No Need for (The) Conception

by Nena Camadera

Tenchi's life was pretty good. He spent his summers with his grandpa, he was entering his final year in highschool, and freed a 700 year demon from her prison. He even almost got a girlfriend, which was the real cherry on top. Then the world ended. "Life's a bitch, then you die." But sometimes you come back.

34. Seals

Vortex World,

Okinawa Prefecture, Shintoshi Hill Apartment Complex

Kagatsuchi 5/8 Waxing

In a dreamy haze, Yosho awoke naked, warm and comfortable, with a hot body pressed into his chest and a light sheet covering his body. One arm hung loosely around whoever his latest bedmate was, and he felt a soft breast fill his palm. Without thought he squeezed it, his finger searching for and playing with the areola, feeling the small nub at its center respond to his touch. He inhaled and smelled gunpowder and Frankincense; an unusual, if not unpleasant, combination that brought to his mind's eye the image of dogs.

Blinking away dreams of phantoms and their makeshift gods and demons, he spied a mane of long, mussed, teal hair, the glitter of a silver chain against a pale neck and bare shoulders, and felt his memories of the past several…intense, extracurricular hours return to him. Well, this is an unexpected development, he thought, observing the comfortable ache that spanned his entire body, and how his groin throbbed with fatigue. It had been quite some time since he'd shared a bed with another person. Especially one who was…experienced. Kasumi's death had left him with a child and shrine to care for alone, and Tenchi's birth had left him stuck for quite some time under the illusion of an aging priest; people didn't approach the Masaki Shrine to flirt, and many of the visitors tended to be moving from graying to silver. There were the occasional trips off the mountain for business and rare vacations, yet the man had found that with time's passage, new generations, and Japan's evolving culture, the world had moved on without him. Finding a partner, even for an evening, had become a mystery.

It had been easier before Achika's birth. There had been wars he'd been drafted in with partners aplenty of both genders, and with Ryoko's initial imprisonment, he'd allowed himself to wander, comfortable with Funaho's ability to contain the demon pirate and exploring the alien land and his mother's people where he discovered many who found his strange mannerism and dress exotic and enticing. There had been more experiences at the Galaxy Academy with handsome, humanoid, lion-like Wau and even the brief, one-night stand with a furry, long-eared Science Academy professor after a long night of drinking. There'd been Airi…but she, like Kasumi, was gone now.

He heard Kiyone sigh in her sleep, then sing a small lyric he didn't understand. "Utu-nesert, Qerrti, Hraf-haf, Basti, Ta-retiu…"

It sounded familiar.

Does she always sing in her sleep? The Prince wondered, listening with half an ear to the unusual song. It was almost like a chant, one with a tune interwoven to allow an easier time in memorizing the song. Yet with what little he could tell of it, it held no verses, no chorus, no bridges which he could distinguish to link the song together. It was closer to a mantra, yet as he listened he could detect nothing to indicate as much; no restart, no rehashed phrases, no-

"…Basti, Ta-retiu…"

The man began to count, his thumb playing with the breast in his hand and feeling the gentle thrum of Kiyone's heart, still slow with sleep, as she continued her strange song. A minute or two passed, and he once more heard heard the word again. "…Basti…"

Forty-two.

Forty-two what though? Names? Titles? Objects?

He meditated on it for a time, closing his eyes and allowing the words to wash over him in a comforting drone. The song was soft and gentle as Kiyone slept and his thoughts faded as he listened to the sound of her breath.

The center of his forehead pulsed.

And the ex-priest opened his eyes and found the Black Cadejo staring down at him from where it sat on the other side of Kiyone.

Yosho froze.

The Black Cadejo regarded him coolly.

I am naked. In bed. With Makibi. Yosho thought, And her stalker death dog. Looks like. It wants. To. Eat. Me.

He could feel its weight sink into the bed.

Sucking in a slow, deep breath, Yosho gained his baring, staring at the creature's ears in the hopes of placating the beast. I have no weapons. I have no armor. I have only a cotton sheet and a naked woman nearby and one won't protect me and the other would need protecting. Be slow, be careful, and do not tempt fate.

A black ear flicked, and casually, the hound laid down, making itself comfortable as it regarded the woman it had come to rest beside. It huffed and rested its head on her side, narrowly missing Yosho's elbow by centimeters.

Tense silence befell the area, and then Yosho found his voice. "Who are you?" The words came out in a whisper.

The Black Cadejo stared.

"What happened to your friend? The White Cadejo?"

The hound's ears folded against its long head, and its lips pealed back in a voiceless snarl, baring long, sharp canines.

Yosho flinched. "Not a friend, not a friend, understood." He whispered quickly. He paused as the snarl began to fade. "You…understand me though."

The beast sneezed and licked its nose. Yosho, who'd become quite acquainted with canine body language since meeting Kiyone, took it as a positive sign. He nodded and licked his lips. They felt as dry as his throat with the dog's appearance. "Is the White Cadejo…gone?"

He thought he heard a growl from the beast, and then the creature sat up, pressing its nose into the crook of Kiyone's neck. Kiyone grunted, and the prince felt her flinch beneath the touch, though she did not rouse. For a moment, Yosho was concerned the entity was implying that Kiyone was the White Cadejo, yet a second glance showed its nose pressed firmly against the silver chain that hung around her neck.

It moved away from Kiyone, and Yosho spied the ankh from where it had snagged on one of the chain loops, leaving it pressed haphazardly against the woman's neck.

It glowed separate from Kagatsuchi's light.

Yosho glanced back at the beast, and though it had no pupils, no eyes that he could reference to distinguish where it was looking, the Prince could see the creature's nose and brows drift between him and the jewelry.

Hesitantly, the man moved his hand from Kiyone and to the silver. He sent a shrewd look to the beast, then pressed his fingers against it.

It felt hot to the touch. Too hot.

The White Cadejo stood snarling before him, its form mutated from the pure white hound it once was to something akin to a beast merged with Man. It howled at him, and he heard the raging scream of a woman intermingled with the deafening bellow of a radiating sun on the eclipse of a supernova.

He thought he understood it. 'Release me.', it sounded like, and though it lunged at him the beast passed harmlessly through the prince, leaving not even the wake of wind in its path. It turned on him, its mouth gaping wide and displaying rows upon rows upon rows of teeth, some canine, others human, all too many for a mouth of its size to hold. From the abyss of its throat, he saw something rise towards him. Hands. Arms. Like a viper's nest, they surged forth, tangling and weaving and groping for him, and though the beast could not touch him he sprang back. "Unseal me!" It shrieked.

A cold nose, as cold as a corpse prepared for burial, nudged his fingers away from the amulet, and Yosho returned to himself, sweating and panting from where he lay in the bed. Shaking, the prince rolled onto his back, heaving as he tried to make sense of the imagery and staring blankly at the ceiling. The negative, black imprint of the White Cadejo, with its hyper-extended jaw, its too many teeth, and the coil of hands and arms, stared back at him as if it had been a bright light.

The man ran a hand through his hair, squinting his eyes shut with a grimace as he recalled the strange glow of the ankh.

Perhaps it was.

His throat dry, the man swallowed, then picked himself up, looking over Kiyone's shoulder at the Black Cadejo. "What do you want-"

The beast was gone.

"I want five more minutes of sleep," Kiyone muttered, "If someone would stop squirming like a toddler."

Startled, the Prince looked down at the woman beside him, finding Kiyone's face had morphed into an irritated scowl. Grunting, the ex-cop gathered a fistful of sheets and pulled it up to her neck, curling into a tight ball of protest. The man stared at her, then looked around the room, finding it empty of anything sans the two humans who'd come to dwell there.

Inhaling through his nose, Yosho fought to get his heart back under control, easing himself back down onto the bed. "Sorry." He mumbled and caught the ankh shine against Kagatsuchi, the matching silver ring resting on top of it. "…Had a nightmare."

"Join the club." Kiyone remarked, then sighed, opening her eyes and staring at the wall across from her. She looked over her shoulder at him with a soft frown. "Must have been a bad one. You look like something chewed you up and spit you out, MJ."

Maybe something did. Yosho thought, and rubbed his face before letting his arm drop, hanging listlessly over the side of the bed. "Bad dream is all."

"What about?"

Yosho grimaced. "…The trial." He lied. "But I was fighting Ryoko instead."

Kiyone snorted, then rolled to face him. "Yeah, I'd probably freak out too." She said, and Yosho slipped an arm around her, drawing her close. She felt uncomfortably warm against him after touching the ankh, and Kiyone made a face. "You're sweaty."

"Are you certain that wasn't from the passionate lovemaking we shared?" Yosho teased, leaping at the opportunity to change the subject and smirking when Kiyone scrunched her brows together.

"What, your blood still hot?" Kiyone half-growled, "What is it with Juraian libidos?" He felt a hand slip across his chest and make its way south. "I swear, it's unending."

The man groaned. "As if you're one to talk, Instigator." Yosho felt his body respond on its own to the woman's touch, jerking beneath playful fingers that tickled and teased his body to rising. "Please stop."

