On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Act One Finale – Part 6a – Aftermath

Princess Eleanor Elizabeth Diana Windsor

Opening her eyes, letting out a groan as her stiff, battered body protested, Eleanor saw from the cramped confines of the space she was occupying that there was someone else there with her, a petite woman with amber-blonde hair, who was stretching her arms and yawning, blinking her striking amber eyes.

“I see-see you are awake, Eleanor.” The woman, the Fae known as Shaeula, said calmly, despite everything that had happened in the last few hours. “This was quite-quite the clever hiding spot. If you simply must enter the Boundary from the Tower-Tower and its surrounds, then a mobile vehicle, this ambulance, is quite clever. It is secured as well.” She thumped the locked door with her small hands, and a few sparks of lightning scattered. Shaeula paused, looking down, before pursing her lips, annoyed.

What is it? Is there a problem? Before Eleanor could speak, Shaeula bent down and looked at the hem of her white summer dress, which was now stained with blood. “Most-most annoying. I did rather like this dress, Akio thought it was cute-cute on me. This blood will leave an ugly stain.”

A brief chuckle escaped Eleanor’s lips, surprising her, after the traumatic battles and the betrayals. The chuckle swelled, and soon she was laughing loudly, tears of relief, sorrow and more streaming down her face. Shaeula merely watched her calmly, letting her cry it all out. When Eleanor finally recovered, hiccupping a little, wiping at her sodden cheeks and nose, she managed a smile. “You’re surprisingly cute, Miss Shaeula. Nothing like Raidre.”

“Enough of the miss. I am simply Shaeula. I have quite-quite enough trouble with Japanese honorifics.” She snorted. “As for Raidre, the skin-shifters are notoriously bad-bad tempered. Well, I shall surely have to have words with him, as a representative of the Seelie Court. But for now-now…” she pouted. “… appearing in public so dishevelled is not-not pleasing for me.” She paused, looking at Eleanor. Her gaze is embarrassing. She’s looking at me so carefully.

“I see, you are a female too-too, I expect you know this pain as well. I have ruined rather too many clothes that I liked-liked or were gifts. We females have it hard, do we not-not?”

Eleanor realised she too was filthy, her body covered in dried blood, her healing wounds still leaking. It’s a crazy thing to worry about. Is this the difference in experience between us? “I’m just glad to come back alive. Alive…” Her face fell. Henry. Aditi. Mary-Jane.

“Worry not-not.” Shaeula said sympathetically. “Akio will be heading to them now. He has made a great-great sacrifice, not-not rushing to heal Shiro’s wound immediately, but he knows that there are likely those in greater need. Of course…” she smirked. “… Shiro will no-no doubt extract some apology from him later, but he does-does so love spoiling us, so all is well.”

“You really love him, don’t you?” Eleanor said, feeling her earlier behaviour was again rather rude towards them all. I can’t help it. There’s just something about him that makes me angry…

“Of course.” Shaeula nodded. “It was surely my destiny to meet-meet him. We started as enemies, but-but he spared me. Then, over time, I grew to love-love him. But…” her eyes narrowed. “Hyacinth has told me of your great-great disapproval. I can not-not understand it. He had a childhood friend, Eri. She was simply quite-quite hopeless without him. I did not-not wish to push her aside, nor could I have, for Akio was a male who did not-not feel he was worthy of loving. His feelings of love are oft rooted in protection. No, Eri needed him, and he-he Eri. So, should I have let my own love-love wither, or ruthlessly crushed Eri’s dreams? Is it not-not more joyous to share? Eri and I are in accord, so none outside have the right-right to criticise us.”

“That… makes sense, I guess.” Eleanor managed. “But… there are others, right?”

Shaeula nodded, calling on water energy to clean the blood off her dress, merely hissing with annoyance when all it did was smear the stain out, turning it light pink. “Yes, others. A male-male of Akio’s calibre will need many loves over a long-long eternity of existence. And new loves means new-new sisters for us all. Managing it gives Akio many-many headaches, but all of us have agreed and we strive to manage matters.”

“Fine.” Eleanor threw up her hands. “I promise not to mention it again. Besides…” she lowered her voice, embarrassed. “I am really not ungrateful. I’ll see you get the rewards grandmother promised and more, you saved my life, and the Tower. Oh…” she paused. “I’m not saying you did it all for the rewards, I promise.”

“Good.” Shaeula noticed that there was a golden ring on her finger, the one she had taken from Mary Stuart, now here as well. “But not-not taking what is offered is simply foolish, and an insult. Would you not-not feel better about offering a reward, feeling less pathetic?”

“Pathetic is harsh.” Eleanor smiled ruefully. “But yes, it does make me feel like I’ve paid some debt to you all.” she sighed. “What do we do now? My Avalon is ruined, and the team is broken.” Her mood turned sour. Shaeula moved over and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“You get up, and continue.” Shaeula told her. “As long as you live-live, you can fight. Besides, I believe Akio has some ideas. Do not-not worry, we will not-not leave you unsupported. Us Princesses are natural allies.”

“That does make me feel pathetic.” Eleanor sighed. “But I can’t let my pride get in the way of my responsibilities. I owe it… to the fallen.”

“Good sentiments.” Shaeula patted her shoulder again, before pushing open the doors and stepping out into the pandemonium, Eleanor following. Soldiers immediately came over, seeing the blood on their clothes, asking if they were all right, and as Eleanor told them she was, the world exploded into chaos.

A wave of noise from the crowds penned outside the tower erupted. As Eleanor heard her name and ‘Princess’ called a number of times, she turned, blinking in surprise as flashes of cameras nearly blinded her, and the shouts from the immense crowd behind the row of reporters and news crews, both domestic and international, was deafening.

“It’s chaos in the streets.” One of the soldiers said from next to them. “The crowd here at the Tower has already reached a quarter of a million, and it’s still growing. There’s been civil unrest as well, some rioting and looting, saying it’s the end of the world.”

