Chapter Text
"All the Ocean deities below, save me from bad decisions." muttered Aave. "Alright, to summarise, you want to let yourself be corrupted by a demon- and this demon is your adopted brother but evil- you want to be corrupted, ostensibly so that you can gain knowledge of Exor's plans, so that you can figure out how to protect Coralia and the rest of the Empires"
"Yeah-"
Aave interrupted, "And the real reason is so that you can do whatever it is he suggested that will get you back your memories, royal Ocean magic and hybrid traits."
"I guess that's a bit selfish of me but it isn't the only reas-"
"And the other real reason is because you're holding out hope that your brother is still there and that you can get him back because Jii'ela'maer is being a terrible brother and doesn't remember you, King Alinar V doesn't remember you or doesn't acknowledge you, Ailwi is a demon and Luna was murdered. And you miss them all fiercely."
Lizzie was silent.
Aave sighed, "I still really think you shouldn't get corrupted."
"Yeah, but I'm invested now."
"Lliz'ila that's a terrible reason to do something this dangerous."
"What happened to Lliz? You were totally calling me Lliz. You can still call me Lliz."
"Quit deflecting queenie."
"Hey!"
"No, this is a terrible idea!"
"I know, but are you going to help me do it?"
"...Ocean damn it Lliz."
Clii swept into the room, "What dumb thing are we doing now?"
Aave sighed, "We're helping Lliz join a demon."
"Lliz?" Clii blinked, "Hang on, a demon?"
"Exor's demon." added Aave.
"Exor?" Clii exclaimed.
"Don't say it like that." muttered Lizzie, "It sounds bad."
"Lliz it is 100% that bad." Aave paused, "200%." she corrected.
"It's not!"
"Do I get an answer on the Lliz?" asked Clii.
"Lliz, you are planning on getting yourself possessed by a demon working for Exor in order to hopefully figure out a way to defeat Exor and unpossess the demon. It'll take a miracle."
"It's corrupt, not possess..." Lizzie corrected hesitantly.
"Lliz!"
"What's with the Lliz? Why is she Lliz now?"
"Can we do the 'this is a bad idea' after we finish the plan? The other reason for this is I want my memories back..."
Aave sighed, "And your sibling. Sure, let's experiment with the evil plants."
"Please?" asked Clii.
Lizzie glanced at Clii then winked at Aave. "Hey Clii!" they chorused.
"I'm going to go grab some corrupted plants. Back in a min!" called Lizzie before escaping the library.
"When did 'Lliz' start?" exclaimed an exasperated Clii.
-
"Welcome and Ocean's blessings plant ladies!" smiled Lizzie, ushering the pair into a room with sofas.
"Hello Lizzie!" replied Katherine.
"Hi plant lady three." giggled Shelby.
Katherine sighed, "Any updates on the plants, plant ladies."
Lizzie and Shelby high fived.
"Well, plant lady one, I believe that water does something to it. And so does Ocean magic."
"That might make sense! Those who lived by the Mineral Lakes or the Black Sand beaches were often last hit by Interitus. Whereas us gnomes in the Mushroom Groves and the hybrids in the Froglight forests died off pretty quickly."
"Shelby- Sorry."
"It's okay, I'm just not thinking about it."
Katherine nodded, "I built a moat around the capital and the corruption hasn't spread there!"
"Neat! You should probably put some quality checks on food deliveries."
"Way ahead of you mushroom girl." Katherine smiled.
"Of course, because you're always ahead of the game flower princess."
"Oh my oceans; quit the flirting lovebirds."
"Hey!"
"We're not flirting!"
"Sure, anyway, water beats corruption." concluded Lizzie.
"Corruption kills people, people sail oceans and oceans destroy corruption. Rock, paper, scissors. Ocean, people, corruption." mused Shelby.
"That is all kinds of wrong." exclaimed a horrified Katherine, "I'm totally using it, Lizzie, ocean, people, corruption."
Lizzie motioned for corruption while Katherine signed people.
"Ha." crowed Lizzie.
"I really thought you'd go for Ocean! You're the Ocean Queen." argued Katherine.
"And that's exactly why I didn't. I pride myself on being unpredictable."
"Oh? Rematch."
"Nah, I'd win every time."
"That's a lie-"
"Quit it! Plants." interjected Shelby.
The two turned to face her and nodded seriously, "Plants."
"Plant tips for coral- will die without constant water."
"Plant tips for mushrooms- will survive on anything."
