Interviews, Vivi had decided. That would be a good format for this sort of discussion. Or maybe it was more like testimony. Testimony of witnesses to the singular judge, jury, and executioner of the situation.

"Gotta talk to Shiro Mori first, huh?" Vivi muttered as she wheeled out of the vault. "Ginny, I think you're finally starting to make sense. Though how the rafflebats you knew is something you'd better tell me about next time you visit Tome Tomb. Right after you explain the turning into a bird bit."

With Shiro sludging along behind, Vivi swung by the storage room where Dib kept basic field equipment. She snagged a tripod, a video camera, and a couple folding chairs. Dib would murder her and then scrutinze her afterlife if she didn't keep a proper record of this situation for him. She signed out the items on the datapad by the door, then loaded them into a new compartment that poofed into existence at the back of her wheelchair. "Thanks, Lew."

Scribbling a note on a piece of paper, she folded it up and handed it to the first Deadbeat that zoomed over. "Make the rounds with this. Everyone needs to read it, ok? Even Lance. We're ending stasis on him."

It chirruped, gave a solemn salute, then zipped off.

Shiro Mori wanted to be outside. Vivi didn't have a great feeling about that. Mystery had said this was a goddess of life. Fertility. Growing things. The desert was a biome at the extreme edge of all that. She braced herself as she led Shiro to the lift, palmed the lock, and took them up and out.

The moment they exited the Mini Mart, Shiro gave a garbled cry and lurched forward, flinging out tendrils in all directions.

"Don't you dare!" Vivi snapped. "Shiro, don't mess with it!"

"But!"

"No buts!" Vivi said, pulling a stern face. Was this a goddess or a six-year-old? "First, this is the desert. It's supposed to look like this. It's a totally different ecosystem than what you have in mind, and if you start growing things willy-nilly, you'll mess with the flora and fauna that scratched out a living here. Second, it probably can't sustain what you want it to for more than a week by itself. Third, you're not nearly ready to expend whatever powers you have! You don't have enough for yourself yet."

"How knows the VeeVee?" she challenged.

"When you can look me in the eyes and I don't have a violent reaction from it, you have enough recovery in you to at least make that decision. Until then, you keep storing up."

"Don't like," Shiro moaned, surging back and forth across the sand. "Don't like storage. The hot the dry the brown brown brown endless barrensky, all dead everywhere!"

"Now that's just not true. Sure, it's so dry it sucks your sweat away, but it's not dead at all. Here. Come with us." She jerked her head and started gliding away on the wheelchair. The wheels barely touched the sand as she made for the nearest cactus. For a moment, the image of a glorious, stately queen being carried on a litter flashed through her mind. She flushed, ducking her head. "Very funny, Lew."

She pulled up to the cactus, gesturing at it. "Here, see? This is a cactus. It's not dead. In fact, it hides a whole lot of life for itself. These things suck and store water like nobody's business since rain doesn't fall here often. Careful when touching, though." She tweaked a needle-like spike cautiously. "It has to protect the water it's got because there's plenty of critters around here desperate for that water, so it's got some hefty defenses."

Shiro circled around the base, surging up to full height and recollapsing into a mobile puddle as she inspected it from all angles.

"Some of them even bear fruit and have flowers. I'm not sure if this is one of those, though." She brightened as Lewis recalled the refreshing, honey-sweet taste of prickly pears. "There's all different kinds of cactuses and even trees out here, and I already mentioned that there's animals living here, too. Ever seen a plant like this?"

Shiro gingerly probed the cactus, murmuring incomprehensible things. Lewis watched from the back of their mind, anxious that they'd come up here to talk about Arthur and how he shouldn't be removed from existence, but had gotten inexplicably sidetracked. Again.

"Patience," Vivi muttered. "First thing is making sure she doesn't wreck herself or this particular ecosystem. Prioritize and pick your battles."

The area had several large boulders and rocky outcroppings in sight. Vivi squinted, searching for a likely spot. "That one. Hey, Shiro?" She pointed at the boulder in question. "That one gives some shade. It's hot, and I need to get out of the sun. When you're ready to talk, find me over there. Okay?"

"Talk?" Shiro asked.

"Yeah, about Arthur. You wanted to talk about him, right?"

"The Arthur." Shiro immediately turned away from the cactus and slogged toward the rock, her legs pooling onto the scorching earth with every step. Vivi glided along next to her, keeping pace.

Lewis should start, she decided. When she got the sense Lewis was winding his story up, a Deadbeat would summon the next witness in line and lead them to the spot. Rarely did anything go exactly as she planned, so she had to watch out for ways the situation could derail and devolve. Still, she had to give it a shot.

