Loki remained frozen at the sight of the nine-tailed demon that began to roar as it took shape. The ground continued shaking as if condescended to the power of the being that had revealed itself. The pain of Azaran’s blade was still there but the twins were too overwhelmed by the sight that it seemed to be of less importance.
Fenris Fenrir. Nataku was not moving but she could see the nine-tailed fox land its paws heavily on the pavement. A strong gust of wind blew with anger that Odin and Loki both fell to the ground. Fenris Fenrir roared again and Persephone fell as well. Nataku still wasn’t moving. If it was from the wound from Azaran or the overpowering strength she sensed from Fenris Fenrir, she did not know but her vision was beginning to blur.
“FENRIIIIIIIIIIIS!!” Goku shouted loudly.
The demon fox roared again, its nine tails moving angrily. It had flaming red eyes and they were busy looking at each one who saw him. Then it turned to Goku and looked at the young man with pale hair as he stood with Nyoi-bo in his hand. Fenris snorted but did not do anything. But the moment it saw Persephone, Nataku felt the pain and then she felt the anger that the demon fox released from itself.
Fenris Fenrir raised its paw and swiped at Persephone but even before it could hit her, a three-headed flaming dog lunged at Fenris. The demon fox roared and attacked Cerberus. The fox assailed with its fangs and its claws, biting the monstrous dog and swiping it with its paws. Cerberus leapt away in defense of his mistress, his teeth all out in anger looking so weak and in total denial to subordination. But despite this, Nataku could sense the fear in the flaming dog and she had never seen him this way before.
“No, Cerberus! Enough!” Persephone commanded and she hovered towards one of Cerberus’ heads. That was all and the mistress and underling disappeared as they sank into the pavement like ghosts. It was then that Nataku thought she had to gather all her strength to get up and protect the brothers but the slightest movement seemed to cause tons and tons of pain.
Fenris Fenrir roared roughly. Nataku closed her eyes tightly, telling her body to get up. It wasn’t good. This wasn’t good. She had barely an idea what Fenris Fenrir could do or why it was there but what she knew was that the brothers were in no good condition to stay awake for long let alone defend their selves. Ignoring the pain with every ounce of strength, Nataku propped herself up and managed to sit up. But it took so much effort and she needed to catch her breath.
It was then that Fenris Fenrir roared at Nataku, not of anger but of might. She closed her eyes and felt the strong gust against her body. It was powerful but she was not scared at all. Slowly, she opened her eyes and there she saw the great nine-tailed demon fox looking at her. Moments of silence passed, as she looked the demon in the eye. She had subdued a number of demons and titans and giants as Asgard had told her to but she had never encountered any demon that could be compared to this one. All the others commanded respect. They looked at her with anger and destruction and she felt the urge to destroy them. But this one was different. It looked at her differently as if it understood, as if looking deep into her soul… So powerful yet so worthy of respect… It was as if she felt she were looking into the eyes of a human opponent… Much like how she felt when she sparred with Loki in Kunren of Valhalla.
A single tear slid down Nataku’s cheek. Fenris grunted, roared lowly and disappeared into a puff of feathers.
Feathers…? Nataku was looking at the white feathers, as they seemed to dance in the air, disappearing as they hit the ground. It was as if Fenris Fenrir was some kind of… angel and not the demon it was supposed to be. And as the feathers touched her body, it turned into light that made Nataku feel better and when she looked, her wounds, as well as the injuries of the others, were slowly healing.
“Nataku! Nataku! Are you all right?” she heard Son Goku coming towards her.
“I don’t know why, but I think so…” Nataku said, touching the shoulder where the fatal wound has once been. Then her head veered and checked on the brothers. Loki was groaning but Odin was slowly sitting up, feeling the used-to-be wound on his leg. Esmeralda’s spirit was no longer behind him.
“Honestly now, Daisepha Odin.” A gentle voice came closer from the sky. Nataku looked up and saw a woman in flowing off-white robes and a green sash, night sky black hair and beautiful brown eyes. It was Kuan Yin, the twins’ younger sister.