Katherine laughed, "Plant tips for flowers- ridiculously diverse: we have the weed-like ones that will happily grow through cobblestone, and the dainty ones that will die if they don't recieve water every 5 minutes."
"And that concludes today's plant tips."
Katherine turned to Lizzie, "I'll win this time. Ocean, people, corruption, water queen."
-
"I still can't belive you won every round. Of anything."
"It's the unpredictability."
"She just can't be predicted." Shelby laughed.
"I cannot lose." Lizzie smiled, then turned serious. "Shelby, what if the demon used to be good?"
Shelby shifted, "They aren't anymore."
"What if they are and there was a way to save them."
"Lizzie- They killed my entire dimension."
Lizzie stilled. "Yeah, okay."
"Why do you ask?" queried Katherine. "Do you know them?"
"No, I don't think so. I read some legends and Xornoth could be Scott's twin brother."
"What?" they exclaimed.
"You're joking."
"That doesn't make any sense, Scott's young for an elf, right? and Xornoth's... not."
"Oh. Maybe." muttered Lizzie.
"Don't worry Lizzie, we'll figure out a way to kill Xornoth." Katherine attempted to reassure her.
Lizzie smiled weakly, "Great."
-
"Ocean's blessings Head wizard Gemini Tay of the Crystal Cliffs."
Gem laughed, "May your Magic grow in return, Queen Lizzie of the Ocean Empire."
"Of Coralia, we've returned to the name of Ancient times."
Gem's eyes lit up, "Oh? That's interesting!"
"Why don't we head to the library?"
-
"So Ocean Magic is based on the very essence of the ocean itself?"
"Yes! Coralians believe that the Ocean is made up of Ocean Spirits who control the tides, waves and creatures. Ocean rulers and some other royals are blessed with the power to speak to and control those Ocean Spirits, along with other Ocean-based magics."
"Wow, that's so different from wizard magic!"
"Yeah?"
"Yep! We're all about spells and potions."
"And wings. You have some really pretty amethyst wings!"
Gem smirked, "Thanks! Head wizard perks." she paused, "Or just wizard perks."
-
"Is it just me who's academically interested in the corruption plants? Because they're actually so interesting, they react in potions like nether plants, yet they are far more invasive. The magic behind it is incredible to see, too."
"That's because the Nether's just an entirely corrupted dimension." Lizzie said without thinking.
"What?" Gem exclaimed.
"Oh Prisma I wasn't meant to say that."
"Too late." Gem smiled, "Did Shelby tell you? She said something a while back, which sort of suggested that the corruption came with her..."
"Um."
"I promise I won't tell anyone else. Please, Lizzie."
Lizzie sighed, "Yeah, Xornoth started in the Nether and corrupted it all, killing everyone before coming here. They described it as a step to reach this world."
"A step? How did they know of this world in the first place, I wonder..."
"Exor?" Lizzie shrugged.
-
"What if Xornoth's just a corrupted regular guy."
"What?"
"Think about it, Lizzie, they don't seem like some construct, they're alive. So they must have been someone else before."
"I think you're right."
-
"Your empire keeps records of prophecies? That's so interesting!"
"Yes, the Prophet Nori'la'ana made many which were recorded here."
"Nori'la'ana? Doesn't the last part show their family line?"
"Yes."
"So she was part of the royal family?"
"Yes, centuries ago- do you want to read them?"
"Can I?" Gem said excitedly.
-
"Have you read these?" asked Gem.
"No, but I glanced at it while working on some other stuff, and one of the Apprentices here practically knows it by heart."
"That's fun, you should have a look!"
"Read some out?" Lizzie suggested.
"I'd love to." Gem smiled, "Ooh, here's an interesting one. 'A evil spirit will consume the most powerful of rulers. Their kind spirits turned dark by a promise of future.' What do you reckon 'a promise of future' could mean?"
"Something better than before I suppose. Sounds unfun."
"Hmm. What about 'Twin souls trapped in an endless battle since the beginning of time, chaos and order, light and dark, hot and cold. One can not exist without the other, for if one soul dies, the other is sure to follow.' "
"I forgot about that." muttered Lizzie.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing important, are there any more?"
"This is very Shelby: 'For a fungus, decay exists as an extant form of life. They are not gone.' Perhaps it's saying that her mushrooms will last longer than all of us." Gem paused, "What about 'Ancient sea-dwellers ruled the oceans long before human empires ever stood, able to communicate with creatures of the sea. But should their kind leave the ocean behind, they are doomed to forget their true self and their past.' Sounds like Coralia."
