunlight casts shadows which sin hides in, the people in the sun acknowledge the sun of fear of being burned. They praise and worship the sun, accept your rule so they will not be burned by your radiance. You don't want them to worship you like this but they will, the weak will succumb to your presence which erases the strong and the evil. The uniqueness you sought to protect will become lost in the need to preserve themselves."

"To teach is not to control, and to give them the choice to be good or evil is not my threat. For life, Arcadia dear, is a test of their character. it is transient, impermanent--it will come to pass that even the good leave this earth in time."

There was no malice in Cyrus' eyes as she looked upon Arcadia, but it was clear even at a glance that she still did not agree with her view. After all, for her it was simply a matter of living that one might fall now and again.

"But, in time, all souls may well collapse into this sin. When such a time comes, they must be removed. And, yet, does such a thing not come without consequence of its own? That is why I intend to achieve ever greater power, Arcadia dear. Not for myself, or even for the people. I have sworn that I will maintain the sanctity of all realms, and so what choice have I but to replace those souls I must destroy? How else may the balance of the cycle be maintained if not by my own hand?"

For having spoken so weightily, Cyrus' voice did not changed. It was still loving and gentle in its tone. And yet, the full scope of her divine intent was more clear than ever before.

"Transient like the utopia you speak of then?"

Arcadia did pity this God that had no selfishness. If she could convince her to bite that apple and see things her way then the evil of the world would find so much satisfaction, for not only herself but her counterpart.

"Is that so?"

Despite being a chief god of her pantheon, Arcadia was not a creator. She was around for the genesis of these things but she did not create the souls that worshipped her.

"How can you claim to value life when you will so easily destroy it and repeat a tragic cycle until you see favourable results. How can you claim to love them, when you objectify them like that? Even I love the subjects that worship me, to treat them as tools and another one of my treasures though? How painful to imagine."

She paid keen attention to that, how Cyrus reacted to being called worse than the divine evil that opposed Ahura Mazda's goodness.

"I do not objectify them, Arcadia."

Cyrus' voice hardened then, just the faintest touch. It was almost imperceptable, but she did certainly take this comment on her character quite gravely.

"It is not an easy thing, for me to destroy a life. I carry with me the burden of every soul I have destroyed, the knowledge that such a thing is irreplaceable. There is no moment more painful than the one in which I must snuff one's light from the world. But I must do it, Arcadia, for the sake of all people."

Though Arcadia may have pitied her, Cyrus felt no modicum of pity for herself. She had taken on this weight, and she would not deny it now.

"I love all who live, and it is all I can do to honor their memory by bringing new life yet into the world. It is not enough, nor will it ever be. But it is the only choice I am given. It is the only one I will make."

"Giving honour to a memory is such a hollow acknowledgement, Cyrus. When you paint over their grave as soon as it's done. You think too much about their autonomy, kill them with their sense of self becomes too much and impacts on others. You're not given one choice, you subject yourself to a single avenue of action. Mundane subjects accept the maze they are in, divine beings create those mazes. You ask me to help you acquire the power of infinite possibility and you dare to look at only one."

She pushed Cyrus back into the chair, holding her there while her eyes dug deep into her. It was faintly irritated but hostile? No. This was her most stable aspect, the least impulsive one. Her hand held her counterpart's head, cocking it on an angle so that she could lean down and get her lips close to Cyrus' ear to ask her next question.

"Tell me why you deserve such growth when you stagnate yourself like this? If your mindset is so rigid, why do you deserve the gift of creativity? Who decides your choices for you, if not yourself. You are not a slave to yourself. You. Are. Divine."

Arcadia forced that fact into her head, Cyrus was not other people. A divinity should never be so resigned to how something is. If Cyrus imprisoned her in a cell, Arcadia would never resign herself to sit there and acknowledge this as her fate. Every waking hour, every possibility would be considered until she reached the conclusion and if she didn't like that then she would reject that conclusion.

"And what, Arcadia, is a divine with nothing to watch over?"

Cyrus simply allowed Arcadia to do as she wished, seemingly unbothered by her aggression. In time, the demon would certainly see the fruits of Cyrus' labors, but it would be folly to simply assume that words alone would convince a fellow divine.

"If I choose to deny the people their freedom, there is no future but that which I choose. It is every bit as stagnant, every bit as unilateral. It is no better an outcome, by your metric. Does the simple act of disregarding mortal creatures and their value make my actions as a god more justifiable? If it does, then I reject this avenue of divinity outright."

Her voice was willful and firm, unflinching as she spoke her retort. On this, she would not concede.

"You are correct, I am indeed divine. And it is my choosing as divine to seek this utopia that you deem impossible. I am beholden to the judgement of no others. The decisions I have made are not made simply for the sake of ego. I wish to create this perfect world, and so I will. To simply hear that something is impossible is not nearly enough to dissuade a god from their course. I am indeed not a slave to myself, Arcadia. Do not take advantage of my love for you. If you do not give me what I seek, then I will find it elsewhere. To rely only on outside power, to curry favor with another divine, is not the reason I have taken godhood. This divinity is what I choose it to be."

She didn't answer the question, after all, she was not the one that believed in sweeping away the bad and trying to foster the good. It didn't work, she had tried. Cyrus did have a point, at least the inkling of one. She disagreed though and critical thinking under oppression was far more noble than letting them run amok and engage in self-destructive behaviour.

"Yes. There is no growth more beautiful than a group working together, as one. A choir, an orchestra that delivers wonderful things into the world and you are their conductor! Reject it as you will, you'll look back in the future and see that you're just like me."

Arcadia cooed it to her, that sweet future she had to look forward to. She would ensure it would become a reality. One way or another.

"I don't deem it impossible, you'll create your utopia. It just won't be what you think it will be. Though it's so nice to hear such authorative words come out of your mouth, so strong I feel inclined to submit myself to you and worship you like the beautiful goddess you are for every drop of your favour that you can give me."

The words were said because she knew they would irritate Cyrus who stood against such a thing. She had coaxed out some assertiveness, could she coax out some aggression?

"I am not, nor will I ever be. I am everything that you are not, Arcadia dear."

The honeyed words Arcadia spoke were quite apparently just that--honeyed, and little else. Cyrus knew she could hardly trust any such temptations that Arcadia might speak, but at the same time, she did see potential in this moment. Not, however, in the manner she felt most inclined to pursue.

"Do you, now? If you feel so inclined, then by all means, Arcadia, worship me. I will certainly allow it."

Cyrus' tone was not only even, but supportive. It was the voice of a mother offering help to a child in need. She was completely willing to allow such a thing, if only to put the Angra Mainyu through a divine test.