POV:
1. Seiōbo (Sora’s Dark-Furred Aunt Who’s Haunted By Her Past)
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Seiōbo touched down on the pink grass of the 6th-dimensional space she’d guided Jin to and smirked as the exposed Dragon Founder swiftly retracted her hand, keeping it close by her side while spinning in a short circle to examine the magical place.
“Mmgm…” Her tight expression softened a tad upon noticing the weakness of the universal boundary and the radiating blue, red, and yellow stars alternating in sync above the field of sapphire wheat. “This is … a hidden critical nexus junction.”
A chuckle shook Seiōbo’s chest as she followed the girl’s gaze; naturally, given her foreknowledge as a Second Generation Dragon Founder, she could perceive many things hidden to a vast number of creatures trapped in their limited spheres.
“A point of myth to many higher-beings of this multiverse … You could trigger a collapse or an oscillating effect across its entirety from this intersection.”
“Humph,” Jin uninterestedly grunted at the fact, looking right over the wheat and the unique properties that lay below it, centering on her. “I couldn’t care less about a multiverse … Why don’t you want me to go to my sister’s?”
“Hmm, straight to the point, huh?” Seiōbo whispered, the edges of her lips curling as a short hum rumbled in her throat. “However, there are slight preparations that need to be made.”
She gave an amused side-long look at the insectoid creature hiding nearby; the godly being of this multiverse was among the few that knew this place existed. Of course, he believed himself expertly concealed, yet a degree of doubt entered his reinforced Core which entertained Seiōbo; Jin might be able to sense him, but only if on high-alert and not utterly focused on her.
Jin stiffened as Seiōbo casually lifted her hand and snapped her fingers—the girl swiftly tried to bolster her spiritual defenses—only to snarl in embarrassment at the two comfortable chairs that were generated behind them.
“Why so tense?” Seiōbo chortled. “We both know if I was serious about making a move against you, there’d be no way for you to know it—heh, much less defend yourself—it’s ingrained in your Intelligence; there’s not a fleck of a chance you can match me.”
The statement caused Jin and the insect to flinch; still, the four-armed creature remained concealed.
Seiōbo shifted her weight to the opposite foot, four tails swaying with the motion as she gestured at the furniture. “Now, if you’ll join me, we can shed the obscurity a tad.”
“A tad?” Jin growled.
“Over the years, Nari has exhausted me of such games,” she admitted, phasing her tails through the material while lowering herself to the divine cushions.
“Okay, you say that,” Jin grumbled, “but we both know you’ll always hold the cards.” A forced smirk lightened her features as she tried to rebuild her confidence. “And if I’m being honest, I like you the least of your sisters—at least Inari has class and tact—which I would have never dreamed of admitting,” she sighed, turning to set her attire on the padding to begin dressing. “Go on, I’m listening…”
Adjusting her skirt and crossing her legs, Seiōbo used magic to form her raven hair to the side and generated a dimensional ripple, causing a temporary spiritual, physical, and visual shield between them and the four-armed insect.
Jin’s arms froze, hands in the process of hooking her bra as the creature left his place of hiding in surprise, appearing from thin air to look in all directions, scanning the disrupted space-time.
“Mmh-heh…” Seiōbo’s blue irises drifted to the divine being, elbow against the armrest and the back of her hand pressed to her cheek in a comfortable posture. “Aren’t there advantages in holding all the cards?”
“Gah … Never a moment of privacy,” she grumbled, continuing the process after shooting a dirty glare in her direction. “Maybe when you’re the one in control.”
“He-he, hmm … I’ll deal with him after we’re finished … To start, allow me to convey my sincerest apologies for delaying your first meeting with your eldest sister—I know you’re jumping for joy and frightened to death at the prospect.”
Black eyebrow lifting, Jin flipped out her hair from her yellow tank top and slipped on tight black jeans. “Apologize? Now I’m really confused, and do you even know my sister?”
Seiōbo shook her head, distracting herself from the already set future she predicted by playing games with the insect, creating minor disruptions that would cause him to panic by making illusionary issues within the suns; to him, if the twisting space continued, the area would implode and lead to the ruin of the entire universe—she wondered if Nari had sparked a bad habit in her again.
“Your sister? Nüwa wasn’t born for quite some time after the first litter—my mother had four, as vixen typically do—Dragons tend to have one egg that takes a while to hatch; luckily, I suppose, that can be accelerated by a degree in the 12th Dimension.”