"What, afraid it'll fall off?" Kiyone removed her hand from him, bringing it back to rest against his chest.

Yosho snorted. "More afraid of the audience we've acquired." He jutted his chin, listening as the click of sharp, canine nails entered the room and smiled as Kiyone yelped, catching sight of not only Pascal, but also Ol' Koneko observing them both from the bed's footrest.

"And a pleasant morning to you too." The nekomata said, hopping off Pascal's shoulders and onto the bed, leaping over sheets and limbs and onto Yosho's chest. "Glad to see you having so much fun."

Yosho grunted, scooping the feline up with one arm and sitting up. The nekomata headbutted him, then adjusted himself against the man's chest, smiling up at first Yosho, then sending a feline's sly, smug look to Kiyone.

"Damn cat." Kiyone growled, sitting up and drawing the sheets up against her chest as she turned her glower on the demon hound. "Pascal, out!" She pointed, and to Yosho's growing amusement the dog instead ignored her, smiling as he sat at the base of the bed, panting in laughter at them both.

"Dare I ask?" Yosho said, moving a hand to stroke the old youkai and holding still as the nekomata investigated the scents there instead.

Let's just say you collectively made enough noise that left little to the imagination. The cat's ears went back, and he jerked his head back. …Don't touch me with that hand until you've washed, or I'll be forced to groom you myself.

Yosho jumped, staring at the feline with wide, burgundy eyes, and a choking noise emerged from Kiyone's throat.

"Pascal, don't tell me you too…" Kiyone moaned.

The beast thumped his tail against the wood. "LOUD." He trotted over to Kiyone's side of the bed and put his forepaws on top of the mattress. The sheets snagged beneath his massive claws.

"Pascal, don't you dare." Kiyone snapped, "Not while there's two of us on here, you know better."

The demon dog whimpered, and his gaze looked past Kiyone to Ol' Koneko, who tossed his twin tails at the hound as if mocking him.

The detective scowled. "Yeah, I know, but the cat is five pounds of fluff and needles. You, Good Sir, are well over two-hundred pounds of muscle, claw, and fang."

"YOU LEFT." Pascal accused.

"I was literally in the next room over." Kiyone retorted, then sighed, turning to face the beast and scooting to the edge. Yosho leaned back with Koneko still in his arms, taking the moment to admire her back and everything south of it. He just missed the half-hearted pillow that was swung towards him. "Don't you start. You're the one that ended it, don't forget."

"It cannot be helped if the full moon holds sways over the tides of Man." Yosho replied, and laughed outright as Kiyone cringed, turning red from the neck up in embarrassment.

"I hope you're proud of yourself." Kiyone grit her teeth and deliberately turned her back to him, focusing on Pascal as Yosho released Ol' Koneko from his arm.

"You'd both best shower if you don't want to be caught by…certain parties. Ol' Koneko warned. "You both stink so much that even someone as nose-dead as Thor would know you shared a bed."

"Thor…" Kiyone trailed off, and for a moment the room was quiet. Then the woman slowly looked back over her shoulder at Yosho, and his own wide eyes found his expression reflected on the detective's face. "Oh…fuck."

Somewhere far, far below them, something hit a wall with enough force to rattle the entire building's foundation. "Shit." The two of them scrambled out of the bed, spilling nekomata, sheets, and discarded clothes in their haste.

"I need to get out of here." Yosho was pale. "He's coming to check on you. If he sees me in here naked he'll crush me."

Kiyone grunted, gathering a pile of clothes that could have belonged to either of them and thrusting them at Yosho. "Out the window. Now."

"Excuse me!?" The man's brows shot up into his forehead. "Have you lost your—"

Kiyone shoved him to the window. "Shut up and do it. You out the window, I run to the shower, and Pascal guards the bathroom door. Take your cat with you."

"This is a notoriously bad idea." Ol' Koneko remarked, hopping back on top of the bed to watch the two flailing humans in amusement.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Kiyone snapped.

"He could hide under the bed."

"All Thor has to do is sit on it and MJ would be crushed."

"There are demons outside." The ex-priest was pulling a shirt over his head. It felt tight.

"That's what your cat is for." Kiyone grabbed a pair of pants, held them up, examined them, then threw them at Yosho. "Get going! Or I'm leaving you to explain you're presence here when the bedroom smells like a whore house with you as their best customer."

"My sword is here!" It was a weak excuse, and Kiyone sent Yosho a murderous look, swore, and vanished from the room. With her departure, Yosho tried to slip into a pair of pants, and felt the floor shake beneath his feet. Is that Thor? He got a leg and a half into the pants before Kiyone returned in a rush, both arms full of the sword and its ill-fitting sheath.

"Catch!"

"What are you-don't throw it!"

Kiyone threw the fifty-pound sword towards Yosho with a shout, and the man could do little other than hobble out of the way with one leg half-way through the pants with a yelp as the heavy metal fell towards him. The weapon just missed colliding with him and the Juraian stared at the woman in disbelief as she once more pointed towards the window before retreating from the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Stunned, Yosho could do little but stare at her retreating form. "We're…on the ninth floor of an eleven-story building."

Pascal panted with laughter, then trotted out of the room after his master, tail wagging in delight. The man turned his gaze to Ol' Koneko, whose tail lashed in discontent. "Put some pants on." The cat said. "If that really is Thor, I want no part in the reunion."

"You're taking her side?" Yosho pointed after Kiyone, staring at the beast with intermingled disbelief and betrayal.

"I choose life." Ol' Koneko retorted, then trotted up to the window and hopped onto the ledge. The two tails thrashed, and the latch popped open, the window sliding open as if by magic.

The Prince stared at the beast helplessly, then resigned himself to his fate, stumbling into the pants before grabbing the sword and positioning it over his back. "Let's go, Traitor." He growled and followed the beast onto the ledge. "If I die because of this, I will come back from whatever Underworld I'm thrown in and drag you and Cadejo back down with me."

"Good luck." Ol' Koneko's voice was snide. "Death does not stick to the angel."

"So you claim," Yosho muttered, and watching the cat trail off, tried not to look down as he stepped onto the ledge after it.

The wind was ferocious this high up, and it was only a childhood raised in great, expansive trees and training on uneven and threatening terrain that allowed Yosho to keep his baring. With pursed lips, he followed after the nekomata, gripping every outcrop he could touch with his hands, his fingers, his toes, and the pads of his feet. His hair, normally combed and done up in a tight ponytail, whipped dangerously across his face, the black strands tough and stinging as they struck his face and blinded his eyes. His body stayed pressed tight against the wall, and not for the first time he cursed the large, bulky sword at his back. Juraian swords were designed to be small and compact for just such environments as this, where they would not obstruct in pursuit or flight from an enemy, where they could be easily pocketed and forgotten until such a time as they were needed. Where they could be used to cauterize a wound to stem the flow of bleeding or to cut through obstructions and allow for safe passage.

Not this…hunk of metal.

Myrkur…The sword whispered.

"Do me a solid and shut up until my life is no longer in danger, thank you kindly." Yosho told it.

"I have not yet said anything though." Despite the gale of the wind, Belldandy's voice rose easily to his ears, and the man stiffened, twisting as much as the ledge allowed him to stare at the goddess currently hovering in the air nine stories in the sky.

"What." Yosho said.

"What?" Belldandy tilted her head to one side. "…Yosho-san, please forgive me if I sound obtuse, but…why does your shirt read 'Juicy'?"

Yosho stared at her with one bemused burgundy eye. "…It's Cadejo's."

"…And you're wearing Kiyone-chan's shirt because…"

"…We slept together and she kicked me out."

"Well, that was quite rude."

"She thinks Thor is coming and didn't want either of us to die."

"I stand corrected." There was a hint of amusement in the goddess's tone. "Her actions were…justified."

A moment of awkward silence overcame the two beings as they stared at each other. Belldandy was the one to finally end it. "Yosho-san, would you like some assistance? It's terribly dangerous out here and I do not recall many Juraians capable of flight. Besides, there are demons present."

Yosho sighed, his head thumping against the rough, cool concrete of the building. "I would appreciate any assistance you could spare, Belldandy-sama."

Fifteen minutes later found them two floors above, Belldandy making a fresh round of tea as Yosho was offered a seat and a blanket at the small dining room table. The man wrapped it around himself in gratitude and ignored the smirk that Keiichi fought and failed to hide. "Nice shirt."

Yosho sent the shorter man a sidelong glance. "Would you like it?" He asked, "I believe it would look quite dashing on a man of your stature."

Keiichi snorted, for a moment taken off-guard, then he smirked. "Nah, I'm too barrel-chested. I'm afraid my arms would tear the sleeves."

Yosho hid his amusement behind a disappointed sigh as Belldandy entered the room with three mugs and a teapot. Handing out the mugs, the woman made herself comfortable beside Keiichi, and from where he sat in Yosho's lap, Ol' Koneko hopped on the table to investigate, abandoning the Prince in favor of the Goddess. The Norn, ever gracious, allowed the cat to hop into her lap and curl up on top of her legs, and was rewarded with a deep, rumbling purr from the feline. Belldandy stroked him with a large smile, then looked to Yosho. "I will speak with Thor." She proclaimed.

