Valdis paced the parched earth, her feet kicking up dust. Like a distressed lioness she wore a path into the ground as she waited for her mentor to show up. Her fists were clenched, hopefully her Twinsie would show up, and surely he felt that energy spike. She looked at her glowing palm, and called him with a bit more force, he would show up but she was impatient given the circumstances. When she had transported herself she had taken her youma form; she always took this form when she was here. Mainly because most lowbies seemed to avoid her after the first nights display. But that didn’t mean she didn’t face a challenger now and then. Right now she was just wishing for something to cross her path so she could sink her claws into it.

She hurled a random fire ball in a random direction out of frustration. Her twinsie was taking too long and her father was dying. If he didn’t show up soon she was leaving and going straight to the hospital. She would only wait for a few more minutes; if he didn’t show she was going to take matters into her own hands.

Gemini manifests more quickly than he usually would, the skull-face having a look of annoyance as he enters the world. He had been watching through Valdis' eyes and to see Libra do something so arrogant annoyed him. Of course Gemini knew it was his nature to do things as he did. Not that he approved: it was simply understanding the way the fiend was...much like understanding that cats beg for food or dogs bark at strangers.

"Yo." he says perhaps too casually. "Never thought that Libra would go that far...he really does earn his title as the Keeper of Arrogance.." he says, before bracing for the inevitable outburst from his protege.

Even though it had not been long her patients was waning. Luckily for her Gemini appeared quicker than normal…something she made note of. Valdis spun around to face him and his oh to casual greeting. Apparently she need not explain what had just happened. Instead of the outburst he was expecting from her Val was absolutely silent. However there was a deep anger brewing beneath a now very still exterior. Valdis took a deep breath; Gemini wasn’t the one she wanted to strangle right now and she wasn’t one to take her rage on someone who wasn’t her target. So with a scary calm voice she responded.

”Then I do not need to reiterate that my father is currently dyeing and he is the one person I wish to see protected. I do not want to have to bury another parent before I am of an adult legal age…. I am assuming since you had such ease sneaking me in your apart of the military one way or another. Find a way to get him to the hospital an in a stable condition.”

Valdis at this point felt trapped, she was un able to do a thing without outing one of them at the moment. Tho frankly what she suggested didn’t help much in that area either; it would put Gemini in a bind as well as her at the moment. She wouldn’t ask him to put himself at risk.. She sighed and ran her hand threw her hair in frustration and once again resumed pacing.

”Nix that…I’m not thinking clearly at the moment….”

To have to choose to do nothing was the worst then any pain she had endured in any battle. She welcomed that over this… She clenched and unclenched her fist keeping herself from having another outburst as she had earlier.

"I doubt he will die...I didn't sense his life force fleeting, but he is certainly in pain. I will see what I can do, and I shall have a talk with Libra later. The problem with him is that he only listens to what he thinks is right. He isn't very popular." he says with a small sigh. As he looks at Valdis, he can tell how distraught she is.

"You're showing weakness....you need to relax and plan your next course of action. Of course I've been wondering for a while now, what is your real intention within the Covenant? You don't follow the normal profile and while you've been growing stronger your actions don't scream of someone who really wants to help the Covenant achieve their goals."

With that, Gemini's stance stiffened and Valdis would likely get the feeling it was time for a conversation that she had been wanting to avoid for awhile.

Valdis paused her hand mid-way through her hair, the other resting on her hip as she side glanced at Gemini. He could sense a person’s life force? However a life force could only last so long when a person was massively loosing blood. So that was only fleeting moment of comfort. The fact he wished to talk to Libra on her behalf was saying something; mainly because it was more for her own personal peace of mind considering it was likely to have little to no effect on the bastard.

”I’m a bit more petty then just talking it out”

Irritatingly enough he was right about her showing weakness, when it came to her loved ones she was soft. She took a deep breath…this wasn’t the place to be freaking out in. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and scrunched her eyes closed.

”You realize you’re asking a hormonal teenager who just witnessed her father getting shot who’s also in the unfortunate position where she would have to work with said person who’s responsible for causing the distress in the first place…Although you are right, if Libra is as messed up as you say and seeing what I saw if I do show any ounce of caring not only would it give me away it would likely make my father more of a target then he already is…”

She was forcing herself to think...However her thinking process was slightly interrupted when he asked a question…she gave him a puzzled look her mind still somewhere else.

