”It would have had a nice finishing touch; although call me a silly high school girl but even I wrather not have my first kiss as a game”

Valdis rubbed the bridge of her nose. While she understood the priestess point she didn’t see how it just pertained to her little speech. But she chose to be patient and hear the old woman out. Despite the difficulty Val kept an open mind to what the priestess was trying to get across. She fallowed her out and instantly regretted not listening to Nazo when he told her to go get changed. Valdis fell back a step and grabbed a bit of Nazo’s robe, wrapping it around her like a blanket. Making sure to keep in step with him as they transverse the shrine grounds.

”Let’s see if I’m getting the picture your trying to paint, I get that you don’t want me using the flames you just taught me because they stem from negative energies….I am here to stem more positive feelings and use those instead. Is the whole ofuda smacking an attempt to make me continue to hold on to those good feelings despite my urge to smack you down…”

In a twisted way that made sense. It would be the only logical reason she could think of other than the priestess just liked smacking her with the damn things. But if that was the case they still had a problem.

”If we’re going that root wouldn’t I need positive feelings to begin with…cause I don’t see me developing them in the near future going about it this method. Can’t grow what you don’t have”

As they stopped in front of the statue her eyebrow jerked up…that was something she didn’t expect. She was reluctant however to leave her makeshift snuggie and go down into the random secrete tunnel. But it intrigued her…and when she was curious she was likely to dive right in. Val looked up at Nazo and sighed.

”I’m about to see something that’s suppose to scare me away from my new toy aren’t I”

She un wrapped herself and waved good bye to Nazo as she fallowed the granny down; cracking a grin and a giggle as they decended. Until her own sing song voice rang out.

”MAAaaasked Mnaazo”

Another stream of giggles fallowed, it just sounded funny.

"It is perhaps more accurate to say that I simply cannot abide you using dark energies because your downfall begins with them. The Ofuda being used on you periodically is meant to cleanse surges negative energy, but perhaps that method is indeed flawed for achieving our objective." the Priestess says as she walks with Valdis, admittedly having given much thought to this entire process since it began. "I admit, this situation is not one that I have been adequately able to prepare. It is much like trying to turn a rushing river into a calm and still state." she says, with a small sigh.

'I believe you are mistaken in saying you do not have them. You obviously want to do something, otherwise you wouldn't put up with my methods or the Miko who admittedly pester you more than they should. Plus you have your own enjoyments...it isn't something I can really teach, but something you must realize and nourish on your own." Hino says, then continuing on.

As they walked down the tunnel, she is quiet for a moment, before the two arrive at a door. Hundreds of Ofuda written in red appear to be paste on the door forming what can be inferred as an extremely powerful spiritual barrier. The Priestess turns to Valdis, and looks at her sternly.

"Bear witness to what dark power does to good souls." she says, as she withdraws a key from her robe and pushes it into the keyhole, murmuring slightly as she does so. With three clicks, the door pops open slightly having been held by tension, as she enters and waits for Valdis to follow. A loud roar that was human and yet not human could be heard, and the sounds of heavy chains thrashing about audible in the darkness. The Priestess ignites a small pool of oil, which grows into aflame that spreads around the room to a number of other torches within. As the room alit, Valdis would see even more Ofuda lining the walls and floors. At the center, in a large cell, a roaring beast could be seen with dark, red glowing eyes. The overall figure was humanoid, while the face was very oni-like. It was hunched over, but it could be estimated that it standing up would easily reach eight feet high. The skin was a dark gray with patches of fur along it. When it's sharp teeth open enough, you can faintly see a dark purple energy in it's esophagus. Four horns spiraled out of it's head, as it's limbs were each thrice bound by chains and shackles engraved with various Shinto prayers and wardings against evil. The Priestess looked at the figure and sighed.

"Once upon a time, his name was Yuuichirou Kumada. A close friend, and someone whom I always thought might have been someone I could have had more with had the cards ever fallen differently. He joined my grandfather at the temple and learned the path of Shinto from him, eventually growing to become a priest himself. However when the Obelisks appeared, he had an encounter with a very powerful spirit that was corrupted, and he himself became corrupted. Instead of opting to be cleansed, he decided he would try to dominate the power with the force of his will and use it against the enemy. He believed in a more direct approach than prayer and penitence against evil, and even had dreams of being a national hero. It is with shame, I admit, that a minor motivation may have been to impress me as well, though I cannot be certain and it is certainly vain for me to assume so." she says, this time the sternness and overbearing discipline replaced by a more human and remorseful side.

"For a time, there was relative peace, but I could tell he was gradually becoming a darker, and darker soul. It culminated one day when he began to lose control and his body abruptly changed into...that. He was, in a twisted sense of irony, performing a purification ceremony, and I theorize that when the purification began to take hold on the individual he was working on, the dark power within him reacted as a means of self defense and flooded into his being turning him into...that." she says, then pausing and letting it all sink in before she continued any further.