"Please don't."

"Nonsense. Thor forgets himself and Kiyone-chan has made it clear on several occasions that she has no interest in him. If he is ignoring this to the point where the both of you are fearing for your safety, then I am obliged to intervene on your behalf."

"I appreciate your willingness to assist us, but Cadejo and I both would rather you didn't, Belldandy-sama." Yosho persisted. "We may not always be together, and it would behoove us to stay in Thor-sama's good graces."

"At Kiyone-chan's expense?" Though her face remained serene, there was an edge in her voice. "Or your own expense?"

Yosho fell quiet.

The goddess nodded. "Thor is a good, if at times stubborn and foolhardy god. You would do him a disservice to continue this charade of malicious compliance, and should he learn such depict was used to remain in his grace, the outcome would be far worse than if I spoke with him now." Her tone left no room for argument, and though her face was kind, the Norn's eyes were hard.

At length, Yosho nodded slowly. "I…understand." He said, "And I appreciate your assistance."

The edge vanished from the goddess. "Wonderful!" She chirped. "Now, as much as I can imagine you enjoy your present wardrobe, would you like some clothing that is perhaps a bit more…fitted to your person, Yosho-san?"

Yosho flushed a bright, tomato scarlet as Keiichi looked away with a snort. "I would ah, very much appreciate that as well."

Keiichi rose to his feet. "I'll get you a spare. I have a few in the bedroom."

"You want to trade?"

"No, I'm sure Makibi-san wants it back." Keiichi looked smug as he departed, and Yosho rubbed his brow, recognizing in that moment that he would both never live the 'Juicy Shirt' incident down, and that Keiichi would likely be sharing the incident with any living human or humanoid demon he came across who had even half a chance of running into the prince.

Here comes Yosho Masaki-Jurai, the Juicy Prince. The man thought, and bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. At least none of my immediate family is around to learn of this. Or worse yet, Tenchi. The boy would lose every ounce of respect he held for me if he learned of this.

Aloud he said, "While I have your time, Belldandy-sama, there is another matter I'd like to discuss with you concerning Cadejo."

"If it's birth control, than forgive me but you've approached the wrong goddess. That is my elder sister's domain, not mine. I encourage life rather than prevent it." Belldandy said with a kind smile.

Yosho cleared his throat and looked down sharply at his tea, staring into the green, horrified expression that stared up at him across its surface. "That…is good to know, Belldandy-sama." He felt his left eye twitch with suppressed tension. "But that-that's not what I wanted to speak about."

"Ah, well in that case, blessings upon you both that Kiyone-chan may bare you healthy children."

"Don't you put that evil on my head!" Yosho snapped before he could stop himself, then brought his hands over his mouth with such ferocity that he almost fell out of his chair.

Belldandy's smile gave nothing away. "I see. How presumptuous of me. That is not what you wanted to speak of, is it?"

Taking a meditative breath, the ex-priest regained his baring. "It's not. We…spoke of the two hounds which follow her earlier. I…have some new information on them both."

The smile left Belldandy's face as the woman sobered. "What is it?" She asked, and Yosho was taken aback by the sudden graveness of her tone.

The man frowned. "The Black Hound-your Death as you called it-still remains with Cadejo. It…does not seem malign however, though it seems at odds with the White Hound."

"The White Hound is…strange." Belldandy recalled. "I suppose if I must put a name to it, 'alien'. Not like, shall I say…you and Kiyone-chan are alien to this planet, but alien in its…strangeness." She shuddered self-consciously. "It is a thing I do not like. It…does not belong. It is Cthonic."

Yosho frowned at the Norn's words, unnerved by the goddess's trepidation. "It seems it has been…contained?"

"Contained?"

The man scratched the back of his head, scowling as he thought of how to describe it. "The White Hound. It's…imprisoned, I think. It's in a piece of jewelry which Cadejo wears-an ankh."

Belldandy stared at him with a furrowed brow, leaning over the table in interest. "It has been Sealed?" She asked. "How have you learned this?"

"The Black Hound appeared to me-it has on several occasions now. Once to guide me to the ankh, which was in the Amala Terminal and to guide us to it, and then again more recently while Cadejo was sleeping. It had me touch the ankh, where I became entrapped in a vision of the White Hound. It wanted me to release it." He paused, and as and afterthought added, "It was…quite upset."

The brunette pursed her lips, her fingers drumming a beat on the table as she listened to his words with careful consideration. "How strange…I know of seals, and I know that we gods and demons alike can be ensnared within them; it was part of an agreement between Asgard and Niflheim many, many millenia ago as an alternative to slaying each other. Yet…I have never known of a being on either side being able to connect with a mortal in such a way before."

"Could it be a result of its own strangeness?" Yosho asked, "You said yourself it is an alien being that does not meet anything definable."

"Perhaps." Belldandy murmured. "Or it is because of this Vortex World. The normal rules we follow do not apply here.

"Masaki-kun." The two paused as Keiichi returned, a gray shirt in hand. "Here." He tossed it to the Prince, returning to his spot beside his wife. "I heard a bit of what you were talking about. I've got a small amount of experience with Seals too, and Bell's right. This doesn't sound normal."

A knock rose from the front door, thunderous and rattling, and both Keiichi and Yosho winced. "Thor." The two men muttered.

"Allow me to receive him." Belldandy rose. "This should grant you some modesty to change your shirt, Yosho-san. I hope he has brought Kiyone-chan with him; I would like to examine this Seal for myself."

The woman departed, and by the time she returned baring with her a hulking Thor and a haggard Kiyone, Yosho had swapped his shirt. Thor and Belldandy were talking—arguing, more like it. It wasn't Japanese.

Kiyone eyed them both like a pair of bears that had yet to turn their attention to her, and slid over to the other side of Yosho, planting the man firmly between herself and the two deities. "I don't know what they're saying, but I want no part in it." She whispered. "I don't know about you, but as soon as I escape this place, I'm packing my bags and getting the fuck out of dodge."

"What happened?" Both Yosho and Keiichi looked at her in concern. "Did Thor try something?" The prince moved to rise, and with a growl Kiyone grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back into his seat. He grunted.

"Forget it. It's fine. Everything is fine. I'm fine." She snapped, running both hands through her hair and gripping her head as she propped her elbows on the table. She glowered at the lacquered wood, and said nothing further. The two men were wise enough not to pry further, instead sharing a worried look before casting a suspicious gaze to Thor.

Thor paused, sensing their gazes, and turned to observe the group of humans. His eyes flashed with rage, and all at once the god seemed too large, too massivea presence, an element, a force to be contained in the small confines of a Japanese apartment. He glowered at them with blazing blue eyes as bright and intense as the blue-white of lightning, and only looked away when Belldandy said one authoritative word.

"Thor."

The deity wheeled on the Norn, yet Belldandy stood unflinching, the slightest bit of a frown on her face as she gazed up at him. She held a hand out expectantly. Thor began to speak, and Belldandy cleared her throat.

The tension which rose between them was palpable.

Thor's breath left him in a hiss, and grumbling, the man reached into his pocket and withdrew something metallic that caught the light. Yosho recognized it as soon as he passed it to the Norn and glanced at Kiyone, searching for any trace of the necklace. He found her instead glaring full-force at the two divinities, resembling less a retired police officer and more like one of the perpetrators she'd once persecuted.

The woman caught him staring and directed the look to him, her lips peeling back in a snarl that bordered feral, and for the second time he was reminded of the White Hound which remained glued-or imprisoned-at her side.

"Out." Belldandy's voice rang out, and Yosho turned to watch the woman point towards the apartment's entrance. "We will speak more in private. Not here. Not now. You have done enough. To do more would be to invite shame to the ones we have a responsibility to aide."

A rumble left Thor's throat. The man did not move.

Neither did Belldandy.

Finally, Thor sucked in a deep breath and lumbered off, seeming to shrink as he went; no longer the behemoth presence he once was and instead but a massive man in stature.

The door slammed on his way out.

Only then did Belldandy sag, a sigh of her own escaping her as she stared down in distaste at the item in her hands. Then she turned to the table, looking worn and tired.

Keiichi rose to join her, wrapping a supportive arm around her as he guided her to the table. "You okay Bell?"

"No." The goddess said. "And I am sad to say that we have worn out our welcome here in the Mantra's Lands. It would behoove us all to leave this place before Full Kagatsuchi."

"Way ahead of you." Kiyone grumbled.

The goddess looked at her. "I apologize on my cousin's behalf for his outlandish behavior." She said. "What he did was uncalled for. I hope you will not let him serve to represent all Aesir."

"I don't." Kiyone said tightly. "But if you think I'll let that fucker off for stealing my necklace-" She bit off what else she was going to say, and a vocal growl rose in her throat. "He ripped it right off my neck!" She yelled, and Belldandy grabbed Keiichi moved in front of her protectively. "It's all I have left of my husband! And he ripped it off and tried to fucking crush it! Pascal had to pry me away from him before I got myself killed!"

