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The little white cat with black spots here and there that had been chasing a unicorn tail as if it was his own personal cat toy, quite suddenly was something else altogether: a much larger orange cat, with black stripes here and there threatening death to the doctor who held the syringe.

Sebastian was more than a little surprised.

To the cat, “You're a mutant?” To the doctor, “You know him?”

Ingram was reaching for ray guns that didn't exist. The cat-tiger was showing teeth more than capable of ripping someone's throat out.

“Clearly there has been a misunderstanding. No one is going to die today. That was never the intention, even when you were a cat.”

Ingram was keeping a table in between him and the tiger. A wheeled table, which he looked perfectly willing to shove into the tiger's face if he thought he needed to.

“Let's all just calm down for a moment,” the unicorn suggested as calmly as he could.

Sebastian shook his head. He remembered Pluto, of course, but he didn't remember any Japanese comics. They must not have started publishing them until centuries after he had left Japan.

“Ah,” he intoned after Lori's description of the plots of mangas. “It's a wonder that people still want to read them if they are so repetitive.”

“It seems like kind of a pointless existence, to always be destined to lose. Why do they keep coming back? Are they masochists, or is there some higher purpose to challenging someone they cannot possibly win against?”

Sebastian also wondered who else Forte had gone up against. It seemed like it had been someone not very intelligent with how many fake ducks and dodges he threw in. If that had fooled someone... or maybe it hadn't and Forte just hadn't learned.

And then the pajama-and-boot mutant released a much large purple sparkly bolt than any of his previous ones. Sebastian raised his eyebrow and sat up just a little straighter to see what it would do.

“It looks like he does have some tricks up his sleeve.”

Perry did not believe. A god would not chose him. It was impossible.

With a flash of steel, his heart stopped, frozen mid beat with a sword through it's center.

He should be dead, and yet he lived. It was impossible, and yet it was true.

God was a unicorn.

“You can't just start a religion,” Perry protested, crossing his arms gracefully over his chest, striking his disbelief pose.

“All religions have to start somewhere,” DJ countered, standing up and excitedly hitting his palm against the table, making all their coffee cups jump and sending Arianna skittering after her ball of yarn that rolled underneath a neighboring table, “and they usually start with one person.”

“Actually, he's right,” Hal adjusted his glasses as he regarded them over the top of his sociology book. He had a test the next day but wasn't about to miss his once weekly social event. “Most religions start with the teachings of one person and his followers.”

“Yeah,” Perry conceded with a handsome sneer toward his bookish companion, “but they're usually gods.”

Arianna returned, picking dry leaf bits off of her rabbit fur yarn. Sebastian moved his chair a little closer so he could help her out.

“But what if they aren't?” DJ almost pounded the table again, but caught the disapproving glance from Arianna just in time. He shoved his hand in his pocket and paced back and forth once instead, “What if the gods people have been worshiping for thousands of years were just early mutants. It would mean that every religion is based on a lie, and it would mean that it could be done again.”

Arianna cleared her throat, the boys all turned toward her. She fidgeted uncomfortably with her knitting needles, “If a religion is based on a lie, does that make it inherently evil or can it do enough good for a society to make up for deceiving millions of people?”

“Religion is a positive influence on society, so yeah,” DJ answered quickly.

“I agree,” Hal closed his book. It was just too distracting to get any reading done. He'd just sleep an hour less and he'd be fine for his exam. “When societies are in trouble, at their darkest hour, so to say, that is when religions have the most power. People want and need something to believe in and religion provides structures and rules when governments fail to control their citizens. It's a win-win situation, whether it's based on lie or truth.”

“Hmph,” Perry stood, letting his chair scrape backwards with probably more force than necessary. He wasn't so sure about that, but he was going to think about it while he got a refill on his coffee.

“I wonder if current times count as one of society's dark hours or not,” Arianna pondered. They all thought about that for the few minutes while they waited for Perry.

DJ sat back down in his chair. Sebastian handed the ball of yarn back to Arianna, completely leaf free. She smiled, then continued working on the hat she was making. Her stitches were so small and so perfect it was nearly impossible to see them. It was almost more like she was weaving a hat out of fuzzy magic than knitting it out of real yarn. Hal riffled through his book bag and slid his text back inside.

Perry returned, coffee in hand, retort at the ready, “If there is a real god, wouldn't he or she be a little upset at a fake religion starting up?”

It was DJ's turn to cross his arms, “Wouldn't he or she have done something by now about all these rival religions?”

Perry frowned over his steaming cup, “Maybe they are all real, each with their own area of influence, their own followers. Either way, any false religion that starts up is running the risk of incurring the wrath of a real god.”

“What if a real god came to you and asked you to start a religion?” Sebastian stroked his goatee thoughtfully.

