The Goddess ranted as she walked through the crowded, deadly silent streets of New Valis. Her friend was nodding her support, wrapped up in a warm coat, a contrast to the Goddess who hadn’t changed from her dark robes. Rebecca gestured to enter the Coffee shop to break up her divine friend’s monologue. 

“I am always here for you, Charlotte. It’s just a bit creepy. Everyone else is frozen in time…”

Becky remarked as she navigated around the statue like people to get to a free table. Charlotte sighed as she followed her, pushing a few of them over rather than walking around.

“They aren’t frozen in time, just paralysed, It’s important they are aware sometimes, know their place you know.”

The Goddess brought her hand to one of the waitresses faces and squeezed it slightly; the woman’s eyes were watering in fear as their eyes met. Charlotte leaned in and licked the woman’s cheek.

“Mmm nubile mortal, one of my favourites…”

Rebecca was getting situated at the table, placing the small Veronika on the table from her handbag. Her disciple Dee appearing shortly after, Her friend was digging around in her underwear for the currently inch tall servant. The Goddess waved her hand as she sat, the waitress she was torturing fell to her knees as the paralysis faded. 

“So, what are we going to order? I’ll have a latte and a cookie…”

Charlotte dictated as she sat and leaned down to inspect her friends’ slaves on the table. Becky glanced at the slowly recovering waitress, The Goddess noticed her friends’ demeanour had changed, where she would have taken pity on the mortal and maybe even offered to assist, her friend seemed to be looking down on the girl. 

“You get that? I’ll have a Hot Cocoa and a Muffin, best not keep your God waiting lest you find yourself swimming in the drink!”

Becky ordered with a commanding tone. Charlotte found herself smiling at her friends’ new sense of command. Idly she pushed the little Veronika over onto her ass before sitting up straight. 

“Look at you go, pushing the lesser life around. I was going to have her with my cookie, but I think I’d much rather watch you take her.” 

The loud ringing in her head returned as the Goddess banged her head onto the table. It was the third time today she had endured this mental pain. She sneered as she looked up to her concerned friend for comfort.

“That bitch Lyssa keeps calling me. I can’t believe I agreed to her little deal…”

Becky offered her hand in sympathy as the waitress returned with the drinks. Rebecca pointed to the floor between her and Charlotte. The waitress kneeled in the space and waited patiently. Turning back to her friend, she softened her expression.

“Tell me again what the problem is, My tiny mortal brain had a hard time comprehending. Lyssa stole power from you?”

Charlotte tried to contain her frustration as she massaged her head, trying to push the annoying woman’s beckon from her mind. She gritted her teeth as she explained again to her friends.

“Millenia ago, I gave up my divine power, splitting it amongst those most loyal to me, Ascension to the ethereal plane was not as fulfilling as I had thought it would be. So I came back and reclaimed my divine power in the material universe.”

She grabbed the latte from the table and drank, gulping the boiling liquid as she thought back to her mistake. Rebecca sat silently listening respectfully. She was a good friend. The Goddess continued as she returned to massaging her forehead.

“Anyway, I reclaimed most of my power. Just two aspects evaded me, Sarah, my first maid,  kept the power of creating life hidden from me. Cassandra, my second favourite, has managed to elude me with the power of creating worlds. Together they hold the power I need to expand my universe.”

Charlotte let out a frustrated grumble as she nibbled on the cookie she was given. Rebecca was about to interject when the Goddess promptly continued. 

“When I snuffed Alyssa into the next world, One of my other servants, taking back the divine power I gave her, she must have maintained some of my power as she overpowered the rulers of that realm and became the Grey Goddess.”

The Goddess was getting annoyed at the whole situation as the cookie in her fingers crumbled to the table. Rebecca demonstrated a deep breath in the chair opposite. Charlotte took her breath and finished the root of her frustration. 

“So, Lyssa, with her newfound control over the next realm, used her power to conceal her former sisters from me. I was too slow to claim them, and now they are being protected. However, to maintain balance, My universe needs to be expanded, life needs to be created.”

She finished with a thud as her head hit the table again, the persistent buzzing still in the front of her mind. Rebecca nodded her head in seeming to understand as she finished her cocoa. Charlotte felt Beckie’s hand on the back of her head as her friend spoke.

“So you agreed to hibernate, for 25 years...to allow Sarah and Cassandra to expand the universe without you capturing them. They’re scared of you.” 

The terms of her deal spoken aloud made Charlotte groan as she looked up to her friend, annoyance clear on in her eyes. Sitting back up, she brushed cookie crumbs from her robes. 

“Scared? I’d absorb the little bitches on sight...I will catch them; eventually, this is a temporary arrangement. On the plus side, once I wake up, I’ll have another few hundred planets to claim. Do you want me to timelock New Valis until I wake or will you be okay for 25 years alone?”

