The Councils crystal city:

We are at our round table which is floating above our city. El Shaddai called for us after he received a very strange message from a minor god.

I was here first because I was in the city. While I was waiting, I was able to see El Shaddai change colours. From gold to silver and back to gold. I guess that's his equivalent of turning red.

With time the others arrived too. Everybody felt the atmosphere and preferred to stay silent.

Even after everyone was at the table, El Shaddai didn't say a word for several minutes. Just now he is returning from a state of silver to a golden state.

"I just had a visit from a minor god. He told me that a messenger from the Void contacted him. The Messenger said: Greetings from the Void. We will visit you soon to have a nice talk! Your final days are close and it's in your hands to choose if it will be ugly or not." El Shaddai turns silver again.

I dribble with my fingers on the table while I think about it. "Looks like we will get a visit soon. They found a way to leave the void."

"Lada, you always amaze me. This conclusion is marvellous!" Amaru comments with acid in his voice.

"Have you disposed of that messenger? We could get into trouble if this situation becomes public!" Eris suggests while she is loitering bored in her chair.

El Shaddai turns silver again. "It IS already public! The minor god in question wasn't stupid and came here, while shouting the circumstances to everyone in the city. It's almost certain that some other minor gods are already carrying these news around. Tomorrow the whole multiverse will know it!"

"You should have intercepted him." Eris throws another ridiculous claim into the room.

"How do you intercept a messenger, you don't know about!?" El Shaddai's voice is now really dangerous.

"It wouldn't have changed anything. Even if you had managed to stop the guy from distributing this information. The Void could spread the information to someone else. You would just shut up a carrier, but not the source." Elohim soberly analyses the situation.

"If they want to, they can tell everyone about their existence. It's just unfortunate that we still have no idea about their abilities." Amaru winces while he reflects on the situation.

"They can come! Our army is ready! And I have another thirty thousand recruits from the younger gods!" Enyo hits the table with a bloodthirsty smile.

"I hope you don't rely too much on those.... I wouldn't put trust in their loyalty." Eris says with disdain in her voice.

"They are planned as cannon fodder anyway." Enyo shrugs her shoulders.

"C...Cannon fodder! They are people!" I cry out! This isn't right! Are they trying to destroy the last piece of righteousness in this group?

"Calm down Lada, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. We won't be able to let those people go after the fight anyway." Elohim stops me.

My heart stops. "WHAT!?"

Amaru starts to assist him.

"Think about it. They will be first hand witnesses of a rebellion. They will know that resistance is possible. How can we let such gods roam the multiverse afterwards? The best example is that little god, who brought us the message. At the moment he is too frightened to resist us openly. But he already proved that he doesn't trust us, by spreading the message before he brought it to El Shaddai. By doing that he ensured his safety. Shutting him up would be useless and others would question his whereabouts, should he disappear."

I shut my mouth. What am I even doing here? These people aren't the Council I joined any more.

"Enough of this! Gather the army and ready them Enyo! They have a possibility to travel the void. I want that knowledge! We need it to destroy their hideout!" El Shaddai teleports away without waiting for an answer.

"Yay! I guess that's it! Finally some action again! It started to get boring." Enyo also leaves.

One after the other, the Council members leave and I am just sitting there, staring into the table.

"You were always too nice for this Lada." I look up and see Eris on the other side of the table.

"Why are you still here? Aren't you happy with the current events?" I hear the poison within my voice. Ah... that's not like me.

"To tell you the truth. I am happy with the current events. But not for the same reason, you may believe me to. I am happy with the current situation because it proves that the world is still turning. No matter how deep the Council may freeze the ocean, it will still stir under the ice! Kukukuku..."

Slowly the goddess of chaos and strife fades away to leave me alone at the table.

I stand up and step onto a pathway. Away from here. There is much to think about.

***

Somewhere in the void:

"I am really worried!"

Currently I have a women's meeting with Margerie, Tanja and Sandra. We are doing this once in a while to talk about everything of interest. For this purpose, we have gathered in a lounge inside the palace.

