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Epilogue

Celestial Realm...

Tamamo no Mae took a deep breath and stepped into the courtroom. The spirit fox padded up to the podium. She took her place behind the large podium in the form of a white-furred vixen with nine flowing tails behind her lithe body.

The little fox eased up on her haunches and placed her forepaws on a skull that was beneath the podium for just such an occasion. Her body extended and the fur dissolved. She shifted into the form of an Asian woman with white hair and red paint on her forehead that extended down the bridge of her nose. A kimono hung along the side of the podium. She drew it over her body, fastened the sash and ran her fingers through her hair, then pushed the locks back over her shoulders.

Tamamo peered over the podium. Her eyes widened, seeing an empty courtroom. The messenger deity fidgeted. She reached into the robes of her kimono and withdrew her invitation from the fox satchel now strapped to her shin. Her eyes lifted once more to the empty hall.

A calm female voice came from behind. "O hisashiburi desu ne."

Tamamo glanced over her shoulder but saw no one. Her gaze returned to the empty courtroom. But this time, her eyes landed on two beings. She abruptly bowed to them.

The voice belonged to a woman on the right with long dark hair and an alabaster face. Tamamo's lower lip trembled from excitement. "Amaterasu-omikami. Inari-tenno, I am deeply honored to stand before you both."

Inari folded his hands and smiled softly. "Konbanwa. I am pleased to see you in good health, Tamamo no Mae. When last we spoke, you asked if you are important. You seemed concerned that you weren't. Perhaps the presence of The Great August Kami Who Shines in the Heaven will convince you of both your importance, and of the seriousness of what lies ahead."

Amaterasu stood from the chair, facing Tamamo at the podium. She bowed slightly.

Tamamo returned it and swallowed back trepidation. She offered a kind, polite greeting in Japanese, the offered to serve tea to her goddess.

The dark haired goddess smiled softly in reply, and politely declined. "Tamamo-san, o-machido sama. I am sorry it took this long for the tale of your plight to reach my ear. But I assure you that you have my attention, now. I regret that It has been since you were freed from the Hoji by Genno since I have last seen you. I wish that we had time to speak openly, but time is not on our side. So, please, let us conduct business. Speak what is on your mind."

Tamamo's lower lip quivered from all the raw energy she felt in her body. "I would like to begin by apologizing for my tears. I've never been so honored in my life as I am to stand before you now. I am deeply thankful for this opportunity to speak to you both." She dabbed her eyes. "I had a troublesome past in my youth and I've been through a great series of hardships. I wanted to prove I am not the being whose name is synonymous with 'villain' on Earth."

"Mm, you've proven your resolve and your heart, Tamamo-san. You've proven yourself as a leader and a teacher when it became necessary for you to lead and to teach. You've proven yourself by standing above the stories told of you on Earth. You have been pushed, and you acted honorably. When you returned to us, after being granted your freedom from Genno, you spoke of a resolution to change for the better. You promised to remain steadfast on your new path. I see you have been true to yourself and I am humbled by your resolve."

"Thank you." She cut her gaze to Inari. "My lord, thank you for this opportunity. Thank you so very much. Words fail me, please be patient."

Amaterasu folded her hands, standing adjacent to Inari. "Tamamo-san, I am delighted by all you've done for us. You've worked with Grand Chancellor Eiyuu Geroi. You've continued your mission reporting to Kiko Sigyn and working for her while she plots to free her husband, Loki. You've reported to Inari-kun. I am grateful to your service, and would like the opportunity to praise your wisdom and courage. You have shown immense honor in your actions."

"I will continue to do whatever is necessary to help you all. It is my honor to serve."

"I'm pleased to hear you pledge yourself and your faith to our cause. I understand you've asked Inari to make a promise that Sinopa Crevan would outlive her mission?"

"I ... yes, it is true."

Amaterasu offered a mysterious smile. "Inari is in no place to make such a promise." Her cryptic gaze met Tamamo's eyes. The kitsune's gaze lowered briefly. A sly smile touched the corner of the Sun Goddess' lips. "However, I_will give you _my word that Sinopa will live to achieve her ninth tail ... it will happen regardless of the outcome of her mission."

Tamamo looked up, astonished. "Sinopa lives whether she is successful or not? I am pleased to hear it, my goddess. What happens if she fails her mission?"

