"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, to join these two together, in Holy Matrimony…"

It had been pandemonium.

In those first few days after the detonation of the Sovereign facility, where Alma's son had been held, there was unmitigated chaos. The place had exploded in quite a spectacular manner, threatening to wipe out a large chunk of yet another city on American soil, along with many of its inhabitants.

Yet instead, right after the first shockwave of detonation ripped through and pulverized two blocks worth of buildings, something had happened.

And nobody knew what.

None of the Replicas made it. Not even the ones in their getaway truck. Every non-clone involved, however was fine.

Save for one.

A week after the detonation, Selh'teus Rodin was still unaccounted for. A meeting was held at FEAR Headquarters, as both a post-operation debriefing, and…well trying to gather together what the hell had happened down there.

After a heart-felt welcome to Alma's returning son, Becket and Holiday - the effective team 'leaders' - had described their group's experiences until the point of meeting. After that, it was a shared journey, up until the flight from the facility.

And it was here that Medea, had said that she hadn't had a single vision of any future, since the explosion. When pressed, the now emotionally unsteady young woman had hesitantly spoken of the only thing she ever saw, any time she closed her eyes.

An expanse of pure black. Broken only by the smirking visage of a pink haired, red eyed teenage girl.

It was only when Eveline had breathed out a name, that there was a true explanation.

"Angelica? Wait…Angelica Bucket?!"

Lumina Farron, creator of the Cult of the Empty Sky, had stared incredulous at the woman who had named her best friend as the figure in Medea's sole remaining vision.

And it was here, that a horribly subdued Alma, quietly informed everyone of what she knew.

"I knew of her since the day I met him. She never gave me her name, just her ire. She…seemed to barely tolerate my connection to him."

Since the moment of the attack at the Unity Station Shopping Centre, Alma had known of the pink haired, red-eyed girl. To Alma, she was like a ghost, a specter, a phantom. She'd begin classifying her as the Phantom Girl. And from that moment forth, the girl would occasionally speak to Alma. Usually in times of duress or when Seth himself needed Alma to understand something, but didn't realize it.

Alma would go on to explain that the girl was fairly antagonistic towards her, if grudging in her acknowledgement of their connection and her place in Seth's life.

"She was…always there, since then. She was the one who told me about the Kaijuu, she was the one who I was talking to just before he woke. She was…his protector. His guardian. One even he didn't know about."

Alma told them all how Angelica, at the time, had told her that Seth didn't know about her existence. That she had claimed she wasn't supposed to be 'awake' and yet was, and while she was, she knew what Seth knew, but Seth had no knowledge of anything she was.

Angelica had an even deeper connection into Seth's mental core than Alma herself did. And Eveline would further expand that by explaining that 'Project Angel' was to create someone who could match, neutralize, and hopefully defeat Alma, for Armacham's purposes.

Lumina was floored to find out her closest friend was actually a closet super-psychic, raised and trained to be the Anti-Alma. Doubly so when they got to the part of after Angelica had defeated Alma in a battle between the two.

"She kissed him?!"

"Hard."

It was Stokes that had haltingly admitted that with how the teen was going at him, she was about one twitch away from ripping his clothes off and 'riding him to the end of the world right in front of us'.

Eveline had just buried her face in her hands with a heavy sigh, agreeing reluctantly that if it weren't for the fact that Angelica had clearly planned this encounter out ahead of time, that's probably what would have happened.

"I…we don't know what it was she did…but she'd connected to him. I couldn't feel it because she was blocking me but…she asked him to say her name."

And it hadn't been the name everyone knew her by, that he responded with.

Alma had stated that she'd seen that…fusion they did, the day she met him. The day of the attack at the Mall. And when she described those events, the way they fought, the way they moved, Medea damn near had a psychotic breakdown.

Because that was the same sequence of fighting style that he exhibited, when he'd saved her life.

Angelica. Obsidia. Had apparently been tied to his subconscious mind for years. Far longer than before he'd met Alma. Far longer than before he'd met and saved Medea.

The blue haired woman had wanted to curl up. Wanted to…she didn't know. She was a mess. A jumble of chaotic emotions on the precipice of self-destruction.

And then Mariko Kusumi, in front of twenty other people, stood up and acted.

"Sumimasen." She had muttered.

*CRACK*

Before backhanding Medea with the force of a screaming freight-train.

Shocked, horrified, they watched the older woman drop to the ground, eyes wide and cheek stinging. Some had gotten up to stop Mariko but were halted by the explosion of black pinions heralding her wings erupting from her back, flared wide open.

Lumina was in awe. Claire, her aunt, was staring, eyes bulging. And Eveline jumped before her eyes drank deep the sight of Marie's wings, and shocking even herself, she gave a soft chuckle.

Something in her had broken, but at the same time, by doing so, she realized something more.

She just didn't know what that was, yet.

"Who are you?!" Marie whisper-yelled to the fallen Medea.

"Wh-what-

"Who are you?!"

Shaking, confused, scared, the woman responded.

"I…I am Nobody…"

Yet…Marie just shook her head and took a step forward.

"Who. Are. You?!"

Blinking at the rejection of the First Creed of the Wanderer, Medea just stared at the half-japanese woman a few years her younger. A woman who had dedicated herself to Selh'teus. A woman who had become High Priestess of the Cult formed around his book.

A woman, who…seemed to understand on an instinctive level, things that took even Seth, a while to figure out.

"I…" the answer…wasn't so much the answer Marie was looking for.

It was the answer that Medea needed to know.

The past year with Alma in their lives, the events with the Kaijuu, learning that Selh'teus had been restraining his own powers for her sake…

It taught her how to believe.

Marie knew something. And she was waiting for Medea to catch up.

So Medea, battered, broken down, lost…gave into the Void.

"…I am…Medea Wolfe."

"What are you?!"

"I…I am…the Oracle. The…the One who Beholds what Is."

"Where are you?!"

"…"

It was in that moment, Medea understood. Her life, her purpose, her self.

And spoke with no further hesitation in her voice.

"I am right here, awaiting My Lord's return."

Mariko had given a hard nod. Her wings flapped once, before shattering into black pinions that coasted gently to the ground.

"You understand now, Mistress?"

Rubbing her cheek, Medea nodded. Her proclamation was not a lie. Something in her felt…stronger. Lifted, by the words. She'd grasped them, made them her reality.

She truly was just waiting for his return. Because she had now come to understand.

"I still see something. I see her. And if She is tied to him even deeper, and for even longer, than any of us were…then if She still Is, then so too, is He."

A Loving Mother's Absolution

Epilogue

Time passed, as it does. The girls, all continued their lives. Medea, took up residence in his home, claiming his room for herself. Since the "slappening" as Alma had taken to call it, she had stopped pushing to look.

She saw nothing but Obsidia's grinning visage anyway.

Instead, she persisted her training in remaining in the now, being a secondary anchor for Alma's mind. Their connection was nowhere near as deep or instinctive as Alma's and Seth's was, but one was formed, with the blue-haired woman's thoughts becoming a stand-in background for the psychic to coast with.

Alma herself, had also, moved into Seth's house. Giving her apartment to her recovering son, she realized she needed the girls more than ever. With Selh'teus being unable to be located and his mind silent to her, she needed people she was fully comfortable with, around her. She loved her son dearly, but they were, sadly, strangers to one another. And at one point in their near history, enemies.

She took up Seth's role as "safety consultant" for the Crusher Crew. Her being able to tap the minds of those around her, led her to being capable of instantly knowing proper safety and care procedures better than even Selh'teus himself did, along with her ability to teleport and a much wider coverage range…

The demolition crew took less than a week to begin to enjoy the psychic's presence. Doubly so when she got familiar enough with them to be able to determine when they all needed a break from their work.

Despite being chronologically older than her, Alma ended up taking the role of a younger sister to Aranea. Of sorts. This was muddled for a few days when a slightly tipsy Aranea had just flat out asked Alma what it was like to be in love with Selh'teus the way Alma was.

Let's just say, that night led to Alma giving the bustier woman the nickname "Rain".

To Aranea's eternal embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Mariko continued her chosen lot as maid. As she once put it herself, though her master was not at home to be served, she was still his servant, and it would not behoove his graciousness in her life, to return home to a messy house. Surprising everyone involved (all what, fifteen people?) she kept the most positive of attitudes of the three women involved with Selh'teus, planting almost blind faith in his return.

When nudged by Jin Sun-Kwan about it, Mariko's reasoning was complex but extremely simple at the same time.

"We all saw the Black Spot, when the Explosion happened. His power is gravity. We saw the explosion reverse itself, sucked in with two blocks worth of material, leaving behind nothing more than a perfectly formed spherical crater. Nothing. Not even traces of radiation, oxygen, hydrogen, anything. It absorbed everything it touched, and then faded away. If his power is Gravity, and we know he had been restricting its density for years, who is to say he didn't somehow rip open a small Black Hole? And when one considers that Alma herself has the power to tear literal holes in reality if she gets stressed enough, who is to say he did not do the same?"

Still, their collective understanding did nothing to halt the many sleepless and/or tear-filled nights, those first few months after the retrieval. Though at least, as a half-reprieve for the other women, it was Alma's recovered son, that ended up bearing the brunt of the woman's solo tears.

That said, if either of the others started to tear up or dwell, it ended up getting back to Alma. Needless to say, a lot of ice cream and chocolate was consumed those months as well. Then, one day, Mariko stood up, slapped Medea and Alma on their asses, and demanded the three of them "get to work".

Also needless to be said, was it that Selh'teus' Stepmania program, saw a lot of use.

Interestingly enough, not long after his disappearance, the two cats, Shiki and Yurine, ended up changing their routines. Shiki, the one usually content to laze about outside with a side of personal hunting, ended up staying near Alma more often. They hadn't had a mind meld the way they first met, but Shiki's actions and change in mannerisms seemed almost…aloofly comforting, in a way. Not only that, but the tuxedo cat seemed to spend more of Alma's training sessions, near the woman.

In fact, Alma, months later, would be found saying that it almost seemed like Shiki was training her to hunt. The cat would occasionally bat at the woman's ankles, trot away, then if Alma didn't follow, turn around and bat again. It took only a few days of that before the swatting feeling was immediately followed by Alma accompanying the cat. Shiki, would then proceed to sit in place, only to lunge forward in a swipe, near a tree. She would then trot back and stare at Alma, until Alma replicated the feat.

Alma would later on, reason that Shiki was teaching her how to strike better, faster, and harder. It was only a month of this repetition, before Alma ended up subconsciously scraping her mind against the tree, like a claw. The gouging of the bark and the tearing, grinding noise with it, had Shiki mewling almost chipperly, a series of meeps and mreeps along with almost chirping noises, as if she was praising the psychic.

Yurine on the other hand, had taken to going outside far more often. Some days, she would be gone all day, others, only a few hours. It was Mariko, that noticed that Yurine was seeming to be up on the roof, almost as if holding a conversation with the few Ravens and Crows that would now periodically adorn the property, living in the nearby trees. As well, some times when Mariko was doing her rounds of grave-tending, she would see Yurine sitting, perched on top of one of the makeshift graves, staring at the dirt beneath.

Still, Alma did not try to mind meld with either of them, and Yurine didn't attempt it either, even though Medea would admit freely, Yurine's sudden aloof stance was disconcerting.

Yurine was the more affectionate of the two cats, and to have her suddenly be less present was worrying the blue haired woman.

It was, however, Alma that had made note that the two cats were far smarter than one would easily or readily believe, and it was possible they both sensed the shift in the dynamic of the group.

"They might know something we don't."

She was gorgeous.

Alma's son, stood transfixed at the woman before him. He barely noted the tingling echoes of his mother's psychic cries of elation, nor the officiator between he and the woman to be his wife.

She was clad in a gorgeous wedding dress, hand-sewn by two of his mothers' friend's friends, embroidered with nigh-invisible patterns that were in actuality layers of both Korean and what Alma called 'hymmnoscrypt'. Though not truly religious or even that spiritual herself, the woman before him, one Jin Sun-Kwon, only moments away from being called Jin Wade; had expressed thanks for the various layered 'magical assistance'.

After all, she survived Alma's release practically due to luck. Anything that would help keep her safe, especially on her special day, was welcome.

Effectively, a series of lines of some kind of fake song language that in ways mimicked programming script, along with a few written prayers of luck, health, joy and stability in Korean, were embedded into the dress.

Which was then 'charged' by Alma herself, pouring all of her love and hope for her growing family into it, over the course of three days.

But still, the man, come to be named 'Alexander' by his mother (and backdated on quietly released medical files), had spent the past year since his rescue, with this woman by his side.

It surprised both of them, when he'd asked her to marry him. Though it was kind of at the push of his mother, slapping him upside the head one day and telling him to hurry up and get a move on.

The day was perfect. The skies were clear, birds were chirping in the distance. The venue they had picked, the back lawn of a local children's museum, was backed by a large stone monument wall, surrounded by tall, old trees.

Alma, Medea, and Mariko all stood off to the side, Alma with tears in her eyes, as the reception had progressed. A large, five level cake was smack in the middle of the isle, intentionally placed as a testament to their relationship.

"…if there be any who protest this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

An idle thought had passed through his mind. What would his mother do, if someone stepped up? He imagined she'd set them to a slow burning death before ripping the flesh off their bones, honestly.

But to his joy, nobody stepped up. Not even Jin's father, who had, prior to the engagement, spoken of reservations.

"Very well. Then by the power vested within me, I now pronounce you Husba-

*DING*

Everybody jolted in surprise.

A sudden, loud ringing sound had echoed through the air. A tone that was vaguely recognized by a few, namely Medea and some others, but the sudden emergence of it, along with the inexplicable timing, threw off the memory of what it exactly was.

However…it didn't matter, as immediately following the strange ringing, came a low rumble of thunder.

…or at least…it sounded like thunder.

As it was, the sky rapidly became overcast. Light grey clouds forming seemingly out of nowhere as a low, slow wind began to kick up. The treetops began rustling, first softly, then over the course of roughly ten seconds, speeding up until they were swaying as if in a storm. The rumbling returned, as the air suddenly grew…heavy.

A low whistle came, heralding a sudden shape that emerged from the treeline. A blurred thing, moving too quickly to place, crashed into the dirt before the first row of guests, bouncing off the ground and smashing bodily through the beautiful cake in the center of the makeshift aisle. The figure, for upon impact with said cake its momentum somehow slowed, tumbled along the ground until it skidded to a stop at the shocked feet of Alexander Wade, and Jin Sun-Kwon.

It was…human. And it made a very unhappy sounding noise.

"Ooooohhhhkaaaaayyyy…what…fresh hell…am I in-…the fuck…?"

Slowly, the human rose. First rolling onto its back as it spoke, its voice getting clearer, and becoming revealed as male. Then it sat up slowly.

"…am…is…?"

He spoke in halted sentences, as he poked and prodded his tattered clothing. And the globs of white and pale yellow from the cake he smashed through.

"…am I wearing cake?"

His flesh was that of milk chocolate. But it was also speckled with flaky red, covered in lines and freshly healed gashes. His clothes, what there were, consisted of a tattered, hole laden shirt that was missing every possible button, exposing a heavily scarred chest; along with torn, ratty looking jeans that had lost almost all of their color.

His hair was matted and oily, clumped together and of an uneven length. An unhealthy looking grey at a length appearing to be just below his neck. He gave a sudden lurch and a loud, dry heave that ended in a raspy, gasping cough.

"HUUUUUH-KHOUGH! KUUH! HUUUHK-KUUH-HUUUUUOOOOoooouhhhkkkayyyy. Hooohkay…no…note…to self." He rasped out.

"No…nomore…jumping through floating rings…fuuuHUUUUUUUUUUGhhhhi-KHIH-iiin…vex…jumpgate…bullshit…"

The man, slowly tried to get to his feet.

And then a strange…low, echoed howling resounded.

His head snapped up and to the side, eyes peering back in the direction he came from.

"…oh you've got to be-

A loud *PLUNK* and suddenly…it.

It was human-shaped. Covered in scabs and bleeding sores. Pink skinned, tongue dangling from a fanged mouth, reaching to the ground. It appeared out of nowhere, and leapt at the man, throwing him back to the ground. The creature scrabbled and snarled, the man's arms reaching up and catching its clawed hands by the wrists, before a series of kicks to the stomach punted the monster off of him.

A pained yelp emerged from it, but it quickly scrambled back to all fours and leapt again, only for the man to lash out his right hand, catching it in the face, spinning with its momentum and then pinning it to the ground. The onlookers stared in shock and horror as the creature snarled and swung at him, but the man's grip was solid.

"HAKAI!"

*KAERNK*

The ground rumbled violently as a pulse of something ripped through the creature, the air around it seeming to fold inwards in a reverse ripple. Its limbs stiffened as its skull collapsed upon itself in an implosion of gore, only for the rest of its body to shudder and break into dust particles.

Another low echoing howl.

"…tch…" The man was panting, dropped to a single knee, taking big, heaving gasps of air. "Fuckers…never give up…do you…"

More creatures like the first emerged from thin air. They snarled and frothed, darting back and forth like crabs, tongues waggling madly. One blurred and lunged at the man, only for him to rocket up in a rising uppercut, causing its teeth to crack and bite its own tongue off. Another tried leaping at him from a curved side angle, rocketing over the spectators from a tree. A spinning kick accompanied by a ripple of air collapsed its chest inward as it was sent careening away.

A third tried a large leap, but the man rolled forward under it, before lashing out and grabbing its foot to pull it back where a heavy stomp to the back of its skull turned it into ashen fragments.

And then the big one came.

A loud thud and a small plume of dust heralded its arrival.

Looking like it was a medical diagram of the muscle structure of a gorilla, upper skull warped forward and covering its eyes with blooded muscle flesh, its big meaty fists dragged damaged, scabbed up knuckles along the ground as it lumbered forward with a predatory gait.

It was here now, that many of the guests (what thirty of them there were) had fled screaming, but some remained. Michael Becket, was one of them, invited by Alma herself, and his girlfriend Kiera Stokes being another. Both wished they had some sort of weapon to fight the creature with, but they ushered many of the fleeing guests into the trees surrounding the venue.

