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Hello, Guest! Yes, it was quite ominous indeed. He's good at that, it seems.

~保護者~

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this series of interactions… especially for the ones who so badly need to sleep.

~保護者~

"Final Blessings"

~保護者~

She had to steel her nerves. She could feel herself shaking just standing a couple hundred yards from Tails's home. Eila still expected for people to dislike or outright hate her, with reason (considering her past). They couldn't have known that Petry was gone, which meant Astra was gone by extension. She rubbed her temples out of irritation. This didn't need to be so difficult. Just go to the door, knock, and ask to see Rouge and Knuckles. If they decline… I'll figure it out from there.

Eila made a swift decision that ensured she couldn't back out now, teleporting herself to the door and quietly setting a hand against it. The anxiety hit harder than she'd expected, but surely she could manage. It took more effort than she would have liked to simply knock on the door and the tension ate at her as she waited. It took close to a minute, but eventually drowsy footsteps made their way to the door. Tails pulled it open mid-yawn, and only then did he open his eyes to see who was there. Seeing Eila there, he offered a tentative smile. "Oh, hi. Did you need something?"

"I…" She trailed off for a moment, trying once more to keep herself as calm as possible. "I wished to see Rouge and Knuckles. They aided me… a lot. I wanted to show my gratitude."

Tails stifled another yawn with a hand. "Yeah, sure, I can send them out if they're up. Or you can come in and wait a moment, if you want…?"

Face your fears, dammit. "I would appreciate stepping inside. A nice change from my recent travels," she murmured in response.

"'Course, come on in," Tails invited warmly. "You're welcome here. Everyone is welcome here. Okay?" He stepped aside to let her in, holding the door open for her.

Eila shifted her gaze away from him and gave some non-committal agreement before stepping in, quietly leaning against a wall without walking too far in. "If they are asleep, I will simply come back another time. I do not wish to impose."

"At the very least, Rouge will be up. Being a bat, and all." Tails shut the door and headed toward the hall. "I'll go check for you. Be right back."

"Thank you," Eila answered, staring at the faint flickers of her purple magic that flowed about around her hand when she tapped into it. One more reminder of the past…

Tails disappeared down the hall. After a short time, he walked back with Rouge and Knuckles both in tow. "Turns out they were both awake," he reported with a small smile. "You guys are welcome to stay here in the living room to talk, but you don't have to. I'm gonna head back to bed, though."

"You'd better," Knuckles grumped, crossing his arms. "You look ready to pass out." The fox laughed sheepishly, turned around, and headed off to his room.

Eila regarded them both quietly before pushing herself away from the wall. "I would prefer to step outside. I have a few things to say, and the lack of potential extra ears would make me feel a touch more comfortable."

"Sure, we can do that," Rouge agreed easily. "Everyone else is asleep, though. We won't have to go far. Come on." She went ahead and opened the door, tugging her husband out along with her.

Eila followed without much hesitation, closing the door and stepping away some distance just in case. She fought with her words for a moment before waving a hand and casting a barrier around the three of them. It helped… somewhat. "The things I wished to tell you are admissions, primarily. Things I did not say, or could not say for your own safety." Or my own...

Though he frowned, Knuckles's demeanor remained calm and nonjudgmental. "Say whatever you need to. We'll listen."

"I… alright." Eila took a deep breath before speaking again. "I presume at least one of you is aware of someone by the name of Astra?"

The pair glanced at each other. Eventually, Rouge said, "...Actually… yes. I remember it a bit from back during that Metarex mess."

"I do, too. Sonic and Jet fought about that person often enough for most of us to hear the name at least once." Knuckles tossed her a speculative glance. "Guessing you know something about all that."

'Know'... One could say that. This made it all the harder for her to say, knowing that they remembered it from so long ago. "The best way I can… explain this is that I essentially was Astra. It was a moniker used when my mind was damaged and corrupted."

Another glance was exchanged. Eventually, Rouge asked, "...Damaged and corrupted?"

Eila subconsciously recognized that her hand was scratching almost painfully at the back of her neck and she pulled it back down to rest at her side. "I was born with very little Light, especially in comparison to my sister. I also had the… misfortune to be afflicted with a disorder that created alternative personalities within my mind to deal with trauma." She realized that this might drag on, and decided to ask, "Would you prefer the full story, or my attempt at a shortened version?"

"Whichever you prefer," Rouge shrugged. "This is about you saying whatever you want to, feel like you should, or feel most comfortable with."

If I felt comfortable saying any of this, I would not be here. "My… parents showed much attention toward my sister. She showed promise in all of the abilities they had, aside from the psychic powers I inherited from my mother. One of the personalities fed on the pain I felt from seeing all of this and led me toward a darker path. I got my hands on a book our family had protected for a long time and… the magic I performed with it gave me unimaginable potential, whilst corrupting me and eventually breaking my mind."

Knuckles was fully scowling now. "That isn't right," he blurted out. "What the hell kind of parent chooses to love one kid and not the other?"

"They did love me," Eila bit out. "I could see it in their eyes, hear it in their thoughts." Suddenly she was shaking, and she wasn't sure if she was mad or in pain. "They didn't know how to help me, who could teach me. My father tried. They just…" The cat trailed off, unsure what to say. What did they do? It wasn't intentional… The ensuing silence was deafening, and she wasn't even sure how long it lasted. Rather than let herself go deaf with the lack of noise, Eila spoke up again. "They simply knew how to teach her best. I had to learn on my own."

Rouge sighed a little. "I see."

Eila was quiet for a moment before continuing. "My life from there was a mix of my own broken self or that other personality piloting my body. I still do not understand why… but our desire was to prove our own capability to be powerful like Rose. It was twisted, yes… but it always boiled down to that. As such, we sought power."

"We sought it through the death of others, the pain and suffering, control, until we came across information about the Immortals. Incomprehensibly powerful beings capable of shifting reality itself. That was what we had wanted all along. Incomparable power. So, we sought it out. That led us to Jet." Her gaze was downcast. "I did unimaginable things to him. Inflicted so much pain and suffering, enough that we can never again face one another. It even went as far as controlling his mind and body to attack his parents." Eila rubbed at her eyes a bit, not willing to let the pain grow visible. "I do not wish to explain in any detail, lest you grow to hate me for it."

After a very long silence, Rouge carefully replied, "Well… I can understand why you'd want to keep that under wraps."

"I… yeah," Eila admitted. "I have made enough enemies in my time. I do not need more."

Knuckles heaved a heavy sigh. "And you won't find any here."

Though she didn't respond to that, hearing it did help a miniscule amount. "At one point, while Rouge was within my home, I was working tirelessly on some notes and performing translations of sorts. All of the things within that home were mine, written ramblings and things left behind to keep my memory jogged so that I would not forget my plans. The things I wrote were notations on Dark Magic so that the right people would know how to fight it, should the time come where it is necessary."

"You left it with someone pretty powerful, I presume," Rouge said.

"I gave it to Wave," Eila agreed. "One of the few that I felt might be able to make sense of it that I was not terrified of approaching." That was a bit of a lie… I was terrified.

"Wave?" Knuckles echoed, his eyebrows shooting upward.

This caused Rouge to smile a little and she dismissed him with a motion of her hand. "I'll explain later." To Eila, she added, "That was probably a good decision."

I will not reveal the rest of that plan. You… need not know. "I believe so as well," Eila murmured in response. "The end of that story comes with the arrival of a… special being. He helped me by… removing the personalities altogether, including the one that used my body for such awful things. Astra is now… no longer existing, unless one wishes to continue seeing myself as her."

"We never even really knew you as her to begin with," Rouge shrugged. "And, frankly… as awful as she was, you've proven to be different. Others may not see it that way, I can't say for sure. But I'm more than prepared to stay friends with you."

Eila couldn't make herself raise her gaze now, rubbing at her eyes more furiously now in an attempt to continue concealing her emotions. "I thank you for that."

