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Chapter -15- To Hell and Back

Celestial Realm...

Sinopa stepped from the shimmering portal and smoothed a fabric dune on her kimono. She glanced from left to right to get her bearing, and sniffed at the air.

She knelt and placed her fingers against the reflective floor tiles. The interconnecting energy of the universe gave the tiles a subtle hum. "May the musubi lead me to the shinkai," she murmured.

The four-tail kitsune stood. She turned around and headed towards the world of the Shinto Kami. In a short time, she arrived at the first home, where once the house of Tamamo-no-Mae stood proudly. It had been long-since burned to rubble.

A beautiful yet slightly charred oak door, now all that remained of the home, was set into the side of the hill. Sinopa sniffed at the air. She approached the door and knocked.

Tamamo opened it. Startled, the elder kitsune stepped back and bowed. She gestured for Sinopa to enter her home. Once inside, they exchanged a proper bow.

"What brings you home, little one?"

"Please, tell me the truth - did you make love to Conner as Karla?"

"I have. And the foul creature, after all I've done for her, has stolen my kanko messenger! When you see her, tell her I wish for the immediate return of my kuda-gitsune."

"Kuda, as she calls him, has much work ahead of him. I require his use."

"Sinopa..."

"Please. It is not an issue of need for you," said Sinopa. "Without an Esoteric Council, you can come and go as you please on Earth. You do not require your messenger's services at this time. However, he is useful to me. Please."

"Very well. He may stay on Earth, but his wellbeing is now your responsibility."

Sinopa smiled softly. "You have my gratitude." She bowed humbly.

"So now you have confirmation of my atrocity. You have begged for the services of my messenger. Are you here for a social call, because now is not the time."

"You claim you are here to help with reconstruction. However, Conner found you in your home. Karla found you in your home. I found you here, as well. Do you ever leave your dwelling?"

"That is no one's business but my own."

"You cannot lock yourself in a figurative 'Rock Cave of Heaven' when the world needs you."

"Amaterasu was wise to grieve alone. Even when the world needed the sun, she had to heal in her own way. And, Sinopa, do not think you can lure me from my home by dangling a metaphorical mirror outside my door. My patience is greater than my curiosity."

"I have a void in my heart," Sinopa confessed.

"I cannot fill it," Tamamo whispered.

"You once compared yourself to my mother because of the role you played between my parents."

"Sinopa..." Tamamo looked away. "Speak your point."

"You are the closest thing I have to a mother."

Tamamo swallowed, filled by a flurry of emotions. "I have not been much of a mother to you."

"I need your help."

"You ... you need me? Why?"

Sinopa figited briefly. "You know the road that leads between Takama-ga-hara to Yomi-no-kuni."

"You wish to see your birth mother now?"

"No," Sinopa said, suddenly feeling ashamed to ask for such a personal request. "I wish to see Jules."

Tamamo opened her mouth to argue but couldn't find her voice. She turned to face Sinopa directly and pursed her lips in surprise. "You know where it is."

"I know where the staircase lies, but I do not know how to bypass the hearth of Yomi."

"The meal of Yomi would be your last supper. To cast your eyes upon the delicacies of such a fine meal would prove beyond anyone's ability to decline."

"Yes. I understand - if I eat of the meal of Yomi, I can never return from the underworld. But I must see Jules. How can it be possible?"

Tamamo began pacing.

"Please," Sinopa said. "It is very important."

Tamamo sighed softly. "First, you must eat until you are sick. But you must hold it down. Eat until food disgusts you, and you are in pain. Once full, you should then burn your tongue with peppers and spices so hot you are repulsed by food. It is the only way to turn up your nose at the hearth of Yomi."

"I will do what I must. I wish to see him."

