Guardian

by yasha012

I used to want to save existence... I saw it as this beautiful place, capable of fostering life in all of its many forms. A place with the potential to nurture so much Light. But the closer I got to it... the more I fought for it… the better I could see the Darkness waiting within… the evil we would all rather forget. (Part 4 of the Hero series; sequel to "Eternal Shadow Falls".)

143. Gathering

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this series of conversations… especially for the one with a plan.

~保護者~

"Gathering"

~保護者~

God, Toru hated coming here. He hated the Black Arms, and he hated where they resided. If it wasn't for the fact that Black Doom was supposedly alive, he wouldn't have come back without good reason. "Thank fuck Shadow is still asleep," he muttered as he moved along in search of the leader. The chameleon made a clear effort to attempt to repel these beings with simply his presence. He didn't feel like killing right now.

His arrival caused a stir. That went without saying. But it seemed that a few of them recognized him from his previous visits. They also remembered the protection he was under. So although he was greeted with hisses and growls and screams and bared teeth and claws, ultimately no harm came to him. However, the commotion did him some good in the form of bringing Black Doom straight to his location. The menacing figure of the Hive's God-like leader faded into form in front of him from as if constructed out of shadows, eyes unwelcoming but sword undrawn. "Why have you come?"

"Here about Shadow, and this whole war happening," Toru answered, not bothering to reach for his own sword. "I have some questions for you."

His luck persisted. Name-dropping Shadow worked in his favor. It prompted Black Doom to pause and think, as opposed to just deciding to get rid of the intruder without listening. Doubtless the alien had his own questions, but he didn't give vent to them. Instead, he simply directed, "Ask. Idle time is not something I have in abundance."

"Neither do I," Toru responded without hesitation. "Firstly, are you in any way going to attempt to bring harm or cause trouble for Shadow?" he questioned, eyes narrowing.

Black Doom scoffed. "I have no cause for such behavior. In doing what they were never capable of, he has proven himself more than any other member of this hive. I will not 'cause problems' for him."

Toru seemed to understand where he was coming from and nodded, his gaze returning to normal. "Good. Second, do you intend to take part in this war in any way?"

Dark eyes regarded Toru closely before a reply came. "Unless you have come to tell me that my spawn requires my assistance, I have little interest in your personal squabbles. I have my own prey I am hunting."

"Are you going after Gerald?" Toru questioned in an almost casual manner, arms crossing tightly. "That's the only person I can imagine you've got it out for currently."

"I failed to kill him once, long ago," Black Doom growled. "I will not do so a second time."

Toru frowned a little, vague irritation coming over him, but not because of Black Doom. "He's recently brought harm to Shadow. I'm looking for a chance to kill Gerald as well," he muttered.

"Do what you will," was the almost dismissive reply. Yet, in spite of the tone, fresh hatred sparked in those vicious eyes. "I care only that the vermin's blood is spilled."

The chameleon debated the merits of telling Black Doom about the current situation, and ultimately decided to speak up. "Shadow is also currently… well… pregnant."

Now that succeeded in fully gaining the other man's attention. There was a very brief silence, then he quietly demanded, "He is with spawn? How long has this been so?"

"It's very recent," Toru revealed.

Black Doom crossed his arms and thought deeply. "I am willing to presume that this will be different from what your people are used to."

Toru gave a nod. "Absolutely."

"I will speak to him about this," Black Doom muttered.

A long sigh escaped Toru before he added, "I assume you know this, but you were revived with the intention you would start causing shit with Shadow and his allies."

"I am aware," came the irritated reply. "When I learn who is responsible, I will end them."

"Nareish, but don't go after her," Toru muttered. "She's currently as strong as the strongest living Immortal… maybe more so. She will kill you, or worse."

This statement, however true it was, earned him a glare. "I will not sit idly by and do nothing. None who threaten my spawn are permitted to live."

"Then work with us," Toru stated easily. "You don't have to be pronounced as an ally, but we have a common goal. That woman… Her armies… They have to go."

Rather than directly respond to that, Black Doom suddenly said, "Explain who you are to him."

"I'm the one whose blood was used for that spawn," Toru muttered. "I've recently entered a relationship with him, and I'll be damned if anyone will take him from me."

Another pause. This one was a touch lengthier. However, it ended without much fanfare. Just a calm declaration. "If assisting you is what it takes to aid my spawn, then so be it."

Toru let out a small huff. "Good. I wasn't preparing to leave with a 'no'."

A soft, breathy snort answered him. "You are as stubborn as he." That accusation aside, he offered no arguments or words of dissent about any of this. Instead, he finally gave voice to a question of his own, of sorts. "He is still located on the same planet, I presume."

"Don't think he leaves much," Toru commented.

"I will visit him soon," Black Doom reiterated. "There are things he will need to know."

Toru shrugged. "Reasonable. Just don't wake him up. He's struggled to sleep enough as is."

"That has nearly always been the case" Black Doom unexpectedly revealed. "He seldom slept well past his earliest years."

"Then, it's getting worse," Toru revealed in kind.

"Explain," Black Doom responded. "There is little I can learn from the hive, as he has been away for too long. They know nothing of him or his life in this era."

"Gerald returning painful and traumatic memories, his own memories beginning to resurface, the pregnancy… List goes on longer than it ought to," Toru muttered.

Despite how clearly against general Black Hive nature this was, Black Doom immediately muttered, "I will do what I can for him."

"What do you mean?" Toru questioned, actually a touch surprised this time.

"Difficulties that wretch brought about were present when Shadow was in my care as well," Black Doom answered with narrowed eyes. "It was worse the second time I reclaimed him, when he was older. There were things that helped and things that did not."

Toru didn't like the idea of letting someone else help, but ultimately this had the potential to be for the best. "Alright."

"Was there anything else?" Black Doom asked him simply.

"I don't believe so. I asked my questions and got the answers I wanted," Toru answered.

"Then return home," Black Doom directed. "Your presence disturbs the hive." He turned away, starting to float down one long and pitch black tunnel, then stopped and added, "Keep an eye on him. Even within the first week or less, intense sickness can hit at any point. He will have little energy as well."

Toru turned as well, huffing. "Tell your hive to keep their tentacles to themselves. If one of them touches me again, it'll be their life," he answered, choosing not to address the second half of what Black Doom said.

"They will do nothing without permission," was the muttered reply. "They know better than to disobey."

"Good," Toru murmured, teleporting away without a wasted second to appear back within Shadow's home. That… went surprisingly well.

As always, his abrupt arrival back into the home tipped off various security systems, promptly waking Shadow up. He pushed himself up in bed and glanced at the balcony. When he noticed how much later in the day it was, he had to resist the urge to groan. What happened to only laying down for an hour? he mentally chastised himself.

Toru walked into the bedroom and closed the door gently before approaching and taking a seat on the bed. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

Sighing, Shadow laid back down and rubbed at his eyes. "Like I didn't sleep for even a single fucking minute," he grumbled.

The chameleon frowned a little. "Sorry to hear that. I was hoping you'd feel better."

Shadow muttered something under his breath before asking, "Where did you go this time?"

"Had to go see if I could ensure we had some more help in the war," Toru said gently. "Nothing big this time."

"If you are intent on continuing to come and go this frequently," Shadow said, "then I am teaching you how to disable the security yourself. I get alerts every time you come back."

"You definitely should've taught me already," Toru joked with a small laugh.

Shadow flipped him off, but only for a second. "It wasn't relevant before."

Toru chuckled a little before gently asking, "Do you think you can eat?"

Damnit, he should have known this would come up. "...Perhaps," Shadow reluctantly admitted. "I don't know for certain."

"Would you be willing to try and eat?" Toru asked. "I'm not gonna try and make you."

Shadow pushed himself up again, this time into a proper sitting position. "Would you prefer if I did?" he wound up asking in return.

"I would, admittedly," Toru said. "I can make whatever, too. I don't mind."

"There is almost nothing here," Shadow reminded. "Lia and Soren have brought that to my attention repeatedly by now."

Toru shrugged. "Might have had that remedied, recently," the chameleon answered.

This earned a frown that was both slightly confused and slightly curious. "...Where did you get the money to buy anything?"

"I've done things around Mobius before," Toru said vaguely. "I've just stockpiled it for when I might need it." Shadow let out a small hum of acknowledgement and pushed the blankets aside to get out of bed. "So, yet again, what do you want?"

"I don't know," Shadow sighed. Almost nothing sounded good, if he were to be perfectly honest.

Toru shrugged gently. "That's alright. You can try something, and if you don't feel like eating, that's fine."

Shadow began walking out of the room. A small, "Fine," was his only agreement.

The chameleon headed off after him, taking the lead before motioning around. "There's plenty of stuff here. I tried to keep in mind that hedgehogs eat different food than chameleons do."

"It is not that different," Shadow explained, looking into the freezer. "Most eat more meat than your people want or need to, but otherwise it is similar."

Toru shrugged. "Regardless, the idea stands."

Finding something special buried in the freezer, Shadow made an executive decision. Even if he could only have a bite or two, it would be worth it. Lia and Soren would love it, too. And so, pulling the bacon out into the open, he said, "I'm cooking this."

The chameleon blinked a few times before nodded. "Gotcha. You do your thing, then, and I'll watch?"

"You don't have to watch," Shadow told him, pulling out the things he would need. "You can sit down, for once."

"Maybe I like being around you," Toru said, stepping back to lean against a wall.

Shadow mumbled something disingenuous about Toru being "fucking sappy" but otherwise didn't say anything. Instead, he just set about cooking the bacon.

Toru chuckled softly to himself and simply stayed back to watch quietly with a smile. Something about this was pleasant, and he didn't want to lose this moment. I'm really happy here…

~保護者~

It had been long enough, Eila decided, since she'd gotten to simply be around Cyril. She wrapped her arms around him gently and simply stood there. Had she not thought more about this beforehand, she might have been reading his thoughts right now.

Cyril returned the hug without question or hesitation, letting her take as long as she wanted. "Everything okay?" He asked carefully. "You're pretty quiet."

"I still feel inadequate and as if I do not belong," Eila murmured. "They have been nice to me, but how could they when I have harmed more than one of their own?"

"It's alright to feel that," Cyril murmured. "You feel that way for a reason."

Eila pulled back enough to turn her gaze up to him. "But… what if it all somehow comes back and I'm turned against everyone once more?"

Cyril nuzzled against her cheek for a moment, pulling her closer. "Then we'll make sure to get you back. If nothing else, I will."

"And I as well," another voice murmured. Rose approached the two with a smile on her face. "You will not be forsaken."

Hearing this from Cyril and Rose brought Eila some form of embarrassment. She nudged her face into the crook of his neck and mumbled something in reply. Cyril chuckled a little and looked to Rose. "Heya. It's good to see you again. We didn't get to talk much last time, but how are you doing?"

Rose's smile only grew. "I am far better. You seem to be well," she commented lightly.

Cyril shrugged in response. "I'm just me, a man that a man will always be." He accentuated his words with a wink and Rose simply giggled.

Finally, Eila pulled back and let out a soft huff at them both. What she was huffing about, she didn't make obvious, though. "So I guess this is the last bit of free time we have before shit goes to hell?"

"Yes," Rose admitted. "It is very likely we will not be catching many breaks once this first attack comes. It may well be one after another." She seemed rather grim about it all, something that unnerved Eila a great deal.

"I mean, surely if that plan works out and we purify Kaden, we stand a chance to get further along than we would have?" Eila questioned.

Cyril gave a light shrug. "We won't know until we find out. Besides, Kaden wasn't born a demon, from what I've heard. I'm willing to bet he'll appreciate this all when it's done."

Eila rubbed at one of her shoulders, recalling the time Petry… no, Astra had spent around Kaden. She shuddered a little. "I… hope so. We would be best to not face his wrath further," she answered.

To say that she didn't notice Eila's reaction would be to lie. To mention it, though, was a different story. Rose wouldn't put her sister through having to remember more about whatever was bothering her right now. "For the time being, might I suggest we focus on more positive things? We still do have free time before the attack comes. It would be nice to relax-"

"I'd rather not," Eila suddenly murmured, turning away. "I wish to be alone."

"Eila, you don't have to… I want to help," Cyril replied in a soft manner. "Please talk to me."

"I would rather not." Eila began walking. When she felt Cyril's hand on her shoulder, her eyes began glowing purple and she instinctively pushed him back. "Stay back…" she growled, her hands glowing with the same magic.

Cyril raised his hands, taking a slow step back as Rose shifted to protect him if necessary. However, he gently nudged her away and spoke. "Eila… Look, whatever is going on, I don't think taking off and being alone will help. You're going to make this worse."

Eila shuddered again and the glow intensified for a short moment. "I… please be quiet. I don't… I can't stay here…"

The finch took a daring step forward and watched as she took the same stride back. "Please, don't go," he pleaded. She tried to teleport away, but Cyril extended a hand and used his magic to stop her before rushing over and grabbing her into a hug. "Stop! Please! I just want to help."

