A/N: Alright, kids. I was going to torture you by splitting this into two chapters, but it just seems to flow a lot better as one big one. Buckle up – it's about to get crazy.

There was a certain disadvantage to traveling through the Makai alone. For one, it meant that I couldn't even close my eyes and pretend to sleep – not if I wanted to make it to Tourin alive. I was bothered fairly routinely by lower-class demons who thought I would make easy prey – to kill, eat, rob, whatever – but they were all easily dispatched. Killing other demons became a matter of little consequence.

For all of Tourin's conniptions at Court about keeping wandering demons out of their territory, I encountered no guard, no border control, nothing. I just happened to realize one morning that I had crossed into Tourin when I came across my first canyon.

Tourin had a spectacular, fierce beauty. It reminded me strongly of the American Southwest. I stopped for as long as I was able to appreciate that vista before continuing deeper into Tourin's territory.

The fortress came into view as the earth dropped away in a steep cliff – it reminded me strongly of a termite mound – high spires of what looked like packed clay with very few windows, and one peculiar little offshoot at the very top of the highest tower. It wasn't exactly what I imagined one of the three great fortresses to look like – it more closely resembled a child's abandoned art project than a seat of power.

Moving through Tourin I was aware of a few figures following me – they weren't trying to hide, but they weren't approaching further; just making their presences known. I flared my energy in a back off gesture, which they ignored.

Must be the guard, I reasoned. Strange that they weren't present at the border, but had a heavy presence around the fortress. You have priority problems, Lord Yusuke.

The only opening at ground level was a set of double doors that only stood a few feet taller than me. I was used to doors large enough for a few elephants to pass through, but this was practically 'normal'. They opened as I approached, and one of Tourin's many bald monks appeared from the unlit depths of the fortress.

He looked quite tense; brow lowered over glaring eyes; hands forcibly relaxed at his sides even though his energy was flaring high and bright. "State your business in Tourin."

"Good afternoon." I bowed respectfully. "I was told to ask for Hokushin upon my arrival."

The monk turned his head slightly. "I am he."

I clasped my hands in front of me, attempting to look both non-threatening and avoid looking submissive all at once. "I've come to collect the samples left by Lady Aria?" I had meant for it to be a statement, but it came out more like a question.

I seemed to do something right, though, because Hokushin smiled, and the tension bled out of the air. "Ah, welcome. I will be happy to assist you, Lady…?" He stepped aside to allow me entrance to the dark, cavernous space.

I entered, hiding my trepidation at just sauntering into a completely unlit space. "Hana, and thank you. I believe we may have crossed paths once or twice in the palace, Hokushin."

He nodded sagely. "I believe you are correct. You are well-known for your… passion, at Court."

The doors closed heavily behind us, and for only a moment we were bathed in darkness. "I believe that's a particularly diplomatic way of saying 'foul-tempered'," I murmured in the darkness.

My eyes adjusted quickly, aided by a bioluminescent light that grew brighter as the natural light from outside was blocked by the heavy doors. It was a clever way to produce light in the expansive clay and rock structure.

My gaze caught Hokushin as he quirked a smile at my quiet mutterings, but he did not reply.

We moved through the fortress and I noticed there was a peculiar amount of activity; bald monks moving swiftly at the periphery, cleaning surfaces that already appeared spotless.

Hokushin sensed my question, although I was too polite to ask. "Our Lord returns soon, so please excuse the activity," he explained.

I nodded. "Lord Yusuke, is it?" He must be quite the tyrannical leader for them to work so vigorously just to keep the place spotless.

"Indeed," Hokushin didn't appear to fear his Lord, or else I was terrible at reading people. This place just gets more and more confusing, I thought.

I shrugged it off. "Well don't mind me; I'll try to keep out of your hair…" I trailed off, staring at his perfect chrome-dome shaved head. I burst into laughter. He did not look amused.

It felt so good to laugh again; the full-chested, belly-shaking laugh that makes you bend over for the aching muscles and tears roll down your face and you feel the joy strike you most utterly and say you are alive.

Hokushin tilted his head, looking like a confused puppy. "My Lord enjoys the same joke, though I do not understand it myself."

I should have realized that Hokushin's familiarity with the utterly human colloquialism meant something very important.

My laughter subsided quickly, I apologized for my outburst, and Hokushin led me around the fortress and into a small storage room with one piece of furniture inside. Aria's journals and jars were shoved into what was essentially a cupboard, but it appeared to have been for the better. The inside of the cabinet was cool and dry, while the rest of the fortress was quite warm – not the best condition for storing samples.

