Several weeks later Satasha and Lily were in the red palace chatting in the garden sitting on the steps leading to the small main garden surrounding the palace.
Lily was expressing her worries to Satasha . She demanded to see her grandmother because she missed her alot and wanted to see how she is doing. Satasha understood her well but she kept telling her it isn't safe for her to leave at the moment. They both sat quietly for a while then their silence was interrupted by Yamazaki "What are you two ranting? Are you hungry?"
Both of them replied at the same time " No"
Satasha went on "Yama who lives here beside Marvok's family?"
Yamazaki confused "Who are you looking for?"
Satasha "Lord Lucifer, why he isn't here?"
Yamazaki looked stunned at this he had no idea that Satasha knew Lucifer so he said "How do you know him?"
Satasha "We met few years ago. He was a bit unwell, well he was injured and I took care of him for several days till he regained his health then we departed. Is he doing well these days?"
Yamazaki concerned "He is doing great, I never knew that he was injured"
Satasha "And how can you know if he was alone?"
Yamazaki "He isn't alone, that is my point he is traveling with Ranku, he doesn't leave his master side since the last event that made Lucifer go mad!"
Satasha worryingly "What event?"
Yamazaki smiled "You seem very concerned about him, don't worry he'll be back in few days"
Satasha smiled faintly "How unfortunate, I am leaving tomorrow"
Lily arguing "What leave?, Without me?, Leaving me alone here?"
Satasha brightly "You are not alone, Yama and the others are here. They will take a good care of you, besides Settsu told me he comes here alot. Speaking of which, where is he ?"
Yamazaki "Well that remains mystery. He comes to hell often but never stay in the red palace for long time, he only stays to know his duties then disappear suddenly. He will come soon I guess because you are here he cannot leave you alone"
Yamazaki "I'll be inside if you need anything let me know"
Both of them nodded and he went inside.
Lily "He is really kind and warm hearted guy"
Satasha teasing "You like him, don't you?"
Lily blushed "Shut up, he is out of my league!"
Satasha giggling "Don't deny it"
They both giggled. Lily covered her face with her hand "Don't leave please, I want you here, I don't know anyone here but you"
Satasha winked " You have Yamazaki! "
Lily insisted "No seriously, it's dangerous for you so don't leave without anyone, what if Zeus captured you again?, What will you do?"
Satasha took a very long minute to think before speaking "I really don't know where to go, I was so fortunate that I met great mentors that taught me alot and they are the most I am grateful for, but meeting Zeus is definite. He will always hunt me down, trying to take my powers the only way to stop this is by facing him and not running away"
Lily concerned "Don't you think it's the best if you just went to your father and be there with your family?"
Satasha frustrated "Family?, Please! They don't care about me, they never did. They only noticed me when I almost died, I am sure that mom is suffering because her beloved son, her favorite is no longer in the family. Father is busy with a falling empire, Masoko hate me because she thinks I am the reason why mother fell ill!"
Lily confusedly "Why does she think that?"
Satasha "I don't know, I tried several times to tell her but she won't listen to me as if she's blind, Just like when you were around and no one noticed except Settsu!"
Lily "And Hiro. He has trust issues but he is very understanding and caring"
Satasha "Yeah he will be a great emperor"
Lily corrected "No he isn't going to be an emperor!"
Satasha confusedly "What do you mean?"
Lily "Well not very long time ago I had accidentally stumbled on a conversation between your father and Lord Satan. You see that Lord Satan is the one who named your father the emperor and they were discussing about who will be the next. Satan insisted that Hiro is more fitting for this position but your father was determined that you are the chosen one who will be visited by the hooded figure to appoint you the rightful successor of the empire and you possess the power of all as he said, He believes that you will deliver us all from Zeus and his followers so people will naturally choose you to be their leader"
Satasha denied "Me?!, Really Me?, the empress of all?!"
Lily "Yes, that's what I have heard, I went immediately and discussed it with Settsu and he told me that ever since you were born your father was always cautious about your heritage. As Settsu said you came in an abnormal circumstances"
Satasha puzzled "What do you mean?"
Lily "It means that you were born to be a vessel of powers as well as the successor of Pandora's heart!"
Satasha "No you are mistaken, I am not the successor but the keeper of the secret, Did he told you what happened?"
Lily "He told me that when you came the sky turned pitch black and a lightning stroke the earth and made it rumble, and when it was all over a hooded figure came to your father and told him that you are the chosen one, you will carry a great power in you that no one ever had. You can either destroy us all or deliver us if you were properly guided and you will die at young age. He gave him a scroll of gold he said that the truth is in it and everything else is false. Your father, Lord Satan and Lucifer tried their best to open it but they couldn't, no one ever could!"