“That was very careless of you, Daisepha.” She continued to address Odin as she set foot on the ground. Then she stooped and looked at Odin’s leg and touched it. Then she gasped, “Wasn’t this wound from Azaran?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did it…? How did it…?” Kuan Yin muttered, got up and went to an unconscious Loki’s side only to find out that the wound was healing as well though but slowly because of how lethal the infliction was. Slowly but surely it was healing. Then Kuan Yin paused to think one last time before turning to Odin with questioning eyes.
“Hey, if I had all the answers, would I look like this?” Odin replied even before Kuan Yin could say anything. But just as Kuan Yin opened her mouth to say something, Loki sat up briskly and hurried to Nataku.
“Daidanpha Loki…!”
“Nataku, are you all right?” Loki asked her, grabbing her by the shoulders and looking at her in inspection of whether or not she was hurt.
“Yes, Master Loki.” Nataku replied with a nod.
Loki released a sigh of relief as his shoulders dropped and said, “Don’t do that again. You nearly killed me.”
“I am sorry. I will try to be more responsible and true to my word.” She said, showcasing a straight face, trying to hide the hurt and guilt that Kuan Yin saw through.
“What…?” Loki blinked, raised an eyebrow before fully understanding and said, “Stop being so formal and listen to me.” Nataku’s eyes glanced away and tears streamed down her poker face. Loki held her cheeks, looked at her and said, “I meant killed me of worry… Don’t you ever try do something as stupid as to nearly kill yourself like that again.”
“But you…”
“I can take care of myself.”
“But I…”
“You were never my soldier.”
“But…”
“Ssh…” Loki silenced her, placing a finger on her lips and looking her in her eyes, “You will never be my soldier. I…” Loki could feel his heart thumping harder and harder as he felt her. He knew what he wanted to say but the words found it hard to come out. Heat began entering his cheeks then his body felt warm. Slowly, he drew himself closer to her lips but even before he could feel anything ecstatic, there was a loud shout and the next thing he knew was being tackled onto the ground.
“You perverted, horny, lecherous, lustful, freakish, lascivious, dirty monster!” Goku growled, rolling with Loki on the ground, “How dare you lay your filthy hands with obscene intentions on Nataku!”
“How dare you lay your hands on me, you immature, half-grown, loud-mouth, unreasoning, barbaric, monkey brat!” Loki yelled back, grappling with Son Goku on the ground, “You’re the one who’s green-minded!”
“Daidanpha…!” Kuan Yin’s voice came faint, “Daisepha, do something!” But Odin just smiled and did nothing.
“Who is that monkey-looking thing… er… Being?” Kuan Yin raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t know. But Father and Mother most possibly will.”
“What happened…?” Nataku was staring far-out, asking no one in particular, “Wasn’t that… Fenris Fenrir…?”
“Fe… Fenris!?” Kuan Yin gasped.
Loki and Goku stopped bickering. There was bothering silence before Odin spoke, “Yes.”
“Such power.” Nataku contemplated, “It could have… destroyed us…”
“Why didn’t it?” Kuan Yin asked. Nobody answered and again, there was silence.
“Where do you suppose it went?” Kuan Yin again.
“It disappeared.” Loki replied sitting up with Son Goku.
“Or someone made it disappear.” Goku said flatly.
“There may be some truth into that.” Odin began, crossing his arms as Kuan Yin sat beside him. “It could’ve destroyed us right there and then but it didn’t. Something, if not someone, must have stopped it…”
“… Or controlled it.” Goku said again.
“Definitely not Persephone.” Nataku added.
“Maybe it had nothing more to do.” Loki said mindlessly, “Maybe it was done… with what it had to do.”
“Well, what did it have to do?” Kuan Yin was looking at Odin.
“Not sure.” The God of Knowledge said lowly, thinking at the back of his head and checking all possible options, “A monster doesn’t appear out of nowhere because of nothing.”
