When Mitsumi woke up, it was only a couple hours that went by. She yawned and found Saitama offering her a plate of food. She pounced it from the hunger that hit her, and he made sure she cleaned the dish off. They were still on the plush couch, and he had no need to move to the bedroom at all.
"I figured you'd be hungry," he chuckled and set the empty dish aside. "Fumio and Black Sperm are at the new home by the flowers. The others went back to City Z. That I know of, that is. If we need anyone, Cold Snap will bring them to us. Everything's fine," he soothed. She sighed and nestled into him now.
"Good. We have quite a bit to do in the next few days. Don't we?" she frowned in thought. He glanced at her and rose a brow.
"Remind me?" he asked and let her snuggle into him.
"We want to go to the home built for us by Siren and Metal Knight in the morning to finish exploring it. Then we need to go to the Wind Crane Clan's training room by the resort to unlock the basic part to see if there is a clue to another training room's location. After that, we have to go back City Z to check if Genos's Dr. Kuseno can meet with us. Scout also found something for us to look into," Mitsumi said on recollecting what was told to them so far.
"Hmm," Saitama thought aloud.
"We also have a lightning monster to meet with that always bothered Bright Bolt," she continued. "A new Wind Crane Clan lantern was discovered and we need to see what that unlocks. Then, of course, we have GOD touched fleas to test with. We need to test my idea for a possible cure for a flea, too. That can happen later in the days ahead. If we get home in the very early morning, we might be able to knock out most of what we need to do and visit the restaurant for dinner. Tacki's likely busy with teeth from that lava worm, as well as making various forms of jewelry and clothing. As well as my fans."
"Very busy next few days," Saitama sighed.
"I know. But it can't be helped. We need to find three more artifacts for the clan. Wind Crane Clan Mother said there was crown, an orb and a ring still out there. I will need those artifacts. I can feel that I'll need them," she grimaced.
"Just means we can travel and make our houses with treasure rooms along the way!" Saitama grinned. Stable Rock looked around and grunted.
"I can…take us…to places…now…easily…and we…can…come back…" he said. "So…I have…an…idea…"
"We do have some time to kill before King starts the game. What do you have in mind?" Mitsumi smiled. He rose up to rest his paws on the couch to snuggle into her. That had her giggling and he tilted his head at Saitama.
"The new…home…let's go…now…and see…? Even…the training…room…?" Stable Rock grunted. "Or…hmm…something else…"
"What?" Saitama asked. Stable Rock lumbered away from the couch and reached out to Metal Knight to disable the cameras in the room for a solid hour for secrecy. Then he moved into another room.
"What is he up to?" Mitsumi frowned. Cold Snap suddenly gaped and cringed with shock. Blue Ripple, Bright Bolt and Tangled Vine gave instant attention to the dignified, elderly man that walked in proudly while holding an eight foot tall staff of molten gold. It was covered with gems, and he almost resembled a ten foot tall, extremely well-muscled giant with dark brown skin. Even his body was covered with golden armor with a luxurious cloak, and they, too, were embellished with gems of all kinds to show where most of his shell went. He blinked his glowing amber eyes at the two in the bed and cracked a small smile.
"Little sister. Mitsumi. My brother in arms. Saitama. It is time for us to talk," the man said in a proud, ancient and tender way. He pushed aside several locks of dark brown hair that appeared to be braided to go down his back, and he pulled up a large chair to sit down in. He let the staff stand on its own, and he folded his lightly clawed hands together as though perplexed on how to start. He regarded them both with high cheek bones and a slightly cleft chin with a form of ancient dignity with a clean-shaven face. Cold Snap never thought he would ever see the human side of this one. He reminds me of one of those ancient chieftains of the tribal folks!
"Stable Rock?!" Mitsumi gaped and sat up.
"Yes. I had Metal Knight dull the watch on us for this. While we have time now, I know I can speak. And, yes, I know I am talking normally," Stable Rock chuckled with complete knowing. Saitama sat up and found himself shaking his hand like complete family.
"I trust you," Saitama said with a small grin.
"I know. I'm still your pet in my true form," Stable Rock nodded.
"You have yet to see my human form," Tangled Vine chuckled. "I look older than most, though."
