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Chapter -11- Identity

June 24, 1999, 00:40 Tunguska, Russia ...

Sinopa shoved Karla and Chance back against the reflective glass building and stood in front of them, her back against their chests. The kitsune's vertical pupils constricted in the bright spotlights. "You'll have to go through me first."

Karla, exhausted, tried to wiggle out from behind Sinopa. "No. You're pregnant, goddammit."

"Stay put," Sinopa demanded.

A red logo of a bear paw print was scrawled on the sides of several trucks; US military emblems identified the rest.

"We're Americans!" Chance called out to them. "Don't shoot! We're Americans!" He lowered his voice and told his friends, "That's English lettering on the sides of those door panels. They probably won't..."

The man with the bullhorn interrupted. "FIRE!"

All at once, the three of them tumbled backwards. As they fell away from the convoy of soldiers and mercenaries, the sound of gunfire filled the air.

For Chance, the odd sensation of time slowed down just like in France.

He looked around as their bodies flew backwards. The first round passed over his head and sank into the reflective wall. Everything happened at one time.

The sound faded and became distorted, along with a muffled crackling of shattering glass. It sounded like he was inside of a tunnel. The reverberation of muted sound only added to the chaos and confusion.

Chance felt the weight of Sinopa's body crash atop of him. He heard Karla grunt next to him.

He became aware, all at once, that they weren't standing anymore.

There was a white glow all around. The soft lighting brought about recollections of childhood stories concerning what death might be like.

"Get up." The voice belonged to a woman he didn't recognize. "Let's go! Get on your feet you three. You cut it awfully close, you know that? The reflective surface began to break as I pulled you through. Be glad it was held together by the tinting film. You baka almost died."

Chance rubbed his face. He touched his chest, still unable to believe he survived being shot at. He left a bloody handprint on his shirt.

The woman's voice continued from off to the side, but he didn't see anyone speaking. He noticed her voice had a hint of an Asian dialect to it, similar to the way Sinopa spoke.

His mind cleared and the droning monologue continued from behind. "...And what kind of clumsy morons walk into a trap like that?" Asked the unseen woman.

Chance grunted softly and gave a gentle push at Sinopa, still strewn across him.

The unseen woman continued her rant. "You were tricked by someone whose trap was so clever that I dare admit my newfound admiration for them ... whoever they are. Now get up."

Sinopa rolled off of Chance. Her exaggerated movement and grunt confirmed what Chance sensed from her. She struggled a bit, unable to get to her feet over her cumbersome belly.

Karla eased to her knees and then rose to her feet. She reached for Sinopa and helped the kitsune to stand. They turned to Chance.

He lay there, still dazed.

The girls pulled him to his feet.

The boy looked about in wonder. "Who was just speaking?"

"Down here. Not a very sharp telepath, are you?"

He looked around and gazed down.

A white fox with numerous tails sat on her haunches, staring back up at him. She had red markings over her forehead and on parts of her muzzle. Her ears lay flat in irritation, and her whiskers shifted back along the contour of her svelte muzzle.

The vixen's maw opened and she spoke again. Her words were fluent English and easy to understand. "Nothing to say for yourself? You are supposed to be a man. You should have put yourself in front of those women. Especially considering that one of them is pregnant. What kind of man are you?"

"Tamamo-sama! Please!" Sinopa gawked, embarrassed by her sensei. "I pushed him behind me. They are human. I have a greater chance of surviving..."

"Holy shit," Karla whispered. "A talking animal."

Tamamo-no-Mae's upper lip curled, revealing canine fangs. "Those human children in your womb would not_ _have survived, you baka! Do you have ANY idea what kind of trouble I can get into by bringing four humans here?"

"A technicality at best," Sinopa replied. "Two of them aren't even born yet, Sensei, and are thusly incapable of telling anyone of this realm."

"Oh! How nice!" Tamamo said in a sarcastic tone. "You came back from Earth as a lawyer! Wonderful!" All at once, Tamamo became dramatically more serious, adding, "I wonder if you could lose one of your tails for becoming a lawyer. How ... beneath you."

Sinopa turned to Karla and Chance. "My sensei, Tamamo-no-Mae has endured many struggles during her time on Earth. It has made her resentful and sarcastic. Please, do not be offended by her words."

The white fox rose to all fours, her nine tails trailing behind her. Tamamo ignored Sinopa's apology to her friends. The powerful, yet tiny deity walked away, still talking. "Then again, Lady Sigyn has always been fond of lawyers because they are responsible for some of the greatest tricks in the Earth Realm."

The group remained silent out of respect for the ranting animal, mostly because they owed the vixen for saving their lives.

The white-furred fox turned around. Her numerous tails shifted about, flitting together in irritation. "This way. Keep your eyes averted in reverence, humans, and follow me."

Sinopa sighed and moved her hand towards the small white-furred creature. "Let us follow my sensei."

The group fell into step behind the little white vixen.