Lizzie stared at her, "Yeah, it really does." Lizzie thought for a second; it also explained where Jimmy's memories went. And how Coralia broke so easily without her family.
Gem interrupted her train of thought, "Lizzie! Listen, 'An heir born to the Ocean Empire shall be rare and exquisite. An amphibian of great power, the blue axolotl.' You said you didn't remember your family, but this suggests that the blue axolotl traits exist in the Ocean line. It also explains how you can control Ocean Queen magics; it's a bloodline power!"
Lizzie blinked. "Uh huh." She stalled.
Unfortunately, the old librarian who Clii and Aave worked for turned the corner at that moment. "Ah! Queen Lliz'ila'ana, I was hoping to have your aid in an issue with the-"
"Eeio'ola'oas, Lizzie's busy with a ruler from another empire now." stressed Aave as she popped up from the other side and shuffled the librarian away. "Sorry." she mouthed at Lizzie.
Gem stared at her, "I'm not going to try and pronounce it. But that's definitely a mermish name. Lizzie?"
"Uh. " To tell or to hide?
"Oh my Amethysts. Are you a descendant of the previous queen? Cordelia?"
Lizzie sighed, "She's my mother. I am Lliz'ila'ana, daughter of Dla'core'ana, and heir to the Empire of Coralia."
"Liz'iila'anna. Pretty." Gem paused, "Did I butcher it?"
Lizzie laughed.
"Well at least nobody can question your right to rule?"
"They could try." Lizzie tried for a smile, "Could you not tell anyone? I only just found out and I don't particularly wish to deal with it just yet."
"I can avoid mentioning it, but I can't lie if one of my allies asks." Gem shrugged apologetically, "Sorry."
Lizzie thought for a second. "That should be fine. I'll probably mention it at the next House Blossom Peace Meeting."
"Oh good, I'll lie until then if you want?"
"What?"
"Well it's only two weeks..."
"I thought you wouldn't lie?" Gem shrugged. "Thanks Gem."
"No problem, what are magic buddies for?"
Lizzie laughed, "Magic buddies?"
"We aren't an official alliance, so magic buddies. We could be though. Speaking of alliances, have you thought about yours."
She sighed, "Yes. Jimmy pretty much kicked me out completely. Aside from continued trades. Which he overpriced."
"Did you do the same?"
"Of course. I can't let down Coralia."
"You changing the name makes more sense now what with the blue." Gem nodded.
"The blue?" Lizzie laughed, "You mean my royal bloodline." She said haughtily, before laughing again.
-
"Operation Crimson Lizzie is a go." called Lizzie as she entered the library
"We aren't calling it that." Clii returned.
"We are." argued Aave, "How else will she remember that she willingly decided to corrupt herself."
"Rude. We have a plan!"
"There are thousands of ways it could go wrong Lliz."
"And thousands of ways it could go right!"
"There are about four ways it could go right." said Clii dryly. "And three of them aren't likely."
"I'll use my Ocean's luck then."
"Lliz'ila!"
-
Lizzie sat on a balcony near the top of the palace, watching the sea. As waves crashed against the Prisma Palace they hit grooves in the quartz that sounded like notes. The base had been the only remaining part of the Ancient Palace. As a child, Lizzie had spent hours staring at them and listening to the music made by the Ocean Spirits. As an adult, it reminded her, that no matter how many things changed, there would always be constants. The Ocean was one of them, it would always be there for her. Today, the Palace and the Ocean sang a song of luck. Lizzie believed that she'd need it.
"Operation Crimson Lizzie is a go." she whispered to herself. Family is worth the fear.
-
Xornoth appeared the day after.
"Have you thought about it?"
Lizzie met his eyes, "Yes."
"And?"
"Why is it that you chose to ask me?"
He stared at her, "You are the Ocean Queen. Your magic is unique in this dimension, and is useful for anything from battle to building. You would be a powerful person to work with."
"I know ocean magic works well against corruption. Why tell me I'm powerful?"
"Because you are a person who values truth."
She turned to look at the crimson lily pads behind her. Now or never, Lliz'ila.
"So what you're saying is that I could be a powerful enemy... I could win against you." Lizzie turned back to face the demon, her ocean blue eyes meeting his unearthly crimson.
"Yes, you most likely would." Xornoth seemed unfazed by her threat. "However, I could also be a very valuable ally."
Lizzie smiled softly, "Then what can I do for you?"
Xornoth grinned.
