[DISCLAIMER: Only Hololive characters being used in a story.

This is a Botan heavy chapter. But there are the goddesses Mio and Fubuki. There is also more Gura, Ame and Calli and Kiara.

I had thought of only having this story here and not at AO3, but decided to go ahead and place it back over there (probably shouldn't have removed and replaced). I have another story there, "The Kids Might Not Be Alright" which is an AO3 original and only over there.

Pot (lovely name) asked me to update, and that usually works. I don't know why. It makes me happy you all want to read. So… here's another chapter. ]

Chapter 28 – Botan, You Need to Save the World

Botan wanted one thing: Finish the job to save the world and then get back to Lamy. Directions were given. Every request she made for weaponry, the comedy-relief Fox Goddess, and Mama Wolf Goddess of Holios gave, as long as it was a bladed weapon. This bothered her to some extent, since she preferred a good firearm.

Whenever she stopped to think how ridiculous this was, it was answered by something weirder. In fact, she would just smirk with a light chuckle in consideration. But she went along, having no other recourse.

They told her to head into a volcano. Most would not walk into a volcano. Instant death. She was to step forward faithfully, right into the side of the volcanic mountain.

Before entering, Fubuki gave her a burger, "You will be happy you ate first."

"Is there something in this?"

"Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."

"No, I mean… never mind." She was hungry, and so she ate extremely quickly.

"Wow, I should have brought you two."

"Let's please get this over with."

"Oh yes," Fubuki added, "go with the flow – don't forget that."

Mio then gave her a hug. "You'll do well."

Botan adjusted the hood over her head, wearing a black cape that made her look like a Grim Reaper, and then stepped forward into a mountain.

It was extremely hot, but she continued forward. All was blackness, rock and then nothing.

Her heart raced because there was "nothing." No walls. No ground. No air. When she blinked only blackness. This felt like it lasted minutes, but they assured her it would only be 30 seconds. Was she floating? She moved her arms, reaching, trying to feel something, but only emptiness.

Before full on panic a dull yellowed light suddenly appeared and there, she was inside a place with rock all around. A very large river was before her and then a boat.

"Okay, Botan, you got this. Not like you haven't been in hairy situations before," she whispered quietly to herself.

She stepped forward. Looking to the left and right.

Probably the eeriest of sounds was light moaning and groans in the distance. The river flowed endlessly before her.

Her heart was racing, and she seriously needed to calm herself.

And then a man was suddenly in the boat. He didn't speak but watched her with little concern. He motioned with his hand for her to get into the boat.

His sullen eyes stared past her, so forlorn she turned to see if he was looking somewhere else. But it was just the two and so she entered the boat as instructed. On her neck was a special pendant that "held life" and she would need to not lose this piece of jewelry. They were adamant.

She stepped into the boat, and then he began to ferry her down the river. She sat, looking over the cavern, so high up it grew darker and darker, and she wondered if she was still on Holios.

When she finally spied closely to the river there were ghouls floating along, gaping mouths, looking as if they were crying for help. One after another, arms stretching upward, or simply lying beside them, filling the water below. Her heart raced further, as she could see this water was filled with such sadness, it made her want to cry.

This, she was warned by Mio and Fubuki, was not to be conveyed. When with the ferryman she needed to remain silent and unmoved.

She clasped the pendant in her hand, gathering her strength. The feeling was unlike any she'd ever felt. She'd been near death, but this was not that feeling. This was utter sadness without hope.

It could drive the average person mad, but thankfully Botan was anything but a normal human. She had the heart of a lioness that despite Fubuki telling her she just happened to be there, was a playful statement. Mio had chosen her from the beginning to take on this task.

The ferryman stopped the boat, and waved toward the cloaked creature, Botan. She lifted and then disembarked the small boat and it disappeared back into the distance.

She let go a breath, realizing throughout the ride she had been breathing very shallow and quietly in fear. The stench of rot and sulphur, burned into her nostrils, and she covered over her mouth and nose.

She needed to find stairs to the right. The gods of the east could see things but could not go.