Silence threatened to fall. Rouge elbowed Knuckles sharply in the ribs. He grumbled at her, but nevertheless spoke up. "Look… I don't know you well regardless. I do know Sonic and Jet, and they matter a lot to me. Knowing what I know from the past and from what you said… Overlooking it all might be tough. But I need you to listen carefully to me. I'm promising here and now to give you a fair chance and to put forth my own effort to actually get to know you. Alright?"

She couldn't hide it any longer, a faint sniffle following a few choked words. "I understand… Thank you..."

Rouge smiled faintly at the pair of them. Her arms wrapped loosely around her husband's middle in some semblance of a hug - and a tired one at that. "Hey… do you want to come in and lay down? We really ought to get to bed ourselves. Being revived wipes you out, and this one-" she playfully nudged Knuckles, who huffed at her, "needs to recover still. And, frankly, so do I."

Eila finally raised her head and revealed her tear-stained fur. A small smile broke onto her face and she nodded. "I would return to my own home, but it was destroyed and I do not believe I have the energy left to repair it tonight."

"So stay the night here," Knuckles answered. "People crash at Tails's place all the time, in case you haven't noticed. He doesn't mind it."

"I… certainly have noticed," Eila answered. "I would greatly appreciate it." Nodding, Rouge tugged on Knuckles to get him to walk with her and led the way inside. They really needed to get some rest, all of them.

~保護者~

Late into the night, Alana was dozing in a chair beside her father. She had opted to stay in the medical ward with him, keeping him company while he maintained a silent vigil over his old friend and her son. Lights were dimmed so patients could sleep. Alana hadn't intended to be one of the people resting, but her own tiredness had caught up to her. It just wasn't destined to last.

A clattering of wood out in the hall woke her right up. The sound was rather startling, given the previous silence. She sat up straight and twisted around in her seat, as though she could see through the closed doors to find the source of the disturbance. Her father had already stood but, sensing no danger, slowly sat back down. She turned to face him. "Should we investigate?"

Kath took a moment to consider this before letting out a near-inaudible sigh. "That would be wise, generally." Standing again, he made his way to the doors and headed out.

Close on his heels, Alana slipped out into the hall. The doors were quickly shut so as to let in minimal light. The less everyone in the ward was disturbed, the better. They need rest far more than I. To her left, Kath had already walked several steps away and knelt down. He let out a vaguely confused hum just as she shifted to look. Immediately, she felt the same sense of confusion. "A staff?"

"It would seem so." Almost gingerly, he reached out to touch it. His fingertips brushed a previously unseen barrier that crackled and screamed with wild energy in response. Immediately, his arm retracted. "Some form of magic," he said before she could even ask. Thankfully, the display appeared to have spared him any injury, at least this time. "I don't recognize it."

"That was no healing energy," Alana observed with a frown.

"No. But neither is it meant for attacking. Else, I would have been harmed just now."

"Its primary purpose is defense, then."

"That would be my guess." Kath stood up. "Regardless of any of that… no sane person would leave such a powerful object laying around. This is not normal."

Sein appeared in the room with them both and blinked a few times out of confusion. "What's happening?" Though surprised by his sudden appearance, Alana gave her husband a quick run-down of the situation. Confused for a moment, Sein walked up to the staff and tilted his head, curious about what he was looking at. "Do we know anything else about it beyond it being magical?"

"It is ancient," Kath murmured. "That much is clear, if nothing else."

"And it reacted to you trying to touch it?" Sein asked.

"With a barrier," was the calm reply. "Nothing more."

Sein continued his examination before carefully reaching his aura out to see if he could at least pick it up off the ground. The same wild, crackling energy rared to life a second time, rebuffing his efforts powerfully and yet never causing him any pain. The hawk grew visibly confused before turning his gaze to Kath. "Any idea on what to do here?"

The older hawk shook his head. "It cannot be touched, and its owner appears to be missing for one reason or another. There is little to do."

"So… just… leave it here until we can find the owner?" Sein asked, eyebrow raised.

Alana started to answer. Her train of thought was interrupted by a gentle influx of Light further down the corridor. Her own eyebrows upraised, she said, "Perhaps the owner is about to find us."

Sein stood up and shrugged. "Good to know. I'd hate to leave this on the floor." Kath mumbled some sort of a vague agreement to that statement. After a few moments and after they were all sufficiently blinded, the Light faded away and a person was left standing there. It was a tall, grey and white albatross, one who looked to be roughly Wave or Jet's age. Maybe just a touch older. Spying the staff on the floor, he grumbled to himself and immediately began walking over to it. Kath neatly side-stepped out of the way, his curiosity for once openly apparent as he watched the other man. Sure enough, the albatross grabbed the staff without an ounce of difficulty. Sein looked over to Alana and nodded. "You were definitely right."

"It would seem so," Alana agreed slowly. To the man, she asked, "Who are you?"

"Could ask you the same thing," he remarked, a touch moodily. But somehow his tone managed to be mostly polite regardless. And he answered her question in spite of his initial response. "Name's Storm."

Sein nodded with a smile. "I'm Sein. Nice to meet you."

"I am Alana," his wife supplied. She gestured to Kath. "This is my father, Kath."

A grey eyebrow raised. "I know 'im. Know of 'im, anyway. Jet's friend or something like that. He told me about the guy once or twice."

"I assumed you knew my son," Sein remarked easily. "You're not the first to be revived, and everyone that's come back has had some sort of tie to his group of friends, as far as I'm aware."

This made Storm frown a little, seemingly out of surprise. "...Who all is back?" he soon asked. He appeared to have chosen not to touch on Sein's first comment for now.

"A variety of people," Alana explained with a small shrug. "Some were not gone to begin with, from what we understand. We have so far met Tails, Sonic, Wave, Rouge, and multiple other people."

Sein took off his communicator and handed it over to Storm after showing the list of contacts. "You may see a few new names, but hopefully this helps you get an idea of who all is around."

Propping the staff against himself with the crook of one arm, Storm grabbed the communicator and began scrolling through it. He read quickly and, soon, he was smirking. "Those two really are still alive and kicking. Knew they would be, but it's good to see proof." He handed the communicator back.

"Figured you might wanna know," Sein answered, strapping it back on his wrist. "We can take you to Mobius so you can see them, though I think it might also be night there. Hopefully most of them are asleep."

Storm shook his large head. "Don't bother with it. I wasn't close with most of them. I'm more likely to see the ones I was friendly with if I stick around here."

Sein shrugged. "Alright, Fair enough. We can get you a room to rest, since I assume you're probably tired from the revival."

When Storm hesitated, Kath abruptly spoke up. Despite his usual reluctance to make conversation with strangers, he showed little to none of that here. "...You are used to living outdoors… aren't you?"

Hearing that, Storm blinked. He looked confused. Then he smirked again and huffed out a vague approximation of a laugh. "Guess he wasn't lying when he said you could read people like books. Yeah, I've lived outside most of my life. Bedrooms are nice and all, but not my thing."

Sein was slightly caught off guard by this, simply not expecting it, but he recovered easily enough. "Whatever is most comfortable for you," he said. "If you need anything, you just let us know and we'll do what we can."

"Would you like us to contact anyone?" Alana asked. "We can tell whoever you wish that you are back while you find a suitable place to rest."

"...Yeah, sure." Storm scratched at the back of his head, almost sheepishly. "Tell Wave, if it ain't too much trouble. She's gotta know first."

"Absolutely," Sein agreed without hesitation. "We'll make sure she knows."

Tilting her head, Alana offered, "We will also do our best to tell Jet, if you wish. Though he is… indisposed, at the moment. Contacting him may prove somewhat tricky."

"That's not surprising. He's always like that, bein' king and all. Or, at least, he used to be. No idea these days." Storm turned and started walking out, waving a little as he went. "Thanks for the help."

Sein returned the wave. "Absolutely. Any time."

The larger Babylonian was soon out of sight. Alana turned her gaze to Sein, eyes full of surprise. "Jet took the throne in the past? Why did he not say so?"

The male hawk blinked several times in confusion before that information finally clicked. Ultimately he shrugged, unsure. "Maybe it just wasn't a necessary detail?"

