Helping Hotaru

Chapter VII: Origins of the Shinigami

(BGM: Rurouni Kenshin – Wars of the Last Wolves)

Lifetimes ago…I was born. Birthed in a world filled with those who could soar on wings of light, sustained by the power of their hearts. My world was peaceful…calm. It had its wars and struggles…but for the majority of the time, it knew peace…

Until they came.

A group of creatures led by a demon. They sought the knowledge of why and how we were able to generate our wings…but nobody knew, the knowledge lost for centuries. Unsatisfied, the Demon Queen lay waste to my world. Countless lives ended on a whim, our forces unable to hold her off for long.

Eventually she grew bored of the battles…and summoned a great sphere of flame, nearly the size of a small star. My people scrambled for safety, but there would be none. My family, already destroyed, all that was left was an uncle. He was the court Mage, knowing the ins and outs of our magic, researching, and developing new ways to manipulate our wings, the power from our hearts.

It was he who saved me. Using the power of his very soul, the last ounces of energy the planet had were channeled into a gateway to another location. He had no time to plot out a course, or a destination, for the Star of Destruction grew near. As its flaming embrace was to scorch our world, he pushed me through the gateway, telling me to live…

Before I blacked out, the last thing I saw was my world being consumed by flame…

When I awoke, I was floating in an abyss of white. Not knowing where or when I was, I drifted aimlessly, grief, longing and sorrow claiming my heart.

It was then that I met Her. An orb of darkest black, she welcomed me to her domain. I questioned her as to where I was, how I had gotten here, and how I could leave. She called herself Tiamat, stating she was one of the creators of the universe. This, was her home, she claimed, and I had arrived by an unusual looking portal coming from a dead world.

My head bowed. It was true, I had realized. It wasn't a horrible nightmare…it was a much worse reality. Noting my plight, she claimed that as one of the forces that created and sustained this universe…she could indeed send me on my way…but…

"Would you not like the ability to fight? The power to stop what happened from happening again?"

Surprised I raised my head. Her offer was tempting…but I was no fool.

"What would you get out of it?" I countered. Knowing such a powerful being wouldn't just up and hand me power…she wanted something in return.

"Oh ho! So you aren't a fool…good. You will need that intelligence where you are going. My request is this: You simply abide by the rule that you will take responsibility for your actions. No more, no less."

Of course I would. I was raised to anyway. If I broke something, I'd own up to it and attempt to fix it, and if that failed, I would work myself until I had the means to replace it.

"I accept."

"Of course you do dear. They always do. Now come, let us see the power that hides within your heart."

I stepped closer to the strange orb. It began to shine, and a powerful aura washed over me. After a few moments I felt it suddenly stop, and the being gasp.

"Incredible…"

"Excuse me…but…what is?"

"I see now…so you are where my missing power has gone…"

I was confused, and spoke as such.

"Millennia ago, I mysteriously lost a fragment of my power when creating a very important soul. I knew not what happened to it, and never encountered the being it had inhabited…until now. Within you is the power of Sight…but not just any Sight…those I had once worked with called it…the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception."

I'd never heard of such a thing.

"I am not surprised. It is a power of Destruction like no other, for instead of being obvious; it is subtle, one of few powers of Destruction that actually is such. The subtlety is in that only the user of the Eyes can bring forth the Destruction. The power isn't so much in the ability to destroy, as it is the ability to see destruction, or death, rather."

"How so?"

"With this power active, the user can see the fated "death" of living and non-living objects. Everything that has a beginning, has an end you know. Some earlier than others. These Eyes work in tandem with Fate itself, and realize the imminent end of an object. Lines, represent the "strings" of fate. Trace a line with a sharp object, even something as weak as a human butter knife, and the line will force the object to split in twain. Trace more, and you essentially slice an object to pieces."

My eyes widened in amazement.

"But that is not all. As one becomes more proficient with this power, one can see the "death" of an object itself. This "end" is represented by a single, or multiple points, "dots" if you will, on an object, from which the lines connect. The closer to death an object is, the more lines, and subsequently, more points, or bigger the points are. The farther from death an object is, the less lines, less or smaller points, and the fainter the lines become."

"And everything has lines?"

"Everything, even gods. The thing about this power is not that it sees "death" more like it sees "existence" and can bring about its end. If you were to strike a living being on its "death point" it wouldn't be that you were killing them, as such that you were forcing the concept of their existence to suddenly stop being. "Death" is merely a side effect."