Alexander and Jin wished to flee as well, but the Man's previous motions kept them rooted in place, as Alma herself had rushed to their side while the Man was fighting off the other monstrosities.

Yet it was another guest…that had begun putting the pieces together.

It was one Lumina Farron, that had noted the strange, beaten looking man had seemed…oddly familiar.

From the moment he erased the first…thing…she had an idea.

Of who the strange man was.

It was the sound, you see. The others didn't seem to recognize it. Not the ringing that preceded his arrival, but the strange…crunching, twisting, almost metal-rending sound of space collapsing. She recognized it. It was the same pitch, tone, and length of a noise that…honestly? Haunted her nightmares.

Nightmares of a Bad Ending to the day she watched Him do battle for the first time in her life.

They weren't frequent, but when they happened, she never failed to wake in tears.

But thanks to them, that sound, that noise, was lodged in her conscious memory. The sound of destruction. The sound of victory.

The sound of the Chaos Lord, He who walked the Path of Nothing.

She was at the wedding, on invitation. Not merely because she and the Groom's mother became close. Which they did. Though Mariko was the High Priestess of their little Cult, Alma was practically the figurehead. Granting many of them direct vision and clarity of purpose, through her powers. Injecting directly into their minds, the feelings in her, that Selh'teus brought forth.

Love, acceptance, joy, fear, sorrow, rage, hope.

And many, many more.

But ultimately, she was invited because of her power.

Lumina had a purpose, at the wedding. She was doing to be singing, you see. And her power of Illusions would supply the band and music. She'd done it many times before, after all. Old hat. And just in case, there were actual tangible instruments around.

Still…

She recognized the sound. And that led her to wondering. She paid as close attention as she could, batting aside Claire's attempts to pull her away from the fight and the monsters. If she wanted, Lumina could be completely invisible to all senses, she was fine. But she watched.

And as the…knuckledragger leapt upon the man, she understood who he was. She didn't know why he didn't seem to notice them, why he didn't even seem to acknowledge others being around…but she knew who he was.

His hair was different, yes. He looked…both stronger, and weaker. Haggard, but defined. Gained muscle, lost weight maybe. She couldn't really see his eyes, but his voice…rougher, but still in perfect range to match.

He was damaged. Littered with cuts and bruises and scars. Clothing in tatters. Well if he'd been fighting those creatures for long enough that he was familiar with their movements, of course he'd look dirtied up.

But when the big one, the thick, ape-like one, soared at him, the man barely managing to block its obviously powerful swing…

She realized it was almost like her nightmares.

The ones where the Powered Armor led to his demise.

As such…it was with great focus and pure determination, that when the monster had wrapped both of its meaty paws around the man's throat, growling in satisfaction of an assured kill.

…Lumina Farron, creator of the Cult of the Empty Sky…

Began to sing.

"I shall fear no Evil…for my loved ones will be with me."

It was…too strong.

He was too tired.

How long…had it been since he woke up in this place. Alone. Wandering. Constantly besieged by those deranged, monstrous creatures?

How long had he been fighting for his life? Running, for his life?

The ape-like flesh monster was powerful. Each blow he tried to block or redirect was like the fist of a giant. Each movement like that of an olympic-level boxer.

He could barely focus. Barely think. It was battle, after battle, after battle.

While all that surrounded him was…darkness. Howling winds and flashing lightning.

He was backed into a wall. Literally. He was exhausted. The space he was in may have been fairly easy to twist to his need in terms of combat but…

So little rest.

When was the last time he ate? The last time he slept? Hell, when was the last time he needed to take a piss?

This place…it was hell.

So when the monster had clenched his neck…he barely fought.

What was there to struggle for? He was beaten.

Why keep running? He was cornered.

Why keep fighting? …he was defeated.

As his vision became blurred from his throat being constricted…he ceased his struggles. There was no point. In this world without-

"…e are one!
And All!"

…color…?

It…what was that…?

That…flicker of…color…

The first…the first sign of color he'd seen since he woke in this space.

What…was that…?

"…ay…courageous and strong."

…a voice…?

No…no many voices…

"…be…just who you are."

And that…that color…it was…growing? Yes…yes it was…coating the desolate air above.

What…what is…going on?

"…I believe…"

Maybe…maybe it wasn't…time to give up yet.

"The Power of Bonds!"

She sang.

"We are one!"
"Yes, you and I!"

Even when his hands snapped up to the arms of the beast, she sang.

"And All!"
"With Hearts so Strong!"

When a surge of strength rippled through his body, right leg lancing forward, punting the creature away from him with a distortion of air, she sang.

"You don't have to feel alone."
"No more cries."

He dropped to the ground, coughing, gasping for air. The monster stood, howling.

Still, she sang.

"I am there for you!"

The monster leapt from its impact site, roaring angrily. Fist pulled back, as the man's head rose weakly.

"AEGIS!"

She continued, to sing.

"We are one!"
"Yes, you and I!"

The beast's fist crashed onto an invisible wall with a mighty KWANG before it was thrown away, tumbling backwards.

Yet as the collective of those remained gasped at the sight of a blonde woman wearing a beautiful pale green dress flickered in and out of view, standing before the man as if a guardian…

She still sang.

"And All!"
"With Faith so Pure!"

And even when the monster got up, before suddenly its arms were wrenched to the side by the appearance of gleaming silver chains. Even when a different woman appeared, skin the same shade as the man's, hair a lengthy lavender, wearing a dress made of amethyst; her hands placed firmly with palms upon the ground.

All she did was sing.

"You don't have to feel alone now,"
"We can, yes,"

So it is no surprise that when the man's right arm snapped up to above his head, a single finger pointing towards the heavens.

She finished her song.

"'Cause We're there, for you."

And as Lumina's power played the final piano notes of the song she chose to sing, to bring into reality through her power over illusions, she only blinked at the immense wave of force that ripped from the air above his finger.

As she pushed her focus on keeping the song's final notes going, she watched the air above that finger, turn black.

As this time, he spoke.

"DYNAMIS!"

He stood up as he belted out a word that made no sense. Hand opening and then clenching around the shimmering black dot in the air.

"WORLD!"

A second shockwave erupted from his enclosed fist. Scraggly tendrils of stark black spark lanced their way around his arm, the ground beneath his feet splintering, fist looking like the core of a plasma globe. A ring of something emerged from the dirt below him, coming to halt at the exact center of the now spherical distortion of coal-shaded light containing bolts of violet lightning.

"SHAKING!"

With a violent flourish, the fist came down upon the ground, a flicker of clear distorted air rippling off the impact zone, before a flare of violet tore into the gaze of any who would observe. The ground buckled and crumbled as the planet-shaped shaped attack crackled and morphed before rocketing towards the ape-like flesh-demon, carving a small trench through the ground as it slowly lifted, before crashing into the beast.

Said beast roared in agony and rage as the devastating attack engulfed it, halting around its body and tearing it apart with forces unknown. A dying, anguished screech echoed as the sphere collapsed upon itself, twisting in a counter-clockwise, crackling spiral that exploded outwards into a mighty orb, before shrinking inward, becoming in seconds, a tiny black dot, that flickered once…twice…thrice…and then faded away.

As the dust settled, the crumbled dirt finished dropping from the air from whence it was lifted…the man slowly stood back up…turning…

And beginning to walk, slowly, towards the small group that had Lumina at the head, a few feet from the rest, being Alexander, Jin, Alma, and a newly approached Becket, Mariko, Medea, Kate and Kiera Stokes.

The man paid them no heed, not even noticing as Claire tried to step forward to move Lumina, who took a few steps to approach the man…

He stopped right in front of her.

And then dropped to his knees, arms snapping out, wrapping around Lumina's waist…while he buried his face right in her chest.

Sobbing.

The others expected…different.

Usually when a man shoves his face into a girl's chest there's a very specific reason for it. Though to be fair, it was a little closer to her upper stomach than her dead-on chest. But yes. The man was sobbing. Gut-wrenching, body-shaking heaves of absolute sorrow and pain. In shock, it was all Lumina could do to…lift her arm and gently stroke the back of his head.

She'd seen him in many states.

But never…vulnerable like this.

It was after a solid minute of just…trying her best to comfort him, did he pull away.

His eyes were watery and reddened. Tears still streaking down his face. His hair a mess, matted to his forehead with clumps of sweat and dried blood. She herself was not without her own tears. She'd missed him something fierce, even if it paled in comparison to his three girls.

But here he was.

Trying to be strong, for her.

Gently, his arms left her back, sliding around her neck, brushing her hair aside before both hands were placed on her cheeks. His thumbs flicked out, wiped her tears.

And then he spoke, broken.

"…he-ey gorgeous."

He gave a broken smile.

"…long time no see."

It was him.

There was no other explanation.

Tears were in her eyes as she stared at the kneeling, battered form of the man who had brought hope and light back into her life.

But she still couldn't feel him.

Thankfully, the previous experience of being cut off from him taught her that their connection could be disrupted, but it could also be repaired. The girl, Angelica, Obsidia, whatever her name was, was nowhere to be found…but that didn't mean anything.

However, Alma had (reluctantly) turned her gaze from the figure of the man she wanted a family with, to the woman she shared him with.

Well, one of them, at least.

Catching Medea's attention was difficult, but a psychic prod to the woman's side got her to look. It was there, that Alma gestured to her eyes, before pointing at the kneeling man.

Medea looked confused. Alma gave a visible huff and gestured again. Eyes. Man. This time though, she tapped her wrist as well.

It was then that Medea understood. Alma watched the blunette close her own eyes…and then shudder.

Her heart sank, at the teary, despondent look she received, prior to the soft shake of head.

The future had still refused to change…

"Y'know…at this rate I think my favorite color might end up changing to pink."

Lumina gave a soft giggle. Seth was still on his knees, hands now holding hers. Their tears had dried, though he still looked positively exhausted.

"Still…" His voice turned melancholy. "…while I'm happy to see you…I'm…sorry you're here."

That…got Lumina's attention.

The specific usage of the words 'you're here'.

…because she didn't know where 'here' was.

"…where is…here? Where are we?"

Either he'd gone insane or…no…no he couldn't have…

Because she'd seen it. While she was singing. Brief…flickers of something different. Something wrong.

A completely different landscape to the one she was familiar with. Somewhere that wasn't the grove of trees that the wedding was being held in.

Selh'teus got up slowly, releasing her hands to gesture as he turned.

Lumina quickly used his lack of attention to motion to Alma. A few frantic gestures and the psychic understood. Locking hands with Medea, the psychic closed her eyes.

She couldn't…connect to the man who Lumina was certain was Seth. But she could, connect to Lumina.

And from there, project the images Lumina was seeing, into the other's minds.

As one, their visions faded into the sight that the man who appeared to be Selh'teus Rodin, had been seeing for the past year.

Darkness.

An eternal night sky. The blackness of the wilderness…but the sky held no stars. The landscape was barren, dusted, rocky crags. Few trees, patches of grassed dirt, with stone and masonry floating of its own volition in the air. Broken-down buildings, hollowed out cars, rusted ships in a desert of colorless sand.

A constant low howling wind resounded through the air, as occasional flashes of pale white illuminated the landscape. Lightning, but from where, to where, nobody could discern.

And then he began to speak.

"I don't know. I woke up in this place and…have been wandering ever since. I've started mentally calling it the 'Ascendant Realm'."

"You…never found anyone else?"

"No. Just those monsters. They're everywhere, and they seem to like hounding me. It's been fight after fight after fight after fight. You're…the first thing of actual color I've seen in Tia knows how long."

He looked back at her with a pained smile, when he said that.

She was…horrified.

"How…how did you get…here? To-to me, I mean."

She didn't know what she was doing. She just…had to keep him talking. Maybe…maybe if she did then…

"Vex jumpgate, apparently."

"…a what?"

He gave a chuckle. This one however, had actual mirth in it. The smile was less pained.

"Imagine a…giant circle." …suddenly, one appeared in the air.

"Oh you can still do that here. Awesome." The smile became stronger.

"Right so…its made of cobbled together slabs of bent, bronzed metal." Indeed, it became so. "They slowly rotate. Generally counter-clockwise." It was so.

"And there's a gentle aura of pale, glowing white light coming out of one side, in a sort of pattern of multiple length boxes, like…if coral growth were made out of squares."

That one took…a few moments, but then it began to grow.

"Perfect. It also gives off a soft, kind of…uhh…holy hum? Like a 'haaaaaaaaaaa' only a bit lower pitched and not loud but kind of background noise, if you know what I mean."

It took a few shifts in tone but eventually the ring made the exact noise he described.

"Damn…you're good." The grin was wide now.

That was why she made it. To distract him…give him hope…life…see him smile again.

"Yeah…that's perfect. That's a Vex Jumpgate. It propels whatever goes through it, forward in a specified direction for a specific distance, where there's usually another one to either continue the projection, or weaken landing momentum to safe levels."

The ring pulsed and then faded away.

"But…there was no receiving…gate? Here?"

He nodded, sighing. At the same time, Alma released the image, everyone else's view, fading back to the grove.

"I jumped through, trying to get away from the things. It…clearly didn't work."

"And those things…you don't know what they are?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't know anything other than they're aggressive as hell, don't speak any comprehensible language at all, and keep trying to rip me to pieces. I'm just lucky I haven't run into a spider-looking one or…well I'd be dead."

She frowned, nodding. Spiders were his greatest weakness, causing his mind to do a triple-take before trying to lock itself out of all cognitive function. If he could get away from one before his brain fully registered what he was seeing, he'd be left with just a shuddering headache. If not…

"And now I'm really hoping that by saying it I didn't just summon one…"

He grumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"This place…wherever it is…is pretty malleable."

"Malleable? How so?"

"My power…has always been pretty strong. Especially when I cut loose. But here…here I've been pulling shit off I never imagined I could, before. Even in Survival Mode. And…I don't know how long I've been here. My phone was smashed and I never bought that dragon-eye pocketwatch I was thinking of getting. But I haven't…needed to perform any of the usual human survival requirements."

"…like…?" she prodded.

"Eating, sleeping, taking a shit…anything of that nature. I haven't felt hungry, and the tiredness is…it feels more like a…a damn meter. Like I've got a stamina bar that depletes over time but once I'm out of combat it just starts refilling. Not to mention sometimes this place will just…shift and change. Like…I'll feel like I passed the same rock five times, and then suddenly there's a hole next to it and some dirt path going through. Or I'll drop down a small ledge and suddenly I'm in a ruined city."

"…but wait." There was something off about what he said.

"The sky…kinda has pink in it."

The smile came back. "That…is because of you, Lumi."

"Huh?" Her? How could-…wait…

"I was gonna give up." There it was. Plain and simple. "My tiredness may be mostly battle fatigue but…being in this place for longer than I really know? Seeing the same looking…colorless plains of broken everything? Constantly fighting for a life I didn't even feel like I was living? It's like this place should be called Plains of Depression cause really there was nothing here."

Her posture weakened at that.

"That big thing was gonna kill me…and honestly? I was about to let it."

Lumina didn't twitch at all at the sound of about twenty chairs shattering. Alma…didn't take well to that statement, it seemed.

Suspiciously – to Lumina, at least – he didn't seem to notice that either. Despite the loudness of the sudden structural get-fucked-ery of the chairs being absolutely obliterated…he didn't hear it. Didn't react at all.

"…and then I saw a flicker of color. A light…in the dark. A soft…pink glow, coming from behind me…infecting the sky. It was weak, it was hazy, but it was there. And then I heard…barely, the voices. Voices calling out. And I thought to myself…something has changed. I can't die here…not yet…because something changed."

He'd…been speaking softly. Barely heard over the background winds.

"So I pooled everything I had and…fought back."

"…you were going to give up? But…but what about Alma?! And Medea, and Marie?! You were…just going to-

"Lumi. …have you seen them?"

"Yes."

"Are they okay?"

"…they miss you. They need yo-

"Lumi. Are they okay?"

"…yes." It was reluctantly stated, but stated regardless.

He shrugged. "What else can I say? I miss them terribly. I missed all of you. But…I'm here. And they aren't. And the most important thing is If anything I'd rather it be that way."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because you're here, and as much as I'm happy to see a friendly face, I'm not happy you're here."

That…was a confusing statement.

"What do you mean."

"You…being here means you got stuck here the way I did. You being here means that there's a way in but not exactly a way out, something I'd already figured. You being here…makes me worry you got here the same way I did. But most importantly, you being here, while none of them are, means that, right now, as much as I love each and every one of them, you are…my priority."

"…I was at a wedding."

"What happened?"

"…nothing. That's the thing. Just…one second, I'm in my seat, watching the priest about to finish marrying the two and then…suddenly you come crashing in, there's monsters appearing out of nowhere and…I'm here."

Not…the entire truth, but enough.

Something was clearly wrong. He was obviously in 'survive' mode.

And…most importantly, he obviously couldn't see anyone but her.

Even though everyone could see, and hear, him.

He was about to respond, when a low, echoing, monstrous howl resounded through the air.

Lumina's eyes widened. "…we need to go."

He sighed. "We can't."

Her gaze snapped to him. "What?!"

"We're stuck here. Jumpgate, remember? With no receiving end. I crossed a chasm of absolutely pitch black. I don't know if there's a ground, or if we'd be falling until we stopped breathing."

"I can make one-

"You make illusions, Lumi. Extremely accurate ones, but still, illusions. Alma was the one who backed your illusions with presence, remember?"

Oh she remembered. Every few nights, she remembered.

She cast a shaky look back, seeing the worry and tenseness of everyone else. Even as the world's shape shuddered back and forth between the reality she knew, and the strange…empty dimension he was apparently stuck in.

"There's nowhere for us to run…" He suddenly got a strange look on his face.

"…top priority…huh…?" he muttered to himself.

If the world was malleable…

If the sky changed, permanently just by her making her presence known…

Then…maybe…

"…ok…gross plan time…"

"Seth?"

