Chapter 41

"For me?" Wiene asked, as Haruhime, the next shortest person aside from Lilly, held up the little choker we had made for her. The little black and gold Yin-Yang glittered in the light on its red leather backing. "So pretty..." Her yellow eyes focused on the little bit of metal, her face lit up with joy.

"Here. Hold still." Haruhime said, flipping the choker around and holding it by both ends, "Ko-san? Her hair?"

Wiene didn't shy away from my hands as they gathered up her silky blue-silver hair and gave Haruhime's hands room to work. She giggled and tried to keep still, and after a couple of tries, the golden fox got the clasp to work and got it secured around Wiene's slender throat.

"Lilly has a mirror." Lilly offered Haruhime a small hand mirror. Unable to resist, I gave our supporter a raised eyebrow, though she refused to make eye contact with me.

"Ohh! It's shiny!" The dragon girl exclaimed, touching the black and gold symbol with a finger tip. "Hmmmmm... Tingles? Ma...magic?"

Haruhime, Lilly and eye all shared a wide eyed look with each other. I recovered quickly, amazed at how fast she picked up on it, "Yes. Here, I'll show you. Close your eyes, and face this way."

Puzzled, but obedient, she closed her eyes and I carefully, to avoid the sharp scales on her shoulders, turned her to face the wall of the spare bedroom we were in. I looked over to Haruhime, and then Lilly, motioning with my chin for them to back up.

"Keep your eyes closed." I said, my fingertips tapping her shoulders lightly, making her giggle, "Okay, touch the metal, on the left side." I squeezed her left shoulder lightly.

Again, she followed my instructions. "I feel..." She sounded confused. Understandable, considering that the pendant worked both ways. "Something... Over there?"

She pointed directly to Lilly, who held one half of the charm. "Good, now touch the other side." I gave her right shoulder a little squeeze.

This time she had to turn a little, but without a hitch, she pointed to Haruhime, or more precisely, her hand, which was held out from her body. The two of use shared a smile, and I stepped away from the dragon girl. "Can I open my eyes?"

"Yes. And look to where you were pointing." I replied, amazed at just how pure her smile was when she realized she had been pointing at the two other women. "See? If you ever get lost, you can find us, or we can find you."

We spent a little more time playing like that. Entertainment for Wiene, and making sure it worked for the rest of us. I asked Welf to save her nail clippings too. Intent on making a memory stone for her as well at some point. I was thinking about making one of Bell for her, just to keep her a little less lonely for the boy, but since we'd given the box of them to our two Gods, he wouldn't let me get near his hair.

Not that I blame him... We had all teased him about giving out little rabbits to all of his admirers. Poor boy.

"That should do for today." I said with a smile, "I'm going to enjoy MY bath now. You two can maybe try and teach her about clothes..."

As I soaked in the bath, after turning the temperature up as high as it would go, I thought about just how we could deal with this. On the one hand, we had a tightly knit group of people. Two different Familia, sure. But, our two Gods saw eye to eye, got along, and were loved by their 'children'. Aside from Marius, but even then, we knew each other and got along without a single problem.

Then there was the 'Plus One' of the situation. Each of us had a different view of the monster girl. Lilly, I knew, was the most opposed to her presence. I completely understood WHY too. Not only was is incredibly illegal to have a monster out of the dungeon without proper procedure, the price for getting caught was steep.

That, and Wiene, while a monster, wasn't JUST a monster. She could talk, reason, laugh, cry, and could probably kill someone without meaning it. She was an Unknown. And people feared the Unknown. People would default to what they 'knew', and not even bother trying to see if they are wrong.

And that was the problem. Our two Familia 'knew'. The rest of the city, 'knew not'. And as strong as we were, the weight of ignorance could be heavier than any mountain.

Then there was Bell. The other end of the spectrum. He was determined to save the girl. Except, none of us knew what 'save' meant. We could keep her here. And she'd be safe until discovered. Short term solution. No good.

We could put her back in the dungeon. Or not. Since adventurers and monsters both would be after her. So that wasn't even worth considering.

Getting her out of the city would work. But then what? She'd be alone, and considering how attached she was to Bell, she'd either refuse, or agree reluctantly, and get caught on the way back to Bell. None of us would do well away from the dungeon, or rather, none of us wanted to leave the city. So that idea was out.

So now what? From what information we had managed to gather, there was something to be found in the city. But I hardly considered that as an option right now. Ganesha might know, but was too unfamiliar to us to be more direct. Who ever had tried to tail Lilly... Was probably 'bad people' and would have to be avoided.

