There was a gentle glow around the sanctum. Mystica hovered in the air, eagerly waiting for the teleportation spell to finish. This was always the most nerve-wracking part about bestowing a new champion. A part of her still doubted herself, and wondered if she had selected the right person. But she had to have faith in herself. Her divine judgement had never steered her wrong before, and there was no reason to indicate that this would be any exception.

Regardless, she couldn’t let her new champion see any doubts or insecurities. It was always a difficult adjustment, and Mystica was prepared to help ease her into her new role. There wasn’t any doubt on whether or not her champion would accept. After all, she knew that this girl was truly pure of heart and a selfless and benevolent soul. Even though she wasn’t physically in the sanctum itself, Mystica’s form was reflected across a giant crystal on a podium in the centre of the room. She had a humanoid visage, with a matronly figure based on what the mortals tended to find comforting. Although the combination of cerulean skin, shining golden eyes, and hair white as snow did give her an otherworldly appearance. She had to maintain some pride in where she came from.

The teleportation spell finished, and a silhouette began to manifest right in front of the fountain. A moment later, a human girl appeared, eyes wide and full of bewilderment. Mystica smiled. It was time. “Fear not, my child, for I have heard your prayers. I am Mystica, protector of the innocent and champion of all that is right. You are in a safe place now, Zoe.”

Zoe looked at her and blinked in surprise. “I… you know my name? How did I get here? And what exactly are you?”

These were all questions Mystica was fully prepared for. “I am a being from beyond the stars. I exist beyond the plane that the humans of Earth are accustomed to. And I help protect the Earth from otherworldly threats, dangers that if left unchecked could consume all of humanity.” Mystica smiled gently at her new companion. “I am forbidden from directly interfering with these dangers, of course. But I am allowed to select a champion, someone capable of defending humanity from these terrors. And I have selected you.”

Mystica gave her words a moment to sink in before continuing. “I can see the lives of humans down on the earth, and I can hear the song in their hearts. Yours is one that cries out for righteousness. You have a rare kindness in your soul, a compassion and generosity that is rarely matched. That is why I am here to grant you the power to protect the innocent and defend the world you love.”

It was a lot to take in, Mystica knew that. But she was patient. She would be happy to explain herself and answer any questions Zoe may have. This was an important cause after all, and someone with a heart as pure as Zoe would surely answer the call.

“Why me? That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t see how I’m pure or innocent, by any stretch of the imagination. I’m honoured, but I think you’ve got the wrong person.” Zoe shifted awkwardly in place. “ And see, I was kinda in the middle of something, so if you could just warp me back down to Earth, I’d really appreciate it.”

“Don’t worry, my child, I know I have the right person. And you don’t need to worry about the predicament from back where you came from.” Mystica let a gentle smile cover her face. She always enjoyed explaining this part. “You’ll have to forgive me for using a little bit of trickery. It was a test, you see, one that you passed with flying colours. I created an illusion, one designed to test your morality, and your sense of justice shone through.”

Zoe had a confused expression on her face. “So that goth chick at the bar, who said she needed an outlet for her stress relief… that was you?”

Mystica nodded. “It was. I manifested an image of someone who had fallen to corruption and evil, who was struggling with the inner turmoil you humans call ‘stress.’ You immediately offered to help with your kind and generous nature.”

“But, um, what about when she - I mean you - promised to inflict a whole new level of pain that I’d never experienced? You said that I wouldn’t be able to sit properly for a week.”

“Oh, I see the confusion!” Mystica silently chided herself. Sometimes she forgot that human communication was complicated, and often words could be misconstrued. “Don’t worry, I won’t let any harm befall you. It was all part of the test. Despite your vicious enemy lashing out at you, you were undeterred in your desire to help them. Not even awful threats of violence could break your resolve.”

Zoe responded with a slow blink. “So you’re not going to spank my ass raw and twist my nipples? Not even if I say I’m a bad girl who deserves it?”

“My child, of course not! The kindest of souls are always the hardest on themselves. And you certainly don’t deserve any sort of punishment or suffering.”

