A World Away

by ripitupgenki

Years after Mu's defeated the courageous seven have settled into their new lives. What happens when Genki hides a deep secret from the rest. How will the others react? How will they deal with his world and his problems when he finally tells them? Warning: Lots of drama and dark themes. Main pairing is GxH & TxGR; there will be HxGR and GxGR as well throughout this story.

9. Prerogative

AAN: More humor this chapter and more cute scenes with any luck. Enjoy!

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Prerogative

The pixie hybrid stared at the pair of humans in utter shock at what they had just revealed to her. She wondered if she had heard them right, with a frown she asked,

"Am I hearing this right? Mu somehow influenced your fight years ago?" They both nodded,

"Yes, it would seem so." Genki confirmed as he watched her deal with this new information.

"How'd you figure it out?"

"I told him how I felt that day… that it felt surreal and like it wasn't me saying those words."

"After she said that it got me thinking, so I asked if she could share those feelings with me."

"You were able to do so?" Granity inquired with surprise in her voice, Holly nodded.

"Yes… though it was a strain for me."

"When she showed it to me, I could sense the influence in the background. It seemed to be the Evil Soul subtly influencing her. It caused a panic attack to mask what it was doing, it didn't want her to realize it was there."

"After he said he could feel it I went looking myself and found he was right. It was there… using my fear to drive a wedge between us." Granity stayed silent a moment just thinking over what they had just told her, she shook her head.

"So, the Evil Soul was after revenge then…"

"Not just revenge Granity." She gave him an inquiring glance, "It wanted us out of the way. It drove us apart and it tried to kill me. I believe it knew my weakness, and it wanted me gone." He saw the pixie breed close her eyes thinking things over, he knew this was a shock to everyone involved and would be for the others as well. He noticed Holly was upset again, moving to her side he put his arm around her. He held her close mumbling, "it's alright, don't let it get to you." Holly nodded but said nothing, * She's going to be upset for awhile I think… this isn't easy to accept but we were defiantly used by the Evil Soul. The question is what was it doing? * Granity glanced their way once more, she could see just how upset Holly was over this. The fact that Genki was comforting her was testament to how close the pair still were despite what had happened.

* It's a good thing they are so resilient… still it did try to kill Genki and it defiantly drove them apart. Why was it so focused on them though, I mean we all fought it? * As she thought she realized something else, * No… it did hit us all we just didn't see it. Suezo hurting Holly, Tiger and Hare no longer trusting each other after the… gay fiasco. Holly and her father having trust issues. My mental break down years ago… It seems everyone except maybe Golem and Mocchi have been its target. Though perhaps Mocchi feels like he can ask things after Holly got yelled at… We are divided. But what does it want? * she turned her attention to Genki, "Genki any idea why it divided you?" His eyes focused on her as he continued to sooth Holly,

"I believe it was trying to cripple us so we would no longer be a threat to it. It knows that without both of us we would not have beat it last time. The monsters on their own cannot become the phoenix, they need us to unlock that within them. Last time our hearts were as one, now we are divided and weak. What it's doing is what concerns me most. We can repair the bonds between us but what has it gained in the meantime? What has it been doing while we were blind to it?" His eyes shown with worry, he knew they might have missed something important.

"Do you think both of your powers are what it fears?"

"It's possible though neither of us can control them very well. I can only control the courage side of things on my own, my visions… are too unstable to be used for anything productive really."

"Granity… using my power long term drains me… I'm not even sure to what extent I can use it." The pixie hybrid could see their points, * They do have control issues… and unknown limits… *

"Genki… have you ever had a vision that seemed like it might be from our world?" she could see he was taken aback for a moment, his brow furrows as he thinks back on his many visions. Holly noticed his distant look as he searched his memory.

"Perhaps but I'm not sure though. I need to see if… I can re-access it. I'm not sure if I can really… I've never tried to experience any of my visions a second time."

"Any idea how to go about that?" Granity probed as Holly looked over at him clearly worried,

"I think if I go into a deep meditative state, I might be able to do so. I seem to be able to recall memories easier in that state. I'm hoping I can access this from there too but there is no guarantee."

"Do you know who it was you got the memory from?" Granity inquired, he shook his head.

"No, I only know it was a young woman…it was defiantly dark in nature, but I can't recall any more than that."

"How do you know it might be from our world?" Holly asked, finally entering the conversation once again.

"The clothing… the surroundings as well… I believe I could see Mount Kairus in the background." Both ladies nodded their understanding, Granity then spoke to them both about her findings.

"It didn't just hit the both of you. It's weakened us all." Genki raised a brow while Holly inquired,

"What do you mean?"

"My break down, your issues with Suezo and your father, Tiger and Hare fear being called gay again and are no longer as close as a result. Mocchi's afraid to ask questions after your father's yelling match with you. Most of the us blamed Genki for your fight and resented him for it; All these things have driven our group apart. It got what it wanted; we are divided right now." Genki nodded then sighed,

"Yes, you are right. It's too much of a coincidence that all of us have had something that drove us away from one another." He could feel Holly shaking again, frowning he lifted her gaze to meet his own. After a moment he pulled her into his arms and held her, her body soon shook as she sobbed into his chest. Granity looked on with sympathy and grief, * She's blaming herself…* after a few minutes he glanced over to Granity. "I think we need to do some recon and find out what it has been doing while we were all distracted." She nodded,

"Indeed, I'm sure Tiger and I can cover a lot of ground."

"Not just the two of you, we need to look further afield. I'm going to ask Colt for assistance."

"I get what you are saying…" He could see she was as worried as they were, and just as upset though she was handling it better then Holly.

"We have to approach this carefully, it hit us hard once already. If it thinks we might be on to it, then it might do so again."

"You want to play it's game?" Her eyes showed surprises as a grin formed on his face,

"Not just play its game, beat it at its own game. Stealth will be needed if we are going to find it and stop it without the soul realizing we are on to it." She could see what he was up to now, she smirked.

"Sounds fun, let's see if we can play with it for a change then. Where should we start looking though?"

"We need to find its new host, if it has one." He saw her nod, "Once we know where it is then we can discern what it's doing." Holly's sobs quieted but she was still shaking, only partially paying attention to their conversation. Granity was about to ask if there was anything she could do when she saw Genki take hold of Holly's chin and guide her gaze back to his once more. Once her eyes focused on him, he spoke to her, "Holly do not let this get to you, it wasn't your fault." Her eyes spoke volumes, "Let it go. We are all together in this, our hearts will be as one again. Our love for each other has not changed even if we are apart right now. I promise no matter what I will be by your side to help you. I won't leave you." Granity couldn't see Holly's face but she heard her gasp, the pixie breed just watched the pair. She was interested to see how they dealt with things now that they knew Mu was the real reason for their pain. Holly for her part was still struggling with the guilt of being used to hurt those she cared for most.

"What if it tries to use me again? I'm not strong enough Genki… if it takes control I…"

"It won't Holly. I won't let that happen."

"But… I…" Sensing her weakness he did the only thing he could think of. He would lend her his strength, in a quick movement he brought her into a deep kiss. At the same time, he placed her hand on his chest hoping she might connect with him and feel his resolve. Holly's eyes widened at the kiss, her mind racing as he showed her his love and tried to give her strength. Her eyes closed and she connected with him; feeling his strength along with his resolve and love for her. Tears slipped from her eyes as she let him be her strength. He gently parted from her, moving to rest his forehead against hers.

"You are strong enough Holly; I know you are. If you ever have need of it then take strength from me. I will always be here for you, no matter what happens." His voice a soft and gentle as he held her. Holly relaxed in his hold let him fill her with strength, after a bit she pulled back to look into his eyes, though worried he still held a loving gaze with her.

"Thank you…" Granity had remained quiet throughout their interaction, she was surprised to see him kiss Holly like that, but she understood what he was doing. He was showing her that he didn't blame her any longer, that he would be her strength if she needed. Granity smiled as she thought, * So he has forgiven her entirely after finding out what really happened. I'm sure he is still afraid, but he now has the reason he needed to push his fear aside, I'm glad. They both really do need each other. * she frowned, * Still the Evil Soul used them against each other. I hope they can learn to be each other's strength so that won't happen again. * She waited for a moment before commenting,

"I see you both have rebuilt some of your trust." Genki glanced over at her and nodded,

"Yes, some… though we still have a lot to work through. Knowing Mu was involved should make this easier for both of us." She smiled knowingly,

"Genki what about my…" Holly's voice dropped off for a moment, finding her words she finished. "PTSD? Isn't that still going to be a problem for you?" Holly wasn't looking at the pixie breed, she felt ashamed to talk about having such a problem even around her lover. Granity perked up at the mention of the disorder, she gave Genki an unsure glance, wondering how they had confirmed his theory so quickly. He responded to Holly with a gentle voice,

"Why would it be Holly? I know you have no control over that, you especially didn't back then; when you didn't realize you had a problem. I told you we would work together to heal, and I mean it. I love you; I will never stop trying to help you with whatever ails you." Holly nodded; she closed her eyes relaxing a for a moment before she finally looked over at her lover. Granity seemed curious but she looked more concerned than anything.

"Holly, how'd you figure out you had a problem to deal with?" The pixie breeds voice came to her softly, Holly smiled slightly.

"Genki helped me work through my fears, to really look at what their cause was. I realized he was right about my having some PTSD from what happened years ago. I had a panic attack after he mentioned the disorder… after I realized my father might leave again if he knew." Genki stroked her back soothingly,

"I merely helped her calm down and assess what was wrong. Now that we know, we can work on healing those wounds that caused the issue in the first place." He could see the stress in Holly as she tried to deal with this admission. Granity saw it as well, she rose and walked to where the couple were seated. She gently caressed Holly's cheek to get her attention, Holly watched the pixie breed with apprehension.

"Holly I'm proud of you for facing this, for asking for help. Don't be afraid, both Genki and I are here for you. I'm sure the others will be too. We won't abandon you." She could see her words meant the world to the young woman. Holly gave her a watery smile before a few tears fell.

"Thank you... that means a lot to me." Granity nodded, carefully she brought Holly into a kiss. The young woman squeaked in embarrassment before she relaxed letting the pixie breed comfort her. Genki just watched with a smile, he would never interfere in their relationship. * I'm glad Granity understood what I was doing and helped calm her fears. She needs to have strength so we can talk to the others. * he sighed internally as he closed his eyes, * I know I have to tell them now… to reveal my secret to them. I fear it so much, but it must be done… we must drive home the point of what the Evil Soul was doing. My weakness needs to be used as an example of how it operates. * Genki felt a hand touch his cheek, when he opened his eyes, he could see a worried pixie breed and a bright red Holly. Granity seemed to be looking for something before speaking,

"Genki we will both support you as you tell the others… I know you fear it. It's alright, Holly and I will be here, so will Tiger." His eyes showed how surprised and confused he was, after a moment he nodded.

"I know… it will still be hard for me to confess to them. I assume you felt what I was thinking through our bond." Granity smiled and nodded, she then brought him into a kiss. Holly squeaked again and turned even brighter red. Genki closed his eyes and let Granity comfort him. After they parted, they both saw Holly hiding her face, it gave them both a good chuckle seeing her like this.

"Relax Holly, no need to be embarrassed." Genki spoke softly to her, his fingers gently tracing her spine. "Remember what I told you before if you feel overwhelmed by your arousal." She nodded, Granity smirked making Genki raise a brow.

