Chapter 40: Dividing Forces

{Mara}

Mara wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished healing a middle-aged farmer’s broken wrist. Her powers were strong, but using them for hours straight was still exhausting.

[Ah, how many decades has it been since I last came to Linaria? Feels like at least two, hehe.]

“Thank you, blessed one,” the farmer said, flexing his newly mended hand. “The plow handle snapped and—”

“Just be more careful next time, darling,” Mara said, patting his shoulder. “There are enough troubles in this village without adding accidents to the list, right?”

The farmer nodded (with a little blush) and hurried off, no doubt eager to get back to his fields.

Mara stood and stretched, her abundant chest wobbling within her blue healer’s robes. She’d been working since dawn, healing everything from minor scrapes to potentially fatal infections. The village couldn’t afford to have anyone weakened, not with demons lurking nearby.

[Well, just about done for now. I…]

A commotion from outside the healing tent caught her attention. Laughter, whistles, and… music?

She stepped outside to see a small crowd gathered in the village square. Alia was dancing, her pink wings fluttering as she twirled around. Zephyr played a small stringed instrument that she probably borrowed from a villager, singing a song that was just shy of obscene.

And in the middle of it all stood Grace, looking entirely mortified (and very adorable).

“Come on, Grace!” Alia called. “Just move your hips like this!” She demonstrated with a gyration that made several villagers fan themselves.

“I-I really don’t think I can do that,” Grace protested, her face redder than a tomato.

“Sure you can!” Zephyr encouraged. “Dancing is something anyone can do, come on!”

Mara sighed. Of course they’d drag poor Grace into their antics.

“How exactly is this helping?” Grace asked desperately as Alia grabbed her hands and forced her to sway awkwardly.

“Look around,” Zephyr said, nodding toward the villagers. “Nobody’s thinking about demons right now, are they?”

She had a point. The villagers were smiling, clapping along, even joining in the dance. For the first time since the angels had arrived, they looked… happy.

“Fine, but why do I have to dance?” Grace whined.

“Because you’re cute and they love you,” Alia said, spinning Grace in a circle.

“UWAH!?”

Grace stumbled, nearly falling on her face. The crowd laughed good-naturedly.

“I think that’s enough torturing our youngest member for now,” Mara called out, taking pity on Grace.

“Mara!” Alia bounced over. “Perfect timing! Your turn!”

“I don’t dance, dear,” Mara said flatly.

“Not asking you to dance,” Zephyr said with a sly grin. “But you could help with the demonstration…”

“What demonstration?” Mara asked suspiciously.

Alia’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“We were about to show Grace how a proper Sister of Love raises morale.”

[Ah… Of course.]

“And you need me for this because…?”

“Because Grace needs to see that all angels occasionally participate in all three Paths,” Zephyr said. “Even if we specialize in one.”

Mara narrowed her eyes, holding back a smile.

“And what exactly did you have in mind?”

“Well…” Zephyr and Alia looked at each other.

Five minutes later, Mara found herself in the center of the square, with Grace standing awkwardly beside her.

“This is silly,” Mara murmured, though she had a playful glint in her eyes.

“This is necessary education,” Alia countered, addressing the now quite large crowd. “Today, we demonstrate that true divine blessing comes from the unity of all Three Holy Virtues!”

The villagers cheered, clearly enjoying the show. A few were already significantly drunk, despite it being barely past noon.

“The path of Love isn’t just about passionate union,” Zephyr explained, sounding surprisingly professorial. “It’s about connection, about reminding mortals of the joy of living.”

“And sometimes,” Alia added, “that means stepping outside your comfort zone.”

“Such troublemakers,” Mara whispered, but she was fully smiling now.

“Sister Mara here is a paragon of Compassion,” Zephyr continued. “But today, she’ll demonstrate that even the most dedicated healer carries the spark of Love within.”

The crowd hooted and whistled. Mara rolled her eyes playfully. Grace looked like she wanted to sink into the ground.

“M-maybe we should just—” Grace started.

Mara turned to Grace.

“My, my… Are you nervous, little one?” she asked, her voice dropping to a silky purr as she stepped closer. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle with you.”

Grace’s golden eyes widened.

“W-what?”

Mara reached out and tilted Grace’s chin up with one finger.

“Just relax and follow my lead,” she said softly. “Think of it as… another kind of healing. What is it that Venus always says?”

“… A kiss is just a kiss.” Grace swallowed.

“Precisely.”

Without further warning, Mara leaned down and pressed her lips against Grace’s.

Naturally, Mara made this a proper kiss. Slow, deep, and unmistakably sensual. Mara’s hand slid to the back of Grace’s neck, holding her firmly but tenderly.

She snuck her tongue between Grace’s lips and giggled as she heard Grace gasp into her mouth.

The crowd went absolutely wild. Men whistled. Women fanned themselves. Someone dropped a mug of ale. A few people even swooned.

