Chapter 26: Steamy Situations
"Hey, you two aren't planning to peep on us poor girls are you?" Urd asked as she strolled down the hallway to see Kibou and Kioshi near the bath entrances.
Kibou only gave her the coldest of glares that not even the springs could melt. "Take Kioshi into the women's bath with you." He said simply and gave Kioshi a little nudge to her. "The nymphs are most likely waiting in the men's bath, so Kioshi will be safer if he goes in with you."
"Right, you've been putting some serious thought into this haven't you?" Urd asked with a smile, though it quickly vanished when she saw the irritation that suddenly filled Kibou's entire aura.
"You HAVEN'T!?" He roared angrily.
"Onee… I mean, Onii-san, will you be okay?" Kioshi asked worriedly.
Kibou looked down at him, feeling a calm spread through his body as he mussed Kioshi's hair. "I'll be fine, now go on!" he smiled.
Kioshi nodded and held Urd's hand as they walked to the springs.
As they did, Aoi came strolling down the hall with a kimono for Kibou in her hands. "Kibou-san! I have a nice clean kimono for you!" She smiled and handed it to him.
"Oh, well thank you very much." He took it from her and turned around. "So nervous! Or am I scared!? Which one is it!?" His normally feminine voice asked in his head.
"Um, Kibou-san?" Aoi looked at him nervously. "When will you be taking your bath?"
"Huh? Oh, right now I guess." He looked back at her. "But you know…"
"Eh?"
"Well… what if what your father said was true? I kinda over heard him earlier about the whole blue nymph thing." He said, and then turned to face her.
"No! It's one hundred percent okay!" Aoi quickly objected. "Father is just a little senile, that's all!"
"Really?" Kibou raised a brow.
"R… Really…" She nodded, though she felt guilt within her heart from the look he was giving her.
"I hope so…" He sighed as he walked towards his room. "You see… if he was telling the truth, then it'd be harder for your parents to bring people to the springs… and their dream may crumble to the ground…"
Aoi's eyes widened a little.
"But since you say there's no such things as nymphs I'll just have to trust you!!" he smiled brightly then went to go change. "I'm in for a nice bath!"
Aoi smiled slightly, though she felt somewhat guilty. "I better get ready for my bath too." She thought to herself as she headed towards the spring doors.
"Aoi?"
"EH!?" She jumped in place.
The hostess came up to her and patted her shoulders. "You've worked so hard today, come, I've begun to prepare meals for our guests, why don't you sample it for me and tell me how delicious it is?"
She looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay, I'll be in the kitchen in just a sec."
"Wonderful!"
When Kibou went into his room, he found Nauthiz sitting on the floor, polishing one of his battle axes with a nearly insane look in his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Preparing for battle!" He quickly answered, and looked up at Kibou with a twisted grin. "These nymphs shall pay for their adulterous crimes! I, Nauthiz god –"
His demented intro was cut short when Kibou slapped some sense back into him. "Nauthiz, you can't go in there and kill them… it goes against your principles. They're not evil, just… easily interested."
Nauthiz dropped his weapon and bowed humbly. "I… I can't apologize enough! Mr. Kibou! Please forgive my cowardice!" He bowed humbly, making Kibou sweat drop.
"Hey, it's okay." He smiled. "I mean you're only…EEP!" His eyes widened, suddenly his voice was higher.
"Eep?" Nauthiz looked up at him with a raised brow.
Kibou blushed and turned around.
"What's wrong?" Nauthiz got to his feet while Kibou unzipped his pants and looked down.
"Um…" He said in a still light, now feminine voice as he zipped his pants up. "I uh… lack the major definition of being a male…"
"Eh…. EH!?" He panicked.
"I'm turning back into a girl…" He gulped nervously.
"Miss Kibou! If you turn back into a goddess in the springs the nymphs will…" Nauthiz warned.
"I don't know; If it comes to that I'll have to find some way to settle those nymphs being who I am." Kibou said in a forced manly tone. "… Minus the hacking and slashing."
Nauthiz sweat dropped back at the thing he wasn't quite sure was a Miss or Mister. "…I shall protect you should something happen."
Kibou smiled happily and gave him a hug. "Thanks Nauthiz! You're so noble even when you're scared!"
Nauthiz sighed; the blue of fear on his cheeks was painfully visible. "You flatter me."
Akina slid open the door with a towel in hand. "Hey you two ready for a…dip…" Her eyes widened.
It was then that Kibou and Nauthiz felt awkward.
"Both guys… huh?" Akina growled as flames started to flicker around her.
"A… Akina! Please don't rush to conclusions; it's not what it seems!" Nauthiz panicked.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Aoi couldn't help but look over her shoulder, wondering if Kibou had left his room to take a bath yet.
"Aoi-chan?"
"Eh?" Aoi looked over at the hostess only to have a bite of rice put in her mouth.
"How is it?" She asked happily.
Aoi didn't know for she'd never eaten this sort of food before.
"Well? Chew."
Aoi quickly started chewing the food.
"Well?"
"Ith…"
"Swallow, don't talk with your mouth full."
Aoi swallowed the small bite and looked up at her innocently. "That was…Good!"
Her eyes lit up. "Can I have some more please!?"
"I don't see why not, I've cooked enough to feed a small army!" Haru laughed as she scooped Aoi a bowl of rice and handed it to her, pleased that Aoi was enjoying it so much. "I do hope that the Morisatos enjoy their food, and their stay."
Aoi looked up at her from her feasting with a bit of rice on the side of her mouth. "Eh?"
"Oh, don't mind my blabbing but," She rubbed the counter of the kitchen gently and smiled. "I always thought that this resort would only be a dream… and now it's slowly becoming a reality."
Aoi's nose cringed slightly. "Yeah right, you're only using my home for your own profit!" She thought bitterly to herself, though it made her heart ache.
"I must tell you something Aoi…"
"Yeth?"
"The only reason your father went in on building this resort with me, was only to make a profit for you and your brothers and sisters but… I mostly wanted it for my own dream…"
"Eh?" Aoi swallowed another bite. "What dream?"
Haru had a nostalgic look in her eyes. "This forest… it's enchanted… I just know it is." She rubbed her elbows. "When I was a little girl, your grandfather took me camping around this area. Oh, I had so much fun, I still believe to this day that I saw magical creatures… but the ones I remember most, were indeed those blue nymphs your father has been ranting about."
Aoi started to choke; quickly she beat her chest and stared at the hostess wide eyed. "EH!?"
"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you." She quickly shook her hands and patted her on the back.
"No, no! I'm fine, please go on!" Aoi coughed.
"… Alright then, well…" She smiled. "You see Aoi, at one point of my life, I was confined to a wheel chair and crutches, my ankles were terribly weak and I couldn't support myself on them… but when I was passing by these very springs, my chair tilted and I fell into the water." She looked down at her old feet and wiggled her toes. "I thought I would drown, I couldn't swim but then… well I saw these little blue nymphs, they barely touched my ankles and suddenly I could move them, I could kick my feet and I was able to stand up out of the water." She looked over at Aoi happily. "Those little nymphs gave me the ability to stand, they healed me. So I pray that they still have gentle hearts, and will heal people like me… this spring isn't so much a resort as it is a place of healing."
Aoi felt terrible, straight down to the core. "That little girl back then… it was her…"
Meanwhile out in the Women's bath...
"Can I jump in?" Kioshi stared at the water eagerly.
"Yes, just don't splash anyone." Belldandy smiled.
"YEAAAH! One! Two! Three!" Kioshi jumped as high as he could and made a small splash.
Akina sat to herself in the corner of the spring, she felt bad for feeling so protective over Nauthiz, and being so untrusting of Hope, especially when she went to the length of turning herself into a boy. "I should apologize to them…."
"AUNT URD!!!" Kibou's voice shouted out.
"WHOA!" Urd's eyes widened, when she heard that tone in someone's voice after they took one of her potions she knew to come running.
"What's up?" Akina stared around blankly.
"I knew that one of her crazy pills or whatever would mess up somebody's life someday." Skuld grimaced as Kioshi and Belldandy looked on worriedly.
"I hope that… he is okay." She looked around, she felt the blue nymphs' presence, but they didn't seem to have evil auras… at least not at the moment.
"I'm sure Onii-sama is! He's the best magical… boy there is!" Kioshi cheered.
Akina smiled slightly. "Yeah, SHE is…" She thought to herself.
