Chapter 8

"Dammit." Sentaro swore as he flung his notepad across his office.

"Something wrong?" came an amused voice from the doorway.

Sentaro turned to see a smirking Celes standing just inside his office door. He motioned to his computer screen.

"I've been going over everything we have on the attack." He said, "trying to figure out who our mystery demon is."

Celes blinked a moment.

"What?" Sentaro asked.

Celes shook her head. "Moment of Déjà vu. Is it still coming down to the two students?"

Sentaro nodded. "Right before it eliminates them."

"Who are they?"

Sentaro typed a command into his keyboard. The student id images of two girls appeared.

"Megumi Taiho and Maggy Deamhan." He began, "Taiho was born here in Japoness. Lives here with her Father, mother is unknown, but then the Taiho family is rich enough she could be a clone."

Celes frowned. "I thought they stopped making clones twenty years ago."

"Yes and no." Sentaro replied, "While the mass cloning has ended, there are still a few places where cloning is done. So long as you have the money."

"Is that what's tripping the computer to say she isn't a Demon? The clone thing?"

Sentaro shrugged. "Records say she was born here at the Hospital. But then most of the records for the females cloned say that as well."

"So how do we know who was a clone and who wasn't?" Celes asked.

"You kidding? On this planet?"

"Alright." Celes said, waving her hands. "I get it. What about the other one?"

"Deamhan was born in Ireland on Earth. Her father moved them here after her mother died." Sentaro frowned, "But…..while there is a record of her death, there is no record of the mother being buried."

"Cremated?"

"Or that."

"Then how do we know she died?"

Sentaro typed a few commands into the keyboard. "Father was out of town on business. Witnesses saw the mother and daughter in town. Next thing we know the mother is missing and the daughter frantically looking for her." His frown deepened. "All they found was blood." He turned to look at Celes. "More than enough that she couldn't live without it."

Celes frowned. "They ever solve it?"

"No." Sentaro answered, "No one saw what happened, and the daughter was too traumatized to give a statement."

Celes stared silently at the images of the students. She then turned towards the door.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?" Sentaro asked as he rose from his chair.

"Sometimes during an investigation it's best to start back at the beginning." Celes answered.

"The School?" Sentaro asked, "But the crime scene is gone. They repainted it and everything."

Celes paused and looked over her shoulder.

"But the photos and scans by the Imperial Guard remain." She continued down the hall. "You're good with computers, it's time to show me how good."

"So… Messenger of Time?"

Gabby nodded her head at Kat.

"Yes, that's what Great-Great Grandma Verdandi said."

"Think you can use your powers for good and get me the answers to our next test?" Kat asked.

"How is cheating using her powers for good?" Abby asked.

"I didn't say it was." Kat replied, "I said it was good because it'd help us pass."

"Us?" Gabby and Abby said together.

"Well you don't expect me to hoard the wealth now do you?"

At that moment Tiger entered the room and began to take attendance. She went through several names before she reach a name where she didn't receive a reply.

"Deamhan?" Tiger called out again as she looked around the room. After a few moments of silence, Tiger continued with the attendance roll.

"Wonder where Deamhan is." Abbey murmured.

"Think she's stuffed in a locker?" Kat asked.

"Taiho?" Tiger called out.

"No Taiho either?" Kat said, "Maybe Deamhan is stuffed in a locker.

A cold feeling came over Gabby as a thought occurred to her. She closed her eyes and reached out with her powers.

Back at the Aida home, Arael had been sitting outside in her meditation garden when she felt the sudden appearance of her daughter aura on the edge of her senses.

Arael frowned slightly.

It didn't feel like there was an emergency, Gabrielle would have used her full power had it been so. Instead, it felt like her daughter was barely 'dipping her feet in the water' as it were.

It being during school hours, Arael decided to question her daughter upon her return home.

After all, her powers were not something to misuse.

Gabby found herself in the representation of the timestream that her Great Great Grandmother Verdandi had shown her.

Staring carefully at it, she recalled Verdandi's instructions and concentrated on an individual.