"You shouldn't…" Eila murmured, squirming for a moment before slumping over. She couldn't get away without hurting someone, and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"I do, and I always will," Cyril murmured. "You're not the person you think you are, and I love who you are now. You're so strong… please just stay here with me."

Eila shakily gripped him in an attempt at a hug before breaking into a sob, holding onto him tightly. Even the comforting hand of her sister couldn't calm her down. She'd held so much in. So much anxiety, fear, and pain. It all broke free all at once.

Cyril never once faltered in holding her close, letting her cry all she wanted to right here and now in hopes that maybe she'd feel a bit better. I just want you to be okay…

~保護者~

Ylden left the building in a bit of a hurry following the large meeting, walking away in an attempt to make it so that nobody would have a chance to stop him before he opened a portal and left. Very few people took notice of his departure. Among those who did was Marthal, whose keen nose picked up on the telltale scent of the other man's gathering energies. Sighing, the half-yokai slinked off after him. Only once there was a sizable distance between them and the others did he speak up. "Crisis in another realm or not, I don't think you should be taking off just yet."

The black cat paused in place and let out a long sigh. "And why should I not?" he asked slowly, shifting his gaze back to look at Marthal. "I have a lot I have to do."

"That much is apparent. You've got a job to take care of. But you also have your family to do the same for. And for the record, I'm not talking about me." Marthal stood fully on two legs and jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the house. "She's upset. You're upset. Know what most people do when they're upset with one another? They talk. They don't ignore the issue and walk away from it."

Ylden crossed his arms and turned around to face him. "I have a longstanding history of ruining the lives of those I am involved with. Often, they are best without me."

Hearing this, Marthal's ears went back and his eyes narrowed. "She is your daughter. You walk away from her, and you will regret it. I don't care what your reasons are. This habit of yours has to stop. You think this helps but it doesn't. It makes you and her hurt more. Does that sound worth it to you?"

The black cat didn't answer at first, his magic flowing around one of his hands for a scarce few seconds until it vanished entirely and he began walking back. It doesn't… Seeing that Ylden's choice was made, Marthal snorted softly before heading deeper into the woods to cool off. He was… pretty sure things would work out from here. Ylden quietly approached and entered the home once more, walking over to the shaded corner he could sense his daughter within. The shadows flared in a vague display of aggression, but he didn't falter and shortly took a seat some few feet from her. "Armaris."

"What the fuck do you want?" Armaris muttered, finally bothering to open her eyes. "I don't exactly feel like talking."

The black cat didn't answer at first, his magic flowing around one of his hands for a scarce few seconds until it vanished entirely and he began walking back. It doesn't… Seeing that Ylden's choice was made, Marthal snorted softly before heading deeper into the woods to cool off. He was… pretty sure things would work out from here. Ylden quietly approached and entered the home once more, walking over to the shaded corner he could sense his daughter within. The shadows flared in a vague display of aggression, but he didn't falter and shortly took a seat some few feet from her. "Armaris."

"What the fuck do you want?" Armaris muttered, finally bothering to open her eyes. "I don't exactly feel like talking."

Ylden frowned a little, but not necessarily at her. "I wanted to ask what has you so upset," he answered calmly. "I-"

Her shadows creeped in his direction and she growled. "You should know damn well what's bothering me."

"I do not know," Ylden admitted. "I am asking to understand."

All of a sudden, she emerged from the darkness and grabbed him by the shoulders. "How the fuck did they know? Who told them? Why do they know what I am?" she demanded harshly.

For the first time in a long time, Ylden's ears folded down and his eyes shifted away. "Steam is not of this timeline," he answered in little more than a whisper. "Sorry."

Armaris was given pause by this reaction and she released her hold on him, taking a few steps back. W-what…? She wasn't even concerned about what she'd just questioned anymore. Her focus went to her dad's response and the obvious tears he fought to hold back. "I-I didn't… I'm… sorry…" she said quietly, shifting away a little more.

Across the room, apparently unnoticed by the pair, Wave gathered a small amount of magic and gave Steam a nudge with it. "Hey, sleepyhead. They might need your help here."

The hedgehog woke up easily, pushing himself to sit up as Armaris bailed out a window. One look at Ylden told him everything he needed to know. "They fought," he murmured.

"She fought," Wave clarified. "He sat there and let it stab into him once again. And now they're both worse for wear as a result."

"I can help Ylden, but getting to Armaris will be troublesome. Can you try to contact Espio? She's most likely gonna listen to him," Steam stated, standing up.

The corner of Wave's mouth twitched upward. "It isn't entirely necessary… but I'll call him. I think someone else has got it covered, though."

Steam blinked a few times before properly honing his senses. That exhaustion was really kicking his ass, but soon he was able to take notice and he nodded. "Yep. Thanks," he said gently before walking over to sit by Ylden. The cat didn't react at all, even when Steam shifted slightly in front of him. His only safe option was to try and get the man's attention without touching him. "Ylden, can you hear me?"

Luckily, this seemed to be enough and Ylden snapped out of whatever state of mind he'd been in that kept him so zoned out. He quickly rubbed a thumb under both of his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"What just happened?" Steam asked softly. "I saw Armaris take off through the window."

It seemed like Ylden just might zone back out for a moment at hearing that, but he kept himself grounded and gave a vague response. "She got upset. It's my fault."

Something tells me that's not the case… "Tell me how it happened," Steam said gently. "Maybe I can help." Ylden didn't seem convinced, but ultimately he relented and explained how this had come to be, starting with Marthal convincing him to come back and ending with his last response to Armaris. Steam crossed his arms in thought before asking, "She didn't know that I knew what she is, did she?"

"Apparently not, or perhaps the information did not register when you mentioned her demonic form," Ylden answered quietly. "Regardless…"

Steam cut him off, sighing. "Look. I understand that you want to do well by your kid, but you can't keep blaming yourself for what happened with Osaina. That's a mistake you made, sure, but now your kid is on the line. The longer you let yourself continue berating yourself over that and how it's your fault, the less time you're going to have to love your daughter," the hedgehog said softly. "You're too wrapped up in the pain you think you're causing when you can help it by letting that go and loving her. Be her father."

Ylden glanced away. "I will always feel terrible for the fate she has suffered for my incompetence."

"You wouldn't have Armaris if it wasn't for you getting with Osaina," Steam reminded. "You might have gotten with another woman and had a different child, but you would have never had Armaris with any other person."

"Because the pairing of myself and Osaina is what is capable of giving birth to Armaris," Ylden replied. He shifted his gaze to Steam finally and blinked once slowly. "For someone as brash and hard-headed as you, you are quite knowledgeable and wise when you choose to be."

"I get that a lot. People don't always believe that I can use my brain for more than bashing a skull in," Steam commented with a gentle smile. "I prove myself every now and then."

Ylden slowly pushed himself to stand, finding himself a touch wobbly at first until he regained his composure. "That was certainly unpleasant…"

Steam followed suit, standing as well with a shrug. "Anxiety or trauma induced anything is unpleasant. She never meant to do that to you. This whole situation is likely putting a lot of stress on her."

"I am aware. She is nothing like her mother," Ylden answered. "Armaris is a kind woman and I will forever be proud of how far she has come.'

Steam lightly flicked the cat's shoulder. "Don't tell me. Tell Armaris," he said easily. "She needs to hear it."

Ylden let out a slow sigh and nodded, his body shifting to be comprised of Darkness as he slipped out the window, quietly approaching where he sensed his daughter to be now. As he approached, he became starkly aware that there was not one, but two people in her general location. He slowed his approach when he noticed that they were both seeming to wrap up a conversation, not wanting to approach. The other person noticed him and gave a smile and nod in his direction before walking off to go into the house.

Once he was sure that Armaris would let him approach, he did so and took a seat nearby to her again. They were silent for quite some time before Ylden broke the tension. "Armaris… I wished to let you know that I am sorry for… not being so present in your life," he murmured softly. "I often disappear because I believe you would be best without me around."

"I don't want you to be gone," Armaris admitted, laying on the ground. "I always wanted a relationship with you, like… to be close to you and all."

"I am also sorry for the fate you have been given, in that you are born a half demon. If I could change who it was that gave birth to you…" he trailed off for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I would go to the ends of existence to do so, if that is what it took."

Armaris glanced at him. "I'm not upset about that at all," she murmured. "Osaina's a piece of shit, yeah, but… you went through a lot because of her. She did things to you that I can't even begin to imagine right now because it hurts me to think about."

The man gave a thoughtful hum at that for a moment before mentally berating himself for having picked this up from Kaden so many years ago. "Still, the fact remains that it burdens me to know my decisions brought that upon you."

"That's not what I'm upset about," Armaris suddenly snapped, though not angrily. A few tears built up in her eyes, but she wiped them away. "Shei and Aniko will never be my biological parents. They raised me and I love them, but I want my dad. I want you. You're around to teach me and help when I'm upset, but we're never around each other outside of them. Wrap your fucking head around that, please," she begged.

Ylden paused temporarily, taken aback by this. It was true, and the more he thought about it, the more obvious it became. "I… I never realized…"

"That's what I want," Armaris muttered. "The other shit doesn't matter."

"I understand," Ylden murmured. "I will… try my best. For once, I do have to say that work will keep me away a lot more."

"I know," Armaris answered quietly. "Cere mentioned it to me. You're doing a lot of stuff there."

Ylden glanced over at her finally. "I still have time to be here, though. I'll remain here as long as I am able."

Armaris blinked once before giving a soft smile and shifting over to her father, giving him a hug. "I get it if you have to go. The Realms of Death are serious business."

"I'm wholly aware, but I have made my decision," Ylden said with a smile. "I will be here for a bit."

A couple short minutes of peaceful quiet passed. Then their solitude was interrupted by a small girl's excited shout. "A'maris! You here!" Zei dashed into view and tackled her in an attempt to give her a tight hug. Espio walked into view shortly afterward carrying Sako.

Armaris didn't actually respond to this in time and laughed as her weight was thrown in the direction of the impact. "Hey, come on, you don't have to tackle me, Zei!" she said with a smile. "You can hug me just as well the normal way."

"I would argue that it works better that way," Espio huffed in agreement, amused, as he sat by Armaris's free side. Seeing that everything appeared to be resolved by now, he opted not to bother bringing up why he was here.

The female cat glanced over to her father, then smiled as she pushed herself up and very carefully removed Zei from the hug. "Zei, this is my father, Ylden," she introduced with a gesture of her hand.

Suddenly shy, the girl slipped away from Armaris to mostly hide behind Espio. Peeking her small face out, she offered a tiny wave and an equally tiny, "Hi." Espio blinked and glanced back at her, but didn't step in for now. He suspected she would warm up quickly, as she often did.

Ylden blinked once at the sudden change before smiling. "Hello, Zei. It is nice to meet you," he said gently.

Zei looked at him for a moment before asking, "You her daddy?"

"Yes, I am," Ylden answered.

"This my daddy," Zei informed him, almost proudly. "And my bruvver."

Ylden nodded gently in response. "I can tell."

"How come you're fluffy?" Zei suddenly asked. "I not fluffy."

"It is because I was born with fur as opposed to scales," Ylden explained softly. "Naturally, fur fluffs far more than scales ever can."

The child seemed to think on this before brazenly beginning to ask, "Can I touch-"

At this point, Espio intervened. "That is rude to ask," he informed her, but not harshly. "Most people do not like to be petted."

Ylden chuckled gently and shrugged. "It is alright. I am not bothered. Armaris is far more likely to take offense, yet I somehow believe she would let the three of you do so." Espio offered his own shrug and let the matter be upon hearing that.

Armaris huffed at him and crossed her arms. "There's a lot of names I'd call you but there's kids present."

Zei looked shy again, but still gingerly asked, "Can I?"

"If you wish to," Ylden said gently. "I will not mind." The little girl let out a happy sound and all but pranced over to gently poke and pet at the very tip of his tail. Then, giggling at how strange and new it felt against her hands, she hurried back to sit snugly between Espio and Armaris. Ylden chuckled gently at this and raised an eyebrow. "Is that how you expected it to feel?"

She shook her head emphatically. "Nuh-uh. It's not prickly. It's so soft."

Ylden nodded gently. "That is usually the case. I have not met a cat with prickly fur… Not yet, at least."

"Oh." Zei leaned against Armaris and sighed in contentment. "You soft, too."

Armaris smiled and gently wrapped an arm around Zei. "Softer than him?"

Whether because she wasn't buying into Armaris's playful attempt at competition or because she genuinely didn't know was unclear, but all Zei said was, "I'unno."

The female cat simply shrugged. "Fair enough."

Ylden glanced to Espio and gave a gentle smile. "It is good to see you so relaxed. All of our past meetings were a touch strained due to varying circumstances."

Circumstances I was at fault for. Giving no indication of his current thoughts, Espio merely nodded in vague agreement.

