Shiroe was standing at his patio door, looking out over the city, one hand on the door frame. He'd been unable to sit today, yet at the same time he lacked the energy to pace. The hot and muggy July day was oppressive outside.

He didn't need that additional weight to his already weighty feelings and requirements, so he hadn't gone outside to stand on the porch. The air conditioning in his room barely was functional at these temperatures as it was. At least it was still morning, before the worst of the sun beat down on it - the one disadvantage of having the penthouse suite.

It was hard, trying to fix the original error. And once again, Purrcy was likely paying the highest costs. His would not be light, however. Because he owned a company now, others were relying on him, the same as they had on Theldesia when it had been a guild instead. Shiroe leaned his head on the arm he was holding himself up with.

He so wanted to continue moving forward in the goals they'd started here. Adding to the gaming world the hope that there was a positive future here on Earth in the reality of it was something that they all felt very strongly about. They'd found a need for it in the community, too.

They also had sub-contracts that had been brought on. Enough gamers had needed someone to talk to to have the encouragement to move forward that they'd found a company of therapists who were willing to be on-line in-game staff.

Programmed therapy worked to some level, but they'd found the real interactions had been far more effective. The therapists played NPCs who were specifically created to be therapists for the players. Some of the in-game therapists were barmaids or bartenders, some were the blacksmith or the shop clerk. Some were other wandering warriors.

There were three or four that were very popular. Shiroe been sure to send bonuses to them whenever possible to keep them on staff. Yuudai and Majiyo were some of the best, already having experience with that. It kept the two of them walking forward as well, they often told him when he ran into them online.

Adding in Purrcy's concept of tying game elements and skills to real companies and educational facilities was right in line with their goal and the next step, really. Everyone in the company was excited to see where that would lead, although they did expect it to be initially a slow connection. Still, she'd brought it in with a way for monetization added into the package, and for keeping costs low by having the other end pay their share.

Between those two ideas alone, the company was something to keep afloat. Given Purrcy's capacity for invention and game ideas, they could expect more good things to come, he was sure.

Was there a way to turn people and governments away from the idea that magic could really be a concept without making the things he was protecting come crashing down?

Shiroe felt a soft warm body rub against his ankles, twining around them. He looked down. Purrcy-neko had come to pay a visit. He bent down and picked her up. She let him hold her and butted her head on his arm to get him to pet her. He obliged. On occasion she was like this - wanting to receive attention.

Nyanta-neko arrived beside him, sat on the floor, and meowed up at him. Shiroe looked down at him with a bit of a smile. "I'm sorry, Nyanta-neko. I can only hold one at a time, you know." If they could both shrink into kitten size, then he might be able to hold both at the same time. Shiroe pet Purrcy-neko, feeling the rumble of her purr in his arms. It helped to have the warm comfort keep company with his concerns.

His current line of thinking was to consider if it was possible to get the other guilds that were trying to get their stories told in other parts of the world by movie production talked out of it. Purrcy had given her opinion - using as the reason the mental well-being of the Adventurers.

If they were willing to listen to his "hard lessons learned" he might be able to affect it somewhat. He could also be called a hypocrite or fame hog. He wasn't either, but he wouldn't care all that much if he was called either. He'd always been the public villain when necessary.

He did have one other thing he might be able to use if persuasion didn't work. Because he'd gotten his movie out first, and purchased the parent company of Elder Tales, he had legal copyright ownership of the rights to use any reference to Elder Tales and Theldesia.

Using that as a stick to get the movies pulled and prevent others would make him a villain ...if he could get the legalities worked out in the other countries properly. International copyright law was rather complicated. He'd actually set the company lawyers to digging down that path only a few hours after he'd talked to Purrcy. Having that in his back pocket would be his final solution if nothing else worked.

Purrcy-neko struggled to get down, having had enough petting (she only had short stretches of patience for that sort of thing). He set her down. Nyanta-neko opted to not have a turn next. Shiroe went back to leaning on the doorframe and looking out his patio door. He folded his arms, going back to it even though there wasn't a cat in his arms any more.

Shiroe's focus wasn't on the outdoors, this time. This time it was more internal. He could feel that a part of his memory had been blocked. It was rather obvious to him, but he thought it would be. He and Purrcy, and even he and Michael had discussed it several times.

Magic was possible on Theldesia. Magic was in the lore of Earth. Purrcy had told him that the Overwritten repeat hadn't been clean enough and there was still an open hole for the governments to leak through. It was obvious what he wasn't being allowed to think.

