Project Motherhood: Double

by Gamer95

Double is a servant to the Trinity. The one who will carry out their will. She has no agenda of her own. But that all changes when a tiny mute little boy comes into her life. Can the creature known as Double learn to love?

2. Chapter 2

Back down below, Double awoke suddenly, a bit confused as to what was happening, and looked around. It was morning now, and she saw Isaac next to her. She blinked and tilted her head. "I see... So that was what it was like to sleep... It truly is a refreshing experience... As well as one that is rather difficult to come back from..." She couldn't say she enjoyed this groggy feeling. She looked down, seeing Isaac seemed almost floppy as he was still in a deep sleep. Picking him up, Double held him close and sighed, still trying to pull herself back to the world of the living. She thought about waking Isaac, but had a feeling that wasn't the best idea. He was asleep, and he clearly needed it, so she wanted to leave him be.

She absentmindedly stroked his head and frowned softly, trying her best to focus on keeping any potential nightmares at bay. After all, her goddesses had informed her that they were a persistent problem for the boy. She knew most likely what they were, images and fears of his abusive mother, but she wondered how they worked. When she thought about it, was it simply human thoughts? Or was it some sort of magic that happened within his mind? Double didn't know, and she didn't like the idea of little Isaac being trapped in his own fears, he didn't deserve that. She gently rubbed his back to make that little extra effort to keep those hellish dreams away from him. Isaac would not experience such terror so long as she was there for him... For that was the mission she was given.

She didn't know if she was doing this right or wrong, but she was trying her best to ensure the nightmares would not prevail. After everything he had been subjected to, it was the lest she could do, in her eyes. He deserved to be happy, more than any child she had met, and she set forth to ensure that was the case. She also admittedly did have an ulterior motive... Her greatest desire was to make her goddesses proud of her, enough so that she may one day stand among them... She wished to ascend and join them in the afterlife. Ironically, all the Goddesses wanted at this point was to get OUT of the afterlife. But finding the exit was already impossible, and the one time they did, if it wasn't frozen ice covering the exit and adjacent pathway, it was landmines, bear traps, banana peels, or any other assortment of trap that one would expect to be beneath a God, but when Gods set traps on other Gods, then it got tricky. So... they were stuck here, pretty much forever, or until, according to one of the ones punishing them: "It stopped being funny as hell."

So, forever.

Double smiled at the child and gently rubbed his tiny bald head. She was far too embarrassed to admit it, but she really enjoyed how smooth the boy's head felt. It was like she was rubbing a watermelon. That was admittedly a weird thought, and there wasn't exactly a way to say that which didn't seem extremely weird in one way or another, but still, what exactly could she say? 'I wonder what today holds...' Double thought to herself smiling down at the still sleeping Isaac.

She decided it was time to get out of the bed. Rising to he feet, she stepped down onto the floor and walked out of the room. Isaac would likely wake up soon, and she figured she should probably feed him. As she walked back towards the kitchen, the sudden movement in her arms startled her, and she nearly dropped the stirring Isaac out of surprise. Thankfully, she collected herself and smiled down at Isaac who was now stretching out in her arms. "Hello, little Isaac." Double smiled down at the little boy. "I certainly hope you slept well."

Isaac squeaked and rubbed his tiny little eyes before giving her a big hug as soon as he was a bit more awake. Double immediately got the message and smiled softly. "Of course, Isaac... I could tell you would be scared if I left you alone..." Isaac just smiled and tried his best to continue hugging Double. The nun was a bit surprised by his actions but smiled nonetheless. If Isaac was happy, she was doing her duty. Once they were in the kitchen, Double looked around before finding some oatmeal, deciding this would be a simple meal for Isaac to continue to get reacclimatized to regular food through. Taking the box, she opened it up and wrinkled her nose at the package. Frankly, she never did care much for this stuff. It was tasteless, bland and squishy. But it was the best thing for Isaac at the moment... It would need some brown sugar though...

It may not be the most delicious meal, but she doubted Isaac was used to regular food, and didn't want to make him sick by trying to feed him something he wasn't used to. Especially after everything he had been put through, Double just wanted to make sure he had something to eat. She opened up the bag and began the process of preparing the flavourless watery mush. Perhaps it was like this because she kept buying that cheap stuff from those common supermarkets that were all the rage these days... Well, Isaac didn't seem to mind that much, but Double noted she'd need to buy some more... proper food for him in the future. She wanted Isaac to grow up to be healthy and strong after all he had been through, he was strong in spirit, but strength on the flesh would be helpful, too.

He couldn't eat nothing but oatmeal and vegetables, as healthy as they were for humans like Isaac. He needed a properly balanced diet consisting of meats and grains and dairies and fruits. And the occasional treat when he was good... But for nw, Isaac seemed happy to be eating something that wasn't half-rotten, so Double decided she'd take this one step at a time. She'd probably make chicken or something for lunch, something simple he'd enjoy. Also, something simply which probably wouldn't blow up in her face, perhaps literally. Her cooking skills were often referred to by her goddesses as 'sub-par to be as generous as possible'. Brutally honest, but it was helpful, as it made it clear that she needed to improve her skills as a cook.