The male cat fell silent for a moment before letting out a slow breath. "It is of no fault of your own, nor mine. Regardless, we are here now and all is well. I am glad to be seeing who you truly are."

Espio huffed and didn't answer, looking away. Armaris glanced between them for a moment before groaning. "Alright, both of you talk for a minute. I gotta go thank someone for their help." She stood and shifted her gaze to Zei. "Dear, can you come with me? I want you to meet someone that your dad thinks is awesome."

This earned a slight, confused frown from the man in question, but he voiced no argument to the idea of Zei tagging along. Zei, however, was hesitant for a moment before getting up and walking to her. Armaris then shot Ylden a look that said he better talk before ushering Zei along toward the house. Ylden sighed gently at this and turned his attention to Espio. "I will say this now, I am sorry for my attempts at teaching you before. I admit I was not prepared for the way your Darkness is, and could not accommodate it as well as I had wanted."

Amber eyes blinked once. "You do not need to apologize for making an effort. I do not fault you for it. No one was prepared for this."

"Yet still, you are doing well," Ylden replied. "You are exercising great control over it, it is tremendously powerful, and for the amount of experience you have... Not many could stand where you are now. I commend you."

"I am only finding a modicum of success due to intervention by powerful individuals," Espio informed him. "Even with their aid, this cannot and will not last."

"It can be done," Ylden answered. "This is not a battle you are alone in. We all wish to help where we can because we want to see you do well and be able to control it for yourself. I can say with certainty that I do, especially."

"It would be far better to be rid of it entirely," Espio countered, a touch of bitterness entering his tone. "Controlling it is far too unlikely, and this energy has nothing good about it to begin with."

Ylden nodded slowly. "I understand that… to a slight degree. The way my Darkness acts… what I inherited from my family, I once made a promise to never use it that way again. I cannot imagine what yours does or puts you through, but… I will support you." The cat slowly crossed his arms. "We may be able to attempt other methods at slowing it as well."

"That is unlikely to work," Espio informed him bluntly before revealing, "Several such attempts have been made already with not even a sliver of success. All that was accomplished was aggravating things further. That is precisely what I am trying to avoid."

"Then I will only give this advice," Ylden murmured. "Perhaps you may one day find it helpful." He was quiet for a moment, thinking of how to word it specifically before finally speaking again. "Do not allow yourself to be controlled by anyone or anything. Whether it be forces such as Nareish or the demons, show them that you are not a plaything." He fell silent again, then gently decided to switch topics. "Anyway… how are your children? They both seem quite adorable."

"They are fine," Espio answered with a vague shrug. The motion finally caused Sako to stir a little bit, but the baby soon drifted back off with a yawn.

"One day I will attempt to show you how Armaris was as a child. There were times when things were not bleak," Ylden said with a smile. "Perhaps it would be entertaining within the coming minutes when she realizes what I have done."

"Perhaps," was the mild reply. Espio was quiet for a time. He thought hard, only speaking when he was good and ready to. As much as he disliked steering the conversation back into seriousness, it needed to be done. "I am certain you are aware already, but I have nearly hurt her in the past when I have lost control. The next time I am in that state, I cannot be trusted to be near her. You or someone else must keep her away from me."

"I cannot guarantee that she will not attempt to avoid me," Ylden answered. "But I will do my best to stop her. Otherwise, I will be forced to intervene in another way, which I do not wish for." The cat let out a slow sigh. "Nobody wishes to do so."

Though he had expected more or less the same thing Ylden had said, Espio was still unhappy about it nevertheless. "Do everything you can. She is unsafe around me, and there is no changing that."

"I suppose this means you understand her tendencies," Ylden said quietly. "I will keep my word. I will give nothing less than my best to keep her away." Espio nodded once, accepting what he'd been told without further comment. The cat fell silent for a moment before adding, "I trust that you can gain control of this."

I do not. Saying this would bring on a conversation Espio had no desire to participate in. Instead, he gave a noncommittal hum in response, neither outwardly agreeing or disagreeing with what was said.

Ylden gently pushed himself to stand. "Another piece of advice, despite you not asking for it… Learn to trust in what others believe. One's own bleak perception can be given a new light by the sight of others." He passed a smile to Espio before adding, "I'm going to go say goodbye to Armaris. I have certainly overstayed my welcome, and the realms need managed once more."

Armaris and Zei were approaching again, anyway. As such, Espio merely nodded and stood, more than prepared to leave as well. With little more than a glance of acknowledgement to Ylden, he walked over to retrieve his daughter and head back to Hyale. He was more than ready to return to the peace and quiet.

~保護者~

Honestly… why am I always used as the messenger for you people? Poking his head out of a portal, Therin forced a measure of calm into his tone and called out, "Oi, Sona. They're calling a meeting. Everyone needs to be there if they can, Cere's orders. Wave's trying to get Jet to show, so it's a big deal."

Sona let out a groan and glared at him from one of the windows into her home. She thought briefly about complaining, but this did seem like a huge matter. "Alright, give me a second. Gotta get dressed."

Though he huffed, Therin stepped out of the portal and crossed his arms to wait. "Fine. I'm under orders to help escort people safely there, so I'll stick around here until you're ready."

"Oh, is that so?" Sona asked, popping her head back up to the window. "Sure you aren't 'gathering intel'?"

For a moment, Therin only stared. Then, when it clicked, he demanded, "Huh? Why would I?"

Sona practically cackled, tumbling onto the floor with laughter. A solid half minute later, she finally gained a semblance of composure and teleported outside in a rather plain set of black shorts and a white t-shirt. "Fuck, man, that's funny."

"You have a shit sense of humor," Therin groused, less-than-amused despite her clear pleasure with the situation.

She began snickering anew, covering her mouth with a hand. "Just go through the damn portal already," she said, waving him away. "I can't handle another laughing fit like that."

"Yeah, fuck you," he sighed. With that said, he went through the portal as directed.

"Dumbass," she answered, holding off another bout of cackling as she followed. "I can't believe that actually worked on you."

"Only because I didn't expect it, because why the hell would I have?" Therin retorted. He stepped out of the portal and called out to Cere, "She's here. Who else is missing still?"

"Most everyone else should be arriving on their own soon," Cere responded. "You should be good for now unless you just feel like speeding things along."

"I'd rather not continue being the errand boy," Therin said, taking a seat in the grass. "Why're we all gathering here, anyway? This is Nier's place, and he's not exactly been home lately."

Cere let out a gentle sigh. "It's a necessary meeting. We've all been quite busy for a while now, and we need to share any new info we have about things, as well as prepping for events coming up. We should even be meeting our recently awakened gods, as well as Pyrun and Yareis," she explained."

"I get that," Therin told her, "but that wasn't what I asked. I asked why here."

"Analia," Cere murmured. "We don't want to be moving her around while she's trying to rest.

While he'd known Analia was here resting, Therin hadn't stopped to consider the fact that she might be involved in this meeting. If it was a simple matter of protecting her, Finis could simply have remained here while everyone else went elsewhere. Which means she's going to be helping explain her part in Steam's plan, probably, instead of leaving it to us.

Cere seemed to notice that the information clicked for Therin and she nodded. "We'll also be seeing Steam's presence," she added in explanation.

Sona raised an eyebrow. "So, we're about to have the most important meeting we've had in a long time?"

From under a nearby tree, Locke spoke up. "That's just about the size of it. Goal is to get every last person here if we can."

"Yeah," Cere confirmed. "This time is incredibly important, so having as many people here as possible… we need that."

To their left, a shimmering apparition started to take form. Soon, it faded into a warm glow that very clearly depicted an image of Cosmo. "Forgive my delay," she murmured apologetically. "Projecting my image from so far away is as difficult a process as ever."

Cere smiled softly. "Your effort is always appreciated, Cosmo. Besides, we're still waiting for a few people to arrive."

"I understand." She looked around. "Will Jet be taking part in this as well? He has not come to see Cadora in some time, and terrible rumors have reached me about things he has gone through since last we spoke. Myself and his student would very much like to see him."

"Wave is trying to convince him to join," Cere explained softly. "I hope he attends, because his help could be crucial."

"Convince him?" Cosmo asked, eyes troubled.

Cere began to speak, but Steam suddenly appeared a short distance from her. She smiled a little, and then returned her attention to Cosmo. "I would prefer to explain when everyone is present. It is not something I wish to repeat."

"I will wait, then," Cosmo agreed. She turned her attention to Steam and gave a smile. "Hello. I presume you are Steam? I have heard much about you."

Steam blinked a few times, turning to the image of Cosmo before giving his own smile. "Yeah, that's me."

"It is good to finally meet you," Cosmo told him warmly.

"And it's good to see you again," Steam replied in kind. "I haven't seen you in quite some time in my own timeline."

Before Cosmo could continue, Finis appeared by Cere's side. Using the form of thought-speech that everyone could hear, he said, "I have succeeded in establishing contact with Zenith, but I cannot promise he will come. He is deeply invested in what he is doing."

Cere nodded softly. "That's understandable. Will he be able to share information with us either way?"

"If he so chooses, he may be able to," Finis shrugged.

Locke called over. "What's keeping him, exactly? We haven't seen hide nor hair of him since he and Eona were brought back."

Blinking, Finis revealed, "His firstborn child, his daughter Aora, was taken by Nareish in much the same way that many demons have been throughout the ages. It happened shortly after he and Eona went to sleep, so he did not know. He is aware now and is searching for a way to free her."

Sona frowned, crossing her arms. "Shit. I get exactly why he's doing this, then," she muttered.

"That's risky as hell," Therin sighed. "Watching the armies and trying to get intel is one thing, but trying to actively take someone out of there? It's a damn miracle that Espio managed to pull that shit off, especially with how deep he went into their territory."

Steam frowned. "If anyone can pull it off, it'll be someone like him," he answered. "I'm prepared to help any way I can, should the chance arrive."

"Yeah, with as many demons as there are in that army these days… most of said army can't do a damned thing to him," Locke agreed easily. "So long as he avoids the stronger assholes, just to be on the safe side, he'll be fine. Main concern is Nareish herself though, o' course. We'll all need to be wary of that."

Sona grumbled a little. "If she chooses to do something, there's not much we can say about it, yeah?"

"Not really," Therin confirmed. "Even Jet doesn't dare just go charging at her ass for any reason. That should tell you something."

All of a sudden, a serpentine creature landed on the ground near them all, slowly shifting back to reveal that it was just Kial. Locke had quite visibly recoiled at first, but soon relaxed. Kial stood up straight with his staff and joined everyone. "Forgive my entrance. I wished to experiment."

"With what, nightmare fuel?" the echidna sighed out, a hand dramatically resting on his heart.

"Ah, I didn't intend to stir up trouble," the bobcat answered. "I will remember next time."

Another heavy sigh. "Don't worry too much about it. Gave me a right scare is all." Locke managed a chuckle. "It's pretty irrational of me, anyhow."

"Irrational or not, I wish to respect it," Kial said gently.

"Sheesh, giving old men heart attacks," Therin said dramatically. "And here I thought you were about the nicest guy in this whole group."

"Old?" Locke echoed incredulously.

Sona rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who I caught earlier. It would be a shame if I told everyone what you were actually doing."

"Oh, you mean my job?" Therin fired back. "As in, waking your sleeping-ass up and making sure it got here in one piece?"

"Well, now we've gone and done it," Locke said in undertone to Kial. "Seems we sparked a fight somehow."

"I believe the fight began before we were aware it existed," Kial responded softly.

"Seems so," Locke mused.

Sona incredulously raised an eyebrow at Therin. "Oh, so you're gonna say you weren't 'gathering intel' while at my home? You seemed pretty intent on 'escorting' me," she huffed, crossing her arms. She knew she was stretching the truth, but damn this was funny.

"You rat bastard," Therin accused. "Stop insinuating shit, or I swear on my life I will find a way to make you regret it!"

"Oh, so you're also gonna say you weren't interested?" Sona demanded, standing up. "And I dare you to make me regret anything!"

Seeing fit to intervene here, Locke knocked them both apart with a burst of hot air that bordered on actual flames. It was just weak enough not to burn either of them, however. "Alright, that's enough outta both of you."

Sona didn't lose her footing, but ultimately she snorted in response and turned her attention away from them all. "Dumbass."

Having decided he would rather be put to work than be stuck here, Therin turned to Cere and asked, "Please tell me there's someone else I can fetch? That new God of Magic, maybe? Anyone would do."

"Go check on him," Cere answered softly, not batting an eye at their little spat. "The God of Time should also be able to arrive soon with some help, if I'm recalling correctly."

"Works for me," Therin huffed, disappearing quickly. He reappeared right beside Cyril and tapped him on the shoulder.

Cyril yelped, whirling around and snatching one of his playing cards. "What's happening?" He asked in a panic.

Therin held his hands up in a placating manner. "Take it easy. I'm an ally of… ...You do know Wave, right? I work with her and Jet."

The finch blinked a few times before putting the card back. "Oh, okay. So… what's happening?" he questioned.

