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.

11. Admission

AAN: Hopefully we can move forward with everyone's healing in this chapter.

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Admission

By the time Granity woke from her nap it was late into the evening. She and Genki had finalized their bond, allowing him to make love to her started her healing process in earnest. She smiled at the memory of their time together, she hadn't expected him to be so responsive to her needs, even unspoken ones. * He truly did make it the best I've ever had. Though I'm uncertain how he did that. Perhaps it's from practice with Akame… or maybe he's just gifted? * She moved her hand over his chest causing him to sigh in his sleep. After relaxing a few more minutes her mind once again began to wander. * I really believe that he and Holly need to make love. It would help them both restore their bond. There is the problem with him resisting though, I don't think he feels secure enough to be vulnerable to her like that. He's far too worried about her rejecting him once more. I need to speak with her about this again, she needs to know that he is very insecure when it comes to them being together. I should also bring up these desires and needs of his. I think it would do Holly some good to have a few play sessions too. Question is can she get over her embarrassment and shame long enough to do them? * She had no real answer for that despite having become extremely close with the woman in question. She sighed as she thought of how to deal with this, * Perhaps if Holly understands his needs and fears, she can push herself past the embarrassment enough to show him how much he means to her. Still, I doubt he will be willing to make love to her until after they talk in depth about things going forward. * She felt her partner beginning to stir, bringing her attention back to the present. She would deal with Holly later, right now she needed to be attentive to Genki's needs. A smile graced his lips as his eyes found her, his hand moving to caress her cheek gently. Granity leaned into his touch with a smile.

"How do you feel Genki?"

"A bit tired but much better." She smiled hearing this,

"I'm glad." She leaned forward and kissed him; it was brief, but affectionate. "Genki, you really did make it the best I've ever had. I never imagined I could feel so much pleasure and love at the same time." Genki chuckled,

"I only did what any guy should have done for someone they love." Granity looked taken aback by that statement for a moment before she is smiling once more.

"Then I guess I haven't had anyone love me until you and Holly came along." She leaned into him, he smiled as he embraced her.

"Granity, I meant to ask earlier, is Holly not pleasuring you?"

"Oh, she does when she isn't a tomato. But she can't seem to pleasure me the way you do."

"Probably a lack of practice given her… embarrassment over everything."

"Probably… she also doesn't read much on the subject."

"Are there even informative books on that subject in your world that aren't porn?" Granity paused at this question.

"No, I suppose not. Romance novels don't usually have much useful information. Though I have never seen her read any of those either."

"I thought at much. I really don't see her reading porn considering how she yells at Suezo over it. Or raunchy romance novels for that matter."

"Yeah, I don't see her reading porn either. She doesn't agree with it, though she has never said why." Genki shrugged at this.

"We all have our reasons. I don't exactly use it myself. Though I doubt my reasons are the same as hers." She snorted at this,

"I never knew you were against porn."

"It can be problematic and form addictions if used improperly. Honestly it doesn't do much for me anyway." He paused before asking is next question, "I'm not sure how to ask this but I have been curious about it for a while now."

"Go on Genki." She encouraged as she watched him debate on how to ask his question.

"Well, I know there aren't any male Pixies. So, I've been wondering how pure blood pixies are created?" Granity hadn't expected this to be his question, she barked a laugh before smirking at him.

"After another anatomy lesson, huh?" he chuckled at her playfulness.

"I suppose I am."

"How would you guess they are made?" He took a moment before answering.

"Unless some of you are hermaphrodites in disguise..." he glanced at her seeing her shaking her head 'no' in amusement at his statement, "I would guess that either a monster that is a Pixie hybrid or perhaps a Magic could be used in this case. After all the Magic line are entirely male and would run into a similar issue." She smiled to him,

"Well, I see you've given this more thought than Holly." He raised a brow at that response, "Yes, the Magic line can be used to get a pure blood pixie or a pure magic. It's about a fifty-fifty chance of either. Pixie hybrid monsters mixing rarely result in a pure pixie."

"So, it would be maybe a one in ten chance?"

"Probably closer to one in every hundred. It really is rare even though most would think otherwise." Genki began to think this over, but before he got far, she interrupted his train of thought. "However, there is another way that is more reliable." He glanced over at her she was defiantly enjoying their talk, "remember what I told you before about Pixies?"

"That you can mate with any male right?" She nodded,

"Well, the most reliable way is for a Pixie to mate with a human male. It will always result in a pure Pixie." She smiled gently as his eyes widened at her statement. After a moment he looked concerned, "Don't worry Genki, I can fully control when I get pregnant. It's one of the perks of being a Pixie." His eyes connected with hers again for a moment,

"Don't monsters have a breeding season though?"

"Yes, we do, however that only means I'm interested then not that I will allow myself to become pregnant. Pixies are different than most monsters in that regard." Genki nodded his understanding.

"Thanks that clears things up a lot for me. I take it Holly didn't have a clue about this despite being curious?"

"She never even thought of the Magic line at all. I think she forgot that they were all male." She chuckled making him smile.

"To be fair they are a rare monster."

"Indeed, they are. Now you know why pure Pixies are rare as well." He nodded once more,

"I would assume most pixies don't want to mate with a human."

"Most do not, hence why so many hybrids are around." She smirked at him, "you know you can ask about Big Blue. I know you were curious about my relationship with him." He stared at her uncertain of how she knew he had wanted to ask about that. "You and Holly are alike when it comes to questions. You refuse to ask it if you believe it would bring up bad memories." He sighed before nodded a confirmation.

"I suppose we are alike in that regard. You don't mind discussing it?"

"Not at all. I have come to terms with what happened, even if it took me awhile to accept it." She smiled gently to him before leaning against him, "Blue was the only one who was kind to me for so long, the only one there for me. That's why it hurt so much when he sacrificed himself to save me. He is still with me, but I do miss him."

"I know he certainly looked after you, I could see how much he cared for you even when I was younger."

"Yes, he truly loved me." She paused a moment, "He was always so gentle, afraid he would hurt me by accident. I assured him that he wouldn't hurt me, but he still fussed." She chuckled, "Perhaps that's why we never became lovers, because of his fear. It's hard to say, but I know he loved me even if he never said it." Genki was slightly surprised; he had always thought they might have been lovers by their actions. Apparently, he was wrong, though a new thought had occurred to him.

"Would you have let him make love to you? I know you said you tried abstaining from sex for a while after what that man did to you." She smiled to him upon hearing his question,

"I would have, yes. Though I did abstain for awhile by the time Blue and I became really close that was no longer the case really. Sure, I didn't engage in sex, but it wasn't because I wasn't willing to. Blue was very cautious around me; he had known about what that man did to me. He had even witnessed it on occasion when we were both slaves still. Unfortunately, he could not help me heal because he too felt such hatred for humans. Until you came along that is." She saw a shift in his gaze when she said that "You showed us both we were wrong, that we only continued a cycle of revenge not one of justice as we deluded ourselves into thinking. When you were willing to die to stop me from committing suicide after we first met, it was then he understood your intentions. It took me a little longer to understand… It wasn't until after you helped me when I became injured that I understood fully. I realized I could trust you to touch me and not try to take advantage of me. It also occurred to me at the time how stupid I had been, that you were too young to think about things in such a dark manner." Genki chuckled, his hand moving to caress her side.

"I'm glad I could reach both of your hearts. Though I knew about sex even back then, no I would not have thought about you like that."

"Even as scantily clad as pixies are?" he shook his head,

"The thing is that my mind set on that is different. Your scantily clad nature is just how you are, it's your natural state of being. I didn't even think you wore any clothing, at the time I assumed it was fur or something. If it had been a human maybe it would have caught my attention but even then, it would have needed to be someone I knew that would not normally dress that way. I had an encounter with Holly that crossed that line."

"Oh?"

"When we were trying to keep Lilim from taking the magic stone Holly and I swapped clothing. Obviously, we both had to see each other in our underwear for that to work, it was embarrassing for both of us, but we went through with it. That moment was enough to make my mind wander to less wholesome thoughts. I'm sure Holly had a similar issue that day." Granity snorted at this confession thoroughly amused.

"No doubt she had some issues keeping her thoughts in line. Was this one of Hare's schemes?"

"Yeah, it was his idea. It worked for the most part, the baddies were fooled. Unfortunately, Lilim was not. She figured it out and went after Holly. We underestimated her that day and lost the stone as a result." Granity shook her head in disbelief.

"Genki did you think that plan would work at the time?" Genki raised a brow, he thought back on that day for a moment. He then shook his head,

"No, I had doubts that it would work. So did Holly if I recall correctly. She accused Hare of just wanting us to cross dress though he denied it at the time."

"Of course, he did." She rolled her eyes, before refocusing on Genki. "What were your doubts?" He looked unsure of her line of questioning but answered anyway.