That would mean… that young Saraya is a much more direct relative of ours than we previously realized. Shaking her head, Alana slowly put that whole matter aside for now. "Speaking of him… how is he? Were you able to find him?"

Sein's gaze shifted away for a moment. "He was… concerning. Some sort of argument was going on between him and the Void, and it lashed out at a wall. I was able to talk to him, but he wanted me to leave so that I wouldn't get hurt, or worse," Sein said quietly.

Alana nodded, expression grim. "I see." After a lengthy pause, she murmured back, "I will see what I can learn about the Void and what all it can do. He has been tight-lipped about it, but the more we know the better we can respond to the threat it poses."

"Before you go," Sein murmured, "I… Aethra told me something about Eila. There was some sort of personality within her that was… well, Astra. It's gone, so is Astra, and the place I found Jet at was destroyed by Eila." He let out a soft sigh. "I figured that was important because I felt bad for blaming her without knowing the full story."

With pursed lips, Alana gave herself a moment to let this information sink in. In the end, she made no promises to forgive. What she did promise was a soft, "I will… think on this." It was the best she could offer, right now.

Sein nodded. He could understand how she felt about all this, and made no attempt to persuade her in any direction other than what she chose. "That's all I can ask. I want to talk to her soon, myself, but that can wait. Do you want me to try and help with your research?"

"No, Sein. I would like you to rest. At least as much as you are able. I got some sleep, and now it is your turn." She hugged him briefly. "I love you. Take care of yourself for me. Alright?"

"You act like I won't just show up randomly," Sein joked lightly before returning the hug. "I love you too, and I will."

"Good. I will see you later, then." Alana gave him a little squeeze, then let him go. She gave Kath a quick farewell also before teleporting away.

Sein smiled gently before glancing to Kath. "And what are you planning to do?"

Kath shrugged a little, his gaze drifting back toward the medical ward. What he wanted to do was clear but, at the same time, he didn't enjoy hovering. "I don't know."

Shaking his head softly, Sein offered a hand to Kath. "I'll walk in there with you, if you'd like."

Unsurprisingly, Kath didn't take the hand. Not that he would have taken it had anyone else been offering it, either. He did shake his head, though. "...No. She does not need to be watched at all hours anymore."

"It's not about watching her," Sein countered. "You two are close. I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing you wanted to see her." Kath shrugged a little in reply, neither agreeing or disagreeing. Mostly just admitting that he didn't know what to say as a response. Sein sighed gently, chuckling. "If you don't go see her, go rest. Otherwise she might get on your ass about actually taking care of yourself."

At this, Kath rolled his eyes. "Sein, I rarely need to sleep. I sincerely doubt that you have forgotten that."

"And sometimes you do," Sein answered. "You've been stressed as it is. At least do something relaxing."

Kath shook his head again. "I'm not tired. I don't need to."

"Didn't say sleep," Sein countered with a smile. "You enjoy stargazing, yeah?" That earned another shrug. Sein then huffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. At least go like, read or something. Bother Azerel, I don't know. Do something that can take your mind off things."

Blue eyes rolled a second time. "Go to bed, Sein. I will manage myself."

Sein walked closer and suddenly grabbed Kath's long sleeve and began walking. "I'll go to bed when I'm sure you're doing something besides being worried," he huffed.

Though frowning the whole time, Kath kept pace with Sein. "Let go," he grumbled, more than a little annoyed. "You will rip it."

"I won't rip it if you keep up," Sein answered without hesitation, a touch smug.

"Let go," Kath insisted, though he continued walking after his son-in-law. He didn't even bother asking where in the hell they were going.

Sein ultimately drug Kath off to his observatory and stepped inside, only letting go once Kath was inside with him. "There we go."

Kath crossed his arms and gave Sein a look. "Happy now?"

"Slightly more so, yes," Sein answered with a smile.

With a huff, Kath dragged his chair over with a foot and sat down. Azerel happened to be laying by it and growled moodily at him for the disturbance. He was ignored. "If you're satisfied, then go sleep like you were told."

"Are you gonna find something to pass some time?" Sein asked. Kath waved him off, but didn't voice any arguments this time. With a shrug, Sein started to leave. "Alright, I'll go get some rest."

"Good. You need it." With that said, Kath turned his attention away, bringing a book to himself with his aura.

Sein chuckled softly to himself before teleporting to the room he and Alana had been sharing. It was quiet, something he didn't like. Usually he could allow himself the comfort of hearing her subtle breathing or faintly feeling the rhythmic beating of her heart, but that would have to wait. For now, he laid himself on the bed and did his best to relax as various concerns flickered through his thoughts.

His son, his family, all of his son's friends on Mobius… all of it was on his mind. He wasn't sure how this would all turn out, but something in his mind said that they could do this. They just couldn't give up now.

~保護者~

Zareil tapped a foot slowly on the ground as she sat in the temporary throne she had built beside Kaden's own. She refused to sit in his, not only as a sign of respect for the one she served, but also because it simply felt wrong to do so with his absence. And so, she sat in her own and continued issuing her own orders while trying to decide how to handle the threat placed toward the triplets. She could feel a presence approaching, but she was greatly irritated and had a strong temptation to ignore them entirely.

Slowly, with all due caution, a shadow approached. It slid across the ground from one of the corridors toward her, stopping a respectful distance away. A figure emerged from it, wisely bearing no weapons and readying no attacks. "...You are not the God I knew," the man commented.

"And I am not your God now," Zareil responded without hesitation. "State your business, and be quick. Others have tested my patience recently."

After giving a slow blink, the man replied, "I am Mephiles. Myself and my companion, Iblis, served under Ambikaribah. We were only recently returned to life and seek new orders."

"Tell me what you can do. I've an inkling regarding your partner, but I may have special tasks for you both if you have the correct skills," Zareil murmured.

"We are connected, he and I," Mephiles explained. "To put it most simply, he is the brawn while I am the brain. I control deep shadows, corrupting, draining, or ending life where I see fit. More specialized uses beyond that vary depending on who I am faced with."

Zareil allowed herself a smirk, gripping her spear tighter. "Then you may well be what I'm looking for. There are a select few individuals that I wish to see dead for their involvement against our God. See to it that they perish."

Having already determined that this was an authority figure he'd best not argue against, Mephiles inclined his head. "Tell me the victims you seek. I will learn how best to end their lives."

"They go by Steam and Rose, though I know the second is a nickname. Steam organized the plan and has been acting as a leader for this group of heroes, while Rose has simply been a nuisance with her Light," Zareil explained, a finger carefully tracing the marks that had since healed from her fight with the cat. "You are free to attack and kill who you choose, provided you do not seriously injure Sonic, Silver, or Shadow. You and I will die if you so much as touch Shadow."

Sonic? ...I killed his woman long ago. Rather than voicing that thought, Mephiles instead said, "Light seldom harms me. She will likely be little trouble. I will handle her, and the other." He has questions regarding her last statement, but self-preservation kept him from openly questioning her.

"When you encounter the Light being, know that her sister is also a nuisance and bears powerful magic. Together they may well prove a challenge. My advice would be to keep them from sensing one another, as they seem to keep tabs on one another," Zareil explained. "Steam is… crafty. He knows us all far better than I would have expected, though perhaps I should have seen it coming since he's from another timeline. He will not go down easily, as proven by him surviving several blows from myself. Do with that what you will."

He nodded slowly. "Understood."

Her expression grew far more serious for a moment. "If you encounter any chameleons, leave immediately. They are… powerful, to say the least."

That earned a surprised frown. "The clans of old have been relocated?"

"They are located on Mobius, in a place called the Highlands. As long as you stay far from there, the chances of coming across one of their species is low." Mephiles nodded again, this time thoughtfully. She watched him for a moment before deciding to ask, "Do you have any questions, or are you finished here?"

"Only one," was the careful reply. "Who is the god we report to? It would be unwise of me not to make my presence known to him."

