Alright time for the next chapter, gonna be a lot of little things in this chapter as we make our way towards the next arc. Gonna have a bit of a time skip to it, covering the events over the course of a a year, rather than a few weeks/months. Next chapter will also be more of the time skip, though it'll also lead into the next big arc, and that one I'm really excited for. Hope you all enjoy and I hope you have a happy Mother's Day!
Broken Angel: Rising Demon
Chapter 44: Finally, all Eight
-March 21st 2001, Zaofu, Bending Nations-
Luna awoke from a deep sleep; sunlight was peaking in through the curtains to her room. She glanced around as she blinked the slumber from her eyes. She was alone in bed, Riley was curiously absent. She sat up and rolled her shoulders, listening to the audible crap that ran down her spine. She let out a sigh and lowered her gaze to her belly. A smile spread across her face and her hands came to rest there.
Within her womb, a life now grew, a child shared between her and her beloved wife. It had been almost two weeks since the two had left Republic City and arrived here in Zaofu, the home of Suyin Beifong, Toph's youngest daughter. Zaofu itself was unique and wondrous. It was a city built by a clan of Metalbenders led by Suyin herself. Her and her husband Baatar who had designed the city, had worked tirelessly to construct it, and it now stood as its own entity amongst the Earth Kingdom.
For a few days after their arrival the trio met with Suyin and her family. Toph's youngest daughter was overjoyed to see her mother again. Suyin herself had a bright, up-beat personality. Riley often described her as reminding her a lot of Toph when she was younger. Suyin seemed overly pleased to meet her grandmother, having heard a lot about her when she was younger.
Once she heard that Riley and Luna were there on their Honeymoon, she offered to let them stay in Zaofu while they explored the country, having learned from her Toph that Riley had exceptional transportation abilities, she already knew that it would be no great issue for Riley and Luna to venture halfway across the world to explore and be back in Zaofu before bed. The two welcomed the offered, and that's what they'd spend the majority of their time doing. After meeting Suyin, her husband Baatar and their five children, Baatar Jr. Huan, Opal, Wei, and Wing, and getting to spend some time with them, the two went off exploring, finding various animals to observe which was one of Luna's great interests.
Getting to see all of the strange and unique animals in the Bending Nations was a dream come true for Luna, and she hoped to one day bring her father here so they could explore together, and she could show him these wondrous creatures.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Today was the day they were set to leave and return home.
Luna quickly dressed and ventured outside to locate her wife.
It wasn't difficult to locate her, Riley's antics were well known to Luna by this point, and she knew well enough that her wife would never pass up the chance to train, especially with family members.
She found Riley in the midst of a dual with Wei and Wing, Suyin's youngest Twin sons. The two were accomplished metal and earth benders and fought well together. They attacked their great-grandmother from either side, pelting stones, and metal plates at her, trying to land even a single blow on her.
Nothing connected, not that Luna expected anything to. Riley had been at this for too long, she trained to hard, and tested herself on levels that normal people, hell even magical people could hardly even fathom. What she got up to when she went into Kamui to train was now lost to the imagination of her friends and family. The things that she used to do, the ways she used to practice, had long since stopped returning on the investment she put into them. Exercises designed by mortal minds, could never devise the means to give a god a workout. Even people like Madara and Hashirama, the closest things to living gods that humanity had managed to get to, were still human at the end of the day, their bodies still had human limitations. They had taken Riley far, built her up to an unspeakable level, yet now, after so much growth, even their training, their routines were just average for the godlike demoness.
Luna felt herself smile as Riley glided across the ground, her movements fluid, and mesmerizing. She hardly looked like she was even paying attention to the two, reacting to their movements the instant they began to make them. By the time they launched an attack, she was already out of the way of it. To perceive things on that level, to experience reality in the way that Riley did, it was something her mates could hardly fathom. They got a touch of it, just a brief touch from their shared vision, yet even that was interpreted by their mortal minds. Only those that shared in Riley's existence, those like Kaede, Yugito, and Gaia, could eventually grasp just how Riley's mind worked. It was something to envy about them, their ability to grasp the nature of her mind. At the very least Luna envied that ability.
Despite knowing so much about her beloved wife, she never turned down the ability to learn or know more. Being able to understand Riley, helped to get closer to her, and being close to Riley was a magical feeling, almost literally, given how her aura would bloom when she was around those she loved. The world brightened and the land turned green, the winds became gentle the light of the sun seemed to generate a soothing warmth. To be at the center of that emotion, that love, it was an amazing experience.
The boys seemed absolutely amazed by their grandmother's movements, how Riley was able to dodge their attacks, and avoid their blows with such impeccable ease.
Riley, as she always did with her family, encouraged them, and playfully teased them. She was a teacher by heart, always had been, and she never missed the opportunity to offer a lesson to someone she thought needed it. It was something very special about Riley that often went unacknowledged, much to Luna's chagrin. Riley was an excellent teacher and took great pride in sharing her wisdom and knowledge with others. Despite how guarded she appeared and openly admitted to being, when it came to a student that Riley was invested in, there was no limit to what she would share with them. If she thought them capable of learning it, or saw the drive to pursue a certain goal, Riley would be there to help them chase it. It's just who she was as a person. It was something she strongly shared with her Great-Grandfather Hashirama.