"You could always have makeup sex you know. Phoenix knows you both deserve it." She spoke in a teasing and seductive voice. Holly looked utterly shocked, still bright red she finally squeaked a protest,

"Granity!" before hiding her face once more. Genki had been surprised but merely snorted in amusement at her suggestion. He knew she was picking on Holly a little, trying to get her to admit she wanted that with him. * Very funny Granity. * he thought as his eyes sparkled with amusement,

"As helpful as that might be, neither of us feel ready for that yet. For now, we need to rebuild other things, such intimacy will come naturally out of mutual trust and love." He smirked, "Though if you want some make up sex, I suppose we both could arrange that." He teased her back with a grin. Granity was caught off guard for a moment before she began to laugh at his comment. He chuckled along with her as he soothed Holly who wasn't sure she liked their dirty banter.

"You do still owe me a good time." He grinned once more,

"What that last orgasm wasn't good enough?" She chuckled,

"Oh, you are very talented with your mouth and hands but still I'd like the real thing." She held a glint of amusement in her eyes as she watched Holly shudder slightly. Genki smiled,

"I told you before you would have to lead, if you want that then take it." He challenged, a grin forming as a look of shock and then amusement that crossed the pixie breeds face.

"I will then, I just hope you are up for it if you catch my drift."

"I doubt that will be an issue for you, not after the last time." She chuckled as he turned his attention to Holly who was doing breathing exercises. He kissed the side of her head and spoke softly to her. "Do you need some time alone with Granity?" She looked embarrassed but nodded.

"Yes… if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Genki… by your word play I'm guessing you haven't gone all the way with her?" she sounded sheepish asking this, making Granity chuckle lightly.

"No, we haven't yet. We will soon. It took me a bit to allow myself to enjoy sex like that again. I do hold myself to a standard, Granity is the one exception to my rules. Because of that it took me a little longer to let myself go and enjoy our time together." Holly nodded, as she calmed herself a little.

"I think I now understand what you meant before. I never realized you had set such standards for yourself."

"It's not something that I normally discuss with others." She nodded once more before asking,

"I know this may seem silly to ask but I've been wondering about it for a while…"

"Go ahead Holly." He encouraged when she hesitated,

"If we…were to marry… would you have an issue with my bond with Granity still existing?" He looked a little surprised as did the pixie in question. She glanced to Genki awaiting his response, * It never occurred to me to ask about that… *
Genki for his part hadn't given it much thought but he knew one thing, he would never hurt either woman. * I guess it's time to acknowledge the elephant in the room as it were. * "Holly I would never interfere with your bond with her."

"But… we would still be…"

"If you still need or want to have a physical bond then do so. She is the one exception to my rules and always will be. I know you want to express that side of yourself and I won't hurt you by taking that outlet away." He smiled seeing her look of shock, "I would hope this agreement would be mutual though." She took a moment to register what he was saying then nodded.

"Of course, your bond with her is just as important as mine." Granity smiled, she touched both their shoulders to get their attention.

"I promise to never interfere in your bond with each other, but I am glad to be able to maintain those bonds with both of you." They both smiled to her, happy to be able to have such a deep bond.

Soon Granity pulled the embarrassed Holly into another kiss. Genki let her do so and noticed how easily Holly succumbed to the pixie breeds advances.

* Yeah, she is really horny again. I think this might be a turn on for Holly. Being kissed in front of another person or watching such things. * He mused as he watched the pair. He noted that Granity had deepened the kiss this time, her hands moving over the young woman causing her to whimper and moan. * Odd this feels… natural to watch even though I've always felt very uncomfortable when Akame and Mai engage in such things. Maybe it's because of the bonds between us? * After a few minutes Granity parted from her, she whispered something into Holly's ear turning the girl bright red once more and getting a nod out of her. She then whispered something else making Holly's expression change to one of utter shock. After a moment she responded with a hesitant nod of approval, Granity smiled seductively then turned back to Genki. His confused gaze met her mischievous one as she learned forward and whispered to him,

"I want to turn her on more than she is now. She needs greater release to deal with the stress of being manipulated." He had a moment to register her words before he found her lips on his own once again. Unlike most of their kisses this one held hunger in it. He responded in kind letting her tongue slip into his mouth, he moaned for her. Holly was entranced by the site, unable to look away though she was highly embarrassed to be watching. She watched as the pixie breeds hand began to trail over his body, his body shuttered under the touch. Soon a loud groan came for him as her hand moved over his groin, Holly shivered in delight hearing this. After a few more minutes Granity parted from him, he was panting from the experience. Holly saw her whisper into Genki's ear, unlike Holly he wasn't surprised by what he heard. He nodded his understanding as Granity pulled back. Holly looked on in confusion as Genki moved towards her, she understood now what Granity was doing. Holly squeaked as his hand caressed her jaw; she heard his voice softly coming to her ears.

"Just relax Holly, let yourself enjoy this." His lips found hers causing Holly to somehow turn an even darker shade of crimson, her body stiffened initially but relaxed quickly, her hands grasping his shirt holding him there. He waited a few minutes before he moved to deepen the kiss. He wanted her to feel comfortable, especially since this was all new for her. He had to admit Granity had riled him up a bit as well but using his discipline he focused on what had been asked of him. Holly responded to him, deepening the kiss further her tongue finding his. Thoroughly amused by her, he moved a hand to her thigh and squeezed. She moaned in response, his other hand was trailing over her jaw and neck, his fingertips caressing ever so slightly causing shivers to run through her. After a couple more firm squeezes of her thigh, Holly broke off the kiss panting; she moaned,

"Granity please…" Granity chuckled,

"Can you walk?" Holly nodded frantically and stood up with Genki's help. Granity lead her into the nearby room they used and Genki stood. He would go upstairs and let them enjoy themselves. As he walked upstairs, he thought about what had just occurred. * If that had been asked of me by anyone else, I would have refused… why did I allow that? Is it because I feel a bond with both of them? Or perhaps I really do want it with both. Still, this is unlike me… * he groaned, * I need to take care of this… man that turned me on so fast. Guess I still have a pervy side… * he headed up to his room. * Well, I have a feeling Granity will ask for a threesome… I guess I'll have to discuss it with both her and Holly separately before that happens. Still even if we all agree… It needs to happen much later. I don't want our relationship to be built on pleasure… that's a foolish start. We need to trust each other and settle things between us before I will even consider that. * Genki would hopefully be able to talk to them both later though he doubted Holly would want to discuss it with anyone else around. * Though I am beginning to wonder if there is more to the overly sensitive arousal Holly is feeling. Perhaps I should look more into that. *

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After both women returned upstairs, they found Genki waiting at the table, he seemed to be reading over something as they took a seat.

"What are you reading?" Granity asked as she noted whatever the document was, she couldn't read it.

"Oh, it's just a report I found online about the most informative books on the subject Holly was asking about." He smiled seeing the pair looking a little tired,

"Genki did you need me for a bit?" Granity asked, he placed the report down and smiled.

"I'm good for now, I managed to deal with my desires earlier."

"I'm surprised, I know I riled you up."

"You did yes, but I have my tricks. Remember I specialized in the discipline side of B&D, I can deal with things quite well due to that most of the time." Granity laughed at his comment as Holly gave a curious glance between them.

"Genki?"

"Yes Holly?"

"Does that mean you denied yourself?"

"No, I just have greater control then most men. I already had my release while you were with Granity. Don't worry about that." She nodded then gave a soft embarrassed smile,

"I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable downstairs…" He chuckled,

"Not at all Holly."

"But I thought you said you didn't… engage in that type of behavior…" He smiled gently as he thought of how to convey his reasoning.

"When it comes to Akame and Mai its different… I don't feel comfortable doing such things with them. I also believe that they don't have a strong enough bond yet to be engaging in such acts, but that's just my opinion." He could see Holly looked confused still, "When I saw you two kissing it felt… well natural in a way to witness that. It's hard to explain but I didn't feel any discomfort. I hope you were comfortable as well Holly." Holly's eyes showed her surprise at his statement before she even found her voice.

"At first I wasn't… I've never done that before, but it felt… incredibly arousing even if it was perverted. I did enjoy it; I understand now that our bonds have made this possible for all of us." Granity chuckled,

"Yes, it is our bond making things feel natural. More specifically the bond you both share with me, my being a pixie alters the bond. I doubt this would be a thing if you bonded over Tiger." Genki raised a brow as Holly seemed to be unsure of how to react,

"You mean because Pixies are sensual to begin with, right? Your specific traits are influencing how the bond presents itself." Granity smirked at him,

"I should have known you would understand. Yes, it's because of my specific traits and how I feel about you both. Remember physical bonds rarely result in sex, even with pixies this is true. However, because of my love for you both and my willingness to engage in physical activities with you both, it's affecting how you both feel as well."

"Is that why I felt turned on?" Holly probed, trying to understand things better.

"Partially. My traits can influence arousal especially if I'm using my allure at the time." Holly blushed at the mention of that making Genki cock an eyebrow. "However, when it comes to one's specific turn on; I can't influence it that much. No that was something you already had a turn on for." Holly still seemed confused.

"Holly you remember the fetishes I told you about?" She glanced to Genki and nodded,

"Yes, why?"

"Well, there is a fetish known as exhibitionism. It basically means the turn on is being watched during sex acts. There is another known as voyeurism that basically is a the turn on of watching others during sex acts. If you enjoyed both experiences, then you may have both fetishes." Her brow furrowed at this, he could see she seemed uncertain and almost ashamed. He guided her gaze to his own as he spoke once more, "There is nothing wrong with having a fetish Holly or for engaging with it. There is no need to feel ashamed." She gasped,

"Genki how did… you…"

"I can read you Holly, I know you feel conflicted. You want to explore things, but you are afraid of what will happen if your father found out. I want you to know you can freely explore things here. There is no judgement here for what you like and dislike, for what turns you on or doesn't." After a moment she smiled, her hand moving to his to interlace their fingers.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me Genki…" He nodded, his gaze shifting to Granity for a moment. She took the hint and reassured Holly as well,

"I would love to see you experiment more Holly." Holly nodded,

"I will… it might take me a little while to feel comfortable, but I will." Genki smiled at this before speaking again.

"I plan on working through our issues on my week off Holly, that week will be about that specifically. I want us to bond again in a healthy and productive way. Once we can trust each other again, then we can move forward with other things." Holly thought a moment before asking,

"You mean you want to make sure our bond isn't founded on physical acts, right?" He nodded,

"Yes. A healthy relationship doesn't start with sex, that happens later." Smiling gently to her he continued, "Even though things will be easier now, we still have a lot of emotional challenges to work through. We both need our wounds to start healing before we get physical in that way. We also need to both agree on how we are going to proceed; you know how complicated things are between the worlds." He saw her close her eyes and nod.

"Yes, your right. We have a lot to discuss." Granity, who had been thinking about how they would handle the two worlds dilemma, suddenly remember something.

"Genki, didn't the time difference use to be smaller?" He glanced her way before nodding,

"I think so yes… I really don't remember it being this far off before." Holly glanced between them then began to search her own memory.

"I believe before our fight it was a few hours difference…"

"What caused it to move then?" Granity asked now genuinely concerned, Genki seemed lost in thought for a moment before he responded.

"One of two things could be happening… The worlds could have their own… separate rotational speeds. If those speeds are different, that would make their times slowly move away from each other. If that's the case, they should sync up again eventually…." He paused before looking at them both, "Or the time issue has to do with our fight… Perhaps the distance Holly and I feel is some how related to the time difference. I really can't say for sure, as I have no clue how that would work." Both women shared a glance,

"Could that even happen?" Holly probed him further,

"Though unlikely it is possible… I'm not even sure how my world linked up to yours in the first place. I can only theorize on what happened."

