Dai Gui groaned as he slowly returned to consciousness. "Ugh...what hit me?"
"The undersized sumo," Po Kong stated wickedly, her voice dripping amusement.
Dai Gui's eyes slowly opened. He saw he was back in the Netherrealm. "...at least tell me he was wearing the Armor. Or wielding Mjolnir. No way he could hit that hard-"
"Bare handed," Po Kong gloated. "I think you've just been replaced in the esteem of your former race."
Dai Gui growled irritably. "You seem oddly smug that I've been sealed back in here permanently," he pointed out flatly. "I should think you'd be angrier."
"We still have two extra chances for release, plus if Tchang's portal unseals," Po Kong countered impishly.
"Don't...mention that seal..." Tchang Zu groaned as he carefully peeled divine lightning off his body as though he were attempting to remove splinters. "That was...unpleasant..."
"That's what you both get for not listening to Valmont," Po Kong gloated smugly.
"Why are you so hung up on a mere human?" Dai Gui growled angrily.
"Because Bai Tza is in love with him," Po Kong responded bluntly. "And I fully intend to do whatever I can to be free for the wedding, whenever and however they manage to arrange that."
Tchang Zu made a very rude noise in the back of his throat akin to a cat expelling a hairball in reverse. "I still can't believe she'd choose to dally with a mortal, let alone-"
"She was Queen of the Sirens," Po Kong reminded him. "It's hardly the first time."
Apple Bloom smiled as she pulled her hooves back from the wooden wall of the shop's third floor, wiping one across her brow to clear the sweat. The shop now had a fourth floor and a basement, though that second part had proved a bit more difficult since it had involved a great deal of earth moving and careful foundation work. The fourth floor was now a set of guest rooms...which meant for now it was where Hsi Wu slept. The third floor was the girls' floor, where they had their rooms. The second floor had Uncle's bedroom and Jackie's bedroom, though Jackie now shared that with Viper and Sharaka. Apparently, recharging in the other way let her move the armor around herself to a certain extent, which was entertaining to the girls...especially because of how it freaked Jackie out the first time.
The basement was where Tohru was now rooming, along with Sofia, Lucia, and Ysabelle. Valmont's associate had been even more effective than anticipated, and the three sisters were now 'World Citizens', a special classification for nomadic magical creatures - such as minotaurs - which let them travel where they would as long as they had their papers with them, with no defined 'country of origin'. After that, tickets had been easy, and Tohru had insisted they stay at the shop with everyone unless and until they decided to seek out their own residence.
It had taken a bit of deliberation to determine exactly where and how to put them all together, especially since the sisters seemed to only be comfortable if they were with Tohru. While they had their own bedroom separate from his - along with a bathroom - Apple Bloom privately suspected that they wouldn't spend much time in their room. And if the four of them got...active...well, if structural integrity was a possible concern, it made sense to put them on the lowest floor possible. The mental image of the four of them crashing through the floors into the shop had not been a pleasant one.
"You do good home renovations," Uncle spoke up as he stepped into the room. "Very impressive, for only second time."
"I did a lot o' research first," Apple Bloom allowed humbly. "Didn'a wanna mess anything up and make the place come tumblin' down."
"And it did not, which is good," Uncle agreed happily. "One more thing! I am also glad Jade's boyfriend is now on his own floor-"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Jade shouted angrily from a lower floor, making Apple Bloom burst into giggles.
"One more thing!" Uncle continued. "Something Apple Bloom forget when expanding home."
"What'd ah ferget?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.
"Property tax assessment," Uncle explained readily, a slight twitch of his eyebrows the only sign of his irritation.
Apple Bloom swallowed convulsively. "...aiyah..."
Mrs. T smiled to herself as she settled into her new office. With her baby boy now having three girlfriends living with him, she felt the need to stay closer to keep an eye on how things progressed. However, she didn't want to be staying under the same roof with them, as she wanted Tohru to feel free to pursue the girls at his own rate without feeling pressured. Still, it was easy enough to find a place to live that was close enough to see him regularly, far enough away to not be hovering, and easily within her budget. The hard part had been finding an excuse to be in San Francisco so Tohru didn't realize she was just there to keep an eye on him.