“Fools.” Shaeula snorted. “If they panic at such a small matter, I do not-not hold out much hope when a situation such as Kyoto strikes.”

“Excuse me!” A reporter desperately tried to get past the security cordon, and Eleanor tensed, only to surprise her by ignoring her, speaking instead to Shaeula. “Do you have anything to do with the man brought out in a dreadful state earlier? Our sources tell us he was Donovan Patterson, and..”

Donovan? She did say she had dealt with him.

“Indeed I did.” Shaeula nodded regally. “He is a traitor and a vile-vile pervert, so I showed him no-no mercy. Now, step aside. We have to go.”

“Princess Eleanor, your brother Henry, do you know what happened to him? His injuries seemed grave, do you think he’ll survive?”

“My brother…” she raised her voice, trying to appear as dignified as Shaeula. “…he was injured in the course of Royal duties. I can’t say more yet. But… he’ll survive. I know it.”

“That is the spirit.” Shaeula agreed. “Now, how-how do we leave here? I do not-not wish to force my way through such a mob.” She looked at the crowd, frowning.

“There’s a private subway connection to the Palace under the Tower. We can use that…” Eleanor said, leading the Fae away behind her. The reporters and the crowd grew more frantic, but the police and the army tried to calm them down. There’s no keeping this secret now. I suppose that might be a relief…

“I see. I do very much-much enjoy such means of conveyance. The Tokyo subway is rather fun….” As Shaeula chattered happily, as though she was on holiday, instead of having fought a terrible battle mere moments before, Eleanor found herself smiling wryly. I hope one day I can be so resolute. No, I don’t hope. I will be. Because I have to be…

********

“Is everybody up?” I asked. We were in a storage cupboard, and beside me Shiro stretched, groaning in pain as her movements tugged on the savage wound in her chest. Even lessened by the transfer to the Material body, she was almost entirely pierced through. I reached out a hand, no, my only hand now, to soothe her wounds, but she shook her head, face pale. Shit, I feel really bad for the cleaners, there’s blood and flesh all over the place. Hmm, I have an idea… Perhaps it was the fierce ache in my stump that was fogging my brain, but I didn’t want to leave such remains behind.

“Leave if for now, Aki. It hurts less than the damn scars did, I promise. Besides…” her dark eyes were earnest. “You need all your aether for some others right now, right?”

Yes, though I still hate to see Shiro in pain… as I looked sorrowful, she laughed, hissing a little. “Shit, Aki, don’t look at me like that. You can just pamper me later. I mean, shit, this is my first trip abroad. There’s lots I’d love to do. We won’t be going back to Japan right away, will we?”

Hyacinth, Grulgor and Chen Na were up as well, watching us talk, and I nodded. “No, we’ll have to mop things up here. Besides…” I grinned, trying not to think about the potentially dead companions of Eleanor. “… I think I might have found the magic ticket we need to solve all our current problems.”

“Oh?” Shiro asked, as we tidied ourselves up. Luckily we had a change of clothes, so Grulgor and I stepped out while the others changed quickly, then did so ourselves. While the girls were changing, I called the Prime Minister of Britain, and he told me the address of the hospital that Henry was in, as well as the fallen Chosen, including several others who had been injured in clashes with other Chosen, or had been suppressed in other ways. King Edward the VII Hospital, Marylebone. Got it. A police escort was being sent to clear our path there, and I spent a brief minute discussing the condition of the victims, which was not good, most of them only being kept alive by life support. Before we left, I had Hyacinth use her spores, which covered the blood and scattered flesh and bone, eating it to a fine dust. At least we won’t horrify the cleaner now, I’ll drop some cash on the way out for the inconvenience we’ve caused..

“Yes.” I explained to them all as we quickly jumped in a police van after that, and were driven through London with sirens blaring. “Of course, we still have some obstacles to overcome. Hyacinth, I’ll be counting on you.”

She nodded, happy to be relied on, but worried, as what I wanted her to do was very difficult. “I shall dooo my best. If I fail now, then I will try again, and again. I can learn, and I will nooot give up until I succeed!”

“I know.” I ruffled her hair with my one arm, and she made happy noises. Grulgor was laughing, all his wounds already closed, an enviable ability. Chen Na was fine too, having avoided the worst of the conflict. Hyacinth is a little hurt, but nothing major. Guess it’s just Shiro and I who took a kicking. Well, we won, so… “If I had a second arm I’d hold you too, Shiro, but…” I waved my stump, wincing.

“Yeah, I get it.” She sighed. “How long do you think it’ll take to fix?”

“Regrowing it isn’t that hard, but the wound left behind is all messed up with adherence. It’s that which burns, otherwise with my stats I doubt I’d feel the pain much.” I said, thinking. “A day or two. But I have other priorities.”

“Fine, well, I’m sure Hyacinth and I can help you take of care of your needs, bathing and clothing you.” Her smirk was amused, but Hyacinth nodded her head happily at the joke, very keen to perform maid duties once again.

“Fine. Tonight then.” I promised, and we continued to relax ourselves, putting the battle behind us, until we arrived at the hospital, which had swarms of press outside, as well as a crowd of around ten thousand people, all crying out for the Prince. I guess Henry is pretty popular. Good to know…

As the police escort created a channel we could pass though, various reporters were filming us and trying to ask questions, but we had no time to stop. Hurrying in, we soon reached a well-guarded hospital room. Once inside, we were greeted by Eleanor and Shaeula, who had beaten us here, looking down at the horrific body of Prince Henry. Eleanor was white-faced and trembling, tears in her blue eyes, and as she turned to look at me, the expression of sudden hope was painful.

“Let me take a look.” was all I said, and I asked Shaeula what the situation was.

