God Yet Lives

Yue yawns.

Atae continues walking, not really knowing much about Ven other than that she lived with Taiyo, who was only someone Atae knew because of the Aamon attack.

Sab looked at Aroma, "So, you really wanted me to come along?"

--

"Purrrr....." -This is pathetic. I mean, I've seen what you two do with your fingers, so I know you're better than this.-

--

Noct threw up a room of shadows around Dawn and herself to block out noise and and light.

"Is this the part where you talk angrily at me?" Dawn said, condescendingly, "I know you can't hurt me, not after what that girl did."

"Mother, if I wanted to I could break through that and probably take out this entire floor." Noctis furrowed her eyebrow, "She is probably counting on me not being that reckless; I'm not sure if she has made a good bet."

"So you're a particularly strong freak, but a freak none the less. Tell me, what do I need to do to get you out of my life?"

"Tell me why you did this to me, you destroyed my life."

"You destroyed mine."

"I was a child!"

"You started at an early age, what do you want me to tell you?"

The room began to vibrate as Noct lost her cool but she reined herself back, "I'm trying hard not to kill you."

"Noctis, leave. This is pointless, and you're wasting your time. I'll always be the dark blot in your life, and you'll always be mine. You can't simply windex that away."

Noctis thought for a second, then smiled, "You know something, you're right. You are a dark blot." Noctis said, "But you see, my entire life is darkness," Noct spread her arms wide, "What makes you any different from the shadows I've come to call my own?"

"Noctis... I'm not a shadow."

"Shut up, I'm being symbolic!"

"How is that working?"

Noct smiled, "Well actually. You see, you're nothing more than another shadow. Something I can use, and have used to make myself stronger. You've made me who I am, what I am. Without the darkness you've provided I would have never been able to grasp the light of love."

"The girl with the large breasts? I was less than impressed. Well, not with her breasts, it is hard not to be impressed, but overall. She seemed... slow."

"It doesn't matter what you think-- no, it does, you see, you're the negative. I know what love is because you've shown me what hate was."

"You're craz-- your eyes, they're like his."

"Who's?"

"The monster who attacked me when I was pregnant with you."

"Oh, I killed him. Odd that he seemed to have failed to kill me twice." With that Noctis blinked off her FullBring, and smiled, "I still expect my allowance, mother, but I doubt I'll be seeing you anytime soon."

"One could only hope."

Noctis turned and left. In the hall she gave Lilith a long stare before saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said in there. I was just... angry."

L"I won't apologize for what I did. I know it was foolish, dangerous, treacherous, & probably illegal. But even with all of that, I won't apologize. What I will do is tell you why I was so eager to go behind your back & help Senthose."

*She takes a swig of Dawn's vodka, which she had somehow swiped during all of that.*

L"The truth is, it's about my own mother. She...she went over to the enemy's side. I have to know why! And I have to get her back, whatever it takes!"
===============================================
*Senthose enters the room again through a garganta & punches the barrier, shattering it.*

"What do you know? It's starting to come back already."

*He then gives her a blank stare.*

"'This creature...is worthless, boring trash.' He said something like that, didn't he? Heh. I'll say one thing for Ulquiorra, he really did know how to describe people. Later, lady, it's been real...well, it's been real something, all right."

*He walks back through his Garganta, which closes behind him.*
=============================================
"Umm...yes. Yes I did. Yes indeedy."

[I don't really want to tell her that I was hoping for Mortal.]

Yue closed his miasma cage.

20 minutes is all I can manage? Pathetic.

He then began to cough violently. After his two minute coughing fit he caught back up with Sab, Aroma, and Atae.

Astarte shrugged slightly, "This place has been my home for a long time. If there was to be another war involving Hueco Mundo it would concern me a great deal, in more than one way."

Sab smiled, "Really, wow... I thought you must have hated me. Especially after, you know..." Sab twiddled her thumbs, "I don't really interact with many people other than Mortal, so... I can get kind of jealous, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

--

Noctis took the bottle and downed a swig as well, "I wasn't going to ask for one, but I'm glad you told me what was really getting you down." Noct held the bottle out towards Lilith, "So, looks like I'm not the only one who has to work through some maternal issues, I'm sorry to hear that. What kind of answer are you looking for?" Noct asked, "And what will you do if you don't get it?"

--

Dawn smirked, "I'm less than worthless, I've given the world my daughter. Surely there is a special place in hell for me."

--

"So, you want to protect this little slice of... sand?" Mortal said looking around, "I guess I can't fault that, wanting to protect your home." Mortal began to walk over to her cave, where she kept her miasma. "Tell me, would you be willing to fight for your home? Fight to protect it?"

Yue put his arms around both girls in the bringing the group together kind of way and not the trying to be a player kind of way, "How about we just say that no matter what, after all of this, we're family eh?"

"If there was a hope of success, yes," Astarte nodded certainly, her eyes suddenly showing a flicker of emotion.

"Give me a sec." Mortal disappeared into her cave, and came out with a new pair of wool pants, black, and a bird cage with a flame inside of it. "Try to breath this in." Mortal said, handing over the cage, "If you can, well, there may be 'hope' for you yet."

--

"A family, what an odd choice of words."

*Aroma looks at Sab, not sure of what to do.*
========================================
*Lilith takes another drink & passes the bottle back.*

L"I don't know...like I said, for now I just want to forget everything about the Soul Society."

Astarte accepted the cage, shooting Mortal an uncertain glance before breathing in.
She took two breaths before clearing her throat and turning her head back to Mortal.
"What is this?"

"Why do you say that?" Yue asked sincerely.

