A Boundless Strength in My Soul [Cyrus, Arcadia]

It wasn't especially often that Cyrus took on the aspect of the Blissful Flame of late. In fact, it was rare that any of the aspects needed to show themselves. But there were still those times that one aspect or another was still necessary, and at this moment, that was the case with Cyrus' female aspect. She was, after all, the most intimate, and it was quite true what Elysia had said, that Arcadia's own male aspect would surely respond better to her presence than to any of the other aspects.

Taking a seat in her quarters, Cyrus took a moment to think of how she ought to approach this. Well, there was no sense in being disingenuous. She did not believe in that sort of behavior as some of her other aspects did, and she certainly did not consider it a worthwhile way to treat her significant other. Leaning back a bit on her bed, she spoke out in an affectionate tone, knowing fully that it would be enough to call Arcadia to her.

"Arcadia, dear?"

Naturally she appeared, maybe not immediately but she did answer the call to her and appear with a kind of puzzled look on her face when she glanced the form of Cyrus, she knew that he was not prone to changing shape nor facet on a whim but for a specific purpose. Was he troubled? It was the first thing that came to mind for her. Was it escapism?

"To what purpose do you take your current form?"

She asked with a tone that blended playfulness, intimacy and a touch of concern while taking a seat next to the blissful flame and embracing her, shape was irrelevant to Arcadia when it came to him and she had slowly became more attuned to being together despite the fact that she knew it had only caused harm to so many parties. So selfish wasn't it? So ungodly of her who was created as one of those ideals but if she would commit sacrilege to the reason for her conception then she would do so every time more to be with this person.

"It is a little unlike you to change abruptly like this."

"It is, yes, and I do not do so for no reason."

Despite the seriousness of her purpose for this, she still returned the embrace that Arcadia offered. That was only right, was it not? To show such affection? Cyrus knew that their being together was an act of cruel selfishness, but the Blissful Flame was the aspect of affection and intimacy in the utmost. For her, the pursuit of earnest affection was worthwhile in itself.

"I had hoped to speak with your animus, if I might. And I believe that it would be far more natural if I did so in this particular form."

She knew it was a strange request, one that likely would have seemed abnormal. But, then again, Cyrus did quite genuinely wish to have this particular meeting. Even without Elysia's advice, the Blissful Flame had wished to speak with that other half of Arcadia. That, too, was a selfish desire, but she was allowed to be selfish in some things.

"Hmm, if it please."

Arcadia responded, a little uncertainty in her tone in that it was a bit vague but she trusted Cyrus the most among all the people of the realms and this so she shifted before the shape changed and she was face-to-face with the animus of Arcadia's conception.

"And to what does my beautiful bride who makes the skies go green with envy seek?"

He said with no small amount of confidence, hands reaching over to take ahold of the feminine form and bring her closer. It was an aura of total assuredness and stoicism, a charismatic ring to his voice which sought to inspire and spur those below him into action and through any trial but an underlying forwardness which betrayed far less consciousness for the subtle details.

It was after all, a woman's job to be subtle in his eyes. He did not care for such malicious or wellmeaning undertones, he would be blunt and straightforward and that did manifest with having the chocolate coloured woman on his lap while looking up at her fondly.

He was certainly curious.

"Bride, hm? My, how very brazen of you."

Cyrus did not mind Arcadia's touch, his confident hold upon her as she was moved into his lap. It was, admittedly, something that she was not used to, and she was briefly again assailed by guilt as she gazed down into his eyes. But that was to be expected, and she moved forward as she leaned against him affectionately.

"I seek your counsel, Arcadia dear. On how best to approach the matters of Ahura Mazda, and how best to destroy him."

Of course, she understood that this was no easy conversation to have, that Mazda had harmed them both in ways that was perhaps irreparable. But that was all the more reason, in Cyrus' eyes, to destroy him, to remove him from the equation.

"I intend to use him as a tool, to bring balance to the soul cycle as I always have. If that power is no longer in my own hands, then surely there is a way to use him as a medium, yes?"

"To refer to you as anything less would insult your splendour, and make me question my judgement. I would loathe myself to believe any other could fill that role but you, must I propose to you right now?"

He asked while pale hands cradled her gently in his lap, nice and reassuring while he grew a little solemn at the woman's words. Hands a little tighter on her waist at the topic of Mazda, ah but he couldn't despair now could he? That was not his way, to express those feelings of doubt or process them like his other side.