“Why would a real god ask us to start a religion? We're just a bunch of students,” protested Hal.

“No, no. It could happen. Most religious leaders have had humble origins. Fishermen and the like, you know,” DJ waved his hands to indicate all the other humble origins possible. “Besides, this is hypothetical.”

Sebastian smiled ever so slightly.

“That's one hell of a choice,” Perry laced his fingers together and leaned back thoughtfully in his chair. “On one hand you've got the possibility of a far away, but very real god that could damn your soul for eternity. On the other hand you've got an up close and very real possible god that could damn your soul for eternity. I don't like the odds.”

“What if there was proof? Like miracles or something,” DJ suggested.

“That would help,” Perry supposed.

Sebastian set his empty tea cup on the table, “Supposing you did have someone in front of you who claimed to be a god; who could perform miracles and could give you everlasting life as a reward for following him, one who wanted to start a religion that could help society in it's darkest hour, could you do it? Could you successfully start a new religion?”

There was a moment's silence as they thought about it, and then one by one each of them nodded.

“It's possible,” Perry admitted, “but would we want to?”

Sebastian smiled at him, “We could talk about hypothetical situations all day, but when it comes down to actually deciding you need to have real facts in front of you. Facts like these: I am immortal, I am thousands of years old, I can offer you immortality if you follow me, and I can perform as many miracles as you like to prove it.”

They stared like he had just grown another head, then Perry laughed, “The odds, they're astronomical. Of all the times, and all the places, and all the people in all the world, that we would be chosen for this task... combined with the chance that what you say is true. There's no way.”

“Proof, then.” Sebastian drew his sword and laid it on the table. He ran his finger along edge, then let the group watch as his finger stitched itself quickly back together again.

Three of the students stared with wide eyes.

The tall dark haired Perry scoffed, “Parlor tricks aren't going to convince anyone.”

“Something more dramatic, then?” Sebastian stepped behind Perry, and held the tall boy's left arm with his own left hand. With his right he picked up the sword, turned it inward, and jabbed it through them both. Perry coughed wetly; it wasn't a healthy sound. The unicorn man slowly withdrew the sword, making sure he kept his tight grip on the college student's arm.

Cold fire raced through them both, burning away their injuries. As always, Sebastian could sense the energy's path through his own body and Perry's. He could feel every fiber and every nerve as they reconnected. He could feel their insides twist back into their proper places. He could feel the skin close with an icy zip, then his powers retreated back into himself. He let go of the taller man and stepped sideways.

The college students were all standing and staring at him now. Him, with his dripping sword, Perry with his ashen face, both of them with small red stained slits in their shirts and no injury below to show for it.

“Until next week?” Sebastian suggested, “I'm sure we all have a lot to think about in the mean time.”

Sebastian watched the action. The purple sparks that hit Noel in the cheek looked like they packed a little bit of a punch. So, he wasn't only relying on his silly elbow knives after all. Good thing, too, or this could get boring really fast.

Of course, it could also get dangerous really fast, if he had just started with a little taste of purple sparks. Though he was young, and may not be fully grown into his powers, he could also have access to something much stronger than little sparks with a little punch. These little blasts could just be feints. He seemed rather prone to them. Really, if he always feinted first, his moves were going to get predictable, and what was that ridiculous zig-zagging for? He was wasting a lot of time and energy with unnecessary movements.

Noel would probably win this, if he kept it up. Especially if he kept wasting his breath with small talk.

“Why do people do that?” Sebastian indicated the pair of people fighting in the center aisle. “Why go up to random strangers and demand to fight them?” He didn't understand the reasoning. Sure, fighting could be exhilarating, but why random strangers you knew nothing about? Why not a rival you wanted revenge against, someone you knew who would be a good match for your skill, or at very least someone who insulted your honor.

“It seems a little arbitrary.”

“I didn't know you did photography,” Sebastian countered, putting his elbow over the back of the pew and turning slightly back so he could see both the fight and the blonde woman in front of him. “Old hobby. New hobby?”

“She's my apprentice, like I said. She's got talents that make her perfect for sparring against.” Like fighting his own shadow, he'd told her once.

“As for the hot head,” Sebastian gestured casually over the back of the pew. “Where'd you find him? Ssyn family reunion?” His tone supplied, Don't you have better taste?. He assumed he was with her, or she was with him, or something. They had come in together and she hadn't left with the rest of the flock. Besides, Lori, in a church?

In the back, Forte had gotten up inside Noel's guard. Sebastian wasn't too worried. He knew at least three ways to get out of that situation, so that meant Noel knew them, too. The pews made for an interesting terrain. Not at all like the flat ground fighting she was used to. It would be interesting to see how she adapted to that, or even better, used it to her advantage.