They nearly overloaded what my poor tiny frame was able to bear, completely emptying the cabinet into a comically large rucksack and sending me off into the wilds loaded down like a pack horse. I covered my head against the assault of the late afternoon heat – while the climate around the palace and in Alaric never really seemed to change, it seemed Spring was transitioning to Summer a little early in Tourin.

I can't believe how time flies.

Kurama sat at his desk, fiddling with a pen. He was given a fair amount of freedom with his Stepfather's Company, and it allowed him to dash away at a moment's notice, as had been often necessary in the recent past. But now with the complete lack of action he was fairly bored – no, bored was the wrong word. He was distracted. The work wasn't nearly challenging enough to capture all of his attention, and his mind drifted to the memory of a face that was starting to grow indistinct at the edges. Kurama needed the distraction of difficult work, or a good battle, to keep his mind off of his strange obsession.

He nearly jumped out of his chair when the phone on his desk rang. "Moshi moshi," he answered politely.

"Fox," a gravelly voice responded.

"Master Genkai, what can I do for you? Is something wrong?" It was rare that he received a call from the wizened old psychic – generally it meant that the world was ended. Stranger still was the fact that she was calling at his office. He checked his cell phone and realized he had accidentally turned off the sound, and had missed eight calls from the psychic.

"I got a strange message for you, from the Makai of all places, routed through Spirit World. Apparently the demon sending the message stressed the importance that you receive it immediately." She sounded more irritated than concerned – although it was sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two.

Kurama leaned forward in his chair. "Oh? What was the message?"

There was a brief pause, and a crinkling of paper. "It was 'the pass at Rhyion is clear,' whatever that means."

Mukuro left me alone when I returned to Alaric – no fierce punishment for blasting holes in walls, or throwing men around. I think her ignoring me completely might have been worse – either she didn't care, or she didn't see senseless violence as a real problem.

Despite that, I disappeared into my work. Cataloguing was soothing, and I could still the vibrations in the room, keeping it quiet and peaceful. But I lost something, too. I didn't see much of anyone at the fortress, and avoided any and all contact. Nyema and Woden were both out on other assignments – rounding up stray humans who wandered through a breach in the barrier, probably – so there wasn't any real reason to leave my Archives.

But all good things must come to the end, and this end came in the form of a disgruntled Mukuro shoving open the Archive door, knocking a few books from their shelves. "There is a man here for you," she announced.

There were phrases that used to terrify me – or rather, the idea of them gave me nightmares: someone coming in the middle of the night to exact revenge or retrieve their property. Now I was just confused.

"What? Who?" I asked incredulously. If it had been Woden, he would have just come himself. Who warranted a special announcement from Mukuro herself?

"Some idiot named Yasuo, who refuses to leave until he speaks with you." Hence the reason for her angry expression. Hoooooo boy. Mukuro was not partial to demands, and this sounded like he had been less than polite. Unfortunately because he was fairly well-known at Court she couldn't just cut off his head and toss his body in a ravine.

I turned away from the door, picking up the books that had fallen onto the floor. "I don't want to see him."

She reached over my shoulder and yanked the journals out of my arms. "Too bad – he is an annoyance and you will deal with it. If you want him gone, get rid of him."

And with that she kicked me out of my own Archive.

Rude.

I grumbled and kicked the floor as I stalked down the hall feeling a little like a five year old being sent for time-out. It would be most unwise to avoid her direct orders, but I really, really didn't want to see Yasuo.

Guards were waiting outside of the Hall – partly because Yasuo was there, and partly to make sure I showed up, I was sure – and opened the large doors for me. The Hall was completely empty, save for my golden-haired friend standing awkwardly at the head of the table. I wondered absently how long he had been waiting, and why he hadn't taken a seat.

He looked better – the red marks had faded, and I could see no lingering evidence that he had been injured. As soon as I entered the room he flopped over into a deep bow, even going so far as to expose the back of his neck – a very submissive move. "Please accept my most sincere apology for upsetting you," he said, voice partially muffled in his bow.

I refused to acknowledge the gesture, and didn't bother moving further into the room as the doors closed behind me. "What do you want, Yasuo?"

He straightened, and offered a wan smile. "How have you been?"

I sighed, rubbing at my eyes with one hand "I don't have time for small talk, I-"

Yasuo interrupted me, taking a few quick strides forward. "I want you to come back to Court, and be with me."

