[DISCLAIMER: This story is based on Hololive characters – not the real people who play those characters.

Thank you for reading and the review.]

Chapter Ten

Maybe 15 mins passed, as they watched the cat-girl on the table. Lamy had pulled up a chair for Korone to sit beside her, holding her hand, and waiting impatiently.

Lamy stood on the other side, using her healing abilities in coordination with the mixture Pekora had given Okayu.

Botan was armed, continually listening and watching if anything was about to enter, and keeping an eye on what was happening outside the room.

Okayu's eyes opened slowly, and she glanced to Korone, and then across to the others and then back to Korone.

"Koro…san?"

"Okayu?"

Korone leapt from her seat before Okayu could say another word, smothering Okayu in a hug. Kissing her cheeks, her forehead, and then pulling back, tears drenching her cheeks.

Okayu snickered, "Yeesh, you'd think I'd come back from the dead."

"You… kind of did – Peko."

"Pekora?" Okayu slowly sat up, but Korone grabbed around her, helping her to sitting, as she swung her legs around to sit up on the edge of the table.

Lamy stepped back and away, walking back to Botan who had also neared. "Nice having you back, cat."

"Thanks."

They were all watching Okayu closely. It made her giggle uncomfortably again.

"Okay, I really do feel like I came back from the dead." She rubbed at her head, feeling hungover. Korone was crying, and when she saw her eyes, she lifted her hand to wipe the tears. "I'm okay, Korosan."

And then the doggo smothered her in a hug once again.

Okayu didn't mind, she realized she did feel she was about to leave the world of the present. She had been having wild dreams and mostly seeing the forest outside, and then she thought she saw a dark tunnel underneath them.

"I was having… the weirdest dreams," Okayu said quietly. "Korosan, you okay?"

Korone pulled back. "Yeah, I hadn't been for a while, but Pekora saved my life."

"She did?"

Okayu glanced over to the rabbit. Who proudly stated, "Well, I kind of saved your life too – Peko. But it was thanks to Korone's senses we got to you in time."

The two old friends laughed, meeting one another's gaze. "Thanks, Pekora."

Okayu had read through quite a bit of her notes. She knew what Pekora had been doing recently and she desperately wanted to question her about it, and ask how to stop it.

And then, Korone shared what had happened when she first arrived to MoonaTech and what happened to the film crew, and Mr. Tawa, or whatever, she said, and that she almost died and was attacked, and Okayu held her hand realizing she had been through so much.

Okayu stood up, looking over to Botan. "What should we do now?"

"We need to head to the center – Peko." The Chairman cut in, as all looked to her.

"Are you crazy?" Botan inserted, troubled by Pekora wanting to go further into a den of demons. "We need to leave now that we have you two, and get to the town and warn them. They have no idea what might be coming. They aren't prepared for those things."

"You don't understand, officer."

"It's Sheriff."

"Doesn't matter – Peko. We have to close the Hell Realm that they opened."

"What do you mean they opened the Hell Realm?" Botan was beside herself. "What the heck did you do?"

"My experiments – regardless of your views on ethics – have great potential if handled properly. I didn't open Hell Realm. They did."

"Why is it all evil scientists are the same? Who are they?"

"Sheriff," Pekora corrected, "I realize someone like you…"

"… like me?"

"A brut." Pekora waved her off. "Peko… peko… peko."

Lamy held to Botan's arm, both to comfort her, but also to hold her back.

Okayu was laughing suddenly. They all turned to her.

"Pekora, you never change," she kept laughing. "Always ticking someone off." She held to her stomach, and Korone's arm was instantly around her.

"I'm cool." Okayu waved them off, but Korone kept her arm around her.

"If I read correctly, your notes?"

Pekora nodded.

"You came up with something that enhances the antibodies to fight infection, but they used the antibody strengthening agent on demons, and also opened the Hell Realm to pull out something that's down there – something ancient and alien that wasn't supposed to be brought up. They did that without you knowing. The thing is all those things that were bred around that alien thing also came up. And your experiments, interacted oddly with the… that thing."

"Peko." The rabbit nodded. "My cure does work, and I knew you'd be smart enough to figure things out."

"So," Okayu bowled over.

All concerned, gathered near the cat.

"She will be fine – Peko." Pekora pulled out her medical bag. "Please let me examine you quickly, Okayu?"

"Is she safe?" Botan asked.

"No, it takes time," Korone added, but then to the Chairman. "Right, Pekora?"