Karla took Chance's hand into hers and examined his palm. "Looks like you cut it on the glass. I have to say, hon, I'm pretty impressed. Most guys would whine like babies over a gash like that."

"I don't feel a thing," Chance murmured. "It itches a little, but ... that's it." He paused and furrowed his brows. As an afterthought, he added, "Kind of like when you pulled the IV needle out of my hand the day we met. I didn't feel a thing then, either. Come to think of it, I haven't really felt any sharp pain the whole month. Just occasional aches, like when my feet hurt from walking. Could I have nerve damage?"

"No clue, but you need to take care of that before it gets infected." Karla touched her finger against a piece of glass in his palm. The glistening fragment disappeared, teleported from his skin. "What kind of nerve damage lets you feel itching and the warmth of sunlight but not the pain of injury?"

"I don't know. We should ask around." Chance looked down at the injury on his palm. "Where are we, anyhow?"

Sinopa placed her right hand beneath her belly and her left hand on the boy's elbow. She spoke in a soft voice. "Karla-san, Chance-san ... please allow me the honor to introduce you to my sensei. Tamamo-no-Mae. We do not always see eye-to-eye, but she is a fair and just teacher."

"It is about time you introduced me properly," Tamamo muttered. "I was growing insulted."

The white fox led the trio through a hallway of inter-dimensional portals, each a differently shaped silhouette.

Sinopa withdrew a sash from her kimono. The front billowed open, exposing a simplistic gi beneath. She passed the sash to Chance. "Wrap your hand."

Karla frowned. "Is there any alcohol to soak that in before he uses it as a bandage?"

"I have sake nearby. However, passing through the portal to our realm has a cleansing side-effect. The germs in his wound are likely to be inert, now. My sash will be clean, now."

Tamamo spoke in a soft, chiding tone. "Limit the amount of times you pass through to our world, unless you enjoy having mouth sores and digestive issues."

Sinopa appeared embarrassed. In a soft tone, she said, "Sensei is correct. Your species requires healthy germs."

Karla smirked. "So you're saying, when I get home, eat yogurt so I don't wind up with itching 'down there.' I get it."

Sinopa lowered her gaze. "You have no shame to speak publically in such a way."

Tamamo snorted with amusement. "I find it refreshing. The Chinese and Japanese once spoke freely. It was liberating. Now _shame_is the new fashion. So much has changed in the modern world."

Chance cut his eyes to the left and right. Portals of various shapes and sizes lined the hallway on either side. He leaned over and whispered to Karla. "They look like wall mirrors without reflections; they appear to go somewhere."

The fox spoke again in a loud, clear voice. "Forward thinking gets you in trouble, young one. You are not supposed to know about this realm."

"I appreciate that you've saved us," said Chance, "But why would you break your laws and bring us here?"

Tamamo scoffed. She continued her trot at the front of the group. "That is certainly not our law. Those worthless laws belong to your people. They are defined in the treaty by the Esoteric Council. And until such a time as there is no more Esoteric Community to uphold those rules, you fools must keep this to yourselves."

In a snarky and chiding tone, Karla asked, "Did you only save us so you could lecture us?"

"Do not disrespect me!" Tamamo snapped. The fur of her pelt bristled up. Her tails fluffed to twice their original thickness.

Karla rolled her eyes.

Tamamo continued walking down the hallway, presenting her backside towards them. "Do you even know who I am? I am Tamamo-no-Mae!"

Karla shrugged. "Yeah, Sinopa just told us that. I've learned lots of mythology and lots of trivial information about historic things. But, lady, I've never heard of you until now."

Tamamo came to a halt and turned towards the group. She sat down on her backside, with her chest and upper body tall and straight. Her nine tails curled around her, half on one side, the rest on the other.

Karla arched her brows in amusement. She and Tamamo stared one another down for a moment. Karla grinned. "I was always against fox hunting. Be nice to us or I'll call the Tories on you."

"Always so errant, succubus."

Karla's grin broadened. "Oh, so you know me? Senpai, you make my heart go doki doki."

"Silence, kohai."

"I was being sarcastic."

"I am aware. You are still a kohai."

Karla furrowed her brows. "Y'know, I've only just met you. You seem awfully comfortable around me."

"I have watched you. For the past century, you have been attached at the hip to The Anomaly." The little white fox narrowed her gaze. Her amber eyes panned towards Chance. "Present your injury to me, human boy."

Sinopa leaned towards Karla and whispered, "Nathanial Carrington. We call him The Anomaly, because his coming was not predicted by seers, and his past is shrouded in mystery."

Karla whispered back to Sinopa. "Psht, I've predicted his coming a few times. Back when he was younger, I mean."

Sinopa looked away with tinted cheeks. "You should not speak so disrespectfully of something as beautiful as romance."

"Romance is what he had with my sister before she died. What _I_did was called a comfort fuc--"

"Karla, please!"

Chance glanced at the other two women. "Hey." He waited until Karla and Sinopa grew quiet.

Tamamo tilted her head, amused by how a single word was enough to quiet both Karla and Sinopa.

