In a few short words, Aku Aku had managed to calm Tawna's temper, and coaxed her into sitting by the fire once more. Everyone – even Azraphael – looked to Simon, silently asking him to begin telling the story from the beginning. He resigned to do so, despite feeling rather unprepared for the task. His outburst had gotten the better of him; his pulse had quickened, and his jaw was still clenched as he began. He once again relived the fight between himself and his counterpart, but unlike when telling the tale to his friends, he found it difficult to speak of, and needed to pause often to regain his composure. What was worse for him, however, was that Azraphael kept their distance. He wished they would at least offer to hold his hand as he recounted the tragic event, but they remained stationary, hovering in place next to the boar. Their expression was, for once, unreadable. He took it as a sign that he was still processing everything, and needed to be allowed the space to do so.
"She's really gone…" Tawna said, breaking the silence after Simon had finished describing the fight. She sat with her back to the fire, facing Simon, and pulled a knee up to her chest. "I really never thought it would happen." Her voice was quiet, almost subdued, and her expression was crossed between acceptance and disbelief.
"Well, it did," he grunted, turning his attention to his old friends. "And then, things got weird." He spoke at length about how Azraphael had come to him in what seemed to be his final moments, and saved him from the brink of death. He explained every detail, except for his odd relationship with the Angel, deciding that it would ultimately be best to keep that to himself. When glancing over at Azraphael, however, he couldn't make out what was on their mind when he told this part of the story. Although disheartened by their apparent apathy, he continued, telling of his return to Castle Cortex, Uka Uka leaving, Azraphael's offer, and the shenanigans that ensued. He smiled, recalling the previous night as though it had been twenty-four years, instead of only twenty-four hours since he'd experienced it. Time felt different to him, after so long of being a manipulator of it. Moments felt like minutes to him; Time was dilated significantly from his perspective, and he chalked it up to having been exposed to its mysterious inner workings for so long.
"My brother has returned, then," Aku Aku said, his voice thick with concern. "And we don't know where he is…this is not good."
"No," Azraphael agreed, "but I've been keeping an eye out for him. So far, I don't think he's been around."
"We must still be vigilant," the ancient mask warned. "You may have bested him, but he'll try again when you're not expecting it."
Then came the description of Hell, and Simon's brief and ultimately benevolent experience of it. He gave every detail he could remember – which was most – and felt a chill crawling up the back of his neck to the base of his skull as he described it. His encounters with Erryll and Satan were the most difficult parts to speak of. He wouldn't deny how frightened he was of both of them, and for good reason. Opting to leave out what Satan had showed him of Azraphael's past, he moved on to the "gift." When speaking of the bowl of apples, and how it had so quickly and so terribly interfered with the lives of the scientists, he couldn't help but shudder. It gave him chills, despite the warm night, and the added heat of the fire. Still, there was no sign of support from Azraphael. They rotated the boar once again, and remained neutral. He decided that he would have to speak to them later on, and figure out what was wrong, if anything.
"And here we are, now," he said after explaining everything that had happened after the relic appeared, and Ellie's willingness to help with the matter. "Believe me or not, I've given you nothing but the truth."
"It's pretty far-fetched," Coco said, holding her head up with both hands. "But I believe you." Aku Aku felt the same, and Crash nodded his agreement. Tawna, however, was still skeptical.
"I believe that all this happened," she began cautiously. "But I just don't believe you four are willing or able to change your ways." She stood up, then, beginning to pace in front of the fire once more. Her face was set in a contemplative expression. "After all this time – especially for you, 'Simon' – I just can't believe that you'd be willing to give up Evil just because an Angel happened to be a part of your lives."
"That's not why we're doing it," Simon protested, gripping the arms of his wheelchair and leaning forward as far as he could. He'd gotten her attention; her gaze was piercing, her icy blue eyes challenging him to continue. "Err, I mean, that's not why I'm doing it. I can't speak for my friends, but I'm…I'm…" The fire in him died just then, and he slumped back in his chair, loosening his grip on the arms. He breathed slowly, thinking his next words through carefully before speaking again. "I'm doing it because being Evil is never what I actually wanted."
"Yeah, right." Tawna rolled her eyes to this, further igniting Simon's temper. "Didn't you guys go to an actual school for it?"