"Well, you seem to have done very well at that so far." Granity stated while entertaining her own musings on the matter.

"So far yes… but most of what I have theorized on is the behavior of the portal. Theorizing on the world itself let alone how universes join together is a whole other matter."

"I suppose that would be far more complicated…" The pixie breed looked to be at a loss.

"I will run it by Hare and see if he as any ideas." Holly offered,

"Colt might also be one we can discuss it with." Genki added, both women nodded in agreement. He glanced to Holly again asking, "Are you staying over until Colt and Tiger come?" She smiled softly,

"I'd like to yes. I didn't get much sleep last night…"

"You were worried about what your father and I discussed right?" She nodded,

"Not just that though… dealing with Suezo well… it had me on edge."

"I understand. You can rest here if you like, I have no problem with you staying over Holly. You can do so anytime you want." She smiled, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Thank you Genki… I wasn't sure if I was becoming a burden…" He shook his head, meeting her gaze he reassured her,

"You are never a burden, I told you that before. I have always enjoyed your company Holly, even while I was hurting… that part didn't change. That's how I knew you were indeed my soul mate. If you hadn't been… I would have probably felt a lot different after our fight." A few tears formed in Holly's eyes as she heard those words, she closed her eyes a moment to think of how to respond to him. Granity spoke in her stead,

"You mean you would have felt resentment or hatred after the pain you went through, right?" He nodded,

"I would have if that love had not been true… I mentioned before that a part of me wanted to feel resentment, but I never felt it despite those thoughts being present."

"It makes sense… that's why you said you stopped dating right? You knew that there would be no other that could fill that void?" Granity probed, Holly looked over at the pair in confusion. She hadn't realized he had stopped dating because of how he felt for her.

"Is that true?" She asked, Genki nodded.

"Yes, I stopped dating after I realized the void in my heart couldn't be filled by another." He sighed and closed his eyes, "If you had never changed your mind Holly, I was planning to just remain single the rest of my life." He chuckled bitterly, "I'm sure my mother would have been upset, I am her last chance for grandchildren. My brother isn't going to have any unless he adopts and my sister… well I wouldn't trust her with kids… assuming she can still have any at this point." Both women shared a glance before Granity probed him once more,

"What do you mean by 'if she can have children at this point'?" He glanced to the confused pair of ladies, with a sad smile he answered.

"I believe she had a medical procedure done to prevent pregnancy from happening. If she did then she is basically sterile now."

"Why would she do that?" Holly sounded both highly confused and distressed,

"Holly she has never been maternal. She has always hated kids. Honestly, it's best she doesn't have any. She'd be abusive if she had any, it's how she is. I wish things were different but as long as she is the way she is now… she can't be trusted around children." Granity seemed to understand, she brought up a new topic while Holly dealt with this unusual conversation.

"Genki… wouldn't remaining single all your life make you conditions worse?" He saw her concern; he could see Holly's as well now that Granity had asked this question. He sighed heavily closing his eyes, he nodded before speaking once more.

"Yes, they would have gotten worse." He waited a moment, "I wasn't about to have a false relationship though, that wouldn't have helped me anymore then being single. I told you before that the reason I was revealing my issues is because they were already getting worse. I don't have the strength to deal with them alone anymore." Granity gently gripped his shoulder, she understood now.

"You want help, but you don't want to be a burden to others, to be selfish like your sister. Your plan was to let us know then let us decide the course of action."

"That was my plan yes." His gaze met hers, she could see he was worried and stressed again. It was Holly who decided to ask something weighing heavily on her,

"Genki… what would have happened if the group had reacted negatively to your conditions? If Granity and I weren't supporting, you." He glanced her way; he could see the worry in her eyes.

"Holly… are you sure you truly want to know that answer." She nodded a pit of dread forming in her stomach at his question,

"Please I need to know the truth." He sighed, averting his gaze once more.

"I would have eventually lost to the darkness inside me…" He felt Granity reassure him with a gentle touch, "I already told this to Granity, I still have suicidal thoughts from time to time. I have managed to fight them off so far, I haven't attempted to… take my own life since that first time. But I doubt I would have kept that up if I had been hurt once more. As much as I hate taking the cowards way out, as much as I love my family, I just don't have that kind of strength anymore… not to fight after another harsh blow." His voice was filled with sorrow, he knew this would weigh heavily on Holly. It had definitely impacted Granity when she found out, but she has been proactive because of it. Making sure to strengthen him rather then fretting over him. He only hoped Holly would do the same. While Holly processed this Granity moved to wrap her arms around Genki, she knew this was hard for him to talk about as well. She kissed his cheek before whispering,

"It's alright, you have my strength now. You not alone in this no matter how hard it may get." He nodded, leaning into her his eyes closing as he accepted her comfort.

"I know, thank you Granity." Holly thought over his words, a few tears slipping out as she did.

* So, he's losing strength… that's why he wanted me to know. He knew he couldn't hide his condition anymore, that he could no longer make it on his own. Why are those thoughts still with him though? Shouldn't they have stopped? I need to know more about his issues and how to help him. I can't stand seeing him in pain anymore, he doesn't deserve this. * She glanced over at him seeing her lover comforting him, Holly gave his hand a squeeze hoping to reassure him just as he had done for her earlier. "Genki can I ask what causes those thoughts still?" Her voice was gentle as she sought to understand him,

"They only happen when I'm overwhelmed and alone. If I can no longer mentally deal with things… If it feels hopeless like nothing really matters anymore… that's when those thoughts appear once more. They are getting harder to fight each time… I have tried my best to keep from being overwhelmed but I really have little control over my own life sometimes." He chuckled bitterly, "There have been days where I feel everything is stacked against me. It may just be in my head but it's how I feel." He smiled sadly, "Believe me I know there are times that I'm losing my mind…despite my best efforts to retain my sanity." He shook his head. Granity shifted, taking hold of him she made him look her in the eyes. He obeyed though unsure of what she was looking for. She rested her forehead against his before speaking softly to him,

"You aren't losing anything; we are both here for you. Don't let your depression take over, I can see it in your eyes that you feel defeated. I know you need our strength, take it. I told you before I would strengthen you, all you need do is ask." Holly barely made out what was said but she suddenly realized why it was said, * His mood darkened… that's his depression talking. I understand now… I need to pay closer attention. * Genki for his part sighed then spoke softly in return,

"Thank you Granity, I'm sorry that I let this get out of hand again…"

"There is nothing for you to be sorry about, just ask for help. I know your pride is interfering, you want to do it yourself, but you know you can't right now. Ask for help please."

"I will from now on." He shifted, resting his head on her shoulder, she just held him, and Holly moved her hand to his back. Slowly she connected with him, projecting her love into him, she could feel just how hard this was for him, how much both issues were acting up right now. After a bit he pulled back, his mood seemed better. He smiled to both women before he spoke to each other them.

"Thank you, Holly; I feel much better. Just don't over do it, you already used a lot of your power earlier."

"I'm fine Genki, don't worry." He smiled then turned to Granity,

"Thanks, I'm glad you understand me and can read my mood so well."

"I told you I would do everything I can to help you. I have been paying attention to what you have tried to teach me." She smiled before asking, "Your anxiety was acting up earlier, it triggered your depression didn't it?" He nodded,

"Yes… I still feel extremely anxious and fearful of confessing to the others. Even with help I'm not sure I can do this… I will try regardless… But just know that if it gets bad… I might have an attack." His voice was soft, he hated admitting just how weak he felt right now but he knew he would need the help.

"We will figure out a way for you to do this without having an attack. Just relax for now alright?" He nodded; Holly spoke up now.

"Why don't you get some rest Genki? I'm sure this has been draining for you, I know it was for me." He smiled to her,

"Alright, some extra sleep couldn't hurt." He glanced to Granity. "were you ladies planning on staying together?" Granity raised a brow, exchanging a glance with Holly they both seemed to come to an agreement.

"No, I think I need to be at your side. Would you be against both of us staying with you?" He was surprised by the question, glancing at Holly he saw her nod and smile to him.

"I would love the company right now, though it might be a bit cramped."

"I'm sure we can make do." Granity smiled as Holly agreed,

"We will be fine Genki." He smiled in return,

"Thank you both."

---

The three proceeded to head upstairs, Granity turned off the lights on the way up. Genki disappeared briefly to change into his night wear while the ladies chatted quietly.

"Granity do you think that maybe easing things in by talking this over with Colt and Tiger would help?" Granity nodded,

"Yes, I do. Going a little at a time seems to help him. That will lessen the amount of people he needs to confess to and hopefully lessen the stress as well. I will try to get him to make love before he tells the rest of the group. I think he needs that kind of release." She snorted as realized something, "you know he is just as stubborn as you are about that in some ways." She smirked to a skeptical Holly.

"He has his reasons I'm sure."

"He does yes, but he is still stubborn."

"I think he wants to build the bonds we have properly. He considers sex to be useful after bonds are built but not in building them from what I have seen." Holly commented as she finished removing her boots, she let her hair down then removed her vest and tunic. Granity chuckled,

"You are mostly right; his views are a bit more complicated than that, but I will let him explain them to you. He does want to make sure of things between the two of you before he considers becoming physical with you, yes. But I think his motives aren't just the bonds you need; he wants to make sure you are willing to truly take on this challenge. It won't be easy to be with him, especially if you decide to be apart of his world. That is what he wants to be sure of first I think before things can go any further."

"So, he has his doubts then still?"

"He does yes, you will need to show him that he no longer needs to entertain those doubts. Remember he said next week would be dedicated to working with you on these things and the emotional baggage you both have. He needs you to reassure him that there will never be a repeat of what happened before. Mu used you against each other, you both need to bond stronger than before to prevent that from ever happening again."

"You're worried Mu will try again?"

"If he senses weakness, he will Holly. I have no doubt he will try to hurt you both again. You both need each other; you know the truth. He is your soul mate; you felt the same way he did. You stopped dating as well, even if you wouldn't admit to the real reason why." Holly sighed heavily the nodded,

"Yes, you're right… he is my soul mate. I feel it deep in my heart" she placed her hand on her breast above her heart,

"Then tell him, he needs to hear you say it." She could see an urgency in Granity's eyes. She nodded,

"I will when we have some time alone." It was after those words that Genki returned, he noticed the girls were ready for bed, not that Granity had much to do to be ready. Without a word he climbed in the let them pick where they wanted to be. He found they chose to be on either side of him, he chuckled as they both snuggled with him.

"Good night ladies."

"Good night loves." Genki chuckled again as Holly raised a brow, she never understood where that pet name came from or why it applied to both of them.

"Good night Genki, Granity. Sweet dreams to both of you." With that they all settled into sleep, Granity smiling as she saw the pair together. * They make such a cute couple. I really hope they can rebuild everything they lost. Still… his depression seems to be getting worse. I hope it's just the stress of everything and not something else. * she resolved to keep an eye on him to be sure but let him work through things as he felt able.

---

Genki was the first to wake, feeling his watch alarm going off. He felt much better after resting again, it seemed to have recharged him mentally. His gaze moved to one of the sleeping women beside him, a smile forming on his face. * I never thought I would ever get to wake up next to her. It seems like a dream really. * Holly looked very peaceful sleeping next to him, her hand resting on his chest. Gently he brushed some of her bangs back, trying not to wake her as he did so. He decided to just relax for a bit and enjoy being with his companions. After a little while he felt Granity stir next to him, his eyes finding hers after a moment. She smiled to him,

"You look like you are feeling better." She spoke softly, keeping her voice down so Holly could rest still.

