Shu woke me as she climbed out of bed. I’m sure it wasn’t her intention, as she endeavored to be as quiet as possible, but, as everyone knows, the quieter you try to be, the louder you end up being. Still, I appreciated her efforts and stayed where I was. Not that I really had a choice, since Linda was wrapped around me tighter than a boa strangling its dinner. After wrapping a thin robe around her naked body, Shu left the room, and just before the door closed behind her, I heard the notification signal from the screen that someone was calling.

I looked down at Linda, snoring softly on my chest. Her hair was a mess, and I’m pretty sure she was drooling a bit, but that didn’t take away from how beautiful I found her to be. She had a fiery passion in her that demanded you love her with everything you have. Of course, that passion also translated to her anger when you upset her, which is why it was going to be that much harder to tell her that in her excitement to start making a baby yesterday she never gave me the chance to undo the birth control measures in place within her.

“John!” Shu whisper yelled from the door. “I know you’re awake. We need you in the living room right now.”

“Be right there,” I said, and began the delicate task of extricating myself from Linda’s vice-like grip. Once I’d finally freed myself, her arms began reaching out to pull me back, so I grabbed my pillow and held it between us. She clasped on to it and pulled it in tight, never waking up as a silly grin crossed her face. Pulling on my pants, I joined Shu in the living room.

“John! Thank god you’re all right!” Lily cried from the screen. Surprised, I looked at her. She was crying but looked relieved at the same time. Aura had an arm wrapped around her shoulder reassuringly while Rhia sat on her other side looking concerned.

“Uh, yeah,” I said, caught off guard. “I’m just fine, hun. What’s the matter?”

“Lily had a dream, John,” Shu explained. “She said she saw you and the girls vanish in a white hot light.”

“A white hot light? Like a nuclear explosion or something?”

“John, Lily’s dreams aren’t exact. Just representations of what could happen,” Rhia said from her side of the screen. I sensed she stressed “could” for Lily’s sake. Having an idea of what might happen in the future might prevent the worst outcome she imagined. As expected when Rhia’s calming tone came into play, Lily calmed down. Looking gratefully at the two women flanking her, she gave a couple sniffs, wiped her eyes, and nodded. Then she gave a weak smile.

“Sorry guys,” she said. “I might have overreacted.”

“Not at all,” I said, causing her to look at me. “Lily, you have a gift. You know it better than we do. Things may not play out exactly as they seem in your dreams, but you should never second guess yourself. So, don’t hesitate to let us know when something like this happens, ok?”

Lily gave me a small smile and nodded.

“Are you going to be alright, Lily?” Shu asked.

“Yeah. It was just intense. I’ve never had a dream hit me that hard before.”

I could see Shu and Rhia exchange a look, knowing smiles on their faces.

“Maybe it’s because you weren’t in love with the subject of the dream before?” asked Rhia, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. It was apparent she was teasing Lily to get her mind off whatever images were running through her mind right now, and it worked. Lily’s eyes locked on mine as her face instantly turned bright red. Shu and Rhia chuckled quietly at the reaction, while Aura glanced shyly at me and blushed as well.

“Maybe we should get back to bed,” said Aura protectively. “Persia and I are taking the twins to the village tomorrow. Maybe Lily should join us. Get some fresh air.”

“Oh? Well I hope you guys have fun then,” I said. “And absolutely take Lily with you. I think she’d enjoy exploring a new world.”

After ensuring that Lily was feeling better, we ended the call. The sun was just starting to rise outside, so Shu and I walked out on to the patio to watch it, Ryo padding along behind us. As she leaned back in my arms, we stood in silence as a new day began.

“So, what’s troubling you? Is it Lily’s dream?” Shu asked after the sun rose higher.

“No. I’m sure we’ll handle whatever it is when it happens,” I replied as Ryo darted off into the distance to play in the fields. “What I’m more worried about right now is how I’m going to tell Linda that she never gave me the chance to turn her babymaker back on before she jumped me yesterday.”

Shu barked out a laugh. “You know what she’s going to say, right?”

