She grieved.

Tomix was gone, in an act more heroic than any she had ever done. And the worst of it was that he hadn't even left a body, simply vanished into the void core. Not that she hadn't been to funerals of fellow warriors that were simply memorials before, when the method of their death left no body, but this time it was different. She didn't even know if he was actually dead, and it galled her to think that he might still be alive in the void, beyond her reach, beyond any help. And he wasn't in the plane of elemental spirits; Aegis had reported, which only made it more likely that he lived in some way. She refused to accept the possibility that he wasn't there because even his soul was gone, destroyed with Envy.

Not that she'd loved him or anything, but the SoulWeaver was one of her best friends, and she missed him.

Veritas remained silent beside her, violet wings drooping. He'd liked the SoulWeaver too. Tomix had always had a treat for him, and had been one of the few who liked her for herself, not for what his rider had done.

She removed the fireproof tie from her ever burning hair, letting flaming strands cascade down her back, and buckled on the looms, claws inactive. Time.

Danyel had given her a sharp look, seeing her in the leathers of a SoulWeaver instead of her usual Riftwalker garb, but she didn't care. He was not his brother, and she wore this to honor her friend.

Now she stood alone before the grave, grieving still for the one who had been closer to her than even Ash, her little brother figure. Rage burned in her too, but not at him. Never at him. All his brother would say was "you didn't keep your promise," at Tomix's funeral? Some brother. She felt the cold bite of Aegis agreement, sorrow, and grief in the back of her mind. How she, primarily fire and poison aligned, had bonded so tightly with a spirit of Ice and valor was a mystery to most of the world, but they were alike in many ways. Such as their attitude toward family.

Later they will hunt monsters, she and Aegis, taking out their grief at the loss of a dear friend-ally-BattlePartner-brother on the few remaining void creatures, and leave him their tribute, and honor his memory by continuing what other things he had begun. But now here they stand.

Danyel left, and she finally spoke.

"Hey...
You know... I'm not good at goodbyes either. It's not that I wouldn't be able to find the words for it. I just... I just don't really like them." She paused. " It's strange... right now, memories are flashing by my eyes, flooding my mind. A flood so strong, it hurts. But I'm not about to die or anything. And it's not my life I'm seeing, it's... It's our adventures. Like that first Mogloween... you appearing out of nowhere just as troubles were starting. Ten seconds later, you tell me to die."
She smiled, "That was a good one. And then... we kicked Greed's butt for the first time. Hah! The look on his face when we had foiled his plans for Falconreach!" She remembered Greed's face, and the thrill at a new ally, a new battle partner, one who matched her preferred tactics without any talk, fitting together seamlessly, as if they'd fought together before. But that was impossible… wasn't it? And why were Kordanna's long ago words about a Reset tickling her memory?

"But that wasn't even the beginning, wasn't it? I...I only actually got to know you when we met again... in Ravenloss. Spelunking through Ravenloss was completely crazy and dangerous.
Running through alleys and places filled with angry half spider, half human Chaosweavers out for our blood..." finding keys in unexpected places, she thought. "But at the same time... so many interesting things happened. For all of Ravenloss' darkness, it did have plenty of curious mysteries and stories to uncover." She remembered the letters they'd sent back and forth, trading news on possible key locations and her latest adventures. "Embodiments, traces of Vaal and Murk at many turns..."

Aegis had something to tell her, she learned at that moment, but that would happen later.

"We met and made friends. First Riadne and her- "she snickered "...feisty personality at the Weaver Emporium. And then you reunited, and I met Izaac at Mystlyk Museum. And before I knew it... you and your SpiritLooms had become a familiar and friendly sight. Your hijinks with Riadne... Your determination to see your mission through..." She remembered in a quiet moment, on the ship, telling him he was like a brother to her, a dear friend. That had been just before they arrived at the core. She closed her eyes against the burn of tears. Feeling the encouragement of Veritas and Aegis, she spoke again. "That wasn't our last adventure though. I never told you, but… I bought a house in Ravenloss, just so I could visit you more easily. I meant to move in after our last adventure… One that was just as crazy, adventuring and dangerous if not... more so, that any of our others. And now... it's coming to a close. That's why..."
The tears won out, and she sobbed.
"T-That's WHY... I-I want to s-SAY… THANK YOU!" she cried.
"It was fun..." she whispered. "It was so very, very fun to go on adventures with you...
Thank you. Thank you, Tomix."

Three months later she opened Izaac's letter, gasped, and used a skill all RiftWalkers had, even when they chose set aside their rifting in favor of other skills, as she had for SoulWeaving, to open a portal to Ravenloss. If Izaac wanted her to come immediately, it must be important.

She hurried to the Equilibrium gate, where Izaac had said to meet them, but as it came into sight her steps slowed. There was Izaac, and Ridane next to him, but between them was third figure.

His hair was crimson, but streaked through with white, as if someone had dipped their fingers in white paint and run them through his hair. He wore something knee length and ragged at the edges, that looked like it was made of the void, and even at this distance she could see that his eyes were a familiar, warm amber. And his soul felt familiar too, to her weaver's senses, and his face was the same as she remembered. Izaac and Ridane were hanging on to him, both looking as if they were reassuring themselves that he was actually there.

"Tomix!" she cried, and tackled all three of them against the gate. There were so many things she wanted to say in that moment, but none of them would come out, so she settled for hugging him.

Aegis curiosity and concern at her sudden emotional spike prickled at her consciousness. She sent back along their bond what she had seen. Elation sang into her mind, and her SoulAlly flashed into being beside her. "Welcome back," he said.

She pushed herself off them, and Izaac and Ridane looked slightly annoyed by the tackle, but she knew they understood. She narrowed her eyes at Tomix. "Next time you go into something knowing it'll kill you but you have to do it, tell us first."

He answered sheepishly, "I'll keep that in mind."

Her hair burned higher with her elation as he spoke, and the fact of his return thunked into her mind, latching back into the net she sometimes felt singing, the net that bound her and her friends and allies. The net he had so easily fit into when they first met, as if there had been a space waiting for him.

He was back. Her BattlePartner-ally-friend-brother was really here.