"Therefore it is less 'death' and more so 'destruction' correct?"

"You are smart. Yes, you are correct."

I wasn't sure…it seemed like a heavy burden.

"I…am not certain I am ready for this power…"

"You are. You were fated to have this power Zero Shinzaki. Yes…the moment you appeared in my domain I felt a kinship with you. You carry with you the soul of Destruction…but yet…at the same time you give off the glow of Creation. I know not what your destiny is young one, but I know this…this power will help you on your way."

"If you are certain…then I will take your word for it, and see where this power leads me."

"Very good. Now, let us begin. I can meddle no further than this…so I will teach you how to call forth your power and send you on your way. Everything else you must learn on your own."

I nodded my understanding…

And then the pain came. Oh sweet glorious gods it hurt. My body felt like it was on fire, being electrocuted and slowly having my skin carved off my bones at the same time. Before she sent me along, she told me that I only had the base level unlocked for now. Any further and my brain would have exploded from the overload. She said that as I used my power, and increased my understanding of life and death, my power would evolve further. There were three stages. The first stage being able to see Lines. The second stage would be seeing Points on living beings, while being able to see stronger lines on non-living. And the final stage would be seeing both lines and points on everything, living and non.

However, after each upgrade, I had to let my power reset itself. The human brain was not intended to see the things I would be seeing, and with every step further the strain on it would increase, unless I gave it the proper time to adjust.

Afterwards she sent me on my way…and that is when the next part of my history begins…

After a few years…is when everything changed.

I had appeared on the planet Saturn, in the heart of the Kingdom. For months I lived on the streets, using my new power to cut out pockets to cause wallets to drop, then picking them up and giving them back to their owners in hopes for a reward. More often than not, surprisingly I was rewarded. I ate very little, and saved up a great deal of money, occasionally buying a new set of clothing once my current ones had become too torn and ragged to wear further.

Eventually I crossed paths with a bounty hunter. She was chasing a rather well known rapist. He'd only gotten away so long because he was gifted with greater than normal speed…but they made the mistake of going down the Alleyway I lived in. She had him cornered on a blocked passage. He drew a weapon, and she drew hers…but she didn't see that behind his back was a handgun. Hidden by the shadows, I saw his stance shift as he reached back to draw and fire…and I took a chance. As he drew his gun, surprising her, I made my move. Before he could pull the trigger, my Eyes flared to life, his body became covered in lines, and I dashed out of the shadows slicing through his left arm with a small pocket-knife I picked up with some of my money.

Blood erupted from the stump that was left as both of them stared at me in shock. Apparently immune to the pain, he quickly recovered swinging his own blade at me. My sight picked up the lines on the blade, and I clashed along one, cutting right through it…and the broken half bounced off the wall behind me, and into his still bleeding arm. The woman recovered from her surprise and launched an attack as I did the same. Ducking under another swing, I switched the blade from my dominant right hand to my left, and hopped off my feet in a rising swing, from left to right, cutting another line that was across his body. At the same time, she had thrust her blade from behind at his torso…so ironically the result was that she ended up pinning the top half of his body to a nearby wall…while the rest of him just…fell to the ground.

I wanted to throw up. Not only had I just taken a life, but I'd practically become drenched in his blood. Unnerved by it, I found myself shuddering while rocking back and forth holding my knees. The woman, though surprised by the outcome, looked satisfied and worried at the same time. She approached me cautiously…weapon lowered but still prepared for anything.

"I-is he…dead?"

"Quite…helluva job you did there kid…"

"I…" I shook my head. "He…he was going to shoot you…you wouldn't…"

"I know…well, now I do. You did good kid…saved my life there."

"I…but…I killed…"

"You did what you had to do. Although…I've never seen someone take another person apart like that…"

"It's…my…power…"

"Power?"

I nodded. "I can see…death…lines…if I cut…things fall apart…"

"I…wow…never heard of that one…"

I gave a weak smile. "It…can even…kill gods…"

That got her attention. "Kill gods you say?"

"That's…what I was…told…"

"Well…you're a bit young…but…how would you like to come with me kid? We can get you cleaned up…my boss would probably like to meet the guy who saved my life."

Eager to get off the streets, but still wary, I nodded. She flipped her wrist and a ball of water appeared in her hand. I blinked, slightly surprised.

"I'm a Water Elemental. I can wash you off real quick…and once we get back, I'll find you a new set of clothes, ok?"