“Knowing her, words won’t even enter the picture. You know she’s more physical than most when she wants something.” Suddenly, we both heard a grunt behind us. Turning, we saw a naked Linda at the patio door, creases from her pillow still on her face, bedhead hair flying high. She glared, pointing a finger at me, then pointed at her belly.

“Coffee. Fix. Fuck.” Then she turned around and stomped towards the kitchen, presumably to start the coffee maker.

“Well,” said Shu, “you’ve apparently got your morning schedule sorted. We’re going out to lunch though, so be cleaned up and ready to go by then.” She leaned up and kissed me, then turned to continue watching Ryo frolicking in field. Shaking my head and smiling to myself, I walked inside, hoping to at least convince Linda that part of her to-do list could be accomplished in the shower.

-

“You know, when you said we were going out to lunch, I was kind of hoping for some local cuisine,” I said as we left the fancy high priced restaurant. I could eat gourmet food all I wanted back home, thanks to Lyfsertale’s exceptional skills in the kitchen. When Earthside, however, I preferred a more local flavor to my food.

“Now, now, dear. That’s been the top rated restaurant in Shanghai for the last five years, and I have a standing reservation with them. Imagine how insulted they’d be if Zekken had visited the city and hadn’t stopped by?” Shu chided.

“Pbbft,” scoffed Linda. “You just wanted to see that snooty manager panic when John walked in. What is it with you and him, anyway?”

Shu shrugged. “We went to the same high school.”

“Ex-boyfriend?” I asked.

Shu laughed. “He wishes. He certainly put in a valiant effort, but even back then I knew I had slightly different tastes. He didn’t take being brushed off as well as he could have.”

“You mean you had a thing for girls and gods,” declared Linda.

“Well, girls yes. I didn’t know about the gods part until John here.”

“Oh? So it was my power that caught your eye and not my charming charisma?”

Shu gave me a smirk as we continued walking down the busy street. People mostly continued past us without a glance, but every now and then someone would stop and stare as they recognized me. I had wanted to go incognito today, but Shu asked for Zekken. Since she so rarely asked anything of me I obliged her request, wondering what she had in mind.

“So where are we headed?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll find out in another couple of blocks.”

Considering I was supposed to be on a vacation of sorts, I didn’t pry. Why not let my girls spoil and surprise me for once? So we continued down the street, waving at people who recognized me and the women, whose faces were internationally famous as well. As we approached Shu’s destination, more and more people were showing up to watch us walk until the street was filled with them. They all kept a respectful distance from us but pushed and jostled amongst themselves to get a better view. Cell phones were everywhere, following our movements. We made a left turn and I paused just a second to take in what I was seeing.

Thanks to Linda attempting to continue where we’d left off at the house, I hadn’t really been paying attention as we were driven into the city. I didn’t realize we were so close to the Huangpu River. The Shanghai Tower twisted up into the sky on the far bank, dwarfing the Oriental Pearl Tower next to it. It would normally be an awe inspiring sight, but my eyes were focused on a much smaller building in front of me. It was still large in its own right, just nothing compared to the tower.

“What the hell is that?” I asked.

“The Church of Zekken,” Shu said, smiling. It was a large cube of a building, completely incased in large tinted windows. There was a revolving door dead center at ground level with a large black and blue Z outlined in gold installed above the door.

“The Church of Zekken?” I repeated. Sure, we’d talked about setting up a church, but I wasn’t aware that one had already been built, and this certainly wasn’t what I was imagining.

As we approached the building, people began kneeling around us, each holding a necklace similar to the one Sylvia, the presidential secretary, wore. It was a little surreal for me. Sure, I’d spent the last few years popping up around the world, declaring myself a god wherever I went, and we’d talked about gaining power and influence through worshippers, but to actually see people kneeling before me was an entirely new experience for me. I did my best not to look out of it as we entered the building. For some reason I had no issue acting the fool in front of world leaders, but clowning around in front of these normal, everyday people just felt wrong. At least it did at this moment.

Entering the building, we found ourselves in a large foyer with a massive staircase leading up directly in front of us. Above the staircase was a large painting. Standing forefront was a majestic representation of myself in my Zekken form. I was standing on a rocky surface in a very sharp looking business suit and flanking me were two angels. One in a pink catsuit, the other white, both with golden wings extended, a golden aura surrounding us. A golden sash ran from my right shoulder to my left hip, where a sheathed sword that I recognized dangled. There was a lot of gold.