Chance drew in a deep breath and offered his hand down to the white fox, palm up. "The secret of your realm is safe. I promise."

Tamamo licked her tongue along the gash on his hand. The lick smeared his blood. She drew her head back and said, "It does not matter. Because after I send you home, you will not remember meeting me or this place." She licked her lips and swallowed, seemingly pleased with the taste.

"No, wait," Sinopa protested. "Please. I need their help to find the mirror."

Chance looked down at his hand, eyes wide. The wound was gone, leaving only a slight itch beneath the skin.

A purple and red blotch appeared just beneath the flesh, but the gash was otherwise fully healed. He wiped away the excess blood, leaving a half print on his shirt next to another one from earlier.

Tamamo narrowed her golden eyes, staring up at the group. "Sigyn-sama is furious that the mirror assignment has fallen to you, Sinopa-san. She is demanding the chancellor revokes your mission; she argues that a pregnant kitsune should not have been ordered about on a battlefield like a soldier."

Sinopa pursed her lips together and held her breath for a moment. She turned to Chance and Karla. "The one of whom she speaks, Queen Sigyn, is the first of the spirit foxes. She reigns over them as the oldest and most powerful, and is largely unknown by modern humans. Also, she does not serve Inari; she predates modern Asian religions."

Karla glanced from Sinopa to Tamamo and back. "I spent some time in Japan but barely remember it. So ... it's kinda hard to follow, here."

Sinopa nodded. "Tamamo-sama and I have pledged our honor and our allegiance to Inari-no-kami. A kitsune messenger stands on her honor, above a nogitsune ... ah, 'wild fox,' if you will."

"Okay, I think I follow so far. So you guys volunteer to serve Inari out of honor. Other fox spirits are just trickster demi-gods?"

"Hai, Karla-chan." Sinopa nodded firmly. "Sigyn-sama presides as queen over the spirit foxes of all Asian cultures, and over the coyote of Native American spiritual beliefs. The Huli-Jing, the Kumiho - all spirit foxes."

"Go on," Karla said.

Sinopa continued. "If Sigyn-sama and Inari-no-kami cannot agree when making decisions regarding the kitsune, the conflict of interests sometimes falls upon my kind like a weight. It is often difficult to appease both the mother of our race and the deity to whom we serve and honor."

"Both?" asked Chance. He opened and closed his hand a few times, still surprised that the animal's lick could have somehow cured his injury. His eyes cut back to Mrs. Parker.

"Hai. They are vastly different in mindset, and the Japanese people have no remaining lore regarding Sigyn. She is unknown to most of modern humanity because she was born a natural birth amongst incredibly old gods."

Chance rubbed his chin. "So human faith in large numbers can create deities, but your people can also multiply amongst yourselves without the need for faith."

"Hai. But without faith as fuel, one's power is limited, meaning they wield no direct influence over the happenings on Earth."

Chance nodded. "It must be difficult to be a kitsune."

Sinopa's eyes lowered. "It is difficult to honor the god we've chosen as our master, and to obey the trickster queen at the same time."

"Sinopa!" Tamamo hissed, eyes narrow. "Do not refer to her as 'the trickster queen.' If she were to hear you say that, she would be insulted. She argues on your behalf, because you are pregnant. She is concerned for your wellbeing. She is concerned for the safety of your children."

"What is her fascination with my children, anyhow? It unnerves me, sensei."

"I do not know. She said they will be important to the future."

"What would she have us do?" Sinopa threw her arms outwardly in a huff of indignation, seemingly out of character for her.

Chance cleared his throat. "What's going on? Can you help me understand what I'm missing here?"

Sinopa nodded apologetically. "Amaterasu gave the mirror to an honorable human. Many years later, he died. Afterwards, the mirror was gifted to Niall Kincade and, later, hidden away. With permission of our people, it was stored with a clan of powerful vampires; not the people who have currently taken possession of it!" Sinopa lowered to one knee, resting her belly upon her thigh. She met the gaze of the white-furred fox. "Please. Let us return it to Niall's widow, and her clan, the Kincade Family."

"Hai, you make a valid point," Tamamo said. She pondered for a moment. "However, Natalia, normally calm, reserved and patient, suddenly became greedy for the mirror. She has gone to great measures in the demand for its return."

Sinopa frowned. "She respects the mirror as a possession of her late husband. She is willing to fight as a means to honor Niall."

Tamamo's whiskers eased back along her svelte white muzzle. After a moment, she said, "You do not know all the details, Sin-chan."

"Then tell me."

"Bluntly, please," Chance added.

Tamamo smirked. "It was stolen from Natalia many years ago, by another vampire clan. Jarth Myrell, an intelligent leader and brilliant tactician orchestrated its theft after a brief romance with Natalia Kincade. He sought to keep it protected and hidden from the world. The gods allowed the theft to occur because having the mirror hidden away was in our best interest."

