Author's Note: I've been playing Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution (god that is a long name) so some of the fight sequences will probably be inspired a bit by that, I like some of the cuts they use to show how the character power up forms.

Chapter 12: Immortals

Yugo lay on cushion provided by Ruel out of his haven bag (after Amalia washed it thoroughly) staring at the roof. He hadn't slept, he couldn't, he was too distressed. The shock had passed, he had though himself more relaxed, but it seemed he was still wound up and wired really badly. His wings gave off a low blue glow, but not enough to bother him, he had slept without his hat on before.

Amalia was passed out next to him, her arm was laying across his chest, he still couldn't believe her. He was about her age sure, but he had the body of a child and a freak set of wings popping out of his head, she didn't seem to care at all though, she must really love him. He felt he was very lucky and that he probably didn't deserve her love really, I mean, che was a princess after all.

He slowly got up moving her arm and letting her continue sleeping undisturbed, the sun would be out soon, she would wake up then. He walked to the window and stared outside, he was still unsure about exiting the house, at least until Eva finished the hat she was making for him.

"Can't sleep either?" a quiet voice said approaching him. He turned to see Otomai carrying two glasses of tea, he offered Yugo one, he accepted. The ogre sat down.

"Join us won't you Lucian." He said rather calmly.

"You could tell?" the boys voice sounded from his make shift bunk. He slowly and stiffly sat up, stood and sort of hobbled over to the table. "Here," Otomai said offering the boy the other glass of tea

"But then you won't have one." Lucian said.

"It's fine," Otomai said, "Ogres have to regulate their liquid intake, otherwise we salivate and sweat far too much."

"Gross," Yugo commented.

"Quite," Otomai responded.

Yugo took a sip of his tea, staring off into the distance.

"I've always wondered," Lucian said "Why is it so important to keep our wings hidden?"

"I'm not sure about the rest of the eliatropes," Yugo said "But to me, they are a constant reminder that I'm not human."

"But that's okay isn't it?" Lucian asked "I mean Otomai isn't human either is he?"

"No, I'm not human," Otomai said, "however Orgres have a very human form and are often assumed to be human."

"Provided they regulate their liquids," Yugo said with a smirk.

Otomai smiled "Yes, indeed."

"but why does all that matter?" Lucian said "You're not human, but neither am I, or Otomai or even Percedal, but you all act like it's such a terrible thing."

"Well," Otomai said " I don't particularly care, but I suspect that Yugo has a reason he does."

"Yeah," he said "I was ten when I found out I wasn't human. Some bullies were messing with me and they grabbed my hat, they freaked out after that. They called me inhuman and monster."

"What happened to them?" Lucian asked

"My dad found them, and swore them to secrecy."

"Wow." Lucian said.

"I was so afraid I would become some kind of inhuman monster," Yugo said " I ran away to that thicket where we met. My dad found me and brought me home. He told me I was special, that I had an important destiny."

"I guess you did, huh?" Lucian said

"Yeah, but I didn't really believe him," Yugo said "Not until Nox attacked my villiage and tried to capture me, looking for a dragon."

"Nox?" Lucian asked

"He was a Xelor," Yugo said "A madman who would destroy anything to get what he wanted, because he genuinely believed he could undo it all by going back in time."

"Could he?"

"Sort of," Yogo said "he managed to go back about twenty minutes, but he had been aiming for two hundred years."

"So he failed?" Lucian asked

"He destroyed the tree of life," Yugo said "The tree is the source of life for the Sadida race, so they all died with it, including Amalia."

"But Amalia's alive." Lucian said

"Yes," Yugo continued "We fought, I teleported him far away using a powerful object called the Eliacube, he had killed my best friend and I was angry. He won because I got distracted and killed me too."

"None of that makes any sense!" Lucian said. "how can you and Amalia be dead and alive at the same time."

"We're not, just listen," Yugo said "After killing me and stealing all my wakfu Nox activated his device and went back in time, that twenty minutes I just talked about. That was long enough to bring me back, bring back the tree of life and the Sadidas, but not long enough to bring back my friend."

"Who was your friend?" Lucian said

Yugo smiled "Well this one'll really confuse you." he said "It was Percedal.

"Okay," Lucian said "So all of you are capable of dying and coming back whenever you want."

"I wish it was that easy." Yugo said "Percedal had to go through some pretty rough stuff to come back."

"Like what?"

Otomai got up at this point, he had said nothing, but he walked out of the house to the grassy field, he sat on a knoll to watch the sunrise.

"His shu shu Rubilax indwelt his body switching his soul for percedal's." Yugo said

"Shu shu?" Lucian asked "You've said that before, you said my name was a shu shu name, what is a shu shu?"

