ã€ŠDivine Inheritanceã€‹


 Prologue: Stormy Night

    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± I exclaimed, dashing into my apartment as the rain came crashing down out of nowhere. In the 14 years I¡¯ve lived in Texas, I¡¯ve never seen a rainstorm develop that fast before. The two mile drive home from work started out a clear summer¡¯s day, and within five minutes a monsoon nearly pushed my car off the road. The run from the parking lot to my apartment left me soaked to the bone. As I was kicking my soggy shoes off at the door, a black lab came flying out of bedroom to greet me. Meet Ryo, my one companion in the small apartment. While she was indeed happy to see me, the way she kept looking from me to the door and back to me again indicated what she was truly eager about. She had been left alone for the last eight and a half hours, after all.

    ¡°Are you sure, girl? I mean, it¡¯s pouring down out there, and you¡¯re terrified of lightning.¡± She just yipped at me, remembering to keep her protest voice down, knowing the neighbors would complain if she was too loud. She really was a smart dog.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I sighed. ¡°Go get your leash.¡± As she dashed off to find it, I slipped my wet shoes back on. As they squished uncomfortably under my feet, Ryo returned, leash dangling from her mouth. A couple minutes later we were both soaked to the bone and back inside. After drying her off with a towel, I let her have the run of the apartment again as I threw my wet clothes in the washer and stepped into the shower. Nothing beats a warm shower after getting drenched in the rain, I tell you.

    My name is John Badger, and I¡¯m 35 years old. Currently I¡¯m working part time delivering pizzas. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t find any other work, it¡¯s just that so far, it¡¯s been paying the bills and I¡¯m comfortable where I¡¯m at. A couple years ago I got out of the US Army after a decade and I¡¯m quite content having far less responsibility just driving around the city dropping off food. Don¡¯t think that I was one of those hardcore infantry types all the movies are made about (most of which get everything completely wrong, by the way). I was an aircraft electrician. The not so glamorous job of chasing wires around helicopters. I¡¯ll spare you the boring details of the actual job itself. I deployed a few times to Iraq, but since I never left the camps and airfields we were stationed on, the most danger I faced was random mortars, rockets, and the powdered eggs at the chow hall. The deployments weren¡¯t particularly hard on me. I¡¯ve always been the type that settles in wherever I¡¯m at and goes with the flow.

    I¡¯m divorced. That was hard on me. She left me a few years ago while I was deployed and never looked back. It hurt, and once I got home I spent more than a few nights warming barstools and waking up in unfamiliar bedrooms next to unfamiliar women that ranged all over the traditional beauty scale that all men have. I¡¯m no saint, but even I look back at that time with disappointed eyes. Well, most of that time. There were a few mornings where I was particularly proud of myself. There were also a couple of mornings where a husband came home from their nightshift not nearly as impressed as I was. Thankfully, running was one aspect of Army PT that I was rather fond of and not too horrible at. Better to offer a quick apology and denial of any knowledge while hauling ass than getting beat to ground meat, I say. I never went out of my way to ensure if the ladies in question were single or not, and there were times I did turn a blind, drunken eye away from certain tan lines on fingers or pretended to not see that certain family photo hanging over the mantle of their home. I wasn¡¯t thinking with the logical or moral portions of my brain at the time, and just wanted to revel in the warmth of someone else. Like I said, I¡¯m no saint, and I do have disappointing moments in my history.

    These days things are calmer. I still go out drinking occasionally. I still manage to find some nightly companionship every now and then too. Just not as frequently, and I¡¯m a little more discerning. I¡¯m still a little hesitant to get into anything serious, so there is no female in my life beyond Ryo, a couple friends and the wives of friends. No one I¡¯d ever consider worth losing a friendship over if it failed miserably. Nowadays I mostly spend my private time doing the things I¡¯d wanted to do growing up. Playing video games, watching cartoons, collecting comics. That sort of thing. I¡¯ve also become a huge anime, manga, and light novel fan. Not to the point where I¡¯d want a 2-D wife or anything. While I might be considered an otaku by some, I¡¯m certainly not on the level of thinking ¡°man, I wish I was born Japanese!¡± Remember, my interests may seem childish, but I¡¯m still in my mid-30s. I¡¯ve got a reasonable enough head on my shoulders to not let it consume my whole life. I watch the shows, read the books, collect the figures, and play video games. As hobbies go, it¡¯s actually pretty harmless. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m cooking meth or anything, unlike a particular woman¡¯s new husband that she gets to see for twenty minutes every other week through reinforced glass.

    Overall, I¡¯m perfectly content with where I¡¯m at in life. Just a single man with a dog watching cartoons and playing video games in his spare time. It¡¯s a pleasant life.

    After getting out of the shower and feeding Ryo and myself dinner (dogfood for her, leftover pizza for me. The job does have its perks), I settled in at my computer desk for another night of gaming. The rain was still crashing down outside, now coming in sideways enough that it was missing the second floor walkway and pounding in to the sole window in the apartment behind my couch. Ryo was curled up next to me, whimpering slightly with every flash of lightning and crash of thunder, which were constant. Texas does have a reputation for having bipolar weather patterns, but this was a bit ridiculous even for this state. I glanced through the curtain to see how bad it was, but I couldn¡¯t make out anything through the rain hitting the window. Just the occasional green flash of lightning and crack of thunder.

    ¡°¡­¡± I stared.

    Green lightning? I guess it¡¯s not impossible, depending on what¡¯s in the atmosphere, but I¡¯ve never seen it. Curious, I searched for green lightning on my phone. First hit was a volcano in Chile. Other hits showed random weather phenomena and a comic book character. Hmm. Add that to my comic research list. Okay, so while it¡¯s not common, it¡¯s not unheard of. Can¡¯t seem to find any pictures of it being THAT green though. It¡¯s a pretty neon green. I¡¯d take a picture of it, but like I said, my window is pretty much useless right now and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m opening my front (only) door to see it clearly. I¡¯ll just snag some off the local weather channel¡¯s webpage tomorrow and share it on social media. It¡¯ll serve the double purpose of entertaining everyone and reminding them that I¡¯m still alive.

    I¡¯m absolutely horrible about keeping in touch with people, something my mother yells at me about when I remember to call her every few months. Honestly, if I dropped dead right now, no one would notice except Ryo and my boss. No one else would think it odd that I¡¯m silent online. They¡¯re used to it. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to talk to people or that I dislike them. It¡¯s just that I have nothing to say to them. I suck at small talk, and no one in my family wants to hear about delivering pizzas or the latest episode of whatever anime I¡¯m watching. My life is literally nothing to write home about, and I¡¯m ok with that, even if my mother isn¡¯t.

    I cursed at my computer and nearly threw my joystick at the monitor. Some asshole just pulled my spaceship out of superflight and blew me up without warning. That¡¯s going to cost a few million credits to replace, but that¡¯s not a big deal. What¡¯s frustrating is that I had just spent two weeks flying to the center of the galaxy for a passenger tourist mission, exploring the different star systems along the way and back, only to be destroyed two minutes from my home station! 40,000 light years¡¯ worth of exploration data gone in an instant that could¡¯ve afforded me a new ship and now it¡¯s digital space dust. Oh, and the passengers are dead too. Failed mission penalty and no twenty million credit reward for successful completion. I guess they don¡¯t call the game Dangerous Space for nothing.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Damn griefers,¡± I muttered. ¡°Why not go fight someone that actually wants to fight? I¡¯m just a glorified cab driver in this game, man.¡± Ryo cocked her head at me, looking up from the chew toy she was working on. ¡°Sorry, girl. Didn¡¯t mean to interrupt you.¡±

    I got up from the computer desk after logging off, deciding I was too frustrated enjoy the game anymore this evening. I flopped down on my couch just as the power went out, accompanied by a loud bang from outside. Finding myself on the floor without realizing it, I chuckled at myself and sat up.

    ¡°It¡¯s been 7 years since the last time you heard an angry boom. A transformer blowing in the middle of the night shouldn¡¯t trigger a relapse. Haaa,¡± I sighed. I groped for my phone on the coffee table and turned on the flashlight app, then made my way to the little kitchenette to grab my actual flashlight. I stepped in something wet and warm on the way, but I had a hunch what it was and decided it could wait until I had better lighting. Grabbing the flashlight and a couple candles out from under my sink, I set one candle in the bathroom and lit it, then took the other into the living room, setting it on the coffee table. Then I started my search around the apartment with my flashlight.

    ¡°Ryo,¡± I called softly. ¡°Where are you, sweetheart? I¡¯m not mad you peed yourself. It was a loud bang and it scared me too. Where are you, girl?¡±

    I found her in my bedroom, trying to squeeze herself into the corner by my closet, ears drooping, head down and watching me through the tops of her eyes, tail firmly set between her legs. I knelt down and called her over. Slowly she made her way over to me, scared I might be mad, probably remembering the time I got angry when she peed on my bed after I ignored her playful advances in favor of just relaxing on the couch reading. She spent the night in her kennel that night, and her hatred of that thing is extreme.

    When she was close enough, I started to stroke and reassure her that I wasn¡¯t angry. And I really wasn¡¯t. How could I get angry at her for getting the piss scared out of her after I¡¯d hit the floor like I was expecting a rocket attack? Slowly she warmed back up to me and gave me a couple licks before I got back up to clean up her mess. She wasn¡¯t cowering anymore, but she wasn¡¯t leaving my side either. I sopped up the mess on the carpet with a towel as best I could while she maintained physical contact with me, but it would have to wait until the power came back on before I could bust out my steam cleaner to really clean it. Given that it was near midnight anyway, I figured now would be a good time to go to bed and said as much to Ryo.

    ¡°Well, girl, let¡¯s head to bed. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t need to go out anymore?¡± I chuckled. She glanced at the front door before making her way back to the bedroom, stopping at the door to look back at me. ¡°Alright, just give me a second. I want to turn off the lights so we don¡¯t get woken up and blinded when the power comes back on.¡± I made my way around the apartment, locking the front door, and turning off any lights that were on when the power went out, not that there were a lot of them. I cursed when I realized that because of the power outage, my computer had a hard shutdown. They handled things like that better these days, but it still wasn¡¯t good by any means. I made sure to flip off the power strip for the computer in case the surge protector decided to fail overnight. I then did the same for my entertainment center, blew out the candle on the coffee table and the one in the bathroom after taking care of my business, then followed the flashlight beam to my room, where Ryo was staring up at me from my bed, chew toy hanging from her mouth. I tossed the chew toy on the floor, knowing she¡¯d just slobber all over the bed as she worked on it through the night if I let her keep it up there. Then I removed my shirt, pulled the comforter down to the foot of the bed, and slid in under the sheet. It was already starting to turn uncomfortably warm thanks to the lack of air conditioning, and the humidity from the storm raging outside wasn¡¯t helping. Ryo curled up in her spot near the other pillow, and together we tried to sleep as best as we could in a hot and humid room while thunder and green lightning crashed outside, and torrential rain raged through the night.

    **

    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± she asked the tall, broadly built man. ¡°A lot of people are going to die.¡±

    He sighed, looking over his shoulder at the beautiful raven haired woman. ¡°No. I¡¯m not sure. In fact, I don¡¯t want to do this at all. The fact remains, however, that I must. This world has been without for thousands of years, ever since the last one left. Gaia¡¯s heir is out there somewhere, and we need to flush them out.¡±

    She looked apprehensive, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. ¡°If this works, they¡¯re going to hate you. You¡¯ll be the devil they fear on this world.¡± She took a step towards his back, slowly reaching out to him. ¡°Inton...¡±

    ¡°A role I¡¯ve been forced to play before,¡± he said, increasing the distance between them. ¡°Now go, Rhia. I don¡¯t want you to see this, and I¡¯ll need you standing by in case they reveal themselves.¡±

    He turned and faced her. ¡°I hereby release you from our pact. It was an honor working with you.¡±

    Her eyes widened, realizing what he was saying. There was only one way to end a pact like theirs, and there was no going back once completed. Here in the eye of the storm, it was warm and dry, but the cold chill that ran through her had nothing to do with the rain and lightning raging nearby.

    ¡°No! You can¡¯t mean that! Don¡¯t leave me alone! You¡¯re all I have! Serving you is my purpose in life! I can¡¯t just le-¡°

    ¡°You can, and you will!¡± he shouted, then softened his tone after seeing her expression. ¡°Consider this my final order. What I¡¯m about to do is heinous. I will never be forgiven for this, and I can¡¯t have you caught up in that. Rhia, you¡¯ve served me faithfully for hundreds of years. You are now free to do as you please. My greatest wish is for you to live your life as you see fit.¡± He grasped her by the shoulders and stared into her pleading eyes. ¡°Go. Enjoy life without being shackled to my side. See the universe. Play. Fall in love. Start a family. Do all the things we¡¯ve helped others to do over the centuries.¡±

    He released her and walked back to the edge of small mountain at the edge of the town. Rhia stared at his back, tears streaming down her face. Nodding sharply, as if to psyche herself up, she spread her wings and, hesitating only a moment, shot into the sky, leaving behind nothing except the crack of the sound barrier being broken and a couple dark feathers floating down in her wake.

    He smiled bitterly as he listened to her soft muttering during her hesitation, waited to be sure she was safely out of range, then raised his arms. Reaching out to either side, he grasped at the green lightning swirling and cracking around him. Absorbing its raw energy, he pulled it into himself, condensing it. More and more he pulled, until the storm dissipated around him.

    If anyone had been looking, they would have seen a large glowing figure on the ledge of the mountain that rose above the city. The energy inside of him, condensed into too small of a vessel, even for one as large as himself, began to agitate. He struggled to hold it in, knowing he¡¯d only get one shot at this, and even if he¡¯d never see the results of his actions, he had to get it right. There would be massive repercussions no matter how it went, and his life was forfeit no matter what, but he had to flush the heir out. Sensing the captured energy was reaching the critical stage, he stood tall, closed his eyes, and remembered Rhia¡¯s parting words to him before she took off. He smiled briefly, before the state of Texas disappeared from the map in a blinding green flash.

    ¡°¡­but I already have fallen in love.¡±

 One: Im A What?

    ¡°You''d better be worth his life.¡±

    Of all the things one expects to hear upon waking up, that¡¯s not one that generally comes to mind. I opened my eyes slowly, pain racking my body. I heard Ryo whimpering softly next to me. I looked over at her. She was laying on her side, breathing heavily and staring right at me. Half of her fur was singed off and one ear was missing. Her skin looked like someone had held a torch to her side. We were both lying on earth that looked like it was similarly scorched like Ryo. My panic at seeing Ryo in her current state was only briefly overshadowed by what I saw behind her, or rather, what I didn¡¯t see behind her. Everything was gone. My bed, my room, the apartment complex, the foundation, everything. For as far as I could see it was just scorched earth. I simply couldn¡¯t process what I was seeing.

    ¡°Oh, what have we here? Another survivor?¡± The voice quickly sucked in a breath. ¡°Oh my. Let me help you, dear.¡±

    A figure gracefully stepped around me and leaned over Ryo, placing their hands on her. Ryo¡¯s eyes went wide, and she started yelping in pain from the contact on her ruined flesh.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I yelled angrily. ¡°What the fuck are you doing to my dog?!¡± I moved to protect her, but immediately stopped when she started to glow. What the hell? I thought.

    ¡°No, not hell. Quite the opposite, in fact.¡± I finally stole a glance at the voice¡¯s owner, and then couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her. She was, without question, one of the most beautiful women I¡¯ve ever seen. She had black hair. So black it was almost blue, if that makes any sense. Golden eyes I¡¯ve never seen outside of a cartoon. Her face was perfectly proportioned...

    ¡°Listen, we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities for you to check me out later. Right now, I need you to help me.¡±

    I stared at her, wide-eyed. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said, I need you to help me. This is going to be even more painful for Ryo, so I need you to make eye contact and talk to her. Tell her everything is going to be alright.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing? I swear to God, if you kill my dog¡­¡±

    ¡°Swear to yourself then!¡± she barked at me. ¡°I¡¯m trying to save her life, damn it! But to do so, I must undo what¡¯s been done to her. That means she¡¯s going to feel the pain of everything that¡¯s happened to her in reverse! The first time it happened, it was quick and over with before she even realized anything had happened. Undoing it is going to be a slower process, so the pain is going to be much more intense. Now will you do as I tell you, or are you going to let her suffer more?¡±

    Shutting my mouth, I leaned over and held Ryo¡¯s head in my lap. I stroked her as softly as I could, careful to avoid what was left of her ear and the other burned portions of her skin. She quietly whimpered as she tried to look at me, weakly trying to lick my other hand. Typical Ryo, I thought, with a bitter smile. She¡¯s the one in pain and she¡¯s still trying to comfort me. The lick didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the woman, who glanced up at me briefly with an expression I couldn¡¯t quite make out, but she quickly went back to work, the glow intensifying around Ryo. I felt a ticklish sensation run up and down my body as the glow enveloped all three of us. Ryo started to twitch and kick, yelping loudly in pain and even snapping at my hand in the way terrified dogs do when they¡¯re injured. I gently but firmly clamped her jaw shut with one hand while still stroking her softly and whispering to her that everything would be alright.

    I¡¯m not sure how long the process took. Just watching the process was both terrifying and mesmerizing. As Ryo struggled within my grasp and beneath the woman¡¯s hands, the glow grew almost too bright to see. I could still make some things out, however, like watching the burns retreat along her skin, her ear seemingly growing back, her fur returning to its normal healthy sheen. By the time it was complete, Ryo was sleeping soundly with her head on my lap, back to her old self. Her collar fell to the ground just as the woman finished. Apparently, it had melted to Ryo¡¯s skin during whatever had happened, and that neat little glowing trick I just witnessed didn¡¯t seem to work on nonliving things. Gently laying her head on the ground, I got up and stretched my aching legs, which had fallen asleep halfway through whatever this all was. The woman turned to speak to me finally, but I held up a hand.

    ¡°Just a second. Before you say anything, there¡¯s something I absolutely must take care of.¡± She gawked at me as I turned around. I was obviously thinking of other things when I woke up, discovering the absence of everything around me and the condition of my furry companion, not to mention the sudden appearance of this raven haired goddess who¡¯d saved Ryo, however there are some things that wait for no man, and taking a leak when you wake up is one of them. As I went to do my business, walking along the now barren landscape to a distance sufficient to maintain some measure of privacy, I reached for the hem of my shorts, only to discover they weren¡¯t there. My boxers had made a startling disappearance as well. Filing this away momentarily, I took aim and finished a critical portion of my morning routine.

    I paused after I was finished to take in my surroundings with a bit more awareness than earlier, no longer worried about Ryo and her injuries. For as far as I could see, there was nothing manmade in sight. Nor was there anything living, apart from the three of us. No people, no animals, no plants, nothing. It suddenly struck me just how quiet it was. Whether we realize it or not, we¡¯re constantly surrounded by noise. People make noise. Animals make noise. The wind rustling through trees and bushes makes noise. I looked at the ground beneath my feet. I was standing on bedrock so smooth it could¡¯ve been a parking lot. It was like someone had just scraped everything above it away and sanded it flat, then scorched it. I slowly turned around, not caring about my nudity, and stared at the woman, who was staring right back at me.

    ¡°Now, would you mind explaining to me just what the fuck is going on?¡± I started stalking towards her. ¡°Last night I went to bed just like always, and when I wake up everything I know is gone, my dog is burned to a crisp, you¡¯re standing there muttering something about being worth someone¡¯s life, and I¡¯m fucking naked! Where is everyone?! Where am I? Is this even still Texas? Did I get transported somewhere? What happened to my clothes? What happened to Ryo? Who the fuck are you?¡± The questions started spilling out of my mouth, my brain finally trying to grasp the situation it¡¯s found itself in, and it wasn¡¯t doing a very good job of it right at that moment. She tried to maintain eye contact with me during my tirade, but she lowered them as I got closer.

    ¡°You know the answers to all of those questions, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked.

    She hesitated briefly, then nodded sharply, still not meeting my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to like those answers, am I?¡±

    She looked up briefly, gauging my expression as if to decide her next choice of words.

    ¡°No, most likely not,¡± she finally said, a small sigh escaping her lips. She glanced up at the sky then. ¡°We should probably move this elsewhere, however.  Satellites are about to pass directly over this area, and if either of us are seen by them, it¡¯ll only bring more questions that neither of us can answer. Pick up Ryo and come stand next to me.¡±

    I hesitated, unsure of what to do. I just met this woman. I knew nothing about her. Hell, I still didn¡¯t even know her name, and aside from the fact that she saved my dog, she¡¯s said and done nothing to show I can trust her, or even if she wasn¡¯t responsible for the very situation I now found myself in. I generally consider myself a good judge of character, ex wife notwithstanding, but I couldn¡¯t get a read on her.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t got time for this!¡± she shouted in frustration and suddenly moved faster than my eyes could keep up. Before I could register what happened, a frustrating trend that was afflicting me this morning, she was standing right before me, Ryo cradled in her arms and the only thing separating the woman and me, large black wings sprouting from her back. ¡°Brace yourself,¡± she said, a soft glow starting to form around her.

    ¡°Wha-¡± was all I got out as her wings suddenly wrapped around me, pulling me close against her with Ryo sandwiched between us. As the glow around her intensified, I could feel a pleasant tickling sensation running up and down my body, just like when she was healing Ryo. I also suddenly realized I was stark ass naked and pressed tightly against this goddess of beauty who smelled faintly of lavender. My arms were pressed to my sides by her wings, but other appendages weren¡¯t so limited in movement, and her golden eyes narrowed slightly at me as she felt her thigh being poked.

    ¡°You better get that thing under control, mister.¡±

    Any response I might have had was immediately cutoff, as everything around me disappeared in blinding flash of light.

    *

    I woke up with one hell of a headache. Ryo was peacefully sleeping next to me, softly snoring away.

    What the hell happened last night? I thought to myself. I don¡¯t remember getting drunk. And what was up with that dream? Whenever I dream of beautiful women, that¡¯s not generally how it goes. They¡¯re usually a lot more¡­ fun.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are. But don¡¯t expect this woman to perform any of those tricks you like any time soon, ok?¡±

    Surprised at the voice, I sat up sharply, and immediately regretted it. I grabbed my head as a soundless scream tried to escape my throat. If this was a hangover, this was surely a record setting one. A hand gently pushed on my chest, bidding me to lay down again. I looked at the hand, then followed the arm it was attached to up to the face hovering over me. It was the same woman from before, no wings this time, though.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me. I figured you could tolerate the acceleration since you survived Inton¡¯s¡­ I mean The Event. I was wrong, evidently, and you¡¯ve been recuperating from your injuries for quite some time.¡± I saw a momentary flicker of sadness when she said ¡°Inton¡¯s,¡± but she quickly recovered and corrected herself. She placed her hand on my forehead, closed her eyes, and that tickling feeling from before reappeared. My planet breaking headache began to dull before disappearing completely.

    ¡°Um, thanks,¡± I managed to croak out. I sat up, slower this time, as she offered me a glass of water. I sipped at it until I didn¡¯t feel like I¡¯d swallowed the Sahara anymore, then I stared directly at her, locking her eyes with mine. ¡°Now, explain.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? You¡¯re still recovering, you know. You should eat something.¡±

    I realized that I was, in fact, starving, so I nodded. ¡°Yeah, ok. I¡¯m pretty hungry. What¡¯s on the menu?¡±

    ¡°Just a second.¡± She turned and left the room while I took the opportunity to gauge my surroundings. It was a fairly large room. Far larger than any one person had any right occupying by themselves. My memories of it were a bit rough, but I¡¯d say this room was even larger than the bay I lived in during my nine weeks in army basic training, and I shared that space with sixty other guys. It was sparsely furnished. A wardrobe and dresser on the wall to my left, a small table with a couple of chairs just off to the right of the bed I was in, and that was about it really. The bed itself was on a level I¡¯ve never seen before. I used to think a California King was big, but this put them all to shame. I could easily imagine a college female volleyball team sharing this bed and no one getting in anyone else¡¯s way. The fact that I somehow still managed to find myself sleeping on the edge facing the nearest wall wasn¡¯t that surprising to me. I¡¯ve always done that. Even in beds placed away from the wall. Ryo seemed happy with the bed though. As per her usual habits, she was stretched out along the head of the bed on her back, leg twitching in her sleep and snoring, only now there was enough space for her to do it without smacking me in the face with her tail or kick me when her dreams got a little too rambunctious.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    The room was more than just cavernous. Majestic is probably the word I¡¯m looking for. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling at steady intervals, letting out just enough light to keep you from walking into the sporadic furniture. Roman style columns rose up, curving around to my right, separating dark blue curtains, which I assumed covered large windows. Dark tiling on the floor looked like polished marble. My old drill sergeant would¡¯ve had a hard on just looking at that shine. Actually, as I looked around the room, I could see a dark motif was included in everything. Dark blue, dark gray, even black here and there. I felt like I was deep underwater. I was suddenly curious about what just lay behind those curtains, but before I could get out of bed to find out, the woman re-entered the room, followed by a shorter, but no less lovely, woman in a maid¡¯s uniform. The maid was carrying a tray with a silver lid on it. It all looked very clich¨¦, but the smell of food was enough to keep me from remarking on it.

    ¡°Just set it on the table, Su,¡± the woman directed the maid to the small table.

    The maid, Su, apparently, placed the dish on the table and then stood next to the table, hands clasped in front of her as she stared at me, green eyes sparkling. Now that she had come closer and was more visible under the dim light of the chandelier near this side of the room, I got a better look at her. She had fiery red hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her green eyes fixed firmly on me as I gazed at her. The uniform looked like a proper maid uniform, covering her from neck to ankles and wrists, instead of the cute French maid outfits people wore for Halloween and in anime. Not that I was complaining. Sometimes less is more, and teasing me with what I can¡¯t see can be just as effective as a short skirt and low neckline, and considering just how tight it was around her chest, I could imagine she was hiding plenty. All that aside, however, what captured my attention the most was her skin. It was blue. Not Blue Man Group blue, but a soft pastel blue. It was such a contrast to her hair and eyes that I just couldn¡¯t stop staring. Being under such scrutiny didn¡¯t seem to phase her. In fact, the longer I looked, the more noticeable it was that she had started to smirk a little. I guess she liked the attention.

    ¡°You may go now, Su.¡±

    Su momentarily lost her composure as she whipped around and stared at the woman. ¡°But Mistress Rhia! It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been able to fulfill my duties! Ever since the last master left-¡±

    Before she could say anymore, the woman, whom I now knew was named Rhia, grabbed her by the collar and yanked her towards her, barely an inch separated their noses now. I realized Su¡¯s feet were no longer touching the floor as she dangled in Rhia¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Not. Another. Word.¡± She gritted out between clenched teeth, giving me a sidelong glance and catching my raised eyebrow. She set Su back down and brushed back a lock of red hair that had fallen out of place. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to speak with him yet about anything. Right now, your place is on standby literally anywhere but here. I don¡¯t care where you go, but this room is off limits until further notice. Now go.¡±

    Su straightened out her uniform, gave Rhia a shallow bow, a deeper one to me, then quickly retreated, her face a darker shade of blue than when she was smirking at my attention earlier. I tried figuring out if the darkening of her skin was the equivalent of a blush or going pale, but realized I had absolutely no information to draw any kind of comparison. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know if she was human.

    ¡°Oh she¡¯s human alright, just not as you know it,¡± Rhia said, watching the massive double door silently close behind Su. I looked up in shock, realizing she had answered a question I hadn¡¯t even asked. It then occurred to me that she¡¯d actually done that a few times in our short time together.

    ¡°Are you reading my mind?¡±

    I had to ask. The evidence clearly said yes, but I still like to confirm things out loud when I have the opportunity. This time it was Rhia¡¯s turn to raise an eyebrow at me. Her look was all the answer I needed, however she still humored me with a vocal response.

    ¡°As obvious as it should be by now, yes, I am reading your mind. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not probing too deep or anything. If your surface thoughts are any indication, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m mentally ready for what I may find hidden underneath. More to the point, why are you still in bed? Breakfast is served.¡± She made a show of removing the lid off the tray Su had dropped off, waving the aroma in my direction. The smell of eggs, bacon and coffee hit me like a runaway truck and I started salivating uncontrollably. Ryo suddenly flipped over and stood up on the bed, her eyes shining, tail wagging, and drooling. Rhia looked at Ryo, silent. Ryo¡¯s tail stopped and she cocked her head to the side a bit, as if she was trying to figure something out. She suddenly gave a cheerful bark and bolted off the bed, running like a bandit to the other side of the room. Well, half running half sliding. Tiled floors were a new thing for her. Rhia watched her for a second. ¡°More paw, less claw, honey!¡± she called after Ryo, and to my surprise there was less clicking from her nails hitting the floor and she started making better progress. I stared at Rhia.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You speak dog?¡±

    She giggled briefly, but quickly recovered, trying to mask the cute sound with her confident demeanor again. ¡°No. But for less intelligent species I can make suggestions they¡¯re likely to obey. Mentally I told her there was food over there, which there will be, and that a friend will be along to play with her after, which is also true. Back to my original question though, why are you still in bed?¡±

    Realizing she had a point, I threw my legs over the side and stood up. I expected the floor to be cold with all that tiling, but it was pleasantly warm. Nice, I thought, and stood up. The blanket slid off me as I did, and I was again reminded of the fact that I had no clothes on. Stupidly, I looked at Rhia and shrugged. Keeping her eyes on my face, she pointed at the wardrobe and dresser on the other side of the bed. As I made my way around the bed, I thought I heard her mutter something about being thankful she got Su out of the room first. File that away for later, I thought as I opened the wardrobe.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I said absentmindedly and pulled out what appeared to be a sheet on a hanger. Holding it in front of me I turned around to Rhia, catching her with half a strip of my bacon in her hand. ¡°Is this a fucking toga?¡±

    ¡°Oh. I forgot all about that. We haven¡¯t updated the wardrobe selection in a while, it would appear,¡± she said nonchalantly.

    ¡°A while?¡± I said, slightly incredulous. ¡°No one¡¯s really worn these in at least 1500 years! And why is it on a hanger?! It¡¯s just a twenty foot long sheet!¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± she said. ¡°Just wrap it around your waist or something. We¡¯ll have something for you to wear this afternoon. I just can¡¯t stand to see you flopping about all day while we talk. Now hurry up before I finish this bacon off. We don¡¯t get it much up here, you know.¡±

    *

    Rhia kept poking at John¡¯s breakfast as she watched him struggle with the toga. She wasn¡¯t lying about the availability of bacon here. Considering their location, deliveries weren¡¯t really an option, so of course she¡¯d savor it any chance she got, even if it did deprive her prospective new boss. He didn¡¯t know that was his position, of course, and she wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d feel about it once she dropped the news on him. She didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be too happy about it, especially once he learned just how they¡¯d found him, and what Inton¡¯s sacrifice had wrought.

    Over 30 million people vanished in an instant, vaporized by the sheer magnitude of the power unleashed when Inton combined his power with the divine storm he¡¯d summoned. Everything down to the bedrock was wiped out in a blast covering 500,000 square miles. Ninety percent of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana were gone. Half of Arkansas was a wasteland. Northeast Mexico down to Monterrey was also caught up in the blast. Even the water three hundred miles out into the Gulf of Mexico was vaporized. The resulting rush of water attempting to reclaim the void left behind would¡¯ve wreaked havoc on coastal cities had any remained standing.

    No, she thought. He won¡¯t be happy at all about this. She briefly considered not telling him the whole truth, but quickly discounted it. He¡¯d find out eventually, and by that point he¡¯ll likely be in a position where his rage would have lasting consequences, not just on her, but the whole world. She had to avoid that at all cost. Better to tell the truth quickly and get it over with now, while he was still marginally under her control. Like ripping off a band-aid, as the humans said. Of course, she¡¯d never actually used one, but she understood the sentiment.

    Why was she so convinced he wouldn¡¯t react well to the news? Beyond the basic human feeling of helplessness whenever a major catastrophe happens, and rage at intentional destruction that killed hundreds or thousands of people, Rhia¡¯s belief came from an unlikely source. Ryo. While John was asleep, Ryo never left his side. Granted, she was asleep too, as she was recovering from the same injuries as John at this point, but when they¡¯d tried to give her a spot of her own separate from John, they found she was more restless and wasn¡¯t sleeping well. Whimpering in a mournful way. However, after moving her back to his side on the bed, she¡¯d immediately calm down and sleep soundly. Then there was something Rhia had witnessed while healing Ryo when she¡¯d found them. Despite the pain she was going through, Ryo still tried to comfort John, licking his hand lightly and watching him closely. John, for his part, was so worried about Ryo that he had hardly even noticed his surroundings. He¡¯d registered them on a basic level, but first and foremost on his mind was how much his dog was hurting. He cared so much for his companion that the rest of the world didn¡¯t even matter to him.

    Indeed, he hadn¡¯t even noticed he was naked until Ryo was healed, and the only time he¡¯d really looked away from her was when he was checking out Rhia. Enough time had passed by now that she could look back on that objectively. It wasn¡¯t every day a woman of otherworldly beauty showed up right in front of you. John was still a member of the male species after all. She was just thankful she¡¯d snapped him back to reality before his gaze dropped below her neckline. Otherworldly or not, most women did not enjoy the feeling of eyes roaming up and down her body, although she did understand that he would eventually size her up. He was still getting his bearings at the moment. Once things calmed down and they figured out a routine, she was sure he¡¯d develop a keener interest in her. Of course, she did notice the brief examination he¡¯d made of Su, and part of her ego rankled at that. Why check out the maid before me?

    *

    I finally settled on wrapping the toga around my waist a couple times, then threw the remainder over my shoulder, like I¡¯ve seen on TV. I had no idea if it was correct or not, but at least I was covered up. No more junk swinging around for the world to see, and it kind of hid the belly I¡¯d developed after leaving the Army. Without forced workouts every morning, and an excess of free or discounted pizza, my body had taken on a softer look than it ever previously had.

    I glanced to the other side of the massive room and could barely make out Ryo¡¯s tail madly waving back and forth as she wolfed down something in a reflective bowl. She appeared to have a couple maids flanking her, each petting her as she ate. One more maid stood a little further away, near a door I hadn¡¯t seen previously, her eyes glowing slightly in the dark. That¡¯s interesting, I thought. First a blue skinned maid, and now someone with glowing eyes¡­ like a cat?! Is that a catgirl? The anime nerd in me was suddenly very interested in who all was over there, but a conspicuous cough from Rhia caught my attention.

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± I said, and padded over to where she sat at the table, noticing a much smaller portion of bacon on the plate than there was earlier. I raised an eyebrow in her direction as I took a seat, but she just stared back as I dug into the food set out in front of me. I popped the first bite of the omelet into my mouth and froze, my eyes widening. I looked at Rhia, eyes still wide. She just smirked and waved for me to continue eating. I was torn between the need to shovel everything into my mouth and satiate my hunger and my desire to take my time and savor every hint of flavor. Rhia poured us both cups of coffee as I savored my breakfast, greedily finishing the bacon before she could steal anymore. Before I realized, I¡¯d finished everything on plate. I¡¯ve never felt such remorse or satisfaction at finishing a meal. I could eat like that forever. As I leaned back and sipped at my coffee, I let out a contented sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s like I haven¡¯t eaten in a year, and I¡¯m suddenly offered up a five star meal. That was divine.¡±

    For the first time since she found me, I saw Rhia lose her composure, nearly choking on her coffee and spluttering a bit. Ah, I thought. So the mind reader CAN be caught off guard. She glared at me, but quickly recomposed her face and dabbed at the spilled coffee with a napkin. I glanced over to where the maids were playing with Ryo, only to see them quickly moving out of the room, taking Ryo with them.

    ¡°Hey! Wait a minute!¡± I said, starting to stand, but Rhia waved me back to my seat.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry. They just know we need to discuss some things, and that Ryo needs some exercise. It¡¯s been a while since she¡¯s been out for a run, and we have facilities here she¡¯s going to love.¡±

    Having indulged my hunger and trusting that nothing would happen to my only companion here, I decided she was right. It was time to get down to business. I may have seemed relaxed during the course of events this morning, but I was intensely curious about what was going on. I didn¡¯t even know what time it was, what day it was, where I was, or just what the hell had happened when I woke up before to a world of nothing and a burnt dog.

    ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯m sure you already know all my questions, Miss Mind Reader. So where should we start?¡±

    She looked at me thoughtfully. ¡°Where would you like to start? I¡¯ve got a short version, and I¡¯ve got a long version. I sense you¡¯ll probably want to hear both, though.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the short version. You can fill in the blanks after.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± She took a moment to steel herself, then looked me dead in the eye.

    ¡°Mr. Badger, you¡¯re a god.¡±

 Two: Gods Over Coffee

    There are things in life you mentally prepare yourself for, whether you realize it or not. Hearing your loved one tell you they¡¯re pregnant. Receiving the news that a family member doesn¡¯t have long to live or has already passed. Being told you¡¯re fired. Having someone profess their love for you, or their undying hatred. Even finding out you won the lottery. We all imagine, dream or dread these things.

    ¡°I¡¯m a what?!¡±

    Being told you¡¯re a god isn¡¯t one of them.

    In fact, it¡¯s so far out of our realm of understanding that while one may fantasize about having god-like powers like a superhero or Q from Star Trek, we never really imagine ourselves as actually being them. Which is why my mind is currently trying to process what Rhia just told me. As you¡¯d imagine, it¡¯s not accepting the news easily.

    ¡°This is a joke, right? Me? God?¡±

    Rhia sighed, as if she expected this.

    ¡°As much as it pains me to admit it, yes, you.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to go with the longer version. Let¡¯s start out with what happened to me first, and then you can fill in the blanks later. What happened the other morning? Who are you? And where are we now?¡±

    She looked down momentarily, checked the time on her watch, and quietly muttered to herself. I thought I heard like a band-aid, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. She then stood up and walked over to the curtains hanging between the large columns lining the side of the room. She beckoned me over, then flung one of the curtains open. Frowning a little at the lack of explanation, I got up and walked to stand next to her. Looking out the indicated window, I felt my jaw drop. Before me was a gray expanse stretching out in front of me. No life could be seen anywhere in my field of view stretching out to the horizon, which was considerably closer than it should¡¯ve been. A dark sky rose above that with a single object floating in it. A blue, green, and white orb that, until this moment, I¡¯d only seen pictures and video of.

    ¡°Wait, is that Earth? That¡¯s Earth, right? Are we on the moon?! How the hell?¡±

    I saw Rhia nod out of the corner of my eye. ¡°It is indeed. The last god felt that the best way to keep an eye on Earth was to be far enough away to actually see it. So, he created a home up here. This is now your home, by the way, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that apartment of yours. Speaking of which¡­¡± She took a deep breath, then gestured at a telescope I hadn¡¯t noticed before. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be easy to tell you. North America should be visible now. I need you to take a look at it. I¡¯ll explain afterwards.¡±

    Pushing down the ominous feeling I was getting, I gave her a sidelong glance before stepping up to the telescope. Placing my eye against the monocle, I had to briefly adjust it before everything came into focus.

    Rhia took a step back from John. She wasn¡¯t sure what kind of reaction he¡¯d have, she just knew it wasn¡¯t going to be a pleasant one. This was the part that truly terrified her. It wasn¡¯t fear for her personal safety. Nothing he did at this point could hurt her anyway. She was afraid for him and his mental state. She had to inform him that millions died just so she could find him. What kind of pressure would that place on him? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it broke him. What she feared even more was him having the exact opposite reaction, or at least shrugging it off. While there were other deities out there that would casually wave off the death of millions as a natural course of events, she desperately didn¡¯t want him to be one of those. The planet they call Venus once had one of those, and it was no longer habitable because of it. Earth needed a savior, now more than ever.

    ¡°Please,¡± she thought. ¡°Show me what I need to see. I don¡¯t want to have to take extreme measures if Inton was wrong.¡±

    I saw it immediately. Hell, you could see it without the telescope, though not as clearly. A large, black spot where Texas was supposed to be. I suddenly flashed back to the other morning. Waking up on burnt bedrock, Ryo half toasted to a crisp, nothing to see as far as the horizon. I felt my eyes widen and slowly turned towards Rhia.

    ¡°What the fuck AM I LOOKING AT?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help shouting the last half of my question. I was starting to put some things together, and just like she¡¯d said when we¡¯d met, I wasn¡¯t liking the answers I was coming up with. I also suddenly realized why the maids were so quick to hustle out of the room with Ryo in tow. They knew this was going to happen. None of this was a coincidence. That green lightning storm. Waking up the next morning to a wasteland. Ryo¡¯s injuries. Rhia being right there when I woke up. Her desire to leave the area before anyone could see us there. I slowly started stalking towards her. ¡°You better start talking fast, woman.¡±

    A momentary look of relief crossed her face for some reason, which only pissed me off even more. She quickly realized what she did and assumed a more controlled expression, although a bit of anguish was mixed in.

    ¡°We have done something unforgiveable.¡± She looked at me, tears forming in her eyes, and then dropped to her knees. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to the floor. ¡°So completely unforgiveable, but I beg you to hear me out before you make any decisions.¡± To my surprise, she then manifested her wings, spreading them out fully and laying them out to her sides, resting them on the floor. ¡°If, in the end, you find my actions to be that reprehensible, you may take my wings. There is no greater shame for one of my kind to be earthbound forever more. Even death would be preferable.¡±

    We would have made a powerful image if anyone else were to see it. Me, wearing a toga and seething in rage, standing above this raven winged angel as she prostrated herself before me. The image was fleeting, however, as my mind was on more important matters. I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself, and resolved to hear her side of things instead of acting out in a rage and saying or doing something I might regret in the long run.

    ¡°Get up,¡± I commanded. I took a seat in the chair I had vacated a few minutes ago and gestured her to sit down as well. She did so, nervously, still wiping tears out of her eyes. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with the more recent events. Judging by your reaction here, you¡¯re not the one who instigated this, are you?¡±

    Sniffing, she shook her head. ¡°No. That was my previous master, Inton.¡±

    ¡°And was he a god, like you claim I am?¡±

    Again, a negative headshake. ¡°No. He was one of the Risen. An angel so powerful they no longer have need of wings to fly.¡±

    ¡°An angel, eh? That looks like a hell of a lot of destruction down there for an angel.¡±

    ¡°Do you not pay attention to your own mythology?¡± she asked, scornfully. ¡°Your holy books describe numerous events where angels caused widespread destruction in God¡¯s name. Archangels, I believe you called them.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Beats the hell out of me. I¡¯m an atheist. Never put much stock in religion nor the stories they told to frighten children to behave.¡± Yes, the irony of my current position and beliefs was not lost on me, but I chose not to dwell on them for now.

    She nodded, as if understanding something I just said. ¡°Anyway, for the last 4,000 years and change, Inton was watching over your world. Ever since the last deity in charge took off into the universe to ¡®find something interesting,¡¯ I¡¯m told he said.¡±

    ¡°4000 years? That pre-dates the big three in practice right now, doesn¡¯t it? So, everything people have been fighting over for the last couple thousand years has been total bullshit?¡±

    ¡°You make the mistake of thinking that people were fighting for their religion. They weren¡¯t. They were using it as an excuse. People fought for the same things they always fought for: land, power, a sense of superiority. We¡¯ve watched countless religions rise and fall in our lifetimes, some come close to getting it right. Others couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.¡±

    I scratched my head and frowned. I really couldn¡¯t stand religion. ¡°Get what right? And how does that leave a hole where my home used to be?¡±

    ¡°To eventually join us in the stars. To live in peace and help each other prosper. That¡¯s why Inton decided it was time to find the heir. He¡¯s tried before in the past. Natural disasters you¡¯ve seen on the news and read about in history books, trying to flush out the ones who couldn¡¯t be killed, no matter what was thrown at them. The numbers for that were higher than expected, however. Humans are surprisingly resilient. Hit them with a flood, they¡¯ll float of there on the hood of a car. Drop a building on them with an earthquake, they¡¯ll find that one hole to climb through. I helped investigate a lot of these people over the last few centuries, and while they were lucky, they weren¡¯t what we were looking for. So Inton decided to make one last attempt. Before you fly off the handle again, let me assure you that he¡¯s paid for his deeds. This last attempt cost him his life.¡± The look of pure grief on her face as she stated this last sentence left me anything but assured. She apparently cared very deeply for this Inton, and while I can¡¯t forgive the atrocities he¡¯s apparently committed, I certainly wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to remark on it right here, in front of her. There was much more to her association with him than she¡¯s telling me right now, but I didn¡¯t see how it would affect the narrative of events leading up to now, so I let her have a moment before prompting her to go on.

    She sniffed, shook her head to clear it, then continued. ¡°Inton knew he wasn¡¯t capable of generating the change your world needed to move on from its current stagnation. If things continue as they are, we¡¯ll have another Venus on our hands.¡±

    I held up my hand to stop her. ¡°Wait, what? Another Venus? You mean, like, the planet?¡± I asked, dumbfounded.

    She nodded. ¡°Exactly like the planet. Your kind hasn¡¯t seen it yet, because we¡¯ve made it so you can¡¯t, but Venus is a dead world thanks to that world¡¯s deity not caring what happened to it. He watched its civilizations destroy it through war and pollution on a scale no one on Earth can even imagine. He may have even helped by causing a few natural disasters beyond your biblical scale. Hurricanes that covered an entire hemisphere. Earthquakes that wiped entire continents from the map. It was all one big game to him, and when the planet was wrecked beyond saving, he took off further into the galaxy.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    I briefly recalled many hours in my youth building simulated cities in one video game or another, only to destroy them in the manners she just described. I started to feel bad for all the digital residents during my destructive youth. I¡¯m sure she was reading my mind again, because a small smile played across her lips in spite of herself. Then she confirmed it.

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to do it in a video game. It¡¯s something else to do it to actual living beings. I don¡¯t believe you have anything to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s reassuring. So more about this heir, and why they were worth the lives of millions. You¡¯re not going to give me some Spock shit about the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, are you? Because that¡¯s at least three or four states y¡¯all literally wiped off the map to find me, and I can¡¯t imagine anyone would value my life that highly.¡±

    She grimaced. ¡°Actually, we do. The Heir of Gaia is the one person who can reshape the world. Both literally and figuratively. At its current rate Earth won¡¯t be as bad as Venus got, but it will eventually find itself as uninhabitable as Mars.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me Mars used to be populated too, are you?¡±

    ¡°No. Too cold. It was never a seed world candidate. Getting back to the point, Gaia was the deity who seeded life on Earth. Naturally she played around a bit first. Everyone does. That¡¯s where the dinosaurs came from. Eventually she got bored with them and whipped an asteroid at the planet, just to see what would happen. She then started the process of planning her next big achievement: humans. You see, the deities¡¯ main goal is to have company out among the stars. Some of our races managed to make it, like us angels. We surpassed our planetary limitations and rose to explore the universe with them. Long before Earth had even formed, in fact. Yet compared to the deities, we¡¯re still a young race. Gaia wanted her creations to make it out there as well. She wasn¡¯t as shy as the last deity watching Earth, however. She was down there, in the thick of it, I¡¯d guess you¡¯d say. She helped evolution in her own particular way.¡± Rhia blushed slightly at this, an odd look on her face.

    ¡°By ¡®her own particular way¡¯ you mean¡­?¡± I had a feeling I knew the answer but seeing Rhia squirm at having to say it couldn¡¯t be passed up.

    Sensing my intentions, she glared at me. ¡°She mated with them. By combining her DNA with theirs, she was able to speed along the evolutionary path of humans. Not all of them. Some branches of the tree have died out over the millennia. In fact, most have. Those that haven¡¯t are too diluted to be of any use. You¡¯re an enigma. To the best of my research, your family line doesn¡¯t show any of the characteristic markers of Gaia¡¯s line, yet you do. We¡¯re not sure how that happened. For it to suddenly generate so strongly after two million years-¡±

    ¡°Two million!¡± I said in surprise. ¡°We weren¡¯t even walking upright then! THAT¡¯S when she was speeding evolution by spreading her legs?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen inside your head, remember? Monster girls aren¡¯t generally considered a healthy fetish, you know!¡± she snapped at me, clearly offended. ¡°You have no place to judge anyone else¡¯s choices in that regard! And why do you think you started walking upright after that anyway?! Can I finish the story or what?¡±

    Holding up my hands in surrender, I leaned back in the chair, ashamed that my dirty secret was thrown out there so easily. Her golden eyes drilled into mine for a second, then she looked away.

    ¡°Sorry about that. I shouldn¡¯t be raising my voice to you like that. It¡¯s above my station.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I spoke out of line. I was caught off guard, but it¡¯s not an excuse to insult the one who helped my species along. Please, continue as you were. I can almost guarantee that this won¡¯t be the last time I put my foot in my mouth.¡±

    Once again, a small smile crossed those luscious lips of hers, and she nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Now, where was I?¡±

    ¡°I believe you were about to reveal how you discovered some extinct genetic marker in me, or something like that. I¡¯m still a little rattled by the whole monkey fucking thing, so I could be wrong.¡± The smile disappeared, and her eyes narrowed at me again. Oops, I thought. Note to self, no more commenting on Gaia¡¯s sex life.

    ¡°That would probably be wise,¡± she said. ¡°Back on topic, we didn¡¯t find anything regarding you. Inton did. As I told you, he was one of the Risen. In fact, he was actually the strongest being in the Solar System until The Event.¡±

    ¡°The Event? You¡¯ve mentioned that before.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what the media labelled it around the world. What happened to your region of the world was so far beyond the human realm of understanding that they didn¡¯t even have a way to describe it. To their knowledge, one night everything was there, the next morning nothing remained. They tried calling it a terrorist attack, and many groups tried to claim responsibility, but no one believed that. A Risen angel¡¯s magic would never be confused for anything human made. There¡¯s no crater, no debris, and normally, no survivors. Just an area without life. Inton told me he sensed a trickle of higher power in your region. Unawakened, dormant. I figured he was going to repeat the Vesuvius incident, or St Helen¡¯s. In the 600 years I served him, I never saw him attempt anything on a scale. When he released me from his service, I understood. He meant for an attack on a grander scale than he¡¯d ever accomplished before. He meant to leave no doubt about the survivor this time. No rubble to hide behind. No debris to float out from a flood on. He meant unleash power your strongest nuclear weapons weren¡¯t capable of reproducing, and he did. The only reason you survived was because of Gaia¡¯s blessing in your genes. They protected you, deflecting the energy wave around you as it vaporized everything in its path. And everyone.¡±

    ¡°And Ryo?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Blind luck on her part. Because she was cuddled up so close to you, you blocked nearly all of the energy that would¡¯ve consumed her. Her injuries were a result of the heat that accompanied the energy wave. Incidentally, she won¡¯t ever face an injury like that again.¡±

    My eyebrows rose at this. ¡°Oh? How¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°As I was healing her, I borrowed some of your untapped energy to aid the process. As a result, she¡¯s now protected by the same energy that protects you. It¡¯s also considerably lengthened her lifespan.¡±

    ¡°How much longer? She¡¯s only 3 years old, you know. She still has plenty of life left.¡±

    ¡°Well, she probably won¡¯t live as long as you, considering you¡¯ll be near immortal once we¡¯ve unlocked your power fully, but I¡¯d guess maybe another thousand years? Maybe two? It¡¯s hard to tell because I personally have never heard of this happening before. Then again, I¡¯m still young myself, and there¡¯s plenty I have left to learn.¡±

    I gaped. A thousand years?! Maybe two thousand? She¡¯ll be a doggy deity in her own right! And did Rhia just say I¡¯d be near immortal? Just how near are we talking here? I also clicked in on something else she just said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know this is rude, but how old are you?¡±

    She raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°If there¡¯s one constant in the galaxy that even Earth knows, it¡¯s that it¡¯s rude to ask a woman¡¯s age.¡±

    ¡°Humor me, please? I¡¯m new to this whole higher being thing. You said you worked for¡­ Inton, was it? For 600 years, give or take a decade, I guess. Yet you also said that you¡¯re ¡®still young.¡¯ In my personal experience, these two things aren¡¯t adding up.¡±

    ¡°Your personal experiences are pretty much worthless in this regard, if you¡¯ll forgive my rudeness. The age difference between us is considerable. My race has been known to live up into the six digit range. If you really must know, however, next month I¡¯ll turn 823 Earth years old. Compared to my own parents, I¡¯m still an infant. Compared to you, I¡¯m ancient.¡± She shrugged at this last bit before falling silent.

    I sat there and pondered what she¡¯d told me. We¡¯d gone off on a few tangents, but I think I had a grasp of the overall picture now. Earth was a planet seeded with life by some higher being, extraterrestrial, alien, whatever, because their race eventually wanted company out among the stars. Sounds like a poorly written episode of Star Trek, if you ask me, but no one had, so moving on. This higher being, Gaia, helped speed along the evolution of mankind in her own unique way, then¡­ what? She disappeared? Died? I guess it¡¯s not important if Rhia didn¡¯t bring it up. Another being then took over watching over Earth, but didn¡¯t interfere, instead building a home on the moon to, ostensibly, keep an eye on things from here until he took off four thousand years ago. Without guidance from on high, so to speak, humans developed their own civilizations, cultures, ideas, and religions. Instead of practicing the tenants of these religious ideals they¡¯ve laid down, they instead used them as excuses for centuries of war, bloodshed, and oppression. Rhia¡¯s old boss decided this was a dangerous path for the planet and began a campaign to find a new deity, or a descendent of the first deity, to take over and guide humanity back on the path to the cosmos. This eventually led to Inton deciding wide scale destruction was the best option, as only one with divine protection would survive it. Which brings us to now, with me drinking coffee on the moon and millions dead on Earth. It was a lot to adjust to in one morning.

    *

    Rhia watched John process everything she¡¯d just told him. She tried to respect his privacy in this instance and not read his thoughts, but some of them were unavoidable. As she expected, he was still having issues with the death toll. To find out your life is valued so much higher than so many others by complete strangers can¡¯t possibly be an easy thing to fathom. Laying everything out for him hadn¡¯t been easy. She¡¯d had to relive Inton¡¯s sacrifice again, only this time she had to make it seem necessary and justified, along with the millions that were lost. It wasn¡¯t something she personally believed, but now that they¡¯d found Gaia¡¯s Heir, she had to make the idea stick. If she hadn¡¯t discovered John after The Event, then Inton¡¯s sacrifice would¡¯ve been senseless slaughter. She could only hope that so many lives lost in this one instance paved the way for a brighter future for the planet and humanity as a whole.

    As much as John didn¡¯t want to hear it, this truly was a case of the good of the many, all of humanity, outweighing the needs of the few. Thirty million lives to save seven billion. Thinking smaller, that¡¯s three lives lost to save seven hundred. Put in those terms, it seems like a much more logical approach. However, she doubted that he¡¯d want it broken down as such, knowing he¡¯d see it as her cheapening the cost or demeaning the loss of life on a scale never before seen on the planet. He didn¡¯t yet know that such numbers were barely a drop in the bucket compared to the overall population of just this corner of the galaxy, but it would hardly matter to him at any rate.

    She looked up from her musings to see him staring at her. His hazel eyes examining her golden ones intensely. She did her best to keep from looking away. Despite her age, experience, and power, she understood that she was on the wrong side of right in this situation. At least as far as he was concerned. She was complicit in mass murder.

    ¡°Did you try to stop him?¡±

    The question caught her off guard. She hadn¡¯t expected anything beyond rage while telling the tale.

    ¡°Um, not as hard as I should have, I¡¯ll admit. Once I learned the scale of what he was planning, I begged him not to. Not that it would have made a difference in the end. Once he made up his mind, there was no stopping him. Even if I had the power to stop him, he would¡¯ve pressed forward. In truth, the only reason I made the attempt that I did wasn¡¯t to save everyone¡¯s lives, but to save him.¡±

    ¡°Because you loved him.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.

    She nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s still painful to think about, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t try to dig too deep into my feelings about this.¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of doing so. Just clarifying some things in my head. Moving on, did he understand the consequences of his actions?¡±

    ¡°He did. He said he¡¯s played the villain role before when it was needed, and that he¡¯d accept that burden once again.¡±

    John nodded, looking off into the distance. Occasionally he glanced out the massive floor to ceiling window at his home planet, hanging in the sky, until finally he closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. He was silent for so long that Rhia thought he¡¯d actually fallen back asleep. He startled her when he finally spoke.

    ¡°This is going to take some time for me to process. First thing¡¯s first though. Where¡¯s the bathroom around here?¡±

 Three: Puppies and Angels

    Rhia showed me the way to the bathroom, an ostentatious room connected to the one I woke up in. I frowned when I saw it. That was way too much gold for any room. I raised an eyebrow at Rhia after a quick glance in there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got any sunglasses on you, do you?¡±

    ¡°The room will adjust to your needs and wants. The last master here was¡­ eccentric. Just walk in and imagine what you¡¯d like.¡±

    Skeptical, I took a step inside, closing the door behind me. Is the idea of a shapechanging bathroom any crazier than anything else you¡¯ve heard this morning? I thought. Shrugging, I closed my eyes and brought up an image of a fancy bathroom I¡¯d once used in a hotel I¡¯d splurged on right after leaving the Army. Single with a separation paycheck led to a damn good week post service.

    Suddenly I felt the floor shift under my feet. I opened my eyes to see the gold melting away into the floor and walls, to be replaced with silver taps and faucets. A stand up shower encased in glass popped up to my right, and a large jacuzzi tub that could easily fit four people popped up next to that. A double sink appeared at the opposite end of the room, with a linen closet opening up next to that, with softest, fluffiest looking towels I¡¯ve ever seen. A door to my left opened up to a smaller room which housed the toilet. Pretty standard there. Looking closer, I noticed the shower already held hygiene products in it. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a rather expensive looking loofa. Toothbrush and paste next to the sink. Deodorant, even a contact lens case and solution, even though I haven¡¯t worn them in years. Curious.

    Then it hit me. I was remembering what the room looked like while I was staying in it, so the room had replicated it just like that, although with much higher quality looking items than what I had back then. Well isn¡¯t that something? I thought. Now all that¡¯s missing is a woman soaking in the tub.

    Just then there was a knock at the door.

    No fucking way! I said inwardly. Outwardly, I was calmer. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Sir? It¡¯s Su,¡± was the muffled response through the door. My heart skipped a beat. Did the bathroom provide her too?! I wasn¡¯t exactly in a state of mind to really enjoy myself at the moment, but perhaps a good palette cleanser would help me? Maybe? Is that why she¡¯s here?

    ¡°W-what can I do for you?¡± I stammered, already imagining the possibilities and getting excited at what I was seeing in my mind.

    ¡°Um, Mistress Rhia asked me to deliver these to you. Your new clothes, sir.¡±

    New clothes? Ah! I remembered suddenly that I was only wearing a sheet wrapped around me. While there¡¯s something to be said for the freedom and airflow it brought with it, it¡¯s definitely not my style. I swung the door back open and found myself face to face with the blue maid.

    She smiled brightly at me and went to hand me the bundle she held before glancing down and freezing in place. Her smile turned into a wicked grin as she met my eyes again. She placed the clothes in my waiting arms, winked one beautiful green eye at me, then turned and left, closing the door behind her, with just slightest hint of a skip in her step.

    ¡°Now what was that about?¡± I muttered to myself as I looked down to see what she had been looking at. ¡°Oh. Shit.¡± Togas, apparently, are useless at hiding erections.

    Thirty minutes later I stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and feeling cleaner than I ever have. I¡¯m not sure what the difference between showers here and on Earth are, but at that moment I was grateful for it. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt, I felt much more like myself. I can only assume Rhia got my sizes and style from one of the times she was poking around in my head. I¡¯ll have to have a talk with her about that in the future. Right now, though, I was glad she had.

    There was no one in the room at the moment. I walked up to the window again and stared out, taking in the desolate landscape stretching out in front of me. I looked up at my home planet, slowly spinning in the sky. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine what was happening down there, up there, whatever perspective I was supposed to use. Suddenly I heard voices coming from behind me. I opened my eyes and saw light reflecting off the window in front of me. I turned around to see a massive screen along the right hand wall where the windows and columns ended. Walking over to it, I found the most comfortable looking couch and recliner I¡¯ve ever seen placed in front of the screen, but they lost my attention almost immediately when I saw what was being shown.

    ¡°The Event, as people have taken to calling it, is massive in scale.¡± A reporter was shown standing in front of a desolate landscape, one that I was already familiar with. As he continued talking, a satellite image of the southern United States was put up on the screen, with the States¡¯ outlines superimposed on it. ¡°As you can see here, just about all of Texas, except for the far western corner and half of the panhandle, most of Oklahoma, Louisiana, half of Arkansas, and a portion of Mexico were obliterated.¡± The camera switched back to the reporter. ¡°Every government, civilian, and military agency have been swarming through here for the last week, attempting to collect any data they can while conducting the seemingly hopeless search for survivors. FEMA has reported that they¡¯ve moved from rescue to recovery, however as operations proceed further in to the blast zone, they have less and less hope for finding anyone, or anything, for that matter.

    I stared at the screen. The news started showing videos they¡¯d collected from viewers and affiliates. Shaky cell phone footage from people live streaming the storm with green lightning. Suddenly the storm pulled in on itself, and a bright glow could be seen miles off in the distance before a flash ended the stream. More cell phone footage of the same event from different angles and distances. Most with inane commentary by the people filming it. News crews, security cameras, weather chasers, every camera that was streaming its feed to somewhere outside the blast zone. There was one recording that really captured my attention though.

    It was from the International Space Station. They were recording the storm from 250 miles in altitude above the eye of the storm. I remember being near the heart of the storm, but hadn¡¯t realized just how massive it had grown. The spiral of clouds covered the entire state of Texas. There was a brief golden streak away from the eye of the storm, and then the clouds started pulling in on themselves. The news paused here to speculate what that streak was. Naturally people were assuming it was a missile of some sort, but others pointed out that the streak was moving away from the epicenter, not heading towards it. Letting the video resume, the clouds continued converging until all that remained was something glowing so bright that the ISS focused on it. Then there was a green flash and the video stopped. The anchors and experts onscreen took that moment to remind everyone that they haven¡¯t been able to reach the space station since that video feed cut off, and while they were hoping for just a communications issue, due to the scope of the damage on the surface, they weren¡¯t holding out much hope.

    I flopped down on to the couch. My legs suddenly couldn¡¯t handle the weight of my own body anymore. I just slumped down, staring at the screen, taking it all in, oblivious to everything around me. I don¡¯t know how long I stayed in this position, but the news anchors had started repeating themselves, emphasizing how little information they had, but trying to keep the viewers¡¯ attention even so. They showed video from embedded reporters riding on military vehicles as they drove across the desolate landscape, everyone aiming for the epicenter. They showed hundreds of people in many different uniforms and suits combing the area, attempting to find any kind of answer about what happened, but, of course, they weren¡¯t able to. The forces at work were so far beyond anything they could imagine.

    My trance was finally broken when I felt a heavy, energetic load land in my lap and disappear again. I shook the fog out of my head and focused on the black fur missile racing around the room, jumping on to and then bouncing off the bed, sliding across the floor, barely missing hitting the window, before correcting her trajectory and aiming right me again, only this time I was ready for her. I stood up as Ryo leapt, and as she hit my chest I caught her. Her weight sending me flying back on the couch. Her tail wagged hard enough that the whole couch was shaking as she licked all over my face. Despite everything I¡¯d been told this morning and just saw on the news, I laughed and smiled. My Ryo. My last ray of sunshine left from my old life. The one who, even in her sleep, didn¡¯t want to be parted from my side the week I was unconscious, if the news was correct about when The Event took place.

    ¡°Hiya, sweetheart!¡± I said cheerfully. She pushed her head under my chin, flopping over on her side as she lay on top of me, clearly expecting a good side scratching, which I obliged her with. ¡°Oh!¡± I exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Your fur is really soft! In fact, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever been this soft! They¡¯re really spoiling you up here, aren¡¯t they?¡± Her tail thumped against my leg for a response. I sat up, patting the seat next to me on the couch. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a look at you.¡±

    Reluctantly, Ryo moved off of me and sat up straight and proud for me to look her over. I¡¯m smiled at how she almost looked cocky, but after looking her over, I couldn¡¯t blame her. Her coat was soft and shiny like it never was before, her nails were perfectly clipped, and even the pads on her paws looked like fresh and soft. Since we went on a lot of walks, she¡¯d built up some callouses on her pads, but there was no hint that they were ever there. Just looking at her, you could tell that this was healthiest she¡¯d ever been in her life. Remarkable, I thought. She looked over and licked my face.

    ¡°I told you, we¡¯ve got facilities here that she would love. She¡¯s spent the morning being pampered by the maids you saw earlier. Full doggy day spa, if you will. We¡¯ve never had a dog up here before, and the girls are absolutely in love with her. Our chef has already declared that Ryo gets the second best meal on the moon from now on. After yourself, of course.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Rhia had made her way around the couch and was standing between me and the screen. She was gazing adoringly at Ryo. ¡°She really does love you, doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    I continued running my fingers through Ryo¡¯s fur as I answered Rhia. ¡°I¡¯m all she¡¯s ever known. A friend gave her to me as a ¡®getting out of the army¡¯ present. She was a couple years late on that, of course, and I¡¯m about 90% sure it was really because Ryo here was the runt of the litter and she couldn¡¯t sell her. So, I took her in and raised her.¡± I looked at Rhia. ¡°And now she¡¯s the last connection I have to the life that I used to have. Since my family lived in Texas and all.¡± I put my hand up to stop whatever it was she was going to say. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We hardly spoke anyway. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t love them or anything. I¡¯m just not one for keeping in touch. After seeing some of that, I can at least rest assured that whatever happened to them happened so fast that they never knew what was happening.¡± I gestured at the screen behind her.

    She half turned to look at the screen. ¡°Yeah, I was kind of hoping to delay this part a little longer, until you¡¯d wrapped your mind around what I told you earlier. How did you do this, anyway? None of this was here before.¡±

    ¡°Dunno. Same trick as in the bathroom I think. I was staring out the window, trying to imagine what was happening down there, and then boom, there it all was. Let me guess, what happened in the bathroom had nothing to do with the bathroom, did it? That was my power activating, right? My ¡®god-like¡¯ power?¡±

    ¡°Not ¡®god-like,¡¯¡± she sighed. ¡°You. Are. A. God.¡±

    I gestured at the screen again. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before.¡±

    ¡°That was already there. It just responded to your desire to see current events. As befitting a deity, that screen will let you see anything you want to within your area of responsibility. Which is Earth and its surrounding space.¡±

    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Really now? Anything? I just have to think it, right?¡±

    Rhia furrowed her brow and glared at me. ¡°I surely hope that the world¡¯s newest god won¡¯t use his powers to do something so low as peep, right?¡±

    ¡°Perish the thought,¡± I said, waving her away. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t think of doing it with you right there anyway. Hmmm. My mind¡¯s too much of a mess right now to really focus.¡± As evidence of that, the screen was rapidly flipping between many different images, clearly trying to zero in on what I wanted. I decided a more analog approach was probably necessary. Putting thoughts into words has always been the easiest way for me to focus my mind, so I gave it a try.

    ¡°Screen off.¡± The screen turned off.

    ¡°Screen on.¡± The screen turned on, showing the moon¡¯s landscape. Probably the default setting when nothing is targeted.

    ¡°Screen, show me Ryo.¡± A closeup view of Ryo popped up on the screen. Seeing herself on the wall, she tilted her head in confusion. The image on the screen mimicked her movements. Ryo jumped off the couch and walked up to the screen. The image, of course, followed her movements, reversed of course, since it was acting as a camera. A thought struck me.

    ¡°Screen, mirror image.¡±

    The image immediately flipped and suddenly the Ryo onscreen was perfectly mirroring the real Ryo. She pawed at the screen, watching her reflection return the gesture. I could see her tail start to wag and she prepared to start playing around, but there were other things I wanted to see first.

    ¡°Screen, show me Su.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Rhia sighed. I shrugged.

    ¡°Just testing my new toy. Where¡¯s the harm in that?¡±

    The screen switched to another room I haven¡¯t seen yet. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t really left this room since I woke up, have I? Ah well. What have we here? Onscreen I saw what appeared to be a fancy dining room, with a long table that seated about twenty. I could see three maids working in the room, clearly getting it ready for a meal. Center screen I could see someone¡¯s back, bright red hair pulled back into a tight bun. The back suddenly straightened and Su¡¯s head whipped around, seeming to stare right at me. No, not seeming. She was staring right at me. Once again, just like earlier in the bathroom, a mischievous grin spread across her face and winked at me. Then she seemed to look to where Rhia was standing and stuck her tongue out at her. Rhia facepalmed as I commanded the screen off.

    ¡°Sorry. Wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡±

    ¡°I did. There¡¯s no way she should have known that you were watching her, yet she seems to have this uncanny ability to pick up on it. Freaked Inton out as well. Be careful now. For whatever reason, she seems to have taken a liking to you. Never trust anyone that flirts that much on day one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I turned back to the screen. ¡°Screen, show me the ISS.¡±

    The image of a half wrecked space station appeared on the wall. Well, I say half wrecked. What we were really seeing was half a station. It was like someone had neatly cut it in half. We both stared at the screen.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way anyone¡¯s alive in there, is there?¡±

    Rhia absentmindedly shrugged her shoulders, never taking her eyes off the screen. ¡°You never know. Remember how I was telling you about people surviving things they never should have earlier? I¡¯ll admit, the odds are low, but not impossible.¡±

    ¡°Screen, show me the interior of the ISS.¡±

    The view switched to the inside of the station, breaking up into different segments to show me inside each remaining module. When my attention was drawn to one panel in particular, it grew to fill the whole screen. It looked like there was still some power there, and I could see two bulky spacesuits just floating there. The view moved until I could see two men through the faceplates in their helmets. Their eyes were closed, and they weren¡¯t moving. I had no way of telling if they were alive or not.

    ¡°Is there any way we can find out if they¡¯re alive?¡±

    ¡°I suppose we could fly on over and take a look. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll die from exposure to outer space, you know. You¡¯re still awakening to your power, however, so that may not be a smart idea right now. It took a week for you to heal from the rapid acceleration I put you through when we met. I¡¯d feel better if you were protected out there, but we don¡¯t really have a selection of ships and spacesuits lying around.¡±

    I could imagine where she was coming from. I¡¯d spent 35 years living my life as a normal human. Conditioned to believe that I could die any number of ways, to include suffocation and freezing, both of which were typical results of exposure to outer space. If what Rhia told me was true, and I had no reason to doubt her at this point, I would actually be fine in such conditions. At least, my body would. Mentally, however, would be a different story. My subconscious would still be trying to suck oxygen into my lungs. Oxygen that wasn¡¯t exactly in high abundance outside an atmosphere. I¡¯ll ask her for some kind of training regimen once things have settled down. In the meantime, there were more important things to worry about.

    ¡°What about just you, then?¡± I asked her.

    She looked away from the screen to stare at me. ¡°What about me? Are you suggesting I fly out there and peek in the window?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. We need to verify if they¡¯re at least breathing. If they¡¯re still breathing, we can figure out a way to save them. You know your abilities better than I do. I¡¯m sure you must know a way.¡±

    Rhia eyed me for a minute, as if weighing her options. I decided to try one last approach.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t enough people died because of us?¡±

    This last question seemed to strike her physically. She took a step back and her breath caught. I poured the pressure on.

    ¡°You tell me my job is to guide humanity to a brighter future. If we sit back and just watch these men continue floating out into space without even attempting to help, what kind of example would I be setting? Please, just pop out there and verify their status. Then come back and we¡¯ll figure out what to do after.¡±

    This seemed to finally convince her. She gave me a reappraising look, then said ¡°alright. I¡¯ll go. It¡¯ll be difficult to do this without being spotted by any satellites NASA undoubtedly has pointed at the station, though.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a risk we have to take. Lives are more important at this moment, and we¡¯re the only ones in a position to help if they need it. Even if you¡¯re spotted, you¡¯ll probably end up as a legend like the Black Knight satellite or used by the various religions to prove some bullshit point of theirs. Either way, most people will probably just write it off as ramblings of nutjobs, just like they do with most conspiracy theories and images of Jesus in their breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll be off then.¡± She turned and left the room. I sat back down on the couch and continued to watch the two men floating on the screen. As Ryo curled up next to me and laid her head in my lap, I saw a golden streak fly by the massive window I was looking out of earlier. Well that confirms my theory about what I saw earlier in the news footage. That streak at the eye of the storm was Rhia leaving Inton to do his thing. I instructed the screen to show me a split view, one steady on the astronauts, the other following Rhia. Her side was just a golden glow for a second before the station, or what was left of it, loomed in front of her. Damn she¡¯s fast, I thought.

    Her black wings spread out, as if to slow her speed. Since there was no air in space, I doubted that was why she did it. Probably some angel magic I didn¡¯t know about, or it was just reflex. She did, however, slow down to a more manageable speed as she approached the station, casually moving around each of the remaining modules and peeking in the windows. An idea suddenly struck me.

    ¡°Screen, can you show me any feeds that NASA has of the ISS at this moment?¡± The two main images I was watching shrank to the top half of the screen and three new images popped up, each showing the ISS from a different angle. Yep, there she is. She was clearly visible on two of them, her black wings contrasting with the white exterior of the station as she shuffled about before stopping at one in particular. I focused on the top two feeds again, letting the other three disappear. The images showed her banging on the side of the station, but I wasn¡¯t sure if the guys inside were even capable of hearing anything while in their suits. Frustrated at the lack of response, apparently, she gave the station a quick shove. I was impressed with her remarkable show of strength, but as then men inside pinballed around the interior, I saw no attempt from either of them to slow or stop their movements. Of course, this didn¡¯t completely rule out their being alive, but it did significantly lower the likelihood.

    I simply didn¡¯t have the knowledge to be able to know if these guys could survive a week in a crippled space station. Since they were in their suits, I would guess that the air in the station had run out, and that they had taken refuge in them to buy themselves more time. I made a snap decision then. Keeping my eye on Rhia¡¯s screen, I tried thinking as loud as I could. Maybe she¡¯d pick up on it.

    RHIA!

    She grabbed at her head in shock, then turned around to face the moon, shooting a dirty look in its direction. She wasn¡¯t quite looking at me through the screen, but she was damn close.

    Sorry. Too loud?

    She nodded.

    Alright, I won¡¯t do that again. Can you communicate back to me like this?

    A negative headshake.

    Ok, then just listen. I want you to grab those two men, no matter if they¡¯re dead or alive, and take them home. Houston¡¯s gone, so I guess¡­ I tried to think of a place to take them where they¡¯d be received immediately. Just take them to a hospital. Johns Hopkins or something.

    She made a dubious face and pointed back at her wings. Guessing that she was saying this would expose her to the world, I shrugged, not that she could see it.

    Don¡¯t worry about that. Whether they live or die, they deserve to return home one more time. Who better to deliver them than an angel?

    Pausing for just a second, she turned around and ripped the hatch she was next to off the station. When nothing flew out of the station at the sudden exposure to vacuum, it confirmed my belief that the station had leaked its remaining air out, despite their attempts to seal off the modules that still remained. She grabbed them and tucked one under each arm before turning towards Earth and flying off in a golden arc. I could see she was flying slower, so as to not crush the men she carried with excessive g forces, like she did me when she brought me up here. I was near immortal and survived the trip, however painfully. These men weren¡¯t and had to be handled delicately. I continued watching as she arced over the horizon, a golden streak seen by half the world.

 Four: I Speak Baby?

    ¡°You¡¯re quite popular, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°And whose fault is that, may I ask?¡±

    A week after the incident with the station, two weeks after the event, Rhia and I were eating breakfast in front of the screen, catching up on world events that had happened overnight. Well, our simulated overnight. Days worked differently on the moon. We kept a 24 hour schedule anyway, just to stay synced up with Earth. Almost 400,000 miles away and I¡¯m still on central time.

    On the screen was, for the fifth day in a row, a news report showing cell phone footage of Rhia dropping the astronauts off at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Sadly, the men were long dead, having suffocated in their suits days before, but that¡¯s not what everyone was talking about. The whole world was in an uproar because of the winged woman who had so publicly dropped them off. There were plenty of people that had called it a tasteless stunt, with anti-religious groups screaming the loudest. Screaming equally as loud were the Pro Christian groups, calling it a sign that God was real and had shown favor to the United States by delivering only the US crewmembers home. The fact that the remaining four astronauts from Russia and Japan were vaporized with the rest of the station was something we hadn¡¯t found a way to communicate to the world yet.

    Rhia herself seemed to have developed a cult following. A literal cult following. The Raven Angel Society seems to have sprung up virtually overnight and its newly baptized adherents were seen converging on Baltimore from all over the country. Their leader, Walter Lester Jones, was currently arguing with a priest, imam, and a rabbi on a major news network¡¯s morning show. The sound was muted so Rhia and I could talk about our schedule for the day, but you could tell she was still a little disgusted by what she saw.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for 600 years, and this is the first time I¡¯ve felt so humiliated. I managed to go for so long without being noticed for what I was, and now it¡¯s being blown all out of proportion. And what the hell is he wearing?!¡± She gestured angrily at the screen, part of her omelet flying off her fork towards the screen. Ryo quickly chased after it, cleaning up the mess before Rhia had even realized what she¡¯d done.

    I chuckled. ¡°Well, you did cut a striking figure. When one imagines angels, they generally see white wings, white robe or toga, blonde hair, and either barefoot or in sandals. You flew in wearing a sharp women¡¯s business suit, complete with pencil skirt and panty hose. Combine that with your heels, dark hair and wings¡­ you definitely captured many hearts that day.¡±

    She looked at me scornfully. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of the effect my race has on humans and their libidos. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t noticed you staring at me with such intensity while training. I¡¯m referring to what that guy is wearing! Are those supposed to be wings?¡±

    Sure enough, Mr. Jones was wearing a cheap, dark business suit, and on his back were what looked like homemade black wings. At least, I assume that¡¯s what they were supposed to be. To me they just looked like black feather boas hot glued on to cardboard and attached to his back with string looped under each armpit. As cosplay accessories go, he¡¯d probably get a ¡°thanks for at least trying¡± pat on the back from even the most casual of fans.

    I really didn¡¯t expect his movement to last long. He and his followers couldn¡¯t seem to decide what they wanted Rhia to be for them. An angel? A savior? It was clear they wanted to worship her, and had united together for that purpose, but since they only knew her for dropping off a couple dead astronauts and taking off again, they had nothing to work with. Of course, the actual religions didn¡¯t have any explanation for her either, but that didn¡¯t stop them from forming a united front on this morning news show to humiliate the newcomer on the block as they declared that their religions were best suited to determine what she really was in the grand scheme of all things holy. It would really burst their bubbles to find out they were all wrong, and that she was actually an alien.

    The other day when I asked about it, she told me that her species also calls the Milky Way home. Obviously, they call it something different, but when she pronounced it in her native tongue, I knew there was no way that I could hope to repeat it. Not because I was physically incapable of doing so, but because I didn¡¯t want to butcher it. The sounds that came out when she spoke in her native tongue were so heart wrenchingly beautiful, I knew my tone deaf ass would just sound moronic in comparison.  Like a master pianist sitting at a Steinway next to a toddler banging on a Fisher Price toy. Her race, the Agneles, occupy a region of space roughly 40,000 light years from ours and spans 14 different star systems. Incidentally, a mistranslation centuries ago is what led to the creation of the ¡°Angel¡± mythos we have today.

    When I asked how they managed space travel over such long distances, she told me I wasn¡¯t permitted to know that just yet. My focus for now was to learn to control my power and be the god this planet needed to reach the stars. A tall order, considering everything we saw on the news every day. She assured me that while it may take some time, it can be done. Her race wasn¡¯t so different from ours once upon a time. Religious strife, war, poverty, class struggles, the works. It¡¯s something every race goes through. She said it was something the oldest deities planned for in every world they seeded. They wanted everyone to appreciate how far they¡¯d come before uniting and stepping out into the universe together.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± she said, turning away from the screen and looking at me. ¡°We need to discuss our next course of action. You¡¯ve pretty much got the basics down. You¡¯ve got a better understanding of what you¡¯re capable of, and you¡¯ve got more control. At least, you haven¡¯t spontaneously summoned anymore living room furniture.¡±

    ¡°You love that massage chair I accidently created,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯ve certainly needed it after dealing with you day after day,¡± she replied with a smile. Over the last week we¡¯ve gotten to know each other fair bit, spending almost all of my waking moments together. I still didn¡¯t know if she slept, or even where she was residing in this surprisingly large complex that I¡¯ve finally gotten around to exploring, but she always left my area around nine at night and showed up again the next day at nine in the morning. Even then she still had to drag me out of bed, more often than not. I¡¯ve never been a morning person, even when the morning is an abstract concept like here on the moon. Waking up sucks.

    We spend our days going over history, practicing my control, and, surprisingly, working on my public image. When I asked her what the need for that was, since gods aren¡¯t exactly known for slumming it with the masses, she reminded me that what I knew was all made up. ¡°God¡± on this planet was mysterious and only worked behind the scenes because he literally didn¡¯t exist. ¡°He¡± was a construct created by humans as a means to control the population and explain the unexplainable. Things like miracles were simply extraordinary coincidences, and the light at the end of the tunnel was merely a physiological reaction to blood and/or oxygen loss to the brain. She did admit that she had no idea what happened after one died, but everything she¡¯s heard from her race¡¯s research, and that of the thousands of other races spread throughout the nearby galaxies, points to nothing at all. Just as you have no concept of being alive before you¡¯re born, you¡¯ll feel nothing after you¡¯re gone. Man, the world is NOT going to like hearing that.

    *

    Rhia watched John for a minute. He tended to get lost in thought at the most random times. She knew he was processing everything she¡¯d taught him in the last week. It was a shocking amount of information that she had dumped on him, and any normal person would¡¯ve had a meltdown early in the process, but without realizing it, John had easily accepted all the information, his divine heritage overriding his human limitations. For a guy who was perfectly content to be fat and lazy two weeks ago, he was surprisingly industrious. She sensed he was one of those that secretly enjoyed being pushed to be greater than he was. He liked being challenged and hadn¡¯t found anything to stir his interest. Then he¡¯s told that he¡¯s been placed in charge of overseeing the development of an entire planet, and he suddenly steps up to the plate. To be able to do that with so few reservations required either a certain level of megalomania, or a truly compassionate heart. She hadn¡¯t sensed any delusions of grandeur in him so far, so she¡¯d felt at ease opening up to him a little more and relaxed her guard a bit. They were going to be working together for a long time, so the sooner they got comfortable with each other, the better.

    Oh! She thought, suddenly remembering she had something to give him. Mentally she asked Su to get it for her, receiving a quick acknowledgement in return. She hadn¡¯t lied to John during the space station incident about not being able to communicate mentally. She just hadn¡¯t taught him how to receive her thoughts yet. She was still reluctant to, honestly. Learning too much too fast may go to his head, and besides, she enjoyed their normal conversations. Plus, she could talk to Ryo mentally as much as she wanted when she felt the urge. Dogs were naturally empathic to their owners¡¯ needs, and Ryo more than most. She absolutely adored John, and while she couldn¡¯t converse like a higher intelligent species, she could share her emotions just fine. She always gave Rhia what John called ¡°warm fuzzies.¡± She didn¡¯t know what the exact expression meant, but it was about as accurate a description as she could give the feeling.

    Su walked up to Rhia and handed her the package she¡¯d asked for. John looked over at the movement and nearly jumped out of his skin.

    ¡°Jesus Christ! You scared the shit out of me Su! How the hell are you so quiet?¡±

    ¡°Centuries of practice, My Lord,¡± she deadpanned. Then a glimmer appeared in her eye along with a slightly mischievous smile. ¡°But I can be louder when I need to be.¡± Wink.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Su¡­¡± Rhia said in a warning tone, despite secretly being amused at John¡¯s blushing face and hanging jaw. Having seen inside his head, she knew of his history with women, and it was kind of cute to see someone with his experience so easily outclassed by the immortal maid. Compared to her, he was just a child with a department store catalog open to the underwear section. Stealth wasn¡¯t the only thing she¡¯d had centuries of practice at. One day she¡¯d let Su loose on him, but for now she needed him focused on what she was teaching him. While he¡¯d enjoy Su¡¯s lessons more, Rhia¡¯s lessons were vital to the survival of his species.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave then,¡± Su said, bowing briefly to each in turn, then she slowly started sauntering out of the room.

    ¡°Su!¡± Rhia barked. Su stiffened briefly, then quickly exited the room. Rhia held a hand to her forehead, muttering ¡°what am I going to do with that women? Can¡¯t she wait just a little bit longer?¡±

    Taking his eyes off the closed door, John looked at Rhia. ¡°Wait a little longer for what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not important. Here, I got you something. Think of it as a reward for all your hard work this week.¡± She held out the small brown paper bag. ¡°I know you like this stuff, and this should be the newest one just released the other day.¡±

    John took the bag, stunned. ¡°Wow, uh¡­ thanks. I wasn¡¯t expecting thiiihoooly shit!¡± He jumped up when he opened the bag, stringing his thanks into an exclamation as he pulled his favorite manga out. Despite everything that had happened to him in the last couple weeks, he was still a hopeless fanboy for all things otaku. The world around him disappeared as he suddenly curled up on the couch and started reading, his plate and what was left of his breakfast lying forgotten on the floor where it landed when he jumped up. Ryo trotted over to make sure nothing went to waste, and Rhia stifled a giggle at seeing him turn into a big kid so quickly. I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for him to notice, she thought, watching him.

    He was about halfway through the book when his eyebrows suddenly scrunched together. Narrowing his eyes, he flipped back a couple pages. Then a couple more. He looked at the front and back covers again. He opened the book again to where he¡¯d left off. He read a bit more, then looked up at Rhia, who was still sitting on the other end of the couch watching him enjoy his manga.

    ¡°This is Japanese,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a given,¡± she said with a knowing smile.

    ¡°No, I mean it¡¯s Japanese. Like actual Japanese! This is written in Japanese! I can¡¯t read Japanese! How am I reading this?¡±

    Smiling, Rhia stood up and held her hand out to him.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s take a trip.¡±

    *

    Rhia led me over to the window. We both looked up at the Earth, which was mostly obscured by darkness as we were on the far side of it away from the sun. I could see the lights of all the cities twinkling on her surface, the Pacific rim clearly visible in the halo of artificial light that surrounded it.

    ¡°Pick a destination,¡± Rhia said. ¡°Anywhere you want to go. Oh, I¡¯d avoid the Southern United States though. And Baltimore.¡± She grimaced as she said the last. I could understand why and merely nodded.

    ¡°Well, it may not come as a surprise, but I¡¯ve always wanted to visit Japan. It¡¯s been at the top of my bucket list for years. I could just never afford to go.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It comes as no surprise.¡± She chuckled lightly.

    ¡°So, are we going to do the flying thing again? I didn¡¯t really get a chance to appreciate it as much last time.¡±

    ¡°You were knocked unconscious immediately, actually, but no. We¡¯re going to try something different. You¡¯re a fast learner, so I don¡¯t think this will be a problem for you. The technique is simple: just imagine yourself there.¡±

    I looked at her doubtfully. ¡°Just imagine myself there? I¡¯ve been doing that for years and it¡¯s never gotten me anywhere.¡±

    ¡°But you weren¡¯t aware of your abilities then. You are now. I¡¯ll bet things will work out differently this time.¡±

    A soft clicking noise approached from behind, which I recognized as Ryo trotting up to us on the title floor. I looked back and saw a leash dangling from her mouth, just like she used to do back at the apartment when she wanted to go out. A pair of softly glowing eyes could be seen at the second door to the room just before it closed. I still have no idea who that is, I thought. It¡¯s been a week since I woke up here, yet she eludes me any time I try to approach her. Shaking that thought out of my head, I knelt down and took the leash from Ryo.

    ¡°Did you want to go out, hun? Are you getting sick of being stuck up here too?¡± Her tail wagged happily, and she bounced on her front paws excitedly. I glanced up at Rhia. ¡°Is it possible?¡±

    Watching Ryo with a smile, she nodded. ¡°Absolutely. I would never dream of leaving our energetic friend here behind. Since this is your first time moving like this, though, let me hold her leash. Should anything go wrong, I¡¯ll be better suited to protect her than you would.¡± Made sense to me, so I attached the leash to Ryo¡¯s new collar and handed the loop to Rhia. Ryo promptly sat at Rhia¡¯s feet and stared at me expectantly.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Give me a second,¡± I said to her. I closed my eyes and pictured what I knew of Tokyo, which was much less than I thought it was. Apparently watching a ton of anime doesn¡¯t make you an expert on the country it¡¯s from. Who knew? About the only thing I could remember seeing with any kind of frequency was Tokyo Tower and Mount Fuji. Fuji was a bit far off the mark for my taste, so I imagined standing at the Tokyo Tower.

    Humidity. It had been a while since I¡¯d felt anything but the comfortable air in our moon home that I¡¯d almost forgotten how much I hated humidity. Yet here I was, instantly wallowing in it. And holy shit was it windy. I opened my eyes and my breath caught. I was looking out over a city, the lights nearly blinding me. Is this Tokyo? I thought.

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Rhia answered. I had gotten used to her answering my thoughts, but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t irritate me a little. If I thought it and didn¡¯t say it, that would imply that I didn¡¯t want to share it with anyone, right? ¡°However,¡± she continued, ignoring my irritation, ¡°you seem to have slightly missed the mark. Not bad for your first try, but Ryo¡¯s not too comfortable with it.¡±

    I looked at my surroundings. I could see why Ryo might be upset. She¡¯s never been too comfortable with heights, and I had landed us on the roof of the Top Deck, over 800 feet above ground. Being the smaller of the two observation decks on the tower, there wasn¡¯t a lot of room for us. I did want to take in the sights from up here more, but Ryo¡¯s needs came before my own.

    ¡°Sorry, girl! Hang on, let me try again.¡± This time I didn¡¯t close my eyes but looked over the edge and focused on a spot on the ground. Without any sense of movement, we were suddenly standing right where I was looking. If the suddenness of our shift had surprised me, then the poor guy driving the van that almost hit us must have suffered one hell of a shock. I¡¯d landed us right in the middle of the road that ran past the tower, right in front of van. I quickly tossed off an apology, gave the guy half a bow, grabbed Rhia¡¯s hand and left the street. He sat there, dazed for a few more seconds before driving off, shaking his head as he left.

    Rhia looked at me, then down at the hand I was still holding, then at my face again. Sheepishly I let it go. ¡°Reflex,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I understand, but why did you bow to him? You¡¯re a god. You¡¯re THE god for this planet. You should bow to no one.¡±

    I looked at her confused. ¡°But I was in the wrong there. I got in his way. I wasn¡¯t showing submission, but respect. I made a mistake and apologized for it. Besides, it¡¯s not like he knows I¡¯m a god. THE god. Since it¡¯s not exactly common knowledge, me acting like it is just makes me seem like a dick, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ryo chose that moment to bark at us and started pulling on her leash. She clearly wanted to explore a little. Rhia smiled fondly at her, then turned to me. ¡°John, you mind asking that gentleman over there where might be a good place to take Ryo?¡±

    Shrugging, I walked over to indicated gentlemen. We chatted for a couple minutes before I trotted back over to where Rhia and Ryo were standing.

    ¡°He gave me a few suggestions. The nearest is about a 20 minute walk that way,¡± I said, indicating the direction he had told me. Rhia nodded and we started walking, Ryo bouncing on the end of her leash as she tried to smell everything and everyone we passed. It was a pleasant evening, not counting the humidity. I glanced over at Rhia. She was looking at her hand but put it down quickly when she saw I was looking.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask?¡± she questioned.

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t really need to know how it works, right? Just know that it does. I¡¯m not sure if I was speaking Japanese or English, but we both understood each other perfectly.  It¡¯s actually kind of a dream come true for me,¡± I laughed. ¡°Whenever anyone asked me what kind of power I¡¯d want if I became a superhero, I¡¯d tell them that I wanted the power to understand any language created on Earth. Now, apparently, I¡¯ve got it.¡±

    ¡°Yes and no, actually. What you spoke and what you heard weren¡¯t English or Japanese. In fact, it¡¯s a language that no living person has ever heard in their life, yet they all know it.¡±

    I stared at her in confusion. The best response I could muster was ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°You were speaking the language of Earth. The one language that all intelligent species are born knowing. The one language that could break down walls around the world if they only had the divinity to access it. You were speaking Gaian.¡±

    ¡°Gaian? Ok, I get that I was able to use it, since I¡¯ve kind of gotten used to the idea that I can do just about anything I imagine, being a god and all, but what about that dude back there? He¡¯s not divine or anything.¡±

    ¡°Were you listening to me? I said everyone on the planet knows it. It takes divinity to access that knowledge. He was talking to a god. As far as he was concerned, however, he was speaking Japanese, and so were you. Fluently, I might add. For all he knew, you were a local. How did he sound to you?¡±

    I smirked at the memory. ¡°Southern. I half expected him to tell me to head ¡®over yonder.¡¯ I¡¯m just glad I was able to keep a straight face. But what about written languages? Vocal, sure, I guess I get, but written languages can be completely different with little or no commonalities. From Russian to Japanese to Korean to English to even ancient cuneiform and hieroglyphics, are you telling me I can understand them all thanks to whatever divine babel fish is at work in my head?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and to answer the unasked questions, computer languages, made up languages like Tolkien¡¯s Elvish, and Klingon, even babies, as they are still a part of the intelligent species on this planet. Don¡¯t expect much meaningful conversations with them though. It¡¯s mostly stuff about being hungry and tired and that they¡¯ve just messed themselves.¡±

    ¡°I speak baby?¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Yes. Are you sure you understand what I¡¯m telling you? You do realize that, aside from when we first met in Texas, we¡¯ve been speaking Gaian literally the entire time, right?¡±

    I shook my head. I actually hadn¡¯t noticed it at all. ¡°This almost seems like cheating. That¡¯s way too convenient a power to have.¡±

    She looked at me in surprise. ¡°Would you rather learn every language the old fashioned way?¡±

    ¡°Oh hell no! I barely speak proper English, and that¡¯s my native tongue!¡±

    ¡°Then quit complaining and start enjoying some of the perks of being a god. Whether you realize it or not, you rule supreme over everything on this tiny blue planet. You answer to no one but yourself where the Earth is concerned. Your power will increase as your followers do, and when they finally reach for the stars, your influence will spread with them. My own goddess rules over the fourteen systems we¡¯ve colonized with trillions of followers. You¡¯ll have some work ahead of you if you hope to meet her one day.¡±

    Ryo looked back at us and barked at us, clearly wanting to explore more. I smirked, then glanced over at Rhia. ¡°I answer to no one but myself, eh?¡±

    We continued on, wandering around the city until early morning and chatting with the locals.

 Bonus Chapter 4.5: A Day Off With Su (NSFW)

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the day off?¡± said Rhia.

    ¡°What?¡± I said, a forkful of pancakes hovering halfway between the plate and my mouth.

    ¡°I said take a day off. We¡¯ve been training your powers almost every day for two months now. You hardly ever leave this room. It¡¯s not healthy. Take a break. Explore the rest of your home. Meet the girls that work here.¡±

    I finished bringing the food to my mouth and thought about what she said as I chewed. She wasn¡¯t wrong, of course. I was essentially a hermit these days. Not having any defined responsibilities certainly hasn¡¯t helped that, but I was living the geek¡¯s dream at the moment. Practicing superpowers, unlimited gaming and anime binging, delicious food delivered right to me, gorgeous maids that waited on me hand and foot, and the best view outside my windows anyone could ask for. If only Rhia didn¡¯t keep chasing the maids out of here at the end of the day. A man¡¯s got needs, you know?

    Rhia sighed. ¡°Su!¡± she called. The tall blue beauty was instantly at her side from who knows where.

    ¡°Yes, Mistress?¡±

    ¡°John is banned from this room for the next 12 hours. Introduce him around to the staff, give him a tour of the place, just keep him occupied, okay? I¡¯m sick of him loafing around.¡±

    Su¡¯s eyes flicked over to me and I swear I saw the corner of her mouth quirk up a little. ¡°For 12 hours, Mistress? There¡¯s only so much of our home to show, you¡¯re aware?¡±

    The two women made eye contact briefly before Rhia responded in a tone of voice I couldn¡¯t quite place. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way to fill the time, Su. You¡¯re a smart woman after all.¡±

    Su gave her a smile. ¡°I have plenty of ideas, Mistress. He won¡¯t be bored today.¡±

    ¡°Of that I have no doubt. John, finish your breakfast.¡±

    Raising my eyebrows at their exchange, I did as I was told. Truth be told, I genuinely was curious about the rest of this moon base. I just never got around to exploring or meeting the staff because it still hadn¡¯t sunk in that this was all mine. I kept waiting for some long absent god to show up demanding I vacate the premises.

