Nyx sighed as she held the reformed gem in her hands. "You're lucky I can repair this," she said, "otherwise I'm afraid that the effects of what it did could seriously have been permanent. Hopefully Shadow and Sonic aren't in a place that would put them in danger." She placed the gem into the lodging far enough away from Aria to keep them from speaking to each other.

Rouge grinned. "So it's settled then. I apologize for what happened, I didn't intend on…" she stopped herself and sighed. "I have a lot to work on, don't I?" she asked.

"Yeah, you do. What you did was…"Nyx paused, trying to find the words that would be the least malicious. "It was incredibly selfish. That being said, you're clearly sorry about it even if you don't want to admit you were wrong."

Rouge sighed. "You could hold me more accountable, you know."

"It's not my job to hold you accountable, not for something like this. You have to do that yourself." Nyx smiled at her. "I suppose you're gonna go do that soon then, aren't you?"

"Yes, but… I think I need to rest up. This entire chain of events has worn me down." Rouge turned and began walking away. "Take care of her for me, okay?"

Nyx, puzzled, looked at the Garnet. "I… I will," she said. After glancing around, she remembered the second guest that had entered the room. At first she figured it would be a good idea to speak, but she paused and simply observed him for a little while longer.

Syll was standing at the edge of the pool, trying to pull the water from it but failing. He held the Sapphire in his hand. "I don't suppose you'd be able to help me try this. I mean, I remember your raw strength the first time you fused with me, but it's risky, isn't it?" He looked down into the water. "All of that power, all of the bitter pain associated with those horrible memories… would it be worth it?"

A warm glow seemed to radiate up his arm from the stone. It wasn't fearful or lonesome in feeling, but rather a sensation that almost seemed like an extension of a hand in cooperation. He breathed and held the gem to his forehead. "I'm trusting you to let go if it gets too intense."

As the gem sunk under his fur, the glowing eye appeared, and a voice resounded in his mind. "I'll let go if it grows too intense. Understood."

Syll took a sharp breath in and held his hands above the open pool before gently drawing them upwards. Though the water gave some resistance like rubber attempting to stay together, the water soon followed his will and lifted from the font.

Little did he know that Nyx was watching. As he caught her in his peripheral, a feeling of extreme fright overcame him and he screamed, flinching as the water violently splashed back down.

"Incredible," Nyx said. "That was… incredible. Your powers can affect the pool when you two work in tandem."

"I-I…" Syll's voice seemed far more frightful than usual, and the moth recognized this and stopped.

"It's you, isn't it?" she aksed.

"P-Please don't… don't make me go back…" Syll seemed confused by his own words as he realized who was truly speaking. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time in a calmer tone that was more obviously his own. "Nyx, I understand you want to keep them close, but-"

"I know, and that's why I'm okay with letting her go with you." Nyx looked back at Aria. "Our eldest sister is a bully, a tyrant. She wants nothing more than to have her way, and that includes demoralizing anyone she finds to be weak, which includes Requiem."

"Please don't call me that…" the lilting voice replied. "I know it's who I…" Sylphic held a hand to his face as tears streamed faster down his cheeks.

Nyx sighed. "I know you're tired, and you don't wanna go back. So perhaps it's time someone else takes care of you."

Syll nodded. "Why me? You know what sort of sadness can be unleashed."

Nyx smirked. "I don't think you'll need to worry about that. It seems that the seeds of your grief will have grown to a happy end. A surprising end, but a happy one nonetheless."

Before Nyx could turn and return to her post, she felt Syll squeeze her in a tight hug. His fingers trembled, and though at first she was frightened by the sudden contact, she smiled and reached behind her to put a hand on one of his shoulders. "It's okay, Stella, I know you're scared to be in someone's hands, but he'll take better care of you than I ever would."

"S-Stella?" Sylphic said. He stepped back and fell over as the gem unfused from his forehead. "Whoa," he said, shaking himself from the daze. "That's a headrush."

Nyx smiled and picked up the gem before placing it in his hands. "Her name- her true name- is Stella. And if you're willing to keep her as her Guardian, I'd… I would be very appreciative."

Sylphic nodded and wrapped his fingers around the stone. The gentle warmth came up his arm again and he smiled. "Then it's settled- I'll watch her."

As he stood up, Nyx turned and walked towards the ancient mural where her sisters were to be. He smiled at her, and then his cell phone went off. He unlatched it from its resting place on his belt and flicked it open. "Hey Sonic, how is Shadow healing up?"

"Wrong way around," the black hedgehog said over the line. "We're back to normal. Well, Sonic's still a bit woozy. Guess he can't handle getting impaled."

"Hey!" Sonic shouted. "Don't talk crap about me behind my back!"

Sylphic chuckled. "I take it you've been staying by his side this whole time?"

"Obviously," Shadow said. "I know better than to leave my post. Even if staying here makes me antsy."