Urd re adjusted her towel as she came into the changing room and saw Kibou with a distressed look on his face. "What's seems to be the problem."
Kibou sang a note, making his Aunt's eyes widened.
"Wow, you should join the boy's choir!" Urd clapped her hands.
"I'm turning back into a goddess Aunt Urd!" Kibou whispered, harshly. "If I turn back when I go take my bath I'm going to face a ton of angry nymphs!"
"Relax, relax, I thought something like this would happen…it is an experimental drug after all…"
"What do I do!?"
Urd thought then snapped her fingers, a brown carbonated ampoule appeared in her hand and she held it out to Kibou. "When you take your bath, drink this, it should solve your problem."
"It won't make me into a guy permanently will it?" He sweat dropped.
"No, here." Urd dropped it in his hands. "I'm going back in now, remember, don't take that until you take a bath."
"Okay." Kibou nodded.
"Oh! That reminds me; make sure Nauthiz drinks a watered down coke or something before he goes in too, okay? It might help loosen his nerves." Urd added.
"Okay Dr. Urd." Kibou smiled as he walked out of the changing room.
"Was that sarcasm in his girly voice?" She thought then grinned evilly. "Hmm! Well, he should always ask about his medication when he receives it…"
Aoi knew there was something she had to do, but she couldn't pull herself out of the kitchen. She felt so happy to be around Haru now, maybe she could even start calling her Mother whole heartedly. "She was such a good girl back then, we could tell… that's why we used our magic to help her out… and, Kibou was right, if we come out after him and Nauthiz, we'll ruin Mother's business…" She thought to herself then looked up at Haru as she still cooked. "Mother I…"
"Oh, bear with me and try this one last thing." She held up a big cut of salmon.
"Fi…FISH!" Aoi's eyes sparkled. "A nymph's favorite dish!"
"What was that Aoi?"
"Nothing! Gimme! Gimme!"
Kibou took a coke and a bottle of water out of Urd's bag, curious as to why she would pack such things but they were running on short time so he couldn't really think into it. "Nauthiz…" He poured three fourths of the glass with coke and one fourth with water. "Drink this."
"Yes Miss Kibou." He nodded. Anything to settle his shot nerves. He threw his head back and guzzled down the glass until it was empty.
"WHOA! Nauthiz go! You should challenge Aunt Urd to a sake drink off!" Kibou applauded, until she noticed the extremely mellowed out looked on his face. "Nauthiz?"
He looked at Kibou in a daze and smiled. "Hmm?"
"You okay?"
Nauthiz nodded, then hiccupped.
"You're drunk aren't you?"
"Yup!"
Kibou stared at him for a minute, not sure to curse Urd or not. "Well… at least you're mellowed out. Now I don't have to worry about you pulling out your axe and going crazy out there."
Nauthiz shook his head. "Nope!"
"Alright…" Kibou helped him to his feet and led him out of the room and to the men's changing room. "I wonder where Aoi is."
Meanwhile Aoi was singing happily about all the types of fish she loved…
"Oh well, I'll just save this ampoule for when I really start feeling like a girl." Kibou said as he took off his kimono and put on a towel. "Nauthiz are you… ready?" He vanished from the spot he was standing.
"Ready Miss Kibou!" Nauthiz had completely dropped all of his clothes and headed out towards the spring.
"AAAH! Nauthiz! Wait!" Kibou grabbed an extra towel and ran after him. "You can't bathe out here naked! Those nymphs will go crazy!" He covered his eyes and handed a towel out to the drunken god.
"It… It's okay… okay?" He asked as he took the towel and tied it around his waste. "Ooh look, pretty ladies…" He pointed at the spring.
"Eh…" Kibou's eyes widened, the men's bath was completely lined with women with blue hair and blue eyes like Aoi's. "Uh… I thought nymphs were supposed to be tiny…"
"Yeah, maybe they had to make themselves bigger because of something…" Nauthiz hiccupped again.
"Hi boys… why don't you come in? The water's fine…" One of the nymphs said in a sultry way.
"I'll wash your back."
"I'll let you wash mine."
Nauthiz stood there, his drunken glare hardened. "N… no… Miss Akina."
Kibou smiled, even in his state Nauthiz's heart still belonged to her.
"Oh forget her… she's not the kind of woman you need!" Another nymph added eager to get them both into the spring.
"Sisters… why isn't the other boy blushing?" Another nymph whispered.
"I'm not sure…"
"They're onto me…" Kibou thought and pulled the ampoule out of her towel.
"Hey honey…" one of the nymphs grabbed his ankle and pulled him into the bath.
"WHAAH!" Kibou was submerged for a moment then found he was submerged with nymphs. "Eee! Look I don't really swing this way… Ehehe!"
"Such a feminine voice you have, are you frightened of us?" One asked as she caressed his chin.
"EEEP! TYR!!" Kibou cried out instinctively.
Suddenly, the springs began to rumble and from a pillar of water emerged an enraged demon. "HOPE! Who dares to bring harm to my… ah?" He stared at Kibou and the nymphs blankly.
"Hi Tyr…" Kibou sweat dropped.
"Urd…" Tyr growled with fiery breath and noticed the look on all the nymphs faces.
"He's even more handsome! Aoi said nothing about him! She must have wanted to keep the golden man to herself!"
Kibou and Tyr's eyes widened. "Keep your hands off my man!" Kibou growled and popped the lid off of the ampoule and chugged down the potion. "Ah… my body…" He felt his structure morphing and become smaller. "That was… a cure…" Kibou's feminine voice now matched with Hope's feminine body. "I'm a girl again!" She smiled happily, though then, everything became distorted. "Eh… wait… the carbonation…. And the hot taste…." She hiccupped. "That was Sake/Coke!"
All the nymphs stared in shock, that once handsome man was now a woman!!
"Oh… My … god…" Tyr stared wide eyed.
These outside events had no effect on Hope, she wasn't even bothered that she was only wearing a towel around her waist, she actually felt, pretty happy. "Hmm, y'know what? I'm gonna kill Aunt Urd as soon as I'm sober…hic!"
Nauthiz stared at her blankly and clapped his hands with a dull smile. "Hehe… good for you Miss Hope, you do that."
"Thanks Nauthiz, you're so swee… hic… sweet…" Hope giggled then looked at the nymphs. "Now listen here… ya'll need to stop tryin' to seduce men… s'not right…" She shook a finger at them. "Should share these springs… okay?"
"I think not! And these two men are ours from now on!" They pointed at Tyr and Nauthiz.
"EH!?" Tyr's eyes bulged out of his head. "WAIT UP! Who's rescuing who!? Hope why were you a guy!? Why are you drunk!? And who the hell are all these women!?!" he shook his fist in a panicked demanding manner.
"Oh, hi Tyr!" Hope smiled. "Tyr these are the blue nymphs, blue nymphs this is my boyfriend Tyr… say hi!"
"She's completely inebriated, from only one ampoule…" Tyr's right eye twitched.
Suddenly the nymphs were captivated. "Satyr!?"
"Satyr?" Tyr repeated.
Nauthiz hiccupped and smiled. "Satyr, a man with goat horns, legs, ears… Tyr kinda looks like one when he's mad…"
"YOU CALLIN ME A GOAT!?" Tyr's eyes flamed and his nostrils flared.
"A SATYR!! Forget the other man let us have this one!" One nymph glomped onto his back.
"He is wild and pleasant to the eye! The nymphs of the forest will be jealous!"
Tyr turned completely red. "Ugh… um… no…"
Hope clapped her hands and smiled. "Yeah he is, and no they won't cause he's mine!"
"You cannot have him deceiver! You played a nasty trick on us and our sister Aoi so you shall pay the price by giving us your satyr!" One nymph giggled as she ran her fingers through Tyr's spiked hair.
"Yo… You better stop it!" Tyr's fist tensed up.
"Why satyr?" They all asked in unison.
"One… I'm not blushing from being bashful… I'm not to pleased with all you grabbin at me." He snarled. "The only one that can touch me is her!" He pointed to where Hope was, but she was gone. "Um… Hope?"
"HIYAAAH!!" Hope slammed down on the Nymphs in a wind powered attack, blasting them away from her demon. "That's right! All for me!" She glomped onto him happily.
"EEEP!" Tyr's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Hope's body… NO! Fight it Tyr! Fight it!" He quickly took off his jacket and threw it around her. "HOPE!"
"Yeah hon?" She smiled at him happily.