“It is quite-quite grave. The burns are full of the same taint as the Tower.” She observed, and with my Eye, which could now observe adherence more clearly and distinguish some flavours, I nodded. Yeah, it’s the same as that burned circle in the Tower treasure room. Much weaker, but…

Scanning his burned body, his flesh horribly damaged, though not so much by flame, more like what I had seen in documentaries about Hiroshima and Nagasaki back in my school days, I realised there was only a very small amount of adherence he had been exposed to, but even that had ravaged his flesh and caused damage to his Astral body. Clicking my tongue, I turned to Shaeula. “Can you top me up a bit? If I can get the adherence out, then he should be stable and we can leave his full healing for later.”

“Of course. I shall observe you. I fear I have not-not had much time to practice recently.” As she placed her hand on my back, pouring in aether, I began work, a delicate mix of Ether Healing and Chirurgery. As I started, the machines monitoring his vitals blared, heart rate spiking and falling. Eleanor looked at me in panic, as did the watching physicians, but I assured her it would be fine.

Damn, this is hard to handle… the adherence hadn’t just damaged and polluted his physical body, leading to the radiation-style burns and lesions, but had started to corrode the Eight Moons Chakra Network and Astral body. I used Chirurgery to isolate it, repairing the damage, while Ether Healing repaired damaged flesh and blood vessels. As a few drops of the adherence were extracted, I felt my Foehn trembling, eager. I let a trickle, all I had recovered, free, and as Foehn ignited, the yellow flame turned a brilliant crimson red, before winking out of existence.

“What was that?” Eleanor panicked, and I calmed her down, explaining.

“I’m just burning off the poison. It’s terrible stuff. Luckily it seems your brother only got caught by a tiny amount, otherwise he wouldn’t have survived.” I continued to pull out what adherence I could find, feeding it to Foehn. After around twenty minutes, I went to wipe my brow, only to do it with my stump. Hyacinth scurried over and mopped my sweat, looking pleased, and I laughed, a bit embarrassed.

“This is hard going, but I’ve done enough for now. There should be other patients that need us too.” I had stabilised Henry, removing the dangerous adherence in areas around his head and heart, as well as shoring up the burns and damaged network, so for now I felt it was fine.

“Are… are you sure?” Eleanor said, and I nodded.

“Yes. Besides, you have your friends and allies waiting, right?” At my words, she swallowed, giving Henry one last anxious look, before nodding resolutely. In the next room, a middle-aged woman and an Indian girl were lying in bed, hooked up to ventilators, heart monitors, drips and more. My Eye flared, and I could see they were both in bad shape, their Favours torn out, only fragments left. Just like with Kondou Kazuo. Worse, their networks are collapsing.

“Mary-Jane. Aditi…” Eleanor muttered forlornly, clenching her fist. “Sarah, how could you do this? We were friends… even if what we were doing was wrong, useless, like you said… this is far worse, far crueller. I don’t think I can forgive you…” Tears formed anew, and she wept. It was Hyacinth who took her hand then, mirroring when they had shaken earlier. Eleanor looked at her though watery eyes, and Hyacinth smiled.

“Dooo not forgive if you wish, you do not need to. I shall never fooorgive those of Pandemonium that hurt me, thooose that shut me in the box either. But … if you dooo wish to, that is fine too. After all, Akio fooorgave mistress Shaeula, mistress Shiro, me… dooo as your heart dictates, but know… while they live, there is still hoopoe.”

“She’s right.” I agreed. “Nobody can tell you how to feel. I hate betrayal, but… I never knew the people involved, so I don’t feel the pain you do. But what I do know is… Shaeula, can you help me out with the Chirurgery? They’re girls, so you don’t mind, right?”

“I am not-not so shallow that I would let a male die simply for my own preferences.” Shaeula sniffed. “Alas, I was not-not skilled enough to work on Eleanor’s brother. It pains me to admit, but you have surpassed my skills-skills with Chirurgery. But I will not-not be behind for long.” She boasted. “Eleanor, you are fighting a great-great battle. There will be losses. I weep when my kin fall. Raidre knows that pain all-all too well now. But… choose your friends more wisely. A noble death is one thing, to be stabbed in the back by those who you trusted, well-well, I am no stranger to that…”

With those sobering words, we began to work. Shoring up their Astral bodies, it was not entirely dissimilar to creating a new Eight Moons Chakra Network. There were whole areas of their Astral bodies torn out, the surrounding areas destroyed by the shock. It was easier to cut new channels and repair damaged chakras, and while I was at it, I created the paths to the lunar chakra, as was Shaeula on her own patient. “There’s still some fragments of the Favour left.” I mused, and Shaeula nodded, her own eyes seeing the same. “Maybe we can integrate them with the closest chakra, where the Favour probably sat?”

“I see-see.” Shaeula agreed. “But without knowing what form they took, it will likely not-not bear fruit…”

“I know, but…” I wondered if we could use the remnant fragments and energy to at least enhance the performance of the relevant chakras, even if only a little.

“I see-see.” Shaeula said again, scratching her head cutely. “Yes, it may be possible.”

“Do you know what they are talking about?” Eleanor asked Shiro, who shrugged.

“Not really. Aki and Shaeula are above my level, for sure. Tan says it’s complicated, but she understands. You’ve met Motoko and Natsumi, right? Aki was the one who worked on them. If anyone can fix them, he can.” Shiro’s smile was reassuring, yet somehow wicked. “You’ve basically got the world’s two best specialists here, I hope you’ve got deep pockets!”

“I have.” Eleanor promised. “And I’ll pay whatever is necessary.”

Her earnestness embarrassed Shiro, who looked away, reddening, and I couldn’t help but smile myself. The network was fixed, and I broke down the fragments of adherence in Mary-Jane’s body, blending it into the sacral chakra. It merged, the body remembering it, ragged connections that were still beyond my capacity to entirely fix stabilising, the worst regenerating a little. And done.

I turned to Shaeula, who was still working, and gave her some help. She eyed my skills greedily, soaking in the learning, and soon was working faster than ever. When we finished healing Aditi, Eleanor was looking more relaxed, seeing the changes in their complexions, the pale, anguish-filled faces now calm and sleeping.

