Chapter 11: The Cruelty of Heaven

In the depths of Amala, three horseman appeared. Red wasn't expecting this summons. He'd been enjoying the conflicts that broke out over magatsuhi in the Vortex World. As fierce as it got, he couldn't wait for passions to emerge over Reasons, which would lead to more magnificent battles. He had a role to play, but it would be clear when that time was near.

Lucifer was angry, that much was clear from how he took his younger form with them. But as was his current whim, he let the female servant with him speak in his stead. "Matador is giving the Demifiend trouble, but someone has interfered with Pale's duty to watch over him. An angel has stolen the Demifiend's soul; get it back by any means necessary."

"Yes sir," Red said along with White and Black. This wasn't the time to be questioning Lucifer or dallying. Losing the Demifiend's soul to the angels would be a massive setback. There was the question of how the angels knew enough to set up an ambush on Pale Rider right when Demifiend died, but that would have to be solved later.

Once they were out of Amala, Black Rider said, "It had to be one or more high within the angelic hierarchy to keep Pale from bringing a soul back from death."

"Perhaps we should lend him some of our followers so they can pick up on the angels' motions," White Rider suggested. He and Red kept false angels for that explicit purpose; the false ones were easier to bluff real angels with as well.

"We'll probably have to take Pale's role for a short while," Red said. Then he chuckled. "But let's enjoy this invasion of heaven, shall we?"

The other two laughed as they made their approach.

Naoki's senses felt dull. Long grasses waved against his bare arms and back, calming flowers painted the cool breeze with their scents. A river rippled nearby. But, there should be so much more… it was all human senses, he realized. He could still feel the horn on his back, but he felt nothing from it. He couldn't hear his magatama either.

It was peaceful. He could sleep here without having stopped because of pain. There was something he had been doing. But knowing demons were involved, especially Lucifer, Naoki felt like he could ignore that now. Whatever he'd been doing, it was more than humans should be involved with. He could just sleep here, finally at peace.

"Naoki?"

"Mom?" He opened his eyes and felt the burn of full sunlight. He covered them, but stood up where he was.

"Naoki, there you are!" she called.

But she was dead, lost with everyone else in the Conception. He opened his eyes a little and found the hazy forms of people by a river. Some were coming towards him. Then, he had fully died this time? His mother and father, and everyone else who had died to the Conception, were they here? His heart cried out in recollection of that awful realization at being chosen to witness the end of the world. He ran ahead to meet with them. The suffering was over and he...

He crashed right into an invisible barrier a few feet ahead. Flashes of pain were so strong that they appeared on his skin. Those demonic markings were still on him; the glow was a faint pink now. Were they holding him back? He pressed his hands up against the barrier that kept him apart; white flashes appeared, not letting him through. Why? His vision took on a watery blur.

"We couldn't find you, we've been looking all over," his mother said, so near that he should see her face clearly. But he didn't.

"Naoki, you're finally here!" one of his cousins said happily.

"Naoki?" his father asked, coming ahead of the rest and reaching out to take his hand. But he found the barrier impassable as well. "What's the matter?"

"I..." he was a demon, he was being kept from them for that reason. Naoki put his head on the barrier. "I didn't ask for this, I can't reach you."

"Naoki," his mother said sadly, trying to reach him as well.

"I didn't want this!" he said. But not even hitting the barrier would break it.

"It will be fine, don't panic." It was the voice of the shepherd. He took Naoki's shoulder. "You were lost to the darkness and tempted by it. It made you think there were no other options. But I came to save you. You can be with your family again if you let me take away the dark gift given to you by the fallen one. Will you forsake that path of destruction?"

"Yes," Naoki said, the only thoughts in his mind wanting to be back with his family. If he had continued to gain power, he might have lost them forever.

"Good, I'm glad you turned away so soon," the angel said. He pulled him away from the barrier; white and gold feathers spread along his wings. "Come now, let's wash away that darkness from your soul."

His body felt weak, so he nodded and let the angel led him towards the river. The shades of his family followed. Closer to the water, he saw the river as more perfect than any he'd seen. The water was a shimmering blue, flowing gently like it could never harm anyone. And yet something started to make him feel nervous. His throat tensed and the glints of light off the water seemed sharp.

Don't do this, no no no, get away from there, don't go in the water, you'll die worse than death.