    Just as I finished the last mouthful of pancakes, Su reached over and grabbed my plate with one hand while placing the other on the base of my neck and giving it an affectionate squeeze. When I looked up at her, she gave me a bright smile.

    ¡°Shall we begin in the kitchen, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± I said, dazzled by the beautiful woman¡¯s proximity. Those green eyes felt like they were piercing through to my soul and I continued to sit, transfixed by her gaze.

    ¡°Ugh, just go already,¡± Rhia said from the other side of the couch where she was petting Ryo.

    A mischievous glint crossed Su¡¯s eyes as she glanced over at Rhia. ¡°Yes, My Lord. Let¡¯s go. I have much to show you.¡± Rhia rolled her eyes but smiled a bit as she played with my dog.

    ¡°Just bring him back in one piece, Su. I know how you get, remember?¡±

    ¡°I make no promises, Mistress. Let¡¯s go, My Lord.¡±

    Raising an eyebrow at the exchange between the women, I got up from the couch and followed Su out of the room. As we stepped through the door to my residence, two maids passed by us, pulled the double doors closed, and stood before them, watching me with their hands clasped before their aprons. Their gazes seemed both determined and curious as they examined me. A few of them I knew by sight, but I rarely interacted with any beyond Su. These two I¡¯d seen before, mentally labeling them the Domino twins in my own clever way, as one had jet black hair and the other paper white, both pulled back into severe buns. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine the color combination moving back and forth over my lap, but that was just me being male.

    It had already been months since I last got laid before I was brought up here and being surrounded by beautiful women all the time had done nothing to help my aching loins for the last two months. I figured a fantasy or two involving the girls here was a fair trade for not being allowed any quality time with them. Rhia was particularly adamant about keeping such opportunities unavailable to me for some reason and helping myself in the shower wasn¡¯t doing much to ease the backup.

    Observing the two for a second, I realized why they were there.

    ¡°You guys planned this, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked Su.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know what you mean, My Lord. Are you implying that Mistress Rhia told me that I was going to get you out of that room to change up your lazy routine, and that she arranged to have these two lovely girls block the doors so you couldn¡¯t get back in until we allowed you to? That I was to use my skills to keep you occupied and distracted while Mistress Rhia spent the time playing with Mistress Ryo uninterrupted?¡±

    ¡°Even Ryo gets a title, eh? No wonder she¡¯s been prancing around here lately. Wait? She did all this just to play with my dog? She could¡¯ve just asked! It¡¯s not like Ryo doesn¡¯t already have the run of the place.¡±

    Su sighed. ¡°And here I was hoping he¡¯d focus on the part about me using my skills on him,¡± she muttered softly.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I said, not quite sure I heard her correctly.

    ¡°It was nothing, My Lord. Please, the kitchen is just down this hall to the right.¡± She immediately set off, and I was forced to take a couple jogging steps to catch up to her. Just as I caught up to her, she slowed her pace considerably and my swinging hand came forward and smacked her ass. She glanced over at me with a smirk and a raised eyebrow but didn¡¯t say a word about it.

    She totally did that on purpose, I thought, but gave a small grin of my own as I thought of the firmness I felt under that long dress. If her ass felt that great with just a glancing touch like that, I could only imagine how it¡¯d feel if I were given time to properly appreciate it. I strongly suspected she¡¯d be up for it if given the opportunity. She¡¯d been eyeballing me like a steak for weeks now, and I¡¯d already imagined countless ways I¡¯d devour this blue pastry marching in front of me.

    We entered the kitchen, where she deposited my breakfast plate in a large sink and call the chef over as I looked around. The kitchen would rival anything found in the highest quality restaurants Earthside, that was for damn sure. Su introduced the chef when she approached, wiping her hands on a towel before shaking mine. She was of average height, attractive, but not as stunning as Su or Rhia. She almost looked human, except her eyes were just a little too large for her face, nose was just a touch flatter than I was used to, and she had a forked tongue. She had trouble maintaining eye contact with me for some reason, and her tongue kept flicking out every now and then, like a snake tasting the air. She soon excused herself after a couple minutes of chitchat but flicked her tongue out once more before giving the slightest of winks towards Su.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± I asked as we departed the kitchen.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Su looked over at me. ¡°Oh. She likes your scent, My Lord. Your food should taste even better now.¡±

    Not sure what to make of that, I shrugged and continued following her. I noticed her hips had a bit more movement in them as we walked, and I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off of them. It was difficult being around her and Rhia all the time without developing thoughts that involved a tangle of limbs and heavy breathing but being within such close proximity of a woman that just exuded raw sexuality without Rhia¡¯s leash on her was almost painful to bear. Watching that skirt swish back and forth with each step, the way it hugged her waist before being pulled taught as my eyes travelled up her back, knowing the fabric was working overtime to contain what had to be a delicious chest. Admiring the contrast of her blue skin against her fiery read hair on her slender neck. I was so caught up in my perusal of her form that I damn near walked into her again. Sadly, I caught myself in time and managed to avoid colliding with her as she paused before another set of doors on the right side of the hallway. Another raised eyebrow before she opened the doors and guided me in.

    ¡°In here is the dining hall, My Lord. I know you haven¡¯t had need of it yet, but everyday we ensure it¡¯s ready to go should you require it.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, because those emergency formal dinners have a way of sneaking up on you.¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s why they are called ¡®emergencies,¡¯ My Lord,¡± she deadpanned.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to out smartass you, am I?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had more practice at it, My Lord. Far more practice. You¡¯re not likely to find many whose skills in anything outstrip my own.¡±

    ¡°Anything? That¡¯s a pretty bold claim, Miss Su.¡±

    ¡°Claim, My Lord?¡± She smiled before escorting me out of the dining hall. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    We continued down the hallway, and before I could get hypnotized by the swing in her hips again, she opened up another door to the right.

    ¡°They¡¯ve never been used, but we do have a number of guest and VIP rooms available, should you ever decide to host someone up here. Each room has an entertainment screen and private bathing facilities.¡± She indicated further down the hall. ¡°Down that way are the maid quarters, similar in design to these, obviously individualized a bit for personal preference and race requirements.¡±

    ¡°Race requirements?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh yes, My Lord. Your staff is from all over the galaxy. Some have cultural needs to be met, while others require special mattresses. One of our girls is a liquid based lifeform, so a normal mattress is out of the question for her.¡±

    ¡°Liquid based?¡± I asked, stunned at the idea. I tried to imagine what she might look like, but my anime wrapped imagination only provided an image of a monster girl similarly named Suu, whose primary clothing was a raincoat and slept in a bucket. ¡°What kind of work does she do if she¡¯s liquid based?¡±

    ¡°Why, she¡¯s in charge of the communal baths, My Lord.¡±

    That got my attention. ¡°We have communal baths?¡± Images of gorgeous naked maids soaping each other danced through my head. Giggling and water fights. Su and Rhia scrubbing each other down¡­

    ¡°We do, My Lord, but they are not on the tour for today. I imagine you¡¯ll find them eventually though,¡± she said, snapping me out of my daydream. Her eyes weren¡¯t fixed on mine when I came back to reality. Following her gaze, I realized my imagination had triggered a fairly potent reaction in me, and Su was fairly licking her lips as she stared at it. I quickly moved to cover my hard on with my hands, giggling stupidly as I did so.

    ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s next?¡±

    She looked up, then started walking back the way we came. ¡°This way, My Lord.¡±

    ¡°What room is that?¡± I asked as we past another door.

    ¡°Ballroom,¡± she tossed back over her shoulder without slowing down.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I said, speed walking to match her pace.

    ¡°Right this way, My Lord,¡± she said as we approached the end of the hall, which happened to be my room. The Domino twins were still standing there, eyeballing our approach, but making no effort to move. Su stopped right before them, then faced to her right and pressed on the wall. It popped open, revealing a short hallway. ¡°Down this way you¡¯ll find the most important room on this tour. If you please?¡±

    Raising an eyebrow as I passed her, I walked down the little hallway before it opened up into a room roughly twice the size of the guest rooms she showed me before. There was a screen on the wall opposite a king size bed. In the corner there was a small table and chair, a pile of books on the table. I saw two doors on the far wall, which I assumed to be a closet and a private bathing area. A maid uniform was hanging on a hook on the closet door.

    ¡°And this room would be¡­¡± I asked, already aware of the answer.

    ¡°Mine,¡± she said as she stepped out of the short hallway, her hands reaching back and releasing her bun as she walked. Her vibrant hair dropped halfway down her back, and her dressed pulled tight against her chest as she reached back to adjust it as she shook her head. Pulling some of it over her shoulder as she dropped her arms down, she eyed me hungrily, her chest rising and falling as her breathing quickened.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said intelligently.

    ¡°It¡¯s been far too long since I had a man,¡± she predatorily, slowly approaching me as her fingers started working the buttons on her dress.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been while since I¡¯ve been with a woman too,¡± I said, my dick straining against the fabric of my jeans as her gaze burned into mine. She giggled lightly at my comment.

    ¡°A few months is not ¡®a while,¡¯ My Lord. I¡¯ve been aching to taste you since Mistress Rhia brought you here,¡± she pressed herself against me, dress half unbuttoned down the front. Her cleavage was pushed up as her chest met mine. Her hands went to my shoulders as she brought her lips to my ear. ¡°She kept me waiting even after knowing it¡¯s been so long. She teases me every day by having me serve you, but never letting me touch you.¡± Her soft words were punctuated by her tongue tracing my ear, the sound of her breathy whispers lighting a fire in me. I brought my hands up and gripped her waist, pulling her tighter against me. She ground her hips into mine as I whispered back.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡±

    ¡°A little over four thousand years, My Lord,¡± she said, more than a hint of frustration in her voice. I pulled my head back until I was staring deeply into her vivid green eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s far too long,¡± I said, then roughly pushed my mouth against hers, recognizing that this woman didn¡¯t need to make love. She needed to be fucked. Responding eagerly, she shoved her tongue in my mouth as she grabbed the collar of my shirt and ripped it open before tossing it to the floor. Just as eager as she was, I grabbed the top of her dress and roughly shoved it off her shoulders. As soon as it hit the floor, I pushed her back until she was against the wall. She growled at the impact but reached down and yanked my belt and fly open before shoving both my jeans and boxers down, freeing my cock at last. We both looked down as her soft pastel blue hand wrapped around me.

    ¡°Real ones are so much better,¡± she said softly. Seemed she was more talking to herself than me, so I didn¡¯t say anything. She looked back up at me as she tugged on my member. ¡°This is my favorite service to provide, My Lord.¡± Wrapping her right leg around my waist, she stood on her toes before hovering over the head of my cock. Then she simultaneously pulled me with her leg as she sank down on her toes. I felt her warmth slide down my length and we both groaned in unison. ¡°Yeah,¡± she breathed. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve wanted for two months now.¡± Her eyes snapped open and she gave me an evil grin. ¡°Race you to orgasm, My Lord. Loser fucks the winner.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on,¡± I said. I grabbed her right ass cheek firmly while my right hand finally closed around one of her magnificent breasts. Just as I knew it would, her ass felt amazing in my grip, and her tit was the stuff of legends. It fit perfectly in my hand. Firm enough to sit high on its own, yet supple. The feel of her smooth skin against mine was rapidly draining my mind of all reason and I thrust aggressively in to her. With each slap of our hips she let out a cry. I¡¯d thrust, hold it a second as she ground into me, her hips moving in a circular motion, then I¡¯d pull back and repeat the process again. This wasn¡¯t slow and tender. This was methodical. I loved the feel of her tit jiggling in my hand with each push, the sound of her crying out as I drove in to the hilt, the way her hair cascaded down, half covering her face. Her nails dug into my shoulders as I picked up the pace, trying to push her through the wall I had her pinned against. She stopped crying out as I slammed into her, her mouth hanging open, eyes fixed on the ceiling. She brought her left leg up and wrapped it around my waist as well, hooking her ankles together behind my back. I pinched her nipple quickly before releasing my hold on her chest and grabbing her other ass cheek for leverage as I fucked her senseless against the wall. The only sounds to be heard were the rhythmic slapping of skin against skin as two sex starved people fed their need.

    I leaned in and planted my mouth just above her collarbone, right where her neck met her shoulder, nibbling and sucking, marking her before I moved up and took her earlobe in my mouth. Her hand grabbed at the back of my head.

    ¡°Oh god, oh god, oh god, don¡¯t stop,¡± she said breathlessly. I felt my pressure start to build as her legs tightened around me, her firm thighs locked in place. ¡°Yes, My Lord. Fuck me¡­ so close. So goddamn close.¡± I pulled my head back and kissed her. Our tongues jostled for position like fencers as I pistoned in and out of her. Attacking and retreating, our tongues slid over each other, and then she moaned into my mouth at the same time her thighs squeezed against me. Her grip on my shoulders turned into that of a steel vice as her jaw dropped and her eyes rolled back. Feeling her whole body tense against mine finished me off and I slammed home a final time and shot load after load into her. She came down before I did and smiled at me as she started working her hips against mine as I was still firing months of pent up lust within her. The movement against my sensitive cock nearly doubled me over, but I held strong as I eventually stopped twitching inside of her. Feeling that I¡¯d finally finished moving within her, she brought her hands around from my shoulders to my jaw, pulling me in for a long, slow, sensuous kiss.

    ¡°Thank you, My Lord. You have no idea how much I needed that.¡± She grinned at me hungrily as she worked her hips against mine again.

    ¡°Happy¡­ to help,¡± I gasped. ¡°So, what do you think? Call it a tie?¡±

    She threw back her head and laughed as she pulled herself off of me, unwrapping her legs and standing on her own again. She traced a finger across my chest as she started walking towards her bathroom, paying no attention to my seed dribbling down her leg. She made it to the door, then turned and looked at me.

    ¡°Coming, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure I just did,¡± I said as I followed her. She smiled at my bad joke before entering. Before I made it to the door I already heard the sound of running water. As I rounded the door, I saw her perfect ass sticking out as she checked the temperature of the water filling her impressive tub. I walked up behind her and ran my hands over those perfect blue cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s a nice tub. How many people does it hold?¡±

    ¡°Five,¡± she said without hesitation. ¡°But it gets too crowded to play with that many, so three or four total is what I usually stick to.¡± She looked back and winked a green eye at me. Imagining her in here with three other women helped fill the time as the tub filled. Maybe the Domino twins and the chef? That could be fun. Sitting on the edge of the tub, I took a moment to admire the body so frequently hidden by her uniform. Her tits were capped with dark blue nipples, like little blueberries begging to be picked. Her stomach was smooth, yet lacked a bellybutton, interestingly enough. Eyes following down her body, I saw a fiery red runway strip the same color as her hair. The contrast between her pastel blue skin the patch of red hair was intoxicating, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from staring. She caught me looking and smiled and winked at me before entering the round tub, sitting at the back and holding her arms out to me.

    I got in the water and found it to be the perfect temperature as I crossed over to where she sat and planted myself between her legs where she indicated. I draped my arms over her knees and leaned back until my head was resting on her chest. She draped her arms over my shoulders and together we just relaxed in silence, each enjoying the presence of the other and the feel of our bodies against each other.

    ¡°How are you feeling, My Lord?¡± Su asked as she ran her fingers across my chest.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I said, meaning every syllable of the word. She licked at my ear as her hand reached down to wrap around my member, still half hard from our session and the four maid daydream I just had. My head lolled back at her touch. ¡°Not quite ready for round two, babe. He needs to recover a little first.¡± Her hand stopped mid stroke, causing me to crane my head around to see what was caused it.

    ¡°Recover, My Lord? Has Mistress Rhia not informed you about your status as a god? I seem to remember it quite clearly.¡±

    I looked at her confused. ¡°Of course she has. What do you think we¡¯ve been doing these last couple months?¡±

    Now it was her turn to look confused. ¡°My Lord, as a god, you don¡¯t need to worry about such mortal concerns like injuries, exhaustion, or recovery time. If you wish to heal, then heal. If you wish for more stamina, then just don¡¯t be tired.¡± Her eyes met mine and she lowered her voice like she was about to tell me the greatest secret in the universe. ¡°And if you wish to stay hard as a rock, then just do so. Your greatest strength is your will, My Lord. You no longer have to worry about such petty concerns as a refractory period.¡±

    I turned her words over in my head, putting them together with everything Rhia had told me about what I was capable of. ¡°So, if I wanted to¡­¡± I began.

    ¡°Fuck me ragged for the next ten hours and twenty three minutes? Yes, you could do that.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°And I sincerely hope that you do, My Lord. I long to be used as a plaything for you.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡± I asked suddenly. ¡°You¡¯ve been eyeing me like a steak dinner since you first laid eyes on me. Is it because I¡¯m a god, male, or something in me that you sensed?¡±

    She laughed. ¡°I would love to say it¡¯s the last one, My Lord, as far as our first meeting went, but it wasn¡¯t that. While unique, I¡¯m still human. Just considerably older and blessed with immortality. I don¡¯t have any special talents like Rhia¡¯s mind reading or anything like that. No, if I may be so shallow, at first it was simply because you were a male, although the god part was also appealing, for the reasons I just told you about.¡± She winked.

    I nodded, completely understanding her response. It¡¯s not like I could complain about her being shallow. The first I did when I saw her was admire how her chest pushed against the fabric of her uniform. ¡°Be as shallow as you like. It¡¯s certainly a mentality I can understand. However, I noticed you said ¡®at first.¡¯ Has something changed since then?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a little,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve had a chance to get to know you a bit since then. You¡¯re a fun guy, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Most entertaining mushroom you¡¯ve ever met,¡± I quipped, earning me a groan.

    ¡°Keep that up and I might not respect you in the morning,¡± she warned.

    I pretended to check my nonexistent watch. ¡°Gives me about twenty-one more hours to disrespect you in so many more ways.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± she said before I could get anymore bad jokes in. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the effort you¡¯ve put in. Anyone else might¡¯ve just learned what they could and then ran back to Earth to abuse their power. You, however, keep at it, and when you¡¯re not staring at her delicious tits and ass, you actually listen to Mistress Rhia.¡±

    ¡°They really do look delicious, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Oh you have no idea, My Lord.¡± The gleam in her eye told me everything I needed to know.

    ¡°Wait, you two have¡­¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± she shushed, placing a finger over her lips. ¡°A girl never kisses and tells.¡±

    I laughed, then squeaked as her hand gripped me beneath the water¡¯s surface. It wasn¡¯t a loving grip, but one of warning.

    ¡°Do NOT tell her I told you that, My Lord. She is very protective of her privacy.¡±

    I nodded, and her hand became more tender around my shaft.

    ¡°Oh? I see you¡¯re ready to go again. Let¡¯s just pretend that you used your newfound abilities to get that back up, and not the image of my face buried between those sweet creamy thighs of hers, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, turning around to face her in the tub, rising to my knees. ¡°It was my power. I absolutely wasn¡¯t imagining you two laying on your bed, faces buried in each other¡¯s pussies. That would be so inappropriate.¡±

    ¡°And whatever you do, you should not imagine her wings snapping open and twitching when she comes.¡± She stroked me as I saw her spread her legs wide in the tub before she leaned forward. She paused, her face an inch from my cock. Her green eyes met mine as she ran her tongue across her top lip. Then her mouth engulfed the head and stopped. I felt her tongue caressing me in her mouth, tracing the ridge one way, then back again. Ever so slowly and carefully, she rested her teeth on the sensitive flesh, causing me a second of panic. What? As fucking sexy as she was, teeth on dick is still a rational fear for men to have. Until she started vibrating them. Or maybe she was just making a Z sound. I¡¯m not sure, because my entire being focused on that one body part as the sensation nearly caused me to blow my load instantly.

    She looked up at me, green eyes meeting mine, red eyebrow raised inquisitively. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure what she was expecting, but I knew what I wanted. Taking that red hair of hers in my hands, I pulled her face into my crotch until I felt the back of her mouth, then backed off and did it again. The corners of her eyes lifted up in a smile, since her mouth was too full to complete the action, and she impaled her own face on me, relaxing her throat and letting me slide all the way to the hilt. Her nose buried itself in my pubic hair as my balls slapped against her chin. She attempted to swallow a couple times, the movement doing wonderous things around my cockhead. She grabbed my wrist and pulled back on it, telling me to pull her face off of me, then pushed on it again, her beautiful blue lips sliding down my turgid length until she was able to sneak her tongue out enough to lap at my balls briefly. Understanding what she was telling me, I readjusted my grip in her hair and started increasing the rhythm until I was full on fucking her face. She just closed her eyes and let me have my way with her mouth until man¡¯s favorite sensation rocked through me and shot stream after stream of my spunk in to her waiting mouth, her swallowing with each shot that hit her tongue. I released my grip on her hair as she reached up to stroke me, trying to coax more out, and she finished up by softly sucking at the tip, the sensation nearly causing me to drop back on my heels as I kneeled in front of her.

    She released me from her mouth then gave me wide smile, sticking her tongue out to show she¡¯d swallowed every drop, then gave the tip one last flick. She stood up in the bath, her hand still firmly wrapped around my dick, which forced me to stand up as well, and we got out. Feeling me soften in her hands as she led me out of the tub, she looked back over shoulder with a single raised eyebrow.

    ¡°I thought we discussed this, My Lord?¡±

    I had gotten hard before by imagining her and Rhia wrapped up like a pretzel. This time I just told myself to get hard again and was actually surprised it worked. In an instant I was at full mast again, and I gave Su a hungry smile of my own.

    ¡°Oh, this is going to a fun day,¡± I said. She laughed, then led me over to her bed, water still dripping off of us.

    ¡°Lay down,¡± she said. ¡°I think you deserve a present for learning a new trick today, as well as a test of what else you¡¯ve learned. Wait right there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, babe,¡± I answered, climbing on to the large bed and getting comfortable on my back as she walked to the little hallway. I could hear her softly speaking with someone before she came back to stand at the foot of the bed.

    ¡°Now, My Lord, I¡¯d like to test your stamina and ability to multitask,¡± she said, grinning as I heard the door to her room close. I looked over and saw the Domino twins enter, their hands already working the buttons on their dresses. As their eyes took in my length standing tall and proud, I could swear their hands began working faster to discard their clothing.

    I looked back at Su, my excitement growing as she slowly crawled up my body from the foot of the bed. She was quickly joined by the other women, and all three of them were staring at me like they hadn¡¯t eaten in years and I was a fat, juicy cheeseburger.

    ¡°Remember, My Lord: Loser fucks the winner,¡± she said wickedly, and for the next ten hours I attempted to do my best impression of the Dallas Cowboys in the postseason.

    *

    Rhia sat up from where she was laying on John¡¯s couch, Ryo tucked in close next to her. She had fallen asleep after playing with the dog for hours. The pup had endless amounts of energy, and Rhia loved it, but eventually she ran out of juice. The nap was understandable, but she still felt embarrassed for sleeping in John¡¯s room like that. She checked the time and figured John should be due back any minute, so she took a moment to run her fingers through her hair and adjust her clothing so she didn¡¯t give off the impression that she¡¯d been sleeping. She needn¡¯t have worried, however, as John barely looked her way when he walked in, Su at his heels, her uniform slightly rumpled and her hair mussed.

    ¡°Enjoy the tour, John?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he said distractedly.

    ¡°Did Su take care of you?¡±

    ¡°And how.¡±

    ¡°Were you able to meet some more of the staff up here? They¡¯ve been itching to get to know you better, you know.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re certainly very friendly,¡± he said, an absentminded smile on his face.

    Suspicious, Rhia looked at Su, but the blue woman only had eyes for the man crawling into bed, exhaustion and euphoria evident in his every movement. Rhia couldn¡¯t help but sigh and chuckle. If Su reacted like that to him, he must be something else. Thinking about it, Rhia couldn¡¯t help but feel a little jealous. Not emotionally, of course, but physically. She hadn¡¯t had her needs taken care of like that in centuries. Feeling an old itch return, she made her way over to the door and Su, grabbing the latter by the hand as they left the room, closing the door softly behind them.

    Rhia looked around in confusion, sure she ordered a couple guards at the door.

    ¡°Where-¡± she began, but Su placed a finger across her own lips and opened the door to her room, motioning for Rhia to look inside. She saw the two maids. White hair hung to the ground, her head hanging off the edge of the bed. The other maid was draped across her belly, face buried in the mattress. The only movement out of both of them was the steady rise and fall from their breathing.

    ¡°Wait, you invited those two, and he was still able to walk out of there on his own?¡±

    Su gave her a distracted nod as the events of the day played over in her head. ¡°Yeah. He fucked them unconscious, and I¡¯m not too far behind them, Mistress.¡±

    ¡°You?!¡± Rhia exclaimed.

    Again, Su nodded. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a machine. I haven¡¯t been fucked like that in millennia, and that took far more than one man.¡± Suddenly her eyes focused on Rhia. ¡°You¡¯ll find out one day, Mistress.¡±

    ¡°What-? No! I mean¡­¡±

    Su eyed her speculatively then dropped the subject. Rhia would figure out her feelings eventually. ¡°Care to join me? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I¡¯m too tired for the kind of fun you¡¯re looking for though. Don¡¯t give me that look, I know you too well, Mistress. I can¡¯t provide any relief for you tonight, but I could use a good cuddle, if you¡¯re interested?¡±

    Shaking her head, Rhia took Su¡¯s hand, and together they went to bed.

 Five: Makeovers and Moonwalks

    ¡°It¡¯s been six months since the mysterious Event that wiped Texas and its surrounding states off the map, and experts are no closer to finding an answer than they were the day it happened. Memorials for the more than 30 million people who disappeared that night have been erected all over the country, with many people having given up hope of ever receiving an answer. The region itself is relatively unchanged from that day, not counting the numerous test sites set up by the scientists to study the phenomenon and the military working with local and federal law enforcement to keep civilians out of the region, popularly referred to as ¡®The Dead Zone¡¯ by many on social media. Tests for radioactivity have all come back negative, but no one is taking any chances. This morning we¡¯ll cover what we know so far and speak to leading experts in the field who are trying to determine what exactly happened, and if we¡¯re in danger of it happening again.¡±

    ¡°Screen off,¡± I mumbled into my pillow.

    ¡°I was watching that!¡± Su protested from the couch.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be working or something?¡± I asked, slowly sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Even gods needed a good night¡¯s sleep and didn¡¯t appreciate it when they¡¯re woken up early because someone can¡¯t control the volume.

    ¡°Mistress Rhia gave me the morning off,¡± she said, getting up from the couch and sauntering over to the sleeping half of the room. ¡°Since I can¡¯t watch my show anymore, I was thinking about jumping into the shower. Would you like to join me? I think we could both use it after last night.¡± She licked her lips suggestively as she leaned over me, then gave me a deep kiss clearly meant to drag me out of bed. Who was I to begrudge a woman asking so nicely? I jumped out bed, grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder before marching off to the shower.

    It¡¯s been four months since this routine started, and I still couldn¡¯t believe my luck. If you¡¯d told me seven months ago that one day I¡¯d begin and end each day fucking an immortal blue maid with centuries of experience to call on, I¡¯d have died laughing right there. Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case and I now got to enjoy the talented fingers of my head maid as we soaped each other up. I did my best to reciprocate in kind. While I didn¡¯t have the many lifetime¡¯s worth of experience that Su had, Rhia had said that I was a fast learner, and I did my best to prove her right. I lived by the motto ¡°If you don¡¯t leave the shower feeling dirtier than when you got in, you¡¯re not doing it right.¡±

    Forty-five minutes later we exited the bathroom, Su dressed in her maid uniform and me back in jeans and a t-shirt sporting an anime character on it, only to come face to face with Rhia, who was standing there in her usual business attire, arms crossed and toe tapping impatiently.

    ¡°Has it occurred to you to whip up some sound proofing for that room?¡± she asked, clearly irritated. It actually hadn¡¯t, but I guess I could make accommodations for the others residing here. Su stuck her tongue out at Rhia.

    ¡°No need to be so grumpy, Mistress. I told you that you¡¯re more than welcome to join us many times.¡± Su grabbed my ass. ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t say no, and you already know that I can make your toes curl.¡±

    Rhia turned bright red. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was from rage or embarrassment, but either way it looked like she was about to pop. Eager to avoid any trouble I turned to Su.

    ¡°You should probably get to work now. I¡¯ll take my breakfast in front of the screen today. Rhia, let¡¯s go over the schedule for the day.¡±

    Su gave me a deep bow at the waist. ¡°Yes, My Lord. I¡¯ll see to it.¡± She then gave the still red Rhia a quick bow, then vanished from the room. I went to give Rhia a reassuring pat on the shoulder as I headed towards the living area, but she jerked out of the way. It caught me off guard, but not as much as it did her, it seemed. She immediately started apologizing, professing to not know why she did it. I had a suspicion, but I wasn¡¯t going to say anything. It¡¯s only been six months since the man she loved vaporized himself and the surrounding 400 miles in every direction. She was undoubtedly still coming to terms with that. While Su was eager for her to join us, I wouldn¡¯t push her. If she did decide to open up that much more to me, then it would be because she chose to, not because I pressured her.

    I held up my hands to her, reassuring her that no apologies were necessary, and then gestured towards the living area again. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    We sat, and breakfast was delivered to us. Our normal routine consisted of breakfast in front of the screen, catching up on the events happening on Earth, sometimes just picking a random part of the world to watch. Today I felt like being selfish and asked the screen to show me my big sister, Lisa.

    I¡¯d looked in on her occasionally, just to make sure she was doing alright. She¡¯d left our family years ago, after a huge fight broke out about her choice of fianc¨¦. One whom we¡¯d known was a scumbag right from the start but had incorrectly assumed she would notice before long. She hadn¡¯t, and when she announced their engagement my parents and I had joined forces to talk her out of it. The argument was loud and long and ended with her pretty much disowning us and leaving the house, never to be heard from again. She was 20 at the time.

    It¡¯s been eighteen years since then, and she was now the mother of three, and the guy we¡¯ve seen at the head of their dinner table isn¡¯t the same man she fought with us over. She lived the typical middle class family life and seemed truly happy. Hanging on one of the walls of the living room was one of the last family portraits we¡¯d taken before she left. Our parents sitting with Lisa and myself standing behind them. Below the portrait was a little shelf with three candles lined up. She¡¯d light them and tell the picture good morning, and then before she left for work she¡¯d blow out the candles. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was a religious thing on her part or not, or just something that made her feel better, but either way I was touched. Eighteen years without a word from her, but she still loved us. I let the screen rest on the portrait a bit longer, staring at my parents¡¯ faces, then my eyes drifted up to mine. I realized something as I took in the scene.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I can let her know I¡¯m alive after all this time.¡±

    I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d said it out loud until Rhia responded. ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be a very good idea. There wouldn¡¯t be any reasonable way you could explain your situation, or why you haven¡¯t tried to contact her since The Event.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯re left with a problem,¡± I said, letting the screen focus in on my image in the portrait. ¡°Eventually my face will be seen by many around the world. Probably sooner than we¡¯d like, if the news keeps showing us more of what it has been. I¡¯ll have to step in to prevent global catastrophes caused by their pride and stubbornness. Everyone has a camera these days, something you¡¯re perfectly aware of, Miss Raven Angel, and I won¡¯t be able to avoid it any more than you were.¡±

    She grimaced at being reminded of the cult that was, surprisingly, still going strong. Walter Jones was still polluting the airways with his confused beliefs, and the original faithful that had made the trek to Baltimore have since spread out across the nation to spread ¡°the word.¡± Man are they in for a rough surprise when I show up.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me,¡± she said. ¡°What are you getting at, and how does this relate to your sister?¡±

    ¡°Imagine being told your whole family is dead, and then suddenly, months later, a sibling pops up and ¡®surprise! I¡¯m not really dead, and oh yeah, I¡¯m a god!¡¯ How would you take that kind of news?¡±

    ¡°I honestly have no idea. I¡¯m an only child. But I do see your point. So, what would you like to do about this?¡±

    ¡°I need a makeover. From top to bottom I need a new image. It¡¯s not just her. I served in the Army and a lot of people I know are scattered around the world. They¡¯d recognize me in an instant. Besides, look at this face and body.¡± I gestured at all of me. ¡°When you think ¡®Deity,¡¯ a middle aged nerd with a pizza and beer gut isn¡¯t what you first imagine, is it?¡±

    ¡°No, I suppose it isn¡¯t,¡± she laughed. ¡°Alright, remember that modelling you practiced last month?¡±

    I did. In fact, I remembered everything I¡¯ve ever seen or done since birth. Another divine quirk. She was referring the statue of Ryo I made from moon rock. I thought I did a good job. It was an exact likeness, in fact. Ryo hated it. I¡¯m not sure why, but when she got near it, her hackles rose, and she growled like I¡¯d never heard her growl before. I was about wink it out of existence, but Rhia had swooped in and offered to dispose of it for me. I didn¡¯t see any reason not to let her do so, and she promptly picked it up and disappeared out the door with it. I can¡¯t be sure, since I still haven¡¯t been invited to her corner of the complex, but I¡¯m convinced she¡¯s got the statue mounted on a pedestal like Hachi in there. It¡¯s obvious how much she adores Ryo, after all.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Yeah. Ryo wasn¡¯t too thrilled with the results, as I recall.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you made it look too real. It was freaking her out because it showed no signs of life. Anyway, you can do the same thing to yourself. Just imagine what you want, and you shall have it. It¡¯ll also work on other people, but I don¡¯t recommend that. They become dependent on it and stop working to improve themselves. Oh, and if you ever try changing anything on me, we¡¯ll find out just how much a god can take before he submits to an angel.¡±

    I held up three fingers, scout¡¯s honor. ¡°I would never do anything to you that you didn¡¯t want done by me. I swear to god. Er, me. I swear to¡­ me? Can I do that?¡±

    Rhia snorted. It was a cute sound I¡¯d never heard her make before. She set her breakfast down on the coffee table, giggling, then, covering her mouth, immediately dashed to the door. She paused long enough to look back at me, snorted again, and bolted out of the room.

    *

    Rhia bolted down the hallway, picking up speed as she half ran half flew to her residence. She blew passed a couple maids, flipping their dresses up with the wind generated by her acceleration. The maids stared after her, confused. Rhia was usually the height of propriety on the moon. Never a hair out of place, and the consummate professional. What could have her racing down the halls giggling like a schoolgirl, they wondered.

    She was desperate to put some distance between John and herself right now. As she¡¯d mentioned earlier, sound travelled quite far around here thanks to the marble and tiles lining every wall and floor, and she didn¡¯t want John to hear her at this moment. She finally made to the other side of the complex to her small apartment style room and flung herself on to her couch, burying her face in a pillow before letting the laughter pour out of her.

    He¡¯d caught her completely off-guard with his question, and she couldn¡¯t help it. She¡¯d snorted in front of him. The look of surprise on his face following that didn¡¯t help much, and she knew she was going to lose control. That¡¯s why she left as fast as she had. She had an image to maintain in front of him and couldn¡¯t be seen like this. She had to get it out of her system though. So she let herself laugh. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d just let herself go. Her sides were hurting. Tears were falling. She remembered the confused look on his face when she¡¯d turned around at the door and laughed harder. She remembered the panicked look on his face when he¡¯d nearly walked into her after leaving the shower with Su, like a kid who¡¯d gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She was gasping for breath now. That face was priceless.

    Remembering the incident in front of the bathroom, however, also reminded her of the moment that followed right after, when she¡¯d flinched away from his hand. Why had she done that? It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d done anything wrong to deserve such treatment. He¡¯d always been a complete gentleman towards her. It wasn¡¯t because he and Su were especially loud that morning. By now everyone had gotten used to it. Some of the maids even joked about setting their watches by them. So, what was it? Her laughter finally started to die down. The laughter stopped, but the tears didn¡¯t. Why? Why was she crying? Why was she upset this morning? It was just him and Su acting like they always did. It didn¡¯t affect her. In fact, it made her job easier. He was more relaxed and easy to talk to now, so it was easier to discuss what should be done and make plans for the short-term future. Su was happier too. Her assignments were completed with more efficiency than they have in decades, and she was positively glowing. Their energy was infecting those around them. Their home on the moon was a happier place to be these last few months.

    So why was she crying?

    *

    When Rhia finallyreturned I was still sitting on the couch, sculpting a floating three-dimensional model of myself. Next to it floated two other models. Each one looked in better shape than I currently did, but I couldn¡¯t decide which to go with. It was all cosmetic anyway. Rhia had demonstrated to me quite a few times that with my position came strength. Literal strength. We had popped on down to a gym on Earth one night after it had closed, and she had me ¡°workout¡± once because I was lamenting the shape my body was in. I ran for an hour without even breaking a sweat. I lifted every weight in the gym. I then lifted every machine in the gym. Let me be clear. When I say I lifted every machine, I don¡¯t mean I used max weight on each machine, I mean I physically picked up each machine. It was ridiculous. We then popped over to a mountain range. She told me to punch the mountain. The news the next day reported an investigation into a gas buildup in the area possibly leading to the explosion of said mountain, but fortunately it was in a restricted region and no one was nearby when it blew. I felt like an anime protagonist. Just needed an orange jumpsuit. Really, these powers weren¡¯t even fair.

    I looked up from my work as she approached. ¡°Feeling better?¡± I asked. She nodded, not quite making eye contact, although I could see hints of puffiness around her eyes. I didn¡¯t ask about it though. If she wanted to talk, she knew where to find me. She approached the back of the couch to look over my shoulder.

    ¡°Trying a few test models out first?¡± she asked, indicating the bodies floating in front of me. I nodded.

    ¡°Yeah. At first, I tried the traditional images people have of gods, like the Greek and Roman pantheons, but it just didn¡¯t feel right to me. I make a striking Aphrodite, by the way, but the beard ruined the look.¡± I glanced up at her after my joke, but she just gave me a distracted half grin. She indicated what I had in front of me.

    ¡°What about these?¡±

    Turning my attention back to the models, I let out a sigh. ¡°I tried using a more modern influence. That¡¯s Brad Pitt in Fight Club, that¡¯s Chris Hemsworth in Thor, and this one here is Henry Cavill in Justice League. None of them seem right to me. Maybe it¡¯s the face. I altered it enough to seem familiar, but not completely so. I didn¡¯t want to confuse myself whenever I look in a mirror.¡±

    ¡°Have you considered losing the beard?¡± she asked me, giving my chin fur a tug.

    ¡°Ow! No. This is my first opportunity to grow a beard, and dammit I¡¯m taking it! I couldn¡¯t in high school. Then I couldn¡¯t because I worked in a grocery store for a few years and company policy said no. Then I joined the Army and wasn¡¯t allowed to for the ten years I was in. Then the pizza place I worked in after I got out only allowed goatees. So yeah, I¡¯m seizing it! Besides, whenever one thinks of a god, they think ¡®beard.¡¯ Look at all the depictions of the gods throughout history till now. Now that they¡¯ll finally see a real one who¡¯s about to tell them everything they know is wrong, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d love to see they got at least one thing right.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh¡­¡± she said absentmindedly.

    ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡±

    She suddenly stood up straight and reached for the model I was working on, the Superman one. ¡°Can you make it so that others can make changes to it? I¡¯d like to try something.¡±

    ¡°Done,¡± I said, confused at her actions for the third time today. It wasn¡¯t even lunchtime yet.

    She snagged the three foot tall model out of the air, tucked it under arm and made to leave the room. Just before she got to the door, she turned.

    ¡°This may take a while. Your schedule¡¯s free for the day anyway. Go have fun.¡± She then turned and headed out of the room, calling out as the door closed behind her ¡°Su! My room, now! Bring Ryo and Bridgette with you too!¡±

    Who¡¯s Bridgette? I wondered. Shrugging, I pondered what to do for the day. I trusted Rhia. She¡¯ll let me know when she¡¯s ready. I wandered over to the window and stared at Earth, floating serenely in the sky. I thought about popping down for a visit, but for once I wanted to do something no one else could really do. No one from Earth, anyway. What was the point in being me if I just continued to do mundane shit like visit theme parks and tourist attractions? I¡¯m a god, for crying out loud. Maybe I¡¯ll take a walk.

    Twenty minutes later I was bounding across the moon¡¯s surface. The vacuum of space had no effect on me. The lack of oxygen didn¡¯t matter either. I couldn¡¯t die. I could even make it so that I didn¡¯t feel temperature changes. So far, I¡¯ve discovered that there is almost literally nothing I can¡¯t do if I don¡¯t want to. The one exception being time travel. Even for deities the past is forever locked. What¡¯s done is done, and it can never be revisited. I didn¡¯t lose any sleep over that anyway. Looking back only slows you down. My mission was the future. Mine, humanity¡¯s, and eventually the galaxy¡¯s, should my little pain in the ass planet make it there.

    I followed the markers I¡¯d set out the first time I¡¯d made this trip. It was a couple hours of high speed bounding, but I finally arrived at my destination. I floated up off the surface, so I didn¡¯t disturb the relics. I liked to come up here sometimes just to see the first time man had touched another world. Humans made it here, all on their own. No deities had helped them. No angels oversaw them. They had knuckled down and did it for themselves. And then they¡¯d done it five more times. I don¡¯t think the people down there truly appreciate what a big deal that is. I hovered over the site, looking at the flag that was knocked over when their module took off, half buried in moon dust. I could easily fix that, and even restore the flag in a way that would prevent it from disintegrating in this harsh climate, but I won¡¯t. This site is to be preserved.

    I couldn¡¯t help but be a little silly though. I moved away from the site, trying to find the perfect spot that would capture everything if I were trying to take a picture. Confident I was far enough away to not disturb the actual landing site and countless footprints left by Neil and Buzz, I conjured up a director¡¯s chair and placed it facing the descent module. On the back it read STANLEY KUBRICK. I laughed silently to myself (as if there was any other way to laugh on the moon¡¯s surface). Moon watchers are going to lose their fucking minds when they see a new shadow here. My bit of mischief complete, I decided to head back home. I was curious to see if the girls were done yet, and there really is only so much you can do to have fun on the moon.

    *

    Later, back on Earth ~

    ¡°Hey, Tommy? Something seem different about the Apollo 11 landing site to you?¡±

    ¡°What? Why would it? It hasn¡¯t changed in almost 50 years, Jimmy.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I see a shadow.¡±

    ¡°What? Shadows ain¡¯t exactly news, ya know?¡±

    ¡°This is definitely a new one. Hang on, let me get my other telescope.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Give me a look while you do.¡±

    ¡°Be right back,

    ¡°Uh huh¡­ you gotta be shittin me¡­ he wasn¡¯t lyin.¡±

    ¡°Whatcha doin?¡±

    ¡°Lookin¡¯ up the number for NASA. If we¡¯re the first one¡¯s who¡¯ve seen this, maybe they¡¯ll pay us! Hurry up and set that big bastard up. I wanna confirm before I dial.¡±

    ¡°On it!¡±

 Six: Take Me to Your Holy Leader

    ¡°Are you sure this look suits me?¡± I asked, observing myself in the mirror a couple days later.

    Rhia nodded behind me. ¡°Yes, we think this image maintains who you are, keeping you familiar, but not recognizable. Should you run into anyone you know, or if they see pictures or video of you, they¡¯ll just get a sense of familiarity, but won¡¯t know it¡¯s you. Dropping the timber of your voice also helped with that.¡±

    ¡°What about the hairy chest? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little too clich¨¦?¡±

    Su piped up then. ¡°That was Bridgette¡¯s contribution. She said it would help win the women over.¡±

    ¡°Bridgette?¡± I asked, still not sure who they were referring to.

    ¡°You¡¯ll meet her soon enough,¡± answered Rhia. ¡°She¡¯s shy. Having her contribute should have helped with that a bit, and she¡¯s gotten used to your presence now. Six months isn¡¯t bad. It took being here for a few years before she ever made her presence known to me.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get here something like 600 years ago?¡±

    ¡°And?¡± she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

    Right, I thought. Everyone¡¯s damn near immortal up here. Why should this Bridgette person being that old surprise me at all?

    Looking at myself as I flexed and posed in front of the mirror, I couldn¡¯t help but think I¡¯d make a great statue! Rhia rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t say anything. My new look was more toned then the soft mess I was before. Just enough definition to show I had strength, but not so chiseled as to look like a comic book hero. It was really more of a quarterback look. They¡¯d made my beard softer and shaped it, took a bit off the bridge of my nose, and given me a fuller jaw. They¡¯d left my eyes the same though. Su insisted that no one touch my hazel eyes, and the others agreed. Su also had input on another change, but that was hidden beneath the shorts I was wearing. I certainly didn¡¯t have any complaints about that. By the way she her reflection was salivating behind me, I could tell she was ready to give it a test drive as soon as possible, but that would have to wait.

    The physical makeover was only part of the preparations I needed to make. We¡¯d decided that it was almost time for my coming out party, now that I¡¯d begun to get a firm grasp on my capabilities. I¡¯d been popping down to Earth more frequently lately, gauging the hot spots I¡¯d need to hit first to send the strongest message.

    I¡¯d also been thinking about a public moniker. I couldn¡¯t very well drop down on the planet and say ¡°Hi. I¡¯m John and I¡¯m your god.¡± I sense that wouldn¡¯t go over well. The only problem I had was that I was terrible at coming up with epic sounding names. So, I suggested something that was actually an old gamertag of mine. Rhia had stared at me a second before asking if I was sure. I was going to be stuck with this name for the rest of eternity, I knew that right? I laughed and told her it was fine. It was easy enough to remember, and just exotic enough to make it stick.

    ¡°So,¡± I asked the ladies around me. ¡°What do you think? Business? Business casual? Casual? Toga? Fig leaf?¡±

    Su was about to offer her suggestion before Rhia slapped a hand over her mouth. ¡°No fig leaf!¡± Su looked disheartened at that, until I winked at her in the mirror. Her eyes lit up, but she kept her mouth shut. Rhia muttered something about a fig leaf not being nearly enough to do the job, but immediately got back on track.

    ¡°Considering who you¡¯re visiting this afternoon, I¡¯d suggest business. Anything less would be insulting. I normally wouldn¡¯t concern myself with that, but since you¡¯re trying to make friends instead of overpowering them, professional is the way to go.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± I said and snapped my fingers, instantly sporting a charcoal gray suit and silk tie. The feel of the fabric on my skin was exquisite, and the cut of the jacket really made my new body pop. Armani produced cheap school uniforms compared to this. Can¡¯t have a god showing up in the world¡¯s second best suit now, can we? I gave my reflection my most dazzling smile while adjusting my cuff links. A complete affectation, since nothing on this suit would ever be out of place or damaged. I then swept my hair back, getting my look just perfect. Su swooned and dropped to the floor. Ryo leaned over and started licking her face, trying to wake her up.

    ¡°Ooh, my lord,¡± she muttered, dazed. ¡°So energetic this morning.¡± I raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Rhia, who just rolled her eyes and nudged Su with her foot.

    ¡°Su, get up. We¡¯re leaving. We need you to get back to work.¡± Su¡¯s eyes shot open.

    ¡°Oh! My Lord!¡± She stood up quickly, attempting to regain her dignity. ¡°My humblest apologies.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it,¡± I said, ¡°But I need you on your best behavior from here on out. I need my Head Maid. You remember our plan, so I need you to get everything ready. If everything goes well, we should be back in a few hours.¡±

    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t go well, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll still be back in a few hours, but with less guests.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Then I¡¯ll be on my way, My Lord.¡± She turned to leave, but I stopped her and pulled her in close for a kiss.

    ¡°If you behave yourself this afternoon, I¡¯ll let you misbehave tonight,¡± I whispered in her ear, before giving her lips a quick peck. A smile spread across her lips as she bowed to Rhia and me, then disappeared.

    Rhia watched her go, then faced me. ¡°You¡¯re spoiling her.¡±

    ¡°I believe good service deserves an equitable reward. Some people want vacation time, others a pay raise. She wants¡­ something else. As long as she provides the support I expect from her, then I have no problem rewarding her service. After what I promised her, I guarantee she¡¯s going to set an almost unreachable standard for professionalism among everyone else working here.¡±

    I looked deep into Rhia¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯d love to pay you back for all you¡¯ve done since you found me, yet I can never figure out how. You have never given me even a hint of what you might want or desire. You¡¯ve never even asked for a day for yourself. In almost seven months the only thing you¡¯ve asked for was that statue of Ryo, and you got that by pretending to get rid of it.¡±

    She blushed and started looking around the room. ¡°Uh, about that. I, uh¡­¡±

    I laughed. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I love her too, and if I didn¡¯t have the real deal sitting on my foot right now, I¡¯d want the statue as well. The point is, what can I do to repay you for all you¡¯ve done for me? Your options are almost endless.¡±

    She reached out and attempted to adjust my tie, knowing full well it was already perfect. ¡°I appreciate the thought, but it isn¡¯t necessary. At first, I was doing this because it was what Inton wanted. I wanted to see his vision through. After spending these last few months with you, and learning who you are and what you want, I¡¯m here because I want to be, and because I want to see your vision through. Do that, and it will be all the repayment I need. Now come on, we have a busy day ahead of us. Are we taking Ryo with us?¡±

    Ryo looked at us expectantly, tail wagging. I felt bad about it but shook my head. Now was the time for diplomacy, and having a dog tag along may hinder that, no matter how loveable she was. Sensing my decision, her tail stopped moving and she gave me a forlorn look. I knelt down and started stroking her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, girl. Not this time. Trust me, we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities in the future for you to run around the planet. Can you help me out by behaving the rest of the day? I¡¯ll play with you later, I promise.¡± She gave me a lick as an answer, and then walked out of the room to parts unknown in our home, tail hanging limp behind her.

    I manifested a long overcoat to match the business suit I wore and turned to Rhia, extending my elbow. ¡°Shall we, Miss Raven Angel?¡± Her eyes narrowed, but she took the proffered arm as we vanished from the room.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    *

    On a crisp March morning, a golden column of light shot down from the sky, landing in front of the world famous obelisk at the heart of St. Peter¡¯s Square. Startled tourists, artists, and Swiss Guard members quickly fled the area as the light grew in intensity. Drawing back to what they hoped was a safe distance, many pulled out their cell phones and started recording, in the way that people recorded everything these days. What was most disconcerting about the whole affair was that for as bright as the light was, there was no sound. It was pure light in a silent plaza.

    Just as suddenly as the light appeared, it vanished. As people started to blink the spots out of their eyes, they became aware of a man and woman standing where the light had impacted. The man was about six and a half feet tall and well built, with wavy light brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His hazel eyes seemed kind, yet they pierced the hearts of everyone he made eye contact with, and his dazzling smile caused many women, and not a few men, to go weak in the knees. The woman was a professional beauty in her business coat, pencil skirt, black pantyhose and high heels. Her long black hair hung down, draped over one shoulder, but what captured everyone¡¯s attention, despite her goddess rivalling beauty, were the wings behind her. Raven-like wings that seemed to shift between black and dark blue as the feathers were lightly ruffled by the chilly breeze.

    The handsome gentleman stepped forward and raised his right hand in a wave, his dazzling smile seeming to grow brighter. ¡°Good morning, everyone! We¡¯re here to meet your pope.¡±

    *

    Think we got their attention? I thought at Rhia while waving to the growing crowd, knowing she¡¯d pick it up.

    She leaned in a bit and whispered ¡°Oh, I believe we did. What was with that entrance though? We never discussed that.¡±

    ¡°No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else,¡± I quoted to her in my head. Everyone today worships gods who all work behind the scenes and ¡°gives them inner strength,¡± conveniently enough. It¡¯s time someone showed them what a real god is capable of. This won¡¯t be enough though. Just follow my lead.

    She gave an imperceptible nod, then stepped back a pace, clearly showing the crowd deference to me. We were playing on her public identity as the Raven Angel, whose cult following hadn¡¯t diminished at all and worshipped her as the highest of beings. By having the impossibly beautiful angel who¡¯d returned the space station¡¯s final remaining crew members to Earth clearly show subservience to me, it established my status as her superior. This was bound to rattle the RAS, but I didn¡¯t care. Most of them seemed to be fair weather worshipers anyway. Latching on to whatever fad religion is in vogue next. Last year it was Norse mythology. Before that was Scientology. For now, it was my lovely companion. I wonder how that will change in the future after witnessing a true deity in their midst.

    A number of armed men in colorful uniforms cautiously approached us. Some still carrying their swords and halberds, not having time to grab their actual weapons, while others clearly had time and were training them in our direction. I was also aware the more than a few elevated positions were focused on me as well. I can¡¯t say I blame them. These were dangerous times we lived in. I stepped forward to greet them.

    ¡°Gentlemen! Good morning! Who do I need to see to arrange a meeting with your pope?¡±

    The closest man, levelling a polearm at me even though he was still a good fifty feet way, started shouting orders at me to stay where I was and not move a muscle. Naturally, I didn¡¯t comply in the slightest and kept walking steadily forward.

    ¡°Now, now,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s not very nice. I¡¯ve come a long way to visit, and I¡¯d hate to leave without at least saying hi.¡±

    Another gentleman, this one dressed casually and armed with a small submachine gun, repeated the demand for me to stop where I was or he would be forced to open fire. The crowd was growing, despite the guards¡¯ best efforts to push them back. Seemingly everyone in Rome had seen my little light show or their friends livestreamed videos and were coming to see it all in person. Mindful of the electronic eyes that surrounded me, beaming this confrontation to screens all around the world, I took another step forward.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t very polite, you know. I¡¯m just a guy trying to visit the pope. I¡¯m sensing more than a little hostility here, and I¡¯ve done nothing to deserve that. Isn¡¯t that right, Rhia?¡± I called back over my shoulder.

    Rhia got into character at my words, speaking with a raised, regal voice. ¡°That is correct, My Lord. As these many witnesses can attest,¡± she gestured at the surrounding crowd, ¡°all you have done is seek a meeting with the pope. That certainly hasn¡¯t warranted this show of force with these primitive and barbaric weapons.¡± The guards shifted uneasily as they took in the ever growing crowd around them. I had been walking steadily the whole time she spoke, finally within the reach of the polearm the first guard was pointing at me.

    ¡°Sir, I must ask you to stand back or we will open fire,¡± the man with the submachine gun said, standing next to the young man wielding the polearm. The other guards had kept their distance, ready to support them if they needed it.

    ¡°If you feel the need, then I can¡¯t stop you. I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll do much damage with that, however.¡± I indicated the weapon he held, which no longer posed a threat to anyone. He looked down to find that his formerly aggressive looking gun was now its nerf equivalent. Bewildered, he looked back up at me. I gave him my most dazzling smile as I reached out and touched the polearm that was now inches from my chest. The head immediately dropped down, limp as wet spaghetti. I stepped back and spread my arms wide, allowing a golden glow to spread out from me like an aura.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± I called out. ¡°You have nothing to fear from me! I am here to help everyone that I can! But to do so, I wish to meet the man in charge here! Your supreme holy leader! Can anyone make this happen, or will I be forced to intrude on his privacy on my own volition? I¡¯m trying to be very polite here.¡±

    The plainclothes guard pressed a finger to his ear for a second, then turned back to me.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir. I¡¯m being told that His Holiness wishes to meet with you as well. I¡¯ve been instructed to bring you to him. May I ask your name, sir?¡±

    I smiled, giddy that someone finally asked. I made sure I spoke loud enough for the witnesses and cameras to hear every word.

    ¡°You may! I am the one who shall guide you all to the next stage of human development! I am Zekken, and I am a god!¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rhia facepalm.

    *

    The meeting with the pope went quite well, considering. I mean, I¡¯d just announced, in his front yard essentially, that I was a god, yet he¡¯d accepted us warmly and privately. He even offered us some coffee, which he served himself. I tell you, even though I now controlled powers beyond anything I¡¯d ever imagined and lived on the moon, this was a bit overwhelming. I was still someone who was born and raised on Earth, after all. To have the top man in the Catholic church personally serve me coffee is an experience that can¡¯t quite be measured. I didn¡¯t let us get too in depth on what I was ultimately after, though.

    My intention when coming here was to introduce myself and to extend an invitation. I told him I would be inviting the top, or most influential, leaders from around the world to my home. It was far easier to bring them to me and tell everyone what I wanted, then it was for me to visit each of them in turn and outline my plans multiple times. Surprisingly, he agreed. He¡¯d been shown my display in the Square and was curious about me. Satisfied at his agreement, I got up to leave. He extended his hand, palm down, ring out. I grabbed his hand in a firm but friendly handshake, placing my other hand on top of them.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t be kissing your ring, Hans,¡± I said, using his real name, not his pope name. ¡°I bow before no man. I¡¯m a god, after all.¡± I winked playfully at the last sentence. He stared at me for a second, then chuckled.

    ¡°You can¡¯t blame an old man for trying. I shall see you in a few hours, young man. I¡¯m curious to hear what you¡¯ll tell me.¡±

    I smiled as he started making his way towards the room¡¯s door to escort us out, but I waved it off, telling him it wouldn¡¯t be necessary. A golden aura surrounded Rhia and myself, and with a flash, we vanished from Italy.

    *

    As to be expected, the events at the Vatican spread around the world at the speed of social media. Many people believed it to be a hoax or publicity stunt, declaring everyone involved to be actors and in on it. Others were skeptical, saying they¡¯d wait to see what else happened before drawing any conclusions. A fanatical minority were declaring it the end of times, but those types of people saw the end of times coming every second Thursday, so no one paid any attention to them.

    The Raven Angel Society were, surprisingly, the most vocal about their claims that the videos were illegitimate. Their entire organization was built on their belief that the Raven Angel, Rhia, was their personal goddess and would never submit to anyone. They had absolutely no evidence to base these claims on, save the thirty second video of her dropping off the astronauts¡¯ bodies and taking off again, but evidence is hardly a factor where blind faith is concerned. Walter Lester Jones, their self-appointed leader and public face, was already being interviewed by a major news network where he was vehemently denying that the winged woman in the Vatican videos was the same winged woman seen in Baltimore, despite the wealth of evidence proving him wrong. Mr. Jones was now facing the same dilemma countless older religions have been wrestling with for centuries: how do you reconcile the facts staring you in the face with doctrine that claims otherwise. He chose the first tactic that always failed. Deny, deny, deny.

    Heedless of Walter¡¯s complaints, the world continued to spin. People talked about it but continued with their lives. Men and women went back to work, children attended school, and within a few hours most people went back to ignoring the news, writing the event off as another oddity in the world. Reports continued to come in about a cheerful man and winged woman appearing around the world¡¯s capitols, asking to meet with leaders in the area, but humans are surprisingly quick to move on. No one died, and there were no large explosions, so interest waned. Except for two Swiss Guards, who were reevaluating everything they¡¯ve ever known, most people had forgotten about it and by the end of the day it was just a quick blurb on the news.

 Seven: Dinner With Friends?

    ¡°Well, theatrics aside, you accomplished most of what you set out to do. We have fifteen world and religious leaders waiting for you in the dining hall. Were these really necessary though?¡± Rhia held up the foot tall model of herself to me, making a repulsed face. The dolls were accurate copies of her, or at least as accurate as I could make them without delving beneath the formfitting suit she favored.

    I chuckled. ¡°Perhaps not exactly those but sending them to each person when the time came seemed more prudent then just snapping my fingers and having them appear unprepared in the dining room. This way they at least saw something familiar that would guide them here. I know you don¡¯t approve of some of my theatrics, but I think I might understand a human¡¯s mind than you do, having been one for 35 years. I¡¯m pretty sure the pope and UN secretary general would¡¯ve had heart attacks if they suddenly found themselves somewhere without warning.¡±

    Rhia picked up another doll, examining what was left of the clothing that remained on the miniature version of her. ¡°Speaking of the secretary general¡­ Now I¡¯m thankful you¡¯ve never seen me naked. Who tries to take the clothes off a toy messenger sent by a deity? Something isn¡¯t right about that man.¡±

    I nodded, also examining the doll. ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to have a thing to say about that. I can¡¯t be worrying about whether something is going to happen to any messenger I send out, whether it¡¯s just a doll, or actually you. I know nothing down there can harm you, but I¡¯d still like to prevent anyone from even attempting it in the future.¡± I clapped my hands, glanced at the screen in my room that was suddenly awash in news stories about leaders suddenly vanishing from around the world, then turned to Rhia, spreading my arms. ¡°Well, how do I look?¡±

    ¡°Too relaxed for the company you have. It¡¯s perfect.¡± She smiled. Faded jeans, a video game novelty t-shirt, and Chuck Taylor¡¯s is what I was going to be wearing when meeting the ¡°most powerful¡± men and women in the world, and I wanted them to understand that their power meant little to me. I tucked the doll Rhia was examining under my elbow and headed towards the dining hall.

    I entered the room without any pomp and circumstance, Rhia following closely behind. Fifteen heads turned towards me as flung the doors open. Lining the walls were the maids of the household, one for each leader present, with Su standing proudly by my seat at the head of the table. As I walked along the length of the room, all eyes followed me, taking in my attire and general lack of attention that I was giving them as I stared at Su, her eyes sparkling when they met mine. I refrained from saying anything to her though, not wanting to distract anyone from what I was about to say. As I reached my seat, I tossed the abused doll in the middle of the table, where it landed with a loud thump, its condition obvious to everyone seated. I remained standing and planted my fists on the table, speaking softly, but loud enough or everyone to hear.

    ¡°Before we begin, I¡¯m going to say this once, and only once. Should anyone ever assault one of my messengers again, I will erase you from existence. That was just a doll, yet someone still felt the need to see more than they had any right to. You¡¯re lucky, however. Had this been my trusted companion here and not a replica, the violator would not be seated here today. She can be quite vicious when she wants to be, and I have no doubt your suffering would be worth many lifetimes.¡± Rhia gave me a we¡¯re going to have a talk later glare, but I ignored her. I also noticed the UN secretary general turn white as a sheet further down the table.

    I took my seat, and Rhia took the one immediately to my right, placing her between me and the US president. I leaned back and crossed my arms. ¡°Now then, ladies and gentlemen, I assume you have many questions for me. That¡¯s why we¡¯re all gathered here in my lovely home. No need to stand on formality with me, so don¡¯t be afraid to just call out. I can¡¯t promise a satisfactory answer to everything you want to know, but I¡¯ll answer what I can.¡±

    Unsurprisingly, it was the American president that spoke up first. ¡°Alright, I guess I¡¯ll start with the most obvious question. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I believe I already answered that question many times today. I am Zekken. The god of Earth.¡± I smiled at him.

    He stared at me. ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± he finally declared. ¡°There¡¯s only one God, buddy, and he ain¡¯t you.¡±

    I leaned forward, meeting his gaze and secretly enjoying being able to speak to this man from a superior position. I voted for the other guy anyway. ¡°Prove it,¡± I said.

    He gaped. So did most of the table, in fact. There were a lot of pious people gathered here today, and I was about to rock the very foundations that they had built their various beliefs on.

    ¡°Prove it?!¡± He eventually bellowed, face turning red. ¡°It¡¯s in the scriptures you fucking lunatic!¡± A couple heads nodded with him. Surprisingly, the pope wasn¡¯t one of them. The Saudi king and Russian president were the ones seemingly in agreement with the Southern Baptist currently losing his temper. I kept my pleasant smile plastered on my face.

    ¡°My, my. Such language. Sit down, Brad. We¡¯re here to have a friendly discussion about how to fix the planet, not listen to your tantrums.¡± I looked over the others at the table as he fumed in his seat. ¡°Any other questions?¡±

    The pope calmly raised his hand. ¡°If I may?¡± I fixed him with a genuinely happy smile and gestured him to go on. He smiled in return and asked, ¡°if you truly are God, why have you chosen now to make your presence so publicly known?¡±

    ¡°Ok, I want to clear up that misconception before we proceed any further. I am not the God of Abrahamic legend. I am simply the god of this world. This will come as a shock to you, but Earth is not alone in the universe, and to be quite frank, it¡¯s not special in the slightest. There are many races out there that are significantly more advanced than our little blue ball is. Each of those civilizations has a god that helped guide them towards a peaceful society that eventually slipped the bonds of their homeworld and ventured into the stars. It¡¯s my goal to see humanity achieve the same status.¡±

    The American president scoffed, clearly still pissed off. ¡°You expect us to believe that there are aliens out there? Our scientists have never found any indication that it¡¯s even possible. In your own words, Mr. Zekken, ¡®prove it,¡¯¡± he snarled at me.

    ¡°Rhia,¡± I prompted, without taking my eyes off the president. She stood up from her chair and walked to stand next to Su. She revealed her wings and spread them wide, glaring down at the little red man that was supposed to lead the most powerful nation on the planet.

    ¡°I am Rhia Na¡¯onn, Daughter of Scorben Na¡¯onn, First Primarch of an Agneles colony located 41,659 light years from this solar system. I am 823 Earth years old.¡±

    Silence from those at the table. Rhia continued, indicating Su to her left.

    ¡°This is My Lord¡¯s head maid, Su. You cannot pronounce her actual name, so Su will suffice. She is human, born on and from the Earth. She is 1,978,243 years old, and she is immortal. This planet¡¯s first goddess, Gaia, created her while experimenting with human evolution. That plan, I¡¯m told, was shelved because Su is incapable of giving birth. It was never disclosed why. Were that not the case, she would be the mother to your race. Instead, Gaia chose to use the simple primates that had developed from her second seeding. If there was any doubt among your followers about the origin of the species on your planet, she can assure you that you did, indeed, evolve from ape-like beings, and not two people in a magical garden.¡±

    I kept a calm face, but even I was reeling from this information. Su was two million years old?! An original Gaia creation? Her and I were going to have an interesting discussion later. Rhia, meanwhile kept walking around the room, introducing the various maids and giving a brief outline of their background. It occurred to me that I knew far too little about the people I shared this home with. Seven months and the only ones I knew on a personal level and not just fooled around with were Su, Rhia, and Ryo. So many of these girls came from across the galaxy to serve on this dead moon floating above an unremarkable planet, and none of them seemed upset about it. I wondered why and made a mental note to start getting to know the staff around here starting tomorrow. I guess Rhia overheard my thoughts, because she made eye contact briefly and gave me an imperceptible nod.

    Once the maids¡¯ introductions were complete, Rhia took her seat next to me again. The leaders all sat there uncomfortably staring at each other and the maids for a couple minutes. I kept quiet, letting them process everything Rhia just told them. It looked like someone wanted to say something a couple times, but then changed their minds, keeping silent. I decided that we may as well make use of the silence and looked back at Su, who gave me a sharp nod. She looked at the maid standing near the corner behind me, who immediately opened the door hidden there. More maids came out, each pushing a cart with covered silver dishes on them. Placing a cart in front of each maid already stationed in the room, the new maids immediately turned as one and exited the same way they came in, closing the door behind them. The original maids, completely in sync, grabbed the silver trays and placed them in front of each guest. Each movement was perfectly coordinated in a way that only those who had been working together for centuries could manage. Each tray touched the table at precisely the same time. Each lid was lifted in unison, and each maid retreated back to the cart and their station as one. No amount of training or drill team on Earth could hope to match the precision and synchronization of these women.

    ¡°Since we seem to have reached a break in the question round, how about we enjoy our dinner? The meals before you are your absolute personal favorite dishes. It may sound like boasting on my part when I say this, but after eating this, nothing on Earth will ever come close to matching this. After all, my chef is the best in the solar system. Again, don¡¯t stand on formality. Dig in.¡±

    Before the various leaders was arrayed a wide variety of dishes, each tailored to their specific preferences and tastes. Rhia helped with that during our initial visits to each leader earlier. Before me was highest quality Ramen dish I¡¯d ever eaten, with beef so sublime it made Wagyu taste like processed meat. The Japanese prime minister also had a Ramen dish in front of him, although his was chicken and shrimp. Sure, he wasn¡¯t as influential as the other leaders here, but hey, I had a soft spot for Japan.

    Arrayed around the table were steak dishes that outclassed 5 star restaurants, to pizza, to food I couldn¡¯t identify as it was so foreign to what I¡¯ve ever eaten. The leaders shamelessly shoveling it into their mouths seemed to enjoy it though. The only ones who hadn¡¯t immediately dug in were the pope, who took the time to say grace privately, and the Saudi king, who eyed his dish hesitantly. I knew why he had an issue with eating it but couldn¡¯t help myself.

    ¡°Is there a problem with your food, your highness?¡±

    ¡°It is forbidden for Muslims to eat pork or drink alcohol. Why would you bring me this?¡± He was upset but controlling it.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t served anything to anyone that they didn¡¯t enjoy. I know for a fact that everything placed on this table is their favorite dish.¡±

    ¡°You must be mistaken. I have never strayed from the will of Allah.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. You practice your faith as much as I practice celibacy. Next, you¡¯ll tell me you don¡¯t have a 14 year old Russian girl held prisoner in your palace, right? You¡¯ll be getting tired of her soon, won¡¯t you? It¡¯s been almost 6 months since she was snatched off the street after all. Then she¡¯ll join the 27 other girls you used up.¡± At least she would, if she weren¡¯t currently resting in a room in the residential wing of my moon complex, safely whisked away by one of my little messengers hours ago.

    The Russian president nearly choked on his steak before spitting it out and rising in anger. ¡°WHAT?!? What the hell did you just say?¡±

    Eating around the table stopped. The pope crossed himself quickly, while the maids stationed around the room readied themselves should things turn physical. While I had no doubt they could handle anything that happened, I preferred to not reveal that particular trick.Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Sit down, Piotr.¡±

    ¡°Like hell I will! He¡¯s got one of my citizens locked up? An underage girl! Why the fuck should I listen to-¡±

    ¡°I said SIT DOWN!¡± Raising my voice for the first time. The room reverberated with the pressure I placed in the words. He sat down, staring at me, and I stared right back. ¡°I find it funny how you get so enraged over that but think it¡¯s perfectly fine to eliminate anyone who¡¯d run against you in your rigged elections. I probably wouldn¡¯t care so much, since politicians are generally crooks to begin with, but it seems their families have accidents too. A shockingly large number of accidents happened last year, right? And just what the hell are you smirking at, Mr. Allen?¡±

    The American president stiffened, and the color drained from his face. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. These allegations are shocking, to say the least.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re completely shocked by all of this. How¡¯s Pam, by the way? Are you going to stick with the ¡®she¡¯s become critically ill¡¯ line, or is there a tragic car accident in her future too? Presidential murders are so hard to cover up these days, aren¡¯t they? Especially when your mistress will be the murderer. Is mistress the right word to use? What¡¯s the male equivalent again? Rhia? Do you know?¡±

    Rhia just shrugged and continued eating some sort of blue meat that was on her plate.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. The main concern is the murder, not who he¡¯s fucking. I don¡¯t care about that.¡± I stood up and started pacing around the table, ignoring the catatonic forms of the three leaders I¡¯d just called out. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, half of you are awesome people. You genuinely want the best for those placed under your care, be it spiritually or nationally. I can support that. I can even help with that in some cases. The other half at this table are probably the worst kind of human I¡¯ve ever met. If I didn¡¯t know that it would plunge the world into chaos, I¡¯d eliminate you right here and now. You disgust me. However, I need you to go home and start putting the plan I¡¯m about to tell you into motion.¡±

    The Chinese president raised her hand. ¡°And why should we listen to you? What happens if we ignore your wishes?¡±

    ¡°Then your nation gets left behind until you decide your people are more important than your ego, ma¡¯am.¡±

    An attractive woman in her early 40s and the only other human woman at the table, spoke up for the first time as well. ¡°What about me? I¡¯m not a national or religious leader. I just run a business.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Please don¡¯t act so na?ve, Ms. Nelson. We both know just how important you are to the future of the world. Your company is pushing the limits of technology in a way that rivals Japan.¡± I gestured towards the Japanese PM, who was sitting quietly while observing everything. ¡°In fact, you two may want to take this opportunity to discuss a few things. If Japan allows HorizonTech to gain a small foothold in Japan, it may spur everyone to look further than they have before. Conversely, perhaps Japan should look into getting more of its products out to the world at large. I know y¡¯all keep the best shit hidden within your borders. I want to trigger a tech boom the likes of which this world has never seen. Su? If you¡¯d show them to a private room, please?¡±

    Su quietly approached and gestured for both of them to follow her. Ms. Nelson hesitantly got up and started to follow, while the Japanese PM was already on his feet and following Su, eyes glued to her ass as she walked ahead of him, his right hand twitched a bit and started to drift forward. Without turning around, Su warned him that if any part of his body touched hers, he¡¯d lose it, respected guest or not. Professionally, of course. He returned his hand to his side, his face looking flushed. So he¡¯s that type, eh? I thought. Rhia rolled her eyes.

    Mr. Allen finally came out of his funk, looked around the table, and then focused on me. ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve got us by the balls, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°People like you out of office,¡± I stated. ¡°But until that day comes, I need you to lay the groundwork. All of you. Ultimately, I want to create a world where everyone wants to contribute. Where they¡¯re encouraged to contribute, not forced. Ultimately, I want to create this.¡± I snapped my fingers and the Earth hung in the air over the table. With another snap, all of the borders that outlined the various countries vanished. Everyone¡¯s eyebrows shot up.

    ¡°You want to create a one nation world?¡± the Saudi king asked.

    ¡°I do. One where everyone helps everyone else. Where everyone works together towards a common goal. Where people aren¡¯t separated by petty differences like race or gender or politics or who they love, or even religion.¡±

    Nearly everyone at the table started speaking at once. They all said it differently, but the gist of it boiled down to ¡°you¡¯re out of your mind.¡± Holding up my hands, I quieted them down.

    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s a ridiculous idea. While I don¡¯t believe you when you say it¡¯ll never happen, I¡¯m not so na?ve as to think we¡¯ll be able to accomplish it any time soon. So, I¡¯m planning for the long term.¡±

    The pope spoke up. ¡°I can understand why you want to do this. In a way, it¡¯s something I¡¯ve been working for as well.¡± It was true. This particular pope had rocked the world when he took the position by instituting changes that many looked upon favorably, but an equal number protested, including recognizing female priests, and he even blessed a gay marriage once. In all honesty, I liked the guy. Some of the people working for him, however, made the Saudi king¡¯s hobbies look like child¡¯s play. I¡¯d be sure to get the information to him somehow so he could clean house. He continued, ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is how you plan on accomplishing this. Humans can be very resistant to change you know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that fact. When I said ¡®long term,¡¯ I was speaking long term for me, which is almost incalculable for all of you. You see, being a god has its perks. One of which is eternal life. Or near eternal. Either way, it¡¯s going to be a long, long time before my vision is met, and none of you, unfortunately, will be around to see it. What you will be doing is helping me lay the groundwork for your children¡¯s children¡¯s children, etcetera etcetera and so forth.¡±

    The pope nodded at my words. He seemed agreeable enough. ¡°I guess that makes sense. What about religions though? From what you¡¯ve told us, everything we know is wrong. I can¡¯t exactly go home and tell everyone that. It would cause chaos.¡±

    ¡°The church has adapted before. After all, you¡¯re not putting anyone to death for suggesting the world isn¡¯t the center of the universe anymore, right? I have plans to help the world understand that it¡¯s merely a grain of sand compared to the universe. How you adjust your followers¡¯ belief that God with the big G created everything will be an interesting exercise to watch. Eventually, however, we will have to put an end to that. There are deities out in the universe far more powerful than even me, and they don¡¯t take too kindly to others being given credit for their work, or so I¡¯m told. Especially when it comes to beings who don¡¯t actually exist. There have only been three gods that have watched over this world. Gaia, who seeded it with life and encouraged it to evolve, and another god who never interacted with the world at all, merely watched it from where we are now before getting bored and leaving about 4000 years ago. The third is speaking to you now.¡±

    The room fell silent. It was understandable. Many of the people here were devout in their beliefs, and I just old them their god never existed. If I hadn¡¯t been an atheist before I was told all this, it probably would¡¯ve affected me the same way.

    The Chinese president, Wang Shu, looked up at me. ¡°What do you mean ¡®from where we are now?¡¯ Where are we?¡±

    I smacked my forehead. ¡°Right! I completely forgot that you guys have no idea where we are! Come with me! You gotta see this!¡± I immediately made my way towards the door. Caught off guard, one of the maids quickly rushed over to open it for me. I turned around and looked at the others, still sitting at the table. ¡°What are you waiting for? You¡¯re going to love it, I promise.¡±

    Following me, the remaining thirteen members of the dinner party, Rhia, and a couple maids, filed out of the room as I headed to what I figured was a ballroom or something. I didn¡¯t know, I just knew it was huge and had massive windows. I went to open the door, but a maid beat me to it. A cute girl that looked about 20 with tanned skin, blonde hair, and purple eyes. She opened the door for me and stood to the side as I passed. She blushed slightly as I thanked her, giving me a small head bow in response.

    I marched into the room, my shoes squeaking on the floor as we entered. Everyone spread out around me as I spread my arms wide, every curtain along the far wall flinging themselves open at my movement. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the moon!¡±

    Everyone stared in awe. Earth floated in the sky, almost full. The western parts of the Pacific rim were just coming above the horizon.

    ¡°This is a trick, right?¡± Bradley Allen asked. ¡°We should be bouncing like in the moon landing videos, but we¡¯ve been walking around like we¡¯re on Earth!¡±

    ¡°Divine trick of the trade. You¡¯re welcome to step outside and check, if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t have any space suits up here, since we don¡¯t need them. You may feel a slight chill at first, since we¡¯re in a new moon phase as far as Earth is concerned, but I¡¯m sure the suffocation will take your mind off of it. Please say you¡¯ll do it, it¡¯ll take care of one of the headaches I currently have.¡± I really didn¡¯t have time for this guy anymore. He¡¯s annoyed me ever since he first opened his mouth at the table and I was pretty much over it.

    ¡°You really are powerful, aren¡¯t you?¡± President Wang said.

    I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°I arrived in Italy in a golden pillar of light, turned weapons into toys, travelled around the world in an afternoon to collect the fifteen of you, sent animated dolls to collect you, demonstrated my knowledge of your favorite meals, revealed three dark secrets no one should know about, and materialized a projection of the planet out of nothing before your very eyes, and this is what convinced you?¡± Apparently, my reaction amused her, because she giggled. It was a cute sound, not one you¡¯d expect to hear from one of the heads of state, but I guess she¡¯s human at the end of the day. I looked her over. Ehh. If she were twenty years younger. Maybe even ten. Seeing the likes of Rhia and Su everyday must have spoiled me. I didn¡¯t used to be this selective. I can¡¯t even say age is a factor, considering my current playmate was literally the oldest human in existence. No, I think I¡¯ll let this one pass. Banging a world leader might be fun one day, but today is not that day.

    Slowly, she stepped forward, gazing at the Earth with an awed expression. ¡°It¡¯s so small,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Really puts things in perspective, doesn¡¯t it?¡± someone else muttered.

    President Wang glanced over her shoulder at me. ¡°I think some kind of fate has led me here today, Mr. Zekken. Are you familiar with my name?¡±

    ¡°Wang Shu, yes, I know it.¡±

    ¡°In ancient Chinese mythology, Wang Shu is the name of a god that drives the carriage for the moon. I¡¯m well aware of the jokes made in the West about my name, but I¡¯ve always been proud of it. Now, here I am, speaking to a god on the moon. If this isn¡¯t a sign, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± She turned to face me. ¡°Mr. Zekken, you have my support. Whatever you need of me, if it¡¯s in my power, I¡¯ll see it done.¡±

    I thanked her and meant it. I could easily force through the changes I wanted, but that would defeat the purpose. I wanted humans to grow on their own, with only guidance from me when they needed it. Granted, the world needed it a lot these days, but once all the heavy lifting was out of the way, I wanted them to take the reins of their own destiny.

    She gave me a small nod, then went back to the window, gazing in awe at the sight in front of her.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re able to see Earth from here, does that mean we¡¯d be able to see this place from there?¡± the Russian president asked. Rhia then leaned over and whispered something in my ear. I smiled and answered his question.

    ¡°Only if I wanted you to. If you stood outside these windows right now and tried to look in, all you¡¯d see is the horizon. Why? Wondering if you could target your missiles on my house and turn it into a glowing nuclear crater?¡±

    ¡°N-no, of course not,¡± he stammered, shocked at having been found out. Rhia¡¯s mind reading sure does come in handy. I¡¯ll have to get her to teach me that one day.

    I waved him off. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter anyway. I rendered all those weapons inert anyway.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Suddenly no one seemed interested in the view anymore.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I said I rendered all nuclear weapons inert. Useless. You guys currently have thousands of ICBMs aimed at each other, armed with ordinary rocks. Every single one. Can¡¯t have you blowing up my planet now, can I? Same with all your chemical and biological weapons you¡¯re hiding from each other too. Nasty things. The only thing you should be using nuclear power for is power generation. And you should probably begin to phase that out as well. Start researching clean energy options.¡± I turned to the Saudi king. ¡°Speaking of which, as punishment for what you¡¯ve done to those girls, I¡¯ve reduced the oil in your country by 75%. If I were you, I¡¯d start getting your house in order. Your family has committed some serious atrocities over the years, and one way or the other, you will no longer be ruling by the end of the year. You can make it easy on yourselves and leave on your own, or I¡¯ll do it for you. You¡¯ve got nine months to decide. Same goes for you two,¡± I said, making a snap decision and pointing at the Russian and American presidents. ¡°Only you¡¯ve got till the end of this month, which is two weeks away. Out of office and out of public life. You can do it, or I can do it for you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± They both shouted at me. I heard a thump and a clatter behind me and turned to see the Saudi king pressed face first on the floor, some sort of dagger laying next to him, with the tan maid from earlier easily keeping him pinned under her foot. I smiled at her approvingly as Rhia leaned in and whispered her name to me.

    ¡°Why thank you again, my dear Hannah. Rhia, remind me to thank her properly later. Uh, be sure to talk to Su first. Must respect the chain of command and all that.¡±

    ¡°You may thank her however you wish, My Lord,¡± Su called out as she entered the room trailed by Linda Nelson and the Japanese PM. ¡°In fact, I think I may already have a good idea on how to do so.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. We¡¯ll discuss it later. How about you two? Did you guys manage to work something out?¡±

    Linda¡¯s smile brightened the room. ¡°I believe we have. There¡¯s still a lot of paperwork involved, but with Mr. Nakahara¡¯s help, you may get word soon of a major shakeup in the tech industry. If all this works out, I¡¯m going to owe you big time. So, should I call you Lord, God, Oh Great and Powerful One? Because you¡¯ve certainly got my vote for supreme deity.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°I certainly won¡¯t stop you from calling me any of those, but for brevity¡¯s sake, let¡¯s just stick with Zekken.¡±

    She seemed to finally clue in to what was happening around her. A king was pinned under a maid¡¯s foot, two presidents were beside themselves with rage, one president was still staring out the window in awe, and the remaining nine guests were just standing there uncomfortably. She looked at me again.

    ¡°What I miss?¡±

 Eight: Crashing 1600

    ¡°John! Wake up!¡±

    ¡°Go away,¡± I mumbled as I snuggled deeper into the warmth of Su¡¯s tits.

    ¡°John, you need to get up now,¡± Rhia said, more firmly this time.

    ¡°Good luck getting him out of those, Mistress. He¡¯s been buried in them all night. I might start getting jealous soon,¡± Su replied. It took me a second to realize her voice was coming from behind me. I opened my eyes and glanced up, following bronzed skin until I met the purples eyes of a smiling Hannah.

    ¡°Good morning, My Lord.¡±

    ¡°Morning,¡± I said, my voice muffled in her warmth and firmness.

    ¡°I believe Mistress Rhia is in need of your company, and I¡¯m afraid I must resume my duties.¡±

    Reluctantly, I pulled my face out of her chest and released the hand that was firmly gripping her ass.

    ¡°This better be important, Rhia. I was having a good dream.¡± I glanced over at Su, who was snuggled up behind me in an equal state of undress. ¡°A very good dream.¡±

    ¡°I doubt a dream could compare to last night, My Lord,¡± Su said, leaning over to give me a passionate good morning kiss. ¡°I¡¯m also quite confident that Hannah has no complaints about your gratitude for her actions in the ballroom, either.¡±

    Hannah was blushing quite fiercely as I climbed out of bed and stretched after Su had finally pulled her tongue out of my mouth. ¡°None at all, My Lord, Mistress Su. Should you ever wish to express your gratitude again, I would be more than willing to accept it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Hannah, get your stuff and get out. Su, get to work on breakfast. Today may be a long day. John¡­ put some pants on at least?¡± Rhia was trying to look me in the eye as she said this, but it was evident she was having trouble keeping her focus. Hannah grabbed her uniform off the floor and made for the door, glancing back quickly enough to catch my wink, then she was gone. Su gracefully slipped out of bed and also headed for the door, not bothering to pick up her uniform. Ryo trotted after her from the foot of the bed, knowing Su leaving the room in the morning meant breakfast was soon. I made my way to the bathroom to take care of my morning personals.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a situation on Earth that you¡¯ll need to take a look at. I¡¯ve got the news pulled up on the screen now. Mr. Allen doesn¡¯t seem to be taking your decisions seriously.¡±

    ¡°Rhia, I think it¡¯s great how comfortable you¡¯ve gotten with me, and how easily my name rolls off your tongue these days. I really do. But are we really comfortable to the point where you can be so nonchalant about me taking a leak while you¡¯re trying to brief me?¡±

    She seemed to realize what it was I was doing and immediately turned her back to me. ¡°It-it¡¯s a perfectly normal bodily function. Th-there¡¯s nothing embarrassing about it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond as I finished up, then headed over to the sink to wash up. I¡¯d learned a while ago that I didn¡¯t really need to do any of this thanks to my divinity, but 36 years of the same morning routine doesn¡¯t disappear overnight. There¡¯s also something to be said for keeping my old human habits alive and well. It reminded me of my roots and kept me from getting too full of myself with this whole godhood business. Of course, that¡¯s not to say that being able to snap fingers and be completely dressed wasn¡¯t a convenience. I walked out of the bathroom and joined Rhia, who¡¯d retreated to the screen after totally not being embarrassed about watching me pee. Is this a fetish of hers? I thought.

    ¡°It is not!¡± she responded hysterically. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t paying attention! This is a big deal, you know!¡± She was gesturing at the screen, where President Allen was answering a question in the White House Press Room.

    ¡°So you believe this Zekken is a threat to national security, Mr. President?¡±

    ¡°I believe I already answered that question, Carl, but just for you, yes. After meeting with him personally, I believe this self-proclaimed god and lunatic represents a danger that we cannot underestimate. In addition to that, his declaration of godhood is a blasphemous attack against the Creator of this great nation. I would ask all of my fellow Americans to be wary of this character.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I sat on the couch, rubbing my beard in contemplation. ¡°I¡¯m guessing he still hasn¡¯t described exactly how I¡¯m a danger to the nation?¡±

    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve seen, no.¡±

    I smiled. Rhia sensed something was up, then sighed. ¡°You¡¯re going to go stir the pot, aren¡¯t you?

    I flashed her an even wider smile. ¡°The trick to living a good life is having fun when you can.¡±

    *

    The room was lot smaller than I thought it would be. Sure was hot though. AC must be broken or something, so I lowered the temperature a few degrees and immediately felt more comfortable. A number of people in the room immediately noticed the drop and looked around in confusion, but I ignored them. My attention was focused on the president, who hadn¡¯t noticed me at the back of the room yet. Granted I¡¯d shifted back to my original body type for the time being, leaving my face the same, but adding some fake glasses. It was enough of a change to let me pass unnoticed. Bearded men were common enough, as were men with spare tires. It was doubtful anyone would recognize the god amongst them.

    Another hand went up, and the president pointed at him.

    ¡°Mr. President, you¡¯ve told us he¡¯s a threat, but you¡¯ve yet to tell us how he¡¯s a threat, or how we should combat him if we need to. Would you care to elaborate?¡±

    ¡°Well, we believe he¡¯s already attacked this country once.¡±

    Oh shit, I thought. I could already see where this is going.

    ¡°It is my belief, and that of my military and spiritual advisors, that he is responsible for The Event that happened last August, resulting in the loss of over 30 million American lives.¡±

    The room exploded. Everyone started asking questions at once. It took a few minutes, but Allen was finally able to get everyone settled down so he could speak again.

    ¡°We would very much like to arrest this man and bring him to justice for this atrocity. American justice, and the Lord¡¯s justice.¡±

    I managed to maintain my anger, but only just. He¡¯d just told the world that I was responsible for all those deaths. I took a couple breaths to calm myself down and told myself that he could say whatever he wanted, because I knew the truth, and he couldn¡¯t prove his claim. It was time to remind him of that fact.

    In the next instant, I was standing next to him on the podium, back in my god body and suit. No flashy effects. To the observer, one second nothing was there, then I was.

    I gave the cameras a dazzling smile and waved to everyone present.

    ¡°Good morning all! It¡¯s so nice to meet you.¡± I looked down to my left and dropped an arm over his shoulder so he couldn¡¯t get away. ¡°Hi Brad. How¡¯s Pam?¡±

    The explosion of questions took a bit longer to happen than I thought it would. It had taken everyone a few seconds to register just what was happening. The roar when it finally came was deafening. This many people packed into a small room had that effect. Secret service members immediately drew their weapons and pointed them at me. A couple had tried to grab the president and pull him to safety but had bounced off a transparent bubble that surrounded us.

    ¡°Now, now,¡± I said. ¡°No need to be so hasty. I have no intention of harming him. I just came to see how everyone was doing.¡±

    One reporter finally managed to get my attention among the hubbub of the room. ¡°Ex-excuse me, sir? Are you the man who claims to be a god? Zekken, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s me. Pleased to meet you. What¡¯s your name, sir?¡±

    ¡°Uh, shouldn¡¯t God know everyone¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not that god. I¡¯m merely a god. The newly appointed god of Earth. As such, I¡¯m still learning the ropes and haven¡¯t had a chance to learn the names of all seven billion people on the planet yet. I do hope you¡¯ll forgive me?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well, I guess that sounds reasonable. I¡¯m Ron Williams, with the Post. Can you confirm what the president said? Are you responsible for what happened to Texas last year?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I can only confirm that I was not the one responsible for that dreadful incident. If I ever meet the party responsible, though, you can rest assured that they¡¯ll suffer divine punishment for their crimes.¡± The fact that he was already dead wasn¡¯t something they were going to accept, so best to leave that alone as much as possible.

    ¡°Like we believe you actually care,¡± muttered the president. ¡°You didn''t lose anyone in that disaster, right, oh glorious god Zekken?¡±

    Leaning in close, I whispered into his ear, anger seeping into my voice. ¡°Mind your words, Mr. President. I lost more than you could possibly know in that attack, and I¡¯ve hid it quite well from all but those closest to me. Don¡¯t let this friendly face fool you into thinking I haven¡¯t known suffering.¡± I stood back up and looked back into the crowd.

    Ron the reporter kept pressing, however. ¡°Um, we only have your word that you had nothing to do with it.¡±

    ¡°Right, and you only have his word that I did. The world has only known of my existence for a day, and yet, somehow, he¡¯s managed to secure enough intel on me to accuse me of an incident that occurred seven months ago? Does that seem at all believable to you? How about you people watching at home? Are you all really so gullible as to buy something this man says, just because he belongs to the same political party you do? I¡¯d like to think not. You¡¯re all intelligent people. Some a little more than others, sure, but most of you can at least do the math on this one. Why would your president disappear for a few hours last night, then suddenly declare me a threat in the morning and try to accuse me of the single greatest death toll in American history? Go on, I¡¯ll give you a couple minutes to think about it.¡±

    The president started squirming under my arm. ¡°Will someone please take care of this guy?!¡±

    The secret service members seemed conflicted. I could tell they were trying to decide if opening fire when I was so close to the president was a good idea.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brad? Are you afraid of people thinking for themselves? You¡¯ve managed to keep everyone from noticing that you¡¯ve yet to keep a single campaign promise in the two years you¡¯ve been in office. What¡¯s wrong with waiting a couple minutes for people to puzzle this out on their own?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve threatened this nation and blasphemed against God! I¡¯ll gladly lay down my life for both! I¡¯m ordering you guys to open fire!¡± he bellowed at the agents.

    Having resigned themselves to the act, the armed men tried to narrow their aim to just me, attempting to avoid hitting the president as much as possible. As soon as they went to pull the triggers, however, they found themselves holding walkie talkies instead.

    I laughed at their confusion. ¡°Ah hahaha! That joke never gets old. I pulled it on a bunch of guys in the Kremlin yesterday too. Man, they were so pissed!¡± I focused my attention back on the crowd still staring at us in the room. ¡°Anyway, let me address his concerns. No, I have not threatened America. I meant what I said yesterday. I¡¯m here to help humanity take the next steps in its development, and judging by the clown you¡¯ve elected to lead your country, I can tell you need all the help you can get. As for blaspheming against God, well, that¡¯s really more of a personal perspective. I merely said I was a god. I have never asked anyone to worship me, nor do I intend to. What people do of their own free will is their choice, not mine. As long as we¡¯re on the topic of blasphemy, however, let me ask my first question to you again. How¡¯s Pam?¡±

    He turned pale. ¡°She¡¯s not feeling well. I¡¯ve already addressed that in this briefing.¡±

    I nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Yes. Yes, I can imagine she isn¡¯t feeling too good at all. She¡¯s been bedridden for what, a month now? Condition deteriorating. Your good friend Doctor Murray has been watching over her, right? He still hasn¡¯t figured out why?¡±

    ¡°N-no,¡± he stammered, not sure where I was going with this.

    ¡°Have you spoken with her this morning?¡±

    ¡°No, I was planning on visiting her after this.¡±

    ¡°You planned on visiting your sick wife after announcing to the world that I was its greatest threat? I¡¯m not sure if I should be flattered or not. I was a higher priority than the woman who was supposed to die this afternoon.¡±

    The reporters lost their minds. Shouts of ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean¡± and ¡°what¡¯s happened to the First Lady¡± and the like came at us in waves. The president, while detestable, wasn¡¯t an entirely stupid man. He¡¯d noticed how I phrased that last part, and I saw him silently mouthing was over and over again. I raised my voice to be heard over the din.

    ¡°Shall we go check on her? I imagine she¡¯s feeling much better now, no doubt thanks to Doctor Murray¡¯s ministrations. Ron!¡± I called to the reporter. He jumped, not expecting it.

    ¡°Uh, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Come with us! Grab a cameraman. We¡¯re gonna go visit the First Lady. Come on, stop dilly dallying, you know you can¡¯t pass up the chance.¡±

    The room was still in an uproar, and this didn¡¯t help things. This was a room full of people paid to get the news and scoops. They all wanted to join us, but I refused.

    ¡°Come on, people. Show some compassion! She¡¯s a sick woman. We can¡¯t burden her with too many people at once. I picked Ron here because he was the first to speak up, and I like that. Now, we¡¯re leaving. Have a good morning everyone!¡± I waved with one hand while the other arm was still locked around Allen¡¯s shoulders. Ron made to follow us out the door, but a uniformed Marine moved to block his path. I looked at the young man.

    ¡°Son, I¡¯ve got a hell of a lot of respect for the military. Hell, I¡¯m a veteran myself. But if you don¡¯t let this guy pass, we¡¯re going to have some issues. You watched me appear out of nowhere, and saw those pistols turn into radios. As dedicated as you might be, is it really worth your life to test me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been prepared to give my life for my country since I raised my right hand, sir. If you have to kill me to move me, then that¡¯s what¡¯s going happen.¡± He stared me right in the eyes, never flinching once.

    I laughed. A heartfelt laughter, not a mocking one. ¡°You Marines sure are something else.¡± I popped the four of us, cameraman included, to the hallway behind the Marine. He turned around, startled. ¡°I never had any intention of harming you, nor this country. I¡¯ve got a bone to pick with this man, however. You¡¯re coming with us as well. You don¡¯t even have a choice in that matter. Grab a couple agents, too. I want proper witnesses with us.¡± And with that, we started walking down the hall.

    *

    Rhia watched John¡¯s antics on the screen. She sensed that none of this was going like he thought it would, but he was still having fun, so she¡¯d leave him alone for now. No doubt he¡¯d realize just how much he¡¯d upended the world later, as she watched the various sections of the screen, noting how their guests from last night were reacting to the circus in the White House.