Unable to resist, Therin grinned and said, "You're one of us now, so you've gotta come with me."

"You're a God?" Cyril suddenly questioned, a touch more excited. "What God are you? What do you do? Oh, this is cool!"

For once in his life, Therin laughed a little. "Easy, now. Yes, it's cool, but you've gotta relax a smidge. You're about to meet a bunch of people, and a few are more serious than me by miles." He adjusted a golden bangle on one of his wrists, which had slid onto a higher point of his arm when he'd lifted it, before adding, "I'm the God of Thieves. Stealth, intelligence-gathering, and obviously theft are my role."

Cyril blinked a few times. "Wow. That's uh… good to know. Am I like… do I need to act a certain way?"

"Nah, just don't go all hyper on them," Therin told him. "Think about how you'd act with Wave if she didn't have the energy for silliness, I guess. So, basically, a bit chilled out but otherwise your normal self."

"Gotcha," Cyril said. "So, I just… follow you?"

"In a sec," Therin answered. "If you've got any other questions about anything or anyone, now's the time to ask them unless you're okay with questioning random people to their faces."

"Well… er, I don't really… know who any of them are, so I guess I'll have to figure it out. Don't want to waste a ton of time," he said sheepishly.

"Fine by me." Therin pointed a finger into the open air and a portal opened directly in front of it. "We're just going to step through here. We're headed to a tiny planet that's home to one of our members, so it's nowhere dangerous. In other words, no unsheathing weapons. Other than that, there aren't any rules per se."

Cyril nodded a little in response before chuckling. "Not a weapon on me but my cards," he said. "Lead the way, my swindling friend!"

"Sheesh, you almost sound proud of it." Shaking his head, Therin led the way as he'd been essentially asked to do. Once on the other side, he waited for Cyril to join him. The finch quickly jumped through and walked up to him, taking a gaze around at all of the new faces.

Cere noticed their arrival and gave a nod of greeting. "Welcome back, Therin. It's nice to meet you, God of Magic."

"This is Cere," Therin murmured to Cyril. "Think of her as one of our leaders, essentially. She's been around longer than almost everyone else."

"Don't make me sound old," Cere chuckled. "But, yes. I and Finis act as the leaders for the Gods and Goddesses, but think of me as just another person. We're all special in our own ways."

Therin nodded. "By the way, he doesn't know any of you guys at all. Any details you're willing to share might be good. I'm gonna go see if I can't find this God of Time guy." He slipped back through his portal without waiting for a reply. It closed behind him.

Cyril smiled at everyone. "Just… preemptively, nice to meet you guys." He seemed a tad nervous and out of his league, but he did his best not to show it.

"Name's Sona," the cat said, speaking up. "Goddess of the Stars. I ensure alignment and blah, blah, blah. I also have fire powers due to it." Sona chuckled softly. "And relax. I'm not gonna hurt you, yet."

"Sona," Locke mildly chastised. "Don't scare the poor guy. He just got here. Give him a few meetings, at least."

Sona mocked him, moving her hand along with his speech before snickering. "That's not as fun, though!"

Violet eyes rolled, then shifted to look at Cyril. "Don't mind her or her sass. She's always like this to some extent." He tipped his hat in greeting as he added, "Name's Locke. I'm the God of the Sun, which should pretty much explain itself."

Cyril waved it off. "It won't bother me much," he said. "Does that mean you guys work together a lot, though? Seeing as suns are stars and all."

"You got it," Locke confirmed. "We work together quite a bit, offering each other heavy support in battles and the like all the time. We're also friends, I'd say, which lends itself to our doing that."

"That's cool," Cyril said, taking a seat finally. "Always good to have friends around, aye?"

"I'd drink to that, if I had a glass," Locke laughed. He then said, "You're up, Mister Snake Monster," in Kial's direction.

Kial gave a soft nod. "My name is Kial, as you already know. I am the God of Mythical Creatures. You can also say Mystical, but the explanation is detailed and wordy." The bobcat chuckled softly. "I tend to animals as a whole, but I specifically have my focus on creatures that you may know best from legend and rumor, such as dragons and leviathans… in a general sense. I can also take their form if I know enough about them."

"That is… awesome," Cyril breathed. "You can turn into things like unicorns?"

"I certainly am able to," Kial agreed. "Though, unicorns are not often the first thought people have when I explain this."

Cyril winked. "I've been told that I'm a touch different, at times. Perhaps even a treasure, if you asked my mama."

Locke couldn't help the laugh that broke out of him in that moment. He was still grinning even when he choked it back not a minute later. "I can see why Wave likes you. You're a real treat." He chuckled some more before saying, "Cere, want to tell him anything about yourself?"

Cere smiled softly. "Certainly. I am the Goddess of Judgement. I generally preside over existence in an attempt to keep the balance between good and evil, while doling out punishments and rewards for those who perform exceptionally well in either regard. I am sure you can gather which receives what," she said, motioning in his direction.

"She and him," Locke gestured to Finis with a hand, "are essentially the ones in charge, like you were told before. Aside from the Immortals, of course. They came to exist together, so they're just as ancient and knowledgeable, on top of being bonded in a way the rest of us will never understand. So, if you ever have serious issues or questions, they're the ones to go to. ...Mainly Cere, though. Finis is usually elsewhere."

Cyril blinked a few times at all of this information before simply nodding. He looked over to Finis. "So… who are you? I know your name and all, but like… yeah." He chuckled sheepishly.

It took a second, but Finis soon decided to go ahead and answer. "I am the God of Night. My power exists somewhere between where shadows end and true Darkness begins. Where Cere exists to help govern, I exist to defend all that requires protection. Night can be a terrible weapon or an impenetrable shield. It is my duty to use it however best to suit any given situation in order to help keep existence stable."

The finch seemed taken aback, vaguely confused for a moment as he tried to make sense of it all before coming to a conclusion. "So… like… is there a God or Goddess of the day?" he asked, hoping that was far from a ridiculous question.

"There are no varying forms of Light," Finis answered. "As such, there is no need for such a role. One is either a being of Light, or they are not. With Darkness, things get more complicated at times."

"Ah," Cyril said, nodding slowly. "That's… neat." He felt a touch bad for not really knowing what else to say, so he apologized. "Sorry. Just uh… not sure what to make of all that. Admittedly, sometimes this whole balance and existence thing escapes me." Finis only shrugged, unbothered by the admission.

Cosmo spoke up with an amused shake of her head. "If I may, my role will likely come across as less… complicated. My name is Cosmo, and I am the Goddess of Life."

"Oh?" Cyril asked, tilting his head when he looked to Cosmo. "I can assume, but what might that entail for you?"

"I bring life where this is none and do much to preserve it where possible," Cosmo explained gently. "I am also capable of healing in pursuit of such efforts, though that requires me to be physically present."

Cyril blinked before nodding. "That sounds really cool. I just learned I can heal, too, actually," he revealed. "Well… in a way that's not like, with my cards."

Cosmo's smile grew. "That is wonderful news. Would you like to take a break from hearing about all of us so that you may explain your own abilities? It will give more people time to arrive as well."

All of a sudden, Cyril seemed emboldened by newfound energy, getting to his feet in an instant and pulling out a wand from who knows where. "Well, if it's me you want to know about, I'll give you a crash course in all that is me, myself, and I." As he fished out one of his playing cards, Kial leaned over and whispered something to Locke. Locke just smirked.

Without the slightest hesitation, a swirling ball of magic appeared at the end of Cyril's wand and he let it float around. "This here is a small portion of the magic I've recently learned of. I've used it to heal and undo magic that had been used on my friends and allies while my playing cards each have a different effect!" To show this, he tossed the card into the air and activated it, forming a barrier in the sky. "Admittedly, not all of them are incredibly powerful, but careful planning and proper use can make each one just as useful as the last!"

Locke let out a low whistle. "Impressive."

"Not bad. Seems pretty useful," Sona responded.

"Oh, don't worry, for I've saved the best for last. The last hurrah!" Cyril exclaimed. "My most interesting and wild power yet is the ability to bend luck to my will! In a dire moment where perfection is the difference between life and death, I can remove skill entirely from the equation and shift it all in my favor." As a demonstration, Cyril tossed the ball of magic into the air and suddenly flipped backward onto his hands. In that moment, right as it looked like he would lose balance, the finch suddenly found his center and was able to throw himself into the air to catch the orb and land perfectly. "The only downside is that however much I bend my luck, my luck will turn against me that much when it's all said and don-" he cut himself off, ducking and rolling out of the way of some random debris that struck right where his head would have been moments ago. It wasn't even obvious where it came from, either.

Cosmo's eyebrows raised in surprise. "This almost seems excessive… but I cannot deny that it has its uses."

Cyril nodded, allowing his showmanship to come to an end. "Yeah. The luck power is really dangerous, though. As far as I can tell, I really can't safely use it to save someone's life, lest I really risk putting myself in danger. I don't know what would happen, but I hope it never comes to that, for everyone's sake." Cosmo murmured her understanding of his sentiment.

It was right around this time that Therin appeared out of a new portal several feet behind him. "Alright, tracked him down. Merry Christmas, and I'm off to find anyone else I can." He promptly vanished a second time, leaving just enough time for Kath to step out of the portal before it closed up.

The finch gasped and jumped in excitement. "Kath! You're here, too?"

At this, the other Babylonian murmured a quiet, "It would seem so," in response. He took a seat in the nearest bit of shade and said nothing more.

"Does this mean you're a God?" Cyril asked quickly. Kath shrugged a little, not denying it but also not really answering.

Kial decided now was a decent time to speak up. "I believe he should be the God of Time. In any case, it is good to meet you, Kath," he said gently, turning his head in the hawk's direction.

Kath glanced in his direction and, after a moment, inclined his head. If only to be polite, he said, "Same to you."

"Cyril just showed all of us his powers and abilities. You certainly missed… quite the show," Cere murmured, amused.

"I have heard already what he is capable of," was the simple reply.

Cere gave a smile as their next arrival appeared, Sein. The man looked around for a moment before shrugging and taking a seat with his own smile. "Hiya. Good to see you all again."

"Hello," Cosmo responded in kind. "I believe you must be Sein."

Sein nodded. "Yep. That's me."

Locke offered a wave. "Been a while, huh? Good to see you again."

"Same to ya," Sein said, smiling wide. "We still waiting on a few people? I noticed Li isn't here."

"Not sure if he's gonna show, honestly," Locke shrugged. "He might be busy. Wars tend to keep him holed up in the forge even more than usual. But I'm pretty sure you of all people would already know that."

Sein shrugged, but Steam spoke up. "I actually need to get with him for some specific weapons. A few people need new ones," the hedgehog explained.

"Might have to go to him, then," Locke answered, "as opposed to asking him to come to us."

Steam nodded. "Expected that, to be honest."

A portal opened mere seconds after Steam had said this, Ynder stepping through and shifting her gaze around at everyone present. "I see that we have quite the crowd," she murmured.

"That we do," Locke nodded "It's due to get larger, though."

"Welcome, Ynder," Cosmo smiled. "It is good to meet you properly for the first time."

Ynder nodded gently to them both. "It is nice to meet you as well, Cosmo. I am glad to see you are around."

"It is only thanks to your efforts," Cosmo murmured gratefully. "My fate was… difficult at times, but it changed things for the better for us all. For that, I am grateful."

"It is always good to hear that one was able to go beyond adversity," Ynder replied. "You have performed admirably."

Cosmo smiled some more, then gestured to Cyril. "Would you like to say hello?" she invited him. "As you can see, she does not bite."

"Not unless needed," Ynder corrected lightly.

Cyril chuckled a little. "My name's Cyril," he said. "God of Magic."

"I am aware. I could sense it when I laid eyes on you during our Balancer's meeting," Ynder answered. "I am the Goddess of Fates, Ynder."

"You lived life as a mortal before recently, yeah?" Locke asked Cyril. "If so, then you might have heard of her in legends and old tales by a different moniker. People used to call her the 'Mistress of Fates' for a long time."

The finch tilted his head a little. "I think I've heard of that, yeah," he answered.

"Her role does not mean what you may think it means, however," Cosmo explained for his benefit. "As a whole, people do not have fates or destinies. Only when it is entirely necessary and there is a suitable person will a fate be assigned to end great conflicts or do certain tasks or whatever else that will ultimately benefit existence. This is only ever done to mortals, however."

"And some," Ynder's gaze flicked to Steam, "have multiple possible fates. It is exceedingly rare for such a thing to happen, but I have seen it more than once." Steam rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Tilting her head, Cosmo looked at him. "You were assigned fates before assuming your role as well? Up until now, I had not met another with a similar experience."

"Didn't know for quite some time," Steam answered. "But I was eventually informed of how that had happened. I won't get into what all could have been, as that could be a long discussion and I have a feeling the others will be here soon."

"I believe so as well," Cosmo nodded.

Sure enough, a portal opened a few seconds later and Therin poked his head out. "Hey, Cere, I located Pyrun and told him to come here if he can. He might show up soon. I told Yareis the same thing, but I was probably ignored that time."