"It is a land of pollution, a land of open graves and from that world, you can access staircases leading up to the other lands of the underworld. I cannot join you. I can only tell you how to follow the path of the Yomo-tsu-Okami until you reach the Christian underworld. From there, it will be up to you to split between Heaven and Hell and find your way to Jules. I can only help you bypass the hall with the hearth. If you eat, you cannot return. I cannot begin to stringently express this fact to you enough. Not one bite. Do not even attempt to taste food from the hearth. It will be your last meal."

"Where do I go?"

"You know our world is laid out like Japan. The Izumo Province is your destination. Just as it is on Earth. I cannot take you there. I am presumed to be dead by Sigyn. If I am seen in either realm, those who are loyal to Loki and Sigyn will speak of my existence."

"I ... I understand, now, why you are hiding."

"It is not hiding!"

"My deepest apologies. I did not mean to insult you."

"I am lying low, Sinopa. I cannot venture on this journey with you. And even if I could, it is one that you must make alone."

"I understand," Sinopa whispered. "Thank you."

"Sit with me and eat. Eat until you cannot eat anymore. I have little to give, but I will give you all that I have to ensure you are prepared for this journey, as it will undoubtedly be a dangerous one."

"I appreciate your hospitality. Can you tell me what to expect?"

"You will be confronted by the guardians, every dead relative of the Matsudaira clan of Fukui. In death, they act as the boulder of the domain. They are samurai. When passing away, they wished to protect the mirror realm and so fought their way from the underworld. When they came up the granite steps, they found this world to be a mirror of their own. Before long, they realized they must guard the Mori Domain of Izumo from this side."

"I have to fight samurai to enter the halls of the underworld??"

"No," Tamamo said with a weak smile. Her eyes lowered and she sighed as though already mourning Sinopa's future. "You must fight them to leave Yomi. Else you can never return to the heavens."

Sinopa frowned. "Oh."

"Now will you reconsider?"

Silence. Sinopa weighed her options. "No. I must see him."

"Why?"

The younger kitsune sat down in front of a small table in the living area. She folded her hands as if waiting for lunch. "Many years ago, I dreamt he was somehow the linchpin of the future. I dreamt that he was so crucial, that without his help, Aris Falcon could never be beaten. I need answers."

Tamamo turned to her cupboards and withdrew ingredients to prepare a meal. "Sinopa, we've been over this. The timeline has been changed dramatically. Things will happen differently, now. Cybil Powalski can still see the alternative timeline. Jules is still alive and will somehow help as you once saw. But that is no longer an option for this timeline. What answers could possibly be worth your soul?"

"I do not yet know. If I did, I would not need to see him, Tamamo. Please. I must see my husband."

"See them both," Tamamo said. "Jonathan will be there. Jules will be there. Your family will be in Yomi-no-kuni. See them first. Make your way to the Christian Heaven, see your husbands, and make the most of your time. It is possible you will not be able to escape. So see them both."

"They were such ... vastly different men."

"I know, Sinopa. But only depending on how you looked at them. They also had similarities."

"How so?"

"They both loved you. They were both providers. They both helped to teach your children the ways of the world."

"Perhaps..."

Tamamo smiled. "Jonathan was a provider of worldly comforts and knowledge. Jules was a provider of love and encouragement. Both were worldly men, familiar with different cultures and..."

"You are wise to see their similarities," Sinopa said, hoping that her interruption would encourage Tamamo to stop speaking of them.

Tamamo turned from her counter and knelt in front of the seated youth. She bowed her head. "I am sorry my words bring you pain. Both men died unfairly, long before their time. But there is something you must remember."

"Yes?"

"Jules died to protect you and your grandson. Jonathan died, robbed of you. It was my fault those memories were taken. So it is only fair that I encourage you to reacquaint yourself with him one last time. I feel obligated to bring the two of you together one last time to right my wrong."

Sinopa swallowed. She studied the emotion in Tamamo's eyes. She reached forward and placed a hand on Tamamo's right hand. "You have my word: I will seek out both. I will overcome all adversity; I will find a way to avoid any meal in the underworld. I will fight the honorable guardians, and I will return."

