Asterope: "lightning/twinkling/sun-face/stubborn-face"

Five of them crowded around in a circle murmuring to each other. Durbe and Mizael stood silently, Alit and Gilag's eyes shown with excitement over the discovery, and Vector was crouched down on the ground holding onto his knees for balance now that his wings were gone. He held out a long finger poking the newest thing in the Barian World with his nail.

"Stop it, Vector," Durbe chided as his attention turned to the pair that entered the throne room. Merag was at her brother's side, his cape flowing behind him as he walked.

"What is it?" He asked as he stopped short of the group.

"A child!" Alit and Gilag answered in unison unable to keep their excitement in check any longer.

"A... child?" Merag parroted, her voice was lost and confused as the pair closed the gap between them and the group.

The group broke away from what they were hiding. Durbe's hand was on Vector's shoulder pulling him to his feet so he was out of the way.

Nasch's gate faltered, his whole body stiffening as his gaze locked on the "child" standing in front of the other emperors.

The young Barian stood at about mid thigh to the rest of them. His skin was a creamy yellow, but loud and brighter than Mizael. Crimson sprouted from his head in every direction without unity. Golden bangs came down in front of his right eye in a shield that completely covered the eye, a large gash in the face of it. The eye that was visible burned red like Merag's with purple markings under his eye. The silver plate across his chest looked like a regal symbol and was set in a pentagon. The purple gem in his chest was bright as were the others on his joints.

"Is it?" Vector prodded.

"Vector, don't." Durbe warned.

"Why didn't the others?"

"Vector." Durbe's eyes narrowed on the childish emperor. Vector may have returned to a mostly sane being after Don Thousand was defeated, but he still liked to cause mischief.

But they were valid questions. And they all recognized who the child was. All of Yuma's friends had returned to Earth after the war, alive and as they were before the two worlds collided. All except one. No one understood, but at the same time no one brought it up. Not after seeing Nasch's eyes die when he didn't return. He thought he was really responsible from his friend's death at that point. (Nasch was convinced IV was still waiting for Ryoga, and when Ryoga didn't return, he didn't see the point in it either.)

"Do you think he remembers who he is?"

"Vector!" This time Merag snapped at him. Merag's face softened as she watched her brother, his face was blank and hard to read, but she knew, because she recognized the child too, that his life was shattering on the inside.

"What should we call him?" Mizael spoke up, knowing IV wasn't a proper name. He needed to be named after a star, he was a resident of this vast galaxy now.

"Asterope," Nasch answered instantly, as if he didn't even think about it.

"Asterope? Why?" Durbe questioned, the feeling he was getting from the child was farthest from stubborn. He was sweet and innocent, not a star from the Taurus constellation.

Nasch stayed silent as he watched him begin to toddle around curious of his new surroundings in the throne room.

"Because his soul burns hot," Nasch said at length before he bent down and took the child in his arms only to have him fight the moment he did to be put back down, "and he's very stubborn."