Tyr stared at her in surprise. "Uh… If you're in there you need to listen to me! You're about to get beaten up by a bunch of nymphs!"
Hope giggled and slapped him on the shoulder. "No wa~ay!"
Tyr saw all the blue haired blue eyed vixens glaring at her with complete and total hate. "Yeah way."
"Okay." Hope held her hands to her mouth. "KIOSHI!!"
"AAH! Onee-sama's voice! Hi Onee-sama!" Kioshi called out from the women's spring.
"Kioshi, can you be a sweetie and do that magical girl thing you did for me like that one time?" She asked.
"YEP!"
Suddenly, Hope's warrior bikini formed on her and her sword came to hand. "Thanks a bunch! I'm gonna give you a big hug!" Hope went for the wall and drew her sword back to slice it down.
"GET HER!!" The nymphs roared in attack as they toppled onto her.
Suddenly, Aoi remembered something very important. Something that would shatter the perfect future she had envisioned for the hot spring. "MY SISTERS!!"
Haru looked at her in surprise and stared around. "What? Are they here?"
"Uh… eheh!" Aoi quickly put down her rice bowl "N-No! I just… I just want to call them up and tell them about all of Mom's cooking! Gee whiz are they missing out on A LOT!" She quickly shuffled out of the kitchen.
Haru smiled happily. "What a silly girl."
Akina and the goddesses stared over in curiosity, not quite sure what Kioshi had just done and why there were muffled screams and blasting sounds coming from the men's bath.
"What if the nymphs are attacking?" Skuld asked nervously.
"They probably are, Onee-sama wouldn't have yelled out for me if there wasn't a baddie attacking her." Kioshi said.
Akina quickly got to her feet and tried to peer through the bamboo divider wall. "RRGGH! It's no use! I can't see a thing!" she thought about what she said and giggled. "What if one of those nasty little nymphs is touching MY Nauthiz! OH! I can't stand it anymore!" Akina grabbed her head. Suddenly a rush of power went into her hands. "THIS WALL IS COMIN' DOWN!"
"WAIT!" Skuld shouted.
"What?" Akina stared back at her urgently, and saw her motion to the pure and innocent Kioshi. "Oh… um, Kioshi sweetie, why don't you go inside and see how Mr. Morisato is doing?"
Kioshi quickly got the hint and climbed out of the springs and into the safety of the building. With the worry gone, Akina charged up her K.O bear bunch and prepared to bring the wall down.
"WAIT!" Belldandy yelped.
"Y… Yes Mrs. Morisato?!" Akina stopped her fist and stared back at her.
Belldandy looked around nervously. "Well, what about Nauthiz's privacy?"
"That's what I'm worried about! Those nymphs are violating it!" Akina sobbed waterfall tears. "I should be the one to do that! I'm his girlfriend!"
"Clingy and domineering isn't she?" Urd commented.
"I don't think those are the right words…" Skuld had the blue of fear on her face when she saw the growing tension in Akina's body.
Hope managed to dodge the nymph mosh pit and jumped to a bamboo poll. "Hup!" She landed on her right foot and looked back at the nymphs with a sobering grin. "You all lounge around too much, how slow!"
"We don't usually have to worry about movement with our methods of attack!" One nymph claimed as the mosh pit broke down into water and reformed as women. "We rely on methods of seduction!"
Hope shrugged her shoulders. "But as you can see seduction doesn't work on me."
"Perhaps you won't, but our Satyr will!" They grinned as other Nymphs formed around him and pulled him down into the water.
"TYR!" Hope quickly jumped off of the pole and into the water. "Give me back my boyfriend!" she slashed a pillar of water away and saw Tyr lying on his back with a horrified look on his face. "Tyr, are you okay!?"
He grinned then looked up at her. "You're not going to call me hon like you did a few minutes ago?"
Hope blushed slightly and made him stand up. "I won't call you hon at all if you just stand there and let yourself get seduced!"
Tyr frowned. "Hey! Don't pin me to be a pervert!"
"Oh! This coming from Mister I used to peep in the goddess hot springs!"
"I was curious! You can't blame me for being curious and it wasn't peeping!" Tyr barked.
The Nymphs sat on the sideline with Nauthiz and watched the battle curiously. "Will they get around to us any time soon or… should we just barge in?" A nymph asked Nauthiz.
"Give it time." He smiled.
Hope looked away from him. "I don't even know why I shouted out your name in the first place, I just gave you free eye candy."
"The heat and the booze must be getting to her…" Tyr thought then put his hand on her shoulder. "They're nothing compared to you! You have the hottest body I've ever seen!"
"What?!" Hope yelped.
"Uh… I uh…" Tyr stepped back and quickly snapped his glare from her. "KEH! What's up with you!? Remembering something like that at a time like this!" He asked then pointed at her. "You always start fights with me!"
Hope stared at him blankly then laughed.
"Don't 'Haha' at me! You just dropped the whole problem didn't you!?" Tyr growled.
"I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me! I must be a happy then mean drunk!" Hope coughed as she rubbed tears out of her eyes.
"We're going to attack now." The nymphs warned.
Tyr was ready to defend his girl, but it seemed that she was ready to defend him. Hope held him back with her right arm then popped her knuckles. "Okay, let's take this from the top!"
"WAIT!" Aoi came running into the men's bath and grabbed two of her sisters' on the shoulders. "Don't attack anyone!"
"What are you doing Aoi?" They stared back at her, except one nymph was bold enough to go ahead and charge at the goddess.
"The Satyr is OURS!!" She kicked up a barrage of burning hot stones.
Hope grinned and kicked up her sword. "HUP! HUP! HO!!" Three seconds of twirling her sword at lightning speed crumbled each stone into dust. "Tyr is mine!" She disappeared and reappeared behind the nymph. "Yoo hoo?" She tapped her on the shoulder. "Bye Bye!" Hope backhanded the back over to the group of nymphs and tossed her hair over her shoulder, still grinning.
"Why that no good! Let's get her!" The enraged nymphs prepared to attack, but were again stopped by their lead sister.
"I said, don't attack anyone!" Aoi commanded.
"But… you told us- "
"I was wrong; I didn't know that my previous plan…" Aoi looked down shamefully. "Would hurt anyone."
Hope looked at Aoi in surprise. "The Spring Owners?"
Aoi nodded.
"But what of them!? They stole our spring remember?" One of her sisters objected worriedly.
"No, they share it with us. We brought them here, and they will bring more. If we were to take these men for our own selfish desires, then no one will come." She looked up at them and smiled. "Listen to what I have to say…"
After she had explained who Haru was and her situation with owning the spring, the nymphs were moved to the point of tears. "I think it's time we came out of the water; I know you all can just like I have." Aoi smiled.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Hope asked.
"As hot spring nymphs it is natural for us to stay within these waters, to leave was almost unbearable, but I had to find a way to bring men to my sisters." Aoi smiled then looked to the side. "Though I was mistaken in doing so, I'm going to right my wrongs and use my new plan to benefit Haru's dream! As well as our own!"
Hope smiled. "Well, whatever plan that is, I can tell from your aura that it is a good one."
Aoi flinched slightly. "Please… don't say Aura."
"Huh?" Hope raised a brow; suddenly an image of someone came to her mind. "Oh, so this is the spring? Uncle Kira won't be happy when he finds out!" she giggled.
"Who?" Tyr stared at her blankly.
"I'll tell you later." Hope said, and then looked back to Aoi.
Aoi smiled back at her then winked. "I'm sorry that my sisters troubled you so much, Kibou."
"EH!?" She stepped back. "Well you see I… it was Aunt Urd's fault!"
"Don't worry about it, though I have to say you're much more appealing as a man." Aoi grinned devilishly until Tyr swiftly placed his arm around Hope.
"I beg to differ!" He snarled.
"Oh Tyr." Hope sighed then realized that Nauthiz was still standing on the side of the spring with a dazed look on his face. "He's really hammered."
Suddenly the bamboo wall began to rumble.
"Huh?" Hope, Aoi, and Tyr looked over in puzzlement.
"This… Wall… Is… COMING… DOWN!!" Suddenly bits of bamboo went flying through the air, and there Akina stood, eyes flaring red and bear K.O. fist aimed out. "Hahh… Hahh… OKAY! What are you little she-devils doing to Nauthiz!?"
"OOH! She is just the same as that evil succubus!" One of the nymphs yelped.