Kath naturally overheard this and sighed. "Tell me where she is."

Therin blinked. "Uh, I can take you there if you think she'd listen to you." Kath gestured for him to go and got up to join him. They vanished after a moment and the portal closed.

"Well then," Sein said, crossing his arms. "He must assume he's got a chance to bring her here."

"It would seem so." Cosmo tilted her head. "Do they know each other?"

Sein nodded. "A bit. They just recently met, but she's nicer to him than most anyone else as far as I've seen."

"Then perhaps he will be able to convince her," Cosmo said. "Her presence will be welcome."

Sona frowned. "She's the one with ice powers and stuff, yeah?"

"That's her," Locke confirmed.

"Aye," she murmured, shifting a little. "Not a fan of the cold, personally."

"You're not a fan of a lot of things, for the record," Locke chuckled.

"And you are starting to sound like Therin," Sona grumbled, vaguely annoyed.

"Since when has Therin ever said something like that?" Locke asked her. "I'm pretty sure you're making that up."

Sona scoffed. "He's an asshole. 'Course he has."

"I've never heard him say things like that," Locke shrugged. "Can you honestly say that you have?"

The cat raised an eyebrow at him. "Does it fuckin' matter?"

"Well, if you don't have evidence of any kind," Locke grinned, "then that means I was right about you making it up. So, yes, it does matter."

Sona ultimately muttered something about "kicking Locke's ass" before curling up and grumbling to herself. "Let me know when shit starts."

"Nuh-uh, no naps," Locke told her. "This is going to kick off sooner rather than later and we don't need you extra grumpy because someone has to wake your tired ass."

"Bite me," she huffed, curling up tighter.

"I'd rather not."

Cere sighed gently and shook her head. "Sona, please. More people will be arriving soon. We need you awake."

The cat let out a long groan and unfurled herself, instead deciding to lay on her stomach with her face propped up with her hands. "Fine."

A few moments after she had done this, Pyrun appeared in a flash of flames above them all before dropping to the ground. "Sorry for the delay. I was wrapping up some business of my own."

"It's fine, we get it," Locke shrugged. "We all lead busy lives. It happens."

Pyrun nodded to this and took his own seat in the grass. "I assume this is the majority of people who will be arriving, correct?"

"More or less," Locke confirmed. "We're still missing a few, though. Trying to give them a bit more time to show."

"Reasonable enough," Pyrun stated. "I assume Yareis will be arriving soon?"

"Eh… only if Kath can talk her into it," Locke sighed. "That is, the new God of Time. The God of Thieves went to speak to her first, but by the sounds of it he was brushed off. Guess Kath has met her before, though, and he seemed to think he could manage it."

"She took to him quite well after they met," Pyrun revealed slowly. "Which is rare. She often dislikes most people she meets."

"You heard of their meeting?" Cosmo inquired. "The rest of us had not, prior to today."

Cyril tilted his head and spoke up. "Is there a reason why?"

Stifling a soft sigh, Pyrun explained. "Yareis is an embodiment of ice and the cold, to keep it simple. She personifies this in her powers and her personality."

"Oh," Cyril answered, not really sure how to answer that.

"And you are her opposite, yes?" Cosmo asked Pyrun. "Generally speaking, at least."

"Yeah," Pyrun answered. "Pretty much."

Cosmo started to say something else, but the opening of Therin's portal interrupted her. Kath stepped out of it and reclaimed his seat without a word. Yareis soon followed behind him, shifting uncomfortably as she straightened out her dress. "I see there are many here…" she murmured. Kath murmured a soft agreement, but didn't otherwise reply. Yareis wordlessly sat near Kath, choosing to not speak to anyone else.

Therin's portal closed without him coming out of it. However, a different one quickly replaced it, this one crackling with energetic lightning and other various energies. Eirza stepped through it silently, closing her portal with a wave of her hand. Cyril chose to speak up and greet her. "Hiya. It's nice to meet you."

Turning her head, the Babylonian-like woman blinked and said, "You are the God of Magic, then. I am interested to see where your new powers take you in the future. You possess… potential."

Cyril blinked a few times, hardly expecting that sort of response. "Oh, well. I hope I do well. Still getting used to things."

"Indeed." Eirza turned to Cere. "I am not here to stay. I am here to listen to what is said, and that is all. I have things I must accomplish before the Faein return to rest."

"That is reasonable," Ynder responded. "As always, please feel free to give your opinions on things stated. Your thoughts are as respected as everyone else's."

"Indeed." With a soft billowing of wind, Eirza appeared beside Sein. "You are someone I have been intending to speak with," she revealed. "Will you permit me to do so, after all of this?"

"Oh, absolutely," Sein responded with a smile. "It's not a problem to me."

Eirza nodded. "Good. I will speak to you when the time comes, then." With that said, she appeared in a more distant location, a little ways off from the rest of the group but close enough for her to easily listen in still.

A black portal opened up near to Cere, Ylden stepping out quietly with his scythe attached to his back. "So, we got a lot more people here than usual. Big deal, eh?"

"Hey now, this is an exclusive club meeting," Locke grinned. "You'd best get out of here, Ylden."

Ylden's scythe appeared in his hand and he raised an eyebrow. "I'm damn near strong enough to be one," he returned with a faint smirk. "Sorry that nobody wants to let me take their place." The amusement in his voice was obvious, and nothing about his stance was even remotely aggressive.

Locke laughed out loud. "Alright, alright, I give. You can stay, I suppose."

The black cat scoffed jokingly and let his scythe return to his back. "And I suppose you can live. For now," he replied, taking a seat. Locke was laughing still, and Cosmo shook her head at them both.

Cere raised an eyebrow. "Still making death threats? I thought you'd be above that by now, considering such matters are far too easy for you."

"Taking cracks at you guys is far easier," Ylden said without hesitation.

"So… what's going on?" Cyril questioned. "Is this all normal?"

"Eh, pretty much," Locke confirmed. "It's just for kicks, though, nothing serious. Don't worry about it."

Ylden turned his gaze to Cyril and Kath, deciding it was time to introduce himself. "Name's Ylden, right hand of the God of Death. With him not joining us, I come in his stead to make sure everyone is staying informed."

"I am aware of who you are," Kath said simply. He volunteered no further information.

"...Ah," Ylden murmured. "Forgive me for that. I didn't realize we had technically met."

"It was not your fault, and it is over with. It no longer matters."

"True enough," Ylden murmured. "Regardless, I'm here in his stead. I've got some… news about the Realms of Death." He grimaced.

At this, Cosmo closed her eyes and sighed. "They are bursting at the seams thanks to this war. I can feel it, too, but not as easily as you can."

Ylden murmured a reply before speaking up. "Yeah. Shit sucks."

"If all goes well," Cosmo said quietly, "then perhaps Kaden will be able to resume assisting you. Once he has had ample time to recover, of course."

"Maybe," Ylden answered, growing quiet.

Locke let out a thoughtful hum. "Hey, Ylden… He never did have a chance to tell you his plans for the realms, did he?"

"Depends," Ylden answered. "He's been busy or dead. Or in his current situation. If it wasn't one of the above, I was busy or having my own issues."

"Yeah, I get that. Listen… once he's himself again, and we will get him back to that point…" Locke crossed his arms, thinking, then continued, "Once he's his real self again, ask him about it. He's been meaning to tell you since before Dark Gaia showed up and kicked our asses. Better late than never, or something like that."

Ylden nodded slowly before shrugging. "I'll try."

Shortly after they finished talking, Therin's portal reappeared and he practically leapt out of it. It closed just in time to block a rather violent attack that had been headed his way. He swore under his breath before telling Cere abruptly, "Well, I found Nier's crazy ass! He's a bit busy, though."

"Does he need any help?" Cere questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"He pretty much demanded we stay away," Therin groused. "Something about not drawing more attention to where he is, which I get. But he's still insane for being there in the first place."

Cere nodded slowly. "As long as he's okay, then it's fine. Where did he go?"

"Look, you'd best hear that from him," Therin told her. "The messenger doesn't need to be caught in the crossfire today."

The Hexan raised an eyebrow, but Cyril was the one to speak up. "So you guys just… aren't doing anything?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"Trust me, guy's got it covered," Therin dismissed, examining the torn cloth of his pants down the length of one leg. Sona curiously shifted her gaze to regard Therin, but ultimately said nothing for now. "He's one of the strongest people in our ranks. If he insists he can handle something by himself, then he can. He's not the sort to overestimate his own abilities, or underestimate them. Guy knows what he can do."

Cyril frowned a little at this, but ultimately nodded. "Alright, then," he said. "That'll take some… getting used to."

Therin waved him off and, swallowing his pride for a moment, called out, "Hey, Sona. Do me a favor and grab the bandaged from Nier's kitchen, will you? You're closest to the house."

Immediately, she began grumbling to herself and stood, storming her way into the house. Ylden blinked a few times. "Something up with her?"

Eyebrows upraised, Locke looked at Cere. "What's your assessment?"

She's acting unusual, but most… Oh my god. Cere let out a sigh. "Not something I can explain currently. I'll get back to you on that."

Therin frowned at her, but decided not to personally press the issue. Instead, he carefully sat down and began gingerly pulling bloodied cloth out of and away from his wound while waiting for Sona to return. The other cat soon did, batting his hands away and forcing him to let her bandage it herself. "Dipshit. The hell were you doing that close to the battle?" Sona chastised.

"Saving his ass from getting stabbed himself," Therin answered in kind. "He's the one actually fighting. The fewer injuries he has, the better. I blocked the attack, we traded a few words, and I left. That's it."

"Dipshit," she repeated, stepping away when she was done. "Don't make me do this again or you'll be worse off."

"I didn't make you, dumbass. I asked. Good to know being nice isn't appreciated." With this snarky reply, Therin stood and very carefully made his way to a better seat before sitting back down again. He made sure not to aggravate his wound any further in the process.

"I should kick your teeth in," Sona muttered, returning to where she'd been laying. Eyes rolling, Therin opted to ignore her newest threat.

Cere let out a soft sigh, speaking to Finis mentally. "Have you come to a similar conclusion?"

"It is unlikely that anyone could manage not to," Finis replied. "They could not be more obvious if they tried."

"Sona is the painfully obvious one. The average person wouldn't be able to see past her angry visage," Cere commented lightly.

"Therin is obvious in his own way. He does not engage socially with most people. We raised him and so he converses freely with us, but he seldom bonds with others enough to bother with them." Finis blinked slowly. "And yet, he often goes out of his way to find reasons to bicker with her. You cannot deny that."

Cere stifled a small chuckle. "As does she." She shifted her gaze to the crowd of people waiting here and a smile broke onto her face. "It has been quite some time. I am glad to see our ranks have finally become filled."

"For now, at any rate."

Though Finis looked ready to continue, he ultimately stayed silent past that point. It was just as well, because shortly thereafter the petite figure of Ythene faded into being in their midst. Seeing them all, she sighed. "Good, I am not late. I apologize, but I must be here in my sister's stead. She and Eona are still hard at work."

"Don't apologize for showing," Ylden commented easily. "I mean, hell. You got to be here. That's huge on its own."

"It is nice to be able to travel again," Ythene agreed with a slight smile. "Truly, it is." She turned her attention to Steam. "Nier and Zenith are indisposed at the moment. I think it would be wise to proceed now. They will join when and if they can."

Steam nodded and let out a slow breath. "Alright. First order of business, I wanted to inform anyone that doesn't know about my plan. Currently, we're expecting an invasion from Zareil with the recently revived Mephiles and Iblis. Her goal is assuredly to try and break through us and get to Kaden when the Faein ultimately fall asleep. Aside from that, she wants to kill whoever she can."

He took a moment, allowing all of that to sink in. "The major part that's crucial for you all to know is that Analia will be in possession of two of these." Steam held up the crystal with Eona's Light. "She's going to attempt to purify him using Eona's Light while everyone else is fighting."

Therin made a face. "Can't say that I think that's gonna go well. He'll fight back, you know."

Steam nodded. "I'm hoping to have accounted for that. I can't say that I'm perfectly sure of what he's gonna do, but there's a reasonable chance that we'll be able to get him to not fight as much."

"I almost… think we don't have to worry about it quite that much," Locke said slowly. "Some of you here have seen for yourselves that more and more of his old self has been breaking through on its own lately, albeit not for long stretches of time. It's possible that once the process is started, he won't fight back that aggressively to begin with. Something's been going on with him, and it's been working in our favor. Though, that isn't to say we shouldn't be prepared regardless."

"On top of that," Ylden began, "I'm hoping my presence may be able to help. He reacted quite… well when I spoke with him. Kaden actually spoke to me in a much more open manner than I expected, and he gave help in his own way."

Cere frowned briefly in thought. "If this is all the case, we may well need to be aware that if Zareil notices, this plan could collapse. She will not stand by idly."