And then opportunity fell into her lap as she passed by the school Apple Bloom and the others were attending. It seemed that the school board and PTA had grown concerned about the level of magical disaster potentia was focused on the school as a result of the sheer number of magical students attending now, since that went beyond just the four girls. As such, the school was seeking a way to keep all that power in check, without making the students feel controlled. They needed someone who could gentle the students into good behavior but also understood the hurdles of magic intimately. In essence, they needed a magically trained guidance councilor, preferably a human one.
The job fit Mrs. T like a glove, as she was an expert at getting youngsters to do what she wanted them to do. On top of that, she was only required to be on campus - or even in her office - one day a week unless a student made an appointment for a different time, so as to prevent anyone from feeling like she was hovering over them. This left plenty of free time to tag along on anything Tohru got up to with the others as far as dealing with demons and the like.
For Mrs. T, it was a very good day.
yay More Mrs T, this story just got 20% more awesome,lookin forward to more, keep up the good work
Maybe she should consider it a real-world career choice?
Hey... The catchphrases are back after a long hiatus.
WE ARE THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS. AND WE. HATE. TAXES!
"Aiyaaaaah! Uncle running antique shop, not bordello!"
I'm sure Valmont's and Bai Tza's wedding will be a humongous event, especially if Po Kong attends.
This definitely shows that Applebloom's magic is quite taxing.
Guess Uncle is still afraid of the PTA and not just the kids.
PFFFT!!!! CALLED IT! :P
And… wow. I was right on the money with that one too. Move to San Francisco and get job at Apple Bloom's school to become viable recurring character. XD
Nice choice with Mrs. T, and it fits into the story well (Go 8335921!). Looks like there's gonna be some fun Uncle/'Mommy' banter coming our way in the future!
And I have to say, I like what you've done with Po Kong. I recall that they're waiting to unseal her last because of her size and inability to take on a human form, but I'd thought that she was one of the demons not likely to be willing to settle. Based on that dialogue, looks like I remembered incorrectly. That'll be fun to see later when they open her seal. Just do me a favor: if she does stay, please make a mention that she later has ownership of a vegetarian restaurant in Canada.
...Please?
Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six
"Bad Day"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 35
"He's Not My Boyfriend!"
/
Chapter Count: 1
Total Count: 41
(She's back! )
You might say it fit her to a T.
"Cutie Mark Crusader Tax Preparers, ...oh, who are we kidding? Nobody can yay that!"
8335944
No. Bad pony. Go sit in the corner and think about what you've done.
8335946
Better than Cutie Mark Crusaders Tax Evaders
I'm calling it right now, Jackie Chan will be Valmont's best man, with the Enforcers, Tohru, Xiao Fung, and Hak Foo being the groomsmen. Tso Lan will fill in as the Father of the Bride. Po Kong will be the Maid of Honor, with Viper being one of the Bridesmaids. The CMC will be the flower fillies. Jade and Hsi Wu will be the Ring Bearers.
Since this would be THE most important social event of the year—considering the social circles Valmont travels in—Captain Black would "graciously" offer Section 13's services to provide security for the event—and of course try but get legally blocked from executing warrants to arrest some of Valmont's criminal associates
And Shendu—assuming he is still around—will not be invited. :P
Nice chapter!
One more thing - there were two more uses of the phrase 'one more thing'! Who's running the counter on that?!
8336039
Suckers bet to all.
8336039
Well, we do need an excuse to bring in that world-rewriting book, and having three of the Brotherhood still in lockup is as good a reason as any.
8335924
That would be perfect, Tats if you see this, Po Kong needs to own that Vegetarian restaurant Simply cause her's name is the the name of the place. XD
8336039
Agreed Now what would be perfect for that would be if Mr Dragon Demon Shendu decided to crash the wedding and everyone has their weapons trained on him with his hands in the air surrendering cause he's massively overpowered by them at that point with weapons made to take out demons and DRAGONS specifically.
8336017
Applebloom could get into construction! Maybe she'll Make America Great Again and build a magic wall that seems useless at first but it monitors who is bad and within Audrey 2's reach.