"Excuse me?" I asked, flabbergasted. I had expected something more related to the fact that I had attacked him openly, and not something that sounded like a marriage proposal.

He moved further forward until I took a half-step back, then he stopped. His expression was pleading. "You need to accept what you are, and the possibility for power that it entails. Think of all you could do for the rights of humans, and creating a lasting peace in the Makai! All you need is the right partner." He held out his hand. "Just choose me."

Oh god, it is a marriage proposal.

"Do you honestly think I'll marry you just for an advantage in Court?" I recoiled at the thought – what kind of horrible relationship would that be? And, I thought, why isn't he more concerned that I attacked him?

He shook his head, and his gold hair drifted in the air. "No – I think you would marry me to save any more humans from ever being tortured at the hands of one of us. No one will ever speak for them as you do." That much was true. None of the other demons at Court had any reason to speak for the benefit of humans. It was strange enough that Enki had commanded demons leave the human world, which was intended to protect them. There were a lot of loopholes to be closed, still.

But there was one pressing issue. "I don't love you," I stated coldly. I didn't care how it sounded.

He let out a bark of laughter. "I don't need you to love me. Besides – do you think you'll ever feel safe enough to love anyone?" That question stabbed me deeper than a knife. He softened his face quickly. "I didn't mean it to sound unkind. I can be your partner at Court, and love you, without ever expecting you to return my affections. Together we can prevent your worst nightmare from happening to anyone ever again."

He reached out slowly to take my hand, hesitating for just a second before wrapping his fingers around mine. "So – marry me, and protect them all."

I froze, not liking the alien feeling of his hand around mine. I didn't want it. I didn't want him touching me. What had happened to my friend? Had I broken some part of his logical brain when I attacked him?

I didn't want this – but I didn't want anyone else to ever suffer as I had. Never again. Was it worth my happiness? Would I ever actually have a chance at the fictitious happiness that all humans strive for? Was it ever attainable in the firstplace?

My mind was reeling, and I was still frozen in place, Yasuo's hand around mine.

"Hana?" he asked, giving my hand a little squeeze.

I blinked, coming back to reality.

I choked out words. "I…"

"Honey; I'm hooOOOoooome!" Yusuke yelled, kicking in the door to his own fortress. Hokushin cringed a little at the substantial dent left in the massive doors.

"My Lord, is it really necessary to announce it in that manner every time you return?" Formal greetings were lost on the younger demon, so Hokushin didn't bother. Yusuke would ignore the entire greeting if he felt it was too formal.

Yusuke slung an arm around the Monk's neck, greeting him like an old friend. "Aw, come on; you know you love it!"

Hokushin adjusted his collar as Yusuke released him. "As you say, My Lord. On other matters; there are several reports waiting for-"

Yusuke sighed loudly, his upper body hunching over. "Bug me in the morning, okay? I still have a stack bigger than Bui's armor waiting for me." He sighed even louder and began his best impression of a dead man walking.

Hokushin inclined his head in a little bow. "Of course, My Lord – I shall do my best to stay out of your hair."

Yusuke laughed for only a second before stopping abruptly. He turned on the bald monk, eyes squinty. "What did you just say?" he asked slowly.

Hokushin paused for a moment. "Your hair, My Lord, I shall-"

Yusuke waved his hand to interrupt. "Shaddup I heard you the first time – you always get it wrong; you always say something like 'stay off your head'." Yusuke rushed back and leaned close. "Who finally set you straight? Was it Kurama?"

"No, My Lord – a young demoness from the Palace."

Gears turned slowly in Yusuke's head before finally clicking together in a moment of clarity. "What was her name?"

"Lady Hana, why-" Yusuke interrupted Hokushin with a wild, excited waving of his arms.

"You're sure her name was Hana?" Yusuke pressed, and Hokushin nodded, confusion evident across his features. "Hang on a second; I know it's here somewhere…" Yusuke shoved his hands into every pocket until his search turned up his cellphone. "Her – is this her?" He shoved his cell phone in Hokushin's face.

Hokushin squinted at the tiny device. "Yes, that looks like her – My Lord you just arrived, where are you going!?"

Yusuke had dropped his bag in the middle of the entryway, turned on a dime, and rushed back out the door. His form was already rapidly disappearing onto the horizon, charged with the pulse of Mazoku power.

"What about the reports?!" Hokushin yelled to the wind.

