Chapter 252: Go Get Some Disappointing News

I stepped forward, placed the Sigil into the empty grove, and then closed my eyes. There was no sound, but suddenly I felt weightless, and my eyes snapped open.

[Bee-guage] Activated!

"Interesting, not what I expected, but then I didn't turn over any rocks when I was looking around with the others," a massive golden mecha-lion said that could only be one person, but I was confused.

"You, the big golden Kitty, was looking for me, a little blue Bee?" I asked, a bit stunned. 

"Not just me, little Bee. There Bee a whole Tree of Gods out looking for thee!" Rai Cait said, a bit too happy, and I rolled my eyes.

"Listen, Deer metal Cat! I don't have time for puns or any of that! Be quick, snap, snap! Or I will crush you like a Rat!" I shouted at him.

This had already taken up too much of my time to get here, and now I really didn't want to start a pun battle. I would sooner fight this oversized piece of jewelry than listen to more damn puns, but my Bee-guage turned my threat into a Doctor Suess-style rhyme instead!

[Bee-gauge] Deactivated!

"Oh? You are a feisty one! Now I can see why she no longer wished to be with me, but that is no matter. I have made my choice!" Rai Cait announced, and I was more than a little confused.

"Huh? What choice? And are you talking about Sakura?" I asked, but Rai Cait just ignored me entirely like he was talking to a grand audience.

"I, Rai Cait, humble and noble…."

"Real humble people don't say that!" I shouted to no effect.

"...Will take my place in the lower realm and help this mortal with my own body, throwing off all past allegiances and any past quarrels! I shall ask my faithful Eternal Guards to join with me to give you the greatest battleship that has ever graced the skies!" Rai Cait announced, and to my surprise, there were murmurs in the background.

I couldn't see anyone, but there were clearly spoken voices in the background, and I had to keep from laughing out loud.

"Oh, look at the tough guy, trying to make us feel like we should just follow along with you!" One male voice called down with a scratching voice followed by a chittering that made my skin crawl.

"You're just a hot-headed loud mouth that talks too much for his own good! While I think it's noble what you are proposing, you have given little to no thought about what that will mean for us if we die there!" a neighing female voice called that sounded mildly attractive for some reason, and she was making a good point. 

"What happened to all of your backbones?! Was it not just before this that you all said that you were willing to place your faith in this Harbinger?! You have all been watching, and you know that this will be our only chance to get back at the one that tricked us all!" Rai Cait declared, and the murmurs intensified.

"Woah, hold on here a minute! Place your faith in me? What are you trying to say?" I asked, unsure how I felt about this all but was summarily ignored, again as Rai Cait continued.

"I will be the vessel that protects our champion, and every one of you should think about what you can offer to make it even worth the Harbinger's time! You might not be so excited now, but when the day comes, and the Harbinger is ready to depart the Fire, where will you be?" Rai Cait asked in a challenging tone, and the voices went silent.

So, Rai Cait was doing this so he could secure a seat when I decided to blow this popsicle stand? I didn't see anything wrong with it, and now I started to better grasp what this meeting was all about.

"So you think that we should bow down and beg for the mortal to help us?" The attractive-sounding female voice challenged, but Rai Cait just laughed.

"Mortal? Yes, I suppose she is, but we all know that she is much more, even if we don't know why yet! What makes you so much better than her? Would you like to try and fight her? Or maybe we should have a contest? You know, since the Harbinger has so much extra time on her hands!" Rai Cait challenged back, but there was no reply this time, and the voices stayed quiet.

I was shocked by how this had all turned out. I didn't think that all the Risen Gods would be here, but I also didn't think that convincing Rai Cait was going to be this easy as well.

Now, there was just one more thing that we needed to clear up. Well, it was more that I needed some kind of clarification, and I got it without really asking, but I did have to pry to get a straight answer out of him.

"So, little Bee, are you ready to leave the In-Between? I have to go get some disappointing news, but waiting won't make it any easier. I should have known that this was coming with her after the council went behind my back to imprison her!" Rai Cait said, clutching his fist as he did so.

"So you knew that Sakura was going to reject you? Why? Not that I am complaining, but I really didn't think that you would let go so easily," I said to him to get him to be clear about who we were talking about.

"Yes, and I also had some time to think about my life and the way I lived it. I treated my wives poorly, and I promised myself that I would do better this time if I ever got to come back! So, I am going to apologize to my wife, and then we might even have more help!" Rai Cait said a bit gloomily but cheered up at the end.

Then, as he finished his last words, I was ripped from the In-Between.