The voices from the magatama were back, faint although it felt like they were screaming from within. "The dark voices try to fool you even now," the angel said softly. "It may hurt a little, but I will save you, have no fear."

A step near the water was resisted. Naoki trembled. No, this was the only way to be with his family again. It had been a cruel twist that he had survived, but he was dead now and he didn't care if he'd stay dead. His heart pounded as he forced himself to step into the river.

Painfully, the water hissed off his foot. There was a harsh feeling like getting a strong cleaner spilled on his skin. Naoki got his other foot in and blackness tainted the perfect river. As the pain began to overcome his thoughts, the angel nudged him further on. His knees buckled and he collapsed.

Don't do this!

The angel touched his shoulder and he snapped. Gaining strength from this fear, he shoved the angel into the river instead and fled. His vision was full of white, with bare outlines of what was here. People were calling him, but he didn't understand. What was happening to him, why was he in so much pain? He ran until it overcame him again, dropping him into the soft grasses. He was crying and screaming and didn't know anything.

That water would bleach your soul entirely; you would forget them. We're still with you, even as it hurts… we want to always… be with you…

Regaining a semblance of sense, he thought over what had just happened. Being blocked from his family, accepting the angel's offer, that pure clear water that threatened to render his soul completely pure… of everything? But those voices could be lying, he could have been back with his family now. His tears turned more to grief. Would the angels give him another chance? Or did this mean he could never be back with his family again? Did the angels mean to erase him? But angels didn't do that… right?

The grass fluttered deeper as the wind picked up. Rain fell through the sunlight, approaching him swiftly. "Little lamb, where did you run?" the angel called.

There was a brief temptation to just close his eyes and let the rain wash over him. It was the same water that was in the river, he was sure. Not far from him, he heard the rustle of cloth against grass. If that angel got hold of him again, he might not be able to break free. Did he care about that? Little voices nearby were begging him for something.

The one approaching him snatched him up and held him close. That was dark cloth. "There you are," he said softly with the grin of a skull. He whistled and a red horse appeared next to them. "Brace yourself, we're going to be assaulted with holy water."

The red horseman kept a tight hold on him as he mounted his horse. A fiery heat touched them just before that hiss of holy water filled his ears. Cringing, he clung tight to his dark savior. A few drops bit into his feet as the horse began to gallop away; the fire evaporated the rest. He was taking him away from his family! But also keeping him from absolute dissolution. But he was already dead… why did he have to suffer like this?

"You actually sneaked by their watch to reclaim him?" someone asked in disbelief.

"They wouldn't expect it of me," the red horseman said. "But we can't take him back to where he was, not in this state. I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't even tell us his name."

His name? What… was his name? His mother's voice had been calling him, but what name did she call?

"They got him good, didn't they?" a third voice said.

"But should we really bring him there at this time?"

"Who else could recover him from this?" The red horseman kept an arm around him. "Be still, boy, you could be lost to far worse places along this road."

And they rode further into the darkness. It was hard to tell how long or how far; his mind kept fading in and out. Then the hooves of three horses stepped onto a wooden floor, getting his attention again. There was a discussion going on around him. "They'd brought his family out," the red horseman said, setting him onto a deep red couch. "He must have panicked at some point, but they got him in the water."

"That was a close call," a woman nearby said. The light of this place flickered as if candles were lit somewhere. From where he sat, he could see part of her face under the black veil. She seemed familiar… Yuko? His mind could barely function, but he didn't feel that was right.

A man nearby pushed himself out of a wheelchair; his arms trembled with the effort it took to support himself to swing over to the edge of the couch instead. The action seemed familiar, an elderly man of limited mobility and frail body, but enough pride that he would keep doing small things himself. His grandfather had been like that in the last months of his life. That wasn't right either, this man was no more his grandfather than that veiled woman was his teacher.

He could think of them, but his name… he should be able to recall his name at least.

When the elderly man ran his hand over his face, he was reminded of the same action from the angel. The power was strangely the same; only a subtle shadow made it different from that radiance. Then his power sunk in deeper, making him close his eyes. The lingering pain was soothed away; his senses woke back up. He was Naoki, also known as Demi.

Don't worry, Naoki, we'll be fine now.

The man who was healing him from the salvation of heaven was Lucifer.