"Yes, but…" Simon snapped his eyes shut, and let out a long, low sigh. "I was dropped off there as an infant." When he opened his eyes again, just about everyone was staring at him in astonishment. He'd still never told his friends about being "adopted" by Madame Amberley, or why it was necessary to rebuild the Time Twister for one last jump. Seeing no other choice, he laid it all out for them, even going so far as to explain why it was that the headmistress was so much harder on him than everyone else at the Academy. "She was training me to be her idea of the 'perfect villain.'" The others listened with bated breaths, nodding their understanding, encouraging him to continue. He relaxed a little, realizing how tense he'd become. After a quick consideration, he decided to tell his greatest secret: his true age, how it had happened, and how it had affected him for millennia. In the end, he concluded that being thrown so hard and so far off his pedestal had broken his god complex, and he wasn't sorry for it. For the first time since his teenage years, he was experiencing the world through a – somewhat – normal lens. He could admit that, although he hated feeling completely powerless, he was ultimately grateful to have been given another chance at life.
"So…" Coco appeared deep in thought. Simon looked at her, waiting patiently. "If you can't go back to the Castle for all your high-tech stuff, how are you going to go back in time?"
"I don't know," he admitted glumly. "I've not really thought about that, what, with everything else we have to worry about at the moment." Crash babbled something unintelligible, which gave Aku Aku a start. "What? What did he say?"
"He suggested we ask Kupuna-Wa for her assistance." The witch doctor's eyes narrowed as he stared down Neo. "But I don't think she'll be so eager to help after that last stunt you pulled, Dr. Cortex."
"Crash," Cortex began, his shoulders slumping, his face twisted with exhaustion. "Sometimes, you have bursts of absolute brilliance, and I just don't understand it." The bandicoot stuck his tongue out, his eyes crossing slightly. Neo groaned. "And most of the time, you're a complete dolt." Crash made a sound which suggested he'd taken that remark as a compliment. Neo shook his head and turned to face Aku Aku. "I understand the concern, but look at me!" He swept his hands downward; he was shirtless and barefoot, sun-scorched and utterly exhausted. "Everything I have, everything that could cause any problems, is back at the Castle! Which we can't enter!" He glanced over at Azraphael and Ellie, his expression betraying his feelings of hopelessness at that moment. "What's worse, is that we don't even know where that infernal fruit bowl could be, or what'll happen next because of it!"
"Alright, so we ask Kupuna-Wa, and prepare any defenses we can in case the bowl shows up." This suggestion was delivered by Tawna, who was given stunned and perplexed looks from just about everyone in the group. "What? It's really the only logical course of action at this point. If N. Tr-, err, Simon dies before getting himself to the future, the timeline will collapse, or worse." She faced him, then, her icy blue eyes glinting in the light of the fire. Her expression was mostly unreadable, but something in her seemed to have softened. When she next spoke, her voice lacked its initial hard edge. "I still don't fully trust you, and I probably never will, but I'm not too proud to understand when we have to work together for the greater good."
"Wonderful," Azraphael mused, turning the boar again. Their smile was tight, almost unnatural, and their posture was rigid. The pink ridges atop their head seemed to move up and down, and their bioluminescent markings flickered a few times. They looked off into the darkness of the jungle, their lip slightly raised, showing some of their teeth. "We're to stay here tonight," they finally said, turning back to the group. "Right here. All of us."
"What's wrong?" Ellie reached out to them, gently grabbing the hem of their robe, and giving it a small tug. The Angel looked down at her silently. "Is it Uka Uka?"
"No," they growled, the burgundy tendrils holding their arms together wiggling slightly in agitation. "Not him. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it…and I especially don't like the idea of anyone straying from the group tonight."
"Dr. Gilman," Nitrus piped up. "D-do you still have your d-device? The relic m-might have turned up again."
"I do! Brilliant suggestion, Dr. Brio!" She leaned over, stretching to retrieve her bag. Pulling it across the sand, she removed the device, briefly inspecting it. "Thankfully, it was covered when…well…you know." This got a shudder out of Nitrus and Nolan. Neither of them would ever forget the sensation, or the smell, of being plunged into the dark, acrid goop and spat out the other side. Nolan, however, was just thankful to not be stuck in the walls anymore. Ellie turned a few dials and watched the screen; Tawna and Coco scooted closer to her, leaning over to see what would happen. A few long, tense minutes later, Ellie put the device down, frowning.
"Anything there?" Nitrus asked. His eyes darted about frantically, almost as though he was half-expecting something to grab him from behind.
"Well…" Ellie took in a deep breath, clasping her hands beneath her chin. "How do I put this gently? Nothing of an arcane nature is showing up – not even Aku Aku."
"A-are you sure it didn't just get damaged from the…slime?" Nolan forced a nervous laugh, and his good eye betrayed the fear building up inside of him. A thin trickle of black smoke spilled from his rocket. Simon, then realizing how close he was to the edge of the jungle, moved closer to the fire, and ultimately felt a little safer.
