Punishment Time!

With a flicker of fire and a spontaneous combustion, Pumpkinheart appeared with Shita in the Pumpkin Town where Pumpkinheart and the other Lanterns or Scarecrows resided. The houses were made of pumpkins, as was everything else.

"Ah, Home Sweet Home." Pumpkinheart made her way to her house and dropped Shita off inside, where she would then wake her up by splashing water in her face. "Wake Up, Shita!" commanded Pumpkinheart, "It's Time To Pay Your Dues!"

"Nng..." Shita had trouble opening her eyes. "Wha...?" The 'Smite' she took directly actually put her clean out, and now she was having problems coming to.

Shita opened her eyes lightly, faintly making out, "Pumpkin... Heart...?" before she collapsed again.

The Pumpkin-headed woman stood above Shita as she lay unconscious, gazing down at her with blazing, yet cold eyes. It seemed like she had a lot of feelings going on inside that were not coming out. Pumpkinheart seemed to want to form words, and had them in her heart, yet couldn't articulate her feelings properly. The emotions she felt were so blended, they were far more complex than the basic levels of emotions one may feel -- they seemed tertiary, meaning they consisted of at least three or more feelings, or existed on a deeper layer in general already lower than a subdivision that was already more distinct from the basic layer. But as she was the Pumpkinheart, they would be sorted out soon enough.

Until then, Shita would be allowed to rest. She may have been trifling, but she still was family. Being her husband's sister, this also made her Pumpkinheart's sister, and the Pumpkin Heart felt familial love for her, especially through the love of her husband. The feeling of blood was universal, and could be translated to anything that had blood for exactly the reasons why blood felt the same to everything that was of the same blood. Certain aspects of blood were universal, and could be understood as such.

During Shita's state of being unconscious, she started to dream. Unbeknownst to her, she was picking up on Pumpkinheart's vibrations with her brainwaves, which caused them to translate into her dream just by the wavelengths resonating alone. This allowed for Shita to perceive Pumpkinheart's feelings visibly based on the emanations from herself as they were in raw and pure form, and not when attempted to be translated as some sort of physical interpretation or display, such as art or affection, or even just verbally.

Visually, Shita would be able to see Pumpkinheart... And see her love for her in the image of a dream, which she would experience within the intimacy of her own dream.

Before long, she woke up, but remained motionless, only laying eyes upon Pumpkinheart to see what she did after Shita became conscious again, even if she didn't move or speak.

As one would expect from the hypersensitive Pumpkinheart, she could feel when Shita became conscious, noticing the immediate difference in her brainwaves and also the other wavelengths that emanated from the body and became greater or lesser whenever one was conscious or unconscious. That part wasn't difficult. What was difficult was to figure out why the wavelengths Pumpkinheart was seeing as feeling had changed around Shita. They were no longer the same as when the two of them began fighting, but instead seemed like they were more receptive and compassionate.

Perhaps this was because before, the two of them did not meet at the same Restriction, but now the two were both in the Fourth Restriction at the same time, allowing for a greater sense of understanding between the two on the same level. It could have been that, as well as any other number of reasons. Right now, though, Pumpkinheart knew that, with the change in Shita, she should reciprocate what she was feeling emanating from her changed spirit, now.

"... You Are Finally Awake, Then, Shita...?" Pumpkinheart would eventually say, especially after letting her feelings and Shita's sort themselves out a bit independently before making the attempt otherwise, "... Then, Are You Prepared To Accept The Punishment For Your Crimes Against Me...?" Whether or not Shita cared, Pumpkinheart had actually taken her recent behavior quite personally, considering she was trying to use her power as Head Witch to take over the entire Dream World, which Pumpkinheart was the Grand Magistrate of, as Friday. Friday was the actual heiress to the throne of the Dream World, despite Shita also being of royal lineage as the descendant of the original Grand Magistrate, and also bearing the position for a short time before Friday. So when she tried to usurp Friday, Pumpkinheart felt hurt on a personal level, and wanted Shita to see that.

Shita closed her eyes once more, as if to attempt to avoid both the question and the situation. With what just happened and how she felt now, she was actually quite embarrassed. Normally, she didn't feel much shame for her actions, and actually felt quite entitled, but this time... This time she seemed to feel Pumpkinheart on a deeper level, like she used to feel with Chita... Whom she also fought against. The two of them never really saw eye to eye except for on occasion, and even then, it usually didn't last for very long... In fact, even before the transition from the Lost World, she recalled them being on bad terms...