I nodded, still surprised. Cold washed over me, and I sputtered a bit while she gave a small laugh. She turned to the body and her smile faded.

"Damn…I gotta bring back proof…"

I looked at the body as well…and shuddered.

"Don't be sad kid…this man…he'd done horrible things…too many little girls had themselves violated by him…"

My eyes widened as I looked at her. She nodded with a frown on her face…a frown that turned to shock as my Sight activated. I didn't know then, but every time they did, my eyes would glow silver. I felt myself whirling around to the body, kicking the torso over and seeing a line across his neck. Bringing out my knife, I quickly swiped through the line, and yanked his head up by his blood splattered hair. Seeing a trash can, I sliced it in half, kicked away the remains and dumped the head in a near empty bag. Tying the bag I threw it over my shoulder and stared at her.

"Take it." I spoke in a cold voice. Surprised and impressed, she took the bag. I turned around focusing my energy again, imagining the faces of those girls this man had harmed. Rage formed in my heart and I felt something within me shift. A small gasp from behind me nearly distracted me from my purpose, but I ignored it and continued on. Apparently, my wings had appeared in an array of light.

My eyes snapped open and I raised my right arm, snapping my fingers. Unconsciously tapping into the power that let me see the End, I summoned forth an orb of black that materialized around the broken body. It seemed to flicker for a moment, and then vanished…taking with it not only the body, but a large section of the alleyway as well. I felt the rage leave my body, and my wings fade back into my soul. I turned to her.

"Lead the way."

After showing her "boss" my wings and how my eyes worked, I was offered a low ranking position as a Bounty Hunter. Over the years I worked my way up the ranks, impressing my allies while any marked being had fear in their hearts. I became known as the Shinigami…but not in the sense as a God of Death…but because of my power, the God Slayer. I'd taken down Mages, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, even some nearly Angelic beings that had taken the "Law" into their own hands one too many times. I'd long since left the guild I started with, the manager deciding that my talents were wasted on Saturn, where the strongest members of the guild existed. With praise and gifts, I was transferred from guild to guild, location to location, until finally, as a unanimous decision, I was granted the rights of a Freelancer.

I now had the ability to come and go as I pleased, take whatever bounty I wanted, large or small and assist whatever forces I chose.

It was then, that I got the missive from a very important person.

Written on the letter were instructions to come to the Moon Kingdom in secret. The letter was written by and sent personally from Queen Serenity herself, so I felt compelled to go. Using the false name I had come up with while at the guild, but never had to use because of my title as Shinigami, Xenmaru was escorted to the Queen's Private Chambers. She dismissed her servants as I bowed politely; while not one to normally give a crap who it was I spoke to, this was Queen Serenity, ruler of the Moon Kingdom. She had earned my respect.

"Welcome Shinigami."

"It is my pleasure to have answered your summons your Majesty."

"Please…just call me Serenity."

"I…as you wish…Serenity."

She gave one of her dazzling smiles. A lesser man would have been taken with her immediately…but my senses were far too sharp. The aura of another person was overlapped with hers, and that kept me from being swayed.

"I see my usual charm has no effect on you."

"Two are entangled as one, Serenity. That is what keeps my mind grounded."

"Amazing…the power to sense auras at such a young age. But…that is not why I requested you here."

I nodded.

"As you know…we are at war. And…well…"

"We're getting our asses handed to us."

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. I just shrugged. "Hey, you asked me to call you Serenity. The way I see it that's basically like plopping down next to me in the middle of the night at a crowded bar and buying me a drink."

She gave another dazzling smile, the missing light in her eyes slowly returning.

"I see why you are so popular now. Thank you…I needed that. But yes…we are…as you put it: getting our asses handed to us. Our forces, though strong and our tactics great…cannot match hers. We are…we WILL lose this war."

"What is it you wish? You want me to take out Beryl?"

"No…I have little doubt that she has instilled upon her troops that in the unlikely event she should fall, they press on. Actually I have a plan. We are going to lose this war…"

I noted the change in tense.

"But nobody said the war couldn't be picked up again at a later time…"

I blinked. "You lost me."

She smiled again. "My apologies. I have a plan that will…pause…the war, so to speak. However there is one obstacle in my way…"

"And that is…"

"You know the legend of Sailor Saturn…correct?"

"The most powerful of the Planetary Warriors known as the Sailor Senshi. A being so great that its power was sealed until needed…right?"