    Su was sitting on the couch next to her, eating John¡¯s breakfast since he was otherwise occupied. ¡°He really doesn¡¯t give a damn about anything, does he? He¡¯ll just do whatever he wants, damn the consequences.¡±

    ¡°I thought that¡¯s what you liked about him?¡± Rhia asked.

    ¡°Oh, it is, but even I know when to dial it back a bit. Even if John hadn¡¯t bribed me yesterday, I still would¡¯ve acted just like I should have. Don¡¯t tell him that, though. The payoff is more than worth it later on,¡± she said conspiratorially. ¡°What about you though? Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re attracted to him as well?¡±

    ¡°No. It was his¡­ nothing! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! I¡¯m just here to help him complete his task. We are just Lord and Servant.¡±

    Su was laughing at how red Rhia had turned. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re the only one who thinks that. He certainly doesn¡¯t see it that way,¡± she indicated the tall, joking man on screen escorting the president around his own house. ¡°He¡¯s keeping his distance out of respect, but he knows, or at least suspects how you feel. It¡¯s obvious as hell to those of us that have known you for longer than a year, or six hundred.¡±

    Rhia pretended to ignore her as she watched the various partitions on the screen. The pope wasn¡¯t even watching his tv, but was praying, doubtlessly hoping for some guidance after hearing John¡¯s story last night. Piotr, the Russian president, was staring at his TV intently, probably trying to gauge John¡¯s reactions to see what he could get away with. The Saudi king¡­ oh? That was interesting. He was currently beating the guards outside the room the young girl was being kept in. Rhia sensed he was going to cause more trouble before long. Wang Shu was watching, surrounded by advisors. A small smirk was on her face. She clearly had little love for the US president. Linda Nelson was in her office at HorizonTech, laughing and eating popcorn, apparently on a conference call with someone as she watched the news. She was definitely enjoying it.

    Everyone was reacting about how she thought they would. Well, except for the Saudi king. Rhia doubted the blood was ever coming out of that rug. That was a shame. It was a beautiful rug. She turned her attention to John¡¯s panel again. They were approaching a door flanked by two men. Rhia triggered the audio and focused the whole screen on John.

    ¡°Hey guys!¡± John was saying to the guards. ¡°We¡¯re gonna need to get into that room, please.¡±

    The men looked from John to Allen and back again.

    ¡°Look guys, the Prez here just wants to visit his sick wife, right? And we thought, ¡®Hey! This is a hell of a photo op!¡¯ So we grabbed Ron and his cameraman here, got a kind escort from this awesome Marine and his two secret service buddies over there¡­¡± John could be seen looking at everyone else following behind them, some with guns pointed at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell these other guys are, but the gun thing is getting pretty old. Hey, camera guy, want to see a neat trick? Watch this.¡± John gestured that the camera should point towards the armed crowd. ¡°Ready? One, two, three.¡± On ¡°three¡± John snapped his fingers, and suddenly every gun was a banana.

    ¡°There you go guys! Who doesn¡¯t love bananas?¡± John then turned back to the door guards and raised an eyebrow. Without further prompting, they stepped away from the door. John smiled. ¡°Thanks guys! Now, here¡¯s a fun fact for those playing at home. No one inside this room knows we¡¯re out here. ¡®But how can that be, oh Great and Mighty Zekken? Haven¡¯t you been making a racket the whole way down here?¡¯ you ask. You¡¯re absolutely right! I¡¯ve been making all kinds of noise. Now, here¡¯s the trick. I¡¯ve placed a wall of silence between this room and the hallway. Do you know what this means? With them having no clue we¡¯re out here, the surprise can be maintained! Oh, I¡¯ll bet Mrs. Allen will be so pleased to see her husband visiting her so early in the day. Ok, now let¡¯s arrange the entry order here¡­¡±

    Rhia watched John get everyone in a line, ensuring that the camera had a clear shot of the room before anyone entered it. He really was hamming it up too much. If Su of all people had remarked on it, then he was definitely going overboard. She really needed to teach him her telepathy so she could yell at him from greater distances.

    ¡°Okay, Brad, are you ready? Aaaaand go!¡±

    On the screen, the president slowly opened the door, almost hesitantly. John, being John, got impatient and assisted him by reaching over his head and slammed the door open. No one, except maybe John, expected to see the sight that awaited them.

    Laying on the floor was a gentleman grasping his jaw and looking up in shock. He was staring at the young woman in pink pajamas standing above him, who was grasping her right fist and swearing.

    She looked at the door and saw Bradley Allen staring at her in shock. Paying no attention to the crowd around him or the camera hovering over his shoulder, she marched right up to him. ¡°Your fucking boyfriend has been poisoning me for weeks, Brad! This was not part of our arrangement! What the hell is going on, and who the fuck are these guys?!¡±

    John could be heard laughing behind the camera. ¡°Adultery and attempted murder, Brad? Now who¡¯s the blasphemer?¡±

 Nine: Date With an Angel

    Less than a week later, Bradley Allen was no longer President of the United States. The accusations shouted by the now former First Lady live on the air were broadcast to the entire world, and there was no way to recover from that. In one fell swoop she had told the entire planet that her bible thumping husband was having an affair, with a man, who was attempting to murder her, and that their marriage was a sham. During the preliminary investigation, Doctor Murray sang like a canary, telling the Feds everything that had been going on and Allen¡¯s plan to have his wife die tragically from an illness, thus garnering him a second term out of sympathy.

    I had miscalculated slightly, however. When I had secretly eliminated the poisonous substance from Pamela¡¯s body, I removed the most obvious evidence against the plot. Had the good doctor not rolled over as easily as he had, or still had a vial of the poison on him, things might have gone differently, but I doubted it. Allen had gotten himself elected by touting the bible and claiming that he¡¯d bring God¡¯s country back to the top of the world again. Finding out he was cheating on his fake wife with a man would¡¯ve destroyed his credibility anyway. So he was gone, and Pamela Allen was now back to calling herself Pamela Ward.

    Before I had left the White House that day, Pam had taken the opportunity to thank me, and asked if there was anything she could do to pay me back for saving her life. I had told her that I needed no payment for that, but I may need to ask her for a favor in the future. She gave me a business card and told me to contact her there anytime, the information on there was still good. Clearly she had planned on bailing on Brad eventually and had maintained a backup plan. Someone who planned ahead. I could use someone like that.

    During that week, I paid a much quieter visit to Russia, where the president there assured me that arrangements were being made for his withdrawal from the seat of power. He¡¯d watched the events in Washington D.C. and wanted no part of that. After that I popped on down to Riyadh. The king had also seen a recording of the events. He was quick to assure me that everything was moving according to plan, and that he and his family would be gone by the specified date. I told him I¡¯d be keeping an eye on him.

    Which brings us to today. I was currently engaging in a little afternoon delight with Hannah, because who wouldn¡¯t want a piece of this every chance they got? She was a woman who had no leash on her passion, giving just as hard as she was taking. I¡¯m not sure if was a unique talent of hers or a quirk of her species, but the things she could do to my member while it was buried deep within her were like no experience that could ever be duplicated on Earth. Su was amazing because she had more experience than anyone alive. Hannah was amazing because she had abilities no one on Earth could even fathom. Partially because of this I decided that she was definitely part of my inner circle. We¡¯d taken the time to get to know each other a bit in the last week in between bouts in bed.

    Hannah wasn¡¯t her birth name, naturally. You wouldn¡¯t expect anyone from a region near Barnard¡¯s Loop to have such a human name. Apparently, her race, the Dalayins, has a tradition of adopting names more regionally appropriate when they travel. Only those of their family know their birth names and revealing their birth name outside of that tightknit group was only reserved for their intended mate. Dalayins seemed to fuck whoever they wanted until it was time to settle down. After that all of their devotion was centered on the new family unit they wanted to create. They weren¡¯t loyal to one person specifically, but to those they chose to form an emotional bond with, which was their version of marriage. Hannah was already emotionally bonded with Su and seemed to have intentions on adding me as well. I wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea, but when it came to thinking about any kind of marriage, I was still a little stunted from my divorce. As long as I continued to think of all this as just a bit of fun, I was fine. It was when I started to think about feeling more, especially with Su, who¡¯d been a regular companion for months, that I felt a little panicked. Considering our exceptionally long lives, I knew there was no reason to rush anything, but my little bronze vixen here may force my hand far sooner than I had intended.

    I remember thinking she looked about 20 when I first saw her outside the ballroom a week ago, and it turns out that I wasn¡¯t too far off the mark. For her race, she was the equivalent of that age, being only 200 of their expected thousand year lifespan. Her family had hoped that she¡¯d settle down before reaching 300, but still wanted her to spread her wings a bit. They¡¯d arranged for her to work under a notable Agneles in a remote part of the galaxy to both protect her from the hustle of the more populated regions, where she¡¯d likely be chosen as a wife by some high ranking official just looking for eye candy, and to discourage her from wanting to explore and not come home. Apparently, Earth was the equivalent of being posted in North Alaska during the winter. They wanted her to be so bored that she begged them to let her come home at the end of her hundred year contract. She was only halfway through it, however, and had already found a wife and now had her sights set on a god. Something tells me their plan backfired in a big way.

    We collapsed in a heap on the bed, breathing heavily. I generally had a wealth of stamina at my disposal, but this girl could push me to my limits, seeming to suck the very life from me. I gave as good as I got though, and soon the rhythm of her breathing steadied as she fell asleep. I got out of bed and took a shower, relaxing under the pounding hot water and getting lost in my thoughts.

    When I got out a little while later, Rhia was waiting for me.

    ¡°Enjoying your afternoon?¡± she asked, glancing over at the bed where Hannah was still sprawled out, snoring softly. She¡¯d apparently kicked the sheets off her and was now visible for all the world to see. Just as well that we were on the moon, I guess.

    ¡°Very much so,¡± I said, admiring the bronze hills and valleys on display. Rhia grimaced, then rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Come on, lover boy. We¡¯ve got an appointment, remember?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t forgotten at all. When you¡¯ve got that Dalayin wrapped around you, however, you just don¡¯t care. The entire world could go up in a fiery inferno and it wouldn¡¯t matter at all. It¡¯s an addiction, really. One I had no intention of ever seeking counseling for.

    Nevertheless, Rhia was right. I had a schedule to maintain, however flexible it was. President Wang was waiting for us, and I had no intention of leaving her hanging. I snapped into my business attire. I didn¡¯t have to snap, obviously, but I liked to. It was part of my showmanship mentality. Rhia was, as always, wearing her business woman outfit. Come to think of it, I¡¯d never seen her wear anything else. Always the height of professionalism, that one.

    We appeared in Shu¡¯s office precisely at the scheduled time. We did that out of respect for her busy schedule. As we had previously arranged, she had a state run news crew with her. We settled down for a discussion of my plans, and what she could do to assist, all recorded for posterity. A lot of what we discussed was the peeling back of generations¡¯ worth of restrictions placed on the Chinese people by previous committees and presidents seeking to solidify their hold on the population. China was essentially a capitalist country these days in everything but name and a few practices kept around by paranoid party members. The birth restrictions put in place to control the population growth were abolished. Website restrictions were lifted, allowing for more freedom of expression by the citizens and granting them a far broader sense of the world.

    In the space of an hour, plans were made for the dismantling of the Great Firewall of China, and the eventual result would be the fall of the communist regime. In the next few years, the People¡¯s Republic of China would cease to exist, and the United Provinces of China would be born. The newly formed democracy would then form lasting partnerships with its surrounding nations, to include Australia, the Philippines, Japan, Russia, Mongolia, and Korea, equaling and then surpassing the United States in terms of influence on the world. They even gave up their claim on Taiwan, recognizing it as its own nation, and entered into trade deals with them. The East Asian Alliance, as it came to be called, soon led the world in technological research and clean energy development. This was all still years to come in the future, however.

    After we said our goodbyes we zipped over to Chicago to pay a visit to my third favorite lady from the night of the dinner party, after Hannah and Shu. Ms. Nelson¡¯s secretary nearly jumped out of her skin when Rhia and I popped into existence right in front of her desk. Probably should¡¯ve at least called ahead and warned the poor lady, I thought. Rhia agreed with a small grunt next to me before walking over to soothe the secretary.

    ¡°We¡¯re terribly sorry about that Mrs. Wilson. Are you alright? My Lord tends to act without thinking sometimes¡­ all the time, really.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I protested. ¡°Not all the time!¡±

    Rhia ignored me, continuing to calm the poor woman down. I could see a faint glow coming from Rhia¡¯s hand that was rubbing Mrs. Wilson¡¯s back. Whatever she was doing, it was working. Mrs. Wilson seemed recovered, then gave her a sheepish smile before adopting a more professional demeanor directed at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry about that, Mr. Zekken. You caught me completely off guard. No one¡¯s ever just appeared out of thin air like that before, and few people show up without an appointment.¡± I could hear a faint touch of disapproval in her last statement. Great, first Rhia bad mouths me to the secretary, and now I¡¯m getting lectured? Did everyone forget I¡¯m a friggin¡¯ god?

    ¡°Ah! Big Z! You decided to stop by? Wish you would have called first. I could¡¯ve set something up, like lunch or a tour.¡± Yep, apparently everyone forgot I was a god. I turned and smiled at Linda as she was entering the outer office and heading towards hers.

    ¡°Linda! Sorry for dropping in like this. We were just-¡±

    ¡°Scaring the shit out of my executive assistant. I see that.¡±

    Mrs. Wilson grabbed some papers off her desk and followed the still moving Linda into her office, motioning Rhia and I to follow. She gestured us to a couple seats by Linda¡¯s massive paper strewn desk and then started handing her even more papers, telling her about missed calls and reminding her of her scheduled appointments. She then turned to us and told us we had ten minutes before a scheduled conference call and left, closing the office doors behind her.

    I turned to Linda after her secretary, I mean executive assistant, left. ¡°She does know I¡¯m a god, right?¡±

    Linda chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone on the planet that doesn¡¯t know. She just doesn¡¯t care. Schedules and appointments are her religion. Lucifer himself could walk through her door smelling of brimstone and death and she¡¯d still ask if he had an appointment. Anyway, what can I do for you? You really did come at an inconvenient time.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought my status as the most powerful person on the planet would count for something,¡± I sulked. Rhia rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Not in the business world. That panty dropping smile of yours won¡¯t get many CEOs¡¯ attention unless there¡¯s a payday that comes with it.¡±

    ¡°How about yours?¡± I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve already got my attention, since the lawyers are starting to hammer out the details for the payday you helped set up with Japan. Once that¡¯s complete, we can discuss the effects of that smile in more detail.¡± Her eyes sparkled briefly before Rhia cleared her throat. Linda must have seen something in Rhia¡¯s expression that I missed, for she was suddenly all business. ¡°So, what brings you here today. Nothing urgent I hope?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Nothing like that. We were just in the neighborhood and wanted to see how things were going. I may have a soft spot for HorizonTech these days after the support I was given the other night.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, you¡¯re just after my Company, and not my company?¡± I could actually hear the capitalization in her words.

    I was about to eagerly take the bait, but Rhia cleared her throat again, this time standing up as she did so.

    ¡°I believe we¡¯ve taken up enough of Ms. Nelson¡¯s time, My Lord. Perhaps we should get a move on, so she can get ready for her call?¡±

    Linda checked her watch and sighed in agreement. ¡°Unfortunately, she¡¯s right. Shame. You know, I did say I owed you the other night. Are you busy later? It may not be as life changing as what we had at your place, but I do hold a standing reservation at a nearby five star. I¡¯d be delighted if you would join me.¡±

    Before I could answer, Rhia did it for me. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s got plans for this evening.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡± I asked, not quite able to hide my surprise.

    ¡°You do. I apologize, but I¡¯m afraid Ms. Nelson will have to take a raincheck,¡± she answered, not looking at all apologetic.

    A small smile ghosted Linda¡¯s lips as she met eyes with Rhia. I suddenly felt the hair on the back of my neck raise up. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped then. Hopefully his other plans are as enjoyable as what he¡¯s going to be missing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be no comparison. He¡¯s been eagerly awaiting this night for months, and I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be the least bit disappointed.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t so stupid as to not understand exactly what was happening here. I¡¯d suspected Rhia¡¯s feelings for a while now but was keeping my distance out of respect for her, since she was clearly feeling conflicted about them. Linda, apparently, had managed to push just the right combination of buttons, and now I was watching a faceoff that could end in more blood than the Stanley Cup Final. To my mind, the more the merrier, and Rhia was perfectly aware of my nightly (and daily) activities with Su and Hannah, so that obviously wasn¡¯t the issue for her. What I was witnessing was Rhia establishing her place in the pecking order, and making sure Linda knew it too. Being a god was supposed to come with infinite wisdom, but this bit I learned back when I was a normal human: never stick your nose in the middle of a catfight. I wandered over to the massive windows in the office and stared out at the Chicago skyline until I felt a pull on my elbow.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave, My Lord,¡± said Rhia defiantly, although not quite meeting my eyes.

    I nodded, then turned to Linda, who had a smirk painted on her face. ¡°A raincheck, then?¡±

    ¡°A raincheck,¡± she nodded. ¡°Please enjoy yourself this evening. I do hope it¡¯s everything you¡¯ve been hoping for.¡±

    I gave a nod and smiled. ¡°As do I. Please, have a good day.¡± I glanced at Rhia, who was still avoiding my eyes, and then popped us back to my room on the moon.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Rhia started to walk off, but I called out to her before she got too far.

    ¡°So¡­ what plans did I have tonight?¡±

    Her back was still to me, but it looked like she had taken a couple deep breaths. She then turned around and looked me square in the eye.

    ¡°You¡¯re taking me out on a date.¡±

    *

    I honestly couldn¡¯t remember the last time I went out on a date. Probably when I first started dating my ex-wife. Money was tight for me back then, so it was just fast food and a movie. A bad movie, as it turned out, but she wanted to see it, and I was just hoping for a piece of ass at the end of the night. I didn¡¯t get any, but I did get a text message from her the next day saying she had fun and wanted to go out again sometime, so I chalked that up to a win. Whatever happened later in the relationship, it had a successful beginning, so there was no point in altering our history to reflect the outcome. That was many years ago, however, and I¡¯ve been out of the loop since then. After the divorce it was just finding one night love under neon lights at a bar or hooking up with friends of friends. After the Event it¡¯s been Su and Hannah keeping me too distracted physically for me to even think about anything emotionally. Rhia was on a different level though.

    She had also compounded the difficulty level for me by demanding it be ¡°an earthling date,¡± whatever the hell that meant. Somehow, I doubted my previous ¡°Wendy¡¯s and a disaster movie¡± tactic would work. I supposed I could do the fancy dinner and a romantic stroll thing, but that just didn¡¯t seem like enough. As I was pondering all this, I climbed into the shower. It wasn¡¯t necessary, but it helped me think, and who didn¡¯t shower before a date?

    ¡°My, you¡¯re really putting some thought into this, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I jumped and spun around to face Su, her flawless blue body on display as she soaked in the hot water pouring down. I never even noticed her climb in with me.

    ¡°I am,¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been on a date, and I¡¯m not sure how to set the mood properly for her. She¡¯s always so proper and professional.¡±

    Su smiled as she pressed her body up against mine. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bring up the ¡®long time since you¡¯ve had a date¡¯ part, if I were you. It may have been a few years for you, but it¡¯s been centuries for her. The last man she showed interest in never returned her feelings, and she¡¯s only now accepting her feelings for you.¡±

    ¡°Way to pile on the pressure,¡± I groaned.

    She giggled. ¡°Stop overthinking it, My Lord. You¡¯re acting like you have to convince her that you¡¯re worth the effort. She¡¯s already decided that after watching over you for the last half a year, and you¡¯ve done an amazing job. She¡¯d been pining over Inton for a couple hundred years before The Event, ever hopeful that he¡¯d come around, but knowing he never saw her that way. You managed to help her get over that feeling. She still misses him deeply, but she also knows that everything he wouldn¡¯t give her you can. So quit stressing about it so much. You¡¯re gonna get the girl, hero. Just go out and have fun.¡±

    I looked at Su with a new-found respect. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that someone as long lived as her had such a deep understanding of emotions, but I¡¯d fallen into the trap of seeing her as more of a playmate than anything. That was something I was going to rectify. Physical intimacy was a good thing, hell, it was great, especially with her and Hannah, but it wasn¡¯t everything. I needed to appreciate these girls on a deeper level. Of course, I thought as I grabbed a firm handful of her ass, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to miss an opportunity when it presents itself.

    Or was I? Su pulled my hand away, looking up at me regretfully.

    ¡°Not today, stud. I¡¯m not going to take away from Rhia¡¯s night. You¡¯re going to give her all of your attention. She deserves it. Although,¡± she continued, with a mock pouting face, ¡°this means I lose my number one spot in bedroom hierarchy. Can¡¯t be helped though. Come on, keep scrubbing. I¡¯ll tell you her key spots, so you can drive her wild later on. We¡¯ve known each other a long time now, and I¡¯ve explored every inch of that fine body of hers when she got lonely or frustrated.¡±

    After Su helped me clean up and had verbally drawn me a map of Rhia, we exited the bathroom to find the woman in question waiting for us, with a raised eyebrow and a tapping foot, arms crossed. Su quickly made her way over to her side.

    ¡°Relax. Nothing happened. I was just giving him a pep talk. Our poor Lord was worrying himself to death. Let¡¯s talk about this outfit, though. Is this really what you¡¯re going to wear on your first date in centuries?¡±

    Su was disdainfully picking at Rhia¡¯s business attire while Rhia blushed.

    ¡°I- I didn¡¯t know what to wear. I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll be doing.¡±

    A problem just occurred to me, and I wasted no time in voicing my concerns.

    ¡°Um, how are we going to do this without getting mobbed? I can change my appearance at will, but Rhia still has that cult following, and everyone knows what she looks like.¡±

    Both Su and Rhia sighed.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s like you haven¡¯t been paying attention to my lessons at all,¡± Rhia said. ¡°Ryo! Come here, girl!¡±

    Ryo¡¯s head popped up over the back of the couch she¡¯d been sleeping on, then eagerly bounded over it. She trotted up to Rhia and sat down, tail wagging, waiting to find out what she was called for. Rhia kneeled next to her, softly stroking her back, then looked at me.

    ¡°Ok, I want you to imagine Ryo as any other color than black.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, then did as I was directed. Suddenly, where my beloved black furred friend sat, a white version did. Then a red one. Then a yellow one. Ryo was completely oblivious to all of this, in the way that most dogs are when all they¡¯re concerned about is food, belly rubs, and attention in general. I returned her to her black state and then looked at the girls.

    ¡°So you want me to change your hair color?¡±

    The girls looked at each other.

    ¡°He still doesn¡¯t quite understand what ¡®omnipotent power¡¯ means, does he?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s cute. It¡¯s better than him running wild with that power, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose, but I¡¯d like him to realize just what he¡¯s capable of.¡±

    I held up a hand to get their attention. ¡°I¡¯m standing right here, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡°We know,¡±¡± they both answered in unison.

    Rhia stood back up and stepped forward. ¡°John, you¡¯re still thinking too small. Yes, you¡¯ve learned you can create anything you¡¯re thinking of. You can travel anywhere instantaneously. You¡¯ve even learned you can adjust your physical appearance. Has it not occurred to you that you can do that to others? I¡¯ve told you before, you can literally reshape the world.¡±

    Su chimed in with her own input. ¡°Have you ever looked at a woman and thought about how hot she¡¯d be with bigger tits, or a smaller waist, or with a different eye color? You know you can make that happen, right? Go on, give it a try on me.¡± I had to hand to her. She knew how to speak in my language. It was difficult to find anything on her I wanted to change though, since she was perfect in my eyes, but I tried anyway. A couple thoughts later and it was done.

    Su looked down, admiring the extra inches I gave her bust, but it was the second change that really had her attention. She looked back up at me, questioningly.

    ¡°Did you just¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, babe, you¡¯re amazing from top to bottom. I¡¯ve just always wondered how it would be if you were a snugger fit. We¡¯ll have to try that out another day, though.¡± I winked at her, then turned to Rhia. ¡°Ok, neat trick. So, what or who would you like to look like?¡±

    She smiled, and then asked me to make the changes as she described them, watching my progress in a mirror. We were almost done when I realized her mind reading had come back to bite me in the ass once again.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± I said. ¡°You are not going as my high school girlfriend. That¡¯s just¡­ creepy.¡±

    ¡°You had such pleasant memories of this one though, although it seems your skills weren¡¯t up to par back then.¡±

    ¡°It was my first time! Anyone that claims to know what they¡¯re doing the first time is lying!¡± I shifted to my high school looking self, skinny, pale, thick glasses, acne, and messed up teeth. ¡°Is this what you want? The high school geek that never saw sun, dentist, or the inside of a woman until she came along?¡±

    Rhia looked away quickly, stifling a giggle, but Su was immediately in my face, examining me closely. ¡°Oooooh. I¡¯m getting ideas for roleplay now. The geeky, introverted student, the sexy classmate, and the strict teacher! I¡¯ll be the teacher, naturally. I¡¯m going to have to talk to Hannah about this later.¡±

    ¡°Su!¡± Rhia barked.

    Su held her hands up in surrender. ¡°Right. Your night. I¡¯m sorry, Mistress. Ok, My Lord, please do exactly what I tell you.¡± She then proceeded to reshape Rhia through me, and the end result was pleasant to look at. She looked similar enough to Rhia to say they could be sisters, but different enough that no one would say it¡¯s her. Her black hair was now brown, her golden eyes a dark blue. Su gave her an extra couple inches on her already long legs and perked up her tits a bit. Su declared her perfect, then grabbed Rhia¡¯s hand and jetted out of the room, calling back over her shoulder as they left.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get her changed into something cute. Think of somewhere to take her while we¡¯re gone.¡±

    I exchanged glances with Ryo as the door closed, then walked over and flopped down on to the couch. Ryo jumped up and curled up in my lap. As I was petting her, I started thinking out loud.

    ¡°So, where does one take an 800 year old woman who hasn¡¯t been on a date in centuries? What the hell is an ¡°Earthling Date,¡± anyway? What do you think, Ryo? Where would you go on a date if you could?¡± Naturally, she wasn¡¯t very talkative, and just licked at the hand that was absentmindedly stroking her.

    ¡°Dinner and a movie? Too bland, and movies suck for dates anyway. Bowling? Mini golf? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s never even tried those.¡±

    Ryo stopped licking and stared at me.

    ¡°Right, bad idea. What about, hmmm, an amusement park?¡±

    Ryo yipped at me. Then she barked.

    ¡°Oh? You like that idea? Alright, we¡¯ll go with that. Hopefully she¡¯s reading my mind enough to know to wear comfortable shoes.¡± I snapped my fingers and a well-known black titanium card appeared in my fingers. It wouldn¡¯t do to show up without any money.

    A few minutes later the door to my room opened up, and the girls entered. Su looked mighty pleased with herself as Rhia entered behind her, looking everywhere but at me. She was wearing jeans, a blue t-shirt, and some comfortable walking shoes. She topped off the look with a short leather jacket and her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. It was a simple look, but holy hell did she pull it off spectacularly.

    ¡°Well? What do you think, My Lord?¡± Su asked, as if she hadn¡¯t seen my slack jawed expression.

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I said.

    Rhia looked at me, still blushing. ¡°Do you really think so? It all seems so¡­ plain.¡±

    It amazed me that this woman could act so much like a nervous teenager. Then again, I guess her last date predated the Hundred Years War, so it shouldn¡¯t surprise me that she¡¯d be nervous about it.

    ¡°The plain clothes simply illustrate just how gorgeous you are, Rhia. I¡¯ll be the envy of every guy we pass tonight. Speaking of which, we should get going if we want to enjoy some of the attractions before dinner.¡±

    ¡°Is that the look you¡¯re going for, John?¡± Rhia asked, eyeing me doubtfully. I looked in the mirror to see what she was talking about, only to realize I was still in my gawky teenager look. I immediately shifted, taking on my pre-god look, minus the spare tire, adding some definition and darkening my hair and beard. I also kept my clothes just as casual as Rhia¡¯s. In reality, it was just what I normally wear, just of a higher quality. Not quite Wall Street casual, but much higher than the Wal-Mart look I generally had.

    ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± I asked them.

    I got approving nods, and then held out my elbow for Rhia. She walked over, took my arm, and we disappeared from the room, off to enjoy the first of hopefully many dates to come.

    *

    Rhia was terrified. Nervous wouldn¡¯t even begin to describe how she felt. She was actually still getting over the fact that she had gotten that jealous watching John and Ms. Nelson flirt back and forth. It wasn¡¯t like she was opposed to other women being with him. Su and Hannah were with him quite frequently, and the only issue she had with that was that it had a way of derailing any schedule she had set up. The very idea of claiming him for herself alone never even crossed her mind. Monogamy wasn¡¯t exactly practiced in the races she knew of, including hers. It confused her why so many human religions advocated it so vehemently. It went against the base nature of most living things.

    The only reason Rhia could think of as to why she acted like she did was because she felt she was falling behind. She¡¯d known how she felt about John for a while now but was afraid to take the next step. The pain of Inton¡¯s death was still fresh, and she couldn¡¯t deny that it still hurt when she thought of how he had rebuffed her time and time again when she tried to tell him how she felt. With those scars lingering within her, she was afraid of experiencing the same pain again. Su had opened her eyes a little last week, during John¡¯s circus act at the White House, but it still hadn¡¯t been enough. It took another woman staring at her John like a steak on a platter, ready for the feasting. Rhia would be damned if she¡¯d let that woman get there first. Something snapped, and she¡¯d blocked the advances Nelson was sending. Of course, she had to explain herself when they returned to the moon, but that was when she¡¯d finally made up her mind. She loved John. She¡¯d watched his growth as a deity. She¡¯d seen inside his head. She knew he wasn¡¯t a saint, but he was a kind man who¡¯d go to the ends of the Earth to help those who needed it. She knew how he felt about her, but the idea of him changing his mind still scared her. Still, she pulled on the few strings of courage she had and demanded he take her on a date.

    And now they were here, at a major theme park in Florida. She kind of hoped it would have been Disneyworld, but the Islands of Adventure looked fun. She took a deep breath and looked at the crowds around her while John was at the ticket booth to get in. The teenager that was working there had called over his supervisor, and they were both fawning over John because of some black card he was holding. She didn¡¯t care though. She was enjoying being able to walk amongst people without everyone trying to see her wings, which weren¡¯t visible unless she wanted them to be.

    ¡°Rhia!¡± John called, waving her over. As she approached she heard the clerk talking to John.

    ¡°Rhia? Like the Raven Angel?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± John responded, pretending to have only half heard. ¡°Oh, no. Not at all. Her name¡¯s Rhiannon, but I¡¯ve been calling her Rhia or Rhi for a couple years now. Ever since those two showed up, though, I get asked that all the time after I call her by my pet name in public. It¡¯s a bit annoying really. Are we good to go then?¡± Rhia shook her head at John¡¯s over explanation. A simple ¡°no¡± would¡¯ve done just fine, she thought.

    ¡°Yes, sir! Everything is taken care of. Here are your VIP passes, and the other arrangements will be taken care just as you¡¯ve requested.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, man. I know this is outside what y¡¯all generally do, so I can¡¯t say thanks enough. It¡¯s my girl¡¯s first visit here, and I want to make it the most memorable one she has.¡±

    John then took Rhia¡¯s hand and together they walked through the gate. When they were out of earshot, John leaned over and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Okay, from now until I say otherwise, no mindreading. If you know what¡¯s coming, it¡¯ll ruin the fun.¡± He flashed her a huge smile.

    She couldn¡¯t help but smile back as she agreed. She then gripped his hand tighter and pulled herself closer to him as they entered the park.

    Hours later, long after the sun had gone down, Rhia and John exited the park. She was tired, but happy. She honestly couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d just relaxed and let the moments take her away like this. She gazed lovingly up at John, whose arm she was once again wrapped around. Her earlier fears were long forgotten. She would devote herself entirely to this man. He looked down and met her eyes, then gestured with his head for her to look in front of them. She did and saw a limousine pulling up, then a uniformed chauffer got out and held the door open for them.

    ¡°Good evening. I¡¯m Thomas, and I¡¯ll be your driver this evening.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Thomas, I¡¯m John and this is Rhi. We¡¯ll be in your care this evening. Could you take us to a nice restaurant? Not too stuffy, but not some tourist attraction either?¡±

    ¡°I believe I know just the place, sir. If you¡¯ll please get in?¡±

    Rhia looked at John. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s always more. There isn¡¯t enough to do in this world that equals time spent with you.¡±

    The chauffeur had driven them to a small restaurant where they had shared an intimate meal together. They spent the time talking about the fun they had at the park and making plans to visit other parks in the future. They talked about everything but work and responsibilities. Rhia never wanted this night to end. As they were getting into the limo again after dinner, John had spoken to their driver briefly. He then got in the back with her and they were off again. She was intensely curious about where he¡¯d take her next but was keeping her promise not to poke around in his head. She liked being surprised sometimes, and he was doing a very good job so far.

    When the limo stopped again, John swiped his card in the chauffeur¡¯s handheld reader, and then punched in a substantial tip. Any chance he gets to show off a little, she thought, chuckling. She looked around as the driver thanked John profusely. It was a huge building by a lake, obviously a five-star hotel. Ritz-Carlton- a nearby sign read. She looked at John as he walked up to stand next her. He had a kind look in his eyes as he watched her examine their surroundings.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked. ¡°We can always go home, if you want.¡±

    He¡¯s still playing the gentleman for me, she thought. Like hell she was letting this chance slip away. She¡¯d already waited too long as it was. She looked at him, getting lost in those hazel eyes, stroking his cheek with her hand before pulling him down into a kiss. The first she¡¯d given a man since she came to Earth. Then she grabbed his hand without saying a word and started walking towards the entrance.

 Bonus Chapter 9.5: Night With an Angel (NSFW)

    Rhia held close to me as we rode the elevator to our floor. I could feel how tense she was through the grip she had on my arm, but the small smile that played across her lips eased my worries that I was pushing for too much too quickly. She looked up at me and our eyes met. Her dark blue eyes held both a nervous energy and anticipation. We rode in silence, and when the doors opened her first step onto our floor beat mine by half a second.

    In an exercise of true patience, we managed to avoid running down the hall to our room, but only just barely. Reaching our destination, I gave her a grin as I opened the double doors to the Royal Suite and gestured her through with a flourish.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said softly as she entered. The suite was basically a very high end apartment, with a living area directly ahead of us, three bedrooms, each with their own bath, a media room, a dining room, four separate balconies and a kitchenette. Rhia made her way around the suite, taking everything in. I followed behind her, a bit surprised at her wonder. ¡°This is too much, John,¡± she said.

    I shrugged. ¡°I mean, I know it¡¯s just the two of us, but you didn¡¯t think I¡¯d settle for anything less than the best this place had to offer, did you? Nothing but the best for my personal angel, I¡¯d say.¡±

    She looked back at me from peeking into the media room. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t spoil me. I may get used to it,¡± she said with a grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that this seems so lavish to you. I assumed you¡¯d seen better in your lifetime, if not here, then back home.¡±

    Her smile grew tighter, then she looked away. ¡°My father may be the First Primarch, but that doesn¡¯t always translate down to family. I¡¯m from a colony world. Political titles from outer colonies like mine don¡¯t carry as much weight back on Agnele. Comparatively speaking, if Agnele was Washington DC, my world would be a small town in Arizona, and Father¡¯s the Mayor.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where would Earth fit in that analogy?¡±

    ¡°Right now? A trailer park on the outskirts of an even smaller town than mine,¡± she said apologetically.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± I said, taking a seat on one of the couches in the living area.

    She smiled, then moved to sit next to me, curling her legs underneath and leaning into my side. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about that,¡± she said, her head resting on my shoulder. ¡°Earth has something my home doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.

    She looked up and softly kissed my lips. ¡°You,¡± she whispered.

    Looking deeply into her eyes, I realized I wanted to see the real her again. The blue eyes and brown hair really worked for her, but nothing surpassed the image I had of the woman who found me all those months ago. With a thought I reverted all her changes, and her golden eyes twinkled back at me. Her hair returned to the black waves that seemed to shimmer blue when the light struck it just right.

    ¡°There you are,¡± I said, nearly getting lost in the passion I could see building in her eyes.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± she said playfully.

    I switched back to the form I¡¯d gotten used to having in the last week, but she shook her head.

    ¡°No, not John 2.0.¡±

    ¡°You want pizza delivery John?¡±

    ¡°I want the man I found. The man behind the god. The goofy dork I fell in love with.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®geek¡¯ actually,¡± I said as every change I¡¯d ever made to myself melted away, revealing the slightly out of shape guy who¡¯d spent the last few years delivering pizzas, playing video games, and watching anime. I patted my slight gut and smiled. ¡°Here I am, in all my godly glory.¡±

    She laughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not about that, John. This is the man who changed my life. I treated him so poorly when we first met. I never said it, but I blamed you for what was done. If only you¡¯d been easier to find¡­¡±

    She stopped when I placed a finger on her lips.

    ¡°Shhh. Now¡¯s not the time for that. I know there are things you want to say and get off your chest. I have them too. This weekend, however, is about having fun, not reopening old wounds. Let¡¯s just enjoy each other¡¯s company.¡± I stood up and pulled her along with me, making my way over to one of the balcony doors. Opening them up, I pulled her over and hugged her from behind as we looked out over the lake next to the hotel, the cool breeze blowing past us. Rhia leaned back into me, her hands resting on mine as they wrapped around her stomach.

    ¡°I was so scared today,¡± she said after a couple minutes. ¡°I was terrified you¡¯d change your mind.¡±

    ¡°What a silly thing to worry about, since you can actually read my mind. If anyone was scared and nervous, it was me.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± she asked, turning her face up to mine. My god she was beautiful. ¡°You¡¯ve been so confident since we left.¡±

    I gave her a quick peck on the lips, then smiled. ¡°All an act. Part of why I asked you not to read my mind. Everything we¡¯ve done today had me worried that it wouldn¡¯t measure up. You¡¯ve travelled through space, you know? Seen other worlds. How does an amusement park measure up to that?¡±

    She laughed. ¡°You really are a dork. It didn¡¯t matter what we did or where we went. As long as I was with you, I would¡¯ve been happy. Even if it was fast food and a bad movie.¡±

    I groaned. ¡°What happened to not reading my mind?¡±

    ¡°You were thinking about that before you asked me not to. Can¡¯t be helped.¡± The mischievous grin on her face was so out of character from her usual demeanor. I liked discovering these new aspects to her personality. Finding out she had a playful side made the teasing worth it. She turned around in my arms to face me, placing her arms over my shoulders as she looked up at me. ¡°I mean it though. Anything you picked would¡¯ve been fine. All I wanted was to be near you today. No work. No appointments. Just you and me. This is the most fun I¡¯ve had in a very, very long time. Thank you.¡± She crossed her arms behind my head and used them to pull me down in to a kiss.

    Time felt like it stopped for us as we stood there locked in our embrace. Her hands worked their way into my hair as mine roamed up down her back and waist. Our tongues danced, electrifying my soul every time they made contact. We eventually came up for air, breathing heavily, eyes locked on to each other. Pulling her with me, I sat down on one of the couches and pulled her on to my lap, her legs tucked up to my left as she draped her left arm around my shoulders and leaned in for more. I reached across her lap to grab her hip and pull her in as close to me as I could. Her firm chest pushed into mine as her right hand caressed the side of my face. I was lost in her gaze, but still had the presence of mind to will the balcony doors closed, along with all the curtains. This weekend was just for us, and I didn¡¯t want any risk of an audience if I could help it.

    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered, surprising myself. It was the first time I¡¯d said that to someone since my ex-wife had betrayed me. I¡¯d felt affection for Su, and lately Hannah, but love? Love was a different animal. Looking at Rhia, however, left no doubts in my mind. I was head over heels for this woman. I hadn¡¯t realized my feelings ran this deep, but we¡¯d been working so closely together for the last six months, it shouldn¡¯t have been so surprising. She knew everything about me. She could read my mind. She had to have known, even when I didn¡¯t.

    She smiled, probably feeling the wave of emotion that rocked me just now. ¡°I love you, too,¡± she said, holding me tightly as our lips met again. As our tongues played across each other, our hands began to explore.

    (If you have any small children in the room, now would be a good time to send them elsewhere)

    It was chaste at first on my part. I ran my hand up and down the length of her outer thigh, appreciating the strength I felt beneath her jeans. Without breaking our kiss, Rhia shrugged out of her short jacket, then continued to run her hand across my chest as her left hand traced through my hair and around my left ear. When she lifted the hem of my shirt to run her hand under it, I kind of wished she¡¯d let me stay in my more fit form, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind, even pinching a handful at one point and giggling into my mouth. In return I reached around and grabbed a good handful of her amazing ass and squeezed, causing her to squeak and playfully slap at my chest. Then she started kissing along my chin, making her way down my neck.

    My right arm was wrapped around her back, hand firmly gripping her shoulder as if I feared her floating away from me, holding her tight against my chest. My left hand continued to explore after leaving her rear end, sliding over her hip, up her waist to just below her arm. For some reason I was surprised to feel the strap of a bra under her shirt. I¡¯m not sure why I assumed a woman from another world wouldn¡¯t wear one, but I didn¡¯t reflect on it too long. I traced the strap with my thumb briefly before calling up the courage to bring my hand forward.

    Rhia gasped lightly and tensed, but only briefly, as she let out a sigh with a light smile and pushed her breast into my hand. She went back to sucking on my neck as I showed my appreciation of her assets. Filling my hand nicely, I squeezed it tenderly, my thumb tracing the edge of her bra again. Having crossed that milestone in our relationship, I decided to take it further and slipped my hand under her shirt, running my hand up her tight stomach before coming to rest on her tit again, this time with only the light fabric of her bra separating my hand from her skin. I could feel the soft lace as I ran my thumb across her nipple. She moaned into my neck and started to squirm in my lap, her ass pressing on my stiffening member. She obviously felt it, as she started to grind herself harder into my lap.

    Suddenly she leaned back and adjusted her position, swinging her leg over to straddle me on the couch. I pulled my hand out of her shirt and watched as she looked at me shyly before grabbing the hem and pulled it over head, tossing it on the floor behind her. I had a second to admire the lacy underwear that supported those mesmerizing globes before my vision was blocked. She had yanked my shirt up and over my head before tossing it down next to hers, and then she just sat there, watching me, her chest heaving. I waited, taking in this beauty resting on my lap. Her cheeks turned a bright crimson, which spread down to her chest, contrasting nicely with her alabaster skin and blue bra.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°My god you¡¯re a vision,¡± I said.

    She bit her lip shyly, smiling slightly. Such adorable behavior from someone who always acted so proper only fanned my feelings for her. I sat up straighter and placed my hands on her back, softly kissing along her collar bone and working my way across to the other one, pausing to suck fiercely on her neck as I passed it, marking her as mine in my mind. Again she wrapped her arms around my head, leaning back slightly to grant me easier access to her chest, her thighs gripping mine tightly as she ground in to me. I reached up and found the latch on her bra, expertly flicking it open with one hand, immediately feeling her tits drop slightly as their support vanished, but not by much. She released my head long enough to pull her arms through the straps and discarded it who cared where.

    For a second I marveled at the sight before me. Her breasts sat high and proud, beckoning me towards them, which I obliged. Leaning in, I kissed the swell of her tit, my hands supporting her lower back and her between her shoulder blades as she leaned back again, offering them up to me. Her hands wrapped around my head while hers dropped back with a moan when I took a nipple in my mouth. I gently suckled at it as my tongue traced circles around the stiffening point. My teeth grazed lightly over it as I sucked harder. My hand left the small of her back to come around and fondle her other breast, squeezing it firmly as I worked my palm over the nipple. I¡¯m not sure how sensitive an Agneles was supposed to be, but I could tell she was lightyears more sensitive than any woman I¡¯d been with before.

    I took my time savoring both of her breasts as she writhed under my touch, grinding herself into my lap more and more the longer I went on. She finally pushed me back with a hungry look in her eyes. She reached between us and started yanking my belt open. Once she had that undone, she got off my lap and knelt before me on the floor, working the button and zipper open on my jeans, then grasping the hems and trying to pull them off. I helped her out by lifting my hips. She got them down to my knees before remembering I was still wearing my shoes. Swearing, she stripped them and my socks off, then finally managed to toss my jeans aside, leaving me in my boxers. She hungrily eyed the tent that stood before, then looked up at me as she grabbed the elastic band started pulling, easing it over my dick before discarding them.

    ¡°I thought you were going to change everything back?¡± she asked with a wicked grin.

    ¡°You mean that¡¯s not my original equipment? Looks about right to me,¡± I answered with a smirk.

    She licked her lips, then looked up at me. ¡°Don¡¯t expect this all the time, alright?¡±

    I was about to ask what she meant when she suddenly ran her tongue up the length of my shaft, giving the tip a little extra flick with her tongue. My head lolled back on the couch and a groan escaped my lips. I felt her fingers trace around the sensitive head as she gave my length another long, slow lick. Her hand then wrapped around me, slowly stroking me with the lightest of touches. I felt warmth surround one of my balls, and I looked down to see a golden eye peek around my shaft as she sucked on it. Then she switched to the other one as her hand continued to work me. Resting her arms on my legs, she leaned up, licking the length of my shaft again as she positioned her mouth over my cock.

    ¡°I don¡¯t normally do this,¡± she said. ¡°This is repayment for how worked up you¡¯ve gotten me.¡±

    ¡°If this is how grateful you are after I¡¯ve played with your tits,¡± I sighed, ¡°you¡¯re gonna be blown away when you find out what else I can do with my mouth.¡±

    Her eyes widened as she considered my words, then that hungry smile appeared again, right before she swallowed the head of my shaft. I normally have a ¡°no teeth¡± rule when it comes to head, but as she worked her head up and down my length, the light grazing she gave me nearly had me coming multiple times. She¡¯d bring me to the edge, then brought me back down. For someone who didn¡¯t normally do this, she was masterclass. Looking down for a moment from the bliss she was jolting me with, I was done. The sight of her fondling my balls as her mouth enveloped me while those golden eyes stared into mine was too much. The pressure built suddenly and I knew this was it.

    ¡°Coming!¡± I grunted out, giving her warning in case she didn¡¯t want a mouthful, but she surprised me. As I erupted, she locked her lips around the head and started sucking harder, swallowing each shot as it hit the roof of her mouth. After my dick stopped twitching, she gave it a couple more licks, then pulled her head back, giving me a wide smile, then stuck her tongue out at me. I sat there, shocked, bewildered, and still oh so incredibly turned on.

    Still gasping, I pulled her onto the couch next to me and kissed her. As the kiss ended, she reached down and started playing with my junk again. I just stared at her for a second. ¡°Out of anyone I¡¯ve ever been with, you¡¯re the absolute last one that I ever expected to do that.¡± I shuddered as she traced the very sensitive tip. Was this the same cool and professional woman that was always on my case about keeping appointments and giving me disapproving looks when she found me balls deep in Hannah or Su some afternoons? She smiled, back to being shy again.

    ¡°Su gave me a similar pep talk to yours while she helped me get ready. She told me all your weak spots and desires, just like she told you mine. That¡¯s how you knew to focus so much on my chest, right?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°I actually would¡¯ve done that anyway. I¡¯ve always been a tit man. As for my weak spots, it¡¯s really not that hard to figure out you know,¡± I laughed.

    Smiling mischievously, she leaned in and whispered in my ear ¡°is that so?¡± She ran her tongue around my ear before nibbling on my lobe, breathing deeply. Oh god, I thought as I started to harden up again. Mentally I gave thanks to Su for proving to me that my deification eliminated such mortal concerns like a refractory period. Rhia was getting herself hot and bothered again, squirming as she worked my ear and pulled on my dick.

    ¡°I need you in me. Now!¡± she whispered into my ear huskily. ¡°I¡¯ve waited far too long for this.¡± She stood suddenly, grabbing my hand pulling me behind her as she made for the master bedroom in our suite. As soon as she was through the door, she kicked off her shoes and started pulling off her jeans. I stopped and stared as she bent over, her perfect ass cheeks separated by a thin blue thong. She kicked her jeans to the side, then turned and faced me. A small patch of black hair could be seen through her lace underwear. Keeping eye contact with me, she slipped her thumbs into them and pushed them down. Stepping out of them, she tossed them at my face before quickly sliding backwards on to the king size bed, never taking her eyes off me. I made my way to the foot of the bed and climbed on, crawling up to her as she continued sliding backwards until she hit the decorative pillows behind her. Her wings suddenly appeared, swept the pillows off the bed, then disappeared again before she was finally comfortable, her arms now reaching for me.

    I crawled up the bed, pausing to kiss her feet, then her shins, her knees, her thighs. I was about start kissing further in between her legs when I suddenly felt her hands clamp down on my head and pull me up.

    ¡°I said I need you inside of me now,¡± she gritted out between her teeth. She was squirming underneath me as I was pulled up the length of her body. Her chest was heaving with anticipation, and I felt her legs open up, her calves curling behind me and pulling me closer. I braced my hands on either side of her head as she reached down and guided me to her opening. The heat coming from her was astounding as she rubbed me up and down her slit, her juices flowing and coating my head. Then she held it steady as her she locked her ankles behind me and pulled.

    I didn¡¯t expect to, but I sank in to the hilt. She closed her eyes and cried out as I entered, her nails digging into my shoulder. I held steady, both to give her time to adjust, and to keep myself from firing off again. She was deliciously snug, gripping the entirety of my length like she was made for me.

    ¡°Oh. Finally,¡± she breathed, then leaned up to kiss me. It was a passionate kiss, but not the voracious one I was expecting. ¡°Gently, please,¡± she said softly. ¡°It¡¯s been a very long time.¡±

    I nodded, then slowly pulled back before sliding in again. She felt exquisite. The fire between her lips had spread to me. As I worked myself in and out of her, she matched my movements, grinding against me when I sank in, backing off when I did. I leaned down and rested one elbow by her head, freeing up my other hand to explore her body as we rocked against each other. I cupped her large, firm breast, pinching the nipple lightly, causing her stumble in our rhythm as she shuddered at the touch. I leaned down and kissed her again, sliding my tongue in to her mouth. She wrapped her lips around it and sucked before returning the kiss and sliding her tongue along mine. My hand continued its journey, releasing her breast to jiggle with every thrust, her nipples sliding against my chest. I reached down and cupped her ass cheek, gaining leverage as I increased my tempo. Each thrust was accompanied by the sound of my balls slapping against her. I worked myself up to a good rhythm, euphoric at the feel of her wrapped around me. For months I¡¯d fantasized about this moment, and it had exceeded my wildest dreams so far.

    She chuckled through her moans. I guess she¡¯d heard my thoughts, because she looked at me through half lidded eyes and said, ¡°the night¡¯s still young, my love.¡± Suddenly she pushed on my shoulder. I rolled with it and found myself on my back, still buried deep within her as she straddled my hips. She sat up straight and started working herself up and down. I looked down and watched how I slid in and out of her, her grip on my cock sending jolts of pleasure to every nerve ending in my body. Her pace increased, but when I started thrusting upward, she put a hand on my chest and shook her head not to. Content with be her sex toy for now, I placed my hands behind my head and watched. Her breasts jiggled with every movement. Her ponytail flipped back and forth behind her head. The muscles in her thighs tensed and released as she propelled herself up and down. Cowgirl was always my favorite position. I could last forever like this, and I always got a good show.

    She stopped thrusting herself onto me and slammed herself all the way home. She ground her hips into mine, moving in a circular motion for a few seconds, then circling around the other way. She kept this up for a couple minutes, fondling her own chest before she started grinding forward and backwards. She built up speed until she was humping against me with wild abandon. Moaning and grunting, I suddenly felt her contract around me as her whole body went rigid, her head thrown back. She let out a squeak when her wings suddenly appeared fully extended and twitching slightly.

    I stared at her wide eyed as she held that pose for a good ten to fifteen seconds, her body and wings twitching periodically. Then she collapsed forward on to my chest, breathing heavily, her wings folding up behind her. I wrapped my arms around her as she caught her breath, the dark feathers on her wings soft to the touch. I was still hard and buried halfway inside of her, and a slight movement of my hips caused her to spasm slightly.

    ¡°Stop,¡± she said hoarsely into my chest. ¡°I need a moment.¡± I chuckled softly and was content to just hold her for now. After a couple minutes she seemed to catch her breath and slowly pushed herself back up. Her eyes rolled back, and her eyelids fluttered as she sank all the way back on to me, a soft moan escaping her lips. Then she looked down at me, lust still shining in her eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    ¡°That was all you at the end there, babe,¡± I said.

    ¡°End?¡± she asked. ¡°What makes you think we¡¯re anywhere near the end?¡± She leaned back down and rested her elbows on my chest, her faces inches from mine. ¡°You¡¯re still hard as a rock, and I¡¯ve got centuries to make up for,¡± she whispered before bringing her lips to mine.

    *

    The weekend passed in erotic bliss. I thought Hannah was insatiable before, but Rhia soon proved to be superior in that respect. Not a room in the suite was untouched by our passion, the massive shower in the master bath saw a couple particularly intense workouts, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to imagine anyone eating on that dining room table without laughing my ass off. Even with her alien strength and stamina, however, she hit her physical limit quite a few times, her passion demanding more than her body could handle. When she begged for more, I was forced to heal her, upon which time she¡¯d jump me again.

    Waking up next to her at odd hours of the day and night never failed to set my heart beating faster. This beautiful sculpture of a woman loved me, and I was hopelessly in love with her. For the last six months she¡¯s been my mentor, my assistant, and my friend. Now I could add lover to that list. Whatever trials await me as I continue down this path, as long as I have her by my side, I know I can overcome them.

 Ten: Visitors and Engagements

    I woke up when I heard a thump from overhead. I was disoriented for a second, thinking the upstairs neighbors had dropped something, before remembering I didn¡¯t have any upstairs neighbors. That building was long gone, and I lived on the moon. There shouldn¡¯t be any thumps on my roof. I nudged the sleeping body beside me.

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±

    There was soft cursing before a head of long blonde hair popped out from under the blanket.

    ¡°All I hear is you talking way too early in the morning,¡± Linda muttered.

    ¡°There was a thump.¡±

    ¡°A thump? An all powerful deity and you don¡¯t know what that thump was? Has it occurred to you to go look?¡±

    I grimaced. Having just been woken up out a deep sleep, the thought hadn¡¯t occurred to me at all.

    ¡°It might be one of mine,¡± another voice rose up from the blanket, along with a hand. ¡°They were scheduled to land any day now. I just didn¡¯t think they¡¯d land on our roof.¡±

    ¡°They made pretty good time, Shu. My estimates said another day, at least,¡± said Linda as she rolled over to face Shu. Shu pulled her in close, hands wandering under the blanket.

    ¡°There you go again, underestimating Chinese skills.¡±

    ¡°Oh, your skills are never in doubt, babe.¡±

    I watched the exchange between the two, then decided to just lay back down. I had nothing to be worried about anyway. As far as those Chinese astronauts were concerned, they had just touched down near the Copernicus Crater. They had no idea my house was under their feet, and no amount of drilling or thumping around would reveal that fact. Just to be sure though, I strengthened the ceiling of our lunar abode, and threw in some divine soundproofing so we wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. I was snuggling back under the blanket when I felt arms snake across me from my left. Rhia was sleeping soundly as she sought my warmth, Su spooned up behind her. I relaxed into the cuddle, attempting to get back to sleep, although the fidgeting and giggling to my right wasn¡¯t helping with that.

    Linda had joined us on the moon about three years ago. She had given Rhia some time to settle in as my live-in girlfriend, so to speak, before making her move again about a year later. She¡¯d spent the next year setting up her company to be run remotely so that she could oversee things from my home. She¡¯d also found out about my little body shaping trick that I¡¯d used on Rhia the night of our date and demanded some ¡°tuning up,¡± as she¡¯d put it. Mostly she just wanted the body she¡¯d had ten years prior, in her early thirties. Tightening up here, firming up there, adding a little perk to her tits. Normally I might have said no, because I thought she was fine the way she was, but she pulled the same stunt that women all over the world could: she withheld sex until I caved. She¡¯d then informed Shu of that ability once that working relationship had progressed a bit more unprofessionally than I¡¯d intended a couple years ago. Once her term of office had ended, she¡¯d asked the next President to appoint her as an ambassador and then appointed herself to the moon. She didn¡¯t care about being the first off world ambassador as much as she cared about having easy access to me and, later, Linda. Both women enjoyed the company of everyone else, but it was clear that those two had developed something special between them.

    I was finally about to get back to sleep, nestled against Rhia, when the door creaked open.

    ¡°Um, My Lord? Are you awake?¡± Hannah poked her head in. I looked up from Rhia¡¯s hair.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, trying to hide my frustration at not being able to sleep again. She wouldn¡¯t have disturbed me if it wasn¡¯t important.

    ¡°It¡¯s the American President, My Lord. He says it¡¯s an emergency.¡±

    That woke me up. No one ever contacted me for an emergency. Come to think of it, no one really contacted me at all. I nodded at her and said I¡¯d be right out. Slowly, so as to not disturb the sleeping women to my left, or the playful women to my right, I extracted myself from the mess of limbs I found myself in and threw on a robe. Padding my way out of the bedroom, I made my way to the media room. I had taken a liking to the layout of the royalty suite of the hotel Rhia and I stayed at five years ago and had remodeled my area to match it when we got back, but still keeping the dark blue theme the room originally had when I first woke up here almost six year ago.

    Once in the media room, I activated my screen, seeing a very business-like man¡¯s face appear before me.

    ¡°Bob. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to disturb you, Mr. Zekken, but we may have a world ending event on our hands.¡±

    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve detected a large asteroid heading our way.¡±

    ¡°Nothing unusual about that,¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been watching this one for a while now, and¡­ well, it¡¯s decelerating, and its trajectory changed.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what my eggheads told me. When I asked if it was affected by Mars, they informed me that Mars is on the other side of the system right now. Sir, whatever changed its trajectory isn¡¯t natural.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°I get the picture. I¡¯ll look into it.¡±

    A look of relief passed over his face. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. It¡¯s part of my job. Good luck in the campaign.¡±

    I ended the call and lounged back on my couch, bringing the asteroid in question up on the screen. Yep. It looked like a floating rock in space. Except for the light blue glow coming from one end, obviously a propulsion system of some sort. Looks like there was still a week until it actually became a danger though. I had time.

    ¡°Hannah,¡± I said, knowing she wouldn¡¯t be too far away. Her head instantly popped in to the room.

    ¡°Yes, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Come here,¡± I said, patting my lap. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to waste waking up this early, and I haven¡¯t had my Dalayin fix in a couple days.¡±

    Her face lit up with a radiant smile as she fairly jumped from the door to my lap. She yanked my robe open as she slid her tongue into my mouth, and I made her uniform disappear with a snap.

    ¡°No underwear?¡± I asked when we came up for air.

    ¡°Just gets in the way, My Lord. I like to be ready at all times.¡±

    Looks like today might be a good day after all.

    *

    ¡°In the media room? Really?¡± Linda shook her head over her breakfast.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fine one to complain about where the magic happens. Who was it again that requested a romp on the Apollo 17 lunar rover?¡±

    ¡°Which you denied! Something about historical artifacts or some such nonsense,¡± she grumped. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the point! Other people use that room as well. You knew Shu and I had a call this morning, but you went ahead and did it anyway! Can you imagine what we felt walking in on that? I didn¡¯t even know she was that flexible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my hips, Mistress Linda. They¡¯re double-jointed,¡± Hannah offered as she was clearing away my plates. Su leaned in and topped off my coffee.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± I said, ¡°you¡¯ve been living here for over three years now. You should¡¯ve learned to expect these things by now. Hell, you¡¯ve jumped me in just about every room here.¡±

    Rhia cleared her throat finally, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°John, what did the President want? I remember Hannah saying it was an emergency, but you seem pretty relaxed.¡±

    ¡°You were awake, eh? Well, apparently there¡¯s an asteroid headed towards Earth.¡±

    Shu perked up. ¡°Oh? Are you going to pop this one like the last one? Could you wait till it¡¯s closer this time? I¡¯d like to get some samples to my country¡¯s scientists for study this time.¡±

    ¡°Should¡¯ve said something last time, Madam Ambassador. I could¡¯ve held back a little. Sadly, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be an option this time.¡± I made a model of the asteroid appear above the table. ¡°When Bob called, he informed me that it¡¯s decelerating and adjusting its course to that of Earth¡¯s. I give it about a week until they meet.¡±

    Rhia was studying the blue glow closely. She motioned Hannah over as she did so.

    ¡°Hannah, does that look familiar to you?¡±

    The maid leaned in and took a much closer to look, then gasped.

    ¡°M-Mistress Rhia, y-you don¡¯t think¡­¡± she stammered.

    Rhia nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it may be exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡± She glanced at me, then spoke to Hannah. ¡°Can you go get her, Hannah? We no longer have the time to wait for her to come around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need the armor. You know how much she hates being rushed.¡±

    ¡°Six years is long enough. Get the armor, and then get her ass over here. We¡¯ll meet her in the living room.¡±

    Hannah bowed briefly, then left the residence. I raised an eyebrow at Rhia, but she continued to ignore me. She turned to the others seated at the table.

    ¡°Linda, Shu, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to ask you to spend the next day or two back on Earth. We¡¯re about to enter a dangerous situation, and John here is going to be too occupied to help if something were to happen to you.¡±

    Linda and Shu traded looks and nodded.

    ¡°Considering you¡¯ve never asked us to do anything like this before, it must be important. Wouldn¡¯t mind a quick vacation anyway,¡± Shu said.

    ¡°Mind if we borrow the penthouse in Riyadh? It¡¯ll give me a chance to check on my company¡¯s growth in person, and the city has become so much lovelier since all the restrictions have been lifted.¡±

    Rhia nodded. ¡°Go ahead. Do you need to pack anything? Hannah will be back soon, and you need to be gone before she gets back.¡±

    Linda shook her head negative. ¡°In addition to my personal holdings, we¡¯ve both got our Black Cards that Johnny gave us. Anything we need, we¡¯ll just buy.¡±

    As this exchange was happening, I motioned Su over. She leaned her head near mine and I asked her what was going on.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to Mistress Rhia to answer, My Lord, as I¡¯m not entirely certain myself. While considerably older and more experienced than you, I¡¯m just as much a native of Earth as you are. This is clearly an extra-terrestrial matter. I will warn you, however, that the actions she¡¯s taking right now are not ones she¡¯s taking lightly. Summoning Bridgette before she¡¯s ready has led to serious injuries in the past.¡±

    I¡¯m sure my eyebrows disappeared into my hairline. ¡°Bridgette?¡± I asked. ¡°The same Bridgette that¡¯s so far managed to avoid meeting me in six years?¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lord. You may have seen her once or twice from a distance, but only because she wanted to see you. And because she¡¯s taken a liking to Ryo.¡±

    ¡°Ryo?! Ryo¡¯s met her, and I haven¡¯t?¡± I glanced down at my faithful companion, feeling betrayed. ¡°Traitor.¡± Ryo simply kept wagging her tail at me with that big doggy grin that she gets whenever she hears her name.

    ¡°You may understand when you meet her,¡± Su replied. I was about to ask what she meant by that, but Rhia interrupted us at the same time a racket was kicked up outside the door.

    ¡°John, you should probably send them down now, and since you were just talking about her, send Ryo as well.¡±

    I nodded and stood up. ¡°If you say so. Ladies, you know the drill. Ryo, go on.¡±

    Ryo trotted over as Linda and Shu stood and held hands, their fingers intertwining tightly as they leaned into each other. Standing guaranteed they wouldn¡¯t fall on their asses when they appeared wherever they needed to go. Holding hands was just them being them. Linda and Shu had taken an instant liking to each other when Shu joined us on the moon a year ago, and that connection had grown much stronger than I had hoped. It certainly made the relationship side of things easier on me, that¡¯s for sure. When everyone enjoys playing together, the fun is magnified exponentially, and the women are less likely to get jealous if they think someone is getting more attention than they are.

    ¡°Ready? Good. Don¡¯t get too bored down there.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll keep ourselves occupied,¡± Shu said, glancing sidelong at Linda.

    ¡°We¡¯ll certainly miss your contribution, though,¡± tossed in Linda, her gaze dropping below my waist.

    ¡°Now, John,¡± declared Rhia, tired of the banter.

    I nodded at the women and sent them off with a snap. We then moved over to the living room area to wait for Hannah and her charge. I could hear Hannah yelling that she didn¡¯t have a choice, followed by screaming as if someone was being tortured, ending in a sob.

    ¡°N-not rrrready! T-too soooOOOON!¡±

    The voice coming from the other side of the door wasn¡¯t one I was familiar with. I shifted uncomfortably at the pain I heard in it, but Rhia remained rooted where she stood to my left as Su made her way to the door, standing off to the side. There were two louds knocks, and Su opened the door quickly, moving to the side just as a body came flying directly at me. I caught it before noticing it was Hannah, her face bleeding, body covered in dented and scratched armor that reminded me of stormtrooper armor, only gray instead of white. Healing her wounds with a thought, I set her on her feet and then looked at the doorway.

    I could see two more similarly armored woman dragging a third forcefully through it, each equally battered and bleeding as Hannah. The woman in question was attractive in a way I¡¯ve never seen with my own eyes. I¡¯d seen it in plenty of anime and manga though. She was a catgirl. At least, a variation of the humanized version often portrayed in media. She had the ears and reflective eyes of a feline. Although she had a full head of hair, from what I could see her skin was covered in a fine fur reminiscent of a gray tabby. No cute anime face on her though. It was more cat-like than human. As she fought to get away, I could see her fur covered legs unveiled as her dress flew about. Was that a tail under there?

    I went to take a step forward, but Rhia held a hand out to stop me. She approached the flailing woman, Hannah right beside her. The woman, Bridgette, I assumed, looked at Rhia, her face showing surprise and betrayal.

    ¡°You prrromised me! You said I could take all the time I needed. It¡¯s too soon. I can¡¯t face that man yet!¡±

    Rhia approached carefully, speaking softly. ¡°I know, dear, and I¡¯m so terribly sorry, but it¡¯s an emergency.¡±

    The woman tried to break out of the death grips the maids had on her but failed. ¡°I don¡¯t trrrust him yet! You know how men arrre arrround me. They despise me. They hate me. They abuse me for looking different.¡±

    Rhia nodded. ¡°I know, Bridgette. I know how hard it¡¯s been for you. But you¡¯ve been here a long time. Has anyone tried to hurt you in that time?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Inton was the only man herrrre. He was easier to trrrust. He never touched any of the women herrre.¡±

    Su stepped up at this point. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching My Lord for six years now. Have you ever seen him do anything to anyone who didn¡¯t want it?¡±

    ¡°Like anyone would say no to the master,¡± Bridgette snapped out.

    Before anyone had even registered any movement, Su slapped Bridgette.

    ¡°Enough of this. Do you trust me?¡±

    Shocked, Bridgette slowly nodded.

    ¡°Do you trust Mistress Rhia?¡± Another nod.

    ¡°And Hannah? What about Ryo? You spend quite a lot of time with her, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Again, Bridgette nodded.

    ¡°We have all pledged our lives to this man, Our Lord. We have given him our hearts. Those of us that have given him our bodies did so quite willingly. He has never done anything to hurt us, emotionally or physically, and the only time he has denied us anything was because he knew it would hurt us. If there is one man in this entire system you can trust, it¡¯s him.¡±

    Bridgette was still tense, looking from Su to Rhia to me and back again. For my part, I did my best to look as harmless as possible. I realized as I watched her that it wasn¡¯t anger that she was projecting, but fear. This woman was terrified. Her actions until now were those of someone who had an uncontrollable phobia. I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to her before she came here, but it must have been awful. I immediately hated whoever had harmed her enough to trigger this reaction towards men. It seemed that even after hundreds of years, her fear of new people, and men in particular, hadn¡¯t waned at all. Linda and Shu had never seen her, and I remember Rhia telling me it had taken a few years before she started interacting with her. Who knows how long it would have taken her to come around to me if Rhia hadn¡¯t summoned her here today.

    ¡°Rhia,¡± I said softly, noting how Bridgette flinched at my voice. Rhia saw it too, and slowly backed up towards me. Bridgette once again tried to wrench herself free, but the three maids had managed to keep her secured. ¡°Should we really be doing this? This may do irreparable damage.¡±

    Rhia leaned in close to answer.

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s going better than I expected.¡±

    I looked at her in surprise.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. You know how strong Hannah is, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Bridgette¡¯s strength makes Hannah¡¯s look like that of a newborn. If she really wanted to get out of that hold, she could do it quite easily. The struggle you¡¯re seeing here isn¡¯t between those girls and her, but within herself. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that she really does want to meet you, but her fears are stronger than her will, and that¡¯s what¡¯s preventing her from committing.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to force her to do anything she isn¡¯t ready to. Is there a way to do whatever it is you¡¯re planning without forcing her to endure this?¡±

    Rhia shook her head. ¡°If it were as simple as just getting information, then I wouldn¡¯t have bothered. With what you¡¯re about to face, however, you¡¯re going to need her with you. It¡¯ll greatly increase your chances of survival.¡±

    ¡°Survival? I thought I couldn¡¯t die?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing on Earth that could kill you, and no one on the moon would ever dream of it. What¡¯s coming this way is another story altogether. If you want to gauge just how dire the situation is, go ahead and show her that asteroid.¡± She turned to the armored maids and warned them to brace themselves.

    After seeing them secure their grips and footing, I popped an image of the asteroid up in the middle of the living room. The effect was immediate. Her eyes got wide and her ears flattened back against her head. Her lips peeled back to display her wicked looking canines as she let out a hiss. The back of her dress rose up before sliding down a ramrod straight bristled out tail. If she was anything like cats back on Earth, then she was definitely pissed. Pissed enough to forget that she was terrified of me. She flung the three maids off of her like they were never there, then jumped across the room at me, grabbing me by my shirt and pulling me in close, but doing nothing more. I held out a hand to stop anyone from interfering, wanting to see where this would go, and trusting that she couldn¡¯t hurt me even if she wanted to.

    ¡°You need to rrrrun, My Lorrrd!¡± she wailed.

    ¡°Run?¡±

    ¡°As farrr as you can. If she is herrre, then you don¡¯t stand a chance. Earrth is lost. We¡¯rrre all lost.¡±

    ¡°Bridgette, do you know what¡¯s going on with that asteroid?¡± I asked, calmly removing her hands from my shirt. I tried to let go of her hands, but she gripped them tightly instead.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t an asterrroid, My Lorrrd. That¡¯s a ship made from one. My Creatorrr is on that ship, and when she sets herrr sights on a worrld, she eitherr capturres it or destroys it so no one else can have it.¡±

    ¡°Your creator?¡± I asked, glancing at Rhia over Bridgette¡¯s shoulder.

    Bridgette nodded, burying her face in my chest. ¡°Yes. She laid the seeds of creation on my planet. She guided the Junaian to the starrrs, as yourr Gaia was supposed to. She is ourr god. She is Kamiki.¡±

    ¡°What the hell was with that sudden shift in behavior?¡± I asked the women gathered in the living room. Su and Hannah shook their heads, equally confused. Bridgette was currently resting in the second bedroom behind the dining room. It was generally only used by the girls when they wanted time alone with personal favorites without interruption, which means Su and Hannah or Linda and Shu, mostly. With Su and Hannah all business right now and Linda and Shu enjoying a mini vacation in Riyadh, Bridgette was guaranteed a chance to rest quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Rhia finally answered, ¡°but if I had to guess, I¡¯d say Kamiki terrifies her even more than you do.¡±

    ¡°But to tell me to run and save myself? That doesn¡¯t seem like something she would have said to me, considering her lack of trust in me and how hard she fought to not meet me.¡±

    Rhia shook her head. ¡°I already told you, remember? If she truly didn¡¯t want to meet you, nothing would have dragged her here. You saw how easily she tossed everyone off of her, right? She¡¯s torn between her desire to get to know you and her instinct to not trust anyone, especially men.¡±

    ¡°And the arrival of her goddess finally triggered something within her to defeat her base instincts?¡±

    ¡°Not her base instincts, no,¡± offered Su. ¡°Her distrust of men is conditioned. She went through some horrific stuff in her youth. It took me decades to get the story out of her in detail. I won¡¯t betray her privacy by telling it to you, but I will say her actions are completely understandable. You actually earned quite a few brownie points by never pressing the issue about her.¡±

    Probably shouldn¡¯t bring up the fact that it just never occurred to me to ask, I thought. Rhia smirked.

    ¡°Her fear of Kamiki, however, is a base instinct,¡± Su continued. ¡°It¡¯s hardwired into her species. You remember the Old Testament God, right?¡±

    ¡°Do as I say, or I¡¯ll turn you into a pillar of salt? Wipe out entire towns, kill all the first born, flood the planet because it¡¯s easier to do than actually put in the effort to save everyone? Yeah, I¡¯ve heard of the guy.¡±

    Su nodded. ¡°More or less. Imagine that, combined with the pettiness and anger of the Greek and Roman pantheons, and you¡¯ve got Kamiki, if I remember Bridgette¡¯s stories correctly. Ruled her first world with an iron fist. Any deviation from her commandments were met with severe punishments. By the time Junai had joined the spacefaring community, they weren¡¯t enlightened, as Gaia hoped humanity to be. They were submissive. Followed Kamiki¡¯s desires without any second thoughts, and Kamiki¡¯s desires seem to revolve around conquest. One by one, worlds fell to the Junaian armies and space fleets.¡±

    Rhia nodded as she listened as well. ¡°I remember being told when I was in training that the south eastern regions of the galaxy were dangerous territory and should be avoided if possible.¡±

    ¡°You mean the region near Barnard¡¯s Loop? Where Hannah is from?¡± I asked, trying to get a clear mental image in my head.

    Rhia looked at me in confusion, then realized what I meant. ¡°Oh, no. I forgot that Earth views itself on the southern end of the galaxy for some reason. Most other races view the galaxy with their home planets in the north, and Agneles is no different. From our perspective, Earth would be resting on the eastern line of a compass rose placed over the galaxy, ironically where you imagine my home system to be, I¡¯d guess.¡±

    ¡°The Dalayin¡¯s are the same. We¡¯re above the galactic core when viewing the galaxy from above. It¡¯s really only you Earthlings who view yourselves as beneath everyone,¡± Hannah chimed in. ¡°Also, this Barnard¡¯s Loop you refer to, we call that Father¡¯s Eye. It watches over us, as Father did before he parted ways with us upon settling our first colony.¡±

    ¡°While this is all fascinating to me, I feel we¡¯ve veered away from the topic at hand,¡± I said. ¡°What I¡¯ve managed to gather from what you¡¯ve told me is that Kamiki created an army of Junaian soldiers that are obedient to a fault. The very concept of questioning orders doesn¡¯t exist within them, correct? So Kamiki says ¡®take that planet or destroy it,¡¯ and that¡¯s what they do, no questions asked?¡±

    Su nodded. ¡°If what I heard from Bridgette is correct, then yes, that about sums it up.¡±

    ¡°And do you have any reason to doubt what she says? She seemed pretty willful for one born to obedience above all.¡±

    ¡°Everything she told you is correct, My Lorrrd,¡± a voice said from the other side of the partition dividing the dining room from the living room. Bridgette slowly peeked her head around the partition, cautiously meeting my eyes. ¡°Obedience is a genetic trait now among my people. Asking certain questions afterrr a certain age has become taboo and is treated like a mental illness. Those who can¡¯t conforrrm are put to death. My motherrr arranged to get me off planet when I was young to save me. I have not been home since.¡±

    ¡°May I ask how long ago that was?¡± She flinched at the sound of my voice, but it was noticeably less pronounced than it was before.

    ¡°About two thousand of your years ago, My Lord.¡±

    My jaw dropped. I looked at all the beautiful women surrounding me. ¡°Ok, I have to ask. It¡¯s been bugging me for years. How are you all so long lived? Almost 820 over here, 205 over there, and she¡¯s over 2000 years old! Su, I know Gaia fiddled with your bits, but everyone else? Are humans just that short lived a species? Are we the mayflies of the galaxy?¡±

    Bridgette cocked her head to the side. She looked absolutely adorable like that, just like a confused cat meme I once saw, minus the long black hair that Bridgette sported in a ponytail. ¡°What¡¯s a mayfly, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an insect that lives for 24 hours on Earth,¡± I explained.

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Most races started out living equivalent lifespans. One of the stepping stones to joining the galactic community is increasing the longevity of life. Even with faster than light travel, it still takes time to travel long distances. It took me over fifty years to travel the forty thousand light years from my home to yours. You¡¯ll notice that most of us are also exponentially stronger than your average human. Space travel isn¡¯t for the weak or short lived. Earth will also have to jump these hurdles in the future.¡±

    ¡°One of these days we¡¯re just going to have to sit down and talk about life in the galaxy at length, just me and you girls, along with any of the other maids you think may contribute. I don¡¯t want Linda or Shu to overhear any of this, or they¡¯ll try to push their research too far ahead of what humanity is ready for. We¡¯re also going to discuss why I¡¯m the only man living here. I¡¯m not complaining, mind you, but I do find it curious.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s taken you six years to even bring it up. And are you saying I¡¯m not a regular human?¡± Su asked, a playful pout on her face.

    ¡°My dear, you¡¯ve always been an exceptional human, but anyone whose age reaches into the 7<sup>th</sup> digit and has blue skin can¡¯t be considered ¡®regular,¡¯ no.¡± I turned to Bridgette, abruptly changing the subject. ¡°Is there any particular reason why you think Kamiki is on that asteroid? Could it be a scouting party or something like that?¡±

    Caught off guard by the sudden attention, Bridgette retreated a couple steps before catching herself. ¡°In truth, My Lorrrd, I¡¯m not entirely certain of eitherrr. I panicked when I saw the ship.¡±

    ¡°Ship?¡± I asked. ¡°You mean that¡¯s an actual ship, and not just a repurposed asteroid?¡±

    ¡°It is both, My Lorrrd. Kamiki commanded the Junai to use the rocks from our planet¡¯s rrrings to spread out and conquer. Our people hollow out the asteroids, then use them as ships.¡±

    ¡°Is it typically just the one ship sent to take over a planet?¡±

    Bridgette shook her head. ¡°I do not know, My Lorrrd. I was a child when I left my world. What I know is passed down as legend to all children and what I overheard my captors¡­¡± She trailed off as she spoke, not wanting to continue along whatever history she was about to disclose.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said, waving down look of anguish that crossed her face. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anymore if you don¡¯t want to. We do need to talk more, however, and I¡¯d like to do it now, if you¡¯re okay with being left alone with me. Su and Hannah are about to be very busy, and Rhia needs to run an errand for me.¡±

    Bridgette nervously glanced around the room at the other women present, but they all had pleasant and reassuring smiles on their faces, silently telling her it¡¯ll be alright. Her ears twitching nervously on top of her head, she slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, My Lord. Whatever you need of me.¡±

    It was the first time she¡¯d spoken without rolling her R¡¯s. I wonder if it¡¯s just a nervous tick of hers, I thought. Shrugging it off mentally, I gave her a pleasant smile, then turned to the other women staring at me.

    ¡°Before I issue you your orders, I need to confirm something. Rhia, am I correct in assuming my powers will have no influence over whoever¡¯s out there?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have some, because they¡¯re within your sphere of influence, the solar system, but not a lot as they¡¯re not subjects of yours. If it turns out to be Kamiki herself, you¡¯ll have no influence at all, since she¡¯s a deity with far more followers than you. Remember, I told you your influence grows as humanity does. Against her, even on your own turf, you¡¯re at a considerable disadvantage. She could wipe you from existence if she chose to.¡±

    ¡°How is it that I¡¯m able to exert control over you guys? With the exception of Shu, Linda, Su and myself, no one else on the moon is from this system, let alone my planet.¡±

    Rhia smiled. ¡°Because we¡¯ve all accepted you into our hearts as ours. Where you lead, we follow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d actually prefer you all at my side then following. Without you ladies, I¡¯d be next to useless. You deserve to be on equal footing with me.¡±

    Four pairs of eyes suddenly went wide. Rhia and Hannah blushed fiercely, Su had a huge grin on her face, and Bridgette stared at me, pupils wide, ears straight upright, jaw hanging open.

    ¡°What? What did I say?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Um,¡± Rhia began. ¡°Are you including Linda and Shu in that too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered, still not entirely sure why they were reacting this way. ¡°Naturally. I mean, they haven¡¯t been with us as long you three, but they¡¯ve helped me out tremendously, and I¡¯m sure Bridgette will contribute greatly this upcoming week. Like I said, I¡¯d be lost without you all. You guys really have no idea just how much I respect and adore each and every one of you.¡±

    Bridgette seemed to shrink back within herself a little. I could softly hear her muttering ¡°If it is My Lord¡¯s will, then I shall do the best I can.¡±

    Su and Hannah were chattering back and forth suddenly.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been so long! What¡¯s the custom these days? White? I look dazzling in white!¡±

    ¡°Should I do it Earth style as well? Dalayins don¡¯t have anything like this. Does it have to be white? Can I wear something else?¡±

    Rhia was up and pacing around the room, her wings flapping nervously on her back. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to determine the order. We¡¯ve already got one, sort of, but it¡¯ll be official afterwards. I¡¯m the first, then Su, then Linda, right? Or should it be Hannah?¡±

    I stared at them in confusion for a few seconds before pieces started falling in to place in my head. Equal footing. At my side. Custom. White. Earth style. Order. Rhia, then Su¡­ Oh. Oh Shit. Oooooh. I suddenly realized what I did. Rhia¡¯s head whipped around to face me as everything clicked into place. Her expressions leapt from shock, to anger, to dismay, to saddened. She realized I hadn¡¯t intended to set them down this course, but as I watched her face fall, I realized I owed these girls this much, and what¡¯s more, I liked the idea. I wanted to. It may have been on accident, but I¡¯d told the girls something I¡¯d been wanting to tell them for years. I¡¯d inadvertently proposed to the four women in front of me, and indirectly to the two down on Earth, and I realized that I had no regrets about it. A decade after my divorce left me stilted and paranoid of actual commitment, I¡¯d stumbled into proposing to six women. Granted, two weren¡¯t yet aware of it, but I¡¯d rectify that soon enough. As for the four in front of me¡­

    I smiled at Rhia, and her face lit up. She literally flew across the room, wings spread wide, and wrapped her arms around my neck as she kissed me deeply. A golden glow began emanating from her, encasing the both of us as we lost ourselves in the moment.

    I don¡¯t know how long we were lost in our little world, but when we finally broke apart, the other three were staring at us, slack jawed. Actually, they weren¡¯t staring at us. They were staring at Rhia, and then so was I.

    ¡°Uh, Rhia? What happened to your hair? And your wings? You look like Belldandy.¡±

    Rhia didn¡¯t answer for a second. She was blushing furiously and nervously playing with her hair as she rested her forehead on my chest. I could see her ears turning red through her hair, which had taken on a golden blonde shade of color. Her wings, which had earned her the name Raven Angel down on Earth, were pure white. She was now the picture-perfect definition of an angel, or a bustier version of a goddess from one of my favorite anime.

    ¡°You see, on my world, when two people pledge their lives to each other, it¡¯s not just words and promises. Our lives are tied together on the spiritual level. Our individual life forces are joined, and we take in aspects of our loved one. In my case, John¡¯s divine energy flowed into me, changing my hair and wing color, among other things. In return, my Agneles energy flowed into him. Our lives are now bound together in the most fundamental of ways. We are entwined in each other¡¯s energy, and when the stronger energy finally dies, so too will the other. It¡¯s the Life Mate Bond.¡±

    I stared I shock. ¡°But¡­ but I¡¯m essentially immortal, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    She giggled, somehow looking more adorable as a blonde as she did it. ¡°Then you better get used to having me around, Johnny-boy.¡±

    Raising an eyebrow at her unusual show of familiarity and nickname usage, I asked her ¡°so, what did I get in return?¡±

    You tell me, I heard in my head. Not sure my eyebrows could climb any higher than they already were, I once again stared at Rhia, who was smirking playfully.

    ¡°Um, My Lord?¡± Bridgette asked shyly from her side of the room. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how I feel about all of this, but, um, perhaps we should do something about the Junaian asteroid first?¡±

    ¡°Shit. You¡¯re right. Sorry.¡± I said. Further sentimentalities would have to wait. ¡°Yes, back to what I was going to say before all this, happened. Su, Hannah, I need you to prep the moon for battle. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going to happen in the next few days, but if we¡¯ve got an equivalent of a yellow alert or red alert system, it¡¯s time to use it. You understand how that works, right?¡±

    They both nodded. Hannah said ¡°yep! Yellow means get ready for some shit, red means we¡¯re in it! Right, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much. I need you to start on that now. I know you guys aren¡¯t just pretty faces taking care of me, so go show me your battlemaid skills.¡±

    Su and Hannah both bowed before leaving the room. I turned to Rhia.

    ¡°Alright, my dear, your assignment actually just got a little more complicated. I was going to have you zip on down to Shu and inform her of what¡¯s going on with the asteroid, and then have her find an explanation that justifies getting the men on our roof back home in a big hurry. If something unfortunate goes down, we can¡¯t have them in the line of fire, nor can we expose the world to the news of a possible invading alien species. It would be pandemonium down there, and since he died last year we don¡¯t have Pope Hans around to help us calm the population anymore.¡±

    ¡°So how is it more complicated now than it was before?¡±

    ¡°Because when I came up with the plan, you didn¡¯t look like an angel straight out of a Hallmark movie. One way or another, those women may be upset, either because I proposed to y¡¯all up here without them, or because you seemed to get the jump on them by solidifying it before any plans had even been drawn up. Then there¡¯s Bridgette to consider. I inadvertently included her in that too, in case you didn¡¯t notice, and it actually seems like she¡¯s open to the idea. I¡¯m going to talk to her more about it, but after what she¡¯s been through, and how distrusting she is of men, I fear any kind of retraction will break her permanently. Which means when the women down there ask for details, and you know damn well that they will, you¡¯re going to have to factor her in as well.¡±

    Rhia¡¯s eyes steadily widened as she took all this in. She didn¡¯t say anything, but instead just mouthed oh.

    I caressed her shoulders while looking her in the eye. ¡°Um, congratulations, Mrs. Zekken. This is probably the kind of thing you¡¯re going to have to deal with from now on. After all, I do tend to put my foot in my mouth.¡±

    She blushed briefly, then attempted to pull herself together. ¡°Yes, I remember you telling me that when we met. Alright, Husband,¡± she smiled when she said that, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to take care of it.¡±

    I kissed her, then turned her towards the door and patted her ass. ¡°Good luck. Now get a move on, there¡¯s a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in.¡±

    One of her wings swatted at the hand that had patted her ass, then she gave me a wink over her shoulder before disappearing in a golden shower of sparks. I stared at the spot she had just vacated, watching the sparks dissipate. Then I glanced at Bridgette.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a new trick. Wonder what else she knows now.¡±

    Bridgette just stared at me.

 Eleven: Finding Persia

    ¡°Please, have a seat. Unless you wish to do this somewhere more comfortable?¡±

    Eyes wide, Bridgette shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine wherever you want, My Lord, but aren¡¯t you worried about someone interrupting?¡±

    I look at her in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a secret, Bridgette. I¡¯m sure the whole moon knows by now, thanks to Su and Hannah, except maybe those two poor bastards out in the cold right now.¡± I pointed towards the roof, indicating the Chinese astronauts currently poking around without any knowledge of what¡¯s below their feet. I made my way over to the dining room. ¡°I¡¯m just going to get some coffee. Would you like some?¡±

    Another head shake just before I disappeared around the partition. My standing rule was to always maintain a pot of coffee in the dining room. I don¡¯t need it for the energy or caffeine anymore, but I¡¯ll fight anyone who tries to tell me coffee isn¡¯t life.

    ¡°My Lord? If I may ask, why did you include me earlier? You don¡¯t know me at all, and I acted so poorly in front of you.¡± Her voice floated to me around the partition as I stirred in some sugar. I considered how to answer that. I hadn¡¯t realized what I¡¯d said when I said it, but thinking on it, there was really only one way for them to walk ¡°at my side,¡± as I had said previously. They were all of the mind that I was the god and they were my servants. Elevating them to equals, as they¡¯d all interpreted it, could only mean marriage. I rubbed my temple, a habit I¡¯d developed, like I was trying to dislodge a thought. During my earlier ¡°proposal,¡± I¡¯d even gone as far as mentioning Bridgette by name and expressed confidence in her future contributions. I wasn¡¯t lying when I¡¯d said any of that. I truly felt she¡¯d be an immense help in the upcoming issue with the asteroid ship. However, the intended message and the received one didn¡¯t quite match up, and now this shy and traumatized woman and I were engaged, sort of.

    Trying to sort out my thoughts, I realized I¡¯d added too much sugar. Far too much sugar. I¡¯d also kept her waiting too long for an answer. As I prepared another cup, I finally gave her a reply.

    ¡°Consider it good faith on credit. In six years, despite not trusting me, you¡¯ve never made any attempt to harm me or anyone near me. I¡¯m told Ryo loves you, and that goes a long way in my book. I trust her judgement of someone over mine. I think the clincher was this morning, when, despite how terrified of me you were, you still begged me to save myself. That tells me that somewhere inside of you is someone who¡¯ll have my back if I need it.¡± I took a sip of my new mug. Perfect.

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m honestly still scared, but after watching you for six years, and seeing how everyone cares for you, I think I can control it. If Mistress Rhia can throw herself at you with all her heart like that, you have to be a good man, right?¡±

    I started making my way back to the living area. ¡°I try to be, but that¡¯s a subjective opinion, isn¡¯t-¡±

    My words immediately cut off and I nearly dropped my mug at what I saw upon stepping around the partition. Bridgette stood in front of one of the couches. Her maid uniform was pooled at her feet, along with her underwear. I took a second to take in her body. Her long, sleek legs that reminded me of a track star¡¯s. The short, soft looking white fur that ran up her abdomen to the valley between her breasts, which were easily a C cup, possibly a D. Light grey fur covered the rest of her body, interspersed with thin black tiger stripes. She really did look like a tabby. She¡¯d let her hair down out of its ponytail and draped most of it over her right shoulder. Her right arm was trying to cover up her tits, but I could still see a quarter sized pink nipple peeking through her loosely splayed fingers, while her left hand was firmly covering her lower half. It was all very Birth of Venus. It was also very confusing.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I began.

    ¡°My Lord,¡± she started, voice quivering. ¡°I only ask that you be gentle. The men who took me in the past were rarely so.¡±

    ¡°Bridgette,¡± I said softly. ¡°What is this?¡±

    She looked at me, lip quivering. ¡°Am I not to your liking, My Lord? I understand that if I¡¯m to be one of yours, I must give myself to you, as the others have.¡±

    I slowly approached her, placing my mug on the coffee table as I passed it, until I was right in front of her. She tried to look me in the eye but kept looking away at the floor. Slowly I dropped to one knee in front of her. I reached a hand out and it brushed her leg. I felt how remarkably soft her fur was, but I also felt her tense up. My hand continued down, where her dress was puddled around her feet. I grabbed it, and then pulled it up her body to at least cover her chest. I then took her hand and made her hold it in place. I gripped her softly by the shoulders, absently noting again just how soft her fur was, but also noting the tenseness of the muscles beneath that fur. I lowered my head until I was eye level with her.

    ¡°Bridgette, when it comes to matters like this, I will never ask you to do anything that you don¡¯t want to do. The others sleep with me because they want to. There are also times where they don¡¯t want to, and that¡¯s fine too. No one has been forced, coerced, or raped. Sex isn¡¯t a requirement, my dear. I am willing to wait as long as you need. And if it turns out that you¡¯re never ready, then that¡¯s okay, because that¡¯s not what I want from you. I want that beautiful mind you have up here.¡± I placed my hand on her head between her ears. They twitched slightly, but she didn¡¯t pull away from my hand. ¡°I sense you¡¯ve been through a lot, been through some unthinkable things, and had any number of unforgivable things done to you. I can¡¯t make that disappear, I¡¯m sorry to say, but if there¡¯s anything I can do to help you, please, let me know. You¡¯ve got a lifetime worth of pain inside of you. Do you want to vent it? I¡¯m probably the only person in the system that can take it. Give me your worst. Hit me. Scratch me. Do what you want to do to those guys to me. I¡¯ll be your punching bag.¡±

    She looked down, her hand not holding the dress balling up into a fist. She drew her arm back and then thumped me in the chest. Not hard, just a soft thump. Then she collapsed into my chest, sobbing. I¡¯m sure her wails could be heard throughout the complex, but no one disturbed us. I sat us down on the couch and just held her as she released who knew how many years of built up pain. My shirt was soaked in tears, her right had a death grip on my shirt, her left had let her dress drop as she wrapped it around my back. Clinging to me like that, I let her cry until exhaustion took her and she fell asleep. I quietly laid her down on the couch, then fixed her dress with a thought. I almost snapped my fingers out of habit, but then reconsidered. I didn¡¯t want to wake her right now. I produced a blanket and tucked her in to the couch, before quietly leaving my residence to see what progress Su and Hannah had made.

    Bridgette slept. It was a peaceful, dreamless sleep. Most of her nights were nightmare filled and unsettling. Memories of what she¡¯d been put through after escaping her homeworld. Thoughts of what might happen to her if she were caught again. Terror at each new person brought within her presence. Each one could be someone that would abuse her, rape her, torture her. Her childhood was not one she looked upon with nostalgia. Being forced to run for the crime of asking ¡°why¡± too many times. Sold into slavery by the very smugglers her mother had paid to help her escape the counselors. Five hundred years of the most heinous treatment suffered at the hands of men who considered her and others her age a plaything. A dramatic escape that cost the lives of half of her fellow slaves, but it was ok, because they no longer felt any pain. Another five hundred or so years of doing what she had to for survival. Selling her body to escape one wretched planet after another. The other maids here spoke of a peaceful, enlightened galaxy, but Bridgette knew otherwise. She knew what happened beneath that peaceful fa?ade, and she swore to never return to that life. Her travels had brought her to this abandoned corner of the galaxy, and she¡¯d found a home near this unremarkable planet, away from the slavers, smugglers, counselors, and above all, men. Men that could abuse her, rape her, and torture her.

    Inton had given her the space she needed, and while she had eased her way into trusting some of the women around here, she could never get over her paranoia of men, who had done the most damage to her psyche. It was a peaceful life at last. Then Inton was gone, and this new man had replaced him. She¡¯d observed him for years, watched how he took women one by one until he¡¯d surrounded himself with the most beautiful women she¡¯d seen. They didn¡¯t seem to mind it, but Bridgette had seen harems before, having been sold into one and then handed around like a game piece. The girls always went along with the master¡¯s desire, because it was easier to do so than to fight back. Fighting back meant torture, even death. Bridgette had incorrectly assumed that was the case here. When he¡¯d offered to bring her into his harem, as she¡¯d interpreted it, she found she couldn¡¯t refuse. It was ingrained in her now to do as master wished, and this master was a god. There was no way she¡¯d escape punishment for refusal. So, after everyone had left, she¡¯d prepared herself for him. What she hadn¡¯t expected was his refusal of her.

    No man had turned down a chance to take her once offered. He said he didn¡¯t want her if she didn¡¯t want him. He even said he¡¯d take the punishment for those who¡¯d wronged her in the past. She wanted to. She wanted rip everyone to shreds who¡¯d ever abused and raped her. When she went to exact that revenge on him, however, she couldn¡¯t do it. She didn¡¯t want to hurt this kind man. This man who only wanted to comfort her. Before she knew it, relief had washed over her. A torrential downpour of grief, exhaustion, and happiness all welled up inside her and came pouring out over his chest as he held her. He¡¯d said he wanted her mind, not her body. He hadn¡¯t tried to take advantage of her when she offered herself. He¡¯d offered to help her instead. Could she trust this man? Yes, she decided. She would take the leap so long denied her. His simple acts of kindness were more than she¡¯d ever known. She¡¯d repay that kindness. If her friends and Ryo loved him that much, could she? She¡¯d like to try. She was going to try.

    Bridgette slept, a peaceful smile on her face.

    With the girls¡¯ preparations underway and my one source of intelligence sleeping in the living room, I found myself alone and with nothing to do for the first time in a while. So, I retreated to the media room to rewatch one of my favorite anime. It¡¯d been a while since I¡¯d been able to sit and enjoy something by myself. I got a good three hours into the show before it came to stop, however, as I¡¯d heard some movement from the living, and soon a form with distinctive ears filled the doorway.