“They’ll live.” I promised. “We can’t get back what was taken from them, but we’ve retooled their networks, and not all of their strength vanished when the Favours were stolen. I’d say they could be on par with Motoko and Natsumi still. Though that means they probably shouldn’t fight…”

“I’m grateful.” Eleanor smiled, wiping at her eyes. “Having them alive is more than enough. As for the rest, we’ll figure it out.”

“All right, now onto the next batch…” I said, and we were taken to another double room, where David and Sir Arthur were. On seeing us, David grinned nastily.

“Here comes the gallant healer. You might want to work on the lady first…” he nodded at Shiro. “Us men can take a little pain.”

Shiro snorted. “I’m sure you can. Don’t worry, any pain I take now will pay off later. Now quit being annoying, can’t you see your Princess is upset?”

“She’s right. I am.” Eleanor agreed, before speaking softly. “Aditi and Mary-Jane should make it too. They might not be able to stand with us again, but… they can at least go back to their lives.”

“I see.” David squeezed shut his eyes a moment, before opening them and grinning sardonically, though I could see his pain. “Means that the sins of our stupid bitch of a redhead are a bit lighter, at least. I’ll still furious though. She’s such a moron. Such a moron…”

I get that. It must be hard to know someone you trusted was prepared to kill you. And David seemed to want to show off in front of her, which as a guy, makes me think he had a thing for her. Oh well, not everything can work out, I suppose…

********

The Queen of The United Kingdom

“So, explain to us again just why we should not call on our loyal subjects to boycott the Church, Archbishop? After all, this is not merely treason, but Cardinal Mary Stuart, who you vouched for as a genuine Catholic figure, did commit treason, and attempted to murder our granddaughter, amongst others.”

At her frosty glare, still powerful despite her age, Archbishop Vincent of Westminster shifted uncomfortably, his ruddy complexion giving way to an unhealthy pallor, as he sweated. “Now, there is no need to be hasty, Your Majesty. You can’t believe that a word from you would persuade people to give up long-held faith…”

“It is all the same God, Archbishop.” The Queen insisted, knuckles white as she gripped the armrests of the modest chair she was sitting on, during this private audience. “Which is what perplexes us further. Our Eleanor is a good, God-fearing girl, even if she does not attend Mass much. Who amongst the young does, these days? A young, God-fearing girl who has fought and bled for our country, and the faithful, only to be brutally betrayed. When the populace hears of this, do you think they will easily forgive?”

Archbishop Vincent conceded that with a sigh, but was determined not to back down. “Your Majesty, His Holiness, Pope Francisco, will be making a public address on the steps of the Vatican to address the faithful and the world. He will of course roundly condemn the precipitous actions of Mary Stuart, and appeal for unity.”

The Queen narrowed her eyes. “Condemn the actions?”

“Of course.” Archbishop Vincent replied. “Even for God, murder is still a sin. Mary Stuart is a sinner, but she has love in her heart for God. The Church of True Revelation will be censured and their actions in the future monitored, but… it is no longer a matter of faith, Your Majesty. Have you ever felt despair, wondering if God truly exists? I think all of us have had such an existential crisis in our lives. Even His Holiness, he has spoken of this, back in his missionary days he knew doubts. Even the Apostles, didn’t they doubt that the Son of God would return? Now… there is no doubt. The miracles are plain to see.”

The Queen snorted. “We think that it proves that Gods exist. But we are not here to argue theology. Only justice. Mary Stuart and her conspirators have been taken into custody. Many died, and Mary herself is broken, her body ruined, her mind in shambles. Perhaps in time her mind will clear and we can question her, but for now… we cannot allow religion to be used as a weapon. Those days have thankfully passed. Britain is a welcoming country, where those of every faith can practice as they wish, and those of none find solace in whatever else they believe in. We are a woman of some faith, and we believe in God and Heaven. But if God wishes us to sacrifice a beloved granddaughter, well, we are not Abraham and Eleanor is not Isaac. God may forgive Mary Stuart, or any of those who seek to harm Britain under the aegis of faith or any other reason, but we shall not.”

“I understand. I too would never condone her actions.” The Archbishop was sweating. “As for His Holiness, he will appeal for calm, and for unity. Whatever your sorrows, Your Majesty, you must surely be aware that the need for this is great.”

I am afraid I do. “Yes, we are aware. Hence why what Mary has done is ever more reprehensible. We have lost many Gods’ Chosen, some to death, others apparently no longer carry their blessings. These could have been standing side by side with Mary Stuart and her group, but no, now they lie waiting for burial, or in hospital beds. We are most wroth.”

“I can see why.” The Archbishop said again. “But there are some who are calling this a new Crusade. His Holiness does not agree, of course, he is a man of peace, and also a man who understands the burden of being chosen. After all, miserando atque eligendo. Lowly but chosen. Consider this, Catholicism is a strong faith in Britain. The Church of England is failing, but we endure. Please do not alienate these good people because of a few overzealous faithful, who misguided though they are, act for a noble cause.”

“A noble cause? We find those who reach out a hand in alliance more noble than those who wish to stand over us in domination. We would like to see how you would like it, Archbishop. You may have no children, no wife, but imagine if your parents, your sisters, your nieces and nephews, were sacrificed cruelly for a noble cause.”

“Tempers are running high.” Archbishop Vincent said, cowed by her vehemence. “It is understandable, but decisions in haste are repented at leisure. Allow His Holiness to calm the situation and make recompense. This is a time for belief. We will not let them run free. His Holiness will bring unity.”

As the Archbishop left, the Queen cursed. “Condemn the actions, not the intent. I suppose we are all guilty of that, sometimes. Oh, I wouldn’t say that was right, but I can see why they did it. Worse, I can see why. It’s hardly unusual. There are some extremists in religion, politics, ideology, statehood… it is hardly confined to the Church. But now such extremes will be whipped up to a frenzy by these blessings from the Gods, which will only cement their intransigent foolishness.”