"Ok random question." He suddenly stated, next to her, and…with shocking strength.

"Uhh?"

"…do you have a boyfriend?"

Everyone was…absolutely floored. What kind of question was that, to ask a fifteen year old girl, who…was clearly being caught up in some horrifically supernatural bullshit, when there was the early-warning of an impending group of rabid hellbeasts coming.

"…wait did he say gross plan?" Aranea suddenly asked.

Before anyone could answer, Lumina did.

"No…?"

And Seth just barreled on.

"Girlfriend?"

Lumina's head jerked back. "No!"

His eyebrow quirked. "You Aro? Ace?"

"Wh-No! I…I just…haven't really…thought about it."

He nodded casually, looking back into the space where there would be a dirt path through a treeline in reality, but was just a wall of shadows in the Realm.

"Ahh. Cool, cool."

She looked at him strangely.

"Why…are you asking?"

He sighed. Hard. And then began a string of low sentences muttering away something about 'supernatural bullshittery'.

"Just cause…I'd rather keep the number of people pissed at me localized to you."

"what are yo-mmMM?"

…and then he swiftly knelt down…grabbed her cheeks and kissed her.

It was sudden.

It was unexpected.

It…wasn't unpleasant.

But it was, her first kiss.

He'd just stolen her first kiss.

And yet that wasn't…the oddest part of it.

It was swift, but gentle. Pressing, but tender.

His grip on her cheeks was strong but yet caring, like one holding firm a newborn. Strong enough to keep its head aloft, but gentle enough to not crush it.

It was all of those things and…was that peppermint she tasted?

But above all else…while his eyes were closed, hers were open.

And she saw them.

Three women.

Three women that resembled nobody she'd ever met before.

The first, a blonde. Tall, fair skinned, wearing a dress that looked a pale green, seafoam, but to Lumina, a pale almost jade. She smiled softly, bowing forward, as if in greeting.

The second, was the total opposite. Short, maybe around Mariko's height of just over five feet. Hair as dark as night, streaked with blood red. Flesh as pale as the full moon, wearing a tattered black dress that flared out at the waist into a black and red checker pattern. Her bare arms were littered with jagged, wicked looking scars, eyes glowing a dark red, hair done up in two, long braided pigtails. She gave a coy grin and a thumbs up, nodding sharply at Lumina.

And the third…a mixture of the two, in terms of height. She was darker skinned, a gentle caramel, much like Selh'teus himself. Hair tied into a ponytail behind her, a pair of black glasses sit gently on her nose. Her hair was a pale lavender, and she was wearing a dress of a reflective purple color, like glittering amethyst. She gave a wide smile, a gentle nod and a soft wave.

And then suddenly, they vanished, as the world around her, shuddered.

As he pulled away gently, eyes opening slowly, and locking on to hers.

"Oh Light of my Life…"

She wasn't the only one who saw them. The three women.

They all did.

Medea didn't recognize them from descriptions of his 'guardians', the fragments of his sanity turned into echoes of self that kept him alive long enough to meet her.

Mariko had not yet been told about them from him, only hearing names and occasional references.

And Alma…

Alma didn't match any of the three, to the seven voices and images she'd seen over the time she'd been in his head.

…instead…the first two…seemed scarily familiar.

Pity that none of them had spoken. She'd have known who they were, if they did.

The kiss had been swift but gentle. It surprised all of them, clearly even Lumina, whose hands had been frozen in place.

…but it was what he spoke…that changed it all.

"Eternal be thy gracious glow,
to lead our wayward fam'ly home."

In a sudden burst of color, seven shimmering lights spiraled out of his chest.

Yellow, red, green, blue, black, white, and silver, all gently hovered in a loose ring around the two, before flashing twice, rotating clockwise thrice, and rapidly shooting into the air, where they merged into a single conglomerate sphere, before flattening out and exploding into a massive Aurora that coated the sky in a shimmering veil of color.

…and then…footsteps.

A gentle hand, placed upon her shoulder. Lumina jumped, head snapping to her left, breaking the gaze she had with Selh'teus. A man. Bare chested, flesh the color of coffee, hair darker than the deepest shadows falling around his shoulders in soft waves. A golden ankh around his neck, bangles of silver and gold on his wrists and ankles. Bare feet padded along her side, as he softly passed her, nodding respectfully.

A rustling to her right. Her head turned again, to see a gorgeous, olive-skinned woman with dawnbreak orange hair fluttering behind her. A tight, white button up shirt that looked like it was barely big enough for her fairly considerable chest, a black and red checker patterned skirt, but most importantly, the fox ears on her head, and tail flicking away from just above the skirt. Her arms were stretched above her head, back arched as if trying to work out a kink in it, as she padded forward, yawning as if just waking from a nap.

Another man. To the right of the natural redhead. Just shorter than the first, who was extremely tall and well built. This one, clad in a pine green open denim jacket, blue jeans, skin the color of a good bar of chocolate, hair wild and shaggy but just below his ears. Deep forest green eyes met hers, a smirk on his face as he cracked his knuckles.

A third appeared. Another man on her left. This one shorter, smaller, leaner. Brown-skinned, but pale. Like hot cocoa with a dash of milk added to it. Hair as black as the other men, but short and curly. A pair of swimming goggles rest around his neck, and all he wore was a pair of dark blue swim trunks. Eyes like that of the ocean's depths turned towards hers. His head nodded to her, once, before returning forward. Where he stepped, seemed to darken as if dampened by water, before returning to its previous state.

A second woman appeared, also on the left. Skin a dark chocolate, hair wild and untamed, shaggier than the green-eyed man's, and a gorgeous violet. She too was barefoot, but was clad in what looked like a twilight purple martial-arts top that had its sleeves violently ripped off. Also it seemed to be made out of fur. She was as tall as the man with the ankh, and just as solidly built. Her lower half was clad in what looked like black yoga pants, and a thick chord with what looked like animal fangs dangling from it, adorned her neck. Her eyes were black as night, and she gave Lumina a feral, wild grin.

A third woman. Younger looking than the second, perhaps the same age as the first. Bubblegum pink hair fluttered behind her with every step. What flesh could be seen beyond the japanese-style school-girl uniform, was an unblemished cream. She gave a gentle smile, blue eyes shimmering, before holding herself steady to the right of the green-eyed man.

And then finally, just behind the still kneeling Selh'teus, formed one, final woman.

Hair like crimson flame, tied in a high ponytail. She stood tall, almost as tall as the man and woman on the left, clad in what looked like a business uniform. Black slacks, black jacket, white shirt, grey tie. She also seemed to be wearing a pair of dark grey gloves. She looked back, first at Selh'teus, then at Lumina, giving a sharp, curt nod, as her emerald green eyes met Lumina's own.

They had placed themselves in a loose ring around the two, before turning as one.

"Thank you…Lumina." Selh'teus spoke.

"…wh…what…?"

"For bringing my family back to me."

Medea's hands had shot to her mouth. "It's them…" she muttered softly.

Mariko was rapidly looking between her shocked mistress and the group of people that had just materialized out of nowhere, confused.

Alma, just gave a watery smile. She…no…none of them knew what was going on. But it brought her nothing but joy, to know, to see, that the seven fragments of his broken childhood mind had made an appearance.

It truly confirmed that the man was her missing lover.

"…family…?" Becket muttered, questioning.

"Seven pieces of a child's broken mind." Alma responded, softly. The watchers all looked at her. "Seven voices, born from a shattered self, to keep him alive when all he wanted to do was die." She continued.

"Seven pieces of broken dreams and sundered hopes, turned into lives and love to stave off the pain." Medea whispered.

Alma nodded. "They are reflections of himself, reflections of his sight. Echoes of the last ditch effort to bring Meaning to existence."

She sighed. "They were voices, images, in his mind, his heart. I could hear them, but not exactly interact with them. They were his and his alone, but they could react to things happening outside of him. But they are…were…nothing more than just reflections of his thoughts and will."

"Only now…they're real." Jin supplied.

Alma nodded again. "His Guardians, his Family…"

And yet…it was Eveline that put it all together.

"…they…they are the Guardians of Ideya…!"

Medea's and Alma's heads snapped to the brunette that spoke.

"Wh-when Angelica…when she fought you…she…she ripped those colors out of him. Remember? And she…she said something about facing the 'truth of our existence', about the 'Guardians of Ideya'!" She whisper yelled.

Alma's eyes widened as she remembered. "…that's right…and then suddenly she…"

"Became a God."

Alexander finished.

It was on that note, that the howl returned.

"…family…?"

Lumina whispered.

"You know…how you…broke…a little…when you thought that Claire saw you as a burden?"

She frowned but nodded. "I didn't think."

A soft gasp slipped out.

He nodded in return.

"When I broke…I made them. And for years…they were the only things keeping me going."

Suddenly, the man with the ankh spoke.

"We are all he, and he is all We."

Selh'teus nodded. "Seven fragments of a broken child's mind, forged for survival, kept for stability, grown, to see the world with Eyes Unclouded."

"…how…?"

"Thanks to you, Lumi." He smiled at her. And immediately, despite the definite violation of her personal space, and the theft of her first kiss, her cheeks grew warm, and her head bowed.

Gently, his hand grasp her chin and raise it, until they were looking at each other again.

"Without you…I wouldn't have been able to summon them. I wouldn't have even thought of trying."

"But…I didn't-

"You did. You're here. And because you're here, you give me something to live for. To fight for. Before, it was simply my own survival, and that wasn't enough to resist this oppressing place. It's…It's like I said. I'm not happy you're here…but I'm glad to have you with me."

She nodded, understanding.

…and then the howl.

"Kuru da, nii-san." The fuku-clad girl muttered, sounding irritated at the interruption.

"Ah. Ryōkaishimashita, Juri-nee." Was his response.

"Pity you couldn't just summon us for tea, brother." Spoke the goggled one.

"Malleable as this place is…we'd be better off if I didn't have to find some way to manifest you, Chaos."

The goggled one nodded. "Indeed."

"Boss, what's the plan?" The suit woman asked.

"We crush everything that comes at us. Nothing touches Lumina. And hopefully, eventually, we either make this place Ours, or we find a way out. At this point, I don't care which one, Ruki."

"Understood." She replied.

The air began to thicken.

"Bro! Shirt me!" exclaimed the fox-girl.

Having turned to face the shadows, Selh'teus' right hand lashed out, gripping the shirt right between the girl's breasts. His hand clenched, a distortion ripple washed over the cloth, and suddenly it exploded into scraps. The girl however, grinned wildly, as a burst of flame had covered her chest before fading into a flame patterned-black tube-top beneath a sunset orange denim vest.

"Much better!" The flames appeared again, turning into a pair of arm bracers, as around her lower legs formed a similarly bronzed pair of greaves.

The ankh-bearer's hands clapped loudly, before he placed his right gently upon the ground. Sparks of golden lightning ripped from his palm, as the stone beneath him cratered. Slowly, he rose, and with it, did the stone, in the form of a long shaft, that shimmered a brilliant gold, before turning into a spear.

As the air shuddered, the shadows gathering in the distance, the pink haired girl's hands clasped together in prayer. Her hands glowed a shimmering white, before forming into a small sword and shield. Her legs parted, her stance set.

The goggled man sighed. "And here I was enjoying my mortal form." He shook his head, stepping forward, before his body seemed to buckle violently. His skin rippled, his back shuddered, his neck tensed, and suddenly, with one final violent twitch, his skin, burst away.

In place of what was once a man, was a…two legged, bi-pedal creature that seemed to be made of pure water. A pulsing shape like that of a brain, could be seen at the top of its head, as two, flat oval shaped panels were suspended in place like eyes. It had lanky arms tipped in three claws, like a hand missing two fingers, and legs that led into two foot-like protrusions.

Lumina was shocked. She wasn't the only one. The others watching, the ones that went unseen by Selh'teus or his family, were gaping.

Even Medea had no idea what just happened.

As that happened, the green eyed man had placed his right hand into the palm of his left, and a distortion of air emerged as he drew it away, a single-edged, curved sword emerging from the empty space.

"Lets make this quick, yeah? We've got other shit to take care of."

The violet-gi'd woman gave a wider grin. The air around her darkened to being nearly pitch black. She gripped the Shadows tightly, and from within, came a wicked looking sword made of what looked like burnt flesh wrapped around a chunk of sharpened metal.

"…is that the fucking Soul Edge…?" Whispered an awed Kate, staring at the group that was suddenly manifesting weaponry before their very eyes.

"This shouldn't be possible…" absently spoke Medea.

"He always believed…that there was more to the world than we knew." Mariko retorted, solidly. "That our powers, people like us being born…it was just the tip of the iceberg. That the world always had something more to it…something we couldn't explain, even before the changes that brought us around, happened."

They listened. She hadn't stopped staring straight ahead, though.

"Alma showed us what Lumina saw, which is what he sees. Right now, at this very moment, he isn't in a clearing behind a museum, he's in an entirely different space, of barren wastes and blackened skies. We can see him, we can hear him, but he hasn't once made note of us."

The suit clad woman flicked her wrists, and a pair of small blades formed from somewhere beneath her sleeves.

"Somehow, Lumina is in both places at once. Here, in our reality, and yet there, in his. He said that place was malleable, that it inhibited standard human needs, that he recovered faster than he ever expected. What if that…'Ascendant Realm' is just some kind of layer of existence we cannot normally perceive? What if things like this…are normal there? Alma alone can tear reality apart if she lets loose as it is…what is to say that…the world he sees right now…isn't just the other side of this one?"

"Then why did he break the cake?"

It seems like a stupid question. But actually, it was the best one.

"Maybe this place is a bridge." Alma responded to Kiera stokes. And then shook her head. "Or maybe something or someone here is an anchor. He warned me of the possibility of Dead Zones, places in the world where supernatural powers like mine, might not work any longer. 'Everything has an equal and opposite' he said. Powers like ours would be no different. It could honestly be that something or someone here, is acting as a beacon to the world he's been trapped in. The…other side of Nothing."

The howl came again. The shadows distorted.

The Horde…had come.

"…Mom."

Alma's head tilted slightly towards her son.

"…I need you to pay full attention to what's happening."

"…ok, why?"

"Because if he was able to break the cake, that means at least in some way, he can touch where we are. And if he can, we need to be ready for them to be able to as well."

She understood. "Just because they haven't paid attention to us yet doesn't mean they won't. Got it. I'll be ready."

Claire piped up. "If we have to…Marie…grab Lumina, and we can…I guess have her make weapons for you guys."

"Good idea." Becket agreed.

They were ready. Weapons in hand, Lumina backed away but still in dashing range. They were spread out like a wall.

"Lets wreck some shit!" the violet-haired woman roared.

"Battle routine, set!" Selh'teus called.

His response, was seven voices calling at once.

"EXECUTE!"

It was…interesting. To watch him and his Guardians fight.

They were…not in the slightest, a cohesive unit. Oh they covered each other, they defended one another, but…there were so many close calls. A ball of launched flame coming dangerously close to searing the nose off of one of them only to hit a leaping creature in the face. A spear of frost narrowly missing the left leg of another, tripping up the larger-monkey-like creature as it was about to clobber the pink-haired one in the back of the head.

It was as if they were all just reacting instinctively, with astounding craftsmanship and control over their powers, but no real combat experience.

And yet…they made it work.

Not only that…but there was…a sense of joy coming off of each and every one of them. Laughing and hollering, cheering and even dancing in mid-strike…like it was some kind of party. Or game. Or just…enjoyment of presence.

Still, after three minutes of combat, wherein the group of eight astounded their unknown watchers with a shocking coordination made from an absolute lack of it, we encounter, the following exchange.

"So bro?" called the voice of Kira, the redhaired, fox-tailed woman that looked to just be out of her teens.

"Yo." Came Seth's returning acknowledgement, ducking under a lunging scrabbler, before lashing out with a distortion-laden foot and knocking another away.

"I don't mean to criticize but…are you married to the cake-splattered look? Cause it's…not really doing anything for you."

Suddenly he stopped, looked down upon himself, and realized yes. He was still covered in cake. A quick glance over back where Lumina was watching, head and eyes darting left and right as if trying to see every skirmish at once, told him that somehow she was untouched by his unintended additions.

Another beat passed.

"EYYO CHAOS! CAN Y'BOI GET A HOLLA WITTA QUICK RINSE?!"

A sudden densifying of the air around him, followed by the equivalent of a large bucket's worth of water (comfortably warm, like a nice sunny patch of swimming pool), dumped upon his head.

As that happened, about fifteen feet away, another exchange was occurring.

Wes, the jacket-wearing man, bisected a scrabbler with his curved blade, before turning to face his brother.

"And that's 20 so far! I'm up by one!"

Said brother, was Anubis, the shirtless chocolate god, wielding a long spear. However instead of impaling his target, the man made a wide sweeping gesture leading into a clenched fist. A literal torrent of finely ground stone erupted from the dirt beneath a Knuckledragger, wrapping around it like a cocoon, before violently compressing. When the grains fell, so too did fleshy chunks, that burst into dust.

"Where did you learn to count?" came the sarcastic query. "If anything, we're even at this point."

Three blade-shaped glows launched between the two, taking out three more scrabblers.

"Boys, boys." Came the voice of Ruki, the crimson-haired woman in a surprisingly still clean looking business suit.

"Its not over till the fat lady sings. Besides. I'm up by five."

"I AINT HEARD NO FAT LADY!"

"Wes, brother, I do so tire of hearing of your strange BBW kink. Must you constantly mention your alleged side-woman in front of your wife, at the tail end of every competition?"

A flash of light distracted Wes from his reply.

"Juri's surrounded."

Anubis backhanded a leaping scrabbler. "That she is."

It would have been an issue, had the aforementioned pink-haired, fuku-wearing young woman not made an astonishingly large backflip backwards out of the converging group of four scrabblers and a Knuckledragger.

And then she proceeded to raise her sword to the sky.

"HEY! LUCEID! BRIGHTWAVE INCOMING!"

The wild-haired woman, wielding a blade larger than she was (and she was, fairly tall, and quite well defined), responded by carving through two Knuckledraggers, three scrabblers, and a random stone pillar; all in a single swing, before throwing a careless wave and leaping about fifteen feet to her right.