Sinopa nodded. "Very well. However, I feel that it would be safe with Natalia. Regardless who it goes to, it cannot stay in the hands of the current Esoteric Council."

Tamamo tilted her head forward in agreement. "I am unsure of Natalia Kincade, little one. I am unsure why she acted in such a manner, but it is too late."

"Please explain, sensei."

"Natalia let the Esoteric Council find out about the mirror on purpose. She told them what it does, so that they would hunt it down with the full resources of the Esoteric Council."

"What?" Karla blinked. "I know Natalia. I used to be close to her years ago. Why the hell would she involve the EC to get back a mirror she needs to protect from them?"

Tamamo sighed. "I am tired of explaining myself. This will be the last time it happens. Are we clear?"

No one spoke, but everyone nodded.

Tamamo licked her lips. "Natalia wished for the mirror's return. She used the council for their resources and get the mirror back from wherever it was hidden. She did this so that, when the mirror surfaced, she could have it stolen from the council, and brought into her own position. Natalia Kincade's plan backfired. Natalia's incompetence is not my_ problem. Retrieving the mirror is not my problem. _My orders are to protect Sinopa during her mission. Is that clear?"

Sinopa rose to her feet with a sigh of frustration. She folded her arms just above her swollen belly. "Very well."

Chance rubbed his chin. He looked from the fox, to the human-kitsune, back to the fox. He sensed that Sinopa felt suspicious of Sigyn.

Karla whispered to Chance. "What's with the contemplative look, babe?"

Chance whispered back to Karla. "What if Sigyn somehow caused Natalia Kincade to act out? What if it wasn't Natalia who acted rash - it was Sigyn that triggered Natalia to act out?"

Sinopa turned to Chance. "You believe Sigyn acted to allow the mirror to be brought out into the open?" Parker rubbed her thumb against her index finger. "Sigyn could have caused greed to nest in the vampire's heart, forcing Natalia to act rash, allowing the mirror to be brought out into the open, but for what reason?"

Tamamo looked around the hallway. In a low hiss, she said, "Silence, all of you! Were she to hear us speak in such a way, there would be a grieve punishment to follow!"

Chance sensed that Tamamo did not trust Sigyn, either. He couldn't read her thoughts, but he could sense her emotions. He bit his lower lip and began to wonder just how powerful and influential the gods were.

"Sinopa..." Tamamo turned her small amber eyes back to the younger kitsune. "Sigyn-sama argues your pregnancy is not worth the drama. She feels we should leave it with the Esoteric Council for the time being. She says the mirror is harmless. She said we should only retrieve it if they abuse it, and there is no way of knowing if they will just yet."

Karla grimaced. "That mirror is half-a-million bucks. I'm taking it to Natalia."

Sinopa nodded to Karla. "I wish to aid you. I can help ensure..."

Tamamo barked in anger. Oddly, the strange noises were intelligible English. "Sinopa, think of your children!"

Sinopa sighed. "I am thinking of my honor."

Tamamo sighed. "The Celestial Court will soon make a decision on whether or not we should leave it alone for the time being. It would be best if you lay low, as you cannot transform at this time. You cannot escape into the forest or flee because you are stuck in your human shape for a few more months. You need to think about your children. Wait for the court's ruling."

Sinopa sighed. "I was given this task by..."

"Sinopa-chan, I know Amaterasu-omikami tasked you with retrieval of the mirror. And to be asked for such a favor by the Sun Goddess is the highest honor for a messenger spirit. But any one god does not have infinite say over the Celestial Realm. The court of our people will decide."

"I disagree, although not entirely. They may deliberate for some time. It is impossible to be sure. Until they decide, it is my honor to retrieve it as I have been asked, Tamamo-sama. I want to bring honor to myself by fulfilling the request of the great Amaterasu-omikami."

"That obligation is..."

Sinopa interrupted her sensei. "Iie! I am honored to be given such an obligation."

Tamamo's tails bristled up, angered by Sinopa's disrespect and rebelliousness. She glared at the three-tail girl for a moment.

Sinopa stared back. Her gaze was filled with motivation and desire for success.

Tamamo sighed and shook her head with a frown of semi-defeat.

Sinopa tilted her head, puzzled. "What is it, sensei?"

Tamamo knew the more she pushed, the more the youthful kitsune pushed back. "Chotto matte kudasai." Tamamo took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"You are worrying me, sensei."

Tamamo said, "Sinopa-chan, the only reason you were asked is because you are currently the only Shinto messenger living in the Earth Realm. Let the court decide. Do not be stubborn and rush into making a decision that will inspire the wrath of our superiors."

"Why would Sigyn-sama want the new leader of the Esoteric People to have that mirror? Sigyn is not just a trickster. She is the greatest of all tricksters. What is her motivation for...?"

"Sinopa! Stop!" Tamamo's eyes met the gaze of her subordinate.

They stared at one another briefly, then the elder demigod spoke again. "Sinopa-san, our queen does not wish for one of her descendants in danger over that mirror. You are pregnant. You are one of her descendants. She is genuinely concerned - why must you question her motivations?"

