Ottawa: Getting close to the action!
Rye: And more suspense! *hugs Ottawa*
Both: And random moments galore!
Hao: Dear lord, what do they have planned for us next?
Yoh: *sighs* disclaimer and warnings still apply!
Yoh took a deep breath, wondering just how to explain his complicated relationship with Hao. He was sure that his mother would accept it, and maybe his grandmother, but his father and grandfather were different kettles of fishes.
"Kaa-san, do you remember when I was little and I used to have that nightmare where I'd wake up crying?" He finally asked. Keiko nodded.
"You told me that you had died, and that you had left someone behind, but you didn't know who." She recalled.
"I kept having dreams like that, all through my life, and I was taught that dreams like that usually were actually memories of a past life."
"So you actually did pay attention, amazingly." Yohmei grumbled scathingly. Rye growled and Ottawa had to prevent her from hitting the old man.
"As I got older, the dreams changed to more... explicit actions, all with the same man though." Yoh continued, blushing slightly. "Soon after I met Hao I realized the person in my dreams, who I was sure was my lover, was actually Hao in his first life."
"Well... that's different." Kino commented in the silence that followed Yoh's explanation. "But, Hao, then why did you try so hard to destroy Yoh?"
"I didn't realize who he was until after I'd regained some of my senses after our fight." Hao explained. "Truthfully, I'd despised Yoh since the first because he reminded me so much of my Yoh. It made me crazy to be reminded of him day after day, I'm not really surprised I snapped the way I did. I'm more surprised it didn't happen sooner. Looking back on things, I was seriously messed up in the head."
"Agreed." Ottawa said. "Though, a thousand years worth of anger and guilt can do that to a person."
"It was my death that made him snap in the first place." Yoh added.
"It doesn't matter who you were, you have an obligation as the heir of the Asakura family to produce an heir, and you are engaged."
"To a woman who doesn't care at all about me, and has probably joined the X-Laws to gain the power she's always craved." Yoh replied. "And obligations? What about what I want, and what's good for me?"
"If heirs are a huge issue we can make Yoh pregnant." Rye muttered. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. "It's one of the potions that we perfected together in the last little while."
"A child of our own would be nice." Hao mused, arms lightly squeezing Yoh's sides.
"Let's get out of this mess first." Yoh chided gently.
"Traitor." Mikihisa's softly spoken word made Yoh flinch.
"How is he a traitor?" Rye demanded. "Perhaps he's not following your ideas, but they're not right for him, and would only bring him sorrow and emptiness in his life. He's following his heart now, and he'll be happier for it."
"It's not right, with his brother of all people!" Yohmei snarled.
"It's not their fault Yoh was reincarnated the way he was." Keiko intervened, walking over to her two sons. Hao watched her curiously. "It sounds a bit like a fairy tale, doesn't it? Two lost loves, together again."
Yohmei opened his mouth again, but Ottawa interrupted him. "We can argue morality and all that later, right now we are preparing for war. Are you with us, or against us?" She stared at them all gravely. "Bear in mind that the X-Laws will want to destroy all Asakuras simply because of your connection to Hao. So?"
Keiko didn't need to wait. She sat down beside her sons and smiled, "I will do all I can to help."
"As will I... these old bones still have some use in them." Kino said as she glared at her husband and son-in-law.
Yohmei and Mikihisa just glared at them. Rye felt her temper spiking again, but instead of saying anything she let her control slip just enough for them to see the massive beast she held at her command. The creature was hidden in darkness but bright green eyes glared at them as a deep rumble shook the room and the rest of the castle. Ottawa let out an impressed whistle as the creature retreated and Rye smirked at the now very pale men.
"Well?"
"... We'll help." Yohmei said finally as Rye nodded and then turned to the door where she knew the others were standing.
"Come in. Travis go get the Atlas please."
Travis nodded and ran off for the library. Seto and the others walked in, Seto looking at Rye with an impressed look.
"So you've got power to back up your claims."
"And you have yet to learn all that I can do. A summoning is like breathing for me... It's natural." She smiled and then began to float in the air, sitting Indian style as Luke plopped down under her and she dropped into his lap. "Now then. Kia's got her city to worry about, many of the Supers have been traveling to there or here to find a safe haven. Those capable of fighting are getting ready, but we need an attack plan and seeing as they have the Book of Ages we can expect that they will do something extremely stupid."
"Like what?" Hao asked.