"And when they opened the locker? I wish you could see it. Their hair stuck straight out for an hour afterward! I think we might have singed off their eyebrows, too. I know there's a video somewhere. Arthur rigged a little camera to record from inside the locker. I don't remember where he stored the clip, though."

Vivi observed from the back of her mind as Lewis regaled Shiro Mori with tales of high-school shenanigans with Arthur, both before and after Vivi had joined them. She knew all these stories, but hearing them again was unexpectedly soothing. Weird to think how the all-consuming "dire straits" bit of her existence was a fairly recent, highly concentrated event. She watched Lewis' memories scroll by. Things would never be like that again, but maybe something like it could be reclaimed.

In the middle of the fourth story, Shiro cut in. "Funny stories is funny stories is good wonderful time but is before the takings over. I say your Arthur is deadandgone, is horrible twisted thing I made once that lives with Arthurface and fools you. Is a thing I need to fix forever. You say not. These stories say nothing."

Lewis paused, leaning them back in the wheelchair. His thoughts collected in Vivi's mind, passing to her lips with conviction. "You asked us to tell you about Arthur. I have a lot to tell you. Some of it is about him, some of it is about the Shiker that you think he still is. I knew them separately, I saw the moment they became one, and I have watched him ever since. But until I give you some sense of who Arthur was before all this, and how well I knew him, how could you trust my judgment? You don't know me. All you have are the stories I tell you, and whether they line up with what everyone else says about him. So I figure, the more I tell you, the more chances my story overlaps with everyone else's stories." He gestured out into the desert. "Arthur promised us he'd be coming, eventually. Do you have somewhere else to be?"

Shiro's form slumped a little. "Nowheres else."

"Then humor one of the children murdered by your creation," Lewis said, a light edge on his words, "As he tries to save his best friend from execution. Would you?"

Shiro puddled completely into one of the crevices.

Harsh, Vivi thought, but necessary.

Lewis eased up on his tone. "Besides. I'll be tackling that part of the story shortly. I try not to dwell on the dark years much, so it's going to be a rough retelling for me, and I get the feeling it's not gonna be easy for you to hear. Let's smile a little more before I get there. One more round of our hijinks?"

Shiro murmured assent, and Lewis started in on the numbered pigs prank that got him, Arthur, and Vivi sent to detention all together for the first time.

"Arthur? Stubborn. Like a mule. Or maybe like a dog that's got hold of something and just can't let go." Teles sat in a folding chair, her hands wrapped around a little cloth pouch in her lap. She and Vivi stayed in the shade of the rock, an area that waned as the sun climbed, while Shiro slogged from scrubby bush to cactus to patches of hardy yellow flowers, though she stayed in earshot.

Shiro paused by the flowers, burbling something that sounded like a wet, choked laugh. "Arthurmule?"

"He would come by sometimes to fix cooking equipment that broke. Inseparable from Lewis, mostly, though it was obvious when his attention shifted elsewhere in the family. At least, it was obvious to everyone but Lewis." Teles shot Vivi a sideways glance, a wry smile on her lips. Lewis muttered under their breath.

"Stubborn dog?" Shiro pressed.

"Yes. Prying at the things we… I… tried to keep secret." Teles stared down at her hands, grim in the mouth. "You never know until later whether you made the right decision or not. Well, now is later. And I know I didn't make the right decisions. Arthur was on the right track, at least." She lifted her head, squaring her shoulders. "He's a good boy. Got neck-deep into our problems, but he wouldn't let up, wouldn't let go. Wouldn't do the sensible thing and run off. That's probably the stubborn mule bit. Here." She stood from the chair and walked out of the shade, holding out a cloth pouch tied at the top with a shiny pink ribbon.

Shiro churned, stretching out a crumbling, earth-crusted ladel that opened into a fishmouth. "What is?" she gasped.

"Just some fried tofu," Teles said, dropping it into Shiro's ever changing grasp. "Fresh from the kitchen. I haven't done much with tofu before, but a little ghost told me you might appreciate it."

"Offering," Shiro murmured, cradling it close. "Offering. So long it's been. Sweet. Caring, full of the heart. Fragrant." A long, bird-like leg extended from her, patting Teles' leg clumsily. "Keep, now. Just want… look. Smell. Touch." A bowl-shaped eye cupped the pouch. Her voice was soft and full of wonder. "Is for Shiro? Only?"

Vivi cleared her throat. Had to keep things on track as much as possible. "Teles, do you think you could talk about your experience with Demeter and the Shiker?"