8336164
*Audrey bursts through a wall*
8336125
As far as the Demon Brotherhood is concerned… there would be no reason to. Valmont would have freed 5/8 demon sorcerers. Bai Tza has her kingdom in Valmont. Hsi Wu has his kingdom with his friends. Po Kong will possibly get her kingdom as the owner of a highly successful Chinese Fast Food restaurant chain. Tso Lan probably will either end up with his own criminal empire, or complete control over the world's space programs. I have no idea what Xaio Fung's kingdom would be, but I have a feeling Valmont does. Tchang Zu and Dai Gui both got their butts handed to them for not listening to Valmont.
And Shendu is an ex dragon, where if he tries to take control of Jackie Chan he will promptly get his no longer existent tail kicked. :P
He could try taking over one of the enforcers, but would get the exact same result. Only physically. Poor Ratso.
There's no reason for any of the demon brotherhood to try and rewrite history when the vast majority of them will probably wind up making out like bandits.
And short of Captain Black somehow getting one over on Valmont—like oh I don't know seizing a coded diary which contains a list of all of Valmont's assets legal, criminal, and otherwise which allows him to confiscate said assets—I don't see Valmont being desperate enough to try and steal the Talismans from Section 13. I also get the feeling Dalong Wong wouldn't try it while still being on Valmont's payroll.
I think Tats is going to have to come up with something new and original to cover the season 2 finale, and the main plotline for season 3. And I think Tats might have planted the seeds for both of those very things when he introduced Xanatos and Goliath in the previous arc.
After all, while the Demon Brotherhood wouldn't have any reason to go after that book… there are other interested parties who would have every reason to go after it.
8336155
Either that or Audrey gets to eat the dragon. :P
Nice chapter! Just caught back up with this fic, hehehe. I wonder if three wayward daughters will find their way back in time for their mother's wedding, whenever that'll be. Looking forward to more.
It's finally official! They released the line the've been tugging really hard at and now it is out to sea!
Yes. Just yes.
Poor Apple Bloom failing to realize the consequences of home expansion...Hopefully, Uncle manages to make a killing in selling his wares. Either that, or the other folks staying will manage to pay rent somehow.
8335882 That RvB reference. Can you believe Wash got shot!?
8336007 (pouts) Okay, fine.
8336188
You are forgetting, Shendu was the one who puts forth the plan to use the book. As long as he has cause to get the book, it doesn't really matter how many of his brothers he has on his side. He'll still muck things up for everyone else, and create the divergent time line that resulted in the last season.
8336435
If I recall correctly, the spell which allowed him to possess Jackie Chan to make alternations to the Book of Ages was casted by demons smarter than those who will probably remain imprisoned. Furthermore, who could Shendu possibly possess to be his body? Jackie is out of the question, his mind is in complete balance. As is Viper, her mental fortitude is stronger than Jackie's. Trying to possess Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, or Scootaloo will destroy his spirit. Possessing Jade it out of the question since the CMC and Hsi will notice. Uncle is the adopted father of the CMC, so a single hug from one of them would also destroy his spirit. Similar problem exists with Tohru. I highly doubt a demon could possess a demon.
So using any of the adversaries he knows is completely out of the question.
Tatsurou has also dropped some interesting tidbits in the past about how the magic in Australia works. So much so that I'm terrified what would happen if Audrey were to ever set root on the continent.
Furthermore, Shendu has become a non-entity who is currently bound to Valmont. A binding which might end up becoming a fusion if Tso Long is able to ascend Valmont as the new Fire Demon/Dragon, like I think we're going to see before the demon brotherhood arc is finished.
Which is why I think Tatsurou is going for a different approach with the Book of Ages, assuming he makes use of it at all. Remember the story is diverging more and more from the show canon as it progresses. There is the possibility the book could not be used at all in Three More Things.
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Six
"Aiyah!"
\
Chapter Count: 1
Total Count: 47
"One More Thing!"
\
\\
Chapter Count: 2
Total Count: 82
Daaaaawww, such a nice big sister. Tats, make her human form stunningly attractive, she deserves to look nice in pictures with her sister on her wedding day. I can also totally see her signing a contract for a week long stay in the mortal world for the wedding as long as she doesn't try to do anything evil. Plus, since her portal is in Japan... I kind of want to see her go Otaku and say Japan is not to be touched so she can continue to enjoy anime and manga, maybe go cosplaying in her human form to relax.
Mama T as the school guidance counselor is genius, it works on all fronts. I can't wait to see how she deals with some stuff.