He didn't press it, however. They'd agreed that if they were locked out of magic on Earth, it would be because they'd determined it was necessary to be. His mind wouldn't be bounded by use or non-use of it. Nor was he one who had to have it to feel completed on Earth.

He was content to play his part of Strategist as he was, however that was at any given moment. It was Purrcy and Michael he was worried about. He hoped they got to be free soon.

-:-:-:-:-

Purrcy stretched and muttered. Michael grabbed her, then realized she wasn't falling off the bed. He'd been dreaming something odd and her movement had startled him out the dream - enough he couldn't even remember the dream. Her hand came lightly on his cheek, then was heavier as she relaxed, likely still tired.

His eyes flew open and he was looking at her human face. He suddenly squeezed her tighter, kissing whatever part of her face was closest as the tightness around his heart suddenly relaxed into a happy relief. "For all I like fox, I really like to see this much better," he said. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Old," she admitted, "but better."

"You are old," he teased her.

"Well, there is that," she agreed. "I feel older."

"I can imagine," he sympathized. He sighed, realizing that this also meant back to work time. They'd already taken almost more than they could ...not that there was really a time limit at this point. It would just get hard for Shiroe to hold the press off if they went too long, and they did have a date in India to meet.

Michael decided to hold jealously to the moment however. To have Purrcy finally back at human was something he'd been wanting and worrying about - particularly given the concern the fox could become the default form. That wouldn't work for him at all.

They'd been making their way steadily, but not in a rush, through the mountains towards the southwest tip of Honshu. It was an uncomfortable feeling to be going even that close to Iwakuni and the U.S. base. He had a specific location he was going, though. They'd stayed the night in the small town of Nagato, near the coast. This morning he wanted to take Purrcy to the Motonosumi Inari shrine.

It had a rather spectacular view of the Japan Sea, and was a very out of the way location, although it did get its visitors on weekends and holidays - and locals, of course. Conveniently, there was a small marina there for the local squid fishermen ...and no artificial lighting at the shrine itself or the near vicinity at night.

Michael curled up around Purrcy and wished he could let her rest, to say that they were done and all the effort sufficient. He was also tired, particularly now that he wasn't so worried about her suddenly. He rubbed his hand down her side, feeling her presence with him.

That was enough to awaken his desire for her. It was probably too early in her healing but he asked by his touch if she'd be willing anyway. He'd been missing her and wanted to really know she was back. He went slowly, knowing that likely for months and years she would have painful flashbacks and the guilt and anger were still just under the surface.

Purrcy's hand moved from his cheek to rub on his chest lightly. "Oh, to have a thirty-something body again," she bemoaned. "You really have gotten the short-end of the stick in me you know."

Michael shifted up onto his elbow so he could see her better, the hand brushing across his shoulder making the skin tingle. "I don't agree," he said soberly. "I think I have it better." He kissed her. There were so many things that made it better it wasn't something he could even enumerate.

He would be teased that it was because age made for experience, and perhaps there was some of that, although she'd yet to really show him that given her past history. It was what he knew he was getting in the whole package that was Purrcy.

Her mind, her devotion and commitment that didn't waver once those were given, and so many other things that they all got lost together into "that which is Purrcy". All of it together drew him to her side and demanded in his soul that she be there with him always.

-:-:-:-:-

"Is Mrs. Purrcy going to be able to walk up there, really?" Stiletto asked.

"We'll take it slow," Michael answered calmly, helping Purrcy out of the driver's side door. Even with a bench seat it was still a tiny Japanese truck that only sat three.

They'd put Gareth in the back of the truck. Stiletto's coloring would be remembered by every person who passed them on the road. Keeping him inside decreased the likelihood of him being seen.

Staying at the hotel the night before had been iffy, but Michael's own getting-old body couldn't do another night outdoors and civilization was too close to the coast to find a place to camp. "Bring the bag," he ordered. Stiletto hefted it over his shoulder before closing the passenger door.

They'd put the few purchases Gareth had gotten at the thrift store in the bag. Purrcy was wearing the second outfit he'd gotten her, having put it on that morning after her shower.

Gareth had also gotten her a headkerchief. They were used commonly by the older mothers and grandmothers as they worked around the yard and house. She was wearing that now and was looking rather like a spry grandmother, even though she was still moving as slow as an older one.