“Right. Okay then.” There was a strange look of disappointment on Zoe’s face. “You know, I think there was a misunderstanding here. You got the wrong idea from looking at ‘the song of my soul’ or whatever you called it.”

If there was one constant in Mystica’s recruitment, it was the rejection of the call. All her bravest heroes had thought they were unworthy at first. “I understand your reluctance, but I must insist that you truly are the chosen one. At the very essence of your being, you desire to please others, even if you gain nothing in return. I’ve heard it in your mind and in your heart. You long to serve something more powerful than yourself. This is your chance.”

“I - well technically yeah, but I didn’t really mean like this.” Zoe waved her hand in the air, as if struggling to find the words to articulate her point. “Did you actually read my mind or just check out the general vibes? Because yes I do fantasise about serving a powerful magical lady, but not in any way that could be interpreted as ‘pure’ or ‘innocent,’ not by any stretch of the imagination.” Zoe wasn’t finished with her tangent. “And I think you’ve got the wrong idea with me wanting nothing in return. I know that reciprocity is important for most people, but I’m perfectly fine with just giving. I’m more into the service thing. As long as my partner is satisfied, I’ll be happy.”

“But you see? By your own admission, you place the happiness of others above your own!” Mystica smiled at the girl in front of her. “You long to give without self interest, what could possibly be more noble than that?”

Zoe rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Okay. Before we proceed, I need to clarify something. What do you think of sex? Because I want to be sure we’re talking on the same terms. Is sex something you factor in when talking about having a ‘holy and righteous heart?’”

There was a tense moment of silence as Mystica pursed her lips. This was always an awkward subject, but it inevitably needed to be discussed. Nevertheless, she knew what Zoe’s preferences were, so she wouldn’t have any issues in that regard. “I am a spirit of justice, and my cause is to fight against corruption in all its forms. There’s no need for you to worry, the wicked and perverse nature of humans is but one aspect that I fight. Any champion of mine will be well above such base desires such as lust.” Zoe opened her mouth to respond, but Mystica continued. “Of course, this shouldn’t be an issue for you. I know that when these disgusting notions arise, there’s one thought in your mind that drowns out the others - denial. You seek to deny yourself such animalistic and disgusting wants, regardless of how your body yearns for it. Correct?”

“That’s… technically true, in a manner of speaking.” Zoe spoke in a careful and deliberate fashion. “But you do know what ‘denial’ means in regards to sex, right?”

“Naturally,” Mystica responded. “It’s the classic tradition of denying yourself such earthly pleasures in order to achieve enlightenment. And today is the day your firm resolve pays off, as you can take your rightful place as my champion.”

“Okay, enough is enough.” For the first time, Zoe spoke in a firm and assertive tone. “You’re clearly out of touch with what humans are actually like these days, and have some horribly outdated opinions that I thought we were long past. And even ignoring the misunderstanding, I’m not even sure I agree with your notions of what counts as virtuous behaviour. Is it really commendable to ignore your own wants and only help others? Why should we be expected to give up the things that make us happy? Even if I was the person you thought I was, there’s no way my values line up with what you want from a champion.”

For the first time, Mytica began to feel worried. Had she actually chosen wrong? In all her years, only once had there been error in her judgement. Ever since then she’d been extremely thorough in her selection process. “But… but you can’t! The world needs you.” Perhaps Zoe simply didn’t understand how important this was. “There are horrible monsters that threaten to consume humanity. Awful creatures with tentacles and dark magic. If left unchecked, without a champion to protect them, all of humanity is doomed!”

“No! Enough is enough, and I’m not going to - wait did you say tentacles?”

Mystica flinched. While she was never one to lie, there was one part of the job that she was hesitant to explain. “Fine, you deserve the full story. The truth is, this is a dangerous task that I’m requesting. This evil force you’re fighting… should the unthinkable happen and you end up losing, you’ll be subjected to a tragic fate worse than death. Their leader takes control of her victims and turns them into her slaves.”