"Yes. Because of the threat that Beryl possesses…Saturn will awaken soon…and the three outer Senshi other than Saturn have failed in turning the tides to a point where her awakening is no longer needed. For you see, it goes like this. A war of sorts starts. The Sailor Senshi show up, and generally defeat the opponent. However in the case that they cannot, or it lasts too long, a countdown begins. The Outer Senshi, who normally defend from attacks outside this solar system, are called in to offer support…and if they fail, or the battle takes too long, the countdown reaches zero, and another countdown begins, this one starting with the Awakening of Sailor Saturn, and this one being much shorter than the first."

She motioned for me to sit with her on her bed.

"In the event that even with Sailor Saturn's power, the battle still takes too long, the second countdown ends, and Sailor Saturn calls forth the power of Destruction, and wipes everyone, and everything, from existence. Then Saturn invokes the power of Creation, and starts things anew, going back to sleep until needed again. Saturn can do this on a nearly galactic scale."

I whistled. "Sounds like we've got ourselves a problem then…where do I fit in?"

"I need you to at least keep Sailor Saturn busy while I enact my plan. She has already awakened, and I feel that the second countdown to our destruction is nearing its end. Sailor Saturn is a soul that knows no love or hate…it just is. It exists only to destroy…and when it awakens will do everything it can to fulfill its purpose. You who has the power to see the End…I beg of you, please…help me save my people."

I wasn't too sure. "How does Sailor Saturn do it? There has to be some key to invoking Destruction. Even I have to focus for a brief moment before I can See the End."

"Legend states that as Saturn invokes the power of Destruction, Saturn will take on a violet glow. Saturn will raise the Silence Glaive above, and then swing it down. When the tip of the glaive touches the ground, the world will end."

"So it's almost like cutting the thread of fate for an entire galaxy…alright, that means that there's probably a good half minute of charge time for the glow…and then between that and the invocation, another ten seconds…I think I can work with that."

"You are sure?"

"It's narrow…but…I can do it."

She hugged me.

The greatest Queen in the known galaxy hugged me. My shoulder felt wet. She was crying.

"Thank you…thank you so much."

"Ah…hey…don't worry about it…it's nothing. Besides…I always wanted to test my skills against a Senshi."

She pulled away and wiped her tears. "Yes…that sounds like something that a warrior of your caliber would say."

"Alright, what's our window?"

"It will happen soon…very soon. Probably in a day or two…"

"Damn, that's cutting it close."

"Stay at the castle…please. It's the least I can do."

"Ahh…sure thing. Just…what do I say if anyone asks?"

"I'll handle them. Please…just rest for now. I do not doubt your skills but…you are to be going up against the strongest of the Sailor Senshi. You will need every ounce of strength you can muster. My plan will not take long…you need only hold Saturn off for a little while."

"Alright…I'll take it easy but…you do the same alright Serenity? I don't know what you're planning, but something tells me you'll need focus…so you relax as best you can too, alright? I've got a plan of my own in case something goes wrong but…I have the feeling mine will have far more casualties than yours will…"

It was time. I had gotten the message. A frantic communication from the Queen. "SATURN HAS ENTERED THE BATTLE! HURRY!"

Focusing my mind, I searched for the strongest signature on the battlefield I could find. Spreading my wings, I took off at blinding speeds, surprising both ally and enemy alike that the Shinigami himself had entered the fray.

Racing to where I felt it I stopped in my tracks when I saw Sailor Saturn. Before me stood the most beautiful girl I'd ever lain eyes on.

(BGM: Guilty Gear X – Awe of She)

I took in everything from the sway of her hips as she twisted to cut through the armor of one foe, to the glimmer in her cold violet eyes as she watched both ally and enemy fall. I saw the tightening of her legs as she kicked off the ground and out of the circle of death she had created around her, the flutter of her skirt as she flew through the air, and the subtle jiggle of her breasts as she landed gracefully, the Silence Glaive clutched in her hands.

I was stunned. I couldn't move from sheer surprise. This was the avatar of Destruction? Part of me wasn't too surprised. It was a Woman, how fitting. My mind didn't register the violet glow she had around her until she had raised her weapon. I almost panicked: tell me I hadn't forgotten the plan already! Part of my mind was still transfixed at her beauty, the way the faint sun's rays glistened off her milky skin. The way her stomach tightened as she breathed in to place effort into the swing

I was in love.

My body moved on its own, legs pushing against the ground, racing to her position.