"Well, I knew it probably would work on the lackies sent after us. Gangsters aren't known for their intelligence. Lilim though… I knew she would be smart, being a pixie joker hybrid, she had the best of both worlds. Jokers aren't stupid by any stretch of the imagination; we had already met one at that point. If the games I played held any truth, then she would have had access to some of Joker's tricks and techniques. A simple miss direction cross dressing trick was unlikely to work on her." Granity nodded approvingly,

"I'm glad you have a good understanding of Pixie breeds even if you still have some things to learn." She briefly kissed him before continuing. "Lilim are exceptionally smart and devious so tricking them is very difficult. Honestly, I doubt that trick would have worked on any pixie type." He smiled,

"I know it wouldn't have worked on you. That's why I doubted it'd work on her. Perhaps Poison would have been fooled she is a little dense. But yeah, I know most pixies are equal to or smarter than humans. Though I expect that varies a little by individual." Granity barked a laugh hearing that name.

"Yes, Poison is a bit of an air head." He quired a brow at that comment.

"You met her?"

"Durahan contacted me after you beat him again. He asked for advice on how to reform himself. I gave him what advice I could at the time, I knew little myself on that matter. All I did know I learned from you. Poison was rather irritating the whole time as she seemed oblivious to what was being said. Mum Mew berated her during our chat freeing me from having to do so. I'm not sure what Durahan sees in her…"

"Probably what he saw in Lilim, good looks. I get the impression that despite his boasting about being a knight of honor, he is rather shallow in his relationships. Though perhaps he picked Poison so that he wouldn't be betrayed again. Her being an air head, she doesn't think much for herself." Granity seemed to ponder this before returning her attention to him.

"You may be right. Lilim was too smart for him to control but Poison isn't." She grimaced at that thought, "That really doesn't sit well with me… that he would want to control her in such a manner." Genki pulled her close hoping to sooth her.

"Too be fair Lilim was too smart for her own good. It got her killed in the end." This earned him a slight smile, "I know what you mean about Durahan though, but it is Poison's decision to remain with him. There's not much we can do about them at this point. Though if we ever meet up with them, I will speak with him and find out what's going on. Perhaps I can have you or Holly speak with Poison while I deal with him." Granity nodded as she accepted his proposal.

"That could work out well actually. I know how to contact him still. I believe he would help us find where Mu is hiding." Genki's face lit up in surprise at this statement, he then smiled to her.

"The more help we get the better. Afterall we can't cover much ground without some iron birds. I'm not sure if Durahan still has one but it would be a great asset when scouting. Hence why I want to assist Colt with hers."

"I meant to ask you; can you really fix her iron bird?" Granity seemed unsure of his claims but wasn't willing to call him out on it just yet.

"I believe so, yes. From what she told me it was a fuse that malfunctioned. Replacing that won't be difficult. The hard part is determining why that fuse blew and seeing if that can be repaired. I have worked on small electrical systems before, nothing as complex as an iron bird but the same principles still apply even if the circuit s larger." Granity seemed uncertain still,

"You said before that you suspected a motor might be going bad. Could you repair that?" Genki seemed to ponder how to answer this for a moment.

"It really depends on what is wrong with it. Motors can be a bit tedious to work on, if it's just some brushes or windings then it should be easy enough to repair. Even a capacitor or resistor wouldn't be bad. But if it's a rectifier or inverter… well that might be a bit tough. Replacing it might be the best route if it's something like that." Granity shook her head at this response,

"I have no clue what you just said but it sounds like you know what you are talking about. I will just let you and Colt handle this." Genki gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry I keep forgetting that your world doesn't know much about technology."

"It's alright, I should know better than to ask about such a subject with my limited knowledge." She gave him a peck on the cheek before smiling to him.

"I could always teach you."

"Perhaps some basic lessons would be helpful." He smiled and nodded,

"Then I will make time to give you some lessons." Granity waited a moment, she was feeling out his energy before bringing this next subject up. Satisfied with what she felt she spoke once more.

"Genki, I know you are concerned about what may happen between you and Holly. I think just telling her how you feel and what your fears are would go along way in mending your bond with her." His eyes widened at this change in subject, after a moment he sighed.

"I understand what you are getting at. I'm not sure I could even express those to her accurately at this point. It's hard for me to even understand what I feel about things sometimes." Granity gently caressed his cheek a smile gracing her lips.

"Let her feel it then. Holly can help you though this, you know that." He sighed once more,

"I know she can… I'm just afraid she won't want to mess with this after she learns just how complex us having said relationship will be."

"Genki, she won't leave you again. Not after everything you both have gone through. Give her the chance to prove herself. You won't be disappointed." He searched her a moment,

"I will when we talk… I'm just hoping she will understand everything. It will take a lot of work for her to immigrate. Especially since she will have to learn my language. At her age that will be a difficult task."

"I know it won't be easy, I believe she knows it as well. Though difficult it's possible right?"

"Possible yes, but it would have been much easier when she was younger."

"That ship has sailed; you have the deal with the one you have now." Genki nodded though he was unsure where she picked that euphemism up. "Genki there is one thing I would like you to consider after you talk with Holly." He glanced to her in curiosity,

"What might that be."

"Mu wanted you separated, he feared what you both can do and more importantly he feared what you are capable of together. I believe it would be wise for you both to unite your hearts once more." Genki seemed to think this over a moment before responding,

"Are you suggesting we make love?"

"If that's the form that unity takes then yes. That is the one last barrier separating you. Getting rid of that barrier may answer the question of why he wanted you to be apart." Genki seemed to be mulling this over, before he could speak Granity added one last thing. "Before you say anything about it being too rushed, just think about the fact that you have known each other for years. This is not your first-time attempting to date, there is no reason for you to hold back the way you are." Genki seemed at a loss for how she knew what he was thinking, shrugging it off he nodded to her.

"I will consider it as you have asked, though it will be up to Holly is she wishes to pursue that. I don't wish to overwhelm her. At this point I suspect that she is taking on too much at once. I doubt she will say anything but it's not good for her to be taking on so much. Empaths have to be careful about that kind of thing, it can cause them a lot of problems if they do not take the time to ground themselves and learn to relax." It was Granity's turn to look surprised,

"You've done some research, have you?"

"Yes, I looked up a few things after learning of her abilities." Genki could tell she was intrigued by this, "I don't believe Holly understands how to use her power fully. If she doesn't learn to ground herself and let that extra emotional burden go, it could lead to bad health problems later."

"Are you planning to talk to her about this?" her concerned voice came to his ears, he nodded in response.

"I will be talking with her about it. I will also be asking her to read up on the matter. I plan to teach her to meditate, it should help her. I still need to look up some information about her over sexual stimulation but that will have to wait to later this week." Granity nodded, she leaned against him once more.

"Do you believe it's tied to her PTSD?"

"It's very possible though there are other things that can cause that." He sighed, "Honestly, I'm going to have to ask some very personal questions to fully get to the bottom of this. I'm not sure she will even be able to answer me." He then looked thoughtful, "Though perhaps she doesn't need to…" Granity cocked an eyebrow at him giving him a look as he exclaimed that.

"Care to elaborate? You lost me." He smiled and nodded to her.

"Sorry, I just realized there was another way to help her. It will require us to be comfortable making love though for it to work." He saw Granity nod to him to continue, "There is a type of yoga that could help not only her but you as well. I had already thought of looking into it to help you release things. Tantric Yoga is used by couples to release negative energy surrounding their sexuality. It's not the easiest thing to perform from what I do know of it, and it requires lot of trust."

"So how does it work?"

"I need to read up more on it by the gist it seemed to revolve around giving a massage to key areas of the body to release that negative energy. The problem is that Holly would need to be willing to release that in any form it may take, trusting that I'm not going to take offense to it. I have heard from a coworker that it did wonders for his relationship with his wife. She ended up yelling and screaming at him all night long, but he said it was the best night of his life." Granity looked like she found that hard to believe, shaking her head she spoke the obvious question.

"Would Holly be willing to release things like that? She never speaks without thought, always weighing her words."

"That is the main issue I see with this. We won't know until we try it, I guess."

"You wanted to use it on me?" Granity's gaze seemed intrigued, she saw him nod. After a moment of consideration, she nodded in return. "I will let you do it with me. I trust you; I know you won't be offended by what you may hear." Genki chuckled,

"Once I know more, we will talk about this again. I don't want you to give consent for something you don't know about." She smiled at his response,

"We will discuss it then. Perhaps some reading material would be helpful?"

"I will look for some." Genki smiled before moving to kiss her once more, she returned it enjoying the closeness they had. They were silent for awhile after they parted just cuddling. It was Granity the broke the silence once more.

"You real do surprise me sometimes Genki. I never imagined you would love me the way you do." Genki chuckled,

"Why wouldn't I love you?" Granity paused a moment before answering.

"I thought that because of how you felt for Holly that our relationship would never result in love like this. Perhaps a love between close friends but nothing more."

