LITTLE MOTHER
Final Battle
Chapter 12: The Master Strategist
"Where's Okäsangwä?!" Reii had turned to add his own healing to Tessal, knowing that a double attack like that would have been a lot of strength to use all at once.
Saburō spun around to look at the place Tessal worked her attacks. The space in the room was empty. "Kishi-Mujin!" he commanded and in that space appeared a vision of Tessal in a wood that was struggling to return from being burnt. She was sitting cross-legged with an expression of extreme focus on her face.
In horror they watched as she lifted her knife - for the second time - and plunged it towards her core. "NO!" Reii cried, jumping for the image.
Saburō gestured and Surei caught Reii before he could leave the space, holding him in the room. Reii struggled in Surei's grip. "She'll die if she stays there. That's one of the demon traps Obäsan put in the wood!" Even Korin was already pale and frozen in shock.
"Reii!" Saburō commanded his attention. Reii's horrified look turned to Saburō. "If she was entered by the demon king, it will kill you if you show up, even if it is in a trap. I need to know what happened before any of us act. Stay here!"
Reii struggled for a bit, fighting his fear for his foster mother and the need to not destroy this one chance to really kill the demon king. As soon as Surei gave Saburō the nod he had Reii sufficiently in hand, Saburō returned his focus to the tent of the general.
"Lock the general down, and the demon king out of him. It's left him," he ordered the shinobi in that room. "Hahaue, lock the demon king in so he can't leave the trap." That got a sound of outrage from both Reii and Korin, but Saburō ignored it. "Kishi-Mujin, fetch DongTang."
Then he turned to Tessal's brothers. "Start preparing now. You'll both only have the one attack to kill it for sure. Build it up now, make it as big as you can, but don't die or she'll kill me instead of the two of you doing it for her." They glared at him, but got to work, their extreme fear for Tessal driving the spell even higher.
Saburō dropped into Kishi-Mujin's swirl of emotions. From here on, everything they did was walking the fine line he always seemed to end up walking when he had to direct the action in dangerous dungeons like this one.
-:-:-:-:-
DongTang was keeping the field as chaotic as possible. The order that everyone fall back had already been met by everyone under his command. They were angry, though. They'd been just about to finish off the platoon they'd been up against, and move the front line forward even more.
The most angry had turned with others towards the general's tent to punish him for the rumor that they'd been called back to go return to the capital city to take down the king. DongTang had pretended not to see them go. Those men were spreading the rumor he'd whispered in their ears from within the magic realm. That kept his own side nicely confused.
He was also directing the front line to defend themselves even still, if the opposing army tried to move up to attack again, but they weren't to push forward. That frustrated them enough they fell back to prevent unnecessary injuries when they were pressed too hard.
Finally DongTang told his assistant to raise a white flag of parlay. That really confused everyone at the frontline. It took a while, but the opposing side finally sent out a messenger. DongTang walked through the magic realm to stand with him, far enough they both felt sufficiently safe. The man startled as it was to just have someone appear.
DongTang held up his hand to show he wasn't currently armed. "Please let your generals know we'd like a cessation of battle for a bit. Our general has sent out conflicting words and we're into an internal battle. You'd save yourselves lives if you'd let us kill a few of us ourselves for a bit. If the angry mob manages to kill the general, we might be all done with the war even."
The messenger blinked in disbelief so DongTang held to his honest and sincere expression. Finally he said, "I'll go tell them, but I'm not sure they won't push the advantage."
DongTang rubbed his chin, then put up a protective shield and said, "Well, that's fine if they want to decide that. You might give them the warning that for every death on the field the demon king who's the push behind this war to begin with gains strength and we'd like to prevent that as much as possible. If they could at least wait until we've offed that one?" He raised an eyebrow in hopes of negotiating at least that much.
"...Demon ...king?" the man asked, going a little pale.
DongTang nodded soberly. "Our own nation has already starved for the last eight winters to feed the soldiers so the deaths can feed the demon king. We're rather desperate to be able to go home and farm this year instead of keep feeding it. Your general will know which we've managed to win for ourselves.
"If we have to keep fighting, feel free to have him send a message to your king that he needs to find the best demon hunters he can find. Our best won't have been able to win." His face really fell at that. There weren't any demon hunters better than they were.
The messenger was buying the story, but still didn't want to look like he was. He gave another suspicious glare to DongTang. "And who should I tell him was the person who told me? Just another soldier in the army spreading rumors?"
DongTang shook his head. "Adventurers have been reborn again in our time. I'm one of them. If you can find one in all this mess in your own army, tell them that BlackJack of the Eagles, head of the Intelligence detail told you. They'll remember me."
The messenger eventually relented and promised to pass along the message. DongTang walked back to his men, then watched that messenger run back into the enemy troops, headed for their general's location.
He turned a worried look towards his own general's tent. He'd now done everything Saburō had told him to do. He wanted to join with his brothers there in the tent, to know they were okay and had his arm to help them.
DongTang worried there until he was hit in the gut with a panic that made him clutch at his stomach in reaction. It was the agitated sparkling sprite that appeared in front of his face that made his own panic and worry suddenly rise. "Is it Tessal?" he asked urgently.