Rebecca pushed her finger through her Muffin as she thought. The issues Charlotte was confiding in her were so far beyond any of her trivial problems. Becky turned to the kneeling waitress and pointed to her, letting the Goddesses power flow through her the woman shrank down to an inch. Charlotte watched her friend curiously as she stood and moved over the now tiny woman. The small waitress screamed and ran as Rebecca dark leather shoe covered her. The little pop and crack were all too familiar as her friend twisted her shoe. 

“I have your gifts. I’ll be fine. Make sure you come and visit once you wake, make sure I haven’t gone mad with power.”

Charlotte giggled as she shook her head slowly. She would prefer her friend to go mad with power than stop her. Standing to join her friend, she placed her hand on her shoulder firmly.

“I’ll see you in a few years then…”

Those were her final words as she vanished, releasing the population of New Valis from their tortured paralysis. The people in and around the Coffee shop all panicked. They fell to their knees before Rebecca, having witnessed the casual display of power. 

Lyssa Aurelian - Goddess of Death

The grey-toned Goddess sat back in her chair, the two women standing either of her was fidgeting awkwardly. The cold dark nothingness of the Abyss surrounded them, the gap between the realms.

“Calm down. You’re making me nervous. Charlotte can’t touch you here.”

She spoke with calm resonating certainty. The blonde woman in her long green dress spoke. Thousands of years as a Goddess and she was still unable to disguise the fear she was feeling. 

“Sorry, this will be our first time seeing...her...since the event and all she wants to consume me, You’ve felt that first hand.”

Lyssa shrugged as she focused her gaze on the shimmering door opening opposite her small group.

“She’s coming…”

The three women all turned to watch as the shimmering door became solid, opening with a loud creak as the black leather-clad form of Goddess Charlotte appeared on the threshold. Her thick boots and dark hair demonstrated her mood as she stomped into the Abyss, locking eyes with each of them one by one as she fell backwards into a throne materialising to catch her.

“Sup, you little power leaches, happy with yourselves?”

Cassandra and Sarah turned to look at Lyssa who rolled her eyes as she stood, her naked grey form seemingly pushing the two women aside as she moved between them.

“You are running the material universe into oblivion. Reseeding is necessary to restore the balance, You can feel it as much as I!” 

Charlotte kicked her feet over the arm of her throne as she tilted her head towards them with a bored expression.

“Give me those two, and I’ll do it myself, I won’t even kill them...just take what’s mine out of them!”

The two Goddesses coward behind Lyssa as Charlotte fixed them with a stare. The Grey Goddess shook her head and gestured to the door.

“No, You cannot be trusted to conserve the universe, Now sign the hibernation pact and return to your realm.”

Charlotte rolled to her feet, frustrated, her power was limited. She felt the push back as she tried to probe Lyssa’s defences. The agreement was simple, Lyssa and her minions, Sarah and Cassandra would leave her and her temple alone. Charlotte would allow the two Goddesses to expand her universe with new worlds and life. Sarah and Cassandra had a separate agreement with Lyssa, Her protection in exchange for performing this task. 

Extending her arm, Lyssa conjured the contract, as previously agreed and already signed by the three Goddesses on her side of the issue. Charlotte shot a stream of energy from a bored wave and applied her signature to the bottom. Then she turned her back to them and walked for the door.

“I will get you two. If you come to me, I will spare your lives. If I have to catch you, then you will beg for death.”

Her parting words were cold as the door vanished behind her. Cassandra turned to lyssa.

“Can you protect us forever from her? We can’t cross to your realm, once she realises that it will be harder for you to conceal us…”

Lyssa sighed as she slumped back into her chair, relieved the encounter was over.

“Just don’t antagonise her...give her some nice planets to play with, keep her content…”

Charlotte Valis, Universal Goddess

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH”

Charlotte screamed as she put her fist through the wall of her temple. Storming through to her chambers, she grabbed Karen by the arm. Shrinking her maid to the size of a doll as let her close fall from her body, the Goddess seethed. Climbing into bed, she hugged Karen like a living teddy bear. Her maid just silently accepting the situation as Charlotte squished her against her breasts.

“Here we go...25 years…”

She mumbled as she let her power flow around her body, locking her in a contractual stasis. Karen still conscious and trapped in her owners’ arms. The pinned maid looked up to see the sleeping face of her God.

“25 years of what…?”

Emma Blake - Maid of Valis

Rushing into the Goddesses bed chambers chasing the scream, she found her mistress asleep. A small note materialised on the mattress next to her as Emma approached. Kneeling before the bed, she looked curiously at Karen, trapped in a firm embrace. Unfolding the note, she read carefully.

‘Hibernating to save the universe, 25 years you’re in charge, look after Becky, Let the priestesses have some time off to have families for a bit.’

Emma folded the note and looked sympathetically to Karen. 

“I think you’re going to be there for a long time. I’ll get one of the kitchen priestesses to bring you food and such…”

Karen started to squirm and complain as Emma quickly turned and left. The Goddess had put her in charge, and she had a list to work through.