The dark haired beauty frowned. The fading of her smile brought a chill over the room, the way a summer afternoon fades into a cool, crisp evening. Her eyes lowered to the floor and she sighed. "If Sinopa fails, the Shinto Faith will dwindle. We will not be forgotten but we will not be worshipped. Our influence in the world will diminish. We will no longer have the ability to serve the world that we love. It is difficult enough that we have occasionally failed our worshippers, allowing for moments of great sadness to occur. When we fail our worshippers, they lose faith. Let us never forget that an earthquake can cause a tsunami, which can cause a human-created power station to react violently. And when we fail them, they turn away from us. We cannot fail them now. Many forks lie in the path ahead. We must act with precision and honor in our actions when the moment arises. I have been in contact with Mahakala. As you may know, one of his oldest functions was as a god of time."

"What is it that you need for me to do? I am pleased to act as a messenger on your behalf."

Amaterasu glanced at an ornate pocket watch then looked back up. "I will let you know of your orders very soon." She nodded towards Inari. "First, though, we will tell you what we have learned."

Inari glanced to the goddess at his side then back to his messenger. "Tamamo-chan, I've learned that Loki married your 'amatsu kitsune Ju-Tenko' early in the days of the creation of the Norse mythology. We only learned that Kiko and Sigyn were the same person after you brought that to our attention."

Tamamo nodded, remaining quiet.

Inari continued. "Kiko's intent is to destroy the world's supernatural population so that gods will be allowed to walk among mankind again. Then they will usher in the Norse Ragnarök. If this so-called 'Fate of the Gods' were to occur, nearly all deities would be killed. And without us to protect our worshippers, the humans would die. Do you understand so far?"

"Hai. And what is the reason to kill so many? Would it not end all of existence?"

"They seek to control who dies, and how many. And when there are only a handful of people left alive, Loki and Kiko would appear to them as 'the only gods.' And then they would pass laws to the humans, outlawing the belief of other gods. Anthropology, history, and other sciences seek to preserve the knowledge of the past beliefs. It is the only reason that many deities are still alive today. Because they are not forgotten."

"I understand."

"If the books of knowledge that tell of our existence were to be outlawed, and if we were truly forgotten, most of us would fade and die. Messengers like yourself and Sinopa would be forced to serve Kiko's bidding. You would both live, but it would be under miserable conditions."

Tamamo licked her lips. Her nine tails stirred restlessly beneath her kimono. "Kiko and Loki seem to be further along in their plans than you may realize, my lord; my goddess. They have championed a group of supernatural people and inspired them with the desire to purify their bloodline. They have aided a human geneticist with a finite lifespan, despite his outward ageless appearance. And this group of people were extremely influential and expertly chosen by Loki and Kiko. I am sad to report that nearly all the world's supernatural beings have _already_fallen. Only a handful of the Esoteric Community remains alive."

Inari and Amaterasu exchanged glances then turned back to the woman at the podium. Tamamo squirmed under their dissatisfied gaze. "I am sorry if I was not clear on this matter before now. Kiko thinks I have Sinopa in play to spy on the survivors who have supernatural abilities. Those who are, by the blood, related to the First Age of humanity. There are so very few left alive, she wished for Sinopa to spy on them. But it is Sinopa that has kept these people alive. And it is I who have worked diligently to keep these people from dying out. I have tricked Kiko Sigyn, as is in my nature. Kiko thinks I am still useful. However, I do not know how much longer I can continue to serve her."

Inari frowned. "How many are alive?"

"There are two groups of supernatural humans left alive. Most of them are working alongside Aris Falcon, and by proxy, they are serving Loki's purpose. The rest are creating an alliance with Sinopa and the succubus who is aligned with The Mathematician."

"Ah, yes, the strategist." Inari tilted his head. "He changes his name every so often. I believe he last called himself Methos, yes?"

"He has changed it again to an Americanized name. Lance Patterson."

Inari nodded. "How many supernatural humans have perished?"

"Nearly all of them. Over a hundred fifty thousand."

The Sun Goddess visibly flinched. "That is unfortunate - I was not aware that Loki and Kiko's objectives were nearly complete," she said. "If and when these human supernatural antagonists dwindle to a group small enough to be controlled with ease, Loki will do what he does best. He will kill most of them, turn some of them into his enforcers and send the rest to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean."

"He has already started," said Tamamo with a sigh of defeat. "They are traveling there now, with hundreds of trained human enforces, to find technology from the forgotten First Age of the Enlightened Earthbound."

"May the Great Creator have mercy on us all," she groused. Her eyes lifted back to Tamamo no Mae. She frowned again and said, "Loki is clever. We underestimated him. When his pawns uncover the First Age technology from beneath the Atlantic Ocean, he will undoubtedly come to Earth and wield it. He is far too close to succeeding. It is only a matter of time, now. We have Omoikane pondering a way to change the course of events from unfolding in such a way. But in order to give him the time he requires to consider our options, we need you to help Sinopa to slow Loki and Kiko Sigyn's progress."