For a while the Queen rested, though her body was full of energy ever since she had received Chirurgery from the Japanese fellow, Akio, feeling twenty years younger. Idly drumming her fingers, she was startled when the door to the room opened suddenly, only to beam with joy as she saw her granddaughter, Eleanor enter.

“Grandmother.” She said softly. “I’m back safely.”

“I can see that!” she smiled happily. “I have another bottle of that Black Pearl cognac we enjoyed before… or maybe I need more than one?” She saw that Akio and his companions had entered behind Eleanor, one she had seen before, the maid, the others she had not.

“Shit, yeah, I could sure use a drink… uh, sorry. Probably shouldn’t swear in front of the most famous Queen in the world.” A stunning silver-haired woman laughed nervously, having spoken in English.

The Queen narrowed her eyes. “Well, aren’t you rather attractive. Another one of his women? Eleanor here will be rather angry.”

“Grandmother!” Eleanor flushed scarlet. “You’re embarrassing me. I admit it, I was stupid and judgemental. They fight together side by side, hand in hand. It’s not just a shallow relationship. I’m jealous, if I’m honest.”

“Oho.” She remarked, grinning. “Well, come take a seat. You too, cute little thing. Like a doll.” She greeted Shaeula too, who bowed gracefully, before addressing Eleanor.

“There is David, is there not-not? I would discount that Donovan wretch.”

Eleanor gagged a little. “No, David is a dear friend, and yes, I go into battle with him and trust him, but… he’s not boyfriend material, no way.”

“All right, this conversation is embarrassing Eleanor.” Akio said, flanked by Hyacinth. “Your Majesty, we meet again.” He greeted her with a smile, and the Queen widened her eyes at the missing arm. On seeing her gaze, he shrugged. “Yeah, there’s a little less of me than last time, but I’ll fix it in due time. There’s more important matters first.” He pulled out chairs for the four girls, including Eleanor, which made the Queen smile.

“Yes, I think there is.” I shall drop my Royal dignity and converse as simply myself this one time, for the saviours of my granddaughter and Britain. “Henry, how fares the foolish boy?”

“He’ll live. But there’s still a lot of Healing required.” Akio admitted, also sitting. The Queen rang a bell, and a servant entered with a bottle of cognac, and she sent him away for more and additional glasses and ice. As he continued, her expression was tense, waiting for his prognosis.

“He’s suffered some damage from a dangerous adherence. It’s a miracle he’s still alive. I doubt he was struck directly.” Akio went on to explain in esoteric terms, and the Queen didn’t exactly understand, but in the end, she sighed in relief.

“I see. Eleanor, be a dear and pour for our guests.” At her words, Eleanor uncorked the glamorous bottle and poured a number of generous measures. Hyacinth tried to refuse but Akio insisted she deserved a reward, so in the end they all had glasses, and the Queen took a warming sip. Good. It soothes the soul. “So, Henry is still severely injured, but out of immediate danger?”

Akio nodded, smiling as he took a swig of the rich drink. His women were drinking it with obvious relish too, and that made the Queen happy. “Yes, though there’s still adherence in him, causing continual damage. But it’s only some specks. I’ve removed the most dangerous bits, and over the next few days I’ll do the rest and regrow his limbs. I’ve had experience with worse…” he glanced at the silver-haired woman, who had been introduced as Shiro. In response she grinned, stretching her arms above her head, chest bouncing. “… so I anticipate with Shaeula’s and Shiro’s help, he should make a full recovery. Although…” he pondered. “If the mental trauma is too much, we have a healer of the mind as well, so she could make a trip to Japan.”

“Shouldn’t you heal your own wounds first?” she asked, and he shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.

“I can fix that any time, more important things first.”

“Yeah, Aki healed my wound, so I’m as good as new.” Shiro patted her chest, and Eleanor looked relieved. “So… I don’t mean to be a buzzkill, not when this is a happy occasion, but… what will you do next?” she asked.

“A good question.” Britain is at a great disadvantage. “I feel rather ashamed, we fared worse than Japan did, and lost more precious Gods’ Chosen, despite it being an internal struggle, not external foes. Eleanor, what do you think?”

“Honestly? It’s going to be tough now. David and Sir Arthur should be back on their feet soon, Raidre too, or so he says. But without the other members of my team, rebuilding will be extremely difficult. The other teams have suffered losses too.”

“They have. Fortunately, it seems that some got cold feet and backed out of their plot, and others remained loyal and fought to prevent further traitors attacking you.” The Queen said. “Perhaps that saved your life.”

“It saved theirs.” Eleanor said softly. “Grandmother, I killed Samuel and Alistair. I nearly killed Kathy too. If they had tried to defeat me… for the Tower, for Britain… for my own life, I’d have fought them.” She smiled at Akio then. “And thanks to the trump card he taught me, I’d have won. Even if I didn’t… when they came to battle alongside Mary, they’d have died all the same, right Hyacinth?”

She nodded happily. “Indeed, I wooould have killed such wretched traitors.”

“I see. Well, just as your father, Richard and Henry have all been in the military, and have had to make hard choices, even kill… now you have too. I never wished such a duty for you, but that is what we must bear, as the Royal Family of this United Kingdom.”

“Uh, about that…” Eleanor looked downcast, and the Queen leant forwards.

“What is it, my dear?”

“I… well, I had no choice, but I took Akio and some of the others to the Tower, and what lies below.” She continued, speaking rapidly and guiltily. “Max Power could have still been hiding there, and it would have done us little good to have him kill me and potentially… look, I know I shouldn’t have, but circumstances…”

“I see.” The Queen leant back, thinking. “I trust you, Eleanor, if it was what needed to happen, so be it.” The Queen fixed the saviours of her granddaughter with a stern gaze. “So, what will you do with this knowledge? The treasure we guard is a great temptation.”

“It definitely is.” Akio agreed. “In fact… I need to talk with the Prime Minister… of Japan this time…” he smiled. “…as well as the head of our new Ministry, and Fujiwara-san, Ichijou-san and Takatsukasa-san, but I have a proposal for cooperation. I believe this whole mess has shown you need better friends.”