She opened her eyes again, but still showing lack of expression, almost like she was ignoring her whilst looking directly at her. But, she was simply gathering her thoughts and feelings and words, since she was feeling things she never really felt much of before, especially not for Friday. The two of them may have felt differently, but they hadn't actually made any verbal exchange, nor anything telepathic, despite the exchange still being recognized between the two of them on an emotional level. Now, the much slower vibrations and wavelengths had to have been sorted out in each of their own distinctive ways, including verbally, in order to establish the emotions they had securely between them. "... Yeah. I..." Shita thought she was ready to speak, but then realized that she hadn't really formulated her thoughts and feelings beyond just unanimously accepting that she would go through with the punishment process. She didn't feel like Pumpkinheart wanted to be malign, but wanted to be compassionate, and Shita was open to that.

"... I Just..." Even now, trying to formulate the words for her new feelings and shared experience, she was at a loss. "... Do Whatever You've Gotta Do, Friday. I Won't Run." That should have said it all, coming from someone like her.

The words from Shita stunned Pumpkinheart, as well as all of the feelings that came from Shita even without her speaking them. Pumpkinheart turned her pumpkin head away slowly, shielding Shita from seeing the wax tear that streamed down her eye at the sentiment. "... Very Well," Pumpkinheart spoke up after a while, feeling much honor in her heart, "... Then That's The End Of Your Punishment." Pumpkinheart still had plenty of mixed feelings, but she could make sense of them all, and realized that it was probably best for them to keep to themselves for a little while. "... If You've Really Learned Your Lesson... You'll Come Hang Out With Me Later," Pumpkinheart spoke cryptically, proceeding to the door, and leaving Shita to rest further, if she should so choose. "... But It Means A Lot That You'd Actually Do That... For Me." Pumpkinheart opened up the door from her house into the Pumpkin Town, but paused, still not looking at Shita. "... Thank You," she concluded with valediction, proceeding outside and leaving Shita to her own devices.

The situation hit Shita very heavily, but it seemed like there was more resting on her than just the situation with Friday. It seemed like she was reflecting on all of her past experiences, especially when she was Zita. For a very long time, she was very cruel and petty, and was certainly far more promiscuous than perhaps was proper. She had done a lot to a lot of people, including her own family and friends. She was always very haughty and conniving. Though she appreciated these things about herself, she was just coming to terms with the fact that she was trifling to her own family for so long for all types of vain reasons. It was just a lot to suddenly have to realize, especially against one she considered both a rival and an enemy, plus a pupil, since Friday was once just a Witchling under Zita, who was the Head Witch of the Witch Province.

Now Friday was not only fathoms more powerful than she was, and also married to her own little brother, plus ruled over her now rather than Shita ruling Friday, like in the past. Being a dominatrix, Shita didn't take being overpowered very well, but... It was dawning on her, especially after how she treated her daughters and her brother that she was crossing the line by being so trifling to her own blood for petty reasons. She was a petty person, sure, and being trifling was second nature, yes, but there were times where it was uncalled for. She only just now realized this, and it was actually quite hurtful.

So Shita thought for a while about all of these things, and took that as her punishment. Besides, she was accustomed to doing this, since that's how she was punished before.

"... You Are Finally Repenting For Your Sins, Are You, Zita...?" uttered a surly, stern voice, only before piercing red eyes gleaming from the shadow of the room. "... And This Is Your Penance... To Suffer Your Very Self And The Weight Of What You've Done, Plus Whatever Else You Might Put Yourself Through From Here On." The man eventually stepped forward from the shadows, but the way he moved made it seem like he wasn't in the shadows at all, yet he came from them as though he was, and his movements were as fluid as one who was transitioning in regular movements. Whatever the case was, he wasn't actually in the shadows, but when he hit the light, he was visible, like he was there the entire time.

"This Is Fitting For You, Since No One Can Get Through To You Except For You, Yourself." He who stood before her now was the patriarch of the Lanterns, known as St. Troix. He was in his white priestly robe with the fiery hem. "But Do You Believe It Is Truly Enough To Atone?"

St. Troix startled Shita, but she still remained stagnant. What he said made her think. Maybe it wasn't enough that she was just feeling guilty. Maybe she had to make things right between herself and the people that she cared about.

Finally, Shita got up, fixing her red hair. "... What Else Can I Do, Father...?" she asked the Saint tenderly, in a display of vulnerability that she normally never showed on the outside. She normally never needed to, if she even felt it at all. After so much time of being Blackheart, it was only natural to lose some feeling. But maybe... She's lost much more than just some feelings.