"A demon basically," Yugo said "They followed a king named Rushu and wanted to destroy the world, but when they invaded they were attacked by both mortals and gods and sealed inside of objects, usually weapons."

So percedal had one?" Lucian asked

"Yeah," Yugo said "His name is Rubilax, Rubilax took Percedal's body and used it to collect the other shu shu's and gain trust with Rushu, but Rushu wouldn't have it. So he betreayed Rushu and joined us instead giving Percedal his body back."

"But Percedal died." Lucian said

"Rubilax forced his Percedal's into his sword when it left his body," Yugo explained "From what I understand he had to in order to indwell Percedal's body. At least that's what he told us, but Rushu seemed to believe that he could've done so without saving Percedal."

"It sounds like you've had an amazing life." Lucian said eviously

"Hey," Yugo said "You're only a few months old and you're heading out on adventures, I had to wait until I was twelve."

"I guess," Lucian said.

"Now I've wondered something myself," Yugo said, Lucian looked at him "Where are the other folks like you?" Yugo asked purposely avoiding the term Yugolites.

"I only met a couple," Lucian said "We all keep to ourselves, we are innately aware that more exist, but no more than that."

"I see," Yugo said "Why keep yourselves hidden?"

"We're afraid," Lucian said "The world is not kind, You are probably the first kind people I've met."

"Is that why you were so afraid of me?" Yugo asked.

If people are not kind," Lucian said "Then what must gods be like? I hadn't even expected to meet you, I had been visiting that clearing for a bit, it was a good place to be alone."

"And then you saw me there." Yugo said

"I was afraid," Lucian said "I knew instantly who you were, I thought that you must have come to speak with me, but I didn't want to speak with you. But then you called me out, I couldn't escape, I thought you would kill me if I spoke or moved wrong. I thought that my existence hung in the balance."

Yugo was quiet, that was a lot, what had the world done to these poor souls to make them so afraid of everyone, unable to tell a gentle soul from a harsh one.

"But you were kind," Lucian said "You brought me to your father, you gave me a name, you called me your friend, you fed me. No one had done that before, I thought that our god must be the greatest of all the gods if he was so kind. But you don't want to be called a god, you were raised a mortal."

The sun rose over the hills and Yugo watched it, Lucian did as well they were silent for a few minutes.

"You may not be a god," Lucian said "But you are our creator, our father, and I think it's right we should look up to you."

Yugo smiled, there was some wisdom to that. It was amazing the boy could make him smile at all, he felt so much pent up anger and aggression inside after what his brother had done to him. Lucian seemed able to calm it, at least for now.

Percedal walked out from his room yawning he looked at the table "Already up?" He said, the seeing the mugs in their hands asked "Any tea left?"

A small house on a hill, how quaint, the literal definition of romantic. Jack sighed, this was where a god lived? Weren't they supposed to live on mountains or up in some golden haven in the sky? Whatever, That guy out front was a problem, he clearly had the ability to sense things, as soon as Jack got close he walked outside and sat there scanning the area in his general direction.

He supposed there was nothing for it, the guy wasn't gonna leave anytime soon. He stood up and walked out into the clearing, the man stood up as well staring at Jack intently.

"Who are you?" The man asked "And why are you here?"

"I am Jack, The immortal." Jack answered "I just want to talk with the deity that resides here."

"He is otherwise occupied at the moment," Otomai said "You may say what you need to me, I will ensure it reaches his ears."

"No need Otomai," a man's voice voice said from the door, "I'll handle him, go spend some time with Ogrest."

"With all due respect sir Percedal – " The man began

"Just go!" the man, Percedal said, Otomai nodded and went inside.

"I don't know who you are," Percedal said "But you are treading dangerously close to my house."

Jack noticed the man had a tiny sword on his hip, it looked laughably small, no more than a dagger. But if he had learned anything, it was that a god's weapon was hardly ever what it seemed. This man looked to be spoiling for a fight, which was bad, because Jack had no intention of fighting him.

"What do you want?" The man named Percedal asked curtly. "Make it quick, Ive got some sparring to do."

"Well," Jack began "I come as an emissary, since I can't find the other god's I came to you. I represent the Gilded Kingdom and it's king Seraphin Bartoleme." Jack was never fond of all this official royal duty business, but it seemed to put others at ease.

"Seraphin Bartoleme," Percedal said in a dark tone "That is the name of the man who killed my master."

"What?" Jack said "Was your master a… god?"

"Yes," Percedal said

"He must of have been one of the Deities that attacked us when we got here," Jack said "He is dead? Seraphin will be unhappy, he had not intended to kill."