Satasha was shocked by this, she thought hard for several minutes, and after long silence she said "I must go back to the palace, I must know what the scroll say"
Lily furiously "Are you mad?, Going back to the palace is a dangerous thing to do. We were lucky to escaped from there once, It is dangerous you simply cannot"
Satasha got up determined "I have to do this Lily, I must know what's in that scroll. It is important for me to know what I am facing, I don't want to go to the battle unarmed, Lily please understand me"
Lily concerned "No, he will find you there, I am sure he'd be expecting you to turn up there, he is a wicked man Satasha you are not thinking properly. Let Settsu bring it to you but please don't go there alone!"
Satasha thought for a moment "Yeah you are right, I must go with someone so if one of us got caught the other will hid it away, I know the perfect one for this job"
Lily curiously "Who?!"
Satasha with an evil smile on her face "Zeta!"
Lily's jaw dropped, she frustratedly said "My god!, are you mental?, him?, out of all the people we know, him?, What is going on in your head?"
Satasha "You need to trust me on this. My gut tells me to trust him with this"
Lily "What an ill gut you have then, Satasha he is a vile man, a mercenary. He is everything dirty and loathsome but not a trust worthy. You need to think of another one"
Satasha determinedly "Nope I am going to him, I will wait for Settsu, if he didn't come back within an hour, I will go alone"
Lily arguing "No!"
Satasha "Lily please understand!"
Lily "I won't let you go alone there"
Satasha "Lily please ..."
Lily determined "I will come with you so you won't be going anywhere alone again"
Satasha amazingly "Wait What?, you can't leave here, you need to be protected from Zeus and going there will be dangerous!"
Lily "Nothing you say can change my mind"
Satasha sighed "If we went there you must go back here again agreed?"
Lily angrily "I shall think about it"
One hour later near the gate of the red palace Satasha and Lily was waiting for Settsu to show
up..
Lily searching "Any sign of him?"
Satasha few steps ahead looking around from left to right "No not yet"
Lily "Shall we wait longer or leave him behind?"
Satasha stood waiting for few minutes then she sighed "Let's go"
Lily "Okay, Where does he lives?"
Satasha hadn't thought about this looked puzzled at her.
Lily "You know where he lives right?"
Satasha "About that, well... actually no I don't"
Lily irritated "Then how are you going to meet him?"
Satasha stating as if it's obvious "We have to search obviously ?"
Lily was stunned by her stupidity and lack of sense, she started to get angry "You are killing me with your stupidity Satasha"
Satasha smiled innocently "Well that is why you are here right to bring some sense to me!"
Lily agitated "Well thank god I had decided to accompany you"
Satasha giggled "Don't worry I have an idea, if it didn't work we go back here and wait Settsu he must know where to find him, right?"
Lily uncertain "Right"
Satasha looked around then made a port gate she murmured "Take us to him, take us to Zeta"
She touched it and it blazed dark green. Satasha looked at Lily and said "I think we should go threw fast so we won't get caught"
Lily "I am not very optimistic about this"
Satasha holding hands with Lily "Neither am I"
Lily took her hand and they crossed the port gate.
It was not in hell nor purgatory but they were back to earth and from what the sky looked like it was in the night. They searched around and saw a two storey house, it was built from bricks and wood with a glass doom on top, the house stood in the middle of no where. They looked at each other and then walked toward the house, they climbed two steps to reach the front door; it was a dark green wooden door with a hand carved on it, as a clutch, from the clutch an iron ring dangled. Satasha held the ring and hit the door with it four times, they waited nervously.
After few minutes someone opened the door. A tall handsome guy with a long ashy grey hair, wearing dress robes and slippers. He looked at them "Who send you here?"
It was dark outside and he didn't recognize them immediately only when he came closer "Oh, What brought you here?"
Satasha snarked "Destiny!"
Zeta smirked "Ahh... what a strange fate then. Why are you here after you betrayed me and went to Satan?"
Satasha "I didn't betray you!, I just did what I had to do in order to guarantee her safety"
Zeta "That is the lamest excuse of betrayal I have ever heard. What bring you back to me then?"
Satasha wickedly "Opportunity!"
Zeta going with the vibe "Opportunity for what?"
Satasha "For a lead, for going to the battle against Olympus fully armed with opportunities and knowledge, for eliminating Zeus so you can lead yourself, That opportunity!"
Zeta arched his brow doubtfully "Come in" he invited.