She continued to dodge the attacks of her grandchildren, her gliding motions, flips and twists through the air were utterly mesmerizing. In a moment, it was over, a single ducking motion, as Riley avoided a strike, was all she needed to counter-attack. Using Earthbending as they had, she allowed her magic to carry through the ground. Before either boy could react, a cage of earthen stone rose up like the mouth of some subterranean beast. The twin cages caught either boy in their maw, pinning them in place, and holding them still, bringing the dual to a sudden end.
"Wh-what?" Wei uttered in confusion.
"I didn't even see that coming, how did you-" Wing began to ask in amazement.
"I'm very fast, or so I've been told. You boys are well on your way, you do your grandmother proud. Keep up the good work." Riley offered to the boys as she took notice of Luna standing on the edge of the training field.
She released the boys from their cage and offered them a playful smirk before heading over to Luna, whom she scooped into her arms and kissed fiercely. Riley was passionate this morning, though she had just come from a dual so that was to be expected from her beloved. The demoness continued to hold her aloft as their lips separated, she smiled at her lover, in that gentle way the so easily reminded people of how human Riley could appear.
Luna blinked at her, before returning the smile, happy as she could be to have this person in her life.
Their honeymoon may be coming to an end, but it was just the start of a new chapter in their lives, and a continuation of their love.
"Morning, ready for some breakfast before we head home?" Riley inquired.
"Yes, of course." Luna replied pleasantly as she was lowered back to the ground.
The two quickly set off, joined by the twins as they gathered with the rest of their family for one final meal before Riley and Luna returned to Albion. Toph had elected to stay behind, she intended to keep an eye out for Korra and watch from a distance as she began her journey as Avatar. While Riley was disappointed to not have Toph around at home anymore, she respected her desire, and told her to contact her if she needed anything. Toph assured her that she would, and that she'd be waiting on their return to the Bending Nations.
After their breakfast they said their goodbyes to Suyin and her family, before leaving and returning to Albion.
-Riley's Home, Ablion-
Riley and Luna appeared on their doorstep, their shared vision returning almost immediately with the rest of Riley's mates, alerting them all to their return.
A chorus of greetings filled the minds of the two as they were welcomed home.
That night, Riley and Luna regaled their family with tales of their journey, of Republic City and the revolution they helped to stop, of meeting Toph's children, and Zaofu, and their adventures and all the strange and incredible creatures they'd seen. They finished their tale by revealing Luna's pregnancy to their family. A reveal that was welcomed by all and anticipated by a few.
Their family simply continued to grow, and that was a wondrous thing.
-March 30th, 2001-
Riley's return home marked a return to normality in her life. She went back to repeating her daily routine. Spending time with her family, making the rounds, and speaking with them and if no one had any plans or desires they needed her help with she'd venture into Prime Kamui to train for a few weeks.
-May 15th, 2001-
Wars continued to ebb and flow across the planet. The battle for new land and resources was consistently the topic at hand. Albion sat back and watched, it's only contribution to these events being the deployment of the Legion as a mercenary force.
How it worked was that any all missions were brought before the Artoria and she designated them for approval. This would occur until her subordinates got a strong grasp of what she willing to allow for her soldiers and countrymen to participate in. As a few examples, Artoria was perfectly alright with protective details. Paying the Legion to guard VIPs or important locations, protecting caravans, or supply lines, these were easy requests, and she had no problem with sending the Legion to support these endeavors. So long as people were willing to pay the Legion for its services and the members of the Legion stayed within the confines of the mission parameters, Artoria had no issue with agreeing to these requests, the only stipulation being that they wouldn't pick sides in any of the conflicts, if both sides paid them to guard their supply lines, then both sides would have their protection, the Legion owed no allegiance to any entity beyond Albion, and when they offered their services as Mercenaries, it was to be as pure as the nature of a Soldier of Fortune could be.
Other missions were approached with far more caution and research. Assassination missions were only allowed on government and military figures, and the Legion would refuse any request to carry out an assassination in an allied state. Albion didn't have many formal allies at the moment, so there weren't many places they couldn't operate, but it was something to keep in mind as a state-funded mercenary organization. The Legion also refused to participate in direct attacks or assaults. Their services were allowed in a support role, but they wouldn't fight other wars for them, no matter how much they offered to pay them.
Thankfully there was plenty of cohesion between the government and the Legion. Artoria was an honorable woman and kept a tight leash on her soldiers, even when they acted as mercenaries, they still represented Albion, and were expected to stick to certain edicts and present themselves in a particular way. Itachi himself was also an honorable man, despite his willingness to step outside of those boundaries. Because of that, along with his pacifistic nature, meant that he'd rarely agree to send his subordinates on missions designed to engross them in war and conflict. They'd support fighting forces, but so long as Albion wasn't directly involved in the particular conflict the Legion was involved with, then the Legion would try and keep out of the main fighting and stick purely to support roles.
It allowed the reputation of the Legion to grow, as they became known as a staunch military force that was unbreakable in the field. A troop of soldiers dressed in dapper black suits, looking as posh as the British were known for, only for those same black suits to explode into tattered black cloaks, revealing elite combat vests, and a sea of weapons and tools that each Legionnaire held at their disposal.
They were a force that quickly earned world renown for their effectiveness. The Legion never failed a mission. If you could afford them, and their magic, than you could see any mission accomplished.
As days passed and the conflicts continued, the presence of biological weapons began to grow. Viral weapons, released by rogue Umbrella executives to line their pockets before they could be capture and jailed began appearing on the most violent battlefields.
The Legion was swift to involve itself in these conflicts, hunting down these B.O.W.s and preventing them from unleashing their horrific plagues upon the world.