She stopped herself there, panting, before burying her face in her arms and screaming an oath.

For a long moment no one spoke, and Belldandy opened her hand, revealing the necklace and its two pendants, a crumpled ring and a twisted ankh, in their obscene glory. The Norn frowned sadly as she observed the two items. Yosho gingerly rubbed the woman's back, as of yet uncertain where he stood regarding the next stage of their relationship-whether their shared bed was a fling or something more-and was rewarded when Kiyone didn't shrug him off.

"I can fix but one of these items." Belldandy revealed, her voice tender and gentle as she reached a hand out, letting it rest on Kiyone's forearm. "I can save the ring, if it pleases you, but the ankh I dare not touch." She paused, and Kiyone raised her head just enough for one teal eye to meet blue. "Did Thor…speak of why he conducted himself in such a manner?"

"He said a lot of excuses." Kiyone's voice was muffled, but understandable.

"I wish such a thing were so easy." Gingerly, Belldandy slipped the contorted ring off the chain, slipping the tip of a thumb through it and pressing it against her palm. "Gods make no excuses for Man, however; it goes against our very nature. We will speak plainly, some of us may even lie, but Thor is a warrior bound by honor in his every action. Nothing, even a slight like this, is done without reason." She began to work her way around the ring, and where she pressed like the folds of a cloth the warped metal evened out, returning to its original state as it were made of foil rather than silver. "And while he was wrong in taking what was yours by force, he was not without his reasons."

"What were they?" Keiichi asked, leaning forward to look at his wife. "You and Thor were getting pretty heated. I've never seen you get riled up like that before. Even with some of our more…provocative associates."

"You have a wonderful way with words my love, have I ever told you that?" Belldandy looked at the mechanic with an impish smile that grew larger as the man pinkened. To Kiyone she said, "Though I am certain it pains you, Thor did have his reasons. He had hoped you would understand, however his own…baring prevented him from realizing that his actions would speak over any of his words." She paused to examine then ring, no longer bent and deformed but a perfect circle once more, and presented it to Kiyone, who eyed it with no small amount of suspicion. "Thor is concerned the ankh harbors an evil spirit."

"He said as much." Kiyone grumbled, at length taking the ring from the goddess and examining it with critical eyes as she straightened in her seat. She sighed and slipped it onto her right ring finger. "It fits too well." She grumbled. "It used to be too tight; it had conformed too much to my left hand's shape."

"Would you like me to change it?" Belldandy offered.

Kiyone shook her head, and as an afterthought added quietly, "…thank-you."

The Norn smiled and nodded. "Thor was reluctant to give me the necklace." She revealed. "The evil which now haunts your ankh is, in his words, corruptive, and could harm one such as me. He wanted to destroy it; to pulverize it and either bury it so deeply in the earth it would harm no other being or to shatter it into a million shards and scatter them on the wind, where the encased entity would be unable to find its freedom."

Kiyone was silent, staring at the ankh as her left hand played with the ring on her right hand. "He didn't though."

"He did not." Belldandy agreed. "He saw how distressed you became, and sought out my advice instead." The Norn stared at the detective fondly. "He respected you enough to combat his base desire in destroying it and to seek an alternative to the thing which resides within the ankh."

"I see." Kiyone muttered. "And?"

Here Belldandy sucked in a long and deep breath. "And," She began, "I am…uncertain with how to proceed."

The humans present all looked at the Norn in surprise. "…What do you mean?" Kiyone finally asked.

"Thor is indeed right." The Norn glanced at Yosho before returning her attention back to Kiyone. "There is indeed an malevolent entity within the ankh. It has been Sealed within, however…it appears as though the Seal was only marginally effective."

"What's that mean?" Keiichi asked.

"It means," Belldandy said, "That whoever Sealed the entity was weaker than the being and incapable of erecting the energy necessary to wholly entrap the entity. It is a rare phenomenon; there are safeguards on both sides to ensure such things do not occur for both the Sealer and the Sealee's protection, but there remain small instances where it occurs. When it does, the Seal becomes weak, and the entity trapped within remains active."

"I don't follow." Kiyone said.

"A properly Sealed demon or divinity falls into a kind of…stasis, if you will. A coma, you may call it, where they become inactive for the duration of their ensealment. This is to prevent them from going mad and seeking…we shall call it 'radical' retaliation against the opposing party. They become active again towards the end of their sentence, where they can move the item housing them to a location where a mortal might interact with it and release them." Belldandy gestured to the necklace which rested now in the middle of the table. "This however is…dangerous. I cannot speak for the being which resides inside it nor how it came to be Sealed, but after interacting directly with the ankh, I am sorry Kiyone-chan, but I dare not touch it again. The entity within is awake, alert, and seething in its rage." She shook her head. "I sensed violence within its heart, and a lust for destruction."

Kiyone stared at the device. "…How?" She asked.

"Likely from whatever occurred while you were in the Amala Terminal." Belldandy said. "Do you remember anything?"

Kiyone frowned. "Nothing after Alice appeared." She mumbled. "Is it really?" She reached out to touch the ankh, and both Yosho and Belldandy grew tense. Yet the woman picked it up with a frown, examining it with critical eyes as she wrapped the chain around her palm. "I don't see or sense anything." She said after a moment. "It's…just my ankh. Busted out of shape by a dumbass."

"You don't…sense anything?" Yosho asked.

The detective peered at him with a suspicious look. "Do you?"

Hesitating, the man nodded. "It…gave me a strange vibe when we were…together." He paused. "Will you let Keiichi handle it?"

All eyes turned to Keiichi, and the mechanic pointed to himself. "Me?" He asked. "Why me?"

"To see if you sense anything or not." Yosho explained. "Both Belldandy and I sensed something from it, yet Kiyone does not. You are the only only one here who hasn't interacted with it yet."

The man eyed the pendant warily. "I swear, if this thing possesses me or whatever like the Lord of Destruction, I'm killing you first, Masaki." He held his hand out, palm up, and with a scowl of her own Kiyone unwound the necklace from her hand and placed it in his. The man yelped, then dropped it, yanking his hand back as if it had scalded him.

"Keiichi!?" Belldandy reached for him, grabbing his offended hand and examining it. She hissed in sympathy.

Kiyone and Yosho leaned over the table to look at what had so captured her attention.

A red welt was already forming in the mangled shape of the ankh. "It…bit me." Keiichi said, stunned. "I—How's a piece of metal bite me!? I feel like I was stung by a jellyfish!"

The ankh rested where it had fallen, shining in the artificial light of Kagatsuchi.

His own curiosity getting the better of him, even Ol' Koneko moved to investigate, hopping back up on the table and sniffing the pendant. He sneezed and arched his back, twin tails puffing up as he hissed before retreating to the safety of Yosho's lap. Yosho wrapped an arm around the creature, and felt the youkai's heart pounding swiftly against his arm. A growl, small and soft, rose from the creature.

Kiyone eyed the beast before reaching back out for the necklace, this time picking it up by the chain as if fearing a similar result. Experimentally she touched it with one finger, then yanked her hand away from it. A second touch stayed longer, and with pursed lips Kiyone grabbed it with one hand. "…Nothing." She said, and looked up at Belldandy with questioning eyes.

"May I see it again?" Yosho asked, and Kiyone passed it over chain-first. The man observed it, finding the odd glow remained. Steeling himself, he grazed it with a finger and saw a flash of a snarling face, fangs looking towards him, and hissed as pain, sharp and stinging, laced the digit. The man yanked his hand back. "Nope." He said, and shook his hand with a grimace, staring at it and watching the surface begin to swell. "Morisato-san is right. It…bites."

Lips pursed, Kiyone reached out and grabbed the pendent. "…But not me." She revealed. "…the hell?"

"Do you think it sees us as a threat?" Keiichi asked. Beside him, Belldandy held his wounded hand between both of hers, her eyes closed in concentration.

"What do you mean?" Yosho asked.

"The…thing that was Sealed. It's awake, right? Urd said once that when demons or gods become active in their seal, they're aware of whats happening to the vessel containing them." He smiled in thanks at Belldandy as the goddess removed her hands, revealing unblemished skin on the palm once more and flexed his hand. "I mean…think about it for a second. The thing is aware of us and Thor-sama just tried to destroy its Seal so that it couldn't be escape." He shrugged. "I'd bite too."

"So why isn't it attacking me?" Kiyone asked.

At that Keiichi shrugged, looking to his wife.

Belldandy pursed her lips. "Have you asked it?"

Kiyone sent her a flat look, then stared down at the pendant. "If you think it'll work…" She mumbled, and cradled the ankh in her hand. "Yo, you there? Why you keep attacking everyone but me?"

A stretch of silence passed. Kiyone narrowed her eyes, her brows furrowing together in concentration. Yosho leaned forward, his hand shifting to the chain in the event he needed to rip it from the detective. Keiichi leaned forward, staring hard at the woman, and even Belldandy sat awash with quiet anticipating, waiting with baited breath for whatever explanation Kiyone presented.

"…yeah, it ain't talking." Kiyone announced.

Keiichi's head hit the table. Yosho leaned back with a groan.

