An Exchange

Dixie knew that she was dreaming again. Apart from that she had no idea why she was back here again.

Bonnie must be worried, I need to wake up.

Why had she returned to Felicia's execution? Why did the Goddess not take her to other crucial moments in the Saintess's life? What was the purpose of seeing this again? She had read one version and experienced a different version, so why a third time? Would things happen differently this time around?

She was in her own body and dressed in the pj's she was wearing the night she got sucked into the infinity. But this time, she was completely invisible and witnessing everything in her spirit form.

The handsome Pope raised his hand. "Bring out the criminal!" 

Felicia was dragged out in chains and made to kneel with a wooden block on her shoulders. She was accused and condemned. Line by line, everything was straight out of the book. Dixie felt sick to her stomach as she watched the poor woman shed tears. She already knew what was running through Felicia's mind. This was completely unfair.

She covered her ears and closed her eyes once the burning began. Felicia's screams were difficult to handle. Even muffled, it made her break out into a cold sweat. Tears flowed out of her eyes as well. The scent of burned flesh made her gag.

"You will all pay! You will regret the day you executed your Saintess as a witch! The Goddess will turn her back on you all!!!"

Dixie dropped her hands and opened her eyes. Wait a second! This wasn't in the book. She did not say that the first time.

Felicia who was thrashing about as the flames consumed her looked at her family one last time. "Father! Brother! Help me! Please!"

Both men had their gazes averted.

Felicia snarled in pain. "Curse you! Curse you both! Traitors!"

Indeed, Dixie thought. 

A few minutes later, Felicia's screams died off and her body grew limp. Her life had been extinguished. Suddenly, the room began to fade into darkness until all that was left was Felicia's body on the pyre and Dixie. She glanced once more at the Del Montague family and saw that for a brief moment Alexander looked up at his sister. She could not make out his expression.

The crackling of the flames was the only noise which filled the silence.

Dixie couldn't even hear herself breathe. She felt as if she were in a blackhole. She looked at Felicia's prone form hanging loosely on the wooden stand. The fire continued to eat her away.

Why can't I look away?

Felicia's head, abruptly snapped up. Dixie gasped in shock as she locked eyes with the gaunt face which was stripped of so much flesh and charred to the bone. She looked like a zombie.

"Dii..xieee..." Her voice was the stuff of nightmares. Felicia was a nightmare to look at. Her green eyes glowed with ire and a sinister grin curved her lipless mouth. The skeleton was smiling. 

A shudder ran through Dixie, but she stood her ground. She was here for a reason. And this was still Felicia. The woman whom she was sent to help. Dixie took a step forward when Felicia raised her arm and pointed. Dixie glanced behind her and saw a red ruby materialize out of thin air. She looked back at Felicia who was still pointing.

Walking over, she cautiously raised her hand. The moment her skin made contact the ruby flared, causing her temporary blindness. Dixie fell back. She felt a sharp pain in her head as voices and memories flooded her mind. She lost all feeling of her own body as she was transported back to the strange white world.

Standing before her, dressed in the clothes she had died in, was Felicia. Her bare feet were exposed. She was conversing with a voice that was coming from the ruby which was floating right above her head. The infinity symbol was active and the ruby was in the center. The loops had grown large and become eyes. A woman's voice was emanating from them.

A very strong and commanding female voice which was trying to reason with the distraught Saintess before her.

Dixie felt her blood stir and her palms heat up at the sound of the voice. Something within her was drawn to it. To her eyes and her aura.

Goddess Kartata.

"Why!" Felicia wailed. "Why must it be me!?"

"Because it has to be you," Goddess Kartara intoned. Her voice filled the entire area. It echoed as if bouncing off of walls.

"There are so many women to choose from, why must it be me? I don't want this!" Felicia was crying so hard bloody tears flowed and she fell to her knees. Even in her spiritual form, her emotional agony crippled her. She thought the flames were the worst pain she could experience, but this was so much worse. Even in death, she was not free. She had found no peace.

Why must I continue to suffer for crimes I have not committed? When will this end for me?

"I chose you for a reason, Felicia. You are the Saintess who must set the fate of the Elysium empire in order. The poison will only stretch across the continent if Elysium is not purified of the demonic forces which have strangleholded it."

"I can do nothing! I was betrayed and killed! They all think me a witch! How could I possibly fix the empire when I could not even save myself?" Felicia clenched her fists and glared at the eyes before her. 

"Why did you not save me?! If I am your chosen Saintess, then why did you not save me!?"

"But I did, my dear one. That is why you are here now."

Felicia shook her head furiously. "No! This does not count! I am already dead! I suffered through so much and you did nothing! Coming to me now means nothing! Goddess, you have betrayed me as well! I curse you along with the rest of them!"

The divine eyes narrowed slightly, but remained gentle.

Dixie licked her lips nervously.

Is this where Felicia ended up after her execution? I'm curious about that too. Why only after her death? Why did the Goddess not step in sooner? Is this a memory of the past or the future?

I know I'm currently lying unconscious in the Emerald room. This has not happened. Not to me, anyways. This must be another version of history. I have crossed through time and space to witness Felicia's spiritual plight.

Dixie bit her nail and struggled to make sense of it all.

The Goddess assigned Felicia the same task she gave us. That obviously means resurrection. So why did I wake up as her in the annex? Why did she not return as herself?

What does Felicia's predicament have to do with me? What does Alexander have to do with Bonnie?