"The longer you stay, the longer you starve your body. I have recently learned a few things about hunger, and the lure a meal can have on your mind and body. If you stay too long, you will be too weak to ignore the meal from the Hearth of Yomi. And, should you find the will to resist such, you will be starving and weak by the time you fight the samurai."

Sinopa drew in a deep breath. "I must try. Aris Falcon is immune to fire, rendering me nearly useless in the battle against him. But I feel there may be a way I can be useful. I must find out what Jules' destiny was. If I can touch him, if I can hold him and sleep besides him, I am hoping to learn of my dreams, and find out how he could have saved the world from Aris Falcon. By learning what his destiny would have been, I can act in his stead and help to defeat Falcon."

"Mm, I see. Jules could save the world after all. His actions would live on, vicariously, through your hands."

Sinopa nodded firmly. "See? You do understand my intent!"

"It is very dangerous. But I would never stop you from making such a journey, Sinopa. I love you too much to deny you from filling the void in your heart. You were right - there is a hole in your soul. You must speak to your husbands, repair the hole, and then you must return to Earth and protect your children and grandchildren. That is your obligation as the remaining head of the family."

"You have my word. I will do whatever it takes."

"You may have to make decisions that go against the grain of your nature to get back to Earth. Few have successfully done such. May Izanagi watch over you and grant you his strength to follow in his footsteps to escape from the underworld."

"Thank you, Tamamo."

She placed a hand atop of Sinopa's hands. "I really mean that. Follow in the footsteps of Izanagi. Follow them exactly."

"I will to my best."

Tamamo sighed. "Grapes, bamboo and peaches. Are we clear?"

"Yes, I understand. I will follow the lore exactly."

"Good," said Tamamo. "Now, let me prepare a meal and tea for you." Tamamo swallowed, watching Sinopa for a moment. "I only hope that you are clever enough to think several steps ahead. That will be the only way you can survive in the trials that await."

Sinopa replied with a confident smile. "I only hope that I can finally prove myself to you, so that you see me as more than a four-tail child."

Tamamo grinned. "You said it yourself, I am the closest you've ever had to having a mother. And I will do my best to mother you as long as I am able."

"Mm. Then that means you are sleeping with your great-grandson."

Tamamo cringed. "As they say in the west, touché. I will do my best to stop mothering you." She turned back to the ingredients on her counter and brought various things together to prepare a meal.

"Tamamo, I came here to give you a reason to leave your home."

"I have no wish to do so."

"You must find Sekhmet again."

"Why?"

"I dreamt the two of you would find Heimdallr, and bring him to fight Loki to the death. It is written that only Heimdallr can end Loki's life."

"That is part of the End of Days lore. Why are you in a hurry to bring about such things?"

Sinopa smiled somewhat. "Fenris cannot break his chains unless every last werewolf has given back their piece of Fenris. Natalia and her inner circle seek to help repopulate the werewolves. When they become numerous again, the spirit of Fenris will be far too fragmented to break his bindings, ensuring the world is not plunged into darkness."

"But first you want me to set out, with Sekhmet, and find this norse man. You want to to take him to Earth to battle Loki?"

"Yes Tamamo. It is all part of the greater plan, I assure you."

X

X

Meanwhile Wednesday, December 1, morning Atlantic Sea, East of Atlantic City, New Jersey ...

Karla stared at the empty shelf."I don't get it. I made my high calorie survival bars, I put them right here. They're all gone. Who the hell would eat all those at once? It's too much food for any one person."

Reno looked up from his morning coffee. "I was with you all night. And Conner would never eat something like that. He's too serious about his goofy diets. Tamae doesn't care for overly sweet food, so it wasn't her."

Karla grimaced. "God, now I have to spend all day making another batch of that crap. The ingredients I'll need, well, we sure as hell won't find them on the District Coast. I'll ask Sinopa if she knows anything about it."

Reno lifted his coffee cup. "Bon chance ... or whatever."