"Nothing?" Belldandy's focus remained steady on the ankh.

The teal-haired woman shook her head.

"Peculiar…" The goddess presented the woman a hand. "Kiyone, may I see your hand?"

The detected provided her right hand. "What, do you think it has something to do with my ah…heritage?"

"I will not rule it out as a possibility." Belldandy replied, cradling the woman's hand with both of hers as she examined the palm. She fell quiet, and Yosho watched as a plethora of expressions danced across her face: concentration, surprise, confusion, and a dawning awareness that turned into a small, fond smile as the Norn looked back up at Kiyone. "I understand now." She murmured, and released the woman's hand. "You are protected." She revealed. "That ring you have…Keep it on you. It is truly a blessing that you have, and the love of your husband shines through its light even now."

Kiyone stared at her, bemused. "I…don't think I understand."

"And that is fine too." Belldandy nodded. "I am, unfortunately, bound by certain laws which prevent me from going into detail, however I believe there is a song which Keiichi likes to listen to from a band called Rocky Mountain Oysters—"

"Blue Oyster Cult." Keiichi was quick to correct her, a look of embarrassment flashing across his face.

"Yes, Blue Oyster Cult said it best." Belldandy said with a nod, "Don't fear the Reaper."

Yosho looked at the goddess sharply. The Norn ignored him.

Kiyone grunted. "Needs more cow bell."

Keiichi snorted.

"So…as long as I have my ring, the thing in the ankh can't hurt me?" Kiyone asked. "Is that what you're getting at?"

"It's influence on you is null and void compared to…shall we say, if it was Yosho-san interacting with the pendant. However that does not mean the creature falls into stasis when with you; it is still awake and seeking freedom. It may yet find it in your travels."

"Can't we move it to like…another seal or something?" Kiyone asked. "Like a transfer to another jail cell?"

"Would you risk a jailbreak?" Belldandy asked, "For if we were to attempt it-especially with an unstable seal already in place, that is likely what will happen. The entity will be freed, and I am uncertain if it will view us kindly."

"Great…" The woman grimaced. "So you're saying I should have let Thor destroy it."

"No." Belldandy shook her head. "What Thor was attempting to do is something I do not condone irregardless of what is trapped inside. No being, especially one who is not in stasis, deserves such cruelty. The being's nature is strange, otherworldy, and unyeilding, yes, but it is also a living creature capable of complex thought. To destroy its seal and scatter the pieces, or even to bury it deep within the crust of a transient dimension like the Vortex World is a fate of such rancor evil that the one responsible would face trial on both sides."

"Then what, you want me to abandon it?"

"Only if that is your wish." Belldandy replied. "You may keep it or you may give it to me. However it cannot stay here; Thor has made it clear he will not tolerate the seal's presence in the Mantra Army where the daemon within may escape at any given time."

Kiyone fell silent, and for a time stared down at the ankh thoughtfully. She looked at Belldandy, and for a time examined the goddess, her lips a tight crease against her face as her thoughts remained unspoken. Finally, she spoke. "Question for you."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a way to…put some kind of warning on the ankh?"

"A warning?"

Kiyone nodded. "A warning of when the Seal is about to break. Like…say it gives off an orange glow or something when the Seal's degraded by fifty percent, and the glow changes to red when the daemon's about to emerge. Can you do something like that?"

The Norn leaned back in her chair, folding her arms as she considered the woman's words. "It may not be in such a manner as a glow, per say, but yes, I can delineate a spell that warns of the Seal's degradation and when there is a significant change in its fortitude."

"Would you be willing to place such a spell on it?" Kiyone asked, "I want to keep it on me."

Yosho looked at her in surprise. "Why?" He demanded. "The ankh cannot mean as much as your life, can it?"

Kiyone shot him a glare. "It isn't." She said. "But…it can't stay here and I don't want it with Belldandy."

"You don't?" Keiichi and Belldandy were staring at her in bemusement.

The detective nodded. "I'll…tell you guys in private but…I don't think it's…safe to be with you two."

"Then what will you do with it if the spell is place on it?" Keiichi inquired.

Kiyone shrugged. "Once it gets close to release, I guess I'll find an Amala Terminal and have it send me some place random. I'll throw it outside, head back to my original place, and call it good. The thing gets its freedom and I get out safe. Win-win for both of us." She poked the ankh. "Sound good to you, Asshole?"

The ankh swayed silent against its chain.

Kiyone ran a hand through her hair. "Well call me a Baggins, guess The Ring isn't the issue for a change."

Vortex World,

Okinawa Prefecture, Shintoshi Hill Apartment Complex

Kagatsuchi 6/8 Waxing

"So where will you go?" Keiichi asked, coming to walk beside Yosho as the large group of mortals and lone goddess made their way up the hill to the Amala Terminal. Around them, demons of the Mantra Army eyed them warily, at times snarling at them whenever eye-contact was established; Kagatsuchi had just increased in intensity, and its rays were starting to take their toll on the inhabitants of the area. Now was as good a time as any to leave, and perhaps all the better because of Thor's souring impression of them.

"Well, Neither Cadejo nor myself are confident at operating the Amala Drum, so we are uncertain where we'll land. If I had more say though, I would prefer to return to the area nearest my shrine." He pointed up, and Keiichi craned his neck back, following his finger to the heavy, forested area above and to the far left of them. At their current location, Funaho stood as a massive beacon in the forest, a North Star that hung large, green, and brilliant against its surroundings. "I am Juraian, and bonded to a Juraian tree in turn. Funaho has been one of my oldest and closest companion, and I would see to her well-being in this Vortex World."

Keiichi squinted up at the forested area. "You really think it's still there?"

"It is either her, her skeleton, or something which has taken her place." Yosho confirmed. "Though I would hope that she managed to survive, time amongst you and the others have warned me to curb my enthusiasm. Now I can only hope for the best and prepare for the worst. But I would like closure." The man shook his head. "Funaho would be the last bit of family I have in this world. I have already accepted the fate of my son-in-law and grandson." The words came heavy, and with it came an unexpected wave of grief. Ah, that's right. The man realized, I have not granted myself time to mourn their passing. There had never been a good time, never a right time to say goodbye to Nobuyuki and Tenchi. He had been chased, hunted, thrown into combat, and almost outright killed since awakening to the Vortex World, and never was there a time or even a place to focus on the loss of his family, let alone his world.

"Perhaps that is what I'll do." He murmured, too wrapped up in his thoughts to remember who was accompanying him. "If I am able to return to the Shrine, than perhaps I can lay the memories of my family to rest as well." He sighed heavily. "I have no other way or place of doing it."

Keiichi regarded him in silence, then slipped away, leaving the prince to his thoughts as he moved to speak with his wife. Ahead of him, Belldandy strode forward with Kiyone at her side, dressed once more in leather and her COMP, the two women in deep conversationover the necklace and the new spell placed upon it. The Norn paused at her husband's arrival, and listened intently as he said something to her in a low voice before nodding definitively. Keiichi drifted back to Yosho. "Belldandy has you covered." He said.

Yosho stared at the man in surprise, and an open, honest smile spread wide across his face. "I see." He said, "Thank you, Morisato-san."

"Keiichi."

"Hm?"

"Keiichi is fine." The mechanic said. "After everything we've lived through, I think we're past the point of formalities." The man made a face. "Besides," he said, "I've been living with three Norns and their weird associates. It's gotten to the point where 'Morisato-san' sounds weird."

Yosho hummed, growing aware of Koneko pressing his body against him, the youkai a warm bundle of life that was as strange as it was a comfort. "Than I suppose I am Yosho."

"Yosho-dono Yosho-sama, or Yosho?" There was a smirk on Keiichi's face. "…Yosho-senpai?"

"Just Yosho, please." The man rolled his eyes. "I am no longer a prince or anyone of ranking, and the last time I was called 'Senpai' I had been drafted into a war to kill Russians."

Keiichi blinked. "You…served in the Japanese-Russian war?"

"Twenty-third Division, sixth reconnaissance unit." Yosho replied, "And if it's all the same to you, I would like to leave it there. I have few good memories of that piece of my life."

"…Fair."

The 23rd Division had lost approximately eighty percent of its men. Yosho, a man more familiar with war than he cared to admit, had done whatever he could have at the time to be transferred into the recon unit, knowing their mortality rate would be lower. All the Juraian refortification in the world wouldn't save a man from the infection of a stray bullet, poorly-equipped field medics, and what had been at the time advanced Russian armaments when he was transfered so far North of where Funaho was. The move to the recon unit had been successful and he had survived with minimal risk to himself; however, the ghosts of those who had fallen had returned home with him after the war had finally ended.

If the battle against Ryoko hadn't curbed his appetite for combat, the raw savagery displayed on both sides of the war against the Russians certainly had.

"How about you and your wife?" Yosho decided a change in topic was in order.