The sprite nodded and zoomed around a bit, then dashed for his shoulder, to hold on to his ear. "You walk me there," DongTang felt very grim. He walked into the magic realm, then followed Kishi-Mujin's lead to walk back out of it.
DongTang immediately hid himself. Kishi-Mujin was already helping on arrival to hide him from being seen by demons, but he added to it anyway. His heart was sinking to his feet. Tessal was in one of the demon traps in the burnt wood, and was attacking herself. How had it come to pass, that she'd been possessed?
Kishi-Mujin didn't let him move until she'd shown him a vision. Tessal attacking the demon king with her knife in the general's tent. Then crouched very still in a room with Reii and Korin, then suddenly here. DongTang's breath stopped. She was attacking, holding within her, the demon king himself almost surely. That wasn't something to just rush in and help her with.
DongTang drew in a long slow breath and put his brain into high gear. "Go get Luka. If he needs to be traded out with someone else, do that trade, but get him here now!"
Kishi-Mujin's agitation increased, but he could feel her obeying. DongTang made sure he had a protection spell ready to cast on Luka as soon as he arrived next to DongTang. "Look. Use your sight. Is Tessal damaging herself, or just the demon?"
Luka practically held his breath to be so suddenly in a strange and dangerous situation. "Just the demon. ...But that's an awfully big one. It's at a third it's strength but that's still more than even most Adventurers."
"It's the king," DongTang told him grimly. Luka nearly threw up his last meal by his expression. DongTang was already preparing his stronger purification spells, making extra sure of his intent. "Keep Tessal healed up as much as you can," DongTang ordered Luka.
Luka gave a firm nod. "I'll do my best, but the trap is doing constant damage while the demon king is trying to kill her at the same time. It looks like Kishi-Mujin might be shielding her still."
DongTang just said grimly, "Do your best." He let his first volley of explosive purification go, grabbed Luka's arm, and stepped them to a different location so the demon king wouldn't find them.
For what felt like an hour they kept it up until they were both wearying too much. Tessal was beginning to flag, her attacks also less effective now. "We need Tanov and Tadesse, Claus, Abeh, or Kadek if any of them have anything left," DongTang said openly to the clan. "We've done about all we can, and the demon king's still at roughly fifteen percent, maybe twenty."
Luka gave a tired nod to that estimate. "And Tessal's at about fifteen. If that trap's not sufficient, when she dies it will get loose."
That got a lot of ears, complaints they hadn't said anything until then, and a stern command from Saburō. "Stay still. Three more attacks and Korin and Reii will finish it. Luka, your next healing spell - medium-small is enough - on DongTang so he can get the third attack out."
DongTang and Luka glanced at each other tiredly, then gave nods. DongTang didn't move until Luka's spell had gone off. Then he felt like he might be able to hold on until he really did pass out. Three more times he attacked. Three times Luka walked them this time, letting DongTang conserve. Three more times Tessal did her weak best.
"Luka, everything you've got left without killing yourself on Tessal," Saburō ordered quietly in their ears.
DongTang could only watch with eyes that blurred and made the scene double, then leave behind his wish to have his little sister live to walk with them again from this time on. Both brother's bodies collapsed to the ground unconscious, only Kishi-Mujin's protections on them keeping them from being seen by the demon king.
-:-:-:-:-
Saburō turned to Reii and Korin. He firmly pushed his glasses up and glared at them. "You must do as I say or we will lose all of them." They glared back. "As soon as you've cast your attack, the demon king will choose to flee. He'll be able to because he'll have reached his escape level with that much." Both shinobi retreated a bit.
"Reii, you will cast your highest level healing spell on both DongTang and Luka. Kishi-Mujin will be letting the demon king take their souls as well as Tessal's at that point." They protested but Saburō held up his hand. "Keep their bodies alive. As long as they have living bodies they have the strength to continue to fight in the demon realm." Both clamped their mouths shut.
"You can spirit walk, not just physically realm walk. When Luka has sufficient strength, trade him places. We need his healing on the outside to keep the bodies strong. You're better suited to fighting inside, both of you. Make sure the demon king is locked down inside the demon realm, or he will leave it to take over your bodies while they're empty." He glared at them until he'd made his point sufficiently.
"Won't you be protecting our bodies with Kishi-Mujin?" Korin asked.
"Of course, but that doesn't mean we don't plan for the worst case," Saburō dismissed that thought. He glanced at the image in the wood, and waved at them. "Go."
As soon as they were gone, Saburō contacted the others. "All healers. As strong as you've got on the general and the king. I've sent in the Spiritualist and Archangel. Don't let the demon king's strength be restored."
Saburō hesitated, then quietly said to Kishi-Mujin, "If Tessal dies, the demon king will not only get her death, but also all of the dark emotions of her brothers ...and me. Please, feed off of those yourself. Take them before the demon king can. Then use it for the miracle we'll all be wishing for with them."
He worked hard to not have his own pain and fear rise up just then, then changed his mind and humbly gave them to Kishi-Mujin. He would be able to focus better if he'd already properly begun that miracle request to the goddess.