"I am. Thank you for being here."

"I'm glad to be able to help you." She looked slightly mischievous now, "You enjoy having her at your side, don't you?"

"Yes, I very much do. I never thought I would have this chance." Granity smiled,

"I'm glad you two finally figured things out. It's good seeing both of you happy again." He returned her smile,

"You're not the only one thankful for our understanding." He could see she understood him,

"I see you have hope again that things will get better." She had known this was what he truly needed, "Just promise me you will be each other's strength, we don't need to give Mu another chance to hurt the both of you." He nodded,

"I promise Granity." She leaned into him, nuzzling against his neck briefly before she spoke once more.

"I know you both have a lot to work through, just know that if you need help, I'm here for both of you. I will intercede if you both hit an impasse."

"I appreciate that. It's my hope we won't hit any real impasses, but you never know. Thank you for helping us both Granity. We probably wouldn't have gotten this far without you."

"Oh, you would have managed I think, it just would have been harder for you both."

"Perhaps, still you have been a great help to both of us." She paused a moment before commenting,

"You know I still think you both need to release that sexual tension you have built up between you." She smirked at his look of annoyance, he sighed before answering.

"I won't disagree with you on the fact they we do have some tension between us regarding that. However, right now we need to heal a bit first before we go into that. Yes, releasing that tension would be helpful but only after we trust each other again." He glanced away a moment before continuing, "Besides, I want to be sure this is what she truly wants before we do that."

"I know you have your doubts Genki, and I understand why you have them. Trust me on this, she is ready and willing to do this. She wants to be with you, she needs you as much as you do her." He closed his eyes sighing once more,

"I want to believe you Granity, but I need to hear that from her and see her resolve. This will not be easy. Especially if she wants to immigrate. It will take years to get that process done and it will be tricky to complete depending on how Holly handles things." Granity caressed his cheek gently,

"I know it won't be easy but it's not impossible right?"

"No, it's not impossible. But there is a lot of nuance to it. Especially since it will never be… entirely legal due to your world being unknown." Granity stared at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't it be legal?"

"As far as the government is concerned your world doesn't exist, thus one can't immigrate from it. We can pick a location here and make it look legal using some cleaver trickery but that's all I can do."

"You'd be forging paperwork, right?"

"Yes, it's the only way if she wants to be here with me."

"I assume you will be talking to her about this?" Granity's voice remained soft but held a stern edge now.

"Of course, it just hasn't come up yet. It's one of the reasons I have been holding back Granity. For now, it will have to wait till my week off. I was planning to bring this dilemma up then." He glanced over at the pixie breed who still had a look of disbelief on her face.

"Why didn't you bring it up before now?"

"I wanted to be sure she really had changed her mind first. It would have been pointless otherwise." He smiled sadly, "Besides this is something that will take a lot of dedication, if she's not willing to do whatever it takes to be together, then why bring up this nonsense?" he averted his gaze once more, "In some ways she was right about it not being feasible… I didn't know that back then but looking at it now. It definitely makes things… exceedingly difficult if nothing else."

"Was that the other reason you stopped pursuing her?" Granity whispered making him glance her way. He nodded,

"Yeah… I realized she was right all along… even if I never wanted to admit it." He closed his eyes again, "If I have to do the double life I will, we can marry in your world even if things here are too problematic."

"That's hardly fair to you… plus any children you have won't be able to see your parents." She commented a look of sorrow etched into her features,

"As I said to Tiger, life is not fair sometimes, Shikataganai." He shrugged then glanced her way she had a look of confusion on her face, "This all depends on what Holly wants to do, I won't push things in that regard." He sighed, "We can manage something for the kids… I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind jumping across after I prove to them, I haven't gone insane."

"Still, it will put more stress on you…"

"If it does then so be it. There isn't much else I can do."

"I'm just worried you will over stress yourself doing all of this." He could see how worried she was now,

"It's possible that the stress will become a problem… I should be able to handle it as long as I have help."

"What about Holly's PTSD? Will it be affected by this?" He shook his head,

"It shouldn't be, hers is specific enough that general stress won't trigger it. I am hoping by the time we proceed with any of this that we can work through some of the issues she has. Her problems should fade over time and become less of an issue as we work through things." Granity nodded her understanding before she rested with him once more, thinking over what he had just told her. Genki let her do so as he relaxed as well, he hoped she understood that he wasn't trying to hide the immigration issue. Sure, he hadn't mentioned it before but then he was still dealing with his overload concerning his unpredictable life. Granity then spoke up once more,

"Genki what does Shikataganai mean?" He smiled realizing he had used a Japanese phrase instead of using English. * Must be because I feel frustrated… *

"It means 'It can't be helped' or 'Nothing can be done about it.' It's a pretty common phrase in my country." She seemed to think this over,

"I'm not sure why that would be a common phrase…it seems odd."

"No more so than Hare saying, 'but what can you do?' and shrugging. There are a lot of circumstances that just can't be changed, even if we wish they could be changed." He felt Holly begin to stir as he spoke with Granity. Holly stretched then glanced to her companions with a smile,

"Morning." Genki smiled and chuckled,

"Morning, you sleep well?" She nodded,

"Yes, I hope you did as well?"

"Indeed, I did."

"What were you discussing?"

"Just a Japanese phrase." Granity smiled to her, Holly glanced to Genki in inquiry.

"I accidently used my native tongue when I was trying to explain something. Which didn't work out so well." He chuckled looking slightly sheepish,

"What phrase?"

"Shikataganai." He saw her make a face at that, "It means 'It can't be helped' or 'Nothing can be done about it.'" Holly raises a brow, now wondering what they were talking about.

"Still, I'm unsure why that phrase would be so common in your culture." Granity challenged once more, Holly just listened quite curious as to what was being discussed. Genki sighed trying to figure out how to explain this.

"Honestly, it all comes back to the cultural concept of Wa." He paused trying to figure out how to explain such a concept.

"Wa?" Granity looked even more confused,

"It roughly translates to the word Harmony." He could see Holly looked interested even if had confused the pixie breed once more. "The concept of Harmony on a cultural and societal scale is basically everyone putting aside their own personal interests for everything to continue functioning in a unified and orderly manner. Conformity to this ideal is pushed heavily, anyone who breaks that harmony to further their own interests is brought back in line by those around them. It is a…problematic side of my culture." He could see the were both deep in thought now, "There is a proverb often used that corresponds to this concept of conformity. Deru kugi wa utareru. This translates to 'the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.'" Holly looked surprised; her brow then furrows as she remembers his words from the day prior.

"Is this why you said you have societal pressures on you as well?" He nodded, "Yet you seem to be fighting this concept."

"I am, and so are a lot of younger people who… are tired of being told they can't be themselves."

"Makes sense to me, I wouldn't be happy conforming like that either." Granity commented as Genki smiled.

"A lot of younger people don't like how society has a hold on their lives, more than it should. Shikataganai and Shoganai are both phrases that get used as an excuse to not fix what is wrong with both the government and society at large. There are many my age that are not happy with this, especially since there is a big problem on the horizon that no one seems to want to touch. They all acknowledge it's a problem but won't do anything about it."

"So, it's used an excuse to be lazy?" Granity looked annoyed,

"A lot of times, yes." He saw the pixie breed shake her head in disbelief.

"What issue are they avoiding?" Holly asked, Genki saw the curiosity in her eyes and smiled.

"We have an aging population problem. Young people aren't having as many kids, as a result our society will become top heavy with old folks soon. There will be too few young people to support them. It's a big issue but no one wants to fix it despite it probably causing an economic collapse." He sighed, "All the older folks want to do is blame the young people for being too selfish, for having and pursuing their dreams, having a good education and job before settling down. People are waiting longer to start families and having fewer children. It is an exponential problem, as it grows worse by the decade. This is especially true because the expectation of loyalty to one's work is still at play as well. It's really a problem with no good end in sight, by the time someone does something about it, it will be too late."

"Sounds foolish to me." Granity stated,

"It is foolish." Genki looked at his watch then back at the girls, "We should get something to eat, Tiger and Colt will be over shortly."
"You going to cook one of your cultures meals again?" Granity seemed excited making Holly giggle and wonder what she had been missing.

"I can if you'd like." Granity grinned,

"I would love that; besides, I think Holly should get to sample your cooking." He smiled then looked over at the woman in question.

"What you think Holly? Are you feeling adventurous tonight?" She smiled,

"Yeah, I am. I'd love to sample food from your culture."

"Alright, its decided then." He slipped out of bed to get ready for the day. As he changed Holly put her outer clothing back on. Granity smirked at her making Holly quirk an eyebrow once more.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." Holly gave her an annoyed look as the pixie headed downstairs.

"I swear I will never understand what goes on in her head." Holly mumbled as she put her boots on.

"In some case you may not want to know." Genki commented with a playful smile. Holly snorted at this,

"Perhaps you are right. I know she is far more perverted than I am." He chuckled,

"She is yes, but only with us. We are special to her."

"Do you think she will ever trust another monster?" Holly asked quietly,

"I do, she will find a mate on her own when she is ready." Holly nodded then smiled to him, the pair headed downstairs.

---

Granity was busy reading as the descended the stairs. Holly shook her head once more, * Seriously she has never been this interested in reading before. * Genki just smiled as he walked to his kitchen, soon he pulled out a small pan with a handle that was angled upward and began to gather ingredients for the meal. Holly decided to stand back and watch, she was interested in his cultures use of ingredients. She saw him put some rice into a machine nearby with some water.

"What is that Genki?"

"It's a rice cooker. I use it so I don't have to pay attention to the rice while I cook the rest."

"What are you making?" Holly asked, his ingredients didn't exactly make sense to her.

"Oyakodon, it's a classic Donburi dish. Donburi are usually characterized by the fact that they are always served over plain rice. This one is a chicken dish, but beef is also very commonly used." Holly nodded her understanding then watched as he began prepping the ingredients for cooking. He sliced an onion into thin strips then did the same to the chicken, once done he cleaned his blade before dicing up some fresh scallions. He retrieved a few bottles from his fridge. In a small bowl Holly saw him mix these liquids together. After they were combined, he added a touch of sugar, stirring till is dissolved. Once ready he put the onions in the small pan and added the mixture to it. Soon it was simmering on the stove, after a moment the chicken joined the onions. He covered the pan and let it simmer for awhile to build flavor. As he waited, he took an egg and began to beat it in a small bowl, Holly had walked up beside him to watch as he cooked.

"What was that sauce you just made?"

"It's a mixture of dashi, mirin, sake, and soy sauce. It creates what we call an umami flavor, Umami is basically a strong savory taste." Soon he added the egg, mixing it into the contents of the pan, he covered it once more. Moving to his cupboard he grabbed a bowl and proceeded to get a bowl of white rice from the rice cooker. Once done he removed the lid, added the scallions waiting a few seconds for them to heat up before he poured the pans contents onto the bowl of rice. He then immediately threw another batch of onions into the pan with more sauce to start the process once more. He handed the bowl to Holly who smiled at him, she took it over to Granity who was thrilled to receive it.

"You want a fork or chopsticks?" Genki asked as he finished prepping the second egg after adding the chicken.

