God Yet Lives

Unohana<It's nothing to worry about, it was just a few Arrancar. Well...there was one other. Someone had infiltrated Squad 12. We don't know who or how, but we know she left some time during the fight, because one of the researchers is missing.>

L"And the Arrancar?"

Unohana<He escaped to Hueco Mundo, but a search party found no trace of his Reitsu. We'll be sending the Stealth Force into Hell to make sure that Keter's remaining forces cannot gain enough strength to attack again.>

Mortal and Noct and Sab stayed quiet, not having any useful input to add.

Unohana<If that is all, then you are dismissed. Good work.>

Noct looked at Euryale and hugged her, "Its over, we went to hell and showed it who was boss!"

Mortal looked at Aroma and Sab again, "I guess now I can finish saying what I wanted to say."

*Euryale hugs back.*

E"Now I can look forward to going home & finding a job! Yay?"

L"I should probably get back to work as well. What about you?"

S"It's been a while since I ruled over a territory. I'm starting to miss it."

A"I love you too, Mortal."

Noct looked a bit concerned, "A job, but I have enough money for us. A job would mean less time for us to be together..." And now Noct was a sad panda.

Mortal looked away from Aroma, "Yea that is what I wanted to talk about."

Sab looked concerned, "What about it?"

"The way our relationship is right now... I don't think it is working out."

*Euryale ruffles her hair.*

E"I can't be expected to mooch off of you forever. We'll be alright."

*Aroma stays silent.*

Noct blushed a bit, and frowned, "Hey, don't do that while everyone can see..."

Sab looked at Mortal, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I mean," Mortal said, "I... have not given you both my all. It isn't fair to either of you. Or me for that matter."

E"What's the matter? It's nothing obscene. Just a display of affection, like a hug or a kiss."

*Aroma continues to stare blankly at her, devoid of emotion.*

"Yea, but I feel like that should be just between us," Noct said.

Sab looked like Aroma, "So... this is it? You're... breaking up with me? Us?"

"No," Mortal said, "I'm saying that I'm going to be better. I didn't put either of you first in my life, and it wasn't fair. I was more worried about fighting than keeping either of you safe. I was more worried about getting revenge that I didn't care if I died, or how it would affect either of you. I'm changing that. From now on I'll be the kind of person I should be, the kind that will put the both of you first. I love you, and I don't want to keep neglecting to give you my all."

E"But that's my favorite way of reassuring you...but, if you're absolutely sure...."

*Aroma begins sobbing in relief, & asks for a group hug.*

S"Good God, for a minute there, I thought I would have to deal with at least one of them living in my castle & eating twice her weight in ice cream. If I ever have to put up with that, I will make the one who causes it suffer to the very limits of my disturbed imagination."

*He stares blankly at seemingly nothing with pursed lips, his pupils retracting to thin lines. He then turns to Noctale, with the exact same expression.*

S"The. Very. LIMITS."

*Euryale gives him an awkward "okay, crazy-man" thumbs up.*

Noct grumbles something about it being okay if she doesn't do it too often.

Sab has a quivering bottom lip and nods in agreement about the group hug. Mortal hugs them both tightly.

*Euryale puts a hand on Noctis's head, then after a few moments of thinking, she hugs her instead. Meanwhile, Aroma is being hugged, & hugging in return.*

S"I should think that's a really easy promise to make NOW. After we ransacked Hell, even if there IS a person strong enough to face us, would he or she really be that STUPID?"

E"Easy for you to say. We still have to deal with Hollows. Think you could do something about that, oh Great King?"

S"Nope."

E"Figures."

"What about Mortal, I thought she was pretty important over there too."

Mortal was too busy hugging to give an answer.

S"I doubt it. In any case, I will be taking no official action regarding the living world. Hollows will be banned from entering the Soul Society. They only get themselves killed & cause problems for the rest of us."

L"But you can't control all of Hueco Mundo, can you?"

S"Probably not."

L"What about Soul Reapers in Hueco Mundo?"

S"Fair game. I suppose I could make allowances for diplomatic visits, though."

"Is that what you're calling conjugal visits?" Noct asked with a chuckle.

S"A conjugal visit is between a prisoner &--"

<Binah Psyche, you are under arrest for treason, by order of the Central 46!>

*As they had returned to the Senkaimon, Binah was waiting there rather awkwardly. Only now she was surrounded by Stealth Force goons.*

Binah<I figured as much. I was just waiting to say, "Goodbye" to my daughter.>

<Well, now you've said it. Come with us!>

Binah<I do not think that I will.>

<Don't be a fool. You can't escape.>

Binah<Can't I, now?>

*Binah spreads her arms, surrounding herself in a flaming tornado. The Stealth Force goons step back, & when the tornado vanishes, Binah is gone.*

<Search the area! She can't have gotten far!>

"Well, that was brilliant..." Noct said, "They could have just let her say goodbye."

L"That was awesome!"

*The Stealth Force commander shoots her a glare, so she straightens out her face & addresses him in a deadpan, emotionless fashion.*

L"...From a purely professional standpoint, it was a spectacular display of Kido, but it was also illegal, which makes Binah Psyche a criminal. I will seriously pursue her and do absolutely everything in my power to see that she is brought to justice."

<...Of course you will.>

Noct smiled, it was nice to see someone who admired their mother. It was also nice to see a mother willing to do what Binah did for her daughter.

Astarte sat silently at the edge of the group, half asleep and lazily rubbing her many burns and cuts that she had accumulated throughout the battle.

*Euryale puts an arm around Noctis, sharing her pain. She frowns, just slightly enough for Noct to notice, before smiling.*

S"Those wounds will be healed once you go into Ressurrecion."

*Senthose opens a Garganta.*

Noctis looks up at Euryale, frowns, then buries her face in her bosom, hugging her and crying a bit.

*Euryale puts both arms around her & nuzzles her, so that it looks like they're just getting intimate again.*

S"Last ride back to Hueco Mundo: All aboard who's going aboard!"

Astarte rose and went into Ressurrecion. Immediately after her release she found it intolerable to be within the Soul Society, and so she took a few steps towards Senthose, casting a disdainful look back at the Soul Society and the humans.