Kurama trudged through what was left of a wet, sticky snow in the Teeth's Pass. It was significantly easier to walk, and the horrible flesh-eating wind had been replaced with a calmer one. It was still bitingly cold, but it wasn't threatening to blow him off the face of the earth.

Kurama couldn't feel Hiei's energy – it was too-well masked for that – but he was following a feeling. The fir demon would only choose the best possible location for shelter, and that meant a combination of high ground, an advantageous line of sight, and access to good resources. He would also need something that was turned away from the wind. That narrowed down his options substantially.

Following the path of a small stream back to its source, Kurama was first aware of the increase in temperature. The wind had stopped abruptly, and it was almost a tolerable temperature. Grass was poking up underneath the heavy snowpack, and the occasional wildflower was visible as well.

Ahead at a bend in the stream, there was a shadowy cavern formed by a looming overhang of stone. Drooping from above like a waterfall, thick flower-coated vines nearly concealed the entrance, and were diffusing a heady aroma so strong it nearly made Kurama sneeze.

"Stop there, or be cut down." Commanded a familiar voice.

Kurama pulled back the hood of his coat, offering a friendly grin. "Hello, Hiei. It's good to see you again."

The fire demon stood on a little overhang high above, maintaining the high ground over his friend. He did not lower his sword. He did not descend to Kurama's level. "Hn. What are you doing here, fox?" Hiei's eyes were leveled on the fox demon, but his exposed Jagan darted all around with frenetic energy.

Kurama offered a banal smile."I've been waiting all winter to speak with you, the least you could do is welcome me into your… home?" Warm as it was, with greenery seeming to be in fair abundance, there was a tension in the air. "Is Aria here with you?"

"What do you want?" Hiei snapped, not answering the question.

Kurama's smile fell a little , wondering what had come over his friend. "I was hoping to ask you for a favor."

Hiei finally sheathed his katana, and snorted in derision. "Not interested. I have troubles enough of my own without getting involved in yours."

Interrupting the tense scene, a light feminine voice took over the conversation in an instant. "Is that Kurama?" Aria's voice drifted out of the cave, and Kurama could hear movement. A hand reached out from the vines, starting to draw them aside.

"Stay inside!" Hiei commanded sharply.

"You don't have to be so touchy about it!" she shot back, just as viciously. The hand vanished.

Silence reigned supreme in the peaceful glen, interrupted only by a faraway wind brushing up against tall mountains.

Kurama knew better than to ask the demon outright what was wrong. "No one's seen either of you in quite some time."

Hiei was uncharacteristically silent, staring at the cave concealing his wife.

He prodded a little harder.

"Is Aria well?" Kurama asked gently.

"None of your business," Hiei snapped.

In outright defiance, Aria's face peeked out of the heavy vines concealing the cavern entrance. Her face glowed with happiness as she spotted him. "Kurama!" she cried.

Hiei flitted over to the entrance, and scowled at his wife. "I told you to stay inside the cave."

She pouted. "I'm bored in there, and I haven't seen Kurama in a long time."

"It's not safe," he said so quietly Kurama almost missed it.

Aria's face was openly distressed. "Nonsense – it's Kurama!"

Red eyes flicked over to Kurama, whose confusion was mounting. "Go back inside." Hiei said gently. "Please." He lifted a hand and tugged on a stray lock of her hair in a surprisingly affectionate motion.

Aria sighed deeply, and nodded. She disappeared behind the vines again.

What in the Three Worlds is going on? They were acting like low-level demons hiding from a demon Lord, but when Kurama reached out with his energy, he brushed up against the towering bonfire that was Hiei, and just barely touched Aria's soothing river, when Hiei snarled openly, sharp teeth bared and energy crackling.

"Mind your own business, fox," he warned.

"If Aria is in distress-" Kurama began to offer, but stopped short at Hiei's change in expression

He wasn't an expressive man in the traditional sense, so one needed to watch closely. Hiei flitted between anger, frustration, and something lodged between concern and … fear?

Hiei clenched the hilt of his Katana. "You need to leave."

The order hung between them, and Kurama nodded slowly.

"I will. After you help me." Kurama stood his ground as Hiei's nastiest, hottest glare was aimed at him – he had waited too long for this to leave without answers.

It was a silent battle of the wills - but Kurama knew he wasn't leaving, and Hiei soon realized that as well.

"Fine. But be quick about it."

Kurama held back his sigh of relief. "I'm looking for someone."