"Granity, you know as well as I that the love I feel for you and Holly is different. Neither is at odds with the other, which is why this feel so natural." He kissed the side of her head, "Besides, Holly loves you as well. We both want this connection with you, which is why everything is in harmony." Granity thought for a moment before smiling to him,

"I see what you are saying. You really don't feel any jealousy about Holly wanting to make love to me?"

"No, I trust both of you. I have no reason to feel jealous when I love you both and want a bond with both of you. Even as strange as that is under normal circumstances."

"I guess your polyamorous naturally. Most people aren't."

"I'm not sure it's really by nature Granity. I certainly have never thought of doing this before, I have always been extremely loyal within my relationships. It's more like the bond we all have is enabling this within me." Granity was silent upon hearing this, unsure of how to respond. Genki decided to continue his train of thought. "When I first learned of your relationship with Holly, I inherently understood its implications within any relationship she might have. It's something that, though unusual, is not unheard of. That's why I found my answer so quickly when Holly asked me about it, I listened to my heart. If our time together has taught me anything it's that love takes many forms; I should not fear those forms even if they are new to me." She glanced over at him now, her brow furrowed as she tried to figure what he meant out.

"Genki, when we first started to bond… did you fear our love?" He smiled to her gently before nodding.

"A little yes. I wasn't used to what I was feeling. I had always maintained control, strictly adhering to the set of rules I had for myself. The love I felt with you was challenging those rules, breaking them even. It made me rethink everything and find new answers." He saw some clarity enter her eyes.

"Is that why you were resisting making love?" He nodded,

"Yes. I had held myself to the rule that I didn't sleep with anyone that I had no intention of marrying. That rule was one that had kept me from becoming something I hated, a player out for his own interests. I needed that rule while I was hurt. But after our bond formed, I realized we would need to make love for you to heal… in reality, I needed that as well. It was this realization that forced me to reconsider my rules." He met her gaze, "Despite how unsure I felt I realized that I needed to let go and trust you with my heart." Her gaze softened upon hearing this, a hand moving to caress his cheek.

"Genki… why didn't you tell me how you felt?" He sighed trying to find his words,

"I guess I didn't want to seem weak… it's not easy for me to admit that I feared this new type of love. It was so different than anything I have ever felt before. There's also the fact that I have never been able to… fully let go around anyone, not since my fight with Holly. I understood that I had to have the courage to try, but with my anxiety it became nearly impossible to confide in someone like that." He leaned against her, "I know I'm not making sense right now… it's hard for me to explain things like this." Granity just held him close, she understood that he wasn't good with words. He never had been good at describing his emotions. *I wonder if he can even interpret all that he feels? * After a moment her voice softly came to him.

"I think I understand Genki. It took me awhile to allow Holly in. I had shut myself off for so long after I lost Big Blue. I didn't want to seem weak either, but I learned from Holly that it was ok to admit my weakness; that it was ok to be afraid. She helped me have the courage to move forward again, to move past the pain and fear of my past." She moved her hand to caress his back, he seemed to relax under her touch a little. "Genki, I know it won't be easy to let Holly in again, especially after the pain you went through. Just promise me you will try to tell her how you feel so that she can understand what you are going through." He was silent a moment before nodding,

"I promise I will. I have always planned to try Granity no matter how hard it may be." His response was soft, but she heard it,

"I would assume by your statement earlier that you never trusted Akame fully?" Genki shook his head.

"No, about the time I started to feel comfortable with the idea things changed in our relationship. I could see she wasn't truly happy, that she had started to fall for another. I knew she wouldn't betray me; she is very loyal when it comes to relationships. That's when she brought up my unhappiness, I didn't deny it, I agreed to separate so that she could be happy. Perhaps, because I never was able to let go of Holly fully despite everything that had transpired… that's why I couldn't open-up all the way." Granity remained silent a moment before commenting,

"You and Holly are very similar; you know that right? Even your fears are similar at this point." He thought about her statement a moment before responding.

"Similar yes but not the same. She fears losing those she loves and thus refuses to allow anyone to become super close to her, while I fear intimacy with her specifically. They may have similar themes but that are in stark contrast to each other." Granity smiled,

"I'm not sure that's entirely the case with Holly. Her fears seem to mostly come into play with just you and her father."

"No, it affects all her relationships. Just to different degrees. She fears being herself around the others because she believes that they will abandon her if the knew how she really felt. Yes, she fears losing her father once more, thus won't talk to him about sensitive or controversial topics. I suspect she fears losing me as well despite us knowing the truth of what happened between us." He could see her thinking over his words, "I believe that if we repair at least one of these areas of fear for her that the others will become easier to manage. Especially if she can begin healing from her past."

"Should we focus on the easiest ones first? Or the hardest?" Her eyes were searching his once more as he thought this over.

"That would depend on how Holly handles her fear. If it overwhelms her then the easiest ones should be first. If she can face it head on without overwhelming herself then the hardest should go first. Either way she will likely need help." He paused a moment, "I believe she has already chosen a path towards healing at this point. Whether she sticks with it will be another matter." Granity cocked an eyebrow, his statement made her wonder how he knew that.

"Your intuition telling you that?" he glanced her way before shaking his head,

"No… I had a very brief vision yesterday while I was meditating. If what I saw was true, then Holly has chosen to pursue reconciling with her father." He could see the surprise this piece of information caused.

"That was the last thing I thought she would choose to do first."

"I was not expecting it either… I don't believe the process will be fast, but it has started." He could see her really thinking things over. "Granity, a suggestion for you."

"Hmm?"

"See if you can get Holly to release any negative energy concerning her abuse. Whatever form it may take it needs to happen. I believe her deep shame is coming from the abuse not from her father."

"What makes you say that?"

"Something Suezo said while he and Holly spoke. He stated that she had no issue speaking of sex when she was younger. It changed as she matured, my guess is that the abuse was what changed it. She no longer felt comfortable due to whatever Laura did to her." He could see she was considering this, "Any type of release would be good at this point. Even if she can't speak directly about what Laura did. Releasing what she felt or still feels would be a good first step." He saw her nod,

"I understand what you are saying but I have a suggestion in return." He glanced to her with interest, "I will help her emotionally, but I want you to help her through what Laura did to her. I believe that because it was a woman that hurt her that she would find more comfort in telling a man what she endured." Genki seemed uncertain of her suggestion but decided to think it over rather than dismissing it. Granity could see him mulling that over and left him to think on the matter. She understood his intentions, but she firmly believed he was going about this wrong due how this incident occurred.

"Do you believe she is ready to start healing of this?" * I understand what she is getting at, it makes sense that because Laura hurt her that confiding such abuse in another woman might be harder than I originally thought. Still if she isn't ready to try there is little that can be done. * Granity saw his eyes refocus on her again, once he did, she answered.

"Yes, she already told me she doesn't want to be controlled by this anymore." Genki seemed to need a moment before he nodded,

"I understand, I will speak with her about this after she and I reconcile a bit more. We need a deeper trust for this to be possible." Granity smiled and gave him a nod,

"While you do that, I will attempt to get her to release some of her emotional energy surrounding it. I can always use my gift to facilitate this if needed."

"You don't mean your allure, do you?" His brows rose,

"No, I have an ability like Holly's. It's not empathic per say but it does help me comfort those I'm with. It should help Holly feel comfortable enough to release her emotions."

"A healing ability then?"

"Along those lines, yes." He nodded and gave her a smile,

"I believe that will definitely help. We are both keys to her recovery, so anything that can assist her should be used. I will check into the Tantric yoga; I know energy manipulation is apart of the practice. Perhaps my abilities with energy will be of use here as well. I know her sacral chakra is very much blocked at this point, unblocking it will require both time and healing." Granity tilted her head at the mention of that. She tried to remember what he said about that chakra.

"That's the one governing sexuality, right?"

"Yes, though it affects other things as well."

"Like what?"

"It is a deep emotional center concerning one's sense of self. Her fear of loss will be held here. But yes, it also governs her feelings concerning her sexuality and sensuality." He could see her concern growing, "Physically her over stimulation could be due to this blockage as well. It does oversee one's pleasure and sexual desire. Though it can also affect some internal organs as well."

"How would it affect that?" He paused thinking of how to explain it.

"I want you to imagine a flowing creek that has 7 pools." He saw her nod, "The first pool is her root chakra where the spring that makes the creek flow is located. The next pool is the sacral chakra. This pool has a small damn at its exit blocking the flow of the water, the water is still able to overcome this, but it must overflow to do so. That is what is happening with her energy, it flows from the root to sacral and gets stuck. This overflow is causing her to feel over stimulated. Her PTSD likely caused this block to form, which is why the only way to remove the blockage is to work on what caused her PTSD."

"So, her energy is still reaching these other chakras, right?" He nodded,

"Yes, but the flow is very weak. Therefore, the others are heavily affected as well. She lacks confidence and self-worth, her interpersonal relationships are affected, she won't speak freely, she ignores her intuition. All these things are located in charkas beyond her sacral."

"What organs does it affect?" He paused once more trying to recall what he knew.