"His name is Kaden. Currently, he is within the Highlands, trapped by the Immortals. If you choose to venture there, be cautious," Zareil explained. "Your death would be a waste of our time."

"Understood," Mephiles said again. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

"I have a few other matters I would like you to handle, if you feel up to the task," Zareil murmured. "More trivial, but nonetheless important."

A dark glint shone in Mephiles's purple eyes. "Tell me," he invited. "The more I have to do, the less restless I will be."

"Investigate everyone you can and report back what they're currently doing, and what they've been doing if you are able. Added to this, I would like to see who you think you can off before people notice anything is happening. Surely such an open ended task allows you quite the amount of freedom to work your skills to the best."

"Yes… Yes, I can manage this quite nicely." Mephiles grinned a little. "Am I to report back before acting on my findings?"

Zareil nodded to this. "Anything else you do is on you, but simply make sure you complete what I demanded." She thought for a moment before calmly adding, "If you so choose and are able to, I would like you to take an opportunity to corrupt a specific chameleon. His name is Shei."

Mephiles blinked once. "If it would not be too much trouble, I ask you to describe this man. That will make it easier to track him down and be certain of who I have found."

The demoness was generous with information, explaining everything she knew before adding, "He also bears the energy of a specific being that has given us much reason to consider him useful to us, atop his other abilities. Watch yourself around him."

Now thoughtful, the other demon replied, "Depending on what this energy is and how it interacts, true corruption may not be possible for me to carry out. But I certainly can draw out whatever latent energy has garnered your attention. I did so on Sonic once in the past, with great ease."

Zareil tapped a finger against her spear before nodding slowly. "That will do if true corruption is impossible."

"Understood. I will report back to you on this matter soon, then." Mephiles started to leave, but paused. "I have left Iblis on standby on this world for now. Unless you wish for him to do something as well, I assume it is permissible to let him remain."

"As long as he does nothing irrational. Acting in an unsightly manner would bring my wrath upon him," Zareil murmured. "Ensure that and all will be well."

"I will keep it in check," he promised.

"Good. If you have any questions, speak them now. I have other visitors waiting."

"Our god. Will he permit a visit, or is he not to be disturbed?"

In response, Zareil sighed. "If you choose to see him, tell him I informed you that you could at least attempt to speak to him due to your particular set of skills and usefulness."

"Understood." With nothing left to say, Mephiles faded into the shadows and vanished.

Zareil let out a deep sigh before standing up and mentally ordering the next demons to enter, now that Mephiles had left. She didn't wish to end more of them for disloyalty, but she certainly would do so. The demoness was left briefly to wonder if she was performing her job how Kaden would have intended, but those thoughts were quickly left behind with the realization that he would have wanted her to act more or less how she had been. Working in their favor.

The next demons feigned their loyalty in hopes of making an ally of sorts, but Zareil would have none of it. Eyes glowing with malice, she struck them down and watched the blood flow. The demoness stood and issued a demand. "Mobilize in preparation of assault. Await further instruction, and do not delay."

~保護者~

It was still several hours until dawn. Shei sat near Aniko, keeping watch over her but never once making any attempt to interrupt her thoughts. The recent interaction with her father had left her with much to think about. He intended to let her think on it all in peace, provided she didn't lash out at herself or anyone else, and no one else made an attempt to harm her. Since none of that had yet happened, he remained quietly seated where he was.

Aniko sat in absolute silence, legs and arms crossed with her eyes closed as she internally debated over multiple things. Namely, her father, how she felt about what he'd told her, and her past, among a few other topics that came to mind. Usually she didn't require such deep thought to come to conclusions or make a decision, but this time felt so… different.

Why it was so difficult to make any decisions currently, she couldn't figure out. She held contempt and hatred for both of her parents, but Shei, Armaris, and most importantly, Espio, had all seemed to be on his side and defended his case, to a somewhat reasonable degree. I do not understand… Is it truly like what Espio endured with Nyokae?

The woman shifted into a standing position and paced about, her eyes flicking back and forth between various places as she tried to make sense of it all before very suddenly turning to Shei. "Do you believe his words?"

"I am more interested in what you know," he replied evenly, not missing a beat. "Shinobi can nearly always sense a lie when they pay attention. We can just as easily sense the truth. What did your senses tell you? If you do not trust your emotions, trust more logical methods."

"He could be lying without my knowledge," Aniko countered, returning to her pacing with a deepening frown.

Hoping she would look over long enough to see his hands, Shei signed to her, "Aniko, he had no reason to lie then or now. Surrounded by people who could easily have ended his life if they saw fit, what with the state he was in, he would have known that honesty was his best option."

Aniko groaned in frustration, the speed of her pacing increasing. "But I don't know if I can believe him."

"I cannot influence what you believe," Shei shrugged.

"Not helpful," Aniko grumbled lightly before returning to her seat, facing him. "You do believe him, though, yes?"

"There is no denying the honesty I sensed from him. And the sheer conviction Espio showed in defending him… that cannot be ignored. You know him, Aniko, and what he is like. He does not jump to the defense of just anyone… In much the same way that he does not trust just anyone." Shei met her gaze. "So, yes. I believe him."

"Armaris did much the same," Aniko added quietly. "In a way, they are similar with their trust." Shei nodded once in agreement. The chameleon woman fell quiet for a moment before muttering, "I don't know. It is so difficult to discern logic from emotion."

"You do not need to rush," Shei reminded her. "This is not something that has to be decided now."

"Yet I feel pressure to do so," Aniko countered. "I feel as if this decision must be made immediately. Otherwise it will weigh greatly on me."

"Then do what you can," Shei advised, "if you feel this is how it must be."

Aniko then countered her own point, muttering, "However, if I make this decision and I choose wrong, I will have placed my whole family at risk, and that is something I cannot and will not be okay with."

"We are not at risk," Shei assured her. "We can all defend ourselves and each other. And, though I doubt it will happen this way, if you do indeed choose wrong we would never hold that against you. Ever."

"It is all so concerning," Aniko muttered. "And it is also hard to dismiss the trouble he has caused in my life."

Shei inclined his head. "I know."

"Yet, his willingness to admit the truth while understanding that I would likely never trust him leads me to believe that he truly is trying to make amends," Aniko muttered.

"That does seem to be the case," Shei told her. "It is what I believe to be true."

Aniko muttered a few things to herself before simply shrugging. "I am still unsure, but I see the point you all are making." Shei nodded once again, silently acknowledging what she was saying. The woman fell silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "In more ways, I see it most beneficial to give him a chance to prove himself."

"If that is truly what you feel, I will support you," Shei told her sincerely. "We all will."

"I know such," Aniko answered. "You always have and always will unless you truly believe it to be the wrong decision."

Behind his mask, Shei smiled faintly. "That is so." He moved to stand, offering a hand to her once he was up.

She accepted the hand without much hesitation, allowing him to help her stand. "I couldn't ask for more in my family," she said, a touch of fondness in her words.

He gave her a quick hug. Once he pulled away, he promised, "We will always be here for you. No matter what happens regarding this or anything else. Alright?"

Aniko accepted the hug. "Thank you," she murmured.

Shei started to sign something more, but paused. The motion of the shadows around them suddenly had his attention. It was just the canopy above them shifting in the breeze, he knew, but even so… They feel deeper, somehow.

"You noticed as well," Aniko muttered, already unsheathing her blade.

"Something may be amiss," Shei signed slowly, "but nothing else seems wrong. It is just a touch darker here than it was before. The wildlife is not even reacting to it." As if to prove his point, one particularly loud bug let out its signature cry nearby before growing quiet again.

"I do not like it," Aniko answered. "I was already on edge."

"I do not like it, either," Shei admitted. "We should leave. There may be a powerful Hollow nearby."

Aniko moved to leave before glancing back to Shei. "Go ahead of me. I wish to be able to see you."

Shei started to slip his sword free of its sheath, but stopped in time to jump to the side. A nearly invisible thread of Darkness was left suspended in the air where he had just been, one end secured to a tree and the other attached to seemingly nothing at all in the deep darkness surrounding them. What the hell?