In secret, the forces of Albion carried out their agenda to track down and destroy those who would deploy such weapons of war. Under the guise of a secret group known as The Organization, Albert Wesker, Kabuto Yakushi, and William and Annette Birkin worked to seed the underworld with specialized B. that were designed to be fully loyal to the Legion. These biological weapons were then sold on the black market, alongside Umbrella's experiments, allowing both to find their way into the hands of potential buyers. Then they watched and waited for their own weapons to appear, and when they did, they had the means to begin tracking the movement of the organizations that used their weapons for nefarious purposes.
The Organization operated from the shadows, never revealing its truer affiliation with Albion. If anyone managed to track it, their search would lead them to the depths of the ocean, to the underwater city of Rapture, rather than to the floating country.
Conflicts continued, and there seemed to be little hope that they would end, any time soon.
-June 30th, 2001-
Preparations were being made in Kumogakure, in a little over a week, Riley and Yugito's marriage would take place, and the triumvirate of nations would finally be established. Riley reacted with the same measure of excitement she always carried as one of her weddings approached. This would raise her total to seven out of eight, bringing her one step closer to being married to each and every one of her beloved mates.
Three months into her pregnancy, and Luna was starting to really show it. Her belly grew with the telltale signs of an unborn life, one that they already knew to be a girl. Arabella was the name they decided on, in Latin it meant 'answered prayer' which was fitting for Luna's feeling towards the child.
Excitement built around Albion as news spread about the political marriage as well as the Princess's wife's pregnancy. Their beloved prince Elric would be getting a new half-sibling in the near future, and that was something to take enjoyment from.
-Kumogakure, Elemental Nations. July 7th, 2001-
Yugito sat with a smile on her face as Fleur put the finishing touches on her hair. Karui sat across from Fleur eyeing her longtime friend with a knowing smirk.
"You're positively bubbling with excitement." Karui pointed out.
"I'm getting married, why wouldn't I be excited." Yugito responded sending a playful glare towards her old friend.
"Hey, I'm not saying you shouldn't be excited. I'd actually be kinda worried if you weren't excited on your wedding day. Still, you ever stop to wonder how far you've come in your relationship with Lady Riley. I mean, you used to hate her guts, and now you're getting married to her, and you're absolutely beaming." Karui noted with a knowing smirk.
"Feels like a lifetime ago, if I'm being honest. She put in a lot of work to get me to open up, and honestly, I don't know if we'd be where we are if she didn't try so hard. I didn't exactly make it easy for her." Yugito responded.
"You were guarded, and you had every right to be. Still, Riley saw somezing in you zat made her believe zere was a future wiz you. It is why she never gave up, and to be fair, Yugito, you never chased her away eizer." Fleur pointed out.
"I came close a few times. Still, she stuck it out, and well, honestly, I couldn't be happier." Yugito admitted.
"Well, I hope she makes you happy Yugito. You seem happy, seem bubblier whenever you rotate back to Kumo, it's honestly refreshing. I hated seeing you so miserable all the time." Karui said to her.
"Thanks, Karui, I appreciate the sentiment." Yugito responded to her.
"Are we ready?" Came the question from A as he stepped into the room.
"I am, my lord." Yugito responded, rising to her feet and offering Lord A a respectful bow.
"After so long with things progressing, I worried that this day might never come. I'm happy to see that it finally has, and even more so, that you seem just as eager for it." A said to her, earning a coy smile from Yugito.
"I didn't think I'd end up happy when you first gave me this assignment. Honestly, I was far too angry and mistrustful to see any sort of positive outcome. Even if it was for the good of the village, I'm happy that I was the one chosen. I don't think I ever thanked you, my lord, for pushing me to see this through. I know it was for your own reasons, and you never hid that fact, but still, I'm thankful for where I ended up, and for where I'm headed." Yugito offered to the man.
"I admit I didn't know how far to hope when this all began. A part of me just hoped that you did your duty and kept the princess's wrath in check. It was, after all, for the good of the village, though another part of me, did always hope that you could find some happiness in this. I've known you for a long time Yugito, since you were a little girl in fact. You've been a good and loyal subordinate and a good friend to my brother. Know that I appreciate all that you've done for us and continue to do. Kumo appreciates it too, and we all hope you have a happy life moving forward." A admitted to her.
"I'm thankful for that, my lord. So, shall we get this show on the road?" She asked.
"We shall." A agreed before offering her his arm and escorting her along. She was taken before a crowd of onlookers, well-wishers, family, and friends, where Riley waited for her. Both brides dressed in intricate wedding robes Yugito's were white, and Riley's black. There the two would be joined by magic, thanks to a goblin ritual, while they spoke their vows to one another, and placed rings on each other's fingers.
Not overly different from some of Riley's previous weddings.
The two shared a smile with one another as they were brought together. Riley's smiling was gentle, and seemed to fill the room with light, it was enough to almost bring a tear to Yugito's eyes.
'This is positively wonderful Kitten. I'm happy to see you finally tie the knot.' The Two-Tails playfully offered it's host.
'Thanks, Matatabi. That means a lot.' Yugito thought back, as she stared deep into Riley's eyes.
Following the typical procedure, they placed the ring on each other's fingers and began to recite their vows.