Val raised an eyebrow; those periodic times were oddly placed when she was causing trouble… Although her fallowing statement didn’t really surprise her that much.

”So your saying I’m so into the dark and crazy hole there’s not much hope.”

Valdis was oddly calm about this statement. Val knew she had a loose grip on what most people considered sane. But another nugget of respect was tacked on for the priestess who could admit mistakes. But if her evil energies were like a rushing river she best find herself a distraction to act as a plug for said river…Easier said than done. She thought about the priestess’s statement, and decided to explain hers.

”Originally I agreed to be subjected to your trainings because I felt powerless. It frightened me and I acted out of fear of losing control. After today I was ready to say fuck it, but Nazo seems to want this to work out considering he seems to keep checking up on my progress…Since its important to him I’ll continue.”

Val paused and her face scrunched up as she realized what she said… That sounded idiotic now that it was said out loud. It implied that she was willing to put up with something she hated for the sake of someone else. Well that just seemed wrong. She sighed and shook her head as she continued to fallow the priestess while looking at what was quite possibly triple the amount of ofudas that she woke up with. She was fully disturbed with herself for allowing that to happen without her knowledge….Now that she was on that train of thought she did those things for Rosa as well….So she blamed this new phenomena on Rosa.

Val calmly fallowed her in; preparing herself for what she was going to see. Val walked straight face over to the cage staring up at the beast. Listening calmly to Granny as she told her story. Her mask fading for a rare moment.

”Granny I can think of a million words to describe you, Vain isn’t one of them. …Though something does bother me. If I’m as bad as you’re implying, it sounds like I’m worse off than this guy was when he transformed. Why didn’t the Scorpio Venom trigger something like this with me? He had a good base in this pure energy and in focusing good energies. While I have not…”

She stared at what use to be the human. She wondered what she would look like with horns.

"Quite the opposite actually. You don't have to suffer at all, as long as you don't try to willingly embrace it. I know that nothing I ever say or do will change who you are fundamentally, but as long as you don't believe that evil magic is a way to achieve your destiny, then that is enough." Rei says, then having another moment of quiet. She then looks at Valdis with a more apologetic expression than she normally would be.

"There is still much you can learn. I admit, I haven't been entirely comfortable because I can sense something dark deep in your soul, and figuring out how to prevent it from taking control has been a challenge. It is a learning process as well for how to take somebody else with real supernatural potential and cultivate their abilities correctly. The Miko girls you like to torment are normal, but you have something they don't. Plus, I believe you will accomplish something truly great in the future...I refuse to neglect doing my part to help you." she says, nodding a little at her last sentiment that Nazo was why she decided to stick around.

"I will work with you, but I need you to also make me aware of what you believe will help you. My method of teaching clearly hasn't had the intended effect thus far." she admits, shaking her head a little, then shrugging for a moment at her last inquiry.

"He was' infected' with dark energy for a lack of a better term, it is the first step that leads many members of the damnable Covenant to become monsters like him, but what you suffered was a direct attack...a spiritual poison intended to kill you. You might have a seed of chaos in you, but it need not grow. It is however a fear of that seed growing is why I have been probably too strict. I do not wish for you to become like this." she says, shaking her head with a small sigh.

"I wish I could grant him peace one way or another...but I lack the power to purify him, and if the military were to try to handle it, many people would die and I believe he would break free, or thus the flames have told me when I consulted them on this scenario."

Valdis let out a long sigh; as fun as the fire was she could see it as more problematic then amusing. Although it would be so much fun to freak out the two giddy gits with it. She scratched the back of her head.

”As much trouble that I think I could cause with that new nifty trick I wouldn’t be able to stand myself for using methods used by the ones who desecrated my mother’s body. So you have my word I will not tap into that power again, and now that I’ve successfully controlled it I can hopefully suppress it easier.”

A deep frown was etched on her face at the mention of her mother. Screams still rang in her ears; she hated remembering. So she turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

”Great? Exactly what do you think you’re going to be able to teach me? So far I’ve only been able to heal really fast and randomly catch things on fire. One of those I’m not to use anymore. I don’t really see how much help I’ll be other then Youma bait. Perhaps my Great deed will be distracting the hell out of the leader of the covenant while moon lands her final arrow.”

She turned away from the monster and looked at Granny, a serious expression on her face. Valdis knew Granny to put everything into her work, its part of the reason she had a shred of respect for the grumpy old priestess. So to know that she was holding back irked her slightly, but considering the example behind her she could understand her reasoning why.

”Well Granny you’re just going to have to trust me.”