”Didn’t you already guess? OH Jun! I can go see him! I can give him some of my venom to help Daddy! Be right back; I’ll answer that last question when I get back; Twinsie promise”

Valdis was gone, she transported herself back to her house and grabbed a small vial, she placed a fang in the vial and squirted some of her venom inside it, and screwed on the lid. Quickly labeling it with neat smooth handwriting that wasn’t like her normal script. So in black ink it said ‘healing serum; bring to hospital’. She poofed back to the Youma world.

”….Couple more minutes”

She poofed away again. She had figured out how to get to different locations but only starting in the youma world so there was a lot of back and forth. This time she ended up in Juns office leaving the serum on his desk….he would notice it she was sure….just in case she went over to where his security system was and set it off before poofing back to the youma realm.

”…Don’t know if that will work; but it is something.”

Her demeanor gradually seemed to become more collected as she was no longer pacing back and forth. She let out a sigh, it wasn’t a guarantee but it was a slim chance. However now she had another problem to deal with. However here was not really the place where she wished to discuss it.

”Do you mind if we discuss this back at my home…I rather be where I can get updated on my father’s condition. It’s a lengthy explanation”

And before Gemini knew it, Valdis was blinking around the city. She was getting too good with that teleportation, it wouldn't be long before she might be able to trace him and pop up out of nowhere when he isn't going about his Covenant business. It would be...inconvenient if she popped up at the wrong time during the wrong meeting and cause the wrong kind of panic. Valdis would probably simply laugh, amused about the thing.

The skull in the hat waited for Valdis to settle back down before he pressed the original point he was going to talk about with Valdis. When she asked to simply retreat back to her home, his expression darkens slightly.

"Hmph...this should be good.."

And with that, he disappears. When Valdis ends up returning to her house, she would find him laying back in a recliner in the living room, a cigar in the skull mouth as he waited for Valdis. When she appeared, he would look at her expectantly, waiting for her to begin her explanation.

When he disappeared she assumed that would be a yes….and apparently he knew exactly where to go…slightly creepy but what wasn’t these days. She just shook her head and popped back home, the smell of cigar smoke reached her nose and she frowned. Valdis walked right up to him and plucked it from his hand.

”No smoking indoors”

She walked off to her kitchen doused the lit end and put the cigar in a little plastic baggie before coming back and tossing it back at him. She knew the things weren’t cheap; instead of wasting it on his behalf she figured he could save it for when it wasn’t in her home. She sighed and dropped into the nearest seat, today was panning out to be a stressful day.

”You said my actions don’t line up with helping the covenants goals?...Goals that are being fed to you guys? Or the goals that are actually being worked on? There is a different answer depending on the question.”

Valdis sighed and rubbed her eyes, wondering where to really start on this topic. She figured he had already guessed it, but apparently she had been mistaken or he just liked watching her squirm. Probably the later knowing him so far.

”I agree with the idea that things needed to change and the status quo needed to be flipped on its ass. The world as it was needed a new direction; this war as started the path towards it. I also agree with the youma needing a new home….some of the youma may be blood thirsty but frankly that is the nature of their beings. They shouldn’t be left out to rot out in that waste land…..and now that people have been given access to be able to use magical abilities there needs to be a place for them as well...The idea of trying to make a world like that is a goal I fully support and will fight tooth and nail to see through…in that image the covenant has my full support….That is it would if it was actually working towards that. Unfortunately it’s not…some of you are; like the newer members of the Zodiac, the cow for example and her new protégée. I even believe that you as well are genuinely looking for a better future….sort of. Frankly I’m making a leap of faith on that one considering I believe you have guessed what my intentions are and have continued to help me.”

Valdis’s purple gaze looked over at her skulled companion, he certainly did make himself comfy quickly…then again so did she.

”My motives are simple, I want to see a new world brought forth. Yes I am well aware it won’t be a utopia that’s being spat about, but something that is heading towards a brighter future for all involved…Our world just expanded far beyond what people have begun to cope. There are other realms other than just the youma’s ones with possible resources….The old ones such as Virgo they will bring destruction to this world; your positions as Zodiacs are laughable. You’re not all even kept in the same loops.”

Valdis stood up; and purple sparks began to form around her hands. The room suddenly plunged away to bring forth her vision.