"Why's that?" Syll asked. "You don't have any plans this evening, do you?"

"I'm worried about Blue," Shadow said. "It's important that I get her out of G.U.N.'s custody. Who knows what sort of things they might-"

"Shadow, relax, Rouge is going to get her tonight. She should be back at your place pretty soon," he said. "I had all my bases covered." He paused. "Why exactly are you suddenly so attached to her?"

Shadow was silent for a moment. "I wish I could explain it further, but you're going to have to wait. But she's my sister, so I have to keep her safe. You of all people would know what family means, so that's why I'm so "attached" as you've put it."

Sylphic looked at the Sapphire and sighed. "Yes, quite. I understand. Are we still scheduled for tomorrow?"

"Did you pick a place?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, I think I know just the spot. Um, do you want me to bring snacks?" Syll slipped Stella into the pouch on his belt when he heard a tinkling sound inside. He remembered the seashell and nodded to himself, drawing the gem back out. "Stella, it looks like you and I are going to be having a hike."

For the first time, he heard her voice and wasn't fused. "I wouldn't have it any other way, sir."

Rouge smiled as she brought Blue to the apartment door. "So this is it," the bat said. "Home sweet home. Are you sure about this? You can always stay at my place if you want."

"No thank you, Rouge," Blue said. "If we're related now, it only makes sense that I should live with Shadow." Her spines dropped a bit. "I mean, if he still wants me. I'm not exactly the little girl he remembers."

Rouge chuckled. "You might not be the same on the outside, but you're still a sweetheart. I'm sure he needs more of that in his life." Her eyes looked a little sad.

"What's wrong?" Blue asked.

"I wish I hadn't frightened him so much," she said. "I never wanted this to happen. The switch, I mean."

Blue shook her head. "Don't be so sorry- you did a bad thing, but if you hadn't gotten them tangled up like that, I would've been trapped in Eggman's hands forever." She shuddered. "What a horrible way to live- his place isn't always the best, insulation-wise."

"Well, you'll be plenty warm here," Rouge said. She knocked on the door before letting go of Blue's hand. "He should be here in three… two…"

There was a jangling of a latch as the door opened. Behind him, the apartment was drenched in warm colors and was scented like a bakery. Shadow stood at the door and gently smiled. "Good to see they were kind to you."

"They asked me all sorts of questions," Blue said.

"I'm certain they did," Shadow said. His brow was bent in worry as he picked her up, but the concern melted away as he spotted her looking at the room behind him in curiosity. He couldn't stay worried, not at such a sight.

Rouge was already walking to the end of the hallway when Shadow piped up. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

The bat turned. "I figured you two wanted alone time. You know, to get settled in?"

"We can have alone time after you come in and have dinner. I'm not letting the extra go to waste." Shadow waved her inside. "Don't keep me waiting."

Rouge smiled softly. "This is so unlike you," she said.

Shadow smirked again. "I know, which is why you should enjoy it while you can."

As Rouge entered the apartment and shut the door behind her, she was greeted with a meaty smell. "What exactly are you cooking in here? And since when do you cook?" she asked.

"Since I got this place," Shadow said. "You think I'd waste my time on the phone with someone who's gonna deliver pizza half an hour late?"

"Fair," the bat replied.

Blue was scampering towards the kitchen when Shadow hurriedly grabbed her. "Oh, no you don't!"

"But I smell sugar…" Blue said. "Can't I just take a look?"

Shadow held Blue out to Rouge. "Hold her until I come back."

Rouge hugged Blue tight. "He just wants to make it special. You wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise, would you?"

"Of course not," Blue replied. "I'm just hungry."

"You're always hungry, aren't you?" the bat asked.

"Yep!" the alien replied.

Shadow came back in with a plate of takoyaki and a saucer of sauce. "So these are the regular ones, but there's leek in them, so if you aren't interested then I get it," Shadow said. "You should at least try them, though- I spent an hour burning batches before I figured it out."

Rouge noticed the candle that was lit above the fireplace. "Oh, so that's why you have that thing going."

Shadow nodded slightly. "It was better than getting the stuff from the shop."

"True," Rouge replied, picking up a skewer that was gently laid on the side of the plate. She poked into one dough ball and bit down. "They're leagues better than the ones at the shop."

Shadow gave her a glance, a look that spoke more thanks that his words could. Rouge smiled and offered him a skewer.

"Don't just stand there and wait, you're gonna miss out on all the food!" Blue said.

Shadow took the skewer and sat down between the two of them. "So, um… tomorrow," he said.

Rouge tilted her head. "You've got something planned?"

"Yeah," Shadow said. "Syll still doesn't know. I don't think it would have been good for him to know when we were falling from space, so… tomorrow we're going out to meet him."

"Do you know where?" she asked.