Valdis gave a small shrug, anyone trusting her was less than likely, she didn’t really put on the most trustworthy act. She had faith in herself that she would not be overcome by this dark seed, but she had no proof or argument to sway the priestess to believe that she would.

”So having a seed of darkness is different than being infected…”

She pondered it for a bit, but came up with nothing so she filed it in the back of her mind to dwell on later. Right now she needed to figure out how she thought the training might progress easier.

”Well… I figured the dark energy bit pretty quickly on my own…but that was a reaction to being conditioned to the reaction of the stinging of the ofuda. Though now that I got the idea of how magic feels…despite the negative side it came from it has given me a base to start for other things. It may be easier for me to work towards our goals if I actually knew what they were…..What do you think I’d be able to accomplish?”

Valdis scratched the back of her head….she had been working on another aspect of what she knew she was capable of to….So despite the lack of progress she had at the shrine she had been working on things on her own.

”The fire thing wasn’t the only thing I figured out how to do…well healing myself isn’t something I’ve completely grasped but I can make it speed up now. Wait…did Nazo tell you I could do that? Or the fact I have visions…”

Her attention was diverted back to big bad and ugly.

” Perhaps we should gather the senshi…can one of them do it? It would at least be a target practice for them. After all what does he have left to lose”

"Then I will trust you. Your healing should be able to extend to others, though it will take some effort and practice to figure out how you can utilize it in that way. I've never had that particular gift so I can only help you figure out different methods." she says, then staring down the beast before frowning a little and walking to the oil and thinking to begin to wind it down, but pauses.

"A seed of darkness means you still have the choice of your fate." she says calmly, then thinking when she mentioned the conditioning. "Perhaps we can use conditioning for positive energy then...another gift you should have is visions, or at least that's what my own visions revealed about you. Have you had any? Can you describe the sensation you felt?" she says, and when the youma was brought up, she looks at him and frowns.

"...I would like very much to grant him peace, but violence...I am not entirely certain what the best options, though perhaps I am hesitating for personal reasons." she says, shaking her head slightly.

At that thought Valdis grinned; healing others? That mean she could beat the shit out of anyone who annoyed her and then leave no evidence behind….Although perhaps the fact her mind went there first wasn’t the best of signs. Her face became more sullen and she chuckled darkly.

”Fate is ironic; you would think that gift would be bestowed on someone who would care to use it more. Well unselfishly”

Valdis wondered how one would go about conditioning positively.

”How do you plan to go about that”

Valdis though about what her visions were like, they defiantly were different than normal dreams. They were much sharper…and she experienced them with all five senses.

”I just explained them to Nazo while I was getting dressed…but I’ve had one possibly two. As for the sensation when I feel one coming on it has the same feeling that I had when Nazo healed my eyes. Makes my stomach do flip flops…The first vision happened earlier this morning, I was walking down a hallway then next thing I know I’m floating above the city. It was weird cause I could smell, feel, hear, see everything. I felt emotions of fear and dread. I saw the city encased in ice, people freezing, and dying, buildings collapsing under their own weight. Then I was in the theater, I saw the youma; then I was back home. I never felt something like that before so I didn’t think it would hurt to investigate. Turns out the vision was right about the youma and the locations…and since I was already there…and I was told to stay out of trouble by numerous people….Naturally I decided to get into it anyways.”

She paused for a moment before continuing explaining how the vision felt.

”I had seen the theater in great detail while in the vision…Its hard to explain I felt like I was seeing everything and not just one thing, I had no control on focusing in on one thing. Normal dreams aren’t like that. It forced me to absorb much more information then what I’m use to….so I decided to test that knowledge out in the theater. It’s how I knew that the sand bags were present and to send solstice up them, I knew where all the props and heaters were, the light equipment, ect. So I used all of that to try to de ice the youma a bit. “
She really hoped she wouldn’t have to explain these again.

”I felt that same sensation when I hugged Nazo earlier, same dizzy gut wrenching feeling. Only this one wasn’t as in focus…and it felt like it was sucking all my energy away. If you hadn’t smacked me in the back of the head with that ofuda I don’t know what would have happen. But what I saw was another youma…much much much bigger then today’s ice princess. It was in front of some golden gaits, I have no clue where that is. The scene was all blurry though, but the emotion I got from it…”

She trailed off, the emotions that vision brought up was to painful for her to really process. A long drawn out sigh escaped her lips.

”Even though it started off the same it was quite different, Nazo told me it was a backlash of the poison. I hope he’s right about it”

Perhaps it was better to believe that, she really wouldn’t want that vision to come even close to being real.

”Did I describe them well enough?”

Valdis shrugged when the priestess mentioned she didn’t like the idea of violence.

”You and that other Senshi who wanted to make the Youma her friend would get along….”

She looked back at the beast.