Hiei's Jagan glowed instantly, and he felt the tickle at the back of his eyes that always signaled Hiei's presence in his mind. Kurama held a picture of Maggie in his mind; short, black hair – just dusting the edge of her jaw, blue eyes – tired, and a little sad, slight of frame, sharp of mind.

Please, he thought, just tell me if she's alive.

Hiei stood stock-still, arms crossed over his chest, eyes half-lidded. The iris of the Jagan darted from side to side as if examining a map directly in front of Hiei.

While Hiei searched the Makai, Kurama got a good look at his friend. He looked exhausted; deep purple marks under his eyes, and a slightly gaunt expression. Hiei, Kurama thought to himself – his thoughts were safe so long as Hiei was searching, there are a hundred safe houses for you to rest, not to mention Genkai's Temple, or Yusuke's fortress in Tourin. Why are you hiding in the mountains?

The search was surprisingly brief, its completion marked by a sleepy blink from the fire demon, and then he opened his eyes as if just waking from a light nap. "The woman is with Mukuro, in Alaric," he stated.

What?

Kurama ran a hand through his hair, as if that would somehow help him process his confusion. "That can't be right-" He had been there – he had talked to Mukuro…

Hiei growled deep in his chest. "You doubt me?"

Kurama shook his head swiftly, lowering his gaze and chuckling. "Of course not. Thank you for your help."

Of course. How could he have been so blind? Mukuro would not abide slavery near her. She's taken in slaves in the past – why would it be any different with converts? She would find the strength within them, and exploit it. She would have no interest in giving it away.

Kurama heard a rustling of leaves again as Aria pulled aside the heavy vines just enough to spot him. She lifted one hand and gave a small wave, offering a smile.

Kurama glanced at the cave. "I'll see you soon, Hiei," he declared.

Hiei's eyes burned into Kurama's; heavy unspoken words hung between them. Hiei nodded sharply, hand tightening around the hilt of his katana.

I hope whatever ghosts you're hiding from stay far away, my friend.

My horrible demeanor kept anyone at the fortress from asking about Yasuo for the week that followed. I stomped down the halls whenever I was forced to leave the Archive to eat or attempt sleep, and snarled openly at guards.

So I was in a great mood.

The Archive was in its state of suppressed noise – I wasn't doing that on purpose, it was just a way to release pent-up energy. It took a few days for me to stop kicking the wall under my desk – I left a dent – and just swing my foot from side to side. A little more time went by, and the nervous fidgeting subsided, and maintaining the silence was enough to keep me from twitching like an angry cat.

A nasty side effect was a complete ignorance of when people were trying to get my attention. Most demons would completely avoid disturbing me – they would have to touch me to get my attention, and that was out of the question – but Mukuro had no such qualms.

She restrained herself, surprisingly, as I was bustling around the archives packing my bag. I wanted to bring a few samples with me to examine in my spare time (ha!), and had almost forgotten their matching journals.

Mukuro leaned in the door of my little archive, arms crossed over her chest. The sight of her startled me so badly in the complete silence that I shrieked, dropped everything I was carrying, and glass shattered all over the floor.

"Making a mess again, I see," Mukuro chuckled once the silence was lifted.

"You startled me," I grumbled, tossing the samples into new jars. I scooted the broken glass off to one side with a foot, resolving to clean it up when I returned – I was running behind schedule already.

"Leaving so soon?" Mukuro asked, noting the knapsack at my desk.

I nodded, stuffing the new jars deep in the bag and padding the sides with scrap cloth. "They'll hold Court whether I'm there or not, and God only knows what they'll set in motion if I'm absent." I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to wipe away the sleepy feeling that lingered. Just the thought of returning to Court had been turning my stomach for days, and robbing me of sleep.

Yippee.

"Don't let them toss you around this time," Mukuro called after me, chuckling as I made an obscene gesture over my shoulder.

Nearly there.

Kurama moved at a pace that would have impressed even Hiei, the forest rushing past him in a green wave. The reinforced doors of the moving fortress were no match for a few well-placed vines; easily prying the thick metal open.

He had the entire trip from the Teeth's Pass at Rhyion to stew about Mukuro's treachery – it was more painful than a betrayal; bitter on the tongue. He had been foolish to present Maggie as someone he was seeking for personal reasons, but he had thought Mukuro had softened after the Tournament of Kings. Apparently not.

Kurama slipped inside, darting past guards that knew better than to confront the angry fox demon. Kurama burst through the Hall doors, encountering only a surprised Mukuro. She was relaxing at her grand table, feet propped up casually in front of her. "What a surprise," she drawled, venom dripping from her voice.