"Somewhere in Central City's downtown campus. He'll send me the exact location tomorrow."

Blue paused. "You mean a University, right?" she asked. "What is he doing down there?"

"Well, he's continuing the project that the Professor left behind," Shadow said. "Poor kid can't just let it slip away."

"Well, he's gonna be surprised then, isn't he?" Blue asked. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I'm not exactly…" She gestured to her body and finished with, "Myself."

Rouge shook her head. "You'll be fine. It might seem a little crazy at first, but… his memories aren't all he is." She looked at Shadow as if to ask him to back her up.

Shadow obliged. "Sylphic's gonna love you, Blue. If there's something he knows more than anyone else, it's that his predecessor had a granddaughter, he loved her very much, and anything's possible."

Blue slowly nodded and took a bite of her food. "I think I understand. Still, it's strange to think about him as separate. His memories are a part of him- he's adopted many of them- but he's also not my grandfather."

"Never was," Shadow said. "Even still, his surprise may still be informed by those memories. He was astonished to discover you were alive."

"Someone stops existing for more than fifty years and then suddenly there's word from them?" Blue said. "Yeah, I'd be pretty surprised, too. I'm still sort of surprised that Grandfather managed to impart his memories onto someone like that."

Shadow nodded, equally curious as to what sort of technology the Professor had at his disposal. Life wasn't exactly easy to create, ultimate or not.

Rouge smiled. "You said that these were the regular ones, so where are the non-regular ones?" she asked.

"Right," Shadow said. "Blue, are you full yet?"

Blue had three or four dough balls in her mouth at once and she swallowed them all at once. "I'm ready anyway."

Shadow pursed his lips. "Five more, then you should be done."

Blue put five more in her mouth.

"Blue," Shadow said. "You know you shouldn't do that. You used to be human, why are you-"

Blue chewed thoroughly and swallowed. "Please? I know there's sugar in there and you still haven't given it up."

Shadow smirked. "Alright, you win. Stay here."

As he went back into the kitchen, Rouge smirked. "Are you enjoying this place so far?" she asked.

Blue nodded. "I can't wait to see everything outside. I mean, you took me over here straight from Headquarters, right? Didn't exactly get to see all of the pretty things that Earth has to offer."

Rouge nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that. The urban places get a little bit more crazy at night."

"They were already crazy during the day," Blue said. She looked down at her hands. "Rouge, I know you two just got done talking to me, but I'm still scared. I mean, Sylphic isn't my grandfather, but has his memories. That's got to be painful. I can't imagine that tomorrow will end well knowing that he's haunted like that."

Rouge sighed. "Don't focus on who he carries in his mind, Blue. I know it's hard to believe it'll pan out. But as long as you show you're okay, he'll be okay, too."

Blue crawled up onto the seat where Rouge was and got close to her face.

"Um… what exactly are you up to, now?" the bat asked.

"I'm looking at your eyes to make sure you're telling the truth," the alien replied. "You have tells, but I don't see them, so I have to be sure." Blue shrugged. "You're telling the truth though."

Rouge picked her up and set her back down. Blue sheepishly looked away.

"I'm sorry I got so close," she said. "There's a lot of habits I have left to unlearn."

"Who said you had to unlearn them all? Maybe those are just a part of you now." Rouge smirked. "Don't bother pretending to be the same little girl you were fifty years ago. Not for anyone."

"But Shadow would-"

"Shadow would want to see you comfortable and happy. And if some of those habits bring you comfort, then it doesn't matter what he thinks, because that's your happiness," Rouge said. She looked up to see Shadow standing behind the couch with another plate of takoyaki, mouth slightly agape at what she'd said.

"What?" Rouge asked.

"Nothing, just…" Shadow frowned and brought the plate around the couch to the low table in front of them. "These ones are dessert. I know you probably won't eat them, Rouge, but-"

"Stop that, I'll try anything," she said. "I just don't like the dessert takoyaki from that one joint. That's all."

Shadow smiled softly. "Then enjoy," he said, taking a skewer and poking into one of the dough balls.

Blue took a bite of one she'd skewered. "Wait are these…"

"Yeah, angel food cake with dried strawberry. The dehydrator I have isn't that great, so that's another reason I have the candle going." Shadow looked at Rouge. "What were you going on about?"

Rouge looked away as she chewed her food before making a quick swallow. "It wasn't anything important."

"Your voice doesn't go up in volume unless it's something important to you," Shadow said.

"It's one of your tells," Blue said, nodding in agreement.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "I just felt like she's far too worried about what you think of her and what Syll's gonna think of her tomorrow. I did what I always try to do with the people who matter- fix things. It wasn't a big deal."

Shadow chuckled. "Your false modesty doesn't suit you well."

"It's not false!" Rouge said. "I just feel like you'd never force someone to change for you, that's all."