"With all due respect, it took you both this long to listen to my pleas for assistance. How can we motivate a world of religions to come together when it's already too late?"

"Tamamo!" Inari looked from the kitsune to the Sun Goddess then back to the kitsune, shocked by the nine-tail's response. "How can you give up now? You've just succeeded in drawing the both of us together. Do not lose faith now!"

Tamamo nodded and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath then asked, "How can I help?"

Amaterasu turned to Inari. He nodded and turned to Tamamo and said, "My child, I have been in contact with the Olympians, with the surviving Egyptian deities, the face of Hindu, the heart of China, the soul of Korea; I have reached out far and wide in the name of Amaterasu Omikami."

"So you're already reaching out to motivate the others?"

"Yes. The first to respond was the Christian Christ. He had an idea that will buy us precious time."

"May I ask what it is?"

"There is a weapon, a sword, that has fallen into the hands of The Children. It was fashioned to kill a deity in physical form the way you were slain by a magical arrow during your time on Earth. Tamamo, this weapon can be used to wound Loki and any other deity if necessary. It will not kill Loki, but driving it through his chest will wound him. It will take him a very, very long time to regenerate from such a wound."

Amaterasu continued where Inari left off. "If Aris Falcon is no longer backed by deities with an ulterior motive, he will become consumed with his passion to learn of the First Age. He will remain at the bottom of the ocean, harmless. You must retrieve this sword so that the Christian Messiah can bless it. It is His idea, so it needs His blessing. Then it will be up to Ares and Hachiman, the Greek and Shinto gods of war, to find a way to drive it into Loki's heart."

"And this will only wound him?"

"It will send him into another plane where he will wonder the desert in his mind."

Tamamo blinked. "The Christian Messiah will use the weapon to send Loki on a spiritual walkabout? Why can we not simply kill him?"

The Sun Goddess frowned. "I was told you were an academic master, Tamamo-san. Do you not know what happens in the Ragnarök after Loki's death?"

Tamamo frowned. "First, Loki's son, Fenris the wolf, will devour Odin. That begins the process. And when Loki dies, it is much further in the story."

"Yes, and much closer to the end of existence. If we keep the other gods alive, we keep the people safe. It is better that they are forgotten than to smite them and possibly rush the stories of the end of the world."

"Very well, so Loki will sleep and go on a walkabout to buy us time to find a better way to re-restrain him?"

"Hai. Loki's body will remain in stasis. The journey will be in his mind. The Christian Messiah hopes that Loki will awaken a better, more enlightened being. But we do not have His optimism. I see this blow to Loki as a way to buy time. The Parker twins have this weapon. They took possession of it earlier this past year. Encourage Sinopa to bring the twins together at their family vault in the Pacific Ocean. When gathered, they will access their enormous safe, where Topaz Parker has hidden the weapon recently when she parted ways from the others. Reunite them all. Retrieve the sword and its sister and bring them to this realm. Let no one remember your actions if you are seen."

"The name of this sword, if I recall correctly, is Excalibur?"

Inari nodded. "Hai. Excalibur and Clarent. Topaz Parker recently woke from a coma, parted ways with her brother, and took the weapon to their family's safe on an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is now out of everyone's reach. If she is given a reason to return to the island, you will have access to it. So you must figure out a way to make Topaz Parker _want_to return to the island."

Amaterasu nodded in agreement and said, "Topaz is now in danger. Watch over her. Give her the power, the courage and the spirit to survive the challenges now befallen her."

"I will attend her at once."

Inari approached the podium and said, "She is with the lawman that was given the gift of The Anomaly, known as Nathanial Carrington."

"I do not understand that power. Where did it come from? How did he receive it? Have others used it?"

Amaterasu paused to think of several names. "It is the very lightning once wielded by Zeus when he lived on the physical plane. It has been passed down from Zeus and fell into the hands of supernatural humans long ago. It has been protected and wielded in the Earth realm by Raiden, Thor, Perun, Indra, Mamaragan, and Set, just to name a few. It cannot be allowed to be lost or, worse, fall into the hands of Aris Falcon or Loki. The lawman was carefully chosen to manifest the power of the Thunderbird. It has been handled by many great beings. Preserve it if you're able. Take it from the lawman's dead body if you must, but do not let it wind up with Aris Falcon or Loki. It is one of the few abilities that can be transferred at death. But it can only be used by someone who is genetically related to the Esoteric First Age Earthbound Ones."

