Helena looked out over the forested mountainside from inside of the glass and metal box. Lyudmila and Kseniya were beside her though Lyudmila seemed more interested in the transport itself. "Amazing," her friend said. "It's like non magical flight. Limited, but still impressive."

"Yeah yeah," Marisa muttered next to them. "Still would have been more fun to bust in. I can't believe all three of them ganged up on me."

"I'd like to avoid a fight," Helena said, rubbing her arm. It was still a little sore from the curse she'd used.

"Smart," a voice said from outside.

Helena blinked as a wolf woman with a sword flew next to the carriage. "We're keeping an eye on you Marisa," she said, ignoring the nervous shifting of the humans inside.

"You're no fun Momiji," Marisa replied without looking over. "You'd be bored if I didn't bust in every now and then."

"No comment," Momiji replied. The wolf woman turned her stern glare to Helena and her friends. "This is tengu territory. The tram is permitted. Nothing else. Don't let your tutor convince you otherwise." She then bowed. "That is all. Do enjoy the Moriya shrine."

Momiji flew away leaving Helena blinking. "Well that was odd."

"She seemed more friendly at the end," Kseniya remarked.

"It's because she's sweet on the priestess," Marisa said with a grin. "Well that and tengu are fond of kids. You probably could sneak up here no problems. They'd all 'hide' you from the other tengu."

"I bet you did that a lot," Lyudmila said.

"Still do sometimes," Marisa chuckled. "Aya forgets human ages a lot so she helps me out here and there. It's fun."

Helena shook her head. "Of course." Their teacher had a warped sense of fun.

The trolley made it to the end of the line after a little more time. The humans who had been riding with them moved out quickly leaving Helena and her friends to exit last. She took her time, looking around the mountain shrine.

Like most places of worship outside her home it was enclosed, but the lake and mountain view were spectacular. A fitting realm for a god. "Not Mount Olympus but not bad," she said.

"This is where Kanako lives right?" Lyudmila asked.

Marisa nodded. "Well this is the main shrine. She's technically wherever she can find faith."

"Oh right. Gods can be in lots of places," Kseniya said. Helena and her two friends grimaced at that. Dealing with people who could be in many places at once was always confusing.

"Ohmygod!"

Helena turned to see a green haired woman in a blue shrine maiden outfit running up to them. Seconds later she yelped as she was caught in a hug. "You are all soo cuuuuute!"

She tried a muffled protest, but in the end the only thing that allowed her to escape was Kseniya being sacrificed to the hug. "I didn't realize you'd be so young! Has Marisa been treating you right? Come on, you can tell Auntie Sanae anything."

Marisa was just laughing.

"She's terrible. She won't let us look through the secret grimoires," Lyudmila said.

Kseniya nodded. "And she won't let us brew explosive potions."

"And she encourages us to annoy priestesses," Helena added.

"So normal Marisa," Sanae replied.

Marisa smirked. "Yep! Anyway I'm gonna go bug the tengu for threatening me. Can you show them around?"

"Of course!" Sanae smiled brightly. "The Moriya shrine is one of the most ancient ones. We're on a whole different level then that Hakurei shrine."

Helena had to admit Sanae was right. Not only was the building bigger, but it had a much more impressive view. The pond behind the Hakurei shrine was nice, but there was an entire lake here, and then the whole mountain on the other side.

"What are the pillars?" Lyudmila asked. "They're giving off some kind of spiritual energy."

"Those are the onbashira!" Sanae said walking towards the giant wooden post. It seemed like a tree trunk mostly, but it had been shaped at the bottom. "Unlike other shrines we don't hold the gods within the shrine building. The sacred trees are used to dedicate the entire mountain."

"Huh." Helena looked over the grounds again. That made a lot more sense to her mind then boxing up gods. "I guess this shrine must be for one of the more important gods then."

Sanae puffed out her chest. "That's right! Lady Kanako is part of the Kojiki! And we managed to maintain our power in the outside world into the twenty first century."

Kseniya clapped. "Ooh! That's impressive!" Helena had to grudgingly agree. Even her own pantheon had trouble acting in the outside world. And they were still famous.

"Oh! Maybe you could become priestesses!" Sanae winked. "I mean you all seem to have strong spiritual power. And the Moriya shrine doesn't care about witchcraft. You just need to promise to serve Lady Kanako and Lady Suwako."

"Not really a serving person," Lyudmila said.

Kseniya nodded. "And I like youkai. Which I think is against the rules for priestesses."

"And I'm already a priestess of Hecate," Helena ended. "So that's that."

Sanae's eyes grew wide. "Wait, you're a priestess of that weird t-shirt goddess?"