Many thoughts flooded in from that: fighting Matador, the trembling manikins, his father trying to take his hand, and he'd said that he was going to turn away from this darkness but then he fled when the cleansing waters were too powerful. And he got saved by a red horseman, wasn't that War of the apocalypse riders? What sense did any of this make? He hadn't asked for these powers, he hadn't asked to be spared from Conception! How did he get involved in any of this? His heart quickened and he tried to back up, not sure if he should (or could) run, but not sure if he should stay.

Before he could get away, the veiled woman stepped up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Keep calm, Naoki, we'll..."

Lucifer didn't met him eye to eye, but reached over to him again. His mother's grief came back to him and Naoki reflexively punched his nose.

Something in the very air changed as Lucifer covered his face and closed his eyes. The veiled woman tensed and Naoki could taste fear off her. Nearby, the three riders who had retrieved him went completely silent out of shock. Naoki had a feeling like he'd just made a terrible mistake. But no, he wasn't going to apologize for that. They'd stolen his humanity from him, made it impossible for him to be with his family again. He didn't care if he got erased here because it would have been a lot better if that had happened to him when the entire world died.

"Leave us," Lucifer said. His voice was roughed by the age of his body, but there was still immense authority in it.

The veiled woman immediately let him go, even as she was afraid for him. The horsemen didn't say anything, they merely bowed as one and vanished with their horses. For some reason, the woman had to walk away and leave through a door instead of leaving by magic as well. There was even a sense that some curious beings had been just beyond the walls, but they fled the moment their master spoke. They were completely alone here.

Naoki gripped the edge of the couch he was on. There was an instinctive fear in him; the magatama were silent again, trembling over what he might have gotten them into. But he was not going to apologize for that.

"You lost him?" Gabriel asked, surprised to hear of it. "His powers are undeveloped; that rain should have been inescapable."

Michael knew that; it was why he'd chosen that after the Demifiend had fled. It was frustrating that he'd run at all. The boy had agreed to his offer and was almost incapable of resisting. "You let one of the riders slip by; I saw one at the edge of the rain and he must have had him."

"I know we had the four riders engaged in battle," Rapheal said, then glanced at Uriel. "Unless Pale Rider got away from you in time?"

"No, my battle with him only just ended." He was still nursing one of his wounds with healing magic. But then they had known that any who ambushed Pale Rider, especially at that point, was in for a fierce battle.

"We weren't expecting all three to come after the Demifiend, but we had them held up near the gates," Raphael said.

"Who did you see?" Gabriel said, rubbing her chin and considering the matter.

"It was a red horse," Michael said. Deception was contrary to the methods of the harbinger of war, at least he'd thought so.

"There was a point where I lost track of him," Gabriel admitted. "But I spotted him again not long after, so I didn't think anything of it at the time."

"They would be desperate to keep hold of their new weapon," Uriel said.

In the same measure, they desperately wanted to destroy that weapon before he was ready. "We have to abide by the laws of Kagutsuchi within the Vortex World," Michael said, considering new plans. "What Reasons have been formed?"

"Yosuga and Shijima," Gabriel replied. "However, there are two… no..." she hummed while thinking. "Five potential sources of an authentic Reason remaining."

"Five?" Rapheal asked skeptically. "It's got to be two."

"It's five it you stretch the realm of possibility out," she said. "Of course, one is a forsaken soul, so his chance is extremely remote. It will be known if he comes close and we will be compelled to strike him down. Two are certain because they are humans from the old world; they have simply not formed a clear Reason yet. The remaining two are also small chances, but they are chances none the less. As the Divine Messenger has not been contacted, there's plenty of time before the deadline of formation arrives."

"Who is the Divine Messenger chosen by Kagutsuchi?" Michael asked. No detail could be missed, not with the stakes at hand.

"It's a trumpeter, no one to be concerned about," Gabriel said. "Of course, Lucifer's Fiend Trumpter is there as well. The Divine Trumpeter will adhere to duty."

"Good," Michael said. "Shijima could be a good choice to enter through."

Oddly enough, Gabriel shook her head. "Not this Shijima. There is no thought to God in the desire for the serenity of Shijima. It is a worldly desire of a sociopath."

"It's from that Hikawa, it would be detestable to work with him even if he called up Conception for that world," Uriel added.