Karla smirked at him. She teleported to the door leading to Sinopa's quarters. Karla knocked and said, "Hey, Red, I've got a question for you."

No answer. Karla knocked again. After a moment, she opened the door and stepped inside. "Red?"

There was an elegantly penned letter sitting on Sinopa's pillow. Her bed was made.

Karla went to the closet and opened it. The lone hanger was empty.

Karla went to the dresser and opened each of the drawers. There were two carefully folded kimonos and a spot for a missing one.

"Is everything okay?" The voice belonged to Conner.

Karla shrugged. "Your grandmother isn't here. She left a letter." Karla reached towards the page over on the bed. The page vanished. It reappeared in Karla's grasp.

Conner walked to the open closet and peered inside. "Her gi is missing."

Karla looked up, briefly, and then back down at the page. She read the contents of the letter in silence. Karla made her way over to the bed and sat down on the end of the mattress.

"Karla?"

She lifted her free hand and gestured for him to wait one moment. Her eyes continued down the page, reading the elegant scrawl and eloquent wording.

"Are you crying?"

Karla gestured, again, for him to wait one moment. Her eyes slowly made their way to the bottom of the page. A single tear spilled down her cheek. "Wow."

"What happened? Where is she?"

"I had no idea. All this time, everyone was so focused on what's going on, nobody bothered to talk to her about how she was affected by the death of Jules."

Conner reached for the letter. "What happened?" he repeated.

"She went to the Celestial Realm to say a proper goodbye to her husband. I've been so selfish, I never thought about what she's going through."

Conner skimmed the letter. "She ... wait, is that actually possible?"

Karla shrugged. "In every religion involving multiple gods, there's a tale where someone ventures into the underworld for love. Christ," Karla used her palm to clear her eyes. "That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard. I didn't know she could actually do that."

"Romantic?" erupted Conner. "What if she never comes back? In all those religions, you ever only hear about one person who managed to pull it off. Two tops. And most of the time, those epics are a retelling of the exact same story, but with a renamed character."

"So maybe it was only documented once, and other humans are simply attributed to trying."

Conner groaned. "That's my point! If it only happens once, it's because the other occurrences were stories made up by a storyteller. Else, anyone could pull it off."

Karla sighed wistfully. "Haven't you ever wanted to experience love like that?"

"Are you not hearing my point? What if she never comes back? We need her to beat Aris Falcon and..."

Karla lifted her right index finger.

Conner's jaw clamped shut, telekinetically closed to stop him from talking.

"She's gone, Conner. All my survival bars are gone. She took them so she could eat during her journey. She's obviously researched what it will involve to the best of her ability. She's wearing her gi, and one of her kimonos overtop."

Kuda came in through the opened bedroom door. The small fox looked around and sniffed at the air. The little animal glanced at Karla, over at Conner, and then back at Karla.

Kuda hopped up onto the mattress effortlessly and walked around on the empty bed. He stopped in the middle of the mattress and sniffed.

His whiskers eased back along his svelte muzzle. His nose twitched. His ears stood tall upon the top of his head. After a moment, Kuda turned back towards Karla, at the edge of the mattress.

"She's gone, baby boy."

Kuda dropped onto his belly, beating the tip of his tail against the comforter. His ears laid back and he whined softly.

"I know," Karla said in a gentle tone. "I'll miss her, too. But she'll be back."

Conner turned the letter over and frowned. "Hey, did you see this?"

"Hmm?"

"She wrote something else on the back in small print. Jeeze, it's a lot."

"Well don't just stand there. Start flapping those gums, boy."

Conner read it out loud. "I wish to deliver one last prophetic dream. My hope is that it will help you in your quest to find the nuclear weapon. Find Rufus before it is too late. He has set out to find his son and daughter-in-law. I assure you they are safe as of the writing of this letter. Rufus, however, will be in great danger. Rufus and his company will risk their lives for your quest.