"I think I can handle that with Alana," Sein answered. "We'll be the ones fighting her off. Hopefully we can keep her too busy to notice until it's too late."

"If you are fighting, then I will as well," Eirza calmly asserted. "I will do what I can for you and my descendants."

Sein nodded. "I appreciate that, thanks."

"Alright, go on," Therin told Steam. "You've got more to say, yeah?"

Steam nodded before shifting his attention to Eirza. "One thing before I forget to mention it. I would really appreciate your help with preventing the fires from spreading, if you'll be there. Just in the form of whatever water you can reasonably provide while fighting where you plan to be."

"Strong rains are not difficult to conjure up," she responded simply. "It will be handled."

"Thank you," Steam said before returning to addressing the group. "Another major point we wanted to make is that we don't think killing Zareil is a good idea. In the end, we want to see if it's possible to purify her as well."

"Is this truly wise?" Cosmo asked with a rare frown. "She does not in any way dislike being who and how she is. The fight she would put up would likely end her life."

Steam nodded grimly. "We'd have to convince her somehow. I'm admittedly still trying to work out our best option, but it's possible. For now, though, our focus is on purifying Kaden."

Cosmo's concern remained. "What of their three children?" she asked. As she spoke, Wave quietly arrived somewhat near Sein. "Simply locating them will be no easy feat, and purifying them will be risky at best."

The hedgehog thought for a moment before nodding. "As long as Zareil is herself, they'll most likely be safe. If she's purified, then hopefully she'll help us locate them. To purify them, we may need Jet. He's got the best chance of doing it successfully, since introducing them to Light isn't safe for them."

Locke crossed his arms. "Hate to disagree, but we'd have to find the kids first. If left unguarded for even a moment, other demons will kill them. With both parents no longer demonic themselves, other demons won't have any fear of punishment or suffering for killing them off."

"Then leave that to me," Wave spoke up with a sigh. "I'll find them, and I'll do it quickly."

Steam nodded to them both. "Is there anything that anyone else wants to bring up that I might be missing or overlooking?"

Wave answered again. "Convincing Jet to help isn't going to be as easy as we'd hoped. He mostly recovered, at least for now, but he really slipped away earlier while I was talking to him about coming here. I don't know how much longer he can keep a tight handle on things like he has been."

When it seemed that Steam wasn't sure what to say, Cere spoke up. "Thank you for telling us. Do you think that there's any way we can help with that before it grows to be too much?"

"I have no clue," Wave sighed. "Until a certain event comes to pass, from what I understand, there's little that can be done that I know of."

Steam let out a slow sigh. "We can't do much until that comes. Ultimately, what has to happen is that the Void needs to be kept in check, and Jet can't do that alone."

"Either of you going to explain what this fancy new energy is due to be?" Therin asked, tail tip twitching side to side. "I think I can speak for almost everyone in saying that we'd like to know."

The green hedgehog shifted his attention to Wave, trying to silently ask if he should reveal that. Wave caught his gaze and murmured, "They have a right to know, and I'd argue that they need to know as well. We should tell them. Mostly you, since you know more than I do."

"Got it," Steam murmured. "The energy is dubbed the Aether. It's an energy that's a lot like magic in how it works and acts. It'll want to help when it arrives and chooses who it'll be tied to."

"A lot like the Void in that last bit, huh?" Therin mused. "Guess these are both highly unique energies, then."

"I'm tied to it within my timeline," Steam said. "It's… unique. That's assured."

"Hey," Locke interjected, eyes on Wave, "did Jet say whether or not he'd come to this meeting? This is stuff he should know, too."

"I did already tell him about this information when I visited him earlier," Wave assured. "As far as coming here, though… he didn't say. He actually left before I did, muttering something about Nier's ass being in trouble. I couldn't get ahold of him after that."

Steam nodded slowly in response. "Sounds about right. Hopefully he will get to show up," he murmured. "Continuing for now… we do have a slight issue to be concerned about. Currently, Shei has had his latent energies released, and well… it comes from relation to Malevolence."

"Wait, back up," Locke instructed. "Who is this Shei guy?"

"Espio's father," Steam explained. "Should've said that first. Sorry about that."

Locke started to tell him it was fine, but was interrupted in rare form by Finis (surprisingly). "I heard rumor that the man is Malevolence's grandson. Is this true?"

Steam nodded slowly. "It is."

"If I may," Kial began, speaking up from his total silence. "I will vouch for him in that he is and always will be more than this relation. Espio thinks highly of both of his parents, and for those who know him, this says much about them."

"I'd have to agree with that…" Locke agreed with a frown. "He keeps himself pretty aloof from most people, from what I've seen of him. For him to have a strong opinion is pretty rare."

Cyril tilted his head a little. "So, back to this whole ordeal with the energies. What can we do to help? Is there anything we should be wary of?" He'd been present when this was all explained before, and just wanted to help make sure nothing was left out.

"Those energies are corrupt and just as vile as their source's name suggests," Cosmo sighed. "Anything living that comes into contact with them will wither and die, eventually crumbling into dust. It is how Kaden's own father met his end in ancient times. The whole of mobius has been brought to ruin by Malevolence no fewer than four separate times. It is not for no reason that even the famed Saran could never defeat the creature. Any descendant of it will possess powers just as devastating."

Sein nodded. "I'm hoping that me and Alana can keep the energies at bay, given the chance, so that a new seal can be put in place."

Therin frowned deeply, thinking back through the ages and what he knew of Mobian history. "That'll require really special magic… the kind Kaden and his kid have, right?"

"And his mother," Steam added. "They're the ones who have the best magic for such a job."

"It almost certainly had to be someone related to them who did it in the first place," Therin stated. "Given that, yeah. I'd say they would have the best shot here." He paused. Something clicked. "Wait, you mentioned his mum. She's back now, right? I thought I heard something about that."

Steam nodded in response. "Yeah. She and Satsuno are currently with Shadow, resting after being revived."

"If they're still resting," Wave said, "then they'll probably still be feeling tired during the next few days. Since we have to find Shei as soon as possible, Seiko may have to be helped in order to do this. But it's iffy whether or not Kaden will be in any shape to try and accomplish something so magically draining. Not to mention the fact that Sonic doesn't have near as much magic as those two. His main forte is Chaos, after all."

"I'm capable of making seals, though my track record was ruined with my hasty attempt on Armaris when she was young," Ylden murmured. "If that is at all helpful to know."

"How's your magic function when pitted against powerful Darkness?" Wave asked, suddenly keen to know. "I doubt it falters and gives way, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's effective."

"My best frame of reference remains my daughter. It effectively did keep her demonic Darkness at bay until the seal broke. I believe it was introduced to another's," Ylden murmured. "However, that was also when she was young. I am not sure of how effective it would be now."

Wave tapped her foot in the grass. "...Do me a favor, if it's not too invasive for you. Conjure up a ball of your magic and toss it here so I can study it for a bit. I can give a more definite answer about it's usefulness that way."

Ylden didn't hesitate, letting the dark colored magic form into a ball before tossing it her way. "Go for it."

As she settled in the shade to get to work, Cosmo asked, "We are largely aware of how each of us can aid in all of this, but what about in the case of Kath and Cyril? Is there a way we know of that they can be implemented into any of these plans?"

Steam decided it was best to simply reveal his intentions and spoke up. "I was going to ask Eila and Cyril to help contain Mephiles during the next large battle. After that, I would need Kath's Light from Eona to try and slowly weaken Mephiles so we can take him and Iblis out together. Apart from that, I haven't come up with much, regrettably."

Finis glanced at Cere and, speaking only to her, asked a question of his own. "Would it be possible for them to aid with Shei?"

"Cyril just learned who and what he is, as well as Kath. Cyril would need to learn about seals while Kath would have to learn how to deliberately stop time for an individual. Not impossible, truly." she responded.

"Kath, at least, is not out of his depth," Finis added. "He seems to already understand more than most would, in his shoes."

"This is true. Cyril, however, is struggling to grasp it all. He has lived his life as a mortal without being incredibly involved in much aside from what occurred on Mobius. However, he has potential for learning and has shown incredible growth." Cere frowned in thought. "Would you agree?" Finis nodded subtly in answer. Cere nodded before shifting her attention to the two newest among their ranks. "I would like to assign you both very special tasks so that you may be able to help further in the events coming up soon."

Kath looked over at her, waiting expectantly without replying. Cere continued, seeing as Cyril had taken on a fairly similar approach for the moment. "Cyril, I'd like you to work with people like Ylden and Wave when possible so that you can learn how to create seals using your own magic. Kath, I ask that you attempt to learn how to stop time for another individual. It's our belief that the two of you could make an incredible difference with your combined efforts."

Looking away, Kath simply said, "Fine. I will look into it."

Cyril nodded with a smile. "Alright. I'll do my best."

Not two seconds later, the distinctive feeling of Jet's energy could be sensed as he suddenly phased into being a few paces to the right of Cere and Finis. He'd been holding Nier by the back of the robe and dumped him unceremoniously in the grass. "Dumbass," he accused with a huff.

"Ow," Nier complained, pushing himself up. "You could've been gentler with me, you know."

Cere raised an eyebrow at them both. "It appears two of our missing members, aside from Li and Zenith, have finally arrived. Welcome to you both."

Nier sighed. "Yeah, hi. Quite the welcome home party. What'd I miss?" Jet just crossed his arms, deciding not to comment.

Ylden decided to recap, cutting Steam off unintentionally. "Steam recounted his plan for the upcoming battle he expects to happen, how he wants to take down Iblis and Mephiles, what the plan is to try and purify Kaden, where to go from there, and he explained what's going on with Shei, Espio's father. We can fill you in further if you'd like, but that's the basic recap," he explained. "Sorry if I missed something in there."

Rather than make anyone do any further explanations, Jet shook his head and made a small motion with his hand. Somehow, he did something that fully granted him and Nier all the details they'd missed out on. Nier blinked once or twice. "...Ah. I get it now."

Steam shrugged. "Fair enough. So, are we good to continue for now?"

"Yeah, go for it," Nier said.

"For the time being, that's all I needed to cover. I'll get anyone that's interested in the full details of what I was planning for the battle a copy of the basics. Jet, I'll be sending it to your communicator for you," Steam explained, already beginning to type at his communicator screen.

"I saw it already," Jet told him, "but send it regardless. I will look at it more closely later."

Steam nodded without hesitation. "'Course. Someone else can go, now. If I think of anything I missed, I'll say it later."

"I've got a bit of reporting to do, myself," Nier sighed. "I've been scouting the edges of Nareish's territories for some time now, looking for weak points where one might be able to easily gain entry without… Well, without doing what Espio did and forcing a trail through. I've not found much on that front, but I have gleaned a bit of information about what she's up to."

Sona raised an eyebrow. "You were?"

"I've been working in conjunction with him," Nier continued, gesturing to Jet. "Or, at least, one of his clones. It got decimated defending me from an attack back before Kaden was trapped, though, so I was on my own after that point. It was only after that that I gathered a bit of information."

"What did you learn?" Wave asked, head canting. And why did neither of you tell anyone about this?

"For one thing, there's a warrior in her midst named Amani. She's a bat, and a powerful clairvoyant." Nier adjusted his robes and finally stood up. "I believe she's used her considerable mental powers to attack those on Mobius at least once before. She's a serious threat who works directly under Nareish like that Nyokae woman used to."

"That's… great to hear," Therin muttered sarcastically. "And we've got just a few people here and there who can counter her, which is also great."

"Nareish is growing bolder, too," Nier added. "I mean, take poor Cyril over there, for instance. She started the process of 'taking' him just the same as she's done to countless demons, several spawns of Malevolence, and even Zenith's own daughter. I heard whisperings that she's planning to go after several others in such a manner, too."

Steam frowned and crossed his arms. "Do you know of anyone in particular she might attempt that with?"

"I didn't get quite that lucky," Nier told him. "But if we at least know she's going after someone, we can try to take steps to protect people."

"Amani is going to be staying within Nareish's realm, correct?" Steam asked. "It's the safest place for her to be, after all."

Nier frowned. "I'm not certain, but there's a chance she won't. We'll have to wait and see. As much as I don't like that."

"So, let's say she does step out of there," Sona began. "I assume that's gonna be our only chance to take a shot at stopping her and maybe even killing her, if that's possible?"

"Killing Amani is very possible, but it probably won't be easy to take her down. We'll need people with considerable mental powers of their own to subdue her." Nier thought for a moment. "Realistically, there are only two or three people we know who can do such a thing."

"And if we take the shot, it's probably the only good one we'll get unless we raid their realm, which I am not considering," Steam muttered.

"Doing that would be suicide," Jet confirmed in a tone of quiet finality. "I am not willing to do something so foolish at this time. We are far from prepared."

"Assuredly," Cere agreed. "This is not the time. If it arises, we will address the idea another time. For now, is there more to discuss on Amani?"

"She can force people to see things," Jet murmured. "Potential futures, but always dark interpretations of them. Many will not handle such an assault well if it occurs again."