"Fair enough," Noct said taking the bottle, and downing another gulp, "So, what do you want to do to forget? I could use a bit of forgetting myself, if you don't mind the company." She handed the bottle back.

--

Sab removes herself from Yue's arm, "The only person I've ever considered family has been Mortal, so it is just odd to think of someone in the same light." She then looked towards Atae, "So, where are we going?"

"Squad 12-- crap, I think I forgot about that girl Captain Urahara sent with me..."

--

Mortal took it back and closed the cage, "It is the miasma of Hell." She said matter of factly, "You see, the three worlds are in danger, ours, Soul Society, and the world of the living. Hell itself is going to wage war against... us come winter, and we're going to protect what we hold dear," Mortal placed a hand on her necklace, thinking immediately of Sab, "So, do you have it in you to fight with a Soul Reaper and a human, if it meant protecting your home?"

"But she's more than family to you though isn't she? I'll tell you what I told her. I envy her. She's found a really great partner."

<I'm right behind you.>
===================================
"I'm sure Euryale wants to do something, & has already suggested it. Also, do you mind if I drink the rest?"

"I would fight with anybody I could trust with certainty, if I had to."
Astarte was slightly suspicious of Mortal Dulces story- she had never thought about Hell much, and had mostly thought that it was a branch of the Soul Society.
"Who exactly would lay waste to my home? The sinners?"

"You're... oddly quiet." Atae said, turning to look at her.

Sab smiled, but said nothing.

--

Mortal leaned on her back leg and folded her arms. "From what I understand yes, but they are not exactly regular sinners. The strongest fighters to ever find themselves in hell, those with the strongest wills, they only got stronger. And now they plot against the living and spirits." Mortal smiled, "They are not to be taken lightly, they sacked Soul Society with an ease I haven't seen since Aamon's attack, and easily outmatched multiple captains, as well as the strongest of us." She finished by saying, "If we're going to have any hope of winning it is going to be through combined effort, and no small amount of luck."

--

Noct nodded, "Yea, I was looking to avoid home right now. I think I upset Euryale... again, and I hate myself when I see pain in her eyes, more so when I cause it." Noct pushed herself off the wall she was resting against, "Still, I guess you're right. Staying away doesn't help anyone out." Noct blinked on her FullBring and sunk halfway into her shadow. "Am I to expect you for dinner?"

There were a few more moments of silence before Astarte exhaled lightly and looked Mortal in the eyes.
"If it will take a combined effort to defeat these foes, I will lend a hand. I will require more information on the enemy."

L"If you'd be willing to let me. And don't worry about Euryale, she's only upset when she's upset you. And those few times she's disfigured Arrancar."
===========================================
<You should be more quiet.>

"Why don't you like her?"

<You mean, "Why don't you like us," & the answer is because you're all imbeciles.>
============================================
*Senthose pops in behind Astarte.*

"I'm back, babes. Who is this?"

"Someone's in a bad mood."

---

"Kujaku~ look at these cellphone straps they're a~dor~able~!!" a rather goth looking effeminate young man was looking at a rack of cellphone straps, particularly a pair of them which appeared to be skulls with a dangly eye bit.

"Karasu stop bobbin' yer ass up and down, ya look like a friggin' fag. We're on a tight budget. I ain't buyin' ya useless shit again." Another young man who looked more masculine said as he socked the other in the back of the head. "Comeon' we got shit ta do."

"Buuuut~"

"No buts, get Yumi to buy ya another one when ya see her later." He grabbed his brother by the ear and pulled him away.

"Ow Ow Ow Kujaku~ That huurts!"

"I wouldn't hafta do this if ya weren't such a fuckin' squirrel when it came to those stupid cheapass knickknacks ya like ta collect."

Astarte span on her heel and looked at Senthose with wild eyes before disappearing completely and reappearing fifty metres away.

Mortal looked at Senthose, "Her name is Astarte, she is easily spooked I guess. I was recruiting her, I guess you could say. We're going to need all the manpower we can get to fight Hell."

--

Atae shrugs and walks into Squad 12, "Captain Urahara, I've returned with the arrancar you wanted. Can I return to my squad now?"

--

Noctis smiled, "True enough." She said, "And you're always welcome at our home, so try knocking before you break the lock please." With that Noct sunk into her shadow and appeared back in front of Euryale. "Hi..." She said, unsure if she was upset with her.

"That's fascinating. I'm very busy right now, so please tell her that if I wanted to kill her, she would already be dead. I do not have time to rotate 30 degrees & do it myself."

*With that, he vanishes into another Garganta.*
============================================
*Euryale, having not moved from that spot for the hour or so she was gone, jerked awake & smacked her head off of the wall.*

"Owww...hey. Umm...how'd everything go?"
=============================================
Chesed<Shut up, you moron. I don't GET bad moods, or any kinds of moods for that matter. Ugh, what a stupid thing to say.>

*Urahara turns around, his face half-obscured by a paper fan.*

Urahara<Ah, I'm glad to hear that--oh, & Venezuela, you came too!>

V"I was of the understanding that there would be free food."

Urahara<I'd like you to help me with a little project the 4th Seat of Squad 4 & I have been working on.>

V"You don't have any food, do you?"

Urahara<But, first things first, come alone with me, young lady.>

*He grabs Aroma's hand & starts leading her to the surgery room.*

"We're coming with her" Yue points to him and Sab.

---

"But where are we going brother~?"

"Fuck, I dunno. Didn't ya memorize where it said ta go on the back of the card?"

"Nnnnnope!" Karasu smiled, like an idiot.

"Fuckin' dumbass!" Kujaku punched his brother again.

Astarte watched Senthose with a mixture of caution and admiration. When he disappeared, she turned her gaze to Mortal, but stayed exactly where she was.