Another option popped into my head, but I almost discarded it out of hand. Would that even work? Was anyone's heart big enough to accept THAT much of a difference? I'd have to ask, but if I was wrong, I'd likely lose a friend, or worse.

Suddenly feeling in dire need of a hug, I pulled myself out of the bath.

I woke up with my head tucked against Haruhime's middle. When I had asked her to just hold my head and pet my ears, she didn't ask why. She just pet my ears until the sound of her heartbeat put me to sleep. Now it was her heartbeat that was reminding me of why I was so attached to her.

Slowly, I sat up, my tails shifting about to keep her now uncovered middle warm so she wouldn't wake up. She hardly stirred as I sat there blinking at the gloom outside through my balcony door. It would be rainy today, and even in this world, waking up to rain made me a little gloomy.

"ko-san..." Eyes still closed, she mumbled her pet name for me, her arms wrapping around my tails and curling around them a little more. Turning my gaze back to the sliding window of my balcony, I spotted a little stripe of black, sitting on a tree branch.

An... Owl? At this time of day? Letting my vision relax, I could feel my adventurer status sharpen my senses, slowly pushing the sleepiness aside and replacing it with combat readiness. It was an owl. Looking intently... At... Two rooms over? Three? Bell's room? It was an unnatural sight. Not only had I seen maybe three owls in the time I'd been here, they were all naturally coloured. Brown with black spots, almost like a horned owl. This one... Was black. Not just black, but 'spilled ink' black. With no 'horns' and eyes that I was only able to make out because they were glossy.

A black that reminded me of something...

Slowly, trying not to draw its attention, I slipped out of bed, replacing my tails with a pillow. Keeping my motions slow, I made my way across the room to my dresser. Keeping up with its unnatural appearance, the owl was absolutely still. No head motions, feathers not moving with the wind I could hear picking up outside. Like a statue.

Opening the top drawer and moving a couple pairs of socks over, I spotted what I was looking for.

A ball of ink black fabric. Exactly the same colour as the owl outside. Holding the ball of silky fabric, my unbreakable grip the only thing keeping it from spilling out of my hands and into what ever shape it wanted, I turned to look back at where the owl was perched.

But it was gone.

"ko-san... don't swear..." Haruhime mumbled before I could swear. "its cold... pass the spaghetti... chime don't eat my feather duster..." She stopped talking as she nibbled on the corner of the pillow making cute little 'nom' noises.

Replacing the ball of inky black cloth, and shutting my sock drawer, I shook my head and quietly got ready for the day.

"Good morning Mr. Bell, Mr. Welf, Kodori." Syr greeted us at the Hostess of Fertility. "Going to the dungeon today?"

The weather had kept the place rather calm. The morning crowd was probably sleeping in. Yet, the Hostess was already set up as if it would be their busiest morning ever. I rather liked that about my time working there. Disciplined without losing that easygoing environment. "Yup. A few of us decided to stay indoors today." I replied, sniffing the air and thinking about the stew I knew I'd miss today.

"Yeah! It's a good chance to get out with a smaller team. I don't want to fall behind and this is a good chance to gain exillia." Welf grinned at the only human worker. "But, before that, we figured we'd pick up something for lunch, right Bell?"

Put on the spot in front of a cute girl had its usual effect on the poor boy, but before he could totally dissolve into a stuttering idiot, my ears, and nose, caught a hint of a familiar presence. "Aisha?"

That exotic scent of wood and graceful, yet authoritative stride could belong to no other. As I turned, I spotted the tall woman as she stepped under the awning of the store front and out of the rain. "Fox! Welf, and the Little Rookie..." She announced as she entered, her usual wooden sword replaced with a metal one, much like Welf's.

"Legs." I greeted her with a smile and a raised eyebrow. As usual, she was dressed in 'almost' nothing. Just enough to make people imagine what was underneath the layered veils and not quite see through underwear. "Looking just as impressive as usual."

Welf and Bell didn't comment, the smith trying not to stare, and the rabbit caught under the Amazon's hungry gaze. "I actually dropped by your place, but Hime was still sleeping, and you lot went to the dungeon." She was starting to loom over Bell now, her imaginable nakedness making Bell twitch a little. "Imagine my luck to find you here. Where are you guys off to? I mean, all the fun would be at home wouldn't it?" She waggled an eyebrow at me, the instant of inattention towards Bell breaking him out of his nervousness.

