DISCLAIMER: A silhouette of a rotund figure with round ears atop its head stands atop a building, framed by a full moon. One arm is raised in defiance against the sky. “Beware, evildoers! This story is written by me, and though parts of it may borrow from sources old as the hills, the idea is mine and mine alone. Steal from me, and feel my wrath! I am the creator! I am the writer! I…AM...MADPANDA!!” A blast of lightning strikes said panda, sending his charred carcass hurtling into the abyss….
Ikimashou!
RABBIT’S GAME 2: THREE REALMS – by MadPanda
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Chapter 2 – The Weak Greek
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The sounds of laughter rang through the large garden maze. Every now and then a yelp or squeal would signal two of the Muses crossing paths or back-tracking each other’s trails. None of them had yet reached the large fountain in the center—as always, the goal of the game. They played here often, the only challenge being that Demeter would change the layout of the maze before every game, so that none of the girls could memorize it. Even with that handicap, one of the girls usually ended up seated near the ornate pool before anyone else—Urania, muse of science and astrology. She may not have been the fastest or the strongest, but she was arguably the smartest.
Once again, Urania had arrived first. The girl had tired of waiting for the others to arrive, and sought to amuse herself. Scooping up a handful of water, she closed her eyes and muttered to herself, “The stars know all…” The water swirled slightly in her palm, before rising into the air and forming a small globe. Once it stabilized, Urania stared into the globe until she could see the positions of the stars themselves. She was hoping to see something she hadn’t before. To her amazement, she wasn’t disappointed…nor was she happy. “This cannot be good, but it must be as it must be.”
“Something wrong? Something asunder? Something to put your mind to wonder?” Euterpe’s melodious voice—and her accompanying lyre--broke Urania’s concentration, sending the watery globe splashing into the fountain. “Tell me, Urania, what can it be? Tell me, Urania…what did you see?”
“This is not the time, Euterpe. It seems we are to go on a journey.”
“Right as usual!” Both girls turned to see Artemis appear, seeming from nowhere. “You are all to go with Kurumi to her homeland.”
“YES!” Clio ran out of the carved thicket, and towards the rest of the group. “Finally! We get to go to the Land of the Rising Sun! I always wanted to go there! So much history to learn and sing about! Oh, the glorious battles of feudal warlords! Ninjas! Samurai! Emperors! Magical Girls! Now we get to learn about them from the source, instead of hearing the edited versions from—“
“From Kurumi-sensei?”, Polyhymna interrupted. “Really, Clio. You should have more respect for her. Even if she is our half-sister, she is looking out for us, and has our best interests at heart.”
“Or maybe she has…other interests!” Artemis turned to see Erato leering at her. “I’ve seen how she looks at you, dear Artemis…and she even has a cute nickname for you—what was it again?—oh, yes…’Phoebe-chan’!” The muse of love songs and poetry laughed as Artemis’ blush deepened.
“It’s…it’s nothing of the sort!” Artemis’ plea fell on deaf ears, as the other girls joined in the laughter. They surrounded the moon goddess and chanted as they danced around her, “Phoebe-chan! Phoebe-chan! Phoebe-chan!”
Soon they were joined by another voice, which was terribly off-key. “Phoebe-chan! Phoebe-chan! Phoebe--By the way…who’s Phoebe-chan?” The newcomer stopped in her tracks to ask her question, which sent the rest of the dancers tumbling behind her.
“THALIA!” The fallen group glared at the muse of comedy.
“What? Is my toga undone or something?”
“No,” Calliope answered, bringing Terpsicore along by the hand. “They were talking about Artemis.”
Thalia gave the leader of the Muses a smirk. “No, they’re talking to Artemis. I want to know who ‘Phoebe-chan’ is!”
“She’s Phoebe-chan! Artemis is also known as—oh, for the love of….” Calliope frowned—she’d been set up as the ‘straight girl’ once again.
“Oh, right…” Thalia walked over to Artemis, and gently took her hand. “I’m sorry, ‘Phoebe-chan’…I hope the doctors find a cure for your schizophrenia real soon.”
Artemis opened her mouth to protest, but Calliope beat her to it. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“No, silly!” Thalia answered, before jumping into the fountain and then rising out of it on the back of a dolphin, arms spread wide. “I’m doing it on porpoise!”
A collective groan ran through the crowd, while Terpsicore just shook her bowed head.
Artemis thought it was time to bring the shenanigans to an end. “Now that Thalia’s done…let’s get ready to go. Kurumi will be waiting for us.” A quick headcount showed there was one Muse missing. “Has anyone seen Melpommene?”
Calliope groaned. “Not again.” She left Terpsicore with the group and trudged back into the maze, returning soon afterward with her quarry. “How many times do I have to tell you, Melpommene…If you didn’t want to play, you should’ve stayed back at the palace!”
“I would have, but I would have been alone…left to wallow in solitude for eons! I wanted to play, I really did, but mazes are dangerous!! Don’t you remember the story of the Minotaur?” The muse of tragedy was visibly upset about having been physically dragged through the maze by her older sister. “And it changes every time! Who knows what could befall any of us in there!!”