My mind raced. I kept repeating the phrase "stupid" in my head over and over again. My legs pumped as hard as they could, racing up the small hill she had positioned herself upon. Time seemed to slow as she brought the Glaive down.

Four feet…

I was terrified. Not for myself, but because I didn't want to let Serenity down.

Three feet…

Faster! Faster! I thought. Unknown to me, my wings had emerged once again, and were fluttering at a blinding pace.

Two feet…

I was too far, I wasn't going to make it. Part of me just wanted to stop, give up, it said. You took too long ogling; now the galaxy is going to pay because you couldn't keep your hormones in check. Then I felt it…my will mixing with my fear. My determination merging with my desperation.

The world stopped for a brief moment, and in an instant, a blur of motion, I found myself right in front of her.

I couldn't stop…I didn't even know how I managed to get there.

Everyone felt it. All over the galaxy they felt the grip of death tightening around them. As her glaive reached lower to the ground, even she too felt the embrace of death…until she felt something heavy slam into her.

In that instant, the grip of fear…the feeling of cold helplessness vanished from people's hearts…while my hand was gripping something else…

I'd crashed into her. Her Glaive flew out of her hands, the glow dissipating in an instant, and our bodies becoming a whirl of limbs as we rolled down the hill. When we came to a stop, I was atop her, groaning. I placed my left hand on the suspiciously soft ground and raised myself up…and realized where it was. I looked down and saw that my hand was practically gripping her left breast. Her cold eyes glared at me and she raised her own hand to my chest. My instincts screamed at me…but they were too late. A flash of violet and I found myself flying backwards. If not for my wings fanning out and stopping myself when they did, I'd probably have crashed into a tree.

I landed, only to lean back as she suddenly appeared in front of me, and a leg flew over my face. I was too concerned with fending off her attacks to register that I'd just seen a look up her skirt; it seemed my luck was shifting. The girl was fast. Faster than I expected. Because I was still disoriented from the crash, I could only barely match her. Suddenly she held her hand out and her Glaive appeared in it. She twirled it once and brought it down on me. Before I realized it, everything stopped again, and like before, it all blurred and I found myself behind her. A mighty clang rang through the air as she ended up hitting nothing but dirt. She whirled around to me, surprised.

The look on her face was intoxicating.

"Damn you're sexy…"

She glared, but a small light appeared in her cold eyes, as a VERY faint blush rose on her cheeks. She yanked the glaive out of the ground and swung at me again, spinning it expertly in her hands, making it seem like a whirling disk of death.

Twisting and contorting my body, I barely evaded each swing. Dammit Serenity! I thought. You got your distraction! Now hurry up! I can't hold her off for long!

Because of the crash, I was nowhere near my best, not to mention I lost the dagger I kept with me in the collision. Each time she got closer and closer to hitting me…until I tripped over a fallen body and she jabbed her Glaive into my chest.

I coughed up blood, and she violently yanked it out, damn near taking my right lung with it.

"Kuh…ugh…shit…well…at least…I get a nice view before I go…"

It was then that we saw the bright flash of light. The light came from just above the castle.

"Hah…about…fucking…time…"

Sailor Saturn whirled back to me. I gave a tired smile.

"I…was on orders…to hold you off…from wiping…everything…out…while…Serenity…did her thing…"

As black began creeping around my sight, I saw Saturn kneel down next to me, brushing the hair from my face.

"Don't tell me…the…cold…death bringer…is…actually sad?"

"You could have told me."

"Can't…really…know someone…till you…fight them…right?"

She shook her head.

"You wouldn't…have…believed…anyway…"

"You could have tried."

I gave a weak laugh. "You had me…stunned…I didn't think…the bringer of…Death…would…be…so…beau…ti…ful…"

The light grew stronger. I could feel myself slipping…the world growing darker…

"What was her plan?"

"Damned…if I…know…something…about…pausing…the…war…"

"I see…"

"Shit…wish it…didn't have to…end…like…this. Would have…liked to…take you…on…a…date…" I coughed again. Now everything was just blobs of black. She was blushing…

"Really now?"

"Yeah…pity…"

The light grew closer…

I saw a small spark of light. Her hands were glowing.

"I gave you a fatal wound…I cannot heal you completely…but…I believe I know what Queen Serenity has planned. We will meet again. And when we do, you will fulfill your promise."

"Pro…mise?"

"You said you wanted to take me on a date right? I'm holding you to that." The symbol of Saturn appeared on his forehead…Her eyes widened in surprise, then she gave a soft smile.