Within the stream, Deamhan's scared face appeared. Behind her was the now infamous bathroom that had borne the death of one of the terrorists at the hands of a demon.

"Thought you could get away with it?" came an unseen Taiho's voice. "You won't get away with anything after this…."

"AIDA!"

"AIDA!"

Gabby leaped in her chair.

"Huh?" she stated.

The rest of the class laughed while Tiger glared at her.

"The correct terms would be 'Here' or 'Present'." the Marionette said sternly.

"Yes Sensei." Gabby quickly said, rising to her feet "Sorry Sensei, may I be excused?"

Tiger's eyes narrowed. "Excused?"

"Yes sensei." Gabby replied, moving towards the door "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Class just started."

"I know Sensei, I'm sorry." Gabby started out the door, "But this can't wait. My Mother would understand if you wanted to call her about this."

Then she was gone.

Tiger stared angrily at the door. Then the last words Gabby had said registered.

'My Mother would understand if you wanted to call her about this.'

Tiger's face suddenly lost all color. She turned and raced to her desk to find her communicator.

"OK. Sentaro began, "Got it."

He and Celes were standing before the large computer monitor in one of the Japoness Castle control rooms. A computer image of the school bathroom was on the screen with the terrorist's corpse and the bullet holes all marked on the floor and walls.

"Based on where he fell," Sentaro continued, "our cultist was standing here."

The computer image of the corpse vanished, replaced with a standing figure.

"What about our demon?" Celes asked.

"The computer is going to triangulate where the demon was standing based on bullet trajectory." Sentaro said as he typed in commands. "Starting point will be where the cultist was standing."

The screen slowly began to fill with lines, tracing the routes the bullets took before impacting into the walls.

Gabby raced down the hallway towards the bathroom. Reaching it, she slammed the door open and hurried inside.

She immediately stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her.

Taiho was back against the wall, her face one of shock.

Deamhan had been facing Taiho, but turned around when the door had slammed open. In doing so, Gabby could see why Taiho was reacting the way she was.

Deamhan's eyes glowed as red as her hair from behind her glasses. Twin red slash marks adorned her face and cheeks.

The marks of a Demon.

Sentaro frowned. "That can't be right."

"What can't be?" Celes asked.

"Some of these bullet holes aren't lining up." Sentaro said, typing a few commands into the terminal.

"Deamhan?" Gabby asked, surprised, "You're the demon?"

The glow faded from Deamhan's eyes.

"Aida." She said softly, her Irish accent coming through "You shouldn't be here."

"Deamhan…Maggy," Gaby began, "You can't do this. I know Taiho's a bitch but…."

"You have NO idea!" Maggy snapped, her eyes flaring brightly red again. "The pain and misery she's caused me! I won't take it anymore! She must be stopped!"

"You can't do this." Gabby stated firmly. She closed her eyes and accessed her powers, causing her hair to go to change to a whitish blonde and her grey robes to appear. When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing red. "I won't let you."

Maggy took a step back in surprise. "What are you?"

Gabby shook her head. "Doesn't matter now. I can't let you hurt her."

Maggy stared at Gabby in shock.

"But….but…you don't understand." She pointed towards Taiho, "She's evil!"

"Technically so are you."

"But I haven't done anything!" Maggy exclaimed.

Gabby frowned, "What about the Cultist that died in here?"

"THAT WASN'T ME!" Maggy shouted, her eyes wide.

Gabby blinked.

"What?"

"I didn't hurt anyone!" Maggy said.

Gabby's eyes widened as she felt the truth of Maggy's words.

"But if you didn't…" Gabby began, "Then who….?"

"Me."

Gabby and Maggy both turned to face a no longer scared Megumi Taiho. She gave the two girls a smirk.

"Oh no." Sentaro murmured as he stared at the computer screen in shock.

Celes stared stunned at the screen as well.

"That's why the computer couldn't pin down the Demon." She murmured, "We thought there was only one….."

"….when there are two." Sentaro finished, reaching for the phone.

"I took the cultist out." Megumi said, her smirk growing wider. "I wasn't about to let him harm me."