She'd said her muscles didn't all feel sprained any more, but they still were stiff. "To go from years of bedridden, to sudden torture, to inability to move, and now they're all mixed up-confused and unhappy to be used at all," Purrcy had complained after her shower. Michael had seen she moved better after the heat, though. In another day or two they'd relax enough to start properly exercising again.

He and the boys were doing a lot better by now and had been starting their mornings with sparing warm ups again (except this morning at the hotel). He wanted to get Purrcy back into it as well. Full body movement would help her best to regain her full mobility again.

They reached the first torii gate at the edge of the parking lot, bowed, and looked up at the offertory box hanging from the top of the torii. "Well, someone likes entertainment," Gareth finally said.*

"Do they really get anything, or is it okay to not have as much as they could have?" Stiletto asked.

Michael blinked. "How do they get them back down to spend it?"

Purrcy laughed into his shoulder, her hand tucked into his elbow as was their standard way to walk.

"Maybe that's part of the entertainment?" Gareth suggested.

Purrcy laughed openly at that, although not rudely loud.

Michael pulled the keys to the truck out of his pocket and bounced them, jingling, in his hand. "Inari. If we're done with the truck, please accept the keys. If we're not, let them fall and I'll keep them for now." The boys looked at him in some shock.

Michael eyed the offertory box, tossed the keys lightly in his hand a couple more times, then tossed them up towards the box. When they slipped in, he gave a nod and got Purrcy walking again.

"Seriously?" Gareth asked. "You're really going to believe that?"

"Yup," Michael said, unconcerned. "I'd rather they used it or sold it than it just sat there useless without keys if we get kidnapped suddenly again. Besides, I'm pretty sure we're already on their screens in that thing. It's got to have a red target painted on top of it by now, and probably a few days ago at the latest." They didn't argue with him.

They walked up the stairs to the shrine and looked down the other side at the walkway of over one-hundred red torii gates that led down to the ocean. The path alternated stairs, pavement, and more natural surface, depending on how steep it was as it meandered down the side of the mountain.

"What a gorgeous view!" Purrcy exclaimed. The red contrasting with the greenery to either side, and the blue sky and ocean waves was a beautiful color mix.

"It's a bit kitchy," Michael shrugged. "It's only been a shrine since nineteen-fifty-five, probably the most recently recorded visitation of a white kitsune to a human. A fisherman was told to build the shrine by the kitsune. It was upgraded more recently, including the addition of the torii, and thus it is."

When Purrcy had seen her fill, Michael went hunting for the priest of the shrine. "I'm sorry to disturb you," he said respectfully. "We have an odd request to make, if we may."

The priest blinked at the four of them - very obviously tourists in nationality. Not quite so much in dress and speech. "How may I help you?" he finally asked.

"We need to continue on up the mountain to the shrine proper, please. We'll move so as to not be seen by the tourists and visitors." The priest frowned a bit. "I know it's an unusual request, but," Michael made a show of looking around and dropped his voice to a whisper, "we need to return Hahaue to her proper place."

The priest narrowed his eyes, trying to decide if they were pranking him, or perhaps even n'er-do-wells. Michael turned to Purrcy and lifted her headkerchief off of her head on one side. Purrcy let one of her white ears out. It turned and flicked back and forth, listening for other footsteps she would be able to hear, to make sure they didn't come close.

Michael put the headkerchief back in place and she put the ear away. "We promise to not cause trouble," Michael said quietly. "We'll just return her and leave."

The priest was in a bit of shock. "Please, come with me," he said after a moment. He turned and walked before them, leading them farther into the building that had been built close by the parking lot. He took them through a door in the back and outside again.

There was a narrower path that went up the small mountainside behind the building they'd been in. A much older torii gate - likely the original put in by the fisherman - was at the entrance to the path.

The priest prevented them from moving forward just yet. "No one knows the other shrine." He was still suspicious.

Michael gave an understanding tip of his head. "Inari-ōkami has told us."

"What will you do there?" he looked at the four of them, and eyed the bag suspiciously.

Stiletto put it on the ground and opened it. "We've been camping. These are our things to survive until we got here. They'll go with us."

He showed the priest what was in it, holding up a few items like the old plates, the beaten up pot, the blankets and few extra shirts. The fishing line and hooks were in there too, inside one of the cups. When the priest was satisfied, he gave a nod and Stiletto zipped it back up and slung it on his back again.

"As I said, we're returning Hahaue home," Michael answered the original question.