Keiichi smiled wanly. "We'll return to our original goal in assisting the Manikins." He said. "Maybe see if we can convince Thor to tell us where Futomimi is and see if he can be freed." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'll be honest Yosho…this is the most time I've had alone with Belldandy in…ages." He smiled. "I know that this world is pretty awful and dangerous and that Bell's sisters are still missing but…" In a lower voice he whispered, "You have no idea how grateful I am that they aren't here." An embarrassed smile slid across his face. "We're…taking this as an unofficial second honeymoon."

Yosho raised an eyebrow. "Did the original not work out?"

The man shuddered. "You could say that." The man sighed. "I got a favor to ask. Two actually."

"You're helping me reach my tree, and you and Belldandy both have done your fair share of assistance." Yosho replied. "Let me hear them. If it is within my power, I have no issues doing them."

The short man scoffed. "I didn't do shit." He said, his gaze on Belldandy as a warm, affectionate smile drifted across his features. "That's all Belldandy and you know it."

"Nonsense. Marriage is a partnership. You share in your victories and comfort each other in your losses. Otherwise you will never stand on equal ground and a gap will form between you." Yosho replied.

Keiichi stared at him, then looked away with a shake of his head. "You sound like my parents." He muttered. "You really are over seven hundred years old, aren't you?"

"I have no reason to lie with the world in its current state." Yosho replied. "What do you need?"

"First one is easy: If you run into either of Bell's sisters, can you let them know we're okay but we're ah…preoccupied? Urd will understand, but Skuld's still a kid and in general doesn't like to be told 'no'."

"You want a priest of my caliber to lie to a goddess?" Yosho sent a sidelong glance at the man, smirking when the man winced.

"Well when you put it like that," Keiichi began.

"I cannot make any promises with that one, but I will try." Yosho replied. "If she is anything like Belldandy-sama, I worry the words may be…pulled from me again."

"Oh trust me, you don't have to worry about that." Keiichi shook his head. "The kid's pretty underdeveloped on the magical-scale; she's…kind of like me, I guess. She prefers working with her hands. Don't let her age fool you; Skuld's a freaking genius when you place her around any piece of tech or machinery, and will have it disassembled and reassembled as some kind of robot or weapon or other doohickie before you can blink."

Yosho nodded. "How old is she?" He paused, looked back at Belldandy, and recalled Freya. "…At least…how old does she appear?"

"Early teens. Long black hair, brown eyes, about this high." Keiichi brought a hand up to his upper forearm. "Can you see the sigils on Belldandy's face?"

"The strange marks on her brow and cheeks?"

Keiichi nodded. "Skuld's got some too- some rings that are kind of a rounded triangle. If she threatens to blow you up or calls you a 'pervert', she's your girl."

The priest's brows furrowed together. "Why would she call me a 'pervert'?"

"Hey, you were the one wearing the 'Juicy' shirt and crawling out of Kiyone's place like a lover hearing the husband's car approaching."

The ex-prince shot him a glare. "Thank you very kindly for that comparison, Keiichi." He sighed. "What of the other sister?"

Keiichi smirked. "Urd's…wild." He said slowly. "She's tall-taller than Bell, and if you stood the two of them next to each other, you'd think one of them was adopted. Long silver hair, violet eyes, deep tan skin. You'll know her when you see her because the first thing that will pop in your head is 'she's a supermodel' or something…similar." He sent the prince a knowing look.

"Right…" Yosho grimaced.

"If she doesn't flirt with you immediately consider it a blessing." Keiichi continued. "The woman's a self-proclaimed 'Love Goddess', but the only thing that comes from her is trouble." He sighed. "But she usually means well, in her own backwards kind of way. I get why now, but just…" He paused, and looked between Yosho and Kiyone. "If she offers you any potions or drinks or food, turn it down." He whispered. "Seriously, for your and Makibi-san's health."

"You…do realize that you're convincing me to stay away from Belldandy-sama's sisters and not to approach them, right?" Yosho asked.

"I do, and for all intent and purposes, you're right." Keiichi said. "As a fellow man, I really don't want to see you get blown to smithereens by a Skuld-bomb or fall to some kind of date-rape drug." He paused. "Urd also doesn't know how to cook either, so…I'm trying to protect your tastebuds too."

Yosho stopped. "You're exaggerating."

"I might be." Keiichi stopped with him. "But forewarned is forearmed, and we're stuck in a Vortex World with you being a stranger to them. You saw what Thor tried to do to us. I can only imagine how bad things might be if you come across them-especially during Full Kagatsuchi."

"I'm…sure we'll be fine." Yosho replied.

Keiichi's smiled waned. His eyes looked worried.

"Regardless, I'll pass on the message if I…live through the experience. Please tell me the other 'favor' is not so…hazardous to my health."

"It's not." Keiichi replied. "Or at least…I don't think it is." The two began to walk again, and Keiichi reached into his white jacket, removing a pen and a small notepad from one of the internal pockets. "I know you said you're a priest, right?"

"Yes, Shinto mixed with the beliefs of Tsunami. I am proficient in both."

Keiichi nodded and wrote something down on a piece of paper in the notepad, then tore it out and offered it to Yosho. The prince took it and looked down at it, finding a list of names written in Kanji.

Morisato Megumi

Morisato Keima

Morisato Takano

Toraichi Tamiya

Hikozaemon Otaki

Hasegawa Sora

Fujimi Chihiro

Mishima Sayoko

"This might come off as kind of selfish but…when you're laying your family to rest, could you do something for them too?" Keiichi didn't meet his eyes. "I…don't know if I can." The words were quiet.

Yosho stared at the man, then to Belldandy's back.

"She's not their goddess."

The man looked back at his companion. "What?"

"Belldandy." Keiichi clarified. "She's…she's not their goddess." The man clenched his jaw. "She…never was. A transfer student, a witch, a daughter-in-law or a sister-in-law, but…never a goddess. And I…can't ask her to do such a thing."

"…I understand." He thought of Achika, wild and untamable in her youth, tampered by marriage and motherhood, flocking to Ryoko's cave and ignoring the ceremonies made in Tsunami's honor for favor of the mountain youkai she claimed lived in the forest. He looked over the names over again, devoting them to memory-just in case-and carefully folded the paper and slipped it into the inner pocket lining his own jacket. "I would be honored."

"Thanks." Yosho almost missed the word, and pretended not to see the deep shadow of grief which settled into Keiichi Morisato's face, all at once making the young mechanic look ancient and hardened by time and loss.

What a curse. Yosho thought, deliberately turning away from the man to allow his companion, his friend, to regain his baring. To outlive our own World. To be forced to carry on the memories and legacy of those who passed, to grin and bare it as we move ever onwards into the new dawn. The man inhaled slowly, meditatively taking in the scents of the world around them, one of heat and sand and cement.

On the breeze, the smell of sprouting greenery and new life; a fragrance of the new rising to replace the old.

He wanted to scream.

"I was told that men like you and I are to find a Reason for the new world." Yosho revealed instead. "If you could reshape it, rebuild it, what would you make of it?" He glanced at the young man.

Keiichi sighed, pausing to look over his shoulder at the forlorn landscape behind him. "I wouldn't want the responsibility." He said. "I…don't even know why our world ended. Was it really so bad? I mean, our world wasn't perfect by any means; I know some things were screwed up, but…to just end it like that…why? Who thought so many lives should be lost?"

"I don't know." Yosho said.

Keiichi nodded. "If such things are to pass to us, I don't want it." He repeated. "Or if I had no other option, I'd want it to go back to what it was before." He shook his head. "We weren't even given a chance to change. A warning, even." He sighed. "I…just want our world back. To live my life with Belldandy in peace, or even not in peace, but some place where my family is alive and living their best lives and I'm with Belldandy. The birds are in their trees, the fish in their lakes and seas, and the animals across the earth."

Yosho smiled and looked away. "That's…as good a Reason as any, I suppose." He said.

"What about you?"

The man shook his head. "It remains to be seen." He smiled softly. "What can an old man like me offer to a world that has moved on without him? The Reason for the new world should be in the hands of the young and progressive, not the old and reserved."

Keiichi held his tongue.

"Looks like we're here." Kiyone announced, and the two men paused in their discussion, looking up at the Amala Terminal with shadowed gazes.

"Allow me to operate the terminal for you all." Belldandy said, and together the small group slipped inside. Yosho paused, sensing eyes on him, and turned back.

Far off in the distance, he caught Thor watching them.

The god stared, his helmet once more atop his forehead and his eyes glowing beneath it with the disconcerting blue once more.

The god nodded to him.

Yosho nodded his goodbye and slipped in after his companions.

.

..

…

…Across the Vortex World, in a land both near and far, a demi-fiend and a demon-lord said their goodbyes to a Norn, a demon, and a Trickster. "Take these." The Norn presented them both with two individual bags. "There's medicine and potions to ensure you survive whatever you come across. Loki was able to acquire some beads and chakra drops for you, and Marller," She nudged the demon with a smirk, "'found' a bit of macca to buy your way out of any fights you want no part in." The demon glowered at them, yet it lacked its usual flare for violence. The Threats were leaving her territory, at last, and while she knew they would inevitably return, for the moment she could find respite in their departure.