"Well, we are going on a little bit of a quest. Just past the eighteenth floor." Bell answered. "We don't plan on a long trip either, just a fast run there and back."

"Oh?" Aisha considered, looking back to Bell, but her look was more a thoughtful one. "I've got time. I'll join you, in case you get into trouble."

"Oh?" The quiet voice of Ryuu spoke from behind us. Turning, we saw her, dressed in her uniform. "That does sound interesting."

Looking back from Ryuu, to Aisha, and back, I could feel the tension. With poor Bell in the middle, I looked over to Welf. He simply shrugged back at me, and I returned my gaze to my first sparring partner. "Feel like stretching your legs, teacher?" I asked.

"Yes. I think I will join you." Her stare had the closest thing to 'daggers' in it as she looked at Aisha. "One must protect others from certain... Influences. Syr? I am taking half a day. Please tell Mia?"

"But! You ca... Okay." With a sigh, Syr agreed, giving Bell one last look and heading towards the kitchen.

"He doesn't cut loose often does he?" Aisha commented as we followed behind Bell and Welf. Welf was exceptionally energetic today. With two Familia to make equipment for, even with my help, he was the least active in both Familia, with the exception of our three supporters. Bell on the other hand...

"He doesn't get out as much as he should. But now that we all have proper equipment, he's got a little more free time." I replied, "I'm sure he'll slow down a little soon, or at least, leave room for the rest of us to fight."

"Bell though..." Ryuu started, "Is something troubling him?"

I tried not to give any signs, but I'm sure Ryuu read something in how my tails were acting. I tried to cover it by giving Aisha a sideways look, "I can think of a few things."

"Hey, no ganging up on me." The Amazon said, "Don't give me that look..."

"Aisha." I said quietly, "I understand how Amazons go about things."

"Do you really?" She asked, her tone getting a little heated, "You think you understand us just because you've met a few?"

"Sure. It's fairly simple. You find someone who is strong, that you think would give you strong children." It wasn't like I hadn't done at least a little research. "Some find a mate who can beat them. Others find a mate and carry them off."

"More or less. You're missing a few details, but yeah. So what's the problem? Not like he wouldn't enjoy it." She grinned, then stopped walking as I froze in place.

"I remain neutral in the 'who gets Bell' thing that's going on. But even I have a limits to my vow of non-participation." I looked up at her, frowning, "Are we clear on this? He chooses."

The look on her face was a clear 'sizing up'. Bell and Welf were already out of sight, and wouldn't catch on that we had stopped for a moment or two, and that suited me just fine. "You're serious aren't you."

"Ask Phryne." I replied, Ryuu's hand resting on my shoulder suddenly, "If you want him, fine. But if he does not choose you, you do not get him."

"Right... Jeeze... You're no fun, you know that?" The taller woman backed down half turning, "Why are you so protective? It's not like you want him."

We resumed walking, my body relaxing somewhat as I caught up with Aisha again. Deliberately, I rubbed one of my wrists, the action something Haruhime had caught me doing sometimes. "I'm sure you can guess. Not everyone can just... Shrug off something like that. Neither I, or Haruhime would forgive you if you did that to him."

She frowned, her usual exuberance dimmed somewhat, "Yeah... I suppose..."

"Thank you." I looked back to Ryuu, "Sorry, I was never good with being silently menacing. Lets catch up a bit, we're getting close to hell hound territory."

Bell really was off his game today. I could easily guess why, but this was the wrong place to get distracted. Even against some of the monsters we were able to take on months ago. Something had upset his mentality. I knew what it was, but both Ryuu and Aisha were starting to wonder.

"Bell... Is something wrong?" Ryuu asked him quietly, my ears only just able to pick up the words. The elf had jumped between the boy and a killer rabbit, killing it before it could smash Bell across the face with one of those wicked stone clubs.

Aisha on the other hand, made no secret of how she felt. "That was pathetic, Bell Cranell."

Bell looked ashamed. Genuinely, totally, ashamed. He might not have won, but he had held his ground against Aisha. He was strong, capable. But today? I could sympathize with the Amazon. She was ashamed too, at having such a hard time with Bell. I also understood why Bell could only look down, Neither he nor I could tell them what was really going on. To Ryuu, maybe I could.. To Aisha though?

"We are almost to the eighteenth." I made an attempt to rescue my little brother. "You can clear your head there." Bell's return smile at my words made my heart hurt,but I nodded to him.

"Seriously?" Aisha said after Welf and Bell had said they were going to sell some drop items, and simply not come back. "Did they really just ditch us?"