"Oh don't worry that's my girlfriend Akina." Nauthiz made his way through the crowd. "Hi Akina, have a nice bath?"
Akina stomped over to him and jabbed her index finger at his chest. "Listen you! I've had anything but a 'NICE' bath! I've been worried sick a…bout…" She realized then that her finger was pressed against Nauthiz's finely toned chest. The chest and body he'd been hiding behind all of his uniforms. "… You…"
Nauthiz looked at her sadly and held out his arms. "Forgive me." He pulled her into a hug. "I had no idea I was such a bother to you Akina."
Akina's hair and face turned bright red. "This is nice…"
A while later, after much explanation…
"Glad I didn't go into the springs…" Keiichi laughed happily until Hope shot him a redden glare. "Yikes, what's wrong?"
Hope sighed and grabbed her head. "Don't laugh so loud, I have a hang over from that 'antidote' Aunt Urd made for me." She said, shifting her glare to her somewhat sober Aunt.
"Hey, that's how the gender bender potion works; you just need to dilute it with some fluids!" Urd smiled then winked. "Besides, I thought maybe if I took a little edge off of your shoulder you would fight a whole lot better."
"I thought you made me take that potion so I wouldn't have to fight AT ALL!? Owww…!" Hope grabbed at her head and massaged it.
"Well, I lied, my bad." Urd sipped down some sake. "You have to admit though, you are a pretty neat drunk, first slander, then bitter, then butt kickin'. Tyr was pretty impressed with you."
Hope blushed vainly. "Ugh!"
"What's wrong dear?" Belldandy put her hands on Hope's shoulders.
"I can't say it aloud Momma…" Hope turned redder. "Tyr saw my breasts!" she thought.
"Oh MY!" Belldandy blushed.
"WHA!? You heard that!?" Hope stared at her in shock.
"Heard what?" Keiichi raised a brow.
"Nothing!" Belldandy and Hope said in unison.
"Wanna know?" Urd grinned, though that grin faded into a frown when Hope got to her feet and roared in fury.
"THAT'S IT! YOU SHALL SUFFER AS I HAVE SUFFERED!!"
"NOOO! Not the Sake! ANYTHING BUT THE SAKE!!"
"Here's some ice." Aoi handed Akina a small cup and humbly stepped back from her.
"Thanks…" Akina nodded and folded five cubes into a thin towel and put it over Nauthiz's forehead. "Urd and her potions and antidotes…" She grumbled.
"Umm…" Aoi interrupted. "Again… I want to apologize."
"Don't, you didn't do anything bad… did you?" Akina glared at her suspiciously.
"No, no! My sisters' assured me they didn't lay a finger on Mr. Nauthiz." She panicked until she saw Akina giggle.
"It's okay, here." She patted the spot next to her, and Aoi sat down next to her and watched over Nauthiz as Akina did, but not as lovingly. "You love Mr. Nauthiz, don't you Miss Akina?"
Akina blushed slightly. "Yeah, I do." She sighed happily and adjusted the towel. "When I first met him, I fell for him entirely based on looks… but when I got to know him, I just felt it right here." She held her hands over her heart. "This is someone I can't let go."
Aoi smiled. "I wish I had someone like that."
"I'm sure you will; just drop the whole nymph stereotype." Akina joked.
The nymph sweat dropped and got to her feet. "From now on we're going to do everything we can to help the spring and Mom, well." She slid open the door and stepped out with a bow. "If you'll excuse me." With that she left Akina alone to care for her ailing god. She watched over him for half an hour before he began to wake up and bat his eyes in a curious way, trying to figure why his head hurt so much and how he had gotten into bed.
"Are you okay?" Akina asked as she put more cubes into his towel.
Nauthiz looked over at her. "Akina… what hap-"
"Hope stopped the whole situation with the nymphs, don't worry about it." Akina smiled, though that wasn't what was bothering him.
"I… hugged you when you were… and I…" He blushed.
"You remember that?" Akina blushed back as he nodded shamefully.
"I can't ask you to forgive me… at that moment, I was somewhat conscious… and I was so glad to see you…" He looked away from her. "I'm sorry."
Akina smiled slightly. "It's… not okay." She huffed and folded her arms with a nod.
Nauthiz nodded.
"Taking advantage of me when I was worried about you." She raised a brow and tilted her head to the side playfully. "Bu~ut, there is one thing you can do to make up for it."
Nauthiz jumped at the opportunity, though it made his forehead pulse in pain. "An… Anything you wish Akina!"
"Close your eyes."
Nauthiz did as she said, though this was an odd way to apologize.
Akina smiled and leaned forward, pressing her flushed budding lips against his, making his eyes shoot wide open.
"What is she…!?" He stared in shock, but this kiss that he'd seen other earthlings, and sometimes immortals do, felt indescribable.
Akina looked into his eyes and pressed her forehead against his. "Hey… you weren't supposed to open your eyes."
"I…" He blushed furiously. "I… I'm sorry."
"Well just have to do it again." Akina giggled happily.
The next morning…
"Thank you again for your hospitality." Belldandy bowed graciously to Haru and Ukyo, he seemed more at ease suddenly then when they first met him.
"Oh no! There's no need to thank us, we thank you for your kind review, and we ask that you come again soon." Haru smiled happily.
Hope realized after being inside how big the inn was. "Ma'am, this resort should be pretty packed once word gets around, how are you going to take care of so many people?"
Haru smiled and held a whistle to her lips, setting off an ear blasting tune that triggered the arrival of twenty women, all with blue hair and blue eyes. "They arrived last night; we hired them all on the spot because Aoi insisted so much, and look!" She clapped her hands together in a pleased manner. "They all died their hair blue and wear blue contacts to make them look like blue nymphs!"
Ukyo's eyes bulged and he dashed away into the forest. "THE NYMPHS!! GYAAAAAAAAH!!"
"UKYO!!" Haru roared out. "Oh, that husband of mine." She shook her head and bowed to the Morisatos. "Have a safe trip home!"
Keiichi nodded as Haru pulled a lasso out of her kimono and dashed after Ukyo in the woods. "Let's go everyone!" He called and they all went to their vehicles. "So, did you have fun Bell?" Keiichi asked.
"It was a very interesting vacation." She commented then looked up at him. "Keiichi dear, by any chance… were you unable to…"
He raised his eyebrows. "Take a bath in the springs? Not with little nymphs around." He laughed. "I'm too old for things like that." He revved his engine and looked up as the nymphs were quickly getting to work.
Hope sat Kioshi on her Yamaha seat and patted his helmet on his head. "Did you go before…?"
"YES!" Kioshi blushed and glared at her.
"Hehe! Just checking." Hope teased and picked up her helmet. As she put it on she noticed Akina and Nauthiz were walking hand in hand to her car. It made her smile slightly as she hopped onto her seat and revved her engine up. "I only wish I had that sort of ending with Tyr."
Meanwhile in Muspelhiem…
"Oh come on! Please!" Hild poked at Tyr's right cheek. "Gimme the juicy details! What happened and how much did you see? Come on!"
Tyr's face was completely red. "I didn't… s-see anything okay!"
"You're lying! OOH!" Hild pulled out a tambourine and started to dance around. "Tyr saw Hope naked! Tyr saw Hope naked!"
Suddenly Senbei appeared and happily danced around with a small rose in his teeth. "OOH! Lord Tyr thinking very perverted things!" Senbei chimed only to get incinerated with fire.
"GET OUTTA MY CASTLE!"
"Party pooper! Just because you saw her naked and got a feel doesn't mean you have to act all aggressive!" Hild laughed.
"YOU WHAAAAAAAAT?!?" Mara roared out.
"NO! Wait! MARA!! You don't know the whole storiIIEEEAAAAGGH!!!"
~ * A fan Author's Worthless Rant * ~
For starters :3 the Blue Nymphs are characters that me and Adept are sharing :3 He's author of Child of Chaos which you can also read on FF.net *Give it a read, pretty damn good* and his characters Kira and Aura (She's the succubus the nymphs were talking about :3) will be making appearances in DG too ;3 Look forward to it cause they're pretty good characters :3 And when you're not online reading ficcies, I suggest if you haven't read it all ready, to pick up a copy of 'To Kill a Mocking Bird', cause that book is one of the best books I've ever read in school *one of the other reasons I haven't been able to type much lately*
See ya Next Time :3
P.s. I've written nine notebook pages of ch. 27, look forward to it REAL soon ;3.