"You've met Hecate?" Helena blinked. "And what do you mean weird?"

"Yeah don't badmouth me to little Helena."

Helena spun to see her goddess appear. Except she was wearing a rainbow skirt with a thin short sleeved shirt. She gaped in shock. "Great great grandma?"

"In the flesh!" Hecate said. "Though this is my hell me, not my moon me so I can see how you'd be confused."

"Wait, great grandma?" Lyudmila peered at her. "You mean you're actually descended from Hecate."

"Well, yeah." Helena blinked. "I mean half of the city is related to some God or another. Great great grandmother's a ways back in the family tree."

Sanae spun her around. "So you're a living goddess too?!"

"What?" Helena stared at the wide eyed woman in confusion.

Hecate patted her on the shoulder. "The people here think of gods differently. Since you're related to me you're a deity. Course you don't get anything out of it so, like, there's no real point."

Helena just stood there. This was too much. Even admitting she understood it seemed like something that would draw Zeus' wrath.

Fortunately Lyudmila flicked her ear to help snap her out of it. "Not a very impressive god."

"Yeah. Sorry Helena we aren't gonna worship you," Kseniya giggled.

"Thanks," Helena sighed. She looked over at her goddess. "But really, is that what the outside world wears?"

"Yep," said Hecate.

Sanae facepalmed. "Only if you're a total weirdo."

"Mecha fangirls don't interact," Hecate said tracing a silence rune. Sanae tried to retort, then stomped her feet in anger. "Anyway it's way more comfortable then you'd think. Seriously, no pins, no trouble. And I like black."

"Seems a bit severe," Helena said. "But it is pretty impressive getting that shade of black on clothing."

Kseniya looked it over. "Ooh, yeah. That'd take a lot of dye! And washing would be hard. Do you use magic?"

"Yeah." Hecate said. "Tried a washing machine but getting the electricity is a pain."

Sanae snapped free of the silence spell with a gasp. "Don't do that! And electricity is easy if you've got a goddess like Lady Kanako. We have a nuclear reactor!"

"You do?" Lyudmila rushed forwards. "Can you describe it? What do you use for the coolant system? How about fuel storage?"

"Uh..." Sanae retreated under the barrage of questions. Apparently she didn't know much about this particular miracle.

Helena was about to press on to support her friend, when Hecate squeezed her shoulder. "You should head to the grove over there."

"Eh?" She looked up at her goddess.

"There's someone who you'll want to meet. And now would be the best time to do so." Hecate chuckled. "We'll catch up later. Junko will be back from playing with that rabbit she found too so I can introduce you. She's great. Totally crazy but great."

That was ominous sounding, given Hecate hung out with the Furies. Even the Sirens were sane compared to the Erinyes. But she trusted Hecate to keep her safe so she just nodded and snuck off towards the grove.

To her surprise she was only a few feet into the thicket when the forest grew quite dark. She peered around and saw layers of glamour surrounding her. It looked like fairy or dryad workings, but much more complex than she'd ever seen.

A rustling from in front of her caused her to draw a spellcard. "Who's there?"

"A friend, perhaps," a smooth voice replied. Out of the trees walked a stunning woman with orange hair, fox ears, and nine bushy tails. "My name is Tamamo no Rei, eldest of the nine tailed foxes. You have, inadvertently, done me a great service Helena Aoede. I would repay that debt, and perhaps offer a bit more."

Helena lowered her spell card but she kept her guard up. Kitsune were considered some of the most powerful chimera of Gensoukyo and nine tails indicated she was one of the strongest foxes. In addition she'd heard about Tamamo no Mae. Anyone bearing the Tamamo name was cunning. "What debt would that be?"

"Foxes and Tanuki have a rivalry," Rei said with an annoyed eartwitch. "While that cursed Futatsuiwa of Sado is the worst, she at least follows the rules. Saro, that rabid dog you killed prefered murder to gain supremacy over us. She was responsible for the deaths of two of my followers."

"Guess her kid learned how to be a horrible waste from her then," Helena replied. "Do you want me to put in a request to Persephone to torment her more? Because you'd have been better asking my Goddess for that."

Rei gave a sharp smile. "You've done enough. Enough in fact that I'd like to offer you this." She held out a small metal bell. "A gift of friendship from the foxes to you."

Helena peered at the bell. It seemed simple, but she could sense something within the outer metal shell. Something dark and dangerous."

There was some more rustling and Helena shifted to face the newcomer. Rei grimaced as another fox walked into the clearing. This one had nine tails as well, though her hair was golden, and she wore indigo robes. "You should tell her everything about that bell Tamamo no Rei. After all she is supposed to be a friend."