"Chopsticks." Genki grabbed some and handed them to her. Holly had taken it upon herself to make up two more bowls of rice. He smiled as he added the egg to the pan. This batch and the final one went much faster with her help. Once done they both took a seat at the table, Holly too was opting to use chopsticks. As they dug in Holly could really taste the various flavors in the dish. It was not something she had ever tried before that was for sure.

"This is delicious. I would have never thought to mix egg into a meal like this." Genki smiled,

"I'm glad you like it. I have noticed that your world uses more European style cuisine, so I'm sure this is a big difference for you."

"So, there are countries similar to our world?" Granity probed,

"Yes, though not identical they are very similar."

"Genki, I would love to learn more recipes from you!" He chuckled seeing Holly's enthusiasm.

"I would be happy to teach you. If you want to make this dish, I will need to teach you how to make dashi, and how to substitute for the other things you may not have." Holly smiled brightly to him,

"Thank you so much Genki." Granity chuckled seeing her so happy, she then glanced to Genki to inquire about ingredients.

"So, what ingredients might we have to substitute?"

"Well, it depends on which dashi you are making. Some use sea kelp which I doubt you can get considering the village is land locked."

"Yes, that would be an issue, seaweed isn't used very often in our world."

"Sea kelp is not just a seaweed. They are different. Seaweed doesn't have the same flavor." He saw Holly nod showing she was listening, "Dashi can also use dried bonito flakes, which are a specific type of tuna. Dried anchovy or sardine can also be used. The last method is dried mushrooms. Usually, shitake is used around here though there are other mushrooms that could be substituted."

"I'm sensing a lot of fish…" Granity quirked a brow mischievously making Genki laugh at her comment.

"Lots of fish yes, remember this is an island nation we are surrounded by the ocean. There are ways around the use of fish. It just takes some creativity. However, since they are all dried, I could just get you some to start with."

"I must say I couldn't really taste the fish in this at all if there was any." Holly commented,

"That dashi was mushroom based with a little kelp mixed in. No fish in that particular one." He saw her nod, "I don't use the fish dashi with meats like chicken very much as it tends to overpower it if you use too much. It takes a lot of trial and error to get the balance right. The vegetarian dashi is easier to use with other meats."

"Can you use the fish one with chicken?"

"Yes, though it will take a lot of practice to get it right." Holly nodded before going into deep thought, they all ate in a comfortable silence. Granity finished first and smiled to Genki as he finished up his meal.

"Colt and Tiger will likely be jealous of this meal. I doubt the boys whipped up anything edible." She chuckled as Genki gave a hardy laugh.

"Well, nothing edible if Suezo is in the mix. I don't know how many stews he messed up." Holly giggled at his comment,

"He tries to help Genki."

"I know but he never really succeeds." Holly couldn't really argue with him there, the poor monster had horrible sense of ingredients, and often mixed the wrong ones while flustered.

---

Genki heard Tiger's voice from the receiver,

"You guys up?" using his watch he replied,

"Ready when you are Tiger."

"See you soon then." Tiger was always brief something Genki appreciated about him. He knew in ten minutes they would need to open the portal.

"You think Colt is going to go crazy?" Granity inquired with a playful smile. Genki chuckled,

"Either go crazy or faint from an overload of excitement." He replied playfully.

"Be prepared to be hugged to death again." She teased with a grin; he shook his head.

"If she tries that I'm using you as a shield." He countered, "You're cuddlier than me anyway." Granity barked a laugh,

"Hardly mister snuggles." They both laughed, Granity kissing his cheek as she got up to put her dish in the sink.

Holly noticed how playful the pair were when they spoke, even taking jabs at each other.

* Granity seems to enjoy their verbal jousting… I never realized just how playful she could be. Does she think I would be offended by such banter? * "You know she could shock you both and actually go into her research mode instead. She is quite professional while researching." Holly smiled to them both playfully. Genki suddenly started laughing,

"I would hope so. If she isn't well… that would make her research useless and shoddy at best. I really don't see that being the case with her given how meticulous her notes are." Holly giggled at him,

"She has great attention to detail when recording things for her research. When I traveled with her, she even took rubbings of carvings to make sure they were completely accurate."

"It does sound like she can be professional when she wants." Genki smiled to Holly who nodded at him.

"Too bad she isn't usually that professional." Granity interjected, Holly gave her a playful smirk.

"Granity you know as well as I do that you enjoy her hugs a little more than most women." This comment caught the pixie breed completely off guard. Genki started laughing as Granity recovered then smirked,

"You're one to talk. I'm not the one that let her sleep with me." Holly raised a brow at this and gave a playful smile back.

"What can I say, I love spending time with beautiful women." Granity chuckled at Holly's playfulness, it was rare that Holly would engage in such talk.

"That we both can agree on." This earned a slight blush from Holly, but she giggled at the implications, nonetheless. Genki watched from the side lines and smiled seeing the pair teasing each other. * Good, I'm glad Holly is relaxing while she is here. *

"Well, I'm glad you have had some healthy female relationships Holly. I can imagine being surrounded by guys can get annoying at times." Holly cocked a brow at him unsure he what exactly he was insinuating. Holly at first thought to refute his claims, however she decided against this. * Let's see if I can catch him off guard. *

"Are you insinuating that I'm an easy lay?" She gave him a look of disbelief, Genki quirked an eyebrow at her comment he hadn't anticipated her challenge, he pretended to be in deep thought for a moment before he replied evenly,

"Perhaps, that all depends on your definition of lay now doesn't it?" He smiled as she seemed unsure of what to make of his reply.

"We are playing this game, huh? I can see how married life if going to be with you if that's the case." She fired back, but without missing a beat Genki grinned and replied.

"I'll buy you a dictionary in preparation for the wedding day." His voice was so nonchalant about it that Granity burst out laughing. Holly soon followed, unable to keep her cool after his snarky reply. Genki just chuckled and smiled to her, he was happy to see her laughing and enjoying herself, it was uplifting for him.

"Oh, Phoenix you two are going to confuse your future children." Granity managed to comment between fits of laughter. Holly blushed at this, but Genki merely commented back.

"Confused but well educated." He smirked at Granity who was taken by another fit of laughter. He glanced to his watch and decided it was best to calm them both down before Colt and Tiger arrived. * I doubt Holly would want Colt knowing that she has a crush on her. * He understood the subtext that Granity was projecting. Holly was in some way attracted to Colt but hadn't said anything to her about it. More than likely she was afraid to lose her only female friend. "Holly, do you think Tiger and Colt would like some tea as we chat, or should we hold off till after we discuss the evil soul with them?" Holly was just now recovering her composure,

"I think they would like some yes. I figured we'd have to wait for Colt to get done asking questions before we talk to them about the Evil Soul." He snorted,

"You wait for her to finish with questions, and we will age by ten years." Holly giggled,

"Perhaps you are right. We can let her calm down at least."

"Better make some chamomile tea then to expedite the process." Holly giggled and nodded,

Genki rose and walked to the office while Holly set about making tea.

"Where will we be chatting?" Granity asked, having finally recovered from her laughter.

"Living room, it will be more comfortable that way." Genki answered from the office, as he turned the required equipment on, Holly and Granity joined him soon after. On the screen they saw the pair on the platform, Hare had accompanied them and was unlocking the gate for them. Soon Colt tumbled on through, Granity was quick to pull her aside so Tiger wouldn't land on her. As soon as Tiger popped through Genki realized he had made an error, unfortunately Tiger didn't realize it yet and stood up. Holly, Colt, and Granity got a full-frontal view of the naked Tiger now in human form. Tiger soon realized the problem and tried to cover himself only to Genki slam a pillow against his abdomen effectively covering him making Tiger emit an 'Oof' at the unexpected impact. Tiger gripped the pillow holding it to himself, bright red and mortified that the three women had seen him like this. Holly had looked away quickly upon realizing he was naked, while Colt and Granity had just stared. Genki cleared his throat catching their attention,

"Granity close the portal please. Tiger come with me; we'll get you something to wear." Genki's voice was even and firm, he seemed unphased by the naked man before him. Tiger followed Genki out to the office, Granity chuckled then commented "A nice view from both sides there, Tiger." Tiger turned a dark shade of crimson as Genki rolled his eyes, he pointed to the stairs and now took up a spot behind the transformed monster to block any further view. After the pair went upstairs Granity burst out laughing. She closed the portal as instructed but couldn't stop laughing at what had just happened. Colt too had started to laugh while Holly stood there blushing. Holly decided to go to the kitchen to get away from the cackling pair, she need to calm herself down and they were not helping. * Poor Tiger… I never imagined he would be naked… he must be mortified. *

---

Meanwhile upstairs, Genki was hunting around for a shirt and shorts Tiger to wear. He found some and handed them over to him.

"I'm sorry Tiger. I should have realized this might happen." Tiger still blushing shook his head,

"You can't predict everything Kid, don't worry about it. I will get over it, I just… I have never been indecent around Holly…"
"Tiger, she understands. It's alright, we never realized this would be an issue. I think we both forgot that Granity already has clothing, so this didn't affect her."

"Kid you sure Holly with be ok with this?"

"Yes, she will be fine Tiger. Embarrassed no doubt, just as you are, but that will wear off." Tiger nodded, as he finished putting the shirt on. It had taken him a few minutes to dress, he wasn't used to it. Genki had gently guided him but had let him do it on his own. Once he was done Genki smiled to him,

"You ready to head back down?" Tiger nodded,

"Yes… before we go, I do have a question."

"What is it?"

"Have you and Granity bonded physically?" Genki's brows raised at this question. He could see this was important to Tiger. * I won't lie to him… he deserves to know… *

"We have yes. She initiated it with me as a way of healing from her past." Tiger's eyes showed a mixture of emotions, he saw disappointment in them and quickly realized what Tiger had really been asking. When Tiger looked away, he grabbed his shoulder and spoke again, "Tiger don't feel that I'm in your way." Tiger's eyes snapped back to him in shock, "I am not her mate, nor will I be. I am only helping her with emotional wounds. If you love her then tell her."

"Kid… how did… but I…" the wolf monster turn human stammered. Genki smiled gently,

"Tiger I know you like her; I can see it. Besides, I think she has a thing for you too based on her high praise of the view she got."

"Wasn't she just teasing me?"

"She doesn't tease like that." Genki shook his head, "No that was her playful side coming out, she only does that with those she likes." Tiger seemed to go into deep thought a moment, Genki let him process this. He was aware that Granity rarely showed her playful side, she was very private about such things. * I know she likes him; I have seen how she looks at him when he doesn't know she is there. Hopefully, they with hit it off. She deserves to find a mate as much as he does. *

"Thanks for being honest with me kid." Genki nodded before opening the door and heading downstairs with Tiger in tow.

---

He found the ladies in the kitchen; Holly was still faintly blushing but Granity and Colt had gotten over the whole affair. Genki walked to where Holly was,

"You need help with anything?" Tiger watched the pair; he knew they had a lot of healing to do but he could see they were more at easy with each other. * I wonder if Granity helped them talk things over? * He glanced her way and noticed a playful smirk on her face, he blushed slightly again before addressing her.

"I see you have been helping them." He indicated the couple at counter. She smiled and nodded,

"I have yes, when they need it." Colt looked very confused, glancing between the pair.

"What are you two talking about?" Granity gave the girl an exasperated look before donning a more serious tone.

"Their fight." Was all she whispered to Colt whose eyes got big suddenly.

"Oh… that. I guess I forgot." Genki had grabbed a tray of tea cakes while Holly had the tea pot and cups.