"Because all Cheetahs have spots, sensei! All vultures feed on the dead or dying! A judicial chief will judge, and a jester will joke!" Sinopa exclaimed. "The queen of the foxes is a trickster who thinks ahead, obsessing over her endgame! I repressed my nature to trick when I pledged my honor and fealty to serve Inari-no-kami. I continued to repress it when I married the love of my life, Jonathan Parker. I repressed it further when I came into the mindset that I will soon be a mother."

Tamamo's left ear flickered listlessly. "Sin-chan..."

Sinopa continued overtop of the pet name. "Never before, that I can recall, has Amaterasu-omikami tasked a mere messenger spirit with something so crucial. I must fulfill my obligation."

Tamamo sighed. Her ears laid back. Her eyes lowered. She paced about in a circle briefly. The elder kitsune stopped and turned up her head, facing the trio.

The trio remained quiet, waiting to see what the little white fox would say.

Tamamo licked her lips. "As I said before, you are the only messenger in the physical realm. That is the reason the Sun Goddess asked your assistance. Stop looking into this matter as though it were a quest of enormous significance. Your health and the health of your children must_ come first. Sigyn-sama has made it quite clear that your children - _the offspring of a fox spirit - are important to her. You are her descendant. She cares, Sinopa-chan. In fact, she said that they may be able to bridge the gap between the Esoteric Community and the deities because these are the first humans born of our kind in a very long time. There could be true armistice! Not just shaky détente, but true and lasting peace. She said they are extremely important. Worthy of protection. Not to be placed into danger by an errand."

Chance sensed that Tamamo felt deeply conflicted over whether or not to trust Sigyn. He couldn't understand why the little fox was trying to talk Sinopa out of the mission.

"Sin-chan, there could be peace. Again, keep them safe, please. Sigyn says she knows the children will be important to the future."

"Why?" Sinopa murmured.

"I do not know, but she seems to think they have some great destiny ahead of them. She does not want you to risk their safety. Sinopa-chan, please..."

Karla rubbed her forehead and pushed a lock of hair back, tucking it behind her ear. "Sinopa, what if that Sigyn chick has plans for your babies?"

Sinopa nodded in agreement to Karla's words. "She wishes them to be kept safe the way Jonathan wishes to protect his wealth. My children are likely seen as mere objects to Sigyn."

Tamamo's ears lowered once more. "I cannot fathom a trick that would come out of desire for the safety of your children."

Sinopa grimaced. "Her concern does not necessarily mean there isn't a trick or a plan beyond what we can perceive, sensei."

"Listen to yourself!" Tamamo snapped. "Still unwilling to trust your own queen!" She side-nodded towards a portal nearby. "I will appear before you again when the court has ruled with a decision."

Chance blinked.

Sinopa's eyes widened.

Karla crossed her arms over her chest.

The vixen looked back up to Karla and Chance. "If Sinopa is ruled to find the mirror, your assistance will be important. The task of her safety will fall to the two of you. I WILL remove your memories of this night and of the Celestial Realm. But not yet. Not until a verdict is reached. You may keep your memories until I feel that Sinopa is no longer in danger. Do not think you can outsmart me by writing down tales of your little 'adventure.' I can possess your body and force you to burn any such documents. Keep her and her children safe or I will take out my aggression on the both of you. Are we clear, humans?"

Chance placed his hand on Karla's forearm to keep her from saying anything rash or rebellious. He cleared his throat and bowed slightly to show some measure of respect.

Tamamo's ears perked high, eyeing the teenager. Her emotions betrayed her to Chance's telepathy. She was attracted to Chance for no other reason than because he was a teenager.

Chance cleared his throat so as not to cringe.

Tamamo tilted her head expectantly.

"Thank you for rescuing us from Siberia," he said. "I'm sorry for the trouble we have caused, but we never meant any disrespect. We only wanted to help our friend. The widow of Niall Kincade tasked Karla with retrieving the mirror. When we crossed paths with Mrs. Parker, we felt obligated to help one another. I promise we will keep her alive and the children safe until they're born. But we've come up against opposition that is above my capacity to help. Is there anything you can suggest that will help us do our job of keeping Mrs. Parker safe?"

Tamamo arched the fluff of her brows. "At least you speak in a tone of reverence, boy. Very well. Kneel down."

Chance looked around and licked his lips apprehensively.

Sinopa nodded to him.

He pressed his lips together in apprehension, sighed through his nose and lowered to one knee. He rested an elbow on the ground.

On the fox's height level, their eyes met.

Tamamo-no-Mae placed her forepaws on the boy's head, briefly. She eased back to her haunches. "Your memories from before ... they will return over the next few days."

Karla blinked in surprise.