"Yugito, when we were first brought together, I didn't know what to think about you. I could clearly tell that you didn't like me, and I had little expectations that this would grow into something more. I chose to stick it out because I promised people that I cared for that I'd try. To this day, I think it's one of the best risks I ever took. Getting to really know you has been one of the best experiences of my life. Words cannot describe how happy you make me. I look at you and I see someone who is strong, and beautiful. I see a woman who loves her friends, and her village in equal measure. Our relationship may have started out rocky, but it grew into something beautiful, something that I adore being a part of each and every day. I don't think I've ever thanked you for letting me in, for opening up to me. I don't think I've ever thanked you for taking a chance on me. I never said those words but know that they've always been in my heart. I'm so grateful to you for staying with me, and every day we spend together, I find myself unable to stop smiling. I love you, Yugito Nii, I love you with all my heart and soul. I never want you to doubt how much this means to me, so let me say 'Thank you' from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for being mine. Thank you for being in my life. Thank you for letting me love you." Riley expressed as she placed Yugito's ring upon her finger. Yugito smiled brightly as she fought off tears, Riley's words pulling at her heartstrings.
Then it was Yugito's turn to place Riley's ring upon her finger and swear her vow.
She did so but found herself struggling to find the words she wanted to say. After a few silent moments, she finally composed herself and was able to respond. "Riley… what can I say to you that wouldn't just be repeating everything you've said to me? When we were first brought together, I was wholly against this union. I wanted nothing to do with you. I hated you. I was afraid of you. I didn't know you, or understand you, and I didn't want too. I've never been more wrong about a person. I've never known a person who loves as fiercely or as intensely as you do. I've never known someone more willing to put everything on the line for those that they love. I never could have imagined the amazing person that you are. I thank the heavens every day that I didn't shut my eyes to this. Here I stand, before the most beautiful person in the world, in mind, body, and soul, and I'm about to make her my wife. A wise man once told me to 'make the most of it, and find happiness'. I doubted him at the time, but I took a chance, and here I stand now. Half ready to burst into tears. I love you, Riley. I don't even know when that truth became a reality. It feels like I've always loved you, despite knowing that, that is so far from the truth. I can't imagine where I'd be right now if we'd never been brought together. All I know for certain, is that I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. You are the best thing to have ever happened to me Riley. I will always be grateful for the love you give me. I intend to spend the rest of my life repaying your kindness and love, with equal showings of my own. I don't need to hope or pray for a good future, I know that without a doubt, you and I will have one."
Riley accepted the ring, when the Goblin called on them to seal their union with a kiss, they did so without hesitation.
The magic of the two demonic entities bonded together, furthering their already seamless connection to each other.
The crowd cheered for their union, and for the cementing of the alliance between Kumo, Suna, and Albion.
With their union complete, the two got to enjoy the monotonous task of schmoozing with the political elite who had come to witness this union. Thankfully for Yugito, it was more so Riley that was the target to their questions, well wishes and political meandering. Thankfully Riley found a quick solution to her problem by dragging Artoria and Gaia around with them. The presence of the Kazekage, and the Queen of Albion drew attention away from the newlyweds, allowing them the chance to actually enjoy their reception.
The reception went on for several hours, but once it concluded, Riley and Yugito wasted no time in disappearing. For their honeymoon, Yugito intended to show Riley around the Land of Wind, to all sort of places that Yugito had seen and gone to in her life. They planned to spend two weeks just traveling around the country, visiting all of the tourist traps, while also taking stock of everything that had changed due to Second Impact.
Because the Land of Lightning was mostly mountainous, it suffered only minor damage during the flooding, still though, due to the rising oceans, new saltwater rivers had appeared, and some rivers and lakes that were close to the shoreline disappeared forever, much to Yugito's disappointment. It was a fun time, but it had it's sobering moments, as on occasion they would have to take stock of places that had vanished beneath the waves.
Aside from a few missteps the two ultimately enjoyed their time together and returned to Albion at the end of their honeymoon.
-London, Albion. October 6th, 2001-
Luna let out a long groan before pushing again. On one side of her, Riley sat, and on the other Elizabeth. Luna had been in labor for close to twelve hours now, little baby Arabella was ready to come out, she was just taking her sweet time getting there.
"Breathe, just one more big push." Hashirama said to her.
"Riley… remind me to kill you when this is over…" Luna muttered, sending an angry glare towards the demoness. Riley blinked at the threat and tried her hardest not to smile. That was about the most un-Luna-like thing she had ever heard her mate utter. Yet considering she was in the middle of giving birth, Riley decided to let her have it, and not comment on it, or well...
"You wanted this…" Riley replied with a smile.
Luna gave her a pouting look before giving bearing down. Soon a cry filled the air, and with a gasp, Arabella was finally born.
Hashirama quickly handed off the child so she could be cleaned up while he focused on helping Luna finish with the birth.
"Congratulations!" Elizabeth offered as the child was passed back to Luna.
"Beautiful." Riley cooed as she rested her head on Luna's as her wife stared down at the deep blue eyes on of their child.
Arabella quietly grumbled and tiredly met her mothers' gaze. Riley and Luna could both tell just from looking at her, that powerful magics boiled within her. Riley noted the familiarity in Arabella's magic. She felt like she'd seen it before. A quick glance between Elizabeth and the child caused the connection to form. Arabella's magic was a lot like Elizabeth's. For a moment, Riley began to wonder if perhaps their newborn daughter would have time related powers like her big sister.
That would definitely be an interesting and somewhat frightening prospect. She'd have to keep a close eye on this child, to make sure no accidents occurred.