When Mara finally pulled back, Grace stared at her with wide golden eyes, looking dazed and breathless.

“See? You survived, didn’t you?” Mara asked with a hint of a smirk on her face.

“Abwaawabawaahbwawaba….”

Mara giggled.

“How adorable,” Mara said, stroking Grace’s flushed cheek with her thumb. “Though usually, I prefer a bit more… privacy for such moments.”

She winked for good measure.

“And that,” Mara announced to the crowd, her normal voice returning though her hand remained on Grace’s shoulder, “is how angels share divine blessing.”

“I think I need to be blessed myself,” a man called from the crowd, causing an eruption of laughter.

“In your dreams, darling. You want a kiss? Ask those two,” Mara replied, gesturing at Alia and Zephyr.

Eventually, as the crowd dispersed, still buzzing with excitement, Mara led a wobbly-kneed Grace away from the square.

“You okay there, little one?” she asked, genuine concern mixing with amusement in her voice.

“Y-yes!” Grace squeaked, then cleared her throat. “I mean, yes. That was just… I’m still not used to that.”

“You have all the time in the world to get used to it, so don’t worry,” Mara said, her lips curving into a smile.

They sat on a low stone wall at the edge of the village. In the distance, they could see Diana drilling the local militia, her stern voice carrying across the fields.

“So… You can do Love work sometimes?”

“Hm?”

“I thought healing was your… you know, thing.” Grace said, finally regaining her composure.

“Ahh… Well, technically, every angel can do some work for all three paths. Our affinity is just what we’re best at. What we’re most suited for,” Mara explained, crossing her legs and leaning back slightly. “But we all contain multitudes, don’t we? Nobody fits perfectly into just one box.”

She held out her hand, palm up. Divine light swirled above it, solidifying into a heavy mace with a spiked head.

Grace’s eyes widened.

“What the…?”

“I’ve always been a healer at heart, but watching others fight demons gets frustrating when you know you can help.” Mara swung the mace lazily. “I was pretty good at bashing demon skulls. You wouldn’t expect it from the big-breasted healer though, would you?”

“I-I-I-I-I-I-I…”

Mara cackled.

“It’s okay, darling.” She winked. “I’m well aware of the… aura I give off. But, I know I’m better at fixing people than breaking monsters.”

Grace looked away, taking those words in.

“So you guys can switch Paths whenever you want?”

“In a certain way, but again, we have our affinities for a reason. None of us would want to.” Mara’s mace dissolved into light particles. “And, it all ends up balanced in the end. Bravery kills the bad things. Compassion fixes the broken things. Love… makes everything worth fighting for.”

“And I have to master all three,” Grace said quietly.

“That’s what Celestia says.” Mara tucked a strand of hair behind Grace’s ear. “I think you’ll be just fine. I mean,” she smirked, “you’re already doing so well in the Love category.”

Grace looked away.

“Did you have to kiss me like THAT with everyone watching?” Grace’s cheeks turned pink.

“Ah, would you rather have had Alia or Zephyr kiss you instead?” Mara raised an eyebrow. “Or, perhaps Diana?”

Grace turned into a tomato again.

“Relax, darling! I’m just joking. Well, partly. Alia and Zephyr probably wanted to strip you naked and show the villagers what real morale-boosting looks like. You got off easy.”

Grace pouted, making Mara laugh harder.

“For what it’s worth,” Mara added, “you’re a good kisser… For a virgin.”

A shadow passed overhead. Suddenly, Diana landed a few steps away.

“We’ve got a problem,” Diana said.

Mara’s smile disappeared instantly.

“What happened?”

“I found the missing villagers. They’re being collected.”

“Collected? By what?”

“… That’s the fucked up part.” Diana looked around to make sure no one was listening. “The demons are organized. They’re building something.”

“Building what?” Grace asked.

Diana’s face darkened.

“A nest, I think. Not a normal one either. This is planned.” She ran a hand through her hair. “And the villagers… they’re alive, but…”

“But what, dear?” Mara asked.

“They’re changing. Gray skin. Weird eyes.” Diana shook her head. “I’ve never seen something like this before.”

“The corrupted aura,” Mara speculated. “Could it be transforming them?”

Diana shrugged.

“Maybe.”

“What do we do?” Grace asked.

Mara took a moment to think about it. As Team Leader, it was up to her to make decisions. And, here, it felt clear what they needed to do.

“… Assuming the demons know we’re here, they’ll likely sack the village the instant we leave.” She nodded to herself, sighing. “We’ll have to stay here and focus on protecting those who are still alive.”

“So… We just leave them?” Grace asked, shocked.

“Perhaps,” Mara said, not wanting to sugarcoat it. “Maybe we could find a way to help them, but… Make no mistake, you two,” she said to Diana and Grace. “Our priority is this village. That is all.”

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