”Virgo does not intend to honor her promises; anyone who is not of pure decent will be slaughtered, powers or not. This world would be lost…. You asked me my intentions in the covenant, originally it was to gather information on the Zodiac, and find out exactly how close of a knit you all really were….and as always find a way to protect the ones I care about. Frankly I was not expecting to end up liking you and some of the others; I found myself respecting your opinions and motives. Heck I even found that I ended up liking some of the random youma like silky butt. I see potential that is beyond this mindless destruction…”

The vision faded…and much like the other times Valdis did not make an appearance.

”Unfortunately either by this conversation today…or going forward I will not be around to see this day come forth…or anything beyond it. I have the ability to see into the future…and as actions are taken this vision differs slightly each time…and usually I will see things beyond a vision however this time I don’t…..There are only two weeks left until this day….and this will be the fruit of the Covenants labor. The short skirt squad will not make it in time”

She plopped down with a scowl on her face.

”Two freaking weeks left and my time will be spent in this empty house….However….I do ask before all this takes place I want to be permitted to go back to Transylvania I know it was the first place that was hit by the youma…there is some unfinished business I want to take care of.”

Gemini scowl as Valdis takes his stogie and puts it out. No short glare was given to her before he simply puts it away and listens to the first part of Valdis' conversation. A different answer to a different question huh. Gemini snorts. Valdis liked to use eloquent words and speeches on time to time about philosophy. It was a facet that Gemini found himself at odds with the young woman. The male was practical

"I've never been a fan of elaborate wordplay." he remarks as his eye sockets follow Valdis's gestures during her poetic words.

"The world was fine as it was before all this mess started. It might not have been perfect, sure there were flaws but it was slowly getting better bit by bit. It may have taken hundreds if not thousands of years to evolve to a societal level like the flowery words of 'Elysion' were promised, but it would get there eventually without the mess of an invasion and mass death." Gemini says, his tone taking a seriousness that was rarely heard from the violette.

"You say you want to bring forth a new world, but had the Covenant uprising not happened would you REALLY be so eager to say such things? You would probably live a normal life recording your music and happily enjoying the benefits of your labors." Gemini says rising and walking toward the window, looking out at the seemingly endless frost.

"Humanity as a whole isn't ready to co-exist with youma. Hell, youma debatable shouldn't exist. But that is a more academic matter beyond the scope of my level of giving a damn." he says. The vision unfolds in front of him, and he can't help but to snort at it.

"I've never believed that Virgo's offer was any more genuine than any other human's. Maybe this is the future, and maybe this is a product of your imagination that you can dance about around for others to see. Who can say until it comes to pass. Virgo might be ready to bring about a new disaster, but frankly I have what I want and the means to protect the only damn thing on this rock that matters to me...a means that I have no other way to guarantee." he says as he looks out at the snow and clenches his hand.

"If I had it my way, then perhaps the world wouldn't have come to this. Valdis, let me tell you one thing. Don't claim or expect to fully understand a person easily. My motivations are simple but non-negotiable. I don't claim to enjoy the methods or the results, but I've used my position and my strength to secure that which I must and to work towards what I at least believe is the right course of actions. Virgo at least sees a use in me in that my mere presence allows for the revival of her monsters and greatly improving their healing abilities. I am needed and so long as I am needed then I have leverage to secure what I in turn need."

At his point, a wave of desperation fills the room. Powerful, raw emotional influence radiates from Gemini as Valdis would be washed over by the deepest desperation for just a second until it fades as Gemini regains control of himself.

"Think carefully about what you really intend to do with your time. What place you want to make and what mark you will leave on the world. Your own decisions make your own fate in the end. Whether you want to die as a martyr or survive and achieve your own goals. If you embrace the idea of death then your vision will of course compensate for that outcome. Have you considered that there are other paths to take, should you have the strength. Or are you going to embrace your weakness and submit to the whims of an invisible power." he says as he speaks only once more.

"I shall not take you to where you ask...I will be needed shortly on my own affairs. Further, I am not a damn taxi service."

The glare didn’t faze her in the least, these sort of looks came with being who she was.

”I find if I talk a lot people eventually just stop listening to what I say…as for the state of the world before. You had said it yourself earlier that the state that the world is in right now is the reflection of how people felt. Yes parts of the world probably were well off; personally I was happy as a clam even though we didn’t have any tvs or other fancy electronics, and sometimes the winters were a little too cold when our heat was shut off….and our power didn’t work all the time….but historically societies rise and fall. None of them last because corruption eventually finds its way into them and crumbles it. With or without the covenant it would have eventually happened. However I agree that there probably would be less mass casualties if it hadn’t been for the covenant.”