"Circulatory system, kidneys, adrenal gland, lymphatic system, and her reproductive organs." Granity seemed surprised by this, "keep in mind that some charkas overlap on the physical side."

"Would her cycle be affected by this?"

"Possibly… why?"

"She has complained in passing about an inconsistent cycle."

"Hmm… I would have to investigate that before I could say for certain."

"I understand." Genki glanced at the clock and sighed; he knew he needed to get up. They would need jump a crossed soon. "Before we get up Genki, let me give you a massage." He nodded and lay down on his stomach for her. Granity began to massage his neck and shoulders. When she reached his shoulder blades, he let out a soft moan. She smiled at this development, * maybe it's not just his sensitivity. * His moans increased as she moved down his back. When she finished, she gently caressed his body waiting for him to recover. Genki smile do her, he finally moved to hold her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. When this is all over, I'll give you a fully body massage." She winked at him gaining a chuckle in return.

"I look forward to it." The pair rose and got ready for the day. Genki made a quick lite breakfast for them both. When the appointed time came the pair jump through the portal.

---

Meanwhile Tiger had finished gathering everyone in the house, they all seemed very curious about what was going on.

"Tiger, can you at least tell us why we are here?" Hare asked, he had been pestering the wolf monster since tiger had threaten to drag him to the house.

"Hare, you are here because Genki needs to tell you something important. Just pipe down till he gets here and let him explain things without interruption." Mocchi seemed to hesitate now catching Holly's attention.

"Mocchi what is it?" she walked to his side as he fidgeted in his chair.

"Is Genki ok chi?" Holly gently soothed him with her touch,

"He's fine, he just figured something very important out that he needs to share with everyone. Everything will be alright Mocchi." Mocchi seemed to calm down now as Holly wondered * is he sensing things through his bond or is he just on edge? *

Soon Genki arrived with Granity in tow, Holly ushered him into the kitchen briefly despite his protest. Granity chuckled at this as Yosho gave a hardy laugh. Everyone seemed amused by the couple's interaction. Once his arm was cared for, he returned with Holly following close behind. Genki took a seat next to Granity, Holly taking a seat on the other side of him hoping to help with his anxiety.

"I'm sure you are all have questions." Hare nodded, but Genki smiled to him and spoke once more. "Let me go through things and some may be answered along the way." Hare seemed to agree to this. He could see the other were listening, "For now what is discussed here must stay with us. I don't want to have any rumors start before we can confirm what Holly and I learned recently." He glanced at each of them earning a nod from all gathered. "Holly and I learned that Mu is apparently still active and has been for years. We only discovered this while we were talking about our fight years ago."

"Your fight?" Hare interrupted earning him a growl from Tiger. Genki nodded; he could see they were all in shock. Holly spoke now,

"While we talked, I had told Genki that looking back at what happened it seemed… surreal in a sense. He then asked me if I could recall exactly how a felt that day and if I could let him feel it using my power." Yosho looked surprise now,

"I take it you were able to do so?" Holly nodded,

"Yes, though it was a strain."

"It's what I felt that told me that Mu was still around. He apparently influenced her fear enough to cause a very brief panic attack. That's why our fight became heated."

"A panic attack? He can do that?" Hare asked looking confused. Genki nodded,

"Apparently, he can yes. Where he gained the ability, I'm unsure." Yosho seemed to be considering this a moment before speaking.

"Mu himself doesn't have those abilities… though he can influence one's heart if weakened. I would hazard a guess that his new host might have those abilities. After all he could only use the magic stone when I was his host." The others seemed to think this over, as they did Genki spoke once more.

"At this point we need to be careful. He has driven all of us apart and gained valuable time to regain his strength."

"Wait he hasn't drive us apart." Suezo commented before Holly shot him a glance.

"Unfortunately, he has. You and I have had a lot of issues lately, we are far from being one at heart right now. The same is true with my father." She glanced his way, he nodded in understanding. "Hare you and Tiger are no longer as close due to that fiasco a few years back." The pair looked at each other briefly before looking away. "I know you don't feel like you can ask questions Mocchi." Mocchi sighed and nodded, "Granity had her mental break down, and everyone here blamed Genki for our fight." She glanced to Golem, "Unless we missed something I think Golem was the only one not directly targeted." Golem shook his head,

"Golem has not felt the same since your fight Holly." Though surprised she nodded her understanding.

"Part of that is my fault for not telling you all what really happened." Genki gently touched her shoulder and shook his head.

"None of this is anyone person's fault Holly." Holly seemed to relax a little, Genki then redirected his attention to the others who were looking concerned.

"Why did you take the blame then Genki? You never tried to correct any of us." Hare inquired a little more sheepishly. Genki sighed heavily,

"There were two reasons. The first being that I didn't want to overstress Holly at the time. The way she reacted had me concerned for her wellbeing. So, despite the pain I felt, I took the blame to lessen the load on her." Holly looked even more guilty, "I'm aware this wasn't fair to me but it's what I chose to do."

"You know we would have helped you both if we had known." Hare stated, Genki gave him a look of annoyance.

"I wasn't exactly thinking clearly right then Hare. I went with what I felt I needed to do at the time." Hare seemed to pipe down now, "The second reason will take a bit more context to explain." He waited till he could see he had their attention. "Both Holly and I possess abilities. We have theorized that Mu doesn't want us to awaken to our full potential. Therefore, he did everything in his power to drive a massive wedge between Holly and me. I believe he was hoping to take me out of the picture entirely with what he did." Hare once more interrupted leading Genki to sigh and shake his head.

"Wait! You wouldn't have left permanently over that fight. That's just not who you are." Holly decided she had enough,

"Hare!" He looked at her wide eyed, "What were you told about interruptions?" He shrank in his seat. Holly gently rubbed Genki's back as he recovered his composure. Soon he shot Hare a look that made him melt a little more into his seat.

"Hare you are making the assumption that I would have a choice of returning." This made the rabbit monster look dumbfounded at this assertion. "Mu knew of a weakness I had that I didn't know about. He used that to attempt to remove me from the group permanently." He glancing to each other them, his eyes then came to rest on Mocchi who looked scared. His gaze softened as he spoke to his oldest friend. "Mocchi to answer the question you asked Holly earlier this week. Yes, I do have a disorder, more than one." He saw Mocchi's eyes change to concern, when he didn't look away Genki continued with a sigh, "Mu used these against me to prevent me from being able to deal with my fight with Holly. Like my brother I was unaware of my depression, the fight caused a flare up and I couldn't think clearly as a result." He felt both Granity and Holly gently comforting him, giving him the strength to continue. Holly was projecting some calm into him to keep him stable while he spoke. "Unfortunately, this meant I couldn't properly deal with things. I nearly lost to that darkness that Mu had cast my way. If Akame had not intervened I would not be here now." Golem seemed to recognize what he was saying first, his eyes growing solemn. Suezo was surprised to hear that Mu had such an ability, he was now far more concerned about what might happen in the future. He wasn't alone in this line of thought, as Yosho too looked very concerned. Hare looked uncertain, he glanced a Holly before speaking, she gave him a nod.

"Wait, are you saying that Mu tried to take you over?" Genki sighed, Tiger snorted and quipped.

"You are so stupid sometimes Hare."

"Why you!"

"Enough!" Holly interrupted, making the pair stop. They both cowered a little, they knew when she started barking at them that they would be in a lot of trouble if they continued to misbehave. Genki shook his head in response to Hare's question.

"No Hare, Mu didn't try to take me over, he tried to kill me. He's aware that my energy ability is what awakened the Phoenix. He wanted me gone so that could never happen again. He almost succeeded in his plan." Hare's eyes widened; it took him a moment to respond. When he did the response surprised the group.

"There's… no way… How would Mu even know that? He wasn't even there when we awakened the Phoenix, nor would he have known much about you!" Hare's words spilled forth as he grappled with what he had just been told. Genki kept an even gaze on Hare * He's in denial? * Holly reinforced her connection with Genki, making sure he wouldn't have an attack with how Hare was reacting. Granity too was assisting, Genki felt her connection with him. "No way Genki none of that makes sense!"

"Hare whether you believe it or not, it is the truth."

"Then prove it! There is no way Mu would have had that kind of knowledge or have been able to influence you like that!" Mocchi looked upset now, in a quick motion he slapped Hare shocking the group.

"Genki, not lie chi!" Hare seemed to freeze after this. Genki held his hand up to stop everyone else from doing anything. Seeing Mocchi defending him, seemingly ok with what he had just been told, Genki had felt most of his fear leave. Holly noticed this change in his emotions, it left her confused but grateful. Granity smiled at this development * good boy Mocchi * Genki spoke evenly to Hare now,

"Hare, I can show you proof if that's what you need to deal with this." Hare's eyes snapped back to Genki's as he looked confused and bewildered. Genki for his part merely continued talking while he removed his watch. "I know this is a lot to bear and not everyone can accept things without something to prove what is happening is real. This certainly was not how anyone envisioned the defeat we gave Mu so long ago to turn out." Holly noticed the scars as soon as the watch band was removed. * He's been… concealing those the whole time? * He then showed his wrist to Hare. None of the others had seen these scars, even those who knew of his condition, all of them looked concerned after seeing them. "Is this proof enough of my suicide attempt or should I bring my hospital report for you to peruse as well?" He waited to see how Hare would handle things. When Hare finally responded Genki knew he had accepted what had happened. His ears drooped as he spoke,

"That won't be necessary." The room was silent a moment as Genki put his watch back on. He then looked around the group.