“Shige and Kira, I see.” The Queen mused. “Well, you do seem close with them. You are in charge of Shige’s granddaughter, who is like my Eleanor, I believe?”

“Yes, she’s under my care.”

“So, will you be taking her as a wife too?” the Queen teased, ignoring Eleanor’s flushed face.

“I think she’s rather too into girls for that.” Shiro laughed, a little tipsy from the cognac. “Hell, she wouldn’t say no to Aki if he asked though, I bet.”

“That is true-true.” Shaeula agreed. “But if we merely include females who would not-not say no, well, that foolish trash Donovan talked of King Solomon, I believe Akio could most-most easily surpass him.”

“Yeah, that’s enough of that.” Akio cut off the merriment, and the Queen smiled, enjoying a little peace in her heart, seeing her granddaughter safe, and hearing Henry could be saved. However… as Head of State, there is still much for me to do.

“So, just what do you propose, assuming Japan consents?” the Queen asked, and Akio fixed her with his serious grey eyes.

“Simple. An extension of what I’ve already done in Kyoto. We’ve proved we are good allies to have, and…” As he explained, the Queen looked at Eleanor, who shrugged. I see. Does it go against our sworn duty of all these years, or… is it the best way to continue such duty? In the end… it is not for me to decide. Eleanor, my dear granddaughter, whatever you choose, I will give you my blessing. After knowing you were almost killed, I can do nothing else…

*********

The next day was frightfully hectic, I had done further Chirurgery and Healing on Henry with my aether having been topped up overnight, and more sparks of that foul adherence had been consumed by my Foehn. Compared to what else had happened though, that was nothing. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing all damn day…

There were numerous calls from Japan. Fortunately Shiro and Shaeula had notified Eri and the others of our victory and status, but even so, I still received a number of calls and messages. The worst though… I sighed, remembering.

“Oh, hey bro. Took you long enough to pick up. I’ve called like three times. Wow, you’re not avoiding me now that you’re a big shot celebrity are you? Nice TV appearance, bro. Shaeula looked awesome too. You’re both all over the news. But…” she had trailed off dangerously, and I held in a wince. “… there’s something missing, isn’t there? Go on bro, tell me, where the hell did your arm go? Mom nearly had a fit, and it triggered auntie Mori’s trauma with that time with Eri. So, anything to say for yourself?”

“Sorry. But it was unavoidable. It’s not like I can’t…” I had begun, only for her voice to be colder than I’d ever heard it before.

“Sorry? Unavoidable? You don’t sound very sincere to me, bro. Wow. Just wow. Wow. I remember when I burned my hand, how mad you got. It’s not like I lost my whole damn arm! Shit…” her cold voice cracked, and I felt awful, as she started to cry. “… come on bro, that’s your arm! In my head, I know you’ll do something cool like grow a new one or something, but how do you think that makes me feel, us feel?” She blew her nose nosily while I just listened. “… and the first we knew of it was seeing you on some news footage from the UK. It was a shock! Bro, take care of yourself. Please. Just like you worry about us, we worry about you! If you were to die…”

“I won’t die.” I assured her. “I promise you that. I won’t die. I’m sorry. I really am. I only thought about how to win, not the consequences and how that would make you and others feel. I’m a jerk. Sorry.” I apologised again, heartfelt and sincere.

“It was to save a girl, right?” Aiko asked when she had calmed down.

“I guess. Though sadly my opponent was a woman too. But there really was no other way but to fight. In the end, we won, and all of us will come home safely. I’ll have my arm back by then, but there’s someone that needs healing more first.”

“That’s that Prince, right? That was on the news too. Bigshots were really talking you up, Japan too. There was footage of you, Motoko, Natsumi and Hyacinth at a party. Those dresses were amazing. I’m not big on dresses myself, but… I want to go to a party like that and look cute!”

Relieved that the subject had changed, I had laughed. “Sure, when you graduate, we’ll go on a trip, meet some people. It’ll be fun.”

“That’s a promise, bro. Oh, by the way… the secret is out about you now, you know, so you can guess what happened in Nishimorioka. School is mad. It’s impossible to hide the truth. Some people were saying you were a bit of a dick using superpowers to bully that loser Kenji-kun, but the girls sided with you. Besides, I know it was worth it. My bro in shining armour. Rika-chan and Yae-chan are loving the spotlight too, and the attention from all the guys. Does it make you jealous, bro? Yae-chan told me to ask…” As she continued to explain that it was impossible to keep their powers under wraps, I had relaxed, relieved she was no longer crying about my injuries. In the end, I had warned her to be careful, and made sure that some of the Black Wolf Company were stationed nearby in secret, for added security.

“… guess you’ll be bringing Eri’s grandparents some good luck at last. They may be annoying gossips, and I’m not overkeen on them, but they are Eri’s family so…” Aiko continued, and I agreed.

“I’ll be talking to mom’s parents again too.” I promised. “There’s no point keeping the truth from them now.”

“Great. So, anyway, Japan is really chaotic. The whole mess with Kyoto is on fire again, and the trouble before that with little Keomi-chan and the other girls. There’s been some violence too. Not in Nishimorioka, and if there was, I’d give them a taste of the golden sister army, but… shit, I hate it when people badmouth you, bro. Though Shaeula and the other girls are getting a ton of coverage on the internet… don’t get jealous bro! It’s just words!”

“Yeah, I can shrug them off. But if they go too far, maybe I’ll have a word with Yasaka-san.” Maybe it was foolish, and surely impossible to police the world’s internet, but if someone was really disgusting about the girls, I could use Yasaka-san to find out who, and a warning call or letter should shut them up…

“Yeah, that’s my bro! Totally possessive! You’ve changed. Well, we all have, but you most of all. Do you ever wish that you’d stayed in Nishimorioka, just married Eri, lived a normal life?”

“That wouldn’t have been a bad life. I’d have kept an eye on you too, sis. But… no. I think about the lives Shaeula, Shiro, Hinata, Motoko, Natsumi, Hyacinth, Daiyu and Asha would have had without me, and… I could never let that happen.”