"But…how?" Gabby asked.

"Like she said," Megumi's eyes light up a bright red and red slash marks appeared upon her forehead and cheeks. "I'm evil." She then raised her hand and flung an energy ball at Gabby.

Gabby quickly raised her hands and blocked the ball with a blue hexagonal shield. Maggy let out a gasp and backed away from the two.

"It doesn't have to be this way." Gabby said.

"What choice do I have?" Megumi asked, "What choice does Deamhan have? We were born with these powers. I had to learn how to use them on my own." Megumi then looked in disgust at Maggy. "Some were taught and choose not to pass the knowledge on. Hell, she chooses NOT to use her powers at all! What good is having this power if you can't use it!" She flung another energy bolt at Gabby, who again deflected it away.

"You could get training." Gabby said, "I know someone who could help…"

"Doubt it." Megumi replied, throwing another energy bolt at Gabby. "Besides, I'm doing good enough on my own. They'd only hold me back."

"You don't know what you're capable of!" Gabby shouted, again blocking the bolt, "You need training! You need to learn control your powers, be more responsible! You're a danger to your friends, family, and yourself!"

"Puh!" Megumi huffed, "I know what I'm doing. Besides, YOU are the one on the defensive, not me." She pointed to the cowering Deamhan. "She's too damn scared to lift a finger! Who's gonna stop me?"

"Me for starters." Came a new voice.

Megumi had only a second to look surprised before an orange hexagonal energy field slammed her against the bathroom wall and held her in place.

Gabby turned in time to see her mother step through the wall, her eyes brightly glowing. Arael looked over at her daughter.

"Are you alright Gabrielle?"

"I'm fine Mom." Gabby replied, "And I think I was handling this just fine."

Her mother didn't even bat an eye.

"I'm sure you were." Arael replied, "But think of all the grey hairs I just saved your father and myself."

"Your hair IS grey Mom!"

Arael's eyes narrowed slightly. She then looked to the demoness cowering against the wall, and then back to the one she currently held in her AT-field.

"Barely class threes." She murmured. "This used to be more of a ….challenge."

Gabby looked at the two Demonesses, then back to her mother.

"Now what?"

Sentaro entered his house followed just behind by Celes. They both entered the living room to find two normal looking teenage girls sitting forlornly on the couch while being watched over by his daughter and wife.

"So these are our two demons?" he asked, "Two teenaged girls?"

Celes' eyes turned to Sentaro. "You didn't date much did you?"

"Not till college and then I only had eyes for one."

Arael began to blush while Gabby shuddered.

"Ewww…."

"Music to a Father's ears." Sentaro said.

"I don't think she was ew-ing what you think she was." Celes said. She then moved and knelt in front of the two demonesses. "Mana coming?"

Arael answered with a nod. "She's most curious about these two, probably because they are like her. I imagine most of Hell would be as well."

The red haired demoness let out a gasp at hearing that.

"What?" she exclaimed, "No! Please no!"

"Oh give it a break." The dark haired demoness muttered.

Sentaro blinked, then turned to his wife and child.

"What's that about?" he asked.

Arael pointed at the dark-haired demon. "This one is Megumi Taiho. She's unhappy because she found out she's only a guppy in a sea of sharks." She then pointed to the red-haired demon. "This one is Maggy Deamhan. Of the two she has been the quietest until now."

"She also didn't raise a finger against me." Gabby added, "Only threatened Taiho."

"Ok." Sentaro moved and sat down in a chair across from the couch. "Miss Deamhan, why shouldn't Hell know about you?"

Maggy stared at the floor in silence for several moments, and then began to speak.

"Athair met Máthair in Dublin." She began in her accented voice, "Máthair had been in hiding ever since the 2020s."

"The invasion of Heaven." Sentaro said, "Back when Loki and Draco took over Heaven."

Maggy nodded. "Máthair participated in it. After they lost, Máthair came to the mortal world and…..blended in." Maggy slowly looked up at Sentaro. "She told me, she was never expect'n to find someone like Athair in the mortal world. She always thought she'd be alone till Hell found her."