“Isabella?” I asked, pointing at the painting, but before Shu could answer, I heard a shout from our right.

“God man!”

Blonde twin tails streaming behind her, Petra bolted across the large room to slam into my knees. Laughing, I picked her up and twirled her around, my affection for the little one apparently having skyrocketed after having little girls of my own. Her laughter echoed around the spacious area, almost covering up the click of heels on the tiled floor. Looking over, I saw Isabella approaching us. Her blue hair was done up in a sloppy bun that looked great on her. Unlike when we first met, she was dressed up a bit. A blue button up blouse tucked into a black skirt, dark panty hose and black high heeled shoes. Around her neck she wore a necklace like the many I’d seen outside, although this one seemed to be of a higher quality than most. I remember thinking that she looked plain the first time I saw her, maybe a little out of sorts as she balanced being a single mother, whatever job she had, and her compulsion to paint. Now I saw a beautiful woman who carried herself with confidence.

“My Lord,” she said as a way of greeting as she curtsied, a smile forming on her face, which turned into a look of shock as I pulled her into a one armed hug as I shifted Petra to my other arm.

“John,” I said. “You know damn well to call me John.” She giggled, then relaxed into the hug and returned the embrace.

“It’s so good to see you again,” she said. “Petra has been asking to visit you nonstop almost since we left.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been a little busy.”

“It’s okay. Like I said, I know the life of a god is a busy one. Especially when twins become a factor.” She gazed affectionately at Petra.

“You heard, did you?” I couldn’t help but smile with pride at the thought of my daughters.

“Of course I did. Your ladies here and I have been in contact for a while now. How do you think I got the commission for that?” She indicated the painting. “They wanted to see more of my work when they started building this church. They loved this one and offered me a LOT of money to repaint it.”

“Money we had to force onto her,” Linda added. “She wanted to do it for free, can you believe that?”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Isabella stepped away from me and walked over to look at her painting. “It really was too much. That was a lot of zeros for just one painting, and you asked for six of them. I’ve always been on the poor side, making do with what I could get my hands on.”

“Well, now it sounds like you can get your hands on damn near anything you want. Why argue against being paid for your services?” I asked, taking a mental note to ask about the other five paintings later. She turned and looked at me, conflict in her silver eyes as she debated what she wanted to say.

“Because one isn’t supposed to ask for repayment when contributing to their faith. At least that’s what I was taught growing up.”

I set a squirming Petra on the ground so the five year old could run around some more, then turned to Isabella.

“Selfless service to one’s beliefs is a great thing, I won’t deny that. It shows trust in your beliefs. However, doing so at the expense of yourself is just silly. You have an amazing talent, Izzy, and you should absolutely be paid for your services. If it makes you feel better, now that you’ve probably got enough cash to last three lifetimes, how about any further work you do for us be paid for in trade?”

“Izzy?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

“Too much?” I asked, but she shook her head.

“Not at all. I just hadn’t realized we’d reached the nickname stage yet.”

“Well, I’m lazy. Isabella has two more syllables than I like saying. However, if you’d prefer me to call you that, I shall.”

She smiled. “Izzy is fine. Back to what you were saying though. What do you mean by ‘trade?’”

“I mean, if there’s something you’d like done in return for another painting, I’ll do what I can to help. Want a vacation to New York City? I know a woman with a grand apartment and I can get you there in seconds. If you’ve got an idea, just let one of us know and we’ll get it sorted. I’m a bit limited right now, though. Creating Genesis up there took a lot more out of me than I thought.” Isabella nodded as I spoke, liking what she heard.

“Okay. Deal. I really don’t have any need for anymore money, since I know Petra will be taken care of for life with what they paid me, so this works.” She glanced back over my shoulder. “We should probably get on with the tour. Looks like people are starting to get antsy outside.” I looked back and that people were indeed starting to shuffle around impatiently.

“Alright, lead on ladies. Let’s see what you’ve built.” Petra saw we were walking and raced over to us. She squealed playfully as I picked her up and placed her on my shoulders as we made for the staircase.

