A Deal From The Past

Chapter 23

She locked eyes with you. "...Celestia?" You let go of your human disguise, running straight into her chest. "Oh, Tia! Oh, my Tia!" You felt her form change, and looked up into those deep black eyes you grew up loving.

You cried into her chest. "Mother! Gods, I've missed you so much!"

"We'll... come get you later." Daniel stated with a smile, ushering everyone inside.

Nyx pulled away, sniffling as she smiled. "Gods, just... let me look at you? Just for a moment?"

As she raked her eyes over you, you chose to do the same- and found that nothing much has changed. She still had her ebony hair, her ivory skin, her black cloak she never seems to take off.

"You look almost the way I thought you always would." A few tears leaked down her cheeks. "Blue and black, just like the night sky."

"And you look like you haven't changed a bit." You choked out, smiling.

"Oh, my dear, how I've missed you!" She pulled you in again for another tight hug. After a moment she pulled back away, then looked over your shoulder. "Thank you, Zuku, for telling me."

"Of course, Nyx." Zuku said. You turned your head, seeing him standing to your right. "You had the right to know, although it's my fault."

Nyx looked to your left, and you did the same, seeing Bill there. "You must be William. I've heard a lot about you from in the Underworld."

"All good, I hope."

Nyx practically tackled him into a hug. "Thank you for staying with her. For fighting for her."

"Of course. I would do anything for her." He looked over at you, adoration clear in his eyes.

Nyx let go of him, turning to you. "What will you ever do, Tia? You have two men in front of you who clearly love you."

You nodded. "But I only love one back."

"That may be true, but the other will never stop loving you. It will only change." She looked back at the two. "You both may go. I'll talk to you individually later." She shot her eyes at Zuku. "And don't think you're off the hook, Zuku. You may have informed me that she is back, but that doesn't erase the fact you cursed her."

"I understand, Nyx." Zuku bowed his head toward her. "We shall take our leave now." He grabbed Bill by the arm, dragging him to the house.

Nyx turned back to you, smiling. "I knew you only wanted those two gone. I could see it in your eyes."

You sighed, smiling back. "They've been non-stop bickering since I remembered my past life. Let's just say... I've put them in a time-out."

"Tia!" She giggled. "What did you say to them?"

"I told them to leave me alone, and I'd come to them when I wanted to talk."

"Celestia!" She gave a genuine laugh. "Way to make a god's heart break!"

"After all that fighting? They deserved it. Mother, you should've seen the way they were yelling!"

She smiled, looking at you proudly. "You haven't changed one bit. You're still the same Celestia I raised. Just... more mature."

"You mean, 'with two thousand plus years of experience'?"

"Yes, that." You giggled. "Come, now. You must tell me everything."

"That's a long story to tell, Mother."

"We have all the time now. It doesn't have to be in one sitting. Every detail, every lifetime. Come on."

"Fine, I will. Just... later. Right now, there's a human mother in there grieving for her lost child."

"Oh, no, 'lost' is right. I saw that child's body, lost in the Underworld. She passed in that accident, you just so happened to take over her body right after."

"Oh, no, how am I going to explain that?"

She put a hand on your head. "No worries, Tia, I'll take care of that."

You smiled. "What would I do without you, Mother?"

"What you did without me is the question, dear. Come, let's get explaining."