“There’s a name I didn’t expect there, and one missing. Asha huh? That’s the tree girl. She’s certainly hot enough. So… she in?”

“She’s in. As for Kana…” I laughed. “She’s the one that could have made it on her own and still been happy. Really, I don’t get why she’s into me, but she is, and when it comes down to it, I just feel really good around her. She has a way of making me feel special. Not that the others don’t, but… it’s hard to explain.”

“For a guy maybe. As a girl I think it’s simple. She’s a clever girl. Self-obsessed and sure of her own worth, and when a girl like that picks a boy, she gives it her all. And she’s very good at understanding how boys think and what they want. So her flirting is targeted to perfectly stimulate you. She’s a dangerous girl. Rika-chan and Yae-chan are the same, but alas for Yae-chan, she’s here and you’re in Tokyo, so she can’t wear you down. Anyway… bro, you better damn well get that arm back before I see you, or I swear I’m going to never forgive you!”

Back on that subject, we had gone in circles a bit more, until I had promised to train my sis personally next time as compensation, and then we had hung up.

“Yes, my sister sure is something.” I said to myself. I was alone in the Palace, everyone else out doing various things. I yawned, knowing I would need to do another round of healing on Henry soon. The TV was on, news from around the world all focusing on the events in London, though Japan was mentioned often, and it was embarrassing to see mention of me, though the Japanese government and the Three Great Houses were using their own media companies and influence to suppress certain details and paint us in a better light. As I was idly toying with my recharging phone, the battery worn down by the endless barrage of calls, something on the TV caught my attention.

“… we go live now to Vatican City, where His Holiness, Pope Francisco is to speak on the recent upheavals that have shocked the world. As a Catholic myself, I am eagerly awaiting guidance, and I am sure that the one point two billion other Catholics worldwide are the same, as well as other Christians, and even the other Abrahamic faiths.”

The TV showed the Pope in his papal robes, a white cassock, looking old and frail, but his eyes still burned with warmth and dignity. Several ranking Cardinals were beside him, and as he looked out over a sea of the faithful, he spoke, his voice melodious and calm, full of conviction. It was in Italian, since Pope Francisco apparently spoke a number of languages, but the news station was translating.

“I speak to you all today, all you citizens of the world, not just those who believe in God, but all peoples, of all countries, races and religions.” He paused dramatically, allowing the attention of the world to focus on him. “From the first days of recorded history, man has sought succour from the Gods, proof that there is something more to life, that our existence has meaning. Natural phenomenon, things we feared and did not understand, the lightning, earthquakes, volcanoes, eclipses. Things that terrified the superstitious. Religion brought comfort, as it should, for God loves us all very much.” He paused again, smiling. “Since I am speaking to all faiths, all peoples, let me say that I have no wish to deny your faith. I put my faith in the Lord and his only Son and the Holy Spirit, but as long as you live a good, charitable life, kind to others, loving thy neighbours as thyself, I am sure that God will look favourably on you. But since I am the Pope, I should speak of our God. And I believe God is love, after all, did he not send his only son as a sacrifice for us, to free us from original sin? And I find that precious.”

“… the Pope seems impassioned today.” the reporter was saying. “After the events in London, the worldwide hysteria and panic, a soothing voice is welcome.”

“But faith…” Pope Francisco continued. “Faith is precious too. Those who believe are saved, and will live eternally under the aegis of God in Heaven. But the modern world is the enemy of faith. After all, we know why lightning happens, why the earth quakes, or that an eclipse is not a portent of doom. God seems so very far away, irrelevant. I blame nobody for finding their faith waning, the importance of Mass shrinking. The modern world is so very busy, after all. Even I have a computer, and a schedule, at my age.” The crowd below Vatican City laughed at his joke. “But the truth is before us. God exists. And he loves us very much. He has called us to stand together, to believe, and to help each other!” His words resonated, stirring the crowd.

“People study the bible, and point out the inaccuracies, the impossibilities. No, not the virgin birth, or the pillar of salt, or the Angel of Death. Those we believe, those happened. But… scholars have worked out that the Earth would be only six thousand years old, were the words entirely accurate, or many other inconsistences. I tell you, that does not invalidate the whole! The bible is a collection of important stories, many true, some allegorical, others the best explanation we can grasp, foolish, blind creatures that we are, thrown out from Eden.”

That makes sense. Just like Shaeula exists, and gods like Tsukuyomi do, I have no doubt a great deal of the bible is accurate. After all, I’ve seen an Angel, and Tan has talked of the Ninth Heaven. I continued to listen to the words of the Pope, fascinated.

“One story that contains truth but is not the whole truth is the Book of Revelation. The End Times are here. perhaps there will be no Antichrist, no Horsemen, but the world is in danger. And God has not stood idly by. Some few of us have been blessed, Chosen. Now, I understand that is a fearful thing. Those who have not received such a blessing might feel betrayed, or afraid of those who have. Those who have been so blessed may be crushed under their burden, feel they are unsuitable. But know this! There is a purpose, a grand plan! God will not abandon us! We will fight to save ourselves and our loved ones, always remembering that God loves us!”

The crowd cheered, and even the reporter was misty-eyed, nodding.

“Now, the Book of Revelation… the bible was selected from many chronicles, and not all could be included. There are some missing gospels, certainly. The Vatican holds a few.” He smiled. “The works of a certain famous author mentioned a few. He is not correct, though I enjoyed his works, but then, I am an old man, I like to read, not use these new-fangled games the young like.” He made a joke, holding everyone’s attention. “I have a serious point, don’t glare at me like that so.” He joked with his Cardinals. “There is a different version of the Book of Revelation.”

Mary Stuart followed that, Sarah talked about it.