"Yes…I will definitely be holding you to that…"

"What…are…"

I could say no more, for I was silenced by her lips upon my own. When she pulled away she spoke one last time.

"We will meet again…and when we do…you will understand. Until then…be safe."

A bright light washed over us…the last thing I saw was her smiling face…her eyes no longer cold and unfeeling. I felt myself fading…but rather than cold…it felt warm.

"Thank you…Zero…because of you…my people will be reborn. Though this war is far from over…your efforts have given us a chance at victory…we shall forever be in your debt…"

And then…I knew no more…

(BGM: Persona 3 – Living with Determination)

"It wasn't until just after Mugen was destroyed that I remembered that last bit. But by then I'd already taken Mistress Nine's request to find and conquer the Sailor Senshi. Besides, she asked for them in general…so at least I could spare Saturn should she show up. But…then I 'met' Hotaru, who was Sailor Saturn…and since her friends were the rest of the Senshi…well…that was the first time I'd ever dropped a bounty in the middle of it…"

Setsuna was the most stunned out of all of the Senshi.

"How…did I not see this?" The Senshi turned to her. "I looked over that battle constantly…but I never saw that part of it…"

"Because the majority didn't happen during the battle. It happened before and just as it was ending. We were in a rather distant part from the castle, which is why it took so long for the light to reach us."

"But…I saw you stopping Sailor Saturn…"

"It's possible that the time gate only lets you see the most significant events. Me stopping Sailor Saturn was significant. Sailor Saturn getting that promise from me was significant to us, but not in the long run…maybe now it'll show that part though, because I AM dating the current Sailor Saturn, and have been the reason why her power is so much more controlled now."

"You never did take me on that date."

Everyone whirled their heads to Hotaru. Her eyes were glowing…and the symbol of Saturn was blazing on her forehead. Even Kyu was surprised.

"The Original Sailor Saturn…I presume."

"You would presume correct. I can't believe my incarnation this time got possessed…looks like I wasn't as strong as I had thought…"

"Well…it was your reincarnation that was possessed…not to mention she was borderline life and death, which is when the body and soul are most open."

"True. You still have not fulfilled your promise to me." "I'm dating Hotaru aren't I?" "That may be, but I am not Hotaru. I am me, I just happen to be within Hotaru." "Always did wonder about that one…ehh, I'll figure it out later…alright fine. It's almost night anyway. Let Hotaru come back. I'll have her Henshin, then have her relinquish control to you again, and we'll go on that date, alright?"

"That is satisfactory."

The oppressive aura faded and Hotaru blinked whirling her head back and forth.

"What happened?"

"Sailor Saturn decided I was taking too long. Henshin up Hime-chan. I have a promise to keep."

Hotaru looked at him.

"I promised Sailor Saturn a date. I intend to keep that promise. She, essentially is you…so there's nothing to worry about. Her persona probably sealed itself deep within your soul just for this moment."

Hotaru nodded. "Alright…she is me after all…"

The two smiled at each other.

Wow…long one. Mostly exposition…but damn. I'm surprised. I hope you all enjoyed my description of Kai's feelings when he first saw Sailor Saturn. And yes, he knew of the Senshi, but didn't know they were all female.

Robin Starwing: I can't promise- GOD DAMMIT NO! I DON'T WANT TO RESTART MY COMPUTER! STOP FUCKING ASKING! Ahh..sorry…it's been doing that for the last hour. Anyway. I can't promise I'll update so frequently…hell I got lucky I thought up this chapter when I did. But…I'll try to keep it all in mind. Oddly enough, it was thanks to Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 that got me writing this again. I have the voices set to Japanese, just for shits and giggles, and lo and behold, fucking Satan Videl has the same voice as Tomoe Hotaru in Japanese.

Let's thank Videl for rekindling my love for Hotaru. And yes, Poor Ami. Thankfully Kairyuu/Xenmaru/Zero has a bit of tact so he took the attention away from her in this chapter…

Greyphoenix: well it's true. It's an animal instinct. It's why a stray cat will stare you down, but the second you move it'll bolt, even if it was just a twitch.

D&S Master: Start it over if you're confused…I had to read the damn fic over twice before I remembered I had half a chapter written. Glad you liked the Hilarity though. It probably wasn't what I was originally planning (actually it DEFINITELY wasn't) but it works so whatever.

719453: Oddly enough, I have an account on Fictionpress. I just haven't been struck with any ideas for Originals lately…well…maybe one…