Gabriel clasped her hands together. "This will be unorthodox, but the Yosuga that has arisen may have a crack we can enter through. It was formed by the girl who wishes to claim her own authority, with thoughts of beauty and strength to it. Should we exhibit the beauty and strength of God, we may enter through her even if we take unusual peers at this time."

That was a decent sounding idea. But even if these three and himself were given more leeway than others, they were still angels and it was best to keep within those lines. "Let us present this plan to God. Perhaps He will even advise us on this troublesome matter of the Demifiend."

I have dealt with insubordination many times. It's something I expect to happen, given how many around me crave freedom and power. However, very few are daring enough to do so to my face; they usually enact underhanded schemes and manipulations. It's amusing to watch, especially as they fail and must face my wrath afterward.

There is a fire of defiance in his eyes. He's afraid in this silence and has some idea of what I could do to him, but he's still facing me out of the pain and grief eating at his heart. When I restored his soul, I could see what happened to him. He did agree to turn away from me and reject my gift. I know why: they abused the simple human need for companionship. It's not something I can easily fight because his family is currently beyond my reach.

But there is always another way…

"Those damn angels," I mutter, taking my hand from my face. I couldn't take any actual damage from that attack as this body is merely molded to fit this role. It softens his passions down to see that he didn't do anything. "They dangled your family just out of reach to persuade you with their idea of salvation, didn't they?"

The question steals fuel from his anger to throw onto his grief. "Yes," he said quietly.

"Anything in that realm is entirely their make, so what happened must have been staged," I tell him. "Even if it was truly your family there; the angels wouldn't care about how their souls must be suffering, just so long as they can get after the threat they see in you. All in the name of salvation, the suffering of mankind can be excused as long as the demands of their god are met."

His eyes shift aside; his anger shifts around. He has an unusual lacking of sexual desires, but his capacity for love is quite strong. While no one could tempt him as a lover, such a threat to his family could lead him to know true hellfire. He just needs the proper side to blame.

I put my finger to his lips, getting his attention. "They have certain expectations of me, so I had to send them away before speaking like this: I'm not angry with you. Rather, that look in your eyes just now reminds me of old memories. I'm proud to see I made the right choice with you, but that's between us alone, got it?"

While he nods to that, he's still tense with me. What then…? Ah.

"Does something still bother you?" Then I put my hand back over my face. This body is molded to its purpose, so the nose could be slightly crooked. "Is this better?"

A laugh escapes his lips, and he becomes willing to look me in the eyes. His grief is still raw there, anyone could see it.

"Don't be surprised if some lower tier demons have a terrified awe of you, if they hear gossip that you broke my nose," I tell him.

That humor isn't enough to relieve his deeper emotions, but he's starting to do something dangerous. He's starting to trust me. "You're Lucifer, right?" he asks.

The plan was to wait on any important revelations, but he's already realized that. I can't take too many chances on him backing out like that again, not with angels watching him. "That's right."

"Why did you do this to me?" His soul is searching for a more personal angle.

I close my eyes. "There are too many reasons to recount here and now, but you have just experienced something of it."

"No, I mean, why me?"

Find the words that he has heard, seek the words that he desires. "Ah, that must be a true mystery to you. You were just an average high schooler, a normal Japanese youth." I look back at him. "But your true talents are something not easily seen. Sometimes the extraordinary waits as a seed within the ordinary. I know this situation must be difficult for you to comprehend at points, but you were not thriving in your ordinary situation. You needed something extra to survive the Vortex World, yes, but I have given you something that could vault you far beyond what you could have been otherwise. It's up to you how far you go."

I don't have his complete trust yet. But I hear his heart beat and I know I have entered it. I can get unshakable loyalty from that seed; the question then becomes if I can get the power I desire out of him.

As he's weakened, we should stop for now. "Lay down and rest; you still need some time to recover and no one will dare disturb you in my presence." Once he does and closes his eyes, I stroke his neck near his horn. "If the light is too cruel, let the darkness be your refuge. There are many other souls like yours who hold this dear, and they await someone like you."

If the light is too cruel, let darkness be your refuge.

Naoki was back in the underpass; he could tell that by the stale scent alone. It felt like he was waking from a nightmare, although he knew it really happened. His entire family was gone, possibly out of reach forever. But there was someone… no, that was ridiculous. He was being used, that much was clear. It was also clear that the angel who offered salvation was holding his family hostage. Something had to be done about that, but what?