    ¡°My Lord?¡± Bridgette inquired, looking into the dark room, my face lit up only by the screen.

    ¡°Bridgette,¡± I said, pausing the show. ¡°Come in, have a seat. How are you feeling?¡±

    Strangely confident, she entered the room with a taller stride than I¡¯d yet to see out of her to this point. Then again, my previous sightings of her generally consisted of her skulking in dark corners watching me from a distance, or when she was dragged into the living room against her will, so I honestly had no idea how she carried herself when she wasn¡¯t around me. She took a seat on the couch next to me. Closer than I expected, but not as close as she could have. It¡¯s ok, I thought. Things take time, and you really don¡¯t know much about her anyway. Stop getting your hopes up, John. What can I say? Catgirls are a weakness of mine.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m better. Much better than I¡¯ve felt in a long time, My Lord.¡± A bashful smile played across her lips, despite how closely she held herself. She looked me in the eye. ¡°D-did you mean it, My Lord? About wanting to help me with whatever I needed or wanted?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. ¡°I try not to make promises I can¡¯t keep, and my wish is to see you and everyone around us happy. So, whatever I need to do to accomplish that, if it¡¯s within my power, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    She smiled at that, and then seemed to consider something. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest up to this point, but now they reached out, then pulled back. Reached out again, then pulled back again. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then finally reached out and took my hands in hers.

    ¡°Th-then me too, My Lord. I mean, if there¡¯s anything I can do to help you, or¡­ or,¡± she stumbled a bit here, blushing, ¡°or make you happy, then I shall do it as best as I can.¡±

    I gripped her hands in mine. ¡°Just be yourself, Bridgette. I ask nothing more than that. Don¡¯t try to be anything you¡¯re not, or do anything you¡¯re not ready to.¡±

    She looked away, looking like she was wrestling with her thoughts. Her eyes fell on the screen. On it were characters dressed in Army uniforms and various women dressed in maid uniforms. ¡°What are you watching, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh,¡± I paused, briefly embarrassed about what she saw. One of the maids happened to be the anime version of a catgirl. She stood tall and proud, a small pair of glasses perched her nose, purple cat ears stood atop her head, a long purple tail sticking out of the small of her back in complete defiance of actual biology, which, as Bridgette¡¯s own body proved, should be coming from the base of the spine.

    ¡°It¡¯s a show from Earth about a group of soldiers who travel to another world. There they meet humans living in a primitive feudal society, along with elves, beast folk, dragons, etcetera. It¡¯s one of my favorites.¡±

    She scrutinized the screen some more. ¡°This woman,¡± she indicated the catgirl maid, ¡°she has ears and a tail like me. Are humans familiar with my race? I thought none had gone further than the moon?¡±

    I laughed. ¡°No, they¡¯ve never met anyone from your race that I know of. The only way they¡¯d know is if one of your kind had visited Earth a hundred years ago, since that was about when the first catgirl showed up in a Japanese manga.¡± I seriously knew WAY too much about this topic.

    Her eyes widened. ¡°Did you say a hundred years ago, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, about that. Why?¡±

    ¡°Mistress Rhia once asked me to accompany her on a visit to Earth about that time. She wanted my help to find survivors of a big earthquake that hit an island nation back then. I¡¯m sure many people saw me.¡±

    Raising an eyebrow, I pulled up a window in front of me and searched for earthquakes in the 1920s. One of the hits was the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The timeline worked. It was the right country. Who¡¯s to say the author of that manga wasn¡¯t one of the survivors? I started laughing. Bridgette looked at me in confusion, which caused me to laugh harder.

    ¡°Um, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± I said, looking at Bridgette. ¡°Sweetheart, look at this.¡± I pulled every memory I had of any catgirls I¡¯d seen in anime, manga, cartoons, comic books, and video games, and then projected them around the room for her to see. Her eyes widened as she took in the view.

    ¡°There may have been occasional images of half cat half human women and men throughout history, among other animal combinations, but they never really captured people¡¯s attention until the last century, thanks to the growing popularity of anime. Anime comes from Japan, where the catgirl as we know them today originated. Do you know when the first catgirl showed up in Japanese manga?¡±

    She shook her head, dumbfounded.

    ¡°1924. A year after a large earthquake hit the island nation of Japan. I¡¯ll have to check with Rhia to be sure, but Bridgette, my dear, it just may be possible that all of what you¡¯re looking at now is based on you. You could very well be Earth¡¯s first catgirl.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not a ¡®catgirl.¡¯ I¡¯m a Junaian.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t know that,¡± I said, projecting an image of a gray tabby for her to see. ¡°As far as they know, you¡¯re a humanized version of this.¡±

    Her eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s so cute!¡± She spun around and grabbed my hands again. ¡°My Lord! When this is all over, can you take me down there to see some more of those?¡± She pointed back at the cat.

    Taken aback by her sudden attack on my hands, I gaped before pulling myself together. ¡°Uh, yeah, sure. But we have to get through this first. Which means I need your help. We can¡¯t go play with the cats until we find out what¡¯s up with that asteroid.¡±

    She drew herself up straight with a serious expression on her face. ¡°Yes! For the sake of the cats, we¡¯ll stop them!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. And every other living thing on the planet.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Them too. Also, My Lord, could I ask that you give me a name?¡±

    I blinked at the abrupt change in topic. ¡°What? You have a name.¡±

    ¡°This name is one I do not wish to associate with anymore. Bridgette was the old me. The one tormented by her past. The one who couldn¡¯t trust. I want to start fresh. To do so, I must cast off my old self completely.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy. I¡¯ve seen men struggle for years over an event that lasted seconds. This morning you were still struggling with events that I¡¯m guessing lasted far longer than that. A nap and changing your name isn¡¯t going to help you with what you¡¯ve been through.¡±

    Her determined look softened. ¡°I know this, My Lord. I may never fully recover, and even now I¡¯m fighting my instinct to run just to remain in the same room as you. But it¡¯s a starting point. You¡¯ve already done so much for me without even realizing it. To me, a renaming is a rebirth. A chance to start over fresh. A new me, one who¡¯s not afraid of her own shadow. That purple eared one you were watching. She looked dignified and proud. I want to be like her.¡±

    The character she was referring to was that, indeed. Also mischievous, and a terror on the battlefield. The anime didn¡¯t go into detail about her, but the light novels did. However, if she all she saw was dignified and proud, and wanted to emulate that, I saw no reason to deny her observations.

    ¡°There are definitely worse characters to look up to, I¡¯ll give you that. Her name is Persia, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Persia. Persia¡­¡± she rolled the name around a bit, then smiled. ¡°My Lord, would you call me Persia from now on?¡±

    ¡°Is that the name you want? Something taken from an anime character?¡±

    ¡°Is that not how you named Ryo?¡±

    ¡°Naming my dog and naming you are entirely different things, and how do you know that?!¡±

    ¡°Mistress Rhia told me.¡±

    Damn that woman poking around in my head.

    ¡°My Lord, I like this name, and if you were the one to give it me, then I would follow you no matter where you go.¡±

    I sighed. If she loved the name that much, who was I to deny her? I raised my hands in surrender.

    ¡°Alright, alright. From now on, your name is Persia. Bridgette is no more. Happy?¡±

    Bridg- no, Persia smiled, then grabbed my right hand and pulled it to her face. She sniffed at the back of it, then licked it before rubbing the palm of my hand with her cheek.

    ¡°I am most grateful, My Lord.¡± She released my hand, then grabbed the sides of her dress and gave me a deep curtsy, bowing her head. ¡°From now until my dying day, I shall do my best to bring you nothing but happiness and joy.¡±

    I was trying to wrap my head around this enigma of a woman. A few hours ago she was desperate to escape my company. Now she gave me an oath until death. I couldn¡¯t just leave her hanging though. I had to respond.

    ¡°Um, yeah. Same here. I¡¯ll do my best to do the same for you.¡±

    Her face lit up as she bounced on her toes, clapping her hands together. Then she bolted from the room.

    *

    An hour later Rhia smacked John on the back of the head.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± John said, reflexively rubbing where she¡¯d smacked.

    Rhia rubbed the bridge of her nose, frustration clearly evident on her face. She¡¯d just returned from Earth with Linda and Shu in tow, something she could do now thanks to her bond with John, having taken some of his powers as her own. He¡¯d just finished apologizing to the two human women and filling them in on everything that had happened since her departure. She was overjoyed to hear that he hadn¡¯t taken advantage of Bridgette. No, it was Persia now, she mentally corrected herself. She never doubted that he¡¯d ever do such a thing to anyone, but after hearing how Persia had offered herself to him and how he¡¯d chosen to comfort her instead reminded her why she fell in love with him in the first place. What had happened afterward, however, also reminded her that he knew nothing of how the galaxy worked.

    ¡°Four hours, John. I was gone four hours. It took me that long to explain to these two,¡± she indicated the two fuming beauties behind her, ¡°what had happened and how our bond worked to change my appearance. They¡¯re still upset about being left out, as you can see. Now I have to explain to you how the pairing ceremony of the Junai works. We¡¯re in the middle of a possible crisis, and you went and got a second fucking wife three hours after you got your first!¡±

    ¡°Wife? Wait, what?¡± John¡¯s eyes went wide. He glanced between all three women currently leaning over him, none of whom looked happy. He could almost see the red aura surrounding them. No, there was a definite aura coming off of Rhia. ¡°Second wife? What are you talking about?! I just helped Bridg- I mean Persia, work through some things!¡±

    ¡°Did she request a new name?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°Did she make a lifelong pledge of happiness?¡±

    ¡°Uh huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you agree to it?

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Did she do anything to your hand?¡±

    ¡°Um, she sniffed it, then gave it a lick. I thought it was weird, but-¡±

    ¡°YOU MARRIED HER! That¡¯s the whole damn ceremony! All that¡¯s missing is the honeymoon and the consummation!¡±

    John suddenly couldn¡¯t look her in the eye. Rhia¡¯s golden eyebrow rose a touch.

    ¡°John? What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±

    Still not meeting her eye, John slumped further into the couch, the media room feeling much smaller and hotter than a few moments ago.

    ¡°Uh, I may have promised to take her to Earth after this asteroid business was done with, so she could see and play with some cats.¡±

    Rhia threw up her hands and stormed out of the media room, deciding she needed to be anywhere but here right now. Before she could leave the residence, she heard Linda yelling at John, although for reasons she couldn¡¯t follow.

    ¡°Six engagements, two marriages, and a promised trip before going off to possibly face another, more powerful god? Could you raise any more death flags?!¡±

    What¡¯s a ¡°death flag?¡± she thought as she made her way over to the maid quarters. She paused outside a door and knocked softly.

    ¡°Yes?¡± a surprisingly cheery voice answered.

    ¡°Bridg, I mean Persia, it¡¯s Rhia. May I come in?¡±

    The door flew open and a smiling Persia nearly yanked Rhia inside. Even knowing about it, her strength nearly caught Rhia off guard. Persia pulled her in to a tight hug. Surprised, Rhia hugged her back.

    ¡°You seem to be doing well,¡± she said.

    Persia released her and fairly danced around the room.

    ¡°I am, Mistress! I¡¯ve never felt so free, so, so happy!¡± She giggled.

    Despite her anger at John, Rhia couldn¡¯t help but smile. She knew this was just a temporary high that Persia was feeling at the moment. A thousand years of torment doesn¡¯t disappear in the space of a morning, and she knew Persia was aware of that herself, but she was determined to ride this wave as far as it would take her. There was a light in Persia¡¯s eyes that Rhia had never seen there before.

    ¡°He¡¯s great, isn¡¯t he? Our Lord? I know he¡¯ll be able to help me. I can feel it in him. His smell and taste are pure.¡± Rhia wasn¡¯t sure if Persia was blushing under her fur, but she¡¯d bet good money on it.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do the best he can. He wants happiness for everyone, and that includes you, my sister.¡±

    Persia spun to face Rhia, shock written plainly on her face.

    ¡°Sister?¡±

    Rhia smirked. ¡°Well, we are married to the same man, aren¡¯t we? That more or less makes us sisters. Although you did jump the gun a bit. There were four others in line before you.¡±

    Persia¡¯s shocked melted in to one of terror. ¡°Oh no! I wasn¡¯t even thinking, Mistress! It just happened. I just wanted a chance to start my life over. I wanted the Bridgette you all knew to die, so I could be a new me. He said he wanted to help me however he could.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s when you asked him for a new name,¡± Rhia concluded. Persia nodded silently. Rhia sighed, then examined the situation before deciding on what to say. Earth was its own entity. It belonged to no longstanding empire. There was no etiquette established as far as marriage ceremonies and order are concerned. Rhia had just assumed she¡¯d be the first wife, but that was based on her own empire¡¯s rules and customs. Here they were building a family around a human born god consisting of one immortal human, two normal humans who had completely different marriage customs, a Dalayin, a Junaian, and an Agneles. Everyone had their own way of doing things where they were from, yet that mattered what here? So far all they¡¯ve managed to establish firmly is that John was amazingly adept at stumbling into marriages and engagements. Could she really hold any grudge against Persia, who simply wanted to be happy for once in her life? The answer to that was already obvious.

    Rhia stood in front of Persia, then pulled her into a hug.

    ¡°Call me Rhia. No more of this ¡®Mistress¡± stuff. We¡¯re family now.¡±

    Persia¡¯s eyes started water as she pulled back to look at Rhia face to face. She then took hold of one of Rhia¡¯s hands, sniffed the back of it, then gave it a quick lick.

    ¡°From now until my dying day, I shall do my best to bring you nothing but happiness and joy.¡±

    Rhia smiled. ¡°And I shall do the same in return.¡±

    She pressed her forehead against Persia¡¯s as a golden glow began to envelop them.

 Twelve: Kitty in the City

    The next day things had calmed down. Rhia was the only one to join me in bed the night before, surprisingly enough. I honestly figured I¡¯d be by myself, given the general reaction of the women towards my accidental marriage to Persia. Linda and Shu took the second bedroom and barricaded themselves in there after dinner, while Su and Hannah had gone off to Su¡¯s room for the night. Persia, as I expected, still wasn¡¯t ready for that level of companionship and stayed in her room, however Rhia told me that she was in a good mood the rest of the day.

    The next morning I was thinking about Persia¡¯s new look as I sat down to breakfast. Her black hair had developed a blonde streak, while her facial structure had taken on a more human appearance, less feline than it was yesterday morning. I knew what had happened when I saw the feathers on Rhia¡¯s wings had developed a gray tint around the edges. Rhia had told me that bonding with someone shared traits between them. Persia had evidently taken some physical aspects from Rhia, which secretly pleased me. I had been wondering how one might enjoy her company with a mouth full of needle sharp teeth and a catlike mouth, but her lips were closer to those of a human now, and the teeth weren¡¯t quite as deadly looking. It looked like her bust was closer to Rhia¡¯s size now as well. I found myself wondering what might happen if Rhia were to bond with the other four women in our circle.

    Rhia smacked me on the back of the head as she and Persia took their seats at the table for breakfast.

    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± muttered Rhia.

    ¡°Is that all My Lord thinks about?¡± asked Persia.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I said, rubbing the back of my head. ¡°You got that ability too? I¡¯m starting to feel a little shortchanged here.¡±

    ¡°You are a god, My Lord. What more would you like?¡±

    ¡°Persia, you can call me John, you know. One of the perks of being married is being able to use your husband¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°I shall do my best, My¡­ John.¡±

    Linda started giggling into her coffee, then nearly spilled it when Shu elbowed her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± Shu said to Persia, trying to ease her embarrassment. ¡°She may look like an adult, but she¡¯s still very childish.¡±

    As Linda stuck her tongue out at Shu, I changed the subject.

    ¡°What¡¯s the word on our friends upstairs?¡±

    Shu was gripping Linda¡¯s tongue with her fingers. She released it and turned to me, wiping her hand on a napkin. ¡°I contacted President Chin and told him there¡¯s an unexpected meteor shower heading this way. He tried to have me ask you to take care of it, but I reminded him that you were here to guide us, not do everything for us, and that you were already taking care of the asteroid. So, you might want to conjure up a meteor shower unless you intend to make a liar out of me.¡±

    ¡°What kind of timeframe did you give him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Three days. That¡¯ll give them time to meet up with the command module and head back home before it hits.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be sure to give them a hell of a show.¡± I turned to the two ladies standing at the end of the room. ¡°I wish you two would sit and eat. You¡¯re engaged now. You can hand off your maid duties to someone else and play housewife if you want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still your maid until the ceremony, My Lord,¡± said Hannah.

    ¡°Daytime TV was never my thing, dear. I can be your wife and your head maid at the same time. Makes for wonderful roleplay,¡± Su said, winking.

    I glanced at Persia. ¡°And you thought I was bad.¡± Turning back to the maids, ¡°alright, what have you got for me? Business related, Su.¡±

    Looking disappointed that she couldn¡¯t toss out more innuendo, she started her report. ¡°Everyone is at ¡®yellow alert,¡¯ as you call it. The armory is manned around the clock now, and everyone knows where they need to be in the event of a fight. Of course, there¡¯s only thirty of us, including myself, Hannah, and Persia, as you¡¯re aware, so if the enemy¡¯s numbers are much higher than that and you¡¯re indisposed somehow, then we may have some issues. Every girl here is willing to die for you, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯d much rather continue living for a second or third opportunity for quality time with their Lord. For that, they¡¯d storm the gates of Hell itself.¡±

    Linda and Shu both narrowed their eyes and looked at me.

    ¡°Now ladies,¡± I said, holding up my hands defensively. ¡°That was before Rhia and I started dating, let alone you guys.¡±

    A curious expression came of Persia¡¯s face. ¡°I was not aware of this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you wouldn¡¯t go near him, dear,¡± said Su. ¡°I got the idea for everyone to get closer to him one night when Hannah and I were with him. He made a comment about wanting to try more of the chef¡¯s dishes, since he always asked for the same dishes out of habit. We convinced him to try the chef instead.¡±

    Rhia looked thoughtful for a second. ¡°I remember that. The food was especially good that week. Su, put that on the calendar again.¡±

    ¡°Done, ma¡¯am!¡± Su cheerfully replied, pulling a notepad out of her apron.

    I stared at her. ¡°You guys have a calendar? And you¡¯re adding extra women to it?¡±

    Rhia levelled her gaze at me. ¡°John, you¡¯re still thinking like an Earthling, not an all powerful deity. Did you assume that the six of us were it for all eternity? Same with you ladies,¡± she pointed Linda and Shu. ¡°You guys can¡¯t be tied down to your little planet¡¯s rules anymore. Not as they¡¯ve been written until now, that is. Those were man made rules and judging from the state of your planet and all the petty wars that are still occurring for stupid reasons, they aren¡¯t working anymore. So, we¡¯re rewriting the rulebook to include the best of your laws, and the best of the galaxy¡¯s, and the number one rule is my personal favorite. Love is love. As long as everyone involved is a consenting adult, then let nothing hold them back.¡±

    Linda shook her head in disbelief. ¡°You do understand you just gave your husband, our fianc¨¦, carte blanche to fuck anyone he wants, right?¡±

    Rhia nodded, as did Hannah, Su, and even Persia. ¡°Indeed, and just as he has that right, so do we. I don¡¯t personally see myself having that urge anytime soon, at least not with a man, but fair is fair, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    I actually couldn¡¯t argue that point. While keeping these six women happy all the time was a tall order, I was sure that even I would grow bored with the selection, just as they¡¯d get bored with only me and each other after a while. Allowing everyone to do as they pleased seemed like a fair trade for a lifetime commitment. It wasn¡¯t like we had to worry about anyone getting pregnant. A couple years ago, at their request, I¡¯d ¡°turned off¡± that ability until they told me otherwise and had done the same for myself.

    ¡°What¡¯s good for the goose is good for the gander, yeah,¡± I agreed. I wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled with the idea of another guy eating off my plate, but if they were going to let me taste a sampler every now and then, I couldn¡¯t really hold the moral high ground. Not that I expected any of them to start looking elsewhere for the jollies anytime soon. I¡¯m a god, after all. Why trade down?

    Linda, however, kept eyeballing Rhia. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to need to convene a Council of Wives or something, so we can be sure we¡¯re all on the same page in the future. I¡¯ll let the chef thing slide though, because I can¡¯t wrap my head around the idea of this food tasting any better than it already does.¡±

    Rhia smiled. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t known bliss until our chef takes to the kitchen after a night with this man. In fact, it¡¯s almost better than a night with this man.¡±

    Eyebrows raised and staring at Rhia, Linda spoke out of the side of her mouth towards Su. ¡°Su, dear, she can have my spot on the calendar.¡±

    ¡°It looks like you and Mistress Shu were penciled in for tomorrow night. Are both of you cancelling, or just Mistress Linda?¡±

    I buried my face in my hands as the ladies hashed out their schedule. There seemed to be a hiccup when Shu refused to give up her spot and insisted that Linda keep hers as well, as it wouldn¡¯t be as much fun without her. Hannah saved the day by reminding everyone that she had requested a solo tomorrow morning and was willing to share with the chef if they didn¡¯t mind a smaller breakfast in exchange. I suddenly realized why no one ever interrupted me and whoever I was with. All the girls had free access to the room, as I considered it just as much theirs as it was mine, and heaven knows that bed was massive enough to fit us all comfortably, but whenever someone or multiple someones crawled into bed with me, no one ever wandered in while we were at it. Just how long had they been doing this?

    I lifted my head from my hands and looked around the room.

    ¡°Are we finished now? Did we get the fuck plan straight?¡±

    Su managed to look offended and cheeky at the same time.

    ¡°This is very important, My Lord. As much as we all love each other, some of us just aren¡¯t as compatible as others. Mistress Shu won¡¯t let me get away with half of what Mistress Rhia does, and Mistress Linda is too freaked out by Hannah¡¯s flexibility. Mistress Rhia is also very selfish, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, and likes to give you all of her attention, which leaves any other partners that night bored and neglected. She¡¯s got more solos scheduled than anyone. Really clutters up the planning. When Mistress Persia decides to throw her hat in the ring, we¡¯re due for a whole revamp of the planner! Planner? Hmm. Planner. Day Planner¡­ Lay Planner! Yes! That¡¯s what I¡¯ll call this from now on! It¡¯s the Lay Planner!¡±

    I groaned. When Su got on a roll, she was difficult to stop, especially when it came to sex. Ladies, would you please help me out here? I thought, looking at Rhia and Persia. Persia was shifting nervously in her seat, her red cheeks showing through the thin fur on her face, while Rhia looked equal parts exasperated and amused. She did give me a brief nod though.

    ¡°Ok, ladies, we¡¯ve had our fun with him this morning. That should make up for yesterday, right?¡±

    Heads nodded around the room.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± I asked. ¡°Was this all a setup?¡±

    Rhia smiled. ¡°Not at all. Everything we just talked about was the real deal. There¡¯s a schedule, I¡¯m selfish, and tomorrow morning you¡¯re sleeping with Hannah and the chef. I couldn¡¯t help but let you suffer a bit, though, after what you put us through yesterday. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m thrilled to call Persia here family, but you deserved some sort of payback. It seems everyone else agreed with me.¡±

    I groaned again. ¡°Some god I am. All this power and I¡¯m still getting browbeaten by my wives.¡±

    ¡°Not browbeaten, dear. Lovingly harassed. Back on topic, you already know the results of my mission yesterday. I¡¯ve explained to Linda and Shu what you did, how you did it, and what happened to me afterwards. Oh, while you and Su were busy in the shower this morning, President Roberts called again.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re just telling me this now?¡±

    ¡°If it was an emergency, don¡¯t you think I would¡¯ve said something already? He just wanted an update on the asteroid, and to know why you hadn¡¯t done anything yet.¡±

    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have given him that hotline. I think I miss the days when everyone assumed only the Pope had a hotline to God. What¡¯d you tell him?¡±

    Rhia shrugged. ¡°Just that we weren¡¯t worried about it and that we¡¯d get to it in time. Now that we¡¯re actually talking about it again, though, did you two manage to discuss anything yesterday at all before the big moment, or did your plan go out the window when I did?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, things went completely the opposite of what I planned, exactly how I told you it went down. And you know how things went after you got back. You and Persia locked yourselves away till dinner, Linda and Shu lectured me for a solid hour before securing a wedding date for each of them, then they locked themselves away until dinner. Su and Hannah continued drilling the battlemaids until dinner as well, leaving me alone with Ryo to ponder just what the hell I¡¯ve gotten myself into. All in all, it was the most fulfilling yet least productive day I¡¯ve had in years.¡±

    Smiles surrounded me at the table, and I returned every one. Even Persia, who was still adjusting to being around so many people at once had a small grin on her face. Linda had scared the hell out of her last night at dinner by freaking out over a real life catgirl, and Persia had hidden behind me upon hearing the screech and seeing the grabbing hands coming her way. Shu was much more subdued on their meeting, remembering that Persia was the skittish type. They¡¯d taken some time after dinner to speak a little and get to know each other, which was how she was able to eat in their presence this morning.

    ¡°However,¡± I continued, ¡°we have to make up for lost time, or rather, I do, since the rest of you completed your tasks like I asked.¡± I projected a model of local space over the table for everyone to see. Above us hung Earth, the moon, and the asteroid. A line represented the flight path of the asteroid ship and where it would make landfall on Earth in five days¡¯ time, which looked to be the outskirts of Moscow. ¡°If we were to allow them to make landfall, this is where their current course would take them, provided they don¡¯t alter their speed or trajectory. I¡¯d prefer they not land there. Russia hasn¡¯t exactly been friendly towards me since I eliminated their chemical and nuclear weapons and drove their president from office a few years ago. I forgot to consider that nearly everyone in Russian politics was like that asshole, and all I ended up doing was kicking over an ant hill. Should whoever is on that ship decide to make contact instead of conquering outright, the Russians would be more than happy to help them.¡±

    Heads nodded in agreement around the table. Persia offered her best guess at the ship¡¯s intention.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, My Lord. A ship that size will either carry the goddess and a small group of her most loyal followers, or a recon force that would investigate if the world was worth conquering and the best method for that. Using one country¡¯s animosity towards others is a tactic I¡¯ve heard of them using before.¡±

    ¡°It would be much easier to conquer a destabilized planet than a unified one, and let¡¯s be honest, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to unify the planet in less than a week,¡± Rhia added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you aware of a way for me to feel or sense if there¡¯s another god nearby?¡± I asked her.

    She shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not something I know about. Gods are beings above our plane of existence. The extent of your powers and abilities I can¡¯t even comprehend. In truth, I¡¯ve only taught you what I¡¯m aware of. There are likely no limits to what you¡¯re capable of except your imagination.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    I sighed and nodded. Rhia had done an excellent job of helping guide me to this point in regard to learning my capabilities, but we knew that we¡¯d eventually reach a point where I¡¯d have to start experimenting on my own.

    ¡°Well, now is as good a time as any, I guess,¡± I said, finishing my thoughts out loud. Rhia and Persia nodded, while the other four women had confused looks on their faces. I closed my eyes and imagined being able to sense those around me. Nothing happened at first, and all I saw was the backs of my eyelids, but soon various colored shapes began to form around me. Each of these shapes had vaguely humanoid forms. To my right, where Rhia always sat and was currently sitting, there was a blue and gold form that reminded me of a  lava lamp. Probably not the most accurate way to articulate how it looked, but it¡¯s the closest I can manage. It was so mesmerizing I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away.

    ¡°Um, John,¡± came Rhia¡¯s voice. The gold and blue form shifted. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re seeing right now but being stared at with closed eyes is kind of unsettling.¡±

    I opened my eyes to find I was indeed staring right at Rhia.

    ¡°That was pretty cool,¡± I said. I tried to describe what I was seeing but found it difficult to put into words. I tried the lava lamp analogy, but that only netted me some raised eyebrows.

    ¡°So, you saw a glowing form where Rhia was sitting?¡± asked Linda. ¡°Like an aura, or her life energy, or some anime shit like that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess you could say that,¡± I nodded. ¡°I wonder if I can do it with my eyes open. Sorry if this makes you uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°Wait, me? I¡¯m not sure I want you seeing my life energy. I¡¯m not the most scrupulous person, you know,¡± Linda objected. Ignoring her, I tried to focus the same way I did when my eyes were closed. I was rewarded with a more subdued version of what I saw with Rhia. It was just an outline this time, and it was more reminiscent of an anime depiction of an aura than Rhia¡¯s glowing form. Linda¡¯s was more yellow, with hints of purple and gold. I saw a faint purple thread floating off of her and followed it over to where Shu was sitting, calmly drinking her tea and observing me. Shu was mostly purple with hints of gold and yellow. Curious, I looked down at my hands and closed my eyes.

    My hands, and the rest of me that I could see, was a radiant gold. Not blindingly so, but more like I was painted gold. I could see different colors swirling over me. Yellow, purple, orange, pink, black, and blue. Lots of blue. Looking around the room, I put two and two together. Rhia was no longer just a glowing form, but a more solidified figure. I was looking at a roughly half and half blue and gold form with hints of black and just a touch of pink that weren¡¯t noticeable before, her colors swirling around like a Van Gogh painting. Next to her was the black and blue form of Persia. She was mostly black, with traces of Rhia¡¯s sky blue mixed in. I could make out ephemeral strings attaching the two women, just like I saw with Linda and Shu. Looking up the Su and Hannah, their pink and orange forms clearly standing out, the same strings binding them. All six hand strings connecting back to me, although Persia¡¯s was the weakest looking, while Rhia¡¯s was the thickest. I understood what I was seeing. I was seeing the bonds and energies shared between everyone.

    As I expanded my senses to include a wider area, I could feel everyone around me. Here in the dining room. The maids working around our home. Ryo begging in the kitchen. The astronauts currently packing up their mission around the lander. This little area of the moon became a swirl of colors moving to and fro as they completed their individual jobs, strings of energy connecting everyone to someone. The astronauts had strings extending away from the moon, so I followed them, tracing their path back to Earth, where everything was a kaleidoscope wrapped in tie-dye spinning in a blender. More shades of color than I¡¯ve ever seen in my life, all moving about, all connected. If the world could see what I did, it might be a very different place. As my vision passed over certain areas, the occasional flicker of silver would catch my attention. Four or five at the most. As for gold like mine, none. I assumed this was because I was a deity.

    I moved my vision out to where I knew the incoming asteroid to be, but it was difficult to distinguish. I could make out its shape by the swirling movements inside of it. Everything seemed smoky. Various shades of gray in vague humanoid shapes, like Rhia first appeared to be. I could only assume this was because they fell under the influence of another god, which might explain why Persia had appeared black in my sight. She had spent so long keeping everything and everyone at arm¡¯s length, not believing or trusting anyone, her energy had turned black. It was a theory, at least. Since I¡¯d just discovered this, I wasn¡¯t sure how someone¡¯s personality affected their color. Shaking my head to get back on track, I focused back on the asteroid. I estimated about a hundred different smoky shadows on board. One seemed particularly light, almost silver, like the silver I spotted on Earth. Might be a leader or something, I thought.

    ¡°John?¡± I felt a hand touch mine and brought my mind back to the table. Rhia was holding my hand while everyone was staring at me, eyes wide.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, looking at everyone.

    ¡°You were glowing, My Husband,¡± Persia answered. I cocked an eyebrow at her curious form of address but was more interested in what she said before that.

    ¡°Glowing?¡±

    ¡°It was so cool! Your whole body just turned gold and you started emitting this glow! We almost couldn¡¯t look directly at you!¡± Hannah excitedly answered, everyone nodding in agreement with her assessment.

    ¡°Huh. Neat,¡± I said. ¡°So I looked to you like everyone looks to me when I use that sight, my life energy sight or vision or whatever you want to call it.¡±

    ¡°Life Sight?¡± Su suggested. She was clearly still proud of her ¡°Lay Planner¡± idea and wanted to add another naming to her achievements for the day, I guess.

    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll go with that. My life sight. I was just using it, actually. I saw everyone here, I saw their bonds with each other, I saw the whole moon, Earth, even the asteroid ship. While here and Earth were a tapestry of colors, the asteroid was more smoky and gray. I¡¯m betting it¡¯s because I have no influence over them as I do everyone here and on Earth.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility if they¡¯re followers of this Kamiki Persia was telling us about,¡± said Shu. ¡°Were you able to get an idea of how many are on there?¡±

    ¡°About a hundred. All shades of gray,¡± I said, hastily adding ¡°Whoever makes the obvious joke gets to help the Chinese clean up the mess on our roof.¡±

    Hannah and Linda¡¯s mouths snapped shut while Shu and Su looked on in amusement. Persia looked confused, but Rhia leaned over and told her she¡¯d explain it later.

    ¡°I did see something curious. One was almost silver. Near the center of the asteroid, separated from the rest.¡±

    Persia¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Alone?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Alone. It seemed like everyone was giving them a wide birth.¡±

    ¡°It might be an oracle,¡± she said thoughtfully.

    ¡°An oracle?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oracles are highly respected. None but the most devout can even approach them, and all must obey them as if they were Kamiki herself. It¡¯s said that Kamiki hand picks them due to their devotion.¡±

    I thought for a moment, then supplied my own theory.

    ¡°Maybe, or maybe there¡¯s something already there that she¡¯s taking advantage of. When I was looking at Earth, I saw four or five points of silver, not too dissimilar to what I saw on the ship. Maybe investigating them would shed some light on what we may be facing?¡±

    Rhia shrugged. ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt. Where did you see them?¡±

    I quickly activated my life sight and took a pass over Earth again.

    ¡°They¡¯re pretty spread out around the world. Looks like one is in Manhattan, another is in Tokyo. There¡¯s one smack dab in the center of Australia, one is in Moscow, and the last that I can see is in, um, Antarctica? Weird.¡± I opened my eyes again. ¡°Linda, you¡¯ve still got that office and apartment in Manhattan, don¡¯t you?¡±

    She scoffed. ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯m not giving it up just because you¡¯ve got this sweet pad here.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Perfect. Finish up your breakfast, we¡¯re going on a trip, and Persia, I¡¯d like you to come with us.¡±

    Persia¡¯s eyes went wide.

    *

    It was a couple hours before we finally managed to get to New York City, mostly thanks to Persia having a panic attack after my decision. We finally managed to calm her down by promising that we¡¯d alter her appearance, so no one would freak out like Linda did when they saw her. It didn¡¯t take a lot of work, really. Simply removing her fur and adjusting some facial features to appear a bit more human. The end product of that was a young woman with naked cat ears sticking out of her black and blonde hair, a naked tail sticking out of some jeans I snapped into existence for her, complete with tail hole, walking shoes, an NYU sweatshirt, and a Mets hat to cover her ears. Of course, we couldn¡¯t have a naked tail freaking everyone out, so I made it look like it was clipped on to the back of jeans and gave her back her fur there. We¡¯d tried removing the tail, but it turned out to be critical to her balance. I¡¯d assumed since she was walking upright it wouldn¡¯t make a difference, but her stumbling around after we tried proved otherwise. I also gave her a slight tan. Living on the moon for a thousand years had done nothing for her complexion.

    ¡°Why the Mets?¡± Linda asked, a slight look of disgust on her face. ¡°Why not the Yankees, or the Red Sox?¡±

    ¡°The Red Sox?! Are you trying to get the poor girl killed? We¡¯re going to New York City, for Christ¡¯s sake!¡± I responded incredulously. ¡°Besides, any jackass can claim to be a Yankees fan. It takes true dedication to be a Mets fan. I figured a Cubs fan would understand that much at least.¡±

    Linda held up her hands in surrender. ¡°Okay, okay. Sorry. Didn¡¯t realize it mattered that much.¡±

    ¡°Hell yes, it matters. Everywhere you go around the world you¡¯ll find someone who claims to be a Yankees fan, even if they¡¯ve never seen a game. The Mets need all the support they can get. Especially this season. Holy hell. What a tragedy they¡¯re turning out to be.¡±

    Rhia was just putting the finishing touches on her look as Persia examined herself in the giant mirror in the bedroom. Having only ever seen Persia in her maid uniform and the few seconds she had exposed herself to me yesterday, I had to admit that the cat could really rock a pair of jeans. That ass looked amazing. She caught me staring at it in the mirror and quickly turned around, attempting to hide it while simultaneously completely forgetting the purpose of a mirror, turning her face away shyly. With no fur to get in the way, her blushing cheeks were obvious to everyone around. She glanced at me again from the corner of her eye, and a hint of a smile touched her lips.

    Rhia came up from behind and rested her chin my shoulder, smiling at Persia¡¯s coyness. She kissed my cheek and asked if I was ready. A silly question, really, since I could be ready at the snap of my fingers, which I did. Suddenly Rhia and I were back to our date forms, as we¡¯d come to call them. This is what we looked like for our first date, up until we got to our hotel room that is. For our first night we wanted see each other. The real her. The real me. Not my god form that the world knew, but the me she discovered naked and confused one morning six years ago. For the actual date portions of our nights out, however, these were our favorite looks. Rhia was surprisingly sentimental about it.

    I looked at the three ladies here with me. ¡°Are we ready?¡±

    Rhia said she was while Linda gave me a thumbs up. Persia still looked nervous though. Things were happening too fast for her. In the space of a day she¡¯d gone from paranoid recluse to married, and then married again when she and Rhia bonded, and now she was about to hit the streets of New York just in time for rush hour. She was like a child that was just learning how to walk only to be suddenly tossed into a marathon. I felt bad about rushing her like this and would do my best to make it up to her later, but my instincts told me I needed her with me today.

    ¡°Alright, ladies, let¡¯s be about it then.¡± I snapped my fingers.

    -

    We were standing in an upscale apartment that overlooked the city. In the distance we could make out notable landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and, of course, Freedom Tower. Screw whatever the official title was. Freedom Tower sounded cooler. Persia moved to the window, planting her hands and forehead against it, marveling at the site. Rhia moved up beside her and answered any questions she had while I reacquainted myself with the apartment. I¡¯d been here before, of course, before Linda had moved to the moon, and I noticed very little had changed. Each room was partitioned with glass, in the way that rich people liked to show off everything they owned. I caught site of her bedroom area and chuckled.

    ¡°Never fixed the headboard, eh?¡±

    ¡°Are kidding me? That¡¯s a badge of honor right there. Who else can say they pleased a god enough that he ripped an oak headboard in half when he came?¡±

    I laughed. ¡°That was a great night. Didn¡¯t you have lamps on the end tables though?¡±

    Linda smiled and winked. ¡°That was Shu. You know she¡¯s a thrasher. Took both out within seconds of each other.¡±

    ¡°Impressive.¡± I clapped my hands together. ¡°Right, enough reminiscing. It¡¯s time we got down to business. Rhia, let¡¯s show Persia what everything looks like from street level.¡±

    ¡°Coming,¡± she replied, then took Persia¡¯s hand and followed Linda and me out the door.

    -

    ¡°Why is everyone staring at me?¡± whined Persia as we made our way east.

    I chuckled. ¡°One of three reasons. One: you¡¯re clinging to Rhia like everyone is a possible kidnapper. Two: you¡¯re outrageously beautiful and people can¡¯t fathom it.¡±

    She blushed. ¡°And three?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a tail. Even in New York City, that¡¯s bound to attract attention. And, of course, when they follow that tail to its source, they can¡¯t help but be enthralled with that delicious ass of yours.¡±

    Persia let out a little squeal and tried to cover her rear end with the hand that didn¡¯t have a death grip on Rhia. Linda smacked the back of my head, while Rhia shot me a dirty look.

    ¡°Can you stop teasing your wife long enough to find our target? It may not look like it, but I¡¯m actually a busy woman,¡± Linda said. ¡°Billion dollar businesses don¡¯t run themselves, you know.¡±

    ¡°Right, right. Gimme a sec.¡± I closed my eyes and activated my life sight. Instantly the city turned into a Jackson Pollack painting. Splashes of color everywhere I looked almost overwhelmed me for a second.

    ¡°Is that guy glowing?¡± I heard someone say, reminding me that the girls had told me about this side effect. I immediately stopped what I was doing and gave an apologetic half smile to everyone around me. Persia was looking even more nervous now that I had drawn more attention to our little group. Linda was pretending not to know us as she wandered away a little bit, and Rhia was pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head.

    Well, I¡¯ve already gone this far. May as well go whole hog. Girls, I thought, brace yourselves. We¡¯re about to attract a whole bunch of attention now. Rhia quietly muttered ¡°shit,¡± while Persia looked up in sheer terror.

    ¡°Wait! You don¡¯t mean-¡±

    Falling back on my theatrics, I transformed back into my god form in blinding radiance, forcing everyone to shield their eyes for a second. I used that opportunity to activate life sight covering the city, quickly locating our target. A silver shape in Central Park, with two red shapes on either side of it. Something felt off about those red shapes to me. The hints of black swirling within them weren¡¯t helping. This wasn¡¯t like Persia¡¯s black, which seemed to indicate her lack of belief in anything. This red and black combo just felt¡­ wrong. I dropped my life sight and spun to face the girls, whom I¡¯d forcibly returned to their original forms. Rhia stood there, tall and regal, golden blonde hair cascading down her back, her white and grey wings spread majestically behind her. Persia¡¯s fur and facial features had returned. The crowd around us grew and cell phones were pointed at us from every direction.

    ¡°My friends! It was my intention to enjoy your wonderful city today as a guest of Ms. Nelson here, but I¡¯m afraid something has come up and I must depart early.¡± I could hear the crowd chattering around me, remarking on Rhia¡¯s beauty and Persia¡¯s, um, catness. As expected when presented with a beautiful woman, some men forgot themselves.

    ¡°Hey, kitty kitty. I got a mouse you can play with!¡±

    I snapped my fingers and the cat caller, no pun intended, was standing before me. It took a second for him to realize just what had happened, then his gaze climbed up my broad chest to finally meet my eyes.

    ¡°A mouse, you say?¡± I growled at him. ¡°I can make that happen, if you wish. I¡¯ve never turned someone¡¯s junk into a rodent before. I¡¯m curious as to what would happen. Would you like to be my first test subject?¡±

    The color drained from the man¡¯s face and he rapidly shook his head no.

    ¡°I¡¯m not generally one for forcing apologies out of people who aren¡¯t actually sorry for what they¡¯ve done, which is what you¡¯re also guilty of. Right now you¡¯re just sorry you got caught. However, if you offer her a sincere sounding apology for the benefit of all these cameras and phones pointed at us, I may let you off the hook with a simple reminder to never treat women like this again. Do we have a deal?¡±

    Mutely the young man nodded, then turned and faced Persia, who half hid behind Rhia.

    ¡°You have my deepest apologies, ma¡¯am. I was so taken with your beauty that I couldn¡¯t contain myself. I promise to never speak to a woman like that without thinking again.¡±

    Persia¡¯s eyes shifted between the young man, me, and back again. She then looked at Rhia, who gave her a comforting smile and a small nod. Persia slowly stepped out from behind Rhia, surprising me. She tried to mimic Rhia¡¯s regal stance, not doing too bad a job of it, and hesitantly gave her response.

    ¡°I-if My Husband forgives you, th-thensoshallI!¡± The last half of her sentence tumbled out of her mouth in a rush, like she was reaching her limit on bravery for the day and just wanted this to be over. The crowd was silent. It seemed everything in the city had stopped momentarily. I felt an internal kick in my gut as her words registered, then looked around at all the cell phones pointed at our little party. Linda was in the back of the crowd, desperately trying to hold in her laughter. Her face was beet red and tears escaping down her cheeks. The young man, who was merely scared before, now had a look of abject terror on his face as he slowly turned to face me.

    Persia had just announced to him, the crowd, and, through their phones the world, that we were married.

 Thirteen: The Pink One Dreams

    ¡°Persia, sweetheart, we have to get a move on. We came down here for a reason.¡±

    ¡°No! There were too many people starrring. I embarrassed ourrrr Husband! Eitherrr leave me herrre orrr send me home!¡±

    I watched Rhia try to coax Persia from under Linda¡¯s bed sheets. We had retreated back to the apartment after Persia¡¯s accidental announcement on the street. With a snap of my fingers and a ¡°there you have it¡± smile to the crowd, we disappeared before the shock had worn off. Upon our arrival, Persia realized what she¡¯d done and immediately sought the nearest place to hide from sight, which was difficult considering the clear glass walls of the apartment. She ended up retreating to Linda¡¯s bed and threw the comforter over herself, oblivious of everything below her waist sticking out for the rest of us to see. She was so out of sorts over this that she¡¯d lapsed back into rolling her R¡¯s again. Quite aggressively too.

    ¡°She really has nothing to be embarrassed about. Not like it¡¯s the world¡¯s business anyway,¡± I said, wondering how best to comfort her while admiring the ass and tail she had on display.

    Linda looked up from her smartphone. ¡°Actually, this is a bigger deal than you think it is.¡± She flipped on her TV with a phone app and tuned it to a major news network.

    ¡°Breaking news out of New York City today that Zekken, the self-proclaimed god that first appeared a few years ago, is apparently married. We have exclusive video of the accidental announcement, and you¡¯ll see why this is attracting so much attention. Let¡¯s watch.¡±

    The ¡°exclusive video¡± was the expected shaky cell phone footage from one of the dozen or so phones that had recorded the encounter on the street. The video started just as I¡¯d reverted us back to our regular appearance, showed the man to man I¡¯d had with the kid, and the aftermath of his apology. The image then zoomed in on Persia, then split screened to show her side by side next to one of the many pictures taken of me over the years.

    ¡°Social media has blown up over this newest revelation about the mysterious man, and many are wondering not only who this woman is, but what. Is she suffering from a skin condition? Is this an experiment of his? Is she even human? As we can see in the video, what skin we can see appears to be covered in fur, her face has slightly feline features, and she has a cat like tail. Is this a woman in elaborate makeup, as many believe, calling it a publicity stunt, or has Zekken, who¡¯s demonstrated astonishing powers in the past, somehow created a hybrid human? We¡¯ll update this story as we learn more details.

    In other news from around the world, China has called a premature end to their historic moon landing, citing a hazardous meteor shower that was previously undetected that could risk the lives of the men¡­¡±

    ¡°These guys would really lose their minds if they found out she was alien,¡± I muttered. ¡°Turn it off.¡± I made my way over to Linda¡¯s room. Rhia saw me coming and met me at the door while Persia wailed in the background.

    ¡°Perhaps it was too soon to bring her down. Maybe if we sent her home until this blows over?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Despite her fear, she still tried to face the kid head on and accept his apology. It wasn¡¯t until she realized that she¡¯d call me her husband that she started freaking out. This is just embarrassment, not her paranoia kicking in. Let me speak with her a minute.¡±

    Rhia eyed me. ¡°We don¡¯t have long, you know. We have to find your silver person with enough time to figure out what they are. Do you still know where they are?¡±

    Activating my life sight again, I quickly zeroed in on their location. They were walking down a heavily trafficked street, the red and black pair no longer by their side¡­ oh, there they are, keeping pace about half a block back. Something still didn¡¯t sit right with me about them. Shifting back into my date form, I glanced back at Persia, then faced Rhia.

    ¡°Shit. Something doesn¡¯t feel right near silver. I¡¯m going to go check things out quickly. Please, you and Linda keep her company? I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Rhia nodded, then reached up and gave me a quick kiss and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. She¡¯s my sister and wife. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±

    ¡°As will I,¡± Linda said, walking up behind me. ¡°Do I get a kiss too, fianc¨¦?¡±

    I obliged her, then vanished from the apartment.

    -

    I popped into an alleyway near my targets. Using just the aura portion of life sight, I tried to spot them as I exited onto the sidewalk. There, half a block in front of me, I saw the angry red auras of two men. Further up ahead I could make out a flash of silver through the crowd. The men were moving quickly, attempting to keep pace with silver. Glancing up ahead I saw silver make a sharp right turn down another street as they glanced behind them. Through the crowd I was only able to make out what seemed to be pink hair and sunglasses before the corner building blocked my view. I easily caught up to the red and black duo as they made it to the intersection and made to follow silver. While covering the half block to her turn, they¡¯d lost sight of her and were no longer hiding the fact that they were following her.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± left red said. ¡°Where the fuck she go?¡±

    ¡°How the fuck should I know?¡± responded right red. ¡°How the fuck you lose a woman with pink hair around here?¡±

    Checking my life sight quick enough for people to think my glowing was just sunlight reflecting off a passing car, I found her closer than I¡¯d expected. She was in the next alley, clearly hiding behind something. Curious to see what would happen, I decided to play along. I tapped on left red¡¯s shoulder. A face too young to pull off the tough look he was attempting whipped around.

    ¡°The fuck you want, old man?¡±

    Old? I thought. I¡¯m only 41, you little shit. I heard a soft chuckle in the back of my mind, reminding me that Rhia was perpetually in my head. Sighing, I shook my head.

    ¡°I was just going to say I thought I saw a woman with pink hair go down that alley, but I may have been mistaken. I am old after all, and my eyes aren¡¯t what they used to be.¡±

    Both kids looked me up and down, taking in my gamer t-shirt, sneakers, and name brand jeans. I made a show of pulling the newest, most expensive phone on the market out of my back pocket to check something. That caught their interest. When they thought I wasn¡¯t paying attention, the two ¡°tough¡± kids gave each other a slight nod.

    Right red tried to be more diplomatic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my friend¡¯s rudeness. Would you, uh, mind showing us where you saw her, sir?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Why certainly, young man. You¡¯re, uh, not trying to do anything bad to her or anything, are you? Cause I¡¯d hate to be a party to that.¡±

    ¡°That ain¡¯t none of your fucking-¡± left red began before right red slapped a hand over his mouth.

    ¡°N-not at all, sir. Y¡¯see, that¡¯s our teacher, and we just wanted to discuss a grade she gave us in class yesterday.¡±

    I made a show of stroking my beard and thinking. ¡°That¡¯s your teacher? My, they sure are pretty nowadays. Most of my teachers looked like old pit bulls that had been beat with waffle irons.¡± Which wasn¡¯t true at all. Only some of them looked like that. I did still have fond memories of my first drama teacher in high school, though. Wonder what she¡¯s up to these days?

    John¡­ a warning thought warned in my head. Right. Rhia. Oops.

    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± said right red, hand still covering the muttering left¡¯s mouth. ¡°So anyway, if you could help out, sir, we¡¯d greatly appreciate it.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Alright, well if it¡¯s nothing bad, then come on.¡± I led them around the corner of the building into the alley. I could see wisps of her aura peeking out around a nearby pile of boxes.

    Left red caught up and passed me, with right red not too far behind.

    ¡°Yo! Miss Dusty! We know you¡¯re back here!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, bitch! We gotta talk! It was rude of you to run from us in the park.¡±

    I watched the punks trot down the alleyway calling out for her, passing by the completely obvious boxes Miss Dusty was hiding behind. Are these guys really that stupid? I thought.

    Left whipped around and glared at me. ¡°Hey! You fuckin¡¯ said she went this way! Are you wastin¡¯ our time?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I just said I¡¯d show you which way she went. It¡¯s not my fault y¡¯all are too stupid to actually find her.¡±

    Right red, being closer to me, decided he¡¯d drop his nice guy act and pulled out a small knife.

    ¡°Alright, listen, old man. We ain¡¯t got time to be playin¡¯ around. You just cost us a chance at some prime ass, and you¡¯re gonna make up for that.¡±

    I arched an eyebrow. Rapists. Figures. If there¡¯s something I can¡¯t stand more than bigots, it¡¯s racists. Them and pedophiles are definitely in my top five most hated groups of people. The other two being Nickelback fans and those whose social media responses begin with ¡°As a veteran¡­¡± I¡¯ll leave the actual order of said groups up to your imagination.

    ¡°Oh?¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to decline. While I¡¯m sure you two would be handsome men if you matured and took better care of yourselves, it¡¯s not quite what I¡¯m into.¡±

    Left red turned, well, red, and started blustering while pulling out a snub nosed revolver. ¡°We ain¡¯t gay, you fuckin¡¯ moron! You¡¯re gonna repay us by handing over that fancy phone and any money you got on you. ¡®Cause of you I can¡¯t stick my dick in that fine ass of hers, and you owe me for that.¡±

    I smiled, then shifted into my god form. Ok, I may have beefed up my muscles a bit, just to up the intimidation factor. Both of the reds¡¯ eyes got huge.

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly welcome to try, ladies.¡±

    ¡°I-is that fuckin¡¯ All-Might?!¡± left exclaimed. Right was shaking his head next to him.

    ¡°Uh uh. Nah man. That¡¯s fuckin¡¯ Zekken! Ain¡¯t you seen the news?¡±

    ¡°That dude who thinks he¡¯s a god? I thought that was just a joke!¡±

    I smirked. ¡°Do I look like a joke to you, little girl?¡± I glanced over to the pile of boxes. ¡°Miss Dusty, was it? You can come out of there. You¡¯ll be perfectly safe, I assure you.¡±

    The boxes to my left shuffled a bit, before a shock of pink hair suddenly appeared around them. Following the hair was a pretty face half obscured with large sunglasses. On her cheeks were streaks where you could tell her makeup had run. She¡¯d obviously been crying. She was thin. Waifish, in fact. Wearing a light tan leather jacket, skintight black jeans, and heels, she seemed to fit the rich heiress stereotype in looks alone, if you disregarded the crazy hair color.

    She looked nervously at the two young men as they shifted between keeping a wary eye on me and devouring her with their eyes. I motioned for her to join me at my side, and she quickly made her way there, never taking her eyes off of them.

    ¡°Do you know these kids, ma¡¯am?¡± I asked her. She gave a hesitant nod.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m a student teacher at their school. They¡¯ve been harassing me all morning. Every time I thought I got away, they found me.¡±

    I chuckled a little. ¡°To be fair, your hair does make you stand out a fair bit in a crowd.¡±

    Absentmindedly she reached a hand up to play with her hair. With a nervous smile she said ¡°Yeah, I guess it does.¡±

    Red left was fuming at being ignored. He brandished his gun at us again.

    ¡°Hey! Who you callin¡¯ a fuckin¡¯ kid!? Don¡¯t you see I got a gun here?¡±

    ¡°And? Am I supposed to be impressed?¡± I asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

    A response he clearly wasn¡¯t expecting. His mouth worked a couple times, no sounds coming as he contemplated what I meant. It was clear that, to him, having a gun meant being in control.

    ¡°Well?¡± I goaded. I motioned for Miss Dusty to remain where she was, then started taking slow and deliberate steps towards the two flabbergasted teens. ¡°I asked you a question, child. You have a gun. Am I supposed to be impressed?¡±

    Red right was obviously the more intelligent of the two, not that it was saying much. He started to pull on left¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°Hey man, we should probably go. I don¡¯t like this. If he really is Zekken, we¡¯re fucked.¡±

    I moved my hand up, raising the two boys off their feet, leaving them dangling in the air. I do like my theatrics.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s far too late for that. You¡¯ve harassed this poor woman, followed her, told me you wanted to rape her, threatened me with a gun, and confused me for All-Might. I admit I do enjoy that show as much as the next god, but it¡¯s not in my top five.¡±

    I doubted they heard the last part of my speech, being too busy pissing themselves and all. Panicked, left pointed his gun at me and pulled the trigger six times. Well, he pulled it a lot, but only the first six mattered, as he ran out of bullets after that. I lazily caught each one, and then held them up in the palm of my hand.

    ¡°And now we can add attempted murder. I believe you two will be coming with me. Don¡¯t bother trying to resist.¡± I turned around started walking towards the nervous woman, the boys floating behind me as I moved.

    ¡°Are you busy, ma¡¯am? You¡¯re actually why I came down here. There¡¯s something I need to ask you. I¡¯m willing to compensate your time if you want.¡±

    -

    Reappearing in the apartment, I saw that Persia was still in bed, but was no longer trying to hide her face from the world. Seeing me, she blushed and looked away. Rhia patted her hand and got up to come greet me. Linda took her place on the bed and pulled Persia in for a hug, who, after hesitating a second, accepted it.

    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± one of the boys floating behind me asked.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with you two later. Ma¡¯am, if you¡¯ll have a seat please. Feel free to get comfortable.¡± I indicated the couch, and the dazed woman did so.

    I smiled as Rhia approached me. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m home.¡±

    ¡°And you brought friends I see,¡± she said, smiling at the woman on the couch and frowning at the teens hanging in the air behind me.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Had a little excitement. These two miscreants were harassing her. I couldn¡¯t decide on what to do with them just yet, so I brought them along.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Must¡¯ve been something serious for you to delay punishment.¡±

    ¡°Harassment with intent to rape. And they pulled a gun on me.¡±

    She glowered at the boys, a dark energy starting to come off her with intense pressure. ¡°Rape, you say?¡±

    The boys turned white as sheets as the supernatural energy hit them. I placed a hand on her arm.

    ¡°Not now, babe. We don¡¯t want to mess up Linda¡¯s lovely floor when they soil themselves.¡±

    Rhia gave me a sidelong glare, but she calmed herself down.

    ¡°Great. We can deal with them later. Right now, we have a guest.¡± I indicated the now absolutely terrified woman sitting on the couch. Rhia¡¯s little display wasn¡¯t directional. It just radiated from her in all directions, so unfortunately our guest got caught in the blast as well. Rhia realized this and immediately rushed to her side to apologize. I took the opportunity to take our floating budding bad guys and deposited them in Linda¡¯s little kitchenette.

    ¡°You guys can hang out here, if you like.¡± Despite being terrified, right red still managed to roll his eyes at my word play. Leaving them floating there, I went to check on my other two ladies. Upon entering the bedroom area, Linda got up and gave me a peck on the cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go play host for our guest. Spend a couple minutes with her, will you?¡±

    ¡°Gotcha babe. Uh, there are a couple hooligans hanging out in your kitchenette. Just move them if they¡¯re in the way.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    She gave a lazy wave over her shoulder as she made her way to the living area. I moved closer to the bed and took a seat next to Persia, who was in the process of trying to hide under the blanket again. I debated just making it disappear but forcing the issue wouldn¡¯t help in this case.

    ¡°Feeling a little better?¡±

    ¡°Embarrassed. I¡¯ve never been so embarrassed,¡± came the muffled reply from under the blanket. Well, at least her speech has settled down.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to be embarrassed about you know. I¡¯m not embarrassed at all.¡±

    ¡°People were staring at me. They made fun of me. I told everyone we were married.¡±

    ¡°People were staring because they¡¯ve never seen one of your kind before. Not in real life anyway. That one guy apologized, too. I was happy when you didn¡¯t hide behind Rhia to accept it. And who cares if the world knows we¡¯re married? It¡¯s not like I was keeping it a secret you know. It¡¯s only been a day.¡±

    Slowly her slightly flattened ears appeared above the blanket, then her eyes. The bottom half of her face remained firmly locked behind the cotton wall though.

    ¡°You¡¯re not embarrassed? Not ashamed of me?¡±

    I lowered my face until we were eye to eye. Her blue and green irises were breathtaking. Like staring into a shallow coral reef. Slowly I cupped the side of her head with my hand, softly stroking her cheek with my thumb. While there wasn¡¯t as much as there was before her bonding with Rhia, the fur under my hand felt divine. The misogynistic part of my very male brain tended to prefer my women with as little hair as possible on their body, but it was definitely making an exception for this beauty. Pulling on her face gently, I brought her head closer to mine. I leaned up and kissed her forehead, then touched mine to hers, staring into her eyes from an inch away.

    ¡°My dear, I would never feel ashamed or embarrassed of or because of you. I know this morning was rough, but it was my fault, not yours. And I don¡¯t think you have to worry about the world. They¡¯re fascinated by you. In the news clip I saw, all they talked about was you. I was standing right next to you. So was Rhia. The earth shatteringly beautiful Rhia wasn¡¯t mentioned once. It was all about you. How could I feel ashamed of that? I couldn¡¯t be prouder of my wife.¡±

    I could see tears forming in her eyes, and feel her cheeks heating up, but she never looked away from my own eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not embarrassed?¡± she asked softly.

    ¡°Not even a little.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t feel ashamed that I said you were my husband to everyone?¡±

    I smirked a little. ¡°I think I¡¯d feel insulted if you did. Aren¡¯t you proud to be my wife? I¡¯m proud to be your husband. You¡¯ve made so much progress in a day.¡±

    She nodded, forehead rocking against mine. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have a husband. I didn¡¯t trust men. I still don¡¯t trust men. I trust you though. I¡¯m proud to be your wife. I want to bring you happiness and joy for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°And I want to do the same for you. So please, stop feeling embarrassed and ashamed. You¡¯re worth so much more to me than the opinions of strangers. Okay?¡±

    Another head nod.

    ¡°Great. Would you like to meet our guest? She¡¯s the silver one I told you about. The whole reason we came down here.¡±

    She hesitated, seeming to think about, as she pulled the blanket back up to her face. I leaned pack and patted the leg shaped lump under the blanket.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. You can come out when you¡¯re ready, or not at all. It¡¯s your choice.¡± I started to get up from the bed when she suddenly grabbed my arm.

    ¡°Wait,¡± she said softly, looking up at me. She dropped the blanket from her face and reached for my face. Grabbing me much like I had her a couple minutes ago, she pulled my head towards hers. She paused briefly, then, with a look of conviction, kissed me. I was completely caught off guard, but quickly responded. There was much more ferocity in that one kiss than I ever expected out of the timid woman. Like a dam had burst inside of her and all that energy needed to go somewhere. Her tongue sought out mine as she breathed heavily through her nose. Not breaking the kiss, she climbed out of the blanket and swung a leg over my lap, straddling me. Her hands were roaming my body, and I belatedly remembered I was still in my buffed-up form that I¡¯d used to intimidate the two hooligans. She started pulling at my shirt, but a cleared throat stopped her.

    Eyebrows drawn together in anger at having been interrupted, she turned and hissed at the throat in question, only to stop once she saw Rhia leaning up against glass wall. Rhia for her part, didn¡¯t say anything, but hooked a thumb over her shoulder, indicating the living area. The same living area that we could see quite clearly through the glass wall and had a very clear view of where we were. Linda and our guest were both sitting sideways on the couch facing each other. Linda had her face in her palm, slowly shaking her head, while our guest stared, open mouthed, at Persia. I gave everyone a little wave and a smile. Persia was about to dive back under the blanket again, but froze, staring at the new woman on the couch. Then, before Rhia and I could react, Persia was out of the room like a bullet, crashing through the glass wall like it wasn¡¯t even there, coming to a stop crouching behind the couch and staring the poor woman in the eyes.

    Rhia and I exchanged confused looks, then made to follow her. Fixing the glass wall with a thought after I¡¯d passed through it, I approached the couch and Persia.

    ¡°Persia? Something the matter?¡± I asked cautiously.

    ¡°Silver eyes,¡± she whispered in awe. ¡°She has the silver eyes of an Oracle.¡±

    I glanced at the woman on the couch, who was still wearing her sunglasses. Slowly she pulled them off and looked around to each of us.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen all of you before, you know,¡± she said softly. ¡°My name is Liliana Dusty, and I¡¯ve seen this moment in my dreams.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± was all I could manage.

    She stood up and walked around the couch until she was standing in front of me. She held out her hand.

    ¡°Please, call me Lily, Mr. Badger. I have a feeling we¡¯re going to get to know each other very well if we survive the next week. And you can let those two in the kitchen go. One way or another, they won¡¯t be bothering anyone like they did me today.¡±

    Keeping my eyes on the silver ones of hers, I summoned the floating pair to my side. I turned to face them, bringing them up to my eye level. They were staring at each of the women in the room. Without fear or malice, but in awe. I snapped my fingers to get their attention.

    ¡°Gentlemen, I assume you understand that you¡¯re getting off easy today?¡±

    Both nodded their heads quickly.

    ¡°And I also assume you realize what may happen if I ever catch wind of you two acting like this again?¡±

    More head nods.

    Lily gave a small wave to get their attention.

    ¡°Billy.¡± Red left looked at her.

    ¡°Carlos.¡± Red right looked at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to focus. I¡¯ve seen your work in school. When you apply yourselves, you¡¯re beyond exceptional. Don¡¯t let others bully you into being something you¡¯re not. Billy, you¡¯re an excellent writer. Please focus on that. Tell the story of Zekken. Do your research. Don¡¯t fall for the hype. Trust me, okay?¡±

    Billy nodded.

    ¡°Carlos, get your spot back on the baseball team. I think you¡¯ll do amazing things on the field in your life, and the Mets have needed a good centerfielder ever since they traded Conforto away.¡±

    ¡°Right?! What a bonehead move that was,¡± I interjected as Carlos nodded. Rhia and Persia both smacked the back of my head, then shared a giggle. I was beyond happy that Persia was coming out of her shell, but if those two were going to team up on me, it may lead to a troublesome life for me.

    Lily nodded at me, indicating it was alright to release them. I lowered them to the ground and released my hold on them. As a courtesy, I also cleaned them up with a thought, remembering that they¡¯d messed themselves in the alley.

    ¡°Alright guys, you heard Miss Dusty. I expect remarkable things from you. If she hadn¡¯t asked for this as the victim, I can assure you that I would not have been so kind. In line with respecting her wishes for the best for you, I¡¯ll have those weapons of yours now.¡± I held out my hand, and they placed the revolver and the knife there. An idea turned in my head.

    ¡°Lily, did you say this one here was a writer?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°A good one too, when he¡¯s not trying to show off for the local hoodlums.¡±

    I nodded and focused on the revolver, exercising a touch of divine will. The revolver floated up in the air, slowly revolving as it liquified, lengthened and became cylindrical. Billy¡¯s eyes widened at the display. The form finally resolved itself into a pen of a straightforward design. I stuck with the blue and black marbling common to our abode on the moon. Along the side I engraved one of my favorite Ben Franklin sayings, with a stylized Z on the other side. I handed the pen to Billy, who examined it.

    ¡°It¡¯s heavy,¡± he said, testing the weight.

    ¡°Must be all those words inside waiting to be used,¡± I said, feeling proud of myself for being so quotable. ¡°And it¡¯s made out of a gun. Guns were created to take lives. That pen was created to make worlds. Don¡¯t disappoint me, Billy.¡±

    He looked up at me in awe. ¡°You¡¯re really a god, aren¡¯t you? Zekken really is a god.¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged. Now,¡± I held up the knife. ¡°What should I do with this, Mr. Carlos?¡±

    He thought for a second, then pulled a necklace out from under his shirt. It was a cross. He pulled the chain over his head and held it out to me.

    ¡°Can you make something like this, but with a Z or something?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You can use this too if you want to.¡±

    I held up my hand. ¡°No need for that. One promise I made with an old friend was that I wouldn¡¯t desecrate anything belonging to the current religions. I keep my word. Give me a second here.¡±

    I repeated the same trick with the knife that I had with the gun, liquifying and reshaping it, until I had another stylish Z and a thin but unbreakable chain, once again in the blue and black marbling with a hint of gold thrown in to accent the Z. I handed it to him. Stuffing his cross into his pocket, he immediately placed his new necklace around his neck. Inwardly I winced. Sorry, Hans, old friend. That wasn¡¯t my intention.

    ¡°There you go. Whenever you feel the need to act like you did today, feel the weight of that chain, and remember how you felt when I treated you like a helpless victim. That¡¯s not a feeling you ever want to revisit, is it?¡±

    Carlos shook his head.

    ¡°Then do your best to ensure no one else feels it as well.¡± I clapped both boys on the shoulder. ¡°Now, you boys have a story to tell, don¡¯t you? You met the mighty Zekken, his wives, and an oracle. No one will believe you, I¡¯m sure, but you know what happened, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    ¡°Wives?¡± asked Billy. ¡°As in more than one?¡±

    Smiling, I introduced the ladies around me. Rhia looked regal as she greeted them, still not entirely pleased with their life choices up to this point. Persia gave a cautious smile. Linda needed no introduction for them, as her HorizonTech products were freely supplied to high schools all over the country, including theirs. She made no effort to correct anyone who thought she was already wed to me, though, as opposed to just engaged.

    ¡°You ain¡¯t married to him too, are you Miss Dusty?¡± Carlos asked.

    She gave them an odd look. ¡°I met him the same time you did, numbskull.¡± She then gave me an appraising look. ¡°Not to say it isn¡¯t a possibility in the future though, maybe?¡±

    One can always spot the moment a young man¡¯s hopes and dreams are dashed to nothing. Poor Carlos just about deflated on the spot. Frankly, I was impressed he actually thought he might have stood a chance in the future, considering his earlier intentions, but I guess that¡¯s the optimism of virginity. Ever hopeful you¡¯ll get the hot chick, no matter how much of an ass you act. Pretending not to notice the appraisal and not reacting to her addendum, I started shuffling the boys out of the apartment.

    ¡°Alright boys, we¡¯ve got work to do, so go on home. Get out there and live by the quote on the pen I gave you. ¡®Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing!¡¯¡±

    ¡°W-w-w-wait!¡± Billy said. ¡°We¡¯re on the other side of town! We ain¡¯t got no money for a cab or nuthin¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Walk,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s healthy for you. And pull your damn pants up. Belts go around your waist, not your thighs.¡± I closed the door on their backs then turned to the girls, rubbing my hands together. ¡°Right! Who¡¯s hungry? Let¡¯s go somewhere nice and talk this out, shall we?¡±

    -

    ¡°Somewhere nice¡± turned out to be a burger joint that Lily suggested. The five of us were sitting in a corner booth, with me in the middle. To my right, Persia was pressed up against me, back in her coed look. This time we managed to convince to her to at least pretend her tail was a belt and wrap it around her waist. This didn¡¯t help her balance at all, so I offered her my arm to lean on when we walked in. I had finally remembered to shrink back down to my ¡°date persona¡± and had switched Rhia back as well, who was currently sitting on the other side of Persia. Lily was directly to my left and Linda complimented Rhia¡¯s bookending of our party. I did draw a few jealous stares as I entered the joint with four attractive women, but no one paid it any mind accept for Persia, who was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, if you¡¯ll pardon the expression.

    Now, however, her eyes were sparkling as she devoured her salmon burger. Lily had suggested she try it and had ordered one for herself as well. I wasn¡¯t sure if she was just trying to see if the catgirl would eat the fish burger, if her oracle abilities had told her, or if she genuinely loved the burger and wanted to share her joy with someone. Could be a combination of all three for all I know. Either way, Persia was happy, and that left me grateful for the pink haired beauty.

    Taking a sip of my soda, something I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d missed while on the moon, I looked over at Lily.

    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m your dream guy?¡±

    Lily choked on her food, then gave me a dirty look. I heard an odd scratching sound from my right and discovered Persia¡¯s nails were dug into the table as she stared intently at Lily, obviously waiting for an answer. This reaction even caught Rhia off guard, whose wide eyes looked from the table to my equally wide ones. Linda continued eating, seemingly oblivious to what just happened. Rhia slowly placed a hand on Persia¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Persia? Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I just want to know her intentions towards Our Husband, Sister. More wives means less time for us, right?¡±

    Rhia and Linda traded looks, before Linda joined in.

    ¡°You do know that there are four more women engaged to him, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that. This girl is new though. She just met him. She can¡¯t be a wife yet.¡±

    Yet? I thought to Rhia, blocking the thought from Persia. Should we remind her that she was engaged and married to me within hours of speaking to me for the first time?

    Probably shouldn¡¯t, Rhia thought back. I¡¯m going to speak to her and see if she¡¯ll let me probe her mind a bit later. Her attachment to you has grown surprisingly strong in a day and a half. Almost too much so. I want to make sure she doesn¡¯t become obsessed just because you¡¯re the first guy to treat her kindly.

    Yeah. Yandere isn¡¯t my preferred waifu setting. Let me try to calm her down.

    I leaned over and spoke softly to her as I gently laid my hand over hers. ¡°I was only joking, sweetheart. We just met. I doubt she¡¯s interested in me like that.¡±

    ¡°Yes she is,¡± Persia stated confidently. ¡°I can smell it. She wants to mate.¡±

    All eyes turned to Lily, who was turning bright red while trying to hide behind her burger.

    ¡°Um,¡± I began, not sure where to go from there. ¡°Uh, you can smell it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She has the same smell as Su and Hannah. They always smell like that around you. And Sister Rhia. And each other. They always smell like that when they¡¯re in heat, and they¡¯re always in heat.¡±

    Those two are the biggest nymphos on the moon, I allowed.

    ¡°W-well, I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say no if he offered, but I sense it¡¯s not time to yet,¡± Lily said.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®not time to yet?¡¯¡± I asked.

    ¡°I mentioned my dreams before, right? I get glimpses of possible futures in my sleep. It started a few years ago. At first, I thought it was a nightmare, but I had the same dream almost every night for a week, and then it came true. Since then I¡¯ve figured out that the more intense a future may be, the more I dream about it. Lately it¡¯s been a flying mountain. It¡¯s weird though.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I see the mountain in my dreams, but then it¡¯s just cats. Everywhere are cats, and the world is overrun with them.¡±

    ¡°Junaians,¡± Persia said softly.

    ¡°Ju-what now?¡± Lily asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re not cats. They¡¯re Junaians. They¡¯re from my homeworld, and they¡¯re here to capture Earth.¡±

    ¡°Homeworld? Well, that¡¯s troubling, but it makes more sense than my dream. So that asteroid that NASA says is going to pass close by the planet¡­¡±

    ¡°Is actually aiming for it,¡± I finished. ¡°It¡¯s got about a hundred Junaians aboard, including one who gives off the same energy you do.¡±

    ¡°Energy?¡± Lily asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain that later. Anyway, that¡¯s why we¡¯re down here, looking for you. I was curious what someone with that energy was, and if they could help us at all.¡± I paused as I took another sip of my soda. ¡°Incidentally, what was that first dream you were telling us about? You said it came true?¡±

    Her attention focused on her plate, hands in her lap, she spoke softly.

    ¡°I was standing on a highway. Next to me was a sign that said ¡®Welcome to Texas.¡¯¡± She looked up at me. ¡°And for as far as the eye could see, everything behind it was on fire.¡±

    For the next hour we filled Lily on what¡¯s been happening over the last few years from our perspective, as well as my short and long term goals for the planet. She, in return, told us about the dreams she had, and more about herself. Comparing her dreams and our adventures, it was easy enough to determine that the two were linked.

    ¡°It is as I said,¡± confirmed Persia. ¡°She is an Oracle. Linked to this planet¡¯s god. The other four you saw are also Oracles.¡±

    Lily¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°There are more out there like me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I saw you here in New York, and the rest are in Japan, Russia, Australia, and the Antarctic.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Does that mean a world tour is about to happen? I¡¯ve never left the States and would love to see more of the world. Especially if I¡¯m going to be of help to you.¡±

    ¡°You want to join us? Don¡¯t you want to be a teacher?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± said Rhia. I raised my eyebrows at her. ¡°Look, you¡¯re going to need her and the others eventually anyway. I didn¡¯t bring it up earlier because I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to hear it, Mr. Ironically Atheist, but you¡¯re going to need a church established in your name. It¡¯s how your influence grows. As your influence grows, it¡¯ll be easier to guide humanity to where you want it to go.¡±

    ¡°You want me to do the very thing I hate about religious organizations in the first place? Use doctrine to change national policy?¡±

    ¡°How else do you expect to cause any change in the world?¡± tossed in Linda. ¡°You can¡¯t chase everyone out of office you don¡¯t like, you know. You got away with the president and the king because they were despicable men, however the Russian job kind of blew up in your face, and now the whole country isn¡¯t overly fond of you. You¡¯ve made things harder on yourself because of it.¡±

    I held up my hands in surrender. ¡°Alright, alright. I get it. We¡¯ll look into it at a later date. First thing¡¯s first though. There¡¯s an asteroid ship that¡¯s just days away. We need to solve that crisis before moving on to the next. Lily, I don¡¯t suppose your dreams leave any clues on how I might end this peacefully?¡±

    Lily shook her head. ¡°Not that I could see. There was nothing about you in my dream. Just the flying mountain and cats everywhere. Maybe one of the others you¡¯ve seen could help? They might¡¯ve received another vision or something?¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt to try, I guess. Shall we get going then?¡±

    Linda stood up first. ¡°Can you just send me to Shu? You guys did cut our little getaway short, after all. Two days became a few hours, and I¡¯m still a little antsy.¡±

    I gave her an apologetic smile. ¡°Yeah, I think I can accommodate that. Feel free to use the big bed till we get back if you want.¡±

    The rest of us got up as well and, after paying for our meal, walked outside. By now it was early evening, so it was easier for our group to slip down an alleyway and out of sight. Linda gave me a quick kiss.

    ¡°Feel free to join us when you get back, ok?¡±

    ¡°I believe I¡¯ve reserved tonight, Linda. You¡¯re tomorrow night, remember?¡± Rhia reminded her.

    ¡°Can¡¯t blame a girl for trying,¡± Linda replied. She waved as I sent her home without the theatrics. Lily didn¡¯t quite process that at first, waving her hand through where Linda was just standing. Then she looked at me.

    ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s how we travelled earlier with the boys, remember? Alley one second, apartment the next?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t see it from this angle before. Is that how we¡¯re going to be travelling from now on?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± I turned to Rhia and Persia. ¡°I think from here on out it¡¯ll be easier to convince them to join us if we drop the disguises and make it a divine visitation. Rhia, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t care either way, but Persia, are you ready for it, or should I send you home until we¡¯re done?¡±

    Persia looked at me, then her eyes slid to Lily. She gave a noticeable sniff, narrowed her eyes, then looked back at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be staying by your side, My Husband.¡±

    ¡°Alrighty then,¡± I said, shaking my head. With a snap of my fingers, I returned us to our normal looks, or rather in my case, my god look. Rarely did I ever return to my original self anymore, unless requested by the girls for bedroom reasons, so I¡¯ve come to consider my god form my normal form. Before me stood the angelic Rhia and the furry Persia. Adding Lily into the mix with her silver eyes and pink hair, I was starting to feel like an anime protagonist. Well, at least I know what to do with a harem, unlike those dickless wonders, I thought. Rhia rolled her eyes while Persia blushed. I should really learn how to stop my thoughts leaking out like that.

    Lily eyed them, then looked at me thoughtfully, but seemed to hold on to what she wanted to say, instead asking where to next.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting a little late to just drop in, so for tonight we¡¯ll head back to Linda¡¯s apartment. If you¡¯d like to join us, meet us there in the morning. Dress warm, we¡¯re heading to Moscow!¡±

 Fourteen: The Blue One Paints

    ¡°Jesus Christ it¡¯s cold.¡± I muttered as we approached an apartment building the next morning.

    ¡°What you see here is a man that should theoretically have access to the ancient wisdom of your world, but keeps forgetting things like winter coats, scarves, or that he can even adjust the surrounding air temperature to make himself and everyone around him comfortable,¡± Rhia explained to Lily.

    ¡°Everyone around him,¡± I muttered mockingly. ¡°You may look like Belldandy, but damned if you don¡¯t have the attitude of Urd sometimes.¡± I did adjust the surrounding air temp, though.

    Persia looked over at Rhia. ¡°Sister, do you have any idea what he¡¯s talking about?¡±

    ¡°Probably another one of his shows again. You know, those cartoons he likes to watch.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called anime,¡± I said.

    Rhia cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°There isn¡¯t any, really, but as a fan I¡¯m obligated to correct you. The only real difference is one¡¯s in Japanese, the other isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Like the show we got my new name from?¡± Persia asked. I winced.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­¡± Rhia started, but I cut her off.

    ¡°Look, it was her idea! She wanted to know about a character, and I told her. She was the one who picked the name!¡±

    Lily smiled at us as we entered the building. ¡°He may be the god, but I¡¯m starting to sense where the power actually is.¡±

    Rhia smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t say that too loud. He¡¯ll start to realize it.¡±

    ¡°Standing right here, you know.¡± We entered an elevator and made our way halfway up the building. I admit I hadn¡¯t really studied Russia too in depth beyond the direction its leadership was trying to push it, so my best guess was that this would be the equivalent of a middle-class area in the States. I¡¯d imagine it was the same here. It¡¯s been a long time since bread lines and communism after all. Now it was a capitalist country with a fake democratic government. We made our way to a door at the end of the hall and knocked on it.

    ¡°My Husband, are you not the most powerful person on this world? Why not just let yourself in?¡±

    I glanced back at Persia. ¡°Politeness must be maintained, my dear. We want to make friends. Is that something Kamiki does?¡±

    ¡°You ask that while there¡¯s a ship loaded down with a hundred Junaians preparing to take over this world?¡± Rhia asked.

    ¡°Fair point,¡± I replied.

    The door opened a crack, and a bright blue eye appeared about knee level to me.

    ¡°Hello?¡± a little voice asked.

    I knelt down so I wouldn¡¯t tower over the eye.

    ¡°Hi. Are your parents home?¡±

    ¡°Are you the god man? You look like the god man on TV.¡±

    ¡°I am. I even brought some friends with me. Is your mommy or daddy home?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Do you have an angel? Daddy said God has angels.¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact, I have an angel with me today. Would you like to meet her?¡± I scooted to the side so that the blue eye could see Rhia behind me. Rhia smiled and gave her wings a couple small flaps.

    Suddenly the door flew open and a young girl burst out into the hallway, blonde twin tails streaming behind her as she launched herself at Rhia¡¯s legs, hugging them tightly. I¡¯m not sure how much exposure Rhia had to small children, but in the space of a second she went from smiling to having a look of utter confusion and maybe just a hint of terror.

    ¡°Jo- Zekken!¡± she hissed, nearly forgetting to use my public name. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    I looked over at the little girl, who looked like she was going to start crying as she continued to hug Rhia¡¯s legs.

    ¡°Have you met my daddy? Can he come visit too?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Rhia said.

    ¡°Mommy said Daddy was with the angels. You¡¯re an angel. Does that mean Daddy can visit too?¡±

    The color drained from Rhia¡¯s face. I¡¯m pretty sure it did mine as well. Persia¡¯s tail drooped to the floor, while Lily gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

    ¡°Petra? Where¡¯d you go? You didn¡¯t go near the oh!¡± a voice from the apartment said. I looked into the apartment to see a plain looking woman in sweats leaving a room in the back. Well, plain if you didn¡¯t count the striking blue hair and silver eyes. ¡°Petra! Come inside right now! Get away from them!¡±

    Petra looked back over her shoulder to look at her mother. ¡°But mommy! She¡¯s an angel! Maybe she knows Daddy!¡±

    Petra¡¯s mother looked up from her and took a better look at us. As she scanned each of us, her eyes got wider. Rhia¡¯s wings to Persia¡¯s fur, to Lily¡¯s hair, and then finally to me.

    ¡°Oh my God in heaven,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Close enough,¡± I said, smiling brightly. ¡°I¡¯m Zekken, and this is Rhia, Persia, and Lily. May we please have a moment of your time?¡±

    Mutely, she nodded and gestured for us to come in, then took a look around herself. It wasn¡¯t a large apartment, but it had a comfortable, lived in feel to it. Cozy. She immediately started scrambling around to pick up toys and a load of laundry that had been piled on a chair. As we entered, Petra let go of Rhia¡¯s legs, suddenly fascinated with Persia¡¯s tail. She kept trying to grab at it, but Persia made sure to keep it out of her reach. The way the tail kept swinging back and forth as Petra chased it around, one would think that Persia was just playing with her, but the look of terror on her face at the thought of having her tail yanked would quickly dismiss that idea.

    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± the woman said. ¡°Can I get you a drink or something? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much.¡±

    I waved away her apology. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Miss¡­¡±

    ¡°Isabella is fine,¡± she said, shaking my hand as I took a seat. She took her own seat in a chair, pulling Petra on to her lap so she¡¯d stop chasing Persia¡¯s tail. ¡°So, what would you like to talk about Mr. Zekken?¡±

    ¡°Let me start off by asking you a question, if you don¡¯t mind? Do any of us, or this situation, seem familiar to you? Like you¡¯ve experienced it before in a dream or something?¡±

    ¡°Ask if they know Daddy, Mommy,¡± Petra requested in not quite a whisper. Isabella shushed her, then looked at us closely. Then she shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid none of this seems familiar. I mean, I recognize you from the TV, but that¡¯s it. Congratulations, by the way,¡± she smiled at Persia.

    Persia turned bright red, her fur doing nothing to hide the fact. She attempted to hide behind the bill of her hat, but still managed a soft thank you and a small smile.

    ¡°Mommy! She looks like your painting!¡±

    The four of us exchanged looks, then looked at Isabella, who was looking closely at Persia.

    ¡°Could it be¡­¡± she wondered to herself. Then she set Petra on the floor and excused herself to a room in the back. After a couple minutes she came back out holding a medium sized canvas for painting, and then turned it so that we could see it.

    On the canvas we could see the painting of a kitten, an outstanding one at that. You¡¯d swear it would jump right out and start running around if it could. The kitten was a gray tabby whose markings were remarkably similar to Persia¡¯s. The kitten itself seemed to be shyly peering out of an upturned ballcap. A blue one with an orange bill. The kitten¡¯s tail looked to have a golden ring around it with an emerald setting that was quite obviously a wedding ring. We all stared at for a moment before I finally looked at Isabella.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a painter?¡±

    ¡°Only for the last few years. I suddenly got the urge one day, and my husband, God rest his soul, came home with a ton of art supplies after work that night. Wait here.¡± She darted back out and came back with a few more canvases and laid them out for us. They were all exceptionally well done. The first one was a field of bluebonnets, and it would have looked idyllic if it weren¡¯t for the massive fire consuming the field from the inside out. An angel bowing before a man in a toga. Black wings wrapping around a couple of space suits. A hiltless sword skewering an eagle, a bear, and a camel on the moon. A golden beam enveloping a church. Wings with black feathers floating off revealing white ones underneath. The last one, however, really caught my attention. It was quite obviously an asteroid, with the same sword as before sticking out of it, giving it the classic sword in the stone vibe. Etched on to the sword in both paintings was a golden Z. At the bottom each painting was the outline of a bell, the bottom portion was Isabella¡¯s signature, completing the outline.

    Rhia looked over them, then at me.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve known about some of these events.¡±

    Lily was also leaning over the paintings, silver eyes sparkling. ¡°She¡¯s like me! Only she paints while I dream.¡±

    ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± Isabella said behind us. I turned and gave her my attention. ¡°Could you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Persia was still staring at the kitten painting, her fingers softly passing over the ring shown on the tail.

    Lily stood up and walked over to Isabella, then held her hands. ¡°You¡¯re like me,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°You can see what happens before it does. I see it in my dreams, you paint it.¡±

    Persia grabbed my sleeve and pulled me closer to look at the kitten again.

    ¡°Husband, what does this ring mean?¡±

    ¡°Looks like a wedding ring.¡±

    ¡°A wedding ring? What¡¯s that?¡±

    I looked at her incredulously. ¡°You really were a shut in up there, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Rhia smacked the back of my head. She seemed to be getting rather fond of that lately.

    ¡°It¡¯s a symbol of marriage in many cultures here on Earth. Usually on the third finger of the left hand. And it looks like John owes you a gorgeous one,¡± she said, closely examining the ring portrayed on the painting. ¡°It matches your eyes.¡±

    I could almost see those eyes sparkling as Persia looked at me. I gripped her hand briefly, telling her I¡¯d take care of it later, once we¡¯d finished our little world tour. I looked around the small room at the others. Lily was playing with Petra, who was fascinated with her pink hair. Isabella was watching us, trepidation written all over her face. I released Persia¡¯s hand and stood up to face her.

    ¡°Isabella, you have a singular gift for painting. Would you believe me if I told you that everything you¡¯ve painted here is something that I¡¯ve been personally involved with in the last few years, or will be in the next week?¡±Stolen story; please report.

    She stared at me, dumbfounded. ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m not sure. My husband used to laugh at my imagination when painting, but I never thought much about it. I just painted what came to mind.¡±

    I smiled at her, then picked up the painting of the prostrating angel. ¡°I¡¯m particularly fond of this one. Would it be too much to ask if I could have this when our business here is finished?¡± I could feel eyes burning the back of my head as I asked this, but I knew Rhia wouldn¡¯t say anything in front of Isabella.

    Confused, Isabella slowly nodded her head. ¡°Uh, sure. I don¡¯t have a problem with that. They¡¯re just taking up space anyway. I¡¯m sorry, but can I ask what all this is about again? I have a lot of housework to catch up on and it¡¯s almost time for Petra¡¯s nap.¡±

    ¡°I can help with housework,¡± came a soft voice behind me. Isabella and I turned to look at the source. Persia was slowly getting to her feet with her hand raised to get our attention. ¡°I can¡¯t do much to help my husband, but I¡¯m happy to help with that. I just, um¡­¡± She turned beet red under her fur and wrung her hands together. ¡°Can I have this painting of the kitten?¡± she asked nervously, peeking at us from under the brim of her hat. ¡°To have an Oracle¡¯s work to hang in my room would be an honor.¡±

    Isabella¡¯s eyes went wide then shot to me. ¡°Oracle?¡± she asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Oracle. Just like in all the old myths and legends that say they tell the future and give sage advice. Isabella, you can tell the future through your paintings.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± she said incredulously, then clamped her hands over her mouth, eyes darting to Petra. I chuckled, guessing that she tried not to use too much foul language around her daughter. She needn¡¯t have bothered though, as Lily was too busy tickling Petra to death for the little girl to have noticed anything her mother said. Isabella looked back at me, lowering her voice anyway. ¡°I¡¯m just a widowed mother barely making ends meet here and painting when I can afford to. I don¡¯t know anything about this oracle business she¡¯s talking about.¡±

    ¡°We just learned about it ourselves yesterday. That¡¯s when we met Lily here.¡± I turned and gestured at the pink haired woman playing with Petra. Hearing her name, Lily looked up and gave us a smile, but continued tickling Petra. Looking back to Isabella, I continued speaking. ¡°You said you were barely making ends meet, right? What if I could give you a place to stay at no charge? A place where little Petra here would want for nothing? A place where you could paint until your heart¡¯s content, and do whatever you wanted when your muse was taking a vacation? Would you like that?¡±

    Isabella eyed me suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s the catch? Nothing comes for free in this world.¡±

    Rhia and I exchanged the briefest of smiles before I looked Isabella dead in the eye. ¡°Funny you should mention that¡­¡±

    *

    Isabella stared out the window, not believing her eyes. ¡°Bozhe moi,¡± she whispered to herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty, Mommy!¡± Petra exclaimed, face pressed up against the glass. ¡°Is that where we were?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my little sun. That¡¯s Earth,¡± Isabella said wondrously.

    Rhia and I stood back by the door to the large ballroom (the same room that I¡¯d brought the world leaders to years ago) as the Fedorova girls marveled at the view. I placed my arm over Rhia¡¯s shoulder as she leaned into me, smiling at their wonder. Lily stood apart from them, also gazing out the window, but somehow not as impressed.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Lily?¡± I asked.

    She looked back at me over her shoulder, then gave a small smirk that seemed to be aimed at herself. ¡°I remember my dreams perfectly, you know? Not how everyone starts to forget theirs soon after they wake up, right? To be honest, I¡¯ve seen this view so many times in my sleep that the real version just doesn¡¯t quite match the hype. Sorry.¡± She chuckled slightly at the end of her apology. I guess she felt like she was insulting me in some fashion, but I waved it off.

    ¡°No need to apologize. You can¡¯t help what you can¡¯t help, right?¡± I shrugged, then changed the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you ladies plan on staying here or not, but we do have some rooms set aside for you, complete with everything you need to live beyond comfortably, minus any personal items you may want to retrieve later. Isabella, I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I brought those paintings up as well. I¡¯d like to look at them a bit more in depth.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I was thinking about getting rid of them anyway.¡±

    I smiled. I hadn¡¯t brought it up to anyone yet, but I¡¯d noticed something interesting about two of the paintings that had started a plan forming in my head. Looking over my shoulder, I got the attention of the maid waiting at the door.

    ¡°Could you please give these fine young women a tour of our modest home and show them their rooms? My residence is off limits for the time being, however.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lord,¡± she replied, bowing her head slightly before gesturing for the new girls to follow her. Lily immediately started after her, eyeing me out of the corner of her eye as she passed by. Isabella had to carry Petra out of the room, since she showed no sign of wanting to pull her face off the window. After they¡¯d departed, Rhia looked up at me with a smile.

    ¡°She¡¯s cute.¡±

    ¡°All girls are cute at that age. It¡¯s when they become teenagers that they manifest their fangs.¡±

    ¡°I was talking about Lily,¡± Rhia said with a smirk. ¡°Bit skinny though. You¡¯re going to break her in half if you¡¯re not careful.¡±

    My eyebrows shot up into my hairline.

    Rhia raised one of her own. ¡°Why look so surprised? You didn¡¯t notice her undressing you with her eyes all day?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no, I noticed that. Kinda happens every time I go out with this body y¡¯all designed for me,¡± I said, remembering when Rhia, Su, Hannah, and Persia (when she was still Bridgette) sculpted a body out of a miniature model body for me to emulate for a public persona. ¡°What¡¯s surprising is you already assuming that I¡¯m going to sleep with her.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Isabella too. Persia thinks it¡¯ll be a good idea. Her memory is a bit fuzzy, but she said she thinks the strongest Oracles share a close bond with the god they represent. A close, personal bond. They will be your representatives on Earth, after all.¡±

    ¡°Whoa now. I¡¯m not one to turn down a willing partner if it comes to it, especially since at least 4 out of 6 wives or wives-to-be have absolutely no issue with it. The two human members of our family may have an opinion on that, by the way. But the key word there is willing. Yes, Lily has clearly shown that she¡¯d take me right here on this floor if I gave her the go ahead, but Isabella is likely a different story. She¡¯s a recent widow, and she has her little girl to think of. Besides, don¡¯t you think six wives is enough for now? I may be a god, but even I only have so many hours in a day to properly appreciate all of you.¡±

    Rhia chuckled, then leaned into my chest. ¡°Dummy. You¡¯re a god. We all know there are going to be long stretches where you¡¯ll be too busy to even sit down, let alone spend time with all of us. And, as you¡¯ve already pointed out, four out of six of us have vastly different ideas about marriage. We¡¯re your first six. No one can ever take that away from us. If we were that worried about what you did with who, don¡¯t you think one of us would have said something as you worked your way through the maid staff here?¡±

    Still a little bewildered, I nodded my head. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Oh! That reminds me. Why, exactly, is everyone up here a woman? Again, I¡¯m not complaining, but from what I gather, there¡¯s always only been one male up here at any given time, minus our guests at the dinner party that one time.¡±

    I felt a quick intake of breath from her, then mentally slapped myself in the head. One of those singular men had been Inton, of course, and I¡¯d just reminded my new wife of her dead unrequited love. Sensing my sudden unease and knowing why through our mental link, Rhia wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s been years, and I love you now. There will never be another man for me.¡±

    I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her back, burying my face in her blonde hair. ¡°And I love you too. Can¡¯t really make the same promise in return, though, ¡®cause, well, you know¡­¡±

    She laughed into my chest. I thought it was a sob at first, given the suddenness of it, but then she looked up at me with humor in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a dork.¡± She let out a contented sigh. ¡°To answer your question, I can only tell you why Inton only kept women up here, which will also reveal why I never stood a chance with him, despite my best efforts. Inton was gay.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, then lowered it. ¡°I should¡¯ve figured as much. Only a fool of a straight man would pass up on you. So, he only wanted women here because-¡±

    ¡°-he was dedicated to his job and didn¡¯t want to be distracted by any emotional attachment or pleasures of the flesh. He put out a call for female volunteers for servants on a remote outpost to assist him in monitoring a developing civilization. Women trickled in for 4000 years. Some escaping their families, some at the behest of their families. Others were trying to disappear from the law, some were trying to find their place in life. He took them all in. Su was the first, naturally. She¡¯d been a guest of your predecessor when he decided to bolt, and she ended up just staying to help Inton pick up the pieces. Hannah, by the way, is the newest girl here, not counting our Oracle friends and Ryo.¡±

    I rested my chin on top of Rhia¡¯s head as I thought about it. It made a certain amount of sense, I guess. Distractions can have huge consequences when the entire world is your responsibility, but¡­

    ¡°It just seems so lonely,¡± I muttered.