All just as a brilliant helix of light raced down from the heavens, into Juri's blade.

The small sword shone with an incredible light as the girl pulled her arm back, shining weapon with its tip pointed right towards the small group that had once surrounded her.

"KOURYUU!
METSUGASOU!"

At her exclamation, the light burst from her blade in the form of two spiraling dragon heads that raced through the air. The illuminating fury of the small asian girl ripped through the target group, searing them to ash upon contact with the holy rays.

Alma and the others were stunned. Even though of them, only Kate, Claire, and Jin, were unaware of the amazing feats that Angelica had pulled off, in her fight against Alma.

"Hmm. She's not fucking around, is she?" Ruki asked, taking the lull in battle for a moment to rest.

"Can you truly blame her?" Was Anubis' quiet reply. "Our brother was nearly lost, even to himself. And we with him. Echoes…shadows…reflections…persona, we may be…but…"

"We've grown enough…and he's grown enough, that we're autonomous enough from him that we could be considered our own people." Wes concluded. To which Anubis nodded.

"Indeed. She loves him. As we all do." He stated, watching Seth weave between swings of a Knuckledragger, darting forward and pummeling its flesh-covered face, ducking below a wild haymaker, before snap-kicking it in the chin.

"And now, thanks to little Lumina, we can be by his side, properly." Ruki finished.

There was…a sense of irony…to that statement.

A torrent of water, shaped in a winding whip, lashed one last Knuckledragger over to the pair of Seth and Kira.

"Poor thing looks a little waterlogged doesn't it?" The kitsune quipped.

"Shall we dry him off then?" was his retort.

A burning orange aura emerged from the woman. She lashed out a fist, and Seth matched. The two bumped knuckles and suddenly the aura was also around him as well.

"Put it through the spin cycle, bro?"

"If we ain't spinnin' we ain't winnin'!"

Two matching grins as both of them twirled once, in opposite directions, curling in upon themselves.

"KUUHA!
BAKUENDAN!"

Their combined cry, heralded a wave of flame erupting around both of them, as the two rocketed off the ground in a multi-revolution strike. Seth's gravitational field combined with Kira's pyrokinesis and the two burning drills tore into the last Knuckledragger, carrying it away, where it crumbled to ashes.

The two landed in sync, then turned around and hi-fived, grinning wildly.

But…that point of irony…mentioned before?

…it just hit.

When the ashes fluttered away, Selh'teus had surveyed his group. Taking a look towards Lumina who was still staring in awe, he grinned.

"Well. I'd say we just declared ourse-

*BUH-THUMP*

A sudden pulse ripped through him. Starting from his chest, racing through his veins. Everyone. Everyone. Watched as his arms seemed to buckle, his flesh seemed to ripple, all before his hands shot to his chest, and he dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe.

"Bro wha-

Kira. Was cut off.

As the seven Guardians of Idea, all flickered like a static image.

Before bursting into motes of light appearing like many tiny spinning wheels.

They stared at the sight. Frozen.

"What…just-

*FSHHHZZZRRT*

A teal light erupted into the space about thirty feet from where Selh'teus had fallen to his knees. And from it…a…person.

"So. This is where you shot off to."

Selh'teus turned, slowly getting up. The heavy, pulsing, ache in his everything was beginning to fade. But that persisting…buzz in his head, the fuzzy sensation at the tips of his fingers…that remained.

Of course…for him, that was familiar.

The man…clad in what looked like a powersuit made of pale blue-tinted grey armor, with an enclosed helm with two glowing sky-blue slits for eyes, stepped forward slightly.

"Thought…" Seth spoke, panting. "Thought I'd ditched you…a while ago."

The man…chuckled. "You did. I shouldn't have been surprised you survived that fall."

"…how."

You could almost hear the sarcastic smile. "Color doesn't exist in this place unless I make it. So how…odd was it, to see the sky shine pink?"

Ahh…fuckin knew it.

"Well then. Time for this chase to end."

Another teal light. Within the armored man's hands, formed a bulky rifle. The S-HV Penetrator. The man lifted said rifle, aiming directly at the still panting Selh'teus.

*rrrrRRRRRRAAAAAEEEEEEEEAAAAAAEEERRRR*

And yet before he could fire, a shrill screech echoed.

And he was smashed in the face by a pair of boots attached to a blur of clothing.

Whoever they are, they're fast as hell.

Two women, had just suddenly appeared, and began wailing on the armored man. He'd barely had time to react, to recover, since the initial assault of an extremely delicious looking dropkick to his masked face. They moved in tandem, covering each other's openings well.

The one, seemed dressed in a dark grey kimono underneath a blood red half-jacket. This one was the dasher of the two, seeming to almost teleport from place to place, before swinging with vicious intent, a reverse-held blade. From what glint of faint light he could see upon clashing with the armor's surprisingly sturdy gun, it looked vaguely as if it were a tanto.

The other, however, was a whirlwind of lashing limbs. Long, pigtailed ash-grey hair fluttered like a veil, body in a faded murky red hoodie, a similarly grey and black checker patterned skirt, tattered lavender leggings, and a small pair of boots were what the second one wore.

Her chosen method of attack seemed to be a gale of martial arts, with strikes focused in the form of clawing and grasping motions, rapid battering jabs, and wide-hooked swings of leg for kicks. As if an enraged beast, given human form.

The kicker, however, was both women bore a pair of what looked like ears shaped in the guise of a feline, along with similar matching tails. Combine that with the unusual sense of familiarity that Seth was experiencing – along with the slowly fading buzzing sensation he always got when this person had appeared before him – and it made for a strange sight.

Still, harried as he was, the armored man was obviously a skilled combatant, for while he was weathering the strikes and slashes, he was still unbowed. And though they were technically faster and more ferocious than he, two decisive strikes, one for each woman, sent them flying back with a pair of pained yelps.

He had tanked the blows as best he could, and when he saw a common opening, he fell into a fuzzy, glowing blue rift of distorted space, before launching his counter-attack.

However, in an event that surprised everyone further, as the women fell to the ground, defeated – how powerful was this guy to land only two swings and have both of them be round-enders? – a distortion of air appeared next to the kimono-wearer.

As it faded, a being appeared. Clad in what looked like a black business suit, the figure grasp hold of the woman, before vanishing in the ripple of air again. As that happened, a second appeared, next to the pigtailed one. This one, being a bit closer, Selh'teus could make out a little more detail in the obvious teleportaiton.

When the second one vanished, he'd noticed a small wave of black pinions appearing in mid-air, before drifting to the ground and breaking apart into downy fuzz.

Yet still…a third.

This one looked more slender than the other two, and instead, was facing Selh'teus himself.

Pale skinned, from what he could see. Pitch-black hair pulled into a low ponytail. Face obscured by a black-birdlike eye mask. It appeared, holding something long in its hands.

Said being, knelt down, placing its burden on the ground and then stared him in the eyes, before a soft, female voice spoke.

"Sway. To, and fro. Sway."

And then she vanished. Also, leaving black feathers.

…were those Tengu?

Wait…

…that woman…had said something very particular. Looking down where she left the…whatever it was, he reached out. He wanted whatever it was. And it became his. Lifting up and shooting to his hand, he caught the object…realizing it was a sheath. Flipping it around, for it had been caught with the hilt of its concealed blade facing the wrong direction, he pulled the blade out and…

…this is…?

His eyes widened. He knew this blade. He knew it very well.

After all, he'd had it shoved in his face…when he first met its owner.

"Well…that was certainly something." Came the voice of the armored man. His armor looked dinged up, small gashes littering the metal plates, a larger gash crossing the faceplate.

"…yeah…it was."

"I see you now have a weapon."

"Yeah funny thing about that…" He turned his gaze upon the armor, drawing the blade, fully.

"I think you just beat up my cats."

Silence.

"…huh."

"Yeah. Cause see…this sword? It's not mine. It belongs to someone very important to me. But…she's not here right now." And then he paused, before looking around wildly. "Uhh…at least I don't see her here."

"Indeed."

He shook his head. "Anyway. This is her sword. I'd know. She pointed it at me when we first met…but…if this is here…and those three people are who I think they are…then yeah. You just beat up my cats."

"I would apologize…but to be fair, they attacked me first."

"True…but what else would a loyal pet do but defend their human?"

"Valid point. However, I question. Do you even know how to use that?"

Selh'teus gave a feral grin. "One way to find out, I suppose." His legs parted, knees bent. The katana was raised to be just slightly off-parallel to the ground.

"Me…wa…Hoshi o mite…"

Medea's head perked up. So did Mariko's and Alma's. Both of them knew that statement.

But why would…he suddenly be saying Medea's Aria? It was strange enough that those two women suddenly appeared. It was weirder still that not only did they fight against the strange Trooper but get defeated, only to be 'rescued' by teleporters. And then…one leaves behind Marie's sword?

And now…he's…speaking Medea's Aria?

…except…they were about to find out, it wasn't.

…it wasn't hers.

It wasn't hers.

It wasn't just hers.

"Me…wa…Hoshi o mite…
Tsubasa ga oyobu Ten suru.
Nikushimi ga ai no honō ni naru
Ano onnatachi wa, Kibou no Tate ni naru.
Ano onnatachi wa, Inochi no Ken ni naru.
Fukai kokū, Hikari ga saku uchi ni
Ano Hikari ga Ai.
Ima da, kagayaku sono shinjitsu.

Kono Chinmoku ga Oretachi jibun no da!"

It was…as if the air became brighter. The sky, once black and filled with swirling misty clouds, cleared. Pinpricks of light, woven through the faint pink veil, could now be seen. The words he spoke, only the first sentence made sense to anyone that wasn't Mariko.

But even she didn't truly understand what was going on, beyond the second line.

Why would he be speaking of them? Why would he be calling them the 'Shield of Hope?' the 'Blade of Life?'

And the 'Light'…was he talking about Lumina?

She knew what the last line meant…vaguely.

'This silence is ours.'

A variation of his normal, personal Aria.

…so why…did her heart sing…to see him settle in his stance, feet planted firmly.

What was it that she knew, that she didn't know?

As she was not psychic, she could not see the sudden pulse that had seemed to ripple over his body. She could not witness the invisible wall of focus that slammed down around him. For once, there was no visible display of power, of change, within him, other than a steadying of his stance.

But Mariko Ann Kusumi could not but notice, when the ground beneath his feet cratered, as he rocketed towards the armored Trooper.

Clearly the Trooper had been taken by surprise. The obviously hasty guard was broken by the heavy vertical chop Selh'teus made. As the armored one went flying, a series of multiple distortions rippled in the air, launching fragments of floating stone as a follow-up strike. The Tooper threw his weight backwards, forcing a re-orientation to a correct landing, before engaging his power.

…or at least he tried to. Behind the mask, his eyes widened as he realized something was wrong. The most simple application of his power could not be engaged. Crossing his arms, he tanked the impact of the stones, feeling them crash into his armor. It hurt. A kind of hurt he had not felt for a long time.

Hurt…brought by facing something equal.

His sardonic chuckle became a cough as suddenly there was a foot slammed into his gut. The armor plating took most of the hit but this was a good one-hundred ninety pounds backed by rage and gravitational force. Once again he was sent flying. This time, however, he tumbled to the ground, slowly rising.

"…khuh! I…see…"

Whatever it was that man had spoken, it seemed to make him stronger.

No…not stronger. More focused.

Getting up, the Trooper ran the words through his mind.

Her eyes behold the Stars.
Her Wings reach for the Heavens.
Her Hatred becomes a Flame of Love.
Those women become a Shield of Hope.
Those women become a Sword of Life.
A Light blooms deep within the Empty Sky.
That Light is of Love.
Right now that truth shines…

This Silence, is Ours!

An Aria then…

As his right hand reached for his left, he gripped the space in front of its palm. Partitioning a thought to what he was going to bring forth, he went back to discerning the effects of the chant.

Obviously one of unity. Whoever it happens to be about, they're people he can draw some kind of strength from. People that have meaning to him. With that being the case…hmm…could that mean he now has greater control in this space than before?

The space before his left hand, rippled and morphed. A soft, pale blue glow surrounded both appendages, as his right gripped the empty air. Only…the air didn't remain empty.

He's approaching. Smart. Not trying to leave me time to draw my weapon. He's no real warrior…but he has the instinct.

But it was too late. Seth had reacted too slowly, and even as the gap between them became only a matter of feet, the Trooper had drawn his new weapon. It looked like a bunch of cobbled together metal and wires. A blade, with the vaguest similarity to a machete. Rectangular in overall shape, with steel fibers weaving in and out of the sides. It crackled with pale blue light.

The Trooper swung his blade up to meet Selh'teus' overhead swing. A loud *CLANG* resounded with the small wave of force that came from the impact.

I cannot Phasewalk like this. Whatever he did, is controlling the space around us too well.

Gritting his teeth, the Trooper pulled his free arm back. Noting the motion, Seth lashed out with a kick, meeting the Trooper's palm thrust with his foot. A ripple of force and Seth was launched backwards, however it was his intention. The thrust was negated, the Trooper's hand left with a heavy stinging sensation, and Seth was now out of range of the Trooper's strikes.

Except when the Trooper kicked off, a similar cratering of the ground to the one from Seth's initial charge, occurring. Surprised, now Seth was the one on the defensive. Calculated but wild chops were parried or dodged, but the Trooper's smaller blade allowed him to get closer than Seth's katana.

As now the Trooper was in sub-optimal range for Seth's motions of operation, the Trooper had an easier attack radius.

Shit he's fast! And I can't Shift for some reason! I can feel the impulse build but even though I know I have control over this area its like something's preventing me from properly pushing it!

A few more swings and clashes had the two at a stalemate of sorts. Seth was still dodging and trying to parry, but the Trooper was relentless and matched step for step, never giving enough space for Seth to properly counter-attack.

However, after a few narrow misses, it was obvious the Trooper had forgotten Seth's other abilities.

As the two clashed again, Selh'teus focused all of his will on the being before him.

The Trooper was confused as to why suddenly the man had stepped closer.

And then the grey in Seth's eyes, flared to life.

"Shinra Tensei."

Wait what.

A wall of near-solid force slammed into the Trooper. The metal dented, the synthetic fibers shivered, his very bones rattled at the impact before he launched away from the haggard warrior. Crashing through three chunks of floating stone, the Trooper landed heavily about thirty feet away.

Groaning, he tried to make sense of what just happened.

Shit. I thought that only worked on smaller objects, not something like my armor! Its systems should have interfered with telesthetic interactions! But…

Wait…

What if…

He had little time to think, as the *CRUNCH* of gravel of the rapidly approaching Seth heralded his coming doom. He scrambled to his feet, reaching with his left hand to his right hip. Another pale blue distortion, and he'd drawn forth another S-HV Penetrator. Though meant for steadying with two hands, the armor he wore compensated by augmenting his physical strength. It would be even more inaccurate, but it would be enough.

Firing, the super-heated metal spikes tore through the air. Their presence adding a new variable to the fight, Seth began swinging his blade. However it had the required effect. His approach was slowed, as now he had to track a multitude of projectiles, and decide if it was worth interfering with their flight-path or not. This allowed the Trooper to regain his wits, however soon the delaying tactic came to an end, as he'd exhausted all his ammo.

Yet…even if he hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered.

"Banshō Ten'in."

WHAT?!

Rather than a crushing wall, the Trooper felt himself yanked from his spot, flying towards Selh'teus. Having an idea of what was to happen, the Trooper regained control of his leg, lashing out with a vicious kick, at the exact same time that Selh'teus swung his blade. The result, was Seth taking a heavy boot to the face, while the Trooper had his already damaged helmet, carved into.

Seth went flying, the Trooper tumbled to the ground, and both of their blades were dropped.

Slamming to the dirty stone, Seth coughed and ended up flipping onto his front. Blurry, pain filled eyes began to focus, as his will pushed past the loud ringing in his head. The Trooper, however, was the first to rise. But rather than regain his weapons, he flinched, before reaching up and pulling off his helmet.

And that was where everything stopped.

Everyone. Everyone. Looked at the unmasked Trooper. The majority, with unmitigated horror, for various reasons.

Seth, however, just sighed. "Fuckin…figures…"

Unmasked…the Trooper looked to have pale, unhealthy brown skin. As if the light of the Sun were denied to him for years. Hair matted with sweat, kept in an almost buzz-cut, short curly length. The face was lined with glowing electric blue veins, like cracks in the skin, reaching from below the neck, to just half-way across the cheeks. His eyes glowed a similar, unnatural blue, shimmering like sparking skies.

…but overall…

"…he looks like Seth." Came the muttered, horrified revelation from Aranea.

"Why does he look like Seth?!" whisper-yelled a now very concerned Jin.

Yet their questions would not be answered yet.

It didn't matter, for Selh'teus himself had come to a rather accurate conclusion. Only one thing, made sense in his mind.

If this is the Ascendant Realm…then it only makes sense…

While the others were lost and afraid, he just…knew.

The buzzing feeling. The inability to Shift in his presence. The overall sense of familiarity even before the helmet came off. The sudden inexplicable weakness and need to not be around him until he'd focused everything on his three-no, four now. Four, girls.

The Trooper…

…that he'd be the me from the consumed timeline…

Was Selh'teus Rodin…from the timeline that Alma had been made to prevent.

"Tell me…" he coughed out.

"Tell me one thing."

The Trooper, the clone, the Dark Mirror…nodded.

"You never met my girls…did you?"

"I have no idea who you're referring to."

Seth sighed. "…yeah…yeah I was afraid you'd say that."

I was right then…they all died…lost…to the ravages of time.

"…Armacham?"

The Trooper nodded.

He sighed again, lowering his head. "Fuckers."

Positioning his body, he made to try to rise. That kick hurt dammit!

Only he was stopped.

*DING*

By a loud, familiar ringing sound. One that made the Trooper visibly tense.

Oh good…he remembers the meaning behind the ol' dot-hack ding.