"Intention or not," Percedal said angrily "I don't really care, in fact, I think I found my new sparring partner!"

The man's body began to glow orange, and he floated a few centimeters off the ground. After what appeared to be a moment of charge up, he flung himself forward charging at Jack. The immortal dodged, what was wrong with these people, why couldn't they just accept his help, they were no better than the deities from earlier. Oh, one deity came out of the other dimension, he must've warned them about him. So they thought he was an enemy, this was stupid beyond stupid.

Percedal lunged again, this time twisting his body, jack deflected it with an open palm, he wasn't even in the mood to pretend this was difficult. The man was clearly either a lesser deity or a new deity, either way, he wasn't all that powerful.

Percedal struck again and again, every time his attacks were blocked or deflected by a single hand while Jack just stood there, smacking him around without so much as moving an inch.

The god seemed to tire of this, he pulled his sword out shouting "Rubilax!" and striking it against a nearby tree. The sword grew in size, now as big as a broad sword, the man struck it again, this time it became something between a claymore and a zweihander. Jack purposefully continued to look unimpressed.

"Let's do this dally," The sword said, wait the sword spoke?

Percedal swung the new larger sword at Jack who caught it in his hand holding it above his head. But this proved more difficult than taunting the man. This 'Rubilax' was heavy and was cutting into his skin. Jack built up energy in his arm and blasted the sword with a red explosion forcing it back up and putting the deity off balance.

Jack quickly drew a black and red pistol from his coat firing it, the bolts did little to harm a god, but it's momentum forced Percedal's body back and landed him on the ground. He replaced the pistol as quickly as he had drawn it.

The sword returned to broadsword size and Percedal got up. "I'm not done yet." He said

"Percedal!" A voice said from the house, they both looked "let me handle this guy."

Jack saw a what appeared to be a young preteen or teenage boy with sandy hair and two glowing blue wings of energy jutting out from his head. The boy wore no shirt, but he did have a pair of blue shorts and blue shoes on.

"No way!" Percedal answered "He came here for me, so he's gonna get me!"

"but he's knocking you around like a ragdoll!" The boy said, this seemed to agitate the god

"And you can do better?" Percedal said "He'd really a lot stronger than he looks!"

"I can try." The boy said with a smirk "Besides, I need to blow off some steam anyway."

The god seems to consider this for a moment, "Fine," he said disappearing and reappearing next to the door. "I guess your brother must have made you pretty angry."

Brother, just like Adamai, guess this world was full of unsatisfied brethren betraying one another.

The boy walked down the hill and faced Jack. "I recognize you," The boy said "You were in Chibi's vision, fighting the gods."

This boy had seen that from here? "I am Jack, and you are?" he asked.

"Yugo," The boy said

Without warning the boy rushed forward with fist turned back, no better than the god, Jack raised his hand, except the boy didn't connect, in a flash of blue he was no more and the blow meant for his hand slammed into the back of his head instead, and it hurt.

"What the hell?" Jack uttered, before he could get his bearings another fist slammed into his lower jaw sending him flying backwards several feet and landing on the ground jarring his head again as the site of the first punch was greeted with rocks and dirt.

Jack lay there a moment, his mind desperately trying to make sense of what happened while his brain bounced around in his head like jell-o. What the hell was this boy? He was way too strong to be a mortal, he was either a greater diety or… wait. This kid had his brother piss him off yesterday right?

Jack got up, slowly, barely making it to his feet before Yugo was on him again, this time however his fist only pierced smoke. Jack appeared twenty feet or so away.

"What's your brother's name kid?" Jack asked

The boy was quick to recover, appearing behind jack to sweep him off his legs, jack landed on the ground and moved his head away from a punch that cracked the earth beneath him. Yugo jumped off of him when he say Jack's eyes glow red beneath the sunglasses. Smart kid.

Jack lept up "I asked you a question pipsqueak." He said irritably

"I don't see how that matters!" Yugo said jumping off of a tree to gain height he lept through a series of portals, so that's how he moved so fast. He summoned two, one on each hand and overlapped them, the center glowed blue and Jack knew what was coming. He removed his sunglasses allowing his already charged eyes to retaliate.

Red beam met blue in mid air with a resounding clash, Yugo summoned a third portal and overlapped it making his beam stronger, which pushed Jack's back, jack added intensity trying to blast Yugo out of the fight. No avail. The boy summoned portal after portal slowly forcing the red beams back until they exploded in front of Jack and the man was consumed in blue-white fire.

Yugo floated slowly to the ground, levitation a power granted him when his wings were out. He stared at the crater he had made, nothing was in it, he grunted.