Valdis shrugged if he said she would be so eager to change things if the covenant hadn’t come about.

”Honestly no, I would be normal for any advance teen of my age. I would still have friends back home; I would be able to sleep at night without the night terrors. I likely would have never gotten into music, and just be bored playing Daddy’s little puppet. The events that the covenant brought forth have made me who I am today, while I think the tragedy that has been brought forth by the covenant is horrible I do not deny its existence as shaped as all into more driven individuals….Unlike the moon kingdom before I do not want to erase its existence completely.”

Valdis once again found herself agreeing, humanity wasn’t ready to coexist with youma.

”The only ones who are capable are the ones already working with them in the covenant…however the youma have a right to exist…just not here. Their time on this earth has passed; but what if they had their own world? Not the dry rock they are on now; but a living breathing planet. The short skirt squad have their own realms….why not use one of them. The moon had a kingdom…had is the key word. Why can’t there be others….there’s a whole potential future for intergalactic communication…the Youma may be the first but they won’t be the last. Although frankly I doubt that would go very peacefully and frankly it’s just a whimsical stray thought that unfortunately I haven’t had time to dig my claws in to explore.”

Valdis fell silent as Gemini went on, and for once sharing a brief glimpse of what was driving him to work for the covenant. Her purple gaze softened as he went on, best way to describe him was like a cornered animal. However when he went on to question the decisions she was walking towards and whether or not she was answering to some invisible force.

”I prefer to call it my father in law; however I don’t know about this whole martyr business, but I will fight tooth and nail to prevent this vision from coming to pass. I do not know how, but I will find a way to prevent the annihilation of everyone I care about….including you. You may be a Zodiac but you’re not of pure blood are you? Frankly you’d be harder to take down…but once Virgo is done with you, you and whatever you’re protecting what do you think will happen? What happens when your leverage no longer applies? If Virgo accomplishes what I just showed you…that will be gone and Libra indicated we have two weeks…

Valdis sighed an evil grin spread across her face.

”I would really love to be Virgo’s bane the biggest thorn in her side….is that an option?”

She chuckled but her eyes softened as she went to go breech into more raw territory.

”But that matter aside….I did my sibling truth bonding, now your turn my dear twinse what did Virgo do for you? What or who are you protecting?”

Valdis rolled her eyes when he claimed he wasn’t a taxi service.

”I asked for permission; I know it was taken over by the covenant and frankly I just found out you guys have a territory thing going. I’m going there whether or not but as your protégé I thought it would be easier on you to ask for permission before I start causing trouble over there….and frankly I plan on leveling any youma I come across that I recognize…It’s about time that my mother and the others receive a proper burial.”

"To give them another world eh? How do you propose to do that, and even if the short skirts can access their own planets somehow do you really think they want to live around a Gas Giant? Or a furnace world that is Venus, hell the best of it would be Mars and that's just a cold, red rock with barely an atmosphere. What kind of quality of life would they get in that arrangement?" Gemini points out in the idea that Valdis could send the youma to their own planet and realm. "Would that be better than the wasteland they live within now?"

When Valdis points out the idea that Virgo might betray him, he shrugs for just a moment.

"Possibly, but visions are just that: visions. Not guarantees. I could say I saw a vision where the Covenant made a utopia out of the bones of the vanquished and it would be no less valid than your own, only I lack the capacity to care enough to make a spell to project it as an image." he says, clearly not being a man who cares for visions or prophecies that much.

"Virgo is too pragmatic to kill me for no reason, as long as I don't shake the boat, she won't try to sink mine. Her ego is sufficient enough that she likes the idea of having her own loyal minions and followers and won't wipe them out unless necessary, but when she does she will be swift and cruel. A lesson you might want to keep in mind for your own purposes." Gemini warns to the younger woman.

When Valdis mentioned what Virgo did for him, he is quiet, weighing whether he should mention it or not or perhaps tailoring the story to make it such that Valdis would understand.

"I was in Sapporo before everything went to shit. When the Obelisk appeared, thousands were captured or murdered within the first ten minutes as the initial swarm of monsters breached into this reality. I was a soldier in the Japanese army, and while we were drastically outgunned we held our own for as long as possible. That day, I racked up two hundred, ninety-six kills of what you would call Class IV youma with liberal use of explosives and traps. Of course, they were still adapting to this reality and thus considerably weaker, and the Zodiac Circle wasn't complete and thus they lacked the additional powers in their chaotic energy.