The game of candelabrum. Challenge another bearing one and you not only gained that candelabrum, you gained command over them for the duration of the Vortex World. It had started as a fight between the fiends. While there was a chance that was a lie to some degree, it should be only fiends who were participating. His senses had been dampened, but he was certain that the horsemen who bailed him out had been fiends. They had reached heaven easily if their quick arrival was any indication. They might even include the one who kept pulling him out of death's grasp. The fiends were under direct command of Lucifer and Lucifer was watching him in hopes of something…

He couldn't rest forever. Naoki sat up and shook his head. He was lying with a bundle of blankets… within the manikin hideout? As soon as he moved, Uzume moved closer to him. "Are you awake? That was really strange."

"Yeah, sorry for worrying you," he said, opening his eyes carefully. He licked his lips and recalled the scent of the wind before the storm. Ag Incense, so he'd been returned after that. Hifumi was with him too. "What exactly happened? Sorry, things have been strange for me too."

"We were going off to battle that powerful demon in the passage past here and you suddenly screamed and went into a seizure," Uzume said. "I didn't know what to do about that. But then somebody showed up and ordered us to take you back here. I've felt something like that before, back in the basement of the hospital before I met you as Pixie."

"It seemed like a really bad idea to go against them," Momunofu added. "Be thankful they're on your side."

Uzume nodded. "It's been a few phases since we got you here, but you seemed like you were sleeping again. And the manikins have been weird. They offered this spot to you right away and were asking when you'd wake up."

"Don't worry about them, but you might as well let them know that I'm awake," Naoki said. "I need a couple minutes to get my thoughts together on this. We can't move on unless we beat the demon standing in our path."

Uzume nodded and left. When she came back, one of the female manikins was with her. "Do you want some rice porridge?" she asked, offering him an old bowl. "We set this place up because some still get nervous breakdowns and need a place to rest, and I make them rice porridge because it's supposed to be comforting."

"Sure, thank you," Naoki said, accepting the bowl. As she left immediately after, he agreed briefly that it was weird. They'd been terrified of him and the others as demons at first. The shopkeeper's request was understandable, seeking someone strong to do what they could not. On the other hand, this kindness was uncalled for, and risky on their part. But it was a very human kindness. What were these manikins really?

That wasn't important right now. His immediate obstacle was Matador; he still wanted to find Yuko, for which he needed to meet the leader of the Mantra past here. And if he was going to take this game of candelabrum seriously, he shouldn't back down. Matador was a skilled fast swordsman with a talent for Force magic. Hifumi could block some damage, but it could only protect him so far. Kamudo could lessen the physical attacks, but he could only have one magatama's power at the fore. If Matador had a weakness, they did not have a skill to take advantage of it.

Except, Matador's fighting style was formal. He thrived on showmanship; his power was enough to give himself a phantom crowd just for their cheers. A matador was a bullfighter, trained for this one type of battle (which might simply be a show at its core). In contrast, Naoki was still feeling out his demonic powers. He was using what he'd seen work, what the instinct of the magatamas told him. There was one time in his old life when he'd won a wrestling match against a competitor who'd been in his club for several years. Naoki's coach had told him that amateurs could be the most difficult challenge for experienced fighters because they were most unpredictable. That was one thing that accounted for beginning's luck. It wasn't something he could rely on for long, but for this one battle, it might just do something.

By the time he finished the porridge, he had a few ideas to try. He'd rather not die again and end up with the angels, but the most promising strategy he could come up with was risky. Besides, there was something else to settle before going into battle. "Uzume, Momunofu?" When they both looked to him, he set the bowl down in his lap. "That was Lucifer you met with when I collapsed."

"That was really…?" Momunofu asked, nervous but not in disbelief.

"Ah, that's, quite lucky," Uzume said, trying to bluff. "But it explains it so well."

"He's not giving me orders yet, but he is keeping an eye on me as one of his fiends," Naoki explained. "The guy we've been preparing to face is another fiend. He's actually killed us a few times. Lucifer doesn't want me dead yet, but he does want me in on some game the fiends are playing. This last time, something went wrong." He took a deep breath. He didn't need to go into much detail, they should get the picture. "I've been considering how to deal with this fiend. I know precisely how deadly he can be, but it will not be right for me to move on without defeating him."