"Who is there?" Aniko demanded harshly, already taking a stance. "I will not stand for such actions."

Predictably, there was no reply. Another thread appeared, mere millimeters from her nose. Another appeared just behind Shei's ankle. It was then that he caught on to what was happening. They are attempting to limit our movement. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed Aniko's wrist and none-too-gently pushed her away from him to get her moving. He started after her, but the appearance of a multitude of additional threads in front of him barred his way. If he pressed on, he'd be cut to all hell and he knew it.

Aniko was quick to act, brandishing her blade and delivering a powerful strike against the threads. I am not leaving without you, dammit, she thought to herself.

Shei whipped out his own sword and sliced clean through multiple other threads. He was by his partner's side in an instant and cut away yet more threads when they appeared. A fresh concern made its way into his mind. Is this also meant to be a distraction? It is not forceful enough to just be a blockade, surely… but neither is it a very good distraction of any sort.

"We need to stay put," Aniko muttered while very subtly signing with one hand behind her back where Shei could see to do the exact opposite, beginning to spread her own threads throughout the area.

Seeing her sign, Shei readied himself to spring away. Only, he was stopped from carrying out his plan again. This time, it was because a tentacle of energy sprang forth from the darkness and latched onto his wrist. It wound itself tightly around, twisting his arm and spinning him forcefully so that he was pinned front-side-first against the nearest tree. His wrist was then squeezed so hard that his grip on his weapon was forcibly weakened enough for his weapon to be stolen away. A second tendril took hold of it and wrenched it into the blackness beyond, where it was immediately lost.

Aniko was quick to begin attempting to cleave the tentacle apart, growing far more pissed off than she had been in the past hour or so. Her sword, however, kept passing right through the appendage for no good reason. Shei hissed softly under his breath and twisted back around, attempting to wrench himself free of the iron grip he'd found himself in. Their enemy put a stop to that by slamming him back-first into the tree. This time, much more force was used. Each to make snow from even the very highest branches came raining down upon them. Seeing that her efforts were wasted, Aniko quickly began typing out a message to Espio to try and call for some sort of help, as this was obviously something she could not handle and she had no desire to let her desire to handle things herself be what caused something to happen.

Meanwhile, smoke-like power began to emanate from the tentacle, flowing off every inch of it and giving the air a strangely heavy feel. Shei's eyes narrowed a little, full of caution and suspicion, and he tried to call forth his own Darkness in an effort to break free. This, too, proved to have little to no effect. Aniko gritted her teeth and sent the message before shooting out several threads in all directions in an attempt to make contact with whatever was attacking her partner.

Miraculously, one thread did make contact, but only just long enough for said contact to be noticeable. Then the thread was severed and the energy filling the tentacle began to intensify. A faint black glow began to appear, and Shei was again slammed into a tree. Naturally, his unusual temper as of late was starting to flare in response to this sudden abuse, though he was so far doing his best to keep a handle on it.

Aniko suddenly cursed aloud, whipping around and lashing out with her sword in a powerful arc, cleaving through the trees in her way in an attempt to make contact with whatever was in this darkness once more. She made fleeting contact again. Whoever or whatever was out there, they weren't making too much effort to hide. But they were making a decidedly significant effort to anger the both of them, it would seem. Almost as proof of that fact, Shei was flung again, this time right into Aniko's side. This left them both on the ground as a result of the impact, and Shei hissed much more audibly this time. Aniko forced herself to her feet and rushed to where she'd made contact the last two times and lashed out with her blade again.

Her attack was deflected with strangely fiery force. That same force blasted her backward. Moments later, a figure slowly emerged from the Darkness, staring disdainfully at her. "Your sword is useless against me. Unless you wish to see it snapped in half, do not raise it again." As he spoke, the tentacle glowed a bit stronger while Shei picked himself up.

A loud hiss escaped Aniko in response, but she made no move to rid herself of the blade. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" she muttered hatefully.

Rather than answering her question, the shadowy figure shifted his gaze to Shei. "Who, exactly, do you think he is?" he inquired in return. The tentacle released Shei's wrist, only to snap into place around Shei's neck and pin him to the trunk of the same tree he'd been thrown into several times before.

"I could ask you the same," Aniko bit out, gripping her sword tighter. This felt strangely like the time where she was being affected by that magic as her Darkness flared in response to her ever-growing hatred.

"You know not the forces you contend with by being here," was the murmured reply. "That much is clear. Your… partner was never meant to be contained the way he is now. I am here to remedy that."

Aniko felt herself shift in the direction of this being, every instinct screaming at her to find some way to violently murder it. "And you haven't the damndest clue who you're contending with."

"I am afraid that your sentiment is misplaced." The glow of dark energies within the tentacle intensified further and, without further warning, began violently crackling around Shei. His whole body seized up with obvious agony, so much so that he wasn't able to continue trying to relieve the pressure on his throat or escape.

Aniko lashed out with her fists, once more spreading threads with every intent of finding some sort of weakness. The anger was so overwhelming that she couldn't find words to express it, or so much as even speak. The enemy, whoever they were, showed no sympathy toward her as they cut through her threads and continued whatever they were doing to Shei.

Soon, Shei's own energies began reacting to this, black and crimson crackling to life around him. The massive tree instantly began to wither and rot away, and the tentacle soon began to disintegrate as well. This resulted in Shei being dropped to the ground and the energy-based appendage being cast carelessly away. The other chameleon was left shaky and coughing as he fought to recover, one hand on his throat. Black and crimson energies continued to flow violently through and around him, doing so with so much strength that it was perfectly visible even in the darkness.

Aniko begrudgingly turned her attention toward Shei, trying to figure out what the hell this being had done to him before glaring at it. "Who the fuck are you?"

"None of your concern, woman. Be grateful this is all I came here to do." Turning away, the shadowy figure melted back into the darkness. Seconds later, everything lightened up again and he was gone.

The woman growled before turning to Shei, approaching but not going near him due to the energy flowing around him. "Shei…" her words failed her as she watched this, unsure of what to do.

Teeth tightly gritted, Shei used one hand to harshly sign, "Back off." As angry as his movements were, his intention for this to be a warning and not anything more was clear.

Aniko hesitantly took a few steps back, a concerned expression on her face. "What did it do to you…?" Shei only shook his head, not giving any kind of concrete answer as he struggled to his feet. Aniko could only watch, wishing to be able to help but being unable to do so. Limping, Shei walked to where his sword had been thrown and retrieved it. He sheathed it with a shaking hand. Another wave of energy coursed through him, and he collapsed back onto his knees with a wince.

Only at that moment did Espio arrive, bloodied sword in hand. He looked irritated and slightly breathless, having clearly been involved in his own fight. "What the hell?" he demanded quietly, gaze firmly locked on his mother. "Why was there a swarm of Hollows? It is unheard of."

"Some sort of being came after us and attacked Shei," Aniko answered. "I could not help… I was unable to so much as harm it."

That horde… Was that deliberately incited, perhaps? Scowling, Espio's gaze slid over to his father. He grimaced. "Mother… That energy…" He trailed off, knowing that she already knew as well as he did what it was.

Aniko nodded quietly, biting her lip. "I know… What… can we do?"

Shei abruptly cut into the conversation with more harsh signs. "Leave. You must."

The idea hurt Aniko to even think about, but ultimately she nodded. "I… understand. What will you do?"

"Leave," Shei repeated. He struggled to his feet again. Blackened, disintegrating grass was left where he'd been seated. Every footstep he'd taken had left its mark. The tree he'd been touching earlier was nearly dust by now. "This region will continue to rot and wilt if I remain."

"Be safe," Aniko signed quickly before taking off with Espio not far behind, unable to make herself think on this more. Shei only offered a vague nod before teleporting away, taking his increasingly uncontrolled energies with him.