"The reason this is to stay with us for now is because I don't want to start a panic. Until we confirm that Mu is still active beyond what we know now, it's best we do not share things just yet. I also would like our element of surprise to remain intact, for Mu not to be aware of our knowledge of him." He saw everyone nod their understanding. Granity spoke now deciding to take some of the stress off him.

"Tiger and I already agreed to do some scouting. I believe Colt is willing to scout in locations that we cannot."

"Isn't her iron bird broken?" Suezo asked, he remember her complaining about something concerning her iron bird shortly after her arrival.

"It is yes, though I have volunteered to take a look at it for her." Genki confirmed for him, "If what she told me is accurate, I should be able to repair it fairly quickly."

"Would Durahan be willing to help us?" Asked Holly, who knew he had changed his ways after his second defeat.

"I'm uncertain though I would very much like to ask him."

"He would be a great ally, however there is the matter of contacting him." Yosho reentered the discussion.

"I can get ahold of him. I'll do so today. With any luck he should be here in the next week or so." Granity volunteered. Yosho nodded his understanding, while glancing to Genki once more.

"So, what are you scouting for specifically?"

"Mu's new host and location. Once we knew where he is then we might be able to find out what he is planning. I doubt he is here in Antalya, we probably would have notice him if he were."

"That makes sense. Do you have a plan once we find his location?"

"Our plan will have to be fluid for now. It will depend on where he is, what he is doing, and who he took over. For now, it's simply to find him and see if we can defeat the Evil Spirit without the phoenix's body. If we need the phoenix's body, then we'll have to pivot to searching for it." He saw them all nod. After a moment Hare spoke up once more,

"Genki… I'm sorry for earlier…"

"It's okay Hare, I understand." Hare hesitated before asking,

"Why didn't you tell us?" Genki sighed before a sad smile graced his lips,

"I didn't think you could understand. I've seen your reactions to Rick, you act like he has the plague. Why would I think you'd react any differently to my disorders?" Hare paled upon hearing this, Mocchi and Golem looked saddened. They all knew he was right, they reacted badly to Rick why would this be different? Tiger decided to rescue the group by satisfying a curiosity,

"Say Kid, what disorder does Rick have? I've been wondering about it for a while. I couldn't find anything that matched Rick in the book you sent over." Genki glanced to the wolf monster,

"Rick is Autistic, the book I sent over doesn't contain information on that disorder. Autism isn't a Mental Disorder like the others in that book. It is classified under Spectrum Disorders which is an entirely separate tree of disorders." The wolf monster cocked his head in confusion,

"So, it's not mental?" Genki shook his head,

"No, spectrum disorders range in severity, Ricks case of ASD is mild. Its cause isn't completely understood by science but what we do know does help those affected by it." He could see he had everyone's attention again, "Simplifying what I know, Rick's brain structure formed differently while he was growing his mother's womb. As a result, he struggles with certain aspects of cognitive function that a normal person would not. There are some treatments and therapies but nothing that can cure this disorder."

"So, his brain didn't form correctly?" Hare asked, trying to understand things.

"Basically yes, neurologically he's just wired different. As a result, he has to… relearn things in a different way for things to work for him. From what I have seen he needs to learn kinesthetically."

"What is that?" Suezo asked, not really following.

"Kinesthetic learning is physically doing a task. You can't tell him or show him how to do it. He must do it himself. That learning style makes things very difficult for him as most cultures don't cater that that style of learning."

"What about his speech?" Holly asked, curiously.

"The main speech center of the brain is located at the front of the brain. If that area has a few neural pathways missing or miss routed, he will have trouble with his speech. Though the entire brain plays a part when we as speak that area controls everything before we actual start to speak. As a result, he has issues with certain words, I believe it's an issue with the pathways connecting that area of the brain to his motor control center. He seems to be fine most of the time, just an issue with certain types of words." He glanced at Suezo, "Can you grab the anatomy book I gave you?" Suezo nodded and took off to get it while Hare looked confused.

"Anatomy book?" Genki just nodded, as Holly looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Don't ask." Tiger said gruffly, making Hare really wonder what he had missed. When Suezo returned he handed it over to Genki who quickly found the page he was looking for. He then showed it to the rest of the group.

"This is a simplified approximation of what the brain does in each of its areas. The speech center is located here." He pointed to the lower frontal lobe near the temporal lobe. "The motor control cortex is here." He pointed to a highlighted area near the center of the brain just behind the frontal lobe. "If these areas aren't talking to each other very well then you get speech issues." He could see they all understood what he was saying. He closed the book and sat it down on the table nearby. Hare then carefully asked,

"So, what are your disorders? You said you had more than one of them."

"Depression, anxiety, and chronic stress disorder."

"I would assume you have medication for them?" Yosho asked, trying to aid the group in finding the correct questions to ask. Genki nodded,

"I do though I rarely use mine. Unfortunately, a lot of the medications have some horrible side effects. As a result, I will only use it if I actually need to. As a replacement for that I do various… therapies to deal with things. For the most part it's my anxiety that causes the biggest problem."

"I would assume that you handle things better than your brother then?" Yosho looked intrigued,

"Yes, I am more active in managing my anxiety then he is. He tends to let himself become preoccupied by other things. As a result, he doesn't manage his disorder which leads to attacks. His threshold is also much lower than my own. It takes a lot more for me to have an attack, though my attacks tend to be more severe as a result."

"How severe Kid?"

"If bad enough I will blackout."

"Seriously?!" Genki nodded; the two ladies decided to help once more.

"He's not exaggerating Tiger, when he came home from seeing his brother in the hospital, he was nearly at that point. It took both Holly and I to get him up to bed." Holly nodded confirming this. "Eventually he did pass out even with Holly trying to assist him." Granity informed the group.

"My medication isn't super-fast acting, so even though I took some it didn't prevent my blackout." Genki explained as he saw everyone mull everything over that they just learned.

"Was there a reason for that attack?" Yosho probed,

"Too much emotional stress all at once. I did what I could to mitigate my stress before I visited my brother. However, there was no way I could have prepared myself mentally for what he had endured. Had I known he had been beaten up beforehand I might have considered that he had been raped, unfortunately that was not the case. I only knew of his suicide attempt at the time." He saw the older man nod his understanding. "I only managed to get home because I gave myself something else to focus on temporarily. It was enough to hold the attack at bay but not stop it." Suezo seemed to mull something over before asking,

"I hate to ask but I'm sure everyone else is wondering the same thing. You haven't tried to… end it all again, have you?" Genki glanced his way seeing he was desperately trying to be tactful. Genki shook his head,

"No, I have tried to kill myself again. Though there are times I have suicidal thoughts still. I have managed to keep them at bay. They only happen if I am very overwhelmed and alone. So as long as I can keep those two things to a minimum, I'm fine."

"I would assume you are more active in keeping that under control." Yosho asked,

"I try to be yes. Nether depression nor anxiety are logical though. So sometimes it can still be a challenge to wrangle them both." He glanced over a Granity when he felt something through their connection. "Granity is aware of when either of my conditions are acting up. I've taught her to look for the signs." Granity nodded in confirmation for the others. He glanced back to see Mocchi hesitating, calming his own racing heart he spoke softly to his friend. "Do you have a question Mocchi?" Mocchi nodded,

"Can Genki teach Mocchi the signs too chi?" Genki smiled before nodding. The younger monsters smiled widely.

"I will teach you just as I have Granity. However, I think you and I need to reinforce our bond for this to work properly." Granity nodded,

"You both need a stronger bond for it to work, yes. Some of the things I learned weren't so much something you said but something I felt through our bond. I will help you teach Mocchi." Genki nodded his understanding, when he looked back towards his old friend, he was surprised by Mocchi hopping up in his lap to hug him. He chuckled after a moment before holding the young monster close. After a moment Mocchi surprised Granity by leaping over to hug her, making the pixie breed look very awkward for a moment. Genki laughed at this, before commenting to her.

"You better get used to that from now on." Granity gave him a glare for laughing but it didn't stop him, before she sighed and just held Mocchi close for a moment. Holly was stifling a giggle as she witnessed this development. Suezo's jaw was on the floor, while the others stared in disbelief.

"You have a lot to learn Mocchi." Granity commented at length trying very hard to not blush.

"Mocchi be good student Chi!" He looked up at her brightly, finally earning a smile from the pixie breed. Suezo finally recovered, with a heart in his eye he tried to hop toward Granity.