The priest looked like he wanted to argue again so Michael gave a look to the boys, but Purrcy put up her hand first. "Ears are easier to fake." Three tails sprouted from her backside. "Tails are not." Her eyes never left the priest's.

Michael had to agree with her argument. Her tails, when she was foxtail, were large enough that to have three of them "hidden" and then control all three as if automata was nearly impossible.

Still he scolded her, "But they're also harder to deny when he wants to not remember them in the dark of night." One of her tails flicked at him in irritation.

Gareth grabbed the one closest to him playfully and rubbed his face in it. Ears appeared on his head briefly, then disappeared. The tail had a mind of it's own and demanded to be let go. When he didn't, Purrcy turned to look over her shoulder at Gareth and scolded him with a tsk. She made him give it back, then put them away.

"Please," Michael asked again politely. The priest stared at them all one more time, then stepped out of the way and bowed. "Thank you."

They walked to the torii gate and bowed. Then they stepped through it and, once again, were already standing only a few tens of feet from the originally built shrine. "Thank you, Inari, for not making Purrcy walk so far this time," Michael said as he bowed before the entrance to the shrine. He pulled on the bell rope.

Purrcy bowed and pulled on the rope also. While Michael walked them over to the small fountain, Gareth and Stiletto made their initial oblations as well. When they'd performed the first purification, they stepped into the shrine proper. It was small, although not as small as the one outside the Japan base Michael had taken Purrcy to for healing. They walked to the seat of Inari, clapped, bowed, and clapped again. They stood there silently for a moment.

Purrcy finally sighed and said, "Inari, and God our Father, this has been a very rough journey thus far, even though short. I hope we've properly performed what was necessary for Japan. Please accept our attempt to correct the errors of our guild, and help us to move forward in those corrections until they're completed satisfactorily. Thank you for healing us, me in particular." She paused as if not quite done, but the silence went on for a while. Then she bowed again.

The presence of Gareth and Stiletto was warm at their backs. Michael took a breath. "Thank you for healing Purrcy and keeping her alive. Please continue to watch over her and each of us so that we can perform the work that needs to be done and still have retirement time afterwards. Keep our minds sharp and our hearts true. Forgive my faithless worrying and bless our path. Thank you for blessing me with many things I have hoped for."

His hand reached out and he slipped his fingers between Purrcy's to hold her hand. He stayed silent for a while, the desires of his heart welling up but too numerous to name, his gratitude full for the things he'd already been given. Finally he bowed, held it two counts and rose again.

They moved out of the way and let Gareth and Stiletto have their say. They gave brief silent prayers, bowing when they were done and moving to join Purrcy and Michael.

"Spread out the blanket. We'll sit and rest a bit while you two do recon for the area. If there's running water, see if there's fish. If so we'll move there and fish for our meal. It's likely our last day of rest, and that's as good a thing to do on a down time day as anything," Michael requested, and Stiletto and Gareth moved to obey.

-:-:-:-:-

Bowie looked up at the silent, dark mountain. At this level it was barely that - more like a tall hill covered in trees. The cliffs around it were rocky and steep. The sound of the hole in the rock that would shoot water up like a geyser with each flow of the waves was distinctive.

Only his running lights, like the running lights of the other squid boats, gave him light to see by. Clouds were covering the stars tonight. Like the squid boats, the only safe place to go - and by careful navigation around the many small and tall rock spires in the bay - was to the small marina near the Motonosumi Inari shrine.

He pulled in to a berth and killed the engine of his boat. He tied off the fore, then the aft to the small spars meant for that purpose. He was quick, efficient, practiced, and since he looked Japanese by illusion, he wasn't questioned.

Bowie got a few nods as he passed a few still headed out to their fishing locations, and he nodded back friendly-like, but didn't stop to chat. It would be easier if he could have pulled up to an empty beach with no one around to see or open their mouths, but it would have to do. He didn't need to put a hole in his boat and drown one hundred feet from shore, going the wrong direction.

The walk to the parking lot of the shrine wasn't hard. There was even a pathway since it was the farther and bigger parking lot of the shine. From there, it was follow the pathway to the public shrine. He didn't. His goal was up the mountain and the public access was closed dusk to dawn. He wouldn't get in that way. Instead he just started hiking through the brush, trees, and up the hill. It was moments like this that made him wish for wings.

When he was far enough from any roadway, he pulled his wings out and got himself up into the upper branches of the trees. He still had to stay low enough to not be seen. He wouldn't be - no lights, no stars, no moon - but he practiced proper stealth anyway.

