FF: RoL II: Revelations and Realizations (6b/?)

[keeper444@xxxxxxxxx]

Ok, just like I promised, here's part b, this one starts exactly where a
left off. 
So now let me know what you think. I know that's its a blatant appeal
for feedback, what can I say, I live for it.
Later kiddies,
Alex
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Revelations and Realizations (6b/?)
by: Alex P.
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Cordelia took a step back a step as fear of this powerful entity gripped
her mind, the Goddess in her full anger was a terrifying sight to
behold.

"Oh yes it worked out so well for your mother. When she denied both 
her destiny and herself, not to mention me." the woman never raised 
her voice but the power and forceful nature of this aspect of the 
Goddess was so clear that even the enraged and sarcastic Cordelia 
knew to back off. "Just what part of your mother's pitiful and empty 
life did you admire most Miss Cordelia Evangeline Chase? 
Tell me, I want to know, was it the stunted emotional growth, the 
long loveless life, the low self esteem, the cold uncaring husband, 
the superficial friends that deserted her at the first sign of 
trouble?"

It was obvious that the Goddess was just warming up and that she knew 
Cordelia's mother very well.

"Come on Cordelia you're so worldly and all knowing when it comes to 
love and destiny, tell me?" the raven haired enraged and offended 
deity continued, "was it the pills, the booze, the long string of 
totally loveless affairs, the unreasoning fear of sex, the self 
loathing, or maybe it was when she got to watch the one person in 
this life she truly loved, the one person that loved her 
unconditionally no matter how badly your mother's prejudice based 
rejection hurt her, shrivel up and die. 
She watched that person die young and alone knowing that her soulmate 
refused their love in favor of superficial acceptance of the upper 
crust of Sunnydale's society, and in doing so, she consigned that 
loving caring person, that truly bright and beautiful soul to an 
early death. 
Is that what you want Cordelia? 
To live the rest of your life 
consumed with guilt and regret?"

The woman didn't give the frightened and confused young woman a 
chance to answer. She wanted Cordelia to understand the consequences 
of the actions she was considering.

"How 'bout it my dear a loveless life of endless regret and the pain 
of the guilt?" the Goddess asked, her tone becoming stern as her 
patience were becoming exhausted with the opinion motivated young and 
foolish woman in front of her. "Because if it is sweety you can move 
on by yourself, you cannot have my little Alexander Harris, fore he 
is mine too. That handsome and compassionate young man is destined 
for his one true soulmate, not you. Even though I must follow certain 
rules and I can't force someone to accept and embrace their destiny. 
However I can stop them from interfering in the destiny of another. 
Your choice sweety. Come back when you have decided."

Cordelia suddenly was back in her pain-wracked body. In her semi-
conscious state the one time beauty queen could sense another 
presence in the room but she was unable to tell who it was. She 
wondered who it might be but soon forgot that line of thought as the 
revelations given her by the woman became clear in her mind.  

First of all she wanted to know just exactly who that woman was, and 
what she meant about Xander having a destiny that didn't include her.
Her mind reeled at the concept, how could his future not include her. 

Cordelia felt another person come into her room, she could hear the 
second person speaking to the one that had already been there, but 
she couldn't understand what they were saying. 

She felt the second presence come to her bedside and stand there. 
Suddenly there was a stinging sensation in her right arm then a 
comforting numbness was spreading through her body. 

She remembered worrying about what they were doing to her. 

Then..nothing
======================
The young woman fought against the hold on her mind, but even without 
thought her limbs began stretching and moving rebuilding the ravages 
that atrophy and time had visited upon her body.

She had spend hours in the temple of the Goddess of Love being shown 
the truths of her life, and how from the moment of birth forces of 
the Dark had led her to turn down the wrong path. 
How once she was firmly on that path she was led further and further 
away from what was supposed to be. 

Now the Goddess promised her another chance, there was a mate to her 
soul out there and with the help of this destined lover she would be 
able to find her way back. To make amends for her past 
transgressions. 

The Goddess even promised that eventually the Chosen One and her 
Great Sorceress would find it in their hearts to forgive and accept 
her as a friend.

She listened to the slow steady beep of the machines, but it wasn't 
long before she felt the gentle and welcomed sleep of the Goddess 
coming over her mind and she soon found herself in the familiar halls 
of the Goddess. 

As before there were the pictures of her life but this time was 
different, there were pictures of another's life along side hers.
This was the Goddess promise; the incredibly beautiful woman had told 
her that the person that was the mate of her soul was reluctant to 
face what destiny had in store for her. That in reality the being was 
already attracted to her but was afraid because they too were female. 