"Oh, Granity can I get a hug too?!" He said making a kissy face. Granity merely punched him when he got close, sending Suezo out a nearby open window into the tree outside.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT YOU PERVERT!" Everyone sweat dropped as Suezo slowly slide down the tree to the ground, a spiral in his eye. Genki was the first to recover and started laughing, he shook his head.

"He will never learn I swear." He managed to comment between fits of laughter. Holly began to giggle, and the rest joined in laughter. After they all calmed back down, Granity who still looked upset glanced at Genki.

"I think it would be wise that I and Tiger have a chat with Mocchi. We need to teach him how to reforge the bond you both have." Genki nodded,

"I understand." He glanced at Mocchi who nodded to him in understanding.

---

Mocchi hopped down following Tiger and Granity out of the room. Holly stood shaking her head,

"I'll go see to Suezo." Genki nodded to her as she left to do so. Yosho waited till she was out of ear shot before he spoke.

"Say Genki, would you be willing to help me with something?" The younger man glanced his way looking curious.

"Sure, what is it you need?"

"Holly… really needs to relax. You know how stubborn she can be. Is there any way you can convince her to stay with you for a little while so she can relax? She is… well very worried about your arm." Genki raised a brow as he thought over this request once he was sure Holly had moved away from the window once more, he answered,

"I can see if she would be willing to stay for a bit. Is she becoming overwhelmed by everything going on?" Yosho nodded,

"Yes, I think she needs to unwind for a while." Genki nodded his understanding.

"I was afraid that might happen. I will see what I can do, but you know how see is when she gets stubborn."

"She becomes an unmovable force. I know she is just like her mother that way." Genki was slightly surprised that he mentioned Holly's mother, meanwhile the other monsters looked very confused. The man had outright refused to speak of Holly's mother before, why the change? This question would go unanswered as Holly managed to help Suezo hobble into the room.

"Oh, the room is spinning…."

"Suezo just rest, you probably have a concussion. Honestly, you really should stop being a pervert towards every female in existence." Holly sighed exasperatedly as she walked off to grab a cool towel.

"I swear you have a death wish." Hare commented, Golem nodded.

"I do not!" Suezo whined.

"You could have fooled me. Trying to kiss Granity like that." Hare looked as exasperated as Holly. "Seriously Granity is the last monster you should be trying that with."

"Oh like you don't want to bang her Hare!" Suezo spat back as Holly walked into the room, Genki face palmed and shook his head. * He will never have any tact * Holly looked mildly perturbed by his comment. Hare responded back,

"Even if I do, I would never try something like you just did. Seriously Granity is the strongest monster here, I value my life over satisfying my baser desires." Genki sighed at Hare's comment, * Crude as ever I suppose. * Holly interrupted before Suezo could start in again,

"I for one do not want to hear about your preference concerning who you want to bang. Knock it off both of you!" When Suezo tried to retort Holly smacked his head with the towel gaining a yelp out of him, she then went back to tending his wounds. Genki just watched mildly amused by the whole scenario. Yosho seemed to be holding back his laughter, not unnoticed by Genki. Once Holly finished, she placed the cool towel on Suezo's forehead before taking care of her medical kit. Hare seemed to be mulling something over then looked over at Genki, as he was about to ask a question Suezo shot up blurting out,

"I got to pee!" after which he seemed to lose his balance once more and fall over. Holly unfortunately walked in and promptly turned a shade of red as he once again fell over. Genki shook his head and chuckled at this development. Rising from his chair he grabbed the eyeball monster and lifted him back up,

"I'll take care of this Holly. Come on Suezo I will help you up to the bathroom." Suezo could see Holly was still perturbed so he just nodded and went along with Genki.

"I guess that cold towel reminded him…." Hare said at length. Yosho gave a hardy laugh,

"Apparently so, hopefully he doesn't cause too much trouble for Genki."

"I'm sure Genki will be fine; you saw how he grabbed him by the tongue and dragged him off before." Hare began laughing at everything that had gone on. Holly took a seat trying to get her emotions under control, she really hated it when both Suezo and Hare started on their perverted tirades.

---

Upstairs Genki helped Suezo hobble into the bathroom, the eyeball monster wasn't very stable on his singular leg, but Genki got him into position with a spare chair he found in the hallway to hold onto within his reach. Genki then stepped outside commenting,

"Just let me now when you are done, and I'll help you downstairs." Suezo nodded as Genki closed the door. Genki then walked a short way down the hallway to think. * Seriously why did he think Granity would let him touch her? He so stupid sometimes. * He then sighed trying to think of a way to get Holly to stay with him for a while. * We do need to talk… hmm… but I already said that would have to wait for my week off. There must be something…. Wait… there just might be. Hopefully this will work to convince her to stay over. Otherwise, we might have to do this the hard way. * He frowned; he'd rather not force the issue. Once Holly became stubborn there was no moving her. Soon he heard something from the bathroom.

"Damnit!" He sighed walking back towards the door.

"Are you alright Suezo?" He heard nothing a moment before a muffled reply finally came.

"No not really…"

"Are you finished?"

"Yeah… I'm just stuck…" Question marks floated around Genki as he tried to make sense of that.

"Alright, I'm coming in."

"Fine, just don't laugh." Genki opened the door to find Suezo had somehow pinned himself against the wall with the chair. More question marks arose as Genki tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"How on earth did you manage that?"

"Don't ask…" Genki shook his head in amusment; he grabbed the chair carefully removing it not to hurt the still wobbly eyestalk. Soon Genki was supporting him again, Suezo reached over and flushed the toilet looking meek as he did. Genki just rolled his eyes, trying to help Suezo limp out of the bathroom. "I need to rest a minute I feel dizzy." Genki helped him sit down, leaning against the wall.

"You definitely have a concussion." He could see the eyeball monster wasn't feeling great, deciding to distract him he decided to probe Suezo about an earlier comment he made. "I've been meaning to ask you."

"Hmm?" Suezo briefly glanced at him,

"You said the other day that Holly didn't have any issues talking about sex after you were unlocked, correct?" Suezo stared at him a moment before replying.

"Yeah, she never had any issues back then. Even read some romance novels as I recall."

"Do you know when that changed?"

"When she was almost thirteen. She suddenly stopped talking about it one day and would get flustered if around such conversations."

"She stopped reading her books too I bet." * I was afraid Laura caused the change… *

"Yeah… she only read fantasy novels after that. Why do you ask?"

"Was trying to ascertain how she was raised when it came to that topic. I'm still trying to piece things together to help her with what she endured. I'm hoping if I can piece it together then Granity will have an easier time assisting her." Suezo seemed to be following him,

"I get that but… why did you need to know how she was raised?"

"I needed that to know just how much what Laura did affected her. It sounds like it affected her a lot. Enough to make her shutdown when it came to her sexuality."

"Shutdown?" Genki nodded,

"She went from engaging with it in a healthy way to full on repressing it. I'm not sure what exactly went on but whatever it was it was really bad for her to fully retreat inward when it came to that side of herself." Suezo looked very worried now,

"You can help her, right?"

"I will do everything I can for her, but ultimately, she must find the will to fight through the pain. It won't be easy; she definitely will need to be rested before she tries that."

"Is her relationship with Granity helping her?" Genki nodded,

"It is slowly yes. Holly has been able to open up more and more as they bonded. That however is only a band aid. She will have to confront the memory that she repressed if she is to heal from the root cause."

"What if you… did it with her? Would that help?" Genki's brow rose at that question as the eyestalk blushed. He sighed and shook his head,

"Again, it may help but only on the surface. She still must face what has happened and allow herself to properly process it. It's not a fast process but it needs to happen." Suezo looked a little defeated, "I will do everything I can Suezo, this will be a sensitive wound for a long time. Only time and acceptance can heal this wound. If she can process and accept what happened, she can then start to move forward to heal from it."

"I feel so helpless…."

"Just support her emotionally when you can. It's hard I know." Suezo nodded, He then tried to stand. Genki helped him up, once he was stable, he led him back downstairs.

---

With Suezo back downstairs and settled in his chair, Holly placed the cold towel back on his head. As she took her seat Hare asked his question from earlier.

"Say Genki, have you ever watched any porn?" Genki looked over at Hare startled by that question, while Holly turned crimson next to him. Sighing he shook his head,

"Hare what is wrong with you?"

"What?"

"Seriously that is not something you just random ask people and you know it."

"I'm curious, ok? Colt mentioned it and it got me wondering how you feel about porn is all."

"That was not the question you just asked, was it?" Genki narrowed his gaze making Hare put up his hands.

"Yeah, I phrased it wrong as all…"

"Highly unlikely Hare."