…now why the fuck did we both just hear an A in C major?

His answer would take the form of a sudden folding space that took shape…

As a teenage girl, with caramel streaked black hair, bearing pink tips.

"Wait…is that…?" Mariko began, confused and surprised.

"Angelica?!" came the whispered shocked scream from Evie.

Selh'teus took one look at her, rolled over, and groaned.

"Good morning, Sunshine." Came the halted greeting.

The girl yawned, smacking her lips like she actually did just wake up. And then she realized the state he was in.

"Wow…you look like hell."

He groaned again. "Yeah…there's a reason for that, Lica."

She quirked an eyebrow. He motioned somewhere behind her. She frowned and turned…and saw him.

"…oh…"

"yyyyeeeeap."

"…you have a Shadow. Why do you have a Shadow?!"

Now his eyebrow quirked. "How do you know I'm not the Shadow in this situation?"

"Because I'm here, answer the question."

That made no sense. But clearly she was rattled so he pushed on. "I don't know. Woke up here an indeterminate time ago, been fighting off things ever since, with him harassing me every now and then. Only found out he looked like me, bout maybe three minutes ago? Time is weird when in a fight for your life."

"Right. Where are we?"

"Ascendant Realm: Plains of Desolation."

Her head tilted. "World name makes sense, area name…self-generated?"

"Aye."

"Why is he still alive?"

"Stronger here than home, but…powerful as I am it feels like there's some…kind of resonance reaction. I only just started figuring out the weird pangs in my chest when…well I managed to pull something off but I had to kiss Lumi to do it."

That brought her up short.

"…Lumi." Nod. "…as in Lumina." Another nod. "Lumina Farron?" Third nod. "Rose pink hair? Just about my height? Nearly reality distorting mirage powers? Sexy as hell in a bikini?"

"I'm not touching that last one but yes."

"And you made out with her?!"

"I said kissed."

"…" the silence was deafening.

And he should have known what was coming.

"Did you get in her pants at least?"

Cue out-of-sight facepalm and surprisingly loud groan of absolute embarrassed exhaustion, from Eveline.

"…she's fif-teen!"

"And? She's cute as hell! I'd hit it."

And now Lumina was furiously blushing.

"You're fifteen! It would be fine if you made a pass at her!"

"So you do want to."

"For the fuck of Tia's goddamn myriad children can we focus on the giant green penis-demon in a golden chariot trailing blown up jizz-filled condoms in the garage here?!"

"Ok, first off. Ew." Came Lumina's barely heard mutter.

"Sadly that's…not the most disgusting thing he's said to distract me from a distraction…" Medea sighed out.

"Why the garage?"

"ANGELICA!"

She lifted both hands before patting the air. "Aaah, gomen, gomen. I'll focus."

"Will you though?" came the disbelieving whisper-growl from an unseen Eveline. The woman truly knew the teen the best out of all of them, and even she knew that when Angelica decided to enter 'troll-mode' it was a crapshoot when she'd have her fill.

"Right so…him. …you wanna do the merging thing then?"

Huh. Would you look at that. She stopped. Seriously what is it about him that both draws out and neutralizes her more wild personality traits?!

"…the what."

"Y'know…the thing we did back at the Sovereign-oh…wait…you were barely conscious for that…"

"…we have a MERGING THING?!"

"Well I mean it's not like a fusion dance or…something. More of a…Matrix Evolution?"

He just stared.

"Biomerge?"

"I understood the statement I'm trying to parse the fucking meaning-SINCE WHEN DO" He cut himself off.

"…Matrix. We have a Matrix."

"Well…I mean it's not exactly the same but…close enough?" She gave a sheepish grin.

"…that was when you raped my mouth with your mouth wasn't it."

"…yeeessss…?"

"…do we have to do that again."

"…nooooo…?"

He sighed and gave her a flat stare. "You want. To do that again."

"…kindaaaaaaaa…?"

Now he facepalmed. "…why are you like this…"

"There's…good…reasons…for it?"

"You mean other than you being an incomprehensibly thirsty harlot with an unknown-to-me rampant need to hump me senseless?"

"It…all feeds into each other, honestly." She mumbled out.

"You still haven't made good on that promise to explain."

"We're being graciously given time to hold this discussion in front of your surprisingly silent Shadow. Is now really the time?"

He glanced over to said 'shadow' who just flicked his hand in a 'carry on' gesture. An acknowledging nod, and he turned back to the girl.

"Pretty sure he's just as interested to know as I am."

She sighed. "Well then we can have the longest revealing conversation of our-my life, in front of him, after we've made sure he's not going to explode into some voracious hellbeast bent on devouring you and the rest of reality."

He rolled his eyes.

"Right. The Matrix then."

She nodded. And he finally properly stood up.

"How…"

She bowed her head. "…you know my price, sir."

He sighed. Hard.

Having a greater inkling now as to how…perverted…her mind was, he considered refuting.

But…then he realized, at some point, someone may, or may have already begun to, develop succubus powers. As in, powers that were triggered off of sexual acts, fueled by Lust and Passion.

He already knew of one particular psychic, who was also a pyrokinetic, whose flames, were tied to her passions.

Instead, he just rolled his eyes, and flicked his fingers towards himself as a silent 'get on with it'.

She smiled softly, and stepped forward. Her arms lifted, reaching up to his shoulders, while his moved to her waist. His head tilted forward as hers tilted back.

"…Say my name…?" her voice was soft…hesitant…almost melancholy.

"…Obsidia."

To that…she pushed up on her feet a tad bit, and slowly, softly, their lips met.

What they didn't see, was the very noticeable pulse of distorted air that rippled from their position.

Slowly, she pulled back, eyes opening to his, glowing a fierce crimson.

"I love you, Papa." She sighed out.

And then promptly vanished.

As soon as she did…a wave of fatigue washed over him. It was damning. As if he'd suddenly gotten hit by the tiredness of running for an hour in the beating sun, while going off of only two hours of sleep in the past week. A bone-deep, mind-numbing, sight-killing sense of tired.

His legs became jelly. His thoughts became muddled. His sight blurred. All sound was muted.

And he dropped to his knees.

Yet behind him, formed her.

Clad in a skin tight bodysuit. Shaggy, short, pink hair fluttering wildly. Eyes glowing a bright, powerful crimson. She float in the air, arms extended, a damning, sadistic, grin on her face.

His limp, lifeless body began to rise of its own accord. Slowly, it lifted to her floating height. The air around them blackened.

Dive Too Deep

A male voice. Hissing, almost sinister, echoed in the minds of all. Their forms were blocked from all senses. Motes of bubbling blackness gathering like a swarm of bees to a hive.

Kaigan

A single glowing violet outline of an open eye became superimposed upon the blackness. Jagged lines of color like glowing cracks on pavement, rippled along the almost spherical distortion.

Empty Sky

And then it burst. And from within, dropped the now, black bodysuit-clad figure of Selh'teus.

…Strange…

It's almost as if he's disappeared from my senses. He's clearly right in front of me, though I don't understand the change. But it's as if my eyes wish to slide past him. My brain, not wishing to acknowledge that he exists in that space.

The Trooper was…confused. Still, he stood tall.

"I don't know what you expected that to d-HOOOOOOOH!"

It was faster than the blink of an eye. One second, Selh'teus was standing maybe thirty feet away. The next, his fit was embedded in the stomach of his Alternate Self. The ground shook, from the force of the impact, a literal shockwave emitting from the epicenter of the blow: Other-Seth's gut.

The armor plating disintegrated from the strike, the air rippled from the punch.

And the man himself?

Rocketing backward into a broken stone wall, which absolutely detonated on contact.

"WAN PAAAAAAAAAAAAANCH!"

Everyone jumped at the…completely unexpected scream. The source, a heavily flushing Mariko, whose hands were clapped over her mouth in embarrassment.

"…it slipped out…" she squeaked.

…the thing is…everyone…meant Seth too.

The black-clad man, grey-white hair fluttering under curtails of nigh-visible power, turned rapidly.

"Wait what the shit? Marie?!"

Now everyone turned back to him.

"…Seth…?"

He looked at Lumina.

"C-...can you…see them now…?"

"Yeah I can see-wait what do you mean now?!"

A wet, heavy coughing came from off to the side. The rubble from where the Trooper was launched, shifted.

"F-fuckin…shiii-iiit…" Clutching his stomach, hacking up blooded bile, the Trooper stumbled from his impact-site.

And then…gave a very…weak…chuckle.

One that slowly strengthened into pained, belly-holding laughs.

"HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHooohfuckthathurtsHAhhaaaahahahaa…ow…hahooh I need…haha…to…to stop."

"Look, other me. I don't know what you're trying to do here but-

"That's right!" he coughed. After a moment of more coughing, he continued.

"That's…that's right…you don't. I don't…" Panting, clutching his stomach but standing up, he pushed forward.

"I faced…the Demon. The Endbringer. The…the Mother…of Armageddon. I faced her…her monsters…her creations…born from her…powers…going berserk. I saw…everything become destroyed. Trapped in this…this empty…blank…facsimile of…of Promyvion."

At the pause, Selh'teus' head tilted.

"Huh…shit. You're right. Should have fuckin called this place Promyvion."

The other him nodded. "But…but then you. You appeared. One who looked just like me. One who clearly did not live…the hell I lived."

Selh'teus remained silent.

"And yet…you fought. You stood and fought…against the monsters…of this world. The demons…created by the dead Goddess. You were alone…you were weakened…but you still survived. And I watched…and I wondered…what…what mountain did you climb, to earn that…that strength of will?"

He released his stomach.

"You…you who hold my face. You…my shadow. You who exists…at the end of a path I cannot comprehend…I acknowledge you."

Selh'teus actually stood straighter. He understood, intimately, what his other self was trying to say.

"Yet you won't back down."

The Other, shook his head. "No…not yet. Not…not until I have my answer."

He dropped to a single knee.

"I may…acknowledge you…but I do not yet…accept you. I have seen…a piece of your…your strength. Your existence…but now…"

The air around him began to shudder. Strange, blue particles of light started to emit from his body.

"Now…show me…your meaning! rrrrrrraaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The growing roar accompanied the light flaring outwards. The misty glow became a brilliant flare, into a growing, wafting aura.

"Show me! The meaning of this meeting!" The ground began to rumble. The sky became tainted with a familiar, prismatic shine.

"Come! LUNAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The aura exploded outwards, into what appeared to be a pair of draconic wings. The Trooper had dropped to his knees with his final cry, violent energy billowing around him. The sky-blue field darkened to a more azure tint, as suddenly behind him formed the transparent image of a young woman.

Older than Obsidia herself, clad in a body-suit of azure scales and a navy blue skirt. Her face was healthily tanned, her hair was colored like lapis and held in twin, fluttering pigtails. Her eyes were an emerald green, but most notably, were the two, flapping, large, dragon wings emerged from her back. Surprisingly, however, she had a gentle smile on her face, as her arms wrapped around the torso of the Alternate Selh'teus.

Her name, was Lunaire.

And with a strange, croaking, almost chirping croon, she burst into azure vapors, wrapping around the Trooper's body.

And in a manner very similar to Seth's merger with Obsidia, the Alternate Seth, and Lunaire fused as one. The cobalt shell crackled away, leaving the Phase Trooper, garbed like that of a familiar sight.

"Aranea."

Spoke Medea, to the grey-haired woman.

"That…is a Dragoon."

Indigo armor, fashioned like that of a humanoid dragon. Protrusions on the forearms and legs like those of partially extended blades. The back bearing angled shapes as if to mimic a dragon's wings. A face-obscuring helm, topped with upward curves like horns.

…and yet…

HYPER CAST OFF

An electronic, ethereal voice resounded. The armor cracked, splintering with shafts of green light. The Dragoon's left hand reached up to the right pauldron and pulled.

The armor collapsed.

And the Alternate Selh'teus was revealed. A very similar bodysuit to the one they knew, only in indigo. Hair, grown out and extended to flutter past his shoulders, only sky blue. The strange, jagged, vein-like patterns on his face, pulsing a soft sapphire.

CHANGE. HYPER WYVERN

(BGM: Metal Gear Rising Revengeance – It Has to be This Way)

Selh'teus took a deep breath…and then released it.

"Sou ka. Ichido raidā wa tsuneni raidā…ne?"

"Damn right."

Both of their voices now shared the same, echoing reverb. A side effect of the kind of Power they were channeling?

"The meaning of our meeting…huh? I guess its time to see if we still have that One Vision."

"Funny. But I only see one shining body here."

"C'mon man, don't you know what a blacklight is?"

The Alternate chuckled.

"Trying to find the defendant's semen?"

That threw everyone off. And yet, Selh'teus just made a show of looking around.

"Do you see a stove around here?"

"Fair point. But who knows what we'll uncover."

The two had been slowly walking closer. Still, they stood a good ten feet from the other. Slowly, they braced themselves.

"Too true. Well then…shall we?"

"Let's."

And with a simultaneous ripple of distorted air…the two had clashed.

"He…saw us."

As the two mirror images clashed, that utterance came from Alexander Wade. The man had been paying close attention to everything that had gone on since Selh'teus had appeared, bursting through his wedding cake. His own internal psychic power allowing him to drastically increase his perception speed allowed him to take note of various changes at a much faster pace than everyone else, save maybe Becket.

The man in question, Selh'teus, had seen them. Finally. The problem, was why? What changed? What allowed him to suddenly perceive everyone where before, even when facing right towards them, he took no notice?

The surviving son of Alma kept a cautious eye out.

The primary thing, he'd noted, was that the distorted space, the 'Ascendant Realm', or 'Promyvion' as the Other had called it, had spread. The shadowed skies and dusty broken stone pathways had overtaken the grove where the wedding ceremony was taking place, entirely. Rather than just being a reflected psychic vision, this was now 'reality'.

But stranger still, was that the reality was warping.

As the two clashed, the sky erupted into a sea of brilliant colors, washing over the visible spectrum until settling to a beautiful sky blue. The surrounding ground became a verdant green field of growing grass and flowers, as off in the distance stood a multitude of strange structures, almost looking like towers with glittering lights at the tops.

He'd had personal experience with the reality distortion known in an alternate timeline as the 'Almaverse'. After all, he had clashed with his mother a multitude of times himself. Thus he was no stranger to the world suddenly twisting and morphing into an unusual phase space. But this…

Still, he gripped the hand of his almost-wife, firmly, but gently. More to re-assure himself of her existence with him. Feeling her squeeze back…

Another boom. But this time, he looked.

The two were locked. The Empty Sky holding a katana made of blackened steel. The Dragoon, holding a violet spear. Pivoting on his heel, the Dragoon brought his spear around in a reverse vertical twirling swing, angling his body low. The Sky had dropped in a crouch, but brought his blade in front of him in a flat block to the Dragoon's following kick. The force threw him back where he turned his tumble into a rising slash, blocking an overhead strike from the incoming spear.

The blade and spear-tip slid past one another, where the Sky followed with a spinning leftward chop. The spear was brought up, its shaft tanking the blow as the Dragoon had spread his hands both above and below the impact zone. Throwing his weight into it, the Dragoon had flipped the spear around, dislodging the clash and knocking the katana out of the hands of the Sky.

However, the act of doing so temporarily destabilized his grip, and before he could make the correction, the Sky had recovered from the parry and kicked the spear out of his hands.

Both of them looked at their fallen weapons, before bursting past one another. Only this time, the Dragoon raced for the katana, as the Sky reached out and summoned the spear.

Catching the edged rod in hand, and twirling it once, the Sky whirled around for a head-aimed slash. The sharp tip of the spear was knocked upwards by the recovered katana, as the Dragoon pushed its defense into an offensive thrust, evaded by a quick twirl. A leaping swing by the Dragoon caught the attempt of the Sky in punishing the wiffed strike, keeping him from being cut, or bashed. The clang of weapons connecting rang out as the Dragoon slid backwards, where he then had to undergo a series of upper-body motions to narrowly evade the rapid thrusts of the Sky.

The spear was being used as its common intention: a thrusting weapon, but the ability behind its wielder was allowing it to lash forward and back in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Rapid swings and jerky movements kept the sharpened tip from finding purchase, but with each parry, the timing got smaller and smaller. However, the Dragoon decided to wield its namesake, and suddenly vanished from view.

Jumping out of range of the spear, the Dragoon had re-appeared, feet away, katana held parallel to the ground. The Sky, however, mimicked the action, performing a Shift into the Dragoon's personal space, spear raised overhead. The Dragoon swung up, and the weapons clashed.

…and then shattered.

The two stumbled away from the impact, staring at their hands where both weapons were fading into motes of colored light.

"…shit."

"Indeed."

Still, the two shrugged, and readied their stance.

"Round number cucumber, then?"

The Trooper scoffed.

"More like Round Number Ticking Clock."

Selh'teus chuckled.

"So which one of us is Super Buu?"

"Pfft, you can be that one. As long as I get 21 in the end."

"You sir, have impeccable taste."

The ground beneath them rippled and morphed. Suddenly, the world around them changed. Rather than the grassy field they had been battling in, now, was a dusty, desert plain. In the distance, gigantic bowl-shaped objects. Not radar dishes…but something else. The ground was a rusted brown, cacti and other desert flora dotting the landscape.

It then crumbled beneath the two, as they rocketed towards one another once again.

Standing here, I realize, You were just like Me, trying to make History…

Their clash had both their arms locked. Breaking apart, the Dragoon lashed forward with an open palm, slapped aside by the Sky and answered with a swinging hook. Ducked by the Dragoon, his hands rose to block the following leg aimed for his head. Slapping it back, a twist of the palm was caught and redirected by a lashing arm.

But who's to judge, the right from wrong? And when our guard is down? I think we'll both agree…

The two twirled out of each other's range, but then the Sky made a wild gesture, and a clump of stones rose from the ground, rocketing towards the Dragoon. A series of Jumps took him past the torrent of stone, where the Sky, lashed out a single arm. A wave of pressure ripped towards the Dragoon, but as if he'd been wielding such power his whole life, a backhand had sent his own ripple out, negating the wave. Barely seen, the Sky smirked, as if pleased at such a revelation, where he Shifted to the side of the Dragoon, lashing out with a foot, which was parried aside and retaliated with a double-fisted strike to the chest, blocked by crossed arms.

