"Rusha! We shouldn't BE HERE!!" 

"Quiet Liz, you'll get the bobbies all over us!"

"But Mum said-."

"Mum doesn't know shit, and if you tell her, I'll tell her about you Snogging Dylan!" 

"You wouldn't!"

Two young hushed voices echoed along the sewer walls as a two pairs of large canine ears twitched nervously from the brown haired heads of a young 12 year old boy and his younger 10 year old sister, the boy wearing a newsboy cap and a set of overalls, the girl a neat little blouse, neither of them looking as they belonged anywhere below ground to begin with. 

"Mummy said not to be out past 7 O' clock! It was tea time 2 hours ago!" the Lycan girl Liz's bushy tail whipped about emotionally. 

"Bullocks, Mum wouldn't care if we were out past 12 with that stupid nanny about." the Lycan boy Rusha rolled his eyes.  "Plus I can become my wolf form now, nuthin' scares me! I'll protect us both!"

"You're still only the size of a puppy when you do that tho!" said Liz. "And I didn't snog Dylan by the way, he fell into me!"

"Your lips touched, snogging is snogging!" said Rusha. 

"Shut up!"

"No you shut up!"

"OI OI!! Whatchu lot doin' down here!?"

The siblings froze, their tails stiff as a human man walked out into  the sewer path, holding a lantern, flooding the cavern with light as his grubby coat, motheaten scarf and rough stubbled double chin took center stage. 

The man looked down at the two children. "What choo Wolf kids doin' down here? Chu should know better'n ta be down 'ere."

"We're... we're here for the maiden's grace!" said Rusha, taking a deep breath and puffing up his chest as if attempting to appear noble and brave.  "Are you the gate keeper!?"

For a moment the man merely stared at them. 

Rusha's chest deflated slightly as he breath grew unsure.

"L.. lets just go home Rusha.." whispered Liz. "I'm scared."

But Rusha ignored Liz, still trying to keep his gaze with the man. 

Finally the man spoke. "Alrigh' then.. weren' aware dat the Lady was gracin' youngungs with her teachin's too. Follow me then."

The boy let out a sigh of relief and he began following the man and his lantern light down the cavern. 

The girl danced around on her feet as her brother drew further and further away before letting out a cry of frustration and hurrying after him. "Wait up!"

"So.. were you always the Maiden's Gatekeeper?" asked Rusha, trying to calm his nerves with conversation. 

"Oh.. me? No nonono. The Lady has many a keeper in her employ." said the man. "I myself been on'y doin it since about 2 days ago.. "

"You're a recent follower?" said the boy with surprise. 

"Yes, the lady doesn't discriminate. If yeh can serve, then serve 'er yeh will. I never met any'un like her. She truly is Queen Ophelia's equal.. an' per'aps 'er downfall as well.."

"Queen Ophelia would never lose to anyone!" Liz shouted angrilly. 

"Oho? A nonbeliever eh?" said the man, glancing at the little girl. 

"I didn't want to bring her, she just followed.." Rusha grumbled. 

"Its alright laddie, yer still young as is yer sister, when she sees the Lady for herself, she can decide then... who truly can rule Britain.. The Queen-."

The man stopped in front of a set of strange wooden doors, carved with decorations and impressions of chains overlapping slithering serpents. 

"-Or Her." the man finished as he pushed the doors open with one hand, their rotted crooked bottoms scraping the stone door as they gave way for those who would enter. 

A massive chamber lay before the two children. In it, was a host of hooded figures, large and small, all of them whispering prayers and bowing to kiss the floor occassionally. 

A man came up to greet them, and this one was different. 

He was strong, toned, and wore rags over a bare chest and black pants. His hair was gray and long, and his skin pale with stitches  sewn all over him. 

The boy eyed the stitches. Was this man a Stein? He had never seen a Stein so pale or almost vampiric in appearance. 

The man smiled in a friendly way that automatically put the boy at ease as he knelt down to their eye level. 

"Hello there, I take it you kids are here to share in the Wisdom of the Lady of Soothing Song.  Is that right?"

The boy nodded, but Liz backed away slightly. 

"Ahh.. hahaha I see, a little doubt hmm? That's quite alright." said the man. "In fact I quite admire that in you. Too many youngsters hop in these days looking for miracles without truly trying to grasp what they're getting into. Yes I do believe in my Lady's love of mankind, but nobody should simply jump into something without researching first, wouldn't you say? You're quite smart girl."

Liz's eyes lit up slightly. 

"Yes, no need to be afraid. You and your brother can meet the Lady first and decide for yourselves. If it seems too dangerous, then by all means, take all the time you need.  We're not here to pressure you." said the man kindly.

"A.. Alright I guess." said Liz as she and her brother stepped forward. 

The man smiled and stood up beckoning the children forward. "Slowly now, careful not to trip, we have many congregants here today."

As they moved between the people, the stitched man eyed Rusha respectfully. "So, where are your parents young ones?"

"Mum said we shouldn't go, that it's dangerous." Rusha said sourly. 