    Rhia picked up on what I was thinking. ¡°I¡¯m sure he was, but he never let it show. He viewed his stewardship of Earth as an honor. He admired humans and their ingenuity, even if they were generations behind us in everything. His final act was the hardest decision he ever made. Not because he knew his life was ending, which I only realized at the last minute, but because he didn¡¯t want to hurt his charges. He knew he¡¯d be vilified by the world if they figured it out, but he did it anyway, so we could find you. What he did was the moral equivalent to kicking a basket of puppies into a rushing river just so he could find the one that could swim.¡± Her voice got low and mournful. ¡°He kicked a lot of baskets over the centuries, so he probably should be vilified. Along with myself. The only time I ever tried to stop him was when I knew he was going to die. Not because he¡¯d be killing millions of humans.¡± Tears started to soak my shirt as she sobbed quietly into my chest. ¡°You should hate me, you know. You only got angry once. Did you know that? When you first discovered what happened. Linda and Shu don¡¯t know how we found you, but the rest of us, we¡¯ve spoken many times about it. We can¡¯t figure out why you never lashed out at us. It¡¯s been six years and it still bothers us. You only got angry once. It¡¯s not natural.¡± She looked up, her golden eyes, red from crying, met my hazel ones. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get angry? You had every right to. You should hate Inton. You should hate me. Millions of people. Your friends. Your family. Your parents. Because of us¡­¡± she trailed off.

    I stepped back, holding her shoulders at arm¡¯s length from me. Her eyes searched my face for any sign of emotion, almost desperately. Her face showed sadness, confusion, and despair, as if she thought I might actually take her up on her suggestion that I should hate her. Her hands had dropped from my waist and were now clutching themselves, squeezing tight enough to turn white. Her wings hung low on her back. After a few seconds of watching her, I spoke.

    ¡°Is that what you want? For me to hate you?¡±

    Her eyes widened and her mouth started working, but no words came out. She had no idea how she should respond. I released her shoulders and started pacing, one hand supporting my elbow as the other stroked at my beard.

    ¡°I¡¯ve actually thought about it a lot myself. Aside from my initial shock at what you showed me, I felt very little about it all. It worries me as well; you girls aren¡¯t alone in that. Perhaps if Inton had survived and I had come face to face with the man responsible for so many senseless deaths, I might have felt something. Anger. Rage. A need for vengeance. But there was no target for anything like that. I just had you, and you swore to me that you had tried to stop him, no matter how selfish your reasons were. I had no reason to trust you. I didn¡¯t know you at all, but I took you at your word, and I still don¡¯t know why. Maybe it was because you were the most beautiful woman I¡¯d ever seen and wasn¡¯t thinking with the right head. Maybe it was the shock of it all. Maybe denial. Maybe it was the scale. 33 million people, four states, and two countries is a lot to wrap your mind around. Perhaps that¡¯s why I focused on Ryo so much in the hours and days afterwards. She was something I could grasp. I could care for her, ensure her wellbeing, and interact with. She was my lifeline but may have also been my way of blocking out what threatened to overwhelm me.¡± I stopped pacing and half turned to Rhia. ¡°You remember the attack on September 11<sup>th</sup>, right?¡±

    She nodded, not saying anything.

    ¡°Before the Event, that was the greatest national tragedy and attack we¡¯d ever faced. I was 18 at the time, just out of high school and getting ready for some crap job at the mall when the news cut on the TV. I watched the second plane hit. I remember thinking it couldn¡¯t be an accident, but the shock of seeing it happen numbed me. I didn¡¯t feel any anger at that point. That came hours later, but it was a futile anger. I had no one to direct it at, so I buried it until I joined the Army a couple years later. It wasn¡¯t my intention to unleash it then, but our drill sergeants wanted us angry. They kept showing us that footage every chance they got. Stoking the flames. We were already at war with Afghanistan by that point, and Iraq was just starting up. We knew once we got out of basic we¡¯d be going to whatever job school we¡¯d all signed up for, and then most of us would be deployed before the end of the year. During basic, however, I used up all that directionless anger. I focused on my training, put all my passion into that, and by the time I graduated I was just tired. I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to hate faceless people anymore. At least, not the ones that were already dead. Why bear a grudge against someone you¡¯ll never have a chance of unleashing it on, right? So I forgot them. I coasted through my advanced training. I worked on helicopters for ten years. Deployed a few times, then got out, never once looking at any Iraqi that happened to be on our camp with any form of anger. Never seeing any Muslim as the enemy, like so many of my buddies did. The ones I dealt with were, for the most part, fine human beings just trying to make it in the world like I was. These guys hadn¡¯t knocked down the towers. These guys hadn¡¯t attacked civilian planes and killed thousands.¡±

    Rhia continued to watch and listen silently as my words meandered. I looked her in those beautiful eyes that I loved so much.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I could never hate you. You didn¡¯t do this. You tried to stop it. I know I should feel more emotional about all of this than I do, but I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t think I have that bone in my body any more. Part of me wants to hate Inton for what he did. Even if I did hate him, he¡¯s dead, and it does me no good to hold on to that grudge and anger. Even with all this power, I can¡¯t bring back the ones we lost. I¡¯m sure I can repair the damage done to the land, and one day I will, now that I¡¯ve got a better grasp of my abilities, but I can¡¯t repair the damage done to the families that will never see their loved ones again, and that¡¯s something I¡¯m going to have to live with. The best that I can hope to do now is ensure that nothing like it ever happens again. Which is why I need you by my side. Even after everything that¡¯s happened, you¡¯ve been the rock that I could lean upon. I can¡¯t make him pay for what he did, but I can turn the energy that I¡¯d waste on hate into a passion to save that beautiful blue world hanging outside those windows.¡±

    I held out my hand to her, pushing my love and affection for her through our link.

    ¡°Please, stop worrying about things that can¡¯t be undone. If you truly feel that much guilt, and I won¡¯t blame you if you do, then I have your punishment ready.¡±

    Despite the feelings I was pushing on to her, she looked at me nervously after my last statement.

    ¡°What would you have of me?¡± she asked, her voice low.

    ¡°Save the world with me, and never leave my side.¡±

 Fifteen: Persia Lost?

    ¡°Ahem. Pardon me, My Lord,¡± Su said from the doorway with a polite cough.

    Rhia and I looked back from our embrace by the window. Su stood patiently with Hannah by her side, a loving smile on her lips as she watched us. I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯d been standing there, but Hannah looked like she was desperately holding back some tears. It was kind of cute.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t think Su would interrupt us for anything mundane at this point, but she had a way of surprising me, which she did.

    ¡°Just letting you know that lunch will be ready soon. Would you care to take it in your residence, or the dining hall with our guests?¡±

    ¡°The dining hall for now. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like your help with in the residence first, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Su quirked an eyebrow at me while Hannah suddenly straightened up, a hungry expression on her face. I felt Rhia chuckle silently at my side.

    ¡°Keep your clothes on, girls. It¡¯s nothing like that,¡± I said, smiling as Hannah deflated a little. ¡°I promise we can have fun later. Right now I¡¯d like your experienced opinion on something Su. Your input is welcome as well, Hannah, my dear.¡± Purple eyes twinkled back at me.

    ¡°Shall I go keep our guests company then?¡± Rhia asked, but I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to follow up on Persia¡¯s behavior like you were talking about last night. In two days she went from being terrified of my very presence to overly aggressive against a woman because she was attracted to me. It¡¯s too much of a shift in too short a time.¡± I smirked. ¡°You were worried I wasn¡¯t emotional enough. I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s too emotionally attached. You sure you want to be a part of this circus?¡±

    Rhia leaned up and kissed my cheek. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t change it for the world, my love. I¡¯ll go talk to her now. Meet you in the dining hall.¡± With that she left the ballroom, pausing to give Su and Hannah quick hugs as she passed them.

    I motioned for my two beautiful maids slash fianc¨¦es to follow me as I started towards my residence.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing in your almost two million years you¡¯ve found the time to study quite a bit, right?¡± I asked Su as we walked.

    Su nodded at my side. ¡°You could say that. I¡¯ve had a LOT of free time.¡±

    ¡°What about art?¡±

    ¡°Does this have anything to do with the paintings that suddenly appeared in the second bedroom?¡±

    ¡°You already know about them?¡± I asked, slightly surprised.

    Su and Hannah chuckled.

    ¡°Surprised the hell out of Linda and Shu, they did. We heard squeals that weren¡¯t like their normal variety, so I investigated,¡± Hannah said.

    I shook my head. ¡°I told them to use the master bedroom.¡±

    Su shrugged. ¡°They like that room. They¡¯ve pretty much made it theirs.¡±

    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I allowed. ¡°I know they both love me, but boy are they head over heels for each other.¡± I glanced at the two women flanking me and grinned. ¡°And it¡¯s not like they¡¯re the only two of my soon-to-be brides that¡¯ve pretty much moved in together.¡±

    Hannah blushed while Su grinned widely, yet neither denied my statement as we entered my residence and made for the second bedroom. Linda and Shu¡¯s room, I guess I should think of it as, I thought. I heard giggling and soft moans coming from the partially open door to mine and Rhia¡¯s room. With a thought, I willed the door to close softly so I wouldn¡¯t get distracted and not disturb the two ladies and their time together. Entering the other bedroom, I found the paintings laid out on the neatly made up bed. My maids up here didn¡¯t slack off in the slightest.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Please take a look at these and tell me what you think.¡± Gesturing at the paintings, I noticed the kitten one was missing and probably already adorning a wall in Persia¡¯s room. Su and Hannah approached the bed and started their appraisal. Su¡¯s been around literally the entirety of human civilization and has seen the evolution of human art. Hannah, being a Dalayin, has a completely foreign outlook to Earthling art, so I was uniquely curious about her opinion. It didn¡¯t take long for both of them to switch their attentions back and forth between two particular paintings, murmuring softly to each other as they discussed what I assumed to be the same thing that I noticed.

    ¡°You see what I saw, don¡¯t you, ladies?¡± I asked as I joined them next to the bed.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a doctorate in art history to see this, My Lord,¡± Su responded with a teasing smirk. She held up the first painting. ¡°This one shows the sword clearly piercing through your enemies, in this case the former US and Russian presidents and the former Saudi Arabian king, or at least representations of them.¡± She held up the second painting next to it. ¡°Here we have the same sword, which is beautiful, by the way. You should make one. Anyway, this same sword is piercing the asteroid. We already see the asteroid as a threat. However, there are no bodies on the sword, representative or otherwise.¡± She looked over at me, Hannah bouncing on her toes next to her.

    ¡°Hannah?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes! I think that means no one dies!¡±

    I frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not like I killed the presidents and king though.¡±

    ¡°You killed their ambitions,¡± Hannah said. ¡°May as well have ended their lives, since they can¡¯t do whatever they want anymore. No, what I think this means is that you stop the asteroid, but no one gets hurt.¡± Su nodded along.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°That makes a certain amount of sense. Now, what if we combined that with Lily¡¯s dream? She said she saw a flying mountain, and then she saw a world being overrun with cats. Your theory and her dream seem to be at odds with each other.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± a voice said from the door. I looked over and saw Linda and Shu watching us, wearing robes and trying to straighten their tousled hair. Linda stepped forward to look at the paintings.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    She gave me a wry grin. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking like a geek, Johnny. You¡¯re looking at these paintings and thinking about Lily¡¯s dreams too literally. The two combined are not telling you that you win but you lose. They¡¯re merely representations of possible futures. Now that you have an idea about what¡¯s coming, you can take steps to prevent the worst possible outcomes. This isn¡¯t 12 Monkeys, John. The future can be changed.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± I said. ¡°You pulled that reference?¡±

    She shrugged, then smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t let you forget your roots. You were a geek in love with pop culture before you were a god. I¡¯m a geek too, remember? You see a doomsday scenario out there because you¡¯re thinking of the worst. I see a rock full of cat people out there. Cat people, John!¡± Her eyes lit up. Remembering her reaction to Persia, it made sense that she¡¯d think that way. It also made me resolve to not let her anywhere near that ship if I could help it.

    I held her shoulders to calm her down. ¡°Okay, okay. I get your point, babe. So, what are you trying to say? That you want me to pop over to a ship full of religious zealots solely dedicated to their own god and what? Offer them a chance to become sideshow attractions on Earth? Isn¡¯t that a bit like inviting the fox into the henhouse? I get that you love the idea of an entire race of cat people taking up residence on Earth, but given what we¡¯ve been told of their history, that doesn¡¯t sound like the greatest of plans.¡±

    Linda opened her mouth to respond, then shut it, clearly thinking over everything we¡¯ve learned in the last couple days. I glanced at Shu behind her, who just gave me an apologetic shrug.

    ¡°Perhaps this is something we can discuss after lunch?¡± Su offered. ¡°We still have five days until they¡¯re supposed to be a threat, right?¡±

    I reached out to the collection of gray energy approaching my homeworld and confirmed its position. ¡°If nothing surprises us before then, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. I do have to warn you, however, that it might not be up to our chef¡¯s usual standard.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked. To hear that from Su was fairly shocking, since our chef devoted her whole being into preparing the best dishes she could.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. Someone failed to return this morning for a scheduled appointment with her and Hannah.¡±

    My eyes went wide and stared at Hannah, who affected a pout and nodded at me. ¡°She was devastated, My Lord. I was too, but unlike her, I get my hands on you quite frequently. She was so looking forward to it this morning, until she learned that you hadn¡¯t returned from Earth yet.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Linda smacked me on the back of my head. ¡°You can be such an inconsiderate asshole sometimes, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I exclaimed, rubbing the back of my head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two the same ones who were ready to tear me limb from limb yesterday for sleeping with the help?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the issue at hand here, John!¡± Linda admonished. ¡°You made a promise and didn¡¯t follow through!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make that promise! Everyone else did!¡±

    *

    Rhia knocked on Persia¡¯s door before letting herself in. She found Persia sitting on her knees on her bed, staring up at Isabella¡¯s kitten painting that now hung over the head of her bed. Persia looked over at Rhia¡¯s entrance and smiled.

    ¡°Sister! Come in, please. Isn¡¯t it beautiful? An Oracle¡¯s painting, here in my room. I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Rhia made her way over to sit by Persia and looked at the painting with her. She was finding it difficult to equate the nervous kitten portrayed with the increasingly open Persia. She glanced at her friend and sister wife, watching her as she stared reverently at the painting.

    ¡°Persia,¡± she began. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    Persia looked at her in confusion. ¡°I feel fine. Better than I ever have, in fact. Why? Is everything okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Rhia said honestly.

    Persia turned to face her, reaching out to grab Rhia¡¯s hands. ¡°You can tell me, you know. We¡¯re sisters now. If something is bothering you, I can listen. Is it that pink haired girl? Is she trying to take our husband away already?¡±

    Rhia felt Persia¡¯s grip on her hands tighten at the mention of Lily, and her voice took a bit of an edge. Rhia almost pulled her hands away in surprise.

    ¡°Do¡­ do you hate her that much, Persia?¡±

    Persia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hate? Of course I don¡¯t hate her. I don¡¯t know her that well. But¡­ but I can¡¯t stop thinking of her as a threat. If she took our husband away, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do. I¡¯ve finally found who I want to be after all these years¡­¡±

    Rhia¡¯s worries grew as Persia trailed off. ¡°We talked about this last night, didn¡¯t we? There are four other women engaged to John. Lily isn¡¯t even sleeping with him, but she¡¯s the one you¡¯re focused on? You don¡¯t feel this way about Isabella too, do you?¡±

    Persia blinked, then thought. ¡°No. No I don¡¯t. That¡¯s funny.¡± She sat back, glancing back at the painting.

    Rhia leaned in, grabbing Persia¡¯s attention. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m worried. Two days ago, you were terrified of him. Now you¡¯re fiercely defensive of him. This is happening much too fast. You were climbing all over him in Linda¡¯s apartment, and even hissed at me when I interrupted you. That¡¯s why I asked you how you were feeling. You¡¯re not at all acting like we thought you would.¡±

    Realization dawned on Persia¡¯s face. At first she looked conflicted, then fearful. ¡°I¡¯m acting like them,¡± she said. ¡°Like her most devoted.¡±

    ¡°Them?¡± Rhia asked.

    ¡°Kamiki¡¯s followers!¡± she wailed. ¡°Absolute devotion! Must not upset the balance!¡±

    Suddenly Rhia understood. She remembered Persia telling her about life on her world. Everything was to serve Kamiki. Anything else was a threat. It was something so ingrained in their culture for so long that it pretty much became a genetic trait. Persia was smuggled off the planet because she was too inquisitive, but that didn¡¯t mean she still didn¡¯t have the compulsion buried within her. When John helped her the other day and treated her kindly when so many others had abused her, she latched on to him. Everything programmed into her species for Kamiki¡¯s benefit was now zeroed in on John. Rhia could see the benefits in having the unwavering loyalty and devotion of Persia, but she also knew that it could come back to bite them in the ass, like the case with Lily. Not to mention how horrified John would be when he learned of this. He¡¯d view it as a form of slavery, since it wasn¡¯t really something she could control.

    Rhia sighed. The timing of this couldn¡¯t be worse. John still had three more oracles to collect, and the pattern right now seemed to indicate they¡¯d all be women. If Persia was acting like this with just Lily, what would happen if one or more of the others was attracted to him as well? Rhia didn¡¯t know for sure, but she didn¡¯t imagine it ending well, especially considering how Persia¡¯s physical strength outclassed everyone here, save for John, and he couldn¡¯t always be there. They¡¯d be forced to take lethal action if Persia acted on her emotions while he was away. Rhia came to a decision she hated with all of her heart.

    ¡°Persia, my love, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t allow you to leave this room until we get this sorted out.¡±

    Persia nodded in understanding, tears starting to fall as she did so. Her sobs also brought Rhia to tears as her regret overflowed. The two women held each other tightly, crying into each other¡¯s shoulders until Rhia left, regretfully locking the door on her way out.

    *

    I sat in stunned silence as I listened to Rhia tell me what she and Persia had discovered. Su, Hannah, Linda, and Shu were equally as silent. Lily, Isabella and Petra were off somewhere with a maid escort and Ryo, presumably having fun while we discussed the pending mental collapse of one of my wives.

    ¡°¡­ and it¡¯s for those reasons that she and I agreed that it¡¯s best that she be kept away from anyone that might disrupt her view of the balance,¡± Rhia concluded. Hannah, ever the one to wear her emotions on her sleeve, started quietly crying into Su¡¯s shoulder. Linda and Shu, the more practical thinkers, clearly had the wheels turning in their heads.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing this isn¡¯t something that can be beaten by strength of will alone, is it?¡± I asked, not expecting a positive answer. Rhia confirmed it with a shake of her head.

    ¡°This goes beyond that. It¡¯s cultural conditioning that goes back millennia. Kamiki made them this way. Persia just happened to be one of the anomalies that pops up every so often, which is why she was forced to flee in the first place. The triggers for this abject devotion took longer to activate in her case, but they activated nonetheless. It¡¯s just that when they did, she had nothing to believe in. She lived in a state of perpetual fear, so she never got close enough to anyone or anything that she could place her faith in. Not until you.¡±

    I sighed. I never thought being nice to someone would cause me this much trouble. The timing couldn¡¯t be worse, either. With a possible hostile species at our doorstep, and three more oracles to find, any one of which that might trigger her, my plate was already full for the week. I just couldn¡¯t leave her locked up in her room though. Not after she¡¯d placed herself in my care. She was my wife, after all. It was my job to make her happy. I swore to do so. I looked over at Su.

    ¡°I hate to bring up the subject of your age again, but have you seen anything like this before?¡±

    She closed her eyes as she thought, then slowly shook her head. ¡°Not like this. I¡¯ve witnessed many cults rise and fall. I¡¯ve seen groups indoctrinate their beliefs in kids until they grew up believing whatever they¡¯d been told. But I¡¯ve never seen anything like it on a genetic scale. Persia is aware that what she¡¯s feeling is extreme and possibly harmful, but she can¡¯t fight it. It¡¯s instinctual at this point. Short of rewriting her DNA from the ground up, I¡¯m not sure what can be done.¡±

    Linda and Shu¡¯s eyes both locked on to Su. ¡°¡°What did you just say?¡±¡± they both asked simultaneously. Everyone jumped back at their sudden outburst, including Su and Rhia, the most unflappable women I¡¯d ever met.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what can be done?¡± she repeated hesitantly. Both human women shook their heads at the same time.

    ¡°Not that,¡± said Shu. ¡°The part before that. About rewriting DNA.¡±

    Linda stepped in. ¡°This was built into her! It¡¯s hardwired!¡±

    I nodded, not sure where these ladies were going with this. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the problem we¡¯re trying to figure out a solution to.¡±

    Linda nearly stamped her feet in frustration. ¡°Grrr! You idiot! You said you were an electrician on helicopters in the war, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m going to assume you worked on aircraft that were shot?¡±

    ¡°Uh huh¡­¡±

    ¡°So what did you do then?¡±

    ¡°We fixed them, if they were salvageable. Spliced wires that were shot through, replaced any electrical components that needed it. What are you getting at?¡±

    ¡°What did you do with wires that were too damaged to repair?¡±

    ¡°We replaced them. Wait, are you suggesting I replace her wiring?¡±

    Shu and Linda both yelled ¡°YES!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never tried anything like that before. Body modification is one thing. It¡¯s just reshaping what¡¯s already there. You¡¯re talking about the building blocks of life here. Any mistake I make could erase the Persia we know, if not destroy her completely.¡±

    Rhia stood, finger tapping her chin as she started pacing. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re thinking about this too literally, John.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    She looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re a GOD. Everything you¡¯ve learned and put into practice so far has been physical in nature, but that¡¯s not what deities are best known for, is it? If Hans were still with us, what do you think he¡¯d tell you a god¡¯s duty is?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have to think about it. He¡¯d actually told me on more than a few occasions during our brief friendship after the dinner party and before his death.

    ¡°Spiritual salvation,¡± I said. ¡°But how can I do that? I¡¯ve learned how to see someone¡¯s aura, but as far as manipulating their soul, I¡¯m not sure I feel comfortable with that.¡±

    ¡°Not manipulate, My Lord,¡± said Hannah. ¡°That would defeat the purpose, and what¡¯s more, it¡¯s what Kamiki¡¯s already done to her.¡±

    Rhia nodded. ¡°She¡¯s right. Manipulation is the worst possible solution. You¡¯d be betraying the trust she¡¯s placed in you. What you need to do is to have her willingly open every part of her being to you and allow you to make the changes that need to be made.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°I thought that was the source of the problem to begin with. The fact that she¡¯s programmed to devote her entire being to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± said Linda. ¡°The fact that she feels threatened by Lily proves there¡¯s still a hang-up somewhere inside of her. A spouse that feels threatened by an outside force doesn¡¯t completely trust their partner. It may be unconsciously, but somewhere in their soul there¡¯s a doubt.¡± She stepped closer, looking me in the eye. ¡°You can understand why she still has that hang-up, right? She¡¯s been betrayed so many times in her past that she can¡¯t bring herself to completely trust anyone. I don¡¯t know her story, but I know the signs. I¡¯ve been through it before, and so have you. Shu helped me get over my issues, and I love her with all my heart. Even more than I do you. Rhia helped you with yours, and I know you want to help Persia with hers.¡±

    Shu stepped up next to Linda and held her hand, then turned a warm smile on me. ¡°You need to go see her and speak with her. Not as Zekken. Not even as John 2.0 here,¡± she waved a hand, indicating my toned body. ¡°She needs to see and speak to the real you. Nothing hidden. That¡¯s your starting point.¡±

    ¡°Just my starting point? How are you ladies coming to this conclusion?¡±

    ¡°Woman¡¯s intuition, John,¡± responded Su. I blinked. She never called me by my first name. Everyone around me smiled at that. ¡°I sense this problem will resolve itself if we¡¯re correct. Just¡­ let things flow naturally, ok?¡±

    Rhia walked up and took my hands in hers, then kissed my cheek. ¡°Go to her, my love,¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°She needs you now more than ever.¡± She pulled her back and looked me in the eye. Behind her Hannah walked over and opened the door, motioning that I should leave the residency with a flourish. Looking at the five women around me, I made for the door, but stopped just after I crossed the threshold, still slightly confused.

    ¡°Are you su-¡°

    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Go!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± came the response from all of them, just before Hannah closed the door in my face. Stunned, I turned around and started walking down the hall, making my way towards Persia¡¯s secluded room.

 Sixteen: Persia

    I knew I was just stalling at this point. Pacing back and forth in front of her door, not sure what it was that I wanted or needed to say to her. I¡¯d really only known her for a couple of days. How are you supposed to comfort someone that¡¯s pretty much a complete stranger? I know it sounds funny to be thinking that about someone I¡¯m married to, but it really was the truth. She went from being a pair of glowing eyes in the shadows, to my accidental fianc¨¦e, to my wife within hours of our first interaction. It was way too fast. The other five women in my life have been with me for years, and we knew everything about each other. Persia, however, was still a mystery to me.

    I was familiar with her backstory, being branded a heretic of some sort, smuggled off her planet, betrayed and abused over and over again, until she finally fled that cycle and found herself here under Inton¡¯s mercy. From what I gathered, he left her alone, and few of the other girls paid her much mind. While I¡¯m sure she found relief in hiding away from everything and everyone that could possibly hurt and betray her, it¡¯d done nothing to actually heal her. Well, I¡¯d never get anywhere just thinking about this. Healing can¡¯t begin if there¡¯s a door between us. I raised my hand knocked on her door.

    ¡°Persia? It¡¯s John. Do you mind if I come in?¡±

    I heard some shuffling from the other side of the door, then a soft ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± I went to turn the knob, then remembered Rhia had locked it. Instead of unlocking it, I decided to leave it to ensure privacy and willed myself in to her room. She jumped a little at my sudden appearance, clearly expecting me to use the door, but she recovered quickly. She was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, still wearing her jeans and NYU sweater. Her black hair was mussed, the blonde lock hanging loose over her forehead. Her ears were flattened against her head, and her eyes were red and puffy, telling me that she¡¯d been crying until just recently, and her tail thumped against the bed. I tried to make eye contact with her as I walked over to a chair that was next to her bed, but she kept looking away.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I said softly as I took a seat. ¡°How ya doin¡¯ hun?¡±

    Still refusing to make eye contact, she sniffed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Husband. I thought I was getting better, but I¡¯m just causing you more problems.¡±

    ¡°Hey now. We both knew this wasn¡¯t going to be a quick fix. You have a lot of history, and it¡¯s going to take more than a couple days to get through all of that,¡± I said, trying to sound as reassuring as I could. ¡°I knew that when I made my promise to you. So did Rhia. Besides, what¡¯s happening now isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s Kamiki¡¯s, and you shouldn¡¯t feel bad about that.¡±

    ¡°But because of me you¡¯re here and not stopping the asteroid or finding the other Oracles! They¡¯re more important than me!¡± she cried, sounding angry with herself.

    ¡°Damn the asteroid! And the Oracles can wait another day or two. You are my priority.¡±

    Her eyes widened at my sudden outburst, her attempts to avoid eye contact forgotten. I leaned forward, took her hand in mine and softened my tone.

    ¡°Look, I want to help you get through this, but I need you to stop blaming yourself for everything. And I¡¯m not just talking about the last couple days. From what you¡¯ve told Rhia and me, every terrible thing that¡¯s happened in your life is the result of someone else being an asshole. This new situation we find ourselves in is no different.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No, I wanted to hurt the Pink Oracle. I felt she was going to take you away from me, from us.¡±

    My brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°The Pink Oracle? Her name is Lily. You know that. Come to think of it, you never call any of us by our names. With me it¡¯s ¡®My Lord¡¯ or ¡®My Husband.¡¯ Rhia is ¡®Sister¡¯ and everyone else is some variation of ¡®Mistress.¡¯ Why is that? I¡¯ve told you to call me by my name before.¡±

    She stared at me, mouth working like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She adopted a thoughtful expression, then shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. Something inside me tells me that it¡¯s disrespectful to call my superiors by their given names.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not your superior! I¡¯m your husband! We¡¯re on equal footing here, you know? Yes, we still have a lot to learn about each other, but I have never once thought of you as inferior or as a subordinate. I don¡¯t think that of anyone up here. You all work way too hard for my sake for to think that. We¡¯re all in this together. Persia, I¡¯m John. Or Johnny. Or whatever you¡¯d like to call me. You did it just the other morning at breakfast, remember? Just never think of yourself as below me in any way.¡±

    I watched for a few seconds. It looked like she was wrestling with something within herself. I could see her trying to say my name, but she¡¯d get as far as making the start of a ¡®J¡¯ sound and then would stop. It almost looked like something was physically restraining her. My brow furrowed even more. This wasn¡¯t just an inferiority complex she had. Might this be a part of whatever compulsion that was built into her?

    ¡°Okay, slow down. You look like you¡¯re about to hurt yourself there.¡±

    She stopped, sobbing softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Husband. I can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°I see that. You certainly tried hard enough.¡± A thought occurred to me. She hadn¡¯t actually called me ¡®John¡¯ at breakfast the other day. ¡°Hey, say ¡®My John.¡¯¡±

    Giving me a confused look through her tears, she tried again. ¡°My J-John. My John.¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°I said it!¡±

    I smiled, but inwardly I was still worried. It still seemed wrong. It still sounded submissive in her tone of voice. Like she was still saying ¡®My Lord,¡¯ but using my name as the title. Whatever had a hold on her was getting stronger. I¡¯d seen her be playful a couple times the other day, but the more she tries to act like a wife, at least as an equal among my women, the more she backs off in the end. She was fairly aggressive towards me in Linda¡¯s bedroom until Rhia announced her presence, and aside from a brief hiss at being startled, she immediately sought to hide. I remember thinking it was out of embarrassment, and that was certainly at play, but Rhia is also considered the first among the rest. If Persia hadn¡¯t been distracted by Lily, would she have cowered?

    Thinking of Lily, it also reminded me that Persia was initially awestruck by her. She was meeting an Oracle for the first time. It wasn¡¯t until Lily became a little flirty that she started getting more aggressive and protective of me. I shook my head. This line of thinking wasn¡¯t getting me anywhere. I just didn¡¯t know enough. All I could piece together is that she¡¯s submissive to me and the girls, and aggressive to what she views as an outside threat. A mentality like that might be fine in a hierarchal body like the military, but it¡¯s not what I want or need in my family. I even thought of Ryo as my friend and not a pet.

    ¡°My John? You still look worried.¡± Persia¡¯s words brought me out of my reverie. She had scooted to edge of her bed, her legs now hanging off the edge in between mine and her face was close to mine, a worried expression on her face. I must have been deeper in thought than I was aware of for her to get that close without me noticing. I pressed my forehead against hers and rubbed her nose with mine. Her eyes closed and she rubbed back.

    ¡°I am, sweetheart. I don¡¯t know what I can do to help you. Whatever is happening to you, I sense it¡¯s probably something deep within your soul.¡± Okay, so I stole my theory from the girls, but I sensed they may be right. ¡°I think it¡¯s a combination of what Kamiki has done to your people, and what you¡¯ve experienced after escaping your world.¡± She said nothing, still rubbing her face into mine. I took a breath, then said, ¡°I think there¡¯s still a part of you deep down that doesn¡¯t trust me, and I think that¡¯s conflicting with Kamiki¡¯s compulsion.¡±

    Her face jerked back, eyes wide. ¡°My Lord!¡±

    I cut her off before she could object. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m not done.¡± She closed her mouth and sat with her hands gripping each other tightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that as a criticism. Just hear me out. You¡¯ve never gone into detail about it with me, and I¡¯ll never ask about it if you don¡¯t want to tell me, but you¡¯ve been hurt and betrayed before, right? Many, many times. Something like that has only happened to me once, as I¡¯m sure you heard. It took me a decade to finally come to terms with it and want to marry all you wonderful women who see something in this fool of a man before you. And that was just the result of one woman betraying me. You went through so much more than that. You lived half your life expecting to be betrayed at every turn and was rarely disappointed. That¡¯s going to leave some deep, deep scars. Some that you¡¯re not even aware of.¡± She nodded hesitantly, indicating that she understood what I was saying. I drove on.

    ¡°After all of that, I came along and treated you kindly. I never took advantage of you, even though you fully expected it, because I¡¯m sure it happened countless times. No, no need to confirm or deny that. I know you¡¯re not ready to confront it, or if you ever really will be. That¡¯s for you to decide. The concerning part is this: my kindness got your hopes up. That hope led you to place your faith in me. That faith triggered the compulsion she built in to your race to worship her and those who serve her. That translates into you essentially worshipping me and being subservient to those you view as your superiors, namely Rhia, Su, Hannah, Linda, Shu, and the Oracles.¡± Again, she nodded to show she understood. Now to get to what we believed to be the crux of the issue.

    ¡°That faith in us, in me, combined with your deep seated trust issues has developed into a form of zealotry. Linda pointed out something I¡¯d forgotten. When someone doesn¡¯t trust their partner, they can view anyone outside their influence as a threat. Let me ask you this: when did you start to worry about Lily taking me away?¡±

    Persia looked thoughtful for a second. ¡°I think it was when that boy asked if she was going to marry you.¡±

    I nodded my head. ¡°That would make sense. And then later you said you could smell that she was ¡®in heat,¡¯ as you put it, but didn¡¯t seem to care that there were five other women that I¡¯ve been sleeping with. Lily was the outside threat you focused on, even though I hadn¡¯t shown any indication that I wanted her. Your mind created that scenario because you expect to be betrayed and pushed down the ladder, further away from me, who you see not as your husband, equal in all things, but as someone to worship. That sound plausible?¡±

    She looked down, wringing her hands together, then nodded. I saw tears roll down her cheeks, and as her shoulders started to shudder I moved from the chair to sit next to her on her bed. I placed my arm over her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug, not sure what more I could do to comfort her. I pressed my cheek against the top of her head between her ears. I really was at a loss. All I could think to do was whisper the usual platitudes one does when they want to show support but have no idea how.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart. We¡¯re going to get through this.¡± I kissed the top of her head and she snuggled in closer to me, grabbing a handful of my shirt like she feared I¡¯d run away. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, babe. I won¡¯t rest until you¡¯re happy.¡±

    I felt her nod under my chin, then she whispered something.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Can I see you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± I said, slightly confused.

    ¡°I¡­ I mean, the real you. The one Rhia found?¡± I couldn¡¯t gauge her expression, since her face was buried in my chest. I did, however, remember the girls telling me that she¡¯d need original me, not John 2.0 or Zekken, so I made the changes, reverting back to gamer geek and pizza delivery guy John. She looked up and gave me a small smile, tugging at my beard. ¡°I don¡¯t remember you having this, My John.¡±

    I sighed. I really liked my beard, but she was right, and just for her it was once again the cheesy little goatee I¡¯d sported. Her smile grew a little wider as she reached up and stroked my now smooth cheek, the soft fur on her hands feeling absolutely divine. ¡°How is it possible to fall in love so fast?¡± she asked softly.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You¡¯ve been watching me for years. Was it really that fast?¡±

    She frowned slightly, her hand pausing on my face. ¡°I wish I¡¯d been braver. Come to you sooner. I¡¯ve missed out on so much time with you.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± I said softly as my own hand stroked her cheek. ¡°We¡¯re going to have more time together than we know what to do with. A couple years missed because you were working through your issues isn¡¯t going to be a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s how it was possible. You¡¯re so kind. You¡¯ve never treated me with anything but respect. How could anyone not fall in love with you?¡± Her hand on my cheek reached around to the back of my head and pulled my face to hers. Hesitantly she kissed me. At first it was just a light brushing of her lips against mine, but soon she got bolder, straddling my lap as she had at Linda¡¯s apartment, both hands gripping the side of my face as she worked herself up. Mostly I just hung on for the ride, my hands resting on her hips as she tried to melt into my body.

    ¡°I love you,¡± she said when she came back up for air. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to feel that for someone for so long.¡± I didn¡¯t get a chance to respond before she pushed her tongue back into my mouth. I thought I felt a spark shoot through to my heart when she said that. The flood of emotion coming from her was overwhelming.

    ¡°I love you.¡± Spark. My grip tightened on her hips, pulling her tighter against me.

    ¡°I love you so much.¡± Spark. Her chest pushed into mine, her hips grinding against mine, tail standing straight up behind.

    ¡°My life is nothing without you.¡± Jolt. My arms wrapped around her back. She paused in her assault on my mouth, breathing heavily, forehead pressed against mine, finally giving me a chance to respond.

    ¡°I love you too, Persia.¡±

    Her eyes glowed as a look of pure ecstasy came across her face. ¡°John,¡± she breathed, and as soon as her lips touched mine again the room was enveloped in a golden glow. The intensity was overwhelming. All at once I felt like I couldn¡¯t see anything, and yet was perfectly aware of everything.

    I could no longer feel cloth beneath my fingers as she pressed herself against me, our clothes vanishing in the initial blast of light. Just soft fur and muscles working beneath. I felt every beat of her heart through my chest. I tasted the saltiness as she shed tears of joy at our confessions of love. Heat bloomed from my lap as she lifted herself up and slid herself on to me. My mind rocketed everywhere and nowhere as I entered her. The universe felt vast, yet insignificant. Our souls came together, then parted over and over again. They danced, wove around each other, pierced each other and retreated. My golden energy mixed with her black energy until I couldn¡¯t tell where one started and the other ended.

    A sky blue bubble surrounded us, keeping us from drifting apart. We reached for it, pulling it in to our dance. It melded with us, intertwining our three energies as we all began pulsing. The black aura started to shift, slowly at first, but rapidly lightening. It reached for my golden energy and the blue energy, which also began pulsing faster, soon matching the rhythm and color of her energy. Faster and with more excitement than before, blue and black pressed against me. Pulsing with the beat of an excited heart, everything soon exploded in a flash that left me breathless. Before blacking out, I saw two golden auras floating before me, radiating warmth, acceptance, and love.

    *

    I woke some time later, unable to move. Looking down I saw cat ears and black hair resting on my left shoulder. On my right shoulder rested a pile of blonde hair. Between them their hands were clasped together on my stomach, and from what I could see, there wasn¡¯t a stitch of clothing anywhere in sight.

    So that wasn¡¯t a dream, I thought.

    The cat ears twitched a little, and Persia snuggled against me some more before looking up at me. Her eyes shined a bright golden, her face more human looking than I was ever able to make it when I reshaped her for our trip to New York. I looked from her eyes to her cute button nose down to her full, luscious lips. She gave me a sleepy, yet radiant smile.

    ¡°Good morning, John.¡±

    ¡°Good morning. You said my name,¡± I said, stating the obvious.

    She blushed. ¡°I¡­ I think you fixed me. I don¡¯t even get angry if I think of Lily flirting with you.¡±

    ¡°Fixed makes it sound like you were broken, dear sister,¡± the mess of blonde hair said. Rhia leaned over me and gave Persia a long kiss. She broke off and lay her head on my chest. ¡°He just smoothed out some rough patches.¡± I tried to remember when Rhia had joined us, but all I could really remember was a kaleidoscope of colors and transcendent bliss.

    ¡°I could definitely get used to waking up to both of you like this, but I have to confess, I don¡¯t remember a whole lot after Persia climbed up on my lap. Everything after that is a heavenly blur.¡±

    Persia nodded. ¡°Same here. I remember wanting to show you just how much I loved you, and then it felt like the universe was mine to hold. I couldn¡¯t tell where John ended and I began.¡±

    Rhia chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. I felt the waves of emotion pouring out from the two of you and came to check on how you were doing. Then you both pulled me into bed with you and I came and came and came again.¡± She blushed. ¡°I have never connected with anyone like I did with you two last night. John, I think what happened between us was similar to my people¡¯s Life Mate Bond, but since you¡¯re a god, the power you poured into it was beyond anything I¡¯ve ever seen. You did more than just link our energies, like I did with both of you. I think you¡¯ve fundamentally changed who we are on a spiritual level.¡±

    Persia nodded. ¡°I feel so much more at peace than I ever have in my life. I also feel so much more powerful. Like an overcharged battery.¡±

    Curious, I used my life sight on the two beauties laying beside me. Instead of the blue and black auras I¡¯d gotten used to seeing from them, I instead saw two gloriously golden forms staring back at me. They were a lighter shade of gold than mine, but gold nonetheless. Rhia had a blue shimmer about her, and Persia¡­ Persia had a pink shimmer. Not black, but pink. Whatever had darkened her spirit before, it was apparently gone. However, it was the gold that held my attention, and the wisps of energy that connected us were as thick around as a baseball bat, not the little tendrils like before.

    ¡°Ladies,¡± I said. ¡°Do you remember how I described how you looked through my life sight?¡±

    Rhia nodded. ¡°Yes. I was a sky blue color in your eyes, and Persia¡¯s was black, and there were tendrils of energy connecting us. Has that changed?¡±

    ¡°And how,¡± I said. I explained what I was seeing and gave them my theory on what I think happened.

    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Rhia began.

    ¡°We¡¯re goddesses?¡± Persia finished.

    Both girls sat up suddenly, the sheets from Persia¡¯s bed falling away revealing two sets of the most magnificent tits I¡¯ve ever seen. I couldn¡¯t help but gawk at Persia. Her fur had changed from the gray and black of a tabby to a soft golden hue. It also covered much less of her body than before, coating only her arms, legs up to mid thigh, tail and ears. Her torso and face was completely bare. Her hair was still black but seemed much more lustrous than before. What surprised us the most, however, were the golden wings on her back.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡± Rhia started to say before Persia cut her off.

    ¡°Your wings! Sister Rhia! They¡¯re beautiful! So golden, like your hair!¡±

    Rhia¡¯s eyes shot wide and she folded a wing around her shoulder to examine it. As Persia had said, her wings had also turned a soft golden color. Rhia stared at it for a second before looking back at Persia.

    ¡°It would appear we have a matching set, my love.¡±

    Confusion written all over her face, Persia slowly reached a hand over her shoulder until she touched her new feathered appendages. Shocked, she squeaked at the discovery and attempted to turn around and see it, succeeding only in losing her balance and falling off the edge of the bed. As she fell I was once again able to determine that indeed the only places she had fur were her limbs. That registered in the second it took for me to vault out of bed and land at her side to help her up.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked as she stood up next to me. Was she always able to look me eye to eye like that? I thought. I seem to remember having a few inches in height on her before, but now she was virtually the same height. Rhia climbed off the bed and also proved to be much closer to looking me in the eye than before.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, blushing. ¡°Just embarrassed. How did this happen?¡± She had pulled a wing around and was softly stroking it, looking intently at her golden feathers. They were beautiful wings, the same size and shape of Rhia¡¯s, with what looked like an eight foot span joining her body at her shoulder blades. She released her hold on the wing and tried spreading them. The tips nearly touched the opposite walls of her small room, and she gave them a practice flap. After accidently hitting me with one of them, she giggled and folded them back behind her.

    ¡°Rhia? Is all this a part of that sharing of traits that Life Mate Bond thing does?¡± I asked. She didn¡¯t answer right away. She seemed to be distracted by something behind her, as both of her hands were working behind her back and she had a stunned expression on her face. One hand suddenly went to the top of her head, but after sliding through her hair a few times, she got a relieved look on her face. ¡°You alright, babe?¡±

    I guess I startled her, because she jumped a little at my voice and looked between Persia and me with an embarrassed expression on her face. ¡°Um, yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, not at all giving the impression that she was fine. She continued on though. ¡°Yes, I believe this is part of the Bonding and sharing of traits. Since your power is so much more overwhelming than ours, it doesn¡¯t look like you inherited any physical traits like we did, but there may be something more spiritual that you haven¡¯t discovered yet.¡±

    ¡°Is something the matter? You seem awfully distracted over there.¡±

    She shifted nervously. ¡°Well, it appears that Persia and I both inherited traits and power from you. Persia also inherited wings from me.¡± She sighed. ¡°And I inherited something from Persia as well.¡± She slowly turned around, and as I admired her fantastic ass, the reason for her surprise became evident as a golden fur covered tail slowly whipped back and forth. My jaw dropped. Persia squealed and did a little happy dance that did wonderful things to her breasts before she bolted over and wrapped Rhia up in a bear hug that caught her completely off guard and lifted her off the ground. It was easy to forget that this timid woman was the second strongest person on the moon.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re even more like sisters!¡± she said excitedly. Rhia recovered from her shock as Persia set her back down, then smiled lovingly at the catgirl.

    ¡°I guess we are,¡± she said, stroking Persia¡¯s cheek. She looked up at me, then smiled wider. ¡°Looks like you did gain something of mine, John.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I said and conjured up a mirror to see what she was talking about. The reflection before me still sported the goatee Persia asked for the night before, but it was my golden eyes I was sure she was talking about. ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°You can change back to 2.0, if you like. I prefer your hazel eyes, and the chin fur looks really bad compared to your beard,¡± Rhia said. Persia nodded alongside her, and I obliged. Soon I was standing before them in my quarterback body, rugged face, and hairy chest. Persia came up and rubbed her cheek over a pec.

    ¡°Furry,¡± she said, a content smile playing across her lips. I swear I think she was purring!

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I said, remembering whose idea that was. ¡°You¡¯re the one who suggested the hairy chest, weren¡¯t you?¡± I looked up at Rhia. ¡°That was years ago! Is this why you insisted on her being a part of your makeover squad?¡±

    Rhia shrugged, then smiled. ¡°I was hoping something like this would happen one day. We¡¯ve been friends for a very long time, and I knew if there was anyone out there that could help her, it was you. This just sweetened the pot a little for her.¡±

    I looked down at my winged catgirl and smiled. ¡°Completely worth it,¡± I said. ¡°Persia, are you ready to face Lily? It¡¯s about time for Su to come get us for breakfast, and I¡¯ve neglected our guests for too long.¡±

    Persia reluctantly pulled herself away from me as Rhia came up to hold her hand. Persia gave it a squeeze, then smiled at me. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure I can face her now, and I have a lot to apologize for. Don¡¯t worry, My Husband.¡± She winked at me.

    *

    The girls started by testing the limits of their newfound powers. Unsurprisingly, the first thing they did was my little trick of dressing with just a thought. Rhia did it without any flair, but Persia adopted my trick of snapping her fingers. Rhia once again wore her trademark business skirt combo but switched to a white color scheme instead of her usual black or charcoal. She had started to hide her wings as she usually did, along with her tail, but the look of disappointment in Persia¡¯s eyes stopped her. She decided that hiding the gift she¡¯d received from her sister wasn¡¯t something she wanted to do. Persia perked back up and chose her own outfit. She twirled around, showing off her yellow sundress. Where Rhia had to create a tail hole for her tight pencil skirt, Persia let her loose dress cover hers, like she did with her maid uniform. The back of the dress was open to the small of her back, leaving plenty of room for her wings so she could show them off to everyone, and the vibrant color of the dress worked surprisingly well with the golden fur she sported on her arms and legs. I also noticed a new necklace around her neck, a gold chain that held a blue and black Z with gold highlights. She gave me a stunning smile when she saw me looking at it.

    Su did indeed soon come knocking, asking if Persia was alright and if we were going to join everyone for breakfast. Persia answered by flinging the door open and throwing her arms around Su, squealing in laughter and planting a kiss on the stunned woman¡¯s face. She was like a completely different person, but she was happy, and neither Rhia or I sensed any of her old issues within her. We made our way to the dining hall, Su admiring everything new about Persia, mostly her new outgoing personality. Entering the dining hall, Persia immediately sought out Lily and started apologizing profusely and begged her forgiveness. It took Lily a few seconds to figure out what Persia was talking about, and a couple seconds more to even recognize her.

    As those two spoke, Rhia and I filled in everyone about what had happened last night, keeping the details vague enough for adults to imagine out of respect for the four year old Petra happily stuffing her face with a pile of pancakes almost as tall as she was. Remembering how the maids had all fawned (and still do) over Ryo, I could imagine their reactions to the adorable little blonde girl. Ryo, by the way, was happily stuffing her own face at the foot of Petra¡¯s chair, catching everything the little girl dropped her way. Su watched over everyone with a maternal smile I rarely saw, and Hannah was pestering Rhia with questions and trying to get a better look at her tail. Shu was drinking tea and talking with Isabella while Linda was begging me for wings of her own. The heavy mood that was hanging over us yesterday had evaporated when Persia had danced into the room, and we were all having a great morning.

    Which is why everyone knew something was wrong when Rhia, Persia, and I suddenly jumped to our feet and faced the direction of the asteroid ship at the same time.

 Seventeen: The Asteroid

    ¡°You ladies felt that too?¡± I asked.

    Persia and Rhia both nodded.

    ¡°It felt like someone was watching me,¡± said Persia, shuddering as she crossed her arms over her chest.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Rhia. ¡°It was pretty intense, but curious, if that makes any sense.¡±

    I nodded. That¡¯s exactly what it felt like to me. I stretched out with my life sight, focusing on the asteroid ship. Before it was filled with smoky and gray forms moving about, keeping their distance from the silverish form at the center, but not this time. Now I saw earthy colors. Greens and browns mostly, and a silver beacon that pulsed gold in a steady beat at the center. As I watched, I saw the asteroid ship slow even further, then stop completely before it started rotating until it faced the moon. Our home.

    ¡°Uh, well, whoever¡¯s driving that thing knows we¡¯re here,¡± I said, canceling my sight. Looking over I saw Rhia and Persia blinking and shaking their heads.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you see,¡± said Persia.

    ¡°It certainly takes some getting used to,¡± Rhia added.

    Isabella already had Petra in her lap. She¡¯d pulled the plate of pancakes over so she could keep happily eating and feeding Ryo. Lily had reached out and grabbed Persia¡¯s hand, a worried look on her face. Linda and Hannah looked ready for a fight, while Su and Shu calmly looked on, waiting for my next decision. I looked at the four human women and the little girl, considering my options before deciding to err on the side of caution.

    ¡°Ladies, I want to send you home for now.¡±

    Isabella looked relieved and hugged Petra close to her. Lily looked conflicted. Shu nodded in understanding while Linda, her polar opposite and lover, leapt out of her chair.

    ¡°Like hell you will!¡± Linda yelled. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna face them without me at your side!¡±

    Shu reached up and took her hand, attempting to calm her down as I walked over to her. I placed my hands on her shoulders and looked into the storm brewing in her eyes.

    ¡°Linda, there¡¯s nothing you can do to help if they get violent. They¡¯re the same race as Persia, remember? If they¡¯re as strong as she is, or worse, stronger, it¡¯ll be a bad day for you. And you don¡¯t want to do that to Shu and me, do you?¡±

    She slammed a fist into my chest. ¡°Then give me power like you gave Rhia and Persia!¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I still don¡¯t exactly know how it works, but I know it¡¯s not that easy. Please, just let me send you and Shu home. I love both of you, and I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if something were to happen to you.¡±

    Shu stood up and hugged Linda from behind. ¡°He¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing we can do. Maybe someday, but not today. Please, come with me. I haven¡¯t shown you my hometown yet.¡±

    Conflict raged within Linda¡¯s eyes before she deflated and sagged back into Shu¡¯s arms. ¡°Fine. This time. Next time I expect to be by your side.¡±

    ¡°I pray there isn¡¯t a next time. Now, where to?¡±

    ¡°My apartment,¡± Linda said before Shu could open her mouth. Shu gave her a questioning look, but Linda only gave her a small smile. ¡°I want to see your hometown, baby, but I won¡¯t be able to enjoy it while everyone up here may be in danger.¡± She grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me close. ¡°Don¡¯t you die on me, mister. I¡¯m nowhere near done with you yet.¡± Then she kissed me, displaying an aggression that caught me off-guard. She then passed me off to Shu, whose goodbye was less aggressive, but no less passionate. I was going to have to spoil these two when this was all said and done. Between the asteroid ship, the Oracle search, and Persia, I¡¯d been neglecting them for too long. Shu released me and then nodded that she was ready, her arms wrapped around Linda¡¯s stomach again.

    ¡°I love you both. I¡¯ll see you soon, I promise.¡± With a snap of my fingers, they were gone.

    I turned to Isabella. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all of this. I brought you up here, neglected you and Petra, and now I have to send home again.¡±

    She waved off the apology. ¡°I imagine the life of a god is a busy one. It was nice to be pampered by your ladies, and Petra was spoiled rotten by everyone. Thank you for the break.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a saint, Isabella. Once this is all settled, would you like to visit again? Or perhaps even move here? I know my girls up here all adore Petra, and Ryo hasn¡¯t had this much fun in a while.¡± I gestured at the puppy in question, who sat at Isabella¡¯s feet staring up at Petra, tail wagging with a big doggy grin waiting for the next delivery of pancakes.

    ¡°I would love to visit again. I¡¯ll think on your other offer, as well.¡± She smiled gratefully. I didn¡¯t imagine being a single mother was easy, and any help I could give her I would be happy to. Rhia walked up beside her.

    ¡°May I escort you home?¡±

    Isabella nodded, and, after telling me she¡¯d be right back, Rhia took hold of her hand and they vanished in a golden shower of sparks. I chuckled, then reached down to pet Ryo¡¯s head as she looked around in confusion, since her meal ticket just disappeared.

    ¡°And she gives me grief about showboating.¡± I turned to Lily, who was talking with Persia.

    ¡°Please stop apologizing. I said it was okay. I really didn¡¯t notice most of it, so I¡¯m not put out at all,¡± she was saying. Persia was holding on to her hands, eyes watering.

    ¡°I just feel so bad. Even though you hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, I was so rude! I don¡¯t want you to go home with a bad impression of me. I¡¯ll even help you hook up with him if you want! I really don¡¯t mind anymore! If he¡¯s happy, I¡¯m happy.¡±

    ¡°I, um¡­ He.. uh,¡± Lily had turned scarlet by this point, stammering out half words and sounds, clearly embarrassed by the whole thing.

    ¡°Persia,¡± I said softly, getting her attention. ¡°That¡¯s enough sweetheart. She¡¯s fine. She doesn¡¯t hate you, and she isn¡¯t holding anything against you, but if you keep pushing, you¡¯re going to make her even more uncomfortable. Why don¡¯t you escort her home like Rhia did Isabella and Petra and call it even?¡±

    Lily nodded at that, grateful for the lifeline. ¡°Yeah! That will work. Take me home, and all is good, ok? Just let me say bye first.¡± Persia nodded in agreement, finally seeming to get the point. Lily stepped over to me. ¡°Is that same offer you made Isabella available to me?¡±

    ¡°You heard that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Visit or even move in?¡±

    ¡°Yep, you¡¯re welcome to visit anytime you want, or you can move up here-¡±

    ¡°I accept!¡± she said before I even finished speaking. Then she blushed, even started digging her toe into the floor. It was kind of adorable. ¡°I¡¯d like to move up here with you, if it¡¯s not too much trouble, and if your wives don¡¯t mind.¡± She glanced around as she said that. Su smiled and nodded. Hannah gave her two thumbs up. Persia started nodding her head vigorously. I laughed.

    ¡°Well, three out of six don¡¯t mind,¡± I looked her in the eye. ¡°And I¡¯m okay with it as well. For now, however, I¡¯d really like to get you home. Don¡¯t you worry you¡¯re pretty pink head off about this. There¡¯s always a place for you here.¡±

    Silver eyes sparkling, she stood up on her toes and planted a kiss on my cheek, whispering in my ear as she did. ¡°Thank you, My Lord.¡± She backed up, gave me a wink, then grabbed Persia¡¯s hand. They briefly whispered back and forth, looked back at me, giggled, and disappeared in a shower of pink sparks.

    I flopped down into my seat before the sparks dissipated. I heard Su and Hannah approach my chair from behind and craned my neck back to watch them. Su was calm and collected, which was her default state when she wasn¡¯t being overly flirtatious. Hannah was grinning broadly. I held my hands out and pulled them both on to my lap, wrapping my arms around their waists. As my blue and tan beauties got comfortable on a leg, Hannah started giggling.

    ¡°You trying for one for every day of the week, My Lord? I call Tuesdays.¡± The little blonde was full of energy as usual as she nibbled at my ear.

    ¡°That¡¯s something we can discuss at another time, Hannah,¡± Su said, sounding all business for once even as the redhead cuddled up against my chest. ¡°You¡¯re planning on heading over there, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Getting them out of here is just a failsafe. If something were to happen to me, they¡¯d stand a better chance on Earth.¡±

    ¡°Us, you mean.¡± I looked over and saw Rhia and Persia walking over. ¡°You¡¯re not going over there without the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Back already? That was fast.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore what I just said, John,¡± said Rhia. I knew that look. She wasn¡¯t messing around.

    I sighed. ¡°I just-¡±

    ¡°No, My John, Sister is right,¡± said Persia.

    ¡°Still going with ¡®My John,¡¯ are you?¡± I asked. Hannah chose that moment to stick her tongue in my ear, and I squeezed a large handful of her ass as a warning. Su was right. Now wasn¡¯t the time, disappointingly enough.

    ¡°Only because I want to now, not because I have to,¡± Persia remarked. ¡°Back on topic, dear, you need me to go with you. You know nothing about Junaians or their beliefs. My memory may be rusty, but I still know more than you.¡±

    Rhia nodded. ¡°And you already know I won¡¯t let you go alone.¡±

    Sighing, I looked at Su. ¡°Looks like the fort is yours while we¡¯re away.¡± She nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s still standing when we get back, I¡¯ll be sure to slip you a small treat when no one¡¯s looking.¡±

    Smiling, she gave me a lingering kiss, working her practiced tongue around mine before releasing me. ¡°My Lord, your treat could never be described as ¡®small.¡¯ I made sure of that, remember?¡± Three other heads nodded in agreement around me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our home will be safe and secure and eagerly awaiting your return.¡± I smiled gratefully at her.

    ¡°What about me, My Lord? Do I get a treat as well?¡± Hannah asked, purple eyes sparkling.

    ¡°You, my little scamp, have been far too distracting these last couple minutes,¡± I said as I rubbed the ass cheek I¡¯d pinched earlier. Noting the lack of pantyline under my grip, I slid my hand around, brushing across her lips as a wet spot formed on her dress. She sucked in her breath at my touch. ¡°When I return, I believe some disciplinary training will be necessary.¡± I quirked an eyebrow at her as I said this. Her breathing got heavier as her tan cheeks turned red.

    ¡°Yes, My Lord. I have forgotten my place. Please show me the error of my ways when you return.¡± She stared at me hungrily, and I brought a hand up to pull her face to mine. When we separated from our kiss, I patted both of them on the ass and had them stand up. Time to get to work.

    ¡°Su, Hannah, red alert. Get your girls ready.¡±

    ¡°¡°Yes, My Lord,¡±¡± they both said. Bowing, they made to leave, their eyes lingering on mine for a second before they marched out the door.

    Rhia watched them leave with a smile on her face. ¡°For you, those two would fight off half the galaxy to keep our home safe.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that.¡± I slapped my hands together. ¡°So, do you two want an emotional moment before we set off, as well, or should we just get to it?¡±

    Persia stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll never turn down an opportunity for a moment with you, John.¡± I smiled, pulling her close. As our lips touched, a spark of energy passed between us, and when we parted her golden eyes were luminescent. That¡¯s not a metaphor. Her eyes were actually glowing.

    ¡°John, your eyes!¡± Persia said. ¡°They¡¯re glowing.¡±

    ¡°So are yours,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a god and his goddesses thing?¡± I looked at Rhia. ¡°Care to assist in an experiment, my dear?¡± She smiled and stepped into my arms. The same spark occurred as our lips met, and when we separated, her eyes were glowing as well. ¡°Neat. Wonder what it means.¡±

    Rhia shrugged. ¡°This is all new to me as well. However, now is not the time.¡± She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the asteroid ship. ¡°It¡¯s started moving this way, but not very quickly. How are we doing this? Are we just going to pop over there?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to scare them into something that can¡¯t be reversed, like attacking. I¡¯m still thinking of Isabella¡¯s painting. I think we might be able to solve this peacefully. At least, I hope we can. I think we should fly out to them.¡±

    Persia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fly? I¡¯ve never flown before.¡±

    ¡°Good a time as any to learn, right? Just listen to Rhia. You¡¯re a goddess now, Persia. It¡¯s time to show those assholes who chased you off planet what you¡¯ve become.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    A grin spread across her face and she punched one hand into the other. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m done hiding in shadows.¡±

    ¡°Easy there, tiger. We¡¯re just going to say hi for now. Now let¡¯s a get a move on. That thing is only getting closer the longer we stand here.¡±

    Rhia and Persia vanished in a puff of gold and pink sparks. I followed, without the theatrics for once.

    -

    Standing on the moon¡¯s surface, I looked around, then up at the Earth hanging overhead. The sight never failed to awe me.

    Over here, John, I heard Rhia in my head. I looked over and saw my two ladies hovering in the vacuum. Persia had changed from her summer dress to a pink catsuit, if you¡¯ll pardon the nomenclature. Over her left breast was the stylized Z that seemed to have become my personal symbol. Rhia gave her a look, shrugged and was soon wearing the same thing, only white. Floating there with their golden wings spread and shining in the unfiltered sunlight, they really were the vision of angels. The tails were an interesting touch, but I liked them. Made my girls unique. I kicked off the surface and flew over to meet them, feeling like Superman as I easily steered my way through the heavens. For a second I debated wearing the suit, with a Z where the S would be, but that seemed tacky even to me, so I stuck with my standard business suit. Greeting aliens in jeans and a t-shirt just seemed too insulting, even for me.

    The supersuit would¡¯ve been a bit much, yeah, Rhia thought to me.

    I think it would¡¯ve been fun, thought Persia with a grin.

    Maybe some other time, I thought back. We can fly around in our supersuits and play superhero. Persia laughed and clapped her hands at the idea, although naturally no sound reached our ears. Come on, let¡¯s go.

    No experience can ever capture the feeling of flying through space. Dead silence. Infinity surrounding you. Not even a sensation of speed. If it wasn¡¯t for the rapidly shrinking moon behind us, I wouldn¡¯t have thought we were moving at all. Looking at my girls flanking me, I could see pink and gold trails behind them. I sensed that was something they did for effect, as I didn¡¯t have that behind me. I activated my life sight to see the asteroid ship better, and realized it was closer to us than I thought. Between our approach and its movement towards the moon, we¡¯d closed the distance quickly. As I watched, it finally came out from the shadow of Earth and I got my first real look at it. It really was just a big egg shaped rock in space. The surface was covered in craters from smaller rocks hitting it. I didn¡¯t see anything like external weapons or windows. Just the soft blue glow of its propulsion that it eclipsed. I looked over at Rhia. She made eye contact and nodded. I looked over at Persia. There was a determined look on her face. I could understand that look. For me, this ship was a trespasser. For her, this ship was a reminder of her suffering. She stared steadfastly ahead but sent me a warm feeling through our link.

    There was a brief flare from behind the ship before the blue glow faded away. Then it appeared to come to a stop.

    Looks like we¡¯ve been noticed, I thought to the girls.

    Now let¡¯s see what they decide to do, responded Rhia.

    Persia remained silent, watching the ship as we continued closer. Suddenly a light appeared slightly left of off-center. I felt the girls tense up next to me, as I¡¯m sure they felt the same from me. I stared at the pinpoint of light until I could make out the details more. It was less of a spotlight, and more light spilling out. It appeared to be coming from a cleverly hidden hatchway.

    Think that¡¯s an invitation?

    Rhia shrugged when I looked over at her. Could be. Or it could be a trap.

    Suddenly that feeling of being watched hit us again. It had an air of curiosity about it, but I sensed no malice. Then again, we were talking about an alien species. Perhaps they didn¡¯t feel things the same way we did. They could be curious about us the same way a little boy is curious about ants before he kicks over their hill.

    It¡¯s no trap, thought Persia. I raised an eyebrow at her. I think they want to meet us first.

    I pondered that for a moment, then said fuck it. It couldn¡¯t hurt to meet them. It¡¯s what I came here for anyway. I angled myself towards the hatch and led the girls in. We¡¯d barely touched our feet to the deck when the hatch closed behind us. As soon as it locked in place, we began to hear air being pumped in. At the same time a wave of dizziness overtook me and I dropped to one knee.

    ¡°John!¡± I heard as the pressure started to equalize and two sets of hands were grabbing my shoulders. I shook my head a little and focused on one spot. Slowly everything came back into focus and I was able to stand again.

    ¡°Sorry about that, ladies. Just got dizzy there for a second. Not sure what happened. You guys alright?¡±

    They nodded.

    ¡°Vertigo, maybe? You went from flying in space to standing in a tiny room,¡± suggested Rhia.

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think it¡¯s the ship. I feel weaker. Not a lot, but noticeable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the concentration of Kamiki worshippers,¡± said Persia. I looked over and saw that determined look on her face again. Rhia almost smacked her hand to her forehead.

    ¡°Of course. We talked about this, remember? Your influence over the ship won¡¯t be as great since it¡¯s not of this system.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, recalling the conversation. ¡°You guys seem fine though.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re anomalies. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say we get our strength from you, but you collapsed and we didn¡¯t, so I can¡¯t be sure. Like I¡¯ve said, I¡¯ve never heard of this happening before.¡±

    Before we could discuss anymore, the inner hatch slid open and large figure stepped forward. Easily topping seven feet, the large cat-man sported a black fur coat with random tan markings. He was dressed in a black body suit that had armor plates shielding its vital areas. I suddenly felt out of place in my business suit. The big guy looked us over, sniffing at Rhia and myself, but his teeth pulled back in a snarl when he saw Persia. She was essentially unrecognizable as a Junaian these days, but I guess enough traits remained the elicit a reaction. Persia, for her part, merely stared back at him as his fur started to rise.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± I coughed, getting his attention. He looked back at me, tail flicking in agitation behind him. ¡°Take me to your leader?¡± Unable to help herself, Rhia rolled her eyes. Persia maintained her passive face but did send me a giggle through our link. The big guy snarled briefly, then turned around and started walking away.

    ¡°Come,¡± he said, and didn¡¯t wait to see if we were following. We were, naturally, because what other choice did we have? I wanted this to end peacefully, so going off on our own or leaving wasn¡¯t an option.

    Are all the males that big? I asked Persia. She shrugged.

    I was a child when I left. Everyone was huge to me. I couldn¡¯t argue with that.

    Yes, thought Rhia. They¡¯re rarely seen outside of Kamiki¡¯s region of space, but enough have been seen to know that he¡¯s average for a Junaian male. Persia, incidentally, is average for a Junaian female.

    I looked over at the slender and formerly much shorter Persia, then at the lumbering giant in front of us, then back to Persia again. My eyes started to widen before she shot me a dirty look.

    Don¡¯t. Even. Imagine. It.

    I quickly put my hands up in surrender and contented myself with observing our surroundings. Despite the rocky exterior, the inside was surprisingly comfortable. Well lit with carpeted floors. Cushioned seats in the common areas we passed. Not at all resembling the military sparseness I had been expecting. We passed other cat people as we walked down the huge hallways, most the size of our taciturn friend, others smaller and more feminine looking. Everyone we passed stared at us as we made our way deeper into the ship. Some ogled Rhia, not that I could blame them. Others stared at me suspiciously. Most glared at Persia, who ignored it, but I could feel the resentment roiling within her. She never let it show on her face though. She simply stared straight ahead and kept walking.

    After countless turns and a ride up some freaky lift tube with no floor, we arrived at an ornate hatch at the end of a hall. Embossed on the metal door was the image of a cat lady. Catgirl didn¡¯t quite feel right to describe the image. She stood in flowing robes, her hair long and wavy, a regal and pompous look on her face. Kamiki, Persia thought to us. Before her knelt countless figures. All I could make out were butts and tails sticking in to the air. I assumed that meant they were supposed to be prostrating themselves before her. My examination of the hatch ended when our massive feline tour guide gave it three sharp knocks. The door started to slowly open. As it did, the big guy turned to us.

    ¡°Enter. Kneel. Speak when spoken to,¡± he said haltingly. He gave Rhia and I hard looks, then snarled at Persia before turning and taking a position at the end of the hall. I looked at the ladies and shrugged before entering the room. As the girls followed me through, the door started to close behind us. The room was surprisingly bare. There was a bed at the back of the room across from the hatch, a door off to our left, and a chair placed in the center of the room on a circular rug. Neither the bed or the chair looked comfortable in any way, yet that didn¡¯t stop someone from sitting in that chair. Silver eyes watched us approach from above a veil not too dissimilar from the niqab worn by Muslim women on Earth. Aside from the eyes, I couldn¡¯t make out any hint of fur. The Oracle, as I assumed them to be, was swaddled in robes that covered every trace of their body. They remained silent as we approached to the edge of the rug, and watched their eyes examine the three of us. If they had any reaction towards Persia like the others on the ship did, they didn¡¯t show it in their eyes. Coming to a stop at the edge of the rug, I smiled.

    ¡°Howdy,¡± I said, then took great delight in watching those eyes get wide at my obvious breach of protocol. A small movement was made under those robes, and the hatch behind us suddenly flew open and our large friend from before came racing in. Before Rhia and Persia could react, I already had him restrained and floating behind me. My powers may be weaker in the ship, but we were still in my solar system, and I had the homefield advantage.

    ¡°Listen, if we¡¯re gonna talk, let¡¯s talk. If we¡¯re gonna fight, let¡¯s fight. I¡¯m not going to play your little games though.¡±

    The figure stood up from the chair. They were roughly my height, I could now tell, but the wealth of robes still did an excellent job of hiding everything about them

    ¡°Release him and pay the respects due an Oracle of Kamiki,¡± boomed a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Without taking my eyes off the Oracle, I tossed the guard back through the door behind me, smirking as I heard him hit the far wall with an ¡°Ooomph¡± as the air got knocked out of him. Rhia and Persia returned to flanking me as I stared down the Oracle.

    ¡°We¡¯re already getting off on the wrong foot here. I came here to talk,¡± I said amiably.

    ¡°I will not engage in discussion with one who shows obvious disrespect for Kamiki¡¯s Chosen Oracle and travels with such filth,¡± the Oracle said, turning their glaring eyes on Persia, who bristled and started working her hands open and closed. Even Rhia tensed at that.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done being nice,¡± I said through clenched teeth. It took a lot of effort, and it felt like I was fighting against a similar power to my own, but I managed to grab the Oracle like I had the guard and lifted them off the ground as I stalked forward. ¡°I came here to find a peaceful solution. You fly into my system, you have your eyes on my planet, your man tries to attack me, and, worst of all, you insulted my wife! You want to discuss who¡¯s disrespecting whom?! Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t crush you like a bug right here and now!¡± I really didn¡¯t know if I could crush them, since we were in their seat of power, but I was pissed. I¡¯d do it with my bare hands if I hand to.

    ¡°Kamiki (gasp) is a (gasp) goddess. You, ugh, cannot (gasp) defeat her,¡± the Oracle struggled to get out as my anger increased the hold I had on them.

    ¡°Goddess? I have two of my own right here!¡± I gestured to Rhia and Persia. The Oracle¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°As for me, since you never bothered to check before expecting me to demean myself, I am Zekken! God of Earth and her mother system! When you come to my home, YOU bow before ME!¡± My last words came out with as much power as I could find to put in them, reverberating around the room and likely the ship. I wasn¡¯t sure if their eyes could get any wider, but the puddle forming under their floating form told me just how much I¡¯d gotten through to them.

    ¡°If you¡¯d be so kind as to let my Oracle down?¡± a melodic voice asked. It didn¡¯t seem to come from any one direction, but all directions simultaneously.

    ¡°Kamiki, I assume?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Indeed, Zekken,¡± came the reply.

    I set the Oracle down gently, giving them a divine cleaning as I did. It didn¡¯t hurt to be civil.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not actually here, or we¡¯d be speaking face to face?¡±

    ¡°You guess correctly. My Oracle is my conduit, which is how we can speak now, although how you can speak our tongue is a mystery to me. It is also how I detected you on this planet¡¯s satellite. A sliver of my power caught my attention.¡±

    ¡°So that was you we felt, then? What do you mean ¡®a sliver of your power?¡¯¡±

    ¡°It is as I said. I do not know the how, nor the why, only that it was there. Now explain to me why you are here abusing my Oracle.¡±

    ¡°Your children have wandered into my yard, Kamiki. I¡¯m happy to entertain guests, but not when they look like they want to move in without paying rent.¡± The Oracle stirred a little, a soft grunt coming from beneath the robes.

    ¡°You have my apologies. I will take the blame for that. I was not aware of your presence in that system.¡±

    There was a gasp behind me, followed by a muffled thump.

    ¡°Could you please have your companion remove herself from that guard. Oh.¡± The voice took on an understanding tone. ¡°It¡¯s a Lost One. So that¡¯s how you can speak our tongue. You have mated with one of mine, and granted her some access to your local power while taking some of mine. Very interesting.¡±

    I turned around to find Persia on top of the same guard from earlier, her knee in the small of his back and his arm twisted behind him. His snout seemed a little flatter than it had moments ago. I motioned for her to release him. She stood up, turning her back on him and joining me at my side. Rhia was also at my side but angled so that she could keep an eye on both the Oracle and the hatch where the guard lay prone.

    ¡°What is your name, Lost One.¡±

    ¡°I am no Lost One. I am Persia. Mate of Zekken,¡± she stated proudly.

    ¡°Persia¡­ your rebirth name. I see. You were Bridgette, daughter of Lizain and Erethra.¡±

    ¡°That woman is dead,¡± Persia said. ¡°Bridgette died in her travels. Only I remain.¡±

    Kamiki was silent for a moment. The Oracle slowly crawled back into their chair, a soft sigh escaping their lips as they settled in. For the briefest of seconds, I caught a glimpse of a green finger before it was snatched back into the robes. I looked up and saw silver eyes staring back at me.

    ¡°So be it,¡± Kamiki said. ¡°Bridgette is dead. It is unfortunate, but her family will be notified.¡±

    Persia nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± I said. ¡°What do we need to do to convince you to bring your little raiding party back home?¡±

    ¡°Home? These travelers will never see home again.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They do not have the fuel or supplies for a return trip. They were supposed to land and prepare the world for my colonization fleet. They were never meant to return.¡±

    I looked at the Oracle, who immediately lowered their gaze to the floor. I looked over at the guard, but he was still unconscious, so he wasn¡¯t any help. Rhia and Persia both stared at me, eyes as wide as I¡¯m sure mine were.

    ¡°You sent them on a one way trip to a planet you didn¡¯t even know you could conquer?¡± I asked incredulously.

    ¡°It is of no consequence. They volunteered. One hundred soldiers and a single Oracle is no great loss in the scheme of things. Simply send them off into space. We will collect the ship for use at a later time.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°You are one cold blooded bitch, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Soldiers who fail in their mission are of no use to me. Send them on their way to die. I will leave your system alone per the Accords.¡±

    I bit back the urge to ask what Accords she spoke of, in case my ignorance came back to bite me in the ass later. I couldn¡¯t get over her tossing her own people aside like that though. Living beings aren¡¯t fodder.

    ¡°There has to be another solution besides sending them off to die of starvation or suffocation,¡± I said. The Oracle was staring at me now, unblinkingly.

    ¡°Fine, if it means that much to you, you take them. As I¡¯ve said, I have no use for soldiers who can¡¯t complete their mission, nor an Oracle who¡¯s careless enough to let outsiders glimpse skin.¡±

    Persia¡¯s eyes shot wide and stared at the Oracle.

    ¡°NO! My Goddess! It was an accident! Please!¡± A feminine voice cried out from the bundle of robes as it, she, fell to her knees.

    ¡°Enough! If you were careless enough to let something so small as a finger slip out, what else might you screw up in the future? No second chances, Oracle. You know my ways better than most. I grow tired of this. Zekken, the cats and the nitwit are yours to do with as you please. Send my ship out of your system at your earliest convenience or I shall send a fleet to retrieve it.¡±

    Abruptly the weakness that I¡¯d been feeling since I entered the ship vanished and the bundle of fabric on the floor let out a mournful wail.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± was all I could think to say. Kamiki¡¯s voice had gone silent. The only sound to be heard was the former oracle weeping on the floor at my feet. I turned and looked at Rhia and Persia.

    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡±

 Eighteen: After Kamiki

    I knelt down next the woman crying at my feet and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away from me. She didn¡¯t make any attempt to move, she just didn¡¯t want to be touched. I motioned Rhia over to keep an eye her, then made my way over to the unconscious guard with Persia at my side. After healing the injuries Persia inflicted, which were considerable but not life threatening, I woke him up with a snap.

    ¡°Hey there, guy, you with me?¡± I asked. He let out a groan as the world reformed around him and he rolled over on to his back. Looking up from the floor, he saw me kneeling next to him and Persia standing behind me. He immediately flipped on to his feet and backed off, assuming a defensive stance, never taking his eyes off my feline goddess.

    ¡°Keep her away from me! She¡¯s not natural!¡± he growled.

    ¡°Easy there, big guy. That¡¯s my wife you¡¯re talking about, you know,¡± I said, raising an eyebrow at him. A look of confusion crossed his face as his eyes shifted back and forth between Persia and me.

    ¡°What is ¡®wife?¡¯¡± he asked.

    Persia draped an arm over my shoulder as I stood up and hooked my arm around her waist as an uncharacteristically smug look crossed her face. ¡°I am his mate, and he is mine.¡±

    A look of disgust crossed the large alien¡¯s face, a lip pulling up in a snarl. ¡°Why would anyone wish for a corrupted mate? You are no longer a pure Junaian and have turned from Kamiki¡¯s favor¡­¡± his words trailed off as he looked around the room and saw the Oracle sobbing on her knees while Rhia stood over her. Coming to the wrong conclusion, I¡¯m sure, he roared with rage and leapt at the flaxen haired beauty, who simply held out a hand, freezing him in midair. The three of us started walking toward the suspended man, but the Oracle suddenly grabbed on to Rhia¡¯s ankle.

    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t hurt him!¡± she pleaded. Rhia stopped and looked over at me. I gave her a nod and moved to kneel next to the crying woman. Persia moved and stood in front of the guard, saying nothing, but staring in to his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re not going to hurt anyone. We came here specifically to avoid that,¡± I reassured the distraught woman. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why he¡¯s the only one in here though. I imagined us being swamped with guards by this point.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the only one allowed. The only one with access to my chambers. He has protected me for hundreds of cycles as we journeyed here. He is my most loyal companion.¡±

    I nodded at her words. ¡°Loyalty is to be commended. I need you to use that loyalty to convince him we¡¯re not a threat. We can¡¯t very leave him hanging there, can we?¡±

    Silver eyes examined me above the veil. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not a threat? And what does it matter? Without the blessings of Kamiki, we¡¯re doomed anyway.¡±

    ¡°I just saved you from suffering a long and drawn out death thanks to her blessings, you know that right? I can help you find new purposes in life beyond following an absent goddess¡¯ will.¡± The eyes squinted at me, not believing what I had to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± said Persia as she approached. ¡°With my lord and husband¡¯s help, I¡¯ve surpassed my old limitations and beliefs.¡± She flapped her golden wings a couple times for emphasis. ¡°It¡¯s also true that I am no longer recognizable as a Junaian, but then again, for someone who judged me as filth, you yourself never were one.¡± Before anyone could stop her, Persia¡¯s hand shot out yanked the veil off the Oracle¡¯s face. Her hands shot up to cover her face, but it was too late. We¡¯d seen the scarring that crisscrossed the left side and across her nose, which may as well have not existed anymore. Her lips started out full on the right, but as your eyes followed them to her left, the lips became thinner and cracked, the corner of her mouth reaching further back than was natural. Her cheek was unnaturally flat where her cheekbone should¡¯ve been and her left eyebrow was just gone. I couldn¡¯t see more as her headwrap covered the rest of her head, but I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if the damage extended to her ear and hairline. A lock of emerald green hair had worked its way loose and was hanging in front of her right eye. Overall, I thought she looked like the Orion Slave Girl equivalent to Two-Face.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Rhia breathed as she took in the sight. The Oracle buried her face in her hands and started crying again. Persia at least had the dignity to look like she felt guilty for her actions, and the emotions coming through our link confirmed it. She dropped the veil and brought her hands to her mouth.

    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said before retreating to the bed and sitting on the edge, her head in her hands. I heard her start to cry and was torn on what to do until Rhia sent me a thought saying she¡¯d go to her. I looked over at the guard. He was still hanging there, but I could see tears falling down his furry cheeks. I released him from Rhia¡¯s hold and waved him over, not that he needed any encouragement. He was at the Oracle¡¯s side in a flash and had wrapped a protective arm over her shoulders, glaring at me.

    Sighing, I flopped from my kneeling position to sitting on the floor. I looked over the scene. Two women with their faces buried in their hands, crying, two of their closest friends or whatever he was consoling them, and me, sitting on the floor like grade schooler.

    ¡°This is not how I wanted things to go,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve just destroyed us if you were so powerful. It would¡¯ve been far less shameful than what you¡¯re subjecting her to now,¡± the man growled.

    ¡°What are your names?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am Drake. She is the Oracle.¡±

    ¡°Uh, ok. Drake, I didn¡¯t want anyone to die. Not my people, and not yours. I¡¯m not here to spread suffering, but to help those that need it.¡±

    ¡°Help?¡± The Oracle said, looking up from her hands, not bothering to hide her face in her anger. ¡°And just how do you think you¡¯ve helped us?! We no longer have the blessings of our goddess! We can never return home, nor can we build one here like we were supposed to! Hundreds of cycles spent travelling and we failed within sight of our destination because of YOU!¡±

    I held up my hands in a placating gesture. ¡°Whoa, first of all, it¡¯s not my fault you were sent to a protected world. Second, it was your goddess¡¯ decision to cast you aside, not mine. Third, who the fuck said you can¡¯t build a home here? I¡¯m sure as hell not going to push you out into space to die! Who do you think I am?¡±

    Confusion crossed both of their faces before the Oracle spoke up. ¡°You are a god. Those who are not useful to gods and goddesses are cast out, as the teachings tell us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty fucked up. I may have driven some assholes out of office because they were dicks and deserved it, but I¡¯d never send anyone to their death because of a stupid reason like that.¡±

    ¡°But, the teachings say all deities are like this,¡± said Drake, not believing what I was telling them.

    ¡°Look, who are you going to believe? Some dusty old teachings that only serve to support Kamiki¡¯s conquering nature, or the god sitting right in front of you? I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t ask anyone to worship me, and people are free to do and believe what they want within the bounds of the laws of their nation.¡±

    The Oracle lifted a hand and stroked it over the left side of her face. ¡°Such beliefs may have saved me much pain,¡± she muttered.

    I looked beyond them to see how Rhia and Persia were doing. They were talking softly to each other as Rhia held Persia about the shoulders. I saw Persia give a small smile and nod, decided they were doing alright, and focused back on the two in front of me.

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not going to ask you to trust me right away. That would be ridiculous considering everything that just happened. But I would like to ask for just enough faith in my promise to help you guys settle in to a new home. Our first step will be helping the crew understand the new situation and reassuring them that all is not lost. There is life after Kamiki, I promise you that. Persia is the perfect example.¡±

    At the mention of Persia, Drake¡¯s lip started to lift into a snarl again, but then he relaxed it. Heaving a sigh od resignation, he looked me in the eye and nodded. ¡°Very well. I do not wish for my sister to suffer any longer. If you can help us find a home, you will have my support.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± I said happily. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m going to need to get that support on credit though, because before we can get you settled, we need to get the crew sorted.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Understood. I will begin speaking with them. I will leave her here with you. Should anything happen to her while I¡¯m gone, no power in the universe will stop me from taking your head.¡±

    I raised my right hand. ¡°My word as a god, no harm shall come to her, physical, mental, or otherwise by my hand.¡±

    He stood, nodded at my oath, and left the room. Before I could speak with the Oracle one on one, Rhia and Persia made their way over and joined us on the floor. The Oracle eyed Persia warily, but looked shocked when Persia prostrated herself before her.

    ¡°Um, Miss Oracle, I just want to apologize for my actions and attitude earlier. I¡¯m still working through a lot of personal issues regarding Kamiki and her followers, but I shouldn¡¯t have taken it out on you like that.¡±

    The Oracle looked back and forth between Persia and me, but then her face softened. ¡°As her Oracle, I am a logical target for such aggression. If they treated you like she just treated me, and I sense it was far worse than that, then I think I understand. If what your mate says is true and that he can help us, then I forgive you your anger.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t a fan of conditional forgiveness, but it seemed good enough for Persia, so Rhia and I exchanged shrugs and stayed out of it.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Persia said, a look of relief on her face. She then made things awkward again by closely examining the Oracle¡¯s face, who self-consciously brought a hand up to cover her scarred half. ¡°You¡¯re Tandori, aren¡¯t you? I thought you were extinct.¡± Rhia¡¯s eyebrows shot up at the name. It meant nothing to me, however.

    The Oracle nodded sadly. ¡°I am one of the last. A survivor found by one of Kamiki¡¯s clerics during the conquering of our homeworld. Where I gained these scars.¡±

    ¡°If I may ask, why all the robes? Why hide yourself from view? Is it because of the scarring?¡± I asked, earning me dirty looks from Rhia and Persia. ¡°What? I¡¯d like to know how extensive the damage is if I¡¯m ever going to fix it.¡±

    The Oracle¡¯s eyes seemed to be perpetually stuck wide open at everything we said and did, so instead she dropped her jaw. ¡°Traditional robes for Kamiki¡¯s Oracles so none but the most trusted may look upon us. Can you really fix this?¡± she asked, gesturing to her face.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with your race, but from what I¡¯ve seen so far, the gods and goddesses responsible for seeding life throughout the galaxy have used the same basic template as far as body structure goes. It may even be that each race can interbreed, although I confess to having no knowledge of that yet.¡± At the mention of interbreeding, all three women blushed, and I realized that comment may come back to haunt me in the near future. ¡°Anyway, what I¡¯m saying is if you follow the pattern, fixing you up shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue.¡±

    The Oracle looked lost in thought for a moment. Rhia was looking at something on a far wall, studiously not meeting my gaze, while Persia was blushing and giggling to herself. Yeah, it¡¯s gonna bite me in the ass in the very near future, I suspect. Rhia looked at me and opened her mouth to say something but stopped when the Oracle stood up. As we stared at her, she pulled on the mass of fabric, attempting to pull it off over her head. Her legs came into view, the same shade of green as her face. They looked overly thin, like someone who hasn¡¯t had too many opportunities to exercise them. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was just her natural body shape, or if she had spent the few hundred cycle trip in this room with little chance to exercise. In a swift motion, the fabric was piled on the floor next to her and, oh. She was naked under the robes. I looked away quickly out of courtesy.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°What are you doing, God Zekken?¡± the Oracle asked.

    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re naked,¡± I dumbly pointed out.

    ¡°Of course I am. You cannot fix what you cannot see, correct?¡± I heard the confusion in her voice, and, naturally, it was logic I couldn¡¯t refute. I turned my head and looked at her, taking in just how extensive the damage was. Overall, based on my limited knowledge of other races, I guessed she was too thin. Her hip bones were far too noticeable, as were her ribs. Her breasts, or rather, breast, as she only had the one, looked half deflated. I imagined it would probably have filled my hand nicely were it full and healthy. Where her left breast would¡¯ve been there was a mass of scar tissue that ran up her collar bone, up her neck, and over the side of her head to just below the crown. Her left ear was gone, a simple hole in its place. Ragged green hair covered the right side of her head, while the left was bare and scarred.

    Persia stood and approached her, examining the woman, getting uncomfortably close, but the Oracle withstood it. ¡°May I try?¡± Persia asked. I wasn¡¯t sure if she was asking me or the Oracle, but I nodded anyway, as did the Oracle, so it was moot. Persia laid her hands on the woman¡¯s scarred shoulder and closed her eyes.

    Persia¡¯s hands started to glow, very reminiscent of Rhia healing of Ryo when she found us. The Oracle let out a cry as the damage done to her started to reverse, reliving the pain of whatever it was that caused the injuries. Drake, naturally, chose that moment to return, half a dozen other Junaians on his tail. Upon seeing the Oracle cry out in pain while Persia was touching her, he automatically assumed the worst and started bolting forward.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± he bellowed but stopped in his tracks when I held a hand up.

    ¡°She¡¯s healing her,¡± I said. ¡°It can get painful sometimes, depending on the injuries. The Oracle is simply reliving the pain of the initial injury.¡±

    The crowd stared in wonder, watching as skin regrew under Persia¡¯s touch. The Oracle still cried out in pain, and tears were falling like a waterfall, but she remained standing, fists clenched. It was remarkable to watch, and my respect for the woman skyrocketed. Drake slowly approached until he was standing next to me.

    ¡°My goddess,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Persia is much more than what she was. You called her filth, yet here she is, using her impure status to help. You guys have no idea the hell her life was, or the journey she took to where she is now. I believe you¡¯ll owe her an apology when she¡¯s done.¡±

    Drake nodded mutely, never taking his eyes off the two women. Slowly, the Oracle¡¯s injuries faded. Her ear regrew, as did her hair. The scarring on her face faded. Her mouth regained its shape. Her body started to fill out, legs strengthening, abs forming, arms thickening. Before long a woman stood before us, full figured with two perfectly perky tits, long glossy hair, and a beautiful smile that she turned on Persia before grasping her and pulling her into a tight hug. They broke apart and Persia gave her a once over before snapping her fingers. A green floor length strapless dress appeared on the Oracle, trimmed in silver that matched her eyes.

    I wasn¡¯t even aware that my jaw had dropped open until Rhia walked over and pushed it closed with a smirk. She¡¯s pretty, she thought at me.

    Exquisite, I replied, earning me a broad smile from Persia, who gave a small bow like an actor who¡¯d just ended their performance. I smiled, then heard some rustling from the Junaians. Turning, I saw that they had all taken a knee, their forearms planted on the raised knee and their heads lowered. I blinked in surprise and saw similar expressions on my girls. The Oracle still had a broad smile on her face as she too knelt in a similar fashion. Persia¡¯s eyes widened as she realized every single one of them was facing her.

    ¡°Goddess Persia!¡± Drake said. ¡°We have insulted you and treated you poorly since your arrival, yet you healed our Oracle in spite of that. We are not worthy of it, but we beg your forgiveness.¡±

    ¡°You have my eternal gratitude, Goddess Persia,¡± said the Oracle. ¡°You have managed what many healers could not and healed the scars of my youth. If you would oblige me, us, we would serve you as devoted followers and worshippers.¡±

    Persia squeaked, then quickly reached down to pull the Oracle to her feet. ¡°No no no no no! I¡¯ve only had these powers less than a day! I don¡¯t even know if I am a goddess, and if you want to worship anyone it should be Jo- er, Zekken! He¡¯s the one that gave me this ability!¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± I said as Persia continued dragging the poor woman to her feet, ¡°that was one of Rhia¡¯s gifts. My healing works differently. However, I agree with her sentiment. Oracle¡­ actually, do you have a name? Calling you Oracle all the time may get a little confusing in the future, especially since I seem to have five of my own.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°If I had one, it was so long ago in my past that I can no longer remember it. Even the man who¡¯s the closest thing I have to a brother has only ever called me Oracle.¡± She indicated Drake, who was still kneeling next to me, steadfastly keeping his head down.

    ¡°What do you think, Drake? You know her better than anyone. Can you think of a name befitting your sister?¡±

    Without looking up he shook his head. ¡°I am unworthy to name her. I will protect her and drive off those that seek to do her harm, as a brother should, but my station is not worthy of such an honor as naming her.¡± The Oracle smiled down at the big guy, eyes full of affection. These two had been together a long time. That kind of time usually either leads to a romantic relationship or a familial one. They apparently went the latter route. I wondered if there was something wrong with me, since most of the time extended contact with a woman leads to me sticking my dick in her. Rhia attempted to choke down a laugh, clearly reading my mind again, but she only half succeeded and turned her back to me. I grimaced as I watched her shoulders shake as she giggled silently.

    ¡°Alright, screw it. Would you mind if I thought of a name for you?¡±

    The Oracle looked between Persia and me, indecision on her face. Persia leaned in and whispered something. The Oracle looked up in shock and asked ¡°You?¡± To which Persia responded by smiling and nodding her head. The Oracle looked back at me and, after a second of self-deliberation, nodded.

    Having her approval, I studied her, attempting to see if any names came to mind. I immediately tossed out the idea of calling her Emerald. Green hair, green skin, green dress, green name? Come on, John. You can do better than that, I berated myself. I looked again, really trying to take in the details I missed before. She was tall, equal to my height, and held herself in a proud fashion. Her emerald hair fell in waves over her shoulders, framing her slender neck. Her face was narrow and symmetrical. Most everyone had a slight imbalance to their features, but not her. Her left and right sides perfectly reflected each other. Now that I was paying attention, I could see pointed tips sticking out from her hair. Her ears. She had ears like a Vulcan, or an elf. Let¡¯s go with elf. The smile belied the Vulcan comparison. Her silver eyes watched me curiously over her sharp nose. My eyes continued tracing down, taking in those slender shoulders and arms, across her plentiful chest that was enticingly pushed up by the dress Persia had created for her.

    The dress hugged her midriff, only hinting at the tight stomach held within, then flared out at her hips. The Oracle adjust her stance and one long green leg slipped out of a slit I hadn¡¯t noticed before that ran up to the top of her thigh. My eye flicked over to Persia, who was whispering in the Oracle¡¯s ear while keeping an eye on me. She saw me looking and winked at me. I glanced at the Oracle¡¯s face and noticed her cheeks had turned a darker green and she inhaled deeper when we made eye contact.

    What on Earth are you telling her? I thought to Persia. Don¡¯t I have enough women to keep happy?

    Hush, dear. I¡¯m working, came the response.

    You know what, screw it. The ears did it for me. Yeah, she¡¯s not a dark elf princess, but I like the name and character.

    ¡°How about Aura?¡± I suggested. Rhia rolled her eyes, knowing what I was thinking, while Persia clapped her hands excitedly, because she also knew what I was thinking. However, it wasn¡¯t their opinions that mattered. The Oracle looked thoughtful, and didn¡¯t seem to hate it, but she still glanced at Drake.

    ¡°What do you think, Drake? Can you see me as Aura, and not the Oracle? It¡¯s really not too much of a change.¡±

    Nice, I thought. I hadn¡¯t even realized that!

    You got lucky, Rhia thought. We¡¯re going to talk about your naming conventions when we get out of here.

    I waved her off, waiting for Drake¡¯s response. The man looked up and smiled. ¡°Aura is a good name.¡±

    She beamed at him, her radiant smile dazzling every male in the room. I was no exception and almost missed it when she thanked me.

    ¡°Oh, uh, yeah. It was my pleasure. Anyway, where were we before I sidetracked us all? Oh, right! I¡¯d like you guys to wait a little before deciding if you want to worship anyone. For so long you¡¯ve lived under Kamiki¡¯s yoke, and I¡¯d like you guys to take some time finding yourselves before finding a rebound god or goddess. Find out what you want.¡±

    Aura tilted in confusion. ¡°What we want?¡±

    ¡°Yes! What do you want to do? What do you want to be? What do you want to believe? Not half an hour ago you were ready to lay waste to an entire planet full of people just because Kamiki told you to. You traveled hundreds of cycles, however long that is, and she tossed you aside right at the end because I said no. Now I do apologize for that, but at the same time I¡¯m not sorry at all. Now you have a chance to be free! To be who you want to be. Persia had her rebirth. Now it¡¯s your turn if you¡¯re willing to take the chance. I won¡¯t force anyone to do anything. Soon I¡¯ll have to send this ship back out of the system so Kamiki can send someone to get it, but I doubt it¡¯ll be picked up until long after whatever fuel source it has dries up, so anyone still on board will die before seeing rescue.¡±

    My little speech seemed to overwhelm her for a second, then she nodded. ¡°I understand. Persia, I apologize for making you uncomfortable.¡±

    Persia smiled. ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Aura returned the smile, then looked at me. ¡°We will need some time to think about this. I assume you won¡¯t be sending the ship back too soon?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I still need to find a home for those that choose to stay, so you¡¯re welcome to remain here for now. I will need you to move the ship again, though. Can¡¯t leave it parked here. It¡¯ll attract too much attention on Earth, and I¡¯ve already got enough damage control to manage from this. Just park it on the far side of the moon from Earth, okay?¡±

    Aura nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll see it done. Drake?¡±

    Drake stood and turned to the soldiers behind him and directed them to hide the ship, then turned to me. ¡°Will you be leaving now?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve accomplished what we came here to do. Rhia, Persia?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do much of anything, so I¡¯m good,¡± said Rhia.

    ¡°Can I come back to visit later?¡± Persia asked Aura, who nodded and smiled.

    ¡°I would like that. I owe you so much for what you¡¯ve done for me.¡±

    ¡°We can discuss that later,¡± Persia said conspiratorially, shooting me a mischievous wink. Aura blushed again but didn¡¯t say anything else. I rolled my eyes and turned to Drake.