Jump-soaring from branch to branch was almost harder than walking in the brush, but slightly less noisy, and not as full of brambles. He did startle a few monkeys, resting for the night in the branches of said trees. He didn't stay, though, and they settled after a bit.

He knew right where he was going. Purrcy could block him out, but the others couldn't. Where they were, she would be also. The truck was the marker for the general location. He was the retriever after that point since they could be hiding anywhere on this point of Honshu. Or gone. He'd felt them and known as soon as he'd floated by as close as he dared to the point. They were waiting for the retrieval.

Bowie was always amazed at Michael's calm. He was obviously worried about Purrcy, but he was always so calm in the face of duty, whatever it was. Bowie was pretty sure he personally would have been angry and very upset and wouldn't have even come at all, choosing to go AWOL instead. He couldn't know, though. He'd not gotten that far in the Navy yet.

He'd noticed that level of calm was a learned thing by any officer who got to a certain height in the ranks and had certain experiences in their lives - notably severe life and death ones, or had held dead or dying subordinates in their arms.

There seemed to be something about the sobering reality of fleeting mortality that made men's souls deep calm pools, even if they were fired up or angry or worried. Like they'd looked into the black pit and walked away with some new capacity to look at anything. It didn't make them immortal or unfeeling or anything. It was a different way to look at life that those without those experiences couldn't understand.

Bowie paused to take a breath and rest a bit. Purrcy was like Michael in that respect. She exuded that same kind of calm, even in the middle of being completely consciously emotional.

When she'd first been on the Oki Watarimono with them, that had been her in spades. Sure she'd been internal, watching Nyanta and Log Horizon for as long as she could, trying to understand what had been done to her since they'd cut her off from her memories. But the calm had been present, and a sense of waiting patiently.

After she and Michael had played to exercise the first time, she'd been it - reaching for Michael's wing to touch it. Purrcy had been deeper in that moment than Bowie had ever seen her.

It had been as if she'd been staring all the time before that into the pit of death, watching those she loved and wouldn't see again in the same way ever again. Having them be gone, then turning to look forward again and finding some strange wonder that in that direction there was still life, something there to treasure, too. The soft wing, Michael's comforting and guarding presence, whatever it was.

Bowie had always wondered if that was why her words of the past to understand it had sent Michael over the edge - because he'd understood exactly where she was in that moment. If Purrcy could overwhelm her emotional blocks here, then Bowie would swear that in that one moment Michael's emotions had overwhelmed his.

It had been too much to be that close to Purrcy, have her finally all his, be sitting at the edge of the pit with her and watch her find that wonder in that instant, and then to ask about "the other man". All of it had been more than Izanagi's block could contain.

Bowie shuddered. He wasn't ready to sit at that overwhelming location yet. Because Purrcy and Michael both sat there it was difficult to not get residuals.

He lifted up again and moved forward. There wasn't a hurry since he wanted the rest of the fishermen gone from the docks, but forward was always the direction to go.

As he neared the small shrine, he could feel them moving around, sense they were preparing to receive him and go. Stiletto moved outside the shrine and was visible in only a few more hops. He'd decided to go sparkly to finish bringing Bowie in. It was like watching fox-fire, actually. And since he looked like a foxtail it was even more of that image.

Bowie sailed down the wind to land thirty feet from Stiletto and the shrine. He still didn't have the fox traits Stiletto was showing off, so he kept the wings out. He'd properly come as the Eagle he was, even if he got called a blackbird again. Just so long as Purrcy didn't start humming the nursery rhyme when he walked in. That would be bad news.

Properly, he rang the bell, bowed, then walked over for the first purification. Approaching even just a seat of Earth's AI should be done properly and respectfully, regardless of affiliations. It was stupid to get something he knew existed angry, even if it might not care in the end. Plus ...Purrcy was easier to deal with when the game was played. They'd had that drummed into them the whole time they'd been in the Theldesian Amerkas, although he'd personally learned it sooner than that.

Bowie walked up to Stiletto, who was dressed in his deacon's kimono. "I come with a message for Hahaue, and to retrieve."

Stiletto glared at him just a little, but moved out of the way, then followed him into the shrine. Gareth was at the half-way point into the shrine, also waiting for him as foxtail. Bowie was a bit surprised Gareth was two-tail. For some reason that hadn't been passed on to him.