Tamamo blinked. "I thought Reno Nevada was a normal human before receiving the ability from Nathanial Carrington?"

The Sun Goddess approached the podium and said, "Most humans receive their genetics from the continuation of the Homo sapiens line. A handful of surviving humans received their genetics from the line that originated from the First Age. Very few are purebred Enlightened Earthbound Beings. We know of only two who lived in that time. Isaac and Methos."

"Ah yes. Steven Milford and Lance Parker."

"Yes. Interbreeding has nearly wiped out their kind. Only someone who is genetically superior can receive such a gift and use it."

Inari said, "Mister Nevada's brother has an ability. His parents had an ability. They lived away from other humans in order to remain beneath the radar of the Esoteric Council Government. The ability now in possession by Mr. Nevada has been used by the Maori, the Pohnpeian, and so many others. It has been passed from continent to continent for thousands of years by dozens of people who have inspired enough faith to raise themselves to the ranks of becoming deities. Now go. Watch over Topaz Parker and her brother if you can find her in time."

"I thank you, both, for your confidence in me. I hold you both in the highest regard. I am humbled to serve you."

Amaterasu shook her head and offered the kitsune a soft smile that illuminated the room. "Tamamo-san, we all serve someone greater than ourselves. Perhaps we will break bread together and speak again in the future, should we all live. For now, though, I will send you to the Hall of Reflection. Find the portal that will take you to Topaz Parker and keep her alive. Without her, you cannot gain access to Excalibur."

"I will not fail. May I ask one small favor before I depart?"

"Ask your question," said Amaterasu.

"Can I tell the twins the true identity of their mother?"

"Not yet. That honor should belong to their mother. And there will come time in the near future when the children should find out the truth. What did you hope to achieve by telling the children, yourself?"

"They deserve to know that their mother did not die of cancer, nor did she abandon them. They are young - twenty-four, now. And knowing the truth could serve to empower them, making them even more useful to our needs."

"Soon, Tamamo-san. You have my word that they will learn the truth soon. For now, though, head to the Earth plane and make sure Topaz Parker lives. And should the lawman die, you must find a way to secure that ability before it winds up in the hands of a servant of Loki."

Tamamo nodded and asked, "I feel horribly selfish for asking, but I would also like permission to send aid to Sinopa. She is also in danger."

Inari tilted his head. "Who would you suggest?"

"The airhead."

Amaterasu blinked. "Excuse me? To whom are you referring?"

"The succubus daughter of Azazel." Tamamo licked her lips and added, "Sinopa's spirit familiar has taken a liking to the succubus. She, in turn, has begun raising a Kuda-gitsune as a pet, none the wiser of the little kanko's true intention - to be reunited with Sinopa, using the succubus as a vehicle. Neither remembers the other because I was forced to wipe their memories of one another."

Inari nodded in agreement towards Amaterasu. "This kuda-kitsune has always intended to bring the succubus to Sinopa-san. For months, now, this creature has been trying to reunite the two. Perhaps we have overlooked this tiny creature's logic."

Amaterasu nodded in reply. "Keturah Cambion would make a fetching aid to Sinopa and her allies. What is it the girl calls herself now?"

"Domou Arigato. Her current name is Karla Howard. She has chosen the surname of a man she loved once upon a time - Marcus Howard."

"Very well." The Sun Goddess glanced at the ornate pocket watch and frowned. "You are running out of time to help Topaz Parker. Do not let her see you." She lifted her alabaster hands...

...Tamamo appeared in the Hall of Reflection, facing a small window that connected to a rearview mirror of a human vehicle. From the angle, she could see weapons pointed at the back of Reno's head, and another leveled with the back of Topaz Parker's head.

Panic set in, her fur stood on end; fear and horror seized her. The kitsune's tails fluffed up. Was she too late to help the girl? She felt guilty for having rambled on in front of Inari and Amaterasu. But now it appeared Tamamo was too late to help either of them. They were both only seconds away from being murdered. The kitsune had no time to react, only watch.

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END OF Act2, Book1

Please leave some feedback! It helps me make adjustments when revising the story. When it's perfect, I'll self-publish it! So let me know ... do you like reading stories about gods, furries, and supernatural humans?

Well, how about some good ole fashion sex? Haven't seen any of that since Act1, Book2, Chapter 10, right? SPOILER! There will be a sex scene somewhere in the second book of Act 2. Why? Because it will be important to the storyline. I'll leave the "chapter-after-chapter-of-sex" to fanfiction writers who want to write about my characters. :)

-Kit

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Act2, book2 begins here: https://www.sofurry.com/view/647719