For now, though, she was just happy to welcome a new member to the family. Soon she'd be able to introduce her newest child to the rest of her siblings. As hard as the last few hours were, it was most definitely worth it. With the birth of Arabella Riley had the opportunity to further bond with her twin sister as Hinata had also just given birth to their second child, a daughter they named Himawari. With both girls having been born within a month of each other, Riley knew the two were going to spend alot of time growing up together. The thought was an exciting one, it was definitely something she looked forward to in the coming days.
-November 12th, 2001-
Europe had more or less begun to stabilize over the last few months. Fears of war breaking out were slowly beginning to diminish, and some semblance of normalcy was beginning to return to the western half of the continent.
The United Nations worked tirelessly to rebuild alliances and ensure that conflict didn't break out amongst its European members. Over the last few months, the organization had begun changing. Its power was growing, and more nations were beginning to see the benefit of falling in line under the UN's banner. As a political force, it was quickly rising to the forefront of the world stage, its only real competition was Albion, due to the country's military power. No one could dismiss the fact that no matter how large or powerful the UN became, it would never compare to Albion so long as the magical nation was in an alliance that held most of the Tailed Beasts, and they had some of the strongest magical beings in the world, including Riley.
With that in mind, they continued in their attempts to get Artoria to join them at the table. Instead of dismissing them outright, debates and discussions were held by the Round Table as to the pros and cons of joining the UN and taking a position as one of its leaders.
Riley knew well enough that this was SEELE's goal to help establish their New World Order, and she warned Artoria to approach any offer with caution. Over the course of the last several months, Riley had continued to watch and study SEELE from a distance, learning of the various members, and getting a grasp of the true scale of their power, which, much to her surprise, she found was growing quite rapidly.
While SEELE remained in the shadows, manipulating and continuing to puppeteer the UN, it's control over the organization only grew, and as the UN itself grew, so too did SEELE's tendrils.
The members of SEELE's inner workings were identified as high-ranking officials, bankers, commanders, politicians from every corner of the globe. They truly were a long-standing secret society with roots that ran deep.
One couldn't mention SEELE without also addressing Riley's growing religious following. More and more, people preached of her divinity. Even within Albion, people began to see Riley as a god. People on the street would gawk at her in awe as she went by them. Some would praise her, and even already on one or two occasions someone had approached her asking for help. In both cases it was in regard to healing, in the first case, it was to heal a man's daughter who suffered from a previously incurable disease, while in the other case it was a woman who was suffering from cancer.
For the first case Riley went to examine the girl, a child no more than eight. The girl was sickly and was fighting through a lot of pain. Riley admired the girl's spirit, but she didn't need her sensory powers to tell her that the child was fighting a losing battle.
After performing a few diagnostic spells and determining if she could heal the girl's sickness, she decided to share her knowledge with others, in the act of healing, her hope being that if anyone else showed signs of this particular disease that they could be healed in turn. So, once she knew how to fix the child, she summoned up a number of mediwizards, healers, and medical shinobi, even those like Hashirama, and Karin came to observe and learn, even if the two in specific could have come up with measures on their own.
Drawing upon her long history as a teacher, Riley walked them through the child's ailment, and then showed them the means of healing it. The method to restore her body, and give her more time, and the medicine that could be used to remove the sickness entirely.
By the end of her of a single day operation, this man's child who probably wouldn't have made it through the following year, now had an excellent chance of living a full and happy life. So long as she took her medicine until the disease was gone.
Not long afterwards was the second request for help. Cancer was a malicious killer, but magicals had come up with many counters to it, and its various stages. Riley provided the woman the medicine to heal her and encouraged her to tell others suffering from the disease to simply go to one of the magical hospitals, as they had long since discovered the cure for more mundane diseases.
She was thanked for her help and word quickly spread about her actions. The more her popularity grew, the harder it was to act as a normal person, thankfully Riley could easily solve her issue by simply not appearing as herself, casting a Notice-Me-Not Charm, or any other number of methods to avoid being spotted by the general public. Most of her family weren't generally socialites, or if they were, then people didn't know that they were Riley's family, so they weren't bothered by the public. That was sure to change one day but for now, Riley could deal with the issues of her growing fame.
Doing good things was an easy task, especially since it earned her the benefit of her mate's affections. They collectively loved hearing about Riley doing good deeds, and for the most part, Riley didn't have anything going on that required her attention. If she found herself out amongst the public it was usually because she had nothing better to do, so she was more than happy to help people with their problems if they asked her. It was a trait she shared with Hashirama, and Kakashi, just doing good deeds and helping people because it was an easy thing to do, and ultimately cost you nothing to do it. It was definitely an interesting dichotomy in her nature, being a demon and all. Then again, being a demon meant that she was ultimately selfish, and she helped people not because she wanted their lives to be better, but because helping them go her something in return. It made her feel good, and it made her loved ones proud of her. A selfish reasoning true, but at the end of the day would anyone complain.
Her number of followers on the home front was growing with each and every passing day, and it was only a matter of time before such a following began to organize into something more.
-December 2nd, 2001-
With peace more or less being secured in Western Europe, a commission had been formed to officially begin studying Second Impact. This commission created an organization called Gehirn, which was secretly being funded and overseen by SEELE.
Riley kept a close eye on the group and took a keen interest when they chose to focus their studies around UN research offices in Japan, a place that was far from the most stable region in the world. Considering neighboring China was still in the midst of a civil war, and many neighboring countries were engaged in their own conflicts for land and resources, Japan may have been stable, but it was far from the first choice to center such important research.