"Later on," Stable Rock nodded to him. Now he regarded Saitama and sighed to show the need to talk was urgent. "I need to talk to you about the prophecy. Of how Mitsumi is only the start."
"I'm listening," Saitama nodded and fully sat up with Mitsumi seated in his lap. Overgrown Rover moved to keep Saitama's hand on her belly.
"I willingly gave over my teeth as fans will be made from them. I will give them life as others will do to theirs. Mitsumi is clearly the one that will be the pinnacle point for monsters and humans to co-exist completely. It's already been proven, but here is the difference.
"As a true monster, I should not have awoken. At all. I should have attacked on sight. Put you through a trial to earn my trust. But she did awaken me the moment I saw her. I trusted her the moment I set eyes on her. Her purity and genuine care for my safety filled me with a form of compassion that I never felt before. And, yes, the snuggling and being called cute was also a big bonus.
"She is my family. Your family is now my family. As Cold Snap has desired to have such a family in his way, this is the way I want it, too," Stable Rock said with a small swallow. "I never had a true family before. I never bothered to even try to see what it was like."
"The only family I ever had was my father," Mitsumi nodded.
"And he was taken from you. I know," he nodded back.
"Anyways, back to the prophecy?" Saitama asked.
"Right, right," Stable Rock chuckled. "Etsuji told you four children are what you would bear with her from your dream with him. I do believe that there may be more. But, as he warned, it will tax her. Each child with her…with you…as the GOD monster of the Secret Skins is made up of multiple…well…"
"Hmm?" Saitama frowned.
"I'm trying to find the right words," Stable Rock said. "I'll put it like this. With each of us you find, a child will be born to master our elements. One for each child. There are definitely more than four of us. Mitsumi is…the rainbow. The combination of us all from the fans. But she won't be able to bear them all at once for long points of time.
"There will be one set of fans to help guide the others, but the fans were given life to help her with this. She would not be able to control over a hundred fans on her own! She may be controlling over three hundred fans! Even more! It would be too taxing for her. So the fans will be able to react on their own to help her bear the burden of this. She will control direct movements for dire situations.
"The children you bear will inherit each fan set from us. Mitsumi will have the main set of fans for emergency need for direct control, but the children will have controlling fans only of that element. So, we will need to give over one more set of teeth for Mitsumi's 'master control set'. She actually only needs two more teeth from us for the fan set needed to be a pair.
"There may be a chance that a child can master two of our elements with the primary controlling sets, but it will be hard for them to control unless they have intense training in one element and then another. It is best to master one element before letting them accept another. This involves the art of even wielding the fans as she does. Do you see?"
"It's like how Fumio wanted to learn swords and using his fists. He can master one, but then needs to learn the other," Mitsumi said. "Some techniques will stay, but some can also be lost."
"Yes. Your descendants will be able to help monsters and continue to use our powers for good. Both of you won't be around forever. We will continue to protect and serve your family line. We may even give some longevity in the form of a gift, but that would have to be a closely guarded secret. And only your children will know how to seek you out for further training and guidance along the way. The purpose of the prophecy is for a human family to be protected by GOD monsters for as long as the line lasts. However, the line can never split too far off. It must be close-knit," Stable Rock said with a sense of warning.
"So, a child for each element. Or a child to master two elements," Saitama said with careful thought. "Their children should continue to master those elements unless something goes wrong and others need to step in to help. We may be given the gift of longer life, but we'd be hidden. Rarely sought out unless there is no choice. We would sort of…I guess…watch on the side. Maybe step in if we know we really have no choice but to help."
"Yes. Your children will be the ones to lead humanity to a golden age of life and cooperation with monsters. A true kinship. As more GOD monsters are created from the fleas of the corrupted one and raised with goodness in mind, it will become difficult to keep track of who will take up which element. It's possible that monsters that bear offspring, such as Wind Crane and Zenchu, they may be able to help guide and foresee the next set of children that can help," Stable Rock explained. "But I feel your first line of children may be able to handle three elements from the pure form of your line being started. We'll have to see."
"So, the main prophecy is that I would come about to start up a line of descendants that will continue to help monster and humans co-exist," Mitsumi mused. "With a stupidly strong husband."