That Violence, breeds Violence.
But in the end, it has to be this way.

A flurry of swirling fists. Both Sky and Dragoon were lashing out at one another at speeds even Alexander was having trouble following. Their fists were rotating towards the other, exchanging between strikes and parries, a loud fluttering rumble of air following the motions. The Sky then crouched down, right leg extended forward, arms spread afore and behind him.

"Hakkeshō…"

Knowing what was coming, the Dragoon mirrored the pose.

"KAITEN!"

The two ripped forward, twisting their bodies. Almost immediately, the air around them distorted heavily, as they gripped the space around them, contorting it into spiraling twin orbs that smashed into each other and ground together with a loud, high-pitched, saw-like whine. The orbs buckled and morphed before exploding outwards, throwing both combatants away from one another.

Slowly, the two rose, panting…and chuckling at the same time.

I carved my own path; You followed your wrath.
But maybe…we're both the same.

The two thrust their hands at each other at the same time, twin curling distortions ripping forward. The sand and dust kicked up from the shockwave of the impact, both of them pushing and straining against invisible force bearing down upon them. With a simultaneous roar of exertion, the two broke their immaterial clash, both of them vanishing in the opposite's technique.

The Sky Jumped at the same time the Dragoon Shifted. And once again, the two clashed, barely catching the other's fist.

The World has turned, so many have burned…
But nobody is to blame…

Breaking apart, the two came at one another from opposing sides. Where a left fist was, a right would meet. A right leg sweep would meet a left. An uppercut would be blocked by a heel drop.

Yet staring across this barren, wasted land.
I feel new life will be born, beneath the bloodstained sand.

And then finally, the two swung. Only they didn't meet resistance. To their simultaneous surprise, both landed a direct hit on the other's chest. The force behind their blows resonated outwards into a wide detonation of power, and the two were sent flying.

Beneath the bloodstained sand…

Slowly…gripping their chests, coughing, the two rose. Only…

The Dragoon's eyes widened. He lurched forward, scrambling to his feet. To the Sky's surprise, the Dragoon stumbled into a panicked dash, before Jumping again. A confused pan of the field took notice of what the Dragoon had seen, and he gasped, before vanishing into a Shift.

The Dragoon had appeared…in front of Lumina.

The rosette stared in shock at the sudden materialization of Selh'teus' alternate self, only to be heavily shoved backwards by the Dragoon.

Just in time for a series of tendrils to burst through his stomach in a spray of gore.

(BGM END)

Yet the shift deposited Selh'teus right next to the now rising tentacles, where a heavy distortion of air was around his left hand. A vicious swing, and the tendrils were carved through by a uniquely formed field of various folded spaces into the 'shape' of a blade. The Dragoon dropped heavily to the ground, where his form flickered back into that of the unpowered, phase trooper.

Selh'teus similarly burst with power, returning to his tattered, beaten appearance. But he knelt next to the trooper, lifting his head into his lap.

"Shit…why?"

The tooper coughed, hacking up a mouthful of blood. "Not…our way…to…involve…"

"Yeah…yeah it's not."

A low rumble could be felt but neither paid it any mind. Lumina was coughing lightly, groaning. She wasn't hit hard but had the wind knocked out of her.

"She…means…something…take…take…"

"I will. Thank you."

The trooper breathed heavily. "Live…live…free…"

Selh'teus grasp the hand of his dying, alternate self.

"Shinde ī, mōhitori no boku."

The other Selh'teus gave a wet, weak chuckle.

"Aa… Ryōkai…ore no…kage…ga…"

Not moments after the alternate Seth died in a crackling haze of pale blue light, the ground burst open. The whistling sound of whipping chords rippled through the air, writhing fleshy tendrils heralding the emergence of…it.

What it was…nobody knew. Just that it gave a general sense of maliciousness, and it looked like a humanoid creature made of bleeding skin, hunched over with large spindly hands, with a head resembling that of the bowl-skulled Knuckledraggers. It ultimately resembled a towering, building-sized version of an unholy merger between the skittering, long-tongued scrabblers, and the ape-like Knuckledraggers.

Of course…like any good, kaijuu class being…it roared.

The beast's roar was deafening. Creating a continuous wall of pressure, everyone present struggled to keep their footing, many of the non-combatants grasping arms and hands as a joint steadying attempt. Retaliating, Selh'teus pushed outwards, managing to just barely create a bubble of inverted pressure to try to stop the constant wave.

As he did, the roaring tapered off. The creature, curled in upon itself, trails of unknown matter gathering to its core. Its figure bubbled and morphed, as if it were growing, evolving.

"Seth!" came a voice. A young voice. The voice of Lumina, who had gotten to her feet, and trotted towards the panting man. Trying to counter that much pressure had taken more out of him than he'd thought it would.

"Lumi, get back!"

She shook her head, approaching him still. "Did you mean it?!"

Eh?

"Eh?!"

She growled. "When you called me the 'light of your life'. Did you mean it?"

The hell was this now? Still, he nodded, turning back to the growing beast.

"Yeah. It's like I said. I love all three of them, dearly. But you were the one here. That I could see. That I knew of. That…means worlds to me."

She sighed and nodded.

"You stole my first kiss, Seth."

Agh, dammit.

"I'm so-

"I'm giving you, my second."

Wait what?

Wait what?

"Wait…what?"

He turned to her, confused, as she threw her hands up, slapped his cheeks, and pulled his lips to hers.

And then…something…heavy, fell into the region of his chest.

Only it wasn't a physical weight.

The girl pulled away only a few seconds later, eyes closed, sighing heavily.

"…I…am Lumina, Claire Farron."

Wait. WHAT?!

"I…am the Mirage Queen. The Brightest Shadow. The Phantom Glimmer. Nothingness, Ascendant."

What the hell is she-…she's declaring herself?! Now?!

The girl's eyes opened. Shining bright.

"I am right here, by the side of my Lord."

"Where I will never not be."

At that final statement, the girl's body erupted with a powerful, wafting pink glow.

"Five years."

"What…?"

"If I haven't found anyone, in five years. My light, is yours."

She said this, staring right into his eyes. It took him a moment, but…

"Lumi…that…"

She'd declared herself.

One day your answers will change. Don't fight it. Don't run from it. But don't chase it. Let it come. Let it happen naturally. One day your answers will change. You will be someone. You will be somewhere. You will be something.

She had found her answers. She was young. But the glow around her, in this space outside of mundane existence, proved her claim. She believed.

"…alright. Alright." He sighed, and nodded.

"Five years."

"It's a date."

He snorted. "I fuckin hope not."

Knowing what he meant, the glowing girl gave a wry grin, before nudging him out of the way. "Budge over. O gracious gleam, its time to shine. The only truth: This Light, is Mine!"

The girl threw her right hand into the air, fist clenched, pointer raised towards the heavens.

"Lux Sanctis: RESPLENDENT ILLUMINA!"

The pink glow erupted outwards like a ring of color. A strange, slightly warm, tingling feeling rushed through everyone's bodies as the wave crashed over them. As the tingles faded, a soft rushing sound, like that of a distant waterfall, emerged from the ether. Before four of their number, flickered empty space.

The rushing grew louder, accompanied by a growing noise of static. And before those four, formed strange yet familiar shapes.

Four weapons. Three obviously being some kind of launcher. And the fourth, a large multi-barreled machine gun.

Before Alexander wade, formed a golden and silver launcher. Becket, grasp a dark blue one. Holiday, who had been silently watching alongside some of the others, reached out to a grey one with a pattern near its barrel that resembled a grinning cartoon shark, or perhaps, a dragon.

And the last, was Kiera Stokes, who held the mini-gun. It was shockingly lightweight in her hands, and its barrel seemed to crackle with electricity.

"…Lumi…" Seth slowly emit.

"…did you just fucking summon the goddamn Gjallarhorn, Truth, Dragon's Breath and THUNDERLORD?!"

Dropping to her knees, energy spent, the girl panted out. "No…no time for that. Just, fucking fire!"

Stepping forward, the four did, just that. From Alexander, came a missile surrounded by strange diamonds of light. From Holiday, a normal looking missile. From Becket, a projectile in the shape of a violet chunk. And from Stokes, the barrel spun up, and began spitting crackling bullets of pure electricity.

As the missle from Alexander impact upon the disgusting creature, its explosion scattered a multitude of small, glimmering shapes, that all seemed to curl backwards, racing towards and creating smaller detonations, on the creature. Holiday's impact burst into what looked like a small, continuously burning sun, while Becket's seemed to detonate early, only a foot away from the beast, in a large sphere of violet.

As all of that happened, the beast shuddered and twitched as hundreds of small lightning bolts slammed into it from the spinning barrel of Stokes' gun. The woman held down the trigger, as the men noted they had a second shot, and all fired again. However, the beast gave a shrill screech, a vaguely human sounding voice layered amongst its painful ringing noises, and the projectiles all detonated far early, before a shockwave emit from the monster.

The shockwave threw everyone present, to the ground, shattering the manifested weapons into motes of light. Its spindly hands came together, a rippling distortion gathering between its fingertips, pointed towards the group as a whole. It screeched again.

"No no. I'm putting you in Time Out."

A raspy voice came, just barely heard over the raging, ringing winds.

A loud creaking echoed through the dark, dusty battlefield that had somehow, long since taken over the clearing that the wedding was held in. The creaking, like the pulling aches of old wood, came as a series of literal roots, wound their way around the malicious flesh demon that had towered above them all. The monster flailed. It roared and struggled with all its might but within a matter of merely a minute or two, it was pulled to the ground, where it was bound.

Slowly, the soft sounds of bare feet on stone, rung. A woman appeared. Not terribly tall, but very long, dark hair. She wore a tattered red dress with a V-cut, the length down to her navel, displaying pale, unhealthy flesh. Her feet were caked in blood and dirt, her arms and legs littered with scars and angry marks.

Her face was worn, signs of obvious beauty, but pale, bony cheeks and sunken in eyes. Her lips were cracked, her hair was frizzy and knotted…she looked a mess.

But as she grew closer…so too…did the small smile on her face.

"My…you've grown handsome." Her voice croaked out in a dying whisper. Strength held in its depths but its form weak and raspy. The words, the intent, were powerful and strong, but the voice they were carried upon was weak.

Yet she didn't stop smiling.

"Y…you…" the buzzing that had vanished with the death of his alternate self, had come back with a vengeance. This…thing. This woman…she was familiar to him. But why…?

"It's been…a long time…hasn't it…little Seth?"

Her voice…her smile…her appearance and stance…it screamed familiarity. It picked at his mind, it rattled his heart, pulled at his very soul.

The buzzing became a screech and a sharp lance of pain as a pressure built in his very brain before something went *pop*.

Then a swift feeling of relief. He was the only one to not notice the blood flowing out of his own nose.

"A…Al…ma…?"

Her smile could have lit a way out of the event horizon of a black hole.

"…miss? You ok?"

A little boy. Couldn't be any older than ten. Light brown skin, curly black hair, wearing a pair of blue-jean overalls atop a sky blue shirt with what looked like some red, fuzzy creature on the front. He looked…worried. Not scared but definitely concerned.

I…who are you?

"…I was gonna catch up with my class after going to the bathroom when I heard someone calling for help. There was nobody around that I could find so I just followed the voice. Was that you?"

She blinked. I…yes…

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

It…was all coming back to him…

I need you to do something for me.

"What is it?"

Out there…somewhere…is a little girl. A girl in a red dress, with shiny black hair and pretty blue eyes. The same age as you. She's scared. She's lonely. She's angry and hurt. You're going to meet her. There's no doubt about that. But…when you do…I need you to be her friend…okay?

He nodded gently. "Okay."

And when you do…give her this.

The event from his childhood that his mind had long-since suppressed. The day he met the woman before him, the day she begged of him one single succor. The day that set in motion, the rest of his life, even if he himself didn't know it at the time.

"…are you her mother?"

Oh she wanted to laugh at that.

No, sweetie. I'm just someone who knows what its like to grow up without friends.

"that sucks. I'll be your friend."

…The day he met the woman before him and became her first, and only, ever friend. The day he gave a literal World Eater a taste of that pesky disease called [Hope].

One…one last thing…your name…please…tell me your name…?

"Me? Selh'teus Rodin! But you can just call me Seth."

Seth. Yes…a wonderful name…

Images shot through her mind. Flashes of information, of history and knowledge. The Etymology of his name. A name meaning "anointed one" "chosen one". The name of a God. An Egyptian God of Storms, Chaos, Destruction. A God seen as Evil, yet also with ties to heroism in his tales. The name of the third son of Adam and Eve.

Altogether, the name of one who is storied to be powerful, dangerous, and a bringer of great change, good or ill.

The perfect name for the one who would be her savior.

My…

The pulling was strong now. Almost too strong to resist. There was nothing left in her view but him. The little boy holding the cloth bundle that was very much likely the culmination of her entire history.

...her…

One last thing! Just one more statement and she'd go back!

…our...name…is…Alma.

The bleeding stopped. Shocking everyone, she had instantly appeared next to him as his eyes glazed over, nose bleeding freely. He'd dropped to his knees, Mariko rushing to his side but being literally frozen in stride by a single glance from the red-dressed woman. This woman…whom happened to have her name uttered to all, as Alma.

Medea's mind was whirling. Thoughts and ideas, possibilities were all appearing and being discarded faster than even she would have realized. If this…was who she thought it was…

Slowly, the woman slid to her own knees. Gently, she lifted the hem of her dirty dress. Softly, she wiped the space between his nose and mouth, clearing it of blood, as his eyes came to re-focus on the reality around him.

"…Alma…?"

The smile returned.

"Hello, dearest friend."

His eyes searched hers. An ever burning orange-red.

"…who…are you…"

Everyone's heads jerked back. The current Alma's mind was sent reeling.

This…he's not.

"I, am Alma Wade."

"…what are you…"

"The Endbringer. The Mother of the Apocalypse. But most importantly…your friend."

But…but that made no sense. Two Almas?! But Alma always said she'd…effectively eaten the timeline where-

Slowly…it dawned on everyone.

"Where…are you?"

"In a space beyond time, sitting on my knees, talking with my first and only friend."

He just stared at her. She smiled at him, before taking his hands in hers, and gently pulling them both up.

"I…am trying really hard to think…"

"I know. It's alright. You were very young, and I am…quite powerful."

Was it just him, or was her voice getting…clearer?

"I…I forgot you…" and didn't that make him feel like shit.

But a gentle hand on his cheek, wiping away a stray tear he didn't even realize he was shedding, brought him up short.

"Silly boy…I told you. It's alright. You remembered in the way you needed to. Your young mind couldn't handle the all that I was, even in passing."

"But…but I forgot…"

She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "You didn't. And I can prove it…with a question."

He nodded. She sighed.

"…have you been good for your Father?"

He blinked. Nose scrunching up in a way that the older woman thought was extremely adorable, even if he was a grown man now. He opened his mouth to reply when suddenly a heavy snort echoed out from the space next to him.

A space…which suddenly had been filled, by the form of Angelica. An Angelica who had turned and tossed a hate-filled glare in the direction of Michael Becket.

"Tch…like hell. My father was too busy pumping his dick in another woman to even notice me."

Her eyes were tinted red, her stance was…angry and confrontational. Her voice a little shaky, but from suppressed hate or from dejection, he couldn't tell.

And then suddenly, like a switch, she sagged, sighing, looking to Selh'teus.

"But…"

Their eyes met.

"…Papa's been good to me."

Silence.

"I love you, Papa."

"WHAT THE NUTWANK?!"

That didn't take long. The older Alma actually jumped at his sudden shout. Meanwhile, Angelica had merely…lowered her head, cheeks dusting pink.

"I'M PAPA?!"

"…yeeeaaaahhhh…"

"I thought that was just an Aria!"

"It…is…"

"But you were talking to AND about me?! THAT's what our tether is?!"

"…yes, sir."

"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!"

"…I owe you an explanation, right?"

"YES."

It wasn't so much that he was yelling, as it was more…incredulously alarmed. However, Angelica just took a deep breath, and spoke.

"My name, sir."

"A-

She shook her head. He shut up.

"My…full name."

She…hesitated.

…and then he just…grabbed her hand. She jumped in surprise, looking down at the physical connection. She choked out a sob, before pushing beyond it.

"M-my full name…is…"

No regrets.
This is the Only path.

"Angelica Marie…Becket-Wade."

Silence.

Silence was what met her revelation.

Becket's mouth had dropped open. Stokes' hands flew to her own. Present Alma just stared blankly. Medea's head tilted, Mariko stifled a gasp. Everyone else gave, small, minor reactions.

And then there was Seth's.

"…oh fuck you're the bad-future rape-baby."

Aaand that froze everyone.

…until Angelica, choked out an incredulous laugh that then devolved into a roaring, cackling fit.

It wasn't a fully humorous laugh. There was…pain and sorrow and fear and twisted joy and love inside it. But it…fit how she felt. Her hand slipped out of his grasp as she started belting out her emotions in the form of uncontrolled laughter. It was so absurd it was funny, to her.

She'd been fretting over her revelation for years. She knew, one day, the man whose life she invaded without his knowledge, the man whose life her very existence distorted in ways that were still being revealed…he would know her truth. Her origins. And while she hadn't even truly plumbed the depths of her twisted existence to him just yet…

It was just…hilarious…to have that be his first response.

"And…and that!" She managed, in between laughs. "Is proof!"

…agh. Shit.

"Agh. Shit."

She giggled some more. But the tension in her…had weakened. It wasn't entirely gone, but it was weak enough she could try to smash it.

He was he. And she was she.

…and she'd put her faith in none other.

"Yes…yes. I'm the 'bad-future rape-baby.'"

"I'm so-

"DON'T!"

The shout made everyone jump. As did the sudden and unexpected rage behind it.