Riley definitely found it odd, but with her marriage to Katie coming up in January she chose not to invest to much time or energy into investigating, at least until after her eighth and final marriage was complete.
-London, Albion. January 15th, 2002-
Katie stood in her wedding dress across from Riley who was adorned in her own white dress. A goblin stood between them, repeating the same recitations that Riley had grown familiar with, yet never grew tired of hearing.
Katie herself was positively beaming, a smile threatened to split her face in two, and tears occasionally streaked down her cheek. She had done so well maintaining her composure, she kept herself from bursting into tears all day, yet now here they stood, and she was just a step away from openly sobbing.
Riley spoke through their mental connection, trying to comfort her beloved and keep her from breaking down. They were finally getting married, after so long together, the two of them were finally settling down.
"It's gonna be alright Katie, just a few more minutes, we can say our vows, and go eat cake." Riley said to her over their shared mental bond.
"I'm trying here alright. I'm just… I didn't think it would be like this. I'm so happy right now. It's like… overwhelming…" Katie responded. Riley gave her a smile and reached out to wipe a tear from her face.
Finally, the time came to say their vows to one another.
Katie went first, knowing full well that she'd be a crying wreck after Riley's vows.
"Riley… what can I say to you that I haven't said a thousand times? You're my best friend, and I've loved you since the day we met. You've always had a special place in my heart. You were there for me through the hardest days of my life. You've stood for me, protected me, comforted me, and guided me. You helped me become the person I am today. You fill my life with so much love and joy, and you never stop believing in me. You give me the courage to keep moving forward. You make me believe in myself. I love you, Riley. I've always loved you. Thank you for the life you've given me and thank you for the life we'll have moving forward. I love you with all my heart. Words cannot express my gratitude to you, though I pray that you've always understood. Through the good times and the bad, I am yours, and you are mine. You are my forever and ever. Thank you, my beautiful wife, for all that you've done for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Katie made it through her vows with as much composure as she could manage.
Riley accepted the ring and pulled Katie into a hug, whispering into her ear that she loved her, before they separated, and Riley was instructed to speak her vows.
"Katie, my brave Gryffindor. From our very first meeting I had you in my arms. Honestly, I'm just sorry it took so long to recognize your feelings. Since the day we started dating, you've always been a constant in my life. A moral compass that's helped me through some difficult times. You've always been a good person, and you've always encouraged me to be the same. Since the moment we ended up together I knew I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. You are my friend, my lover, and a source of encouragement when I needed it the most. You are a beautiful soul, and a wonderful person, and you prove it each and every day. I love you, Katie Bell, and I hope I get to prove that each and every day." Riley expressed to her, and as expected, Katie burst into tears as Riley expressed her vows.
With the placing of the ring, and a kiss to seal their marriage pact, the two were joined.
Finally, after so many years, Riley was finally married to the last of her mates.
She was now joined with each and every one of her mates. Eight marriages now in total. Riley felt complete, she felt like she had finally taken the last step.
Katie and she spent the rest of the day with their friends and family, celebrating their marriage with one another. Compared to her wedding with Yugito, this was a quiet affair, filled with friends and family. Definitely less tedious than the last reception.
The two spent the rest of the day in bliss before vanishing to go enjoy their honeymoon.
Riley had already planned out what they'd do on their trip, she planned out an excursion around the world to see all sorts of incredible sights, and allow Katie to get her fill of exploring, which had always been one of her passions in life.
With the day completed the two wasted no time in setting off.
-January 28th, 2002-
Their adventures took them across the planet, though what had started as a mean to find some relaxation and alone time, quickly turned into a mission to help people. They had found a quiet place to relax, only to hear from some locals about a refugee center a few kilometers from there they were staying so Katie dragged Riley down there to try and help some people.
Riley went along with it, without complaint, and was more than happy to offer her aid, especially because Katie had asked her to do it.
Without much in the way of argument or discussion, they found themselves moving from one refugee center to another where Riley used her powers to help heal the injured and try to provide them with medicine.
It wasn't long before people started to recognize who Riley was, and of course, when people learned that the two were on their honeymoon, they were even more grateful.
Only one did Riley bring up how they were spending their time, just making sure that Katie knew they'd eventually have to go home. As much as Riley was happy to spend every waking minute with Katie, they both had obligations, so they could keep doing this forever. The more time they spent helping these people, the less time they'd have to enjoy their honeymoon, who knows when they'd have another chance to do this.
Katie accepted Riley's concerns and ultimately asked her what she wanted to do. If Riley thought they should focus on each other, then they could spend the remainder of their time doing that, no complaints. Riley responded by asking what Katie wanted to do, because what Riley wanted to do was spend time with her, she didn't care what form that took.
After carefully considering it, Katie decided that she wanted to keep helping people. So that's what they did. They went around to a few more refugee camps and Riley worked her magic.
It allowed the two a real intimate look at how the global wars were affecting people, and it allowed Riley an up-close look at how the state of the world was affecting her beloved wife.
Despite recognizing that nothing could be done to stop it, Katie was left depressed an exhausted by the state of things. Helping people out really uplifted her spirits, and she was incredibly proud of Riley's kind acts, but it still left her troubled to see it on a ground level and listen to the stories told by so many of the people who had been displaced by the flooding and the wars.