”She makes me wonder if the senshi are going to be up to their tasks, a lot of them seem to be in the right mind set…but others might have a problem. There going to have to dirty their hands and stain there soles with the blood of there enemies in order to maintain the innocence of others. It’s the fate of those who have the power to take care of things like this”
She motioned towards the beast.

”The fact you’ve kept it here using your powers can’t be easy on you….your religion doesn’t exactly support in keeping things captive. I say relieve your burden on the ones who were put on this planet to take care of it. It’s their job is it not? Let them find a solution whether it be destroying him or reversing the effects if they can.”

Rei listened quietly when Valdis explained everything about the vision, and takes a thoughtful pose, frowning a little and then exhaling, as she sets a small device to begin putting water in the torches, gradually causing the torches to dim and extinguish. She walks out and motions for Valdis to come, meticulously resealing the entire arrangement once Valdis was in the clear, refreshing the ink on some Ofuda and replacing others.

"I will have to teach you Fire Reading and seeing if you get anything out of it. Conditioning positive feelings...it's not something that can be explained, but perhaps more indulging your whims and trying to find meaning in them for you. When you open your heart to others, you will figure it out in time. I can tell you have many burdens on your soul naturally...I will help you with what I can, but only when you are ready." she says, then walking back down the hallway, thinking about what she said about the senshi and the way to handle the beast.

"Perhaps it's not the worst thing if at least one of them are peaceful, at least it balances out perspectives and will hopefully lead to the best solution possible. It isn't entirely about the battle, but there is the healing to come afterward. After the Covenant is defeated, then what of the world?" she ponders, feeling a slight chill down her spine as she had a few thoughts come to mind.

"I will allow it, but only if they are willing. I wish my friend could return to normal, but I don't know if such a course is possible. Yet if he is too strong for them, then they will die and the world will not be healed. It is a question of whether the risk is worth it." Rei says, as the light of outside can be visible in the closing distance.

”Fire reading sounds amusing, can you teach me how to spot Nazo in corners as well? Or do I need to start carrying blunt objects?”

Val fallowed her out, thinking about her words…Opening up her heart? For what…. She didn’t particularly close off her heart but she didn’t really go looking for warm fuzzy feelings in everything she met. Nor did she understand why the priestess would want to help her with her burdens….

”My burdens are my own; I do not expect others to help carry them. My Dads not exactly the coddling type, I learned how to deal when he first brought me overseas.”

Valdis held the same sentiments honestly she thought the harder battle would be reviving the earth once it was rid of the covenant.

”Once the fighting is over humanity will survive. People will jump at the chance to actually be able to make a difference. After a long period of helplessness healing the earth will begin their own healing as well….the government oddly had the fore site to erect large indoor plantations, which preserved a lot of plant live that we’ll need to survive.”

It did bother her quite a bit…she would have to start snooping a little more…it would seem she would need to start making a few more connections. But the subject turned back to the beast.

”You say I will be able to heal? I do not know how well I would do but if you are worried about the Senshi then perhaps I can eventually try to reverse this …effect. Who knows if I learn to eliminate this seed of darkness within myself I may be able to do the same for him….But I will reserve the right to rub it in his face afterward and doing a gloating dance, and you will join me yes?”

She was serious, if she did actually managed to heal the beast she expected the stuffy old priestess to join in the gloating dance.

"You should be able to develop your 'sixth sense' as most people call it quite quickly and be able to detect when there are supernatural events in your immediate presence, so you should be able to tell if the masked one is using a 'cloak' again. Honestly, not even a week ago there was some sense of normalcy, now it's like some kind of real world fantasy..." she says, with a slight sigh. "Normal for this world anyway." she corrects, then walking a bit and ignoring her burdens issues. She figured Valdis wouldn't be the type to open herself so readily. If she deems it needed, she will seek out her help.

"If you can be successful in that respect, then he certainly deserves an appropriate amount of ridicule and shame for his actions before forgiveness." Rei says with a slight smile, before returning to her normally neutral expression.

”Nazo, and I was planning on just whapping corners with blunt objects, if I hit it then whooo hoo”

Valdis corrected her automatically, only to shrug when she mentioned the abnormal spike.

”I suppose if you’ve lived in Japan all your life this would be abnormal… I was six when I had my first run in with the covenant; Daddy dearest whisked me off to Japan where I didn’t have to deal with them until now…but now we can fight back. I look forward to being a part of the hand that crushes them to oblivion.”

Her lip curled up in the slightest of smiles; a blood thirsty look in her eyes. Val did laugh at the uncharacteristic comment from Granny, she liked her a little more now.

”I will be sure to provide it, I’m quite talented in that respect”

She skipped up the steps.

”OOhhhh NNNNAAAAZZOOOoooooo, me and Granny finally came to an understanding! I CAN TOTURE THE GIDDY GITS!”