"Ah," said Teles, fingering the cuffs of her long-sleeved blouse. She stepped back into the shade. "Well. I didn't always have wings. Not I, and not my sisters. We just had our voices, and with those we kept Demeter's daughter, Persephone, both in companionship and compliance. But one day…"

"Well, see, it's a little difficult to answer that question. Everyone tells me I knew Arthur, and given the other pieces I have, it makes sense that I knew Arthur ever since he was a kid. But a lot of that time is just blank spots in my head."

Timothy had a dishcloth tied around his eyes and was carried bridal-style by Teles, who trailed Shiro Mori with measured steps. Shiro Mori had ranged further from the shady rock in search of the elusive wildlife Vivi swore existed. Vivi opted to abandon the chair setup, resigning herself to moderating a mobile interview.

Vivi adjusted the video camera as Shiro pulled up a small rock, leaning in to inspect the pocket of earth that had formed around it.

"So you cannot say anything of who the Arthur is," Shiro grumbled.

Teles frowned. Timothy swallowed. "That… isn't what I said."

Shiro turned back to him. "Empty head like empty land all around, nothing growing of interest to me. All uprooted. Burned. You said so."

"I said I don't remember anything about Arthur growing up and getting close to us. I remember the lab experiments he helped run. The wedding." Timothy's voice steadied. Warmed. "Kay talks to me in the kitchen. She's so happy with him. Worried plenty, but happy. Oh, I… I forgot." He fumbled in his apron, pulling out a small, decorative paper box. He held it out in the wrong direction. Teles pivoted until his arm offered it in the right direction. "For you. I was told you would like this? Rice ball with sesame seeds. Lightly fried. I was assured you have no food allergies."

Shiro surged forward and up, claiming the box greedily. "Two, two in one day, how is? None for seasons and seasons and now two? Oh. Much care. Much attention," she moaned, like a connoisseur over their favorite vintage.

"I'm glad you like it. I had some help. Advice." Timothy squeezed Teles' arm.

Vivi squinted. The surreal flickers near Shiro Mori had stopped completely. A quick glance at Shiro's form confirmed her body was still an acid-trip nightmare, though she was successfully keeping a bipedal shape.

"I… recei…. re…" Shiro grunted, mumbling incoherently to herself for a moment. "... receive. This. Receive this offering!" She straightened. "I receive this offering!"

Timothy dipped his head. "Honored."

"Yes! You are." Shiro purred, melting down and rolling around in a tight little circle. "You are honored. By the me. I honor you! The honor is had by you."

Vivi cleared her throat. "So, Timothy, you mentioned Kay's happy with Arthur, but worried. Care to elaborate on both?"

"Mmm? Yes! Of course. Actually, we spoke about this just before she ran out to find him. You see, she says he's been having these nightmares…"

"Arthur's Arthur. Great kid. Hard worker. Straight talker. Damn good mechanic, taught him m'self."

Lance had come out and immediately cornered Shiro against a boulder. Shoulders squared. Eyes glinting. In spite of her unsteady height over him, he managed to loom in a way that should have been impossible for a man of his stature.

"Not my kid, but might as well be, y'know? Something ever happens to him… Dunno. Might do somethin' dumb. They say Artie took down a god or somethin'. Maybe it's only a one time thing, but if he can, mebbe I can, too."

Shiro cowered against the rock, rippling and dripping winged cats feet in all directions. At this point, Vivi wasn't sure whether she was holding Lewis' tongue or if he was holding hers. Both held their breath.

Lance snorted, thrusting a hand out to her. "Here. Rice ball. I'm no good at this, but they said it was important."

It was badly burnt and the charring was probably all that held the lumpy mess of rice in any kind of shape. He dropped it into Shiro's grasp and turned away, stalking off. "Rather fix yer car than make food. Kitchen ain't my turf. Just keep yer hands off'a my nephew. I don't owe you nothin' for doin' the right thing here, but I'll still throw in a favor. You can call on me anytime in my life for anythin' if it swings any odds for him."

He passed Lewis and Vivi, the ferocity draining from his posture as he muttered, "Put me back under. Please. Can't take the not knowin'. Can't keep lookin' at her and be worryin' what a monster like that'll do to my boy."

Vivi glanced back at the "monster," who held the burnt rice ball in silence. Reverence. Like Lance had dropped a diamond in her lap.

"I receive this offering," she whispered.

"I know you!" Shiro Mori shouted as Chloe cantered up with Dulcie seated firmly on her back. "Glowing child, I know you! You tried to…" Shiro crooked newly articulated fingers, as if trying to claw the right words out of the air.

Dulcie's eyes widened. "It worked? But you don't sleep! We thought it wasn't working 'cause we couldn't find your dreams."