When one thinks of a church, they tend to imagine your standard Christian church. A pulpit, an altar, large cross, rows of uncomfortable pews, and a sense of solemnity. That wasn’t what I found here. What I was greeted with instead was an Imax theater. A huge screen, a stage, and large comfortable looking chairs dominated the interior of the building.

“A movie theater? Really?”

Linda shrugged. “We have a basic idea of what you want to spread to the masses. We just didn’t know how you’d go about it. Besides, this way we can also rent out the building for other purposes like an anime viewing night, or concerts, or one of those TED Talks things that people love to hate, but secretly watch anyway.”

“Anime viewing night?” asked Shu, raising an eyebrow.

“What? It’s not like the world doesn’t know he’s a fan. The guy is practically an anime protagonist anyway. He’s got ridiculous amounts of power that were thrust upon him and he has a harem of gorgeous women. The only difference is that he doesn’t puss out when one of us shoves a tit in his face.”

Shu seemed to give this more thought than I figured it required, but she nodded. “You do have a point. Remember when he crashed the summer comiket a couple years ago?”

“This man is singlehandedly responsible for the explosion of anime and manga around the world the likes of which has never been seen before. Even HorizonTech has a media department now and has backed quite a few shows this year. We’ve even got a brand new anime style mascot. His otaku obsession has taken over the world.”

I was actually starting to feel a little embarrassed as they talk about me. “Calm on, ladies, I’m not that bad.”

“You have an animation cell featuring Ryoko from the original Tenchi Muyo OVA signed by Petrea Burchard, framed and hanging in the media room under one of your protection bubbles!”

“Of course it’s under a protection bubble! It’s going to be a family heirloom!” I shot back. Why does no one understand the unique beauty of my most prized collectible? No matter. My little girls will know the glory of Tenchi!

“You guys are so cute together,” Isabella giggled. “Shu, didn’t you say you had a surprise for John?”

Shu smiled. “Indeed, and I only had a day to prepare it, so forgive me if it doesn’t quite have the flair I wanted it to.”

“Oh? I like surprises! What about you Petra? Do you like surprises?” I asked the girl clinging to my hair as she gaped at the large room.

“Yep! I love them!”

“That’s great,” said Shu as she pulled out her cell phone. “Let’s grab some seats. The show is about to begin.”

“Show?” I asked in confusion as we made our way to the center of the large auditorium. “What about everyone waiting outside?”

“They can wait a few more minutes. This is just for you.” Shu dialed a number and held the phone to her ear. “Are you ready? Great. Yes, he’s here. No, he doesn’t know. I’m sure you’ll do fine. Yes, I happen to know he’s a huge fan. Don’t worry, you’ll be great.” I gave her a questioning look as she hung up, but she just took my hand and squeezed it as we sat down. As soon as we were comfortable, the lights started dimming until it was almost pitch black, save for the exit signs clearly marked in Chinese and English evenly spaced around the auditorium. Through the glow of those lights, I was able to make out a petite figure walk out until they were standing centerstage.

Music started playing, then suddenly the stage was awash in multicolored lights and a spotlight hit a silver haired woman. As she brought a microphone to her lips, I suddenly realized just who I was looking at.

“Wait! Is that-” I began, only to be cut off my Shu squeezing my hand and shushing me. Getting the message, I shut my trap and turned my attention back to the pretty woman on stage.

She sang and danced with lively energy, and she truly seemed to be enjoying putting on this performance. I knew the song she was singing, as it was the theme for a show I’d enjoyed quite a bit, but hearing it translated thanks to my divinity was a new experience. Having read the translated lyrics online, I had already liked it, since the message the song sent out matched my own beliefs about life, love, and fighting for what you want. Hearing it clearly out of her own mouth was something special though, and I had to fight the urge to sing the chorus along with her, since apparently being a god didn’t immediately make me a good singer and I didn’t want to ruin the performance. Petra was standing in the seat next to me, dancing along with the lively tune, and I could feel Shu watching me as did a little bounce myself in time with the music.

As she took her bows to a rousing five person standing ovation when she finished singing, Shu leaned over as whispered into my ear.

“Would you like to meet her?”