Tamamo continued. "Certain actions or thoughts may help to bring them back more quickly. Your name is Marcus Howard. You turned sixteen the first week of February. Your mother died in childbirth. Your father was part of the Esoteric Community and uncovered something serious within the council; his secret remains unknown. You were in New York with him when he made the decision to bring his discovery to the attention of the council. You had a significant headache and he made the decision to take you to the hospital first. Your pain was so great that it rendered you unconscious, leaving you unable to talk him into going to his meeting first. The vehicle was attacked."

Chance rose to his feet. "Do ... you know who attacked us?"

"No, but I know the attacker was trained by a human man named Erik Prince. I can only speculate as to why the man attacked your father. I do not know whom your father wished to meet. It is even possible that the contact was the attacker. I am sorry that your father was slain."

Chance eyed Tamamo for a moment. "Did someone cause my headache to draw my father out into the open?"

Tamamo's ears lowered again. "That would be a brilliant maneuver, but there are few human supernaturals capable of such an ability."

Karla turned to Chance. "That's a paradox. Attacking you to bring your dad out of hiding makes no sense - you two were together right? So why not just attack your dad instead?"

Sinopa frowned. "Unless a deity caused your pain to draw your father out of hiding, thus making him a target to the Esoteric Council."

Tamamo shook her head. "That would imply that deities and the Esoteric Council are working together. They are racist against one another."

Chance sighed. He decided to ask another question instead. "Why wasn't the hospital able to identify me or my father?"

"Chance-san, your father was not traveling with his identification on purpose. I am sure he had his reasons."

Chance stole a glance at Karla. He turned back to the small fox. He swallowed back emotion and turned to Sinopa. "What happened after the crash?"

"I was in the area," Sinopa explained. "We were passing through lower Manhattan on our way to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I wished to visit it for religious reasons before leaving the city."

"Go on..."

Sinopa nodded. "I witnessed the crash. I wanted to help; I only just learned about my pregnancy and with my newly manifested maternal instinct, I felt compelled to help the boy I saw in the backseat - you."

Chance nodded. He sat down on the floor, listening.

Sinopa continued. "I pulled you free while Jonathan did his best to direct traffic away. You looked up at me and read me. You spoke my mind, active and inactive thoughts. You started to recite things that should not be learned about our kind. All obscure information from the deepest recesses of my mind."

"I ... I'm sorry. I don't even know how to do that. I can barely pick up active thoughts, and yours are even harder than a human. I don't know how I did all that stuff."

"It's not your fault, Chance ... Marcus." Sinopa smiled softly and continued her story. "Tamamo-sama appeared in a broken rearview mirror lying nearby. I picked it up and she asked that I touch the mirror to your forehead. You became unconscious before I could comply with her order. She said you would not remember what you learned from me. I moved you away from the vehicle and asked Jonathan to look you over. I went back for your father but the flames had already consumed the sedan completely. I said a prayer for you and cried for your loss while the ambulance took you away."

Chance sighed and nodded.

Karla gave Chance a gentle pat on his shoulder blade. Affectionately, she lowered her hand to the small of his back. "So, you're a Pisces. That explains a lot." She offered him a playful smile.

"Not sure what that means," he murmured.

The succubus waggled her eyebrows in a playfully flirtatious manner. "Just trust me, it explains a lot. Then again, I'm not your average Scorpio. I used to be really jealous about things but ... I've accepted my fate as having to have a series of one-night stands. Yeah. We'll talk later about that."

Silence.

Karla turned back to Tamamo and said, "Thank you for giving him back his memories. I know Sinopa will want to continue after this mirror. What if you let me finish the task for her? She can act as a, uh ... spirit guide."

The vixen licked her paw and rubbed it against the side of her svelte face. She exchanged glances with Sinopa and Karla.

Karla held still, waiting for an answer.

Tamamo nodded. "Answer me this: Are you jealous or upset with my three-tail for attacking that man? ...Darius Vei?"

"Well ... yeah, I'm pissed off but ... I mean, you know ... he deserved it. So..." Karla shrugged. "That's an awkward question, and that was so half-an-hour ago."

"I needed to see if you would hold a grudge. Sinopa-chan is my responsibility. So far as your ex-lover, you should probably know that he has not yet died. Although he may. His prognosis is not good. However, he is not dead at this time."

Karla nodded and put an arm around Chance. "To hell with that guy. I've got myself a new man, now. And for the record, I'm happy."

Karla's words brought a secret smile and a blush to Chance's face.

Tamamo eyed the succubus for a moment. She nodded. "In order for you to be successful in your quest for this mirror, you will need proper help. I will arrange a fateful meeting."

Sinopa frowned. "Sensei, divine intervention is strictly forbidden!"

Tamamo sneered at her subordinate. "Shh." The white vixen cut her eyes back to Karla and Chance. "I will arrange for a small series of events to bring someone special into your lives."

Sinopa appeared uncomfortable with the idea.

Tamamo smirked at Sinopa. "Dreams can have a powerful impact on someone."

Sinopa relaxed. "Ah. You wish to manipulate them to do your bidding ... I understand. Forgive my outburst, sensei."