"Hey, you two aren't planning to peep on us poor girls are you?" Urd asked as she strolled down the hallway to see Kibou and Kioshi near the bath entrances.
Kibou only gave her the coldest of glares that not even the springs could melt. "Take Kioshi into the women's bath with you." He said simply and gave Kioshi a little nudge to her. "The nymphs are most likely waiting in the men's bath, so Kioshi will be safer if he goes in with you."
"Right, you've been putting some serious thought into this haven't you?" Urd asked with a smile, though it quickly vanished when she saw the irritation that suddenly filled Kibou's entire aura.
"You HAVEN'T!?" He roared angrily.
"Onee… I mean, Onii-san, will you be okay?" Kioshi asked worriedly.
Kibou looked down at him, feeling a calm spread through his body as he mussed Kioshi's hair. "I'll be fine, now go on!" he smiled.
Kioshi nodded and held Urd's hand as they walked to the springs.
As they did, Aoi came strolling down the hall with a kimono for Kibou in her hands. "Kibou-san! I have a nice clean kimono for you!" She smiled and handed it to him.
"Oh, well thank you very much." He took it from her and turned around. "So nervous! Or am I scared!? Which one is it!?" His normally feminine voice asked in his head.
"Um, Kibou-san?" Aoi looked at him nervously. "When will you be taking your bath?"
"Huh? Oh, right now I guess." He looked back at her. "But you know…"
"Eh?"
"Well… what if what your father said was true? I kinda over heard him earlier about the whole blue nymph thing." He said, and then turned to face her.
"No! It's one hundred percent okay!" Aoi quickly objected. "Father is just a little senile, that's all!"
"Really?" Kibou raised a brow.
"R… Really…" She nodded, though she felt guilt within her heart from the look he was giving her.
"I hope so…" He sighed as he walked towards his room. "You see… if he was telling the truth, then it'd be harder for your parents to bring people to the springs… and their dream may crumble to the ground…"
Aoi's eyes widened a little.
"But since you say there's no such things as nymphs I'll just have to trust you!!" he smiled brightly then went to go change. "I'm in for a nice bath!"
Aoi smiled slightly, though she felt somewhat guilty. "I better get ready for my bath too." She thought to herself as she headed towards the spring doors.
"Aoi?"
"EH!?" She jumped in place.
The hostess came up to her and patted her shoulders. "You've worked so hard today, come, I've begun to prepare meals for our guests, why don't you sample it for me and tell me how delicious it is?"
She looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay, I'll be in the kitchen in just a sec."
"Wonderful!"
When Kibou went into his room, he found Nauthiz sitting on the floor, polishing one of his battle axes with a nearly insane look in his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Preparing for battle!" He quickly answered, and looked up at Kibou with a twisted grin. "These nymphs shall pay for their adulterous crimes! I, Nauthiz god –"
His demented intro was cut short when Kibou slapped some sense back into him. "Nauthiz, you can't go in there and kill them… it goes against your principles. They're not evil, just… easily interested."
Nauthiz dropped his weapon and bowed humbly. "I… I can't apologize enough! Mr. Kibou! Please forgive my cowardice!" He bowed humbly, making Kibou sweat drop.
"Hey, it's okay." He smiled. "I mean you're only…EEP!" His eyes widened, suddenly his voice was higher.
"Eep?" Nauthiz looked up at him with a raised brow.
Kibou blushed and turned around.
"What's wrong?" Nauthiz got to his feet while Kibou unzipped his pants and looked down.
"Um…" He said in a still light, now feminine voice as he zipped his pants up. "I uh… lack the major definition of being a male…"
"Eh…. EH!?" He panicked.
"I'm turning back into a girl…" He gulped nervously.
"Miss Kibou! If you turn back into a goddess in the springs the nymphs will…" Nauthiz warned.
"I don't know; If it comes to that I'll have to find some way to settle those nymphs being who I am." Kibou said in a forced manly tone. "… Minus the hacking and slashing."
Nauthiz sweat dropped back at the thing he wasn't quite sure was a Miss or Mister. "…I shall protect you should something happen."
Kibou smiled happily and gave him a hug. "Thanks Nauthiz! You're so noble even when you're scared!"
Nauthiz sighed; the blue of fear on his cheeks was painfully visible. "You flatter me."
Akina slid open the door with a towel in hand. "Hey you two ready for a…dip…" Her eyes widened.
It was then that Kibou and Nauthiz felt awkward.
"Both guys… huh?" Akina growled as flames started to flicker around her.
"A… Akina! Please don't rush to conclusions; it's not what it seems!" Nauthiz panicked.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Aoi couldn't help but look over her shoulder, wondering if Kibou had left his room to take a bath yet.
"Aoi-chan?"
"Eh?" Aoi looked over at the hostess only to have a bite of rice put in her mouth.
"How is it?" She asked happily.
Aoi didn't know for she'd never eaten this sort of food before.
"Well? Chew."
Aoi quickly started chewing the food.
"Well?"
"Ith…"
"Swallow, don't talk with your mouth full."
Aoi swallowed the small bite and looked up at her innocently. "That was…Good!"
Her eyes lit up. "Can I have some more please!?"
"I don't see why not, I've cooked enough to feed a small army!" Haru laughed as she scooped Aoi a bowl of rice and handed it to her, pleased that Aoi was enjoying it so much. "I do hope that the Morisatos enjoy their food, and their stay."
Aoi looked up at her from her feasting with a bit of rice on the side of her mouth. "Eh?"
"Oh, don't mind my blabbing but," She rubbed the counter of the kitchen gently and smiled. "I always thought that this resort would only be a dream… and now it's slowly becoming a reality."
Aoi's nose cringed slightly. "Yeah right, you're only using my home for your own profit!" She thought bitterly to herself, though it made her heart ache.
"I must tell you something Aoi…"
"Yeth?"
"The only reason your father went in on building this resort with me, was only to make a profit for you and your brothers and sisters but… I mostly wanted it for my own dream…"
"Eh?" Aoi swallowed another bite. "What dream?"
Haru had a nostalgic look in her eyes. "This forest… it's enchanted… I just know it is." She rubbed her elbows. "When I was a little girl, your grandfather took me camping around this area. Oh, I had so much fun, I still believe to this day that I saw magical creatures… but the ones I remember most, were indeed those blue nymphs your father has been ranting about."
Aoi started to choke; quickly she beat her chest and stared at the hostess wide eyed. "EH!?"
"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you." She quickly shook her hands and patted her on the back.
"No, no! I'm fine, please go on!" Aoi coughed.
"… Alright then, well…" She smiled. "You see Aoi, at one point of my life, I was confined to a wheel chair and crutches, my ankles were terribly weak and I couldn't support myself on them… but when I was passing by these very springs, my chair tilted and I fell into the water." She looked down at her old feet and wiggled her toes. "I thought I would drown, I couldn't swim but then… well I saw these little blue nymphs, they barely touched my ankles and suddenly I could move them, I could kick my feet and I was able to stand up out of the water." She looked over at Aoi happily. "Those little nymphs gave me the ability to stand, they healed me. So I pray that they still have gentle hearts, and will heal people like me… this spring isn't so much a resort as it is a place of healing."
Aoi felt terrible, straight down to the core. "That little girl back then… it was her…"
Meanwhile out in the Women's bath...
"Can I jump in?" Kioshi stared at the water eagerly.
"Yes, just don't splash anyone." Belldandy smiled.
"YEAAAH! One! Two! Three!" Kioshi jumped as high as he could and made a small splash.
Akina sat to herself in the corner of the spring, she felt bad for feeling so protective over Nauthiz, and being so untrusting of Hope, especially when she went to the length of turning herself into a boy. "I should apologize to them…."
"AUNT URD!!!" Kibou's voice shouted out.
"WHOA!" Urd's eyes widened, when she heard that tone in someone's voice after they took one of her potions she knew to come running.
"What's up?" Akina stared around blankly.
"I knew that one of her crazy pills or whatever would mess up somebody's life someday." Skuld grimaced as Kioshi and Belldandy looked on worriedly.
"I hope that… he is okay." She looked around, she felt the blue nymphs' presence, but they didn't seem to have evil auras… at least not at the moment.
"I'm sure Onii-sama is! He's the best magical… boy there is!" Kioshi cheered.
Akina smiled slightly. "Yeah, SHE is…" She thought to herself.