Satasha and Lily followed Zeta in his house it was oddly odored, the house was two leveled builded made from oak. It was like a fairy house with lot of plants and dangling jars from the ceiling. It wasn't that fancy as Satasha thought with golden ceiling and statues as smug as his personality but it was rather smaller and cozier. He lead them to the living room, there was fireplace with square oriented sofas that was made of leather with a smooth wool cushions. He sat at the sofa opposite the fireplace and signed them to sit in the sofa near it. They sat where he signed.
Zeta "Processed"
Satasha "Well you and I need to trust each other from now on that is the first thing we need to do"
Zeta smirked "Fine and your proposition for our mutual trusts?"
Satasha "Do you remember when you gave me a scroll to opene it and read its content?"
Zeta nodded, Satasha continued "Well that one apparently is fake and the real one is with my father in the palace"
Zeta confused "Where did you get this informations?, It might be a trap for you to go back there so Zeus can capture you again"
Satasha "Well that is definite, I ran away for quite long time and I cannot run away anywhere because he will find me anyway"
Zeta "And what use of you if you got captured?, neither I will get the scroll nor we will find its content?"
Satasha smiled "Well that is why I came here, I know once I am there I will be captured and that is why I need you. Once we find it you will take the scroll and hide it safely till I escape again and open it or if you cannot wait I will open it then and you can take it, read it and know its content that way you will win either way"
Zeta concerned "This is the worst idea I have heard. So your plan is to get you caught and I take the most advantage of our alliance?,This is a suicidal idea not a great plan"
Satasha "Well that's that, do you agree or not?"
Zeta "Why are you doing this?, You won't gain anything from this"
Satasha smiled brightly "I will gain your trust and friendship. If I didn't get caught I will be your apprentice"
Zeta discomfortingly "Why you want to be my apprentice?, What you want to learn from me?"
Satasha "I want to learn everything you know. All the secrets, all the truth, all your skills. If I was truly the chosen one then I must master everything in order to defeat Zeus in that way you will have the easy way to rule"
Zeta curiously "I like you, you have a strong personality, but I must discuss this with my brother and you must leave back to the red palace"
Satasha "I don't want to go there I want to stay and wait for your decision, then I will go back if you refused"
Zeta "What about your brother Settsu?"
Satasha looked at Lily and suggested "Well Lily can go back and inform him that I am here and he will be part of my idea since he knows the palace better than me"
Lily argued "I don't want to go back there alone and leave you here"
Zeta "Great let us invite everyone here and create a club and name it the scroll thieves"
Lily sarcastically "That seems so great let's do it"
Zeta warned "You better know your place you filthy gypsy"
Satasha loudly "Hey guys calm down, we don't have time for fighting. Zeta I trust Settsu with my life and He knows the palace better then us and Lily can be helpful by being a messenger to bring our siblings and come back here then when this is over we all can go back to what we use to do alright?"
Lily sighed and crossed her arms
Zeta "You should understand that I don't fancy big gathering especially the one that I don't trust!"
Satasha "Fine, I will go alone to the palace with you only"
Lily "Are you mad?, I will tell Settsu to go there too"
Zeta "He will meet us there since there is where he live but you won't come along"
Lily angrily "Then there is no need for your brother either"
Zeta "That is different matter, Mika must come along he has the best hide out no one know where he lives only me so he will be the one who takes the scroll safely if I got caught as well"
Satasha "I really don't mind who comes along and who doesn't, I only want to have the scroll before Zeus does"
Zeta "Then that Settle it then. We leave tomorrow evening and you must go back to red palace and inform Settsu about our plan"
Lily looked at Satasha who nodded, Lily "Fine but be safe Satasha"
Satasha smiled "I will try"
Zeta "Well then leave after the tea"
He got up to the kitchen then stopped asking "Who told you I live here?, Was it Shettsu?"
Satasha "I don't know who that is but I tried my luck and got here"
Zeta confusedly "How?!"
Satasha truthfully "I just made a port gate, thought of you and got here, why?"
Zeta "Interesting!" And he left to the kitchen.
He came back with the tea after several minutes, they drank it then Satasha made a port gate to Lily, they said good bye to eachother and she left. After an hour someone entered the house and walked toward the living room. It was Mika and he was soaked with rain. Satasha and Zeta were sitting in the living room reading books, when Mika stepped in the living room Zeta asked "What had happened to you?"
Mika walking to the fireplace "Those bastards again"
Zeta sarcastically "Which one?"
Mika "The red fox tribe, they want a payment for their work, I told them you came to the wrong brother but they insisted that I pay them so when I refused they chased me down till I got the chance and transmitted here. Where is Sitka?"
Zeta sighed "Somewhere having fun and losing all his money on gambling!"
Mika turned to Satasha as finally he noticed her "What is she doing here?"