-:-:-:-:-
Tessal felt when DongTang began to help her and knew Kishi-Mujin had gone to fetch him. Tessal couldn't spare any focus, however. She was having to fight off the demon's attempts to take her over at the same time as she was focusing on attacking it. It worked harder because it didn't like the damage done to it.
Not like she cared. She doggedly kept up the attacks, relieved when Luka's healings would come. A part of her brain worried about the fact Luka had been called for, but by then she was too lost to her determination to remember why it might be important.
Slowly, even with the help, her strength was drained. She'd expected that, though, knowing how Obäsan's trap worked. She ignored it, too. Eventually the rescue from Reii and Korin would come. She only had to keep the demon king trapped that long.
It turned out to be a very long time. So long she thought she might pass out first. She almost was passing out when she felt the joint purification spell of Reii and Korin fall on her. Her own soul was delighted to have the dark taint of the demon washed from it.
With relief, she felt the demon king shrink and recede and she slumped, barely catching herself. Her arms were weak enough that they couldn't hold her body up and she collapsed. Then she was slipping through what felt like a tunnel.
Tessal was standing in a dark space, lit redly. She looked around wearily, then nearly cried. The demon had dragged her with it. She was in the demon realm. It was silent for a little while, then a very cold, evil voice said from behind her, "Thank you for falling into my trap so nicely."
Tessal spun around and looked up at a large, very healthy demon. Healthy enough to look almost solid. Her heart fell a bit, although she was perhaps more confused. "I've eaten the last little bit of my associate for you, so you don't have to worry about that one anymore. It looks like he wore all of you down just like I'd hoped he would. It should be a simple thing to do away with you all now, and be free to roam the surface all I desire to." The cold smirk was one Tessal wanted to smack off his face.
Tessal took a deep breath, although as a spirit she only needed to do it for the courage and grounding. She very firmly emoted to Kishi-Mujin that she was to take every emotion that came out of Tessal as an offering with which to take down this evil, cowardly bastard.
Then she taught Kishi-Mujin to take the emotions that the demon tried to feed to Tessal, and use them for the same as well. That took Kishi-Mujin a bit, since she was made up of Alv and human emotion. It worked differently to take them from a demon, but it wasn't all that different.
Tessal did make sure to scold Kishi-Mujin in a reminder that she wasn't to become like the demon, only to use the emotions to keep the proper balance on Theldesia. That was her role to begin with, and the balance was off again. Both of those lessons made Kishi-Mujin very happy. As soon as she understood how to use the demon-induced emotions, she began to fill up from all over the region.
"Well, that's interesting," came from beside Tessal. "What did you do to start decreasing it's life without even attacking it?" Luka asked.
"Feed the emotions it was trying to make me have to Kishi-Mujin, then teach Kishi-Mujin how to do that for herself. It is an attack, or a reverse defense?" She looked at Luka in confusion. "Why are you here?"
"I think this thing wanted to eat us, too, or maybe get fed by our emotions, too?" Luka smiled at Tessal. "We know better by now, too." Tessal smiled back at him, then at DongTang who was on her other side.
He put his hand on her head, but was more sober. "I don't know that the Master Strategist thought we'd be fighting one more. I think he thought we'd just be finishing off the last one. Even with the healing spells, we don't have enough to finish off this one, too."
They looked at the demon again. Luka finally had to agree. "Even with what you've added, we won't have enough." The demon chuckled softly. After all, he could hear them and that was what he wanted them to believe.
Tessal knew her body was still weak, but she shook her head. "Keep us alive as long as you can, Luka. We still have to try." He gave a nod and Tessal crouched down. DongTang's magic swirled around him. They had the demon somewhat distracted by the time Reii and Korin joined them.
When the demon understood their arrival, Kishi-Mujin ate up its fear with her own dark glee. Neither brother hesitated to begin their attacks, although they did send Luka out, back to his body, preventing the great demon from keeping him trapped in the demon realm.
Tessal was able to help Reii and Korin in the way they'd practiced for the last three years, finding it very helpful to have DongTang with them as well. When half of those who'd been in the general's tent arrived with them, that was even better. Luka had told Saburō what they'd discovered in the demon realm.
The demon raged to have so many more capable people attacking it. It called them all weak. Called their efforts pointless because they'd already used up everything they had. Tempted them with rest and sleep if they would just give up already. They all ignored it, even when it was sometimes hard because they needed another healing but the healers had to finish recovering themselves before they could cast another spell.
Tessal was very tired when she stopped by DongTang. "Luka," she asked plaintively, "how much farther?"
"I don't know. I need to be out here to heal you, but I have to be inside there to see the health level of the demon." It wasn't the answer Tessal wanted just then, but she let it pass.
DongTang's hand came down on her shoulder to comfort her at least that much. "Tessal," he said very quietly, "if you are the High Priestess, the goddess can work through you. She's built up enough strength that in a final blow you might be able to finish this. You'll have to sit it out for long enough, though."
Tessal considered it, then acquiesced. She stayed by his side quietly, while meeting the goddess one more time. She faced Kishi-Mujin in her own space and made her desire known.