“I know how many children Dragons can have and that you’re older than Gòng-Gōng,” Jin mumbled, falling into her chair to glare at her. “What’s the angle here, though; why take me all the way here to talk about nonsense?”
A soft sigh puffed out of Seiōbo’s nose, vision returning to the young girl; at least, she was young to her. “In short, you hate the predictability of being a Founder … You hate the manipulations of your mother … You’re sick of the expectations you feel she places on you … the power you lack compared to even the thirtieth generation of Dragons. No one understands the pressure on your shoulders … I believe I do.”
Jin’s jaw only tightened as she continued, the sound of her grinding teeth feeding into Seiōbo’s big ears. “Mmgm-hmm—and what do you know about that?”
Seiōbo looked into the past, a small smile in her eyes. “I saw it reflected in Gòng-Gōng … I’m willing to bet there are many things your mother has hidden from you in regards to Nari and his relationship.”
“Like?” Jin shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with her tank top.
“You know, Nari actually liked your brother—heh, what’s with that look—yes, my sister liked the attention … I wouldn’t call it love, but he was often in my mother’s Realm, and she doted on him,” Seiōbo muttered, rolling her eyes. “Mother loved his simplicity.”
Silence stretched for a time before the Korean girl’s vision settled on her own twisting stomach. “I … didn’t know that … So, my mom’s memory is selective, at least…”
Seiōbo lazily led the insect around like a dog chasing a bone; he couldn’t help but react to his manipulated perception, but Jin was correct; he was quite the peeping-Tom. “You trust me?”
“No more than my mother,” Jin sighed, “and it’s exhausting.”
“Yes, it certainly is,” Seiōbo whispered, thinking about her own sisters and the mystery of her previous life that was kept from her. “Gòng-Gōng’s only reason for coming over wasn’t to flex to Nari … He confided in her—something she made me promise not to tell our other sisters because it was private between them—he wanted a place where he could speak freely, away from his mother’s ear.”
As could be expected, Jin laughed it off. “You’re kidding … Golden Child Gòng-Gōng? He was the star—her pride—the embodiment of what being a Dragon was…”
“Unlike you?” Seiōbo finished. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
The young Dragon’s yellow eyes flashed while lifting to study her. “Wasn’t it you that told me we’re polar opposites? I’m everything Gòng-Gōng wasn’t.”
Smirking at the flipped words, she moved her knuckles against her cheek. “Did I not also say the two of you feel so much alike?”
A hint of reflection touched the Dragon’s frustrated flowing irises as she sat back, arms folded under her modest bust; the wave of magical forces around them shifted in a manner to instantly dry her black locks and pull them to the right. “What does anything you’re saying have to do with not going to Nüwa’s Realm with Sora?”
“Good question,” she returned, vision drifting to the pink grass; the girl was not pondering on the similarities she shared with her eldest brother. “Inari gave you Gòng-Gōng’s Bead, and you’re terrified—as you should be—it is the single strongest artifact within Existence that anyone from the 12th Dimension knows of.”
Legs crossing the opposite direction, Seiōbo peered beyond the Dragon’s tight, almost desperate defenses, trying her best to shield the precious object tucked inside her Core. “You can’t trust any of your siblings—not that you’ve met any—besides your eldest sister with such a responsibility, yet you know you wouldn’t make the journey on your own…”
Jin’s muscles locked before she looked down at her lap. Making a fist, her breathing increased, temperature rising as she pounded it a few times against her thigh. “Look—ggrrrgmm—I didn’t ask for this!” she yelled, hair flashing red as her anger increased. “Your sister just thrust it on me—okay? There’s—there’s nothing my mother wouldn’t do to have Gòng-Gōng,” she choked, eyes suddenly watering, “to have him back, and…” the girl trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
Seiōbo puffed out a long breath, nodding somberly. “I get it … Just my surface look at Existence’s historic storm, ripping through dimensions—the sounds and flashing moments echoing across every thread—a struggle between Founders to gain favor with their ancestors. In a way, it makes me happy we didn’t have any children back then.”
A lump dropped down Jin’s throat, her shaking fingers showing how big of a burden Inari had placed on the young Dragon; a quiver ran down her frame, but she kept from hugging herself.
“You have no idea—you grew up in the golden age—all you know is bliss. I don’t want to get tangled up in the power struggle—to be the first to reach the 13th dimension—to play her game—I just want to enjoy my life on my terms. Is that so much to ask?”