Gareth didn't let him pass. When Bowie relaxed at that position to say he understood he was to stay put there, Gareth moved enough to let him converse with Purrcy and Michael.

Bowie blinked. He hoped that it wasn't sacrilegious for Purrcy to be sitting in Inari's seat, even if she was dressed as a foxtail High Priestess. Michael was sitting next to her in the lesser seat, in his priest robes. His ears and tails were new. Bowie had expected the guardian demon.

He sighed to himself, the answer coming to his internal question by way of his gift. Inari had decided it all without consulting Michael (again) and claimed him (again). It wasn't something Bowie could be surprised about. Not with the repeating repeats.

Bowie considered all of his orders, then clapped twice, bowed, and clapped again. "I come with a message for Hahaue Purrcy. Will you allow me to tell it?" If she was sitting there because Inari was using her as the Oracle (or High Priestess) again, he should be considerate of that potential situation.

He got a nod so went to reporting mode. "Your party requirement is acceptable as long as it remains in the bounds of the orders of the whole. When the expected other stations in the Eastern Hemisphere are completed, both you and Michael are to return to the United States, continuing on from Europe to there by ship.

"A military lawyer will meet you in your hometown with the documents to sign for your divorce and children. You will continue from there to San Diego where another military lawyer will meet with Michael with the same sort of necessary documents.

"You will have one night and day to visit with your children at each location. The full itinerary will be given to you upon arrival in the United States. Yes, you will be returned to Japan when the full operation is completed."

There was a twitch of Purrcy's whiskers (humor) and Michael's eyebrow lifted slightly (slight disbelief they'd go so far to humor her as to include it in the formal statement). Bowie had been ordered to make sure it was said exactly. It looked like they'd sufficiently gotten the personal part of that message.

Bowie shifted slightly and took another breath. "Unofficially, thank you for acting as the 'natural party', and we're glad you've been able to recover. Good luck and return safely."

That was the end of the message and his report, but he wasn't done. "Inari of Earth, I would make a request." He waited until he got a regal tip of the head. "In behalf of the VFA-115 Eagles who have not yet joined this party that is here in this shrine, I beg you to not claim them like they were claimed on Theldesia. Allow them to remain non-magical and merely those who are getting the job done like they always get the job done.

"They don't need to have it erased from their memories or not know. All of them can know and not care, nor want it. Only these two crazies couldn't let it go." He tipped his head at Gareth, including Stiletto.

They glared at him in affront, but it was true. Even he didn't need it or care. As Purrcy had said, he'd just fallen into the placement of the squadron - he'd taken the fall for the rest of them and they'd all prefer to keep it that way. They'd miss the wings was all.

"...It is acceptable," Inari answered.

Bowie bowed properly for his role. "Thank you." He turned to Michael. "Your order of silence has been rescinded. You may tell Mrs. Purrcy what you know. It's part of her requirement that there be transparency within the party so that there are no errors in execution of the orders."

"About time," Michael said. "I think I like that scolding I missed." His scowl was on, but there wasn't anything in it at the moment.

Bowie was done, except for the retrieval, so he went into waiting to be released mode. "I've a boat waiting at the marina. I'll be taking this group of gaigin for a night-time squid fishing tour." His eyes went back to the one other change he'd been trying to ignore. "Can an illusion be used until we're aboard?"

"Yes," Michael said soberly. He placed his hand gently on Purrcy's head and the white hair turned back into her brown from before, but even then the white hairs were more white streaks, not like before. It probably wouldn't hold beyond his request, then. Or would have to be reapplied again when needed.

Bowie suddenly thought of one more thing. He cringed to ask it. "Is there anything you would like to say or pass on, Inari of Earth?" He didn't receive an answer and Purrcy was shaking her head at him. He relaxed in relief, but not enough to break proper protocol.

Michael rose to his feet. "At ease, Airman. I assume we'll do all our talking aboard the ship. No sense wasting time when sleep is still at a premium." He offered his hand to Purrcy and she rose.

Bowie counted five tails before they disappeared, but it was an unclear count. Michael's two and ears disappeared as well, as did the other guards' fox traits. He put his wings away.

The kimonos disappeared to be replaced with traveling clothing after they'd left the shrine, bowing properly to it. This time they walked down by way of the steps - except they disappeared about fifty feet after leaving the shrine.

The priest had actually stayed around to spy on them. Bowie hadn't let him hear anything, and put him to sleep on their way past him, effective just after they disappeared. He'd just chalk it up to fox magic.