Tamamo cut her eyes back to Karla and Chance. "You will meet her in two weeks when you cross paths, seemingly by accident. She has not yet manifested, but she will when you meet her. Her transformation will be a life-changing moment."

"Great. Dramatic rookies ... I've already got one of those." Karla received a gentle rib in her side from Chance. She offered a half-hearted grin and cleared her throat. "I'm exhausted, starving hungry and emotionally screwed up right now. Just ... I'm trying my best, here. Now I have to believe in the afterlife because I've seen it with my own eyes, and I'm just..."

Tamamo smirked. "First of all, girl, rookies can be molded to what you need of them. An old warhorse is set in his ways, and difficult to control."

Chance sensed that Tamamo was speaking of Nathanial Carrington.

Tamamo's tails fluffed a bit, and then calmed. "Take it from a demigod - I know what I am talking about. If you were ever to lead a small army, find ones who you can mold. Train them, yourself."

Karla nodded. "I ... okay." The succubus tilted her head. "You said 'first of all.' What's second?"

"Secondly, this is not the afterlife," Tamamo said in a stern tone. "Seeing this realm should change nothing about your current beliefs. It is simply an adjacent plane of existence where my kind migrated after leaving your plane."

"Oh." Karla glanced at Chance and Sinopa. She cut her gaze back to Tamamo.

The kitsune sighed through her nose. "Now, this girl I mentioned ... she will be a good fit to your ensemble. She will heal from injury quickly, and will soon learn that she is quite physically powerful."

"Okay, what kind of flaws does she have?"

Tamamo said, "She cannot survive grave injury, so please keep her head attached to her shoulders, Karla-san. Also, please be helpful while she transitions. She is currently sarcastic and quietly battling depression. However, very soon, she will become exceedingly confident and proud. Do not be discouraging."

Karla smiled a bit. "Sounds like what I went through when I met Nathan. Okay, I'll try and be cool with her."

Tamamo turned her head to Chance, adding, "But help her to hold onto her humility. And remember, when this task is complete, I will find you both. Understand this, Marcus-san, neither of you will remember Sinopa, our secrets, or this realm."

Chance swallowed. "Last time, you took everything. I don't want to forget Karla or..."

"Iie! Do not interrupt. It is rude, boy." Tamamo glared at him for a moment. The fox's facial features softened. She sighed and said, "You had a tumor in your brain. Also, you had swelling in your brain from hitting the side of your head on the frame of the automobile. It was not my intent to take everything. Today, I have made up for that mistake, have I not?"

"Y...yes. Sorry, Miss, uhm, Tamamo, uhm, Dono ... Heika."

Sinopa grinned and cut her eyes back down to Tamamo. "Isn't he adorable?"

Tamamo glanced back at Sinopa. "Hai," she said in a sarcastic tone. "Ignorance is 'adorable'." She looked back to Chance, who appeared exceedingly nervous.

The fox shook her head and sighed. "Very well, you did try. I accept your honorifics. Know that the red paw logo on the vehicles you saw belonged to a mercenary group named Blackwater-USA. The man who struck your car and subsequently killed your father has recently separated from the outfit. I located him in Siberia shortly before I rescued you from being executed by that firing squad. I overheard a conversation the man had on a satellite phone. He called his contact, 'Doctor Falcon.' Then he called his employer, a man named Erik Prince, and they argued about scruples. Mister Prince told the man to pull out of the operation."

Karla tilted her head. "The owner of the mercenary outfit wanted to quit in mid-operation? It must have been really serious, then. Those guys like their money; I can't imagine that a mercenary would ever want to walk away from a contract."

"Hai, Mister Prince learned that there will be an upcoming war. Against whom I am uncertain - all I can tell you is that the enemy is not a matter of nationality and some people would be civilians. Erik Prince said he would not allow his company to be involved in the purposeful assassination of unarmed civilians. He broke the contract. He will now take his company to the doorstep of the American Government. This still leaves us with the middle-man whose name I do not know."

Karla suddenly became all business. "We're intrigued by the lead. We'll follow it if we're able. What do you know about this man with no name, Miss Mae?"

"That ... is not my surname. Never mind. The man you seek is part of a super soldier project and was created by Aris Sokolov with the help of several other supernatural scientists. This soldier's loyalties are to some doctor named 'Falcon.'"

"How does that fit in with the Blackwater Mercenary group?"

Tamamo cut her eyes between Karla and Chance. "Blackwater trained the super soldier, however, as I just explained, Blackwater has broken ties with Falcon. However, Falcon and his super soldier still have property belonging to the old outfit - thus the trucks and logos you saw in Siberia."

Karla rubbed her chin. "Do you know what the super soldier does for its job?"

Tamamo nodded. "It seems this super solder's current task is to provide security escorts. Their forces are moving large objects from France and Siberia out to barges. Those barges are moving these large objects out to the Atlantic Ocean, where they are being used to construct something beneath the ocean."

Chance nodded slowly. "I will look up Mister Prince, then call him. Perhaps if I can meet him in person, I can somehow telepathically learn the name of this soldier guy, and then we can try to find him."