Zoe let out a gasp, and Mystica felt herself slipping further into despair. If her chosen one had been reluctant before, the odds of her stepping up now were even slimmer. But she owed it to Zoe to at least explain the whole truth. “Lady Corruptina. The leader of the dark forces you’ll be going up against. Her raw magical power is matched only by her malevolence. With her magic, she can override your free will and turn you into a drone, a faceless and mindless minion of hers forced to do her bidding. Only those with the strongest resolve can even hope to challenge her without succumbing to her ability.”

This was why Mystica needed Zoe. She had to pick someone with the most resolute nature and stalwart heart to fight Lady Corruptina. And while Zoe certainly had those traits, it was worthless if she didn’t have a sense of justice strong enough to join a crusade against the evil perversion that threatened humanity.

“So she makes her victims into drones,” Zoe commented. Her voice was low and breathy from the horrible thought of it. “Can you tell me what exactly she does to her drones? In full detail? I need to know exactly what kind of danger this is.”

As awful as it was, Mystica nodded. She knew that Zoe was right. “All sorts of vile things. Acts that would be unspeakable under any other circumstance, were this not so important. “I’ve seen her use her magical energy whip to lash her own allies if they disappoint her. Sometimes she’ll create rods that vibrate with sheer energy and strap them to their genitals, laughing as they writhe in agony, unable to free themselves from her magical bindings. And when Corruptina is feeling particularly cruel, she’ll summon a mass of tentacles from some hellish dimension, and they’ll utterly ravage whoever is so misfortune as to be within their reach.”

But that wasn’t the worst part. Mystica still needed to reveal her one final secret to Zoe. “The worst part of it all is… even if you’re one of my champions, you won’t be immune. It is with great shame that I must confess that Lady Corruptina is a monster that I am responsible for creating.” Her voice was trembling as she spoke. “Once upon a time, she was a nice and wholesome person just like you. I granted her the power of the stars in hopes that she would bring the message of purity and righteousness to the rest of your kind. But she was corrupted by power. She turned to the side of evil, and ever since then, she’s been targeting my own champions, even brainwashing them and forcing them to obey her.” 

That was it. Mystica knew it was too much. If Zoe had been hesitant before, surely now that she’d be utterly defiant. “I understand if this is too much for you. I’m asking you to take on a great deal of responsibility, and I won’t force you to do anything. If you want to go back, just say the word and-”

“-I’ll do it.” Mystica was shocked to hear herself interrupted. She looked up at Zoe, and instead of seeing her cowering in fear, the girl had a determined expression. “I’ll accept this duty and face Lady Corruptina myself. You wanted me to be your champion? If this is what’s at stake, then it’s a burden I’ll just have to bear.”

Mystica couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are… are you sure?” She shook her head. “No, of course you’re right. There was a reason I selected you, my child. I knew you would answer the call of justice. I’m terribly sorry to put you through this. It’s not fair to expect anyone to put themselves in danger like this, least of all one as virtuous and selfless as yourself.”

“I was hesitant before because I didn’t know what was at stake. Now things are different.” Zoe spoke with passion, the fire in her voice ringing loud and clear. “There are some things that I can’t afford to just sit by and watch happen without getting involved. I’ll have to face this evil Lady Corruptina right away.” She shrugged her shoulders, a confident smirk on her face. “And if I lose, and she hypnotises me into being her perfectly obedient drone before using her magical powers to sexually torment my body, while I’m helpless to resist? Then by whatever gods actually do exist, that’s a risk I’ll just have to take.”

For the first time since Zoe had first arrived, Mystica felt relieved. She had gone through this process before. And although most of her champions were reluctant at first, when they understood how crucial and important this task was, they always stepped up to the plate. Zoe was no exception. She was a beacon of hope and the embodiment of virtue, one of the most pure individuals Mystica had ever met. With Zoe’s radiant sense of justice and unrelenting resolve, along with her determination to help others no matter what the cost to herself was, maybe this would finally be the time Lady Corruptina was defeated.

“Very well, my child. Let the Ritual of the Pure Heart begin.”