"Of course, do not view things as impossible. Nothing is truly impossible but the means must be seized by ambition and resolve. Would I say that you might be lacking in it, you do present with a powerful will and I trust it to not break."

Arcadia did find something different, was it her aspect bleeding through? No, he couldn't have imagined that Cyrus in this form could say something like this if there was not a great deal of will behind it. Recalling those memories of spending time with the blissful flame by the lake - even if they were viewed through different lens than this moment.

"Ahura Mazda originates from the Soul King, does he not? How best to destroy him by looking at the source of his existence. Where is the Soul King, for what reason does it not interfere or present itself. Is it dead? Is it alive? Ah, wonderful questions are they not? Consider then if Ahura Mazda shares attributes which may be taken advantage of inherited from his source."

Touching her forehead to his, Cyrus wondered briefly about the two of them. Yes, she supposed she could understand his argument, but she was not so unilaterally confident as he was. Did that mean that she doubted herself, or the two of them? No, it did not. But she always needed to consider things a bit longer.

"I have wondered that myself, if the Soul King has perished. And if that is the case, what then can be done about it? Does this mean that to replace him would be far easier? What would have killed him, were that the case? The Soul King, for all that I have sought to replace him, is a being I cannot fully comprehend. It is for that very reason I have come to you, for I cannot discern the answers asking them only of myself."

It was pleasant to have another to speak with, to share this with him, even if there was still uncertainty in the back of her mind. Not about them, but in herself. Still, there was no backing away now. She needed to step forward. To accelerate.

His eyes closed at the touch of her against him, hands more intent on keeping her right where she needed to be. A couple of moments longer of contemplating her words while stealing a bit of clarity that her presence brought, a nice and calming one that didn't bring out the aggressive forwardness that he normally presented with.

"Common knowledge is that the Soul King regulates the flow of souls by himself. We know that Ahura Mazda is derived of that being but you could not achieve feats on par? From this we can conclude that he is not on the same level as the Soul King."

Arcadia concluded while pulling her closer and letting out a deep breath. How to kill this creature that had wronged and violated him, taken advantage of but it paled to seeing his beloved flame through that painful time but flames could be fed and grow into a blaze.

"Furthermore, he does not approach us anymore. Since his essence inside of me was purged by Ninsianna, Helle's own situation. People that were entrusted with pieces of this creature are being wittled away. While it would be easier to destroy him like this, I'm afraid we would be destroying the very power you would like to reacquire."

Ah, so troublesome wasn't it?

She understood what he meant, of course, and what it meant in turn for Mazda. But there was a part of her that found such a thought almost painful, if only because the Blissful Flame understood too well what that would mean.

"If that were the case, then I think there would be precious little of me left. It is only this sliver of the divine that keeps my soul from collapsing in upon itself entirely, Arcadia. The pieces destroyed when that divinity was placed inside of me can never be recovered."

It was not so much that she feared her own destruction, for she knew that she would simply continue to exist as Cyrus, that there was not any true meaningful distinction between the two of them. But her very life would still be at stake.

"I do not fear death. If anything, there is a great part of me which welcomes the thought, despite all of my best efforts. But there are too many people who I cannot in good conscience leave alone. I have made too many promises, and I will not break them. I do not wish for that divine power to be my own again, for I think it would only be a burden. If the Soul King is dead, and yet still regulates all things, would it not be feasible to do something similar with Mazda? To kill him, and yet use him to bring structure? Even if we can never reach the level of the Soul King, we do not need to."

"Mmm."

The idea was discarded as soon as Cyrus indicated that she would crumble away, sacrifice was one thing but death was another. To sacrifice a piece of himself to Cyrus in that lake was something that would've probably never have happened had he viewed it through these lens rather than the perspective of the more feminine side of his ego. At the same time, could that avatar be called dead? It surely still existed even if it had lost its form to become something else.

"Death nor harm will not come to you before me. Of that I will hear no complaints or protests."

He declared at her grim talks of death, it was not a topic he wanted to linger on and unproductive. They were talking about murdering a being of immense power and this deviated, much like his hands which became more exploratory.

"Yes, there are a couple of methods to go about it. Deveta splits pieces of itself off into different forms, Ahura Mazda - and by proxy even the Soul King itself perhaps - does as well. That power may exist but were the pieces of Ahura Mazda to be separated and sealed in vessels or a framework there is no reason for him to be recognised as dead and his power still productive to your cause."