Chapter 23: Ascension (1)

"I had best depart for the time being."

Blinking at Abigail's sudden words Manaka turned to the girl who was gently lowering Nanashi into the embrace of a nearby sofa, the homunculus's head lolling weakly as the magus commented, "Depart? While I rejoice at you leaving for what reason do you have to do so?"

A sad smile adorned the blonde's lips, tone distant as she replied, "Our usage of the gates to enter the magi's den seems to have caused a stir among the Outer Gods. While Nanashi's presence tends to drive them away for reasons we have yet discerned I would rather not risk either your or your family's safety by remaining close when they are agitated."

Pursing her lips Manaka replied, "Very well, a sensible enough decision. And…"

Shifting her weight from foot-to-foot as if physically pained by the next words to leave her mouth the cerulean-eyed girl stated, "My door...is open to you, should you have need of it. But don't be a boor and provide advance warning so that I may construct bounded fields to shield my papa and baby sister, so that they do not attempt to slaughter you on the spot-EH?!"

Squeaking in surprise as Abigail engulfed her in a tight hug that was several different kinds of pleasing, uncomfortable and overly familiar she heard the other cursed child murmur, "Thank you...friend. Watch over Nanashi while I am absent?"

Awkwardly electing to pat the other girl's back Manaka grunted, "Someone has to babysit the dolt. N-now unhand me, such actions are unbecoming of one of my station!"

Doing as she was asked Abigail nonetheless favored her with a brilliant smile, quietly stating, "If that's what you desire. And, thank you. For agreeing to be my friend."

Experiencing yet another surge of warmth that colored her pale skin the magus elected to pout, grumpily responding, "Yes yes, you have made your gratitude known several times over. Are you to depart or not?"

Giving one last squeeze alongside a playful giggle Abigail sent her a final, fuzzy looking smile before tearing open another hole in reality, stepping through it without a backwards glance as the magus let loose a slow, befuddled breath.

"So vexing…are all friends as strange as she?"

Letting her hands rub against her eyes in a rare display of exhaustion and weariness Manaka looped Nanashi's arm over her shoulders, deciding to enjoy the feeling of his thin frame against hers rather than simply levitate him using magecraft.

"It must be quite late, if Ayaka and papa haven't awoken to welcome us back…"

A quick glance out one of the windows confirmed that it was very much indeed into the hours of night, the magus hauling the homunculus further into the house-

"You and Abigail...seem to get along...pretty well..."

-and puffed out a cheek at her friend's mumbled words, pointedly stating, "Eavesdropping on the conversation of two young ladies is a highly inappropriate thing to do, Nanashi."

"Eavesdrop? You left me...on the couch...not my fault…"

Sniffing haughtily at his perfectly valid response the magus instead responded, "Justify your heinous actions all you want, silly boy. Rest, we shall reconvene and recuperate in the morning."

"Right...thanks, Manaka…"

Fading quickly the girl sent a sidelong glance to her companion, noting that he was drifting off into slumber fairly quickly, no doubt brought to a limit that was steadily shrinking day by day.

"You foolish boy. What is the point of pushing yourself so in order to acquire this new body if you are to only limit your means of acquiring it or wear yourself ragged in the interim. Such idiocy…"

Lowering the worn out and insensate homunculus to his bed Manaka stared at his face, examining every pore and stretch of skin with a fascination even she was surprised by. After all, it was a collection of features she saw everyday, nothing all that new aside from steadily growing bags under the dull red eyes, pale and unhealthy skin turning continuously fallow and thin.

...And yet everyday her awareness of its allure only grew, something that made the girl feel fuzzy and confused.

"Come to think of it you never truly apologized for awakening me to the confusing and trying existence that is having emotions. Impolite boy that you are, I suppose such an occurrence is only natural…"

Her fingers drifted across his cheek, marveling at her friend's beauty. Not his physical beauty - for she would have loved even a pig's appearance had it gifted her what he had - but the beauty of what Nanashi represented...a chance to live again. A life that was continuously awash with emotions and trial and frustration and affection and light.

For the first time she could remember in a long time Manaka found that she had to speak around a lump in her throat.

"You had best survive and stay with me, Nanashi...I will not forgive you should you pass on. There exist many means of retaining the soul even upon death and while your unique nature makes such a prospect difficult I promise I will make such an action hellish for you."

And to complete the threat she bent low, letting her lips brush against his feverish forehead, tongue lightly tracing the dried sweat that dotted her lips as the girl shuddered in a rush of emotion.

"...Sweet dreams, Nanashi."