-:-:-:-:-

The small watercraft puttered up alongside the larger ship and was swallowed up. The larger ship (small for ocean-going ones) turned away from Japan and headed southwest through the Korea Strait towards the Yellow Sea. The passengers of the small watercraft were hustled up through the ship to the conference room and "Do Not Enter" signs were put on the door.

"This is a special warfare operation. Completely unconventional. It makes my belly ache." Michael's Commander scowl was in full force. "Airmen on the ground is more than annoying, and what birds are in this ship can't even been flown by us, even though you're all legally listed as the air-detachment assigned to the ship for training. That was the only way to get one of the single ships."

He waved a hand at the four new people in the room. "They have to do the flying. And they're going to sit on their butts the whole time, because if we can help it, we don't need to have the rotor noise in the air overhead while we skip back out. The Saber Hawks are only for emergency retrieval.

"Even this ship itself is a problem. I'll grant it's built for shallow waters and close-to-shore maneuvers, plus is small enough to not bring in more than necessary to the current operation. I fought for a non-military ship and lost, and for the same reason I lost the fight over the helicopters. I did win the skeleton crew since we can help with that part if things get tight.

"Really, I have to apologize for sticking the lot of you right back into slots below what you've earned. I would have not, but those higher up wanted to keep it all in the family, so to speak. So we're ground crew again for this round."

He waved a hand at Purrcy, sitting in a chair up front and facing everyone else in the room, "And honestly we can do it without your help, but they didn't believe that either, so you're all back to babysitting for the most part." That got some eyerolls. "I would've thought the demonstration earlier would've been enough to cut some of you loose, but I guess not."

Michael folded his arms and looked around the conference room of the Independence-class littoral ship. They'd pulled in everyone they could from the old squadron still on duty. (Reed didn't count, sadly. He had to hold his current post.) It was everyone Purrcy had met on base and had paraded out with her the day he got his 'retirement'.

"I've been told Hahaue's scolding was sufficient to get full disclosure for the missions so that we don't trip over our own feet and botch them from lack of complete information." He looked over at the helicopter pilots. "I'd rather let you four off the hook and just tell you to come fetch us if we need it.

"I suspect that won't fly in Purrcy's book, not when things just might get flubbed and you'd need to show up on intuition. She's as bad as the higher-ups when it comes to stuff like that. So tighten your belts and forget everything you hear in here unless you're actually on a mission...like always." He said the last somewhat grimly. He got a mixture of salutes and nods.

Turning to Purrcy, Michael said, "U.S. military intelligence took what we reported when we got back as both a corroboration and a warning. It got really messy really fast. And when Shiroe went public as a foreign national untouchable, it got worse. I was sent to warn him off, since I could walk in as a friend. He wouldn't listen to me either."

Purrcy raised her hand. "Don't lie, Michael. I know the two of you. Just leave it open ended."

"Sorry," he ducked his head. The helicopter pilots gave him big eyes, but the Eagles smirked at him behind his back. He kept going. "So because it was a big mess that was opened up, even before the movie, it became a big mess to get it resolved. The only one who we could see to help us get that untangled was Shiroe. Shiroe and I both agreed that you had to be brought in to be the tipping point. ...There, does that make you happy, then?"

"No, like I said before, it never makes me happy to have you stuck in the middle, and me, too. But yes, it does fit my picture of the little part of the world that I exist in." Michael stared at Purrcy, then rolled his eyes at her.

"While I hate to interrupt high level officers in the middle of their part of a briefing, would you be willing to let me go right now? I've got some over-all stuff to add so that you can add it to your details before you get there." Purrcy was really quite respectful in how she asked. Michael let her have the floor. His summary had been sufficient for what anyone else needed to hear.

"I was brought in because there are two groups that exist on the planet that couldn't be talked to unless the right face was present to talk to them. We've taken care of one of them, but it removed some of the restraints on the governments of the world and they are moving forward with even more strength because of it." Michael stiffened a bit. That was new information for him.

"The other group has finally stated their requirement for what we will have to do to have their help to fix that final hole that needs to be filled ...but at least they've agreed to help. I gave them an offer they couldn't refuse, really."

Purrcy grinned an almost cynical grin at Michael. "I told them if they didn't we'd make things even worse in the end just by virtue of stumbling around in the dark. They'd far rather help now while it's still easy to find a fix.