“Such a drama queen!” Thalia couldn’t resist poking fun at the shaken muse. “Then you’re gonna love what’s coming next!”
Melpommene dropped her head in her hands. “That can’t possibly be good!”
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Normally, Kurumi would have packed a couple of suitcases in order to prepare for her trip back to Japan. But seeing as she didn’t bring any, she was at a loss at how to get ready. Her Olympian wardrobe consisted of a toga, a gold circlet, and probably the most comfortable pair of sandals she’d ever worn. There was no need for much else. Even the clothes she’d worn on the way up had dissolved into the sparse clothing she now wore. She wondered if that kind of transformation worked in reverse on the way down.
“It does…otherwise we’d end up in some pretty embarrassing situations!” Mnemosyne’s voice echoed in Kurumi’s head. The goddess of memory rarely appeared anywhere—it was much more convenient for her to simply send her thoughts instead. “As you’ve seen, we don’t exactly have a chic clothing store up here.”
“True,” Kurumi answered out loud. “I do like the flowing robes. Kinda like our kimonos, but not nearly as complicated…”
“…or as beautiful!” Mnemosyne sent mental images of kimonos she had seen directly to Kurumi’s mind, and the reporter-turned-demigoddess felt nostalgic. “Ah, as I thought, you are excited to return to Japan?”
Kurumi sat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s not that I don’t like it here—I mean, come on! It’s lively and interesting, and there’s so much I could write about that no one would ever believe—but I do miss the hustle and bustle of home. And I miss my sister. It’s only been a few months, but it feels like years.”
“The good thing is that you are close…and that you keep her in your heart and mind until you return. There are some siblings up here who would sacrifice someone to have the closeness you two share.” Mnemosyne’s gentle laughter rang softly in Kurumi’s head. “And some who would sacrifice their siblings just to be rid of them!”
Kurumi giggled to herself, remembering some of the sordid tales she’d heard in her time here. Her voice then took on a more serious tone. “Mnemosyne-sama…am I really the right person to oversee your daughters?”
“To be honest, it really is Apollo’s job. Seeing as he’s…well, busy right now…it’s only right that you pick up for him. Besides, the girls need a gentler touch than his. I trust you—I’m sure things will turn out fine.”
“Thank you, Mnemosyne-sama.” Kurumi nodded her head in sort of a ‘mental bow’. “I have to go now and meet up with them…”
“…and ‘Phoebe-chan’ too, right?”
Kurumi flushed. “Does the term ‘invasion of privacy’ mean anything to you?”
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As much as Eris loved causing trouble, she didn’t particularly like it when she herself was inconvenienced. So she waited until dead of night to seek out her partner-in-crime for the time being. “You’d think finding a malevolent spirit would be an easy thing to do in this place,” she muttered to herself. “Go to a shrine, offer it some food or a virgin or whatnot, do the ‘hokey-pokey’ and tell it to do your bidding or else…” The first few places were small, roadside shrines without the least hint of true spiritual energy. After an hour of teleporting, walking and fruitless searching, Eris plopped herself down at the bottom of a large staircase at the base of a hill. “Oh, come on! If this keeps up, I might as well go back to Olympus and dredge up my own crew…”
“It can’t be helped.” The words came from everywhere, but it was definitely one voice…a female voice.
“Who’s there? Come on out!” Not many things unnerved Eris, but this certainly did. She was on her feet now, her tiredness all but forgotten.
The voice was playful, yet full of sarcasm. “It can’t be helped,” it repeated.
“You’re gonna need help when I find ya! Get your butt out here and face me!” She wasn’t sure it taunting whatever it was a good idea, but Eris decided to put on a brave face. She could always just teleport if things got too hard to handle. “And what do you mean, ‘it can’t be helped’? What can’t be helped?”
“Your situation…it’s quite the pitiful one, isn’t it?”
“Keep it up, smart-ass. You’re asking for it!” Eris took a moment to regain her composure. “Alright, I’m asking nicely. Come out and let’s have a chat.”
“Well, since you asked nicely…turn around, and look up.”
Eris spun around to stare at the base of a statue. Sitting on the pedestal was the statue of a fox holding a large jewel under one paw. “Well, now! Don’t tell me I’ve actually stumbled upon an honest-to-goodness fox spirit?”
“That’s ‘kitsune’ to you, Greek! The only reason I’m even talking to you is because you’re soiling my stairway! Do you know how hard our beautiful shrine maidens work to keep this place beautiful?”
The leather-clad blonde gave the statue a surprised look. “How did you know I was Greek?”
“And how did I know you were also a goddess?” the voice asked. “I can feel that you have a power that’s far beyond that of normal humans…lots of negative energy. And since a couple of your kind have already made their presence known, I thought it wouldn’t be long until more of you showed up. Thank you for proving me correct.”
Eris had a feeling her little mind games weren’t going to work with this being, so she changed her tactics. “Okay, I’m sorry. Come out and let’s have a talk, woman to woman…err, fox.”