"Come on you gossip mongers, this way." Genki commented before leading them into the living room. Colt froze when she saw out the window, Tiger was surprised as well but not nearly as surprised as Colt. He had seen large building before even in their own world. Colt walked over to window in awe as Genki went to coffee table to set his tray down. He then moved away from Colt knowing that if she got excited, she would grab the closest person. Holly placed the tea tray down and began to pour the tea. After a few minutes Colt suddenly grinned, she caught Granity off guard who hadn't expected her. Colt hugged Granity as she exclaimed,

"You were so right. This is awesome! They are so big and tall!" She bounced around holding on to Granity who was trying in vain to get out of her grasp. Genki was trying not to laugh, Tiger caught his smirk and chuckled. Holly went to her companion's aid,

"Colt calm down, you don't need to…" She didn't get to finish as Colt switched targets, "COLT!" was all Holly could exclaim before she was pulled into a bear hug by the girl in question. Colt proceeded to bounce in place while holding Holly in her death grip chanting,

"Oh Phoenix this is amazing!" Granity scurried away now that she was free, panting from the experience, she shot Genki a dirty look for snickering at her. Genki just grinned in response, after a moment he decided to help Holly who was struggling with the excitable Colt. He walked up behind Colt, using a pressure point he gripped her shoulders and forced her to let go. "OW OW OW!" Genki quickly subdued her holding her arms after he got her off Holly. "What's the big idea!" Genki shook his head,

"You need to calm down and stop assaulting everyone. I understand your excitement, however that doesn't excuse your behavior." He glanced to Holly who looked a bit lightheaded from the experience, Granity came to her aid and helped her take a seat. Colt realized she had gotten carried away and looked very sheepish in his hold now.

"Sorry…"

"You going to behave now?" Colt nodded, Genki let go of her and moved to take his seat. Colt went back to studying the city below for a few more minutes before she took a seat in a chair a crossed from them. Genki sipped his tea before glance towards Holly, who seemed to be recovering from her death hug. "I'm sure you have questions Colt, keep them concise please."

"Are all cities this large?" He shook his head,

"This is the capital city, hence it's size."

"Doesn't the wind pose a threat to those tall buildings?"

"No, though earthquakes do. Our island nation sits near a natural fault line, so we get frequent tremors and earthquakes. Occasionally we also have typhoons and tsunamis as well." Colt was jotting down notes as she continued her questioning,

"Have any buildings been damaged do to that?"

"Occasionally yes. However, we do over engineer our structures to handle those events. Nothing is earthquake proof, but it is resistant to it through extra reinforcement." He paused before adding, "We did have a deadly earthquake and tsunami around ten years ago. The earthquake was a magnitude 9 which is incredibly strong. It caused a tsunami due to where the quake hit, the waves reached over 130 feet high, pretty much wiped-out Sendai and Tohoku's Iwate Prefecture. More than fifteen thousand were dead by the end of it. It also caused one of our nuclear reactors to meltdown spilling toxic water into the ocean." Colt looked shocked at this information,

"Fifteen thousand?" he nodded, she seemed unsure of how to proceed. Holly and Tiger also looked uncertain so Granity decided to assist. She had been aware of some of the history of his country, asking about the earthquakes ever since she felt one the prior week.

"Have they rebuilt those cities?" Genki nodded,

"Yes, though they are still rebuilding. It will take years to repair all the damage, the reactor is still… having problems unfortunately. Many technicians have died trying to repair that reactor."

"Is it really that dangerous?" Tiger asked, he was very confused. Genki nodded,

"Nuclear power reactors emit a type of deadly radiation as a byproduct of the power production. Radiation is lethal in high doses and can pose serious health risks even in low doses. The only thing that can block radiation is lead, but lead is too heavy to craft a suit out of." He could see they were a bit confused still, "So, for now it's an ongoing issue until we find a more practical solution." He shrugged, taking a sip of his tea he let them digest this.

"I am assuming by the fact that you are so casual about death that you have some sort of religion?" Colt spoke in a more professional tone now, Genki could see what Holly had been talking about now.

"My country has a few different religions present in it." He paused trying to figure out how to explain them. "The main two are Shinto and Buddhism. Though there are others that pop up as well such as Confucianism and Christianity. Shinto and Buddhism co-exist and are often practiced together since they complement each other. Though honestly most of my people will tell you that religion is not at the forefront of our lives. We do perform rituals yes, but those are at specific points in our lives, usually major life events."

"I assume you practice one of the two?"

"Both at times, mainly Shinto though." He noticed Holly looked intrigued, "Shinto translates to 'the way of the gods', there are shrines dedicated to various gods around my country, these gods are referred to as Kami and are sacred spirits that take the form of things and concepts important in life." He could see that all recognized that he often said the word Kami, and now understood it's meaning.

"Can you give an example?"

"The wind, rain, mountains, trees, fertility, prosperity; things like that."

"Always got to have a sex god." Granity smirked teasing him,

"I'd be no fun without one." Genki shot back with a grin. Tiger chuckled his quip, finding the shift in the conversation amusing. He noticed Holly looked uncomfortable, * I really should talk to her about what happened… *

"What about Buddhism?"

"It doesn't play as much of a role in things, it's mostly seen with funeral rights and such." He saw her nod. "I can get you a history book if you like. It might be easier that asking me questions."

"I just have one more, Hare mentioned a… well what he thought was a fertility ritual in that festival guide you gave him."

"Which one?"

"The one with the…" she seemed unsure of how to phrase it, Tiger rolled his eyes and finished for her.

"It's the one with the giant penis in it." Tiger bluntly stated, both Holly and Granity looked surprised as Colt nodded. Genki again wanted to say which one but decided to go with the most likely one.

"Ah yes, Kanamara Matsuri. We get a lot of foreigners who… well are very intrigued and yet embarrassed by that festival." He chuckled, "Lots of extra visitors for that one."

"I'm sure you do have extra visitors." Granity's voice humorous as she spoke.

"It does have a story behind it like most festivals, the name translates to 'Festival of the Steel Phallus'." He could see they were all listening, "The legend goes that there was once a sharp toothed demon who took up residence within a beautiful woman's vagina, the demon had fallen in love with her and was jealous of any man attempting to marry her. This demon bit off the penises of two of those who attempted to consummate a marriage with her. The woman sought help from a blacksmith who fashioned her an iron phallus to break the demon's teeth. She could then force it to leave by taking a husband and completing their union." He chuckled seeing their expressions, "I will say that is not the only fertility festival we have, in fact there is a second one with a giant penis in it Tiger."

"WHAT!?" Tiger could hardly believe that,

"Oh, now I have to know about the other one" Granity grinned, Holly was trying not to blush.

"Honensai is the second one, it has a different story. Honen translates to 'prosperous year' and is more for fertility of crops than people. This festival venerates the deities Mitoshi and Tamahime, a husband and wife, who were very prosperous and fertile with children, the land, and in day to day business dealings. Lots of people attend this one, probably for the free sake more than anything." He chuckled.

"Is there one for women?" Granity probed.

"There are some yes, but women often participate in the other festivals."

"I really need to read about these."

"I will get you something to look at later Granity." Colt finished her notes before looking towards him,

"I'm sure this is a bit obvious but is it really… appropriate for children to see a giant cock in a parade?" Genki chuckled,

"I have heard this question from many outsiders. You see here we don't have an issue with the naked body, it is just how we are born and our natural state of being. This is an accepted fact and as such it is nothing to be ashamed of. We even have public baths known as Onsens. These are usually natural hot springs which a used for relaxation. Foreigners often have a hard time with not wearing anything into the bath with others around, but for those that grew up here it is easy. The baths represent a concept known as 'Hadaka no tsukiai' which roughly translates to 'naked friendships or relationships.' Basically, everyone is equal and does not judge during the baths. We are all open to one another with nothing to hide."

"Wow… that sounds deep… emotionally speaking."

"It can be, even foreigners can find common ground with the locals in this way."

"So, it's basically a type of mutual respect?" Tiger asked,

"Yes."

"The baths aren't... well…"

"They aren't usually mixed gender Colt if that is what you are trying to ask. There are some mixed gender baths that exist, but it is not common. Again, that rule of mutual respect is in play, and usually those baths are used by families." He saw her nod, he waited for her to set her pencil down and take a drink of her tea before he spoke once more. "If you are satisfied for the moment Holly and I have something important to discuss with you both."

"OH, MY PHOENIX are you pregnant?!" Colt blurted out leaving Genki, Tiger, and Granity looking stunned and confused, while Holly was sputtering and freaking out.

"NO! No, nothing like that!" She turned bright red and hid her face in her hands. Genki sighed and decided to diffuse the situation while Granity calmed Holly down.

"Colt Seriously? We just started talking again, why would you think we were fooling around in that manner?"

"Well, she has been staying the night with you…" Colt was wilting under his gaze even as she uttered those words.

"That does not mean we are engaging in such activities. My home has three bedrooms Colt, we are not having sex even if she is staying here. The time difference is the reason for her staying the night." By now Holly had regained her composure and addressed the issue.

"Colt, do you really think I'm the type to sleep with someone like that?" Colt melted into her chair,

"I didn't mean it like that Holly… I just… I mean…"

"Spit it out." Tiger started growing annoyed,

"You have so much sexual tension between you I thought you might have acted on it." Colt blurted out then waited for the fall out. Holly looked like she we both annoyed and embarrassed once more. Genki sighed, taking the lead again he addressed her comment, not before noticing Granity's amused smirk.

"Colt, regardless of any tension between us, sexual or otherwise, it doesn't mean we are engaging in such acts. We have a lot of… trust issues to work on at this point. Neither of us would feel comfortable acting upon such desires, nor would that be a healthy way of dealing with things between us at this point." Genki could see Holly had recovered once more, he could tell she was thankful for his insistence that they work towards a healthy resolution.

"Sorry…"

"Stop jumping to conclusions if you are truly sorry." He eyed her a moment before returning his gaze to Holly. She nodded to him to continue, "Holly and I have been trying to come to terms with what has happened between us. We ended up figuring out that there was more going on that day than either of us originally knew about."

"So, you have a mutual understanding now?" Tiger inquired,

"Yes, Tiger we do, but that isn't what we wish to speak to you about." Holly answered, she seemed to have fully regained her composure. "While we were talking, I explained how I felt that day in an attempt to explain just how I came to my decision about us dating. I had told him that looking back on it now, it all seemed surreal like it wasn't really me saying those things to him. This seemed to spark Genki's interest, and we explored that more in-depth. He asked me to show him how I felt that day."

"Your power let you do that?" Tiger asked, he was shocked that it could be used that way. Holly nodded and Genki continued for her,

"After she showed me, I realized it wasn't just her fear that controlled her actions that day."

"What do you mean?" Tiger became more serious now,

"I could sense a dark influence in the background. It was the Evil Soul of Mu, it used her fear against her, it wanted to drive us apart."

"WHAT?! Are you sure?" Tiger was stunned, * No it can't be… *

"Yes, we are sure, Tiger." Holly confirmed for him, "After he told me what he felt I looked back on it again and could see the Souls influence. It hid itself from me at the time, but I can see it now." Tiger began to growl,

"Tiger, I know this is upsetting, neither of us expected this when we sat down to talk."

"So, it was controlling you then?" He looked at Holly, she sighed and nodded sadly.