Eventually their honeymoon came to an end, and the two were set to return home. On their last night together, Katie thanked Riley for taking the time to do this. It was a good thing that they had done, and she was hopeful that they'd made a difference. Riley agreed with her optimism, but quietly she pondered just what it would take to put an end to these conflicts.
-February 14th, 2002-
For the last few weeks, Riley had spent her time in deep contemplation. Her time spent with Katie on their honeymoon had allowed her a clear view of just how the war was affecting those she cared about, and a further blow came not long after they returned to Albion when Katie's team was deployed onto a guard mission to protect the movement of supplies near a war-torn region in Africa.
Katie offered no complaints, but Riley was displeased.
Katie was still on that mission, and though she kept herself from being seen, Riley spent a lot of time keeping an eye on her newest wife as she watched over caravans in the desert.
Things came to a crux after an ambush. One of the caravans they were guarding was attacked. Nothing that the five-man team of Legionnaires couldn't handle, but watching it happen flipped a switch in Riley's mind, and she decided she was done tolerating this endless series of war.
"It's time I ended this nonsense." Riley thought to herself as she gazed out over the planet.
Without warning to anyone, not even her friends and family, on Valentine's Day morning, Riley launched into action a display of power that would force the entire planet into submission.
Using her Byakugan she located every conflict occurring at that moment across the planet. Everywhere battle took place, Riley pinpointed it and sent a Shadow Clone to that location.
Within minutes Riley had hundreds of Clones spread across the world.
"What are you going to do?" Kurama inquired as he observed her actions.
"I'm putting an end to this Kurama. These pointless battles have gone on long enough. It's time they found another solution to their woes. All of this fighting has been amusing to a point, but it can't go on forever. We have future wars to prepare for, and I'm tired of my loved ones having to endure the constant negativity. It's time I gave the world a true showing of power." Riley thought back, her words earning a dark chuckle from Parallax as it saw in her mind what she planned on doing. The embodiment of Fear knew without a doubt that it would feast well today.
Several more moments passed as the remainder of Riley's clones got into position.
Once they were situated on each and every battlefield. Riley began channeling a huge torrent of power. In unison, every single one of her Clones activated their Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, and through it, they activated Susano'o.
Across the planet a swarm of armored titans began to emerge. Riley had no intention of sticking to practicality, she unleashed a massive amount of power, allowing each clone to manifest the Full Body, Perfect Susano'o.
While each clone carried only a fragment of Riley's total power, it was enough for them to create the mighty avatar. It may not have been anywhere near the extent of how far she could push the Susano'o, but it was still relatively close to what Madara could perform in his youth, when he first unleashed the technique against Hashirama and his allies.
On battlefields across the world, a blinding flash of light lit of the sky, and from that light emerged a black and red avatar of the God of Valor.
Soldiers and civilians across the planet could do nothing but stare up in dumbfounded terror and amazement as a three-hundred-foot-tall giant manifested in the air over them.
In unison, almost every battle on earth ceased as people stared up at the towering giants in disbelief and terror.
The real Riley stared down at the planet and with a crack of her neck, she unleashed her final display.
Around her body, blackness began to explode outward. Raw black energy that emanated outward and expanded further and further as it took on a humanoid shape. This shape was massive, its final size closing in at around five kilometers tall. The black shape became more humanoid, and around it, burning red and yellow armor began to form. It sported two blazing red and yellow orbs for eyes. As its armor finished encasing it, the flowing darkness was left only two exit points which were upon the titans back. Jets of black energy blazed out of these holes, giving the titan the appearance of two wings coming from its back. In one hand the titan carried a jumonji yari, made of burning purple flames, and in the other hand it carried a kusarigama made of yellow light, with the chain wrapped around its forearm.
Riley's exact position within the monstrous construct was unknown to any outsider as she could not be seen beneath the armor, or within the blackness therein. Long ago Riley had noted changes within her Perfect Susano'o and how she felt she could push it further than before. With a bit of study and practice she learned just how true that was.
By incorporating all aspects of herself, including Kurama's power, and Parallax's Riley could activate what she simply referred to as the Ascended Perfect Sunsao'o.
Slowly, the colossal Ascended Susano'o lowered into the planet's atmosphere. It lowered down until it was positioned in the skies over China, where some of the worst, and most intense fighting took place.
Riley then focused her powers, using knowledge taken from Voldemort's memories Riley used Legilimency to project her thought outward, allowing every conscious thinking being within range to hear her.
"People of the world…" Riley began, her voice echoing out into the minds of every person on the planet.
"My name is Riley Uchiwa. Many of you may know me as the princess of Albion, wife to Queen Artoria Pendragon. Many may also know me as the Goddess, worshiped by the Unitologists. Some know me as a teacher, some a friend, and some as a foe, and enemy to be terriefied of. Whether you know me or not, is inconsequential, because I know you. I know the people of this world, and I have watched as you've butchered each other." Riley's words filled every person's mind.
For a single instance, everyone, everywhere stopped, all of them hearing Riley's words, spoken in a language that was understood by all because it was spoken by the mind, each word conveyed in its purest form.
"Riley… What are you doing?" Came the question from Artoria over their shared bond.