Pain twisted her nose, fist pressing against her breast and frustration in her throat. “I just want to live … And then … And then Inari gives me this—”
Her fingers curled to sink her fingernails through the fabric and into her skin. “Something I can’t ignore or possibly pass up. I hate it—I hate the games you all play—and it’s all of you!”
Seiōbo’s smile became a line, maneuvering the threads of time across the universe to show the actual events burned into the threads of its essence. The instances of everything leading up to Jin’s interactions with her niece played around them in a manner that would perfectly bring back the memories to Jin.
Her voice was soft, and she went through each one. “I’m not here to take everything away from you or try to manipulate you into following some agenda for my niece … I want the same thing as you … I want to be free—to live and feel alive—to ascend beyond what it is I was … I don’t want to be whatever I became … I want to be me, and I’ll strive for what I want in life.”
Jin swallowed the sticky saliva that gathered in her mouth, chest pumping as she tried to calm her shakes and tears; in a way, it angered Seiōbo that her sister had cornered the Dragon so thoroughly. “Why are … Why are you doing this to me then?”
What was your goal here, Inari … I know I can’t see as far as you, but this has been tearing her up inside, and she’s had no one to talk to about it … Yet, this could help her … It really is annoying how everything you do tends to be correct, even if it feels horrible.
Seiōbo’s back straightened, cobalt irises falling to her skirt. “Jin, I will not lie to you … Do I care for you? Not particularly. I do sympathize with the situation you’re in, and I cannot even tell you I care for my niece … I don’t know her … I don’t know many things since coming back, and it hurts.”
Lips pulling in, she tried to suppress the sudden emotional spike in her breast. “I … have wanted to find worth in myself for … Well, for all my life … and I gave all I had to keep up with my big sister. I’ve never told anyone this—not even my own mother,” she smiled, looking up at Jin. “Is it odd that I can tell a stranger?”
Jin’s muscles loosened, body fatigued from the unaccustomed raging energy flooding from her spirit. “Why would you expose yourself to me like this … Nothing you’re doing falls in line with my mother’s impression of you.”
“Wonderful!” Seiōbo forced a cheer. “One step closer to my goal.” Her attention drifted back to the confused insect, and she ceased her manipulations. “I feel cold inside, Jin … I don’t know what my sisters really want, but I have my own plan … I’m stuck with Sora, whether I like it or not, and if that’s the case, I need to know her.”
A lump falling down Jin’s throat, she cleared her emotional voice. “So … It’s not personal against me, but … you just … Okay, I guess I can accept that…”
Seiōbo sighed at the tears gathering in the Dragon’s eyes. “I’m not telling you to run off on your own—no one of any power will so much as think of going after you—because the moment you leave my mother’s Realm and are on your own, your relatives are going to be all over you.”
Her vision narrowed, gazing up at the surrounding universes she could see. “Currently, no one has realized you have Gòng-Gōng’s bead because of the Herald’s veil and my mother’s Realm’s protections, but it will ripple through Existence the second you leave its security—it’s impossible to hide.”
“I know,” Jin forced a laugh. “Why do you think every Dragon basically hates your sister—none of them are brave enough to challenge Inari for it—and there’s the terror she instilled after killing the Tanuki Father.”
A low hum rumbled in Seiōbo’s throat. “Which I assume is one reason your mother is not satisfied with any of your siblings … Yìnglóng could have taken it from my sister at any moment, but she didn’t … Logically, it means…”
Jin hissed, rubbing her shoulder. “Yeah—I thought of that … All of us do … She wants us to prove we deserve it … And then she just gives it to me,” she growled, teeth grinding together. “It’s like … like it’s not worth anything at all!”
Seiōbo waited for the girl to regain control over her emotions, streaks of crimson pulsing down her black locks. “I don’t look at it in that light,” Seiōbo whispered. “My sister only had Gòng-Gōng’s orb for one reason; yes, she’s feared by your family for being the one that killed the Second Generation Founder God, but it seems there are factors at play none of us expected that shroud why the event happened in the first place.”
“Mmgm…” Jin’s hands finally found her elbows, shivering at the memory of what transpired when Seiōbo’s mother was taken; Inari had given Seiōbo the moment in painful detail. “What are you saying? Inari stood as a boogeyman to Dragons for so long, but she couldn’t care less about us?”