Kishi-Mujin considered the request solemnly, then accepted it. Tessal's whole being hurt for a while, but the goddess took that pain, too, and whispered comfort to Tessal, helping her hold her desire and wish at the front of her mind until the transformation was completed.
It was terribly uncomfortable to be an Oracle to a goddess as large as Kishi-Mujin was. Particularly since Tessal wasn't in her physical body. Her spirit soul was trying to hold on to emotions it wasn't ever meant to hold. Tessal breathed carefully until she sorted out how to be herself yet also the goddess. Then she was able to take the backseat and let the goddess act within her.
Tessal's desires still spoke, and to some degree still directed her actions. That would be essential for her attacks to work. They were hers after all, not the goddess'.
Tessal observed as Kishi-Mujin watched the health and life of each of the shinobi. She knew when Kishi-Mujin ate up emotions from them. She knew when another demon was dead from feeding itself to her long enough for her to take all the rest of it that was left. And Tessal understood that Kishi-Mujin was waiting until there would be no demons left for the great demon to eat to regain its strength.
It was when the great demon tried to eat a few demons that should have been close to it that it finally realized what was going on. Wide eyes turned to Tessal. She calmly looked back. "What are you?" the demon demanded to know. "Are you also a demon, to eat emotions and other demons?"
Tessal's mouth smiled a cold, mirthless smile. "I was born a demon's demon," Kishi-Mujin said, using Tessal's voice. "I have greatly enjoyed this feast. It has been since the Adventurers fought Adventurers that I've been so well fed."
Kishi-Mujin again ate the demon's fear, which made it even more fearful. "Surely you're strong enough to come stand as queen of demons, then, and not to eat all of us," the demon tempted in the hopes of surviving.
"Why should I debase myself that low?" Kishi-Mujin said and the demon paled, if such a thing could happen. "The Adventurers have already made me so much more than that." She was eating it even more as it reacted with concern and more fear.
Desperately, the great demon reached out to eat the Adventurers in the space. All of them and Kishi-Mujin knew what strength it would gain from that. Tessal's deep anger pushed against that attempt. Kishi-Mujin used her own power to answer to that request, defending the shinobi that were still doggedly attacking the great demon.
"They are my brothers, and the Caretaker is our mother," Kishi-Mujin warned.
"I-it's literal?" the demon asked. "The Adventurers claimed it was by familiar adoption at best. Guild affiliation."
"If you were set on this path by Adventurers, I think you'd best be telling me who, so we can set them straight," Kishi-Mujin said, but Tessal knew that was Saburō's influence. He also was watching from within Kishi-Mujin's space, another small entity like she was but present. The demon, now very desperate to preserve what life it had, immediately complied.
Tessal felt Saburō send those of the clan not necessary to protecting the general out to find the Adventurers who had started this whole thing. They'd deal with them after the demon was dead. The demon was quite angry to have it's siphoning of those Adventurers halted when the shinobi reached them and cut it off from its food source. It fell in strength and health even faster now.
Together, Kishi-Mujin, Tessal, and Saburō watched the demon and calculated. It began to wail, rant, and threaten most horribly. A silencing spell was placed on it. Tessal tasted that magic, then realized it was Surei.
Kishi-Mujin took a portion of her attention (very small compared to the whole) to emote a question to Tessal. She had to take her somewhat larger amount of attention to explain "taste", "figurative taste of magic" and apply it to the sensation that Kishi-Mujin had just experienced for the first time.
Kishi-Mujin was so thrilled with that very small experience and lesson (like the sprite would be), that she blessed Tessal with a small gifting of strengthening, like a happy hug from the sprite. Tessal sighed at her, but gave a small tired smile back.
Kishi-Mujin studied Tessal a bit longer, then emoted at Saburō. Tessal missed, or perhaps wasn't given to know what it had been, but it wasn't too long after that Tessal felt a little better. She assumed he'd told Luka to heal her body again. Holding Kishi-Mujin was taking energy.
"Okay, Tessal," Saburō's voice came to her gently. "I think it's ready for you two. Now that Kishi-Mujin knows how to eat demons, if there's anything left over, she can finish it off."
Tessal gave a nod and got into position, her purification knife appearing in her hand. "Is once enough?" Tessal asked back.
"Yes," Saburō answered.
Tessal focused on her attack, allowing Kishi-Mujin to fill her up, knowing that the goddess' energies were going to be poured into and through the attack. That's how they'd done it for the final battle of the World Tree dungeon. When they were both in sync, Tessal told her body to go.
Tessal swam through that attack, her flight as smooth as if warm water was rippling around her. The power that flashed into the demon, transformed into purification as it passed through her wish and the knife itself, was blinding and lasted for several seconds.
Tessal smiled as Kishi-Mujin sucked up the last remaining tendrils of the demon. She could feel herself falling, then beginning to dissolve in a fuzzy sort of way. The last thing she "heard" was Saburō give the command to the shinobi outside to kill the general, king, and Adventurers who had caused the wars, and who had caused them all having to be born to begin with.
-:-:-:-:-
"Saburō, Tessal's disappearing!" Arin's frantic voice came to Saburō.
Saburō swallowed. "I know. Cast your resurrection spell on her anima."
