—–

As Khepri went to visit the Great Oasis Spirit, she was greeted with great hostility from her. It was mostly because she seemed suspicious to this Great Spirit.

And also because she had sent a very loud, annoying, and powerful Spiritual Message through the lake, creating ripples.

“I swear I only want to talk peacefully, Tethys!”

Tethys.

The true name of the Great Oasis Spirit, a name that not even her followers, the People of the Oasis, knew about at all.

“Huh?”

An intimidate secret, something she never imagined anyone could ever know, something that, for some reason, she kept a secret for eons.

In that moment, the Great Spirit of the Oasis fell completely silent. Her adorable face changing expressions into utter disbelief, as her eyes widened for a moment.

“Agh…?!”

And then, she gritter her teeth, as if she went through some sort of pain in her head, even though she was composed entirely by mana, spirit energy, and water.

She looked down at the water, grabbing her head with her little hands, while grunting painfully, gasping for air, and more.

Khepri watched in horror, as she saw the Aura of the Great Oasis Spirit constantly fluctuating in color and shapes, as if she was…

Remembering something, albeit faintly.

Hearing her name from someone else must have triggered some memories coming back, even if a few!

However.

“Ugh…! T-That name…! How… how do you know my true name?!”

Khepri received a completely different response from the angered Great Oasis Spirit, as the Oasis began glowing by her authority’s powers.

And…

SPLASH!

Out of nowhere, the Oasis’ waters suddenly became more turbulent, trembling, and taking the shape of hundreds of long, sea serpents, hissing at Khepri angrily! Khepri screamed in surprise, flying back to the shore, only for the serpents to give chase.

“SHYAAAAH!”

However, she knew that if she ran away now, she would only lose the trust she was trying to build with the Great Oasis Spirit.

So Khepri faced the terrifying manifestations of the Great Oasis Spirit’s mind and tried to talk with her.

“Eek! C-Calm down! I know your true name because I know you! Maybe you lost your memories, but I haven’t! W-We…!”

However, as she talked, the Great Oasis Spirit only became more confused and angered, her sea serpents became more furious as a result of the state of her mind, rapidly approaching Khepri and surrounding her, opening their sharp jaws towards her.

“BECAUSE WE USED TO BE FRIENDS!”

Khepri mustered all the strength in her little spiritual body, and before she was devoured, she screamed as loudly as she could to Tethys.

And in that moment…

“…”

The sea serpents stopped moving, only glancing at her, and even moving back a little, giving Khepri some much needed breathing space.

“…Friends?”

As she asked this question, she looked at Khepri with emotional eyes, Khepri remained in silence, and slowly moved towards her.

“Um, yes… We were… friends.”

Tethys remained in silence as she watched her approach.

But then, as she calmed down, she suddenly changed her expression, smiling confidently, full of her ego.

“Friends? With a little spirit like you? Hah! As if I would ever… do that.” She crossed her arms, mocking the little Khepri, even though she was also quite small herself.

“Eh?! Don’t say such things out of nowhere when you were looking at me like you were about to cry!” Khepri’s eyes widened as she got all angry, groaning furiously! Her wings flapped loudly and angrily too.

“I-I wasn’t about to cry or anything! A being of my caliber would never cry about such things at all!” The Great Spirit argued, although she was the one that started a tantrum like a baby. “Y-You’re the one that was crying! S-So I couldn’t help but try to appease your childish anger and your tantrums!”

“HAH?! You were the one making a whole tantrum! I was just trying to talk, and you tried to LITERALLY kill me for no damn reason, Tethys!” Khepri said angrily. “Uugh, you’re…!”

“You’re just the…!” Tethys grew angrily, the water of her body beginning to boil and release steam.

“YOU’RE THE SAME AS BEFORE, AREN’T YOU?!”

Both of them ended speaking the same words, as they discussed just like the good old times.

Yes, the good old times that both had mostly forgotten.

“Eh?”

“Huh?”

Both fell silent for a moment, looking at one another in surprise.

“Wait… Uh, so you remember me?” Khepri asked.

“I-I…” Tethys didn’t know what to say. “No I don’t… But… somehow that just came out of me? I saw images, I don’t get it… I… But I was sure I was born in this desert, in this water… I…”

“No, Tethys… You might have landed here one day but you weren’t born here,” Khepri said. “The two of us come from the sky, the stars… We were the creation of the Gods.”

“The Gods?!” Tethys gasped. “T-That’s not possible, I…”

“Calm down, I know it’s hard to believe but if you’re getting memories and stuff, then it means that you know a little, right? Or that you intrinsically do,” Khepri said. “Right?!”

“Ugh… G-Get your bug face away from me, don’t get too close!” Tethys grew embarrassed, pushing Khepri further away from her with her little hands made of water.

“Geeaagh! Don’t put your water on my face, do you want me to drown or something?!” Khepri said angrily.

“…”

“…”

And once again, they fell into silence for a moment.

“So what…? What do you want from me? Why are you here, trying to stir further confusion about my own identity inside of my mind?” Tethys asked. “And who exactly are you?!”

“My name is Khepri, and I am an Ancient Spirit, just like you! I used to live in a nearby Oasis, usually possessing monsters to stay alive because of my high requirements of Mana to live…” Khepri explained. “I am Silvia’s contracted spirit, who is the friend of your priestess, Agualinda! And I am their friend, and ally! And I’ve come here to talk with you about the challenge you gave to Agualinda, and the threat… of those giant ants. Get it now?!”

“Y-Yes… I… I do.”

—–