She tilted her head in thought, four tails drifting in the same direction. “You’re … not wrong in thinking she cares little for Dragons in general … It’s more like my sister has always been on the forefront of the 2nd Generation’s strategic minds.”
A long sigh steamed through her teeth. “Well, if she has the correct information, that is … Inari can find a way out of anything; she’s never lost a match against the 2nd Generation—never—not even against Gòng-Gōng; although she could never beat him no matter how long the battle dragged out—after all, he had regular bouts with the 1st Generation. Hmm, which was his downfall, in the end, I suppose … And that still confuses me even now, considering the Gòng-Gōng I knew.
“Heh, although it was Inari’s tricks that always ended their conflicts in a draw from the First Generation’s boredom of the fight … The final trick was his hubris in leaving himself open for her to deliver the death blow when he was weakened. Inari was either popular among our elders or thought of as being cowardly by using her head better than her opponents.,” Seiōbo mumbled, “she irked me so much at the time.”
Shaking her head, Seiōbo smiled. “No, I’m saying this will help you in the end. I want you to prepare yourself in the next six months for what is to come; we both know the weaker generation Dragon Founders are going to come right for you, and my niece,” Seiōbo winced, “bless her heart, will be right by your side to help you … We both know she will.”
Jin’s vision drifted to the various instances Seiōbo extracted from the universe to play at the back of their minds, many of which involved the Dragon. “You aren’t asking me to go on my own … Why do you want me to delay the trip—so Eyia and I can get stronger?”
Seiōbo rubbed her left ear, a short laugh shaking her chest. “Why only the two of you? No, if you had a proper analysis of my niece, you’d realize she is quite dangerous after awakening her father’s side.”
Waving her hand, she smirked at Jin’s increased attention as Seiōbo revealed all seven of the generational descendants of Founder Dragons across the surrounding universes she could glean while restricted to Sora. “I’ve evaluated the contenders you’ll likely face, and your odds are … not good,” she admitted, “but, mmhm, given the extra time to strengthen your weakened body to handle your inherent spiritual force … Well, let’s just say the chances are better,” she forced a laugh.
“Great,” Jin mumbled, but she could see a fire building in the Dragon’s tight gut. “So … why is six months so important?”
Seiōbo brought the vision of Wendy and Mofupsi; not a millisecond had passed since she’d taken Jin to the 6th Dimension; a Plane she could physically handle with Seiōbo’s minor help, but not reach on her own. “Unfortunately, I’m not skilled enough to snap my fingers and guide these two through the essence transfusion … It will be a process, and even with the max accelerated speed of my mother’s Realm, it will take six months.”
Fingers rising to spread through her hair, Jin released a loud growl. “Gragh! Why didn’t you lead with this?! Seriously, fine; I finally get it—Sora won’t leave her friend. You … want me to stay, though?” she questioned, scratching her scalp. “I’m a target … My nieces and nephews won’t want me to give Gòng-Gōng’s bead to my sisters—they’re coming for my head to take his power for themselves. Sora will be in danger.”
Seiōbo folded her arms, lips pushing to the side; the insect seemed to think they’d left and was tending to the field. “I know … Inari thinks it’s time for Sora to take the stage and show she’s not an easy target … What better way to do that than showing her contending with the Dragon family? Plus, she’s not alone.” She smiled at Jin, making the girl blush.
“I’m not really Sora’s friend.”
“And I’m not really her aunt—not by emotional attachment yet, that is—but I want to change that. Sora is more than willing to get closer to you; however, you’ve kept yourself distanced. Jin, you don’t like building bonds, which is natural, given your entire life, you’ve been a rolling stone. You need to work on breaking down those walls.”
“Easier said than done,” Jin mumbled, frowning at the finger holes she’d made in her tank top. “I just want to get rid of this thing…”
Seiōbo’s fingers pressed against her temple as she shook her head and chuckled. “We both know that’s a lie—you can’t hide from me that you want to be better, not worse, and I know it hurts you to deny it.”
She showed the scene of her shouting down Eric when rescuing Sora from the broken and empty boy, making Jin’s cheeks flush. “A Dragon you are, Jin, and you have the same drive I sensed in Gòng-Gōng—something I can’t see in any of these dull imitations of Gòng-Gōng’s ambition,” she muttered, glaring at the Dragons she’d scouted.
“I’m not Gòng-Gōng, though,” Jin whispered, frustrated in her Core.