But I could not be everywhere at every time. As a large number of civilians were being evacuated, a group of fliers dropped energy bombs on their transport. My twin sister and my wife died that day, and my three year old daughter was critically wounded despite my family trying to protect her with their own bodies. At this point, most of the soldiers were killed and as far as I knew, I was alone. Reinforcements were still at least half an hour away.

I ran to them, grasping my daughter and in my desperation Virgo appeared to me. Her power was nothing like you can imagine and it has only gotten greater in time. She commended my prowess, and said that I had 'Elysion Ancestry' and 'potential'. That she would save my daughter if only I would serve her..." he says as he looks at the ground, his eyes darkened.

"...Under the circumstances, who wouldn't do anything to save their flesh and blood, the only family member who had a chance to make it. I made the Covenant with Virgo, and at that moment I became Gemini, the keeper of both life an death. My existence empowers the Covenant's strength and allows them to both live long and revive when killed if deemed worth the effort. In return, my daughter was saved, but bound to my own life, such that if I go against the Covenant and am killed for it, then she would die as well a horrible and painful death. That is the...collateral." he says as he looks at Valdis sternly.

"Not everyone is a monster, and while there is much I don't agree with, I will not sacrifice my daughter to do something stupid. I will try to save what humanity I can without pissing off Virgo, but I will protect my daughter at all costs. She is eleven now and blooming wonderfully as a pre-teen. She is all I have left to remind me of her mother. Sacrifice has never held a greater meaning." he says as he looks outside, snorting once.

"So there's my sappy, crappy 'why my life sucks' story. Are you happy now?" he says, as he then glances at Valdis about the whole transport thing.

"Over there is the territory of some of Scorpio's old followers. They call themselves the Fallen Sting, in honor of his passing. Their leader has the same idea that you do, but more a ceremonial way about it by gaining his own power and influence." he says, glancing at the violette.

"Very dangerous, especially for you. Rumor is out that you're contending for the position, so you would be a highly killable target."

”I think your are still going by the whole scientific gas blob scientific discovery thing…. However if you go by that then there would be no other life; especially none that would be able to be supported on the moon as it had. That and there definitely would not be a castle built on Venus; the fact the Venus senshi has been there and brought others opens up a whole set of possibilities that would previously been thought impossible or a stoners day dream…..I am not saying it’s a definite but it’s a possibility that should be explored; earth may not be there only option….as for the waste land after seeing that vision I would not be surprised if over time the plant life on the earth would just evolve into youma themselves leaving the earth a replica of the world that they live in now… “

Valdis shrugged when he didn’t put much stock in her visions.

”They haven’t been completely wrong yet; and this one changes slightly each time I revisit it; whenever a person makes a different choice then what they could have I see a different lapse in the timeline. My visions show where things stand at the moment; waiting for one little thing to pivot it in a complete different direction…..it forces me to think of as many possibilities and predict what might set off a chain of events or even if that chain will go where I want it to go….my mind is never free from ignoring the what ifs. While I cannot think of everything it tests me to my limits….and I can only hope that I can strike a bit of luck and happen upon the right path.”

She smiled however at the dig at the fact she created a way to project her visions.

”I happened upon it by whim; and have perfected it for my own amusement and comfort….I enjoy being able to fool myself into felling the sun again and the smell of my mother’s gardens. It’s been a source of false comfort for me”

When he spoke about Virgo she was at least glad to know her death would be swift… that was at least something to be thankful for when the time came. She fell silent when he told her his story; her hand absent mindedly going to the necklace that she had commissioned. Her face falling somber as she bit her lip in thought.

”No…Not happy, however it brings understanding…. Also brings the thought of if I continue to refer to you as my twinsie I’m being an insensitive prick….however”

She looked him in the eye; meeting his stern gaze.

”That’s not going to stop”

She scratched the back of her head; his story complicated things….for she didn’t want to end up endangering his goals.

”I stopped believing the covenant was filled with monsters after Scorpio imparted on me his memories…..but out of curiosity….I know you’re not one for complexity of spells and such but wouldn’t you being the whole life and death aspect know how to change that whole set up? “

Valdis smiled; a full fang baring grin at the mention of the Sting.

”The rumor is true is it not? Scorpios past is with me; I think it fitting I should step into his place….When I am attacked I will only prove I am the dominate one and frankly will stop a revolution in its tracks only securing the position for myself that much more. So I say bring it on.”