“They call it the True Revelations, and while I dare say it is like all in the bible, incomplete, a tale we can understand, it is more applicable to our current situation. Unfortunately… this has led to a most tragic situation.” He sighed, looking benevolent yet terribly sad. “In London, a Cardinal of the Church of True Revelations, an old Catholic offshoot, that the Vatican recognises as an official, if small, branch of faith, acted upon her beliefs. She…” he paused, a small smile on his face. “Yes, she, a female Cardinal. See, the faith is not so old-fashioned, is it? No, I fear this is no laughing matter. Mary Stuart, a Cardinal of this Church, was one chosen by God to protect us from the end, to unite the faithful and usher the Earth to the Ninth Heaven, the garden of Eden where we will be safe from all evil.”

Yeah, now those are nice words, but Tan says even the Ninth Heaven, mighty though it is, is in great danger, though she will never say why or from what.

“Unfortunately, her ways were not kind. We apologise deeply and humbly to our fellow humans, our fellow Christians, in Great Britain. Her actions were unforgivable, and she nearly claimed the life of Princess Eleanor. Many did die, including staunch believers. A great, wasteful shame.” He bowed. “I apologise on their behalf, and I pray that the Lord forgives them. But I ask that despite her foolish actions, her belief is respected. She acted through faith, misguided and misplaced though it was. And we need to act. No, not to fight one another, to rob and kill, but to gather together and shield one another…”

As his speech continued, I listened, impressed. It’s a good speech, and the idea of coming together is the best thing we can do. But… In the end, the Pope prayed for Mary Stuart and the fallen members of her group, as well as the victims they caused. He urged everyone to work together, but he also acknowledged that the Church of True Revelations were acting under belief in God and for reasons they believed were just, to protect the faithful from the apocalypse which was now nearly upon us. I’m not sure the Queen will accept that. But… he did urge them to cease their advances towards London and the Crown… He finished by imploring the world not to panic, saying that there was still time, and that faith could be a shield, now more than ever.

Flicking off the TV, I saw that my phone was recharged. Switching it on, I saw I had a number of new voicemail messages. With a sigh I was about to listen to them when my phone rang, surprising me. Fumbling the phone with my one hand, I noticed the caller. Buck Kelly, huh? That’s a surprise…

“Hello.” I greeted him, and his jovial, larger-than-life tones were heard in reply.

“As I live and breathe, it’s been a while.” He boomed. “I never thought I’d see the day when I saw you on TV, you and the girlie. She cut a mighty cute figure, didn’t she?”

“I can’t disagree. So what’s up?”

“Can’t a man call an old acquaintance, no, an old friend when he sees a man making the news? Uh… quick question, your arm…”

“Don’t worry about that, there’s no problem. So, yes, I agree I’ve been in the news. What about it?”

“Hey, no need to be so cold.” He didn’t let it offend him. “I knew there was something special about you back then, you and your little girlfriends. There was a fluff piece on a new Japanese law on CNN not so long ago, about Japan following the Mormons in recognising multiple marriages. Oh boy, did the news anchors and guests not like that. And I wondered…”

“Yes, you’re right. I am marrying Eri and Shaeula. If you’ve seen the pictures from the Royal gala, those girls too. Why, want an invite to the wedding?” I laughed, and he responded quickly.

“Damn right I do! Nobody knows how to plan a shindig like old Buck Kelly! It’s the Irish in me, I reckon. Now, fun as it is to catch up, I do have some business. Hell, the world might be ending sometime soon, but until then, every good American has to have as much fun as possible. Even in Hell, I dare say we’ll be looking for booze and a singsong or two, maybe some baseball, and I bet you Japanese are no different.”

“That’s fair. In fact, we need to keep things as normal as possible. The last thing we want is worldwide panic. Life goes on.”

“That it does, well said. Life goes on indeed. If only the protesters were as level-headed as you! Stupid bastards. So, on to my point. I hear you’ve been doing quite well for yourself. Ms Connors… oh, don’t get me wrong, she’d never break confidentiality, she’s a stand-up, trustworthy gal, but she was saying you’ve been busy in business circles. So I was wondering, how about we pull a play together?”

Buck is in nightclubs and pubs, not really my scene, but… “What did you have in mind?” I asked.

“I was thinking of branching out abroad, times like these, they’re not for the faint of heart. Already, the DOW and the NASDAQ are dropping hard. The Dollar’s holding up, and so is the Yen, but the world economy is shaking. Times like these, plenty of bargains and opportunities are to be had.”

Hmm, that gives me an idea. Shaeula might be interested… considering some of the projects Shaeula was running, a little expertise might go a long way. “All right, you have my interest. But I have a lot on my plate right now, so…”

“No kidding. You’re the talk of the world, saving Princesses and fighting off wicked women. Though information on you and the girlies is locked tight, Japan is clamping down hard, and even in the US, seems there’s some pressure to keep your matters secret.” I guess that’s from Adam White, he won’t want to leak too much in case it sheds light on all the shit the US was doing.

“Of course me, I happened to see the live broadcast of Miss Shaeula, and I recognised her immediately. That figure and hair is unmistakable. You would bar-bar my way? Shaeula Tu Shae Dannan, princess of the Seelie, Duchess of the Spring of Clear Reflections?” he mimicked. “Damn man, she’s still got that cute speech impediment. You’re a lucky dog. I’m not kidding, I want a wedding invite! I knew you two were my lucky charms when we first met, I’m ahead of the game as I already know you!”

“Fine. So, what do you plan to do?” I asked, setting that aside.

“I’ll be flying over to Japan in a couple of weeks. Can we meet up?”

I agreed, and after exchanging a few details, talk turned to Las Vegas. “So, say, what ever happened with Aliyah, the big girl? She sure did hate you, man! A wise man never pokes at a woman, or she’ll bite back.”

“Turns out our paths crossed again.” I admitted. “Now she works for me. Still has a vile tongue and sharp temper though.”

“You really are brave! That’s one woman I wouldn’t mess with. So, anyway…” I spent a pleasant time talking with Buck, before he finally hung up. The moment he did so, my phone was ringing again, and I didn’t even have time to check my messages…