~保護者~

Morning found Tails and those in his home working on downing a large and full breakfast. Laughter was shared and chaos was endured, but ultimately it all struck Tails as a very happy scene. One that had him fondly reminiscing about the past. He couldn't stop smiling. If only everyone else was here at the same time. That would be the most wonderful thing. None of his fondness faded when he turned his attention to Wery. If anything, it strengthened a smidge. Though, he didn't pay it great attention for the most part. "You doing okay?" he asked her. "I know these guys can be a little… much." He gestured meaningfully to the bickering going on between Silver and Knuckles with a laugh.

Wery chuckled a little with a sheepish smile before motioning to the weasel that had joined them recently. "Her being around has helped a little bit." Kira didn't seem to really notice this, however, as she was simply engrossed in conversation to learn about the people around her. "I expected there to be a lot of energy, though."

"Yeah, they really can get energetic, that's for sure," Tails agreed. "I'm glad your friend showed up when she did. You've been surrounded by strangers for ages now. I bet it's nice to have a familiar face around here."

She didn't hesitate to nod. "Yeah. She's also just pleasant in general, so it's added to this whole experience of being able to get used to everything."

"Yeah, I can understand that." Tails glanced over to the other woman, watching her interact with his friends for a moment. "You said her name is Kira? She seems pretty nice."

"Despite her name, yeah. Luckily she's not what her name would suggest," Wery chuckled.

Tails answered with a small laugh of his own. "Yeah, that would be… scary, probably."

Wery nodded her agreement. "Absolutely. Especially with the fact that she finally, after several years told me that she has the power to control water."

Tails's mouth made a small 'o' of surprise. "That's cool."

"It makes sense why she ran a little flower shop for so long," Wery explained with a smile. "She was always out and about, tending to plants."

"That makes sense to me," Tails nodded. "It would have been easy enough, I imagine. And, now that I think about it more, I'm glad she knows about her powers. It's a sad reality that so many Mobians don't know about their powers, or know about them but have no idea how to use them, or aren't interested in learning… and so on and so forth. It's nice to see someone who does know how to use hers, even if only recreationally."

"Judging by what Steam told us, I would say she knows a bit about combat uses as well," Wery said in return. "At least a little bit."

"That's even better," Tails responded happily. "If she can hold her own, then we don't have as much reason to worry about her, you know? We can focus on happier things with her, instead of just worrying about how to best protect her."

Wery nodded before yelping when Kira suddenly wrapped an arm around her. "Were you talking about how close we are?" the weasel teased gently.

"Oh, partially, yeah," Wery said with a smile. "We were also talking about you knowing how to use your water." Tails offered a smile of his own, mostly staying out of this for now.

Kira ruffled some of Wery's fur, prompting the fox to let out a protest and try to fix it. The weasel then turned her attention to Tails with a smile. "So you're that famous inventor that Wery wanted to be like? You seem really nice and down to earth. I appreciate that, and that you're working with her."

"Oh, uh… Well, I try to be nice. I mean, I like to think most people would do the same, you know? But, yeah, having Wery around to work with has been great. She really knows her stuff." Tails beamed at Wery for a moment. "She's ridiculously smart."

Wery blushed immensely and stammered some sort of response as Kira laughed. "Oh, she absolutely is. She's helped me make irrigation systems in the past, though I'm really sad to say that a few of them were pretty badly damaged in that attack. Not to mention, that tablet of hers doesn't leave her side."

"It really doesn't," Tails agreed merrily. Then he added, "Oh, and we can absolutely help repair anything that was damaged, if you'd like. That is, we can while things stay calm. At the very least, she can help whenever she wants to, if she wants to. If things get hectic again, I'm gonna be busy."

"It was mostly for greenhouses and such that… sadly are probably not going to survive," Kira said quietly, a touch of sadness to her tone. "I would hate to ask for any help in repairing something that is likely to end up damaged or outright destroyed.

"That's just it, though," Tails said. "If it's repaired well enough, they'll be absolutely fine. And if any of the plants need additional care to get by, I've got a couple friends who have their own green thumbs. They can probably help you out."

Kira rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I'll handle it if the time comes. Plants are hardy little things and don't go down easily. I also don't wanna take away from all the preparations and such you guys are doing, but if you really want to help, we can find some time soon."

"Usually, I'd agree about them not going down easily, but… well, the presence of the… erm, 'monsters' that keep attacking really does a number on wildlife." Tails sighed a little. "Even just being near those things is sometimes enough to make whole forests start to wilt. I've seen it before, in these very woods if you can believe that. That's why I don't mind offering help. It's really saddening, seeing that kind of thing."

She nodded slowly and glanced away. "Yeah… that's what I've noticed too. I don't know what could be done to help them, but if nothing else, I can take time and begin growing them another day."

Tails brightened up again. "See… that's where my friends could be useful. One of them has nature powers. So he kinda gets to cheat when it comes to gardening." He chuckled at his own joke. "The other one lives in a land full of monsters like those, so he knows what it takes for plants to survive encounters with them. They both can work wonders, and certainly don't dislike doing so."

"Woah," Kira answered, eyes bright at the prospect. "If I can meet either of them, that would be awesome. I've always wanted to meet someone with powers that let them grow plants and stuff at will."

"My friend with the powers is notoriously hard to pin down," Tails laughed, "but I'll do my best to get his butt down here sometime soon. The other one might be easier to get ahold of, honestly, though he doesn't have any powers related to this."

Kira nodded before turning her attention to the others in the room. "I think I heard my name… from somewhere. I'll leave you two to chat," she said with a gentle smile, hugging Wery before beginning to walk off.

Wery gave a smile and waved to her friend before returning her attention to Tails. "Yeah, she's definitely nothing like her name suggests," the fox chuckled.

"Not at all," Tails agreed, feeling quite happy. "She's even nicer than I'd guessed she would be. And I guessed that her kindness level would be pretty high."

A small giggle escaped Wery at that. "Oh, absolutely. We met one day when I was looking for parts, and she helped me collect my stuff when I couldn't carry it without dropping things. We became friends after that."

"You know, that's a much more tame and normal way to meet a friend than I tend to experience," Tails said. He laughed once more. "Guess me and my friends are even more weird than I previously realized. Most of us met in really crazy ways."

"Really?" Wery asked, now far more curious than before. "How so?"

"Well… Take Blaze, for example," Tails replied, gesturing to her. "Me, Amy, and Knuckles followed Silver through a portal into his own timeline for various reasons, and that led to us meeting her. Meeting him was an adventure in and of itself, mind you, but yeah."

Wery blinked several times before nodding slowly. "I see."

"Anyway," Tails started, "I'm suddenly thinking. We learned recently that you have a power you didn't know about. So, I was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to work out what you might be able to do with it?"

She blinked again before nodding slowly. "Oh, yeah. That would probably be a good idea." The fox was quick to set her tablet down in front of them both. "I've already made some notes on potential uses, considering that this is… well, something that involves a lot of physics. I did want to test how much I can shift my own weight in both directions."

"We can certainly test that in the workshop," Tails said. "It would take some doing, but we can make a proper set of adjustable weights for you to work with, and some devices to measure everything that's going on."

Wery nodded easily with a smile. "That sounds like a good idea. Theoretically, this should let me absolutely abuse physics against things and for my own benefit if it all works how I expect it to."

"Pretty much!" Tails agreed with a grin. "It could be really great for you all around."

Wery stood up and collected her tablet while idly typing some formulas into it before turning her gaze to him. "Should we just do it ourselves and let everyone do their thing?"

"Oh, yeah, they'll be fine up here," Tails told her. He stood as well and gathered both of their dishes. "And, well, they know how to get into the workshop if they need either of us for anything. Plus, you know, communicators."

"Fair enough," Wery answered before beginning to head to the workshop. "The communicators were a really good idea, by the way."

Tails deposited the dishes in the sink and walked after her. "What, passing them out to people?"

"Just in general. An effective way for everyone to communicate," Wery explained. "It's made things a lot better, but I noticed that Steam's is different. Did he come here with his own?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, but don't give me credit for them. It was Sonic's idea, actually, and his design." Tails thought for a moment before adding, "And yeah, I had nothing to do with Steam's. He had it already when we met him."