"I have watched you kill each other, and I have grown tired of it. So today, I say to you all, to each and every person on the planet… Today the fighting stops. Enough blood has been spilled. Enough death has been sown. This world has enough tregedy in it. Today, it stops. The wars, the fighting, the massacres, today it all ends. I simply will not allow it to continue. To every brave man and woman in the world fighting for whatever cause has driven you to action, I give you this chance. Return home, go back to your people, to your loved ones. I will hold this peace, for as long as it lasts. Any who attempt to break this peace will be destroyed outright. I give this gift to the world, so that my loved ones may know some peace in their daily lives, so that my people may look out over the world and see hope instead of suffering. I give you this peace so that my children may grow up in a world free from this nightmare. Heed my words, people of the Earth. Today, the fighting stops. Those who claim to follow me, to follow my beliefs, hear them from my lips, the time has come to end the fighting, and work towards peace. Enough blood has been spilled; enough suffering has been wrought. I bring you this peace… find a way to make it your own." Riley finished her address and let out a sigh. That had been her first attempt at such a mental display of power, but she felt she had done everything right. At the very least, Artoria had heard her from the other side of the planet so that was a good sign.
Below her, on the battlefield, thousands of soldiers stared up at the colossal titan as it hovered in the sky.
Many could do nothing but stare in disbelief at the god before them.
Riley's words now echoed in the minds of all living people on the Earth, and for a brief moment, the two held its breath.
Across the planet, at every battlefield, Riley's clones floated encased in Susano'o their gazes transfixed on the combat zones below them or around them.
For a brief moment, probably for the first time in many months, not a single bullet was fired anywhere on the Earth.
"Do what you have to do, Artoria my love. I'm just sick of hearing about the fighting day in and day out. I'll enforce a momentary peace, and give humanity the chance to end most of these pointless conflicts. You and the rest of the Round Table, feel free to exploit this however you want. This is what I'm gonna do, you do what you feel is right." Riley sent to her wife.
"I'm not complaining. In truth I'm glad to have these conflicts brought to an end, still, I wish you'd have told me before hand so we could have come up with a plan." Artoria responded.
"Sorry, it was kinda a spur of the moment thing. I'll remember for next time." Rileyoffered an apology.
Through her clones, Riley waited. She waited to see who would try and test her, who would test their luck agianst one of the hundreds of floating titans hovering over every single battlefield.
She waited, and she waited. It soon became apparent that no one wanted to test her. Most people fled the area around her clones, though some, those the followed the Path, those that believed her to be a god, came out to see the titans.
Within hours, a number of her clones had gatherings below them. Religious people who came to pray and praise their deity.
Through her shared vision with her paths, Riley could see one of her clones come into view. In Africa, where Katie was, she came to where one of Riley's clones had put a stop to the fighting. Katie and her team stared up at the massive avatar of magic with wonderment and amazement.
"What the hell spurred this Riley?" Katie thought over their bond.
"I guess I just decided I was done watching the world burn for no real reason. Besides there's enough shit going on in the world without it actively burning to ground. It's time to put an end to these conflicts so people can start looking into actual solutions." Riley responded, earning a smile from Katie.
"Well, I most certainly appreciate it. I hope others do too." Katie offered in return, taking the incredible might of her wife, and how easily she had brought the world to heel.
In a matter of moments, a world, embroiled in war and conflict, was suddenly calmed. Fear, and astonishment, held humanity in it's grips. The world could only watch on in amazement at this sudden event. It would be some time before people began to realize that true scope of ramifications from this event. If this was all it took for Riley to reshape the social landscape of the world, than what couldn't she do if she put her mind towards it?
-Germany-
"Are you seeing this?" Came the question over the phone.
Keel Lorenz was staring at a telivision report that showed images of Riley's Susano'o as it hung in the sky over multiple battlefields.
Keel smiled to himself as he sat back in his chair.
"It's amazing. Her power truly is beyond any other." He replied with an inward chuckle.
"She's given us everything we need. With the presence of these titans, the world will have no choice but to agree to pursue the Evangelion project. Those that follow her will wish to stand by her side, and those that stand against her will need a weapon to free themselves from her control. No matter which side of the aisle they find themselves on, they'll support the project. Today, she's given us everything we need to take the next steps. The Instrumentality project is progressing along, just as it was foretold." The voice continued.
"Just as it was foretold." Keel repeated, still smiling at the sight of their Goddess in all of her glorious might.
"It's time we accelerated our plans. She has provided us the opening. Unable to turn to war, humanity will need to find solutions to their problems. With the aide of the UN we can further garner support and continue to elevate our power. Things are progressing smoothly. The next few weeks and months will be very exciting." Keel spoke after a few quiet moments.
"Yes. Praise be to Her, our guiding light. May our spirits be joined with hers, in the light of the everafter." The Voice spoke in praise.
"In the light of the everafter…" Keel repeated reverently. All things were progressing as anticipated. SEELE grip over the UN would soon be absolute, and with Riley's declaration, a massive opportunity had just fallen in the UN's lap. If they exploited it correctly, they could expand their power to levels never seen before. They were only missing one final piece to make it happen. They needed the Albions. Once they had the aide of those magical powerhouses, they truly would have everything they needed to continue with their plans. Today… was a momentous day.
To wonder what tomorrow might bring…
-To Be Continued-
Alright there we go. Hope you all enjoyed. We finally got all of our wedding caught up with. Riley is now married to each and every one of her mates. Riley's also decided to end all of the wars on the planet with a show of absolute force. What'll come from this, and what exactly is SEELE planning, can't wait to find out. Next chapter will contain the rest of the Time skip, focusing on the event leading up to and into the next arc, which will be a big one. It's time for Riley, Artoria, and Katie to go on an adventure, and rescue a child in need. Which child is this? And where will they be going? Well, let's just say that it's time to put heroes and the Holy Grail to rest.