"Looking for me?" Jack said from behind the boy, Yugo whirled around "his name is Adamai isn't it?" The boy's widened eyes told Jack all he needed to know.

"You've seen Adamai!" he started "No," the boy said in realization "He was working for you."

"He was working for Echo," Jack said "I'm just a guest on this world."

"No friend of Adamai is a friend of mine!" Yugo said angrily, summoning portals on wither side of Jack. The red head warped out, surrounded by darkness, reappearing elsewhere as a blue beam sizzled between the two portals. Jack replaced his sunglasses and sighed.

"Y'know, the only reason I'm with the guardians," Jack said "Is because they had the decency to sit down and listen, instead of greeting me with a frontal assault!" he was getting angry now.

"You attack the God's, The great Dragon," Yugo replied just as angry "You hunt the gods that escape you, you come here, to my friends home and attack him! Why should I care what you have to say?!"

"I haven't attacked anyone!" Jack said finally over the edge "I come here to warn you Jackasses so Achron doesn't burn your stupid planet to cinders and you won't even give me the time of day! You attack me on sight like I'm a plague bearing beast!"

Yugo stood still for a moment. The man seemed genuinely angry and offended, it didn't deem like an act. "how did you know Adamai and I are brothers?" Yugo said "We do not look alike."

The man calmed down a bit "Deductive reasoning," he said "Take away everything that isn't true and whatever is left, no matter how impossible is the truth." He said.

"I'm still not ready to listen to you," Yugo said "Go back to the guardians."

"Tch," Jack said "Stupid immortal brat. Fine I'll go."

The man disappeared.

"The man was not lying," Otomai said from the door, "I could sense his truthfulness."

"I think he was telling the truth as well," Yugo said quietly "But it bothers me. The gods were wrong and this guy sided with Echo as a result."

"Perhaps it is time we admit our errors," Otomai said.

"Yeah," Yugo said "I think you're right."

Jack sat on a rock in this little valley he had apparently been using as a base camp. Seraphin noted he looked a bit troubled.

"You said a few days," he said

Seraphin walked out from the shadows "I decided not to use a Tadpole."

"Whatever," Jack said "Hey echo, I know you're hiding in the shadows somewhere watching, come on out and meet a new friend will 'ya."

Lady Echo moved into the light from the direction of the sleeping quarters. Despite the mid day sun there were parts of the valley shrouded in shadow.

"Echo, Seraphin; Seraphin, Echo." Jack said "Introductions over."

Seraphin turned to the green skinned woman "I apologize for my subordinate's behavior," he said "I am Seraphin Bartoleme, king of the Gilded Kingdom at your service mi'lady."

"Yeeeach," Jack said "Do you have any idea how old she is?"

"Surely not older than I?" Seraphin said.

"Well," Jack replied "I-I guess, probably not."

"Then why are you so disturbed?" Seraphin asked.

"Never mind that." Jack said dismissively his face still looked a little green.

"Jack has been 'kind' enough to tell us of your enemy." Echo said. This Achron of yours."

"He is the last High Aetherian," Seraphin said "He is older, more knowledgeable and stronger than I."

"Jack said you were a high Aetherian as well." Echo said.

"I was made one of their number," Seraphin said sadly "but I am the most recent, I don't really count myself among them."

"I see," Echo said

"I have found," Seraphin continued "That with enough help from Deities and Immortals Achron can be repelled. Jack tells me there is potentioally a Natural born immortal among you."

"He seem's rather convinced that Adamai is one." Echo replied.

"I'm a more than convinced at this point." Jack said "He's definitely an Immortal."

"Why do you say that?" Echo said.

Jack looked at her "I fought his brother today,"

"Jack, we are not here to fight these people!" Seraphin said angrily

"Hey, I didn't pick the fight!" Jack said "These guys are jackasses okay, they don't listen, they're not reasonable, they think we're the bad guys and attack!"

"Nevertheless," Serphin said "you should have backed down."

"Damn kid didn't give me a choice." Jack said "Knocked my head around like a kickball, sill all swimmy and painful up there."

"I see," Seraphin stated "Deities can harm Immortals, even Aetherians if their strong enough or know where to hit, but it's rare to find a deity so powerful. An Immortal could've fought Jack on equal ground and caused Jack a considerable amount of pain."

"Then you believe that since Adamai was able to defeat him…" Echo inferred.

"Yes," Jack said "Combined with those two that fought Seraphin before, that makes a total of Four natural born Immortals in this universe. A considerable advantage against Achron."

"Indeed," Seraphin said "We may be able to defeat him this time, and add the Krozmos to the Alliance."

"Let us hope." Jack said.

Author's note: That fight was much more epic in my head…