Part 470: Tharja B

I shall now attempt to cast the memory-transformation spell...

Ready when you are.

We should act on a memory that won't affect your ability to fight in battle.

Something from my childhood would probably work best. For example--

Hey! I'm calling the shots here. But, er, just for fun... If you could choose a new memory, what would it be?

I'd like to remember a time spent with doting parents in a warm, loving home. Could you conjure such a memory?

That sounds positively nauseating. But who am I to criticize? Think hard about the scene... Visualize it in your mind's eye...

Ah! I can see it now!

All right... here goes... ...Nmmm... mmm... nnngh...

...What? Th-This cannot be.

Is something wrong?

...Er, no! No, no, nothing at all.

There, done. The hex is cast. Do you feel different?

Um, no, not really.

Huh. Well, I guess it didn't work.

Maybe I'm the problem.

No. It failed because I don't yet have the talent and knowledge. Er, but Libra. When I cast the hex, I saw... Well, I saw a terrible darkness in you. What was that?

...Ah. I see. I tried to hide it from you, but it appears I failed. My hope was that your hex would extinguish it before you knew of it.

So that's why you volunteered to be my guinea pig.

As I said, my motives were selfish. I'm sorry for using you like this.

No skin off my back. But now I'm very interested in all that darkness festering inside you... If I could tap into it, it could power some truly intense hexes.

In that case, would you like to continue experimenting on me?

Doesn't it scare you to go delving into that dark place?

I am beyond fear, dear Tharja. Nothing can terrify me.

A lot of dark mages would take such a boast as a challenge.

Heh heh. Perhaps I'm not beyond fear after all.