I stared at her, clearly conveying that this was probably single most useless question she could have asked me. Of course I wanted to meet her! What warm blooded man wouldn’t want to meet a J-Pop idol?! As I opened my mouth to convey that, however, we were shocked when the woman in question hopped off the stage and started jogging up the aisle in our direction. Someone had the foresight to bring the lights up in the auditorium so she didn’t trip on anything, and it was then I could make out a familiar looking necklace bouncing against her chest as she made her way to us.

“Okay, what’s with all these necklaces?” I asked.

“It started in New York after you gave that kid one. He told everyone who gave it to him, and it kind of exploded from there. Most are pretty generic, but they all fit the same theme. Oh, Lily told us he got into college on a baseball scholarship and is already being scouted by the Braves, Indians, and the Nationals.”

Any comment I might have made at the teams mentioned was lost to history as the idol finally approached us. She stopped as we moved to the aisle to meet her, and gave a bow as she caught her breath.

“Mr. Zekken, it is truly an honor to meet you. I’m Sara,” she said.

“No, the honor is mine! I’ve been a fan for years!” I gushed, giving a polite bow of my own. She blushed, and then looked up at me, her eyes twinkling as they met mine. Her silver eyes.

-

“You’re telling me that I’m an Oracle of Zekken?” Sara asked. We had moved to a room behind the stage after I’d confirmed it through my lifesight. A silver aura that matched Isabella’s perfectly. I was just as stunned as she was, given that I’d seen countless videos of her online, but for some reason had never registered her silver eyes. Probably because I too focused on those thigh highs clinging to her perfectly toned dancer’s legs. Which, if Linda’s elbow to my ribs was any indication, I was still gawking at.

“Um, yeah,” I said, trying to cover up my ogling. “Now that I think about it, it does make perfect sense.”

“How so?” she asked.

“Well, a few years ago you started writing your own music, right?” I waited for her to nod, then continued. “Every album you’ve put out since then has resonated with me. The first song you released after that felt like it was written for me. Everything you’ve put out since has perfectly captured what I’d like to see this world become.”

“Oh. And you said she’s an oracle too?” Sara asked, pointing at Isabella, who nodded.

“Yes, apparently I am,” she smiled. “I get impulses to paint images or scenes, and they all relate to events that he’s been involved with.”

“And we have one more that sees things in her dreams,” Linda added. Shu and I winced a little, remembering the call we’d received this morning about one of those dreams.

“Alright, let’s say I believe all this. What do you want me to do?”

I shrugged. “Whatever you want. As far as I’m concerned, your music is sending out the right message. Just keep writing and singing and letting everyone enjoy the music you bring to our lives.”

“How much control do you have over your career?” Linda asked.

Confused, Sara shrugged. “About as much as any idol in Japan, I guess.”

“Meaning you’re basically a slave to the industry until some guy who only looks at numbers decides you’re done. What company do you work for?” Sara told her, then looked surprised when Linda immediately stepped out of the room to make a phone call.

“So where’s this third oracle at?”

“She’s at our home,” I answered.

“She lives with you?” Sara asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yes she does,” Shu said. “Her and John are getting to know each other better, so letting her move in was a logical course of action.”

“John?”

“Oh, sorry. That’s me. Zekken is just my public name. I was born John, and that’s what my friends and family call me. Feel free to as well, if you’d like.”

Sara’s eyes went wide. “I-I couldn’t! You’re a god! I’m just an idol.”

“No, you’re an Oracle, and hopefully a friend. I’d be very much honored if I could call you one, and the idea of my favorite JPop star calling me by my actual name in private like this would make my day. But only in private,” I warned. “If the world knew of my real name, it could cause problems for some people.” Like my sister and her family, I thought.

Conversation stopped as Linda entered the room again, a smug look on her face.

“Okay! You shouldn’t have any issues doing what you want anymore. Just tell your manager what you want to do, and it’ll happen.”

“What? How?”

Linda shrugged. “I bought the company you work for. Your contract belongs to me now, and tomorrow we’re going to rip it up and figure out a new one that allows you the artistic freedom to do whatever you want. No more stupid anime themes for you, girly. You’re gonna hit the big time worldwide!”