The Norn looked to the Demon Lord. "There's three potions inside that are labeled with an eye. Those are the potions to protect against Full Kagatsuchi. The bottles are charmed to withstand impact, but still be careful; they aren't invulnerable to damage, and they can still break if exposed to repeated abuse. I need you to realize as well-if it seems like the cowl isn't working, I need you to return immediately. Don't wait until the potions run out. I've given you three so that you have spares in case you run into trouble, not so you can extend your time in the badlands indefinitely."

"Got it." The Demon Lord shouldered her bag. "Got your list too. We'll do your grocery shopping."

"Good."

"As soon as you get the materials, get back her some Urd can make another cowl." Marller drawled.

"Don't be a stranger, My Loves." Loki winked at them both, and the Demi-fiend looked away with an uncomfortable frown. The Demon Lord stared between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. "We'll celebrate upon your return. Let us know what news you have of the Land Beyond!"

Belldandy spun the Amala Drum, aided in the darkened room by Kiyone's flashlight. The Drum whirred with a long, protesting whine, yet yielded at her touch, commanded by a power much greater than itself. "You wished to speak to me about something, Kiyone-chan?"

Kiyone held the small flashlight steady, but stepped forward, moving close to the goddess. "I don't know how to say this, but…" She bit her lip. "…This is a secret. One…no one outside of Caosg knows about. The Espir have certain…we'll call them 'gifts' that they're born with. Nothing huge mind you, but…small little…talents that can range from useful in a job to a party trick."

"Yes?" Belldandy watched as several Sanskrit characters flashed blue, then shifted the direction of the drum once again. "And what is yours?"

"Um…" The detective bit her lip. "It's…kind of embarrassing but…I ah…I know when people are uh…'expecting'."

Belldandy froze.

Very, very slowly the Norn of the Present turned to Kiyone. "You…know…"

"I…figured I should tell you first. As um…as a warning. For uh…"

"Don't." Belldandy brought a finger to Kiyone's lips. "I have not yet had the chance to tell Keiichi, and it is too new for even me to know its gender yet."

"I kn-"

"No spoilers."

Kiyone stared at the goddess with wide, teal eyes, then nodded. "That's…why I'm taking the ankh." She took a deep breath, steeling herself as she looked at the Norn with determination. "I'm not…endangering you like that. Or your family."

For a long moment, Verthandi Morisato-Tyrsdotter stared at Kiyone Makibi with an expression of such potent, raw emotion that the detective feared she'd erred in her revelation. Yet her worries were for not as Belldandy suddenly grabbed her, pulling her into a hug of such ferocity that the woman could feel her arms grow numb.

Kiyone squeaked.

"You blessed, sweet, foolish child." Belldandy whispered. "You are filled with the grace of your predecessors, the light of the Fourth Aethyr, and do not even see it, you precious Niphilim." She held Kiyone at arms length, looking the woman up and down before gently kissing her brow. "I do not ask for sacrifice." She whispered.

Kiyone observed her in stunned silence, staring at the woman with large eyes as she tried to regain her baring. "My…father had a saying." She found her voice once more, but could not rise it above a whisper. "…One I never paid much mind to up until becoming a detective, but…he liked to say that "Sometimes sacrifices are given out of love, not necessity."

"And is yours a family which sacrifices so casually? Who loves the unseeable, the unknowable, the greater divinities so freely?"

"Some…are." Kiyone replied. "My father was. I'm…picky though. I need to know. If it's…it they are worth my time. I…don't give anything up for charity."

"You think you know me then?" Belldandy inquired, "Is that it?"

"No." The ex-detective replied, "But I've come to know you better than what I once did, and even if I didn't…my morals as a woman first, a cop second, prevent me from endangering an expecting mother."

A wave of pregnable emotion overcame the Norn, and once more Kiyone found herself drawn into a tight embrace. It was gentler than the first, and The woman found herself wrapping her own arms around the goddess in turn, making a futile attempt to match the ferocity demonstrated to her in turn.

"It is not the place of a mortal to take on the challenges of a deity." Belldandy whispered.

"Yeah, no one told me that." Kiyone whispered back. "And now I'm going to because it sounded too close to a 'no' for me not to." Belldandy laughed softly against her. It sounded closer to a sob.

At length they parted. "You take care of yourself Kiyone Makibi, Pure Song of the Rich Vessel. This will not be the last we see of each other, I promise you. Do you understand?" Belldandy looked her up and down and to Kiyone's surprise found the Norn's eyes bright with unshed tears.

A demi-fiend and a demon lord entered their own Amala Terminal room, armed with little other than a single bag between the two of them for supplies and a strange-hued cowl that seemed to glisten with starlight. The two stared at the Amala Drum in silence, each accompanied by their own daemon allies. "Are we ready for this?" The demi-fiend asked.

The demon lord nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be." Withdrawing a small book from the folds of her dress, the woman opened it and flipped to a page lined top-to-bottom with references. Observing it and comparing notes, she began to spin the Drum left and right in a room as illuminated as another one was dark.

The teal-haired woman nodded, not trusting her voice and both surprised and confused at the large spring of emotions which came to bear down on her. She swallowed and heard her throat click, and wondered when she'd come to care so much for the Norn before her. When the goddess herself—not a woman or a mortal but a literal goddess descended from the heavens—had come to care so much for the woman. They shouldn't have gotten along; they were at odds with each other: Belldandy, a being of purity who was incapable of speaking lies, who blessed everything she touched with life and creations. Kiyone, a woman whose history was as colorful as her wide range of vocabulary, hailing from a race of beings whose purity had been stolen and corrupted with the tragedy of mortality, holding a past stained with Death against a road that sat forever dark on the horizon.

And yet here they stood. Too opposites. The immortal and the mortal. The light and the dark. The pure and the corrupted.

One Who Brought Life.

One Stalked by Death.

"I do not believe you realize what it is you are undertaking in my stead." Belldandy murmured.

"I might." Kiyone shrugged as the two released each other. "What's the worst it can do, kill me?" It was supposed to be a joke, yet Belldandy did not laugh.

"If there is anything I can do for you before you and Yosho-san depart, please let me know."

Here the prior officer paused. "Well…now that you mention it…" She dug into her pockets and removed something from within. A bullet casing. "This is going to sound really weird, especially coming from me but…can you bury this at a crossroads?"

"An offering?" Belldandy took the casing, holding it near the Amala Drum's light to better examine it. The brass shown red orange against the light.

"Ah, yeah." Kiyone looked away. "For…Pii'na Ananael." She bit her lip, then scowled. "No offense Belldandy but…you aren't…"

The Norn smiled. "I understand." She murmured. "And there is no offense taken. I have always preferred the comradely of friends over the worship of followers. Will your Daemon take an offering from me in your name though?"

"She will." Kiyone said with absolute certainty. "She walks in the shadow of every Child of Caosg. There is no secret she does not know, no actions she is not aware of."

"There is a chance she may not have made it to this Vortex World." Belldandy warned. "Be that as it may…many daemons are locked outside of this transient dimension because of their location when Conception occurred. I cannot guarantee she will receive it, nor respond with the blessings you seek."

"That's okay." Kiyone shrugged. "Sometimes an offering is given out of love, and…I've come to realize, hanging out with you and the others…I've been ignoring her for a long time. I used to like to think I knew her very well-my father said I spoke as if she was beside me in childhood-and so I guess I figured nows as good a time as any to pick it back up again." Her smile waned. "…and if by chance she's not here? Well…I guess she just left her phone at home. She'll get the messages. Eventually."

"An admirable way to look at it." Belldandy's fingers closed around the casing, and the brass vanished from sight. "I will be happy to assist you. Is there anything specific you wish for me to pass on?"

"…I never forgot." Kiyone said. "And…thanks for the Guardians. Even if she was locked out of the Vortex World, Pascal and Cerberus and Chamrosh were all hers."

"Dogs are sacred to her?"

Kiyone merely smiled.

At this Belldandy chuckled. "When we reunite again, let us sing once more." She said. "I enjoy sharing the melody with another, and though you are quick to deny it, you are quite talented, Kiyone-chan."

The red glow of the Amala Drum grew alight and began to whir with a life of its own as the Demon Lord stepped back, standing beside the Hitoshura who was her companion. "I was working with Urd on the finer details in using the Amala Drum." She revealed. "If what she said was true and my notes are right, then this should get us to one of the nearby terminals-not Miebashi Station specifically, but one next to it, and we can walk from there." She pocketed the book, and the demi-fiend nodded in turn. "Are you ready?"

"Yes and no." The youth replied. "I'm ready to leave but…I'm not ready for whatever waits on the other side." He pursed his lips. "I…have a bad feeling about this."

"You having second thoughts?"

"No. I think I'm just…nervous about going back into the Badlands."

The space pirate stared at him, then looked at the spinning drum. "…Yeah." Her voice was soft. "I understand." Fingers interlaced her own, and the woman stared at the teen next to her with a start. The hitoshura's youth made him shy, yet though he did not meet her gaze, she could see the small blush on his face.

She squeezed his hand.

He squeezed back.