Again, those horrible sounds were everywhere, again something that could drive the usual human mad but she'd been warned.

Walking along the ground was like moving along dark ash, the footfalls pressing deeply with each step. She didn't want to run into Hades. She didn't want to run into anything. Her hand gripped the broad sword's hilt, given by Mio. It was at her hip, as she continued to walk toward the stairs she now saw in the distance. She preferred pistols and semi-automatic weapons, but they told her to only carry this sword and knives. She really didn't understand why.

Here goes, and she made her way down the steps slowly.

Each footfall was careful, as she walked maybe 40 or 50 steps down, and then she pressed back against the wall looking around the corner. She looked back down at the pendant, glowing more brightly – meaning she was closer to a life form.

"A prison?" she whispered to herself. She was surprised they had prisons in Hades.

But then she saw a creature like something she'd seen in books as a child. It was a giant three-headed dog, paws the size of one of her.

"Cerberus? Fuck."

She gazed more deeply, and saw something in the cell in front of the dog. It was someone she hadn't seen since the flight. It was the shark girl. Why didn't they tell her to save the shark girl too? Was she lying there dead? But if she was dead, she wouldn't need a cell.

She held the pendant with the red gem, and it was glowing. This was the place.

Where's Watson? She wondered.

She glanced over the ground. How many video games had she played in her life when they throw a rock to divert attention, and yet here she was thinking that's what she would have to do.

She picked up the rock and then threw it far and to the opposite side. It hit the rocky cavern wall and then fell.

The three heads perked up.

Yeah, there you go doggy.

He only looked at where the sound was, but then he turned and with his blazing red eyes, stared in her direction. He sniffed and then growled, lifting to his feet. The hairs at the back of all the necks raised.

"Oh fuck," Botan pulled out her sword quickly. "Dogs have great smell, of course."

She stepped out; her sword drawn, throwing off the cumbersome hooded cape. "Come on doggy!"

Gura spied over, blinking and at first, not believing what she was seeing. "What is this place, Grand Central Station? Why's she here?"

Gura looked down to the hole Watson was in. She was still out, and now Cerberus leapt on the lioness detective.

Botan swiped downward, leaping to the right, as he landed with a thump onto the ground.

She rushed to the beast, swinging down again. He swiped hard, knocking the sword out of her hand.

"Ah fuck!" She hadn't used a sword since college fencing. "Man, I wish I had a gun."

Botan's eyes turned golden, the iris growing small, as she became a predatorial beast. Pulling out her knife, she leapt onto the back of the last head of the Cerberus, going down hard into the neck.

Cerberus let out a howl.

"WAIT!" Gura was yelling. "Both of you stop! You're drawing attention."

Gura was waggling in the chains and screaming for them to stop, as they fought.

Botan finally heard, but was smacked by a claw, being thrown right into the bars of the cell.

"Botan?"

"Gura? Hey!" Botan lifted, "just a sec."

Cerberus was about to bite down.

"Stop! Cerby stop!"

He stopped just before chomping on the lioness. But Botan punched the face of the Cerberus's middle head, it howling again.

"No Botan! Cerby! Both STOP!"

They went back to fighting, Botan leaping out of the way of his paws, and then him pounding so hard on the ground, it was shaking. They were fighting, Botan moving well out of his way, as he swiped and bit down.

"Oh my god, STOP!" Gura was yanking at the chains and yelling.

The two finally stopped turning back to the shark in the cage.

Botan was breathing hard, as she turned back, her attention drawn to Gura.

"Look, both of you. I don't know what's going on. But you don't need to fight."

Cerberus watched, a low growl under his breaths of all heads. The third head was slowly healing after being stabbed.

"I'm kind of new to all of this," Botan stated, "but I'm supposed to get Watson. You don't happen to know where she is?"

"Watson?" Gura asked.

When the Cerberus heard the name of the one, he was supposed to protect, his gigantic paw hit Botan so hard, she was flung across the cavern to the far wall, hitting so hard, the rocks crumbled around her, as she fell to the ground.

"Oh my gosh," Gura's mouth dropped open. "Did you kill her? Cerby down. Bad dog."