Pekora nodded, and then said, "Please, Okayu? We go way back, right? Do you trust me?"

"Not always…" she chuckled. "You're crazy, but brilliant, so sure."

"Well – Peko – didn't need the added crazy tag."

Okayu sat down on the chair, and then Pekora brought over the penlight, checking her eyes, and used her stethoscope. Okayu always had a fast and strong heartbeat.

"It seems your fast metabolism is simply processing this so quickly, its probably causing some discomfort. You'll be fine. Just rest and probably let Lamy heal you a bit more- Peko."

Botan watched and didn't trust the Chairman.

"First off, Chairman…"

"Please call me Pekora."

"Whatever - if you created something to enhance antibodies, of course it had an adverse effect. You can't enhance antibodies in a normal creature because you get a mutation, of which, mutations are never better or enhanced because of entropy. How could you think that would work?"

"Exactly – Peko!" She was impressed. "Maybe you're not such a brut."

Botan sighed loudly, at how this bunny continued to speak down to her.

"And the entropy had to be curbed – Peko - and that is what I was able to create thanks to Korochan's enhanced blood and mixture of purifying the serum."

"You used Korosan's blood?" Okayu asked.

"I had to, because she is a god."

"A what?!" It was Korone who asked, surprised.

"Yes, you have been one of the few gods born on this land. It's something prevalent on Holios. Did none of you read the historical files of Holios?"

Pekora smugly searched the others faces for some clue, until Lamy spoke up.

"I knew. Our Snow Elves know and we've always known. It is why we are in the Northern Realm and the Fire Elves are in the Southern Realm. We are somewhat guardians." Lamy spoke quietly, almost embarrassed to be speaking and sharing out loud, but she continued since all were so attentive. "It is ancient history now, but Holios came out of the ground before time, born of fire and ice – volcanic birth. Because of this, the Elves consider it holy; thus, it was named, Holios, a derivative of Greek and Latin wording."

All stared at Lamy, mostly Botan, and she continued. "It's such ancient history. We don't really talk about it. It was passed down from tale to tale, and so there is no record. Only the elders repeat the tale. It's so that nowadays the younger Elves and such, don't really believe the tales."

"I learned about this in the Demon Realm – Peko."

"It's the oldest Realm, and some residents of Joshua Village are from there, but the bloodlines have thinned out greatly."

"Why me?" Korone asked.

"Only child - Peko. No other siblings. No other cousins or family. Your bloodline is very pure, and I'm sure they found that out."

"I knew she was special," Okayu smiled, still being held around by the doggo who was blushing.

"There are a few gods around – Peko. Korone was easiest to find and they lied about a story to get her to come to MoonaTech. That is my guess as to why she was here." Pekora then thought over if she was being played by Moona. Always think two or three steps ahead, she whispered to herself. The realization began to plague her thoughts. Was she being played by the brilliant Dr. Hoshinova?

The others were talking amongst themselves as she considered the last two weeks.

"Would you happen to have a phone or something that works to call down the mountain, Chairman?" Botan asked.

"Um, yes." She pulled out a phone. "And please, call me Pekora."

"You had a phone all this time?!" Korone nearly shrieked.

"Yes – Peko. You never asked."

"We could have warned Okayu not to come. You put these three in danger by not telling me you had a phone."

"No, I didn't. I wanted them to come."

Botan grabbed the bunny roughly by her collar holding her up and off the ground. "That's it!"

"Wait," Pekora cried, "I can explain."

"You put me, Lamy, Okayu all in danger. You can't keep playing with others in your little god game."

"I'm not."

Lamy held to Botan's arm. She finally released the bunny.

"Look, this is very dangerous. I knew Okayu could help. And bringing someone like you worked out perfectly, but then I knew that when I had my office call you to come with her. I wouldn't have put you in danger if I didn't consider your ability to handle a dire situation. You're the best Sheriff they hired – your experience…."

"You knew I was a Sheriff too?"

"Well…" she snickered.

"My wife nearly died, Pekora." Lamy had a sweetness when she spoke that did cause Pekora to feel guilty, and instantly stopped her mid-laughter.

"I'm sorry." Pekora glanced across the others. "I need your help. I can't fight them. They are too powerful. I needed a good team to fight them."

"I can handle it," Korone spoke up. "You all should head down the mountain and I'll go take them all out."

"When did you get such bravado, hon?"

"I'm kind of a powerful god now."

"Nothing is infallible, but you are close – Peko."