“He ditched Persephone and left.” Nataku said, still looking far out as if in a trance, “It wasn’t looking for a fight.”
“Was it helping us?” Loki crawled towards Nataku’s side and looked at Odin, “Or was it a warning? His mere presence was… Stunning.”
The look on Fenris Fenrir’s eyes flashed in Nataku’s head. It was stunning but not scary. And if she was just too stunned to realize she was scared, maybe she was going out of her mind when she thought Fenris Fenrir felt like a person to her.
“He’s no ordinary demon.” Goku cut Nataku’s thoughts, “He knows. He thinks. He…”
“He knows we’re after the Runes.” Loki muttered and looked at Odin for any answers.
“It’s too soon to say that.” Odin replied, finally lifting his stare towards the people around him. Then his hand touched his right arm where the golden mark coiled. Kuan Yin blinked and said, “Daisepha, I… You… This is…” Then she bit her lip and touched the mark on Odin’s arm. Instantly, a symbol appeared on the siblings’ forehead and the golden mark uncoiled itself. Slowly it began to hover as light that then began to take the form of the beautiful girl named Esmeralda.
“Esmeralda!” Odin motioned to take her in his arms but stopped short and tears streamed from his eyes. Esmeralda lifted his face and smiled at him, her eyes shimmering and Odin managed to smile back.
“Kuan Yin, how did you…”
“I am the Goddess of Mercy, you know.” Kuan Yin said and stuck out her tongue.
“Interpolate, my dear Kaidamea.” Loki asked as he watched Odin look at Esmeralda.
“Well, she did play an important role that Daisepha Odin commanded her to… I guess Asgard could give her the Peaches…”
“Peaches…?” Goku blinked.
“Immortal Peaches.” Nataku said, “It’s a fruit that makes you immortal when you eat it. It adds years of life when eaten by mortals and Immortality to souls.”
“Aren’t souls already Immortals?” Goku asked again.
“No. Souls that have eaten the Peaches are Immortals in the sense that they have their bodies back and that they live in Asgard with the gods and feast in the banquet of the Queen Izanami. Souls that don’t get sent to the underworld and their mortal bodies decay.”
“Kuan Yin… Would you…” Odin was looking at Kuan Yin, tears still springing from his eyes.
“I could do that for you, seeing how love struck you are.” Kuan Yin rolled her eyes away jokingly. Odin smiled and stretched his arms towards her. Kuan Yin smiled and let her brother hug her as he muttered his thanks and said, “Thank you. You’re the best Kaidamea I could ever have.”
“She couldn’t be more compassionate. After all, she is Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.” Loki laughed.
“Nataku, what’s a Kaidamea?” Goku asked Nataku but was looking at Kuan Yin.
“Kaidamea is what the Divinities use to address their younger sister. Daidamea is younger brother.” Nataku explained, “Daisepha is eldest brother. Kaisepha is eldest sister. In case there are two or more older brothers or sisters following the eldest, they are referred to as Daidanpha for male an Kaidanpha for female.”
Goku blinked dumbly and Nataku laughed. Loki smiled. He had never seen Nataku laugh like this lately.
“Nataku, do you have a… any siblings?” Goku asked mindlessly. Nataku stopped laughing and Loki looked at her, waiting.
“Well, I…” Nataku stuttered, groping for anything to say in her failure to grab something in her memories, “No. I’m an orphan. The Jade Emperor… Took me… I…” Then Nataku felt pain surge into her head and she winced a little. Loki gasped in apparent worry while Kuan Yin and Odin looked on.
“I should get going… I will have to take Esmeralda to Father and Mother…” Kuan Yin straightened, “You might want to try heading towards west. I heard there was a town that had a stone that could seal anything. It could be one of the Runes.” Odin nodded but Loki was too busy attending to Nataku to say anything. Kuan Yin said nothing more and disappeared into sparkles dancing to the sky.
“Let’s go and look for a place to set camp… away from the villages.” Odin finally said, his three companions following with their eyes, “Persephone will be after us. Let’s make sure no innocent people get hurt this time.”