"Don't you dare. YOU do not get to apologize! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't continue to exist! If it wasn't for you I'd have been eaten! If it wasn't for you…!" The rage in her voice tapered off.

She would not allow him to hurt because of her.

…no more than she already had.

"…if…if it wasn't for you…I wouldn't even be a memory. So don't you dare apologize to me. My birth…my conception…it's all a fucking mess. But it was you, that sorted me out! I've been with you since the day I was born. You took me. You raised me. You-

"Wait." He stopped her. She stared.

"I remember now. The bundle. The flump of cloth that faded with Alma. But…I don't remember…you."

"…I was…I became a psychic leech. On you." She confessed. "My…presence…born between Alma, a literal World Eater, and Becket, a…fuckup of a piece of garbage of an idiot who happened to be pushed into being just barely strong enough to match my mother…I was strong. I held…all of Alma's knowledge and memories that she wanted her past-self to inherit."

"…oh shit." It dawned on him. "I never met her but…I was in Fairport…"

Angelica nodded. "Yes. And that's when in the depths of your subconscious, you met this timeline's Alma. Her mind touched yours, and you connected, with my existence as a bridge. And then you gave her the bundle."

"The…the bundle that was you-oh fuck! That's the divergence point?!"

Angelica smiled and nodded. "My existence, back then, even as a barely formed bundle of thoughts and soul, carried Mom's intention of 'save me'. When your inner mind, met her younger self's child-avatar, you followed her last wish, and became her friend. Your minds would meet, multiple times over the course of a few months, and then you gave her the bundle of information that I held. You never knew what it was, or why you had it, just that 'Alma' had asked you to do so, and you were a good, loyal friend."

"…that's how she found out…"

She nodded. "But…I was still with you. I was always with you. …it was…because of me…that your mother died."

His eyes locked onto hers.

"She was hurting you. Killing you. I was there when you broke. I was…probably the thing that kept your psyche from completely shattering. I was barely coherent at the time. I think I might have been maybe at the developmental growth of a four year old at best. But I knew you were hurting, I knew you were dying. And when you broke, I pulled. I knew you had saved me, kept me safe, carried me within your very being. I knew you needed to live. So I pulled. And I…pushed."

"…and that's when my powers awoke."

"I didn't realize it until we'd fought the other You. The outlier was that you always had the…the seed, I guess, for your powers. Just…"

"Originally…it wasn't until much later, and through Armacham's fuckery, did they emerge."

She nodded rapidly. "When I pushed, I wanted her gone. Because even then, I knew on instinct, her existence was a threat to you. And when I pushed, your sleeping powers awoke…and I…ended up altering them."

"So…I'm not meant to have control over gravity?"

"You are…but that's not what…your power actually is…because of me."

He tilted his head. Drinking in her hesitance.

"…and what is it?"

"…Negation."

His eyes narrowed. She fidgeted under his silent gaze. However the silence was because he was pondering.

"…of what?"

"…everything."

…rejecting all…that is fear…

"…huh."

Her head slowly bowed.

"…so I've been…when I…let go…"

"You start releasing a field of Negation. Removing the concept of not having control over a space. You negate the idea you're not somewhere, you negate the idea that you can't do anything, you negate the very concept of both existence and non-existence."

"…because of you."

She nodded slowly, sadly. "…because of me."

"…raise your head."

She…shook it.

"Angelica." She flinched. "Raise. Your head."

She shook it again.

…and then it happened.

"Obsidia-Lunaire Fellune Rodin, raise your goddamn head!"

Alma. Both Almas.

They felt the rush of emotions that rippled through Angelica's body. A messy clusterfuck of pridefearworrysorrowhatredlovepainjoy that filled the girl to the brim.

He didn't reject her. Not her original name.

But he declared her.

He claimed her.

…she was his.

Which was all she'd ever wanted.

Her body stiffened straight. Arms snapped to her sides. Legs snapped together. Her back straightened, her head rose. She was terrified. She wasn't in control of herself. It was instinct.

He had claimed her. He'd named her, already. The day they first merged. Well, the day they first consciously merged. The halted whispered name that escaped his lips. That was his name for her. The name of the one-that-was-never-not-there.

But this day. This moment. He claimed her as his own.

Obsidia-Lunaire, Fellune, Rodin.

Daughter of the Empty Sky, the Eclipse Dragon of the Fallen Moon.

His eyes met hers. She was…she couldn't say what she was. What she felt. Too many things at once. But then he crossed the space between them. The maybe two feet. Grasped her by the back of the head, and…

Gave her, her wish.

The wish born in the heart of a teenage girl with far too much lust. The wish born in the heart of a transcendent being that knew she shouldn't exist.

The wish…born in the heart, of one who knew solitude beyond solitude…even when she was technically never alone.

In that moment, Selh'teus Rodin, was the one to kiss Angelica.

And damn did she jump on that.

"…am…I watching Seth make out with his own daughter…?"

Kate…had no idea how to feel about the current situation.

"No." and then Medea stomped all over it.

"You're watching Seth make out with a fifteen year old girl that is a time-displaced Goddess that latched onto his concept of being at the onset of her creation, brought forth by her mother, a literal World Eater, to save her past self from going down a lifeline that would lead to untold destruction and nothing but her own endless pain and meaningless death."

Her voice was hard. Not angry. But…not happy either.

It all…made sense.

"Said fifteen year old girl who is only in the shape of a fifteen year old due to that being how many years she spent growing with him, leeching off of his thoughts and feelings as a hidden support specter. She has the knowledge and experience of multiple adults, but the time and body of a teenager."

"Mistress, you are unhappy."

"You're fuckin right I'm goddamn unhappy! I am stuck. Watching, the man I love, furiously kiss a girl that for all intents and purposes counts in the greater society as underage, even though technically due to temporal shenanigans she's older than all of us!"

Of course, that thoughtline came to an end, as Selh'teus abruptly pulled back, but pushed his forehead to Angelica's.

"You, are Mine."

Those words…yeah she was happy he was basically holding her up. As it was, she could feel…damp. And like her legs forgot that they were legs.

"You are not of me, but you are Mine."

Her eyes watered. Haze of swirling, bubbling lust aside, she knew what he meant.

"You are Mine, you have always been Mine, you will always be, Mine."

She just gazed deep into his eyes. And said one…easily misunderstood statement.

"…take me, Papa."

Eyes widened.

And oh, he took her.

He took her, hard.

"Waga chishio ga kimi ga chishio.
Kokoro to Karada ga keiyaku musubu ni naru.
Obsidia sono chishio no namae ni naru.
Waga kokū ga, ano chishio no chikara ni naru.
Waga kokū ga, ano chishio mamoru ni nari.
Waga chishio kara keiyaku musubu, soshite, sono inochi ga, waga-tachi no kokū ni naru!"

The world around them, literally vibrated.

The older Alma was nothing but smiles as a wave of conceptual force ripped from the two standing before her. Her wishes were all coming true. Her daughter was safe and loved, her first and only friend had become her willing caretaker…all that was left was…the monster she was restraining.

But that…would come in a moment.

"My blood becomes your blood.
My Heart and Body become bound by this contract.
Obsidia becomes the name of that blood.
My Void becomes your Power.
My Void becomes your Protection.
My blood, bound by contract, becomes the Life that is our Void!"

Oh…the girl was smiling brilliantly.

She was not his daughter. But she also was. Formed by his will, shaped by his personality, she grew up with him. She was cradled, raised, by him.

Why did it not stop the lust? Because she was not his daughter. She was born out of rape, to a woman who was a verifiable Goddess, from the man she violated, who had been pushed to match. Her birth was already tainted by hate and rejection. It seeped into her very being, thanks to the depths of the psychic force her Mother held, pushed into the child's freshly-born body. A twisted idea of 'love' born from rejection, pain, hate and sorrow.

She inherited, that…malfunction.

But at the same time, she was not of him. She shared no blood tie to the man before her. He was, a handsome, talented, understanding, expressive specimen of a male that had captured her heart from the moment she could comprehend the concept of desire. She was always his. She had fallen for him years ago. He was effectively her caretaker but he did not know of her, thus could not alter her perception of him by familial ties.

He was the one who raised her, but as he had no knowledge of her, he was, effectively both her father-stand-in, and yet also not.

She knew, her feelings, were twisted. She, was twisted. It was the cost of her existence. A twisted existence forming a twisted sense of love. She knew, ultimately, it was heavily flawed, steeped in 'wrong'.

But she didn't care. She was a corrupted, twisted, fucked up little rape-baby. Her life, from its conception was wrong. She was who she was. She hated the man who was used to create her. Hated him. In some part, she hated her mother as well. She hated her whole goddamn family.

Well…other than her oldest brother. He was just a poor bastard that got both lucky and unlucky to not really be around everything.

But this man. This man. He was her everything. The whole reason she continued to exist in the most literal sense possible. Her mother may have carried her to term, but it was this man that birthed her.

She couldn't not love him. She knew him even better than he knew himself and she knew that he knew that this... 'supernatural bullshittery', was just one of many potential cases of fucked-up-but-circumstantially-acceptable situations.

She was his.

And it was time he understood just how much that meant.

"I have been with you, since you met Alma as a child. I was forged by your psyche, molded by your will, altered and raised by your personality. I have been in your mind, the way your Alma has, since you were a child. Every thought, every feeling, every impulse; I felt. When I gained a conscious body outside of you, I was still connected to you."

He was just staring at the girl, who was laying her existence bare to him.

"…everything?"

"Medea has to go through two orgasms before she starts being interested in butt stuff. She likes it when you twist your field just so, to tweak the bundle of nerves in her clit just as you get off inside her because it makes a small part of her mind that wants to give up control and just obey feel like she's being opened up like a sluice gate, to be filled."

Ok he froze at that.

"…"

So did Medea.

Who was burning bright red.

"shut up." She muttered.

Alma just grinned at her.

"I will sit on your goddamn face."

Silly woman. Shouldn't have said anything.

"As you wish, Mistress." Came the cheeky reply from the psychic.

"…you sure you're not a succubus?"

Angelica just grinned. "My very concept of existence is twisted desire. Conceived by it, bathed in it during gestation, born at the hands of it. Anything sexual…just…it's magnified. Every time you had sex, every time you even got off, I felt it, twice over."

Then the smile faded.

"…it…I…" She hesitated again…but suddenly steeled herself.

"…sexual deviancy and assault seems to run in…Mom's side of the family…"

His eyes squinted, confused. And then he watched her gaze look past him. He turned, tracing an imaginary line to…

"Wait…Eveline?"

"…when the four of you…finalized your connections…"

"…oh honey." He sighed out, in admonishment. And mild surprise.

"I couldn't help it!" she suddenly exclaimed, frantic.

"Like, literally! I couldn't! I was already in my room furiously trying to purge everything through like, an hour-long masturbation session but it just kept growing and then she showed up and my mind just latched onto the vague memories of thoughts that I always saw her as kinda pretty and one of the few people in my fucked up life that I actually enjoyed being around and it just…I lost it."

She was gripping her own arms together and practically shaking with nerves and he…just hugged her.

"…did you at least apologize?"

"…I didn't get the chance to. She…started avoiding me and I just let her cause I knew I was in the wrong even if I couldn't exactly control myself at the time. And then…Alma found her son and…" she shrugged. He understood. She was…trying to do it right.

Give the person you have aggrieved time to settle, then attempt an apologetic approach. However, events spiraled out of control and she never got the chance to.

Eveline however was…flushing. Both in embarrassment, and indignation. She…had the feeling the whole time, that it wasn't Angelica's actual intention to…do what she did. There was passion there, and serious lust and a shocking amount of knowledge and talent for a teenager who literally lived a sheltered existence but…it had spoke of echoes of another. Feelings that weren't exactly Angelica's. yet…she just couldn't…face the girl. For good reason. There was already that trickle of fear of being splattered by the time-displaced child, but…

Yes. She was afraid of Angelica. She had every right to be. Especially since what they, what Armacham was doing to her, to force her to become the Anti-Alma, was wrong.

But she also stayed away out of guilt. She felt it a…fitting punishment. The girl may have liked her well enough, but Eveline was still consciously deciding to take part in her overall mistreatment and illegal activities of the company.

It was…well, they say two wrongs don't make a right.

They likely never had to deal with time-traveling psychics capable of destroying all of humanity. Nor their daughters. So fuck them.

So…she took a page out of Angelica's book, took a deep, steadying breath, and then bellowed.

"APOLOGY ACCEPTED!"

Everyone jumped. Yes, even Seth.

And as one, they all turned to Eveline. Who just crossed her arms and glared into space, face red.

Oh he could almost taste the relief coming off of the girl.

"…cool big sis?" he quietly ventured.

She smiled at him. "The coolest."

He smiled back. "Still…why the antagonism towards my Alma?"

She sighed. "One sec." And then she leaned past him.

"Hey IDIOT! Get over here!"

Well. There was only one person Angelica could be addressing when it came to that particular statement.

The day had so far, been an emotional rollercoaster…and from the look on the teen's face, Alma wasn't about to be let off this ride any time soon. So with an aggrieved sigh, she pulled.

And with a soft flicker of the sound of static, she teleported to the side of her…whatever he was…and her alternate-future daughter from another man.

Alma's mouth opened, when Angelica cut her off.

"I hate you."

There it was. Flat statement.

"Not you you, but you. Everything you were, that turned into the woman that created me, I hate. I hate your stupid choices, I hate your misshapen identity, I hate your stupid powers I hate your stupid bloodline I hate you." The glare was harsh, the words sharp but…there was something in the ire that was…strange.

"I hate everything about you. I hate what led to you, I hate what led to me. I hate you."

"I'm not her though." Came the quiet retort.

…Answered, with a sigh. "…I know. And I hate that too. Because it means I'm being a little bitch to someone who has only partially earned it. You have killed…hundreds. You would have killed trillions. You did kill millions." She turned to Seth.

"Your cult? The cult of the Empty Sky? In the other timeline, it was a blood-deranged psychotic cult around Alma. Everything good in this timeline? Happened because for the first goddamn time in her life my mother did something right with herself."

She turned back to the younger Alma.

"I hate you, because all you thought to do was run. Because all you wanted was to get your son back. Because you were so far removed from being a person that you damn near became a leech on the one thing I cherished in my life."

And now she turned back to Seth.

"The link…worked only one way, because I was not meant to be awake. It was always supposed to be a two-way thing, but she was not ready. You could not handle her chaotic thoughts without being contaminated and I refused to allow you to be warped by this idiot."

She growled out an annoyed sigh.

"But what Mom hasn't said yet, because the bitch knows I know and is just happy to see you again…is that we need both of you…to kill that thing. But to do that…you both have to be on the same page."

She reached out and grabbed his hand. Holding it firmly. And then…she reached out and grabbed Alma's hand.

"…I'm the bridge. The missing link. The final key. I am…Angelica Marie Becket-Wade. I am, Obsidia-Lunaire Fellune Rodin."

She sighed one final time.

"Papa…Mama."

Alma flinched, eyes wide.

"Take hands."

He looked at her. She was resolute. And yet he still felt like she wasn't saying something…still…he reached out to the woman next to him.

And she, did the same, in return.

The instant the two joined hands, he felt it.

It was…strange. A kind of pulling, pressing, twisting sensation. Accompanied by a growing rushing noise akin to a waterfall getting closer…or a very loud train approaching.

Still, his vision shifted and morphed, turning black, until it returned…but he wasn't where he once was.

Instead…he'd found himself in what appeared to be a living room of a small house.

The walls were painted a gentle sky blue, a soft looking black leather couch sat directly in the center, across from a large flat-screen television above what looked like a typical 'gaming' cabinet made of marbled wood. An archway that looked to be what some thirty feet from where he stood, led to what appeared to be a small kitchen, while another looked to lead up a set of stairs.

A few windows decorated the room, veiled by fluttering white drapes, one with an air conditioner sitting unused next to it. Outside of one window in particular, he could see what looked like a thicket of trees, with a pathway leading between them, yet just beyond, some body of water.

But just across said body of water, was a large, marble looking pillar. It reached farther up than he could see from within the room, but it looked…both alien and yet familiar.

Still, he cautiously stepped away from his…emergence point…and coursed the room.

A small three rowed bookshelf looking made from some kind of cherry colored wood. Atop it, lay a bunch of picture frames, next to a strange model. The frames were filled with images familiar to him. They should, as they depicted certain moments in Alma's life. And oddly enough, they all seemed to surround…him.

The first he picked up, was a still image of the day they met. Engraved on the frame was the word Acquaintance. It fit, as it showed the moment his hand grasped hers, the moment she first entered his mind.

The next, was titled, Acclimation. This one depict a dripping wet, naked Alma, clinging to Selh'teus. He remembered this moment. It was a little while after the attack, after he'd been foolish about Alma and Medea having their…tryst, would be the best word at the time, that he could think of.

The night that she'd proclaimed her eternal need of him.

After that was one titled Leviathan. In this, was a still image of a horrified Alma staring at a bolt of electricity coming from the side of a turned Selh'teus. The electrified stone-snake that Medea had named Kaijuu stand tall in the background, like a looming monstrous tower.

The day that their connection proved it could be severed by an outside source. The day she began to regress.

The day that would confirm for both of them, that at that point, there was no Alma without Seth.

Following that picture, was one called Motion. This one had him sighing in exasperation, as it showed both a topless Mariko, and Alma. The day that Marie had awoken Alma's force. He took his time studying the picture. Not due to perversion, though the soft grin on his face was from admiring their naked bodies; but because that day he had slipped into combat mode for a moment.

Coming home and seeing Alma kneeling on the ground, collar around her neck with a chain being held by Marie, both of them topless, threw him for a severe loop. The fact that her eyes had become yellow rather than the blue or red he was familiar with, also disturbed him.

But he would relent, this was indeed a significant moment in all of their lives, as now Alma had full control over the majority of her incredible powers.

It was also the first night he properly spent with Mariko in his bed, even if Alma was there as well.

Looking back, he'd understood, for a while, he'd not given proper credit to the younger asian's feelings. He was overwhelmed with just Alma as it was, and Medea was being disturbingly accepting. But talking with his First, put things into perspective…and Alma had just finalized it by giving him proper insight into Marie's mind.