Kurama skipped over the imposition and threat of his presence, skipping over all diplomacy and sense of propriety. "You played me," Kurama snarled. "Where is she?"

"Who?" she asked, her face an impassive mask of disinterest.

"The woman you hid from me!" Kurama all but roared, eyes glowing white with barely-restrained power. The floor groaned, ancient wood paneling beneath the surface responding to Kurama's unspoken call.

Mukuro let the threat of his energy hang in the air and drew out the silence.

"She left for the Palace a few hours ago. West."

Alaric's forests were a little darker than I would have liked. A little sunshine here, a little birdsong there; it would have gone a long way towards brightening the atmosphere.

Eh – you should be used to it by now, I thought. My rucksack was digging into my shoudlers – I had forgotten about the additional weight, so hadn't positioned it appropriately on my shoulder.I hoisted the pack a little higher on my shoulder, but stopped walking when I heard the pounding of approaching steps.

Did I forget something? I wondered.

"HEY!" I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound. I turned to see a man – no, demon – fast approaching. To put it plainly, he was sprinting towards me at top speed. He had wild black hair that waved out behind him, fierce battle tattoos, and eyes with just a hint of red that betrayed his nature.

Mazoku.

I'd done a fair amount of reading on the many different types of demons, and a Mazoku was one I had hoped to go my entire life without meeting. Fierce in battle and vicious beyond reason, it was certain death for weaker demons like me.

"I've been looking all over for ya!" he yelled, and the bottom fell out of my stomach.

Oh no.

My worst fears had been realized. I could sense the massive amount of energy flowing from his body, and knew that I had no chance. I shucked the bag I was carrying, and held out my hands in front of me. I'm not going down without a fight. There was a brief flash of expression of confusion on his face before I unleashed my power.

"Oi, hey!" my attacker yelped, darting out of the way. Sound ripped through the foliage behind him like a cannon shot. "I'm not gonna hurt you!"

"Like I'm supposed to believe that?!" I replied, throwing cannon blasts of sound, ripping through the earth and underbrush. He darted away from my attacks with ease, but never moved far enough away to be truly out of range. He tried to yell something, but the cacophony of destruction kept drowning him out.

I twisted the air with a particularly vicious wave; bending light itself. The result was a larger, stronger version of a human flash-bang grenade. I threw ten or twenty of those before one finally caught him in the back of his calf. For something akin to a small grenade blast, he barely tripped.

But he did stumble, and that gave me an opening for a tidal wave of Song. I gathered my power into the Tsunami of Song; the massive collection of raw fear and fury ripping up the earth beneath me. It was so barely contained inside me that it pulsed at the fringes of my form, making the distinction between me and the air around me seem fuzzy and vague.

The whole process took less than a half-second – from the demon's stumble to the release of my attack.

I cursed loudly as he dodged, flipping through the air like a damn gymnast, and my attack thundered past him; atomizing the trees behind him and far into the distance.

I was completely destroying that forest.

Oh well. I gathered the Song, preparing to strike as the demon stopped to catch his breath – there was my opening!

"STOP!" commanded a new voice with utter authority. I turned, prepared to fire another cannon blast, and then all the feeling went out of my knees. I staggered to one side, mouth gaping, eyes bugging out of my face.

It can't be.

A/N: Found.

Plot plot plot plot everywhere!

I was surprised that not a single person commented about how disturbing it was that Maggie completely mauled a soldier who put his hands on her – not to hurt her, not to kill her, but to stop her from going through a door. Mmmmm, PTSD. I think a really important part of Maggie's character is that she doesn't feel she was traumatized enough to be as affected by it as she is. It's a pretty common PTSD response.

Also – the implication that Woden is a 'living weapon' seemed to go unnoticed. He can make wards that restrict power, and that's basically the only thing we know about him thus far, although now we know that he fought alongside some War Gods. No biggie, ya know?

Some of you have asked who this mysterious "Aria" is – she is my OC from the Chronicles of Conversion Part one – Waking Dreams.

But most importantly – did Maggie accept Yasuo's proposal?

Thanks to my reviewers: TiaKay, Uqor45, Leahcar-Soutaichou, Kuesuno, ischyros, Biku-sensei-sez-meow, Tsuki Kitsune Moon Fox, Divine Demonic Assassin, otterton, Nevermorea, Elicorn, Guest, Tay, skullchildforever, and Mikila94 !

PLEASE REVIEW!