Urd re adjusted her towel as she came into the changing room and saw Kibou with a distressed look on his face. "What's seems to be the problem."
Kibou sang a note, making his Aunt's eyes widened.
"Wow, you should join the boy's choir!" Urd clapped her hands.
"I'm turning back into a goddess Aunt Urd!" Kibou whispered, harshly. "If I turn back when I go take my bath I'm going to face a ton of angry nymphs!"
"Relax, relax, I thought something like this would happen…it is an experimental drug after all…"
"What do I do!?"
Urd thought then snapped her fingers, a brown carbonated ampoule appeared in her hand and she held it out to Kibou. "When you take your bath, drink this, it should solve your problem."
"It won't make me into a guy permanently will it?" He sweat dropped.
"No, here." Urd dropped it in his hands. "I'm going back in now, remember, don't take that until you take a bath."
"Okay." Kibou nodded.
"Oh! That reminds me; make sure Nauthiz drinks a watered down coke or something before he goes in too, okay? It might help loosen his nerves." Urd added.
"Okay Dr. Urd." Kibou smiled as he walked out of the changing room.
"Was that sarcasm in his girly voice?" She thought then grinned evilly. "Hmm! Well, he should always ask about his medication when he receives it…"
Aoi knew there was something she had to do, but she couldn't pull herself out of the kitchen. She felt so happy to be around Haru now, maybe she could even start calling her Mother whole heartedly. "She was such a good girl back then, we could tell… that's why we used our magic to help her out… and, Kibou was right, if we come out after him and Nauthiz, we'll ruin Mother's business…" She thought to herself then looked up at Haru as she still cooked. "Mother I…"
"Oh, bear with me and try this one last thing." She held up a big cut of salmon.
"Fi…FISH!" Aoi's eyes sparkled. "A nymph's favorite dish!"
"What was that Aoi?"
"Nothing! Gimme! Gimme!"
Kibou took a coke and a bottle of water out of Urd's bag, curious as to why she would pack such things but they were running on short time so he couldn't really think into it. "Nauthiz…" He poured three fourths of the glass with coke and one fourth with water. "Drink this."
"Yes Miss Kibou." He nodded. Anything to settle his shot nerves. He threw his head back and guzzled down the glass until it was empty.
"WHOA! Nauthiz go! You should challenge Aunt Urd to a sake drink off!" Kibou applauded, until she noticed the extremely mellowed out looked on his face. "Nauthiz?"
He looked at Kibou in a daze and smiled. "Hmm?"
"You okay?"
Nauthiz nodded, then hiccupped.
"You're drunk aren't you?"
"Yup!"
Kibou stared at him for a minute, not sure to curse Urd or not. "Well… at least you're mellowed out. Now I don't have to worry about you pulling out your axe and going crazy out there."
Nauthiz shook his head. "Nope!"
"Alright…" Kibou helped him to his feet and led him out of the room and to the men's changing room. "I wonder where Aoi is."
Meanwhile Aoi was singing happily about all the types of fish she loved…
"Oh well, I'll just save this ampoule for when I really start feeling like a girl." Kibou said as he took off his kimono and put on a towel. "Nauthiz are you… ready?" He vanished from the spot he was standing.
"Ready Miss Kibou!" Nauthiz had completely dropped all of his clothes and headed out towards the spring.
"AAAH! Nauthiz! Wait!" Kibou grabbed an extra towel and ran after him. "You can't bathe out here naked! Those nymphs will go crazy!" He covered his eyes and handed a towel out to the drunken god.
"It… It's okay… okay?" He asked as he took the towel and tied it around his waste. "Ooh look, pretty ladies…" He pointed at the spring.
"Eh…" Kibou's eyes widened, the men's bath was completely lined with women with blue hair and blue eyes like Aoi's. "Uh… I thought nymphs were supposed to be tiny…"
"Yeah, maybe they had to make themselves bigger because of something…" Nauthiz hiccupped again.
"Hi boys… why don't you come in? The water's fine…" One of the nymphs said in a sultry way.
"I'll wash your back."
"I'll let you wash mine."
Nauthiz stood there, his drunken glare hardened. "N… no… Miss Akina."
Kibou smiled, even in his state Nauthiz's heart still belonged to her.
"Oh forget her… she's not the kind of woman you need!" Another nymph added eager to get them both into the spring.
"Sisters… why isn't the other boy blushing?" Another nymph whispered.
"I'm not sure…"
"They're onto me…" Kibou thought and pulled the ampoule out of her towel.
"Hey honey…" one of the nymphs grabbed his ankle and pulled him into the bath.
"WHAAH!" Kibou was submerged for a moment then found he was submerged with nymphs. "Eee! Look I don't really swing this way… Ehehe!"
"Such a feminine voice you have, are you frightened of us?" One asked as she caressed his chin.
"EEEP! TYR!!" Kibou cried out instinctively.
Suddenly, the springs began to rumble and from a pillar of water emerged an enraged demon. "HOPE! Who dares to bring harm to my… ah?" He stared at Kibou and the nymphs blankly.
"Hi Tyr…" Kibou sweat dropped.
"Urd…" Tyr growled with fiery breath and noticed the look on all the nymphs faces.
"He's even more handsome! Aoi said nothing about him! She must have wanted to keep the golden man to herself!"
Kibou and Tyr's eyes widened. "Keep your hands off my man!" Kibou growled and popped the lid off of the ampoule and chugged down the potion. "Ah… my body…" He felt his structure morphing and become smaller. "That was… a cure…" Kibou's feminine voice now matched with Hope's feminine body. "I'm a girl again!" She smiled happily, though then, everything became distorted. "Eh… wait… the carbonation…. And the hot taste…." She hiccupped. "That was Sake/Coke!"
All the nymphs stared in shock, that once handsome man was now a woman!!
"Oh… My … god…" Tyr stared wide eyed.
These outside events had no effect on Hope, she wasn't even bothered that she was only wearing a towel around her waist, she actually felt, pretty happy. "Hmm, y'know what? I'm gonna kill Aunt Urd as soon as I'm sober…hic!"
Nauthiz stared at her blankly and clapped his hands with a dull smile. "Hehe… good for you Miss Hope, you do that."
"Thanks Nauthiz, you're so swee… hic… sweet…" Hope giggled then looked at the nymphs. "Now listen here… ya'll need to stop tryin' to seduce men… s'not right…" She shook a finger at them. "Should share these springs… okay?"
"I think not! And these two men are ours from now on!" They pointed at Tyr and Nauthiz.
"EH!?" Tyr's eyes bulged out of his head. "WAIT UP! Who's rescuing who!? Hope why were you a guy!? Why are you drunk!? And who the hell are all these women!?!" he shook his fist in a panicked demanding manner.
"Oh, hi Tyr!" Hope smiled. "Tyr these are the blue nymphs, blue nymphs this is my boyfriend Tyr… say hi!"
"She's completely inebriated, from only one ampoule…" Tyr's right eye twitched.
Suddenly the nymphs were captivated. "Satyr!?"
"Satyr?" Tyr repeated.
Nauthiz hiccupped and smiled. "Satyr, a man with goat horns, legs, ears… Tyr kinda looks like one when he's mad…"
"YOU CALLIN ME A GOAT!?" Tyr's eyes flamed and his nostrils flared.
"A SATYR!! Forget the other man let us have this one!" One nymph glomped onto his back.
"He is wild and pleasant to the eye! The nymphs of the forest will be jealous!"
Tyr turned completely red. "Ugh… um… no…"
Hope clapped her hands and smiled. "Yeah he is, and no they won't cause he's mine!"
"You cannot have him deceiver! You played a nasty trick on us and our sister Aoi so you shall pay the price by giving us your satyr!" One nymph giggled as she ran her fingers through Tyr's spiked hair.
"Yo… You better stop it!" Tyr's fist tensed up.
"Why satyr?" They all asked in unison.
"One… I'm not blushing from being bashful… I'm not to pleased with all you grabbin at me." He snarled. "The only one that can touch me is her!" He pointed to where Hope was, but she was gone. "Um… Hope?"
"HIYAAAH!!" Hope slammed down on the Nymphs in a wind powered attack, blasting them away from her demon. "That's right! All for me!" She glomped onto him happily.
"EEEP!" Tyr's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Hope's body… NO! Fight it Tyr! Fight it!" He quickly took off his jacket and threw it around her. "HOPE!"
"Yeah hon?" She smiled at him happily.