The reexamination of the picture showed Marie's proud stance. Back straight, chest forward, head held high. And Alma herself, displayed a similar pride in her stance, even on her knees. They both, were happy. Mariko's grip on the chain was firm but relaxed. No stress, no worry. She'd done her duty and done it well.

The final picture…surprised him.

The previous frames were all charcoaled wood. Each inscription silver.

This one…

Its frame was made of polished silver. It was also in the shape of a hexagon, where the others were standard quadrilaterals. Its paneling was engraved with six small jewels at its six corners. Clockwise from upper left, Yellow, Red, White, Green, Blue, and Black. He blinked as he realized that was…

That was the alignment of colors of his guardians.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the black inscribed name of the picture.

Angel.

Engraved as if carved by Obsidian itself, the name stood out against the silver frame.

And the image, was of…

Angelica…?

Angelica Marie, Becket-Wade.

Kissing him.

Fiercely.

He saw his weary, unsteady stance. He saw the tension in her muscles. The grip of her hands upon his waist and head. The clear force she was pushing into him.

Hell just looking at the picture he could practically taste the hint of strawberry peppermint that he did on that very day.

Confused he gently set down the final picture, before turning his sights on the strange model.

It looked like a house inside a gazebo made of marble.

…with the domed roof not being held up by anything.

He blinked at it. Twice.

"D'you like it?"

He jumped in place, before whirling around.

Behind him was-

"Alma?"

The child nodded, smiling at him.

"So do you?" she pushed.

"What…is it?" It looked familiar. Very familiar.

"It's the representation of your totem."

"My totem?"

She nodded, hair bobbing wildly. "Mmhmm! Just like how my tree is in your head."

Oh. Totem. An anchor.

Wait. Representation?

"What do you mean by representation?"

"Its not your actual Totem. Just the model of it."

"Okay…so where…"

She giggled. "Around us, silly!"

His head tilted in confusion, making her giggle more. But she happily skipped up to him, grabbing his hand in the way that only children could, and bringing his attention back to the globe that held the model.

"See the house?"

He nodded.

"That's where we are. The house is mine, a stable place in my mind."

That made sense.

"The rest of it, is your Totem."

He blinked.

"Wait what."

She giggled again.

"What does it look like, to you?"

He stared at it.

"I mean…it looks like a gazebo but…I mean I guess to me its…"

Then his eyes widened. As did her smile.

"…is this…an Ideya Palace?"

She nodded rapidly. "Yep!"

"Wait…your house…is inside an Ideya Palace…that's supposed to be my anchor into your mind?"

"Mmhmm!"

"But…"

But that made no sense! Alma had told him her Anchor was the tree that was her sole happy spot in life as a child, floating above a crystaled garden. Connected to, but not part of his inner mind.

"It's because Daddy's the thing that kept us from falling apart."

He turned to the girl, who's smile became sad. She'd shook her head gently.

"We were focused on getting better but we didn't know what better was. Just what we weren't doing. But it was only a matter of time before we lost our minds again. We had a goal, but we didn't know what the path was. Why we were really doing it."

She gently pulled him to the couch, where she led him to sit, before crawling onto his lap and curling up in his arms, facing him.

"You were the one thing that kept us from falling apart. The glue for our broken soul. You were our world, our home, for so long, that we realized, without you, there was no Us. So even when our mind began to stabilize, and our sense of Self took shape, it was still cradled by you. This place, this house, exists, because you do."

She gently leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Your Totem is our home, and everything inside it. That's why this house is inside an Ideya Palace. You are our world. And we wouldn't have it any other way."

It was one thing to hear it from the adult her on the outside. Messages could be jumbled. Thoughts not properly conveyed. Feelings misunderstood.

But here he was, at the core of her psyche, talking to the manifestation of her remaining innocence. The child her that had been all but murdered by the life she led. The child her that had latched onto him as the replacement for her father, a man who was supposed to be her guide and protector.

The child her…that his own child self, had spent so much time with.

Her first, only, and truest friend.

So what did he do with that knowledge?

He just pulled her closer, and gently kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you."

She went unseen, but her smile was so bright it could have escaped the event horizon of a black hole.

Much like a certain older self, it would seem.

"Its time for you to go back. You need to beat that thing…so we can all be at peace."

"We will."

"Don't be surprised if you slip in here every now and then when you sleep, for a while."

"You'll keep an eye out for me?"

She smiled again, hugging him tightly. The rushing sound built up.

"Always. After all…"

It got louder, his vision becoming blurry.

"You're mine, forever."

The last thing he saw, was not the innocent child he'd been cradling, but a smirking, half-naked, black-winged older teenager, hair as dark as night, tipped with blood.

And the feeling of a carnal, burning need, focused entirely on him.

"See you soon, Daddy." Were the last words he heard, spoken in a lust-wrapped purr.

He'd come back to himself. Giant flesh beast thrashing away in the distance, soft hands holding both of his. And the visage of his pseudo-daughter, and both variations of her mother, looking at him. The younger Alma, with gentle tears rolling down her face. The elder, a soft, broken, tired smile.

He loosed a low sigh.

"…your fucking brain is fucked."

Angelica snorted. "You're just realizing this now?"

He shook his head, then focused on the beast. He could feel her now. An…unmistakable presence in the back of his mind. It wasn't overwhelming, like he thought it'd be at first.

"You're welcome." Angelica spoke again. Now his gaze turned to her.

"Having you hit by extra-sensory overload now of all times would be really really bad. I'm diluting it."

He nodded. "You're the common thread."

She nodded back. "The bridge between you. Soon, I'll fade back to sleep, and the link will be naturally held but…right now I'm keeping it from bombarding you. She can handle it, she's had that power for years. You…on the other hand…"

"Am fucking Novice tier and facing down a damn World Eater."

"Pretty much."

"So…" he hedged. "I'm in her, what happens now?"

Another snort. But it was the older Alma, that responded.

"I can't destroy it." She admit, softly. "It grew too powerful, matched me in strength. Had it managed to consume my daughter like it had planned…well, we wouldn't be here. I alone cannot defeat it. But you two…my past self, better honed in her powers…and one who can match me, even if not on the psychic scale…in this place, the two of you together, can destroy it."

"Ok, question." The younger Alma pushed. "What even is that thing? Seth's brain is classifying it as a 'even more twisted looking version of Shara Ishvalda' but I highly doubt that thing reached Nirvana."

"It is the mutated psychic manifestation of all the bad things about little Pickle-P."

Alma's eyes widened. "Nooo…!"

The older one nodded, solemnly. "My powers grew completely out of my control. They'd begun fragmenting my mind, along with reality itself. They'd already created a demonified manifestation of our father's worst traits. It took both our son, and the false echo of his brother, to destroy it. But this one…it grew far too powerful."

"It might be trapped here, in this weird not-space, but if it keeps existing, then it might be able to break free into our timeline." Angelica stated.

"The thing is…" the older Alma continued. "As long as I continue to exist, it is anchored to existence."

Selh'teus' eyes closed.

"It's alright. I was resigned to my death after I'd sent Angelica to you. In fact, I planned on it. My End was coming, even if it had been my living son that had reached me. My power couldn't be contained any longer in my frail body. I don't know what would have happened, if he'd been the one to win their final confrontation but…I imagine my consciousness would have fragmented and my power would have likely had similar. I should be dead. And I exist…only to have met you again."

He stared at her. The smile had never left her face.

"You took care of my daughter. You saved my younger self. You gave me your heart. I love you, well and truly. And for the first time, I understand what love truly is. And I could not be happier right now. My End may have come, but I welcome it after so much pain and strife. I finally got to see what the other side was like. And I am full."

Both of them now had tears running. Seth was stoic, quiet. Just drinking in the words of the woman before him.

"My wishes were granted. My pleas answered. The me that suffered, no longer has to. And the me that had a chance was given one. My daughter is safe, my son is getting married! Married! To that gorgeous woman he'd been worried about! The family I'd always wanted is finally being forged. And even though this me will not be able to see it, I still will, because she still shares my origin. My beginnings. But this ending…oh it is so much better."

He looked down…and nodded.

"So don't mourn me, my friend. I have done terrible, horrible things, my whole life. You gave her the chance to not become me. And for that, I will eternally be grateful."

Her body began to shimmer. Here, she turned to Alma.

"My younger self. Take care of him for me. Our first, my only. You have come so far. You have changed so much. And I couldn't be prouder. You have earned this life."

The Alma of the present day nodded softly, squeezing Seth's hand tighter. She wouldn't let him go. She would never let him go. He was hers, just as she was his.

The past Alma began to fragment. Motes of light wafting off of her form. And now, she turned to Angelica.

"My daughter…my baby. I can't begin to apologize enough. I failed you in every way. The only one who wanted you was a twisted husk of a woman who never should have had you."

"You sent me to papa." Angelica cut in. "You reached out and twisted time and space until you met someone who could take care of me. Give me, what you couldn't. You're right, in that you failed me. But you're wrong that it was every way. The first thing you did correctly in your life, was to save mine. I can't…hate that. I hate you and everything involved with making you…but I can't hate that."

The fading woman nodded. "That's more than I could ever ask for. Please…all of you…live free, my loves…my family."

"Die well, mother. We'll kill your last demon for you. We grant forever and a blade, its tears we gift into your name, through its death, we pray, your hope, regain."

Seth's head jerked back. "You even know the Safe Passage?"

Angelica flashed him a small smile. "Everything, big guy."

The older Alma gave one final nod, lifting her hand up in a wave.

"Goodbye, my family."

The image of her body shuddered, flickered in place. A loud rushing, like standing next to a waterfall, emit from the space around her. Cracks, fissures of light erupted from her flesh. And in a brilliant burst of soothing blue, she burst. Particles of light erupted from the remnant of her existence, shaped like glowing, revolving latticed rings. Thousands of circles, shaped of dreamcatchers, filled the air, gently fading away.

And then the creaking returned. A loud, groaning of wooden limbs, into a tremendous *CRACK*.

The demon…was freed.

And yet…the three stood.

Selh'teus on the right, eyes hard, hair fluttering away. Alma, on the left, eyes like pools of molten lava. And Angelica, in between them, clutching both of their hands tightly.

Staring…at the monster that used to be her older brother.

The demon, rippling flesh and sinewy limbs, roared. Spindly hands coming together, a fluttering pale light emerging between the palms. Ripples of air gathered towards the flickering core, as with a screeching bellow, a torrent of pale grey, nearly invisible energy ripped from between the creatures fingertips.

…blocked.

By a wall formed of something darker than black.

And then a single voice.

"Ladies? Handle it."

A pulse of something ripped through the very souls of everyone present.

"As you wish, Father.
Aegis Fortis: CRYSTARIUM MEMORIA!"

A single blonde woman appeared, a wave of pale, seafoam green light erupting from beneath her feet. The world around them changed into a crystalline locale. A garden of sharp angles but glittering beauty. The demon reared back in confusion.

"Bout time you noticed us, Pops.
Diviega Retalia: BLOOD FORT ANDROMEDA!"

Another woman, scarred, pale skinned, blood red eyes glowing with humored malice. A wave of putrid crimson, a fetid field of manifested sorrow, pain, anguish, hatred, malice…a negative rainbow emerged from the tips of the myriad crystals, forming a sky of terror and death. The monster screeched. It was a being beyond compare and yet it was suddenly shuddering and vibrating as if barely able to contain an unnamed terror and agony.

"We'll hold it still for you, Dad.
Flos Immortalis: CHAINS OF PROMATHIA!"

A third woman. Chocolate skinned, lavender haired. She crouched down and gently placed her hands on the crystaled ground. Beautiful, glittering bejeweled flowers grew around her, shimmering an incredible splendor beneath the horrific sky. A safe spot of peace and calm in the raging chaos tide. Yet from beneath the beast, rippled the ground. A torrent of winding roots took shape, flailing and lashing about, before they shuddered violently. A silver glow overtook, and thousands of gigantic, ethereal chains wound their way around the limbs of the beast. It flailed and thrashed yet could not escape.

"One more time…right big guy?"

Lumina stepped forward. A vicious smile on her face.

"I've got a damn Wedding to sing for.
Lux Sanctis: RESPLENDENT ILLUMINA!"

Her finger pointed. The world morphed. The sky was filled with millions of rippling lights. And a gale of whistling winds spoke of the whisper of cold steel, tearing through the air. Like millions of knives digging into the monster's flesh, the beast flailed shuddered.

"Papa…Mama…let's dust this bitch.
Null…Draconis: Radiant Obsidia."

She vanished. And the beast dropped. It crashed to the ground as if the weight of a moon had fallen upon it.

Alma had taken his hand. Grasping the empty space that the disappearing Angelica had created. Her thumb, sliding along the back of it, gently. She was full.

Not of hate.

But of love. Love for the man she held. Love for the women she'd cherished. Love for her sons, her future daughter, her friends, the family she had been allowed to forge.

It burned in her chest. Engulfed her senses.

A flame of love indeed.

She took a deep breath.

Goodbye…my son.

Rose her left hand.

Blinked a single tear.

Put her middle finger and thumb together.

"This Silence…is Mine."

And snapped.

(BGM: Wild Arms – ARMed and DANGerous: Round the cape of Good Hope OC Remix)

The sound of tweeting birds.

A single figure, trotting softly down a plank-laden pathway. Berry bushes, flowerbeds, and numerous trees lined the edges. Not close enough to easily obscure vision or produce fallout should a storm have hit, but close enough to be admired. A curtain of black billowed out from behind the figure, sandaled feet padding along the entwined planks marking the path through the brush.

In only a few moments, the figure and its cargo, emerged from the path. The destination? A wide wooden dock. To the far right, a set of small boats. To the left, a series of well-worn, lacquered wooden stairs leading into the lake. A safety measure for anyone who fell within, or decided to go swimming. The sound of waves, lapping at the shoreline overtook the calls of the avian creatures nestled in the trees.

The figure, a breeze revealing her to be a black haired little girl, possibly between eight and twelve, took a deep, filling breath, and walked forward. Her feet led her to the edge of one of the four piers. Plopping down on the skirt of her blood-red dress, the pale girl deposited her cargo: a green and cream tackle box, and a matching, small, fishing rod. Large enough to get some distance, but small enough for someone of her size.

Threading the line through said rod's holes, and properly binding both bobber and lure to the ends, she gently cast the line out into the lake. The soft sounds of lapping waves calming her, as her feet dangled over the edge of the pier. She sat there, having popped a lollipop into her mouth, the white stick clenched gently between her teeth, as she gazed over the waters.

Suddenly, the girl lurched. She jerked her head to the side, only to spot a swath of chocolate flesh. She gave a faux annoyed glare at the one who jostled her, a boy at her age with curly black hair. He'd plopped down on the opposite side of her, casting his own line out. Still, she smiled, and the two seemed to lean back into one another.

A soft pair of flumps, and they were joined by two others. One, another black haired little girl. She wasn't as pale as the first, nor did she have a rod of her own. Wearing a frilly black dress with tassels that resembled wings, the second black-maned girl had sat in between the two fishermen, feet dangling over the third ledge of the pier, a coloring book and a box of crayons next to her. The fourth, was another girl. This one with long, fluttering, cerulean blue hair.

Wearing a thin-strapped emerald-trimmed navy blue dress lined with small flower patterns, the girl and her dark boots, leaned against the fishermen on the other side, a small, children's novel in her lap.

The first girl's smile just widened, joined by the rest of her family. She loosed a content sigh, and kept her vigil over the waves.

The quartet sat there, underneath the orange hues of the setting sun…

A sun whose rays flittered through a particular window of a small house, not far from the pier.

Said window, was across from a cherry-oaken shelf. A particular shelf, holding a series of framed images, each labeled with a single word that captured the meaning within each picture.

The ray of sun, had touched upon one in particular.

An image of a series of people.

The first, was a man. Hair down to his shoulders, grey, but also tinted a faint pink. Chocolate skinned, his silver-grey eyes glinted in amusement as he leaned forward in what looked like a crystal throne.

To the man's left, was a woman. Pale skinned, long, midnight-black hair tipped with blood red. She had a fierce looking grin on her face, as if hearing something savagely pleasurable. She too, sat on a throne, one made of grey, winding branches, patterned with flaming vines.

To his right, another woman. Navy haired, cream-skinned. Sapphire eyes shimmering with vicious satisfaction. Her throne was made of polished steel, laden with thorned chains and engraved with numerous individual letters.

In between the man and the first woman, was yet another woman. Black haired like the first, but shorter, in a reverse-rising bob. Emerald eyes glimmered with reverence and love for the people before her, even though she herself did not hold a throne. Her dress was that of a servant, happily caring for her family, though the katana strapped to her waist, and the beautiful black wings unfolded from her back suggested more.

All three women, sporting matching collars with differing charms.

Yet still, were more.

Two more woman sat at the man's feet, lazing away. At his left leg, one with the lightest hint of chocolate on her flesh. Pale, stringy, almost wisplike hair, bound in two long ponytails. At his right, dark hair in a short bob, lighter fleshed, and with eyes that gazed passionlessly at the world around her. Both women with fuzzy, cat-like ears at the tops of their heads, fur matching their hair color. Both women with long, flicking furred tails, looking as if the picture was captured in mid flick.

A series of footsteps.

A pale hand reached out, picking up the rainbow-framed image.

The hand, belonging to a teenage girl. Lightly tanned, a swath of freckles over the bridge of her nose, beneath a pair of thick-rimmed black glasses. Glowing, violet eyes looked over the image, a small smile on her face. She shook her head, shaggy pink hair fluttering about. Gently, she pushed down at the bottom of the frame. A soft, grey glow.

Nodding to herself, she placed the picture back in its place, walking away, heading towards the front door. She had a date, after all.

The light passed over the new addition. It was a single word. A title, just like all the others. A word that captured the meaning of the image perfectly. A word that, when seen, would hold the definition of this snippet of time. A single word that held an entire story.

That word?

Absolution