"No really… it was just a slip of the tongue." Genki could see Yosho looked like he was about to blow a fuse and Holly was pinching the bridge of her nose trying to deal with the situation. With a sigh Genki came up behind Holly, his hands gently squeezing her shoulders. She looked up at him startled, he smiled gently. Holly understood and went back to dealing with her emotions while Genki began to massage her shoulders gently. He frowned internally at the tension he felt, glancing at Yosho he nodded to the older man, who seemed to understand his unspoken message. He then let his eyes fall on Hare once more who looked confused.

"Fine, will answer your question. I don't particularly agree with it myself, but not for any moral qualms that most would have. If someone chooses to make porn that is their choice to make. However, it can and often is misused, becoming an addiction rather than assisting with things. That addictive quality is what I take issue with and seeing as there is no real education on such things in either world, it is a problem for both."

"Wait it's an issue in your world?"

"A very large issue yes, just as much of a problem as gambling or alcoholism. It can be just as destructive as those as well." Yosho seemed a little surprised and intrigued.

"I would assume you don't use porn yourself then?" Genki held his gaze.

"I do not no. Nor will I after seeing what kind of destruction it can bring." Hare seemed to ponder that before asking once more,

"Have you used it though?" Genki looked back at the rabbit,

"I have in the past when I was younger yes, but not since." Genki could see that he finally satisfied the rabbit monster, "I honestly think the way things are in my world it's rare not to have seen it at least once in one's life. Even if it was not intentional."

"Why is that?" Yosho asked,

"With the advancement of technology, the porn industry started using online media more. As a result, even an innocent search for information can result in pornographic sites popping up. It was way worse years ago, there are now far more advanced filters to block such things out but even then, many site names can be miss leading." He felt Holly relax slightly, "I remember stumbling upon such a site myself while looking for historical documents about the origin of the sport of wrestling. The site name and introduction as innocent enough but the rest was anything but innocent."

"I can see that being an issue… is your government trying to help?"

"Sort of… the World Wide Web isn't owned by any one country or government. As such it's very hard to enforce rules on it. So other more influential groups on that web have taken the matter to task. There have been improvements at least."

"So how did the porn industry take over the name for wrestling?" Hare asked, making Tiger and Granity stop in their tracks as they walked into the room. They glanced at Yosho who seemed calm enough then looked at each other in confusion. Mocchi heard the question before anyone realized he was there.

"I know chi! They were doing gymnastics chi!" question marks began floating over everyone's heads as they all loked confused by that comment. Genki shook his confusion off before replying to Hare.

"I believe the two were tangled by slang terminology. Well, that and the sport of wrestling started as a male only competition with the contestants covered in oil and completely naked." That drew some blank stares. Tiger shook his head,

"Your world is so weird…"

"I would assume no women we allowed to watch?" Granity asked at length,

"Not officially… they were banned from the colosseum. But historical poems and stories say they were sneaking peaks anyway. The Romain Empire itself was weird Tiger. Most of my world doesn't understand their old games and traditions." Mocchi looked confused once more,

"But they did gymnastics chi…" Genki turned his attention to the younger monster.

"How do you know they did gymnastics?"

"I saw them chi!" Genki sighed, knowing what that was probably about.

"Where did you see them?"

"In Suezo's porn chi! They were very flexible." Genki gave the shrinking eyestalk as side glance as he muttered 'I'm sure they were.'

"Mocchi come with me a moment please."

"Mocchi wants to know what they were doing it for chi." Genki grabbed the young monster and carried him off before he asked anymore questions.

---

Granity realized Holly needed break so she asked her if she'd like some tea. Holly nodded rising to follow Granity into the kitchen. Tiger growled at Suezo after the pair left.

"Suezo look at the mess you caused."

"It's not my fault."

"Yes, it is." Hare stated pointing at him, "You need to keep it hidden. Now Holly is all upset." Suezo pouted in his chair as Yosho rose, he walked to the kitchen, he found Granity comforting his daughter. He frowned seeing her so distressed. He carefully approached the pair smiling gently to Granity before he spoke to Holly.

"Holly, are you upset with Suezo again?" his voice was gentle, Holly nodded.

"I wish he would at least hide it better. Mocchi has so many questions about what he saw… I've been unable to answer them so far." Yosho frowned at that,

"I understand that you want to help Mocchi understand and guide him. I've seen how motherly you are to him. Sometimes we just need another's help though. Let Genki handle this, I'm sure he can bring understanding to this subject." This didn't seem to console her though,

"Father we already put far too much pressure on Genki… I'm worried about his welfare. I didn't want to add anything else to his list of things to do… it's unfair to him." Granity sighed, she knew Holly was worried, but she needed to not baby Genki. * That he will take offense to * Yosho tried once more while Granity tried to think of another angle.

"Holly, Genki knows what he is doing. I'm sure he would say something if he was having a problem with this."

"He won't though! He's made a habit of hiding his stress." Holly's voice dropped off, Yosho looked uncertain what to say now so Granity tried her idea.

"That maybe true but I would sense if he had an issue, Holly. This is not stressing him, helping others helps him deal with things." Holly still needed convincing though,

"Are you sure he can't block you? I never sensed anything he was hiding before when I connected with him. He can block me out."

"He doesn't have a reason to do it now."

"How do…" Granity interrupted her,

"Look at me." Holly finally did, "I know because I have listened to him. He told me why he was hiding it, and that he no longer has the strength to do so. He promised me he wouldn't lie about any of his conditions anymore. Our heart bond is very strong, the only thing I sense from him is mild annoyance, which seems directed at Suezo." Holly seemed to finally relent, Holly rested her head on Granity's shoulder. After a moment she spoke again, "Holly if you are worried about stressing or offending Genki then don't baby him. That behavior frustrates him to no end. Watch over him but let him do it on his own when he can. If he has need, he will ask for help." Yosho just watched the exchange, he gently caressed Holly's back while Granity held her. After a while Holly finally nodded and pulled away,

"Thank you, both of you." Granity smiled and nodded. Yosho gently pulled his daughter into a hug, which she returned. Granity let the pair bond while she made tea. * Something is up… Holly feels at peace with him now… I wonder if this is what Genki was talking about. *

---

Genki had taken Mocchi upstairs to speak with him. He didn't want Holly to become anymore upset than she already was. * Seriously, Hare and Suezo are being very perverted today. * Mocchi looked uncertain of why they had come up here but trusted Genki, nonetheless.

"Mocchi what you saw in Suezo's porn isn't something that should be talked about openly."

"Is Holly mad at Mocchi?"

"No, she isn't upset with you, she is upset with Suezo." Mocchi tilted his head,

"So Mocchi not in trouble chi?"

"No, you are not in trouble." He smiled gently to him which seemed to put the young monster at ease. "I've heard from Holly that you have questions concerning what you saw."

"Yeah chi! Holly tried to help chi, but she couldn't understand Mocchi. And… she became upset chi."

"It's alright, I will talk with her later. I think she feels like she was supposed to explain this to you, to help you. So, it makes her upset when she can't."

"Mocchi doesn't want to upset Holly chi."

"I know you don't Mocchi, I know. Everything will be alright." He soothed the young monster, "why don't you ask me your questions. Maybe I can help?" Mocchi nodded.

"Mocchi saw people doing gymnastics naked chi. They looked happy chi. What were they doing?"

"Well, if it was in a porn magazine, I would suspect they were having sex, they were just doing so in different positions." Mocchi shook his head,

"Not just sex chi." This surprised Genki a moment, * So, he does know about sex huh. Well, that makes things simpler. *

"Oh? What else were they doing?"

"Wait here chi!" Mocchi rushed out of the room before Genki could say a word. * Is he going to get that magazine? * That question was answered when Mocchi returned with said magazine. He opened it up and pointed to a large picture. Genki raised an eyebrow at what he saw. Before him was a picture of two women and one man, the man was blindfolded and restrained with him leaning backward slightly. One of the women was riding him while the other used a strap on to pleasure him. Everyone seemed to really be enjoying their activities. * Wow… didn't know that existed here… Kami no wonder Holly was struggling. Alright I get it now. * He glanced at Mocchi who watched expectantly.

"Well, they are having sex, though it's a more unusual type of it. I'm sure you know that normal sex is just between two people."

"Yes chi, male and female right chi?"

"It doesn't have to just be male and female, it can be any two people who care for each other Mocchi." Mocchi looked confused a moment, "What these people are doing is call a threesome. The style of sex they are using is called bondage, that's why the guy is tired up."

"Why does the woman have a wiener chi?" Genki nearly snorted but changed it to a chuckle. * Calling it a wiener still huh? *

"She doesn't actually have a wiener; she's using a sex toy called a strap on. It lets her wear the sex toy so she can use it." Mocchi seemed to understand after he said that.

"But why is she putting it in his butt chi?"

"Because it can feel good to him Mocchi. If a man's prostate is rubbed it feels good. One of the ways to be able to do that inside his butt." Mocchi looked confused again,

"It feels good chi? Wouldn't it hurt?" Genki shook his head,

"Anal sex isn't supposed to hurt if it's done correctly. Yes, it can feel very good."