"Like killing the existing gods or making themselves into gods... The worst of it all is that if they do that to Jeanne, then it's a matter of who controls her. The girl's nothing more than a puppet who just sits there and does as the puppeteer wants her to do and we all know that Marco's the one pulling her strings." Luke said. "Time's really short... I looked at the hour glass they had given Rye and it's almost out of sand so if we do something, we have to do it while she's still got her powers; if not it's us protecting her from the gods and well... there's a lot of them who want her dead."
"Lovely as if I don't need the added pressure..."
"They also want Ottawa's."
"WHAT!" Ottawa squawked.
"Yea... apparently you two planned this whole thing hoping the gods would kill themselves since you're both the oldest living Gods around, besides Travis..."
Ottawa rubbed her temples and began pacing; this was getting out of hand.
"Fine... I'm gonna buy you some time." Rye said standing up.
"How?" Atem asked.
She said nothing and walked out the room. Travis walked in with the atlas and sighed. He set it down and opened up the aged pages. Everyone gathered around and Yohmei snorted.
"It's blank! How will this be of use?"
"Yugi." Travis called and the small boy walked over to him. "Use the Eye of Isis."
He nodded and closed his eyes. The crown began to glow as purple mist appeared around his small hands and he touched the pages. Brilliant flames danced up and filled the pages, showing worlds, cities, maps and peoples. Then they melded into one and zoomed in to a small area while the rest was covered in black. When nothing else happened Yugi stopped and opened his eyes, the mist dissipating.
"Whoa..." Was all the others could say.
"Damn... how much of the world collapse in such a short time?" Travis asked before he pointed at a green cross. "This is us and the circle of green crosses is everything that is under Rye's protection... Trust me, the amount of magic she's using to hold those pillars up is beyond imagination and Ottawa's been a great help with it as well."
"Being Death allows me to have limitless power... when I'm not stuck in mortal form." Ottawa reminded them as she pointed to the red rings that looked like circles of blood. "That's were Gozaburo and his army are waiting... all this in between is the battle front. We're going to have access to the forests and that will be our best bet to start the fight."
"Why?" Mikihisa demanded.
"Because of the Full Moon Potions. It'll make it night time and that's when most of us are at our strongest. Water will be at the height of power, so will Thunder and even Fire. Darkness as well." Ottawa explained. "Elements... besides me and Rye, they are ageless as well. They have been around since before time began. They are what gave us life and they are what takes it away. And Light, Light is as powerful as the darkness and since it will be an endless night, Light's going to be stronger than ever as long as nothing happens to it."
"This sounds foolish."
"Silence, you old goat! Let the child speak!" Kino hissed at Yohmei who looked ready to say something when a scream echoed throughout the castle.
"RYE!" Travis and Luke yelled.
Dante and Izzy had already run to the door but stopped when there stood Odin, King of the Norse Gods. He held Rye by her hair and she looked to be in a lot of pain.
"You failed to deliver her, Mao!"
"Her time hasn't come yet! You cannot take her!" Luke yelled, walking forward.
"Watch yourself. You are as mortal as she."
"And SHE happens to be older than all of us! You will treat her with respect!"
"LUKE! I'm fine, just..." Rye gave him a look and he growled, looking back at Odin.
"... Fine. Take her, but you are not allowed to kill her till her time is up."
"Tsk..."
"Kill her before her time and you'll face a Fate worse than the Null Space." Ottawa said, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Rye. I'll see you in a few hours. Till then... just relax."
"... Bye, Benny." Rye said, smiling.
Odin turned to leave, but Ottawa stopped him.
"Hey! O'Connell! Looks like I got all the horses!"
"Hey, Benny. Looks to me that you're on the wrong side of the River!"
Ottawa paused and looked around before she cursed in Hungarian before Odin dragged Rye off, rubbing his temples at the confusing display not a second ago. The doors slammed shut behind him and Dante ran and opened them to see nothing but a burn mark where Odin must have teleported back to the Divine Realm.
"Ottawa..."
"I know. Now then... Let's get ready." Ottawa said as they all looked at her...
Rye: I'm gonna be gone for a bit...
Travis: HEY! YOU CAN'T BAIL OUT LIKE THAT!
Ottawa: It's important.
Rye: Besides, we can't have all the Gods together then the fight would be one-sided and crappy.
Hao: Besides I get the feeling Rye's gonna do something that we're all gonna kill her for.
Ottawa: Of course she is, that's what makes her Rye
Rye: I love you?
Ottawa: ...love you too, anyways, review!