    ¡°I apologize ahead of time if my wife proves to be a bad influence on Aura.¡±

    The big man laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not worried. She could use some of that if we truly aren¡¯t beholden to the will of Kamiki anymore. I¡¯ve only ever wished for her happiness and comfort, and I think your mate will ensure that happens.¡± For a second, I thought I saw a twinkle in his eye as he looked over my shoulder, but when I glanced back, Persia whipped her head back to Aura and continued her goodbyes. Rhia was already waiting by the hatch for us.

    ¡°Mind escorting us back to the front door, Drake?¡±

    ¡°Gladly.¡±

    ¡°Persia! Time to go!¡±

    ¡°Coming, Husband,¡± she said before turning back to Aura. ¡°Just trust me, okay? It¡¯ll be fine, I promise. We¡¯ll talk more, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Aura. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more.¡±

    -

    As we departed the ship, I turned and watched it angle away to tuck itself behind the moon. Some satellites were about to have fatal malfunctions in couple minutes. Gee darn. Looks like no one will be able to get any pretty pictures of the far side of the moon.

    You think they¡¯ll be alright? I thought.

    It¡¯ll take some time, but with Aura and Drake leading them, they should be fine, Rhia responded.

    Oracle¡¯s word is law, thought Persia. What Aura tells them will dictate how most of them will react. They¡¯re soldiers, My Husband. If there¡¯s one thing they know, it¡¯s following orders.

    I looked over at the two women and decided that I¡¯d like to fly back home. Our main task completed, we could¡¯ve popped back instantly, but I wanted to stretch my legs, so to speak. Turning to face the moon, we started on our way.

    So, thought Rhia, Aura?

    I think it¡¯s a pretty name, thought Persia. A pretty name for a pretty woman. You thought she was pretty, right John?

    You know damn well what I thought of her, I replied. Looks aren¡¯t everything, you know? I know nothing about her.

    You knew nothing about me and still married me, Persia pointed out.

    That¡¯s not fair to John, Persia. You tricked him.

    Trick?! Such an evil word! she protested. I went with the moment and followed my heart.

    Well I¡¯m happy you did, I replied. As for you, Rhia, I seem to recall someone bonding with me and then telling me what it was. If she could have whistled while trying to look innocent, I¡¯m sure she would have. Since we were in space, however, she elected to not make eye contact and pretended to stare at something interesting. I turned my attention back to Persia. So, what nefarious plans are you devising with our newly unemployed oracle?

    I¡¯m thinking she can prove helpful once you¡¯ve collected all your oracles. Explain what she did as an oracle and help them decide how they wish to represent you.

    I sense you¡¯ve got more in mind than that, hun. Women don¡¯t generally blush or show that much leg when considering a teaching position. What is it with you attempting to collect women you had a beef with for me? First Lily and now Aura?

    I just wish to see you happy. A little variety keeps thing fresh. I looked over and saw her smiling.

    Christ, I thought. At this rate I may as well change my last name to Masaki and just roll with it.

    Speaking of which, Zekken, owner of Ryo, husband to Persia and friend of Aura, thought Rhia, I¡¯d like to talk about where you get your ideas for names from¡­

 Nineteen: Debrief, Discipline, and Dinner

    We landed back on the moon, Rhia still criticizing my inspirational choices when it came to naming. I¡¯d given up trying to justify my choice of muse halfway back and just let her vent. I didn¡¯t think the names I¡¯d picked were bad ones. Persia and Aura seemed perfectly happy with theirs, and Ryo has never complained about hers, so I called it a win. She was still going on about it when we reappeared in our living room, stopping only when a large battle axe bounced off my chest.

    ¡°Oh! I am so sorry, My Lord!¡± Hannah shrieked, quickly moving from the door to retrieve the massive weapon. Looking down, I saw the front of my suit now had a long slash from my left shoulder to my right hip. I raised an eyebrow at the five foot tall woman as she flashed me an apologetic smile and hefted the weapon over her shoulder like it weighed nothing at all. She was wearing a newer set of the armor I¡¯d seen her don when retrieving Persia the first time we met, her blonde hair pulled back into a short ponytail.

    Su, similarly dressed, walked up and cracked her across the back of the head with an armored fist. She then turned to me and bowed. ¡°I am terribly sorry about that, My Lord. She has been¡­ eager and on edge since you departed.¡± She glanced back over at Hannah, who was rubbing the back of her head with the hand not holding the axe. Su herself sported what appeared to be a pair of rapiers in sheaths on her hips.

    I waved off the apology, since no one had actually been hurt. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Su. I guess it¡¯s better than being lackadaisical when it comes to security in a situation like this. I¡¯ve seen the results of not taking things seriously enough.¡± I still remembered the face of the woman in Iraq who¡¯d ignored the incoming alarm one day in favor of finishing her cigarette. Woman. Hardly more than a teenager in uniform. Her cigarette still burned in her hand as they tried to perform first aid, but she never stood a chance. I quite smoking after that. ¡°No, I¡¯d much rather you be too worked up than not enough. Anyway, what¡¯s with the weapons? Seems fairly antiquated, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Do you really want projectile weapons being fired when the only thing separating us from a vacuum are windows?¡± asked Rhia. ¡°We may be able to survive without an atmosphere, but no one else up here can. As for ¡®antiquated,¡¯ observe.¡± She turned around and gestured to one of the two helmeted women behind her that I hadn¡¯t noticed yet. The woman approached Rhia and drew her short sword out of its scabbard before handing it over handle first. Rhia took the weapon and pressed something on the handle, causing the edge of the blade to turn gold. ¡°Helmet,¡± ordered Rhia. The woman took off her helmet, revealing white hair. I smiled as I recognized one half of the Domino twins whose company I¡¯d enjoyed more than once since Su introduced them to me one glorious day a few years ago. Lyrei, I thought to myself. Which means that Kythaela is¡­ I glanced over at the other armored woman, who reached up under her helmet before a lock of black hair spilled out over her shoulder. My grin grew even wider at that before Rhia grabbed my attention again.

    ¡°John! Focus. They can go through Su for scheduling if they¡¯re feeling nostalgic, but for now I¡¯d like you to pay attention. I should¡¯ve done this before, but you need to know what¡¯s defending your home. Watch.¡± She took the sword and flipped off whatever was making the edge glow, then hit the helmet with it. The impact cracked the coffee table the helmet was sitting on, but barely scratched the surface of the helmet. Rhia looked up at me to make sure I was still paying attention, then flicked the switch again. Once the sword¡¯s edge was glowing again, she brought it down on the helmet, easily splitting it in two, along with the coffee table beneath it.

    ¡°Aww. I liked that helmet,¡± Lyrei pouted, earning her a disapproving look from Su and Rhia. Sighing, Rhia picked up both pieces and repaired the damage she¡¯d done with a thought, clearly getting used to her new powers quicker than I had. She handed both the helmet and the sword back to Lyrei before turning to me.

    ¡°There are projectile weapons designed for ship boardings and whatnot, but none were brought here for obvious reasons. In the unlikely event that humans were to stumble upon our home, we didn¡¯t want that technology falling into their hands. Advanced weaponry is not something they need at this time. On the other hand, a sword is just a sword if they don¡¯t know how to turn on the plasma edge.¡±

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s fucking awesome,¡± I said while nodding my understanding.

    ¡°Um, My Lord?¡± asked Hannah.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What about the ship? It¡¯s approaching, but none of you seem worried about it.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± chirped Persia. ¡°We made friends with them!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Su said, giving me an appraising look. ¡°You made friends with invaders devoted to a goddess known for her unquenchable thirst for conquest?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t quite that simple, but essentially, yes. I¡¯ll fill everyone in later. For now, let¡¯s inform the girls Earthside that everything is alright. I¡¯ll get in touch with Linda and Shu, then I¡¯ll notify the President, so he can let other leaders know. I imagine more than a couple countries are going to wonder why their moon satellites stopped working at the same time. Rhia, Persia, can you let our Oracle friends know? Su, go ahead and stand everyone down. Also, get the dining hall ready. I¡¯d like to invite a couple of our new friends over for dinner tonight and start planning for the future. Hannah, my dear?¡± She looked at me quizzically. ¡°In about an hour we¡¯re going to have a talk about your lack of discipline today.¡± Her eyes lit up as she did her best to look worried, fooling no one.

    ¡°Yes, My Lord,¡± she said, the massive axe vibrating on her shoulder as her eagerness translated through her hand to the handle she was gripping tightly.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s get to it.¡± Everyone went off to their assigned duties. Rhia and Persia vanished in showers of gold and pink sparks. Hannah rapidly left the room, presumably to prepare for my disciplinary session later. Su motioned for the Domino twins to return to their normal duties, then gave me a quick kiss on the cheek welcoming back before she too left the room. I pinched Lyrei¡¯s ass cheek through a gap in her armor as she passed by me, eliciting a squeak and a giggle before she left. Kythaela also passed in front of me, coming to a stop and sticking her hip out a bit. Getting the message, I laughed and pinched her ass as well. I couldn¡¯t see her face through her helmet, but the way her hand ¡°accidently¡± brushed the front of my pants as she departed, I imagined Su would be getting a visit from them soon enough. That reminded me, I still needed to meet up with my chef. I added that to my mental schedule for the day. I wanted to host Aura and Drake tonight as a show of goodwill. It wouldn¡¯t do if the food was below her normal standards, would it? Besides, I still felt bad for standing her up the other morning.

    *

    ¡°I love you both, too. I can¡¯t wait until you¡¯re back up here in my arms,¡± I said to the screen. Shu looked relieved while Linda still pouted that she didn¡¯t get the chance to board the ship full of cat people, but I assured her she could meet one tonight and that had mollified her a bit. ¡°Alright, I have to go now. Need to call the president next and let him know the threat has passed.¡±

    ¡°Ok, dear. Love you,¡± said Shu, terminating the call. I¡¯d installed screens in their homes that connected to mine here, just like I had at friendly heads of state in case anyone needed to contact me in an emergency. Most chose not to, since they didn¡¯t like the idea of someone telling them what to do. Linda and Shu¡¯s however, also received every television channel in existence right now, which the others I¡¯d given out didn¡¯t. My girls deserved whatever I could give them. Those other people were just politicians, so I didn¡¯t care about spoiling them. With a thought, I connected to the mini screen on the presidential secretary¡¯s desk.

    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Zekken,¡± she said with a smile.

    ¡°Good morning, Sylvia. Love what you¡¯ve done with your hair!¡±

    The middle aged woman blushed and ran a hand over her hair. It really did look good on her.

    ¡°Why thank you, sir. So kind of you to say so. Wish my husband was as observant as you.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I make my share of typical male blunders as well. Believe me, you would not believe how much grief I receive on a daily basis.¡±

    She chuckled at my self-deprecation. ¡°What can I do for you today? As much as I enjoy our chats, I can¡¯t imagine you called just to compliment my hair.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, you¡¯re correct. Is Bob available? I need to speak to him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s currently in a meeting. Something happened with the moon, apparently,¡± she said with a knowing look. It wasn¡¯t exactly a secret that I resided up here, but it wasn¡¯t common knowledge either, and Sylvia was one of those that knew. I smiled at her words. She was telling me something she shouldn¡¯t, but since we got along like this, she was trying to look out for me in her own way.

    ¡°Sylvia, my dear, do you still put those sweets on his desk every day?¡±

    She smiled, knowing exactly what my plan was. ¡°In the exact same place. It¡¯s lemon this week.¡±

    ¡°Oooh. My favorite. You¡¯re a peach, hun. If you ever want me to speak to your husband about not paying attention, you just let me know, ok?¡±

    ¡°I may just take you up on that,¡± she laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll notify the Secret Service to not be alarmed.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, babe. You have a wonderful day.¡±

    She pulled a necklace out of her shirt and fingered it. A blue and black Z dangled on the chain. ¡°You too, My Lord.¡±

    I terminated the call, then cast my life sight on the White House, observing where everyone was in the room. Good, that spot was empty. With a snap of my fingers I vanished from the moon.

    After manifesting a golden aura where I wanted, I appeared sitting on the corner of Bob¡¯s desk with a POP, right next to Sylvia¡¯s bowl of lemon Jolly Ranchers, grabbing one as everyone froze around me. The president was the first to recover, which didn¡¯t say much for the military personnel in the room.

    ¡°God dammit, Zekken! Stop doing that!¡± Bob blustered.

    ¡°But it¡¯s so fun! You should see your faces right now. Love these, by the way. You don¡¯t pay Sylvia enough for taking care of you.¡±

    ¡°Now just a minute!¡± some overbearing general started, but I just waved him down.

    ¡°Calm down, General. If I wanted to hurt anyone here there isn¡¯t a damn thing anyone could do to stop me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was going to say!¡± he raged.

    ¡°Oh? My apologies then. Please, continue.¡± I pulled off the wrapper to my candy and popped it into my mouth. Seriously, lemon is the best jolly out there.

    ¡°This is a Top Secret meeting! You are not authorized to hear about this!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, I mean, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t already know all your top secret plans to find my home, or even to just carpet bomb the moon in case I went out of control. I still find it amusing that you think you have any sort of control over me. It¡¯s so cute,¡± I gushed. Faces around the room paled. Bob just buried his face in his hands. I waved mine at them all. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about all of that. Honestly, I think you¡¯d be pretty stupid to not have some sort of plan like that. Not that any of those plans will work. At all. But still, I give you all an A for effort. Now, I came down here for a reason, and I¡¯ve got an appointment in twenty minutes with a very naughty blonde, so I¡¯ll make this quick. I took care of the asteroid problem for you.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Bob looked up. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really. That¡¯s part one of why I came down here. No more asteroid threat. All good to go there.¡±

    ¡°And part two?¡± the general asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve disabled all the satellites around the moon. I decided I like my privacy. So no more of your cameras pointed in my windows. I imagine that¡¯s what this meeting is about?¡±

    Bob nodded. The general turned purple.

    ¡°Are you fucking serious? That was millions of dollars¡¯ worth of equipment up there!¡±

    I sucked on the jolly a bit. ¡°Billions, more likely. You guys weren¡¯t the only ones trying to peep my wife in the shower you know.¡±

    ¡°Ah! About that,¡± a man in a suit began, a NASA logo on his briefcase.

    ¡°Classified,¡± I said, smiling. I knew he was going to ask about Persia, given her announcement the other day.

    ¡°Classified?!¡± yelled the general. Man, was this guy high strung or what? ¡°We have the highest clearances in the country!¡±

    ¡°I know about clearances, General. Having one doesn¡¯t mean you get to know everything. You have to have justification for being allowed to know.¡± I smiled. ¡°And you don¡¯t need to know. Unless you¡¯re willing to tell me all about your wife in return? Or maybe that cute Lieutenant that your wife doesn¡¯t know about?¡± The general went from purple to pale so fast I thought the guy would pass out.

    ¡°H-how did you know about that?¡± he asked shakily.

    I pointed back at myself. ¡°God, remember? It¡¯s kinda what I do.¡± In truth, I actually hadn¡¯t known and was just messing with him, but it didn¡¯t surprise me in the slightest that I was right on the mark. I¡¯d read enough Army Times when I served to know that blowhards like this guy always had a career ending secret. I looked around room at the half dozen other men scattered around and they all found something in their hands or on the wall that was most interesting to look at. The general in question simply stared at nothing, his life choices clearly flashing before his eyes. He took a seat and didn¡¯t say another word. Bob slumped back in his chair.

    ¡°Well, now you¡¯ve added that to my headache, thanks for that. Is there any other way you¡¯d like to fuck up my day, Zekken?¡±

    I thought for a moment. ¡°Umm, not really. Asteroid is taken care of, the moon¡¯s off limits for the time being, the general¡¯s fucking his aide. That last one was just a bonus for me.¡± I grinned. ¡°Oh and give Sylvia a raise. Whatever you¡¯re paying her, it¡¯s not enough.¡±

    ¡°You tell me that every time you come down here, you know that.¡±

    ¡°I know. She¡¯s worth every penny.¡±

    ¡°I know! That¡¯s why she was hired! If I gave her a raise every time you told me to, she¡¯d be making more than me!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±

    Bob gave up. ¡°Fine. Fine. I¡¯ll take care of it. Can you go now? You¡¯ve substantially increased my workload for today.¡±

    I gave a small wave and with my usual theatrics, vanished with a pop. Waited for a second, then popped back in again.

    ¡°WHAT NOW?¡± Bob bellowed. I grabbed another jolly rancher and held it up.

    ¡°One for the road,¡± I said, and vanished again, this time actually returning home.

    *

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve learned your lesson for today,¡± I said to the nearly unconscious Hannah two hours later. I slowly sat back on my legs, watching my length pull out of her ass. She gave shudder as the head popped free but didn¡¯t react beyond that. She was too busy drooling into the mattress and giggling softly but hysterically. I stared at the little tanned beauty. Her ass cheeks were swollen and red from the spankings she¡¯d demanded as punishment for acting ¡°improper¡± earlier. She later requested my girth up her ass for throwing her battle axe at me. Anal wasn¡¯t really my thing, but Hannah had a way of bringing out a side of me the other women couldn¡¯t. My old Army buddies would¡¯ve demanded that I ¡°wife that bitch now,¡± and I wouldn¡¯t have disagreed with them. I resolved that once I got the Junaians settled in, I¡¯d do just that. Along with Su, Linda, and Shu. Rhia and Persia had taken me by surprise. It was time to show the rest that they meant just as much to me.

    ¡°That is quite impressive, My Lord,¡± said Su as she entered the bedroom. ¡°The last time I saw her like that, it was her birthday and it had taken four of us maids nearly a whole night of unrelenting assaults, and it wasn¡¯t near as complete as the job you did in an hour and a half.¡± She leaned over and ran a hand over the formerly golden globe of Hannah¡¯s right ass cheek. It twitched involuntarily under the caress. ¡°You¡¯re going to heal all this, right? She¡¯ll be useless to me if she can¡¯t even sit.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll take about 90% of it back, leaving enough to remind her of her lesson.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm,¡± Su hummed as she slid a finger into the Dalayin¡¯s pussy, working it around to pull out a mixed gob of our juices. Eyeing me, she brought the finger to her mouth and sucked it clean. Watching those green eyes close as she savored our mixed flavors, I knew I was going to have to give Su that treat I promised her earlier. ¡°How many times?¡±

    ¡°Six for me. Double load in each hole. It was tough to tell for her. They started blending together after a while. Now how about you? I believe I promised you a treat?¡± I got off the bed and took a step towards the taller, bluer maid, my erection aimed directly at her. Then she shocked me by placing one finger on the head to halt my movement while shaking her head.

    ¡°Chef, My Lord. She is expecting a visit from you to discuss the menu for tonight.¡±

    I looked at her in confusion. ¡°The menu? I thought Persia said she¡¯d discuss that with her?¡±

    ¡°And she will, My Lord, but Lyfsertale doesn¡¯t know that. I figured we could surprise her?¡±

    ¡°We? Are you joining in as well?¡±

    ¡°My Lord, if no one is there to reign you both in, she will not only be unavailable for dinner tonight, but I fear half of tomorrow as well. I recall your previous encounter with her quite clearly.¡±

    ¡°So do I,¡± I said. ¡°She was quite¡­ energetic.¡±

    Su nodded. ¡°Exactly, and she crashed as soon as she¡¯d had her fill, barely waking up in time for breakfast. I recommend a quickie, My Lord. Bend her over the counter until she gets off once, let her do that thing with her tongue that you liked so you can get off, and then promise the rest for later if dinner is exceptional.¡±

    I laughed, earning a bewildered look from her. ¡°Su, baby, this whole conversation was worth it just to hear you say ¡®I recommend a quickie.¡¯ Ok, I¡¯m down. What will you be doing in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°Lending a helping hand to each of you, of course,¡± she said with a smile and a wiggle of her fingers. ¡°I need to maintain my strength, My Lord. It¡¯s my night on the schedule, and we¡¯ve had some last minute changes.¡±

    ¡°Oh? The Dominoes found you, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they did. Between them, Lyfsertale, and myself, we¡¯re going to see just how far we can push that legendary stamina tonight. Ordinarily Hannah would double up with me, as you know, but I¡¯m not sure the poor girl can take it.¡± Su looked over at the woman still laying face first in the bed.

    ¡°Ah me bear!¡±

    Su and I exchanged looks before leaning in closer to hear what Hannah was muttering. She lifted her head up a bit to clear the sheets.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there!¡± she said. ¡°Just need to rest for a bit.¡± She then faceplanted again and started snoring.

    Su smiled at me. ¡°Five women plus yourself, My Lord. I do believe that officially qualifies as an orgy.¡±

    My cock couldn¡¯t get any harder imagining it. ¡°Nice! Cross that off the bucket list tomorrow then.¡±

    ¡°Why would an immortal have a bucket list, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°Man¡¯s gotta have a hobby. Come on. Let¡¯s go see if Lyfsertale does.¡±

    ¡°My Lord, I do not recommend turning her name into a pun. She detests puns more than most.¡±

    I could still hear Hannah snoring from my bedroom as we left the residence in search of an unsuspecting chef.

    *

    ¡°Oh my god, this is amazing! It¡¯s gotta be the best I¡¯ve ever had up here!¡± Linda exclaimed as she savored each bite of her dinner, much to Drake¡¯s delight. The eagerness of her greeting when they met before dinner almost had the soldier ready to fight back until we could restrain her. In hindsight, it was our fault we hadn¡¯t prepared for that reaction. We¡¯d all seen the way she¡¯d scared the hell out of Persia when they¡¯d met, and he was bigger and fluffier looking than she was at the time. Linda¡¯s obsession had been reigned in after Persia¡¯s transformation after bonding with Rhia, and all but disappeared this morning when she entered the dining room in her sun dress and showed off her more human appearance. I still found it difficult to believe everything happened just this morning. It felt like days.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Rhia. ¡°The food is incredibly delicious, isn¡¯t it, John?¡± She raised a knowing eyebrow in my direction.

    ¡°Yes, well, ah, if a man doesn¡¯t keep his promises, his name isn¡¯t worth the ink he signs it with, as my gramps used to say.¡± Rhia smirked a little, then nodded.

    ¡°Mistress Linda, if you think this is good now, I can¡¯t wait until you try breakfast in the morning.¡± Su was standing behind me and to the right, so I couldn¡¯t see her expression. I¡¯m sure she looked absolutely professional, but to those of us that knew her, I¡¯m sure there was a barely noticeable glint to her eyes.

    ¡°Oh? Oh!¡± she said, something finally clicking in her head and a complicated look crossed her face. ¡°You mean you finally-¡±

    ¡°Miss Aura,¡± Shu cut her off before she could finish her question. ¡°Are you a vegetarian?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Aura said shyly. It was understandable. She¡¯d gone centuries with Drake as her only company to suddenly thrust into a room filled with my fianc¨¦es, wives, maids, a god and his dog. The poor woman was overwhelmed. ¡°The Tandori way was not to eat the flesh of those we shared the world with. But!¡± she quickly added. ¡°But I don¡¯t mind if you do. I mean, it¡¯s your home, so I wouldn¡¯t presume¡­¡± She trailed off as if she had crossed a line.

    ¡°Aura,¡± I said, briefly getting her attention before she shyly looked back at her plate. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Our chef is more than happy to prepare any dish available. She loves a challenge. If you guys have any recipes you want to try to recreate here, feel free to give her a visit.¡±

    ¡°Not tonight, My Lord,¡± Su reminded me, earning raised eyebrows from Rhia, Linda, and Shu.

    ¡°More positive reinforcement, John?¡± Rhia asked with a smirk.

    ¡°Just continuing to keep the promise you made, sweetheart. I just gave her a taste as an apology,¡± I returned. She turned that over in her head, then nodded and laughed.

    ¡°Well played,¡± she said. ¡°Persia and I have something to discuss tonight anyway. Will you be joining them, or shall I join her?¡±

    ¡°We shall need the large bed tonight, Mistress. Our Lord is overbooked tonight.¡±

    Raised eyebrows greeted me from around the table. I decided this was probably getting a little too personal in front of our guests, so I tried to guide the conversation elsewhere.

    ¡°So, Drake. You¡¯ve hardly told us anything about yourself.¡±

    He gave me a smirk, knowing exactly what I was doing, but answered me anyway. ¡°There¡¯s not much to tell, actually. As soon as I was of age, I joined our military. After many years of service and devotion to Kamiki, a small Tandori girl, horrifically scarred from our conquest of her homeworld was brought to me for protection and raising. As her personal guard, I oversaw her religious training and was the only male allowed within her presence until she came of age and was officially recognized as an Oracle. Once she was selected as the Oracle for our expeditionary force, we departed Junai. You know the end result of that.¡±

    ¡°But what about you?¡± asked Persia. ¡°Just the two of you sounds like such a lonely life. Do you not have a mate? Or someone you¡¯d like to have as a mate?¡±

    The fur on Drake¡¯s cheeks bristled slightly, and at first I assumed he¡¯d taken offense at something she¡¯d said, but his next words made me decide that was actually blushing, in his own way. Aura looked at him with a fond smile.

    ¡°Ah, well, um, you see, raising and protecting the Oracle didn¡¯t allow for such things. She was my primary duty.¡±

    ¡°But that no longer needs to be the case, does it, brother of mine?¡± Aura said, her shyness around me overshadowed by her desire to tease the big cat man. ¡°What of Bellata? I have heard the change in your voice when you speak of her, and she is truly a beautiful female.¡±

    I knew he was blushing now, as the thinner fur around his ears revealed the redness that climbed them. ¡°Ah, well, yes, she is beautiful, but she has many suitors among the crew. I am far older than she. Plus we must find a new home for everyone, so my duties will keep me busy for a long time to come.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°Age means little when it comes to love, my new friend,¡± I said, looking around at all the women in my life, all of whom were older than me, most by centuries. ¡°As for your other complaint, my gramps had another saying he was fond of: ¡®Don¡¯t let the business of living get in the way of living.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Your gramps sounds like a wise man,¡± said Aura, meeting my eyes for once. I smiled at her.

    ¡°He had his moments. Until the bear got him. Crazy old bastard went bear hunting with a bow.¡±

    ¡°I do not know what a ¡®bear¡¯ is, but I assume it is an animal native to your world. He must have been a mighty hunter. How did this beast best your ¡®gramps,¡¯ I believe you said he was?¡± said Drake approvingly.

    ¡°Yep, Gramps. Father of my father,¡± I explained and both Drake and Aura nodded in understanding. ¡°Well, he actually managed to kill one. I think he was more surprised than his hunting buddies were. It was a massive bear. I was never given the full details, since I was only twelve when he died, but from what I gather, as they tried loading the carcass into the pickup, the tailgate snapped under the weight and the bear rolled back on top of Gramps, crushing him. And that¡¯s how the bear got him.¡± I looked around, everyone staring at me. Persia looked like she was going to cry. Linda was staring at me suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯m told the sight was¡­ grizzly.¡±

    Mashed potatoes slammed into my face as a chorus of groans erupted from everyone but our guests. Linda was standing at her seat, gravy still dripping off her hand as she levelled an accusing finger at me and yelled ¡°boooo!¡± I was in stitches from their reactions, laughing so hard I couldn¡¯t breathe as I wiped the potatoes from my face. Drake and Aura stared at everyone in horror as they reacted to my admittedly bad joke.

    ¡°I do not understand,¡± said Aura. ¡°Is this a custom for honoring one¡¯s dead here?¡±

    Persia, who was sitting on Aura¡¯s other side from Drake, placed her hand on Aura¡¯s. ¡°He was telling a joke, dear. A very bad one.¡± She shot me a rare glare. ¡°Please tell her the truth so she¡¯ll know, Husband?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Sure. He really did love to hunt, and he was known for going after animals too large for the weapon he had, but he died in his sleep after losing a battle to lung cancer. The only thing he loved more than hunting was his cigars. I don¡¯t have a single memory of him where one wasn¡¯t clamped between his teeth.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± said Aura, but I waved it off.

    ¡°It was almost thirty years ago. I¡¯m fine, really. So anyway¡­¡±

    The dinner continued on far into the night, our guests getting to know more about us and vice versa. Laughter flowed freely, the weight that had been resting on us since we learned of their ship having finally been lifted. As the night wound down, Drake and Aura were returned to their ship, having turned down the use of our guest rooms. Linda and Shu disappeared to their room while Persia and Rhia kissed me goodnight and headed off on their own. As I stood up from my seat, I turned to see five pairs of eyes watching me. Smiling, I walked into the mess of arms that wrapped around me like vines and allowed myself to be dragged to bed, my night only just beginning.

 Twenty: Genesis

    I stood on the surface of the moon, the desolate landscape stretching as far as I could see. What I was planning was way beyond anything I¡¯d attempted before, and I wasn¡¯t even sure it would work, but just to be safe I was taking precautions against damaging the various landing points for human exploration here. I¡¯d already encased the Chinese site and all the other Apollo missions except this one. I stared at the Apollo 11 site, half grinning at the stupid director¡¯s chair I¡¯d placed here years ago. Of all the sites up here, this is the one that absolutely had to survive. It was man¡¯s first steps on another world. Race, creed, religion, nationality, it didn¡¯t matter. Humanity as a whole was represented here, before politics and money drove them back into low orbit for decades before the Chinese said, ¡°our turn.¡± Like most optimists, I chose to ignore the fact that it was politics that drove them up here in the first place.

    Concentrating, I formed a clear bubble around the site, even including my ridiculous chair. One couldn¡¯t tell from the surface, but the bubble extended underground as well. A perfectly clear ball, indestructible by any means known to man, everything inside of it locked in stasis. Long after the moon was gone, this ball would remain. An eternal reminder that man once walked the heavens. I stepped back and admired my work. To my knowledge, only another deity would have the power to breach that barrier, but I could be wrong. There¡¯s still a lot I don¡¯t know about the galaxy. Satisfied with my work, I popped back to the dining hall just as everyone was sitting down to breakfast.

    ¡°Morning, ladies. Ah, Drake. When did you get here?¡±

    The large cat-man nodded at my greeting. ¡°Just a few moments ago. Goddess Persia came to invite Aura to breakfast, and she was kind enough to extend me an invitation as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always welcome here, buddy. You¡¯ve been an immense help these last couple weeks. Um, should I be worried that neither of them are here right now?¡± Glancing around the large table, I saw Shu and Linda deep in conversation as usual, Rhia and Lily, who¡¯d moved in a week ago, were digging into their breakfast, and Hannah and Su were standing ready to serve as needed. Isabella was still down on Earth, unsure of what she wanted to do just yet. Persia and Aura were the only ones missing. Wait, no Ryo either. That got my attention. She never misses breakfast.

    Drake chuckled. ¡°I do not believe you have to worry. Goddess Persia said something about new clothes for Aura. My sister is still too unsure of herself around you to allow the goddess to slip her into your bed.¡±

    I nearly choked on my coffee as he said that but recovered and managed to wipe my mouth with a napkin as I regained the ability to speak. Both Rhia and Lily were smirking but remained steadfastly focused on their plates.

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± I said. ¡°If I may ask, what drew you two towards the sibling relationship you¡¯ve developed? You¡¯ve been together a long time, right? Wouldn¡¯t that kind of closeness lead to something a little more¡­ intimate?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°To develop that kind of relationship with an Oracle is the same as a death sentence where we¡¯re from. They are to remain untouched by all, and unseen except by their closest guards. Hence the robes she wore when we met you. No, as I have mentioned before, I have known her since she was a child. After watching her grow up, the idea of seeing her in that fashion does not appeal to me. What are these? They are delicious.¡±

    ¡°Waffles. Try them with some butter and syrup,¡± I passed the mentioned items over. ¡°Wait? You said untouched? You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°She has never known the touch of a male, beyond an occasional embrace for her brother. Of course, that may change in the near future, I suspect, if Goddess Persia has her way.¡± He said it so matter-of-factly as he inhaled his waffles. I remember when my father and I first learned that my 16 year old sister was sleeping with her 20 year old boyfriend. The only thing that stopped us from driving over to his house was Mom in the rearview mirror with a double barrel and a raised eyebrow. Now here I was talking with a guy that didn¡¯t seem to mind my wife trying to add his virgin sister to my harem. Incidentally, it turned out Mom had already taken care of the creep with a phone call to the cops while Dad and I were clearing out the gun safe and loading up the car. If looks could kill, Lisa¡¯s would¡¯ve vaporized half the neighborhood when the cops dropped her off an hour later.

    Linda and Shu were now watching me, both grinning broadly. Rhia pretended to not pay attention as she busied herself with her tea, and Lily was blushing furiously. I couldn¡¯t see Su or Hannah, as they were standing behind me, but I was pretty sure I knew that Su was maintaining her professional demeanor in front of our guest and Hannah was grinning like an idiot, as she does any time the topic of sex came up. I was still pondering if I should say anything in response to Drake¡¯s last statement when the door to the dining hall opened up.

    Persia danced through the door, sundress lifting up as she spun, revealing her marvelous thighs, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her energy. She was a completely different person from when we first met two and a half weeks ago. Before, Hannah was the energetic one around here, just a pulsing ball of sexually charged charisma. Persia had since surpassed her. She didn¡¯t exude the nymphomaniac desires of Hannah, however. Thank heaven for that. I could barely keep up with either of them as it was. No, Persia¡¯s energy was much more vibrant, radiant, and any other synonym you could think of. She was happiness personified, and she brought that to everyone she met, including the timid woman who stepped through the door behind her, Ryo trotting along at her heels.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Lily perked up. ¡°That looks delightful! I knew it would look good on you, Persia, but man can Aura rock it!¡±

    Aura blushed as Lily fawned over her, but Lily was right. The lithe woman was dressed in a pair of skin tight, hip hugging capri jeans, low top walking shoes, and a sleeveless, collarless shirt that hung off of one bare shoulder and exposed her belly button. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that hung over her opposite shoulder. She was breathtaking. Even Drake paused in devouring his food admire her. Persia looked over and saw me at the head of the table. She beamed me a smile and trotted over to give me a hug.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t there when I woke up,¡± she pouted. ¡°I was lonely and cold.¡±

    ¡°Lonely? Rhia was still sleeping when I got up.¡±

    ¡°I have things to do as well,¡± Rhia said. ¡°I was up not long after you left.¡±

    ¡°See? That¡¯s why I went to visit Aura and invite her over. I know she must be just as lonely on that ship, so now here she is! Tada! What do you think, My Husband?¡±

    I smiled as the woman in question took a seat on Drake¡¯s other side, doing her best not to make eye contact with me. ¡°I think she looks lovely. You did a good job.¡± I mean, she was already a work of art. Persia just liked finding new ways to frame her. Persia beamed and kissed my cheek as a smile flitted across Aura¡¯s lips. Drake reached over and patted her hand, his cat-like mouth pulling up at the edges.

    ¡°Hey, John,¡± said Linda. ¡°Not to interrupt your little moment you¡¯ve got going on over there, but are you sure I can¡¯t talk you out of this? I¡¯ve already got billions invested in the Eastern Alliance¡¯s plans, and you¡¯re going to fuck all that up.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sweetheart, but I¡¯m not changing my mind. We¡¯ve already discussed this. I¡¯ll help you guys out with another venture, but this is something I¡¯d like to do for our new friends. There really isn¡¯t any place we could send them on Earth where they won¡¯t be immediately discovered by humans and asking them to live in a place like this isn¡¯t fair after they¡¯ve spent so much time in an asteroid.¡±

    Linda sighed and buried her face in her hands as Shu rubbed her back reassuringly. ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s just a LOT of money. It won¡¯t sink the company, but we¡¯re gonna feel it.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t the resources be diverted elsewhere? Like underwater?¡± Lily tossed in.

    Linda¡¯s head popped up out of her hands and stared at her. ¡°Underwater?¡±

    ¡°Um, yeah. Why not? Why spend so much energy getting off the planet when there¡¯s so much space left to explore on Earth? It¡¯d be like that show with the cute blonde boy and talking dolphin.¡±

    Linda and I exchanged a look, then back to Lily. ¡°You¡¯ve seen seaQuest?¡± Linda asked.

    ¡°Is that what it was called? I only saw a couple episodes. My dad loved to watch reruns, but I couldn¡¯t get into it. I was more of a Babylon 5 fan, even if the special effects are dated¡± she said offhandedly.

    Linda was suddenly on her knees next to Lily, gripping her hands tightly. ¡°Marry me!¡± she said. As Lily turned bright red and started making cute sounds of confusion, Shu walked over and grabbed Linda by the ear, pulling her back to her seat.

    ¡°Ow ow ow ow baby! I was joking! You know you¡¯re the only woman for me!¡± Linda pleaded, however Shu noticed Linda making a heart shape with her hands and mouthing I Love You to Lily. Shu gave Linda¡¯s ear a twist and calmly turned to the rest of us.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Linda and I need to have a private discussion,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us. Good luck, John. I hope your plan works.¡± The Chinese woman then left the dining hall, dragging the pleading trillion dollar tech mogul behind her. Lily sat in her seat motionless, clearly still in shock. Persia was happily feeding Ryo from her plate. Rhia and I continued to enjoy our drinks while Drake and Aura looked mortified.

    ¡°Um, should we be worried about them?¡± asked Aura, finally meeting my eyes.

    ¡°Those two? Nah. Happens all the time. At least once a week. Don¡¯t worry. They love each other too much to let a joke come between them. All the same I¡¯d give their room a wide berth for the next couple hours.¡±

    ¡°Better make it three, My Lord,¡± said Su. ¡°Mistress Shu got an extra ear twist in before they left.¡±

    I grimaced. ¡°Ouch. Alright, everyone leaves them alone till lunch. Two twists mean Shu¡¯s actually kind of pissed. Linda¡¯s gonna have to work overtime this morning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll hate every minute of it, My Lord,¡± said Hannah as she collected my plate.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will,¡± I smiled at Hannah.

    Drake finally seemed to have his fill of waffles, which was an impressive display in itself. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he looked at me. ¡°So what is this plan that she was talking about? You have failed to mention it to us, but it appears to be about us.¡± He indicated himself and Aura, who was daintily picking away at a vegetarian omelette. I didn¡¯t know what the wrap was made of, but she seemed to be enjoying it. I did find it interesting that she was a vegetarian that travelled the stars on a ship full of carnivores.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Well, I was trying to keep it a surprise, but Linda killed that. See, as I told her, I¡¯ve been trying to think of a place for you guys to put down roots and live your lives. There isn¡¯t any place on Earth to put you where you wouldn¡¯t be discovered sooner rather than later, and humanity isn¡¯t ready to discover extra-terrestrial life yet. They¡¯re still wrapping their heads around the concept of me. I also don¡¯t want to force you guys to live in anything like this place. Nice as it is, it¡¯s still not too different than being stuck on your ship, and I don¡¯t want to do that to you again. Sometimes you want to feel the sun on your face, right? Breeze flowing through your fur? So, I¡¯m going to do something amazing.¡±

    ¡°And that would be?¡± Aura asked, curiosity in her silver eyes.

    I smiled and leaned back in my seat, placing my hands behind my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to terraform the moon.¡±

    *

    An hour later we were finished with breakfast. Rhia had gone down to Earth to make a surprise visit to the U.N. General assembly to inform them on my behalf what I was planning to do, minus the aliens moving in part. Her goal was to ensure no one panicked as the moon changed in the sky. Linda and Shu were still barricaded in their room while Hannah and Su were off doing whatever maids did. I had offered to send Aura and Drake back to their ship in case something went wrong, but they asked if they could remain and watch. Lily refused to leave as well, so now the three of them were sitting with Persia in the ballroom, comfortable couches lined up facing the large window that looked over the moonscape. Ryo was curled up between Aura and Persia, napping the day away.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how this is going to turn out, or even how long it¡¯s going to take. I¡¯ve never tried anything on this scale before. I¡¯ve reinforced our home just like I did with my preservation bubbles out there, so it should be fine in the worst case scenario, but Persia, I¡¯m counting on you to get everyone out should everything go wrong.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, My Love. I will take care of everything.¡± She smiled at me reassuringly, her golden eyes twinkling. I leaned down and gave her a kiss, grateful for her support. As I straightened up, Lily leaned over and kissed my cheek, telling me that I ¡°got this.¡± I laughed and thanked her, then felt a hand softly grab mine. I looked down to see Aura had taken it and pulled it to her lips, where she gently kissed my palm as her silver eyes bored into mine.

    ¡°Good luck, God Zek-¡± she stopped herself, then gave me a shy smile. ¡°Good luck, John.¡±

    On her other side Drake smirked, an interesting look on such a cat-like face, then gave me a thumbs up. Half wondering who taught him that, I smiled at Aura as I pulled my hand away, closing it into a fist as if to hold on to that sweet kiss, the feel of her soft lips on my palm fresh in my memory. I gave Ryo a quick scratch behind her ears, waking her from her nap. She looked up at me, then scooted herself over to lay her head in Aura¡¯s lap and went back to sleep. Laughing, I turned and walked toward the landscape on the other side of the window, popping myself to the featureless wastes where everyone could see me from inside.

    Unsure of how to go about this, despite the big game I was talking earlier, I decided to sit cross-legged on the dusty surface. Resting my hands on my knees, I closed my eyes and expanded my senses into the ground beneath me. The sensation felt similar to my life sight, and I soon became aware of every rock, crater, fissure, hole, and piece of moon dust around me. As my senses expanded, there were areas that appeared as a void. I recognized these areas as the preservation bubbles I¡¯d erected and my home behind me. Slowly I was able to encompass the entire planetoid.

    Confidence rising, I began to imagine what I wanted, which was essentially another Earth like world. Calling back to my old gamer days and the countless hours lost at night building civilizations, I imagined a random world generator and selected what I wanted in defiance to what nature would dictate. I was a god after all. This was my world. 40/60 land to ocean ratio. Polar caps, varying foliage from jungle to forests to plains. Vast plains to build cities on. An abundance of mineral resources. A wide variety of plant and animal life. Everything a planet should have to support and maintain life.

    Time held no meaning for me as I moved within my imagination. Adding hills and mountains here, leveling fields there, carving a path for a river through this valley. A voice in the back of my head kept telling me what I was doing was impossible. It went against the very laws of nature and science. I scoffed at that voice. What good was being a god if you couldn¡¯t upend all known science from time to time? And so I worked. Trying to perfect my little world. I gave it an atmosphere and a slight rotation, enough for a 24 hour day. Weather patterns and a tilted axis for seasonal changes. Life. I let life evolve as it would. I sat there and watched my little world orbit the Earth and most of a cycle around the sun. Looking for any flaws, anything that may have gone catastrophically wrong, but everything moved as it should. My world worked. I had done it.

    *

    Time may have stopped for John, but for Earth and his family on the moon, it continued on. Rhia returned from her trip to the U.N. and discovered everyone in the ballroom staring out the window at the figure sitting fifty yards out. She watched with them for a while, then reluctantly returned to her duties. John had countless meetings set up with world and religious leaders all the time, and even if he seemed lazy and childish most of the time, he rarely missed an appointment he set. While he was indisposed, it fell to her to make those meetings and help push his goals and wishes. She prepared herself for a long haul. Since she didn¡¯t know how long his experiment would take, she expected to cover down for him for a few days. She was confident she was overthinking it, having witnessed his powers of creation on many occasions, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

    *

    ¡°Is there no way to help him, Oracle?¡± Drake asked Aura.

    ¡°Please, Brother, it¡¯s Aura now. Have you gotten so old that you forget after three months?¡± she teased. He chuckled and looked over at her. He never could have dreamed that the shy, traumatized girl that had been placed in his care so long ago would not only be healed, but smiling so brightly at him. Her gaze returned to the window and the god sitting so calmly in the vacuum and sighed. ¡°I wish there was. He did not realize the scale of what he was attempting to do, and we can only offer up prayers for his success.¡±

    The mention of prayers reminded Drake of his own devotion and worship of a goddess, and he smiled inwardly to himself.

    ¡°Speaking of prayers for success, you¡¯ve been spending a lot of time with Goddess Persia lately.¡± Aura blushed at his comment.

    ¡°She is eager, and, I confess, so am I. But it may be some time before we see the fruits of our labors, and he may have other things on his mind once he returns to them. Us.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Drake inquired, but was met only with a smile.

    ¡°Dear Brother, a girl has to have her secrets. When she is ready for everyone to know, you shall.¡±

    *

    Lily tossed and turned in her bed, unable to get any sleep. She hadn¡¯t dreamt in the five months John had been sitting out there. Every day she went to the window to watch him. She was amazed at the transformation that was taking place out there as plant life bloomed, clouds formed, and the sky turned blue. She was amazed, but she missed John. She¡¯d hardly gotten a chance to know him before this. She¡¯d made up her mind to go along with Persia¡¯s plan, and then he¡¯d stepped out on her. She went to the ballroom instead of laying in bed staring at the ceiling. She chuckled as she found Persia and Aura cuddled up on the couch. Naturally Aura was the big spoon. It was a given with Persia being the way she was. Lily grabbed one of the blankets folded up next to the other couch, wrapped herself up and lay down, watching the rain slide down the glass.

    *

    ¡°I miss him,¡± whispered Hannah.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Su said softly, stroking the smaller woman¡¯s blonde hair.

    Hannah lifted her head up from Su¡¯s breast, which she¡¯d been using as a pillow as they lay together in bed. ¡°How much longer do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, love. He hasn¡¯t moved a muscle in half a year. If the mistresses were worried, we¡¯d know it by now.¡±

    ¡°You know Mistress Rhia wouldn¡¯t show it even if she were. Mistress Persia seems to be getting more agitated lately though.¡±

    Su smiled. ¡°Well, I think she has good reason to be. He really should hurry up, if only for her sake.¡±

    Hannah scooted up the bed until her head was on the pillow next to Su¡¯s. Wrapping her arm and leg over Su, she pulled her closer until their foreheads were touching. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to discipline him when he returns. Keeping his ladies waiting like this.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± asked Su. ¡°Since when are you in charge of discipline around here?¡±

    ¡°Um, well, I am going to be his wife eventually, so that will fall under that.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? What about me? I¡¯ll also be his wife, and I¡¯ve been with him far longer than you. So who would be in a better position to discipline?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Su kissed Hannah¡¯s nose. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about this now. He¡¯s going to be with us again soon, I feel it, and he¡¯ll be with us the rest of our lives. We¡¯ll have plenty of chances to discipline him together.¡±

    Hannah grinned broadly, then kissed Su. Su returned the kiss, and soon the worries of the world disappeared as the two women got lost in the heat of each other.

    *

    Linda and Shu strolled hand in hand through a small town in China, gazing up at the moon.

    ¡°It looks so different than what I¡¯m used to,¡± remarked Linda. Her eyes took in the green, white, and blue marble that hung in the sky. The moon was so much brighter these days as sunlight reflected off the oceans now flowing across the formerly dead rock.

    ¡°I imagine he has to be close to finishing by now,¡± said Shu. ¡°Lily was telling me the other day that she saw something that looked like a rabbit running across the field where he sits.¡±

    Linda whistled. ¡°From moon dust and rocks to plants and animals in seven months. If I had any doubts about his divinity, they¡¯re gone now.¡±

    Shu chuckled. ¡°You know what he¡¯s doing goes against everything we know of nature and world creation, right? It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Linda stared wistfully at the moon, a small grin playing across her lips. ¡°When has that ever stopped him before?¡±

    Shu pulled Linda around to face her and draped her arms around her waist. ¡°We¡¯ll see him soon. Then we can make up for lost time. Lots of lost time.¡±

    Linda laughed, wrapping her own arms around the woman she loved. ¡°You¡¯re right. We have a LOT to make up for. Persia¡¯s already got a pretty big head start though.¡±

    Shu kissed Linda. ¡°Our time will come. Let¡¯s go. My family is eager to meet you.¡±

    *

    Persia leaned back into Rhia as they stared out the window, watching the clouds pass in front of the sun. She missed him dearly. It was October when he¡¯d taken a seat out there, and May had just rolled around. When he first stepped out, she¡¯d visit him often. Just sitting next to him for hours at a time, never touching him in case she broke his concentration, but just wanting to be near him. Rhia would accompany her sometimes when she wasn¡¯t busy. She¡¯d also sit and watch him through the window with Aura. They¡¯d long become friends, having traded their personal histories and learning each other¡¯s secrets and desires. Persia was happy and unsurprised to learn that they both shared at least one desire, and he was just fifty yards away.

    ¡°Mmmm,¡± she sighed. ¡°He¡¯s happy.¡±

    Rhia nodded and smiled. ¡°Yeah. I feel it too. It¡¯s a sense of accomplishment. I think he finally realized he¡¯s a Creator now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Aura is going to be so happy. I think she¡¯s going nuts being cooped up in that ship.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were going to ask her to move in here?¡± Rhia asked.

    ¡°I did. She said she didn¡¯t want to get in the way when he returned,¡± Persia said.

    Rhia wrapped her arms around Persia and rested her hands on her stomach, then kissed Persia¡¯s cheek. ¡°Silly girl. She still doesn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to do? It¡¯s been eight months. You¡¯ve done everything but send her a harem application form.¡±

    ¡°She does. I think she wants to hear it from him though.¡±

    Rhia laughed. ¡°I think he¡¯s going to have his hands full when he gets back. She may be waiting a while.¡±

    Persia shook her head. ¡°No. Not John. He¡¯d never do that to anyone. Not if he knew their happiness depended on him.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see how he handles your surprise first. Of course, then we¡¯ll have to tell him about my-¡± Rhia was saying, but she suddenly sat straight up at the same time as Persia.

    ¡°¡°He¡¯s awake!¡±¡± they both said to each other. The form in the field hadn¡¯t moved yet, but they could feel him through their link.

    Rhia gave Persia a quick kiss, then stood up with a wide grin. ¡°I¡¯ll go get everyone else.¡±

    Persia nodded as she left, hearing Rhia call for Su and Hannah as she ran from the room. She stood up and walked over to the window, Ryo at her side as always, and pressed a hand against it while the other rested on her large belly.

    ¡°Are you ready to meet your father, little one?¡±

 Twenty-One: From the Highest of Highs...

    The chirping of birds. A soft breeze blowing by. The warmth of the sun beating down. I opened my eyes to the paradise in front of me. I did it. I actually did it! Standing, I slowly turned around in place. Trees and grass as far as I could see. Blue sky and clouds above. I heard the river that I had placed behind my home. Looking at it, I could see the large window leading to the ballroom, but it appeared to be empty. The house was now built into a hill, kind of reminiscent of a hobbit hole. Wonder if the wives will let me put a round door in? I thought.

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± I heard. I turned and saw Rhia standing behind me. I smiled and held out my arms.

    ¡°I did it, babe,¡± I said. She threw back her head and laughed, then bounded into my arms, kissing and hugging me tightly.

    ¡°I missed you so much,¡± she said into my ear as she squeezed me tightly. ¡°Never leave me for that long again.¡± My shoulder started to get damp as tears fell from her eyes. ¡°We all missed you. You were so close, but so far away.¡±

    I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed tightly. ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Eight months. I know quite a few women that want to have a word with you about that.¡±

    ¡°Eight months? Wow. It only felt like a couple hours to me.¡±

    She leaned back from my shoulder and gave me a quick kiss. ¡°Come on. If I don¡¯t get you back inside soon, there¡¯s going to be a revolution in the Council of Wives.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°Can¡¯t have that. Lead the way, my dear.¡± We held hands as we walked towards the large window, passing through it like it wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to put a door in somewhere,¡± I said as I surveyed the room. Couches, pillows, and blankets seemed to be the standard for d¨¦cor these days. Everything was clean and neat, but it definitely had a lived in feel. Rhia kept walking past the couches, pulling my arm with her.

    ¡°Come on. If you take too long, their receptionwon''t be as warm as you¡¯re hoping for.¡±

    Chuckling, I allowed myself to be pulled along. We¡¯d barely stepped into the hallway when I was nearly bowled over by a black, white, and blonde missile.

    ¡°My Lord!¡± Hannah wailed as she wrapped her arms and legs around me and started planting kisses all over my face. ¡°Oh I missed you so much, My Lord! Please don¡¯t leave us again! I love you so much! Don¡¯t ever leave us alone again! I love you I love you I love you! No one gives it to me like you do, My Lord! I need it so bad! Plea- urk!¡± Hannah¡¯s frantic greeting was cut short by Rhia grabbing the maid by her collar and yanking her off of me. The blonde woman hung in Rhia¡¯s grasp as she was rotated around to meet her eyes. Purple eyes stared into golden ones before Hannah looked down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mistress Rhia. I just couldn¡¯t help myself when I saw him.¡±

    Rhia put her down and released her hold on the shorter woman¡¯s collar, smiling. ¡°I know, but there are six other women waiting for him, and you¡¯re hogging his time. Do you want to explain to them why he took so long to get there? Especially Persia?¡±

    Curiously, Hannah¡¯s face paled a little at the mention of Persia, and mutely shook her head no. Raising an eyebrow, I looked between them, but they both ignored me as we started walking down the hall again. Six? Who are the other two? Lily, I can guess, but the last? Did Isabella come back? Or is it Aura? She didn¡¯t know me well enough to want to see me that eagerly, did she? And since when did mentioning Persia earn that kind of reaction? Questions swirled around my head as we approached our destination. Opening the door to my residence, I found five women waiting for me. Su smiled warmly at my arrival, and, as she was the closest, she was the first to close in for a hug and a kiss. Then she stepped back, her eyes promising a more personal greeting later.

    Linda barreled in next, roughly pulling my face to hers as she did her best to suck my soul from my body. Then she released my mouth and grabbed my ears.

    ¡°Eight! Fucking! Months! Do you have any idea how hard it was to work wondering when you¡¯d come back to us?! We waited and waited and waited!¡± Hands still firmly gripping my ears, she pulled my face down for a kiss again. Then she rested her forehead against mine. ¡°I missed you so much, you asshole.¡±

    I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. ¡°I am so sorry, Linda. I had no idea it would be that long. I promise not to do anything like that again without checking with all of you first, ok? I love you, and don¡¯t want to put any of you through that again.¡±

    She sniffed, clearly holding back tears, but nodded. ¡°Good. I love you too, you big dummy.¡± She released my ears, punched my chest, and traded places with Shu, who was much more gracious in her welcome, as she was in most things. Draping her arms over my shoulders, she smiled up at me.

    ¡°Hey stranger,¡± she said, smiling.

    ¡°Hey you,¡± I responded.

    ¡°Welcome home.¡± She leaned up and kissed me, no less passionately than Linda, but much less violently. When she released me and stepped back, I could see streaks down her cheeks where she¡¯d been crying. I vowed to myself to never leave the women like that again.

    Suddenly a shock of pink hair was in front of me. I looked down to see Lily fidgeting nervously. I smiled and opened my arms for a hug, when she fell into, her arms wrapped around my waist.

    ¡°You missed me too?¡±

    ¡°We all did, in case you didn¡¯t notice. I haven¡¯t been able to dream since you left. I saw nothing and it scared me.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave us again?¡±

    ¡°I already promised Linda I wouldn¡¯t do anything like that again without consulting everyone, ok?¡±

    She gave me a smile and nodded. She was about to step out of the hug, then suddenly leaned up and kissed me. It was a chaste kiss, no tongue. Just a pressing of lips together, but it was pleasant. Blushing, she retreated to the other side of the living area.

    I held my arms open and asked ¡°who¡¯s next?¡±

    A green hand grabbed mine from my left and a green body snaked into mine for a hug. It took me a moment to register Aura pressed so closely to me. Hesitantly, her arms wrapped around me. A little surprised, I wrapped my arms around her as well, her slim body feeling delightful against mine. Last time I¡¯d seen her, she could barely make eye contact with me, and had only kissed my hand for good luck. Now here she was, clinging to me like a second set of clothes.

    ¡°Aura?¡± I asked, as she hadn¡¯t said anything yet. Just hugging me tightly. I looked at everyone over her shoulder, and they all looked back with smiles on their faces. What had happened while I was out there?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered. ¡°Thank you so much. You have given my people a home. I can never repay you for what you¡¯ve done. But I would like to spend the rest of my life trying.¡±

    ¡°Wha-¡± I began before she pressed her lips to mine. My god they felt fantastic. Her tongue slipped through to caress mine, and suddenly I had questions about the level of skill she was displaying. I seemed to recall Drake telling me she was untouched by man.

    Untouched by man, yes, I heard Rhia in my head as she smiled at me. But I think we¡¯d both agree that Persia is no man. Just enjoy it. She¡¯s been waiting for this moment almost as long as we have.

    Understanding bloomed in my head at what she was telling me, then I gave in to the moment. How long I held the green beauty for I couldn¡¯t say, but when she finally pulled away, she immediately moved to take a seat on the couch.

    ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°You ladies weren¡¯t joking.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Linda said. ¡°He¡¯s got a certain knack for it.¡±

    I looked around the room while they bantered but couldn¡¯t see who I was looking for.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Persia?¡± I asked, and everyone answered by pointing towards my bedroom. I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, stud,¡± said Linda.

    ¡°She just wanted to greet you in private,¡± said Rhia. Everyone in the room was exchanging glances and knowing smiles, so I figured something was up. Eyebrow still raised I turned and made my way over to my room.

    I knocked on the door softly as I opened it. ¡°Persia? I¡¯m home, baby.¡±

    ¡°An interesting turn of phrase,¡± she said as the door opened to reveal her sitting on our bed. She looked very happy to see me. She also looked very, very pregnant. I froze, sure my eyes were the size of saucers. She awkwardly pushed herself up to a standing position, and that triggered something in me. I was immediately at her side helping her stand.

    ¡°What are you doing? Take it easy. Oh wow, you¡¯re huge!¡± I babbled. She shot me a dirty look.

    ¡°Huge? That¡¯s what you say to me after sitting in the yard for eight months?¡±

    ¡°Uh, bu, uh, eh?¡± I said intelligently. Her dirty look broke and she broke into melodious laughter, her eyes twinkling.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Welcome home, My Husband.¡± She kissed me, her belly pushing in to me. She leaned back and rubbed her belly. ¡°Meet your daughter.¡±

    ¡°A little girl,¡± I whispered as I dropped to my knees, my hands caressing her stomach. I laid my ear against it, closing my eyes and listened. I felt a thump against the side of my head, causing me to open my eyes in amazement at the same time there was a flash of light from the doorway. I only half acknowledged the gaggle of women crowded there, or the cell phone in the hands of a certain pink haired oracle. I looked up at Persia, whose grin was threatening to split her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be a daddy?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna be a daddy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯M GONNA BE A DADDY!¡± I whooped, standing and grabbing Persia under her arms to lift her high in the air. She looked shocked for half a second, then erupted in laughter. The women at the door, however, weren¡¯t so amused and cried out in panic. Realizing what I¡¯d done, I gently set her back on her feet and pulled her into a hug, tears freely falling down my cheeks. A wave of dizziness overtook me at the rapid assault of emotions I was under, so let go of Persia and sat on the edge of the bed. She took the opportunity to sit on my lap and stared lovingly into my eyes.

    ¡°But wait,¡± I said, suddenly recalling something. ¡°I thought I fixed it so that no one could get pregnant. It¡¯s what you all asked for.¡±

    Persia smiled, stroking my hair. ¡°Not me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said.

    ¡°You did that to them before you¡¯d met me. I never asked for it, and it never occurred to you to ask me. And our first night together happened before we even realized it was happening, remember?¡± My eyes widened.

    ¡°Wow. The first night? But wait, I also fixed myself. Even if you weren¡¯t part of the no pregnancy group, I still was.¡±

    Rhia moved to the front of the group, a half guilty expression on her face. ¡°About that, dear husband. I have a confession to make. That same night when you two dragged me in to bed? I may have used that new power you gave us to do some tweaking of my own.¡±

    I swear, if my eyes got any wider they¡¯d fall out of my head. ¡°You WHAT?!¡± I yelled. Suddenly the room was empty save Persia, Rhia, and me. The rest of the girls beat a hasty retreat, and I was thankful for it. If I was going to go nuclear, the less witnesses the better. Guilt surged through our link in a wave that nearly made me stumble, but I¡¯m sure the anger that I felt at the personal invasion hit her just as hard.

    ¡°You better start talking fast, woman!¡± She flinched. The last time I¡¯d spoken to her in this fashion, I¡¯d just discovered Texas was missing. Discovering she¡¯d turned my tap back on, so to speak, without my knowledge or permission, using my own powers against me, didn¡¯t rank as high as a national tragedy, but damned if it wasn¡¯t one hell of a personal violation, and I was fucking pissed. She knew it too, feeling it all come from me in waves, and I was greeted more guilt, fear, and abject shame.

    ¡°I wanted a child! With you! I know I should have asked and discussed it first, but the opportunity presented itself and¡­ and I took it.¡± She was crying now, sinking to her knees. ¡°I know it was selfish of me. I was weak at the moment, but you still had to face the asteroid ship, and we didn¡¯t know how that was going to turn out, and that night was so magical¡­ I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of you not coming back from that ship without me ever carrying your child¡­¡± She was bawling now. Her words devolving into wails of anguish. She pitched forward, burying her face in the carpet and spreading her wings to her sides, pressing them to the floor. She started reaching her hand back to where it met her shoulder blade and, taking a deep breath, braced herself.

    Shame! I thought, quickly remembering her display when offering her wings to me after telling me what happened to Texas.

    ¡°JOHN! Her wings!¡± Persia cried out, also realizing what Rhia¡¯s intention was, but I was already moving, my anger placed on the backburner. I grabbed her hand before she could rip her own wing off. Her grip tightened momentarily, fighting against me before giving up the urge and collapsing. Gently I pulled her into my lap where I sat on the floor and held her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she wailed. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry.¡± She clung to my chest and sobbed. I had no words of comfort for her. I didn¡¯t know what to say. My rage was diluted, but I was still hurt and upset. If she¡¯d only asked me, I would¡¯ve said yes in heartbeat. Nothing would please me more than to have a child or twelve with her. I wanted to tell her that, but the words wouldn¡¯t come. So I just held her. Persia watched us from where she sat on the bed, a sad look in her eyes.

    ¡°She told me all this before,¡± Persia said softly. ¡°After you stepped out, as we called it. When we discovered I was pregnant. We knew you¡¯d be upset, so we wanted to tell you when you found out about me, hoping it would lessen the blow.¡±

    Rhia continued to sob into my lap, although it was less wailing now and more whimpering. I still couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. I desperately wanted to pull them into a hug and say everything will be alright. I really did. But I couldn¡¯t. I felt¡­ I don¡¯t know. It hurt. I felt sad. I felt angry. I felt confused.

    I felt betrayed.

    *

    Persia watched John carefully tuck Rhia into bed after she cried herself to sleep. She felt waves of emotion pouring out of him, and it broke her heart. She knew what he must be going through right now. She watched as he walked to the door, and her hopes rose a little when he paused with his hand on the knob. Without turning, however, he sighed and looked at the ceiling.

    ¡°I need some time. I¡¯m going for a walk.¡±

    She nodded, even though she knew he wouldn¡¯t see it, and when the door closed behind him she lost the control she¡¯d been holding and started weeping. This was supposed to be a happy occasion. He had created a world. He was reunited with all the women who loved him. She was pregnant. There were supposed to be celebrations all around. Instead, here she was, crying next to her sister who¡¯d tried to shame herself by ripping her own wings off after confessing a betrayal. It was with the best and most loving of intentions, but a betrayal nonetheless.

    She curled up on the bed next to Rhia, placing a protective hand on her swollen belly. Intellectually she knew this was Rhia¡¯s fault, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to blame the woman she loved more dearly than a sister. She knew exactly how Rhia felt about wanting a child with John. All of them did, including Lily and Aura. His charisma had a way piercing a girl through the heart leaving them hopelessly devoted to him. She¡¯d actually fallen in love with him long before they¡¯d met, just watching him interact with everyone. He was always so happy and cheerful. He was such a clown, and she¡¯d laughed herself silly watching his antics at the White House years ago. Every time she¡¯d tried to work up the nerve to speak to him, however, she¡¯d lose it at the last second, choosing instead to watch him some more from the shadows.

    She¡¯d envied the affection he¡¯d shown Su and Hannah. She was downright jealous of the obvious love he had for Rhia. When Linda and Shu eventually joined him up here, she¡¯d decided it was too crowded. She¡¯d trusted Su and Rhia as much as she¡¯d been able to trust anyone back then, and she had a passing acquaintanceship with Hannah since they both worked as maids, but Linda and Shu were unknowns at the time. The closest she¡¯d been able to get to John was befriending Ryo. She¡¯d spend countless hours playing with her, wishing she could share those moments with him. Her fear of betrayal and abuse prevented that from ever happening, and when Rhia ordered her brought before the very man she loved and feared, it terrified her. But her fears that day never came to pass. She¡¯d offered herself to him as she thought he¡¯d want, only to be comforted by him instead. He said he trusted her. He gave her a name. He took the vow, although she hadn¡¯t realized at the time that he knew nothing about it and was just being nice, but even after learning the truth he never took it back. He just pressed forward, helping her overcome one trial after another until that fateful night, where Rhia took away his decision¡­ and gave her a daughter.

    No, despite everything, Persia could not bring herself to blame her sister. Not when she¡¯d blessed her with such a treasure. She didn¡¯t know how this was going to affect John, especially since it was such a crash after riding so high on the joy of creating a new world and reuniting with everyone. She only hoped he¡¯d recover. She resolved herself that she¡¯d do her best to help him if he needed it. He¡¯d given her a new chance at life. She had to repay the favor. Reaching out to hold Rhia¡¯s hand, Persia vowed to help both of her most precious loved ones. She was still holding her hand when she fell asleep.

    *

    I walked. For hours I walked. Traversing this new world that I created, not seeing a damn thing. My mind was at times full of more thoughts than I could concentrate on, and at other times devoid of anything. I moved on instinct alone. I didn¡¯t feel the sun. I didn¡¯t feel the wind. I didn¡¯t feel the rain when it rolled in. I came to a lake just as the rain died down and sat at the base of a nearby tree, watching ripples form on the surface from the last of the raindrops.

    I was still upset, obviously, but I think the rain eventually pounded its way through my thoughts. I knew Rhia would never intentionally set out to hurt me. I fully believed it was a heat of the moment decision for her. Before that union, she didn¡¯t have the ability to make the changes she had. So she took the opportunity presented in a moment of unbridled passion. I really could understand where she was coming from. Long ago, after my wife left me, I¡¯d given up hope of ever having children. Children were a commitment, and that word was a big nope zone for me. If you don¡¯t commit to something, it can¡¯t betray you. It can¡¯t leave you. It can¡¯t clean out your bank account and disappear with a meth dealer from her hometown!

    Obviously, I still had some issues with my ex. Logically speaking, I knew that she was dead, caught up in Inton¡¯s little fireworks display who knew how many years ago. Six? Was it seven? I¡¯m supposed to know these things. Why can¡¯t I remember? Whatever. It doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s dead. She can¡¯t betray me anymore. Her ex won¡¯t be able to call on his gaggle of toothless tough guys to kick my ass when I go to collect my car. None of them would be able to hurt me anymore, because they¡¯re dead and I¡¯m a god that built a fucking planet!

    But they weren¡¯t the only ones who died. Millions died. People who did care about me. People who would¡¯ve walked to the ends of the Earth with me if I¡¯d only asked. Friends. Army buddies. Family. My parents. They all died too. In a flash of light, they were gone. So fast it never even occurred to them that they should be scared. What were they doing at that moment? Sleeping? Dreaming one second, nothing the next? Were they out partying, celebrating another day down? Watching tv? Fucking? Does it matter? One second there, the next second gone. Erased from existence. So many friendly and loving faces gone. All to find me. The asshole that lived. The guy whose biggest concern at the time was what cartoon should I watch next. The guy who didn¡¯t even mourn for so much loss of life. The guy who realized he¡¯d never see his parents again and only thought ¡°at least it was over quickly.¡±

    Why the fuck were those women in love with me? I¡¯m a god damn psychopath! Who looks at a death toll like that, which includes his own family, and says ¡°that sucks,¡± then moves on? Normal people don¡¯t think like that. Sure, I gave Rhia that speech about being cut off from my feelings and suppressing my anger and whatnot, but that¡¯s not right. How can I expect to guide humanity anywhere? I got way more pissed at Rhia for turning my swimmers back on than I did about cratering Texas.

    I wanted to go back and apologize. She just wanted to have my child. I want her to have my child. But if this is the kind of person I am, what right do I have to raise a kid? I suddenly worried for the little girl Persia was carrying. What if she turned out more like me than her mother? Could Persia save her? Teach her what it means to be loving and caring and, above all, empathetic? I don¡¯t know if I could. I needed advice. Who can I turn to though? The girls here love me too much. I couldn¡¯t trust that they wouldn¡¯t try to save my feelings. Drake? He practically worships Persia, and he wouldn¡¯t say anything to me that might cause her pain. I wish Pope Hans were still alive. He was a great man, and I miss our talks. Who¡¯s left? My sister¡¯s still alive, but she thinks I¡¯m dead. I can¡¯t just pop up now after so long. She¡¯s built a happy life. I¡¯d just intrude. What do I do? What do I do?

    What do I do?

    What do I do?

 Twenty-Two: Apologies and Limitations

    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake, he¡¯s a wreck.¡±

    ¡°Just be glad we found him. Come on, sit him up.¡±

    I felt myself being pulled up into a sitting position, back placed against the tree, then felt someone take a seat on either side of me. I opened my eyes and immediately regretted the decision. They hurt so much. Why did they hurt so much?

    ¡°Jesus Christ, look at his eyes. He must have been crying for a good long while.¡±

    I felt a hand brush through my hair. I looked in the owner of that hands direction and saw Shu smiling at me.

    ¡°Good morning, John.¡±

    Looking to my other side, I saw Linda, who looked considerably less patient.

    ¡°Morning, asshole.¡±

    ¡°Why do my eyes hurt so much?¡± I managed to ask.

    ¡°Cause they¡¯re swollen. I find it considerably unlikely that you¡¯re allergic to anything out here, so my bet is that you¡¯ve been crying like a baby all night,¡± answered Linda.

    ¡°Baby?¡± my mind instantly latched on to that word. ¡°Persia!¡± I started to rise but was instantly pulled back down by both women.

    ¡°Slow down, cowboy. We¡¯re gonna talk first.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About what happened last night,¡± said Shu.

    ¡°Last night?¡± I was still coming out of the fog of sleeping too heavily. I looked around. I was still sitting under the tree I¡¯d posted under after my walk. The lake spread out in front of me, dazzling my eyes as the morning sun reflected off of it. ¡°Damn. It¡¯s morning already?¡±

    ¡°Already? John, you¡¯ve been gone for almost a day. It was about this time yesterday that you left. We¡¯ve been worried sick. Rhia is a wreck. Persia seems to be the only one keeping her head on straight. She¡¯s the one who told us where to find you.¡± Shu continued brushing out my hair and clothes as she spoke.

    ¡°Rhia,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Yes, Rhia,¡± confirmed Linda. ¡°She tried ripping her wings off again this morning when she discovered you hadn¡¯t returned. Fortunately, because Drake showed up to get Aura he was able to restrain her. John, I completely understand what you¡¯re going through, but I¡¯m afraid of what will happen if you two don¡¯t work things out.¡±

    ¡°No good,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What¡¯s no good, dear?¡± asked Shu.

    ¡°I¡¯m no good. I¡¯m a mess. I¡¯m a psychopath. There¡¯s something wrong with me¡­¡± and I proceeded to dump everything I¡¯d been worrying about last night on their laps. I went on and on. Neither interrupted me as it all just spilled out. Shu listened impassively, but Linda seemed to get angrier and angrier as I spoke. Finally, when my words ran out, Linda stood up and slugged me.

    ¡°You selfish son of a bitch!¡± she yelled. I stared at her in shock, hand cupping my jaw, more out of surprise than pain. Shu continued to just stare at me.

    ¡°Your goddamn wife is an emotional wreck right now! She¡¯s tried mutilate her own body TWICE, convinced you¡¯re done with her, and you¡¯re out here losing your shit because your ex was a bitch and you didn¡¯t fucking cry seven years ago?!¡±

    I had no response to the outburst.

    ¡°Do you have so little faith in us?¡± Shu asked.

    ¡°What? No! Where did that come from?¡±

    ¡°Do really believe that we¡¯re all women who would choose to love this portrait of a man that you¡¯ve painted yourself to be? That we¡¯d all agree to share him amongst ourselves? That the miserable man you just described is someone we wish to build a large and loving family around? Do you have that little faith in our judgement?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t answer Shu. These six women, eight if you counted Lily and Aura, all saw something in me that I didn¡¯t. At first it was just fun for me. Su and Hannah were playmates and they didn¡¯t care how much I flirted or fooled around with the staff. They actively encouraged it, in fact. Rhia saw all of this, and still fell in love with me. She¡¯s been with me from the beginning. She was really the first one that taught me that it was okay to love again. The first woman I¡¯d professed my love to since I was kicked aside. And because she¡¯d wanted to have my child, she took a sudden opportunity to make that happen, because the future wasn¡¯t certain. I got angry with her for loving me. The sting of betrayal was still there, but compared to what I¡¯ve been through before, I was sure this was something we could work through eventually. I banged my head back against the tree as I realized my worry about them trying to spare my feelings was a stupid one. They¡¯d tell me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted, no matter what effect it had on my feelings.

    ¡°I¡¯m a damn fool.¡±

    Shu nodded. ¡°Yes, you are. But you¡¯re our damn fool, and our sister is in pain, so we¡¯re taking responsibility for getting you back to her.¡±

    Linda reached down to grab my hand. ¡°Come on, you big lug. Home is just over the hill.¡±

    ¡°What? I was walking for hours.¡±

    ¡°Yep. In circles. Around the house. A lot,¡± said Linda. ¡°It would¡¯ve been funny if it wasn¡¯t for all the fucking drama. We only needed Persia¡¯s help to find you because you disappeared after your last lap.¡±

    She pulled me to my feet, and I looked down to see I was covered in mud from where I lay down on the rain soaked ground last night. My eyes still felt sore, and my jaw tingled from where Linda¡¯s right hook connected. I lifted my hand to snap myself presentable, but Linda placed her hand over mine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. You need to look like shit when you get back.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Trust us,¡± said Shu.

    Shrugging, not bothering to attempt to unravel the logic of women, I followed as they set off towards the house. There was no lie in their words about our home being right over the hill. Cresting the rise, I immediately spotted the large window leading to the ballroom. Standing around outside of it was everyone. Su looked relieved at seeing me and had firmly hooked a hand into Hannah¡¯s collar before she could take off towards me. Drake, Aura, and Lily were clustered around Persia as she pushed to stand up from the chair someone had brought out for her. I saw everyone simply to acknowledge in my head that they were there. My eyes, however, were locked solely on the golden streak racing my way.

    ¡°John!¡± she wailed as she rocketed into me, knocking us both into the ground, the low gravity carrying us a considerable distance. ¡°John, I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯ll never do anything like that again! We can wait to have kids! I¡¯m so sorry I betrayed your trust! Don¡¯t leave me! I can¡¯t live without you! You¡¯re my everything! Oh my god you¡¯re a mess!¡± She started to fret over my puffy eyes and muddy clothes.

    I held her tightly until she calmed down a little, then cupped her face in my hands to get her attention as she continued to lay on top of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    A look of confusion crossed her face before she started up again.

    ¡°What? No! You have nothing to apologize for! It was me! It was all my fault. I did this! I broke your trust, John! You should hate me!¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± I said a bit more forcefully than I¡¯d meant to, if the look on her face was any indication. Composing myself, I tried again. ¡°I could never hate you, Rhia. You are my rock. You have always been the dependable one in my life. These last seven years have only gone so well because you¡¯ve kept me grounded. Seeing you like this is tearing me up inside. I was shocked yesterday. The pregnancy announcement, then your confession, then Persia telling me how you two planned to soften the blow¡­ I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it all and I took it out on you guys. If anyone should be asking for forgiveness, it should be me. The only thing you¡¯re guilty of is falling in love with a fool like me, although I¡¯m still not exactly thrilled with what you did.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Rhia nodded in understanding as footsteps approached us, and I looked over to see a barefooted Persia approaching. Rolling Rhia to the side, I sat us up as Persia settled down next to us. I reached out to take her hand.

    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I said, but Persia shook her head.

    ¡°This is a situation where everyone was at fault, and yet no one was, that¡¯s how I see it. It was too much to dump on you all at once. Yes, Sister should have told you what she did. No, I shouldn¡¯t have helped her try to lessen the blow like I did. And even though you were understandably upset, you shouldn¡¯t have stormed off like you did. But, and I¡¯m sure you realized this yourself, we all acted the way we did because we love each other fiercely. Love got us in this mess, love will get us out.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°When did you become the stable one of the group?¡±

    ¡°About 24 hours ago,¡± she replied with a sad smile. ¡°I feel it¡¯s time for everyone here to sit down have a nice long talk.¡±

    Rhia sniffed, then nodded as she wiped tears away with her sleeve.

    ¡°I agree,¡± I said, ¡°and if everyone¡¯s okay with it, I think we should start right now, right here. It¡¯s a beautiful day, and I see all the major players are gathered. What say I whip up some lawn furniture and snacks and we call everyone over?¡±

    ¡°What about Drake? Is he really part of this too?¡± asked Rhia.

    ¡°Well, it seems Persia¡¯s been doing some work while I was ¡®away,¡¯ and I get the feeling he¡¯s going to become something like a brother-in-law sooner or later, so it¡¯s probably a good idea to let him know what he¡¯s in for.¡± I stood and waved everyone over while whipping up some furniture, including a backless couch for Persia that rose up from underneath her so she wouldn¡¯t have to stand, although the lower gravity outside our home didn¡¯t make that terribly difficult for her. Then, taking Rhia¡¯s hand, I sandwiched her between Persia and myself. As everyone gathered around and took their seats, I explained what it was that I wanted to do with this meeting. Then I started it off by unloading everything I¡¯d worried about last night.

    *

    Later that evening I was in the darkened media room, attempting to catch up on everything that I¡¯d missed during my eight month project. We¡¯d spoken for hours out in the field, everyone getting a better sense of what everyone else was feeling, fearing, their wants and desires. Our goal was to ensure what happened the day before never happened again. Persia and Rhia were asleep in my room, while Linda and Shu were discussing some underwater city they were going to spearhead in the East China Sea. Su and Hannah had also retired for the night, but I figured sleep would be a long time coming for them. I was watching some documentary about the observed changes to the moon when a shadow appeared in the doorway. I looked from the screen to see the tall form of Aura peeking in at me, and I waved her in as I paused the screen.

    ¡°My Lord Zekken,¡± she said as she gracefully made her way over to the couch I was relaxing on.

    ¡°Please, just John. Zekken is just who I present to the world. Here, I¡¯m just John, or Johnny.¡±

    ¡°John¡­ Johnny¡­¡± she rolled the names around her tongue a bit. ¡°I like Johnny.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°Johnny it is then. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering when might be good time to start moving my people down? There isn¡¯t much time left until the ship¡¯s power runs out.¡±

    ¡°As soon as you¡¯re ready. Can that thing land?¡±

    ¡°Once,¡± she said with a sheepish grin.

    I laughed again. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll figure some god type stuff to make it work. We can start tomorrow if you like.¡±

    Her shocked expression surprised me. ¡°So soon, My Go- Johnny?¡±

    Raising an eyebrow, I asked ¡°is that too soon?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I just assumed you¡¯d need more time to recover. I¡¯ve heard acts as large as the one you just pulled off can drain a god for a considerable amount of time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? How long are we talking about?¡±

    ¡°I do not know for sure, but I know Kamiki once ripped an entire system apart in anger and she went silent for almost a hundred cycles while she recovered. We Oracles knew about this but were forbidden from telling anyone.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ shit,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was possible. I just assumed god equaled unlimited power.¡±

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re still new to this, Johnny. If you wish for my help in understanding anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to use me.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I said. Then a thought occurred to me. ¡°Say, when a god runs low on power, what normally happens?¡±

    ¡°The less power a god has, the closer they are to mortality. They can be injured. They can be killed.¡±

    I felt the floor drop out of my stomach. Could that be why my eyes hurt so much this morning? Could that explain my fuzzy memory? How close had I come to draining myself completely creating this world?

    ¡°How come you didn¡¯t bring this up when I mentioned my plan eight months ago?¡±

    ¡°I assumed you knew your own limits. It wasn¡¯t until you were already at work that I learned of your history, and by then it was too late. If we had stopped you midway, the moon could¡¯ve torn itself apart for all we knew.¡±

    ¡°Have you told everyone else about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They are all aware of it now. Goddess Rhia and Goddess Persia know not to push their limits as you have.¡±

    I sighed in relief. I didn¡¯t need the girls pulling any idiotic stunts like I did and draining themselves.

    ¡°You will also need to teach your child about her limits when she is born,¡± Aura tossed in.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Johnny, you are a god. Persia is a lesser goddess. One must assume that your children will have great power.¡±

    Lesser goddess, I thought. Every time she opened her mouth, it just increased the number of questions I had. We were going to have to sit down and have a nice long discussion one day, but not today. I was starting to get tired. I thanked Aura for the talk and promised we¡¯d find a way to get her people down while leaving the ship intact. Then I made my way to my room, where I found Persia and Rhia laying face to face. Persia was snoring softly as Rhia watched her, but then she looked up at me gave me a shy smile. I smiled, disrobed and climbed in between them as Rhia scooted back to give me room. Sliding under the blankets carefully so I wouldn¡¯t wake Persia, I lay on my side facing Rhia. Her eyes glistened in the dark.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she whispered to me.

    ¡°Stop apologizing,¡± I whispered back, placing a finger on her lips. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. We both said and did things we regret. It¡¯ll take some time, but we¡¯ll figure things out again.¡±

    A tear fell to her pillow, but she nodded. I pulled her naked form to mine and just held her. She reached around my back and held me tightly. I buried my face in her gold hair and inhaled her scent.

    ¡°So, you want a baby, too?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°More than anything,¡± she murmured, looking up to meet my eyes as she pressed herself against me. Smiling, I let my hand wander down her back to caress her ass before I moved it to the base of her tail. If her tail was similar to Persia¡¯s, then rubbing it right about¡­ here, should do the trick.

    A sharp intake of breath, then a shuddering moan escaped her lips.

    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Looks like you two are more alike than I thought,¡± I said. Just listening to her soft moan was enough for me, and I was quickly poking her thigh. She looked down and gave me a wicked smile.

    ¡°You better get that thing under control, mister,¡± she said.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d better subdue it this time,¡± I replied. She responded by lifting her leg and wrapping it around my waist, sliding her hips forward, leaving my little god resting at her heavenly gate. A hand on my lower back pushed me forward as Rhia pulled with her leg and I slid in easily. Looking back over my shoulder I saw Persia smiling at me with sleepy eyes, her arm stretched out in front of her. Rhia reached out and took Persia¡¯s hand, holding it tightly as we slowly rocked into each other, beginning a serious attempt to give our expected little girl a baby brother or sister.

    *

    Aura¡¯s words proved to be true. In the coming days I noticed a considerable loss of power as I attempted to help the Junaians settle on their new home. Before, moving all the personnel and supplies they needed would¡¯ve been taken care of with a snap. Now Rhia was left with the mass movement. I was relegated to showing them prime areas that were ready for settlement. Drake had chosen a location about a day¡¯s travel from our humble abode, both to give us privacy and to force his people to take charge of their own lives without relying on assistance from us deities. About a week and a half after they had officially left the ship, Drake and Aura turned up at our doorstep, with Drake asking that we take Aura in to our home. Naturally Persia agreed instantly, and the rest of us smiled between ourselves, knowing the choice had already been made months ago.

    Rhia and I continued our efforts to conceive, but to no avail after two weeks of intensive effort. Aura theorized that it may be my diminished power that was affecting our efforts. Interbreeding between species was rarely successful, and it may have been my divinity that had tipped the scales in Persia¡¯s favor. I thought it sounded like a plausible theory, but Rhia insisted on continuing our efforts and let¡¯s face it, I wasn¡¯t going to tell the beautiful woman no anyway.

    We saw less of Linda and Shu these days. Rhia had taken them back to Earth so they could focus on their new joint project and didn¡¯t expect to be back for months. I missed their company but understood that they had lives and businesses back on Earth that they needed to be involved with. I promised to visit them just as soon as I had the energy to make the trip. Yes, my power had been depleted enough that even popping down to Earth was taxing.

    Aura, Rhia, and I sat down one day to discuss this performance issue of mine. I remembered Rhia telling me once that churches in my name would have to be established in order to expand my influence. I just assumed that meant that I¡¯d be able to affect quicker change on Earth and further out in the solar system. According to Aura, we¡¯d gotten that wrong. Worshippers didn¡¯t just increase the distance of my influence, but also my level of power. Aura did not believe the same could be said for Rhia and Persia, however. I¡¯d opened a window to that divine essence, and for as long as I lived, they¡¯d have access to it, which was a moot point anyway, since thanks to the Life Mate Bond we established, their deaths were tied to mine. They could run out as I had and recharge over time, but their strength would never grow beyond what they currently had access to. Hence Aura calling them lesser goddesses. Of course she was quick to remind us that this was all just her theory, since she¡¯d never actually heard of something like this happening before. I wasn¡¯t thrilled with idea of establishing a church in my name, having been an atheist since my mid-teens, but I also recognized that I wouldn¡¯t be able to help anyone without my godly superpowers. Aura volunteered to help with that, and was frequently seen consulting with Lily, Rhia, and Persia.

    Life continued on the moon at a relaxed pace now that the threat of the asteroid ship was averted and we¡¯d made friends with the crew. The plans for my church were moving along nicely, and I was slowly getting to know Aura and Lily better before we moved our relationships to a more intimate level.

    Then, on the 16<sup>th</sup> day of June 2025, Lunar Year 1, Persia gave birth.

 Twenty-Three: Family

    ¡°Hannah, move.¡±

    The little blonde woman stared defiantly up at me. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, My Lord. Mistress Rhia and Su gave me direct orders not to let you pass.¡±

    ¡°But Persia!¡± I said.

    ¡°Will be fine. Su has delivered and cared for more children than you could possibly fathom. Mistress Persia is in the best hands you could hope for. She also has Mistress Rhia and Mistress Aura in there with her. You will just have to wait out here with Master Drake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going in there, and you¡¯re going to get out of my way so I can,¡± I declared, and moved to grab the door handle. Then I was staring at the black and blue marbling of our floor, stars circling my head and my hand pressed between my shoulder blades.

    ¡°It gives me no pleasure to do this, My Lord.¡±

    ¡°Liar,¡± I muttered. A giggle behind me confirmed my statement.

    ¡°Brother, perhaps it¡¯s best if you listen to your companion. You are still too weak to face her, and I¡¯m sure you were kicked out of there for a reason.¡± Drake¡¯s booted feet came into view before he crouched down to meet my eye. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Apparently, the women thought I was being a little too worrisome in there and kept getting in everyone¡¯s way. They voted unanimously that I should wait out in the hall and posted Hannah as a guard. Drake had just happened to be visiting for a couple days to catch up with Aura when Persia went in to labor.

    I sighed. ¡°I know you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll calm down. As much as I love the feel of your ass on my back, Hannah, you can let me up now.¡± I felt her grip on my arm loosen, then disappear as her weight left my back. Standing up, I worked my right arm around, making sure everything still worked as Hannah watched me. Then I dashed for the door again, only to feel my collar yanked back and feet kicked out from under me. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, as Hannah stepped over me and dropped, her entire weight landing on my hips as she straddled me. After unfolding from the impact, I lay there in defeat, knowing there was no way I was getting around this girl without my powers. Drake stood there, chuckling.

    ¡°Laugh it up, furball,¡± I wheezed from the floor. ¡°I¡¯m going to be right there laughing when the same thing happens to you.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason not to tell you my mate¡¯s due date,¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°How is Bellata doing?¡± asked Hannah as she subtly rubbed her hips into mine, the motion hidden by her dress. She really was insatiable.

    ¡°She is doing well, thank you for asking. Is this really the time and place to do that?¡± he asked her, quirking his furry brow. Hannah froze, her eyes widening.

    ¡°How did-¡± she started to say but stopped when he tapped the side of his muzzle.

    ¡°Junaians have an excellent sense of smell, remember?¡±

    Hannah blushed. She didn¡¯t get off my lap, but she did stop rubbing herself against me. Good thing too, because Aura chose that moment to poke her head out of the door and smile widely at us.

    ¡°You can come in now,¡± she said. She¡¯d barely finished the sentence before I found a burst of strength, grabbed Hannah by the hips and tossed her off. She squeaked in surprise, but as I¡¯d tossed her towards Drake, he caught her before she hit the floor. I¡¯ll apologize to her later, I thought as I rocketed into the room.

    My remaining thoughts were of Persia. When she saw me enter, she greeted me with a warm, yet exhausted, smile. Her hair was matted down with sweat as she lay back in the bed, her wings hidden so she could get comfortable. On her chest she held a little bundle, and as I got closer, I saw the cutest, most beautiful little girl in creation. I know everyone says that about their children, but I really mean it. I¡¯m a god, dammit, and if I say my daughter is the most beautiful, then she is, end of discussion. She was so lovely I almost forgot to breathe. I leaned over and gave Persia a quick kiss.

    ¡°Look at what we made,¡± I said in wonder.

    ¡°John,¡± Rhia said. I looked up and really did forget to breathe, as she stood on the other side of the bed holding a similar bundle to the one sleeping on Persia¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Twins?¡± I squeaked out, looking between the women and our children. Children! As in more than one! ¡°Wait? I thought it was just one little girl?¡±

    ¡°So did we,¡± said Su, coming up behind me and placing a hand on my back. ¡°We don¡¯t know how it happened.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more, John,¡± said Rhia.

    ¡°More kids?¡± I asked, confused. Everyone chuckled but me.

    ¡°No, Dear Husband,¡± said Persia as she pulled the blanket off the head of the baby on her chest, revealing two golden furred cat-like ears.

    ¡°Look here too,¡± said Rhia, pulling her blanket down revealing two little black wings.

    -

    Later that evening Rhia and I were standing over a couple bassinettes as Persia slept nearby. It was weird seeing such furniture in our room after so many years of adult related shenanigans, but then again, these two sleeping beauties were the result of such activities, so it was only a matter of time really. The other women had retired for the evening as well, except for Hannah, who was standing by outside in case Persia needed anything.

    ¡°Angela and Aisha, hmm?¡± Rhia said, leaning in to me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like them? Persia did,¡± I said. We¡¯d been brainstorming names all day, since we decided to wait until they were born to see what inspired us.

    ¡°Angela seems a little too on the nose, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°I think it suits her. She just looks like an Angela to me.¡±

    ¡°And Aisha?¡± she asked, raising eyebrow.

    ¡°Well, uh¡­ about that,¡± I began, before she started giggling.

    ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you, sweetheart. I think it¡¯s a lovely name. You do know she won¡¯t turn into a tiger though, right?¡±

    I hugged her closer. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.

    She shook her head. ¡°You and your crazy naming ideas. If I hear one Clan-Clan joke, your head is forfeit.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°Noted. So, how do you think this happened? So much of this is confusing. Twins when everyone, including Persia, was convinced it was just one. One has Persia¡¯s ears and tail, the other has your wings.¡±

    Rhia sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. No one else has any idea either. Something extra special must have happened that night. It was more than just our bodies connecting. Our energies, our souls, whatever you want to call it were bound on a deeper level than I knew was possible. With our powers, our¡­ divinity, it still feels weird to say that about myself, but with that factored in, who knows what could happen?¡±

    An idea occurred to me, but I was hesitant to bring it up, given our efforts the last couple weeks. Naturally, with Rhia being Rhia, there was no way I could hide it. I heard her sharp intake of breath.

    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s a possibility?¡± she asked in wonder.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know, but it could explain why we haven¡¯t been able to get you pregnant. Not that I¡¯m complaining about the effort involved, mind you.¡±

    She playfully slapped at my chest, then looked thoughtful. ¡°Could she really be mine? If so, how did she end up in Persia?¡±

    Sister.

    The unfamiliar voice shot through my mind. It caught me off guard, yet at the same time filled me with happiness. I felt Rhia jerk next to me as she stared at the babies with wide eyes. I heard rustling behind me and saw Persia sitting up in bed, also staring in wonder at the babies. I suddenly realized whose voice I just heard.

    Angela¡¯s eyes were open and watching Rhia and me. They were hazel, like mine, with flecks of gold throughout. Rhia was right. Something truly magical happened that night.

    Sister! Angela cried in our heads, her face scrunched up, and Aisha woke up, revealing eyes identical to Angela¡¯s. Both of my girls looked like they were about to start crying. Before I could act on instinct and reach out to hold her, Aisha vanished in shower of pink sparks from her bassinet, instantly appearing next to Angela. Instantly a sense of calm came from both of them and they went back to sleep.

    -

    ¡°Oh my god they¡¯re so adorable!¡± Linda gushed on the screen as Rhia and Persia held Angela and Aisha up for the women to see.

    ¡°They¡¯re very beautiful. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll grow to be as lovely as their mother. Or is it Mothers?¡± said Shu.

    We were in the media room showing off the newest additions to our family to the couple Earthside, and I could already see the hunger in Linda¡¯s eyes. Personally, I was hoping to wait at least another year before attempting to add another child to the mix. In the last week I had learned what every first-time parent of twins discovered: sleep was a thing of the past. Rhia and Persia were doing better than me, since they could pull on their pool of divinity to freshen themselves up. I was still in economy mode, conserving my power until I could make more than a couple trips between the Earth and the moon without exhausting myself.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Linda. ¡°You guys still haven¡¯t figured how that happened?¡±

    Rhia shrugged. ¡°We kind of have a theory, but it still doesn¡¯t explain why we only saw indications that there was only one of them.¡± She then proceeded to explain what we saw the first night after they were born. Neither of the girls had repeated their telepathy or teleport act since, but we found that the greater the distance between them, the more worked up they got. So now they spent every waking and sleeping moment together.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about it,¡± said Persia. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, they¡¯re all of ours. I may have carried them, but we¡¯re all going to raise them.¡±

    I leaned over and kissed her cheek. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± I leaned down and started making goofy faces at Aisha. ¡°And when Mama Linda and Mama Shu get back, I just know they¡¯re going to spoil you and love you and smother you in kisses. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± I glanced over at the screen and saw Shu sitting up straighter in her seat, as if she¡¯d just been given an order that she¡¯d couldn¡¯t be prouder to carry out. Linda, on the other hand, had turned beet red and I could see her mouthing Mama Linda over and over again. She suddenly leaned forward until her face filled the screen.

    ¡°John, I need you down here. ASAP!¡±

    ¡°Whoa, what? Hey now, we¡¯ve got the kids, and-¡±

    ¡°John,¡± Rhia interrupted. I looked at her as she nodded her head towards the screen. ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°Go, Dear Husband,¡± said Persia. ¡°Spend a few days down there. You could use the break. Don¡¯t worry about us. We¡¯ve got each other, and we¡¯ve got the other women to help if we need anything.¡±

    ¡°Are you guys sure? My little girls though¡­¡±

    ¡°Will be fine!¡± Rhia pushed on my shoulder with her free hand. ¡°Go. You were complaining about missing them anyway. We¡¯ve got things in hand here.¡±

    Still eyeing them skeptically, I relented. I kissed both of my beautiful wives, then kissed my adorable daughters, before stepping out of the media room. The last thing I heard before stepping out of earshot was Linda.

    I¡¯ll bet he thinks he¡¯s gonna sleep well tonight, followed by decidedly evil laugh.

    *

    Soon I was standing in the living area of Linda and Shu¡¯s residence on the outskirts of Shanghai, Ryo at my feet. It had been a while since she¡¯d been down to Earth, so I decided to bring her along.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I said to the empty room. I could¡¯ve sworn they had contacted us from here, hadn¡¯t they?If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°In here, John,¡± I heard Shu call from the kitchen. Ryo took off ahead of me, but I wasn¡¯t long behind her as I poked my head into the massive room. Ryo was making her way over to Shu, who was sitting at a table enjoying her tea while Linda was inhaling a sandwich and an energy drink. She made eye contact with me, then held up a finger as she finished swallowing and slammed the rest of her Monster. Chuckling at the sight, I made my way over to Shu and gave her a kiss.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Good. We¡¯re ahead of schedule and the load tests on the foundation will take a couple weeks to complete, so we¡¯ve got some time to kill.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. I felt bad about stealing your thunder on the moon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Linda said as she approached. ¡°Lily was a genius. You need to hurry up and show her your appreciation.¡± Shu raised an eyebrow at her, evidently still remembering Linda¡¯s manic proposal last year, but Linda pointedly ignored her. ¡°That can wait, however. We¡¯ve got you all to ourselves for a week, and I don¡¯t plan on wasting a minute of that.¡± With that she grabbed my hand and started dragging me out of the kitchen. I turned and raised a questioning hand towards Shu, but she just shook her head and waved us on.