"Will Okayu be strong too now, since she had that shot?"

"Not really. She was given the serum, it's different. It means she will be immune from changing like me, but that's all. I'll…" she looked to Lamy, "I can also give the serum to you and the Sheriff, and then we can make sure not to change into the others."

"But we can still die," Botan stated.

"Well, yes. That's always a possibility in life – Peko."

"You are basically asking us all to follow you to the center of MoonaTech to close this Hell Realm, and then take all those things on?"

Pekora nodded.

"Are you crazy?"

"Some… say that." She glanced to Okayu, who laughed again.

Lamy spoke up, holding tightly to Botan's hand in assurance as she spoke. "I think… we are the only hope for them – all of Holios. Our friends. Our neighbors. We need to do this, even if it costs our life. It has to be done."

"I…" Botan held around Lamy's shoulders staring into her eyes, "I… can't. I can't risk losing you."

"Then we'll have to make sure we fight them well. I'm still a Snow Elf. I rarely use my skills, but I can handle a bow and arrow very well. We all are taught when we're young."

"I happen to have an extra cross bow," Pekora offered. "Will that work?"

"You all have lost your minds," Botan spoke. "Give me your phone Chairman. I'm going to call back up and advise my deputies what might be headed their way."

"Certainly, Sheriff."

Pekora dug through her bag and pulled out a small black satellite phone.

Korone growled.

"Sorry… Korochan."

Okayu held to Korone's hand. "Pekora always has a reason for everything she does. And so, you sent me that message two weeks ago and had them place a call to Shishiro, all in hopes to get back up for what you were about to do."

Pekora nodded.

"Were you planning on dying here?"

"I never plan on dying – Peko. But I knew it could very possibly be a suicide mission. But… this is on me and I never shy from my responsibility. All of those creations. Everything. I realize it was my original desire to change the world. Instead, I'm about to destroy the world."

"You just don't mind pulling others into your suicide missions?" Botan asked, still upset at the possibility of losing her wife, and herself. She hated having to fight demons once again. She was never afraid for herself, but couldn't believe Lamy would be pulled into this battle.

"There was…" Pekora sighed loudly, her eyes lowering. "when I saw Korochan, who surprised me, I knew that maybe it didn't have to be a suicide mission. Honestly… I have goddess blood in me too – Usagi are god's where I'm originally from - Peko, and I was considering using myself. But then… Korochan would have died if I didn't use her. I just had to make sure that last ingredient was finished, and it was there in the lab, and she was also there. I was about to use it on myself." She began to repeat, "Peko… peko… peko." And then a tear fell from her eye. "I didn't mean for all of this, but then those alien creatures were working all this time here. Miko knew. She warned me… and I didn't listen."

"Yes, you never listen to me."

They all turned, and there standing was Sakura Miko. She was breathing hard, having come from underground. Having entered through the sewer underneath the bathroom at the back.

"But I'm here now, and we need to close Hell Realm."

Pekora eyes were thick with tears. Miko walked up to her. "You always were such a cry baby when we were growing up."

"Mikochi. Peko… peko… peko."

Sakura Miko wrapped her arms around Pekora, pulled back, and then slapped her hard. "Baka."

"Ouch – Peko!"

"You are an idiot!"

"How dare you hit me!"

"You deserve it."

"But you can't just hit me?!"

"I can hit you all I want."

"What happened to you, by the way?" Pekora touched at her wound on her arm.

"Met a very powerful Suisei who is has been possessed by the Ancients under Holios. She even speaks their language."

"Ah – Peko. I never liked her company."

Okayu giggled, "They're good friends."

Korone laughed with her. "I can see that. Hi Mikochi!"

"Oh hey – long time no see, Korone." She greeted the others there, sharing the story of her fight with Hoshimachi Suisei. "Glad to see you're okay."

Now they just had to construct a plan to head to the center of MoonaTech and close the Hell Realm.

[END NOTE: Thank you for reading. This chapter had a lot of talking, and yeah, how did Miko get there? Good question. Deus Ex Machina is my guess.

A brief commentary (that you can read if you like) because of a review: I have four ongoing Hololive stories. They were all started because I had an idea and just wanted to enjoy the story in my brain. I tend to wing my stories, but this one actually has a loosely followed outline, and I wrote an alien language for, and so I feel a bit more invested to finish. The same with Lonely Dr. Watson….

So, thank you for your comment/review Chou ShinYu. I promise this story will be finished simply because you asked and took time out of your day to ask, and so thank you.]