The Goddess promised to allow their astral forms to meet, and to let 
her convince her soulmate that she of all people meant her no harm 
and that they belonged together. The Goddess also told her that she 
knew the mate of her soul already had deep feelings for the woman but 
had kept them hidden before. 

To say the least she was surprised when she saw that the pictures beside
her 
own were of the quintessential cheerleader/prom queen and upper class 
snob Cordelia Chase.

The Goddess was suddenly standing in front of her, smiling a greeting 
that warmed her tired and battered soul.

"Glad you made it back sweety." the deity said brightly "You are 
really going to have your work cut out for you babe. That girl of 
yours is truly a hard head, and she has all your narrow minded 
societies prejudices and phobias pounded into her head so hard and 
deep she even fights her own body and soul. I can't tell you how to 
win her heart but I'll bring the two of you together and you can just 
wing it. Hey kid, you're nothing if not resourceful, right? Once I 
have put you both in the astral plane you will be safe there under my 
protection but everything else is up to the two of you and your 
powers of persuasion. Remember no matter what happens you can not 
force her to love you."    

"Just get us together and I swear I'll do my best." the young woman 
said "but what happens if she doesn't want me or she can't make 
herself trust me? You know they all have every reason to hate me."

"True, you were quite the wild child, sweety." the Goddess 
agreed "but you were led astray and I trust that you can make them 
understand, just be yourself, your TRUE self and they will see the 
truth of your words in your eyes and the sincerity of your heart in 
your voice and eventually they will come to understand the true 
circumstances behind your behavior. First convince the one you 
already love and that already loves you and the rest will eventually 
see your true worth and learn to trust you once again."

"I'll try, that's all I can do." the young woman said softly "I have 
tried to get them all to like me it's a long time dream of mine, but 
are you sure she's supposed to be with me? I mean she was always 
after the football team, not the field hockey team."

The Goddess laughed at the youngsters' remark, filling the air with 
the sweet sounds of a small stream in spring.

"To be sure she is ready as she'll ever be sweety." the Goddess 
laughed reassuringly then became very serious. "I want you to be very 
careful with her young one. She made the mistake of trusting someone 
that was unworthy of her love and they hurt her very badly. Her 
wounds are still fresh in her mind raw open and she still bleeds in 
her heart.  She needs you just as badly as you need her, but she 
doesn't grasp the idea that you are the only one that can truly heal 
her wounded heart and soul. 
Be gentle, young one, be very gentle, but be persistent, for she will 
not survive without you and while you can go on without her your life 
will be a lonely and hollow existence."

"I'm not sure about this Goddess" the young woman said her 
insecurities rising "but I know better than to doubt you. It's just 
that I was so horrible to them I even tried to kill them and now I 
learn I almost killed my soulmate. It's funny but when I look back on 
it, when those plans went wrong it was as if I was trying to fail."

The Goddess placed a comforting arm around the young woman's 
shoulders and gave her a hug.

"Your heart was guiding you my dear." the Goddess said softly 
confirming what the young woman had known all along, that her love 
for the entire group wouldn't allow her to harm them. "We don't have 
time to dwell on that now sweety. Your soulmate needs you desperately 
and you need her. There is a hole in your soul little one, and I can 
see the pain you hold close to armor your heart. I know that everyone 
and everything you have ever loved and trusted have either hurt you 
or left you or both.  Give her a chance little one, give both of
yourselves 
a chance, together the two of you will be as magnificent as a 
star streaking through the heavens."

It was hard for her to believe what the Goddess was telling her but 
she trusted this benevolent woman and had been a guest in the 
Goddess' realm enough to know that she knew what she was talking 
about and she had the power to back it up.

"It's time to end this discussion my dear." the Goddess said, her 
voice barely above a whisper " close those big brown eyes and wait 
for me."

She followed the Goddess' orders and felt the soft touch of the woman 
on her forehead; she felt a second of disorientation then the 
euphoric bliss that always accompanied the Goddess powers. She knew 
she'd arrived but she kept her eyes closed fearing what might happen 
next. 

A voice reached her ears that went straight to her heart. It was a 
voice she hadn't heard in a long time and a single word caused her 
heart to pound in her chest so hard she was sure it would burst 
through any second, and all the voice had to say was...

"Faith?"

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END 6b
TBC in Part 7
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That's it for now kiddies, C U L8R
~A~