"...It's getting harder to see. Guess that's next on the list of things to fail."

Trying one more time to clear the sleep gunk from his eyes - just in case that really was the issue - Nanashi released a quiet sigh, thin chest struggling to draw in enough breath to replace that which was exhaled.

"Nope. Guess I'm well on my way to being blind as fuck."

Morosely staring into his blurry and out of focus reflection in the bathroom mirror the homunculus shivered despite the heavy morning clothing he wore, a woolen long sleeve and baggy sweatpants cinched tight around his gaunt frame, constantly in danger of freezing over due to his lack of natural insulation and fading bodily functions.

These days he was stuck either in a feverish nightmare due to his circuits overheating or shivering like a newborn baby as he tried to retain what little body heat he could. Not even the runes and mystic codes Manaka had provided seemed to do the trick, only working for maybe a day before they just seemed to...stop.

His fingers drifted over the raised scar on his flank, the tumor that had grown there only recently removed courtesy of his friend and benefactor.

"Two months before critical organ failure...I'm really reaching the end of my rope here, aren't I?"

The initial prognosis had been for eight months but inbetween his excessive and reckless usage of powers he had not been supposed to use and the hectic lifestyle of the past three months...well, he was just surprised he hadn't keeled over already.

Splashing water over his face and drying his face with limbs that had to be applied with reinforcement just to move halfway efficiently the homunculus heaved a tired sigh - and promptly kicked himself for doing so when it just made it harder to breathe overall - before hobbling out of the washroom, placing a hand on the wall to help guide him since his vision had decided to go.

"Nanashi? Do you need help, you don't look well…"

Giving the blurry outline of Ayaka a wry smile the youth wryly explained, "Could you put a plate of eggs and toast out for me, please? I don't think I'm going to be able to get my own breakfast this morning."

"O-of course! Go ahead and take your seat, I'll be right out in just a minute!"

Nodding in thanks the homunculus stumbled towards his designated seat, Haruki's blurred form already seated as carefully lowered himself into the modified chair with extra padding.

"...Your eyes, I take it?"

The quiet inquiry from the older man caused Nanashi to nod in bitter acknowledgement, a soft breath leaving the magus who had more or less become his surrogate father.

"Manaka will be displeased to hear that."

"Yeah. Then again not much about my situation pleases her these days. Thankfully she doesn't pinch as hard as she used to."

The joke mostly fell flat, the circumstances that should have been funny instead mildly uncomfortable.

It had been a harmless bit of playfulness, Manaka pinching his cheek after a less than proper comment from him had been aired...and the flimsy skin had parted beneath the sharp application of pressure, his blood splattering across her fingers as a pained gasp had slipped past his lips.

He'd been expecting a half-hearted apology - if that - and bit of healing magecraft before they moved on...and his friend had begun to hyperventilate, a minor panic attack striking as she'd refused to leave his side for the whole day, miserable and hypersensitive to his each and every need.

It had been a stark reminder that the seemingly indomitable girl was very much a fragile soul in some respects. She'd hurt and caused him pain aplenty, either through training, pinching, smacking or half a dozen other activities in the past, but...it was with hindsight that before it had always been deliberate acts on her part, a conscious decision to joke or punish.

Inadvertently hurting him, when his life was already hanging by a tether hook?

Yeah, that had lead to some complications.

"Well, one way or another today is the last errand we're running. After that I'm going to start getting to work."

Haruki's tone was equal parts pleased and relieved, remarking, "No offense meant but I do believe it's about time, you've been worrying us greatly."

Before Nanashi could reply his clouded eyes spotted the immaculately dressed shape of Manaka stride into the room, the girl distractedly wishing them good morning as she sat herself at the table.

Well, he knew she was immaculate from past experience, seeing as how his sight was messed up.

"Here you are, Nanashi."

"Oh, thanks, Ayaka."

Nodding in the general direction of the girl he took a bite of his meal, Manaka abruptly stating, "Your eyes have degraded, haven't they?"

Not bothering to hide his deteriorating condition the homunculus nodded, Manaka remaining motionless for a moment before she abruptly asked, "When will you be ready to depart? Time is of the essence."

Agreeing with the statement wholeheartedly he responded, "As soon as I'm done eating-"

His stomach sounded out, growling in protest as he fought down a wave of nausea as the plain eggs and toast almost came back up.

"Which is now, I guess. Sorry, Ayaka. Probably should have just asked you to grab a few slices of banana or something."

"It's fine, Nanashi."