"Why are you interfering, Yakumo no Ran?" Rei asked. Helena was impressed at the level of vitriol Rei managed to pack into the word 'Yakumo.'

Ran gave her own toothy smile. "It's Ran Yakumo, get with the times. And I feel she could be of more use to the foxes as an ally rather than as a pawn."

"And who gave you the right to make such a decision?" Rei snapped.

"You did when you made me your stand in," Ran replied with a grin.

Helena looked back and forth between the two as they stood facing each other, tails bristling. "So should I come back after you've had your fight?"

The two foxes turned back to her and smiled. It was kinda creepy. "That won't be necessary," Rei said. "I shall simply let my... second in command add any information she wants to."

Ran snorted but nodded in agreement. "That should allow you to make a fair decision."

Tamamo no Rei held up the bell again, and Helena peered at it. Now that she was closer she could see the rune work carved faintly into the metal, though it wasn't in any language she'd ever seen. The rattler trapped inside was small and oddly shaped, but she couldn't tell what it was. She could tell though that it was the source of the dark energy. Helena cocked her head trying to get a better view.

Rei seemed to notice her interest. "That is a curse stone. When a nine tailed fox is killed their tail bones gather the grudges and power of the kitsune. It will slay any human who touches it. However it also bears great magic." The fox matron's expression softened. "This stone belonged to my sister, Tamamo no Mae. It is one of the most powerful in existence."

"It's a great honor," Helena said. She wanted to ask what the catch was, but even if the item was dangerous it obviously meant something to the fox woman. "The bell is to keep it from killing me?"

"Partly. Also so that it may act of its own will," Rei said. "The stone will shield you from any attempt to control your mind or emotions. And will tell you if any of the fox demons that respect the Tamamo family's status are close by."

Ran folded her hands. "It will also warn them that you are near, and shield them against any spell you would use to control them."

"That's fine," Helena said. "I don't like the idea of controlling others. If I have a problem with someone I'll curse them or kill them."

Rei seemed surprised but Ran grinned. "It seems the goddess' carefree nature has finally seeped down to her followers. Maybe this will be a good fit for you."

Helena looked between the two. "So what else aren't you telling me?" Magic items of this power always had more to them. Especially ones that had been formed by grudges."

The two foxes looked at each other, then back to her. Rei spoke first. "This stone holds Tamamo no Rei's hatred of humanity. It is perhaps the most judgemental curse stone. And one of the most powerful. Even I can not fully control it."

"However," Ran interjected, "because of its power it is the most aware stone. One might say it possesses the shadow of Tamamo no Mae's thoughts."

"Which means the bell has many abilities, but will act in your favor only if it deems you worthy," Rei finished. "What it will do and how it will aid you is up to the whims of the artifact itself."

Helena looked down at the bell. When she focused she could feel the curses swimming around it. But the curses seemed to call to her, even more then the shining metal keeping it contained. She held out her hand. "I graciously accept your gift."

Tamamo no Rei placed it in her palm. "I hope it brings you fortune. And that this is the start of a profitable alliance."

The cool bell chimed once as it lay in her palm, then stood still. To all appearances it was a simple ornament. Helena carefully pulled out a strip of leather and tied it around her wrist securely. "Thank you again."

The two foxes bowed. "I'm sure we will meet again," Tamamo no Rei said.

And then the forest shifted. Both the women were gone, leaving only Helena and the bell behind. "I need to learn a trick like that," Helena muttered.

"You're probably too straightforwards for that little Helena," Hecate said, popping up behind her. "But that's what makes you such a good priestess to have. I've got plenty of skulky secretive types already."

Helena beamed at that. She'd been complimented by her goddess. "Okay!" She looked back. "I guess I should run and catch up with the others."

"Yeah we should. Gotta fight with Kanako over how she's training her priestess. And give your tutor a hard time. Though pay attention to her lessons. She's really good."

"I suppose so," Helena muttered. She didn't want to admit Marisa was leaving a good impression.

Hecate ruffled her hair. "Thatagirl. And maybe after I can steal you away and introduce you to one of my lampades. She's a real go getter that one."

That caught Helena's attention. The lampades were famous, but few people had ever seen one. "Oh? What's her name?"

"Clownpiece!"

"Clown... piece?"

Been a while. This chapter is something that was bouncing around after LoLK but was really hard to get out. Especially since I've been using Helena and her friends for my original works. Still I hope it answers a few questions that Hecatia brought up.

Speaking of original works, I've got a site where I'm updating them : immigrantrealmscom (And you can find it on my profile if eat it again.) If you've got an interest in seeing what the magician kids are up to in the future please head over there.