The saint's eyes saw far more than the surface with their piercing crimson gaze. They were as hot as the sun, but as still as the light, boring into her soul. He could see the Dissonance within her atoning now, becoming enharmonic with the rest of her becoming qualities. This was surely enough to please Troix, as he loved it when he was able to see the redemption of any of those that were his blood. He closed his eyes humbly and smiled chiefly, stating boldly to Shita, "... Perhaps It May Not Be Enough On Its Own, But I Believe If You Continue On The Path Of Repentance As You Are, Then It Will Be More Than Enough, Child." St. Troix turned from her, relieving his presence of the room with those words, leaving Shita to her own devices now. He had nothing more to say, and more he wished to do elsewhere. She would figure it out on her own, he believed.

As St. Troix walked away, Shita reflected deeply on what he'd said to her. Did he something in her that was once not there? Was there something there that wasn't there before? Did... Friday also see it? Something like that seemed sort of embarrassing to her, all of them being able to see this change of heart in her that she hadn't even realized in and of herself. It kind of made her want to revert...

... But of course, she decided against it. She liked the progress she'd made, and truly understood now the error of her ways. Although, she did want to prove that she would still be who she was, and that some things would not change, no matter what her new motives were as a person. A devious grin sprawled across her face, and she stood upright, with her head hung low as to have her hair over shadow her eyes. Shita chuckled morosely, then proceeded out of the door, going to talk Friday up on her offer to meet later.

Just as remarkably as Tzita had undergone such a valiant change of heart, the Overgod of the Veritas himself suddenly appeared before her in his domain as he so chose, especially in the land closest to his natural presiding, in Pan Dimensia, in the Absolute Final Wonderland -- the extradimensional layers of the Veritas Dimension which overlapped with all other dimensions before they all interlocked in the Veritas as a nexus, as what the Grand Tabrynth held together and Tinasanti took the image of with the Crystal Nexus of the Veritas Planet.

In spite of all such remarkable goings on happening in the Veritas that it would seem that the Overgod would have better business in, he, for some reason, appeared before Shita, whom he knew as Tzita. "... I See That The Crystal Heart Is Having An Effect On You, Tzita. It's Taken You A Very Long While Despite Being So Very Old, But It Seems Like You've Actually Finally Done It. I Am Here As Proof To Congratulate You, Because This Is A Momentous Occasion For A Former Wretch Such As Yourself." Tymon, who created Tzita and all the other beings of the natural Veritas, even before it was ever the Veritas at all, knew very intimately each and every one of his works, and Tzita was one of the more dark of them. "... I Took The Sealing Eye From You So Long Ago For A Reason. I Gave You Your Secret Assignment In The Dark Network In Good Faith, And You Completed It To My Liking. And Now, You Are Starting To Accept The Veritas, Which I Also Made For You Just As I Made For Me, When You Were Ready To Be Part Of It And Stop Fighting Against It." Tymon embraced Tzita, laughing lightly to himself.

"... Think Now: If I Came To You, Then It Means That..." He whispered something to her and only she would know, but when he moved away from her in the next moments, he said, "Your Fifth Restriction Has Been Unlocked To You Now. You May Assume Your Form As Shinzita, And Also The Power That Is Within The Fifth Restriction For You." Tymon turned away, letting the image of him fade away slowly. "I Love You, Tzita. That Is Why I Am The One That Had To Come To You." She would understand, now that the Crystal Heart was working.

Shita was dumbstruck to even see Tymon again after all of this time. The last time they spoke besides the secret mission he assigned to her in the Zero World was the time he literally took the Sealing Eye from her. But he was saying that after she went through that change of heart inside of herself, he could feel that? He knew? And he came to her specifically because of that instead of doing whatever else he usually did, like maybe snatching the eyes of some other bitch somewhere else? Surely! And it meant a lot to her, she certainly did know.

In fact, it was the absolute best and most reassuring thing for her to see the moments after she had such a revelation of self -- something like being born again and seeing your parent and knowing them, but being fresh somehow. Yes... Shita felt very refreshed by this... An elation far beyond what occurs in everyday life. It kept her elevated, and eventually sustained itself where it was, shifting her entire hair to a beautiful sparkling, flowing goldenrod. It dazzled like the sun, but flowed like the waves, and her eyes... The keyhole pupils that glowed whenever the Sealing Eye was in use, would rotate until they unlocked, just as Tzita was capable of doing to herself to unlock any of her other powers, be it permanently or temporarily. Whereas in days past it was only temporary, this time, her eyes opened up like sliding doors from the lock, revealing an entirely different eye color -- a dazzling dandelion. They glittered like gold bricks, just like her goldenrod hair did.