"I did. It's not enough to hold it here," Arin wasn't holding on very well.
"I've got one going on her spirit in here," Korin said, a bit breathlessly, for having to talk while focusing. "I'm praying for the miracle, but it's like it's hanging by a thread."
"Everyone pray for it, please," Saburō said, his own heart also praying for it to both the Caretaker and Kishi-Mujin. "The demon was feeding on her. Kishi-Mujin didn't recognize it until it was almost too late for us to give her the opportunity for the last blow." The pain resonated in him. He was feeding it to Kishi-Mujin, but she was feeling it all on her own. Neither of them wanted to lose Tessal either.
With a great wish, he requested it of the Caretaker, that she bring Tessal back to them. Kishi-Mujin paid the price as well, all of what she'd already been taking from the shinobi and Saburō. For another goddess to wish something was very powerful in this world.
Hahaue could only be merciful and relent. Saburō held his heart in his mouth. If they'd been too late on any of the resurrection spells, it wouldn't be enough.
-:-:-:-:-
Tessal felt herself go from mostly non-existing, back to fuzzy again. To say she was a pale shadow of herself when she opened her eyes was to be literal. The Caretaker stood in front of her.
"Obäsan, where are we?" she asked, feeling very tired, and very young, as if it were the middle of the night and Tessal had been walking for far too long.
"We're in a space between life and death, Tessal," the Caretaker answered.
"Oh," she said. "So, I died then." It only made sense, really.
"Yes," she was answered. "But it's made everyone very sad. They want to call you back to them."
"Can they?" she almost couldn't care she was so tired.
"It is possible for you to live again, but it must be your choice," she was answered. Tessal only looked at the Caretaker, waiting. There was always a price. "You will have to give up a portion of yourself. It will be a permanent thing you'll give up, even for all the lives you'll continue to live from here on."
Tessal sat down to ponder that, not wanting to use the energy to stay standing any more. She knew that if it had been one of her brothers who'd died, she'd have wanted that, too. She'd wanted it rather desperately when Blake had died. So she could understand that they might want her back, too.
She didn't mind going back to help them not be so sad, but it took a while to decide what she'd be willing to give up. That always had to be considered very carefully, and it was hard to think.
Finally Tessal looked up at the Caretaker. "Take from me the years of my youth on Earth. Up until the catastrophe if you have to, but not that or anything after it."
The Caretaker's ears and tail expressed concern. "You'll forget your parents and their love for you. You'll forget why you love them."
Tessal shook her head. "I'll have your example to remind me. When I remember the memories of my parents of Earth in the in-between, I'll know that they loved me and I loved them because I'll remember that you've loved me the whole time as well."
She could swear she'd made the Caretaker cry, although tears didn't fall from her golden eyes. "Very well," the felinoid head bowed and Tessal slipped away from consciousness again.
When Tessal opened her eyes again, she was lying on the ground on a thin blanket, near where she'd fallen only outside the trap now. A rather large number of faces surrounding her and looking at her relaxed into relief. Korin ran his hand over her head softly while Reii gripped her hand very tightly. She didn't have the strength to grip it back very tightly, but she did her best to press it enough he knew she was living again.
There were hesitant steps coming towards them. Those brothers on the outer edge turned to look until all of them were looking the direction the footsteps were coming from. The footsteps paused and a throat was cleared rather nervously. "Hahaue has agreed to handle taking care of the political fall-out so I don't have to for once, nor any of you, although she reserves the right to call in specific help if she needs it."
That got nods given to the Master Strategist. Tessal wondered that he'd been willing to step outside the Temple of Creation. She didn't know where he lived, but she knew it wasn't here. It might be a long ways from wherever it was.
"I've also had to argue her into a corner to be allowed to come, so I hope you'll hear what I have to say," Saburō requested humbly. Tessal shifted slightly, wanting to see. There were too many brothers between them, though. "Please, allow me to woo your sister until she is willing to become my wife."
Tessal's heart rather stopped. She'd only just come out of the shinobi wood and she was going to have marriage proposed to her? More than several of her brothers agreed with her by their expressions.
Su Dou and DongTang considered Saburō, then spoke silently. They reached an agreement and looked to Abedúl, Boab, and Claus. They spoke with only eyes for a bit, then looked to Korin and Reii, still closest to Tessal.
Korin read their message, then looked down into Tessal's eyes. Since she didn't really know how she felt about it, she just looked back. Reii was more stubborn and looked away from them all, not willing to give up his mother just yet to someone they didn't really know.
Another voice surprised her a little, since she couldn't see anything but brothers and a forest of legs. "Please, Reii, listen to what he has to say. And if she says she'll come, please come with her to our home."
Most of the boys scowled at that. "And what if we say you must come here?" Abedúl demanded.
There was a pause, then a slightly embarrassed, "Please, let me hear what she'll say first," from Saburō.
The forest of legs finally parted on the other side of Korin. Saburō's eyes sought for Tessal's right away. Surei's eyes looked for Reii, but then they'd already been looking at them. It was Reii who finally had looked back to see through the legs he'd not been able to see through either. His hand tightened down on Tessal's, but she still didn't understand. He looked like he was trying to understand a new thing himself.