“But I like doing anime themes,” Sara sulked, and I damn near proposed to her on the spot. The thought of her no longer doing anime themes was too terrible to dwell on.

Linda waved off her comment. “Fine, fine. You can still do them if you want. Wipe that look off your face, John. You don’t need another woman yet. You’ve still got two waiting for you to seal the deal. As for you missy, I believe we spent a fortune getting you here overnight for a show, and it’s standing room only out there.”

“Oh shit!” Sara exclaimed, then rapidly covered her mouth, realizing what she’d just said. “Um, I have to go. Will you be watching?” Her eyes met mine, a hopeful yet nervous energy radiating off of her.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said, smiling. She beamed at me, then surprised me and Linda with a hug each and bolted out the door, but before it had closed behind her she bolted back in.

“Anything I want?” she asked Linda.

“Whatever your heart’s desire,” Linda confirmed. Sara chirped happily and ran to a trunk in the corner. Opening it up, she pulled out a beat up acoustic guitar and bolted out of the room again, the trunk slamming closed long after she’d left.

“You bought the company?” I asked.

Linda shrugged. “They didn’t want to let go of her contract. She’s their cash cow. So I went higher.”

“How very Bruce Wayne of you.”

“And now you know why I disappear at night,” she smirked. “Come on. You don’t want to be late to her show, right?”

-

While watching Sara’s performance from the wings, I pulled Shu away from the others for a quiet word.

“The fact that she’s here isn’t a coincidence, is it?”

“What gave it away?”

“Seven and a half billion people on this planet, and you guys just happened to bring one of the three remaining oracles here? The odds of that happening accidently are astronomical.”

Shu smiled. “Well, she was on the short list of candidates to celebrate the founding of your church anyway, since we knew you were a fan of hers and that she’s publicly announced that she’s a follower of Zekken. It was when I called her up on the screen yesterday to see if she wanted to do it that sealed the deal for me. There aren’t a lot of silver eyed people in this world.”

“When did you call her?”

“While you and Linda were occupied,” she smirked. “I had to tell her I was having some work done on the house, but I know she didn’t buy it as loud as Linda was. Fortunately, she’s a mature adult and pretended to ignore it. Once I saw her eyes, I knew she had to be the one for today.”

“Well, thank you. This was the best surprise I’ve had in a month.”

Shu laughed lightly. “Well, it is tough to beat a pregnancy announcement.” Then she frowned.

“Hey, it’s ok. Rhia and I talked about it quite a bit afterwards. It was a heat of the moment decision on her part, and while it wasn’t immediate, I have forgiven her for it, just as you all forgave me for stomping off like a teenager. Now there are two beautiful little girls that are on their way to being fawned over by a village of cat people.”

Our discussion ended once we realized that Sara had stopped singing and started speaking to the crowd.

“Good afternoon, Shanghai!”

Cheers answered her.

“Thank you for enjoying the show, but I know it wasn’t me you came here for. We’re all here today for one reason: to give thanks to Zekken!”

Louder cheers swept across the stage and sent a tingle up my body.

“He has shown us that it’s ok to be happy with who we are! To enjoy what we want! That we can be free to do as we choose, as long as we’re nice to those around us! Isn’t that what we all want? To get along with each other? To be friends with who we want? To love who we want?”

More cheering from the crowd.

“It is through his teachings that we can achieve that! No longer shall we be divided by race, religion, or borders! All followers of Zekken are family!”

As she continued to speak, the crowd cheered loudly. The tingles I’d felt earlier became more noticeable and I felt a trickle of the power I’d had before Genesis return to me. While unexpected, that wasn’t what surprised me. As I watched her work the crowd up, Sara started to glow, a silver aura surrounding her. She was almost blinding in my eyes, and I could feel her presence, like a soothing caress on my cheek. Numbly, I placed my hand there, obviously feeling only my cheek. A similar sensation crossed my chest, the sensation pulling my attention over to Isabella. She was glowing as well and staring wide eyed at Sara. She had a firm hold on her necklace as she tried to split her attention between the songstress preaching on stage and me. A beautiful smile grew on her face as a single tear rolled down her cheek. I placed a hand on her shoulder, and my world turned white.