"Máthair tried to dissuade Athair from pursuing her, even told him what she was." Maggy removed her glasses and wiped a tear away. "But he said it didn't matter. They got married, and had me two years later. When I was old enough, Máthair started to train me, but only in out of the way areas. She never hid from me what she had done or why we had to hide our powers. She wanted me to learn from her mistakes." Maggy sniffed. "She only wanted me to use my powers to defend myself or Athair."

"You know what happened that day." Celes said softly, "The day your mother vanished."

Maggy nodded. "We were walking through town when we both felt another demon. Then it vanished. Máthair got afraid and told me to go home. She said she would handle it. She also….she also said to say good-bye to Athair for her." Tears streamed down the demoness' face. "I started to go, but then I felt the other demon and Máthair ….. I turned back. Máthair was facing another Demoness with a sword. She had auburn hair and one eye…"

"Oh no." Sentaro, Celes, Arael, and Gabby all murmured together.

"What?" Maggy asked, "What is it?"

Sentaro glanced at the others before looking back to the Demoness.

"Finish your story." He said softly.

"Máthair saw me at the end of the alley." Maggy's gaze became distant. "She didn't have any weapon in her hands. She just told the other Demoness she was sorry and to end it quickly. The Demoness hesitated before she…..she….."

"Before I killed her." Came a new voice.

Everyone turned to see Mana Kirishima standing in the entryway from the hall. Maggy leaped to her feet and quickly began to back away.

"It's you!" she shouted, "You killed my Máthair!"

Mana moved slowly into the living room, but her gaze remained fixed on Maggy.

"Of all the Rogue Demons I had faced," she said softly, "She was the only one who didn't fight, and apologized for her actions."

"Then why did you kill her?" Maggy asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Because she was a Demon." Mana replied, "And she, like I, knew that had I let her go, another Demon would have come along and ended her life. And that Demon probably wouldn't have been as discreet or as kind as I was." Mana moved and knelt down before Maggy. "I know it doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry I took your mother from you."

Maggy didn't answer. She turned and moved off into the kitchen, followed shortly thereafter by Gabby, who gave Mana a small smile before exiting.

Mana took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly before turning to face Megumi.

"So what's your story?" she asked coolly.

Megumi shrugged. "Father wanted a daughter. He didn't want to be married. Cloning had all but stopped in Japoness, but he had the money. Here I am."

Mana frowned, then glanced at Celes.

"Any thoughts?"

"Security is fairly tight in the cloning facilities." Celes said, "But we already know the tightest security we have won't prevent a Demon or God from getting in."

"It's also possible that another Demon supplied the genetic material." Arael said.

Sentaro's eyes widened. "You mean there might be another Demon running around out there?"

"There has never been a full accounting of the Rogue Demons." Mana pointed out. She then looked at Megumi. "Or their offspring, if any."

"I hate her."

Gabby stood silently in the kitchen, looking at Maggy. The teenage Demoness was standing before the sink, staring out the window.

"I can't forgive her." Maggy continued.

"I don't think she expects you to." Gabby said softly.

Maggy whirled around. "Why? Because I'm a Demon?"

"Because she took away your mother." Gabby said softly. "She's never forgiven her father for taking away her mother, and so she expects the same from you."

Maggy blinked. "What?"

"I shouldn't have said anything." Gabby said, "It's her story to tell, if you let her."

"Right…." Maggy replied with a frown. She then looked at Gabby curiously. "So what now?"

"Whatever your demonic parent did, ended with them." Mana said as she stood before the two teenaged demonesses. Both were once again sitting on the couch, Megumi with a look of boredom and Maggy with a neutral expression on her face. "Neither of you will face any repercussions for what they did."

"You will have to be trained in your powers." Mana continued, "We want to make sure there are no…accidents."

From where he was standing in the corner with his family and Celes, Sentaro raised his hand.

"What kind of accidents?" he asked.

"The kind that vaporize cities." Mana answered. This answer caused both Megumi and Maggy to blink in surprise.

