Previously:

Neah nods in agreement. "We need to find the nearest ruins."

"Ahramat Abu Sir." It is Mr. Takenouchi who speaks. They turn to look at him. "Those should be the closest."

--

A young girl stands outside the apartment. She looks up at Mrs. Takenouchi and frowns. "So, you are the mother of Pizoku Takenouchi," Marisol of Nine says. "Somehow I expected more."

Episode Eighty-Seven

"Statues in the Street"

Pizoku watches Ma'at. She walks a few paces ahead of the rest of the group. Jilan walks with her and they talk quietly, and she seems to be all right. But Pizoku can't help but wonder.

"Why didn't you kill him?" Pizoku asks somewhat abruptly. Taylor looks at the younger boy in surprise.

"He's expendable, replaceable," Taylor explains. "They'd know he's gone and just make another. Better to keep him alive." Pizoku nods. That sounded reasonable.

"Why Nine?" Ashlee asks aloud. "Why not six, or seven or twelve? Why did the Ancient Ones choose Nine?"

"Maybe they're Zorpian," Neah suggests with a smile. "They have a Nine fetish."

Reese frowns a bit. "Is fetish really the right word for it?"

Neah smirks at him. "You would be surprised." Reese shudders and Ashlee laughs.

Naoki Takenouchi watches somewhat perplexed. "I'm not sure I entirely approve of these people you've taken up with," He tells his son.

Pizoku looks at him in disbelief. "You've been gone for like five years and now you want to disapprove of the people I hang out with," He observes, "If that's even what this is, which it isn't."

Naoki tries to hide the twinge of guilt. "What is this?"

"Saving the world," Pizoku replies without hesitation.

Naoki isn't comforted much. "Saving it from what?"

Taylor stops walking. "Something isn't right."

"Otherwise known as wrong," Ashlee says with a sigh. "Superfluous word using drama king."

Neah rolls her eyes at the girl. "What's wrong?" She asks Taylor.

Taylor stands as if in thought. "It's the Nine."

"What about them?" Jilan asks as she and Ma'at rejoin the group.

"They've started culling," Taylor says, looking over at Neah and Reese.

"Where?" Reese asks. Taylor doesn't answer right away, but his quick glance at Pizoku and his father leaves a hollow feeling in the pit of the young Japanese boy's stomach.

Meanwhile, in Sydney

Eduardo of Nine can't really understand the reason for the resistance he is met by. Possibly he could if he could access the memories of the former Eduardo, but they have been dulled by the Ancient Ones.

Eduardo continues his onwards march through Sydney. He is flanked by the children of the city who are called to him by magical means. Or possibly they are brought to him by their parents, who have been transformed into less than they formerly were. Almost zombies in nature, they herd the children into the street to become the Army of the Great One.

As for the elderly and the crippled and the otherwise undesirable, they become little piles of ash upon the pavement or wherever it is they may happen to poof in.

Yet still there is resistance by a few. One such young man tried to attack Eduardo with a metal pole. He failed. There was much screaming. Eduardo just did not understand.

Eduardo thought the young man made a marvelous stone monument to the power of the Great One. A very pretty statue in the road for all the followers to see. Behold the Power!

Meanwhile, in Japan

Izanami Takenouchi cowers in horror as she watches the young girl that has walked out on her balcony and raised her arms to the city.

The flames that erupt from the windows in the many buildings nearby terrify her and she can not understand what it is that is happening, or how her son may be involved. But this little pig-tailed child in a pretty pink dress scares her more than she ever thought possible and she does not like it.

Marisol or Nine walks back in to the apartment. "It is time." She holds out her hand. "We must find your son."

To Be Continued.