    ¡°You two go on ahead. What she wants I can¡¯t give her. I¡¯ll take Ryo for a walk and join you later.¡± At the mention of a walk, Ryo¡¯s ears twitched and she started doing laps around the kitchen, eager to be on her way. I laughed.

    ¡°Alright, be good, Ryo! And I¡¯ll see you later,¡± I said, giving Shu a wink before Linda yanked me around the corner.

    In a matter of seconds Linda had shoved me into their bedroom and closed the door, leaning back against it for a second and staring at me like a dehydrated woman that just found an oasis. She quickly closed the distance between us, shoving me flat on to the bed and climbing on top of me. Her lips met mine in quick aggressive kisses as she ground her hips into mine. I grabbed her hips as she sat up and yanked her shirt over her head, tossing it aside and leaning back down to kiss me again, lingering this time before leaning further to growl in my ear.

    ¡°Put a baby in me,¡± she said as she nibbled at my earlobe. ¡°I never knew that I wanted one until I saw the twins. Now I need one. With you.¡± I groaned as she pushed herself into lap again. I could feel the heat coming from her. ¡°We¡¯re going to spend the next week making sure that happens, so you better prepare yourself, buddy. I¡¯m going to fuck you silly day and night.¡±

    *

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting use of handcuffs,¡± Shu said a few hours later as she joined me on the patio outside their bedroom.

    I shrugged. ¡°You know how she can be. If you don¡¯t establish dominance early on, she loses respect for you.¡± I held out my hand and pulled her on to my towel wrapped lap. ¡°When did you get back from your walk?¡±

    ¡°A couple hours ago. It sounded like a professional wrestling match in there, so I decided to wait until things quieted down. You owe me new furniture, by the way.¡± I winced. We hadn¡¯t been kind to the room during our ¡°match,¡± and a couple of chairs had paid the price. And the bedframe. And the dresser. The closet door was also hanging by a hinge. It had been an energetic afternoon.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said after a moment.

    She snuggled into my chest as a breeze crossed the patio, her head resting on my shoulder while I stroked her long smooth leg on my lap. ¡°It¡¯s just stuff. I wasn¡¯t that attached to it.¡±

    ¡°No, not the furniture. Well, not only the furniture. I¡¯ve been neglecting you two. Su and Hannah as well. Aside from my little creation hanging in the sky, most of my attention has been on Rhia and Persia. I¡¯ve been a horrible fianc¨¦ to you guys.¡±

    She sat up and pulled my chin to face her. I stared into those beautiful brown eyes of hers as she pulled me in for a kiss. Not a passionate one, but a loving one. The kind of kiss you might give when you see your loved just doing something they normally do, like their makeup, and it hits you out of the blue just how lucky you are to have them. It was the kind of kiss that spoke volumes when words wouldn¡¯t do. She found them anyway.

    ¡°We understand. You¡¯re just that kind of guy, and we¡¯re adult women who can make our own decisions about how good or bad of a fianc¨¦ you¡¯ve been. Persia needed your help more than any of us. Neither of us grew up expecting to join a harem, but we did, and we did so knowing the rules were different. When you charmed me in my own office, I already knew you had four other women. I knew those women were devoted to you for a reason. In the three years since then, I¡¯ve had no reason to second guess my decision. You have been nothing but kind and gentle with me, plus you introduced me to Linda, and that alone is worth devoting my life to you. There will be times where you¡¯re taking care of business, or spending time with your other wives, or even collecting new wives, and let¡¯s not forget the twins. There will also be times where Linda and I may be too busy running our own projects to spend time with you or the other girls. It¡¯s life, my love, and it¡¯s something we all must deal with.¡±

    I pulled her in tight, cradling her against me as I let her words sink in. I felt her hand tracing up and down my chest as she gave me time to think it over. I personally thought she was giving me far too much credit as a person. Especially after she¡¯d witnessed my meltdown last month. As she¡¯d said, however, she was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. If she didn¡¯t want to hold my other women against me, that was her choice. The very fact that I had six woman that loved me this much still astounded me to this day. Add in the knowledge that Lily and Aura were also interested in joining my little harem, and you¡¯ve got the dream of every anime loving nerd out there. Eat your heart out, Hyoudou Issei. I¡¯m the <u>real</u> harem king! Oppai, bitch!

    I chuckled to myself, amused by my own silly thoughts. I kissed the top of Shu¡¯s head. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve you, you know that right? You are far too smart to be stuck with a geek like me.¡±

    She giggled. A melodious sound coming from such a refined woman. ¡°Who said I¡¯m stuck? I can leave any time I choose to, and we both know that you¡¯ll let me go. You¡¯d never tie us down like that. I also know that we all agreed that if we wanted to sleep with other men as you sleep with other women, you wouldn¡¯t complain, assuming it¡¯s only fair. ¡®What¡¯s good for the goose is good for the gander,¡¯ I believe you said?¡±

    I nodded, remembering the conversation around the breakfast table.

    ¡°Did you know that not one of us has taken you up on that?¡± I shook my head. It¡¯s not something I wanted to know, especially after my ex¡­ no, best not go down that route again. Besides, I respected my girls¡¯ privacy. What they did in their own time was their business.

    ¡°None of us have even considered it,¡± she continued. ¡°While you were creating Genesis up there, we all sat down and had one of Linda¡¯s Council of Wives. Lily and Aura sat in as well, you should be aware. One of the things we discussed was that very topic. Everyone had gone six months without you, and it was Hannah who brought it up. Can you believe it? Her, with the least self-control out of all of us.¡± Shu giggled again. ¡°She declared that she¡¯d wait for you no matter how long you took. Then she pretty much demanded the rest of us do the same. She adores you and didn¡¯t want to see the hurt we all knew we¡¯d see if someone were to make that choice you secretly feared. So, you have to thank her properly when you return. Because of her, any woman who joins our family must swear off all men until they no longer wish to be with you, and no one has any intention of ever leaving. Not while they¡¯re still breathing, that is. As I¡¯m sure you already guessed, Lily and Aura also agreed. Best not make them wait too long.¡±

    I smiled and shook my head. ¡°I really don¡¯t deserve any of you. I am who I am because of all of you. I am curious about one thing you said though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Genesis?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she chuckled. ¡°There was a movement a few months ago as the changes became apparent from the surface here. Someone started a hashtag to rename the moon, since just calling it The Moon didn¡¯t feel right anymore. A certain franchise¡¯s fans hijacked it.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think enough fans existed after the last couple series attempts. Maybe I¡¯ll create a mark four torpedo case and leave it somewhere.¡±

    ¡°It was a mark six, dear.¡±

    ¡°Was it? Shit. I hope these memory issues clear up once I¡¯ve recovered my energy. That¡¯s a rookie mistake right there.¡±

    Shu leaned up and kissed my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. I¡¯ve been a Trekkie longer than you, and I think Genesis is a fine name for your greatest achievement.¡±

    ¡°Third.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, confusion evident in her voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s my third greatest achievement. My daughters are my first. Gathering all you lovely women is my second.¡±

    ¡°Second?¡± she said in a mock pout. ¡°We should have at least tied for first.¡±

    I chuckled and pulled her into a long kiss. Damn, it felt good to hold her. Thanks to my divine face and bodylift, you¡¯d never suspect that she was in her 50s. She had the health and body of someone half her age, and that body was getting me all kinds of worked up right now.

    ¡°Want to go make babies?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°No babies for me, thanks. I love you, but having kids has never been on my to-do list, and it never will be.¡± She stood up and started sliding out of her clothes right there on the patio. Completely nude now, she straddled me as she pushed the towel up my legs to reveal my rapidly hardening godhood. ¡°I will, however, happily fuck you with the entire world watching,¡± she purred into my ear as she eased herself on to me. This Shu was a completely different animal to the one who was cuddled on my lap a couple minutes ago. Horny Shu was a bit of a freak. She enjoyed the thrill of someone possibly seeing us. We¡¯ve tested the integrity of the windows in Linda¡¯s Manhattan apartment more than once. It¡¯s also the only time I ever hear her swear, and the more callous the language, the more turned on she is.

    I knew I was in for a good night when she started off with ¡°fuck.¡±

    *

    ¡°Human women¡­ are tougher¡­ than they¡­ look,¡± Hannah gasped out as she watched John and Shu go at it on the screen. He had one leg thrown over his shoulder and another wrapped around his waist as he did his best to drive her through the concrete patio. A chair lay in pieces at the edge of the screen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you that for decades, my dear,¡± said Su, her blue hand working furiously between the caramel thighs spread next to her. ¡°Should we really be watching this though? Am I not good enough?¡± The question was asked with a mischievous grin and not at all serious. Hannah had asked Shu if she could watch her time with John on more than one occasion. She¡¯d asked everyone, in fact, but Shu and Su were the only ones who didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°You know¡­ she loves¡­ iiiiiiiit!¡± she tried saying before her body rocked from a massive orgasm. She lay there for a couple minutes, catching her breath before straddling the redhead¡¯s hips. ¡°And so do you.¡± She then stretched her body along Su¡¯s, her knee pressing between pastel thighs until she felt the warmth of her lover against her, before taking a stiff, dark blue nipple in her mouth.

    *

    ¡°She¡¯s hungry today,¡± remarked Rhia, watching Persia breastfeed Angela. Aisha was asleep in her cradle, having already been fed. Persia smiled up at Rhia from where she was tucked under her arm as they relaxed on the massive bed they usually shared with John.

    ¡°I think she wants to be big and strong, like her father.¡±

    Rhia smiled and kissed Persia¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯m confident he¡¯d rather they grow up as strong and beautiful as their mother.¡± Persia blushed, then reached back to stroke Rhia¡¯s cheek affectionately. Rhia closed her eyes and pushed into it. To outside viewers, they might appear to be two women in love, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Their relationship wasn¡¯t one of a romantic nature, and yet, thanks to their bond, it was so much more intimate than anything either had felt in their lives. Their shared love of John and the twins, combined with centuries of friendship beforehand, created a dynamic where each woman couldn¡¯t live without the other. They kissed, they cuddled, and slept with their arms wrapped around each other, kissing each other goodnight over and over again while John was away, but they never engaged sexually unless John was involved as well. It wasn¡¯t a hard rule they lived by, it¡¯s just the only time it felt natural. With John¡¯s participation, however, the two women knew each other far more intimately than even Su knew of Rhia.

    Aside from a handful of occasions where the wine had been flowing freely, Rhia and Su had rarely held each other in the last few years as the pairings within the family had solidified. Su and Hannah, Linda and Shu, Rhia and Persia. Rhia was still grateful to Su for everything she¡¯d done for her, and to her, if she was being honest with herself. There were many occasions where Su had helped Rhia work off some frustrations when Inton, naturally, spurned her advances. As far as her race¡¯s characteristics went, Rhia was still considered a young woman. Barely out of her teens comparatively speaking, which meant she was young and foolish enough to think she could woo the man who had no interest not only in her, but all females. There was a certain irony then in how she chose to release some of her frustrations.

    Rhia gazed lovingly down at Persia, watching her fret over the little girl. She never could¡¯ve imagined this even a year ago. Seeing this formerly broken, terrified woman coo softly at a beautiful baby made Rhia¡¯s love for John swell in her chest yet again. He was the reason this was possible. The reason her dear, dear friend was able to hold her baby. To be able to move about without hiding in shadows. To be able to look back at Rhia with just as much love and affection as she felt for her. She knew she should feel bad for thinking it, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to as she once again thanked Inton for his sacrifice, and those of the millions lost that day that brought him into her life. If he changed the world like he changed the lives of everyone up here, then the price paid was more than worth it.

    *

    Aura lay alone in her room, unable to sleep. It had only been a day, but she missed John already. She didn¡¯t know what it was about him, but something drew her towards him. He¡¯d taken away everything she¡¯d known. He was the direct reason Kamiki had cast her and her friends aside. He had caused their death sentence. And then he¡¯d saved them. He argued with Kamiki! No one ever argued with Kamiki, but in doing so he had granted them a new life. A chance to be who they wanted. He had created a paradise for them and asked nothing in return. He had six women who adored him, and a staff that worshipped him. Aura knew that Lily had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and Aura had to admit that she had too.

    She rolled on to her side and stared at the picture framed on her nightstand. It was something Lily had given to her. A picture of her, Drake, and John at the site they¡¯d chosen for the settlement. Aura couldn¡¯t help but giggle at it. John was standing in between her and Drake, arms draped over their shoulders and a big, goofy grin on his face, his hands folded into fists with his thumbs pointed up. Drake looked uncomfortable at the display of affection, and Aura¡­ she was looking at him like a maiden in love. Her cheeks were dark green from blushing, but her eyes were only for him. She suspected this was why Lily had given her the picture. To help Aura confirm what she already knew deep within herself. She was madly, passionately, in love with him. He had done so much for her and her family that she wanted to spend the rest of her life paying him back for it. She wanted to give him everything he ever wanted. She knew that it was ridiculous to assume he wanted anything more than he already had. He had two loving wives and two beautiful daughters. He had two fiercely independent women that had considerable influence on Earth that also loved him dearly. He had Hannah and Su, two women that were eager to please him in the most carnal of ways.

    Aura blushed at the thought of the maids. She wanted to give him that as well. The feel of his lips on hers again. She brushed her lips lightly with her fingers. Her fingers traced everywhere she wanted his lips to be. Over her lips, down her neck, across her collarbone, down her sternum. Her fingers trailed the valley between her breasts before her other hand came up and squeezed one. She wanted his hands on her. To gently fondle her as his mouth closed on her nipple. She imagined him doing just that as she pulled on it herself, the dark green point hardening at her touch. Her breathing quickened as she imagined his kisses trailing down her stomach, fingers mirroring the motion. Her excitement grew as she mentally saw his smile as he spread her legs. In her mind she saw his tongue snake out just as her fingers slid between her lips, and she moaned.

    *

    Lily groaned, tossing and turning in her sleep. She was sweating profusely, soaking her sheets and the mattress underneath, although she had no way of knowing that, dreaming as deeply as she was. She started jerking violently, sheets and blankets tossed aside as she spasmed.

    ¡°No,¡± she said in her sleep.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Persia! Rhia!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too hot!¡±

    ¡°Get out of there!¡±

    ¡°Where are the twins?!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡±

    ¡°JOHN!¡±

    Her last outburst woke her. She sat sharply up in bed, breathing heavily. She barely registered her pink hair mattered to her forehead or her sweat soaked nightclothes as she tried to remember the details of the dream she just had. Her first dream in months. As the details cleared up in her memory, her eyes got wide, tears spilling out of them, and when she focused on the final details that occurred before she woke she knew there was nothing she could do. Anger flashed through her, then fear, then a bottomless sense of loss and grief.

    She screamed.

 Twenty-Four: The Silver One Sings

    Shu woke me as she climbed out of bed. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t her intention, as she endeavored to be as quiet as possible, but, as everyone knows, the quieter you try to be, the louder you end up being. Still, I appreciated her efforts and stayed where I was. Not that I really had a choice, since Linda was wrapped around me tighter than a boa strangling its dinner. After wrapping a thin robe around her naked body, Shu left the room, and just before the door closed behind her, I heard the notification signal from the screen that someone was calling.

    I looked down at Linda, snoring softly on my chest. Her hair was a mess, and I¡¯m pretty sure she was drooling a bit, but that didn¡¯t take away from how beautiful I found her to be. She had a fiery passion in her that demanded you love her with everything you have. Of course, that passion also translated to her anger when you upset her, which is why it was going to be that much harder to tell her that in her excitement to start making a baby yesterday she never gave me the chance to undo the birth control measures in place within her.

    ¡°John!¡± Shu whisper yelled from the door. ¡°I know you¡¯re awake. We need you in the living room right now.¡±

    ¡°Be right there,¡± I said, and began the delicate task of extricating myself from Linda¡¯s vice-like grip. Once I¡¯d finally freed myself, her arms began reaching out to pull me back, so I grabbed my pillow and held it between us. She clasped on to it and pulled it in tight, never waking up as a silly grin crossed her face. Pulling on my pants, I joined Shu in the living room.

    ¡°John! Thank god you¡¯re all right!¡± Lily cried from the screen. Surprised, I looked at her. She was crying but looked relieved at the same time. Aura had an arm wrapped around her shoulder reassuringly while Rhia sat on her other side looking concerned.

    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I said, caught off guard. ¡°I¡¯m just fine, hun. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Lily had a dream, John,¡± Shu explained. ¡°She said she saw you and the girls vanish in a white hot light.¡±

    ¡°A white hot light? Like a nuclear explosion or something?¡±

    ¡°John, Lily¡¯s dreams aren¡¯t exact. Just representations of what could happen,¡± Rhia said from her side of the screen. I sensed she stressed ¡°could¡± for Lily¡¯s sake. Having an idea of what might happen in the future might prevent the worst outcome she imagined. As expected when Rhia¡¯s calming tone came into play, Lily calmed down. Looking gratefully at the two women flanking her, she gave a couple sniffs, wiped her eyes, and nodded. Then she gave a weak smile.

    ¡°Sorry guys,¡± she said. ¡°I might have overreacted.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said, causing her to look at me. ¡°Lily, you have a gift. You know it better than we do. Things may not play out exactly as they seem in your dreams, but you should never second guess yourself. So, don¡¯t hesitate to let us know when something like this happens, ok?¡±

    Lily gave me a small smile and nodded.

    ¡°Are you going to be alright, Lily?¡± Shu asked.

    ¡°Yeah. It was just intense. I¡¯ve never had a dream hit me that hard before.¡±

    I could see Shu and Rhia exchange a look, knowing smiles on their faces.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you weren¡¯t in love with the subject of the dream before?¡± asked Rhia, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. It was apparent she was teasing Lily to get her mind off whatever images were running through her mind right now, and it worked. Lily¡¯s eyes locked on mine as her face instantly turned bright red. Shu and Rhia chuckled quietly at the reaction, while Aura glanced shyly at me and blushed as well.

    ¡°Maybe we should get back to bed,¡± said Aura protectively. ¡°Persia and I are taking the twins to the village tomorrow. Maybe Lily should join us. Get some fresh air.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Well I hope you guys have fun then,¡± I said. ¡°And absolutely take Lily with you. I think she¡¯d enjoy exploring a new world.¡±

    After ensuring that Lily was feeling better, we ended the call. The sun was just starting to rise outside, so Shu and I walked out on to the patio to watch it, Ryo padding along behind us. As she leaned back in my arms, we stood in silence as a new day began.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s troubling you? Is it Lily¡¯s dream?¡± Shu asked after the sun rose higher.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll handle whatever it is when it happens,¡± I replied as Ryo darted off into the distance to play in the fields. ¡°What I¡¯m more worried about right now is how I¡¯m going to tell Linda that she never gave me the chance to turn her babymaker back on before she jumped me yesterday.¡±

    Shu barked out a laugh. ¡°You know what she¡¯s going to say, right?¡±

    ¡°Knowing her, words won¡¯t even enter the picture. You know she¡¯s more physical than most when she wants something.¡± Suddenly, we both heard a grunt behind us. Turning, we saw a naked Linda at the patio door, creases from her pillow still on her face, bedhead hair flying high. She glared, pointing a finger at me, then pointed at her belly.

    ¡°Coffee. Fix. Fuck.¡± Then she turned around and stomped towards the kitchen, presumably to start the coffee maker.

    ¡°Well,¡± said Shu, ¡°you¡¯ve apparently got your morning schedule sorted. We¡¯re going out to lunch though, so be cleaned up and ready to go by then.¡± She leaned up and kissed me, then turned to continue watching Ryo frolicking in field. Shaking my head and smiling to myself, I walked inside, hoping to at least convince Linda that part of her to-do list could be accomplished in the shower.

    -

    ¡°You know, when you said we were going out to lunch, I was kind of hoping for some local cuisine,¡± I said as we left the fancy high priced restaurant. I could eat gourmet food all I wanted back home, thanks to Lyfsertale¡¯s exceptional skills in the kitchen. When Earthside, however, I preferred a more local flavor to my food.

    ¡°Now, now, dear. That¡¯s been the top rated restaurant in Shanghai for the last five years, and I have a standing reservation with them. Imagine how insulted they¡¯d be if Zekken had visited the city and hadn¡¯t stopped by?¡± Shu chided.

    ¡°Pbbft,¡± scoffed Linda. ¡°You just wanted to see that snooty manager panic when John walked in. What is it with you and him, anyway?¡±

    Shu shrugged. ¡°We went to the same high school.¡±

    ¡°Ex-boyfriend?¡± I asked.

    Shu laughed. ¡°He wishes. He certainly put in a valiant effort, but even back then I knew I had slightly different tastes. He didn¡¯t take being brushed off as well as he could have.¡±

    ¡°You mean you had a thing for girls and gods,¡± declared Linda.

    ¡°Well, girls yes. I didn¡¯t know about the gods part until John here.¡±

    ¡°Oh? So it was my power that caught your eye and not my charming charisma?¡±

    Shu gave me a smirk as we continued walking down the busy street. People mostly continued past us without a glance, but every now and then someone would stop and stare as they recognized me. I had wanted to go incognito today, but Shu asked for Zekken. Since she so rarely asked anything of me I obliged her request, wondering what she had in mind.

    ¡°So where are we headed?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise. You¡¯ll find out in another couple of blocks.¡±

    Considering I was supposed to be on a vacation of sorts, I didn¡¯t pry. Why not let my girls spoil and surprise me for once? So we continued down the street, waving at people who recognized me and the women, whose faces were internationally famous as well. As we approached Shu¡¯s destination, more and more people were showing up to watch us walk until the street was filled with them. They all kept a respectful distance from us but pushed and jostled amongst themselves to get a better view. Cell phones were everywhere, following our movements. We made a left turn and I paused just a second to take in what I was seeing.

    Thanks to Linda attempting to continue where we¡¯d left off at the house, I hadn¡¯t really been paying attention as we were driven into the city. I didn¡¯t realize we were so close to the Huangpu River. The Shanghai Tower twisted up into the sky on the far bank, dwarfing the Oriental Pearl Tower next to it. It would normally be an awe inspiring sight, but my eyes were focused on a much smaller building in front of me. It was still large in its own right, just nothing compared to the tower.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The Church of Zekken,¡± Shu said, smiling. It was a large cube of a building, completely incased in large tinted windows. There was a revolving door dead center at ground level with a large black and blue Z outlined in gold installed above the door.

    ¡°The Church of Zekken?¡± I repeated. Sure, we¡¯d talked about setting up a church, but I wasn¡¯t aware that one had already been built, and this certainly wasn¡¯t what I was imagining.

    As we approached the building, people began kneeling around us, each holding a necklace similar to the one Sylvia, the presidential secretary, wore. It was a little surreal for me. Sure, I¡¯d spent the last few years popping up around the world, declaring myself a god wherever I went, and we¡¯d talked about gaining power and influence through worshippers, but to actually see people kneeling before me was an entirely new experience for me. I did my best not to look out of it as we entered the building. For some reason I had no issue acting the fool in front of world leaders, but clowning around in front of these normal, everyday people just felt wrong. At least it did at this moment.

    Entering the building, we found ourselves in a large foyer with a massive staircase leading up directly in front of us. Above the staircase was a large painting. Standing forefront was a majestic representation of myself in my Zekken form. I was standing on a rocky surface in a very sharp looking business suit and flanking me were two angels. One in a pink catsuit, the other white, both with golden wings extended, a golden aura surrounding us. A golden sash ran from my right shoulder to my left hip, where a sheathed sword that I recognized dangled. There was a lot of gold.

    ¡°Isabella?¡± I asked, pointing at the painting, but before Shu could answer, I heard a shout from our right.

    ¡°God man!¡±

    Blonde twin tails streaming behind her, Petra bolted across the large room to slam into my knees. Laughing, I picked her up and twirled her around, my affection for the little one apparently having skyrocketed after having little girls of my own. Her laughter echoed around the spacious area, almost covering up the click of heels on the tiled floor. Looking over, I saw Isabella approaching us. Her blue hair was done up in a sloppy bun that looked great on her. Unlike when we first met, she was dressed up a bit. A blue button up blouse tucked into a black skirt, dark panty hose and black high heeled shoes. Around her neck she wore a necklace like the many I¡¯d seen outside, although this one seemed to be of a higher quality than most. I remember thinking that she looked plain the first time I saw her, maybe a little out of sorts as she balanced being a single mother, whatever job she had, and her compulsion to paint. Now I saw a beautiful woman who carried herself with confidence.

    ¡°My Lord,¡± she said as a way of greeting as she curtsied, a smile forming on her face, which turned into a look of shock as I pulled her into a one armed hug as I shifted Petra to my other arm.

    ¡°John,¡± I said. ¡°You know damn well to call me John.¡± She giggled, then relaxed into the hug and returned the embrace.

    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you again,¡± she said. ¡°Petra has been asking to visit you nonstop almost since we left.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. I¡¯ve been a little busy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Like I said, I know the life of a god is a busy one. Especially when twins become a factor.¡± She gazed affectionately at Petra.

    ¡°You heard, did you?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile with pride at the thought of my daughters.

    ¡°Of course I did. Your ladies here and I have been in contact for a while now. How do you think I got the commission for that?¡± She indicated the painting. ¡°They wanted to see more of my work when they started building this church. They loved this one and offered me a LOT of money to repaint it.¡±

    ¡°Money we had to force onto her,¡± Linda added. ¡°She wanted to do it for free, can you believe that?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Isabella stepped away from me and walked over to look at her painting. ¡°It really was too much. That was a lot of zeros for just one painting, and you asked for six of them. I¡¯ve always been on the poor side, making do with what I could get my hands on.¡±

    ¡°Well, now it sounds like you can get your hands on damn near anything you want. Why argue against being paid for your services?¡± I asked, taking a mental note to ask about the other five paintings later. She turned and looked at me, conflict in her silver eyes as she debated what she wanted to say.

    ¡°Because one isn¡¯t supposed to ask for repayment when contributing to their faith. At least that¡¯s what I was taught growing up.¡±

    I set a squirming Petra on the ground so the five year old could run around some more, then turned to Isabella.

    ¡°Selfless service to one¡¯s beliefs is a great thing, I won¡¯t deny that. It shows trust in your beliefs. However, doing so at the expense of yourself is just silly. You have an amazing talent, Izzy, and you should absolutely be paid for your services. If it makes you feel better, now that you¡¯ve probably got enough cash to last three lifetimes, how about any further work you do for us be paid for in trade?¡±

    ¡°Izzy?¡± she asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

    ¡°Too much?¡± I asked, but she shook her head.

    ¡°Not at all. I just hadn¡¯t realized we¡¯d reached the nickname stage yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m lazy. Isabella has two more syllables than I like saying. However, if you¡¯d prefer me to call you that, I shall.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Izzy is fine. Back to what you were saying though. What do you mean by ¡®trade?¡¯¡±

    ¡°I mean, if there¡¯s something you¡¯d like done in return for another painting, I¡¯ll do what I can to help. Want a vacation to New York City? I know a woman with a grand apartment and I can get you there in seconds. If you¡¯ve got an idea, just let one of us know and we¡¯ll get it sorted. I¡¯m a bit limited right now, though. Creating Genesis up there took a lot more out of me than I thought.¡± Isabella nodded as I spoke, liking what she heard.

    ¡°Okay. Deal. I really don¡¯t have any need for anymore money, since I know Petra will be taken care of for life with what they paid me, so this works.¡± She glanced back over my shoulder. ¡°We should probably get on with the tour. Looks like people are starting to get antsy outside.¡± I looked back and that people were indeed starting to shuffle around impatiently.

    ¡°Alright, lead on ladies. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve built.¡± Petra saw we were walking and raced over to us. She squealed playfully as I picked her up and placed her on my shoulders as we made for the staircase.

    When one thinks of a church, they tend to imagine your standard Christian church. A pulpit, an altar, large cross, rows of uncomfortable pews, and a sense of solemnity. That wasn¡¯t what I found here. What I was greeted with instead was an Imax theater. A huge screen, a stage, and large comfortable looking chairs dominated the interior of the building.

    ¡°A movie theater? Really?¡±

    Linda shrugged. ¡°We have a basic idea of what you want to spread to the masses. We just didn¡¯t know how you¡¯d go about it. Besides, this way we can also rent out the building for other purposes like an anime viewing night, or concerts, or one of those TED Talks things that people love to hate, but secretly watch anyway.¡±

    ¡°Anime viewing night?¡± asked Shu, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s not like the world doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s a fan. The guy is practically an anime protagonist anyway. He¡¯s got ridiculous amounts of power that were thrust upon him and he has a harem of gorgeous women. The only difference is that he doesn¡¯t puss out when one of us shoves a tit in his face.¡±

    Shu seemed to give this more thought than I figured it required, but she nodded. ¡°You do have a point. Remember when he crashed the summer comiket a couple years ago?¡±

    ¡°This man is singlehandedly responsible for the explosion of anime and manga around the world the likes of which has never been seen before. Even HorizonTech has a media department now and has backed quite a few shows this year. We¡¯ve even got a brand new anime style mascot. His otaku obsession has taken over the world.¡±

    I was actually starting to feel a little embarrassed as they talk about me. ¡°Calm on, ladies, I¡¯m not that bad.¡±

    ¡°You have an animation cell featuring Ryoko from the original Tenchi Muyo OVA signed by Petrea Burchard, framed and hanging in the media room under one of your protection bubbles!¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s under a protection bubble! It¡¯s going to be a family heirloom!¡± I shot back. Why does no one understand the unique beauty of my most prized collectible? No matter. My little girls will know the glory of Tenchi!

    ¡°You guys are so cute together,¡± Isabella giggled. ¡°Shu, didn¡¯t you say you had a surprise for John?¡±

    Shu smiled. ¡°Indeed, and I only had a day to prepare it, so forgive me if it doesn¡¯t quite have the flair I wanted it to.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I like surprises! What about you Petra? Do you like surprises?¡± I asked the girl clinging to my hair as she gaped at the large room.

    ¡°Yep! I love them!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± said Shu as she pulled out her cell phone. ¡°Let¡¯s grab some seats. The show is about to begin.¡±

    ¡°Show?¡± I asked in confusion as we made our way to the center of the large auditorium. ¡°What about everyone waiting outside?¡±

    ¡°They can wait a few more minutes. This is just for you.¡± Shu dialed a number and held the phone to her ear. ¡°Are you ready? Great. Yes, he¡¯s here. No, he doesn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine. Yes, I happen to know he¡¯s a huge fan. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be great.¡± I gave her a questioning look as she hung up, but she just took my hand and squeezed it as we sat down. As soon as we were comfortable, the lights started dimming until it was almost pitch black, save for the exit signs clearly marked in Chinese and English evenly spaced around the auditorium. Through the glow of those lights, I was able to make out a petite figure walk out until they were standing centerstage.

    Music started playing, then suddenly the stage was awash in multicolored lights and a spotlight hit a silver haired woman. As she brought a microphone to her lips, I suddenly realized just who I was looking at.

    ¡°Wait! Is that-¡± I began, only to be cut off my Shu squeezing my hand and shushing me. Getting the message, I shut my trap and turned my attention back to the pretty woman on stage.

    She sang and danced with lively energy, and she truly seemed to be enjoying putting on this performance. I knew the song she was singing, as it was the theme for a show I¡¯d enjoyed quite a bit, but hearing it translated thanks to my divinity was a new experience. Having read the translated lyrics online, I had already liked it, since the message the song sent out matched my own beliefs about life, love, and fighting for what you want. Hearing it clearly out of her own mouth was something special though, and I had to fight the urge to sing the chorus along with her, since apparently being a god didn¡¯t immediately make me a good singer and I didn¡¯t want to ruin the performance. Petra was standing in the seat next to me, dancing along with the lively tune, and I could feel Shu watching me as did a little bounce myself in time with the music.

    As she took her bows to a rousing five person standing ovation when she finished singing, Shu leaned over as whispered into my ear.

    ¡°Would you like to meet her?¡±

    I stared at her, clearly conveying that this was probably single most useless question she could have asked me. Of course I wanted to meet her! What warm blooded man wouldn¡¯t want to meet a J-Pop idol?! As I opened my mouth to convey that, however, we were shocked when the woman in question hopped off the stage and started jogging up the aisle in our direction. Someone had the foresight to bring the lights up in the auditorium so she didn¡¯t trip on anything, and it was then I could make out a familiar looking necklace bouncing against her chest as she made her way to us.

    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s with all these necklaces?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It started in New York after you gave that kid one. He told everyone who gave it to him, and it kind of exploded from there. Most are pretty generic, but they all fit the same theme. Oh, Lily told us he got into college on a baseball scholarship and is already being scouted by the Braves, Indians, and the Nationals.¡±

    Any comment I might have made at the teams mentioned was lost to history as the idol finally approached us. She stopped as we moved to the aisle to meet her, and gave a bow as she caught her breath.

    ¡°Mr. Zekken, it is truly an honor to meet you. I¡¯m Sara,¡± she said.

    ¡°No, the honor is mine! I¡¯ve been a fan for years!¡± I gushed, giving a polite bow of my own. She blushed, and then looked up at me, her eyes twinkling as they met mine. Her silver eyes.

    -

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that I¡¯m an Oracle of Zekken?¡± Sara asked. We had moved to a room behind the stage after I¡¯d confirmed it through my lifesight. A silver aura that matched Isabella¡¯s perfectly. I was just as stunned as she was, given that I¡¯d seen countless videos of her online, but for some reason had never registered her silver eyes. Probably because I too focused on those thigh highs clinging to her perfectly toned dancer¡¯s legs. Which, if Linda¡¯s elbow to my ribs was any indication, I was still gawking at.

    ¡°Um, yeah,¡± I said, trying to cover up my ogling. ¡°Now that I think about it, it does make perfect sense.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, a few years ago you started writing your own music, right?¡± I waited for her to nod, then continued. ¡°Every album you¡¯ve put out since then has resonated with me. The first song you released after that felt like it was written for me. Everything you¡¯ve put out since has perfectly captured what I¡¯d like to see this world become.¡±

    ¡°Oh. And you said she¡¯s an oracle too?¡± Sara asked, pointing at Isabella, who nodded.

    ¡°Yes, apparently I am,¡± she smiled. ¡°I get impulses to paint images or scenes, and they all relate to events that he¡¯s been involved with.¡±

    ¡°And we have one more that sees things in her dreams,¡± Linda added. Shu and I winced a little, remembering the call we¡¯d received this morning about one of those dreams.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say I believe all this. What do you want me to do?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Whatever you want. As far as I¡¯m concerned, your music is sending out the right message. Just keep writing and singing and letting everyone enjoy the music you bring to our lives.¡±

    ¡°How much control do you have over your career?¡± Linda asked.

    Confused, Sara shrugged. ¡°About as much as any idol in Japan, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Meaning you¡¯re basically a slave to the industry until some guy who only looks at numbers decides you¡¯re done. What company do you work for?¡± Sara told her, then looked surprised when Linda immediately stepped out of the room to make a phone call.

    ¡°So where¡¯s this third oracle at?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s at our home,¡± I answered.

    ¡°She lives with you?¡± Sara asked, eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Yes she does,¡± Shu said. ¡°Her and John are getting to know each other better, so letting her move in was a logical course of action.¡±

    ¡°John?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. That¡¯s me. Zekken is just my public name. I was born John, and that¡¯s what my friends and family call me. Feel free to as well, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    Sara¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t! You¡¯re a god! I¡¯m just an idol.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re an Oracle, and hopefully a friend. I¡¯d be very much honored if I could call you one, and the idea of my favorite JPop star calling me by my actual name in private like this would make my day. But only in private,¡± I warned. ¡°If the world knew of my real name, it could cause problems for some people.¡± Like my sister and her family, I thought.

    Conversation stopped as Linda entered the room again, a smug look on her face.

    ¡°Okay! You shouldn¡¯t have any issues doing what you want anymore. Just tell your manager what you want to do, and it¡¯ll happen.¡±

    ¡°What? How?¡±

    Linda shrugged. ¡°I bought the company you work for. Your contract belongs to me now, and tomorrow we¡¯re going to rip it up and figure out a new one that allows you the artistic freedom to do whatever you want. No more stupid anime themes for you, girly. You¡¯re gonna hit the big time worldwide!¡±

    ¡°But I like doing anime themes,¡± Sara sulked, and I damn near proposed to her on the spot. The thought of her no longer doing anime themes was too terrible to dwell on.

    Linda waved off her comment. ¡°Fine, fine. You can still do them if you want. Wipe that look off your face, John. You don¡¯t need another woman yet. You¡¯ve still got two waiting for you to seal the deal. As for you missy, I believe we spent a fortune getting you here overnight for a show, and it¡¯s standing room only out there.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Sara exclaimed, then rapidly covered her mouth, realizing what she¡¯d just said. ¡°Um, I have to go. Will you be watching?¡± Her eyes met mine, a hopeful yet nervous energy radiating off of her.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world,¡± I said, smiling. She beamed at me, then surprised me and Linda with a hug each and bolted out the door, but before it had closed behind her she bolted back in.

    ¡°Anything I want?¡± she asked Linda.

    ¡°Whatever your heart¡¯s desire,¡± Linda confirmed. Sara chirped happily and ran to a trunk in the corner. Opening it up, she pulled out a beat up acoustic guitar and bolted out of the room again, the trunk slamming closed long after she¡¯d left.

    ¡°You bought the company?¡± I asked.

    Linda shrugged. ¡°They didn¡¯t want to let go of her contract. She¡¯s their cash cow. So I went higher.¡±

    ¡°How very Bruce Wayne of you.¡±

    ¡°And now you know why I disappear at night,¡± she smirked. ¡°Come on. You don¡¯t want to be late to her show, right?¡±

    -

    While watching Sara¡¯s performance from the wings, I pulled Shu away from the others for a quiet word.

    ¡°The fact that she¡¯s here isn¡¯t a coincidence, is it?¡±

    ¡°What gave it away?¡±

    ¡°Seven and a half billion people on this planet, and you guys just happened to bring one of the three remaining oracles here? The odds of that happening accidently are astronomical.¡±

    Shu smiled. ¡°Well, she was on the short list of candidates to celebrate the founding of your church anyway, since we knew you were a fan of hers and that she¡¯s publicly announced that she¡¯s a follower of Zekken. It was when I called her up on the screen yesterday to see if she wanted to do it that sealed the deal for me. There aren¡¯t a lot of silver eyed people in this world.¡±

    ¡°When did you call her?¡±

    ¡°While you and Linda were occupied,¡± she smirked. ¡°I had to tell her I was having some work done on the house, but I know she didn¡¯t buy it as loud as Linda was. Fortunately, she¡¯s a mature adult and pretended to ignore it. Once I saw her eyes, I knew she had to be the one for today.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you. This was the best surprise I¡¯ve had in a month.¡±

    Shu laughed lightly. ¡°Well, it is tough to beat a pregnancy announcement.¡± Then she frowned.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s ok. Rhia and I talked about it quite a bit afterwards. It was a heat of the moment decision on her part, and while it wasn¡¯t immediate, I have forgiven her for it, just as you all forgave me for stomping off like a teenager. Now there are two beautiful little girls that are on their way to being fawned over by a village of cat people.¡±

    Our discussion ended once we realized that Sara had stopped singing and started speaking to the crowd.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Shanghai!¡±

    Cheers answered her.

    ¡°Thank you for enjoying the show, but I know it wasn¡¯t me you came here for. We¡¯re all here today for one reason: to give thanks to Zekken!¡±

    Louder cheers swept across the stage and sent a tingle up my body.

    ¡°He has shown us that it¡¯s ok to be happy with who we are! To enjoy what we want! That we can be free to do as we choose, as long as we¡¯re nice to those around us! Isn¡¯t that what we all want? To get along with each other? To be friends with who we want? To love who we want?¡±

    More cheering from the crowd.

    ¡°It is through his teachings that we can achieve that! No longer shall we be divided by race, religion, or borders! All followers of Zekken are family!¡±

    As she continued to speak, the crowd cheered loudly. The tingles I¡¯d felt earlier became more noticeable and I felt a trickle of the power I¡¯d had before Genesis return to me. While unexpected, that wasn¡¯t what surprised me. As I watched her work the crowd up, Sara started to glow, a silver aura surrounding her. She was almost blinding in my eyes, and I could feel her presence, like a soothing caress on my cheek. Numbly, I placed my hand there, obviously feeling only my cheek. A similar sensation crossed my chest, the sensation pulling my attention over to Isabella. She was glowing as well and staring wide eyed at Sara. She had a firm hold on her necklace as she tried to split her attention between the songstress preaching on stage and me. A beautiful smile grew on her face as a single tear rolled down her cheek. I placed a hand on her shoulder, and my world turned white.

 Twenty-Five: Q&A With A Higher Power

    Rhia laughed as she watched Persia soar through the air like a bird released from its cage, which wasn¡¯t too far off the mark, actually. During the last half of her pregnancy and the week since the birth of the twins, Persia was pretty much cooped up in the house. Now that they¡¯d brought the girls to be doted on by Drake and his people, including his very pregnant mate, Bellata, she had a chance to spread her wings and soar the skies of their new world.

    Coming to a hover, herself, Rhia took a moment to look around. John had created a paradise where once there was nothing. Blue skies overhead broken up by large fluffy clouds, green fields and forests as far as the eye could see in one direction, an ocean spreading off into the distance in another, and below, the log cabins built by the newest residents. Most of the wildlife they¡¯d seen so far was small, rapidly evolving for life in a low gravity environment. Rhia was actually surprised John had let life evolve on its own here. She imagined he¡¯d have created dragons or dinosaurs, because that¡¯s the kind of guy he was, but apparently his love of all things crazy didn¡¯t cloud his judgement. He created this world as a new home for their Junaian friends, and he wished to make that world as hospitable for them as he could.

    Unfortunately, he¡¯d done too good of a job for the warrior village. They frequently complained about not having anything worth hunting, and even though they were most grateful for the chance the Kamiki would have denied them, they didn¡¯t want to get soft. As a compromise, John allowed a few of his ¡°battlemaids,¡± as he liked to call them, to occasionally ¡°raid¡± the village, and he also allowed the Junaians to return the favor at the residence. At least he had until the girls were born. After that he promised to smite anyone that woke the girls up with their wargames. Beyond that, he allowed the mock fights because those that volunteered for it genuinely enjoyed it, and it was good practice in the extremely unlikely event that another invasion force arrived. John¡¯s other stipulation was that only practice weapons could be used. There were only thirty maids in his employ, and there were only a hundred Junaians. Any loss of people by accident would be heavily felt by either side.

    Not that the Junaians weren¡¯t rapidly attempting to remedy that problem. It seemed like half the women here were already pregnant. Rhia wasn¡¯t sure if couples had formed during the trip or if they¡¯d waited until they made landfall, since there weren¡¯t any children on the ship when it arrived, but they were certainly doing their best to make up for lost time. Landing near a large tree near the village, Rhia watched Persia swoop and soar in the sky as she reflected on a conversation they¡¯d had with Bellata and Drake earlier.

    *

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, say that again?¡±

    Drake sighed as Bellata looked on in amusement. ¡°I said, we have six women here who request mating privileges with John.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s what I thought you said, I just wanted to make sure,¡± said Rhia, nodding. From a biological standpoint, it made perfect sense to her, since there was only so much genetic material to go around in a small community like this. Too much inbreeding could lead to genetic deformities and hurt the new colony¡¯s chances for survival longer than a couple generations.

    If the decision was just up to her, she would¡¯ve given her approval without hesitation for that reason alone, plus she knew John would love the idea of a harem of catgirl concubines. However, there were seven other women to think about as well. She was confident that Su and Hannah would happily welcome new girls to the bedroom. She was also reasonably sure that Persia would have no problem with it either, since it involved the survival of her own people here. Aura was a mystery. Rhia knew she was hopelessly in love with John for everything he¡¯d done for her people, but she wasn¡¯t sure if that love extended towards allowing him to increase the population with half human half Junaian babies. Glancing over at the woman, she confirmed that there was a conflicted look on her face. The three human women, on the other hand, were the ones that puzzled Rhia the most when considering the issue.

    Lily would doubtless do anything that John asked. Somewhere along the way, she¡¯d fallen head over heels for him. It was clear she was eager to progress their relationship, but she also seemed to be quite inexperienced. While Aura had virtually thrown herself at John (and Rhia was still impressed at his level of self-control around her, because she wasn¡¯t even sure she could¡¯ve held back that long), Lily¡¯s displays of affection still bordered on chaste. It wouldn¡¯t have surprised Rhia at all if Lily turned out to be a virgin. It would¡¯ve been easy enough to pick the answer from her mind, but Rhia was trying not to do that as much lately. Life with John had reminded her that humans were more than just a species to be watched like a science experiment. As for Linda and Shu¡­ they were the big question marks, weren¡¯t they? They were open to the idea of John taking Aura and Lily, but they had given him a bit of grief when they learned that he¡¯d slept his way through the maids.

    If it were left up to a majority vote, she was sure it would pass and the women requesting time with her husband would be on him like a fur coat, but they generally tried for unanimity between the wives. If everyone agreed, no one could complain about a decision, but if even one of them didn¡¯t feel right about it, they dropped the issue. Seven disappointed women were preferable to one angry one, as that would upset the order of the house. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they had written bylaws to follow. They just had unspoken rules.

    Rhia realized that Drake was staring at her as she thought about it. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask the others before I can give an answer. I¡¯m ok with it, but I never decide anything without discussing it with my sisters.¡± Drake nodded in understanding.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the humans have a saying. ¡®Happy wife happy life.¡¯ I know John would not agree unless the six of you agreed, so that¡¯s why I chose to ask you directly.¡±

    ¡°Eight,¡± Rhia said with a smile.

    ¡°Eight?¡± Drake repeated in confusion, causing Bellata to sigh next to him.

    ¡°Is John as dense as my mate?¡± she asked Rhia.

    ¡°More so, at times,¡± Rhia laughed.

    ¡°What? What did I say?¡± Drake asked.

    ¡°Eight wives, dear mate,¡± said Bellata. ¡°Miss Lily here turned bright red when you brought it up, indicating she has some feelings about this as well, and Aura, who was been shifting nervously the entire time.¡± She looked at Rhia. ¡°I assume they¡¯re considered wives already?¡±

    ¡°John is aware of their feelings, and he shares them. However, after the whirlwind events surrounding Persia, he is taking his time to get to know Aura and Lily better before allowing himself to enjoy their company on a more¡­ intimate level. To the rest of us, however, they¡¯re already family. They waited eight months for him just as eagerly as we did, and I think that¡¯s earned them a place.¡±

    Bellata looked over at Drake. ¡°See? Eight.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I would not mind,¡± said Aura. ¡°I know it would help our people, and, as Goddess Persia would say, I only wish to see him happy. I cannot imagine him being unhappy with women throwing themselves at him.¡±

    Rhia laughed. ¡°When you put it that way, no, I can¡¯t see that upsetting him either. You have to realize, however, that John would never do anything he might think upsets us. Did you know one of his first worries when Persia started talking to you was about the rest of us? He was concerned that too many women would mean less time for the rest of us. He has a tendency to forget how long lived we are, and that we¡¯ll have centuries or more together. If anything¡­¡± Her eyes flicked towards Lily, debating if she should go on, but then realized it was something they¡¯d have to deal with eventually, so she may as well prepare for it now if she really wanted to be a part of this. ¡°If anything, he should be focusing on his human brides. They will be the first to leave us, after all.¡±

    Lily had remained silent up until this moment, mostly observing and coming to terms with the knowledge that she was in an alien settlement on the moon. It was one thing to know about it and be familiar with some of the people living here, but to actually be sitting in their home was something else indeed. Then she clued in to what Rhia was saying and gave her a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes.

    ¡°We know, Rhia. Linda, Shu, and I have actually discussed this. We don¡¯t want to hog his time just because we¡¯re going to be the first to die of old age with him. We¡¯d rather let things happen naturally. We know he¡¯s going to do his best to spread his attention equally among all of us, but we also know that sometimes things will happen that need his attention more. That¡¯s why Linda waited until things had settled between the three of you and your children before her impatience got the best of her. She¡¯s had baby fever for months now.¡±

    ¡°Our children, dear,¡± Persia said as she entered the log cabin followed by two Junaian females cooing at the twins in their arms. ¡°I may have carried them, but they will be raised by all of us.¡±

    Lily blushed but held firm. ¡°I appreciate the thought, but I¡¯m not ready to consider myself Mama Lily or whatever silly name he¡¯d come up with. Aunt Lily, I can do though. Every little girl needs a cool aunt, doesn¡¯t she?¡± She smiled brightly at the idea. Rhia and Persia exchanged looks, not even needing to say what they were thinking.

    ¡°Alright then. Aunt Lily-¡±

    *

    ¡°Sister! You¡¯re glowing!¡±

    Rhia was jerked out of her thoughts when Persia swooped down to land in front of her.

    ¡°So are you,¡± said Rhia, observing the pink and gold aura surrounding her.

    ¡°Am I? I know I feel all tingly. Do you feel that?¡±

    Pausing a second, Rhia realized that she felt it too. She looked at her arm and noticed the fine hairs standing on end. She looked back at Persia.

    ¡°John?¡±

    ¡°Has to be,¡± said Persia. ¡°Let¡¯s go see if Aura knows anything.¡± Rhia nodded and together with Persia set off for Drake¡¯s house.

    Upon entering, they noticed Lily was glowing as well, although silver instead of gold like theirs. Aura was talking to Drake and Bellata like nothing odd was happening, looking up only to smile at their entrance. Lily noticed, however, and squeaked when she saw them, then shuddered at the exact same time as Rhia and Persia. Their wide eyed looks and synchronized shudder didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Aura.

    ¡°Ladies?¡±

    ¡°G-glowing¡­¡± whispered Lily as she stared at the other two.

    Aura smiled brightly, standing up to take Persia¡¯s hands. ¡°I wish I could see it. You have nothing to fear. I have experienced this as well.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± asked Lily, clearly not reassured.

    ¡°A church has been consecrated in Our Lord¡¯s name.¡±

    Just then the sound of crying could be heard coming from the next room, where the girls were sleeping. Persia and Rhia instantly popped over to the room and had to immediately shield their eyes. The twins were glowing so brightly no one could look directly at them.

    Daddy!

    The thought hit Rhia and Persia like a wave as everyone else stumbled through the door.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are they alright?¡± asked Aura.

    ¡°They¡¯re too bright to look at,¡± answered Rhia, realizing she probably looked odd to everyone but Persia and Lily as she shielded her eyes, not that she cared about that. ¡°They¡¯re crying for John in their thoughts.¡±

    DADDY! The girls mentally cried out again, a blast of energy accompanying the cry. Rhia, Persia and Lily all flinched back as it prickled painfully on their skin.

    ¡°Shit! That was hot!¡± swore Lily. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t feel that?¡±

    Aura and Drake shook their heads.

    ¡°No, but seeing your skin turn red like that I believe you,¡± said Drake, indicating Lily¡¯s arms, which now looked sunburned. Persia and Rhia fared better, but it still tingled quite bit. Whatever that blast had been, it apparently had taken something out of the twins, as they were easier to see now. Without hesitation, both women leaned in and picked up a child. Persia held Aisha close to her chest as Rhia cradled Angela in her arms, both cooing and swaying, attempting to calm the girls down.

    Mama, thought Aisha as she wrapped her hand around Persia¡¯s thumb.

    Mother, thought Angela as she grabbed a lock of Rhia¡¯s golden hair.

    Daddy, the twins thought, much more peacefully than earlier.

    Before anyone could act, Persia, Rhia and the twins vanished in a shower of pink and gold sparks.

    ¡°Persia! Rhia! Someone call John!¡± Lily cried.

    *

    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± a voice said.

    I found myself standing in a field of purple grass, a pink sky above me spotted with blue clouds.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Just a pocket dimension of accelerated time that I created,¡± came the reply. ¡°Do not worry. Once our talk is concluded, everyone will be returned safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°Everyone?¡± I asked. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°John!¡± came a cry from behind me, and I turned to see Rhia and Persia running towards me. ¡°John! The girls! Where are they?¡±

    ¡°Fear not, Wisdom. Your daughter is safe.¡±

    ¡°Wis- what? Daughter? They¡¯re twins! Where are they?¡± Rhia demanded of the voice. Persia hugged me tightly, shaking slightly as she tried to control her emotions.

    ¡°Listen, Booming Voice in the Sky, I¡¯m not particularly fond of being yanked into strange pocket dimensions without my permission, and I¡¯m even less fond of someone involving my family. So, could you start explaining, bring me my daughters, or at the very least send my family home while we talk or whatever it is you want to do?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Booming Voice in the¡­? Oh. Right. Okay. Sorry about that. Just a second.¡±

    The three of us stared at each other in confusion, clearly not expecting that reaction.

    ¡°There. Is that better? I haven¡¯t assumed this form since long before your world was created,¡± a much more feminine voice called out. Turning, I heard Rhia and Persia gasp beside me, and I¡¯m fairly sure my heart stopped beating for a second. Standing before us in a flowing spaghetti strap dress that shifted colors as she moved was unquestionably the most beautiful woman I¡¯d ever seen.

    Her skin was black as night, with bright yellow hair that was swept over her right shoulder in a braid that reached her shapely hips. The deep cut of her dress made no attempt to hide the more than generous bust that I had difficulty looking away from. Golden eyes twinkled (actually twinkled!) as she looked down and gave us a genuinely heartfelt smile. I must stress that she looked down, because this vision of unearthly beauty was easily ten feet tall.

    Regardless of her beguiling beauty, this was still a serious situation. My wives and I were dragged here without permission, and apparently my little girls were missing! This woman was responsible for that somehow, and I was going to get the answers I demanded!

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi. I¡¯m John. Come here often?¡±

    In hindsight, I should¡¯ve expected the smacks to the back of the head, but when tits bigger than your head are leveled at you, such menial concerns like personal welfare and the fact that you¡¯re flanked by your clearly distraught wives take a vacation. As I picked myself up from the ground, rubbing the knots that I was sure would form from the double wife whammy, I made another attempt to get the answers we wanted.

    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s try that again. In order of importance. Where are my daughters? Who are you? Why are we here?¡±

    The woman laughed, a pleasant sound that reminded me of a fall storm rolling in over the countryside. ¡°You are adorable. I can see why so many love you. As I said before, your daughter is safe.¡±

    ¡°You keep saying ¡®daughter,¡¯ but there are two. Aisha and Angela. They¡¯re twins,¡± said Persia, visibly upset.

    The onyx beauty looked confused for a second, then her face lit up in understanding. ¡°Ah. So that¡¯s how you see her. I will address that in a moment. To get to your second question, I am Ephine.¡±

    ¡°You say that like I¡¯m supposed to¡­,¡± I started, but drifted off as I saw the color drain from both Rhia and Persia¡¯s faces. ¡°Uh, ladies? Something I should know?¡±

    Ephine giggled. ¡°It is not surprising that you do not know who I am. For most, including your lovely brides, I am a myth or legend. In fact, the number of beings you call ¡®gods¡¯ who have ever met me in the flesh, so to speak, can be counted on one hand.¡± She held up two fingers.

    ¡°Okay¡­ still doesn¡¯t really answer the question though.¡±

    ¡°So forthright! Again, there is little wonder why so many love you. Let me use terms you are already familiar with to explain. You are a ¡®god¡¯ for Earth and, by extension, the rest of the Solar System, correct? Well, then I would be the goddess for what you call the Milky Way!¡± She spread her arms and twirled as the sky opened up to show the galaxy spinning slowly.

    A galactic goddess? I thought.

    ¡°Yes!¡± she replied. ¡°I like that! It has a nice ring to it. ¡®Galactic Goddess,¡¯¡± she smiled. ¡°Ok, third question: why are you here? Since you finally decided to consecrate a holy structure in your name, I wanted to reach out to you directly because you fascinate me. You are so irregular I couldn¡¯t help but notice. In such a short time you¡¯ve begun to form a pantheon, driven away one of the more powerful ¡®goddesses¡¯ in the galaxy, and created a new world, all before ever establishing a shrine, or church, or whatever you call it on your world. That¡¯s never been done before. At least not in this galaxy.¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± was all I was able to get out before she continued.

    ¡°Not to mention your greatest creation yet!¡± With an exaggerated flourish, Ephine waved her arms to her side as gold and pink sparks popped and settled at the feet of a young woman. Hazel eyes flecked in gold met mine and I instantly knew who I was looking at. Golden cat ears, black and gold wings, tiger striped tail. She had Persia¡¯s eyes, Rhia¡¯s mannerisms, and my crooked smile. ¡°Your daughter!¡±

    The three of us just stared. The young woman stared back, confused at our lack of reaction.

    ¡°Mama? Mother? Daddy? It¡¯s really us. Me. We¡¯re both here.¡±

    ¡°Aisha?¡±

    ¡°Angela?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything. I walked up to her, Ephine looking down on us with a maternal smile. Ignoring her, I took the girl¡¯s face in my hands. I could see all three of us in her searching gaze, confirming what I already knew. Then I pulled her into a hug.

    ¡°Hi, baby.¡±

    I felt Rhia and Persia join us. Not releasing her from the hug, I looked up at Ephine.

    ¡°How is this possible? What is going on?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get comfortable, and I¡¯ll answer any questions you have.¡± Before I¡¯d even realized it, we were all sitting comfortably on a couple of couches, a small table loaded down with snacks and tea between us. Rhia and Persia sandwiched our daughter on one couch while Ephine was sitting intimately close to me on the other, her arm draped over my shoulder. I could feel confusion coming from my wives, while Ephine only radiated amusement. I myself was conflicted on how I should feel. On the one hand her body felt amazing pressed up against me, on the other hand, my daughter was shifting her gaze between the two of us over here and the two women flanking her.

    ¡°Before we get started, were you responsible for the glowing we saw? The girls were so bright we could barely look at them, and Persia, Lily, and myself were glowing right before we were brought here. Aura said it had to do with the consecration of a church, but the timing was just too coincidental,¡± remarked Rhia.

    ¡°Yeah, I saw something similar myself,¡± I added.

    Ephine shook her head. ¡°No. That was the energy flowing into all of you from your believers. Since it took you a few years to establish a church, there was a slow build up with no outlet, and it hit you all at once. That was the signal I¡¯ve been waiting for to finally contact you. It was like lighting a flare in a blacked out room. So much energy I just had to say hi!¡± she smiled. ¡°Now shall we proceed?¡±

    We all nodded, and she rubbed her flawless hands together.

    ¡°So, where to begin?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found the beginning is usually the best place to start,¡± said Rhia, Persia nodding along.

    ¡°Well if you want to be boring about it, we can do that too. Alright, so, John, or is it Zekken?¡±

    ¡°You can call me John. Zekken is just my public persona.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°John it is then. So, John, you were a genetic accident. Every human on the planet today can be traced back to Gaia herself. That¡¯s how everyone is capable of intelligent thought. Otherwise you¡¯d all still be simians banging on rocks with leg bones. Somehow, enough of her essence collected through your family tree to eventually create a new ¡®god.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Wait, if this energy was passed down through my family, why was I the only one that lived through the Event?¡±

    ¡°Even I am not entirely confident how exactly it happened, I just know that one child in each generation received it from their parent. Once it was passed on, the giver was once again a normal human. If Inton hadn¡¯t pulled his little stunt, you would¡¯ve passed that on to one of your children and you would¡¯ve died of old age, never the wiser of the potential you once had.¡±

    ¡°What children?¡± I scoffed. ¡°My wife left me before we could have any.¡±

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been your next wife. It¡¯s actually a good thing that never happened. Your cousin would never have forgiven you for stealing his high school sweetheart.¡± I winced. Before the Event I only had one male cousin that had been dating the same girl since high school, and she was the adorable type of sexy. Last time I¡¯d looked in on them, they were married and expecting their first child in New Jersey. Glad I didn¡¯t take that away from them.

    ¡°Um, moving on,¡± I said.

    She smiled at my unease. ¡°Very well. So, your power and status is a genetic anomaly. However, you have done splendidly for someone who was never supposed to hold this position.¡±

    ¡°Can we skip to the part about how the twins are actually one person?¡± Rhia said in a rare display of impatience, gripping the young woman¡¯s hand tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting to that, sweetheart. Please be calm,¡± Ephine said. ¡°I just wanted to answer the question John didn¡¯t know he had. ¡®Why me¡¯ would¡¯ve come out of his mouth eventually. Before we get to your lovely daughter, however, let¡¯s discuss you two. Much like John¡¯s power was accidental, yours was too, although you came about it in the best possible way. By connecting on such a deeply personal way, all three of you opened yourselves fully to each other. While mistakes were made that night, the overall result is that in giving himself over to the both of you so completely, he created small windows for you to experience his divine power, as you call it.¡± Rhia shifted uncomfortably at the reminder of her lapse in judgement. ¡°This has been done in the past by other ¡®gods,¡¯ but never by one so young and so untrained. Frankly, it¡¯s a miracle neither one of you were incinerated by the power. Only your absolute devotion to John here saved you, and it was his desire to never be separated from you that helped solidify your hold on the power, allowing you to become ¡®lesser goddesses,¡¯ as your beautiful green friend described it. By the way, you should totally start making babies with her as soon as you can. She¡¯s the last of her kind, you know. Not to mention how hot she is!¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I said, aware that she damn well knew I¡¯d been thinking about it since Persia had healed her. ¡°Speaking of making babies¡­¡± I prompted.

    ¡°Right. Your daughter, or daughters, however you see her. What you see before you is her true form. Persia may have carried her, but she is actually the daughter of all three of you.¡±

    The girl in question gave a small wave. ¡°Hi,¡± she said shyly.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Persia said suddenly. ¡°What do we call you?¡±

    The girl seemed to give it some thought, then said, ¡°How about Anai? It¡¯s the first two letters of each name you gave me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Persia said.

    Anai beamed. ¡°Okay. Just call me Anai Clan-Clan!¡± Then she burst out laughing as Rhia shot me a dirty look. Great. She got my sense of humor. That¡¯s not going to bite me in the ass at all.

    Ephine laughed. ¡°To explain, that night, after Rhia¡¯s little¡­ well, you know, John here actually impregnated both of you.¡± Anai made the face any typical teen would at the thought of her parents having sex, but Ephine continued on anyway. ¡°For a time, your connection actually exceeded human limitations and you coupled as pure energy. Or is it tripled, since there was three of you? Doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, your spirits became one, if you want to be poetic about it. As your souls or energies continued to combine and unify, the eggs fused into one, combining the genetic material from three distinct people. You may not realize it, but your daughter, while not quite self-aware in the womb, had the same link with Persia that you three share. She sensed Persia¡¯s longing for Rhia to have a child as well, and essentially split herself in half to make her mother happy. Both of her mothers. This, I might add, is also something I¡¯ve never heard of before. Divine children are so rare that they¡¯re considered more myth than I am. Demies aren¡¯t uncommon, as it¡¯s more likely that a god or goddess would lay with a normal being, but since John created his own pantheon in you two, he had the singular opportunity to actually mate with goddesses as a god, and the result is the little angel before us.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s only a week old,¡± I said. ¡°Now she looks about 16.¡±

    Ephine shrugged. ¡°I figured it would be easier to explain everything if she was able to help you understand how she views everything. Don¡¯t worry, when you return she¡¯ll be back to her adorable week old double self.¡±

    ¡°So I really do have a daughter?¡± Rhia asked in awe, staring at Anai. The teen leaned into her as Persia¡¯s eyes started tearing up.

    ¡°Yes, you do, Mother,¡± Anai said. ¡°I have three parents, and many aunts, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.¡±

    ¡°So how does it work?¡± I asked. ¡°Splitting yourself into two people, I mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± she said. ¡°Separately, I kind of feel like two different people with two different personalities, but I¡¯m also aware that I¡¯m two halves of a whole. You know when you cross your eyes and you get that weird double vision? It¡¯s like that, but all over. Does that make sense?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I laughed, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t have to. Know that however you choose to live, be it as one or as twins, we will still love you.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Whatever man captures her heart is in for a hell of a life,¡± Ephine said, causing me to scowl.

    ¡°Any man that touches my little girl is in for a short life,¡± I grumbled. Ephine eyed me curiously, but I ignored it. ¡°Alright, so we¡¯ve covered why me, who you are, what¡¯s happening with our daughter, and how my wives got their power. What about this pantheon you keep talking about? Like the Greek Pantheon?¡±

    ¡°Greek? Greek¡­ ah! Zeus and that lot. Pleasant stories. So much debauchery. They don¡¯t write ¡®em like that anymore. Yes, kind of like that.¡±

    ¡°You called me ¡®Wisdom¡¯ earlier. Does that have anything to do with it?¡± asked Rhia.

    Ephine nodded. ¡°Yes. I have decided that you are to be the Goddess of Wisdom.¡±

    ¡°You decided? Shouldn¡¯t something like that be our responsibility?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nope. You see, you¡¯re tied to your followers and that¡¯s what fuels your power. While you created the opening for them, these girls draw their power from the galaxy, which falls under my purview. In the scale of all things divine, they technically outrank you. Even your daughter, who can draw from both sources, given her parentage. Yes, she¡¯s going to be a strong one someday.¡±

    Three amused expressions turned to look at me, but I shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like the man ever has any real power in a marriage. This doesn¡¯t really change anything.¡±

    She laughed, then pulled me in tight next to her, my face half buried in her impressive side boob. So firm, yet pliant. ¡°He is delightful! Can I keep him?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± yelled Rhia and Persia.

    ¡°Awww. Then can I borrow him occasionally?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll think about it,¡± said Rhia, much to my surprise. ¡°So why am I wisdom? I¡¯ve made some pretty stupid mistakes in my life. Not very wise, if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but are you going to make those same mistakes again?¡±

    ¡°Never,¡± said Rhia, looking me in the eye with conviction. I smiled, or at least tried to, since I was still smashed up against that magnificent breast. I could spend the rest of my life buried in it.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re fine. Wisdom isn¡¯t just intelligence, my dear. It¡¯s also experience and good judgement. Two things you gain as you move through life. True wisdom comes from learning from your mistakes, as you have, and will continue to do so. I do not make my choices lightly.¡± As Rhia thought on her words, she turned to Persia. ¡°You have led a long and difficult life, young one. Yet somehow you have come through the other side a kind and loving woman. You embraced those who shunned and insulted you, and even seek to arrange a marriage between your adorable husband here and an oracle of the very goddess whose rules forced you into that hard life. It is unfortunate what you had to do just to survive at times, yet your heart is still pure, and you only wish for everyone to feel the love you¡¯ve found in your family. These traits move me, and I can¡¯t help but see you as a¡­ no, the Goddess of Compassion.¡± Persia nodded, stunned beyond words. Anai gripped her hand and looked at her proudly.

    Reluctantly, in order to speak I was forced to pull myself out of the most comfortable pillow I¡¯d ever felt. I tried not to let the regret show in my voice as I asked ¡°so what does this mean? If they¡¯re responsible for the galaxy at large, does this mean they¡¯ll be required to travel around and give blessings and whatnot?¡±

    Not bothering to hide the scowl at the distance I¡¯d created between us, which was still negligible, she looked down at me. ¡°Not at all. I shall make it known throughout the galaxy in my own way where prayers and offerings should be directed. They need do nothing more than what they already have been. They shall never want for power, but their influence is still tied to your growth, which is faster than you might believe. Word of you turning Kamiki back at your doorstep has begun to spread. Many among the stars wonder at the might of this Zekken who stood up to the most feared of goddesses.¡±

    ¡°Ah! That reminds me. She mentioned something about ¡®Accords.¡¯ Do you know anything about that?¡±

    ¡°For now all you need to know is that it¡¯s a promise between deities not to willfully take over another¡¯s territory. There are other aspects to it, and one day you¡¯ll learn of them as you need to, but for now, that is the most basic of summaries. To fully explain it would take far too long, and I do not wish to keep you much longer. Time here is operating at an extremely accelerated state, but soon people will worry at your absence.¡± She paused for a second. ¡°Oh dear, some already are. Your pink friend looks like she¡¯s about to have a heart attack.¡±

    ¡°How long have we been here, real time?¡± asked Rhia.

    ¡°Only a few seconds have passed there. I can speed up the time here even more if I wish so even less time passes out there, but that takes a lot of power, and I only use that for emergencies and special occasions. Is there anything else you wish to know before I return everyone?¡±

    I tried to think of anything else I should ask while we had this opportunity, but nothing else was coming to mind. I was still trying wrap my mind around everything. Suddenly, Rhia and Ephine were standing, their hands clasped between them. Did I miss something?

    ¡°And with that, an agreement is made!¡± Ephine was saying, a look of pure joy on her face.

    ¡°What the-¡± I began.

    ¡°I like this deal. Everyone wins!¡± Persia said excitedly. Anai had an uncomfortable expression on her face as she kept glancing between Ephine and me. Rhia looked at me, a broad smile on her face.

    ¡°Yes. It is agreed. Just try to leave him in one piece, please?¡± Ephine laughed, joining Rhia in looking at me, her tongue running along her teeth playfully.

    ¡°I make no promises,¡± she said. Rhia shook her head, then dropped the handshake and made her way over to me and gave me a kiss.

    ¡°Did you guys freeze time on me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything later. Just enjoy yourself.¡±

    Persia followed her over and pulled me in for a kiss as well. Then she glanced back at Ephine. ¡°I¡¯m almost jealous of you, My Husband.¡± She gave me a wink, then danced over to where Rhia and Anai were standing. Anai gave me a luminescent smile and waved.

    ¡°Bye, Daddy! I love you!¡±

    Still unsure what was happening, I waved back just before the three of them vanished in showers of pink and gold sparks. Turning my head, I was met with the hungry gaze of Ephine as she sauntered over to where I was sitting on the couch. Hiking up her dress, she swung a long dark leg over my lap, attempting to straddle me, but the height difference between us made that a difficult position to maintain on the couch.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not going to work, is it?¡± she huffed, and instantly I was flat on my back on a bed that rivalled the one I had at home. ¡°That¡¯s much better,¡± she said as she settled herself down on my thighs.

    ¡°Um, not that I¡¯m opposed to this, but what exactly did you guys talk about?¡±

    She smiled at me and leaned forward, her magnificent tits pressing into my chest. ¡°She said she¡¯d fill you in later. Your only job is to fill me up now. Feel free to take your time. It¡¯s a special occasion.¡± She winked as she brought her face to mine and gave me a kiss that I swear stopped the cosmos from spinning. Then she sat back up and pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders, allowing the fabric to slide down to her waist, finally revealing perfection I didn¡¯t know existed. As my body moved of its own accord, all reasonable thought fled my mind. Her eyes glowing a myriad of colors, Ephine ran her fingers through my hair as I leaned in for a taste.

    ¡°Yeah, she can fill me in later,¡± I mumbled just before my lips were too busy to talk.

 Twenty-Six: And Then There Were Nine

    ¡°Damn, John. I haven¡¯t been fucked like that since the Big Bang!¡±

    I looked over at Ephine from where I¡¯d collapsed on the bed. Her long, obsidian curves were laid out next to me, her shoulders and head hanging off the side of the bed. I couldn¡¯t see her face from where I was at, so I contented myself with running my eyes up and down that body I¡¯d done my best to get to know every inch of. The rest of her was just as delightful as those beautiful tits of hers.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked as I tried to catch my breath.

    She giggled, sending shockwaves rippling through her breasts. Those things needed their own shrine somewhere for me to pray to. Even gods have to worship something, right? Don¡¯t judge me. I¡¯m a simple man. I see tits, I click like, just like you do. Don¡¯t even try to deny it. I¡¯m a god, remember?

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m not that old. Before you ask, I¡¯m not telling you how old I am. Just assume I¡¯m older than the galaxy, which should make sense since I created it, but younger than the universe, ok?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to ask. I learned a long time ago to never ask a woman her age. I was more curious about the quality of our romp, as any man would be.¡±

    ¡°Which time?¡± she laughed. ¡°You must have had a good teacher, because it is not physically possible to hold that much cum. I certainly wasn¡¯t able to.¡±

    ¡°Well, you did say I had to fill you up, and yes, Su has taught me many things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s not coming out my ears.¡± She sighed. ¡°Do I really have to give you back them? This deal sucks. I should¡¯ve just held you prisoner.¡±

    I raised my eyebrow. ¡°So what is this deal, anyway? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve earned at least a summary by now.¡± She sighed again, then scooted over and down until her head was resting on my chest. Her naked chest pushed into my hip as she tickled my junk with the end of her long yellow braid, causing me to twitch involuntarily.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to train you, Persia, and Rhia how to properly use your powers, Anai as well once she¡¯s old enough to control it. Oh, I¡¯ve placed a limiter on her power for now, since I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not something any of you considered. Babies with the power of the gods is not a pretty sight.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for that. You¡¯re right, I didn¡¯t. And in exchange?¡± I asked.

    She leaned her head up and started nibbling on my ear. ¡°I want a daughter,¡± she whispered.

    That gave me a start. ¡°Wait. In exchange for teaching us, you want me to knock you up?¡±

    ¡°In the simplest of terms, yes.¡±

    ¡°And Rhia agreed to this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And if you have a boy?¡±

    ¡°Then we try again,¡± she giggled. She leaned up and looked at me hungrily. ¡°And after today, I hope I have lots of boys.¡±

    ¡°Why me, though? Isn¡¯t there anyone else on your level?¡±

    ¡°I told you that you¡¯d ask that eventually,¡± she laughed. ¡°There was someone else once, but children never would¡¯ve been a thing with him. He was more obsessed with my feet than any other part of me.¡±

    I stared wide eyed at her as I focused my attention on feeling every other part of her pressed against me. ¡°Something was wrong with that guy,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah, Prax is a weird one. Don¡¯t worry about him though. He¡¯s got his own galaxy so far away your planet hasn¡¯t even discovered its super cluster yet.¡± She sat up and threw a leg over me, settling herself on my crotch. ¡°So, one more roll in the hay before we get out of here?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°How long has it been back there?¡±

    ¡°Real time? It¡¯s only been a second since I sent the girls back.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? We¡¯ve been at it for hours!¡±

    ¡°Twelve, as a matter of fact. I told you, I can speed up time in here as much as I want. So I cranked it up after they left. I also helped replenish your power, although you were so busy you probably didn¡¯t even realize you¡¯re up to full strength, did you? No matter. You can thank me by making me feel like I¡¯m turning inside out again.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Cool! Well, now that I¡¯m fully charged, I¡¯m gonna give you the best ride yet.¡± Determined to put on my absolute best show, I focused all of my energy and concentration into making this entrancing beauty forget the galaxy existed, opening myself up to my fullest potential. If I¡¯d been paying more attention to anything but those glorious tits, I probably would¡¯ve noticed the glow I was giving off, or the fact that her eyes were similarly glowing. It was when everything around us exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors that I realized I probably should¡¯ve held back some.

    *

    ¡°Another one, John?!¡± Linda berated me as I checked myself out in Sara¡¯s dressing room mirror. ¡°Do you not have any measure of self-control around women?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. I may have forgotten to tell him he had more power than he did before.¡±

    ¡°Who the fuck are you, anyway?¡± Linda whirled, levelling a finger at Ephine, who¡¯d returned to Earth with me. Of course, the women waiting in the wings of the stage hadn¡¯t expected that any more than they¡¯d expected me to vanish for a few seconds right in front of them. Luckily, I wasn¡¯t gone long enough for them to disrupt Sara¡¯s performance, but they were still understandably worried. The fact that there was a ten foot tall woman with me and I was a foot taller than when I¡¯d left with yellow streaks in my hair at my temples almost did, and I quickly ushered everyone back to Sara¡¯s dressing room.

    Ephine smiled from where she was sitting (the ceiling was about two feet lower than was necessary for her to stand comfortably) and introduced herself. ¡°I am Ephine. You can think of me as the goddess of the galaxy in the same way that John is god of Earth, and apparently I am his ninth.¡± She chuckled at this. ¡°The oldest and most powerful being in the galaxy, and I¡¯m the ninth wife of the god of some backwater planet. Who saw that coming?¡±

    ¡°Certainly not me,¡± I said. ¡°Would you please care to explain just how the hell we bonded? I thought that that required a deep emotional connection and completely opening ourselves to each other.¡±

    ¡°No to the first, yes to the second. Emotions are great, but not necessary. The Agneles added that because they¡¯re romantics. As to the completely opening ourselves to each other, did you not say that you were going to give me ¡®the best ride yet¡¯ and flooded yourself with power to do just that?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Well, when a girl hears something like that, she can¡¯t help but fully open herself up to the man who makes that promise. Am I wrong, ladies?¡± Linda and Shu nodded, their faces still in shock. Isabella also nodded but had a sad look on her face as she did so, probably thinking of her late husband. Petra, ever the oblivious five year old, was thankfully ignoring the conversation and was much more interested in Ephine¡¯s yellow braid. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. You came at me with all of your sexually charged power, and I welcomed it with all of my being, because you told me you were about to give me your best after twelve hours of mind blowing sex. How could I hold anything back in return?¡±

    ¡°Twelve hours?!¡± asked Isabella. ¡°You can go for that long?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I said, scratching at my cheek. ¡°Longer, I think. It¡¯s my partner who usually can¡¯t keep up. It¡¯s been a long time since I actually hit that wall.¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just bragging,¡± scoffed Linda. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong though. He¡¯s taken on multiple women and emerged the last one standing. What¡¯s the record now? Four?¡±

    ¡°Five,¡± offered Shu. ¡°Two of which were Su and Hannah, and they¡¯re normally insatiable.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Sounds like a couple I¡¯d like to meet,¡± said Ephine.

    Linda raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re not another one who only thinks about sex, are you?¡±

    Ephine shook her head. ¡°Not at all. I do have a galaxy to run, after all. But I like to play as hard as I work, and I haven¡¯t had anyone worth playing with in a very long time.¡± Linda seemed to think on this, presumably comparing running her massive company to running the galaxy, then nodded.

    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s fair. Just to let you know, though I¡¯m sure you already do, being a goddess and all, Shu and I don¡¯t generally partake in any group activities. We¡¯re pretty selfish like that.¡±

    Ephine nodded, then turned to Isabella. ¡°And what about you dear?¡±

    Isabella held her hands out in front of her. ¡°Oh, no. I haven¡¯t gotten involved with John like that. We¡¯re just friends. I have my hands full enough with Petra and my painting. Being part of a harem is not on my list of things I want to do with my life.¡±

    ¡°My dear, no one said anything about joining a harem. Sex doesn¡¯t equal lifetime commitment, you know? You humans and your odd views on monogamous sex. It¡¯s a wonder your race ever survived. Well, if you ever wanted your hands full in more pleasurable ways, then John here¡¯s your man. He definitely fills the hands. Of course, one night with him may change your outlook on the whole harem thing.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Moving on!¡± I said, attempting to avoid making Isabella any more uncomfortable. ¡°You said something about me having more power than I did before? What? Did I level up after creating Genesis or something?¡±

    ¡°While an extremely impressive achievement for one so young, no. Remember when I told you that word was spreading among the stars about you turning back Kamiki? Well, a lot of systems out there fear her more than they love their own gods. By standing up to her like you did, you¡¯ve inspired hope in more than you could possibly know. Some have even begun to pray towards this mysterious Zekken they¡¯ve only heard about in rumors, hopeful that he¡¯ll save them as well. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll remember, your power grows with your influence, and now you¡¯ve got considerable influence among some of the smaller worlds out there that are ripe for Kamiki¡¯s conquest. You also have the devotion of an entire race, or at least the last full blooded member of it. Once word spreads that the final Tandori worships Zekken, it¡¯s going to cause quite a stir.¡±

    ¡°So all this extra power I now have is because races I don¡¯t even know exist are praying to me?¡±

    Ephine nodded. ¡°That about sums it up. You¡¯re about to become a very big deal, young man. And now you can add ¡®bonded to the galactic goddess¡¯ to your list of achievements as well.¡± She grinned, then turned her head to the door and raised her voice. ¡°You can come in, Oracle. We¡¯re all friends here, and it¡¯s not John¡¯s fault he missed the last half of your set.¡±

    Slowly the door opened, and Sara popped her head inside, her silver hair sparkling in the light of the room. Her silver eyes shot wide at the site of Ephine, the black skinned beauty towering over her even sitting down. The slender idol probably only came up to her waist if the goddess was standing, but as she was seated, Sara was eye level with the massive chest that Ephine¡¯s slinky dress barely contained. I couldn¡¯t really blame her for gawking. One of those boobs probably weighed the same as the petite woman.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi?¡± Sara asked nervously.

    ¡°Why hello, dear. You must be number eleven.¡± Ephine asked, holding her hand out to the stunned woman.

    ¡°Number eleven?¡± she asked, her tiny hand disappearing into Ephine¡¯s as they shook.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± I said. ¡°We just met today! We don¡¯t even know each other. Wait. Eleven? Who the hell is ten in this little fantasy of yours?¡±

    She pointed at Isabella. ¡°The painter,¡± she said matter-of-factly. ¡°Sure, it hasn¡¯t happened yet, but I¡¯m confident it will someday. Maybe she¡¯ll be eleven and your idol crush here will be ten. Could go either way, really.¡±

    Isabella was beet red by this point, studiously pretending to not hear the conversation as she wrangled Petra on to her lap. Sara was shaken from her awe at the much larger woman when she mentioned idol crush. She looked over at me.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Crush?¡± she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

    I threw my hands up in resignation. Ephine was clearly not going to make anything easy on me today. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, crush. For years. You¡¯re adorable, your voice is amazing, your songs are breathtaking, and you kind of remind me of Akatsuki from Log Horizon if she had silver hair instead of purple.¡±

    ¡°You really are a fan of the classics, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked, an amused expression on her face.

    ¡°Wait till he starts going on about Tenchi Muyo. Ask him about his ¡®heirloom,¡¯¡± Linda snickered.

    A curious expression crossed Sara¡¯s face, but before she could say anything I stood up.

    ¡°How about we get a move on? The hardest part of today is still to come. Care to join us, Isabella, Sara? You haven¡¯t visited since I remodeled, have you, Izzy?¡±

    She smiled. ¡°No I haven¡¯t. I¡¯d love to see what you¡¯ve done with the place.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Sara said as her way of agreeing to come along. ¡°And what¡¯s the hardest part of today going to be?¡±

    ¡°My house,¡± I said, then I grimaced. ¡°And the hardest part is going to be telling everyone I got a new wife.¡±

    *

    Persia and Rhia reappeared in the exact same places they were standing before being whisked off, still holding the twins and scaring the hell out of Lily who¡¯d taken a couple steps towards where they¡¯d just disappeared from a few seconds ago. The two barely had time to register they were back before they both stiffened up as a surge of power shot through them.

    Rhia sighed once she¡¯d the effect had passed. ¡°I should be surprised, but somehow I think I knew that was going to happen.¡±

    Persia chuckled. ¡°Well, if he¡¯s going to add another sister into the mix, the most powerful goddess in the galaxy isn¡¯t a bad way to go. We are obligated to give him a hard time about it though, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Rhia said, an evil grin spreading on her face. ¡°All we have to do is decide how we¡¯re going to play it.¡±

    ¡°Um, hello? Are you guys alright?¡± asked Lily, cautiously approaching them from the door.

    ¡°Oh! Lily dear! Yes, we¡¯re fine. Better than fine, actually. So are the twins. Our lovely twins,¡± Persia said, gazing lovingly down at Aisha in her arms. Rhia also gazed down at Angela, whose tiny fist was still wrapped in her hair like it was before they¡¯d disappeared.

    ¡°Yes. Our twins,¡± she said. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go have a seat and we¡¯ll fill you in.¡± With a confused Aura and Drake leading the way, everyone made their way back to the table in Drake and Bellata¡¯s main room. After they were seated, Rhia and Persia began to explain everything that happened in the five seconds they were gone. From being pulled to the pocket dimension, to meeting Ephine, to learning the truth about Angela and Aisha, and how John came to have the power of the gods within him, although that still confused them. How exactly does divine essence or power pool up through multiple generations? Then they talked about the deal they made with Ephine and the apparent end result that they felt just after returning, and Rhia wasn¡¯t at all surprised to see the downcast expressions on Lily and Aura¡¯s faces. They¡¯d been waiting so patiently for John, and someone jumped the queue on them.

    A few minutes/12+ hours ago¡­

    ¡°¡­ Is there anything else you wish to know before I return everyone?¡± Ephine asked.

    Rhia was about to say something, but noticed John had suddenly frozen, a thoughtful look on his face.

    ¡°Um, what happened to John?¡± she asked instead.

    ¡°I just froze time for him for a bit. We have to be quick, because juggling time like this is pretty taxing, and there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you, just between us girls for now.¡± Ephine looked serious for the first time since their meeting, so Rhia sat up straighter.

    ¡°Okay. What would you like to discuss?¡±

    Ephine actually looked a little nervous. ¡°I¡¯d like a daughter,¡± she said. Rhia imagined that the tone of voice used would be accompanied by blushing, but Ephine¡¯s skin was so black she doubted she¡¯d ever notice any change in skin tone like that.

    ¡°A daughter?¡± Persia asked.

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve been watching you guys for a while now, and in the last week I¡¯ve felt so much love and happiness from your corner of the galaxy that it showed me there was something missing in my life. I put on this playful act, but really, I¡¯m just so lonely. I can¡¯t bring myself to visit any other gods because they annoy me. Most of them are so full of themselves I know I¡¯d want to strike them from existence after a few minutes of their company. The only two I¡¯ve ever connected with have moved further into the universe than you could possibly fathom, and I haven¡¯t seen them since before our galaxy existed. You four are the first beings I¡¯ve interacted with in all that time, and it¡¯s because I sense so much love from you.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what are you asking of us?¡± asked Rhia cautiously.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow your husband.¡±

    The three women on the couch stared at Ephine wide eyed.

    ¡°You want John to be the father?¡± asked Rhia.

    ¡°I do,¡± affirmed Ephine.

    The women sat in stunned silence for a second before Persia spoke up.

    ¡°I¡¯m ok with that.¡±

    Rhia stared at her.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Persia.

    ¡°What about the others? Shouldn¡¯t they have a say as well? And Lily and Aura! They¡¯ve waited so long!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll train you!¡± Ephine blurted out.

    ¡°You¡¯ll train us?¡±

    Ephine nodded. ¡°You all have done remarkable things so far, but it was only dumb luck you two weren¡¯t killed during your bonding, and John could¡¯ve killed everyone on Genesis if he¡¯d messed up even a little. He rewrote the laws of physics creating that world. Now imagine what could be accomplished if he actually knew what he was doing with all that power? And Anai! She has so much potential when she gets older.¡± The girl in question blushed.

    ¡°You¡¯ll go through that much trouble for us, just to have a child with John?¡± asked Rhia.

    ¡°Not just a child. A daughter. I want a little girl of my own.¡±

    ¡°So it has to be a girl. What if it¡¯s a boy?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be trained by the most powerful being in the galaxy. I think that secures me a few mulligans if I have a boy, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Rhia thought back to the stupid expression on John¡¯s face every time he looked at the beautiful goddess. He¡¯d certainly be willing to make the attempt with her. If Rhia was being honest with herself, she¡¯d be willing to try it as well, even if their shared gender made that impossible. She felt a wave of amusement and agreement from Persia at that thought.

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s say you have a girl right off the bat,¡± she said. ¡°Does the training stop then and there?¡±

    Ephine shook her head. ¡°I promise to train everyone until they¡¯re proficient enough to know not to make the same mistakes as you already have. You¡¯ve gotten by on dumb luck and John¡¯s incredible imagination so far, but should someone like Kamiki ever try to challenge him face to face, he¡¯s screwed, and I¡¯d like to avoid that at all costs. I¡¯ve been watching him for some time, and I¡¯ve grown quite fond of him.¡±

    Rhia, Persia, and Anai all shared a look, then Rhia sighed and smiled. ¡°As have we. Very well. In exchange for John giving you a daughter, no matter how many attempts it takes, you¡¯ll teach us all how to not destroy the universe. I¡¯ll find some way to smooth this over with the others.¡± She stood and extended her hand as Persia smiled broadly. Anai looked like she just caught up with everyone and had an odd look on her face. Ephine jumped up and grabbed Rhia¡¯s hand in hers.

    ¡°And with that, an agreement is made!¡±

    *

    The seven of us appeared in the ballroom of the residence. I took a moment to enjoy the expressions of our guests as they took in the sight through the large windows. Rhia had created an ornate double door entrance in the center of the windows, allowing everyone to be able to come and go as they please, and Isabella slowly made her way towards them.

    ¡°Is it safe to go out there?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± I said. ¡°Just be careful of the gravity shift going out. It has much lighter gravity out there than on Earth.¡±

    ¡°So this is really Genesis?¡± asked Sara, a dumbfounded look on her face.

    ¡°Yep,¡± answered Linda. ¡°Welcome to the moon, kiddo! You can see Earth hanging in the sky over there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m 27,¡± came the half distracted reply. Ephine giggled at that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take offense, dear Oracle. You¡¯re all children to me. Even the lovely blue woman who¡¯s hastily making her way to this room.¡±

    True to Ephine¡¯s words, Su entered the room gracefully, but quickly.

    ¡°My Lord, I wish you would inform me when we¡­ have¡­ guests¡­¡± she slowly trailed off as she caught sight of the ten foot tall obsidian beauty. ¡°My word.¡±

    As Ephine smiled down at Su, I asked my head maid how she knew we were here so quickly.

    ¡°Security system, My Lord,¡± she said, pointing at something that looked suspiciously like a camera in the corner of the room. ¡°One of the Dominos saw you arrive on our screen and notified me.¡±

    ¡°When the hell did that get installed?¡±

    ¡°Before the twins were born. They were handy during the war games with the Junaians before you declared the house off limits. Now they¡¯re used more traditionally, since we¡¯re protecting the girls as well.¡±

    A high pitched laugh caught our attention and we turned to see Petra bouncing around in the field outside. Isabella looked like she was trying to keep up with her but was also trying to keep her skirt from showing too much shapely leg as she bounded after the little blonde ball of energy. Sara had run outside as well and was pulling off some impressive feats of gymnastics in the low gravity.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re trying a new look, My Lord?¡± Su asked, pulling my attention away from the acrobatic display.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Su, this is Ephine, and we, uh, kind of bonded.¡±

    ¡°Hi!¡± said Ephine. ¡°I¡¯m your newest sister! I was a big fan of your mother¡¯s style, and I¡¯m most grateful for what you taught John.¡±

    For once, Su actually managed to look shocked. ¡°You knew Gaia?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, not personally. I¡¯ve never met her. But she had a fun side to her that made her a joy to watch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± Su began, then looked at me in confusion.

    ¡°Ephine is the goddess in charge of the Milky Way, Su, and she¡¯s agreed to train myself, Persia, Rhia, and the twins.¡±

    ¡°In exchange, John¡¯s going to get me pregnant!¡± Su¡¯s eyes went wide, but Ephine kept speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you guys for a while now. He¡¯s going to make the best daddy for my little girl. So yes, I¡¯ll be teaching everyone as a thank you. Although, I¡¯m sure there are some things you could teach me.¡± She winked at Su.

    I was so amused at watching the unflappable Su get flustered I never saw the smack to the back of my head coming. Turning around, I found Rhia and Persia standing with their arms crossed, toes tapping on the ground as they obviously waited for an explanation. Linda and Shu were slowly putting distance between us and them, while Aura and Lily held the twins as they waited by the door with Drake and Bellata.

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± I chuckled nervously as I caught their eyes. ¡°My lovely wives! You both look smashing today.¡±

    ¡°Smashing? Is that the word you want to go with right now?¡± Rhia asked, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°He¡¯s quite skilled at it,¡± Ephine offered.

    ¡°Not. Helping,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Well, John? What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Persia said, staring holes into my soul.

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯ve made some mistakes before, but this one is unforgivable,¡± said Rhia.

    ¡°It¡¯s like you don¡¯t even care about her,¡± said Persia, shaking her head.

    ¡°What? I mean, I just met her and all but of course I care! What kind of an asshole do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°The kind that completely forgets about your loved ones when a magnificent chest appears in front of you?¡± said Persia.

    ¡°The kind that thinks we¡¯re talking about your new wife when there¡¯s someone else you should be worried about right now?¡± said Rhia, a gleam in her eye.

    ¡°The kind that forgot to bring Ryo home?¡± they both said. I was now the center of attention in the worst way possible. Forgetting my faithful puppy was something none of them would forgive me for, myself included. Hanging my head in shame, I snapped my fingers. Appearing in the middle of the crowd, Ryo was laying on her side, snoring softly.

    ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t she darling?!¡± cried Ephine, who trotted over to pet the startled pup, having been jolted awake by Ephine¡¯s squeal. Ryo shot me a confused look before succumbing to the affection being showered upon her. Ephine had that effect on people.

    ¡°My Lord,¡± said Su. ¡°Perhaps another family meeting is in order?¡±

    *

    Agreeing to Su¡¯s suggestion, everyone gathered in the ballroom, which had really turned into more of an entrance slash sitting room now, since this was where the door to the world outside was, and it offered the best view from the house. I started off by apologizing first to Linda, Shu, Hannah, and Su, who¡¯d been waiting the longest to be able to call themselves my wives, and then to Aura and Lily, who¡¯d been waiting remarkably patiently for me to take the next step with them. I sensed that half of them were only slightly put out by it all, but they all seemed to agree that adding the galactic goddess to our family was worth the slight against their egos.

    Since we were kind of on the subject, Rhia followed that up by bringing up Drake¡¯s village request for me to take up some concubines. I actually offered no opinion about this, not that I needed to. Thanks to Su and Rhia¡¯s prodding over the years, the idea of jumping into bed with willing women that weren¡¯t my wives didn¡¯t discomfort me in any way. Practically speaking, it made sense to add fresh DNA into the small community. Emotionally speaking, I was, of course, quite happy with the idea of even more women to play with. But the decision wasn¡¯t mine to make. Witnessing a version of the Council of Wives meeting, they debated amongst themselves before deciding to allow it, but only on the condition that I first follow through with the six women I¡¯ve left waiting on the hook for so long already. Surprisingly, it was Ephine who suggested this, feeling bad that she¡¯d leapt ahead of the others when all she¡¯d wanted to do was maximize her pleasure.

    From there everyone brought everyone else up to speed on what happened throughout the day, from what happened down in Shanghai, touring the church, the new deal with Isabella, and meeting Sara. Rhia and Persia talked about visiting Drake¡¯s village. Su gave a fairly run of the mill report about the goings on here at the house, and Rhia, Persia, Ephine, and I filled everyone in about what happened in the pocket dimension. Rhia was showered in congratulations once it was revealed that she was indeed one of the mothers to the twins, and she blushed adorably under the praise.

    After that, everything seemed to fall into a kind of welcome gathering for Ephine. I kind of felt bad, since she was being pestered with all kinds of questions, but she handled it with a grace she hadn¡¯t shown before, when she was trying to appeal to me with a more playful attitude. Watching everyone interact with her, and fawn over the twins and Ryo, I finally realized the scope of the family I¡¯d built up here. These were all people I adored, and I wouldn¡¯t know what to do without any of them, and suddenly I felt our home wasn¡¯t enough. I loved our little base here, and it seemed perfectly reasonable when the moon was a lifeless rock and we weren¡¯t broadcasting our presence to the world, but none of that was the case anymore. Genesis was a new world, with blue skies, wildlife, beautiful vistas and oceans. Why were we still living underground? I¡¯m a god, with three goddesses as wives, a tech mogul, an ambassador, and numerous women I hold near and dear to my heart. They deserved better than this. They deserved to see our world through more than just this room and mine. They deserved a residence that matched how I saw them. They deserved room to grow. As great as our current residence is, it was not originally designed with large families in mind. Sure, I could expand it with just a thought, but why continue living like groundhogs? These ladies were my queens, and I needed to show them that. They deserved a castle. I was going to build them a moon castle!

 Twenty-Seven: A Not So Nuclear Family

    ¡°Daddy! Daddy!¡±

    Maybe if I just ignore her she¡¯ll go away, I thought. The sound of feet stomping up to me proved the thought was hopeless.