The spirit laughed at the deity’s misstep, but her mirth was temporary. “You ask to see my face, yet you offer me nothing? I don’t know how things work where you are from, but here in Japan there is a protocol to follow. Introduce yourself, ask me what you want, and give me an offering. Then we’ll talk.”
Eris raised an eyebrow. “You want me, a goddess, to give you an offering?”
The statue’s voice suddenly became hard-edged, and Eris actually took a step back. “What…did you think I’d be at your beck and call for nothing? Insolent fool! You may be a goddess, but you are out of your domain. My land…my rules! You are weak here, Greek. There are no shrines in your favor, no objects in your name here. Simply put, you are but a pawn! Now tell me, who are you and what do you want of me?”
Eris gave the kitsune a lot of credit; this being knew where it stood, and gave no quarter to anyone. It was one of the things she loved about Apollo—at least until his obsession with the Ohta sisters got the better of him. It made him attractive to her, and Eris had to admit, this creature was beginning to stir the same emotions in her.
She also knew that what the spirit has said was true; without the faith of the people, a goddess might as well be a glorified priestess. If she was going to get anything done, she’d need the fox spirit’s help…and to do that, she had to play by its rules.
“Fine, have it your way. How shall we do this, formally or casually?”
“See? That didn’t hurt a bit, did it?” The smile returned to the fox spirit’s voice. “Let’s go with formal. You are a goddess, after all…you might as well start acting like one!”
Eris curled her lip at the slight, but pressed on. Standing squarely in front of the statue, she began the impromptu ceremony. “I am Eris, Greek goddess of discord and strife, sister of Ares, god of war, and bearer of the Golden Apples.”
“I don’t suppose I could eat one of those golden apples, huh?” the voice asked.
“Um…no.”
“Just as well,” the fox spirit sighed. “Please continue.”
Eris rolled her eyes, then got back into the role of beseecher, much to her chagrin. “Anyway…I’ve come seeking your help. One of your subjects—who also happens to be a demigoddess of my realm—has been given control of, shall we say, a certain group of nympbs. I wish to cause trouble for her, but as you have so rightly pointed out, I cannot do so here. Therefore, I seek your assistance.”
“Nymphs…they must be very important to you or your realm.”
“They are...and to the human realm as well.” Eris stared at the stone-faced fox statue and tried to imagine what was going on in its head.
“Very interesting! Well, now comes the hard part. What do you have to offer?”
“Hmmm…well, the guide book says to offer fox spirits sake and fried tofu, but I don’t have any. Sorry ‘bout that!”
“Awww…and I was so looking forward to some fried tofu!” This time the voice came not from the statue, but from behind it. A tall woman with long blond hair stepped out from behind the statue. Two black-tipped animal ears stood out on top of her head, and a long blond tall curled around the bottom hem of her elaborate kimono. The tail was also black-tipped, and came to rest across the woman’s toes. Her golden eyes could barely be seen, but they held Eris’ attention nonetheless. She sensed something about those eyes—a mischief about them that she almost envied.
“I’m sure you can find an all-night ramen shop out here somewhere…they’re sure to have some sake—and don’t forget the fried tofu!”
Eris was so taken with the kitsune that she almost didn’t hear the request. “Right…be back in a minute…” She backed up, keeping her eyes on the fox-woman, then turned and left the spirit alone.
“A pawn, indeed.” The kitsune took a few steps up the long stairway, pausing to glance over her shoulder. “Will she do, Orochi-sama?”
A heavy voice whispered, “We shall see, Mizuko-san…we shall see.”
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Normally Alexa would sleep with Misaki cradled close to her, letting the petite brunette’s breathing serve as a soothing metronome. This wasn’t one of those nights. After the dream she just had—and the warning from Amaterasu—the oracle wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight.
“Should I tell her now, or should I wait?” she thought to herself. “It’s not like I actually had a vision…and even if I did, we’re supposed to be immortal! What can possibly hurt us now?” The redhead pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “This doesn’t make any sense…yet I can’t just let it go!”
“Alexa-chan?”
Alexa looked down to see her lover’s sleepy onyx eyes sleepily meeting her emerald ones. “Sorry, Misaki. Did I wake you?”
“Well…you did remove my pillows.” The younger girl slowly pulled herself up alongside her lover. Alexa lowered her knees, allowing Misaki to lean her head on the redhead’s breasts. “That’s much better. What has you up at this hour of the night?”
Alexa draped an arm around her girlfriend. “Just a dream I had…nothing to worry about.”
“You do know that I can tell whether or not you are lying, right? I have ways of making you talk…” As her words trailed off, Alexa felt the smaller girl’s fingers start to caress her.
“Now, now…you’ve had enough for one night. Go back to sleep. We’ll talk about it another time. Trust me, I won’t forget.”
“I’ll make sure of that.” Misaki waited for Alexa to lie flat once again, then returned her head to the redhead’s chest, planting a light kiss there before snuggling in. Alexa held her herald and listened for the rise and fall of the girl’s breathing. She then cursed the gods before drifting off to sleep.
“What part of ‘forever’ don’t they understand?”
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