"And we will make stupidly strong kids that will continue to make more stupidly strong kids. Hopefully the power in them will carry over, but I know that lineage can also weaken in time. So, it's important to keep the kids close, but only to a point that it's safe to continue the lineage," Saitama nodded. "I approve."
"However, with each generation, some of that power would be lost," Mitsumi frowned on reflection. "Like Saitama said."
"That is correct," Stable Rock nodded.
"And Mitsumi can't make kids forever," Saitama sighed.
"Exactly. We GOD monsters could help boost them with gifts. It's highly possible. But there is one bump in this prophecy," Stable Rock frowned. "The one that controls the Secret Skins. We must either wake it up…or peel away the layers that make it so strong. The fans are crucial to strip back each attack done. Say, oh…fire is thrown at us. The fans from Blue Ripple for water will get in the way. Wind is next, then my fans for earth will block the storm."
"You mentioned that before! To peel away the layers. So, that's what you meant! So, if we wake it up…what would happen?" Mitsumi asked.
"That I'm actually unsure of," Stable Rock admitted.
"I think it would fall into slumber," Blue Ripple said. "It would have nothing left but shame and its own thoughts."
"Or it realizes that it went about things the wrong way," Cold Snap said. "It can help instead of hurt."
"But what of the ones it is already controlling?" Tangled Vine wheezed out. "It has many followers now. We take out a few and there are more in the sides."
"All the more to zap them out of existence!" Bright Bolt snorted.
"Some can be immune to zapping. We don't know if that GOD monster also has lightning attached to it. Stable Rock, did you ever meet that one?" Cold Snap asked. "I know I never did. Heck, I haven't even heard about it until now!"
"I have not met this one. But I have heard of it," Stable Rock nodded. "I even remember trying to get it to talk to me. I was ignored. And I still am ignored to this day."
"You were ignored?!" Bright Bolt asked with shock.
"Disgusting," Blue Ripple growled.
"And it keeps ignoring you?! I mean…why?!" Cold Snap grimaced.
"I know why I was ignored and still am," Stable Rock frowned.
"Why is that?" Tangled Vine asked.
"It is not older than I," he said calmly. "But a thousand years younger."
"It's over four thousand years old?!" Mitsumi gasped.
"Yes. It felt there was no need to speak with me. It still feels this way, too. It figured we were close enough in age," Stable Rock shrugged. "There are times I will purposely call to it just to ensure I keep getting ignored. It's at a point that I want to ensure I am annoying it into thinking I don't exist. This way it won't try to see what we are doing until it is too late."
"So…if it starts to get interested in us…you shout out at it for it to look away?" Bright Bolt asked with amusement.
"Precisely," Stable Rock grinned. "This way it thinks it's just me trying to get its attention. It further ignores me in full."
"Stable Rock, do you know how many followers it has?" Mitsumi asked.
"I do, actually. And it's not as many as you think," Stable Rock chuckled. "Many of them are still children. To me, that is. The very first ones that were made are only about three hundred years old. As humans started to become more advanced, this GOD monster of us wanted more information. Best way to do that while still being lazy? Make a bunch of 'children' to gather things for it. Then give a small reward gift with a little attention."
"But how many of them are there?" Saitama asked.
"Less than five hundred for now. I knew what your false mother was doing with the jars. And I'm glad you took them out," Stable Rock said seriously. "As GOD monsters go, we are not allowed to intervene on things directly. I also would not have cared. Back then. If it was now, I would have used the earth to swallow that building to crush everything in it to protect you, Mitsumi. I do want to see the 'pure' flea that was caught in time. I do know there are a few others out there.
"The one your brother had was destroyed. The other that we have in our grasp was untouched by human flesh, so that one may show some interesting promise. Another was found that was destroyed by acid and flame. That was the one at the fireworks event that Wind Crane told me of. The reporter from your wedding has one. He worked directly for your false mother. The last one I can sense is…hiding. It is waiting for confrontation," Stable Rock mused at what he was getting. "It knows it's just a matter of time before it is found."
"You know where it is?" Saitama asked with a grin.