I shrugged, hoping Bell would at least snap out of his gloom and not get himself killed while he took Welf down to where he found Wiene. "They're big boys. Not like there isn't anything we can do around here. Its actually pretty busy today."

The last few times I'd been down here, not counting 'the incident' on the first trip, the town around the base of the great tree was 'sleepy'. Today though, it reminded me of the centre market during a sale. All kinds of adventurers were here, stocking up, selling drop items, asking questions, telling stories. I did know a few of the faces, but for the most part, I hadn't seen many of these people before. Maybe it was a new batch of lower level adventurers hitting level two?

"I was never one to window shop. And its not like I can hide much of a coin purse." Aisha said with a grin, "Not like Hime."

I rolled my eyes at her, "I'm sure you have at least one hiding place she doesn't."

"Nah, that gets uncomfortable pretty quick."

Ryuu was shaking her head at the crude humour, and declined to comment.

"Don't worry, I've got enough for a a drink at the tavern. Owner owes me a little favour too." I looked back to Ryuu, "He might have cloud fruit beer. My treat if he does."

The dwarf did in fact have some cloud fruit beer. Even gave the three of us a mug, telling us in a hushed tone that he told the last person who asked that he was out. Not being a fan of beer, even less so than wine, and even less than what ever it was Welf liked to drink, this stuff was so sweet I almost couldn't tell it was beer at all.

"Oh! Hey is that the Demon Fox?" Some one asked, an Eastern man wearing a collection of not quite matching samurai armour. "Many of my Familia told me about you."

He got up from the table he was at, a couple others near him giving him a 'go get her' or a 'careful' and even one 'think he'll clear the cliff side?'

He was a little drunk by the look of it, like most Japanese his face was starting to flush red, but he was still steady on his feet. "I am new to my Familia, so I am sad I missed seeing you during the war game." He looked at Aisha, his alcohol blush turning into a different one in an instant. "Oh... Um..."

"I'm Aisha." She said, giving me a raised eyebrow, and me returning it with a shrug. "I get that a lot. Don't see many Amazon out East?"

"N...no. Actually, you are the first I've seen... up close."

I caught a chuckle from the man's table, and someone saying 'ten valis she boots him.'

"Well, looking is free." She grinned down at him, "I don't mind. Though, she's the one with five tails."

Like a pro, she turned the conversation back to me. "I'm actually wondering if that's because of the book, or because of my status. I kind of hope I don't grow more." I looked behind me, seeing four tails. Ryuu pet the fifth tail as it hung from her arm.

"If you were a kitsune, a true demon fox, they would represent your magical ability." The Easterner said, his eyes following my tails as they gently swayed behind me, "But that would be impossible. Monsters can't speak.

I couldn't stop my tails from reacting, all of them stopping cold for a moment, though I am sure I kept my face passive. "Who knows? I mean, some of the legends back East..." I tried to cover my loss of cool by citing history. Though my 'East' was different from this world's East.

"Well, do you go about giving bad advice to men about women, then steal their souls when their woman rejects them?" He asked.

Ryuu laughed quietly, Aisha did too, though much louder, and I just shook my head. "More advice to women, about men, hoping they get noticed. But who knows? I only have five tails. Maybe I just need more practise?"

"Oh come on Cho!" One of the others from his table called out to him, "You're drunk, get back here before she tosses you across town."

"If you want to be thrown out that bad, make a pass at one of the girls at the Hostess!"

I shook my head and turned back to the bar, sipping my beer. "I think Chloe still has better form than I do..." I turned towards Ryuu, the tail on her wrist slipping off and being replaced by another one, "I want to visit after we get back. Maybe do some sparring. I miss our morning practise."

"You sparred with them?" Aisha asked, leaning over a little the three of us probably looking like we were gossiping. "Oh... Am I forgiven then?"

"Maybe." I said, one of my tails curled around the Amazon's far hip. "Every one has to start somewhere. Me? I tried punching Ryuu one morning."

"She was very determined... But all effort, no skill." Ryuu said seriously, though her eyes were smiling.

"Harsh... How'd that work out?"

"Well I fell a lot. And missed even more. And one day I think we went through ... What? Six? Seven?"

"Nine." Ryuu said.

"Nine buckets of cold water. Had to train, couldn't afford to pass out." I grumbled, "One day, I will dunk Chloe in an ice bath... I will."

"Ouch. I'd heard rumour of how hard you train..." Aisha sipped her beer, "Before the war game?"