    ¡°Daddy! I know you can hear me!¡±

    I opened one eye to see a very frustrated ten year old girl staring at me, then closed it again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me do it, Daddy!¡± she warned.

    I continued sitting where I was, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as I pretended to ignore her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± This statement was quickly followed by a distinctive POP I had heard many times before, and I suddenly felt two pairs of hands on me, a pair on each shoulder, shaking me back and forth with alternating cries of ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Dad!¡±

    With a roar, I swung my arms out and hooked two pairs of legs around their thighs and jumped to my feet, lifting Angela and Aisha up and spinning in a circle. Their shrieks of alarm quickly changed to laughter as I helicoptered them under the same tree I once had a breakdown under. I liked to come here every now and then to decompress, the serene lake one of my favorite places to visit on Genesis. Coming to a stop, I gave the twins a chance to get their bearings again.

    ¡°So, what do you little troublemakers want today?¡± I asked them.

    ¡°Mother sent us to get you,¡± Angela said.

    ¡°Aunt Effie is back. She says she has news,¡± said Aisha.

    ¡°Really? Well, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± I teased as I put them down. They instantly popped back into Anai. I still hadn¡¯t figured out the reasons she had for deciding to be Anai or separating into the twins. She was unique in the household for having three rooms. One for Anai, and one each for Angela and Aisha, and all three rooms had distinctive personalities. I reflected back on Ephine¡¯s words ten years ago and wondered just what would happen if she ever started dating. I shook the thought out of my head. She¡¯s only ten, let¡¯s leave future headaches for Future John.

    Present Anai stomped her foot. ¡°I tried to, but you ignored me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I said as I took her hand and we started walking home. Coming over the rise I was greeted with the sight of the manor I had built. My grand castle idea was almost immediately vetoed by everyone, most notably Su and Hannah, who came at the idea from a maid¡¯s perspective, and none of them had any desire to maintain a building that large. It still had a grandeur that put most residences Earthside to shame though. I grew up a man of simple means and remembered being happy in my one bedroom apartment before the Event, but for once I wanted something just a little ostentatious. The result was a mansion that blended inspiration from English manors, Southern plantations, and just a hint of all those stuffy old colleges that liked to look down on community college graduates like me.

    The house was built on the plot that the old residence used to occupy and then some. We debated that particular issue a while when I informed everyone of my plans. Understandably, the only holdouts were the ones who¡¯d been there the longest, but they all suddenly changed their minds one day while I was Earthside at the founding of a new church in the world¡¯s first underwater city in the East China Sea, Sanbao City. I¡¯m not entirely sure what was said while I was gone, and I¡¯ve never asked, but Su had me build a separate building behind the manor that¡¯s essentially an apartment complex for the girls that work for us, each having a spacious apartment for their own use, and most of them have the option of popping down to Earth periodically for a change in routine. During a couple comics conventions they were even allowed to walk around openly where they were an overwhelming hit with the cosplay community.

    Approaching the front doors, I saw Ephine kneeling down and hugging our seven year old son, Uther. She¡¯d been away for a while, off doing whatever it was a galactic goddess does. It¡¯s not that she hasn¡¯t told me everything involved with her responsibilities, it¡¯s just that they were so much more massive than mine. I had one planet to think about right now. She had all of them, and that kept her away for months or, sometimes, years at a time. She¡¯d been gone for a year this time. Watching over the reuniting mother and child were a pleased looking Persia and Rhia, while Ryo was bounding around everyone.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Uther yelled upon seeing me and darted away from Ephine to launch himself in my direction. ¡°Look! Mommy¡¯s home!¡±

    I plucked the yellow haired ball of energy out of the air with my free hand and swung him around on to my back where he grabbed on like a monkey. ¡°I see that, buddy! What do you think, should we go play video games?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t kiss me hello, you won¡¯t be capable of playing any video games,¡± Ephine said with a wicked grin as she sauntered over to us.

    ¡°You should kiss her, Daddy. Girls like being kissed hello,¡± said Anai with authority.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to talk about how you came about this knowledge later. For now, however¡­¡± my words trailed off as Ephine leaned down and greeted me with a long, lingering kiss. The kids disengaged themselves from me and ran off to play with Ryo, not that I noticed right away, occupied as I was. After who knew how long, a cleared throat caught our attention and we disengaged from each other. ¡°To be continued?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh you know it. You still owe me a daughter,¡± she smiled at me. ¡°My next stop after this is with Su to clear your calendar for tonight.¡±

    ¡°I think tonight was her night,¡± offered Persia. ¡°You¡¯ll probably have better luck asking to join instead of getting her to give it up.¡±

    Ephine smiled and nodded, then turned serious. ¡°John, you¡¯re going to have company.¡±

    ¡°Company?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Yes. There are ships heading your way from some of the worlds that have started worshipping your name. They¡¯ll be here in a couple months. I don¡¯t sense any hostility from them, and as we agreed I¡¯m not going to interfere, since this is a local matter that doesn¡¯t jeopardize the galaxy at large but keep your guard up. This could just be a group of pilgrims, it could be representatives of other gods, or it could be the gods themselves.¡±

    I looked at her suspiciously, and she affected an innocent look while glancing over at Uther as he chased Ryo. ¡°You know what¡¯s coming, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± she said.

    ¡°You know, but you want to see how it plays out.¡±

    She huffed. ¡°Of course, I know! How could I not? But where would be the fun in telling you? Listen, you have a far better grasp on your capabilities now than you did ten years ago. You have one of the fastest growing followings on Earth. You¡¯ve got five active Oracles and you¡¯re married to three goddesses, one of whom runs the galaxy. No matter what these ships have, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will be, if only because you all have helped me become the man I am.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a god, sweetheart. So much more than a mere man,¡± Rhia said. ¡°Anyway, your daughter is being fussy and wants her daddy.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°The baby.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow.

    Rhia sighed. ¡°Right, there are more than one now, aren¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°So, Miranda?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± said Rhia, chuckling.

    ¡°You should really stop calling her a baby. She¡¯s four now,¡± I said as we made our way inside. ¡°She in her room?¡±

    ¡°Kitchen,¡± Persia said.

    ¡°I should have known. We¡¯ll talk more about our guests later. Let me go see what our own little Tsumugi wants,¡± I laughed and headed towards the kitchen. Miranda had inherited Lily¡¯s taste for odd food, if not her pink hair, and spent a lot of time in the kitchen testing every creation they came up with, very reminiscent of the little girl in Sweetness and Lightning. The little brunette girl was seated on her customary stool watching Lyfsertale coordinate the preparation of lunch for everyone. These days she had staff to work with, since the number of people she had to feed was far larger than it used to be.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Miranda said happily when she saw me. She turned in her seat and raised her arms up to be lifted, which I obliged. ¡°Miss Liff was teaching me how to make cheeseburgers!¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Did you help at all?¡±

    ¡°Yes she did, My Lord,¡± the chef said as she worked the grill. ¡°You can see the patty she made right here.¡±

    I walked and stood next to her and Miranda pointed at her masterpiece, which looked as good as you imagine a four year old¡¯s hamburger patty to look. She was proud of it though, and I of course praised her efforts, then set her on the counter so I could speak with her face to face.

    ¡°Aunt Rhia says you¡¯re being fussy.¡±

    Miranda sat there playing with her hands. ¡°I was bored. No one wanted to play.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you came here?¡± She nodded, thinking she was in trouble. I ruffled her hair and smiled. ¡°Alright. As long as you¡¯re staying out of trouble. If Miss Liff asks you to do something, be sure and listen to her, ok? She¡¯s not in the way, is she?¡± I asked the chef.

    She shook her head. ¡°Not at all. If she wants to learn how to cook, I¡¯m more than happy to teach her.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine her having a better teacher.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, My Lord. Now shoo. We still have more patties to make,¡± she waved her hands at me to clear me out of the kitchen. I raised my hands in surrender, knowing if the chef says leave, you leave. I made my way upstairs to Hannah¡¯s room to check on her and our newest family member. Ever since the twins were born, the gloves had pretty much come off the ladies¡¯ baby fever, with the count currently sitting at four kids, plus the twins who fluctuate the count. John Jr was currently Earthside with Linda, so the daily rumbles between him and Uther were on hold for now, which was a blessing, as it gave little one month old Laina and Hannah a break from their rough housing. The boys loved each other as brothers usually do and showed that love by getting into as much mischief as possible. That usually led to the two seven year olds bringing the ambient noise level in the large house up a surprising percentage and disturbing the younger children.

    I poked my head into Hannah¡¯s room and smiled as I saw her and Su fussing over Laina as they tag teamed changing her diaper. Both were old pros at it by now, having helped with the older children. Su looked up and saw me enter, smiling warmly as she lifted Laina up and cradled her. Hannah turned and smiled.

    ¡°Hey, hubby. Checking on your favorite wives?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let Ephine hear you say that. She¡¯s convinced she¡¯s my favorite,¡± I laughed as walked up to them. I gave Su a quick kiss, then took my daughter from her arms. Her blonde hair was already growing quickly, and she had her mother¡¯s tanned skin, but my hazel eyes. ¡°You make pretty babies, Akomin.¡±

    Hannah pouted. ¡°I knew telling you my homeworld name was a bad idea.¡± Then she smiled. ¡°And of course I do!¡± She leaned in to look at our daughter, happiness radiating from her. ¡°We should make more!¡±

    ¡°Slow down, cowgirl. Aura¡¯s due in another couple months, and Rhia not long after that. Not to mention you just had one. There¡¯s no reason to rush. We¡¯re going to be together for a very long time,¡± I reminded her as I planted a kiss on her cheek. ¡°Will you two be joining us for lunch? Miranda is helping make it today.¡±

    ¡°Oh? She¡¯s grown quite fond of the kitchen lately, hasn¡¯t she?¡± remarked Su.

    ¡°Yeah. If she sticks with it, maybe I¡¯ll look into a chef school for her to go to. Then again, she¡¯s only four, so I¡¯m sure her tastes will change when she gets older. Speaking of school, how are the kids doing?¡±

    Su grinned. ¡°Quite well. Anai is your typical ten year old in class, while Angela and Aisha couldn¡¯t be more different from each other. Angela concentrates harder than any of the others, while Aisha spends most of her time staring out the window or trying to play with the class¡¯ pet moon rabbit. Junior and Uther are doing much better now that I have them sitting on opposite sides of the room, and Miranda has gotten quite good at coloring.¡±

    I nodded at the progress report. Su had taken the job of teacher, since the kids were still too young to actually attend school Earthside without raising too many questions. Then there was the fact that the twins and Uther actually had divine power to deal with. For the most part, Ephine and I had had ensured their power was sealed, only allowing enough juice for them to get used to handling it, but we didn¡¯t want them so dependent on it that they couldn¡¯t function without it. Eventually, however, we¡¯d have to sit down and discuss with them about going Earthside for high school. The twins had an especially difficult choice about whether they¡¯d rather go as twins or Anai. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find someone to teach them here, but I wanted them to have an understanding of life among humans and also a life without powers, so they¡¯d fully appreciate what they¡¯ve got. Ephine agreed with me on this, since she¡¯s watched so many other divine beings get lost in their own sense of self-importance.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. I don¡¯t know what we can do about Aisha beyond letting Persia handle it. You know I suck at disciplining the kids. Maybe if we tailor lessons for her towards something to do with nature? She does spend most of her time running through the woods around the house.¡±

    Su cocked her head a little. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. Individualized lessons will be harder to put together, but it¡¯s only the five of them, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Could I pull some of the staff to help?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    I laughed. ¡°They¡¯re your staff, babe. Do what you want with them. Talk to Drake¡¯s people too. Oh!¡± A thought struck me out of the blue. I¡¯m actually surprised it took me this long. ¡°Why not set up a school with the Junaian children as well? Get a couple of the adults to help. I¡¯m sure Bellata would be thrilled to not have to worry about Zeke and Paris for a few hours a day, and the other dozen or so children in the village that are old enough for schooling.¡±

    ¡°That could work,¡± Su said thoughtfully. ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t go by Junaians anymore.¡±

    That caught me off-guard. ¡°What? Since when? What do they call themselves now?¡±

    Su smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure when they officially changed over, but now they call themselves Genesians. They said it was a symbol of their new start, and they all officially worship Persia, but you already knew that part.¡±

    I laughed, remembering how embarrassed Persia looked when they unveiled their shrine dedicated to her. Ephine even blessed it for them. Persia wouldn¡¯t gain any power from their direct worship, according to Ephine, but every act of compassion would be met with benefits. It all sounded so karmic, but everyone came out a winner, so who was I remark on how odd it sounded to me?

    ¡°Alright, the Genesians then. Go ahead and set something up. If you want to set up a campus or something just let me know and I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    The intercom barked to life, and Hannah bolted for the volume control before whatever announcement could wake the sleeping beauty in my arms. She made it just in time as Miranda¡¯s voice powered through the speaker, not realizing she didn¡¯t need to yell.

    ¡°¡­Like this? Ok. I got it! Ahem, LUNCH IS READY! IT¡¯S CHEESEBURGERS THAT I HELPED MAKE! How do I turn it off? Like this? I ju-¡± and her voice cut out. The three of us shook our heads and chuckled.

    ¡°Well, ladies? Lunch is apparently ready. It¡¯s cheeseburgers,¡± I said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be right along. Just let me put her down for her nap,¡± said Hannah, taking Laina from my arms. As they were laying her down I made my way downstairs, running into a yawning Lily along the way, her pink hair a mess as she plodded down the stairs. ¡°Taking a nap?¡±

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± she said wryly. ¡°I thought I¡¯d get some peace and quiet when she ran to the kitchen, but that didn¡¯t last long.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to motherhood,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s your fault, you know,¡± she said as she slipped her arm in mine.

    ¡°I seem to remember you being quite willing at the time.¡±

    She smacked my arm with her free hand. ¡°I meant today, you big lug. No one wanted to play today, and her daddy disappeared on us.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about that. I needed some time to myself to think.¡±

    ¡°Texas?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks to Ephine¡¯s training, I have a better handle on my powers than I did when I created this world. I can easily heal the scar and bring life back to the region, but I¡¯m not sure how it would go over. I have to talk it over with the president first. It¡¯ll be easier now then a few years ago, thanks to them absorbing the six northern Mexican states into the U.S., but that doesn¡¯t mean the people will allow me to do anything there. The whole area is treated as a memorial, and I can certainly understand why, but it¡¯s been almost twenty years. That¡¯s a lot of land that could be put to good use. As long as they don¡¯t rebuild Houston. Fuck that place.¡±

    Lily shook her head at my last comment but patted my arm reassuringly. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out. You always do. People are listening to you more. You¡¯ve proven that you¡¯re only looking out for their best interests. There may be some pushback, but I honestly think most people would be in favor of it.¡±

    I looked into her silver eyes as we walked into the dining room and saw the admiration she had for me in them. I kissed her forehead and thanked her, then noticed that the room was empty.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say lunch was ready?¡± I asked. Lily shrugged in response.

    ¡°Mommy! Daddy! Out here!¡± We turned to see Miranda poking her head into the dining room. ¡°Outside!¡± she said happily. Smiling, we followed her. Of course we were having a picnic in the front lawn. Miranda loved picnics. Guess it helped having a parent that could control the weather so it was always pleasant. Miranda, and Junior for that matter, hadn¡¯t shown any trace of my divinity in them. They were just normal, happy humans. They knew about my powers, but oddly seemed okay with not having any themselves. I knew if I were in their shoes I¡¯d be jealous of my brother and sisters that did have powers. This may change in time, but for now, I took it as the blessing it was. Lily and I settled on the ground with everyone else and helped ourselves to a couple burgers and the arrayed fixings on a large blanket before Miranda plopped down in between us, already stuffing her face.

    Looking around, I smiled at my family. Rhia and Aura were sitting together, talking about each other¡¯s pregnancies. Rhia had a bump showing at five months, while at seven months Aura looked like she was smuggling a Volkswagen. There was no way there was only one baby in there, but I wasn¡¯t allowed to know. Only a select few knew anything, and Aura told me that she wanted to surprise me. Persia was sitting next to them, silent but smiling as she nibbled on her burger. Anai was carefully putting together hers, clearly wanting it to look like the cheeseburgers she saw pictures of when she used the divine internet I¡¯d set up, which was really just an offshoot of the screen I¡¯d been using since day one up here. Ephine and Uther were sitting on my other side, Ephine leaning in to me as she ate and watched Uther devour his lunch. Su and Hannah joined us shortly and started eating, praising Miranda on her skills, causing the little girl to grin broadly, ketchup and bits of meat falling out of mouth in the process. Only Linda, Shu and John Jr were missing, but I know Junior was having the time of his life down in Sanbao City, so I didn¡¯t feel too bad about their absence. I planned on visiting them soon anyway.

    ¡°So, what are you up to lately?¡± Ephine asked in between bites.

    ¡°Elephant¡¯s foot today. Maybe a couple other things if I have the time. Then back here to properly welcome my wife home.¡± She smiled at the last, but then pointed at Uther.

    ¡°Take him with you? When¡¯s the last time he was Earthside?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Bring your kid to work day? Okay, I can do that. We went to see the Ghibli movie marathon last month. Kid loves Castle in the Sky. I have a feeling I know what his first project will be once we unseal his powers,¡± I laughed. Uther looked up at the mention of the movie. ¡°I was telling your mother what we did last month. Want to come with me today? We¡¯re going to fix up some land so people don¡¯t get sick anymore.¡±

    Since his mouth was too full to speak, he gave me a thumbs up. Ephine smiled and stroked his hair, her black complexion contrasting sharply with his yellow hair and the fair skin that he got from me.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad he looks more like you. He can walk around your planet easily. I have to change so much just to avoid shocking people.¡±

    ¡°One day we¡¯ll be able to reveal your presence, babe. We just need to solidify my faith base first before letting the world know there are even higher beings out there. Of course, being my wife should ease the blow a bit and not cost me too much in followers.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°That day may be sooner than you think. The ships heading here aren¡¯t like Kamiki¡¯s asteroid ship. These will clearly be artificial ships, and there¡¯s no way the people down there will miss them. You¡¯re going to have to ramp up your miracle work to bring more people under your influence. Some of the religions down there won¡¯t take too kindly to finding out that they¡¯re not the be all end all of creation, like those annoying camps scattered across the Middle East that you¡¯ve left alone for some reason.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this. I can¡¯t take care of every problem they have. Most people in the region are pretty cool and can¡¯t stand them either. Even if I just snapped my fingers and banished them from existence, more would crop up. The best that I can do is occasionally embarrass whatever guy is in charge and undercut his authority. The real killer blow comes when their own followers start doubting what the boss is preaching, and everyone else finally rallies to drive them out. Remember what happened in North Korea when I made their internet truly world wide and the people got a look at things without the government filter? That little fat bastard running the country packed his bags and bolted so fast his shadow took a day to catch up to him. I just need to keep nibbling away at these assholes running their little terror cells until even their own followers start to question everything they say.¡±

    Ephine nodded and Lily looked over at us. ¡°Whatever happened to that dude anyway?¡±

    ¡°He tried seeking asylum in Moscow. Officially, he was attacked by a bear while hunting last year. Unofficially, he committed suicide by shooting himself twice in the back of the head and feeding himself to a bear.¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± said Uther.

    ¡°Eat your lunch,¡± said Ephine, giving me a dirty look. Lily stared at me wide eyed.

    ¡°What? Moscow is still fighting against the message I¡¯m sending for some reason, but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t have their uses every now and then.¡±

    ¡°No talking about work at lunch, Daddy! You promised!¡± Miranda scolded me. I apologized, raising my hands in surrender to my little girl. Satisfied, she went back to happily eating her food and basking in the sunlight. The women around the blanket giggled, amused at how she had me wrapped around her finger. We continued eating and making small talk until the food was gone. After that, Anai split into the twins, with Angela finding a tree to read under nearby and Aisha disappearing into the woods. Uther grabbed an old tennis ball I hadn¡¯t noticed before and was doing his best to throw the ball as far as he could as Ryo bounded after it, the low gravity carrying her faster and further than she was ever capable of on Earth. Miranda made her way over to the miniature castle I built years ago. It was the only concession I was given when I proposed the Moon Castle idea. Now I had one, and it was a playhouse for the kids. Well, at least they were happy.

    After the kids had departed, talk turned to our schedules for the afternoon. I was headed to the Ukraine with Uther, and everyone was going to laze around the house. There was nothing immediately pressing going on, and Aura wanted a day to relax before she called a meeting of the Oracles. After hearing of Ephine¡¯s news, she wanted to verify no one had any visions or the like that appeared to be negative. I smirked and nudged Ephine as we noticed Uther trying not to obviously listen in on Aura¡¯s plan. An Oracle meeting meant Isabella would be coming. Isabella coming meant Petra might come. He had developed a bit of a crush on her lately, although the fifteen year old treated him like a kid brother. It still didn¡¯t stop him from ogling her when she visited, which was almost every time Isabella came up here. I did have to admire the boy¡¯s taste. Petra was growing up to be a beautiful young woman, although I¡¯d never see her as anything more than a beloved niece. Maybe daughter-in-law in the future? I thought, mentally shrugging at the idea. It¡¯s not like an eight year age gap was a big deal. Especially to anyone here. Aside from Lily, I was the youngest one here in my fifties, with everyone else being in the triple digit age range and higher, a couple much higher.

    Careful, Ephine thought at me, squinting her eyes at me as she picked up my thought train. Smiling, I kissed her cheek and immediately felt warmth blossom under my lips. I couldn¡¯t see her blush thanks to her black skin, but that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t capable of it. I stood up, waving Uther over.

    ¡°We should probably get going, before Uther¡¯s ear pops off and lands in Aura¡¯s lap. If he strains any harder listening for Petra¡¯s name, the poor guy will give himself a stroke.¡± The boy in question heard my last comment and turned beet red, but didn¡¯t say anything. I laughed and dropped an arm over his shoulder. ¡°Ready for a field trip, buddy?¡±

    *

    ¡°Hey! It looks just like that video game we played!¡± Uther exclaimed as we explored the ruins of the city.

    ¡°Yeah, no assassination mission this time though. Now we¡¯re here to fix it.¡± Thanks to our divinity, we were both protected from the background radiation rendering the city uninhabitable, but there were still hundreds in the region that had decided to attempt it anyway. It had been almost fifty years since Pripyat had been evacuated, and it showed. With our help today, we were hoping to make the region safe for habitation again. My goal was actually Reactor Four in the Chernobyl Power Station, mostly out of symbolism than any actual need to be there to clear out the radioactivity. That and the idea of standing in the most dangerous room on the planet had a certain appeal to the both of us.

    As we made our way over to the distant buildings and the easily identifiable containment arch, we talked and explored. In the distance we saw a small group of people. It wasn¡¯t as dangerous as it used to be around here, and tours lasted longer than they would have even fifteen years ago, with many staying overnight in hotels that had recently started to go up.

    ¡°What do you think, son? Should we do this quietly and let them discover it on their own, or should we go big and flashy and tell the whole world?¡±

    Uther seemed to think about this for a bit, then got a big grin on his face. ¡°Flashy, Daddy. Everyone likes flashy!¡±

    I laughed. ¡°Alright, flashy it is, but when I do this, you¡¯ll have to stay out of sight. Remember why?¡±

    ¡°If people knew you were my daddy, they¡¯d never leave me alone any time I came down here.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. When you¡¯re older you can make that decision on your own, but until then it¡¯s better if everyone thinks you¡¯re a normal human kid.¡±

    We continued making our way there on the scenic route, but I could tell his attention was starting to wane. Frankly I was surprised it took as long as it did. We¡¯d already seen the famous landmarks from the photos and video games: the bumper cars, the ferris wheel, the pool, etc. I guess now it was time to show him what I thought the highlight would be, and immediately popped us inside the old reactor.

    Uther¡¯s eyes shot wide as he took in what was in front of him.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like much.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I laughed. ¡°There are a few areas down here that are far more dangerous. Shall we get started?¡± He smiled widely and ran for the other side of the room. Transforming into Zekken form, I popped a screen up in front of me, allowing me to see the message I was about to send to the world. Positioning myself so that the elephant foot was clearly visible behind me, I smiled widely and held my arms out as I immediately took over every major news channel on the planet with a thought.

    ¡°Greetings, everyone! I apologize for interrupting your daily dose of political propaganda masquerading as ¡®news¡¯ (air quotes). I¡¯m sure no introduction is needed, but not doing so would be rude. I am Zekken and, as you know, I am here to help guide you towards a better future! As such, we¡¯ll begin today in the past. Forty-nine years ago a catastrophe occurred that was said to be irreversible and would leave this land uninhabitable for thousands of years. Behind me you can see one of the most recognizable symbols of that horrific accident. The Elephant¡¯s Foot was once so dangerous that merely taking a peek at it from around the corner was enough to be fatal. Nowadays, not so much, but still not something you want to be around for too long. Watch.¡±

    Feeling out the radioactivity around us, I made it visible to the naked eye, coloring it green, because when you think nuclear, green comes to mind. At least it does mine. I expanded the effect to cover the dangerous isotopes covering the entire region, pushing the screen out to show the world the extent of the spread of the radiation. Well, the worst of it, which was basically the Exclusion Zone the surrounding region. The actual spread was pretty much worldwide, and most of that wasn¡¯t harmful. This immediate region though, was what was famous, so that¡¯s what I showed everyone. Feeling that everyone got the idea, I zoomed back in on me.

    ¡°What I¡¯m about to give you is a gift. I trust that the mistakes of the past, like what happened here, won¡¯t be repeated. So far this is your only home, this small blue planet. Maybe one day you¡¯ll pull your heads out and focus on things that are actually important, and not which political party is the craziest.¡± I placed my hand against the side of my mouth like I was going to tell everyone a secret, then stage whispered, ¡°Spoiler alert: They all are!¡± Straightening back up, I smiled again. ¡°And now, on with the show!¡±

    Strictly speaking, I could have done this without moving a muscle, but that would be boring, and it helped people accept that I could do things of this magnitude if I made it look like I actually put in some effort. So I waved my arms around, making it look like I was pulling the dangerous radiation towards me. Uther was bouncing on his toes as he watched, almost about to clap at my theatrics before remembering he was supposed to stay silent during my performance. I shot him a quick wink, then decided I¡¯d pretend to be a character from one of his favorite shows. I couldn''t stand it, but it was for my son, and I would do anything for my kids, including pretending to be the most stupidly overpowered character in anime. His eyes nearly bugged out when I brought my hands to my side, holding them about a foot apart as I collected all the radiation between them into an ever expanding ball of lethal energy. I knew weebs around the world were losing their shit right about now, and I would have been one of them as well if I wasn¡¯t the one doing it.

    As I sensed the last of the radiation disappear from the land I paused for effect, then I yelled the name of the first Hawaiian king (seriously, look it up), and fired the ball straight up, sending the radiation out into space, mentally dispersing it once no one on Earth could see it. Then I faced my screen again.

    ¡°This land is clean now. There are other areas that I intend to visit as well in the near future. Use them well once I am done and pray I don¡¯t have to do this again. Once is an accident, twice is incompetence, anything more is criminal. Learn from your mistakes, don¡¯t cut corners, and for the love of Me, put more money into researching cleaner, safer sources of energy. You¡¯re destroying my planet like this, and I¡¯m not happy about it. With that, I now return you to whatever political manipulations are scheduled for this hour.¡± I gave a bow, then cut the feed.

    ¡°That was so cool!¡± Uther said as he ran over, imitating what I¡¯d just done with the radiation. I ruffled his hair as his eyes sparkled. ¡°Can we do that again?¡±

    ¡°Not here. I sense this place is about to get very crowded. Want to get some ice cream or something? I know a great place in London.¡± He grabbed my hand and we were out of there before his head stopped nodding.

 Twenty-Eight: Blasts from the Past

    ¡°Has Zekken declared war on nuclear power?¡± the reporter said on the TV hanging in the ice cream shop. ¡°After his demonstration in the Chernobyl Power Plant, many fear that he will soon come for their primary sources of power in much the same way he went after the Saudi Arabian oil fields over fifteen years ago before chasing the ruling family out of the country. An emergency meeting has been called at the UN today, undoubtedly to discuss this new development brought upon by the self-proclaimed god.¡±

    ¡°Oil fields?¡± Uther asked, taking a pull on his milkshake.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°The king there made me mad, so I took away his money maker, then made him give up his throne.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because he was hurting people. Between being a bad man and forcing his people to submit to ancient, barbaric beliefs that have no place in the modern world, he was doing more to hurt his country than help them. Now his country is getting stronger and it doesn¡¯t rely on threats or oil anymore to do so. Aunt Linda even has a business there.¡±

    At the mention of his Aunt Linda, Uther¡¯s eyebrows shot up. She was definitely his favorite among my wives. Probably because she spoiled him rotten whenever they hung out.

    ¡°Really? Could we go see it?¡±

    I laughed. ¡°One day. I¡¯ve got too much to do today, and you need to go spend time with your mother. She just got back, remember?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°You do too.¡±

    ¡°I know, but you come first. Her and I will catch up later.¡± In a ¡°no kids allowed¡± fashion, I thought to myself.

    And you better not keep me waiting too long, dear, Ephine thought to him.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Uther said suddenly, pointing at the TV. A breaking news banner was flashing across the bottom of the screen.

    ¡°Breaking news! We¡¯ve just received reports of an explosion outside of the Church of Zekken in Los Angeles. The building itself suffered no damage, however the initial casualty estimate is expected to be in the hundreds. Eyewitness reports are claiming it was a suicide bombing. Wait a moment¡­¡± The reporter appeared to be getting more information through an ear piece before looking back at the camera, his skin noticeably paler. ¡°Uh¡­ there are also reports of explosions at other COZ¡¯s in New York City, Denver, Sydney, Cape Town, Shanghai, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Moscow. This, um, this appears to be a coordinated world wide attack against the Church of Zekken and its followers.¡±

    Uther¡¯s eyes were wide as he turned to me. ¡°Da-¡± he began, but I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to send you home, son. I need to take care of this.¡±

    Knowing Uther, I¡¯m sure he wanted to help out in some fashion, but I¡¯d never adopted this tone with him before. He knew I meant business and wisely didn¡¯t argue back. He just nodded. With a tight lipped grimace, I sent him back to Genesis just as an explosion deafened everyone in the ice cream shop, obviously hitting the nearby church here in London. With a thought I popped over and saw the carnage. I could heal the living with no effort, which I did, but unfortunately, I could do nothing for the dead, one of the most difficult lessons I¡¯d been forced to learn early on. What¡¯s gone is gone. I could fix their bodies, but whatever made someone who they were was gone forever. Even Ephine confessed to not knowing what it all entailed. For all our power, there were still plenty of mysteries left in the universe.

    Ladies, I thought.

    We¡¯re already on it, thought back Persia.

    Good. Be as public as you can. Put on a spectacle. Whoever did this is trying to send a message. It¡¯s time to remind them who really has the power here.

    Putting action to my thoughts, I appeared over the crowd in a flash of light. Hovering in my Zekken form as I gazed at my surroundings. The center of the blast zone was easy enough to see, since it was cratered. Whoever did this had used more than enough explosives to do the job, if the church was a normal building, that is. Each church was divinely strengthened and was essentially indestructible. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for them to be used as shelters during natural disasters.

    ¡°Lord Zekken!¡± I heard a voice yell and turned to see a policeman running up to me.

    ¡°Constable,¡± I acknowledged.

    ¡°First responders are on the way, My Lord.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear it. I¡¯ve healed the wounded, but there¡¯s nothing I can do for the dead, unfortunately. We need to find witnesses willing to talk. Find out who¡¯s behind this.¡±

    ¡°About that, My Lord. A message was just sent to major news networks by those claiming responsibility.¡± He moved to pull out his phone to show me, but I waved it off, instead creating a larger screen to view it. On it, a balding man with the most useless attempt at a combover was looking at the camera. The suit was a better make than when he first appeared on TV, and the wings on his back had improved greatly, but it was still unmistakably Walter Lester Jones, the founder of the Raven Angel Society.

    ¡°People of the world, my name is Walter Jones, and I come to you today to inform you that my followers have carried out attacks against the so-called ¡®Church of Zekken.¡¯ We take these steps to show you all the true power of our faith in the Raven Angel, whose appearance should have been viewed by the world as we saw it: a time to put away your outdated gods that offer no proof of their existence and embrace the new. Instead, the world ignored her call, and chose to continue worshipping the myths they grew up with. Others chose to follow this new god,¡± he said ¡®god¡¯ with a taste of disgust in his voice and a sneer on his lips, ¡°who is obviously using our beloved Raven Angel for her powers and propping himself up as the savior of mankind. We¡¯re not sure how he is controlling her, but we seek to release her from his hold and place her back in the position she so rightfully deserves. The attacks will continue until Zekken returns our goddess to us. That is all.¡±

    I must have been giving off an aura, because the young police officer suddenly retreated back a few steps. I couldn¡¯t blame him. I was pissed. This hack thought I was holding Rhia against her will and mooching of her power?! This lunatic built a cult around a woman he¡¯s never spoken to, who¡¯s never made any public statement regarding anything related to the RAS. He just saw a thirty second clip of her on the internet one day and started worshipping her, and now he¡¯s turned that ridiculous belief into a terrorist organization, and what¡¯s more, he¡¯s trying to lay the blame at my feet. There was no way I was going to let this atrocity go unanswered. Turns out, I didn¡¯t have to answer it.

    *

    ¡°That son of a bitch!¡± Rhia yelled as she watched the message, reaching for the nearest object to hurl at the image. John¡¯s game controller rocketed towards the screen, shattering as it impacted the indestructible surface. Rhia didn¡¯t care. They¡¯d largely ignored the odd cult that had sprung up years ago, since they hadn¡¯t done anything beyond look ridiculous in their cheap suits and cosplay wings, but Rhia now saw that was a mistake. Suicide bombers! How cowardly could you get? And all because they thought John was using her for power? Before she realized it, she had projected a screen of her own, sending her image around the world.

    ¡°Listen here, you little shit!¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡± Anai chastised from her side. ¡°This is why you didn¡¯t go down to help. Your emotions are a bit unbalanced at the moment. Please, allow me?¡±

    Rhia huffed, but waved her acceptance, crossing her arms as she stared daggers into the screen. The ten year old placed herself in the center of the image, drew herself up, and started speaking with an eloquence that shouldn¡¯t exist in one so young.

    ¡°Mr. Jones, you appear to have gotten everything wrong. I am Anai, daughter Lord Zekken and Lady Rhia, and I can assure you that no one is ¡®using¡¯ my mother, nor is Lord Zekken ¡®propping¡¯ himself up with her power. His power is completely his own. Until now you have been viewed as a source of amusement for my brothers and me, but you have now taken innocent lives in your misguided beliefs, and that is unforgivable.¡± Her face took on a pissed expression as her ears, tail, and wings, normally hidden, suddenly burst into being in a shower of gold and pink sparks. ¡°As my mother is currently pregnant and my father is undoubtedly helping clean up the mess you¡¯ve created, I shall take on the burden of your punishment!¡±

    Rhia sat up suddenly. ¡°Wait! Wha-¡± was all she got out before her daughter disappeared.

    *

    Should we be doing this, Aisha? This seems like a bad idea.

    Our parents are too busy. This man must be stopped.

    He should be judged by human laws.

    He insulted Daddy and Mommy.

    Then Mom and Dad should be the ones to deal with him.

    They are busy helping others. We can handle one old man.

    What if it¡¯s more? Dad and Aunt Ephine locked most of our powers.

    What we have is enough. They can¡¯t hurt us. Daddy and Aunt Effie would never let us get hurt. Besides, Anai wants to do this, and so do I. That¡¯s two against one. We win.

    Does that count when she¡¯s both of us?

    Yes. Now quiet, Angie. We¡¯re here.

    Anai reappeared outside a surprisingly small farmhouse. She didn¡¯t know how she knew this is where that nasty man lived, she just knew that she was right. She suddenly realized that she was about to confront this guy wearing jeans and a Sailor Moon t-shirt, and immediately changed it to something she felt more appropriate for the occasion. She may just be a ten year old girl, but she¡¯d watched enough anime with her father to know you can¡¯t scare anyone like that. Quickly she imagined herself clad in some intimidating looking armor and stalked towards the front door.

    -

    ¡°It must be a lie! It has to be! There is no way our beloved angel would give herself to such a repulsive man! Only I know her true worth!¡± Walter Jones raged after seeing the response from the pint sized angel. ¡°Claiming to be their daughter? Bah! And what was with those ears and tail? Clearly it¡¯s all a setup to make us look bad!¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Make us look bad? You killed hundreds today!¡± a middle aged woman yelled at him from in front of his desk. ¡°This is not what I agreed to! This isn¡¯t what any of us agreed to!¡±

    Jones pointed at the TV, which was showing the coverage of the bombings. ¡°They agreed to it! They were the truly faithful! They sacrificed themselves for Her divine glory! They knew that it was the ultimate act of faith for our blessed Raven Angel!¡±

    The door to the tiny room suddenly burst open, and the two stared at the diminutive figure standing in the doorway. Jones gawked at the black and gold wings, golden ears, and the striped tail before taking in the rest of the girl. Brown hair, emerald eyes, four and a half feet tall, and clad in some form of Valkyrie looking armor painted a dark blue with black swirled throughout and a large Z emblazoned on the chest piece in gold.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Jones blurted.

    ¡°Is that anyway to speak to a child, Mr. Jones?¡± the girl responded. His eyes went wide as he suddenly realized she was the same girl he¡¯d just seen on TV. She looked around the room, face scrunching up in disgust. ¡°This place stinks. Is it because it¡¯s a farm or is it because of you?¡±

    Jones spluttered, unable to string two words together as he tried to figure out how she found them so fast. He looked at the woman next to him, but she was on her knees with her hands clasped in front of her.

    ¡°Please forgive me! I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d planned this! It¡¯s not what I signed on for!¡± The girl, Anai, looked the woman over, then nodded.

    ¡°You speak true. Get out of here.¡±

    The woman shot Jones a look before bolting from the house. The sound of a car starting up and peeling out as it left drifted to the room. Jones had taken the distraction of the car leaving to reach into his desk and pull out the snub nosed revolver he kept there and pointed it at the girl.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your game is little girl, but I will see the Raven Angel achieve her rightful place! Neither you nor that freak claiming to be a god can stop me!¡±

    ¡°That freak is my father and you will stop insulting him! There is no such thing as the Raven Angel! My mother is a beautiful goddess! She is the Goddess of Wisdom, something you don¡¯t have!¡± Despite her attempts to look otherwise, she was still, in fact, a ten year old girl, divine or otherwise, and it came out as she stomped her foot and huffed at the man. To anyone else, the crazed look in his eyes and the words coming out of his mouth would have instantly triggered alarm bells in their heads. To someone whose contact with the truly crazy was minimal at best, it went completely unnoticed by Anai until it was too late.

    The gun barked three times, deafening in the tiny room, but not quite covering the maniacal laugh coming from the deranged man. Anai found herself lying on her back, stunned. Her chest hurt, and she looked down to find her armor dented right above her heart. It held, but she didn¡¯t want to test if she was truly invincible like her parents were. She decided she needed to finish this quickly and leapt to her feet, much to Jones¡¯ surprise.

    ¡°But-!¡± he got out before she vanished from her spot in a blur, a fist appearing less than an inch from his face. He looked past it to see the look of fury on the girl¡¯s face, which slowly changed to confusion, then apprehension as she turned her head to look behind her. Gripping her armor by the neck hole and smirking, her father held her hanging in the air as he turned her to face him.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, young lady.¡±

    *

    John! Rhia¡¯s thought screamed into my head.

    I know. I saw. Our little girl has declared herself an avenging angel. I¡¯ll get her, I thought back. I stretched out and felt for Anai¡¯s presence. Ah, there she is. Nebraska, eh? So that¡¯s where the little worm is hiding. I wonder how she found him so fast. Doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Constable,¡± I said, calling the young man back over to me from where he¡¯d retreated.

    ¡°Yes, My Lord?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of some family issues. Help who you can here. Spare no expense. I¡¯ll cover it. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve got a little girl to discipline.¡± The police officer nodded and turned to take control of the scene. Focusing on Anai¡¯s presence again, I disappeared from London and reappeared in a small room.

    I was greeted with the sight of the disgusting little man holding a gun on my daughter, the smell of gunpowder fresh in the air. Anai was just getting to her feet, clad in some armor that was dented in the chest. Suddenly she flung herself at the man, fist outstretched. The speed she was travelling would¡¯ve easily turned his head into a pink mist had she connected, and I didn¡¯t want that on her conscience, so I reached out and plucked her from the air just before contact.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, young lady,¡± I said, turning her to face me. She stiffened momentarily, but loosened up in resignation.

    ¡°H-hi, Daddy,¡± she said sheepishly, not meeting my eyes. Walter was frozen in place, eyes the size of saucers, gun still pointed at where Anai had gotten up from. The smell coming from him, plus the growing dark spot at the front of his pants, indicated he pissed himself. Whether it was from my arrival or Anai¡¯s aborted smiting, I couldn¡¯t be sure. Either way, I locked him in place with a thought while I had a moment with my daughter.

    ¡°¡®I shall take on the burden of your punishment?¡¯ Really? That¡¯s the best line you could come up with?¡±

    Still dangling, she shrugged. ¡°I thought about saying ¡®In the name of the moon,¡¯ but nobody calls it that anymore.¡±

    I barked out a laugh. ¡°Well, no one can deny you aren¡¯t my kid. What¡¯s up with this armor? It looks cool, but it¡¯s not like you need it. You could take a tank round to the chest and not suffer any damage. You¡¯d be knocked halfway across the county, but you¡¯d be just fine.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that always says presentation is key? I doubt anyone would take me seriously if I were just in jeans and a t-shirt.¡±

    Shaking my head, I put her down. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Walter let out a whimper from where he was frozen. ¡°Calm down, jackass. We¡¯ll get to you in a moment. I¡¯m talking to my daughter right now. Now, which of you took the lead in this?¡± While Anai was certainly her own being, I knew the two halves heavily influenced her at times. There was no way that two disparate personalities like Aisha and Angela would easily merge into a unified third personality.

    With a POP, Angela and Aisha stood before me, both similarly adorned in armor as Anai had been, complete with matching dents in the chest plate. Angela stood with her arms crossed, looking daggers at Aisha, who was nervously playing with her tail, ears flat against her head, eyes focused on my feet. Walter squeaked in surprise at the split, but no one paid him any mind.

    ¡°I told you it was a bad idea!¡± Angela said. Aisha flinched but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Aisha,¡± I said. ¡°I have a feeling the Goddess of Compassion is going to have a few words for you later. As for me, I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re both alright. You helped me locate this knucklehead faster, so I¡¯m going to call this even.¡± Aisha¡¯s eyes finally met mine, hope flickering dimly. ¡°That¡¯s not to say what your mothers are going to do, however.¡± That hope suddenly vanished as her eyes grew wide at the thought.

    ¡°But-!¡± Angela began to protest, but I cut her off.

    ¡°No buts, young lady. You may have told her it was a bad idea, but you didn¡¯t seem to make too much of an effort to put a stop to it, did you? Therefore, you get to speak to your mother as well.¡± Looking around conspiratorially, I stage whispered, ¡°perhaps if you get that food she likes, you won¡¯t be grounded for the next century.¡±

    I straightened up and faced Walter Jones, the villain of the hour, releasing the hold I had on him. He flopped back in to his chair and tried to point the gun at me, but I waved it out of existence. ¡°Mr. Jones, I do believe you owe my girls here an apology.¡±

    ¡°F-for what?¡±

    ¡°For what? Seriously? You shot my kids. We¡¯re going to discuss that matter privately, but for now, I¡¯d like you to show them how an adult is supposed to act when they¡¯ve done something wrong. Best do it on your own. You won¡¯t like it if I have to make you.¡±

    ¡°Now see here! I only shot one kid, not these two!¡± he blurted out. The three of us just stared at him, stupid expressions on our faces.

    ¡°Did he really just say that?¡± asked Aisha.

    ¡°Yes. Yes, he did,¡± answered Angela.

    ¡°Girls,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°Best you head home right now. Mr. Jones and I are about to have a very private conversation.¡± The girls nodded and vanished in their usual sparkling display. Locking him up with a thought, I levitated Walter out of his chair and had him float behind me as I walked around the small house, checking out each of the rooms. He may or may not have bounced off walls and door jams as I took my tour.

    ¡°All by ourselves? No guards or anything? You¡¯re either amazingly confident or resoundingly stupid. You can speak. I haven¡¯t taken that ability away from you.¡±

    ¡°W-what are you going to do to me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nope. I asked you first. Why no guards? Where is everyone? I know your movement was bigger than you and a handful of lunatics willing to blow themselves up.¡±

    His mouth clamped shut, evidently refusing to answer. I greatly dislike using intimidation tactics. Especially when my opponent knows he¡¯s heavily outclassed. Doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t use them though. Sighing, I snapped my fingers, bringing us four miles from the house I found him in. Four miles above the house, I guess I should clarify. Walter¡¯s eyes about bugged out of his head, and I had to stop the heart attack that he was about to suffer.

    ¡°Bit chilly up here, isn¡¯t it? Oxygen is pretty thin as well. I¡¯d imagine you¡¯d pass out pretty quickly. Don¡¯t worry though. Getting back to normal temperatures is easy enough. Can¡¯t guarantee your condition upon arrival though.¡± I let him drop a couple feet before halting him again. He squealed, then pissed himself again. Grimacing, I waved away his mess. ¡°Come on, man. Show some backbone. You talked a big game earlier. Now you¡¯re whimpering like a beat puppy and wetting yourself like a four year old. Wait, I take that back. I have a four year old and she hasn¡¯t had any accidents lately.¡±

    He alternated between staring at me and the ground so far below him, whimpering.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I got a bit off topic there for a second. We want to talk before you pass out, right? So, where is everyone? Technically I could pull it from your mind, but I haven¡¯t had the centuries of practice that my wives had and I might completely wipe it. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that, and I know I certainly don¡¯t, so save us both the time and the effort, why don¡¯t ya?¡± He was still frozen in fear, so I slowly started to rotate him until he was upside down. This had the desired effect of sparking some life in his eyes.

    ¡°A-a-a-alright!¡± he gasped out. Smiling, I righted him, then placed a bubble of warm air around him, allowing him to breathe normally. After taking a couple deep breaths, he spoke. ¡°They left after the first reports came in about the bombings. They abandoned me and my call. They didn¡¯t have the faith I thought they did.¡±

    ¡°Still talking like that after the last few minutes? You do understand your position here, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I am her most faithful! I will do what I must to ensure her place!¡±

    ¡°She never asked for your worship, you know? She wasn¡¯t even a goddess when you started your little cult. How do you justify any of this without ever knowing anything about her?¡±

    ¡°She tried to rescue the astronauts after the Event! She made the effort when none of the other gods would! They just let millions die! She alone took action!¡±

    ¡°She did that at my request! I asked her to do that!¡± I decided that telling him that she blamed herself for not stopping the Event would probably be a bad idea. I felt certain that it would only compound his zealotry. ¡°Listen, I never had any issue with you guys worshipping her. I don¡¯t have any issue with anyone worshipping whoever they want. It¡¯s not uncommon for a lot of my followers to retain their original beliefs as well, as contradictory as that may be. I only ask that people be cool to one another and that whatever they do, they do it to the best of their ability. I want to light a fire in them that helps them be better than they were yesterday. It¡¯s a religion of practicality. When they combine that with their faith based beliefs, people have found a way to surpass their old limitations. But you¡­¡± I floated him over to me until we were nearly nose to nose.

    ¡°You, in your selfishness, have deprived so many people of seeing tomorrow. You¡¯ve openly attacked me and my followers. You¡¯ve even managed to piss off the very goddess you claim to worship.¡± The color drained from his face. ¡°Be thankful my daughter found you first. If my wife had, your so called ¡®Raven Angel,¡¯ it¡¯s very likely there wouldn¡¯t have been enough left of you to identify. Pregnant women have little time for fools.¡±

    I snapped my fingers taking us to hover over the various sites that he¡¯d had attacked, allowing him to take in the results of his actions. My buildings were unscathed, and the wounded had already been healed by Persia at each of the sites, but the bodies were still being accounted for. He turned green, clearly not expecting the carnage. Limbs and blood dotted the various detonation sites.

    ¡°This is what you¡¯ve wrought,¡± I said, before returning us to the farmhouse. I dropped him into his seat and released my hold on him. ¡°Suicide bombers,¡± I muttered, shaking my head. ¡°Just what the hell did you promise them that they¡¯d willingly blow themselves up like that?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter? What¡¯s done is done.¡± He threw his hands up.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess. I¡¯m sure you said something about it being the ultimate act of faith and that the Raven Angel would reward them in the afterlife or some such bullshit, right?¡± He pointedly avoided eye contact with me, confirming my suspicions. ¡°I do have one question though. If that¡¯s supposed to be the ultimate act of faith, how come you¡¯re still here? You¡¯ve repeatedly stated how you¡¯re her most faithful follower. Shouldn¡¯t you have been the first to strap on a vest?¡±

    He gaped.

    ¡°Come on now. Don¡¯t go all hypocritical on me now. It¡¯s one way or the other.¡± Snapping my fingers, a vest appeared on him, the button sitting in his hand. ¡°Well, here¡¯s your chance to prove your faith. It¡¯s just you and me here. You¡¯re strapped up with explosives. I¡¯m the guy you¡¯ve got an issue with. Go ahead, push the button.¡±

    He looked down and stared at the device strapped to him, then at the little red button in his hand. He dropped it, letting it dangle at his side as he broke down and cried. I nodded at his reaction.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Another fucking coward hiding behind made up doctrine to exert control over others. So big on using suicide bombers, but too much of a bitch to strap one on yourself. I hate people like you the most. Come on, you pathetic hypocrite. I¡¯m sure there are some guys at the Hoover Building that would be very interested in speaking to you right about now.¡± I grabbed him by the back of his coat between the stupid looking wings he still wore and made the vest disappear, then together we vanished from the small farm house in Nebraska, bound for Washington D.C.

 A Message from the Author

    Greetings!

    First of all, I''d like to issue an apology to those waiting for a new chapter. I know it''s been a couple months since I last uploaded anything, and I know some of you have been waiting for the continuation, some less patiently than others, if my inbox is to be believed.

    After two months, I''m forced to admit that I''ve hit a roadblock. Writer''s block. A complete lack of ideas. Not that I ever really had any when I started this, but the well seems to be temporarily dry. I never really had a plan for the story as far as arcs go, or an end game I was trying to reach. I just sat down in front of my computer with my headset drowning out the world with a playlist and typed. Often times I was just as surprised as you at what appeared on the screen.

    Since Novemeber, however, nothing happens. I sit down, I start to type, but what I read back doesn''t feel right. It feels forced. It doesn''t have the kind of flow that I look for in a story. Maybe I moved too fast with the characters. Maybe I made John too OP for a convincing narrative. Maybe I added too many wives too fast. I just don''t know. What I do know is that forcing myself to pump out a story will drastically reduce the quality I expect in myself (although some reviews would argue I already have. </img> lol). So with that, for now I''m going to officially put the story of John on hiatus. I do have other ideas bouncing around in my head, however, and hope to be back with more worlds for you to explore. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I know it seems odd to come back from hiatus just to tell you I''m on hiatus, but I felt you at least deserved an explanation. Yes, there''s always work popping up, and family things, and other issues that prevent stories from finishing, but in the end, I just ran out of ideas. I do hope you forgive me, and also hope to see you enjoy any further work I may put out there. I promise to have a better plan in the future.

    Thank you for your encouragement throughout this process. It really opened my eyes to the joy of writing.

    MZ

 Twenty Nine: Live Interview

    ¡°For the last time, Miss Carlisle, I¡¯m omnipotent, not omniscient. While I wield a tremendous amount of power, I¡¯m unable to tell the future. I had just as much warning about those attacks as you did.¡± Doing my best to maintain a calm expression, I waited for the journalist to ask her next question. I hated doing interviews, which is why I did my best to avoid doing them whenever I got the chance. Unfortunately, the attacks last month forced this upon me. People were demanding answers, and the news, in their frustrating way, were making them up on their own. I use the term ¡°news¡± there lightly. It¡¯s less news these days and more people in suits offering opinions as facts with nothing backing their claims except indignant self-righteousness.

    ¡°Yes, as you¡¯ve said three times already,¡± Rebecca Carlisle responded. She leaned forward on the desk separating us, obviously playing it up for the cameras surrounding us. ¡°But we still don¡¯t understand. If you¡¯re so powerful, then why couldn¡¯t you stop the attacks? Hundreds of people died at your churches around the world.¡±

    I tossed my hands up in frustration. How many different ways could she pose the same damn question!? I snapped a finger, causing a dictionary to appear about six inches above the desktop, letting gravity carry it down to land with a loud thud. The woman jerked back in surprise, then looked up at me.

    ¡°Wha¡­?¡±

    ¡°You seem to be having issues with your language comprehension. When you get the chance, look up the differences between omnipotent and omniscience. I¡¯ll give you and all your viewers back home the short version: all powerful and all knowing. I¡¯m the first. You reporters think you¡¯re the second.¡±

    Unable to rally a response, she just gaped at me. I continued pressing her and, by proxy, every other talking head that thought they knew what I was thinking.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching the coverage of what happened. More importantly, I¡¯ve been watching what you reporters, journalists, and ¡®experts,¡¯¡± I threw up some air quotes for experts, ¡°have been saying about me. The gist of it all seems to be that I somehow wanted this to happen for whatever reason. Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°Of course you are!¡± she responded hysterically. ¡°We¡¯re just trying to get answers! Our viewers want to know why this happened.¡±

    ¡°You know why this happened. The perpetrator himself released a video saying why right after he did it. Jones is so terrified of getting the death penalty that he¡¯s spilling everything to the FBI and Interpol in the hopes of getting some sort of plea deal. 37 different countries want a piece of him because at least one of their citizens was killed in the attacks. He¡¯s given us the names of each of the bombers, his connections around the world that he used to coordinate the attacks, and where he got the explosives from. Hell, he¡¯s even given us the names of the people in his organization that knew nothing about the attacks so that they¡¯ll be shown some leniency. And yet here you sit, on live tv, demanding to know why this happened from me.¡± I leaned forward and looked her in the eye. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you why I think this happened. It¡¯s because humans in general are selfish creatures.¡±

    A very puzzled look crossed her face. ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡±

    ¡°Everything, Miss Carlisle,¡± I said, sitting back in my uncomfortable chair and crossing my arms. ¡°Walter Jones wanted something. Wanted it so bad that other people didn¡¯t matter to him. What he wanted wasn¡¯t going to happen though. So, he tried to bully his way to making it happen. He somehow got it in his head that if he killed enough people or caused enough chaos, I would do what he wanted. Clearly, he forgot the lessons that world leaders were forced to learn when I first revealed myself. If I wouldn¡¯t bow down to their shenanigans, why would I do it for some clown in a cheap suit and plastic fairy wings?¡±

    ¡°So there was nothing that you could¡¯ve done?¡± she asked tentatively. ¡°Not even bring back the dead?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. For all the power I have, that¡¯s one of two things I can¡¯t control. If someone still has a chance at life, the weakest pulse, some neurons still firing away in the brain, anything that a doctor may place hope in, I can save them. Once that last spark leaves their body, however, there¡¯s nothing I can do. I was able to put the bodies back together for their family and friends to say goodbye to, but that was the most I could do for them. I admit that even I don¡¯t know what happens once that indefinable spark of life leaves the body. I¡¯m honestly not sure if I¡¯ll ever experience it myself. Maybe one day, at the end of Everything, but who knows?¡± I shrugged. ¡°If Texas couldn¡¯t do it to me, though, I don¡¯t know what would.¡±

    The blond reporter suddenly sat bolt upright in her chair, eyes about to fall out of her head as she stared at me. The studio we were in went dead silent for a second, then exploded into a beehive of activity.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Did you say Texas? Were you involved in what happened in Texas?¡± she asked softly. So softly I¡¯m not even sure her mic picked it up.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shit! I thought as I leaned forward and buried my face in my hands. Somehow, I just knew at that very moment that around the world and orbiting the planet a bunch of women were also burying their faces in their hands while five kids stared at them in confusion, the sixth only being a couple months old and not caring about anything beyond feeding and sleeping.

    Not your brightest moment, dear, Persia¡¯s voice floated through my head.

    He¡¯s a goddamned idiot is what he is, Rhia responded. I thought we were going to wait until the kids were older.

    What¡¯s done is done, offered Ephine. May as well move up your schedule. Your world could use a miracle right now after this mess anyway.

    You know they¡¯re definitely going to blame me for this, right? I reminded them. Millions died during The Event, remember? Can¡¯t exactly sweep that under the rug.

    You¡¯ll do fine, dear. Either be completely open or bend the truth a bit. It¡¯ll work out in the end. I have faith in you. My personal Goddess of Compassion strikes again, causing me to smile a little behind my hands.

    ¡°Um, Mr. Zekken?¡± Rebecca leaned in a bit. ¡°Texas?¡±

    I sighed and dropped my hands, meeting her eyes. I decided bending the truth just a bit wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. If I told her everything that happened there would undoubtedly be riots. Sometimes not knowing everything was better in the long run for everyone.

    ¡°Yes, I was in Texas during the Event. No, I didn¡¯t see what caused it, nor did I cause it myself.¡± Not a word of that was a lie, too. Let¡¯s just leave out the fact that I was the reason for it though. ¡°Why was I in Texas, you may ask.¡± Carlisle nodded. ¡°I was living among you. The best way to figure out how to guide a society is to see it from within, right? That¡¯s what I was doing. I was living in an apartment in Central Texas working in fast food. I played video games. I watched tv. I had a dog. Paid my taxes. Voted in elections. The whole American dream. Then one morning I woke up and everything was gone. My apartment, the clothes I was sleeping in, everything as far as the eye could see. Just gone. It was then that I decided to return to the moon and try to figure out what happened.¡±

    ¡°There was nothing else you could¡¯ve done?¡± she asked. Grabbing a tablet, she scrolled through what looked like notes she had prepared. ¡°It was six months after the Event that you revealed yourself at the Vatican. What were you doing all that time?¡±

    Working his way through his staff of maids, Rhia thought, a hint of amusement in her mental voice.

    ¡°Investigating,¡± I answered, ignoring the external thoughts floating through my head.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And, it is my belief that whoever or whatever caused the Event perished in the process.¡± Definitely not a lie. Rhia was quite clear about Inton¡¯s intentions and he knew full well that his act would kill him. Now, time to shift the blame elsewhere while setting the stage for the next set of issues Ephine warned me about. ¡°While I can¡¯t be certain of the exact source, I believe the event was caused by an off planet entity.¡±

    The hectic activity in the studio once again ground to a halt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Carlisle said, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Perhaps I misheard you. Are you saying aliens did that?¡±

    I nodded somberly. ¡°To put it simply: yes. I believe an alien, for whatever reason, be it intentional or accidental, wiped Texas off the face of the Earth.¡±

    ¡°And you know aliens exist¡­ how?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Because five of my wives are aliens.¡±

    ¡°Whoa! Hold on now!¡± She held her arms out and sat back in her much more comfortable looking chair. ¡°Okay, this interview is not going at all like I planned. Let¡¯s recap the breaking news for the viewers back home.¡± She began ticking off points with her fingers. ¡°One: You¡¯ve been on Earth far longer than you¡¯ve let on, living among us like an everyday ordinary human. Two: You were in Texas during the Event and was its sole survivor.¡±

    ¡°Actually, my dog survived as well. She was sleeping on the bed next to me and my body blocked the blast. She¡¯s running around on the moon as we speak. Sorry, Genesis, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she drew out, then continued on. ¡°Three: You think aliens were responsible for the Event, and you know aliens exist because Four: you¡¯re married to five of them. Did I miss anything?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve got it pretty well summed up.¡±

    She leaned forward again, a glare forming in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Zekken, do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±

    *

    ¡°Hahahahahaha! Serves him right! Bloody idiot!¡± Rhia roared with laughter and threw popcorn at the screen as she watched John stare openmouthed at the reporter. The interview had gone off the rails spectacularly and watching her normally charismatic and witty husband flounder on live TV was just too funny to her.

    Aisha and Angela shared a confused look, then shifted their attention to Persia, who just sighed before explaining how life on Earth worked.

    ¡°Ok, where to begin? Humans, to their knowledge, have never met anyone from another planet. They¡¯re not even sure they exist. That¡¯s because until recently most races avoided Earth.¡±

    Angela furrowed her brow. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with Earth?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the planet, sweetheart. It¡¯s the people. Humans are surprisingly xenophobic, which is odd, considering they don¡¯t believe in aliens.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°But if they¡¯ve never met them, how do you know humans fear them?¡± asked Aisha.

    ¡°You watch those sci-fi shows and movies with Daddy, right?¡± Rhia said around a mouthful of popcorn. Persia raised an eyebrow at the normally dignified woman but said nothing. She was clearly enjoying herself, even if it was at their husband¡¯s expense, and Persia wasn¡¯t going to get in the way of that. The twins nodded at Rhia¡¯s questions. ¡°Have you noticed who the bad guys are in most of them? Aliens. They¡¯re always attacking Earth for one reason or another. Usually water, which is stupid. Any race that can develop space flight to the extent of reaching this backwater planet wouldn¡¯t need to invade it in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Persia picked up, ¡°it¡¯s mostly a fear of the unknown. Quite a large number of societies and religions on the planet are built around the idea that everything was created for them. While most acknowledge that Earth is not the center of everything, the closest they¡¯ve come to an intellectual equal on the planet would be the dolphins, and they train them to jump through hoops. Should a species arrive from across the stars, a lot of those beliefs would be tossed out the window, and people who have built their lives around those beliefs wouldn¡¯t know what to do with themselves. So, it¡¯s easier to pretend the possibility doesn¡¯t exist than to accept what he just told the world.¡±

    ¡°To be fair,¡± offered Ephine from where she was sitting with Uther, ¡°we weren¡¯t exactly planning to tell the world this for a long time. Your father just messed up a little. I¡¯ve seen something like this happen before on many worlds. Earth will be fine, it¡¯s just going to be hectic for a while.¡±

    ¡°Just wait until those ships you told us about show up. Everything Persia said about life being turned upside down may actually come to pass.¡± Rhia adjust herself on the couch, silently cursing John in her head for doing this to her (the fact that she begged for a baby was not a memory that crossed her mind). ¡°The humans seem fine to accept myself, Persia here, and Anai because we¡¯ve performed what they see as miracles where they could see. So, they chalk it up to the divine. In truth, John and Aunt Ephine are the only true members of Divinity in this solar system.¡±

    Angela and Aisha shared another look. Anai¡¯s declaration of divine punishment against Walter Jones had been broadcast to the entire world, which had caused a large number of people to create faiths surrounding her. She¡¯d accidently added herself to her father¡¯s pantheon alongside her mothers. While no one knew her name, an upswell of small temples and shrines were going up worldwide for the Angel Catgirl of Justice. Anai was embarrassed, but both Angela and Aisha were amused to learn that there had been a surge of angel/catgirl manga in the last month in Japan.

    ¡°Okay, I think I get it,¡± said Angela. ¡°I¡¯ve read stuff about that. What about him being married to you though? I know there are some places where people can be married to a bunch of others. Why would that upset her?¡±

    Persia glanced at Rhia, but it was Su who spoke up, having entered the media room during Persia¡¯s lecture.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s viewed as the height of selfishness for some, and an affront to the religion of others.¡± All heads turned towards the head maid. If anyone knew about the development of human society, it would be the woman who¡¯s seen it from the beginning. ¡°You¡¯ve read the story of Adam and Eve, right?¡±

    Angela nodded while Aisha shook her head. ¡°But I saw something in a TV series about it once,¡± the little cat girl offered. Su smiled and nodded.

    ¡°A lot of people use that story to justify what they believe to be the only true form of love there is, which is hogwash if you ask me. Besides, if anyone has the claim to being Eve, it would be me.¡± She smiled brightly. Rhia scoffed.

    ¡°Everyone that knows you knows you¡¯re more of a Lilith, dear.¡±

    ¡°Only at night, Mistress Rhia, as you know well.¡± That pulled a blush from the other woman. ¡°Anyway, back to the point. Because of those beliefs, anyone that takes more than one spouse is looked down upon. As far as this twit in particular goes,¡± she gestured at the woman still berating John, ¡°I don¡¯t think any of that has to do with her attitude. I¡¯ve seen some of her stuff before. She likes to think she speaks for all women, and any women that disagree with her are obviously brainwashed by the patriarchy. All nine of us wives could show up on her doorstep, tell her our actual feelings for John, and she¡¯d still find some way to blame him for it while assuring us that she knows what we really want.¡±

    Ephine perked up listening to Su¡¯s description of Rebecca Carlisle. ¡°Oh? Those are my favorite type of people! Persia, would you care to take a quick trip with me to save our dear husband?¡±

    Rhia¡¯s eyes went wide as she stared between the two women. ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t go. Not in your condition. You¡¯re about to pop, remember?¡±

    ¡°How could I forget?¡± grumbled Rhia. ¡°But is this wise? You¡¯ll be revealing yourself to an entire planet that still hasn¡¯t completely accepted John for what he is. Last month proved that, and they don¡¯t even know he¡¯s just a regional god. You¡¯re the Galactic Goddess!¡±

    Ephine shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have to tell them that, right? All they¡¯re going to see is a ten foot tall black woman with yellow hair.¡±

    ¡°And a blue woman with red hair,¡± Su interjected. Glancing at the raised eyebrows around the room, even from the children, she shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I visited Earth in my natural form. I want to see how this plays out with my own eyes. Also, even though I¡¯m actually a human, the first one in fact, I¡¯m different enough to lend credence to his claim about aliens. For him, I¡¯ll play any role he wants.¡±

    Persia rolled her eyes at Su¡¯s insinuation but stood up to join her. ¡°Fine. If we¡¯re doing this, then let¡¯s not waste a moment. I sense John is about to say something stupid again.¡± Looking at the TV, it was obvious John was only moments away from losing it at the tongue lashing he was receiving.

    *

    I was seriously starting to regret ever agreeing to this interview. It had gone so far off the rails it may as well be in orbit at this point. Yes, I¡¯ve seen a lot in the last 17 years since I woke up in what used to be Texas, but this went way beyond any tongue lashing Rhia had ever given me for horsing around while she was trying to teach me how to be a god. I hoped this interview was on a delay, because some of the words coming out of her mouth were definitely not safe for work. She really is a special brand of stupid, really. I tell her Texas was destroyed by an alien and what does she focus on? My wives. Ugh.

    ¡°And of course the great and powerful Zekken would turn out to be just another womanizer in power!¡±

    Yep, she was still going on. Can¡¯t really argue that point though. I¡¯m definitely a man in power, and I do love women. Of course, there¡¯s a vast difference between being some jackass that just sleeps around with any woman that crosses his path and actually having a consensual relationship with multiple women who all chose to enter it of their own free will.

    ¡°You seem to think you know what¡¯s best for us, don¡¯t you?¡± a familiar voice sounded from over my shoulder. My eyes widened in shock. There¡¯s no way she just revealed herself to the world, is there? Judging by the look that crossed Rebecca Carlisle¡¯s face, I¡¯d have to say yes. Yes, there was indeed a ten foot tall woman standing behind me.

    ¡°Humans are so cute when they¡¯re being self-righteous, aren¡¯t they?¡± came Su¡¯s voice.

    Hey now, you¡¯re human too, you know, I thought.

    ¡°Miss Carlisle, a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Y-you¡¯re the angel! The one who healed everyone after the attacks!¡±

    I glanced back to see the three women standing side by side behind me, none of them making any attempt to hide their vastly different appearances. Persia was even sporting her wings, ears, and tail. She gave Carlisle a quick curtsy.

    ¡°I helped as much as I could. I¡¯m only sad that I couldn¡¯t do more.¡± She took a step forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m also Zekken¡¯s wife. You may call me Persia.¡±

    ¡°And you two?¡±

    ¡°My name is unpronounceable to any tongue on Earth, but you may call me Su. I am also his wife.¡± She smiled brightly at the reporter.

    ¡°And you may call me Ephine. Like these ladies here, I am also his wife. Like him, I am a divine being. A goddess.¡±

    ¡°A goddess? You expect me to believe that?¡±

    Ephine quirked an eyebrow at the much smaller woman. ¡°You doubt me, Rebecca Marie Carlisle? Daughter of Mary Carlisle and Brandon Jarvis?¡±

    ¡°Uncle Brandon? I think you¡¯re confused, lady,¡± Carlisle responded, clearly agitated.

    Ephine shrugged, then sat down in a chair next to me. A luxurious looking chair that wasn¡¯t there a second ago. ¡°Perhaps. I imagine you¡¯ll be getting a call from your mother once we¡¯re off the air.¡±

    Persia also willed a couple of chairs for herself and Su into existence and sat down next to me. ¡°Now, Miss Carlisle. We understand you have some objections to our husband and things he¡¯s told you. Can we help shed any light on the matter?¡±

    The woman looked past the cameras to the shadows beyond, but it was easy enough for all of us to see someone giving her a keep going signal. It was understandable. It¡¯s not every day you have this kind of lineup at your desk, right? While them showing up was a complete surprise to me, having them here greatly relaxed me. Leave it to the cavalry to show up just in time.

    ¡°Um, yes¡­¡± she said hesitantly, glancing at the intimidating presence of Ephine, who smiled sweetly at her. ¡°Um, he said something about aliens¡­¡±

    The three women nodded, but said nothing. It was difficult for Carlisle to put together any argument against their existence when three very different looking women were arrayed in front of her. Three women who only resembled human women in their basic anatomical structure.

    ¡°And, um, multiple wives¡­¡±

    Again, they just nodded without saying anything. They¡¯d already declared that each of them were my wives, and they¡¯d done so quite sweetly without giving any evidence that it was something they had issues with. I had a feeling that if it were standard, run of the mill human women, Carlisle would¡¯ve launched into her tirade about the evils of men or some such nonsense, but faced with these three, she was at a loss.

    ¡°What seems to be the matter, dear?¡± Su asked. ¡°You seemed so energetic a few moments ago while you were yelling at him for having a completely consensual polygynous relationship with us.¡±

    ¡°Polygynous? Did you mean polygamous?¡±

    ¡°My dear, don¡¯t correct my Latin. I¡¯m one of the very few people, if not the only one, who speaks it fluently. You can look it up later, but I guess today you would call it a harem? Although that¡¯s not strictly accurate either, since that¡¯s a secluded part of a household that a man keeps his wives and concubines. But I guess words change over time. Anyway, yes, we three, and six others, are married to this man. Of our own volition. If anything, Earth is the weird planet for being so prudish about love.¡±

    ¡°Prudish!?¡± Carlisle suddenly erupted. ¡°What¡¯s so prudish about wanting a stable environment to raise children in? One man and one woman! That¡¯s what it says in the scriptures! That¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be! It¡¯s in the Ten Commandments!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Which one?¡± asked Ephine.

    ¡°Though shalt not commit adultery!¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re all married, so that doesn¡¯t count.¡±

    ¡°Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor¡¯s wife!¡±

    ¡°Again, we¡¯re all married. No neighbors in our area either.¡± Ephine smiled.

    ¡°Look,¡± I said, trying to steer this back to something constructive. ¡°You¡¯ve got three divine beings sitting in front of you that can testify that those commandments, while helpful as a moral guide, were not handed down by a god, but written by humans. I¡¯m particularly fond of most of them. If you¡¯re going to follow any rules, those are good ones. Never really had time for the first three, although having a guaranteed day off is always nice, but the remaining seven are outstanding rules to live by. Just don¡¯t try and use human rules or commandments to tell a god how he should live and love, okay?¡±

    Carlisle was well and truly flummoxed by now. I almost felt bad for her as she stared at us, mouthing working like a fish out of water.

    ¡°Miss Carlisle,¡± Persia leaned forward and rested her arms on the desk. ¡°I have no doubt you once believed you were working for the betterment of women, and I find that admirable. There are still so many places in the galaxy where gender equality is a pipe dream. But you cannot confuse equality for hatred of men. Jo-Zekken,¡± she quickly covered up the slip she almost made saying my real name, ¡°is indeed a man with a lot of power, but in all the years you¡¯ve seen him working tirelessly around the world to help humans see a brighter day, have you ever seen him treat anyone as less than him? Man, woman, adult, child, gay straight, black, white, large, small? Any of them? I have personally known this man for a long time, and the only times I¡¯ve seen him get truly angry is when someone was oppressing someone else.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t strictly accurate, but there was no need to open up old wounds, and I did get an adorable set of twins out of the deal. She must have been reading my thoughts, because Persia reached over and took my hand and smiled at me while still talking to Carlisle.

    ¡°We all love him deeply. We love each other as sisters we couldn¡¯t have found anywhere else. How we choose to love and live our personal lives, quite frankly, is no business of yours, and you are not someone who can judge us for it. We will be happy to answer any questions about life off of Earth that you may have, but when it comes to sticking your nose into our family¡¯s business, that¡¯s completely off limits!¡±

    Even Ephine raised her eyebrows in mild shock. She named Persia the Goddess of Compassion for a reason, so to see her aggressively bark at the reporter like was a surprise to all of us.

    ¡°Um, uh, right,¡± Rebecca Carlisle stammered out. ¡°Let¡¯s do that then. Right. Aliens. Um¡­ let¡¯s take a short commercial break and continue after that.¡± She stared at the shadows, her eyes boring holes through him, willing him to send us to commercial. As soon as the On Air sign dimmed and someone announced we were in a commercial, she bolted from the desk and disappeared through a side door.

    ¡°Bathroom break, you think?¡± Su asked softly.

    I shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but I doubt it.¡±

    Sure enough, a couple minutes later a young man in a suit slid into her seat and turned to face the camera just as we came back from commercial. The interview fascinated audiences around the world as the girls told what they knew of the galaxy, Su making up complete bullshit on her part since she was from Earth and Ephine being a little too vague about what she knew, so Persia filled in the rest. We later learned Rebecca Carlisle quit the network when she bolted from the studio. She never worked a live broadcast ever again.

 Chapter 30: Freedom

    Kazuko Saito-McCarthy, stage name Sara, watched the news from her dressing room. They were covering the handful of protests that popped up after John¡¯s interview the week before. Even ten years earlier the response to his statements about the Ten Commandments and aliens existing would¡¯ve turned the world into a powder keg ready to blow, but while the mainstream religions were still dominant on the planet, people these days were a bit more open minded about what they might not know. After all, they¡¯d been watching him perform miracles for nearly two decades now. Compared to things that had previously been expected to be taken on faith, his actions were all over the internet for the world to see and analyze.

    She sighed and tossed her phone on to the counter in front of her. Naturally, one of those handful of protests had to be outside her concert. Her fans and fellow followers of Zekken easily outnumbered the protestors, and most were filing into the stadium without any issues, but that hadn¡¯t stopped some roughhousing from going on. Neither side was completely innocent of starting the small fights that erupted either. It was to be expected when someone insulted what you passionately held dear, but it ironically went against what both sides¡¯ preferred religion taught. She glanced at her phone, debating if she should make a call to someone to assist. She knew if she called John he¡¯d be down in an instant, ready to help her however she needed, but she hesitated. She was his oracle. His way of delivering his message to the world through her. What kind of oracle would she be if she had to run to him for help every time something went wrong?

    Making a snap decision, she stood up suddenly, scaring the hell out of the woman doing her hair. Apologizing to her absentmindedly, Kazuko walked over to a beat up guitar case sitting in the corner and popped it open, revealing a gorgeous Fender Dreadnaught. It was far larger than one would expect someone as petit as her to play, but she loved it. It had been a wedding present from John a few years before, and she knew he¡¯d picked a huge guitar on purpose, practical joker that he was. She¡¯d surprised him though by effortlessly handling it, tuning it to perfection by ear within seconds and playing a softer version of one of his favorite anime themes. She never told him that she was used to large guitars like this because she¡¯d learned to play with her father¡¯s guitar, an older version of the dreadnaught that she still kept hanging on her wall.

    ¡°And just where do you think you¡¯re going, Mrs. McCarthy?¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Saito-McCarthy, Mr. McCarthy,¡± she said with a grin as she turned to face her husband. Slinging the guitar across her back, she stepped towards him and planted a kiss on his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s been five years, Billy. You might as well give up. My family name is as important to me as that pen is to you.¡± She tapped the blue and black pen sticking out of the breast pocket of his coat. ¡°Both remind us where we came from. Without them, who knows where we¡¯d be.¡±

    Billy fingered the pen thoughtfully as he stared down at his wife. He¡¯d probably be dead, if he was being honest with himself. If he hadn¡¯t run into someone larger than life in an alley that fateful day, he probably would¡¯ve gone down a path that ended abruptly. Instead he took Zekken¡¯s words to heart and dedicated himself to writing. But creating worlds wasn¡¯t what he wanted to do. There was too much going on in the one he currently occupied, and he wanted to share it with everyone. He dedicated the remainder of his education to writing and journalism.

    He graduated from college with honors with a degree in journalism, then became a freelance writer covering Zekken and his influence round the world almost exclusively. His miracles, his mistakes, his childish antics, and his moments of complete sincerity. He became one of Zekken¡¯s most devoted followers, in his mind at least, but that didn¡¯t stop him from criticizing him when he felt it was needed. Making sure to separate facts from opinions, he rapidly made a name for himself as someone to be trusted when reporting. No spinning the story. No hidden agendas. He always laid out the facts exactly as they happened before stressing that his opinion was his alone. His trustworthiness soon netted him an exclusive interview with one of the world¡¯s top musicians, which eventually netted him an exclusive place in her heart.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he conceded. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question though.¡± He whipped out his pen and his notebook. ¡°Where might the pop idol and Oracle of Zekken Sara be going with her prized guitar an hour before her scheduled performance?¡±

    She smiled, then straightened up. ¡°Well, Mr. Reporter, sir, I am going to put on a surprise performance for the crowd waiting outside. Tensions are running high out there, and I want to try to calm everyone down.¡±

    Billy scribbled some notes down as she spoke. ¡°Mmhmm. And are you doing this because it¡¯s what Zekken would want you to do?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m doing this because it¡¯s something I want to do. We Oracles are charged with spreading his desires for a better world, it¡¯s true, but not everything we do is because of him. We have our own desires. We have our own hopes and dreams for the world. If those happen to line up with his, so much the better. What he said a week ago was controversial, and probably wasn¡¯t delivered like he wanted it to be, but it¡¯s not the first time he¡¯s put his foot in his mouth like that and we both know it won¡¯t be the last. Just like he¡¯s helping the world be better, it¡¯s our job to help him be better.¡±

    ¡°By ¡®our job¡¯ you mean the Oracles?¡± Billy asked.

    Kazuko shook her head. ¡°No. I mean everyone. All of us. People don¡¯t understand that he wants that help and criticism. He encourages differing views, because looking at things from all sides, not just the sides we agree with, is what sparks change. Proper discourse is needed, and for that people need to be calm and rational minded. What¡¯s happening outside is spiraling out of control, and someone is going to get seriously hurt before long. Their passions are overriding their common sense. I¡¯d like to attempt to calm that down.¡±

    Putting his pen and pad away, Billy switched from reporter to husband. ¡°But is it ok for you to go out there? Someone may try something you know.¡±

    She smiled and patted his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m an Oracle you know. Everyone out there knows it as well. If anything were to happen to me, they would face a literal god¡¯s fury. If it would make you feel better, however, you can accompany me, dear. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d also get some good footage for a story later on.¡± Giving him a quick kiss, she stepped around him and left the dressing room. Sharing an exasperated look with the hairdresser moping in a nearby chair, Billy turned and followed his wife out.

    *

    ¡°She really is something, isn¡¯t she,¡± Aura said, watching the screen in her room. On it was a god¡¯s eye view of Sara¡¯s impromptu acoustic session in front of the stadium she was due to perform at. She stared in awe at the way the silver haired Japanese woman soothed the anger that had been bubbling up between the protestors and her fans. She closed her eyes and listened to the songstress¡¯ voice float through the air like a warm spring breeze. ¡°The freedom you give your Oracles has always astounded me.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I said. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°You remember how I was when we met for the first time. Bundled up in robes and forbidden from any kind of intimacy, friendly or otherwise, save for Drake, who raised me.¡±

    I nodded, remembering the bundle of fabric seated in that lonely room.

    ¡°To Kamiki, we were her messengers, as yours are to you. However, she wanted us to be regarded as above everyone else, below only her. She placed us on pedestals and forced everyone to regard us as extensions of herself. Untouchable, unapproachable, to be held in the highest regard, and never to be considered mortal. She placed so many restrictions on us that any joy we might have found in spreading our goddess¡¯ word was lost in loneliness and despair.¡± She gestured at the screen, then rested her hand on her belly again. ¡°Your Oracles don¡¯t have such restrictions. They¡¯re free to meet people, make friends, get married, have children. You even took one as a wife. Look at her face, John. She genuinely loves you and the hope you¡¯re bringing to the world. I never imagined such freedom existed for Oracles.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how other gods and goddesses do their business. I¡¯m just making things up as I go. A lot of my leadership style comes from what I learned in the Army. What to do and, more importantly, what not to do. I learned a long time ago that if you wanted something completed there¡¯s no need to tell them how to do it. Just tell them your end goal and why it needs to be done and they¡¯ll figure out the rest. Unlike a lot of the guys I worked with, I never considered ¡®why¡¯ a dirty word, and ¡®because I said so¡¯ was forbidden in my vocabulary. It wasn¡¯t a hundred percent effective, but it worked more times than it didn¡¯t. Leadership through trust will garner more results than through fear and intimidation.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    She chuckled. ¡°I imagine if Kamiki had utilized such means the galaxy would be hers.¡±

    ¡°And I imagine Ephine would have something particular to say about that.¡±

    Damn right I would! came the mental response.

    Weren¡¯t you going to check on those incoming ships? I asked.

    I¡¯m going, I just heard you two talking about something interesting and wanted to eavesdrop.

    Well, at least you¡¯re honest about it. Now hurry on up. We¡¯ve got that thing in a couple days and I¡¯m gonna look stupid if you miss it.

    *

    Ephine chuckled to herself. Even if she were halfway across the galaxy she could be there with a thought. As much as she loved the little human, she had to remember that his world view, so to speak, was still decidedly narrow. He¡¯s come a long way since she first started watching him, and even further since she started subtly tutoring him. An idea here, a suggestion there. She had very high hopes for him and humanity as a whole because of him and was intensely curious as to where he¡¯d take them.

    When she¡¯d first decided to intertwine her life with his, she¡¯d made an agreement with him to not interfere with how he developed his world. In truth she never had any intention of interfering. It had just been a long time since she¡¯d seen such a young and energetic god. Most that she¡¯d been observing were long passed the age of being bored and hardly paid any attention to their flock, exceptions like Kamiki notwithstanding, of course. She knew that particular upstart had eyes on Ephine¡¯s position, but it would never happen unless she allowed it. Ephine didn¡¯t rise to the rank of galactic goddess. She¡¯s always been one. It¡¯s just the way of the universe. Well, this one at least. She couldn¡¯t speak to other universes, as most that cross that barrier rarely come back. She was aware of one or two that crossed taking peeks back into this universe somehow, but since they hadn¡¯t attempted anything beyond checking on their old domains, she mostly ignored it. Mostly. Someone was peeking at Earth on occasion, and that was something she was curious about.

    Of course, she had more pressing concerns at the moment. Ephine was currently in her incorporeal form. She was both nowhere and everywhere in the galaxy at once. In truth, this is how she preferred to be. She felt cramped when she used her body. Confined would probably be a better word to describe it, actually. Yes, she greatly enjoyed the physical time with her son and most especially John, but nothing felt more relaxing than spreading herself out over the Milky Way. In this form she could see everything at once. From the smallest parasitic creature hitching a ride on an oblivious Cheaqnor at the furthest reaches of the galaxy to the private bed chambers of the leaders of the largest empires. Every god, lesser god, demigod, and regular lifelorm. A colony of Antarian gnats that no one knew was sentient was plotting an invasion of a nearby Gelgin settlement near the galactic core. Ephine figuratively shook her head. Just because a species was sentient didn¡¯t mean they were intelligent. She doubted very much that the Gelgins would even view the gnats as anything more than a seasonal irritation easily defeated by wearing long sleeves and pants.

    Oh, that¡¯s interesting, she thought, her attention drawn towards the Agneles region. Apparently Scorben Na¡¯onn just discovered that his daughter married a lowly human. His first wife was currently attempting to talk him out of launching a fleet. Wonder how they learned that so fast. Oh, that¡¯s a Junaian subspace ship. Kamiki tattled and spared no expense at that. Had to have cost her most of the ship¡¯s crew to travel that far that fast. What a truly irritating goddess. Ah well. Won¡¯t be a problem for another hundred years at the least.

    She shifted her primary focus around again, this time focusing on the ships heading for Earth. Two Yazari ships. Spiritual herbivores that have been wary of Kamiki¡¯s encroaching conquests near their home system. Judging by their speed, Ephine estimated them arriving in Earth orbit about 75 years from now, just like she predicted before. Half a dozen ships from the Tandori refugee planet. She would have smiled if she currently had a mouth. Keeping this secret from Aura has been harder for her than she expected. The poor woman thought she was one of the last of her kind. She really had no reason not to tell Aura, except that she wanted to see the look on her sister-wife¡¯s face when they arrived in a couple years. She swatted away a rogue comet that would¡¯ve ended half the fleet in a couple months. Couldn¡¯t let anything happen to this endangered species before they arrived on Genesis.

    Ephine mentally sighed and turned her attention to the last group. 47 warships loaded for bear. Shouldn¡¯t arrive for another three hundred years, but was still a problem waiting to happen. As much as Ephine would love to blame Kamiki for this problem, it was actually a civilization whose god had abandoned them millennia ago, having been unable to turn their zealotry into anything useful. The irony that the Vretten were aggressively spreading their faith in the name of a god who had abandoned them was known only to two divine beings, Ephine and her long absconded suitor Prax, the very god they worshipped. Just another reason she didn¡¯t miss him all that much. Now she was left to deal with his problem. Well, technically John was, since she promised not to interfere.

    She mentally shrugged. Three hundred years wasn¡¯t long in the cosmic scale of things, and hardly an eye blink to someone who¡¯d lived for billions of years. If John kept progressing like he was and human ingenuity was just as amazing as their tv shows liked to show them as, the Vretten would pose little threat to the two blue and green marbles her family lived on. All the same, she decided it was time to take a more active role in his training as a god. But should she tell him what to expect from the ships, she wondered, then decided not to. A rough timeline of arrival for each wave, but not the makeup. How he greeted the newcomers might give her insight into how he¡¯d deal with the galaxy at large.

    Suddenly her attention was drawn towards Earth and wave of happiness pulsed through her. He was trying to get her attention. His telepathic range was growing to encompass a larger portion of the solar system, but if he couldn¡¯t pinpoint where someone was, he still had difficulty getting his thoughts through. Since she was technically everywhere in this form, he really had no chance of narrowing it down.

    Yes, dear?

    There you are! It¡¯s been two days, Eph. It starts in an hour. Would you care to grace us with your presence?

    Oh my, she thought, genuinely surprised. Time really flies, doesn¡¯t it?

    Felt like two days here. Come on home. Your son hasn¡¯t stopped asking about you all morning.

    Ephine burbled with happiness to herself, inadvertently causing a couple older stars to go nova a couple million years early. Quickly checking to make sure no one would be adversely affected by her accident, she calmed herself down, then returned home.

    ¡°Mommy!¡± Uther cheered as she reappeared in John¡¯s gaming room. The seven year old dropped the game controller he¡¯d been holding and dove into her waiting arms. As she held him, she tingled with happiness. In her long life, she¡¯d created many things. Planets, nebulae, cosmic wonders humans wouldn¡¯t discover for hundreds of generations even if they left Earth now. She¡¯d helped seed the galaxy with life of all shapes and forms. Nothing, however, compared to the life she now held in her arms. She¡¯d never allowed herself to get pregnant in all that time until John came along, and now she wondered why she¡¯d ever made the decision not to. At first, she¡¯d just been playing with him, saying she just wanted a little girl from him, but somewhere along the way he¡¯d managed to tie her down. Figuratively, of course. Well, literally on more than a few occasions as well, but that wasn¡¯t the point. The freewheeling galactic goddess was genuinely in love with this backwater god and the little boy he¡¯d given her. Carrying Uther within her from conception to birth was both fascinating and miserable for her, and she couldn¡¯t wait to do it all over again, many, many times with her husband.

    ¡°Hey sweetheart,¡± she said. ¡°Isn¡¯t Junior supposed to be playing with you now?¡±

    ¡°Miranda dragged him off. She missed him a lot,¡± Uther said cheerfully, then turned serious. ¡°Um, Mommy? Are you going to go away for a long time again? Cause you were just gone for two days and I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll leave again. I miss you when you¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°No, baby! I¡¯m not going anywhere for a while. Not unless an emergency happens, ok?¡± Ephine crushed him into a bear hug, burying the poor boy into her massive chest. He returned the hug tightly for a moment, then started to flail for a second before popping out of her grasp and reappearing across the room, heaving deep breaths.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t¡­ breathe!¡± he gasped out as he inhaled deeply. His face was red, eyes wide in panic as he bent over at the waist and attempted to get his breathing under control. Confident he was breathing normally again, he cautiously glanced over at his mother. He expected to see a pained or angry expression on her face after escaping her hug like that but was shocked to see the obsidian beauty on her knees where he¡¯d left her, giggling.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said between giggling fits. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hug you that hard. Anyway, shall we go see your father? We¡¯ve got guests today. Including one I know you¡¯re particularly eager to see.¡± She held out a hand to him, with a wink tacked on to her last sentence. Blushing, the yellow haired boy took her hand and accompanied her out of the room.

 Thirty One: A Pups Perspective

    ¡°This was a bad idea,¡± I said to no one in particular. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have done this. Should not have done this.¡± I paced the length of my study, convinced my nervous energy was showing in an aura floating around me.

    ¡°Probably should¡¯ve thought of that before letting the cat out of the bag a couple weeks ago,¡± Linda said, taking obvious delight in my discomfort. She glanced around at the other wives currently sharing the room with us. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys have this grand plan about when to unveil the presence of aliens and other gods and all that?¡±

    ¡°I had an idea. Well, part of an idea,¡± I said, not giving the others a chance to answer. My tactic was so obvious half of them rolled their eyes at me. ¡°Look, it just slipped out. Just be thankful it happened after this much time and not much earlier. Who knows what might¡¯ve happened.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Someone might¡¯ve started some weird cult or something,¡± Angela offered.

    ¡°Or tried hitting on the first alien they saw with their own eyes,¡± Aisha tacked on.

    It was my turn to roll my eyes. ¡°I knew telling you about your mother¡¯s first trip to New York was a bad idea.¡±

    Rhia and Persia shared an amused look but didn¡¯t come to my rescue. Traitors, I thought to them.

    It¡¯s not like they¡¯re wrong, dear, Persia thought back. Out loud she said ¡°What¡¯s done is done. Our job now is to see it through. Shall we get going? We¡¯re going to be late.¡±

    ¡°A god is never late,¡± I said. ¡°Nor is he early. He arrives-¡±

    ¡°Precisely when he means to.¡± I turned and glanced at the duo that finished my sentence for me, eyebrow raised. Junior and Uther shrugged in response.

    ¡°Come on, Dad,¡± Junior said. ¡°We¡¯ve all seen The Lord of the Rings.¡±

    ¡°You really need to come up with some original material,¡± Uther added.

    I glanced at Linda and Ephine. ¡°Just how attached to these guys are you?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re definitely cut from the same cloth you are,¡± said Linda.

    ¡°I can wipe out interstellar civilizations with a thought, dear,¡± said Ephine, a dangerous grin on her face. ¡°Just something to keep in mind.¡±

    ¡°Uh, right. Well then, as a punishment for being little smartasses, we¡¯re going to do a Naruto filler marathon later.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Believe it!¡± I said, giving them a thumbs up. Grinning as they slumped together in defeat, I turned back to everyone else and clapped my hands together. ¡°Right then, let¡¯s get going, shall we?¡± Receiving nods from my family, everyone stood and made their way to the door. Carrying Miranda on her hip, Lily approached me and whispered.

    ¡°You¡¯re not really going to put them through that, are you?¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    I stared at her in horror. ¡°Oh god no. That would mean I¡¯d have to sit through it as well. I¡¯ll make up something later about why we don¡¯t have to do it. This is just what they get for ruining my line.¡±

    She shook her head and started for the door. ¡°That was Gandalf¡¯s line, dear. Not yours.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°If I have seen further than others, it¡¯s because I¡¯ve stood on the shoulders of giants.¡±

    ¡°That was Newton,¡± Shu said as she passed me.

    I groaned. ¡°You know what I meant by that.¡±

    ¡°We got it, Daddy!¡± Aisha told me happily as she and Angela left the room.

    Rhia came up to my side, slipping one arm through mine, her other hand resting on her belly. ¡°Come on, dear. People are waiting.¡±

    *

    Ryo glanced at the bustling traffic moving to and fro from where she was laying by the front door of the big house her John had made. There were a lot of people moving about in a rush, and none of them seemed to be in the mood to play with her. Even John¡¯s children were busy. The little one, Miranda, had tried to play with her earlier, but her mother had said she wasn¡¯t allowed to in her nice clothes. Ryo knew not to take that as an insult. She knew her fur got all over everything. Whatever was happening today must be special if even the kids weren¡¯t allowed to play. She let out a sigh and laid her head between her paws on the cool marble floor. It was going to be a boring day for her.

    Sometimes she missed the old days with John. Just her and him in a small apartment. He used to play with her all the time and talk with her. Yes, she liked all the kids running around the house now, but she never got to lay down with John anymore and cuddle. If only that night of pain hadn¡¯t happened. Now twenty years old, Ryo was aware she wasn¡¯t like others of her kind. She knew she was an old dog by any measure you chose to use, but she didn¡¯t feel that way. She felt just as good as the day she woke up in the big slippery room on the big bed by John.

    Ryo¡¯s head shot up, ear cocked towards the door. Someone was here! She jumped to her feet just as someone knocked, her tail wagging. She could make out the voices coming through the door, their scents leaking through the wood, and Ryo knew she was about to get an enthusiastic greeting. Finally! Someone fun was here!

    ¡°Ryo!¡± Petra cried as the door was opened and she caught sight of the black lab. Ryo let out a happy bark at the blonde teenager¡¯s arrival and bounced on her front feet, eager for the crushing hug she was about to receive. Petra Federova delivered as always, dropping to her knees in front of the dog to wrap her up in big bear hug. Ryo ecstatically tried to lick her face in return but was disappointed when Petra stopped her. ¡°Not yet, girl. I spent too long on my makeup to let it be ruined before I can show it off.¡± She leaned in and whispered in Ryo ear, like it was a big secret, ¡°it¡¯s the first time Mom let me put on makeup and I want to see Uncle John¡¯s reaction.¡±

    Ryo didn¡¯t understand what makeup was, but she knew about being happy to see John, so she wagged her tail happily. Her eyes closed reflexively when a hand reached down and started scratching behind her ears. Oh, how she loved that and soaked it up for the second that it lasted.

    ¡°Hey Ryo,¡± Isabella said. ¡°Where¡¯s Daddy?¡±

    That greeting was cut short when a maid answered the blue haired woman. ¡°The master is in his study with his family. We¡¯ve been asked to escort the Oracles to the dining room upon their arrival. If you would please follow me?¡±

    Ryo watched in disappointment as Petra stood and followed her mother, but she turned and whispered ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡± before disappearing behind another set of doors. She sat back on her haunches and stared at the hustle and bustle happening around her. She saw John¡¯s children and mates come from around a corner and start walking towards the same door that Petra and her mother had just entered. Then she saw him, walking arm in arm with Rhia. Ryo liked Rhia. She always spoiled her when John wasn¡¯t looking. John looked her way, causing her to stand in her excitement. He watched her tail wag happily, then grinned and patted his leg.

    ¡°Come on, girl!¡±

    Ryo fairly bounced in excitement but contained herself to a trot over to his side. He reached down and patted the side of her head. She closed her eyes and let herself be rubbed, pressing her head into his thigh. Enjoying the attention, she awkwardly walked pressed to his side as they entered massive dining room. Maybe today wouldn¡¯t be so boring after all.