Before them the light grew bright—

"Do you think we'll meet them again?" Yosho came to stand beside his companion as behind them, the door to the Terminal room closed once more, bathing them in the intensifying glow of the spinning Drum.

"Belldandy said we would." Kiyone took a deep, soothing breath, a hand resting on the comforting grip of the Mk III and feeling Chamrosh coo in her mind.

"Do you believe her?" Yosho eyed her.

"Are you asking me if I have any faith in a goddess I've only recently met?" The ex-detective replied.

"Stop twisting my words." Yosho grunted, and caught a wry smile from the detective.

"I do." She replied, squinting as the light intensified. "Whether or not its in this world, however…" She trailed off.

"You believe it won't be in this world?"

The woman snorted. "I don't even know if it will be in this life." She replied.

"A dreary outlook."

"A practical outlook." The woman retorted. "We're human. We cheated death once thanks to a goddess's intervention. I don't believe we will always be so fortunate when demons roam in the shadows. "If I had a choice though…I would like to believe her with my heart. I want to meet her again. Her and Morisato in the old world—or the new world, if that's what it takes." She played with the ring on her right hand, and Yosho spied the glint of a silver chain, red and glaring in the drum's light, against her neck. In the strange light the woman looked ethereal, her hair glinting almost like metal, and though his physical eyes saw nothing unusual, his mind whispered eyes in the back of his mind.

The light grew blinding, and as the world began to narrow as the teleportation began, neither were aware of the canine shadow cast by one of them.

The Amala Terminal vanished and—

.

..

…

---

Amala Network

Kagatsuchi: Masked

Location Unknown

"Ryoko!?" The hallways, the ceiling, the floor, all were yellow and irritating and nauseating, and it hurt his eyes to focus on any one point of the surrounding area for too long. "Ryoko!?" He called again, and ran, panic building in his chest as he ran down one hall and found another fork, picked a direction, ran, and found himself back at the start. "What the fuck." He panted. "What the fuck!?" His distress mounting, he followed the same trail and chose a different direction, finding himself rewarded with a door and a female cry from further off. "Ryoko." Grimacing so tightly he could feel his jaw pop, he raced towards the sound, terror drumming with his heart as he found a room and burst into it.

He saw a daemon, a strange, boulder-like creature the color of sulfur, moan as it fell and died, Magatsuhi wafting up from its body as its physical form dissipated back into the ether once more. Before it stood a woman, dressed in leather and holding a strange, pistol like item in hand. A keyboard of some kind was strapped to her right wrist, and wires emerged and intertwined around her arm and up to her forehead like a strange prosthesis. A massive demon, bestial and armed from head to toe in claws and fang and spike, stood at her side, and as he entered it glowered at him, growling deeply.

"Fuck." The woman uttered an oath, and he heard a strange, metallic echo to it-as if the woman was speaking into a microphone or he was hearing a bad recording. She leveled the weapon at him. "Don't move." The metallic echo warped her voice, and he winced, grimacing against the metallic warble. "I'll kill you if I have to. Get back." She took a step forward, the weapon still aimed at him, and he stepped back, raising his arms in surrender as he tried to keep the distance between them. "Back up. All the way out. Where's the other human? Is he alive or was he slain?"

"What other human?" He stepped back, trying to keep his cool and feeling it degrading by the second. "There are no other humans here, at least none I've seen!"

The woman grunted. "That's funny after you come racing in here after I killed your buddy." She narrowed her eyes, and for the first time since becoming a demi-fiend, he felt…something. A looming dread, an absolute terror, a whisper of warning from the woman before him.

She's not human. It whispered, followed by, She'll kill you if you don't.

Tenchi Masaki stared at Kiyone Makibi and swallowed, debating what to do.

.

..

…

"What…" He moaned as he picked himself up, groaning as the heavy sword tried to pull him to the ground. "Damn…sword…" He wheezed, and with some effort slipped the sheath off him, sitting up with a tight grimace of pain. "I feel like I smashed into a wall." He rubbed his brow, and looked around, finding nothing but an irritating yellow meeting his gaze. The intensity of the shade made him nauseous, yet no matter where he averted his eyes he found more of the same color. His head pounding, the staggered to his feet. "Ca…de…jo?"

He heard a trill, and found his nekomata approach at a trot. "You need to get up. I am unfamiliar with this place and the smells are wrong. We need to find the angel and leave, Yosho."

He nodded and sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he braced himself and dipped to grab the sword. "Come on Myrkur." He grumbled, and shouldered the blade, patting the side of his leg as the feline trilled before leaping atop him, scaling his leg and up to his shoulder.

"Beware the demons here." He warned. "They will not listen to reason and are strong. Stronger than many we faced in the Mantra Army Headquarters."

"Thanks for the warning." He grumbled, and pushed forward, grimacing against the glare of his surroundings and opening the room he was in.

A hallway to his left that veed in two directions on his left.

A hallway to his right that forked in three separate directions further down.

"Which way?" He asked.

"I do not know." The feline confessed.

"Right it is." He sighed and trudged forward, hoping he'd hear or see any signs of Kiyone.

Instead he took a step towards the center fork and found himself enveloped in a flash of white light. When it cleared, he stood before the door or the room he'd awoken in once more. The man took a breath. "What," He said, "Was that."

"It is why I cannot navigate this place." The nekomata replied. "The landscape changes by the second and will deposit you back to previous locations if you are not careful. I do not know how long you have been awake, but I was trying to navigate this domain for the past hour before finding you."

"Good to know." Yosho said slowly, and turned left, only to freeze.

Someone had appeared further down the hallway.

"Impossible." He breathed.

Further down the hallway, The Demon Lord of the Masaki Shrine paused, only to step forward with her own disbelief. One which turned into a bitter, cruel smile as gold eyes met burgundy. "No way." She said. "No fucking way."

"Ryoko…?" He took a step back. The swords weight, the backpack's weight, felt suddenly too heavy and cumbersome on his body, the hallway too narrow, to tight to navigate a battle in.

"Well…it seems Fate is in my fortune after all." The demon lord snarled, displaying fangs. She raised a hand, and Magatsuhi manifested within her palm, centering into an ball of intense red energy. She squeeze it, and the energy surged forth into a beam of light.

"How are you here?" He breathed, and took another step back. "Are you-were you part of the world's end?"

"No." The woman's words held a low rumble to them. "But I survived it. And so did you, unless you're a spirit." She paused, and pointed thee plasma sword towards him. "Shame. Either way, you'll be dead before I find my way out of this place. That is a promise."

---

Comments of a Madwoman: Part 3: Reason - END

In the spirit of June's Pride, here are some revelations which have been lightly touched on but not confirmed. There are others, but I would prefer to keep them until they show more in the story:

It is headcannon that all Juraians are naturally bi-or pansexual. It explains damn near the entirety of the OVA series in all its…convoluted bullshittery. Yosho has had a fair share of 'adventures' and Tenchi being a quarter Juraian himself…we'll see if he meets the right person.

Urd is pansexual.

Marller is nonbinary demisexual and identifies as Angry/Murderous.

Loki literally has a fluid gender, has given birth to and sired several children, and is always looking for a new and interesting experience.

Thor and Loki both dressed in Bridesmaids outfits and managed to fool a Jotun into believing they were strong, handsome women.

A final note: Though they do not appear in the story outside of a brief mention…why is OVA-Washu/Naga (Seto) not a thing? One does not tryand fail to clone their supposedly dead best friend (and create a megalomaniac who fuses with a prototype of your daughter) because they're simply a 'friend'.

Celebrate your uniqueness and that of your friends, your loved ones, and your found families. And remember, to those who would do you wrong for the case of existing-beneath every rainbow is a pot of gold. Both pot and gold make excellent blunt weapons.

---

Bonus Omake:

"…by the way, here's your shirt back." Yosho offered the shirt to his companion, withdrawing it from where he'd folded it and sat it on his lap.

Kiyone looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked, and unfolded the shirt. "I already packed…my…" The woman trailed off, staring at the Juicy shirt in shock and no small amount of horror. "…Is this a joke?"

The ex-prince stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean? It's your shirt-you threw it at me before telling my to jump out a window, remember?"

"Yosho…I don't own a "Juciy" Shirt." Kiyone said. "…I wouldn't be caught dead in one. Where did you get this and why are you accusing me of owning it?"

"It's not yours." Yosho repeated.

Kiyone nodded. "Not mine." She said. "Never has been, never would be." She paused, taking it and looking at the label. "This is too big for me, anyways. No wonder it fit you so well."

Yosho stared at her in growing dread. "Are you saying I wore a dead woman's shirt?"

"No, you did."

Yosho stared at her.

The woman sent him a sympathetic smile. "Listen MJ, there's nothing wrong with wanting to wear women's clothes if that's what makes you happy. I am the last person to judge, so if it makes you feel any better I support your choices and we can stop by the women's section of SEIYU and get you some clothes that better fit you-"

"Oh fuck off, Cadejo."

Ahead of them, Keiichi looked over his shoulder, a smile on his face. "You two make a cute couple, you know that?"

He laughed as Kiyone threw the shirt at him, Belldandy smiling with gentle amusement the entire way.