"I do," Stable Rock grinned back. "We could catch it now…?"
"Do we kill it? Or experiment?" Bright Bolt asked.
"I would say to experiment. Not many of these are around now. It may hold some intricate surprises," Stable Rock nodded.
"Does it hold an elemental power?" Mitsumi asked.
"That I don't know," Stable Rock frowned. Then he grinned and said, "But we may be able to give it one and see if the monster it makes can leave us an egg."
"Oooh!" Bright Bolt said with excitement.
"Okay. I'm in. When do we go?" Saitama said with a wicked grin of anticipation. He glanced at Mitsumi and saw her frowning.
"The reporter has one from my fake mother. We need to let Inichi know," she said. Stable Rock was already laughing at her.
"I already told him the moment it was discovered," he said with soft laughter. "I will always report things as I find them that concern you, little sister. Worry not about that."
"Thank you," she smiled and moved from the couch to get hugged by him.
"You are the youngest and most precious of my family now. Other than any hatched by eggs. Here," he said and gave over a prismatic diamond shard. She blinked at it and looked at him. "Much like Blue Ripple's spine, if you bite on it, I shall appear to help guard you. None will be able to get past me. Except for Saitama, of course."
"She should have a spine necklace from all of us!" Bright Bolt snorted.
"I can see that," Blue Ripple chuckled.
"I did have an idea," Mitsumi smiled.
"Do tell," Stable Rock nodded and let her move back to Saitama.
"If we make GOD monsters of different elements, would those elements also control the fans? Such as, oh, wind and fire together could control the fans from Wind Crane and Fire Flight in a single fan set?" she asked.
"I honestly wouldn't know!" Stable Rock blinked. "But it wouldn't hurt to test that theory."
"This is gonna be so much fun!" Bright Bolt snickered with excitement.
"Let me change back. Then we'll go hunt down the one that has the flea from your false mother," Stable Rock said and rose up. He took up the golden staff to show he was getting ready to change back.
"Wait. There was a seam in your shell from your monster form. You slapped my hand away. What's that about?" Saitama asked.
"I'll put it like this," Stable Rock said with amusement. "If you don't want to become a statue of solid gold and locked in time…don't touch that part of my shell. Unless I activate it and direct it."
"You can turn people into gold statues?!" Saitama gaped.
"Humans, animals, plants, monsters…even landscapes. Why else would I be able to make so much wealth, eh?" Stable Rock winked a glowing amber eye and moved off to shift back. Saitama looked at Mitsumi and gave a blank stare.
"What?" she asked.
"My pet is awesome," he said to get her dying with laughter. Then Overgrown Rover huffed out at him to argue. Now he looked at his monster dog and said, "You called me names. You're a good doggy, but not when you do that."
It rose up on its hind legs and tilted its head at him for appeasement. He sighed and scooped it up to get a lick to his cheek. Stable Rock lumbered out to them and sat down in his gem encrusted shell. He looked at Saitama and swooned at the head scratching he got now.
"I will…never…want…to stop…this…!" Stable Rock said when the scratching was done.
"Much like my snuggles," Blue Ripple chuckled and purred at Mitsumi's loving caress. "So, what's the plan now?"
"We go…and hunt…" Stable Rock grinned.
"An hour?" Saitama asked.
"No. More like…ten minutes…" he snickered.
"Cool! Let's go!" Saitama grinned widely and rose up with Mitsumi in his arms. "We have a holding cell ready?"
"Yes. They know…at home…in…City Z…" Stable Rock nodded.
"If we make good time, we should go to the training chamber after. Then we'll come back here," Mitsumi said.
"Okay! We can do that. Stable Rock, where do I take us?" Cold Snap asked. The coordinates were given, and they flickered out in flash of sparkling blue light.
*Author's Note - And another chapter up! I know it was longer than normal in posting, but I decided to go through the ENTIRE story and gather up loose ends. Including fix up some areas that were out of focus, clean up some grammar areas and add in things that were supposed to be there but never made it. A lot of work, but worth it! I have quite a few things that were supposed to happen that never did, so hopefully the next few chapters will have that before a much needed 'time jump'. We'll have to see! Thanks for reading along!*