"Conner, Tamae - you have your own journey. Tamae, when you met Rachel in Japan, the both of you clicked. It was heartwarming to see the two of you get along so well. You will have one another's company for a time. Conner, you must prepare James for the road ahead.

"I have seen that Evan and his wife will guide you into an amazing discovery that will aid you in the war against Aris Falcon. You will work together to uncover an ancient relic to be used against Dr. Falcon.

"Reno, you will stay with Karla until the end. She is your salvation, regardless what she has learned about Eric by now. The two of you will find love for a time. Let that force be what carries the day. With Karla's help, you will stand against Loki. Use your power wisely. Like mighty Thor, lightning is a powerful force against Loki. While it cannot kill him, it will protect you when facing him.

"Loki can only die against a deity named Heimdallr. I will give Tamamo the motivation to break free of her depression. I will set her on a worthy course - with the help of Sekhmet, she will bring Heimdallr to fight Loki.

"Karla, by now, you may have discovered who has taken the place of Lance Patterson. You have a difficult journey ahead. You will see a side of people that may make it difficult to believe in them. But you will be the one who keeps The Guiding Hand from being cut off. The fate of The Hand lies with you, for despite your rocky past with the Esoteric Council, you are to be its savior.

_"I wish all of you well. I have high hopes for my return. But if it does not occur before the war begins, know that I believe in all of you. _

"I have chosen to search for an alternative way to win this war. We need it to act as our a backup, just in case we are too late to defeat Aris and Loki.

"I once dreamt that victory was in the hands of Jules Guillot. I have chosen to find him, find out what was to become of his destiny, and return with the knowledge of how he would have defeated Aris Falcon. This will ensure success, should the rest of you fail.

"But I believe in you. All of you. I have said a prayer that we will have no need for the information I seek from Jules. But as Nathanial Carrington once said - '_always have a contingency plan, just in case the good guys don't win the day.' _It is wise advice. I have chosen to act upon such wisdom, even if it means being away from the rest of you, all of whom I love very much.

"Sinopa '_Shizuko' Crevan-Parker-Guillot_"

Conner paused and stared at the page. His eyes lowered, scanning the remainder of the letter.. He cringed and placed it back onto the bed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She glanced back at the page, over her shoulder. Her eyes flitted briefly over the small print, much smaller and less elegant than the fancy, flowing scroll on the other side of the page.

"Shizuko," Karla whispered. "That's her birth name."

"How did you know that?"

Karla looked up at Conner with a frown. "I remember a few things while Tamamo was floating around in my noggin. A lot of it is starting to fade, except the stuff that happened. I can't remember Konoe-tenno's face anymore. I don't remember what it was like to possess Rachel anymore. It's foggy. But I remember everything that happened during the possession. I remember a few odds and ends, like what Sinopa's real name was, and how much Tamamo cares about her. Things like that."

Conner swallowed. "Do you remember ... us?"

Karla stood up and gently hugged Conner. "Every detail. Including how upset it made you, and that you slept through the worst part. I also remember you saying how you've come to respect me, and you didn't want to know my secrets."

Conner rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed. "It's really weird to find out you had sex with me. It's really awkward to find out that I came in you. The other stuff was okay. When Tamamo wanted to kiss and touch, I'm okay with that. But you and I had sex. And I'm really sorry it happened. I'm sorry, Karla."

Karla kissed the side of his face. "Hey, hey, I'm not upset with you. We were both used. We were both manipulated. We were both lied to about this. I saw it upset you when Tamamo asked you to have sex. I remember you said you didn't want to betray my trust. That's huge, Conner. I misjudged you. You're a good kid."

"Thanks." He sighed. After a moment, he returned the hug, gently easing his arms around her. "It's weird that I saw you naked when she came out of the shower as you. It's weird that we kissed. It's weird that I had my fingers inside of you."

Karla sighed in reply. "Yeah. I, uh, remember the other stuff now. I remember looking down at you. I could see in the dark because of the way she changed my eyes. I remember the way she used my body to ride you."