“He-he,” Seiōbo rolled her eyes, “how many times do I have to repeat myself; I’m not saying you are … When did I say you were an idiot?” Jin couldn’t help but smile, and Seiōbo rose to her feet, stretching her hands in the air and yawning. “No … What I see is a girl that will work hard to reach whatever she wants; you won’t take a back seat at anything you do, which is why you’ve found a rival in Eyia and stuck with her. Is it not?”
Jin’s expression softened, glancing through the dimensions at the stand-still Primordial. “I guess Gòng-Gōng, and I were both black sheep, in a way … I’m not him, but if I can break the mold and push beyond all expectations … I can accept that.”
Seiōbo rubbed her hands together and rolled around her neck; rising to her feet and stretching her fingers out in front of her, she did a quick inner spiritual cleansing to enhance her spiritual flexibility. “Get Eyia on board and give all you have to prepare for a fight. Your journey to Nüwa’s laygate will be rough, and expect at least three siblings I can’t sense because of my limitations.”
“Ten…” Jin hissed, but a fire was in her heart that wasn’t there before. Looking up, she held out her fist to Seiōbo’s confusion. “Seiōbo … You’re not that bad of a Vulpes after all.”
She hadn’t seen this part, but doing a split-second universal scan, she discovered it was a human custom, making Seiōbo smile. Closing her fingers, she met the girl’s fist. “I owe Sora everything I am … Help prepare her for what’s to come; Nari and I won’t be able to help for much of it, I suspect.”
Jin stepped back, heart clearing of the storm raging within her. “Wouldn’t have it any other way; it’s my problem, and if Sora wants to help, then that’s cool, I guess, but … I don’t know … Is it strange to feel like I’m spitting in my mom’s face going to my sister instead of her? Heh, if I look at it like that … I’m a lot happier.”
Seiōbo quit holding her in the Dimension and watched her fall back to the 3rd to enter the Tower’s spa room they’d left. We both can be more than what is expected of us … Now…
Her focus lifted to the insect as he gathered liquid from another hidden area inside the dimension to reinforce a lackluster spot in the field; it had been disrupted by the imaginary fight he’d had with Nari.
Slipping through the 7th Dimension, she instantaneously appeared in front of the insect, causing him to freeze. “Hello,” she charmingly greeted, tapping into the Universal Core to bypass the language barrier of the creature’s essence. “I’m Seiōbo, and you are called Imituka by some, Neliga’Rou, by others, but I will call you Moria.”
He slowly stepped back, pushing the liquid lake above them to the side with his energy; it was impressive how composed he was in her presence, even if not radiating a threatening aura. “I … greet you, Vulpes One Of Power … My intentions were not of hostile nature toward your kin.”
“Oh, I know,” she laughed, “and neither could you hope to harm her … No, I wanted your opinion on the scope of this universe—among one other thing. You see, I haven’t been here for long, and I was wondering a few things.”
A nervous flutter came from the wings on his back, but he gave her a three-armed gesture that meant he was at her command.
“Mmh,” Seiōbo turned to stare across the universe in its entirety. “My sister has been keeping this universe from collapsing for quite some time from your perspective, yet the damage done—and the skill of her mend—has made it challenging to determine what exactly caused the initial problem.”
Her gaze wandered between the patterns Existence made between the multiverses surrounding them, unease lingering at the back of her mind. “We’ve drifted out of the Omniversal area she had planned for its course … It’s a slipstream … So?”
Moria crossed his arms and turned his twitching mandibles to the hill; his thoughts returned to the events of his youth, which made it easier for Seiōbo to pinpoint the event in his Oltera Nexus to get a complete picture. “It was of such terror…”
“I can see that,” she whispered, studying the event from multiple perspectives as she honed in on the cascading effects the event brought; it wasn’t caused by Founder’s hands. “Mmh … So, does this mean our position is … This could be troublesome.”
The insect looked at her, wonder radiating in his core, but she was mostly finished with the creature at this point. If the flow of the Omniverse is correct from the information Inari and Mia gave me, we’re very near the Primordial’s border … The dividing line between Founders and Primordials. It might not just be Jin’s family we’ll need to watch out for.
She looked down at the goosebumps that spread across her skin, but a vicious smile parted her lips that made Moria’s wings flutter again. When Mia left with Inee, someone else took the opportunity to change our trajectory … It seems I will have to do some sharpening of my own skills because the girls won’t be able to handle this threat.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation while scanning the blackness. Splendid. I’ve been meaning to see what these Primodrials are made of.
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