Tyr stared at her in surprise. "Uh… If you're in there you need to listen to me! You're about to get beaten up by a bunch of nymphs!"
Hope giggled and slapped him on the shoulder. "No wa~ay!"
Tyr saw all the blue haired blue eyed vixens glaring at her with complete and total hate. "Yeah way."
"Okay." Hope held her hands to her mouth. "KIOSHI!!"
"AAH! Onee-sama's voice! Hi Onee-sama!" Kioshi called out from the women's spring.
"Kioshi, can you be a sweetie and do that magical girl thing you did for me like that one time?" She asked.
"YEP!"
Suddenly, Hope's warrior bikini formed on her and her sword came to hand. "Thanks a bunch! I'm gonna give you a big hug!" Hope went for the wall and drew her sword back to slice it down.
"GET HER!!" The nymphs roared in attack as they toppled onto her.
Suddenly, Aoi remembered something very important. Something that would shatter the perfect future she had envisioned for the hot spring. "MY SISTERS!!"
Haru looked at her in surprise and stared around. "What? Are they here?"
"Uh… eheh!" Aoi quickly put down her rice bowl "N-No! I just… I just want to call them up and tell them about all of Mom's cooking! Gee whiz are they missing out on A LOT!" She quickly shuffled out of the kitchen.
Haru smiled happily. "What a silly girl."
Akina and the goddesses stared over in curiosity, not quite sure what Kioshi had just done and why there were muffled screams and blasting sounds coming from the men's bath.
"What if the nymphs are attacking?" Skuld asked nervously.
"They probably are, Onee-sama wouldn't have yelled out for me if there wasn't a baddie attacking her." Kioshi said.
Akina quickly got to her feet and tried to peer through the bamboo divider wall. "RRGGH! It's no use! I can't see a thing!" she thought about what she said and giggled. "What if one of those nasty little nymphs is touching MY Nauthiz! OH! I can't stand it anymore!" Akina grabbed her head. Suddenly a rush of power went into her hands. "THIS WALL IS COMIN' DOWN!"
"WAIT!" Skuld shouted.
"What?" Akina stared back at her urgently, and saw her motion to the pure and innocent Kioshi. "Oh… um, Kioshi sweetie, why don't you go inside and see how Mr. Morisato is doing?"
Kioshi quickly got the hint and climbed out of the springs and into the safety of the building. With the worry gone, Akina charged up her K.O bear bunch and prepared to bring the wall down.
"WAIT!" Belldandy yelped.
"Y… Yes Mrs. Morisato?!" Akina stopped her fist and stared back at her.
Belldandy looked around nervously. "Well, what about Nauthiz's privacy?"
"That's what I'm worried about! Those nymphs are violating it!" Akina sobbed waterfall tears. "I should be the one to do that! I'm his girlfriend!"
"Clingy and domineering isn't she?" Urd commented.
"I don't think those are the right words…" Skuld had the blue of fear on her face when she saw the growing tension in Akina's body.
Hope managed to dodge the nymph mosh pit and jumped to a bamboo poll. "Hup!" She landed on her right foot and looked back at the nymphs with a sobering grin. "You all lounge around too much, how slow!"
"We don't usually have to worry about movement with our methods of attack!" One nymph claimed as the mosh pit broke down into water and reformed as women. "We rely on methods of seduction!"
Hope shrugged her shoulders. "But as you can see seduction doesn't work on me."
"Perhaps you won't, but our Satyr will!" They grinned as other Nymphs formed around him and pulled him down into the water.
"TYR!" Hope quickly jumped off of the pole and into the water. "Give me back my boyfriend!" she slashed a pillar of water away and saw Tyr lying on his back with a horrified look on his face. "Tyr, are you okay!?"
He grinned then looked up at her. "You're not going to call me hon like you did a few minutes ago?"
Hope blushed slightly and made him stand up. "I won't call you hon at all if you just stand there and let yourself get seduced!"
Tyr frowned. "Hey! Don't pin me to be a pervert!"
"Oh! This coming from Mister I used to peep in the goddess hot springs!"
"I was curious! You can't blame me for being curious and it wasn't peeping!" Tyr barked.
The Nymphs sat on the sideline with Nauthiz and watched the battle curiously. "Will they get around to us any time soon or… should we just barge in?" A nymph asked Nauthiz.
"Give it time." He smiled.
Hope looked away from him. "I don't even know why I shouted out your name in the first place, I just gave you free eye candy."
"The heat and the booze must be getting to her…" Tyr thought then put his hand on her shoulder. "They're nothing compared to you! You have the hottest body I've ever seen!"
"What?!" Hope yelped.
"Uh… I uh…" Tyr stepped back and quickly snapped his glare from her. "KEH! What's up with you!? Remembering something like that at a time like this!" He asked then pointed at her. "You always start fights with me!"
Hope stared at him blankly then laughed.
"Don't 'Haha' at me! You just dropped the whole problem didn't you!?" Tyr growled.
"I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me! I must be a happy then mean drunk!" Hope coughed as she rubbed tears out of her eyes.
"We're going to attack now." The nymphs warned.
Tyr was ready to defend his girl, but it seemed that she was ready to defend him. Hope held him back with her right arm then popped her knuckles. "Okay, let's take this from the top!"
"WAIT!" Aoi came running into the men's bath and grabbed two of her sisters' on the shoulders. "Don't attack anyone!"
"What are you doing Aoi?" They stared back at her, except one nymph was bold enough to go ahead and charge at the goddess.
"The Satyr is OURS!!" She kicked up a barrage of burning hot stones.
Hope grinned and kicked up her sword. "HUP! HUP! HO!!" Three seconds of twirling her sword at lightning speed crumbled each stone into dust. "Tyr is mine!" She disappeared and reappeared behind the nymph. "Yoo hoo?" She tapped her on the shoulder. "Bye Bye!" Hope backhanded the back over to the group of nymphs and tossed her hair over her shoulder, still grinning.
"Why that no good! Let's get her!" The enraged nymphs prepared to attack, but were again stopped by their lead sister.
"I said, don't attack anyone!" Aoi commanded.
"But… you told us- "
"I was wrong; I didn't know that my previous plan…" Aoi looked down shamefully. "Would hurt anyone."
Hope looked at Aoi in surprise. "The Spring Owners?"
Aoi nodded.
"But what of them!? They stole our spring remember?" One of her sisters objected worriedly.
"No, they share it with us. We brought them here, and they will bring more. If we were to take these men for our own selfish desires, then no one will come." She looked up at them and smiled. "Listen to what I have to say…"
After she had explained who Haru was and her situation with owning the spring, the nymphs were moved to the point of tears. "I think it's time we came out of the water; I know you all can just like I have." Aoi smiled.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Hope asked.
"As hot spring nymphs it is natural for us to stay within these waters, to leave was almost unbearable, but I had to find a way to bring men to my sisters." Aoi smiled then looked to the side. "Though I was mistaken in doing so, I'm going to right my wrongs and use my new plan to benefit Haru's dream! As well as our own!"
Hope smiled. "Well, whatever plan that is, I can tell from your aura that it is a good one."
Aoi flinched slightly. "Please… don't say Aura."
"Huh?" Hope raised a brow; suddenly an image of someone came to her mind. "Oh, so this is the spring? Uncle Kira won't be happy when he finds out!" she giggled.
"Who?" Tyr stared at her blankly.
"I'll tell you later." Hope said, and then looked back to Aoi.
Aoi smiled back at her then winked. "I'm sorry that my sisters troubled you so much, Kibou."
"EH!?" She stepped back. "Well you see I… it was Aunt Urd's fault!"
"Don't worry about it, though I have to say you're much more appealing as a man." Aoi grinned devilishly until Tyr swiftly placed his arm around Hope.
"I beg to differ!" He snarled.
"Oh Tyr." Hope sighed then realized that Nauthiz was still standing on the side of the spring with a dazed look on his face. "He's really hammered."
Suddenly the bamboo wall began to rumble.
"Huh?" Hope, Aoi, and Tyr looked over in puzzlement.
"This… Wall… Is… COMING… DOWN!!" Suddenly bits of bamboo went flying through the air, and there Akina stood, eyes flaring red and bear K.O. fist aimed out. "Hahh… Hahh… OKAY! What are you little she-devils doing to Nauthiz!?"
"OOH! She is just the same as that evil succubus!" One of the nymphs yelped.