"I bet you were mad as hell during that."

Karla shook her head. "I got mad later. She was so convinced it was the right thing to do, it was like mind control. I just watched it happen and enjoyed it, as her."

"Seriously?"

Karla nodded firmly. "Yeah, babe. It's because I saw everything through her mindset at the time it happened."

"Oh." He grimaced. "So you really ... enjoyed it while it happened?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Weird."

"Yeah." She cleared her throat and gently relinquished the hug. "About as weird as talking about it right now."

Conner swallowed and turned away from the hug. "Yeah, uh, just so we're clear, I love Tamae and I'm not at-all interested in doing things with you. I just wanted to get that out there."

Karla sat back down on the mattress. "Conner, I'm not freaked out by the fact you have a boner right now."

"Christ, you felt that against your hip just now?"

Karla shrugged. "I know you don't want to do things with me - I get it. Don't freak out because of a natural hormone reaction. It's not like you can talk to your blood stream and tell it, 'Stop hormones! It's a plutonic hug! We're only talking about sex! We don't actually want to have it!' Look, we'll talk more about this later."

"I am so embarrassed right now."

Karla smiled. "Don't be. This will stay between us, okay? Just go and wake Tamae up with that thing. She'll appreciate being desired if you're smooth about your delivery. Remember to be romantic or something."

Conner reached down and adjusted the front of his pants. "Why the hell am I turned on, though? It's goddamn awkward."

"Because this is real-goddamn-life, babe. And in real life, a girl gets hard nipples, even when she doesn't want them. It happens just because the air was cold, like when she gets out of the shower. A guy gets a stiffy because he hugged a girl while talking about sex, even if he didn't want it with her."

"For someone who reads fantasy and sci-fi all the time, you sure do have a realistic outlook on reality."

"Yup. Now take my advice. Go in the kitchen, I have tea made. Bring a glass to Tamae while she's still asleep. Wake her up by placing your hands on her hip. Lean in from behind and kiss gently on her neck, or right behind her ear. Whisper gently, and ask her how she slept."

"I'll give it a try."

Karla's grin broadened. "Good boy. Tell her it was boring being awake without her to talk to. Explore her with your fingertips. Look for a sign that she's into it, and then..."

"Take a cold shower if she's not awake enough to fool around, right?" Conner grinned back, over his shoulder, at Karla. "Thanks for not being judgmental."

"Are you and her cool right now, Conner?"

"Yeah. Tamae and I discovered we have chemistry. I'll take your advice, though. She'll like the tea, it makes me look thoughtful."

"Go sweep'er off her feet, or, rather, off her sheets." Karla grinned and watched him as he walked out of the room with his chin up.

Karla turned back to Kuda and rubbed her nails behind his ears. "God that was close. I felt that thing against my thighs. Now _I'm_the one that needs a cold shower."

Kuda looked up, meeting her gaze. He opened his little maw and chittered a strange noise at her as if trying to speak.

Karla grinned. "You're right - I have Reno" Karla's eyes landed on Sinopa's letter on the bed. She picked it up and read the bottom of the small print, where she saw her name, further down, beneath the small signature. "What the...?"

Her eyes skimmed the small print. "Conner didn't read this part..." She felt her mouth become dry. "Holy shit."

The words read, "PS: Thank you, Karla, for resisting the urge to sleep with Conner after he read this letter to you. If you really have resisted the urge, then it really is a 'dream come true' for me. Also, Kuda said nothing about Reno a moment ago. He said, '_Just so long as you don't sleep with Rufus again. Trust me, no good will come of that.' Cheeky fellow, isn't he?_

"With love, S."

Karla's eyes widened. She swallowed. "Holy shit_that's freaky. Conner must have been too freaked out to read that part. Wait, she's not going to reply to _this too, is she?" Karla looked at the back of the page again, to make sure there was no strangely timed reply to her. There was, in fact, another written line at the very bottom of the page.