The two young men walked closer, now they were allowed to. The look on Saburō's face was one Tessal couldn't quite place. Almost a pleading look, mixed with some fear or worry, and something else. Surei's was similar, but directed at Reii.
Saburō folded his long form to kneel next to Tessal, where she could see him. His hands went palm open on top of his knees and he bowed to her briefly. "I'm very glad you were willing to choose to live. Thank you for giving up the sacrifice required to do so," he said kindly. "My heart was also not going to survive if you hadn't. It is a very lonely thing for me to live a life without you in it."
Tessal was still confused, but had her suspicions. He was talking like they all felt when they could feel the adult in them from previous lives. Saburō took a breath, then reached out to gently take her hand in his. The feel made her memories stir, want to break free.
"You have been my strength since the earliest time of the catastrophe. Not just my blade to be protected by, but also my love and my wife. Because I've seen you, I can't let you go without trying again."
Saburō looked down and swallowed. "Each life it is always your choice." His eyes came up to look into hers again. "It is always hard for me, to remember every life. The ones without you are very lonely and make it even harder to be patient when I do manage to find you." Tears filled his eyes. "The last one I searched and searched for you, but was required to meet my obligations without you by my side. It was terribly difficult."
Saburō took a deep breath, trying to recover. "I would come live here with all of you if I could. It would be better than where I am, but I cannot. I am crown prince of the place I live." It was said so sadly that Tessal had a hard time meshing the stunning revelation with the words.
"Please, Akatsuki, come and be my wife again. We will accept any of your brothers that wish to come as well, but Surei would be most grateful if his companion, Reii, would come be with us as well. Even less frequently are the two of them able to meet."
Tessal glanced at Surei and he gave a very sad nod, his face also desperately asking the both of them to come.
Tessal closed her eyes and tried to remember. She remembered the memories she'd been given in the shrine. The ones that had Surei and Katsui in them. "What was the name of the guild?" she asked.
"Log Horizon," Saburō answered quietly.
The memories flooded in. All the holes from that time during the catastrophe, the third world fraction, were filled. All the companionship, hard times and good, returned to Tessal. In that remembering, she was given back the precious memories of falling in love with Shiroe the Archmage the First time.
Her hand tightened down on his, and her heart lept to have his hand in hers again. The touch always had been a sign of warm companionship and understanding, of love returned. Tessal opened her eyes. "I will go," she answered him. Silent tears of relief answered her.
Reii shifted, scowling slightly at Surei. "How do I know you?" he asked. "It's ridiculous to think I'd leave Okäsangwä alone in a strange place, but why should I want to come other than that?"
Surei took a step closer, his look asking for more than he could ask for. "You chased me from here all the way to Earth and then more until I finally relented and allowed you to stay by my side. I have had to pay for that every time we've been reborn, and chase you the few times I've been able to find you.
"All of us Adventurers have the right of choice in every life, because that's what we fought for at the end of the third world fraction. If you will come even only for Tessal's sake, I would be grateful for the chance to show you again who I am to you and who you are to me. But if you can remember even a small amount about Tetorō and when you were Gareth, it would be a blessing."
Reii didn't change much. Surei tried further. "At the end of our time on Earth, we both watched over Tessal, called Akatsuki then. I left first and you cared for each other until it was your turn to go. It will be us again if you'll both come, but with her husband with her instead of us watching over her because he had left first."
Reii stiffened and his eyes went distant as that memory at least came back to him. When the memory let him go, Reii slumped a little. "Very well," he said quietly, "if I grieved for you as much as I just grieved for Okäsangwä, then there is truth to what you say. But," Reii looked around at everyone, "how will we get there?"
Saburō shook his head. "First is going back to the Temple of Creation for everyone so you can all heal. And so that Michael can have his family with him one more time before you leave him and his wife."
Tessal nodded her head wisely. That would be most appropriate. They should say proper farewells to Shikun and Obäsan, and express their gratitude for their efforts to raise them as their own children.
Saburō rose to his feet, then picked Tessal up in a princess carry. He ignored the looks he got from the shinobi men. She was sure it was because he was so desperate to have her close to him again, although if none of her brothers had healed up yet from the battle then likely he was the only one with any strength to do it anyway.
Saburō looked to a space near them, and said, "Michael, Guardian of Theldesia, we're ready to return."
Shikun appeared before them in his embroidered green kimono. He smiled at them, then turned sideways. The space around him wavered and past him they could see a room with tables and chairs, and the faint scent of very yummy foods wafted on the air over to them, to tempt them even more into moving forward.
"Congratulations," Shikun said to Saburō. "Welcome home," he said to the rest. Tessal wanted to give him a hug, but it would have to wait. Saburō was likely going to have to hand feed her at this point. She barely had the strength to keep her eyes open and sleep was almost more tempting than the smells coming to her nose that made her stomach growl.
She blushed a little at Saburō's teasing smile. He kissed her on her forehead, although she knew he'd wanted to kiss her lips. It was respect for the fact she still had things to learn about who they were. "Can you feed yourself?" he asked her.
Tessal shook her head slightly, that being all she had in her, too. "Sorry," she said softly.