"Have you done it chi?" Genki was once again caught off guard by his young friend. He smiled to Mocchi and nodded. Mocchi looked surprised but then curious once more. "It felt good to you?"

"Yes, it did." Mocchi then seemed to go deep into thought a moment before asking. "Does that make you perverted? Holly's father calls Suezo perverted for looking at this stuff chi…" Genki chuckled,

"Yosho thinks everyone is a pervert by his definition of sex. If they are enjoying sex outside of marriage or unconventional sex, then to him they are perverts. I am into some different things, so to him yes, I would be a pervert. By my own world's standard? No, I am not a pervert, just a bit kinky."

"Won't Holly be upset with you?" Genki shook his head,

"Holly already knows about that side of me. I have spoken with her about my past relationships."

"Did you do it with her chi?" Mocchi seemed on edge.

"No, Holly and I have not had sex." Mocchi looked relieved, "You really need to be careful how you ask things. You don't want to be in trouble with her, do you?" Mocchi shook his head no.

"Sorry chi…I was supposed to ask chi."

"Let me guess Hare was involved with this." Mocchi nodded making Genki roll his eyes.

"Hare said Holly would marry you and move away if you had sex with her." Genki sighed; he really hated their banter sometimes.

"Mocchi, Holly wouldn't leave you behind. She loves you; you know that." He comforted his best friend. "If we did marry, she would have to spend some time in my world, but we were never talking about her just leaving. We would be involved in both worlds." This seemed to perk the young monster up, with him looking happy Genki switched topics to one he knew he needed to address. "Mocchi… I wanted to apologize for not telling you about my disorders sooner. I know I should have… even if it was hard for me to discuss." Mocchi looked concerned, soon he shook his head.

"It's ok chi… you were scared. Mocchi understands. You didn't want to lose us chi if we couldn't understand." Mocchi had realized that Hare calling Genki's brother insane would not have gone over well with Genki if he had been there. "At first, we didn't understand what Holly told us about your brother, chi. Holly worked hard to help us understand, just like you help Mocchi understand things now." Mocchi jumped up into Genki's lap, he held on to his oldest friend tightly. "It's ok now chi. No reason to be scared anymore, Mocchi is here." After Mocchi said those words, Genki felt the damn within him break, he pulled the young monster close as he silently let his tears fall. He was so relieved that Mocchi not only understood but wasn't upset with him. After Genki recovered, he smiled at his monster, "Feel better chi?"

"Yes, much better. Thank you." The pair snuggled a little while, Genki felt Mocchi trying to reforge their bond. He opened his heart letting the young monster do so gladly. After a bit Genki broke the silence once more,

"Mocchi anytime you have questions feel free to ask me. I will always try to answer them for you."

"I will chi."

"Now let's go back downstairs before someone wanders up here. Oh, you should probably put that back from where you got it." He indicated the porn magazine, Mocchi nodded and picked it up. This time Genki was able to follow where the young monster went. * isn't that… Holly's room? Hmm…* When Mocchi returned the pair ventured back down though Genki now had a few new questions in his mind that would probably go unanswered for a while.

---

Holly had returned to the living room with her tea after being consoled. She was quiet as the others chatted about what to do now that Mu could be a threat once more. Hare was busy planning a scouting route with Tiger and Granity. Holly looked up upon hearing the pair descending the stairs. She could see Genki looked a little better, making her wonder what they had discussed. Genki walked over to Suezo and whispered,

"Suezo keep your kinky sex play porn out of Mocchi's sight." The eyeball monster instantly shot up looking pale. Genki gave him a look that made him sit back down, all he did then was nod to Genki's command. Holly raised a brow at that, she saw him smile as he approached her his hands coming to rest on her shoulders again. He could feel the tension in them once more.

"Everything is settled with Mocchi you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"You were able to explain it?" She saw him nod, "Thank you, I've been trying to find a way to do so for months."

"It shouldn't come up again." Holly smiled to him, she felt him squeeze her shoulders before asking, "Can we speak alone a moment?" she nodded, he released her shoulders and followed her into the kitchen. Yosho noticed the pair and sent up a pray that Genki could convince his daughter to go relax for a while.

"What did you need to talk about?" Holly asked as she faced him,

"More then one thing but for now I wanted to ask you if it's possible for you to be over this week as well?" Holly was surprised by the request; she gave it some thought before responding.

"It's possible yes, but I am curious as to why you are asking all the sudden." Genki sighed, * I hope this tactic works, if I read her wrong then it might backfire on me. *

"To be honest I could use your help. I already spoke with Granity about this. I plan to try to re-access that vision I had that I believe was from someone in this world. It's likely going to be very bad much like all my visions are. With the way I feel now… I'm not sure I can deal with that as I process things concerning my brother." He could see her expression change to concern now.

"It may not be wise to access that vision then."

"Wise for me? No, probably not. Wise for everyone else? Yes, we need any information we can get on Mu's whereabouts." She frowned at that,

"You really need to stop putting everyone else ahead of your own welfare." Her eyes told him she was thinking about what to do with him.

"I know it's a bad habit of mine. It's not like you don't do the same at times. Besides I feel the task of finding Mu is a priority right now. We already lost so much time while he blinded us." He saw her debating again before sighing,

"I understand what you are saying but you should at least wait until you deal with everything concerning your brother." Holly looked upset once more, "I wish you wouldn't push yourself so hard." Genki paused before he spoke again when he saw her shaking slightly, he moved towards her, pulling her into his arms.

"Holly, I didn't mean to upset you." Holly leaned into him seeking comfort, he caressed her back as he held her. "Is this too much for you to handle right now?" his voice was soft and gentle. Holly sighed after a moment before nodding,

"Yeah… I'm sorry…"

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for. We all have our limits, Holly." Genki continued to hold her for a bit before asking, "Have you been able to ground yourself to release everything this week?" Holly remained silent as she tried to understand what he was talking about.

"What do you mean 'ground myself'?" * What is he up to? Something feels different about this. *

"Grounding is a practice used by empaths to release excess emotions they have pulled for others. It's basically a form of meditation." Holly pulled back to look at him now, he could see she was getting suspicious but was more curious than anything.

"No not in that manner. Why do you ask?" He smiled gently to her,

"I'm asking because I'm worried that your becoming overwhelmed by everything going on. Did you do any form of release?" Holly's brow rose at his inquiry.

"I hope you aren't asking about private matters…"

"I'm asking about emotional matters concerning your power." He said sternly cutting off that train of thought. Holly nodded to him in response.

"I did release some of the emotions the other night… last night I broke down while I was talking to my father." Holly leaned back into him,

"Do you still feel that close to a break down?" she sighed and nodded,

"I was afraid of that." He was silent a moment before plotting his next move. "How about this Holly? I will hold off on my visions until later, but I still would like you to come over this week. I will teach you how to ground yourself, that way you can use your power more easily without worrying about breaking down." He felt her stiffen slightly in his arms making him frown. * I hope this works… it's the only shot I have to do this without a confrontation with as suspicious as she is now. * Finally, he felt her relax once more, her voice softly coming to his ears.

"Alright… I will arrange things so I can be over. I'm unsure of how you have knowledge of empaths, but I will trust you on this."

"I will explain everything later, just know that I have been looking into your abilities and my own. I found some reading material for us both." He felt her pull back, she seemed to be looking for something before nodding and smiling to him.

"I would enjoy knowing more then I do now about my abilities." He returned her smile,

"Then I will make sure you have what you need to gain that knowledge."

"It will take me a couple of hours to get everything settled and packed."

"That's fine, I need to stop by Colt's iron bird to see what I need to deal with her situation."

"I hope you can repair it."

"So do I. Before I head off why don't I give you a shoulder massage. You seem really tense." Holly looked up at him suspiciously for a moment,

"Courting me, are you?" He chuckled,

"Is that what a massage means to you?" She rolled her eyes,

"No, but you seem to be going out of your way for me lately."

"You know I care about you; I want to help." She nodded to him making him smile. He had her turn around and he began to massage her neck and shoulders. He could feel the knots in her muscles, he gently worked them loose as they fell into a comfortable silence. Holly was enjoying this immensely, but still she wondered * Why won't he just say he wants to court? Maybe he's waiting for me to say it? I guess I'll have to ask Granity to know for sure. * Once he had her loosened up a bit he spoke once more. "There, that should release some of the tension for a while."

"Thanks, I do feel much better."

"You're welcome anytime." The pair walked out into the living room once more. He was surprised none of them were attempting to spy on them but perhaps they all knew he was trying to get Holly to relax. Genki walked over to Tiger and Holly approached her father to discuss being away an extra week. "Hey Tiger, can you take me to where Colt's iron bird is?"

"Sure Kid, are you looking at her issue today?" Genki nodded making the wolf monster rise and indicate him to follow. Genki followed Tiger giving the others a quick wave as he did so. They all wondered if he really could fix said iron bird, only time would tell.

---

AAN: yep, leaving it there for now. I promise the next chapter will have more humor.