Ylden nodded. "Armaris has told me before of what she was shown. It bothers her greatly."

A short hum came from Kial. "Resolves have wavered. People are already hurting. Them suffering something of that magnitude could very well destroy a lot of our efforts."

Locke was quick to jump in with, "If people like Espio are targeted, the results could potentially be devastating. He's been stable for some time now, but an attack like that could very well push his Darkness into reacting all over again."

"So… can we stop them from doing this?" Cyril asked.

"You're asking the wrong person," Nier shrugged. "I have no idea."

"It could be, but we may need to explore some possibilities," Ynder said quietly. "Admittedly, not many have powers like her. This means that not many have experience dealing with it."

"We have to talk to Silver, to start," Wave said. "He's one of our best options here. He's got a very unique form of psychic ability that lets him do a lot. It's proven very useful many times."

"I'll talk to him soon," Steam said. "I've gotta go back for more preparation anyway."

"What do we do about Espio, anyway?" Therin suddenly asked. "Nareish has sent people after him before, trying to make damn sure that his Darkness takes him over. She's not going to stop just because Nyokae is out of the equation."

"I'm not sure there's much to do," Ylden answered. "I've seen how his Darkness acts, to a small degree, but hearing about it leads me to believe that it may be a battle of helping him keep control of himself and Nareish trying to force it to take control of him."

"Tell us what you can about how you've seen it behave," Locke instructed calmly. "The rest of us, for the most part anyway, don't have a clue. We need to know as much as we can."

"His Darkness alone is more aggressive than Sona," Ylden answered immediately. "It shifts his mood, actions, and thoughts by an incredible degree. It's also incredibly powerful and potent, as well as growing in strength."

"How aggressive are we talking, exactly?" Therin dared to ask.

"Vicious," Ylden murmured. "One of his rampages left many dead when he lost control."

"I counted twenty-three lives lost that day," Wave murmured. "And those are just the victims we know about. There could have been others."

"Rose has been trying to help," Steam added. "Not only with the Darkness thing, but also a few other things that are bothering him. However… recent events have been keeping her away, a lot."

"One person's aid may not be enough," Cosmo said quietly. "This is a very, very serious situation. We cannot ask her to shoulder this burden alone."

Ylden let out a frustrated sound, tapping his foot. "Armaris, Aniko, and Shei were trying to help where they could as well. Armaris was possessed by a demon, while Shei has been going through a lot that's keeping Aniko busy."

Wave shook her head. "That first incident should have set him back a lot more than it did. The fact that it didn't honestly concerns me. It might all just be bottled up, waiting to break free again at some point."

"And if it does, everyone around him gets caught up in it," Steam said. "Unless something gets his attention."

"Such as what?" Cosmo asked.

"A good fight," he answered. "Someone at least as strong as him, like Toru. Or something that's pissed him off."

"I do not see how we can work any of this information to our advantage," Cosmo lamented, "should he lose control again."

"It's not about advantage," Ylden countered. "At that point, it's surviving the initial outbreak, from what I've heard."

Therin's tail lashed. "And what then? Aren't we all in just as much danger even after that?"

"He's likely to go off on his own in pursuit of whatever is on his mind," Steam said, "if he gets bored, which could happen if the person he fights leaves. Once he's left, we have to find a time where he's more stable and try to talk to him. Preferably someone like Ar-"

"Don't," Ylden warned with a flare of anger. "She's done it too many times. One day, it's not going to work and he'll kill her if his Darkness stays in control too much."

Although he didn't like this idea, Locke couldn't find any reasonable counter to it. "...That could play into why I've heard that he's been beating himself up pretty severely since the last time. He probably trusts himself even less than you do."

"I trust Espio, but not his Darkness when it's not under his control. Uncontrolled energy is like a separate being," Ylden said, turning his attention to Locke. "I've seen it several times."

"He is not entirely incorrect," Finis unexpectedly cut in. "But the fact remains that there is a clear and present threat to everyone around him. He knows it and so do we. The issue is deciding what to do about it."

Steam frowned lightly. "What… methods do we know for helping to keep an energy like that somewhat quelled?"

"Nothing that we know is suitable for a situation such as his. There are too many extraordinary factors at play. He is descended from both of the strongest families of chameleons that ever lived. Chameleons as a whole have always been among the strongest beings of Darkness in existence. He is also related to Malevolence itself." Finis silently scoffed to himself. "There is no protocol for this."

"Rose was able to help somewhat, so far, with a necklace of her own Light," Steam countered gently. "It's not a perfect solution, but it helps and he's wearing it. Is there a better way to do something similar?"

"Too much direct contact with Light will burn him," Locke reminded carefully. "And we don't know how high the threshold is for what he can handle touching."

"What about the presence of Light?" Sona questioned. "Rose's Light is… well, very calming. Does that have any effect?"

"From the little I've seen, it does look like it helps," Wave said. "But, to be fair, all Light is calming because it's meant to be. Hers isn't unique in that way. But when he's already in a funk emotionally it doesn't seem to do a ton of good."

Cyril frowned a little. "Maybe it can still be an idea, though. I mean, we can't expect it to be a miracle worker, but if we were able to strengthen the presence without him touching it… would that help in a relatively normal situation?"

"It very well may," Cosmo murmured, "but we cannot reasonably expect him to remain in the presence of a Light-user at all times. That is not feasible."

"Maybe we don't have to," Steam said. "Wave, do you think it would be possible to magnify the strength of her presence coming from that necklace, within reason? It's her Light, so it would be like having her there without her needing to be there."

"I can try it," Wave shrugged. "But unless he's willing to tell us, we'll have no way of knowing how much is too much. Even without injuring him, it could cause him pain."

"If we avoid increasing the amount of Light, but rather the way it affects everything around it…" Steam began typing on his communicator again. "I'll send something to Tails and Wery. See what ideas they have."

"I'll work with them on it, too," Wave nodded. "We might be able to come up with something. But I have to stress that this won't be a permanent solution. At best, it'll delay another incident for a little while."

"It's not meant to be permanent," Kial said softly. "I believe he simply wants to try and give us what time we can be given to come up with other ideas."

Seeing as nobody else spoke up, Ylden decided it was his turn to speak. "I have news regarding the Realms of Death, in their current state."

"Speak, please," Cosmo invited. "This is important for the rest of us to keep informed about."

"Things are going to shit," Ylden said bluntly. "I recently had to deal with several people not doing their jobs, on top of things growing to be close to capacity. If this keeps up, things are going to fall apart and I can't hold it together. It'll be an absolute catastrophe."

Locke cursed under his breath. "And Kaden's the only one who can expand that capacity at any given point, right? That's a problem."

"As far as I'm aware. I have the authority to appoint more people to handle jobs like what I do, but that won't stop the major issue of too many people dying and places becoming full," Ylden bit out.

"This is not a matter of authority," Finis responded. "You do not have the power to do this without occupying the role of God. Kaden has that role, and as such he is needed in order to fix this mess."

"The issue becomes what Wave said earlier," Locke continued. "There's no guarantee that he'll be in any condition to do anything strenuous immediately after he's purified. Which, on that note… Ylden, how much longer before things reach a critical point? Any estimations at all?"

"Weeks in a best case scenario," Ylden muttered. "Depending on how these battles go, that could get shaved down quickly. Iblis needs to be kept away from civilization if you're fighting on Mobius."

More emphatic cursing emanated from Locke's direction, but Cosmo spoke before he could. "I will do my best to extend my reach from Gardenia to Mobius. With any luck, I will be able to keep the general populous healed during these conflicts, just in case. But I will not be able to pull this off a second time. Not any time soon."

"The other issue there comes with Zareil," Steam slowly revealed. "If she realizes the battle is going south, there's a good chance she'll find a way to eat something to strengthen herself. If she does that, she could bring on a lot of death on Mobius before she's slowed down."

Jet closed his eyes, thinking hard. "Let Espio fight her," he suddenly said. "If it gets to that point and she is threatening to rampage, he can and will hold her off. She has been desiring a true spat with him since the beginning, at any rate. She will not turn down a challenge from a source of her interest."

Sein crossed his arms. "Not to mention, if she really does get beyond the point where me and Alana can hold her off, he's the best choice besides maybe Toru. He's beaten her down before, but I don't think she was powered up at all."

"Either one of them can take her, but Toru has been busy lately," Wave confirmed. "I don't think he's willing to be pulled away from his own affairs unless it's strictly necessary."

Steam nodded. "He's likely to snap at anyone who tries to insist he do otherwise. Espio is the better person to ask."

"Honestly, I get the feeling he'd go after her himself, without the need for anyone asking," Therin muttered. "Just based off what I've heard."

"I'd still prefer to ask," Steam said. "But yeah. You're probably right."

Ylden stood up. "If that's all, I need to be going. I bought all the time I could."

"We understand," Nier assured. "We'll see you around."

"I have to go, too," Locke said, pushing himself off the tree he'd been leaning against. "My daughters are waiting for me."

"Hey, Locke," Steam called. "You've still got your communicator and all right? Haven't melted it?"

Locke managed a laugh. "No, I haven't melted it. But concerns about doing that very thing make wearing it a touch impractical, wouldn't you say? So I don't wear it anymore."

"Message Rose sometime later," Steam said. "She's been quiet about things. Figured she might open up to you."

"Yeah, I'll talk to her," Locke promised. "I'm sure the girls would like to say 'hi' again, too." As he was saying this, Ylden opened a portal and stepped through it.

Steam nodded with a gentle smile. "Thanks. Be seeing you." Locke waved and vanished in a burst of flames.

Meanwhile, Therin turned to Cere and quietly murmured, "Hey, mum, I'm heading off, too. Haven't been home in a while. I need to check on my sister and all."

Cere set a hand on his shoulder. "You do not need to tell me, Therin. You are always free to act as you think is necessary, but I appreciate the thought. Tell her I said hello, and maybe drag Sona with you. She's griped about being bored lately." The woman chuckled a little. "She also does well with those younger than her."

Therin's tail lashed side to side. "I am not taking her to my house. The last thing I need is her giving me shit all day every day while I'm trying to take care of Lin."

"She'd be a lot nicer around Lin than you think, but it's your decision," Cere said. "Take good care of her as always." Therin sighed, waved, opened a portal, and departed for home. Cere's gaze fell on Sona who looked quite dejected for a moment before teleporting away. She sighed gently and turned to Finis. "Do you believe they will sort this out without our help?"

"That is debatable," Finis answered. "She truly does antagonize him, and has never given him cause to believe that she would ever treat him otherwise. He is also not a terribly trusting person, given the violent way in which he and his sister were orphaned. They may require intervention."

The Hexan let out a long sigh. "I'll see what I can do while there is a touch of free time. Surely a step in the right direction will be much for them."

"Not good enough." Finis crooked a finger. A portal opened and Therin yelped as he was pulled backward through it. "You and she need to talk."

Therin left off cursing long enough to demand, "Why?"

Cere spoke gently. "There are things she does not know how to explain about herself, due to lack of learning them early on. I am led to believe she thinks of you in a way that is different than what you may believe."

The cat sort of stared at her before eventually asking, "...What are you talking about?"

"You are not aware of her past. Her younger years were spent in violence and bloodshed, as she lived within a life of crime… to put it simply. Azanae rescued her from this because she saw potential and now she is where she is now. She was removed late, and never knew how to handle her emotions, so she resorts to anger because she understands it," Cere explained. "It is a lot to learn at once, but I promise it is all important."

After a lengthy pause, Therin let out a heavy sigh. "Where did she go?"

"Most likely back to her home," Cere answered. "Aside from there, you know the places she would go to best. I trust you can find her swiftly."

With some mumbled retorts, Therin opened a new portal and stepped through it. When he emerged, he was at Sona's home again. Why am I even doing this? He shook his head, but reached a hand up and knocked anyway.

Some crashing resounded from inside, followed by an intense series of curses as she audibly kicked something out of her way. Eventually, she made it to the door and threw it open. All the anger flooded from her face and she looked away, arms crossed. "Thought you were taking care of your sis," Sona murmured.

"I was about to," Therin huffed. Then, without realizing his slip up regarding names and whatnot, he added, "Da' literally dragged me back."

Sona cursed under her breath for a moment. "Did they tell you to come here for something?"

"He seems to think we need to talk," Therin answered, crossing his arms. "Not entirely sure about what, though."

Though she was quiet for a moment, eventually Sona turned and walked further inside, motioning for him to follow. "Come in for a second. Ignore the smashed table. And chair." Therin hesitated, thinking over whether or not he really wanted to do this, but eventually just sighed again and went in with her. Eventually, she led him to what was a mock living room, with a couch and loveseat around a coffee table and not much else. She sat at the loveseat and motioned for him to sit wherever he felt like.

In the end, Therin opted to sit on the couch, preserving both of their personal space. He was already questioning his choice and what exactly he was meant to be accomplishing by coming here. What even is there for us to talk about? Cere's words echoed in his mind, but he didn't dare give this much consideration.