"To an extent yes… It didn't have full control over me, but it had enough to hurt Genki." Tiger seemed to think this over. Colt decided to interject,

"Why did it want to hurt you specifically Genki? It could have gone after any of us who helped defeat it." Genki glanced to Holly before responding,

"Colt it hurt both of us, not just me. However, it's focus was on me because of my ability to use courage to strengthen the monsters and form the phoenix. Without that power we would not have succeeded in defeating Mu." He could see Colt now had even more questions, "So it tried to get me out of the way so I could no longer oppose it." Tiger's gaze snapped to him,

"It was trying to take you out of the group permanently. We all blamed you for Holly's pain, it drove everyone apart." Genki nodded solemnly confirming his suspicion.

"Yes Tiger, it wanted to disable all of us. To make sure we could never oppose it again. It has been more active than we realize, driving each and every one of us apart. Sowing seeds of doubt and strife in our hearts."

"But… the rest of us…" Tiger started but Granity cut him off.

"Are no longer as one Tiger. All of us have had some sort of trouble with each other lately. Your fight with Hare over being called gay. Holly's issues with her father and with Suezo. Mocchi is afraid to ask questions, he no longer feels he can say anything without someone getting yelled at. My mental break down years ago, it caused me to try to pull away from everyone. If Holly hadn't been there, I would have left." Tiger was silent for awhile just thinking everything over, Colt glanced around and could see everyone else had accepted that this was the case.

"What about me… I mean I don't think it hit me."

"It may not have but that could be because Mu wasn't aware of you. You weren't there for either of our fights against him." Genki explained, he hoped she understood that it was after the main group that fought it. He saw her nod before she asked her next question,

"I know you may not want to discuss this, but was your fight with Holly bad enough that you would have left permanently? I've never known you to be the type to run from a problem." Genki sighed heavily as he thought of how to explain this to her. Tiger looked on with worry in his eyes, he knew this wasn't easy for Genki to talk about that had been clear the night he had confessed in the shrine. When Genki made eye contact with her again she suddenly realized that she might have asked the wrong question.

"Yes, Colt it was, but not for the reason you are thinking of." He could see the confusion in her eyes. He turned his gaze to Holly, "Was she present when you were explaining things to the others concerning my stressful week?" Holly nodded her confirmation causing Genki to look back to Colt who was extremely confused now.

"Was it because of your brother?" Colt asked tentatively, Genki shook his head.

"No, he wasn't the one having the mental break down, I was. Like my brother I too have mental disorders. I too tried to take my own life." When he could see she understood his words he broke eye contact with her, closing his eyes he continued. "I believe the Evil Soul knew of my weakness even before I did. Until my fight with Holly I was unaware of my depression. With no one else to aid me I couldn't fight the darkness inside me alone." Holly moved to his side; she knew that even talking to others about this caused his anxiety to flare. Gently she pulled him into her arms, he obeyed and relaxed with her as she held him. She could feel by his elevated heart rate that he was struggling with this. While Holly tried to calm him down Granity took over the conversation,

"Genki and I have been working on things together. He told me what happened, and I have been assisting him with talking to Holly once more. If a friend of his hadn't found him, he would not be here today Colt." Colt was in shock she never realized that Genki of all people would have such issues. Tiger nodded his understanding, his gaze returned to Genki as he thought of how to word his response.

"You alright Kid? I can see this is stressful for you." Genki opened his eyes and gave his old friend a sad smile.

"I will be in a little while. I just need to relax for a bit." Tiger nodded his understanding,

"Your anxiety is acting up isn't it?" Tiger's direct question made Colt stare at him. Genki nodded,

"Yeah, it is. I'll be fine don't worry." Holly continued to sooth him, making Colt realize the second reason she was staying the night so much.

"So, you knew about this Tiger?" Colt asked, he nodded in response.

"I knew about part of it yes. Not the specifics of what was going on."

"So, was I the only one who didn't know?"

"In this room? Yes. Out of the group? No." Holly clarified, "The others still don't know about his condition."

"Then Mocchi was right? You lied to him…"

"I did not lie, I said I couldn't answer that question that he needed to ask Genki." Genki interceded,

"Colt I asked her not to tell the others. I wasn't ready to reveal it to everyone yet. I don't think you understand how… debilitation my anxiety can be at times. I may have a higher threshold than my brother but that only means that my anxiety gives me much stronger attacks. I will literally pass out if the attack if bad enough." Colt seemed unsure of what to say to that, "I know you are confused right now, that's understandable. All I need you to do is to let me handle this in my own time. Too much at once will quite literally put me in the hospital."

"We will let you move at your own pace Kid don't worry." It was a few minutes before Colt asked another question.

"Genki… why does talking to us about this stress you out?" Her voice was soft and tentative, Genki could see she was trying to understand things, so he answered her question.

"Fear Colt. I'm afraid of losing my friends due to this condition, because I can't live up to everyone expectations." Her eyes showed her surprise at that answer,

"Kid… I'm sorry you have felt you can't confide in us. We never should have… pushed you and held you to such high standards. You have enough going on in your life, you don't need us adding to the pressures you already face." Tiger's voice conveyed his sorrow at having in some way contributed to Genki's problems.

"Tiger, I don't hold any grudge against you for what has happened. I could have spoken up… I chose to remain silent." Tiger shook his head,

"That doesn't change the fact that you felt you couldn't speak up. We are your friends; you should be able to come to us with anything and understand that we will always be there for you no matter what it is." Genki sighed, his gaze found Tiger's and the pair stared at each other for a moment. When Genki broke eye contact he spoke once more,

"Perhaps you are right Tiger, however, it does not change what has already transpired. We need to move on and work together once more at this point. Mu has already gained from the distractions laid before us. We need to find out exactly what it has gained while we were blind to it." His eyes locked with Tigers and he saw the canine turned human nod his understanding. Colt looked unsure of what to make of this turn in the conversation as Tiger revealed his plan to assist.

"I will do some scouting and see if we can find out what Mu has been up to."

"I will help as well." Granity stated earning a nod from Tiger.

"We need to look further afield; I don't believe Mu is on this continent anymore. We probably would have noticed him if he were in Antalya, even if he is being covert about what he's up to." He saw Granity and Tiger nod, Holly seemed to agree as well. * He's right, though I am unsure when he learned the geography of our world. * She hadn't been aware he even knew the names of the continents of her world.

"So, you want me to use my air ship to find out if he is active elsewhere?" Colt asked,

"I would like you to if you are willing to assist." She nodded,

"I will gladly help. I will have to repair my iron bird first though."

"What does it need?" Colt seemed surprised by his direct question,

"A soul capsule. One of them broke during flight, I barely got it to the ground without crashing." Genki seemed to think for a moment.

"I will have to look at what it's used for, but I can probably get you one, or at the very least something that will work in it's stead. Technology here is similar enough that I'm sure I can find something for you."

"Are you serious?" Colt seemed incredibly surprised, Genki nodded.

"Kid you amaze me sometimes." Genki snorted at this,

"I'm hardly amazing Tiger, it's just a busted fuse for Kami's sake. I just need to the know the voltage and amperage to get a replacement." His dismissive comment left the others with question marks floating around their heads.

"I haven't the foggiest what you just said but I will take the help regardless." Colt stated as Genki smiled to her,

"Voltage is the pressure from the electrical circuits power source that pushes through the iron bird's circuits. Amperage is the strength of that of that electrical current. A fuse is what regulates both the voltage and amperage; however, the amperage is what caused the spirit capsule to burst. Something tried to pull more power than it should. You may have a part going bad. Motors are notorious for pulling extra power when they start to fail." He could see his explanation hadn't helped much, sweat dropping he wondered if he even could explain it. Holly bailed him out though with her question,

"So, the electrical current is like Tiger or Granity's lightning right?"

"Yes, that is how the iron bird is powered. Only it burns fuel to produce it's electrical current."

"And the spirit capsule is regulating that current?" He nodded,

"Yes, the spirit capsule, or fuse as we call them here, is a failsafe to protect the main circuits. If a motor goes bad it could cause a fire if the power can flow freely. Or it could burn up all the surrounding circuits and render a lot of the ship inoperable. Instead, the fuse blows and cuts the power off to prevent a larger problem from happening. If it blew then there is always a reason for it. What that reason is I cannot say at this point."

"Could you figure it out what caused it?" Colt asked, serious once more.

"I could with enough testing yes. I would be helpful and faster if you happen to have the schematics for the iron bird."

"Schematics?"

"They are like blueprints only they show the entire electrical circuit instead of the structure of an item."

"OH! I do have something like that."

"I'd like to look at them then, perhaps it will make the process more expedient." He saw her nod,

"Tiger I will drop by in the morning, we need to discuss Mu being back with the others. Can you make sure that everyone is gathered together before I arrive?" Tiger nodded,

"Yeah, I can." He looked at Granity, "You going to be his escort?" She nodded her confirmation. "Alright, I'll just make sure everyone is together for you." Genki smiled to him,

"Thank you."

"Will you be alright? I mean you will probably need to…"

"Confess to them? Yes, I know. I can not guarantee that I will be alright, but I will get through it somehow. Just let me guide the conversation." He saw Tiger nod, then shift his gaze to Holly.

"Holly can I talk to you a moment?" She looked a little surprised but nodded, she reluctantly left Genki's side and indicated for Tiger to follow her. Tiger obeyed and the pair went to the kitchen.

"What is that about?" Colt asked as Granity took a seat beside Genki to make sure he was alright.

"My guess is he wants to apologize for the view he gave her earlier." Genki commented as he relaxed, he felt Granity rub his back soothingly.

"That was a great view… even if it was accidental." Colt commented with a blush gracing her cheeks. Genki raised a brow at her,

"You didn't need to stare; you knew he hadn't intended to show himself to you like that."

"Are you saying if that happened with Granity you wouldn't stare?" She challenged,

"I wouldn't no. I would simply get her something to cover herself and then arrange for some sort of clothing. I respect everyone enough to not stare at them like that."

"Sure… you're just saying that."

"I'm not. I'm not the one who's horny here Colt. Seriously if you are that interested in male anatomy then find a man and get laid." Granity laughed as Colt suddenly jerked her head towards him wide eyed.

"Are you calling me..."

"I'm calling you horny yes, get that sorted before you offend someone." Colt was still trying to recover, no one had ever spoke to her so openly about sex. * Must be this cultural thing… *

"Are all your people so blunt about sex and desire?"

"Nope, relationships of that nature are rarely spoken about even with family, it's considered a private matter. I'm just not afraid to talk about something I see as natural." Granity smirked at this and shook her head.

"You are something else Genki." He smiled to her and chuckled lightly. Colt finally dealt with her shock then smirked at him,

"Maybe you could help me get it sorted."

"No, I don't sleep around like that Colt. Sorry I'm taken at this point. I will not assist you in anyway with that." Colt sighed disappointedly as Granity gave her a look of exasperation. * I thought he made it clear he had no interest in her before. She really can't take no for an answer. *

---

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Tiger was seated across from Holly trying to find his words. Holly could see this was something important and difficult for him to talk about with her.

"Holly… I… I wanted to apologize to you for earlier." She gave him a slight look of confusion, so he elaborated on what he meant. "I never meant to… well expose myself to you in that manner." Her eyes widened for a moment as she realized what he was talking about. A slight blush appearing on her cheeks from the memory of it.

"Tiger there's no need to apologize. I know you didn't intend to flash me." She placed her hand over his, "None of us thought about the possibility of the portal not giving you clothes."

"Still… if I had paid attention and not stood up like I did you wouldn't have seen…"

"Tiger." She said firmly causing him to look up at her, "I'm sure the trip through combined with the transformation of your body was disorienting for you. It was confusing for me the first few times through, and my body didn't have to change. I can only imaging how bad it was for you. I in no way blame you for what happened." He could see she was serious, with a sigh he nodded.

