5-17: Inside Veronica’s Mind

Lilith had started to delve deep into the mind of the girl she inhabits. Strange voices that weren't Lilith's. Where is it coming from and who utters such words?

Of course, it wasn't going to be that simple. Lilith was going to have to go through many memories and thoughts, even deep subconscious thoughts that Veronica doesn't even know about. It's like a maze, a maze one has to float through and constantly changing.

"Now where could you be...?" Lilith asked to herself quietly.

Memories of Veronica's childhood was first to appear before finding the source of these other voices.

A very young Veronica, probably about four years old was laying in a bed, barely moving. An older woman, her mother, read a children's book to her. One could hear the depression and worry in her mother's voice as she read.

The you get Veronica started to have a coughing fit, finally ending up coughing up blood. A tear rolled down her mother's cheek as she wiped the blood from Veronica's mouth.

This family has suffered from Amaranth's curse. A curse that seemed exceptionally strong in Veronica if it was affecting her at such a young age. Though, she did survive for many years, so it couldn't have been that strong...

Lilith most certainly had to to think on that as she traversed the mind of Veronica. Floating through the seemingly endless maze of memories.

Old memories, and new ones. Good and bad. Everything that Veronica had experienced was here, even the memories Veronica thought she had forgotten.

One memory of Veronica and Cassidy meeting for the first time. Their parents were certainly friends, and as such, they brought along their daughter. A daughter who started to accompany Veronica. Even bedridden, Veronica got along the boisterous girl.

She would talk about the outside world, and explain certain things in vivid detail. The two clicked really well, even though they never really had anything in common with each other in the beginning.

At some point, Veronica's thoughts and memories focused more and more on Cassidy. She seemed nearly obsessed. But it was understandable, since Cassidy was the only other person Veronica was able to interact with other than her parents.

Every thought was surrounding Cassidy, but she never even knew of these thoughts. Deep subconscious thoughts, such as "She's so pretty" and "I want to keep her for myself". It was clear to Lilith that she was already in love with Cassidy at an early age.

"This girl... you really should confess to her already. You already have sex regularly too." Lilith said with a smile.

The further Lilith went, the clearly and more recent the memories became. And, the further she got, the more voices she could hear.

"She's coming! What do we do?" A voice worried.

"We wEre heRe FiRst!" A second, twisted voice nearly screamed out.

"QUIET." A third voice rang, deep and guttural.

The voices held some kind of familiarity to Lilith, but she couldn't recall when and where she heard these voices before. They certainly weren't normal.

She continued to push forward, and soon, she encountered resistance. As if a wall of wind was trying push her back. Magic? Lilith wasn't going to leave this behind. If these voices were a threat to Veronica, she needed to do something. She kept at it, ripping and tearing her way thro8gh the invisible barrier.

And finally, after clawing through all that, Lilith fell to the ground.

'Ground? How? This isn't...'

"SupPosed TO HaPpeN?" The second voice asked the demoness.

She looked around, finding no source, but the was a clear path for her to follow. Instead of replying, she pushed forward. She needed to figure who was here.

"The commander is persistent."

"As ExpeCted!"

The third voice was staying quiet. Was that one the leader?

She continued to march onwards. She went until she could go no more. Three thrones, up high, shadowy figures sat atop each. One had a rather feminine appearance, another was too unclear, it was just fog. And the third was extremely masculine. Tall and muscular.

"She came to us!" The feminine one said happily.

"INtrUder..." The unknown one was displeased.

"You're the ones who are intruding upon this girl. Who are are you?" Lilith requested, standing her ground.

"She doesn't know! She doesn't know!" The first exclaimed, as if this were a game.

"ThE FirSt... BeFore YoU weRE BoRn..." The second voice tried to explain.

"We've inhabited this girl before you as well! You don't belong. But you've kept her alive for us. Maybe you can stay... What do you think, boss?" She said, her personality all over the place.

"Worthless. Weak. Without her, Vessel dies. With her, Vessel becomes strong. Revenge is needed. Can make exception." This third voice wasn't exactly normal. Monotone, broken, as if it were a repeating Dwarven machination..

The second voice growled in displeasure, but did nothing. The first laughed. And the third kept silent.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Why are you here?" The first asked in response.

Lilith put her hand to her head, as if she were trying fight a headache.

"Fine... we were here first. When she was born." The first said in reluctance.

"A veSSel fOr oUr venGeaNce!" The second screamed out.

"She's a descendant of us Hakano. Through, very watered down." The first tried to explain.

"Well, the explains why I'm bound to her. So what are you? The previous high council?"

"Yes." The third responded as if it were a simple matter.

"Not exactly the same. We're dead. Yet alive."

"OrIgiNal iS deAd. A CoPy is mOre AcCuraTe." The second responded.

"Just like you! But, worse in quality."

Like Lilith? Of course she was dead, that damned Angel killed her a long time ago, but a copy? Impossible.

"That woman's curse... it's been changed."

"Changed?" Lilith asked.

"You don't remember? Maybe we're better copies than you! The curse never affected children before. She changed it. She's scared. The girl's watered down Hakano blood let her live longer. You put the curse to a halt."

"YoU RepAired a daM wiTh SecoNd Hand mAterIals. WonT lAst LOng."

The voices were explaining everything. Everything except their goal.

"The Vessel must obtain strength. The Vessel will kill the fake Goddess."

"Her name is Veronica. She is not just simply a vessel for you to reside in."

"And how do you plan to stop us? We're in control! The only use she has to us is her potential. You WILL strengthen her. She MUST kill the Angel. After that, she's all yours. Bye bye!" The second day voice explained before forcing Lilith out of the inner subconscious.

Copies of old Hakano... And they're hellbent on killing Amaranth.

"Fine then. But I will protect her."