"Yeah. Bell had it worse I think. Ais Wallenstein and Tione. Or was it Tiona? Whatever. They sparred all week. Stopping only to nap, and give potions time to heal."

"Whoa... Okay, yeah, you two are crazy..." She elbowed me lightly, "I still want him you know."

"Dress in something less distracting, and ask him. He'll never agree if he can't actually talk to you cause you're over exposed." I replied, seeing Ryuu smile out of the corner of my eye as she sipped her beer.

"What? If you have it, show it off." She grumbled, "I mean, I've seen you naked, you're really good looking under that." She waved her free hand at me.

"Since I can't use a weapon, the only reach I have is with my limbs. It it weren't for potions, I'd probably have more lines than a field stone wall." I grumbled back, "And I've already had more than enough naked time in public."

"Just saying." Aisha shrugged, "Its a shame is all."

She made to take the last bit of her beer down in one gulp, and I timed my reply just as her throat moved to swallow, "If Haruhime says its okay, I wouldn't mind."

The dwarf, being an adventurer, managed to dodge the spray of beer like a pro, even managing to block some of it from soaking some of the stuff behind the bar with a washcloth. Coughing, Aisha gave me 'the glare' while I smiled serenely back at her.

"Dunno if she'd want to join though." I said seriously, hearing the most reserved facepalm from Ryuu.

The boys returned, looking serious, and staying silent about what ever it was they discovered. Understandable, but it only deepened the suspicious look from Aisha. Ryuu simply showed concern, her only part of this trip was to keep Aisha from carrying the boy off, so she seemed less concerned with what Bell was doing, only that he was safe in doing it. Thankfully, our two guests refrained from asking.

After doing a quick exchange for magic stones, we left the tower and onto the main street.

"Well! It was an interesting day." Aisha said, giving me a light punch to the shoulder and looking over at Bell one last time, then down at herself. "I might take your advice Fox."

"My tailor is just off the main street, near the men's clothier." I replied, tapping my fist against her rock solid abs.

"That advice too." She winked at me. "See ya around." And with that, pausing only to give Welf a fistbump and a quiet 'good work today Red.' She was gone.

"It was an enjoyable time." Ryuu said after Aisha vanished around a corner. "It does feel nice to get out."

"Y-you are welcome any time, Miss Ryuu." Bell said with a bow, "I'm sorry you had to step in like that."

"It was no trouble." standing beside her, I could see she was going to ask a question, but before she could, I brushed her back with a tail, unseen by Bell and Welf. "W... Please, be more careful, keep a clear head in the dungeon."

"I'm going to walk Ryuu home." I said with a grin, "Just to keep me safe."

Welf and Bell both laughed, "Man, I'm beat. I've got to get to morning training more often. I think I'll ask Lady Hestia to update my status and hit the bath."

"I think... I'll go for a walk." Bell said after a moment. He really was thinking heavy thoughts. "I won't be long, but I think I might make a trip to the wall."

"Alright, I'll let everyone know." Welf said, turning and waving a hand over his shoulder.

"Take care Bell." I said, holding out my fist.

"Yes, Miss Kodori, I will." He said, tapping my knuckles, "Don't be too long either."

I nodded and watched him head off for a moment, before turning to Ryuu, "Sister." I said to her, using the only elvish word I knew. "I'll explain soon." I mumbled to her quietly, hoping her sensitive ears were the only one's who could hear me. And with a nod, we started towards the Hostess of Fertility.

"Welcome ba-ack!" Interrupting Chloe as she greeted us, I gave her a hug, and pretty much made her vanish under all the fur of my five tails. "No! That tickles! Stop! Help!"

Ryuu raised an amused eyebrow, and the dinner patrons all laughed, "I thought you were going to put her in a cold bath?" She said.

Lunoire, my first real bare handed instructor stepped over, "If I don't get a hug too, I'm throwing you out."

With a final 'floof' of fur, I let the stunned cat girl go, pausing only to poke her nose before she could recover and pout at me. "It's good to see you too." We shared a fist bump, then a hug, "Where's Arnya? And Mia?"

"Aryna was slow at the tables so she's doing dishes. Mia's helping with the cooking, though the rush is almost over, she'll be out soon." Lunoire replied, shaking her head to clear a little bit of her brown hair from her eyes. "Gotta say, your new coat looks good."

"Thanks, I'll tell you all a story about it later." I looked to Ryuu, who nodded, "Gotta chat with Ryuu first."

"Oh? Thought you outgrew your magical lessons with her by now?" Lunoire asked.