Shita could feel that the Sealing Eye was different than what it was before -- Tymon had done something to it. It wasn't the same as when she used to use it by herself. Even just recently, when she was ascending the Thirteen Restrictions, the Sealing Eye didn't ever... Change. It was always what it was, just as it was back then, as Tzita always thought it would be... But of course, the Overgod, the Creator, Tymon, could upgrade the Sealing Eye whenever he wanted, even if Tzita never did or could.

"SHINZITA HAS ARRIVED~~~!!!" she cried as her sparkling hair and glittering eyes bedazzled the atmosphere around her, changing the coloration to a beautiful sparkling yellowish hue. "Oh, It's Like The Sealing Eye Can See So Much Now! Was This Always Its True Power, Or--?" She gasped. "... Don't Tell Me, That This Isn't Even All Of It--?!" Shita, now Shinzita, glistened with anticipation mixed with restraint, wanting the Creator himself to tell her all of his plans. "Ohhhhhhh, Thank You Sooooooo Much!! Omfg, Seriously. THANK YOOOOUUUU." If her eyes didn't feel so pleasurably stimulated by all of the things that she could now see that also made sense to her because of the change of heart that she experienced within herself before this power was granted to her, she'd say they were melting from the sensory overload.

But it was all just enough -- all just right.

"... Oh... Shit..." Shinzita realized. "... Damn, I... I See..." she muttered to herself, furrowing her brow. "... So... Is This What He Sees All Of The Time...?" Whatever she was so intently studying now, the visuals seemed to have been of so much interest to Shinzita, her eyes locked on, keyhole pupils rotating securely and glowing golden rather than green or red. Shinzita's Sealing Eye grazed over her sights slowly, as if looking at something that wasn't apparent to the eyes of others. "... I See," she uttered. "... Supervision..."

Somehow, Shinzita became more scholarly than the normally very lackadaisical Zita of the Zeroth Restriction. She recognized so many of the qualities of her former selves -- the lower selves, as humans tended to just refer to them as -- and recognized how they all connected. Even back to the Zeroth Restriction, where she started, and Vita, who is her First Restriction, even before Khrona was born and the Thirteen Restrictions were established. What would have become of her if she never got to experience the Thirteen Restrictions? She recognized that she wasn't a variation of himself or his lover nor his children, which were the Royal Bloodline of the Royal Tensei Family. Where was she on that list?

Suddenly, she had an epiphany -- a life-changing epiphany; one after another, in fact. She realized then that she was more a whole of Tymon than she ever realized, and was not more of a fragmentation, like many others. She was part of him, and that made her see her own greater place in the bigger picture... Why she was the way she was, and why he wasn't... Why he dealt with her the way that he did, and why he knew how... And why he appeared now. He was acknowledging something about himself that she didn't realize that she represented, and she was too much of a bad person to recognize that he was the one that had to do it because she never would. She would likely just fight him for control or some type of power. It was all so eye-opening to her.

It made her appreciate her existence so much more than she already did before he as Khrona fucked her all the way up. Now the fruits of that moment, where she was with Khrona and Chita, the daughter that Khrona gave to her after Valerio got her pregnant, were ripe -- everything was so clear to her about how all of the things that happened were meaningful for her to reach this moment... And she loved it. With as much love for herself as she had before Khrona succeeded the family, she would have that much more for others now with the Crystal Heart coursing through her. The Sealing Eye allowed her to see so many things now that it didn't before have the capacity to, and she partially believed it was because of herself, since this happened because she was changed of heart now.

Maybe it would backfire if she wasn't in a certain state of being, and the recoil of the constant exposure would be counterproductive, even unto becoming vegetative? Possibly.

Whatever the case may have been, she was surely far more grateful than she'd ever been ever in her entire life for anything about anything that wasn't completely vain or selfish. It was almost vainglorious, except it was of actual substantial value equivalent to its extravagance and magnitude. "... Yes... I Know What I Must Do... Khrona..." Shinzita laughed to herself, keyhole pupils rotating in the opposite direction, glowing red. A Dimension Gate of a golden coloration unlocked behind her, revealing before her the location of where she was observing remotely... The Zero World.

"... But Just Remember, You Owe Me One..." Shinzita uttered as she slipped into the golden Dimension Gate, which would lock behind her before dissipating.