It read, "PPS: My apologies for the snacks in the kitchen. I will need them." Karla stared at the words and shook her head.

"Okay, good," the succubus mumbled. "Still weird. I would laugh if I wasn't so freaked out by this." She folded the letter and placed it in Sinopa's nightstand.

Kuda stared at her.

She grinned back at him and sat on the edge of the mattress again. "I promise, I will never have sex with Rufus Darken again, so long as I live. He's got a girl, now. He's got kids and all that. We got it out of our system."

Kuda's eyes widened, as though he was surprised. His little eyes blinked twice.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know you said to stay out of Rue-bear's pants. Sinopa went to find Jules Guillot. And now that I know you're capable of intelligent conversation, I need to go and be freaked out about that for a while." Karla stood up.

She stretched and walked to the bedroom door. She paused, looked back at him and smiled. "I always knew you were smarter than the average fox, babe." She stepped out of Sinopa's bedroom and shouted, "Reno! C'mere! I have something I want to show you in the bedroom!"

She opened the door to the master bedchamber at the end of the hall, slid her panties off from beneath her skirt, and climbed up onto the bed.

A saucy smirk found her lips. She looked back at the door, waiting for Reno. She heard his footsteps coming up the hallway. "Get in here and close the door behind yourself, Nevada!"

X

X

Celestial Realm...

Sinopa bowed to the war-dressed samurai."My lord, I am a humble kitsune wishing to pass into Yomi-no-kuni."

"Turn back," he said in a stern voice. "If you enter, you are not permitted to leave."

"If I eat at the hearth of Yomi, I am trapped forever. I will not eat of such."

"No. If you eat, it will be your last supper and you will disappear. You will materialize at the heart of the underworld. It is a maze, you are a rat, and the meal resets the maze. But once you go in, we insure you stay there for all time."

Sinopa drew in a deep breath. "And if I defeat you, do I earn my freedom? And what becomes of you?"

"I return to the underworld. I battle back to this point and return as its guard. Some have tried, but we are undefeated. I would lose time, but you would lose your physical body."

Sinopa nodded. "As you can see I am well armed. I aim to return."

"Far older kami have sought the same. They wished to see a loved one and return. None have. Save yourself the trouble, make peace with the loss your feel in your heart, and do not let your grief be the end of you. Because once you pass through this village, it is already too late."

Sinopa bowed again. "An old, wise kitsune told me to expect this resistance. She once lost a beloved emperor. And you used psychology to talk her out of this."

"I do not know this word you speak - psychology."

"It is a relatively new term," said Sinopa. "It is a scientific understanding of the mind and personality. Now, step aside. I must speak to my husband. The fate of the human world may be at risk."

They bowed to one another.

Sinopa walked into the village and followed the layout of the huts to the far end. An arch marked a path into the forest.

She stared at it for a moment, drew in a deep breath, and walked towards it. As she grew near to it, her heart began to race. Sinopa grimaced. "I am a fool for this," she whispered. "But I am coming, Jules."

Sinopa passed beneath the arch. Up ahead, there was a clearing in the forest. Granite steps led below the ground. She swallowed. She checked her gear, making sure everything was properly secured.

Tessen fans, a katana, and her tightly-packed satchel, which was strapped to her back - she had weapons, food, and photographs of her loved ones. "I can do this," she whispered.

Sinopa drew in deep, calming breaths. She exhaled the same way. She took the first of many steps downward. The odd scent of delicious food was overpowering. The further she descended, the stronger it became.

"I wonder who prepares such." Soon, the stairs became too dark to see anything in either direction.

Not long after, she saw the soft flickering of torchlight further down. Her heart raced wildly with fear. But even her fear couldn't stop the oddly compelling sensation to continue forward.

She kept her thoughts on Jules and Jonathan. She wanted nothing more than to see Jules Guillot, and she couldn't be sure why. Ever since waking up from her prior night's dream, the desire to see him was all consuming.

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Next Chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/837145