"Ah, you can't resist a competition your clan is having," Uzume said.

"Of course, you must meet up to the challenges of your peers no matter what is at stake," Momunofu agreed. Since he was a brute now, that would be unquestionable to him.

"The competition is only going to get fiercer as I move forward," Naoki said. "I may not explain this all to new recruits we pick up. But you two have been with me from the start, even if that hasn't been all that long. I wanted you to know about this. And if you wish, you don't need to be involved. If you want to break our contracts and keep out of this trouble, it's fine, I'll let you go. After all, the candelabrum ultimately belong to Lucifer and we are already involved in his plans."

"Hmm, it is intimidating to think we're getting tangled up in this," Uzume said, putting a hand to her cheek.

"You can't think that way!" Momunofu said, clanking his spear on the ground. "We've agreed to be your partners, Demi, although since you're being drawn up into a proper fiend, it's clear we can be no more than followers."

"That's true, fiends have no peers," Uzume said.

He nodded. "As I am currently, the choice is clear. The Momunofu are created to serve a superior being. Even if you are not that exact being, I am proud to serve you. I will not be leaving your side and that resolve will be kept even should you change me again."

"Thank you, I won't waste your service," Naoki said, feeling like that would please him. From his salute, he was right.

Uzume chuckled. "Good, good. And Demi, I'm already containing an angel for your sake. To leave you now, or ever, would be a waste of that act. You have my loyalty forever, no matter what I may become. Although..." she giggled.

"What is it?" he asked, although he had his suspicions from that giggle.

There was a happy blush to her face. "You have my loyalty, but my utmost love belongs to another man. I'm sorry, it's part of this frame I currently inhabit. I have never even met him, nor a shade of his being. But should I meet him, please forgive me if I become a little flaky."

Smiling at that, he asked, "Sarutahiko?"

"Oh good, you know," she said, smiling back. "It must have been quite a love to imprint on us shades. I hope I will not betray you, but in that one exception, I unfortunately cannot promise anything to you."

"I understand," Naoki said. "So then, our opponent is Matador. Here's what I've observed."

And he died.

But it was something of a privilege of experienced demons that a physical death was not enough to undo their souls like other beings. Death was but a momentary setback. Besides, one of the constructs of this game was that if the Demifiend willed it, they could reconstitute themselves after a moment. That did mean that if the Demifiend fell, he wasn't experienced enough to keep his identity for long, which could lead to a ripple effect of those connected to him being stalled by death more than usual. But what good was existing without some risk?

Matador's spirit manifested once Naoki took hold of the Candelabrum of Foundation. "Magnificent, you fight with such savagery," he said. Actually, that had surprised him a great deal. Matador had been giving an impassioned speech for his crowd and the boy had tackled him right out of it. "If you wish to refine such passionate power, I would be happy to show you how. I am Matador the Fiend, my sword is yours to command."

Naoki nodded. "I am Demi the Fiend, I'll hold you up to that," he said. Interesting, so close to the truth but not there. Then he added, "You killed me a few times."

Did he already have the capacity to surpass death? Or had he managed to make it this far without dying too much? "Ah, I must not have taken up your candelabrum in time to claim ownership," Matador said. "I know they're not even true phantoms, but I can't resist the allure of a good show."

"The angels got hold of me after one of those deaths," Naoki said.

Err… that was not supposed to happen. Naoki was being given a few chances to be saved by Pale Rider, as his training called for them not to hold back but they didn't want to lose him entirely early on. "Huh, well it's a good thing you got away." But how? He was still vulnerable to the power angels wielded.

For a moment, it seemed like Naoki was angry. But he closed his eyes, thankfully not blaming him for the close call. "I'll call on you if I need your skills, but since you're supposed to be serving me now, can you keep an eye out for any angels? I can sense those nearby, but apparently they're watching me from afar too."

Matador bowed to him. "Of course, I'm fine with being your rear guard." It wasn't a showy position, true, but earning his trust could let him come out in some spectacular battles.

A/N: I did some editing yesterday, fixing a persistent spelling error and making some grammatical stuff consistent. I really thought it was Kagatsuchi, but it's Kagutsuchi; I blame speed reading for that one, the word shapes are the same. Don't have much to say about the story itself at this point.