"Not yet." I grinned, following Ryuu to the back. "Make sure I didn't break Chloe."

"I'll get you!" the black haired cat girl declared, pointing at me and earning another laugh from the patrons.

I'd only ever been in Ryuu's room a couple of times. All the decor was wood, obviously, but instead of planks and nails, it was like the simple furniture had been grown into the shapes she needed. Like her bed, a thin cot that had four 'roots' each with their own little pot of soil.

"So." Ryuu started after I closed the door to her room behind me. "What troubles you? Or did you actually want a lesson?"

Taking a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, I tried to think of a way to word this so I could cover it up or pass it off as a joke if she reacted badly. The problem there was... I couldn't. Ryuu knew me, even better than Bell. I also knew that a lie would harm the friendship she and I had.

So, I asked her the question. "What if I told you, I met a talking monster the other day?"

She froze in mid motion, her green cloak almost slipping out of her hands before she could get it onto the hook of a tree that had grown into a coat rack. "I..." She paused, her words failing her for the first time since I'd known her. "Are you sure?" She tried instead.

"Yes. This monster can talk. Learn. Laugh, cry, feel fear, and feel lonely. Just like us." I shifted a little in the chair growing out of a wide but thin clay pot.

"Are you sure it's a monster then?" She observed me from her bed, that calm and perfect posture of hers making her look like a model for a portrait.

"No... Umm..." I opened my coat and moved my shirt, poking myself in the belly button.

"Navel." She said. "Oh... Hm."

"There's more... She." I nodded to her as her eyes widened, "Yes, she. Is what a Vouivre would look like if it were 'like us'." I made a motion with my hand at myself, "Two arms, legs, eyes, hair, nose, mouth, breasts... The gem on her head is proof."

Ryuu closed her eyes, thinking, her hands gripping the edge of her bed tightly. "Why are you telling me this?" The question had no hostility thankfully, but my teacher was genuinely puzzled.

"Well... Umm... When I arrived, Mia took me in. No questions, no strings. I was in trouble, and she helped. You helped teach me to defend myself, learn magic, language, and much of how to cook. All of the girls here, I think of as family." I sighed, "But I asked you first, because you've shown you are able to set aside old grudges. Like at the war game."

She nodded, opening her eyes, "So... Bell is worried other monsters might be like this one?"

"I think so, yes. Even though you haven't spent as much time around him, you know how he is. He wants to be a hero. To save people. This monster... She needs saving. When he found her..."

After I told her everything that had gone on since finding, and bringing Weine home, Ryuu returned to her closed eye thinking. I waited patiently, hoping she would respond favourably, or at least keep the information to herself.

"I can't think of a way through this." I admitted, "Thinking about it, every choice we make will lead to some one losing. A lot. I need another option, or either our Familia or Weine is doomed." I'd already told her about my current options, and why I discarded them.

"How long do you think you can keep her hidden?" She asked, opening her eyes again and looking at me calmly.

"That depends. I know Ganesha knows. But that seems to be okay. I know some one is spying on us, but I -suspect- that's okay too. Maybe." I said with a sigh, "But, I also know there are rumours going about town, and there is a person or group looking for these monsters. Considering how pretty she is, I doubt these are good people."

She nodded, and stood slowly, "I... Will help if I can. I too am an outsider, my Goddess long gone from the city. But, like you, I am not sure how."

I stood as well, offering my hands to her, "The fact you aren't angry... The relief I feel almost hurts."

"My sister is in trouble." She replaced the word 'sister' with the elven word, "And Bell. The hero's path is only clear to the one walking it. But even then..." She took my hands and held them a moment, "Go home, stay safe. I'll come visit soon."

"Thank you." And I left.

Notes!

Well then. Time to stir the plot and see what happens. I mean... I know more or less what I'm going to do here. But well, that's my job right?

So, I've been kicking this idea around in my head. When I eventually run out of story, or maybe even finish this story, I'll have nothing to write. So, Would anyone be interested in reading about Kodori in some other anime world?

I was thinking of asking you (the readers, yes you know who you are) about it. Anyone interested in the idea of throwing Kodori into another universe, comment or PM me THREE(3) (four is too many, five is right out) options you might want to see. I'll let the voting go a little while, and at the end, make a choice. I'll do the research (read or watch the anime) and run a bit of a fanfic on it. After I feel that's run its course, I might pick another anime from the list you guys give me.

If I get no response, then I'll choose. Or just put the character down a while and start another story all together. I want to experiment here, so it would be awesome if I got a few votes. :)

See you next time.