Massilia, Gaul, 43 AD
A young man and a middle-aged woman, the former in a simple toga and the latter in fineries, surveyed the scene. Tens of people dead, their seeming leader with his hands clutching a very ordinary bottle of water.
"They invaded my temple and demolished it! Why didn't you say something, Necessitas? I could have intervened if only I knew... I could prevent this... This power belongs to the individual. People are trying to get the Earth Stone as well..."
"Because, Liber, it was decreed by fate. I may be its goddess, but I cannot control fate more than you can control the freedom of which you are the patron. And fate determines our age is to be suspended for a while... Only for a while, Liber, we must sleep..."
"Freedom is not to be controlled. These people looked up to me. Those that want to speak freely, those the nobles and the priests ignore, those after which the patricians send soldiers if they are a bother. The ones too small to matter, important enough to be oppressed, but not important enough to be heard, they matter to me! And you, Necessitas, clearly couldn't care less about them!" - Said Liber, in his anger - "If you did, they would not be dead, one by one, in the very temple of Massilia in which they held their rites. They would not have been killed by the Praetorian Guard for trying to bring about change, or in search of the Orb of Water!"
Necessitas sighed.
"Liber. I care about them. However, I am the goddess of that which must be. For the sake of balance, it must..."
"Don't give me this nonsense, Necessitas. You know you have at least some domain over fate. You must execute it in order for it to, indeed, occur, Necessitas. And I am giving you a gift." - Said Liber, smiling - "A gift and a burden."
There was a slight shift in the air going from Liber to Necessitas. She nodded.
"You gave me the freedom to decide which fates I wish to pursuit, I see." - Necessitas, for the first time, smiled lightly - "Oh, my dear young Liber. I do care for you. And I do have the freedom to choose, yes. But I can do precious little without being severely punished. Freedom, Liber, comes with responsibility, as you know. But I will at least grant you a few minor boons. And, yes, a way for you to make at least some adjustments."
"What are you talking about?" - Said Liber.
"Take the Orb of Water to Venus. For it can change fate." - Said Necessitas.
"Not a lot of good it did here, Necessitas. The High Priest died clutching it and wishing for change. Well?" - Said Liber, picking up the bottle.
Necessitas smiled lightly at the brazen god of freedom.
"You know how the Orb of Water works, Liber. Slow initially, but very potent eventually. Trust me. His wish for freedom and for self-determination will be granted."
Marseilles, France, July 14th, 1789 AD
Bernard-René de Launay looked at its captors. The rabble, he would call them. They looked quite less insignificant from the business end of a pike.
Less than a thousand untrained rabble against thirty cannons and a decent number of well-armed soldiers. And we lost. - He thought.
"I surrender." - He said, at last.
The Bastille had fallen.
Planet Venus, 43 AD
"Here. Necessitas told me to give you this." - Said Liber.
The Woman looked at it.
"The Orb of Water? Liber, what am I to do with it?"
"Whatever pleases you, Venus. Just don't oppress people with it and I'll be more than happy to leave it to your care."
"Liber... Is this about your temple?" - Said Venus, gently.
Liber thought back about Earth. About how noblemen, guards, priests and kings oppressed people everyday, about how even speaking against it was often considered sedition.
"It's about everything, Venus. I must go now. I want to talk to Necessitas once more before we finally must go to sleep..."
Massilia, Gaul, 43 AD
"Done. I gave Venus the Orb. What happens now?" - Said Liber.
"Now we sleep. If it helps, Liber, you will wake up in a very different world. One in which many more people are, indeed, free." - Said Necessitas - "And if it helps, Liber, the actions of your followers kept the Orb of Water out of the hands of the very people who oppress others."
"I see." - Said Liber, now much more subdued, the anger over the destruction of the temple giving place to serene sadness - "And you said you would give me the means to change fate. why were you so... generous?"
"Not you. But I am sure you'll like the person with whom this power and the Orb will eventually rest. And as for my reasons... You gave me the freedom to do so." - Said Necessitas, smiling lightly as she turned to leave.
"Necessitas?" - Said Liber.
"Yes?" - Said Necessitas.
"Thank you." - He said.
"Sleep well, Liber." - Said Necessitas, smiling very lightly as she left.