Zeta "Business"
Mika confused "I thought we agreed not to trust her?"
Satasha "Don't mind me I don't exist and hear what are you talking!"
Zeta glanced at her "If she was playing with us again, we take her to the devils door and he will deal with her"
Mika "Sounds fair. Do you have clothes?, I want to take a shower"
Zeta nodded and Mika left.
Satasha mimicking Zeta "Take her to the devils door, Like I am not sacrificing my freedom already"
Zeta "Slow down princess, unlike you I have trust issues in everything and everyone"
Satasha "Who said I trust you?, I only want to know what the scroll says!"
Zeta "And what if we didn't find it or it was a hoax?"
Satasha "Then jokes on me I will be harmed by my great idea, I will have to run away again hiding"
Zeta "Well if everything goes wrong you may come here, I will teach you how to make weapons strong enough to eliminate or protect, then you will leave and hide away"
Satasha "Why all the sudden?"
Zeta "A redemption of what will happen in the future!"
Satasha confused "Okay, I won't trouble you much, I am a fast learner "
Zeta smirked "Great, then will you help me making dinner?"
Satasha nodded.
The night passed and Satasha slept there on the sofa near the fireplace, she heard Zeta and Mika discussing intensely but quietly so they won't wake her up or make her hear anything but she couldn't stop her curiosity so she sneaked out to eavesdropping on their conversation.
Mika "This is mad idea, you could risk your own skin if you went there, she is tricking you!"
Zeta "I have to do this, what if it was true and Zeus got it before us?"
Mika "It won't matter anyway. The scroll is useless nothing in it can tell us how to kill him it only says a history of what had happene, what use this can give?"
Zeta "Have you read it to assume it doesn't contain the way of eliminating him?"
Mika "No but .."
Zeta interrupted "Then trust me on this, will you?"
Mika "I only fear for your life brother, if you got caught what use this scroll will do to you?"
Zeta "I deserve this, you know I do "
Mika "It wasn't your fault, when you will understand that?"
Zeta "It feels like it was mine"
Mika sighed "Then what about the kid?"
Zeta "I will teach her some skills and then she can leave"
Mika "I don't know why you are trusting her, it's not your nature to trust someone, especially her. What if she was an informer for Zeus?"
Zeta "I don't think so"
Mika "How so?"
Zeta "Just a hunch"
Mika "Well then if you insist I have an idea"
Zeta "Go ahead"
Mika "If you want to teach the kid teach her first then go and fitch the scroll!"
Zeta "What if Zeus got it before us?"
Mika "We will have to make Settsu guard it for us till the time comes and we go and get this damn scroll this way we will be informed that there is one and where it is, I will go there myself and investigate it"
Zeta "Sounds fair enough, but be careful. How you will go there undetectable?"
Mika "Easy Settsu is there we have to trust him on this"
Zeta "Is he trust worthy?"
Mika "Doesn't matter I know his dirty little secret and I will blackmail him with it along with his sister's presence"
Zeta laughed " Man I raised you well, but keep an eye on him and be careful"
Mika "Don't worry, you won't notice my absence!"
Zeta "Godspeed, leave tomorrow at morning, go and get some rest now"
Satasha ran back to the sofa fast and silently, she covered her self with the blanket and held her breath, they walked past her upstairs toward their rooms and when she heard the doors closing she breathed again.
The next day came she heard the news from them and acted like it was the first time to hear it, she stalled but agreed eventually.
The first day went by the absence of Mika and Satasha helping Zeta with his plants care. The next day Mika showed off confirming her story and Settsu agreeing to their terms with the condition of stopping by every now and then checking on Satasha.
Two months passed and Satasha was still learning from Zeta and Mika, she grew to be very fond of them and they liked her presence in the house it. Settsu on the other hand was furious at Satasha at first but then he changed after two months he became friend with Mika, the two of them grew to like each other, Satasha was abit attached to Zeta. She understood him and knew his core, she admired him quite alot but she grew some other feelings for Mika. For some time she had a crush on him but she hid her feelings well because she knew he'd never like her back.
After 8 months she grew few centimeter tall and felt different but only from the inside. She hid her thoughts and emotions well from everyone, she had other motives and ideas that they will object if they knew it. Yet she loved them as family, the family that she never had. Sakata saw how happy she was in this period of time and wished it would last.
Few weeks later they set up their plans of how to get in and out safely and studied it several time.
Now the moment of truth Satasha stood facing Zeta and Mika saying "I go in open the scroll then give it to Zeta who will give it to Mika and then transmit to here, right?"