Giving the younger Sajyou sister a tired smile he stumbled to his feet, Manaka instantly at his side as he offered the room at large a nod.

"This might be the last time I see any of you for awhile, Merlin and I are going to be starting on my body after this and, well…"

He swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"Succeed or fail, I'll see you all before the 'final' moment."

Ayaka's head jerked in a confirming nod while Haruki quietly stated, "Understood...and best of luck, Nanashi. We'll be wishing for your success."

There was little else to be said, the pair departing without further drama as they made their way to the backyard for their scheduled meeting.

"How bad is it?"

"My vision? Well I can still make out general shapes and things don't seem to be any more or less blurry at distances or close range, but, well...I won't be reading anything other than giant city billboards for awhile. And that's if I get right in front of them."

"I see."

Manaka's clipped tone caused him to inwardly sigh, knowing that she was just worried about him like usual and was largely helpless these past few weeks due to his own self-destructive tendencies that she couldn't do anything about aside from help him as she had already been doing.

"And how selfish of me is that? Well, guess I'll just have to survive and make it up to her."

Resolution reached the homunculus put the familiar matter out of sight and mind, instead focusing on the rip of space and time that he didn't need eyes to sense, Abigail stepping through a moment later as she immediately sighed, commenting, "Your eyes, Nanashi?"

"How did you know?"

There was a trace of sad amusement in her tone as she explained, "You always stare at my chest and groin when I'm wearing my priestess attire. This time you barely so much as glanced at me in general, only over my shoulder."

"...Oh."

Manaka released a huff but refrained from commenting or smacking him, no doubt in fear of causing damage that would only make their journey harder.

"Unless we wish to continue conversing about Nanashi's more boyish and immature qualities should we not be on our way? Time moves ever onwards and I fear he will keel over at the slightest provocation at this rate."

Neither of her two companions disagreed, the homunculus turning to the magus before asking, "You have it?"

Hefting a picnic basket she nodded, the boy rolling his shoulders before announcing, "Alright, then...lead on, Abigail."

Without further comment the girl swung one of her keys, cutting open another rift that they stepped through, disappearing into the swirl of space and time on the one final stop they had before the last leg of his journey got underway in earnest.

"We brought something for you, Tiamat! And this time it's my favorite~!"

He didn't need eyes to hear the blatant cheerfulness in Abigail's tone or the eager movements of the olden mother earth goddess as they stepped into the dark and void-like space of the dragonness's prison, their mutual display of enthusiasm coming across perfectly fine as a trill of song echoed across the landscape.

[Abigail, Manaka, Nanashi!]

The rest was an unfortunate mess of benthic song and echoing opera but at least the homunculus had gotten used to her speech enough to recognize their names and tell if Tiamat was talking to them rather than at them.

It was better than Manaka, at least. The magus had just never really seemed to get a handle on the vagaries and uniqueness of the woman's way of communication and had to interpret the goddess's words through her body language and tone.

Which was still fairly expressive, granted.

"Yup~! Pancakes fresh from the cafe, with butter and syrup already put on top~! C'mon, open it up!"

With a dexterous movement of her tail - chained and bound arms weren't the most maneuverable of appendages, after all - the dragon goddess popped open the disposable carton Abigail had brought with them, even Nanashi's stunted and congested nostrils able to catch the scent of the treat as an excited trill left Tiamat.

They had been doing this for awhile now, at least once a week making a pit stop in the area of space the goddess was confined to, bringing stories or culinary treats that the woman had been only too happy to partake of...usually while hugging or cuddling them but the male side of the homunculus - even if the attached equipment was broken - wasn't about to complain about that.

"Well, it's mostly been Abigail telling the stories. It's kinda tricky to answer her questions when I can only catch every one out of five words and Manaka just doesn't get it in general."

"It may be some time before Nanashi can come visit you again, Tiamat...we have finally gathered all of the materials we can and it is time he begins construction of his new body."

Mentally rejoining the conversation as his name came up he blurrily saw the goddess pause in maneuvering her tail occupied with holding a fork, trilling out a query he managed to parse as,

[Is...time?]

"Yes. Hopefully, when next he sees you it will be in a new and complete body. One that's much taller than this one!"

"Personally I'd prefer a working set of organs before I would an extra few centimeters, Abigail."

The girl chuckled, his hazy vision becoming dominated by a sedately approaching goddess-

-and blinked as his face was cupped by the horned-female, gentle hands tilting his head upwards as soft lips placed themselves over his...and while his brain had more or less shorted out his body understood what was happening just fine, the section of divine graph upon his flesh flaring with renewed energy as an ocean of strength poured into it, a sad trill leaving the goddess as Nanashi dumbly blinked as his thoughts tried to reboot themselves.