"Positive," Ellie nodded once. "I checked it before we left the Castle's shores." She picked it up again, getting to her feet, and began pacing around the fire. She stayed close at first, and even held it up right next to Aku Aku, but still had no success. Then, she edged further away from the group, eventually walking maybe ten feet down the path into the jungle, and around the hut. When she returned, she smiled warmly, assuaging some of the group's fears. However, Simon noticed a certain gleam in her eyes when she looked at Azraphael, and for the briefest moment, her expression hardened, then returned to normal. "I think we're just worked up from all the excitement of the day. In fact, it's likely the device just got wet while we were going from island to island. I'll give it some time to dry, then try again tomorrow." Simon decided against saying anything about it, but somehow, he was absolutely certain that Ellie was lying, and Azraphael was hiding something.
"So, we're okay?" Nolan had pulled his knees up to his chest, and was hugging them fiercely. Ellie nodded to this, and gave him a reassuring pat on the head. He sighed in relief, letting go of his legs, and fell back into the sand. "Have you guys ever noticed how pretty the stars are out here?" This grabbed everyone's attention; they first looked at the little cyborg, then up to the night sky. "We got pretty lucky to have this view…and I think, for the first time, I'm getting to appreciate it."
Just like that, all the fear and tension had melted away, and everyone was sprawled out on the beach, gazing up at the stars. At Simon's request, Azraphael lifted him gently from his chair, and allowed him to join the others. They laid next to him, only getting up every so often to rotate the boar. Their spine-crowned head nearly touched his, they were so close. He fancied he could hear a faint hum coming from their throat, but couldn't be sure. At one point, he caught himself staring at their thin lips, and wanted desperately to kiss them – human form or not, they were beautiful to him. He almost looked away, when Azraphael turned their head to face him. They smiled softly, causing him to blush. He was convinced that they knew what he was thinking, but instead of calling him out on it, they took his hand in theirs, lacing their fingers with his own.
"Are you more interested in looking at the stars, or at me?" A small chortle came out of them, and their smile broadened.
"I don't see much of a difference between the two. You are as the stars – beautiful, radiant, and mysterious." Simon had blurted this out without thinking; something about the Angel made him want to wear his heart on his sleeve, if only just for them. His face flushed even hotter, and he snapped his mouth shut. Azraphael's smile widened even further; they showed their teeth, and Simon felt no fear of them whatsoever. He noticed a faint blue glow touching the areas of their "mask" which covered most of their cheeks, and could have sworn they were leaning closer. With his free hand, he reached over and brushed his fingers delicately against their jaw. Now he was certain they were getting closer, or that he was unconsciously moving towards them.
"Simon…" they breathed, their grin fading fast. They were about to say more, but Simon mustered up his courage and closed the gap. The sensation was positively electrifying. Azraphael's lips were cool and slightly tough; the taste of honey and juniper was far stronger than before. The two sighed softly, leaning into one another, letting the kiss linger for as long as they could. It was Azraphael who pulled away, but with a great, visible reluctance. "I L- err…I think the boar is done." They swept themself up off the sand, and tended to the group's dinner. Grabbing the bandicoots' attention, they requested plates, utensils, and some fruits to pair with the meat. They got right to it, and in no time at all, the boar was carved up, and everyone was digging in. The meat was tender and smoky, and the fruits – wumpas, of course – were ripened to perfection.
Neo sidled up to Simon, giving him a playful nudge and waggling his eyebrows. Simon jumped slightly, not realizing how much he'd been lost in his thoughts. "You've certainly gotten bolder since our Academy days, wouldn't you say?" Simon nearly choked on a bite of fruit; he would have yelled at Neo, but that would have made it worse. The little yellow man laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, sorry…I just so happened to see your little exchange. I never imagined you to be the romantic type."
"Heh…neither did I." Simon flushed, poking at his cut of boar with his fork. He felt a sudden gnawing sensation on the back of his head – it was like the feeling of being watched. He glanced over his shoulder; there was nothing to be seen, but he swore he heard a rustling in the ferns, just beyond the light of the fire.
"Anyway," Neo said, grabbing his attention again. The feeling was still there, but weaker. "I support it." Simon was taken aback by this, prompting Neo to continue. "I've never seen you happier than when you're with them. Even when we were teenagers – even though I teased you pretty relentlessly about it – I saw it, and I was all for it. Just thought I'd let you know."
"Thank you, Neo…that actually means quite a lot to me." A smile touched Simon's lips, and he looked to the Angel; they were seated between Ellie and Tawna, chatting with them between bites of meat and fruit. His heart swelled once more, and he found himself unable to stop smiling as he observed them. Neo was right – despite the circumstances, he'd never been happier.