"We could destroy a city?" Megumi asked. Of all the things she thought she could do with her powers, the destruction of an entire city had never crossed her mind.

"Everyone in this room is or has deity powers." Mana stated. She pointed at Arael. "We even have present one of the Fifteen Messengers that attacked Tokyo-3 in 2015."

Two pairs of eyes immediately snapped to Arael in complete shock.

"Everyone here has that power. But there is a huge difference between having the power to do something and actually doing it." Mana continued, "Otherwise Terra 2, the Earth, hell the universe would have been destroyed eons ago."

"Not to mention the Gods would be rather unhappy." Arael pointed out.

"Yes there would be that." Mana turned back to the teens. "But you'll learn about that during your training."

"Who is going to train us?" Maggy asked softly.

Mana swallowed slightly. "That would be me."

"Why you?"

Mana stared silently at Maggy a moment before replying.

"Until now, I was the only Demon with a mortal parent." She said softly, "Until me, all other such offspring did not survive to take their first breath. I've made mistakes…." She indicated her missing eye. "and learned from them."

"Would we be trained here?" Megumi asked, "What if we don't want to leave Terra 2?"

"I don't want to leave Athair." Maggy added.

"I'm flexible enough, we can train here." Mana stated, "Gabby is being train here as well."

"What if we decide not to join Hell?" Maggy asked, "We've had fifteen years without Hell in our life, why would we want it now?"

"Uh….." Mana was thrown by the question. She looked over at Arael who seemed lost as well.

"Mana," Sentaro said, "You're a Princess of Hell, the Queen's representative, her heir. You were even Queen for a time. Hild trusts your judgment."

Mana closed her eye and nodded. She then looked back to the teenaged demonesses.

"You have my word as a Princess of Hell," she began, "That once you are able to control your powers, if you do not desire to follow the Queen, your lives are your own, within reason."

Megumi's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'Within reason'?"

"We have the powers to level cities and devastate planets." Mana replied, "Even demons aren't dumb enough to hand a firecracker to a kid without keeping a watchful eye upon them."

"What about Harry and that…" Arael began.

Mana whirled about. "We are leaving the Golden Trio out of this one." She then turned and looked back to the teens. "Well?"

Megumi and Maggy both turned and looked at each other, then back to Mana.

"We'll do it." They said together.

Mana nodded. "Good.

The following day at school, Abby and Kat stared at Gabby in awe as she described what had happened the previous day.

"So they're both evil?" Abby asked, "I mean, we all knew Taiho was evil, but Deamhan?"

"Well, yes and no." Gabby said slowly, "I mean, they are Demons, but neither have really done anything."

"Other than the dead guy." Kat pointed out, "And Taiho has made our lives hell all through school."

"The dead guy was self-defense." Gabby reminded her friends, "And yeah, Taiho is a bitch, but she didn't need her demon powers to be one."

At that moment, Megumi entered the classroom. She paused briefly, glancing in Gabby's direction. She then sniffed and headed to her group of friends.

"Yeah." Kat murmured, "definitely one hundred percent bitch."

"Umm….hello." came a soft accented voice. The three girls turned to see Maggy standing nervously behind them. Gabby gave her a small smile.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Would you mind terribly if I joined you?" Maggy asked.

"Not gonna curse us are you?" Abby asked.

"Wh-at?" Maggy stuttered, "I-I-I wouldn't…."

Gabby glared at Abby, then turned back to Maggy.

"Ignore her. I know you won't, and Yes, you can join us."

A large smile appeared on Maggy's face as she sat down at an empty desk.

Mana sat silently on a bench in the small grove of trees beside the Yggdrasil building, lost in deep thought.

Before she'd left the Aida home, Gabby had pulled her aside and told her about her training with Verdandi.

Particularly the part about her future death.

'I was in a fight,' she thought, 'I won, but ultimately lost. Harry stayed with me till the end.' She let her head dropped onto her folded arms.

"I don't want to die." She murmured out loud.

"Hey."

Mana looked up to see Sayoko hurrying towards her.

"What is it?" Mana asked.

A large smirk appeared on the Goddess' face.

"We found him."