"Oh don't worry that's my girlfriend Akina." Nauthiz made his way through the crowd. "Hi Akina, have a nice bath?"
Akina stomped over to him and jabbed her index finger at his chest. "Listen you! I've had anything but a 'NICE' bath! I've been worried sick a…bout…" She realized then that her finger was pressed against Nauthiz's finely toned chest. The chest and body he'd been hiding behind all of his uniforms. "… You…"
Nauthiz looked at her sadly and held out his arms. "Forgive me." He pulled her into a hug. "I had no idea I was such a bother to you Akina."
Akina's hair and face turned bright red. "This is nice…"
A while later, after much explanation…
"Glad I didn't go into the springs…" Keiichi laughed happily until Hope shot him a redden glare. "Yikes, what's wrong?"
Hope sighed and grabbed her head. "Don't laugh so loud, I have a hang over from that 'antidote' Aunt Urd made for me." She said, shifting her glare to her somewhat sober Aunt.
"Hey, that's how the gender bender potion works; you just need to dilute it with some fluids!" Urd smiled then winked. "Besides, I thought maybe if I took a little edge off of your shoulder you would fight a whole lot better."
"I thought you made me take that potion so I wouldn't have to fight AT ALL!? Owww…!" Hope grabbed at her head and massaged it.
"Well, I lied, my bad." Urd sipped down some sake. "You have to admit though, you are a pretty neat drunk, first slander, then bitter, then butt kickin'. Tyr was pretty impressed with you."
Hope blushed vainly. "Ugh!"
"What's wrong dear?" Belldandy put her hands on Hope's shoulders.
"I can't say it aloud Momma…" Hope turned redder. "Tyr saw my breasts!" she thought.
"Oh MY!" Belldandy blushed.
"WHA!? You heard that!?" Hope stared at her in shock.
"Heard what?" Keiichi raised a brow.
"Nothing!" Belldandy and Hope said in unison.
"Wanna know?" Urd grinned, though that grin faded into a frown when Hope got to her feet and roared in fury.
"THAT'S IT! YOU SHALL SUFFER AS I HAVE SUFFERED!!"
"NOOO! Not the Sake! ANYTHING BUT THE SAKE!!"
"Here's some ice." Aoi handed Akina a small cup and humbly stepped back from her.
"Thanks…" Akina nodded and folded five cubes into a thin towel and put it over Nauthiz's forehead. "Urd and her potions and antidotes…" She grumbled.
"Umm…" Aoi interrupted. "Again… I want to apologize."
"Don't, you didn't do anything bad… did you?" Akina glared at her suspiciously.
"No, no! My sisters' assured me they didn't lay a finger on Mr. Nauthiz." She panicked until she saw Akina giggle.
"It's okay, here." She patted the spot next to her, and Aoi sat down next to her and watched over Nauthiz as Akina did, but not as lovingly. "You love Mr. Nauthiz, don't you Miss Akina?"
Akina blushed slightly. "Yeah, I do." She sighed happily and adjusted the towel. "When I first met him, I fell for him entirely based on looks… but when I got to know him, I just felt it right here." She held her hands over her heart. "This is someone I can't let go."
Aoi smiled. "I wish I had someone like that."
"I'm sure you will; just drop the whole nymph stereotype." Akina joked.
The nymph sweat dropped and got to her feet. "From now on we're going to do everything we can to help the spring and Mom, well." She slid open the door and stepped out with a bow. "If you'll excuse me." With that she left Akina alone to care for her ailing god. She watched over him for half an hour before he began to wake up and bat his eyes in a curious way, trying to figure why his head hurt so much and how he had gotten into bed.
"Are you okay?" Akina asked as she put more cubes into his towel.
Nauthiz looked over at her. "Akina… what hap-"
"Hope stopped the whole situation with the nymphs, don't worry about it." Akina smiled, though that wasn't what was bothering him.
"I… hugged you when you were… and I…" He blushed.
"You remember that?" Akina blushed back as he nodded shamefully.
"I can't ask you to forgive me… at that moment, I was somewhat conscious… and I was so glad to see you…" He looked away from her. "I'm sorry."
Akina smiled slightly. "It's… not okay." She huffed and folded her arms with a nod.
Nauthiz nodded.
"Taking advantage of me when I was worried about you." She raised a brow and tilted her head to the side playfully. "Bu~ut, there is one thing you can do to make up for it."
Nauthiz jumped at the opportunity, though it made his forehead pulse in pain. "An… Anything you wish Akina!"
"Close your eyes."
Nauthiz did as she said, though this was an odd way to apologize.
Akina smiled and leaned forward, pressing her flushed budding lips against his, making his eyes shoot wide open.
"What is she…!?" He stared in shock, but this kiss that he'd seen other earthlings, and sometimes immortals do, felt indescribable.
Akina looked into his eyes and pressed her forehead against his. "Hey… you weren't supposed to open your eyes."
"I…" He blushed furiously. "I… I'm sorry."
"Well just have to do it again." Akina giggled happily.
The next morning…
"Thank you again for your hospitality." Belldandy bowed graciously to Haru and Ukyo, he seemed more at ease suddenly then when they first met him.
"Oh no! There's no need to thank us, we thank you for your kind review, and we ask that you come again soon." Haru smiled happily.
Hope realized after being inside how big the inn was. "Ma'am, this resort should be pretty packed once word gets around, how are you going to take care of so many people?"
Haru smiled and held a whistle to her lips, setting off an ear blasting tune that triggered the arrival of twenty women, all with blue hair and blue eyes. "They arrived last night; we hired them all on the spot because Aoi insisted so much, and look!" She clapped her hands together in a pleased manner. "They all died their hair blue and wear blue contacts to make them look like blue nymphs!"
Ukyo's eyes bulged and he dashed away into the forest. "THE NYMPHS!! GYAAAAAAAAH!!"
"UKYO!!" Haru roared out. "Oh, that husband of mine." She shook her head and bowed to the Morisatos. "Have a safe trip home!"
Keiichi nodded as Haru pulled a lasso out of her kimono and dashed after Ukyo in the woods. "Let's go everyone!" He called and they all went to their vehicles. "So, did you have fun Bell?" Keiichi asked.
"It was a very interesting vacation." She commented then looked up at him. "Keiichi dear, by any chance… were you unable to…"
He raised his eyebrows. "Take a bath in the springs? Not with little nymphs around." He laughed. "I'm too old for things like that." He revved his engine and looked up as the nymphs were quickly getting to work.
Hope sat Kioshi on her Yamaha seat and patted his helmet on his head. "Did you go before…?"
"YES!" Kioshi blushed and glared at her.
"Hehe! Just checking." Hope teased and picked up her helmet. As she put it on she noticed Akina and Nauthiz were walking hand in hand to her car. It made her smile slightly as she hopped onto her seat and revved her engine up. "I only wish I had that sort of ending with Tyr."
Meanwhile in Muspelhiem…
"Oh come on! Please!" Hild poked at Tyr's right cheek. "Gimme the juicy details! What happened and how much did you see? Come on!"
Tyr's face was completely red. "I didn't… s-see anything okay!"
"You're lying! OOH!" Hild pulled out a tambourine and started to dance around. "Tyr saw Hope naked! Tyr saw Hope naked!"
Suddenly Senbei appeared and happily danced around with a small rose in his teeth. "OOH! Lord Tyr thinking very perverted things!" Senbei chimed only to get incinerated with fire.
"GET OUTTA MY CASTLE!"
"Party pooper! Just because you saw her naked and got a feel doesn't mean you have to act all aggressive!" Hild laughed.
"YOU WHAAAAAAAAT?!?" Mara roared out.
"NO! Wait! MARA!! You don't know the whole storiIIEEEAAAAGGH!!!"
~ * A fan Author's Worthless Rant * ~
For starters :3 the Blue Nymphs are characters that me and Adept are sharing :3 He's author of Child of Chaos which you can also read on FF.net *Give it a read, pretty damn good* and his characters Kira and Aura (She's the succubus the nymphs were talking about :3) will be making appearances in DG too ;3 Look forward to it cause they're pretty good characters :3 And when you're not online reading ficcies, I suggest if you haven't read it all ready, to pick up a copy of 'To Kill a Mocking Bird', cause that book is one of the best books I've ever read in school *one of the other reasons I haven't been able to type much lately*
See ya Next Time :3
P.s. I've written nine notebook pages of ch. 27, look forward to it REAL soon ;3.