"Oh dear, now that won't do at all. You shouldn't do that, even if you think what you know is right." said the man. "Your mother has your best interest at heart you know.  I get that many people feel that children should have the right to decide their genders, their followings, their political leanings,  and sure.. when they are older and know more, but you are young right now, its too early to go over your mother's head simply to come see our Lady.. "

"Th-that's what I tried to tell him.. wait.. genders?" Liz muttered.

"HAHA! Sorry, your brother seemed so adult that I was a little fooled into talking more mature matters with him." said the man. 

The boy's chest now puffed out prouder. "Uh.. w... well its only natural. Mum says I'm smart for my age."

"An understatement if ever there was one. But still, your choice tonight was reckless, your sister is smart too after all. You must listen to each other." said the man.  

Both the girl and the boy blushed, looking like they were trying to resist the urge to smile. 

Then they both stopped as they stared in awe.. at a woman  sitting upon a siler throne. 

Her beauty was mesmerizing.. dressed in a silvery dress that glittered like ice woven together. Her luscious figure and supple lips defied imagination with a beauty and sexual appeal that would have nations warring over her like Helen of Troy. 

Her hair was pink in color, done into an elegant braid that trailed down her bare slender back, her wrists and ankles filled with elegant gold and silver bangles and jewels, her barefeet seemingly pale and clean compared to the dirty floor of the sewer. 

But her eyes were almost terrifying to behold. Pale and yellow with multiple rings around her dark pupils, it was like one would be hypnotized with a single glance. 

The woman smiled down at Rusha and Liz, displaying a calm maturity that would even match their level headed mother. 

"Ah, young ones.. Mahito dear, where are their parents?" 

Like the man, her accent was foreign, asian, American? It was hard to place. 

"They came on their own M'lady, I'm afraid I might have to send them back. " said the man. 

"Oh Mahito, what they did was wrong, but any who seek my love are welcome. All are equal here, women, children, men.. beast.. come children, let me see you clearly. 

"Rusha is the brother, and Liz is the sister.." said Mahito as the children stepped closer, tentatively.  "Rusha is so mature, I almost mistook him for a full grown man. And Liz, well just look at the brains on her, isn't she so clever?"

"Why yes, no wonder they both made it down here all on their own." said the woman. "But unfortunately.. ah.."

The woman stroked the chins of the children gently, and immediately, they felt a pull

It was a thirst.. 

no.. an addiction..

A desperation

They needed her wisdom. They needed her beauty.

Without her.. they were nothing. 

"I must send them back, they didn't ask their parents after all.." 

"Bu. BUT I DONT WANNA GO BACK!" Rusha cried out desperately. "I.. I came to serve! I want to serve!"

"M-me too! I'm sorry I doubted! Please let me serve!" Liz exclaimed. 

The woman put a hand to her chin, as if considering, then nodded lightly. "Ah very well. Your parents, you need their permission after all..  bring your parents down here by any means necessary and I shall consult with them.."

"Any means... " Rusha spoke. 

"Necessary.." Liz echoed, mesmerized. 

"And.. if they won't let you, then I'll simply kill them, and you can live down here with me forever." said the Woman. 

For a moment, Rusha and Liz's eyes lit up with shock, as if something in the woman's voice didn't compute. 

"No need to think about it too hard, you're just children after all.." said the woman. 

"Ri.. right.. no need to think on it." said Rusha.

"Just obey.." said Liz.

"We'll go get mom and dad.." Rusha said. "If.. we run down here fast enough.. they'll have to come after us.. "

"Good, now run along, and hurry back, don't you want to stay down here with us?" Mahito asked. 

The children nodded frantically and immediately pushed back through the crowd, desperate and hungry to reach the door, to reach their mother.

"And there they go." Mahito said. "You know.. you really should've let me play around with them a bi-."

"Mahito.."

Mahito blinked and looked at the woman. "Yes-."

"Bang." The woman pointed a finger at the stitched man. 

"BOOOOOOOOMMM!!" The man's body was blown into bits, his flesh splattering against the chamber walls as only his bottom torso and legs remained intact. 

For a moment the congregation parted and grew silent as they watched what was left of Mahito's body tumble to the floor. 

Then the body began to writhe as the flesh twisted and morphed until Mahito's body reformed completely intact. 

Mahito laughed playfully as he leaped back to his feet and shook his head. "You mad again? Sephirah always hated dealing with your temper.. when you're angry you never look actually angry.. its hard to tell when you're having a mood with that stoic never changing voice and expression."

"Probably because I'm never mad, merely... irritated." The woman gave Mahito a cold glance. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want you touching the souls of my converts. I don't want you mentioning touching the souls of my converts.. I don't want you even thinking about touching the souls of my converts.. they are my things. You do not touch my things.. here in this chamber, you are not above anyone. We are all here as equals." 

"Very well, very well.." said Mahito. "I should know better than to-."

"Bang."

"Whoops!" Mahito barely leaped out of the way as a huge crater exploded into the wall where he had been in front of moments before. "Now now.. I didn't say-."

"I said you weren't allowed to think it either." said the woman serenely. 

Mahito chuckled. "Talk about impossible standards.. heheheh, whatever you say.. Makima-senpai."