"Thank you, it means a lot to me that I didn't…. mess things up between us" Her features softened as she spoke once more,

"Tiger there is nothing that will mess things up between us. I understand that you are scared of driving me away, but that won't happen. Just relax, I don't want you to be worried about talking to me. No matter what it is you can talk to me alright?" She saw him nod, * I never realized my aversion sex was causing everyone so much stress. I really need to fix that. *

"Holly… I could use some advice if you don't mind helping."

"Of course, Tiger, what do you need help with."

"Well… I really like Granity. I'm just not sure how to approach her about it." Holly smiled to him as she thought of how to word her advice. His face was red from his confession, something she found adorable.

"Tiger, you don't need to be shy. She won't have a problem with you talking to her. I would suggest you use the scouting as a way of spending time with her. Just start by talking with her. Once you both seem comfortable, just ask if she is interested in having a mate. She already seems to like you as well, just giving the opportunity for her to show you will help. She's not as scary as you think she is, she's very tender and loving once you get to know her." He nodded then asked,

"Has she ever said she wanted a mate?"

"She has commented about taking a mate at some point in the future. She hasn't said much else on the matter."

"Genki told me that she had bonded with him physically… I was afraid at first that she had chosen him, but he assured me that he was not and would never be her mate." Holly was intrigued by his comment, * So he asked Genki about it huh? I doubt Genki would have volunteered the information. *

"She has a lot of emotional wounds that need tending. Their bond is helping her heal, but Genki is right; they are not mates."

"Did she… bond with you the same way?" Tiger's voice sounded confused making her look at him. He looked like he was trying to make sense of everything. She cleared her throat and looked a little uncomfortable before nodding yes.

"Yes, we have a physical bond in that way. It… just sort of happened as I was helping her... I think she needed to feel safe again. She… has been through a lot, Tiger… she hated humans for a very good reason. I'm sure if you two become close she will be willing to talk to you about why she held such hatred." Tiger's eyes had widened, he never imagined Holly would allow such a thing.

"She didn't force you, did she?" Holly shook her head,

"No, I willingly bonded with her. She wasn't using her allure if that's what you were thinking." He sighed in relief,

"I guess… I thought that was the case since you never talk about such physical things let alone do them." Holly sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Tiger realized she was trying to figure out how to explain things, she always thought everything through before answering.

* Perhaps its time… * she thought before looking his way again. Taking a deep breath, she began to explain, "I know my aversion to sex has made you think that I would never engage in it. That's not true, I do feel desire and I have pleasured myself from time to time. There are a lot of factors as to why I have an aversion to talking about it, part of it is due to the shame I feel anytime I think of doing something perverted or unusual. It's embarrassing for me to admit this even with all the help Granity has given me. I was willing to embrace the bond with her because I could trust her, I knew she wouldn't judge me for how I felt." She could see by his features that he felt sorrow hearing that she felt she couldn't talk to him.

"Holly… I never realized that we had made you feel so alone… I never wanted you to feel shame…"

"I know. None of you would want that."

"Is you father the reason why you feel this way?" She sighed,

"He's not the only reason but he is part of the problem yes." She closed her eyes, "I feel like… if he knew that I wasn't some innocent angel that he would leave me again." It took her a moment to continue, Tiger place his hand over hers hoping to help her. "Tiger… I…" She took a deep breath, "I'm bi-sexual. I have always felt attracted to other women… I've just suppressed it. I know that it's not normal...my father would ask what is wrong with me and probably call me a pervert… I just…I can't lie about it any longer." Holly's voice had gotten quiet towards the end, but he heard it. Surprise didn't cover how he felt but as he looked on, he could see she was holding back tears; her hands were shaking as she waited for his answer. His eyes softened,

* What have we been doing to them? We made both of them go it alone. She's been afraid to show us who she really was and how she really feels… afraid we would abandon her for being different. Genki felt the same way. Have we really been putting them on a pedestal? Holding them to such high standards that neither of them can achieve? * in that moment he made up his mind, * It's time we stop hurting them and open our hearts once more. * He squeezed Holly's hand gently hoping to bring comfort, he had seen Genki do this for her in the past. "Holly, I'm proud of you for telling me the truth. I never realized how much pressure I have been putting on you. I don't expect you to be perfect or some innocent angel. I never meant to hold you to such a high standard. If it seemed that way, then I am truly sorry for what I have done to you. I want you to be honest and open with me. I don't want you to feel you have to hide everything out of fear. I'm not going to leave you; I will always be here for you whenever you need me." He could see by her reaction that she had been expecting the worst after her confession. Slowly he saw relief and love fill her eyes, replacing the fear that had been there. Her body slowly relaxed as she gently took hold of his hand. "I'm glad Granity could help you when the rest of us failed." His final words made her smile to him, a few tears falling in the process.

"Tiger… thank you. You don't know how much it means for me to hear you say that; what a relief it is that you understand."

"I think I have some idea. You don't need to hide it anymore." He saw her nod.

"I won't around you." He smiled,

"You really should talk to everyone. Even if you leave your father out of the conversation for now. I know the others will understand Holly. We all love you, none of us would ever want you to be afraid to talk to us." She sighed,

"I know… it's just hard for me…" She paused a moment, deciding she should confide in him once more she let her gaze meet his. "Genki and I have been working through my fears slowly. Tiger… I have PTSD from what happened years ago. Genki was able to help me realize it was more than just simple fear giving me problems. Due to the loss of my family and village I'm afraid to take chances concerning those I love. Afraid I might lose them or that they will leave me like my father did. I understand his anxiety, I feel it every time I try to confess something to you. Like Genki I'm going to need time to confess this to everyone." Tiger looked surprised and concerned after of hearing her confession,

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. I had a panic attack while Genki and I spoke. He helped me calm down and assess what was wrong." Tiger nodded,

"I understand. Just know I am here for you if you need me. You don't have to do this alone."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me." He smiled to her and stood,

"We should get back before someone walks in on us… unless you don't mind Colt knowing." Holly blushed; she had forgotten the others were just in the other room.

"Your right… I'm not ready for her to know just yet." She stood as well, giving in to an impulse she pulled him into a gentle embrace. Tiger went ridged and turned a wonderful shade of red. "Thank you for being so supportive." He heard her whisper as she held him, he slowly returned the embrace. Everything felt new and different to him, after a moment he responded back.

"Any time Holly, I'm just happy to help." She could tell he was embarrassed after she released him, she smiled gently to him hoping to reassure him that everything was alright. It seemed to work, and the pair then returned to the others.

---

Genki smiled seeing the pair return, he raised a brow at Colt who was staring at Tiger mischievously.

"Someone's red, were you two playing kiss and make up?" She teased; Tiger's mouth fell open as he sputtered trying to defend himself. Granity rolled her eyes, as Genki chuckled lightly at the look on Tiger's face. "I wouldn't blame her that was quiet the view you gave us." Colt grinned as Tiger turned crimson. Holly had enough by now and put her hands on her hips and proceeded to stare Colt down. Colt wilted and visibly shrank back into her chair. Genki looked on in amusement as he saw her squirm under Holly's gaze. * So, she hasn't lost her touch, she always could scare everyone into behaving with just a look. *

"Colt that was completely uncalled for. Apologize for what you just insinuated and for being so crass. Tiger is not for you to ogle and he wasn't trying to show you anything."

"I was just appreciating his fine form…"

"You were being a pervert as usual. Honestly I'm not sure what to do with you sometimes."

"Oh, like you didn't enjoy it?! I know for a fact that you want…"

"ENOUGH!" Colt immediately cowered when Holly snapped at her, "You are as bad as Suezo I swear. Both of you are crass and perverted." Holly took a moment to regain her composure, "You really need to stop projecting your desires onto others. No, I did not enjoy the accident from earlier, I respect Tiger, I would never ogle him like that." After Holly had finished Tiger interjected,

"Colt if you want sex so bad just pop across with Suezo, I'm sure he would be happy to satisfy you." Tiger's words made Genki and Granity nearly burst into laughter. They both knew Suezo would jump at the chance to have sex with a beautiful woman, even if he didn't like Colt that much.

"EWWW! No way!" Holly shook her head; she could see they were both tired and she knew Genki had things he needed to do.

"Genki, let me change your bandage and we will be off. We all need to get back." He nodded and followed her into the kitchen, apart of him didn't want her to leave but he knew she had things she needed to attend to at home.

---

It didn't take her long to gather what she needed and begin to unwrap his wound. Genki winced as she neared the end of the bandage, Holly noticed this and used the water to help break the remained loose. Once it was removed, she stared to cleanse his wound,

"This is looking worse, it's definitely infected…" He sighed at her words,

"I know. I will get it looked at as soon as I can."

"Promise me you will go to the doctor. I don't want you to lose your arm…"

"I promise Holly." He assured her as she began to pat his wounds dry. Soon she had covered his wound in salve and began to wrap it back up. "Holly… I know you have things you need to do at home. I just want you to know that I really appreciate that you were willing to comfort me. I know we still have some trust issues but it really helped put my mind at ease." She looked up at him, seeing sincerity in his eyes she smiled then went back to her task.

"You're very welcome Genki. I told you I would be here for you, whenever you need me. I'm just glad that I could bring you some comfort and help you relax after such a stressful week." Genki knew the others were spying on them, he had heard them when Tiger protested their idea. He had worded things the way he did to tip Holly off to it as well. She soon finished with her task and smiled, "That should do it for now, I will check it again when you drop by in the morning." He nodded to her; it took him a moment before he spoke again.

"I will bring my kit for you then." Genki rose from his seat and helped her clean up. Once he was done, he turned to her, "I'll be over at 10am." Holly nodded to him in response, before she left the kitchen he pointed to the doorway. She nodded again giving him a look that said she already knew they were being spied upon. Genki walked to the office to boot up the machine, soon the two ladies and Tiger joined him. Granity had snuck off making Genki wonder what she was up to.

"So that machine connects to our world?" Colt asked,

"Yes, if it's given the right disc. I will explain it later. We'll have Tiger go last. Colt go ahead and jump through, just make sure to land on your feet when you get back." Colt nodded,

"Yeah, I don't want to face plant on the stone floor." She hopped through after a moment's hesitation. Holly came up next to him,

"Give her a moment." She nodded, after which she was surprised by him. He pulled her to him holding her, "thank you for everything today Holly." She smiled returning the embrace.

"You're welcome." He pulled back smiled the leaned in and kissed her. Holly was caught off guard but let him do so. It only lasted a moment but she was out of breath from it.

"I will see you tomorrow." She nodded, regaining her composure she jumped through the portal. Tiger had been caught off guard when Genki had kissed Holly. He smiled seeing the pair share that quick loving kiss.

* I'm glad they are both healing. They truly do love each other. * Tiger quickly disrobed, then jumped through uttering, "See you tomorrow Kid." As he went. After everyone was through Genki shut the portal and saw everyone back home safe and sound, with tiger back to normal briefly before the feed was cut. Genki then began to wonder what he should do the rest of the day; he wasn't tired after all. As he walked towards the kitchen, he wondered what Granity was up to and why she had disappeared so quickly. Shrugging it off he opened the nearby door headed downstairs to see what he could did up from his library for Holly and Colt.

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AAN: Woo this was a longer chapter then I predicted. Sorry for the delay, things have been crazy lately. I hope you all enjoyed the humor.