[Live...all three...will return, please?]

Doing his best to ignore the no doubt fuming Manaka at his side Nanashi slowly nodded, stating, "I don't have any intention of dying at this point...I promise I'll try to return intact."

A tender caress of his papery skin along with a final kiss - this time to the forehead - coincided with a final trill of music, the homunculus electing to interpret that as a wish for luck along with enough of an influx of energy that he hopefully wouldn't just pass out and collapse due to prana exhaustion or anything dumb like that. He couldn't just drink Manaka dry of blood and with his non-functioning cock tantric rituals were a no go.

"We'll be back as soon as we can, Tiamat. With good news of course!"

Feeling his lips quirk at Abigail's optimism even in the heat of the moment Nanashi felt Manaka grab his hand, the host of Sut-Typhon opening up yet another portal as the magus lead him to it.

"Okay...show time."

"Were any contemporary magus to see this sight they would no doubt go to great lengths to simply smell the air, never mind have their pick of the proverbial litter."

"Agreed...did you turn down the temperature in here even more than necessary or am I just that messed up?"

Huddling himself as deep as possible in the swaddle of clothing laced with warming runes and bounded fields as he could the homunculus gave Merlin's indistinct outline a false glare, the Magus of Flowers merely chuckling as he gestured to the room that was a shade of whites and blues.

"The former with a fair bit of the latter thrown in for good measure, I imagine. Better safe than sorry with all that you have gathered though, I imagine?"

"Something like that…"

Trying not to be envious of Manaka and Abigail the boy instead took some shaky steps towards the center of the chilled room added on to the basement of Merlin's residence where the construction of his new form would commence.

The magus girl just had a simple dress, tights and boots on while Abigail hadn't even opted out of her priestess attire, the homunculus at a loss as to how being the host of an Outer God prevented one from feeling any kind of chill when they were one step short of being nude.

Instead he let his mystic eyes flare to life, his visual perception still damaged and worthless but the mystic variety sharper than it had ever been, panning around the tables, lockers and vials of all the materials gathered over months of constant adventuring and quests.

The bones of a Gashadokuro, hardened and nigh indestructible links of material that would need to be carefully resized and sculpted but would form a near unbreakable frame.

The muscle tissues of the Yali and skin of a Djinn, both attained through combat...the latter had attempted to possess Manaka and subsequently been turned into a gory and finely shaved mess after the girl took offense to the action.

The blood of Wynstar and the Yuki-onna intermixed, healing abilities and resistance to temperature extremes requiring quite a bit of alchemical mixing but too good to pass up.

The heart of a Dragon, offered up by another of the winged beasts who had made the trade of the organ for an Apple of Life, retrieved only through a run-and-gun battle with a Hydra. Such a source of mystical energy would hopefully help power the massive and varying amounts of circuits he had.

The eyes of an aging Griffon, still sharp enough to count individual hairs and ideally carrying enough supernatural weight to handle the transplanting of his mystic eyes.

Feathers of a Phoenix, brushed, dyed and transplanted into a crown of hair atop his head that would further handle both regeneration and heat management.

The centerpiece of it all, his nervous system born of the sapling Mortin and then Viviane had gifted him, finely spun lines of roots that would carry the signals that would control and direct his new body.

These and a dozen other ingredients would be spun and crafted into the new container he would inhabit...but only after the final step was completed, a rather daunting one at that.

Ensuring that it all fit together in a workable manner.

"These coming weeks will be difficult for you, Nanashi. We will assist you where we can but much of our action will be dictated by what you can tell us, show us where and how to mix various aspects into a cohesive whole."

Merlin's words were met with a nod by the homunculus, understanding his role in everything that was to come. For all of their knowledge and innate talent neither Manaka nor Merlin felt confident in their ability to combine so many disparate and conflicting regents together, not in a way that would result in a working final product...but that's where Nanashi's eyes came into play.

What with his ability to see the skeins and fabric of each conceptual item's interplay with the world around it he had finally gotten skilled enough with the talent to see how various tools and materials could 'fit' together. Areas of overlap where they might properly link and mesh in a union of purpose.

...Definitely not something he needed his normal eyesight for, even if he would have obviously preferred having it.

Taking a deep breath and letting his hands rest on the center table where the roots and nerves resided the youth let the cold air percolate within his lungs, readying himself for the final trial he would have to undergo.

"All right...let's begin."