"It is not an issue, Marcus-san. I have located the super soldier. I have personally contacted Nathanial Carrington. He cornered the soldier only a bit ago. I was watching but then decided to rescue the three of you instead. You can repay my generosity by building a kitsune statue from marble upon your return to Earth."

"Karla and I can help Mister Carrington with this super soldier guy. Thank you for the all the information. I really appreciate everything you've done for us, Tamamo-sama." Chance paused. "...It is sama, right?"

Sinopa placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Sama shows more honorary respect than 'san.' And stay out of Nathanial-san's way. It would be best if you instead focus on Karla's errand on July 8th."

Karla rubbed her chin. "Yeah. The one in Vegas. YiaYia said to bring an umbrella because it will rain that day."

Tamamo gestured with a paw towards one of the nearby floating portals. "Please, go through this passage," she nodded to the one on the wall nearest to where she stood. "I must speak with Sinopa briefly. You will arrive in your home, Karla-san. Remember to feed soon. You cannot properly help Sinopa-chan if you are weak or sick. Sayonara, Marcus-san, Karla-san."

"No flying from Russia back to California? Really?!" Karla reached for Chance's hand and pulled him through the mirror.

Sinopa turned to the mirror portal and walked towards it only to feel a hand on her shoulder. She turned about, coming face-to-face with Tamamo-no-Mae in her human form.

"No, Sinopa-chan. Let them go for now. They need time together. They are in love and you would become a third wheel ... and a fourth wheel ... and a fifth wheel." A smile tugged at the corner of the vixen's human lips. She wore no makeup, and her hair was in disarray from having just transformed.

Sinopa rolled her eyes. "Enough. Please stop making jokes about my children. What makes you think Karla and Chance need time alone?"

"His name_is _Marcus, Sin-chan. I have been a servant of Inari for long enough to know Marcus and Karla are on the verge of romance simply by looking at them."

"Very well, sensei. What did you wish to tell me?"

"Tell you? No, no ... there is something I wish to show you." Tamamo took Sinopa by her elbow and walked her a little ways up the hall until they came to another mirror portal.

On the other side of the portal, there was an old man in France struggling against a younger man in combat.

Tamamo placed her hand at the small of Sinopa's back. "That is your friend, Nathanial Carrington, fighting against the successful so-called 'super soldier' created by Dr. Falcon's experiments. All the creatures you saw in France ... they were a failed version of this man's predecessor."

Sinopa listened in silence.

Tamamo nodded towards a human man facing off against Nathanial, seen through the window portal. "The nameless soldier has been imbued with many abilities. As you can see by watching," she nodded towards the mirror. "It seems this soldier is impervious to lightning. I imagine Nathanial-san is fighting him with particle blasts, plasma strikes, and attacks other than lightning. Go on, help him. I know you wish to."

"You were letting me waist time up to this point when I could have helped him all along?!" Sinopa said, approaching the portal.

"No, you disrespectful kohai. Last I checked on them, they were still shouting at one another about how the other side was out of line."

Sinopa grimaced with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"You know time moves differently in this realm than it does in theirs. Now ... I will let you help your friend so long as Lady Sigyn does not find out. Do not harm the children. This will be our secret. Now go on, help your friend."

Sinopa replied with a delighted smile. "Arigato!" She kissed the side of Tamamo's face and stepped through the portal.

Sinopa emerged from a two-way mirrored window on the outside of a small office.

Across the empty building, Nathanial Carrington was facing off against the super soldier with the elusive name.

"Nathan-san! I am here to assist you!"

Both men froze.

Carrington glanced back over his shoulder. "Parker?! You're pregnant! What're you doing here!? You're going to put Fox and Topaz at risk!"

She blinked, approaching the two men. "I ... have only discussed the names with my husband. How do you know their names?"

"Never mind that right now," said the old man with a grunt. "Get your tails back in that damn mirror right now. You can't be here, it's too dangerous."

"Nonsense!" She withdrew her katana from its sheath. The blade ignited with a brilliant flame. "You need my help, Nathan, my friend. I owe you from many years ago. We will fight him together."

The soldier cracked his knuckles. "I have no problem fighting a pregnant woman and an old man."

Sinopa moved closer to her friend. "What is his name?"

Nathanial chuckled. He spoke in a chiding tone loud enough that the soldier across the warehouse would be able to hear. "Would you believe it? Our 'super soldier' is named 'Jasper.' Doesn't sound very super to me."

"Do not judge a book by its title, Nathan-san."

"Yeah, he's a tough guy, but he won't last against the both of us." Nathan grinned and waved the soldier forward. "Come on, kid. I'm old and she's pregnant. We're not coming to you. You're going to have to come to us if you wanna fight. So get'cher ass over here."

Jasper sneered. He balled his hands into fists. "I'll make this quick and painless." He broke into a sprint, charging towards Nathan and Sinopa.

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Next Chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/595225