"The hard part is Shiroe's. He's going to have to find that one narrow path that will get them what they want, what everyone who's sending us on this operation wants, and what he wants. I've set him to it. We have until the Indian opening show to come up with the answer. We'll give the announcement there."

She turned to look at the rest of the room. "In the meantime, what we're doing here is the final clean-up to close down research on the magical and into magic. Once all of the main government funded sites all over the world are taken out and their data erased, others have agreed to help with the final step.

"While I'm hoping to find any way to make it so that it's not a worse repeat of the Maze of Eternity journey, at the moment it means going systematically country by country to remove them.

"Because it's cross-over technology and magic is why it's being kept in the family. You all won't freak out and don't want to care. Plus..., it's all our fault for wanting to get people home to begin with." She wasn't happy and Michael was a bit surprised, but he hadn't really considered it from that point of view - not quite that way, anyway.

"I think those are the things I need to add, except one other thing," she scowled at the Eagles. "I am not going to repeat the trip from Yamato to the Amerkas. That was just awful, as it was constant abuse of myself by Izanami. Keep it to pirate times, please. If I can have fun when we're not out on missions we'll all be a lot happier."

"Ain't nobody happy when Mama ain't happy," H/R quipped.

"Most likely," Purrcy agreed. Michael nodded, but not while she was looking at him. And she did look at him to turn the floor back over.

Michael continued, "At the moment it reads like a combination of the train travels of MarketMaker and the Maze of Eternity stops, with political maneuvering included, although that's behind the scenes. I've got all the information in my head and we'll talk details before each mission, but not any further out than that.

"If Purrcy, perhaps with Shiroe's help, can shorten the operation at all, we'll not have to go to every spot on the globe that's currently a target. If it becomes not-a-target, then we didn't need to know. Like before, the first stop is on the China coast." He put up a picture of the facility they would be infiltrating as the first target and got started talking about the details.

-:-:-:-:-

When the meeting was done, an ensign took Purrcy and Michael to their cabin. It was on the same deck as the captain's cabin, and like it, had a double berth - meaning a bed that would fit both of them.

Michael was relieved and hoped that it had been reserved for him to begin with. It made people snippy to be pushed down unexpectedly. He took Purrcy to the bed and made her lie down immediately. They'd rested during the day, but she still wasn't healed full up and needed her rest.

"You're Commander for the Eagles and those on the team. Does that give you anything else to do?" Purrcy asked him, holding his hand as he sat on the bed next to her.

"Not really. I will point the way in each time when we get close - and I need to go do that now before I can sleep - but I'm outside the ship's command structure, other than we all follow the Captain's orders regardless, including you."

Purrcy nodded. "Ship's safety."

"Exactly. So this Commander, who is over you, says stay put and sleep. I'll be back as soon as I've given the bridge the coordinates of where we're going.

"Do us both a favor, and don't fall into memory traps. Consider yourself back home in our bed there and I'm just going out to do my rounds with Shinkou." Purrcy gave a nod and he left her the same as he would have there - with a kiss and an, "I'll be back shortly."

-:-:-:-:-

Purrcy got back up and explored the cabin first. The small water closet had toiletries waiting for them neatly. She used them, very happy to have her teeth brushed again.

Her hair went white again as she brushed it. She sighed at it in the mirror. It did make her look so old, although it was nice to have it fully white and not salt and pepper, which is what she'd always figured she'd have eventually.

Curious, she let her ears out. They were also white. She reached up and touched one, finding that a bit odd. She didn't normally touch her own fox ears.

She let out one fox tail and pulled it around to look at it. She was relieved to see red on it still. She wasn't ready to be called up completely to serve Inari. As a matter of fact, she hoped she wasn't ever. She didn't need to be held by two world's-worth of AIs either.

Making sure that any hidden spy cameras (technological or magical) were confused or looping first, she let out all of her tails. Seven was a heavy number for tails. She used a little bit of magic to hold them up and that worked better. However, right now even that much was more of a bleed than using the effort to keep them upright by muscle power.

It still hurt to do magic at all, actually, and Purrcy wasn't in a hurry to have a full transformation either direction. The switch-over to human woman had been painful enough to wake her into partial awareness, although it had been an automatic switch. It really must be the body doing whatever it needed to rest and heal, was all she could figure.

Purrcy put away the tails and ears, reset the cameras to running again, finished her bathroom business, and walked back out to the cabin. She selected a comfortable t-shirt from what was available in the closet and changed for bed. She was as ready to sleep as Michael was for her to.

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