Zeta "Quite right, now remember you must not be heard or seen"
Mika "And if one of you got caught the other will flee and not save the other, understood?"
They nodded looked at each other. Satasha made a port gate and they walked threw it.
On the other side of the port gate stood Settsu waiting and holding cloaks, he handed it to them, soon everyone was on position.
Mika stayed where the port gate was and the other walked toward the palace. They didn't walk the common path but Settsu lead them on a different way, sneaking behind the palace to enter it through the shrine that was built in it. In the shrine Mitskaki had hid the scroll, only Satasha could tell where it is.
They walked an uneven muddy path till they reached the posterior border of the palace. There was a small hidden door that Settsu had made to sneak out. They entered the palace, now they were walking slowly and quietly toward the end of the garden where the shrine lies. It was hard to sneak undetected because the palace was a lively place where people go in and out all the time. After of what had seemed half an hour they reached the shrine, Settsu stood on the doorstep guarding while the other two entered. It was a small wooden shrine that was made of bamboo, there lay a golden idols on a very long table, they searched for the scroll everywhere but they didn't find it. Satasha looked for it under the table, between the walls, up in the ceiling but she didn't find it then her eyes fell on the largest idol centered in the middle. She touched it try to see if there is a way to open it but there isn't.
Satasha "Can you help me to lift this?"
Zeta lifted the idol, as she had expected the hidden vault was beneath the idol. Satasha opened it and took from it a rolled parchment that was held together by a thick golden thread. Zeta placed back the idol "What is this?"
Satasha "I think this is what we came to look for!"
Zeta "I thought it was a scroll!"
Satasha "So did I!"
Zeta "Open it then!"
Satasha opened the knot and looked at the parchment, there was a writing on it in some ancient language. Satasha "What is this language?"
Zeta looked at it "It is written in the old language of our ancestors but it is coded!"
Satasha "Coded?"
Zeta "Yeah! Who ever wrote it coded his writing so no one can read it"
Satasha "Can you uncover it?"
Zeta "I will try my best but it needs some time"
Satasha trying to read "It looks like a journal!"
Zeta "Yeah it seems so, now give it to me and let's go back to Mika"
Satasha nodded and they walked out, Settsu followed them toward the hidden escape door, they walked back to Mika safely. Zeta gave Mika the parchment, Mika took it and left through the port gate toward the safe house.
Settsu "I must go back before they notice my absence"
Satasha hugged him "Take care"
Settsu hugged her "Stay safe sasa!"
He then nodded to Zeta and went back.
Satasha looked at Zeta "Well then that went smooth!"
Zeta anxious "It is weird, I feel nervous and I don't know why"
Satasha "Me too, everything went oddly smooth, something doesn't feel right!"
Zeta "We should go back"
Zeta made a port gate and they went through it, on the other side waited a surprise for them. A dozen of lightning soldiers were there waiting for them and in the center was Hercules.
Satasha withdraw few steps back but one of the lightning soldiers put a rope around her neck, every time she resist he pull the rope harder.
Hercules distressed "You are late, I hate to wait for my prey"
Zeta "What are you doing here?"
Hercules "I came to take her back. A little birdie told me she was here and since you didn't gave her to father ordered me to go and fetch her"
Zeta despising him, Hercules continued "Why were you keeping her away? Don't you know your limit?"
He poke Zeta hard on the chest ranting "Some animals tries to rebel and bite their master, but they will always be animals, you bastard need to be taught some lesson"
Satasha interfered "Leave him, it's me who you want!"
Hercules glared disgustedly at her, he walked toward her and punched her in the face. Satasha felt her brain shaking from the power of the punch, the flush of blood came out of her nose and her eye felt sore. Sakata felt angry and disgusted he tried to hit Hercules but to no avail.
Hercules to Zeta "See what have you done!"
He lifted her head so it would be visible to Zeta.
Zeta "You are such a loathsome bastard who enjoy tormenting helpless people!"
Hercules lifted Satasha up few feet from the ground from her hair and threw her at Zeta's feet, Zeta knelt down to help her but she was now unconscious, he checked her pulse and her breath.
Zeta "You realize that if you killed her, your precious father will skin you alive"
Hercules "Please spare me your warnings, I will take this kid with me, and if you did something to stop me or try to save her, we will kill your precious brother and family, Understood?!"
Zeta stood up staring loathly at him "Don't get carried away with your warnings, mind my words your death will be on my hands"
Hercules laughed evilly "We will see!"
The lightning soldiers picked Satasha up and dragged her toward the port gate that one of them made.
They walked threw the portal gate and left Zeta there standing trying to control himself, but he lost his temper. He punched the ground several times and shouted "Damn it!, That bastard!"