Wery nodded slowly in response. "Gotcha." Her attention turned back to the tablet as they entered the workshop, setting it down on a table. "So, what would you say we should try first?"

"We've definitely got to clear a space first," Tails replied. "With the way I've got things arranged now, there's no room for a test of this nature. I've gotta get some of my machines to start moving shelving units elsewhere, for one thing."

She chuckled softly. "We can get started on that, then," Wery answered.

Trading yet more smiles, the pair got to work.

~保護者~

Cyril's eyes were set upon New Babylon, a place he'd only been to a few times. He would have arrived sooner, had he not sensed Eila and helped her destroy a large building. The tenacity, the utter unwillingness she had to let that thing stay standing was enough to convince him to aid her. Now, here he was, descending toward the palace. He could feel the presence of several familiar people, but he'd never actually met Calypso. Was this even a good idea?

He steeled himself and teleported inside, landing and quickly letting his magic guide him. It was like it had a mind of its own sometimes, leading him and teaching him what to do and what he could do. The finch wouldn't complain, since suddenly learning that he was a god had thrown him for a loop. Cyril felt off his game still, especially after everything that happened with Nareish.

The faintest embers of anger flared within him at that thought and he sighed, letting it go for now and simply continuing on. Allowing it to burn away within him wouldn't help him, or anyone, for that matter. He found himself in front of the medical ward, pressing a hand against the door before opening it slowly and stepping inside. It didn't take him long to locate a Therian amidst the patients, and even less time to hurry over to her.

Cyril's hand shook for a moment as he gazed over her body, taking in all the details of her injuries. What did they do to you…? I… I can't- This hurts just to look at… His gaze turned to the other Therian near her, his heart breaking more. This is… a kid. No… He wanted to help them both, but he knew the card he'd been using to heal wasn't something he could just use on them. They were strangers, despite him caring about them as if they were his friends. Not only that, but he'd used The High Priestess and Death recently. His only two healing cards.

The guiding 'voice' of sorts that had been helping him subconsciously realizing things suddenly left, and for this moment he was… unsure. He didn't like feeling helpless, nor did he like seeing others suffer. It hurt him to see that, enough that he could almost feel it in his chest. Maybe there was something he could do. His magic usually… helped him do the things he wanted to do, so perhaps there was some chance he could use it here, too.

His feet left the floor and the multicolored magic flowed freely in the air around him. He thought for a moment about what he wanted, who he wanted to help. He was distracted, though. It felt unfair to only heal these two when everyone else in the room was just as much a victim as Calypso. They were all dragged into this conflict. I… can't just avoid healing them too.

Cyril extended his hand out and his magic blanketed the room in a wide array of color, slowly and meticulously treating whatever injuries he could. Maybe he wouldn't get them all, but he would be sure to do his best. When he felt that it was done, he allowed his magic to retreat back into his body so that he could land (albeit shakily) on the ground. "Yikes. That took a bit more out of me than I expected," he chuckled sheepishly to himself.

In immediate response to what he'd just done, a dark purple eye cracked open. An exhausted voice murmured, "You."

The finch quickly turned to the voice and he nodded. "Oh, sorry for disturbing you. I realize now that all those colors probably messed with your rest and such. Really didn't mean to do that, but I hope that you feel a lot better, or maybe it didn't work as well as I wanted it to-"

Calypso spoke again, unabashedly cutting him off. "You do well. You worry much." After taking a moment to look over her son, she turned her full attention back to Cyril. "T'e magic you have… it is powerful, but you no have confidence. No pride in your work. You no have a chance, like t'at."

Eesh, when you put it like that… "I… I don't really know how any of this works. I just got some big news and was forced to do something I… didn't like," Cyril explained lightly, not wanting to bother her with the details. "I've been told that it's strong, but I just don't know what I'm doing. At least with my cards, I've got an idea."

"You waste time on what you know. You need focus on what you feel." Gingerly, Calypso pushed herself up into a sitting position. "It like my friend say. 'Do as you please'. You a God. Your magic not the same as normal. It do what it wants. What you want."

"I don't get it," Cyril admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I… doesn't every power usually have some sort of limit on what it can do? Doesn't really matter if I want it to do something."

"It have limits, but not like any normal power. This power be greater than simple fire or elemental spells or anyt'ing like t'at. It have far more ability than you are willing to trust."

Cyril lightly crossed his arms. "It just doesn't make sense to me."

"T'at… how you say… 'sound like a you problem'." Calypso managed a fleeting smirk in amusement at her own quip. "T'ink about it like t'is. When you heal us, what you feel before you do it?"

The finch had to pause for a moment at hearing that, the gears in his head turning. "Well… I saw that you were hurt and I wanted to help. Then… I realized that other people are hurt, too, and I wanted to help them as well. I couldn't just… ignore them."

"T'en you do exactly what I tell you earlier," Calypso shrugged. "You want heal us before, so you do it and now we are better. Understand?"

"Yeah… I get it," Cyril murmured, letting a bit of his magic float above his palm so he could look at it. "It… does what I want it to, within… well, reason, yeah?"

"T'at what I been saying," was the response.

Cyril sighed gently in response before looking at all of the other people in the room. "I… I just want to help people. End this war. Keep everyone I can alive. That's a lot to ask for, isn't it?"

"No. It not." Calypso closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "What you want… Protect, heal, defend, attack. T'at you can do. You cannot fix everyt'ing. You cannot save everyt'ing. But you can do more t'an you t'ink."

The finch nodded slowly before turning to her suddenly, hands grasping the edge of her bed as he scanned her body again. "You… I don't sense magic… What happened?" he asked frantically.

Hearing this, Calypso grimaced. Her eyes opened again to regard him quietly. "T'at woman steal it. Use it to bring t'e dead to life. My people magic can do powerful… ...how it called… necromancy. She use it for her own plans."

Cyril felt his heart finally truly break from the state she was in, his hand gently taking one of hers. "I… I'm so sorry. I can't believe she did that to you."

Calypso blinked at him, taking in his genuine sorrow, then sighed and looked away. "It not your fault. My hope t'at it will come back over time. Kash t'ink it possible. It is my best chance."

"If I can help at all with that process… tell me," Cyril said, a sudden confidence entering his eyes. "I want to do all I can."

"If I t'ink of way you can help, I say so," she assured quietly. Her gaze strayed to her son again. "And… I t'ank you for helping him. My family is… small. And growing smaller. We lose so many people already. I cannot lose him, too."

Cyril nodded slowly, his free hand idly signing out, to the best of its ability, a simple acceptance of her thanks. "I won't let people die if I can help it. Kids included," he murmured.

"It a good goal." Calypso gently tugged her hand free. She then tugged the blankets up a bit and murmured, "Kash may want know you here. You know him, yes? He like know his allies are safe."

"Do… you mean Kath?" Cyril questioned softly.

Though she waved him off, Calypso nodded and agreed, "Yes, him. It hard to say his name most time. T'at sound barely exist in my tongue. Even in name of my people, t'e sound is smaller. It easier to say."

"Makes sense." Cyril smiled softly and used his magic to gently move her blanket a bit more to really help keep her warm. "I'll let Kath know. I… should probably talk to him, anyway. Maybe he knows more about this whole thing than I do."

"Perhaps he do know," Calypso replied. She laid down on her side, still exhausted and needing sleep. "I never know him to study magic, but he know much without doing t'at. Perhaps he surprise me again, hm? I am eager find out."

Cyril nodded with a growing smile. "You rest for now. I don't know what I can do for your exhaustion, but something tells me I should take a break before I push it too far. I'll make sure he knows that you're doing better."

She closed her eyes, unconcerned with his continuing worry. "I just sleep. It not a problem. Go do what you need do."

"You, too," Cyril said softly, walking out of the medical ward quietly. I'm not going to let Nareish get away with this. I'll teach her to mess with other people's lives, even if I can only do it by protecting those I care about.