Shadow smiled a bit more. "Rouge, when you did what you did a few days ago, I was furious. I came back to the apartment so we could talk about it, but you switched me and Sonic, and that made me even more upset. Even when I'd thought I'd forgiven you when we met back up, there was still a lingering doubt that you'd learned something."

Rouge's ears folded in shame.

Shadow scooted a bit closer and smirked. "Nobody can change who I am. And because you can clearly tell that what you did was wrong, I have no doubt in my mind that you've learned something. You might be rough around the edges like me, but you can still change, even if you don't see it."

"T-Thank you? I felt like I was just stating the obvious, though." Rouge played with her thumbs.

"That's the thing about it though- a few days ago, perhaps it wouldn't have been so obvious."

Blue took another takoyaki and realized they were all gone. "Oooohhh," she whined. "Why aren't there more?"

Shadow looked at her. "Geez, I made enough for all three of us and you managed to eat all of them on your own?"

"S-Sorry…" Blue said quietly.

Shadow sighed and put a hand on her head. "You know I can't stay mad at you," he replied. "Go wash your hands- you're taking a bath and going to bed early."

"But I just got here. Can't we do something before we go to bed? It's 7pm." Blue crossed her arms.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Okay, bathtime and then a movie, " he said. "But you aren't going to be getting any more. We have to be up nice and early to make lunch for the trip."

Blue stood up straight and saluted. "Alright, Captain Cranky, I'll go get ready."

Shadow looked back to Rouge, who was already getting the door. "Are you leaving so soon?" he asked.

"You have to teach her how to use the tub," she said. "And I have to go steal some stuff."

Shadow shook his head and smirked. "I guess there's no use keeping you here, then, is there?"

"Nope," Rouge said. Her smile softened as she opened the door. "...Thank you."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "For what?" he said.

She paused. "For believing I could change."

"You're… welcome," Shadow replied.

"Don't strain yourself," Rouge teased, shutting the door.

As soon as he heard the footsteps fade down the hall, he turned back to Blue, who had a towel wrapped around her with her face poking out. "Are you gonna help me, or…?"

Shadow smirked. "Alright, let's get going. Just promise you'll be a good listener- the bathtub is really big for someone as small as you, so-"

"I know," Blue said. "I'm… I'm sorry for eating all of the dessert."

"Pfff, please," Shadow said. "I wouldn't have made it if I didn't think you'd eat it all. You're a real sugar demon, aren't you?"

Blue nodded. "I'm… nervous, a little bit. A long time ago I took showers and baths, but… I don't know how well I can handle water now. What if I drown?"

"I'm not gonna fill the tub up that far," Shadow said. "But if you're still worried, I'll bring a book with me and I can sit by the tub in case you need me."

As Blue turned and walked towards the bathroom, Shadow absentmindedly grabbed a book off the shelf, not even bothering to look at it as he followed. As soon as the fluorescent light in the pink and maroon-tiled bathroom hit the both of them, he looked down and smiled at the title- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The bookmark was 80% into the book.

He set the book down on the closed toilet seat and went over to the tub. He pushed the plug into the drain and reached his hand over the side of the tub.

"Why are you doing that?" Blue asked.

"The water needs to be cool enough that you don't get burned," he said. "I don't want tonight to be a bad first impression."

"That's… thoughtful of you, Shadow," the alien said.

"I'm glad you think so, Ma-" He quickly covered his mouth with his free hand, looking away as he recognized what he'd said.

Blue smirked and brought a hand to his wrist before pulling his hand away from his mouth. "Don't worry about using that name anymore, okay Shadow? It can be one for just us."

Shadow nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, I'm still-"

The towel fell around her shoulders. "I know you're scared of what they did to me. I know that those things are hard to unsee. But I'm here, and I'll do what I can to help you through it, one day at a time," she said.

"One day at a time," he repeated. "Blue, the… the shampoo is in the drawer right there," he said, pointing to the cabinet behind her. "Your choice."

Blue turned and rummaged through the drawers before settling on one of the plastic bottles. She turned around and presented it to him.

"Eucalyptus and Spearmint?" Shadow asked, confused. "But I got you-"

"I know you got me lilac, but right now, you need to relax, too. Rouge said you'd never trade my comfort and happiness for anything. And if that's the case, even if it's just for tonight, I won't use a smell that reminds you of what we lost."

Shadow chuckled. "You're serious?"

Blue nodded back. "You're my brother now, we gotta look out for each other."

Shadow chuckled a bit louder and came forward, grabbing Blue and hugging her tight. "I've missed you so much."

"Heh," Blue said. "I've missed you, too." She looked over at the tub. "Um, is the water supposed to be that high?"

Shadow pulled away and awkwardly grabbed the faucet handles. "Whoops. Guess I got sidetracked." He smiled as he turned them to a drip. "Not that I mind, sis. Welcome home."