"No," Saburō said, love coloring his voice. "I'm happy to help with that." And she knew that he would be even more happy to have the excuse to continue holding her close to him as he fed her. It was going to make her brothers very jealous, but she supposed they should get used to her being married sooner than later.
-:-:-:-:-
Obäsan turned the meal into a wedding celebration, because she was like that. Shikun turned it into a teary farewell, because he was like that. The father of the bride should be, Tessal thought.
They all ate, drank, and partied a very long time, then fell asleep where they were, after their manner, learned from when they were children on the street. They were in their parent's house after all. That was good enough.
Tessal opened her eyes to find it hadn't been good enough for the prince, who was born to soft beds most likely. She was in a bed, with him (a little awkward since she'd fallen asleep before being taken there), his arm holding her closely even in sleep. He was very much like a child who couldn't be parted from a pet that had gone missing for a month.
Tessal could only smile, though, as she slipped out of the bed to hunt for the bathroom. She was glad there was one attached to the bedroom. While she wouldn't mind slipping back into bed with him, there was someone she needed to talk to first.
Silently Tessal slipped out of the bedroom, marking where it was as best she could, not knowing this building. When she nearly tripped over Reii, she was quite surprised. He was sleeping outside the door, curled up on the floor.
Tessal bent down and shook Reii's shoulder until he woke up to look at her blearily. She waited patiently until he'd rubbed his eyes and woken up enough for comprehension.
"You're okay?" Reii asked first.
"Yes," Tessal rubbed his head. "He's only been missing me too much to let me out of his sight. It must be very hard to have to remember every life every time."
Reii looked away, then put his folded arms on his raised knees and pouted, putting his chin in his arms. She laughed at him quietly. "It's not like you haven't slept with Korin in the other bedroom for the last three years, and everyone else before then," she scolded him. Reii had been moved out of Tessal's room when Obäsan had decided he was too old to be sleeping with Tessal. They'd both moved into the main house when it had been just the five of them left in the whole wood.
"Still," he pouted. Tessal pointed beyond him. Reii turned to look over at Surei, also curled up on the floor, a hand still holding on to Reii's long shirt.
Reii gave Surei a slightly irritated look, then he sighed and brushed a light hand over Surei's head, as if to soothe away the worried look still on Surei's face. "Was he a younger brother to you then?" Tessal asked, not knowing why they'd been companions, not having been given to remember that.
"Sometimes it seems like that, when I go chasing the feeling down," Reii admitted. "Sometimes it's something ...more." He looked back up at Tessal, "But I'm not ready to discover that yet. It's odd enough to face that anything is missing in my life, having had the whole of the clan to be my family until now."
Tessal sat down with him. "I'm in the same place," she admitted. "I wasn't ready to already be fighting the demon king and now even more not ready to find I'm asked to be a bride so quickly. That really wasn't even on my mind at all."
"But you're okay with it?" Reii asked, puzzled.
Tessal shrugged. "I got so many memories back that it was very hard to say no. It's going to take some time to adjust and settle. I think he's going to have to work hard regardless." She made herself sad with that, though. "Only a few of us had memories from early, and most of us didn't get any until we were sent to the shrine. It's not like we have the practice Josey had at just believing them without question."
She pondered on that, then said, "And even he had a hard time believing our words sometimes when he'd ask us what he'd seen." She looked away into her thoughts. "Shikun and Obäsan said that this was probably the first time we'd been reborn, at least in this way, although maybe not. But the way Saburō and Surei talked, it maybe isn't."
She sighed and rested her chin on a raised knee. "I don't know if it matters, but somehow I think I'd like to know. Or at least know why we weren't allowed to remember very much this time."
"Because the Eagles all as one group are dangerous." They both turned to look into Surei's open eyes. He was sober, and not seeing them. His eyes were looking deeply into his memories. "To be a shinobi clan from the beginning is even worse. It was necessary that everyone be very limited so that they didn't become the destruction that the Inari fear."
He paused, then blinked and looked at them. "This was the first time for all of you to be born together and gathered in one place. I don't know what they've learned from this time, but I suspect they won't bring all of you together again like this in the future. Then you'll be allowed to remember more earlier. I assume."
"How do you know of us from before?" Reii asked.
"The Eagles were a sub-guild of Log Horizon for about a year while they and we protected Hahaue until we could obtain our prize of returning home to Earth. We lived together then. Only the truce between Hahaue, Michael, and the Archmage kept us all from killing each other. That and our common goal.
"As long as we continue to have common goals, we can work together. If the Eagles, or any portion of them, decide to have goals against peace between all creatures, they will destroy that peace."
Surei sighed and sat up, rubbing his head. "Honestly, I think the Inari don't understand the Eagles even still. Yes there are some of you who are chaotic, but all of you chose to serve from the beginning because you desired peace, and to protect the right of all creatures to have that peace. The Inari are afraid of chaos. It's the chaos of Adventurers that nearly destroyed Theldesia at the third world fraction. So they control the chaos even in all of you to prevent it from happening again."
Tessal tipped her head in thought. "Surei, do you also remember everything?"