"Ah-hah!" Shiro pointed at them, triumphant. "Knew it! No dreams no sleeps for me, unneeded, but feels the poking and the pushing and the little whisperthoughts. I tell you what you come to tell me! You little shining child come to say 'Yes, Arthur was giantfox like what you make back in the green and golden days, yes Arthur makes horrible fire and terrible words like he is all the evil and darkness, happy to make the suffering. But is Arthur playacting, playacting so big plan he makes saves me.' I have the right answer?"

Dulcie ducked her head, sheepish. "Well, mostly, yeah. You got the gist. Sorry miss Shiro Mori. Didn't mean to be rude, but sometimes Chloe and I can help people in their dreams when we're together. We wanted to help you, too."

Shiro put her hands on her hips. "And put in the scramblemind about how Arthur is Arthur, hmmm?"

"Yeaaaaaah. Little bit." Dulcie knotted her fingers in Chloe's mane.

Shiro's hands slipped down to her sides. "No upsetness, shining child. Is brave. Is foolish brave, but braveful. Seen even more than you tell me in your thoughts. Seen much of Arthurness who looks and acts like…" she clasped her arms around herself, hunching forward and muttering, "Cannot be sure, cannot know, is not better to be sure and unmake so no more evil ever from my mistake?"

Chloe dug her hoof into the ground, her lips twisted in a frown, overlarge on her muzzle.

"Chloe?" Vivi prompted. "Did you have something to add?"

Shiro turned her attention to Chloe, and in that moment she became perfectly still, her hands clasped behind her back and her head bowed. For the first time, the surface of her ceased to boil and shift. A humanoid shape covered in unbroken blue skin stood before the child and the unicorn, listening.

"Sacred child," Shiro whispered. "Heard your silentwords also, but speak. You said to my brain the Arthur asks your judgment, now I ask your judgment. Who is the Arthur?"

Chloe did not raise her eyes. "I don't know. I have pieces missing. Whole parts of me are gone, like if Misuzu suddenly sprouted wings of her past life without understanding why her life as a normal girl was over. Even if she always wanted to fly and dreamed of it, she would be scared and confused if she got wings without understanding why it was right."

Shiro bobbed her head once.

"But I remember being a girl, a girl who was tied to a table. And Arthur came in and laughed at me with a horrible look on his face. He'd never made that face before and barely ever talked to me, but there he was and he pulled off my bandage and poked… poked…" her whole body quivered. "It hurt so badly in my head, and he was just laughing at me like it was actually funny to him. And he said he'd be back to scrape the bits of horn off later." She stopped, shutting her eyes. Dulcie leaned forward and ran her hands along Chloe's neck.

Don't stop there. Don't stop there! Vivi clamped her lips over Lewis' anxiety. Chloe had to give testimony as she saw fit.

"Heika, I never saw his face like that again. I did not know him very much before, so I don't know how different he is. He is a man with very hard edges when he talks, and very soft eyes when he is silent. I saw him curse the goddess who made all the misery happen and almost die with her because he was too close. Mystery, that baka dog, promised to teach me how to use my magic, then ran away, so Arthur tried to do it instead. He's tried to help me. But it's… difficult. I remember the time his face was that one way and he was laughing, even though it never happened again. And I think my magic hurts him because of that memory, but he still tried to teach me."

She raised her head and shook her mane. "He asked for my judgment a few days ago, when you sent the dog. I didn't know what to say to him, I don't really know him. But I know this: he's not the terrible thing that laughed at me and killed my herd. That is my judgment."

Lewis and Vivi exhaled slowly.

Shiro Mori kept her head bowed and said nothing.

Dulcie reached into a pouch at her side. "We didn't have a lotta time, but we wanted to start something for you." She pulled out a glass cup filled with dirt and held it out to Shiro.

Shiro lunged forward, seizing the glass and pulling it close. "Seeds! Is having seeds of… flowers." Features emerged from the blue surface of her face. Eyes. Nose. A mouth, gasping back cries. "Is seeds with love. With excitement for the growing. Oh. Oh." The eyes overflowed, dripping into the cup. "Please the VeeVee, please, is just small tiny thing, not part of the barrenness! Is tiny, not very much power to help it grow! Please!"

Vivi rolled up next to Shiro Mori and touched her arm with the tips of her fingers. Her mind recoiled from the sensation of fur, feathers, and scales against her skin all at once, but clearly Shiro had clearly regained ground with every offering. "Well, I can finally look straight at you, and I did promise. Okay, you can take care of the seeds, but just those for now."

Tiny green shoots sprouted from the cup of dirt.

"I receive this offering."

Note: This chapter gave me heck and coincided with another writing dry spell. My thanks to Pipefoxesonthemoon for helping me work through this material, which has now been separated into three chapters (this one and the next two, when they are released). Chapter title excerpted from Ghost by Mystery Skulls.