"But isn't it fine Celes? I can't understand your problem?" -Margerie

"No it isn't fine! Suddenly he throws me over his shoulder and drags me off! And I have no idea what's gotten into him!" This is strange in every way!

"You are funny. First you complain about his lack of interest in you. And now you complain about his attention! You are the kind of woman, which can't be pleased. No matter what." -Sandra

"But.... I don't know, I hate it!" -Me

"Then let's try to think about it logically." Margerie slides into another position in her chair. "How do men work sexually? They either do it to relieve their build up ... stress?"

"Angrod never does that...." -Me

"..." -Margerie

"Or they get turned on!" Sandra interrupts happily.

"I didn't try to seduce him! I already did that many times! He never reacted that strongly to it!" I have to deny that.

"Then you did it unknowingly! What were you doing that at the moment." -Margerie

"Errr... I was... educating the brats!" I nod.

"And by educating you mean?" Tanja slides closer.

"Erm.. just a little whipping..." -Me

"Whi...?" -Margerie

Sandra spurts her drink on the table. "You can't do that to children!"

"It's okay! They deserved it! Thank you!" Tanja shakes my hands with starry eyes.

"It's not like they are babies, who aren't aware of their actions! They have the memories of several lifetimes and use their physical age as excuse to torment those who look older!" I have to defend myself.

"Hrm... well what does that tell us about Angrod?" -Margerie

"He is a serious?"S"! I knew that already, but to get off from having his children whipped is on another scale!" -Sandra

"Wha! That can't be! I turned him on because I hit the children!? And he isn't a sadist! Even if he is a little wild in the bed and it hurts at times, but he doesn't do anything like that!" -Me

"The whole world knows that he is a Sadist! Don't you know the rumours?" -Sandra

"Rumours?" -Me

"If you throw a shady glance at him, you will wish you were never born! He is a wild beast, who will hit you a hundred times while you are on the ground. Grinning even wider with every punch, which distorts your mashed up face even further!"?-Margerie

"In school he single handedly took on a hundred hooligans and destroyed their gang, only because they threw a lusty look at his princess! None of them are able to talk about the event even till now. And if you ask them about it, they crouch down in a fetal position and start to shiver uncontrollably! The healers are still unable to treat it, even to the current day!"?-Sandra

"When you try to take stuff which belongs to him, he will rip out your heart and eat your soul! Never letting go of it again, you will suffer till judgement day!"?-Tanja

My jaw drops at those claims! "What do people tell about me then!?"

"The beautiful gentle flower. The only one who is able to calm the beast and shows no fear."?-Margerie

"Everyone should fear the day, when the princess is no more. As the only one who can stop the beast will have ceased to be!"?-Sandra

"Screams of pain and lust will sound from the palace, when the gentle flower tames the wild beast. As she is the only one who is able to be in it's presence without shuddering in fear!"?-Tanja

"NOOO! You are playing with me! That can't be true! I will enlist a secret police to stop those rumors!" I can't let this go! Are we really seen like that by the public?

"Nothing you can do. It's already common knowledge. But back to topic. You know your husbands savage grin yourself. He is a big?"S"?for sure. He was turned on when you?"educated"?the kids." -Margerie

"It really can't be, he isn't like that!" I won't believe it! But it makes sense in a horrible way!

"Maybe it's half as bad. Celes get your tools and show us the scene! Maybe we find another clue!" -Sandra

"Huh? I don't need tools! I have my tail!" -Me

"..."?"...show us!"?"...whip that couch!"

"Hm. Okay. I guess it won't hurt." I stand up whip the couch in the corner of the room. After a few slashes, I turn around again. "See? Nothing over which he should loose his cool."

".....naturally gifted!"

".....she isn't even aware of it! So unfair!"

Sandra walks up to me and grabs me at my shoulders.

"Celes! If you want to be dragged off to bed the next time!"

"....Yes?"

"Turn your back to him"?"and whip something!"?"ANYTHING!"