Surei blushed. "Well, I'm considered part of the chaos troubles as well. And usually I am until Hahaue's taught me enough about myself to prove it to me. Then I calm down and have the self control I should have, and they let me have most of the rest of the memories. I need a lot of them to be able to really be the Programmer. Hahaue is very good, but I'm better and she needs that support."
Surei scowled a little. "They keep a lot of them hidden away, though, until I'm really for sure needed as a Programmer. I'm too dangerous as that if I'm not really needed in the end."
Reii chuckled a little and patted Surei's close hand. "Thus why you're upset generally that they even lock us down. Likely we are really too chaotic until we've learned our lessons as well. Except Korin."
Both Tessal and Surei nodded to that one. They raised an eyebrow at him. "Ah...he's always been the pacifist to bring the chaos back into alignment with reason," Surei explained.
"Just how many times?" Tessal demanded to know, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Several small ones," Surei answered a little reluctantly. "Mostly confined to small regions and areas. The last one was in Akiba and Yamato, where we began in the third world fraction. That was the one where the Archmage was made king, against his own better judgement. Since he has to be reborn as a son to the same family, he'll be back there again for a while, and really isn't happy about it."
Surei waved a hand to dismiss it. "This is the first time all together, however, because this is the first time for the whole world to be affected."
"We only fought here, in our region?" Reii asked.
"Yes, until the very end," Surei was dryly knowing. "The demon king you fought in the general's tent was the strongest of those who'd been sent out into the world by the last one we faced in the demon realm. Most of the Adventurers who are reborn to help the Archmage took out the others before we called you in. Saburō needed to focus on one demon king at a time."
"I would think so," Tessal agreed, wide-eyed. "But even Obäsan didn't know it was demons at the first."
"No," Surei agreed. "As soon as she did understand it, she was able to see their movements elsewhere and keep watch over them." Surei sighed. "Really, it's all very convoluted, but somehow it all managed to work out. Only the Archmage can do that. That's why he's born rather frequently, and has to remember it all."
His eyes came softly onto Tessal. "I'm glad he can be rewarded with finding you this time. It was very hard to help him find relief from his depression last time." He looked away. "I'm born nearly as frequently as he is, as are a few others, just in case all of us are needed again. It's good most of the time we aren't, but sometimes those are the harder lives to live."
"How many?" Tessal asked quietly.
Surei looked at her, then finally shook his head. "You'll remember if you're allowed to remember. ...It's honestly easier to live as close to normally as possible without so many memories intruding." His look went to one of regret, as if he'd far rather be remembering fewer things himself, but then he'd already said it.
Reii's hand reached out and Surei took it. He then gave Reii a grateful, if slightly timid look. Surei was able to relax because of the physical comforting contact, though, and put his chin on his knees. His eyes kept wanting to close soon after that.
Tessal smiled. Surei seemed to be very similar to Reii, actually, except more honest. "Reii," she said softly as Surei's eyes closed for what looked like the last time as he drifted back to sleeping. Reii reached for her hand and she let him hold it. "I really think it will be okay."
Tessal smiled a little. "When Korin looked at me, he was asking me what I wanted to do. I couldn't answer him then, because I needed to have Saburō talk to me first. But he didn't say not to, nor protest. Not to either one of us. And he was happy tonight, not worried. We should ask him if he'll come with us, too, but I think he was told it was okay if it was what we wanted."
Reii pondered that, then finally relented and gave a small nod. "Okay," he answered simply. His own eyes were beginning to close now, too.
Tessal stood up, rubbed his head, and left a kiss behind on top of it as she re-entered Saburō's room. Saburō was waiting for her, sitting up in the bed. "Is it okay?" he asked quietly.
Tessal had to take a breath for courage, but it helped that he held out his hand for her, inviting her back, asking for her to come again. "Reii will be okay now," she said, and sat on the bed after taking Saburō's fingers. She looked into his eyes. "It will take me a bit longer, I think, to get used to this."
Saburō took his own breath, but gave a nod. "I know. I'm sorry."
The awkwardness and the desire to help her husband from before warred within Tessal and she sighed. "However, I get the sense I've had to do this before - a lot."
Saburō blushed. "Well, yes, actually. Although mostly at the first. Sometimes you get enough memories to not have it be quite so awkward." He then went very dry. "And sometimes I have to work very hard to win you all over again without any memories to help. Those are very hard times."
"The times I've already been born are starting to pile up," Tessal accused.
Saburō looked away and had to purse his lips. Then he sighed. "Well, I'm grateful it's been more often than not so far, myself. If you can have less of a burden to carry than I, then I really shouldn't complain."
Tessal blinked, then said, "Well, I'd have to agree with that. I've always thought it must be a very large burden for you, ever since Obäsan told us you had to remember everything. We all thought that way too difficult."
Saburō gave her a small, sad sort of smile, then pulled her into his arms to hold her. When he found the courage to kiss her on her lips like he'd been wanting to do this whole time, she patiently let him.
It was just as sweet a first kiss as their First kiss had been, but this time she was a little more familiar with it, so didn't blush quite so badly as then. He didn't blush at all - until he stopped kissing her and realized what he'd done. Then she laughed at him.