~保護者~

Rusen was quiet as he sat in the empty space near his kin, a faint frown on his face. "We cannot stay much longer… can we? We must return to sleep, or we will be incapable of helping further…"

Sul shook his head grimly. "This cannot be maintained. We must rest soon. We had not anticipated waking so terribly early."

"I do not like this, not at all," Rusen murmured in response. "I have so enjoyed getting to see the fruits of our labor. They are all so varied and interesting, with their own motivations and desires. I wish to learn more of them."

"There will be more time," Aethra answered softly, "if all goes well. We must rest, but we have enough left in us to ensure some lasting aid while we sleep. The baby you left under your protection, for instance… They will remain guarded no matter how deeply we dream."

Rusen gave a vague shrug of his shoulders. "That is true, but nothing like what I wish for. We will also not be awake for the arrival of another key ally. It will… be on Steam to aid them and the one they choose with learning their newfound abilities."

"It is how things must be," Sul said. "There are no other options presented to us. We must focus on doing what we can before the time comes, not dwelling on what might have been accomplished had we been properly recovered from the Dawn."

"I know," Rusen murmured, slowly standing and letting out a soft sigh. "It is our only option."

"Let us speak of preparations, then," Aethra continued. "What else do we put our energies into doing while we are awake?"

The last of the four, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up. "Rusen, you said something to that Balancer regarding his current mental state. You must uphold your word."

"I plan to," Rusen murmured. "Once a certain event has transpired, he will need to return to his home for a time and recuperate. His friend can return him here once that is seen through, if they choose."

"Place a mark on him," Aethra murmured. "Put your remaining energy into that, to ensure it will last long enough to send him home when the time comes. That will be your final act for now."

Rusen gave a gentle nod in response. "I will do such."

"There is a couple I would revive," Sul added. "Their presence will do Kaden much good. It is my belief that their aid will prove vital to alleviate some of his suffering when the inevitable occurs."

Rusen nodded to Sul as well before turning his attention to the last of their kin. "Utavi, do you have a wish you would like to fulfill?"

Utavi was quiet for a moment, contemplating several choices before ultimately speaking. "I have many ideas. All of which have some merit. Doing them all is incomprehensibly beyond my ability at the moment, so I must choose one. The choice is difficult."

"What were your ideas?" Aethra asked her.

"Of course, being who I am, I wished to bolster one or two of those we have been protecting. Some choices stand out among them, but there are merits to them all, as I mentioned." Utavi frowned for a moment before letting out a sound akin to a groan. "Mental bolstering would be suitable as well, but that is not my territory." Her gaze flicked to Aethra specifically. "Though, the idea of gifting Rosalline strength has grown on me. Have you any other candidates?"

"Who else were you considering?" Sul asked in turn.

"A new addition to their allies proves promising. Two of them, in fact. One most specifically due to a power that only one other has access to. Her name is Kira," Utavi explained. "However, she has little knowledge of use for her power in combat, as does her small friend. That proves concerning."

"Without knowledge, additional strength will not just be useless - it will be dangerous," Aethra pointed out.

"Exactly what I mean," Utavi muttered, drumming her fingers against her thigh in a rhythmic pattern. "Of course, the potential of aiding Eila is a choice, but I dislike the idea. A better choice might come in some of those that have been rather unseen, such as Blaze, perhaps?"

"They require training before such power is given," Sul said.

"As for the others," Aethra murmured, "I am unsure. I agree that it is not wise with Eila, however. She is not in the right mental or emotional state. With Blaze, the issue is that her powers are not terribly useful against the threats they face. Simply making them stronger in general will not change how ineffective they are against these enemies. Fire cannot harm fire, for one thing."

"If we had blood vessels, one of mine would have surely burst… provided I was not one of our kind," Utavi muttered. Her thoughts wandered for a moment and she frowned. "The chameleons all pose the unique threat of being turned on their allies. If they grow much stronger, not many would even be capable of comparing."

Rusen smiled gently at Utavi. "Perhaps a look at the males would provide useful. Sonic seems like a candidate, if you ask me."

"He is Teyan's personal prodigy," Sul agreed slowly. "He is the first embodiment of Chaos since she and her sister first revealed themselves to us. His usefulness is assured."

Utavi shrugged. She couldn't deny the truth from her kin. "Any other suggestions?" When none of the others spoke up, she shrugged again. "I see."

"If that is what you both wish to do, I believe you should," Rusen murmured. Aethra sagely nodded her agreement.

Utavi let out a faint huff. "As if I would do otherwise. Should we have Pyrun go to Mobius and help handle the threat of Mephiles? He very well could kill Rosalline if she is not expecting an enemy of his calibre."

"He would also be instrumental in managing the fires Iblis will send raging over the planet when it arrives," Sul frowned. "His presence is very needed."

Rusen nodded gently. "Of course. Might Ythene be interested in teaching Sonic more about his power to go along with what Utavi planned?"

"She has always helped him, even while unable to leave her realm," Aethra replied. "I foresee no change to that now."

Utavi spoke up, deciding to break her own silence. "So she should go with Pyrun, then. You were also thinking about the Goddess of Fates, correct, Rusen?" she asked.

"I was. She has had a desire to meet a few of them, and I believe that her insight could help them greatly in the future," Rusen murmured in reply. "The differences in the timelines will grow, so our dear Balancer's knowledge will start to grow a touch limited."

"We can certainly send them to Mobius together," Sul agreed. "That would be easy enough."

Rusen's attention turned to Sul with a smile. "I believe your plan is decided as well, my friend?"

"Yes, I am quite certain now," was the calm response. "I will revive them soon."

"And I believe I can now turn my attention to you, Aethra," Rusen murmured softly. "Do you have a particular gift for our heroes?"

"I intend to impart a small dose of knowledge to Sonic, and later Kira," Aethra answered him. "Beyond that… we have all foreseen the memories that may well be returning to Shadow soon. I can make their arrival far less sudden and startling. Given his current state, I believe that would be wise."

Utavi blinked once before nodding. "Might keep things from escalating too quickly for him and Toru."

"Agreed," Sul nodded in return. "Things are difficult for them enough as it is. Your plan is wise, as always, dear friend."

Rusen turned quietly away from them all and frowned softly. "I believe this should be enough to keep them going. A few possibilities arise, but they may well handle it themselves with luck and determination. Alongside some careful planning." Aethra murmured an agreement.

"Well," Utavi muttered, already beginning to move. "I am tired of standing around. I will go speak to Pyrun, Ythene, and Ynder."

"Farewell, friend," Aethre said in reply. "We will see you again soon enough."

Utavi moved to leave, then stopped for a moment. "When this is all over, I have some proposals to make. Something to restore the voids in life of our creation, though that can wait. We must first remove Nareish as a problem," she murmured before vanishing.

"I see," Rusen answered with vague amusement. "If Utavi has ideas, they are certainly worth hearing out. She does not speak out without purpose, even if that does not limit her speaking often."

"Her idea has merit. Her race is totally extinct, save for two individuals. Mine has nearly met the same fate," Sul sighed and closed his eyes. "This can indeed be remedied, at a later time."

Rusen's smile managed to grow briefly. "You may well see new members soon if a certain development occurs. One took an interest, and another has been interested. I believe you are aware." Sul inclined his head to acknowledge his kin's words. Rusen let out a sigh and returned his gaze to the distance. "Perhaps it will come true. Perhaps it may not." Sul made a vague sound of agreement.

Aethra stood from her seat and looked at them both. "It is time I leave. I must meet with those three soon."

Rusen nodded. "That would be good." She waved goodbye and vanished without answering him. Rusen then shifted his gaze to Sul for a moment. "I presume you will be leaving as well, my friend?"

Sul shook his head. "No. I will remain here for a time. It is quiet here, making it easy to focus."

"I would stay with you, but I must talk to the Balancer," Rusen answered.

"I understand. Good luck with your efforts," Sul responded.

"Same to you," Rusen murmured with a smile. With that said, he left to prepare his gift.

~保護者~

14,251 words this time. Hope you all enjoyed. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Posted (at about 1:30 p.m.) 03-18-21.