Is it wrong I want to see Sharaka able to manifest outside the armor so Jackie wakes up snuggled between Viper and her????
8336547
I'm kind of hoping Shendu will get bound to a lizard and become a mini-dragon like Mushu from Mulan. Someone can keep him as a pet!
8336674
Oh God! He could be Sweetie Belle's pet! XD
And that's almost better poetic justice than having him merge permanently with Valmont! Failure as a demon sorcerer, only to find success as a demon sorcerer when merged with your former and much more competent underling. :P
As the fic goes on, I have to wonder; Why is the Demon Brotherhood considered such a big deal?
I mean in the original continuity it made sense, but in this world where magic is commonplace, tech is more advanced, there are heroes seemingly everywhere operating with official government oversight, and even big dogs like the Jade Council, Oberon, Santa, and even Cthulu in play, the Demon Brotherhood sounds about as threatening as a gang of muggers in the first act of an action movie.
Even if all 8 Demons appeared at once at full power, a bigger fish could just come by, curb-stomp them with barely any effort, then be on its way.
Will Zecora make an appearance in the future or one of the CMC's sisters? What kind of change took place in their native world?
8336573
you need to make ' his not my boyfriend ' counter.
8336842
Level Dasher's already got it covered...
8336577
It's already been established that due to her size Po Kong can't assume a human form. That's why she's being saved for last.
8336713
Remember the ranking system?
The Demon Brotherhood are considered a threat because they are all Class 3, and the only case of 8 Class 3 beings teamed together (most beings at that rank or higher have too much pride to team up with anyone). All 8 working together can go toe to toe with Class 2 and Class 1 beings...
And to be blunt, Hsi Wu is actually the biggest threat of the Demon Brotherhood. Save those Class 2 and 1 beings who are sun aligned, nothing can survive the Sun's Unfiltered Eye.
8336946
Oh, that makes more sense.
Wait, what is the Sun's Unfiltered Eye again?
Although I have to wonder what Class Saitama (One Punch Man) would be if he somehow stumbled into this world from some sort of portal. Class negative-9001*?
*I chose that number cause IT'S OVER 9000!
8336974
That's the magical name for the Earth's electromagnetic field being peeled back to let all the solar radiation through, like in "The Core".
8336985
And given the state of the ozone layer, using it in modern times might cause irreversible damage.
8337061
Actually, magic being 'normal' has fixed most of those issues. It's a lot easier to push clean energy when one of the arguments is "Do it or the nature spirits will destroy your non-clean powered factories".
Nice renovation skills, Apple Bloom.
I'm liking the new role for Mrs. T.
8336367
Or maybe he can start a retro music shop and sell 8-tracks. Or vinyls, those are becoming popular again.
To be honest, I'm more surprised by Locus' new "no kill" rule. I knew he'd try to be a better person, but damn.
It's a good day for thrust mom so far...at least til she learns the same thing that jades boyfriend has....That the BD Emperor has kids in the school....
Actually since u involved DXD a while back in the background...where are Ophis,Great Red,and Trihexa on the CLASS levels?
8337992
If DxD mythos places them as God Class, they are either Class 2 or Class 1, depending on whether or not they are actually considered Gods.
8338064
They would fall into the demi catagory of godhood sense their dad is technically a half-breed after he gave up his arm to the red dragon to save Red from that phoenix prick even if it was never touched on again, though watch now that I have said that when season 4 finally comes out I get proven wrong.
8336946 I'd honestly forgotten, sorry.
6 down, 1 to go, Looks like things are starting to draw up to quite the interesting conclusion to the arc. I just hope Pascal/ Luna have a good part to play when things start to wrap up
8336913
oh. ok then.
Property values really were a lot lower twenty years ago, weren't they? These days, San Francisco is expensive af.
8340490
Apple Bloom doesn't know he's doing those things because she doesn't realize he has the autonomy to do them. As far as she knows, he only has the autonomy to absorb her stray magic, obey directives, and act to protect her from immediate threats.
What she doesn't realize is that the fusion with Tohru drastically expanded Audrey's conception of what can be considered 'an immediate threat'. And without that realization, she thinks he's just being silly. And everyone else assumes she has him under control.
And I was just getting ready to head to bed when I saw your comment.