He whimpered.

"Cerby, I think she's here to help Watson."

"I see." He then walked over, lowered, to lie down.

"Okay, okay," Gura paced as much as was possible, trying to figure out what to do. "Um, can you carry Watson over to Botan and then wake them up? Are you able to wake them up?"

"I will try."

He bit down on Watson's cloak, pulled her up and out of the hole and then dragged her over to Botan. He laid her beside the lioness.

"Wake," he said to Botan. He then lowered, growling into her face, "Wake warrior!"

Botan's eyes slowly opened, within a second, she pulled out another knife, pointed at the dog's head.

"Watson, here," he said, backing away.

She looked down, seeing the injured detective lying beside her. "Watson?"

Cerberus then walked away back to the cell.

"Good dog, Cerby," Gura giggled, and then looked over at the two.

Botan looked down at her fellow detective lying on the ground.

"Is Watson alive?" Gura yelled over.

Botan felt at Watson's neck. "Yes. What happened?"

"I don't know. I just know she suddenly appeared and I had Cerby hide her, but now you're here and I don't know why but I'm guessing maybe it's to help Watson."

"Yeah, that's why I was sent here. I can get you out of here too."

"I don't think that's possible. But you need to get her out of here no matter what."

Gura felt she'd been down in this dungeon for weeks, despite it not having been even one week.

"We don't know unless we try, right?" Botan was standing, grinning with the one fang showing. "So, the dog listens to you? Pet of yours?"

Cerberus growled lowly.

"Friend… of a friend and so, I don't know how much time we have. How'd you even get here?"

"A couple of goddesses helped. I was told it's the end of the world and only Watson can correct everything with her time traveling watch. Frankly, I just want to get back to my wife."

Gura's eyes were shaded with dark circles, she didn't look well. Botan had seen many creatures near death, and that is how she looked.

"Hey, I'll get us all out of here."

"I just want you to save Watson. I think… I think I'm a lost cause."

Botan looked down at the small blonde. "What happened to her?" She lowered, checking over to see what was broken. "I wish Lamy was here. She'd know what happened and how to heal."

"I think you need to just take her and leave, Botan. I can handle being down here. She needs to get out of this place. I don't know why she's here. It's like she fell from the sky."

"Watson?" Botan slapped her lightly. "Watson, wake up. Come on."

Her eyes actually began to flutter open. Botan grabbed a small bottle, the size of a 3 cm vial, with a liquid she'd been given by Mio. "I almost forgot." She then placed it at Watson's lips. "Come on Watson."

Her bright blue eyes were finally opening. It took her a moment to gather her surroundings. She lifted suddenly. Looking over her surroundings.

"You're alive."

"Shishiro?" And then she saw Gura. "Gura!" She lifted to her feet, falling to her knees.

"Whoa, hold up," Botan got up to follow, but Watson, was back on her feet rushing over to the cell. She fell onto the bars, gripping them.

Gura felt the lump develop. Seeing Watson again.

Watson was crying. "Gura? Gura, you're alive. You're here." Tears were constant, as she kept saying her name, "I didn't think I'd ever see you again. After she stabbed you, and I looked, and looked, and looked."

Botan walked up slowly, watching the interaction.

"Watson, I'm sorry I left you," Gura had also begun crying. "I was an idiot."

"It's okay. I… I saw you and then… She took you away. I was zooming to every time, trying to find you." Watson was visibly shaking, and then she held out her timepiece. "It's broken. It's broken." Her hand shook so much. "I was in a castle, and then a field, and then it was all dark, and I was seeing all these colors, and I heard voices, and they were whispering, and they wouldn't stop whispering all around me, and then a boom, and I felt I was crashing and falling, and… and…"

"Whoa, hey," Botan held to her hand, realizing something was desperately wrong with the detective. "Watson, you should maybe sit." She was shaking so much, Botan held around her shoulders. "Come on, detective you need to calm down. You said you heard whispers? What kind?"
Gura watched, unable to speak as she watched Watson look like she was crashing mentally. The petite blonde kept blinking and speaking so fast. Even when she wasn't speaking her lips were quivering and moving.