Sona was dead silent, staring at the table for a moment before she suddenly muttered, "I'm really… sorry."

That actually made him frown. "For what?"

She rubbed at her eyes vigorously, sniffling. "Everything. All I do is piss you off. I piss others off. People don't want to be around me cause I'm so fucking mean. I'm sorry," she bit out, gripping at her hair with one of her hands.

Aw, hell. Don't cry. Going against his better judgement, Therin got up and walked over to crouch in front of her. "Hey. Look at me for a second, will you?"

Sona shook her head vigorously, purposely covering her eyes with an arm. "I don't want to," she choked out.

"Well I do," he countered. "It's easier to believe someone isn't lying when you look."

"You just want to see me crying," Sona hissed.

"Except I'd rather not," Therin told her. "Hate seeing people cry. Got my sister to thank for that. Now just look up for a second, alright?"

She hesitated for a long moment before pulling her arm away, revealing her already tear-stained face. Sona frowned at him, trying to hold off what she was feeling so she wouldn't cry. "There. Happy?"

"Not really. But I'm also not mad. Think you can find it in yourself to believe that?"

Sona quickly wiped at her eyes again, muttering something unintelligible before answering. "You don't lie as much as I do."

"You should know how untrue that is in my line of work," Therin huffed, "but I don't make a habit of lying about important things."

"What's your point?" she demanded lightly. "I don't get it."

"You said all you do is make people angry or otherwise piss them off," Therin replied. "I'm not mad at you, so you're wrong. That's my point." Sona turned away from him and murmured something that was practically inaudible before resting her chin on the armrest of her seat. "Look… you irritate the shit out of me sometimes. Maybe even a lot of the time, but that isn't the same thing. It's just petty shit that doesn't matter in the long run. I don't think I've ever really been angry with you before."

Sona pulled her hair over her face and muttered something else, shifting uncomfortably. "Okay…" Therin decided to give her a moment at that point to settle down or do whatever else she was going to do. After about half a minute of her muttering to herself, she slowly reached out to him with one of her hands, trying to find where he was without even looking. He was mere inches from where her hand was reaching and, without really stopping to consider his own actions, he sort of shifted closer to her.

The female cat eventually got a gentle grip on him and moved a bit, enough to move her other arm to him so she could lift him off the ground and hug him closer. "I… don't… I can't…" she murmured, trailing off.

Therin floundered for words for a moment, his mind temporarily drawing a blank. In the end, all he managed to get out was a small, "What?"

"I don't know how to tell you," Sona answered, holding him tighter before deciding to gently set him down. "It's not… a big deal."

All at once, Therin realized he was an idiot. Wait… is that what this is? "Hold on. Just… slow down. I might know where you're trying to go with this. Maybe."

Sona froze and curled up on herself, muttering things under her breath before quietly saying, "It's my fault…"

"What is?" Therin asked her with a small frown. He moved to sort of half-sit on the armrest of her seat.

"I can't control my emotions, no matter what they are," Sona answered quietly.

"So we'll work on that. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the best with this, either." Therin sighed heavily. "My past wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, either. Lin and I endured things that caused us to have a rough development, too, before Cere and Finis found me and our aunt found her. I've only gotten a bit better because people offered me help and, eventually, I learned to accept it."

Sona fell quiet again for some time before pushing herself up a bit and fixing her hair somewhat. "That… I…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say again. "What… did you think I was gonna say?"

"You're gonna make me say it now?" Therin grumbled. "I don't think I'll have much more luck."

She winced a little before wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his chest. "I… don't know how to say it."

"I don't have a clue in hell. But I do know I've got to get going." Therin looked away, tail swishing from side to side. "...But you can come with. If you want."

"You realize I look like shit, right?" Sona questioned.

"So clean yourself up a bit, if you're worried about it."

Sona let go of him and walked off to go somewhere else within the home. "I won't be long. If you need to go, I'll just join you or hang out here. Something. I don't know."

"I'll wait." With that promise made, Therin closed his eyes to think. He suddenly had a lot to consider.

Meanwhile, nearly everyone else had departed from Nier's world to go about their business. Finis had returned inside to resume monitoring Analia and, naturally, Nier had gone in with him. Even Wave had left already. Jet stuck around long enough to see her off before preparing to leave himself. Steam approached him before he could do so, however, and spoke up. "Hey, got a minute?"

Jet paused and looked at him. "...Why?"

"I just wanted to talk," Steam said. "If you don't have time, I understand."

After a long moment, Jet crossed his arms with a sigh. "I have a minute."

"The Void isn't giving you much of a break, is it?" Steam asked, a concerned frown on his face.

"No," was the dull reply. "It never intends to."

"Do you understand what's gonna happen here soon?" Steam asked, voice growing more gentle as he spoke.

Jet nodded a little. "Yes."

Steam fell quiet for a few moments, ultimately sighing. "Just… know that whatever happens, I'm gonna do my best to help out, alright?"

The hawk looked away. He didn't answer for a brief moment, but eventually he nodded again. "I know."

"I need to ask you something really important, though," Steam suddenly said. "I know the chances of you being there for it are a bit low, but do you trust me to make this plan to purify Kaden work?"

"It is unsafe for me to be there as I am now," Jet was quick to clarify. Then he added, "You will succeed. I am certain of that. But there are risks involved, mainly for him. His condition as a result of this will be poor. You must prepare to offer him heavy protection while he recovers."

"As well as finding a way to keep demons like Zareil from taking him back," Steam muttered.

"If she comes for him - and she will come - let him speak with her," Jet suddenly said. "Poor condition or not, he will do it. His words will be far more effective than any action you might take."

Steam blinked a few times. "You're right. She's completely devoted to him, even… well… beyond just following his orders. He may well be able to convince her that he doesn't want to go back to that and she might listen."

Jet inclined his head. "It is likely your best chance. There is also the possibility that she will offer her own protection to him as well. That would prove useful against any threats Nareish may send his way."

"True," Steam murmured. "Aside from that… a lot of people have been revived lately. Do you think they're planning to revive everyone? Within reason, of course."

"Not everyone," Jet murmured. "Only those who can help. Those who will not be revived only to suffer and die again without reason. Teyan and Eona do not seek to be cruel."

Steam gave a slow nod. "Aside from that, there's a few things I want to mention. Assuming you know about Toru - his father is back, alongside Lia, Soren, Satsuno, and Seiko," he explained, falling quiet in case Jet had anything to say before he moved on.

Satsuno and- Jet cut that thought off in favor of quickly saying, "Inform them of everything you can regarding Kaden. They have a right to know, and they will want to."

"I'll make sure of it. I assume they know a bit, but them knowing everything will be best," Steam agreed.

With that matter out of the way, Jet settled down again and more calmly asked, "How long have the kids been back?"

"It was incredibly recent," Steam said. "I also have to assume they were brought back by the Faein."

Having stretched his senses far and wide to locate the pair, Jet had already come to a realization prior to asking his previous question. Now he asked a new one. "Lia was made small again. Do you know why?"

Steam thought for a moment before something came to mind. "How was it that she died?" the hedgehog questioned.

Though not privy to all the details, Jet was able to immediately answer. "Some sort of illness. The doctors caught it far too late."

"The chance is that they brought her back so it could be treated, now that people know about it," Steam said. "That's my guess." Jet nodded slowly in understanding. Steam gave Jet a few moments if he had any other questions before moving on. "I believe Wave also mentioned this to you, but the Aether will be coming into existence soon to help balance out the Void."

"She told me," Jet confirmed. "If you have any further details to add, tell me now. I will likely not be around you or others again anytime soon."

"First of all, I have reason to believe it will choose her to be tied to," Steam explained immediately. "If not her, I'm not sure who. When they collide, it'll be much like Darkness and Light interacting."

"I assumed as much," Jet sighed in response to that last part. He didn't think too much on the first part just yet. He would do that later, once he was alone again. "The Void's… personality will not allow for peaceful encounters."

Steam rubbed the back of his head a little. "Yeah… no kidding. The Aether is going to want to play nice, but that'll never happen." Jet muttered an unhappy agreement. Steam fell quiet for a moment before adding, "Back with Shadow and Toru… currently, Shadow is most definitely pregnant."

Jet thought about asking how. He thought about denying that it could be possible. Ultimately, he opted for a far simpler reply of, "...I see. His Black Arms heritage is at play, I assume."

"Yeah, and ultimately, I think that they're going to have the baby," Steam replied. "I don't doubt that Rusen got involved."

The name was unfamiliar, but Jet didn't dwell on it long. "You or someone else needs to find out whether that medicine Shadow has been taking is safe in his current position. If it isn't, a new solution needs to be found quickly. He cannot be put through withdrawals again while carrying a child. It will end badly." The sheer, monumental stress alone might cause that child to be lost well before it can even be born.

The hedgehog grimaced at the thought before nodding quickly. "Yeah, I'll get on that. No way I'll just let it slide by." Satisfied with this reply, Jet murmured an agreement and let the matter drop for now. Steam thought for a moment before realizing something else he should mention. "Surely you saw Cyril and Kath, but recently it was discovered that they are both Gods. Specifically, the God of Magic and Time respectively."

Blue eyes drifted over to the space Kath had earlier been occupying. "I heard mention of it during the meeting. It was… unexpected news."

Steam nodded slowly. "It is. They're both currently in the process of learning how to do what they can with their powers, and I wholly expect that Kath will pick up on this fairly quickly due to… well… being Kath, for fuck's sake."

Jet agreed in full. Space and time have always been his specialty, and his passion. He knows more than enough to dive head-first into this if he so chooses. "I know some of what occured with Cyril and how he came to discover his abilities, but what happened with Kaicha?"

"From what I know, it was due to how sick he had been. He got pushed to the brink so much that he subconsciously activated his powers and reversed his own time," Steam explained. "He was young for a short while until he was able to reverse it back to the age he's at now."

...It must always be an adventure with you, mustn't it? Almost amused, Jet shook his head. "I see."

Steam nodded. "You definitely don't know who they are, but my grandparents were around and able to help out. Arkiri was really close to Kath when Kath was younger," the hedgehog explained. "He helped a lot in keeping Kath's stress down."

The name was actually familiar. Jet had come across it in a scant few documents in the Babylonian archives, once upon a time. He was renowned for his scientific expeditions… wasn't he? Shaking that thought off, Jet said, "That is ideal. For him to have experienced strong stress at all is unlike him these days. He does not react well to the emotion when it crops up, either."

"Yeah," Steam murmured. "I know about that." The hedgehog thought once more before remembering another thing to mention. "Cosmo told me that Cadora was asking about you."

Internally, Jet winced. After a long moment of silence, he said quietly, "I should have contacted him much sooner than this, but… I will do so when I can. However, I cannot go there. This was risky enough. If Cosmo asks you about such a thing, tell her what you will. She needs to at least know that it is unsafe for now."

"If it comes up, I will," Steam agreed. The hedgehog fell silent for a long moment, shifting his gaze away. This was something he wasn't sure if he should ask with Jet's current state, but it had been on his mind for a while. "I didn't exactly get along well with you in my timeline… and haven't for a long while. Interacting with you and the others made me realize that maybe I was just pushing them away…" he paused before asking, "Do you think I could make amends and try to get along with them if I get back?"

"When," Jet softly corrected. "Not if. It was never a matter of 'if'." Then, with surprising gentility, he continued on to say, "They will accept you, Steam, and any efforts you make. Not all will do so with open arms and broad smiles, but most will. Even those who are more reticent will give you an honest chance at improving relations. It is how they are. You will see it for yourself when you return home."

Steam let out a slow breath before nodding. "Yeah… when." He didn't sound entirely convinced, but he accepted it nonetheless.

"Let go of your notions of death," Jet abruptly told him. "They will not come to pass. You are returning home even if I have to break every goddamn rule there is to get you there."

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you guys," Steam grumbled amusedly. "Thank you, though. I really appreciate that."

Although he huffed, Jet didn't press the issue. "Go. Rest while you can. You look almost unconscious on your feet."

Steam rubbed the back of his head again. "Heh… yeah… I tried before this, but something came up and spiked my nerves all over again. Honestly, they're still a touch shot."

"At least try, then," Jet answered. "You need the rest."

The hedgehog shrugged. "Yeah. I definitely do," he agreed. "Thanks for talking to me."

Jet nodded a little once again. "Sure. Now go. I'm serious."

Steam rolled his eyes and waved. "See ya, Jet. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon." With that, he teleported away. Jet was quick to follow suit. He'd held the Void back for longer than he'd thought he'd be able to already, and he didn't want to stretch this out even longer. Much like how Steam would be better off at his own home, Jet was better off at his. At least for now, at least until he could find some way of controlling this… If he ever did.

~保護者~

22,957 words this time. Many thanks as always for Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Apologies for the delay, but we hope you enjoy this extra long chapter. Posted (at about 11:20 a.m.) 04-19-21.