"Come on, Watson. Sit down. You need to just relax." Botan helped her to sitting on the ground.

"What's wrong with her?" Gura asked, feeling her heart could not sink any further into her gut.

"I think I need to get her to Lamy." Botan looked up at the shark girl. "I'm going to get you out of there first. I'm sure being a prisoner of death is not a good thing."

"I don't know if you can."

Cerberus stood, his three heads leaning over the lioness and the small blonde.

Botan readied her knife.

"I can guide you," Cerberus said. "Shark of Atlantis, this is what I was told. You can leave now."

"What do you mean?"

"Mori Calliope told me I would know. I now know. She is coming."

Watson continued to shake in Botan's arms, and then her eyes closed, but her lips continued to move, as if she were speaking in whispers of another language. It looked as if she was having some type of seizure.

"Do you have the keys for these?" Gura asked Cerberus.

"No, but she will release."

Behind him stood tall and beautiful the Grim Reaper, holding a scythe. Beside her was Kiara, looking over the interior.

"Wow, this is not where I thought we'd go on our romantic getaway, Calli."

"Enough Kusotori."

Kiara walked up to Botan and Amelia Watson. And then she looked over at Cerberus. "You look super familiar to me."

"We've met in passing."

"Ah yeah… I think." Kiara squirted her lips together, trying to remember.

"Enough, we haven't the time." Calliope walked up to the cell, glanced down at the lioness and the detective. "What the fuck is with the party?" She sliced down across the top of the cell bars one direction, and then quickly sliced across the bottom the other direction. She held out her hand, and the bars fell to the ground.

Botan wasn't sure if she should get ready to fight or what. Watson was still in a daze whispering gibberish.

Calliope stepped into the cell, "Hey sharky, look I only help once. You're on your own after this. Don't mess up again."

Gura stood weakly watching. She had no idea what was happening, and was unusually quiet watching. Her eyes were mostly planted on Amelia Watson – the only one who concerned her at the moment. Something was desperately wrong. She just wanted to run to her.

Calliope grabbed her cloak from Gura, and then spread it over the two of them, and within a second became a mist of blackness, and was gone.

The chains fell to the ground empty.

Outside the cell she was suddenly standing with Gura in her arms. Calliope stood with the small shark, and then released.

"Whoa, you could have done that before?" Gura stepped back, stumbling slightly having become weak in the cell.

"Yes. I can do many things kid." Calliope slapped her cheek lightly. "You three need to get out of here. Hades is occupied – but won't be for long."

Kiara simply watched, smiling at how cool the one she loved was being.

"Ooh, Calli, you are so awesome."

"Guh." And she rolled her eyes. "Gura, you and that lion woman, and your girlfriend, get on Cerby's back. He'll get you out of here. Get to the Eastern gods. Gura has her Trident at the Kame Inn. Head there and get your Trident. Only you can wield the Trident of Poseidon. And you will probably need it."

"What do I get to do?" Kiara asked.

"Stay with me."

"Ooh, I can def do that."

Calliope sighed loudly, readjusting her cloak. She then walked up to Cerberus. "I'll never forget this." She then smiled.

She turned, grabbed Kiara's waist tightly in her arms, and disappeared in a black mist with the redhead.

Gura went down to Amelia instantly; Botan handed her off, to be held by the shark. She then stood up, walked over and grabbed the cloak, replacing it over her shoulders. She then picked up the sword, placing it back in the sheath.

"Okay, so, I'm just going to go with all of this since I have absolutely no idea what is going on." She looked up to the three-headed dog. "We have to ride on your back?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, okay. Sure – no problem."

"But," he said, "I will only take you to the exit. You will need to leave on your own."

Botan wasn't sure she understood, but the sooner she could leave this place the better in her mind.

[END NOTE: Thanks for reading. I appreciate the reviews. Are you all happy Gura is finally out of the cell? But where is the other Gura? This is present day Gura and is past Gura still with Suisei? Hmm…. I think we'll find out next chapter.]