For now, she sat with a smile as Isaac ate. He didn't seem to mind the somewhat flavourless mush, and simply enjoyed the meal both because i was real food, and because Double had made it. She could tell he appreciated the food more because she made it... and that kind of confused her. Food was food, why was it special because she had presented it to him? Was this because of that whole love thing Lady Aeon and Lady Venus told her about? Did it somehow have the power to make food taste better? Was it somehow tangible enough that it could enhance physical objects? Or was it more an idea, that something made by someone had more value, regardless of its quality because it was made by said person? That made sense from a logical perspective, but again, Double felt like something was missing from that line of thinking. She watched Isaac eat, trying to pick up on any sort of subtle change in the way he was feeling... and got nothing.

He was content for now. The boy clearly felt happy and safe in her presence, and it was clear to her that he would eagerly take whatever she gave him. So that at the very least would make caring for him a simple matter. Double still didn't fully know if children were easy or hard to take care of. When she worked at the orphanage, most of the children could be troublesome, but they were usually adopted and taken away rather quickly. Isaac didn't seem troublesome, and if he did, his troubles clearly stemmed from a different place, one that wasn't the same as other children. Because of that, the Nun wasn't sure what to make of him in that regard. The boy was a true mystery to the unholy nun. He wasn't an energetic ball of chaos like she associated most children with. Other children would do pretty much anything as long as it amused them while Isaac was quiet and obedient.

Maybe that was out of fear, or maybe it was because he couldn't talk, but Double was of two minds about it. On the one hand, it made things a bit easier, as Isaac would be quiet, and relatively manageable. But on the other hand, it felt like part of whom he was had been forcefully taken from him. She had to wonder about what he was like before he had lost his voice. What had he sounded like? What kinds of things would he say? Was he always a quiet child, or did he enjoy initiating conversation with others? From the silence she received, it was clear even Lady Aeon didn't fully know. She most likely had found Isaac after a similar incident concerning his Mother, therefore, he couldn't talk to her either. How tragic was that? A child unable to speak to his own Mother?

And the very injury that prevented this was caused by his birth mother at that... That woman really had taken everything from him... Right down to the very clothes on his back... How could she, when he was so small and pitiful? If it was some sort of rite of passage, Double may understand. Families and Clans had subjected young children to such things in the past, but this clearly wasn't the case with little Isaac. If it was, why would there have been demons? Where was his Father? Unless she didn't understand something about all this, that simply wasn't the case for Isaac. She paused as she thought about her previous train of thought. Would she truly have been okay with it if it had been some perverse rite of passage? No matter what way anyone looked at it, taking away a child's voice was so cruel and twisted...

Okay, that had been a pretty big hole in her logic. But her point still stood. If he had been injured or harmed due to some sort of rite, that would've been one thing, but he clearly wasn't. He was hurt because of some sort of twisted force deciding to harm him for no reason other than they could. And that was why she despised demons. They did horrible things to innocent beings just to satiate their own boredom. At least when humans did it they had SOME kind of reason for it, whether she deemed it a good reason or not...

Well, the demons were dead, their portal sealed off, and Isaac was happily eating the oatmeal she prepared for him. So those three factors were all dealt with to the best of her ability. Although, she did wonder why Aeon and Venus would allow such creatures to exist... not knowing she herself technically qualified for one, and that the Trinity pretty much only had their 'powers' because of demons. More or less, it was complicated. She sat down and watched Isaac eat his oatmeal, waiting patiently for him to finish. Once he had finished, she took the bowl from him and gave his head a gentle rub. "Very good, child. You ate it all." She praised him.

"Of course he did. You made it. It could be garbage on a plate and he'd eat it because you made it!" Aeon muttered, rubbing her eyes somewhat.

"Hey, she's learning. Like, give her a break." Venus shrugged, eating a cupcake.

"I know... I know... she's doing good, she's doing good..." Aeon grumbled.

Venus rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. 'Sis, your obsession is getting seriously unhealthy... We need to figure out a way to get you to relax a bit more... But I guess that's easier said than done since the gods put us under house arrest, huh?"

"Mrgh... I just wanna see my son..." Aeon muttered.

"Too bad!" Someone shouted from another plane of existence. "Should've thought about that first! Ha!" Aeon winced, but didn't say anything in response, knowing they couldn't fight (or win) against the other Deities. All they could do now was hope someday they'd let up on them. Which probably wasn't gonna happen. Ever. Little did she know, some of them were opening up to the idea of giving at least the two daughters another chance. The biggest supporters of this were Raiden, Palutena, Snow Miser, and surprisingly enough, Kratos.

Back below, Isaac had finished eating, and Double was getting him into some clothes for the day, and then paused. "What now?" She asked aloud. She meant to only ask herself, but realized Isaac had heard it too, and h shrugged in response. "Well then, would you like to help feed the animals?" From the way his face lit up, Double knew she had her answer. "Very well then. But let me walk you through the process. Some of them are very particular about the way they're fed." She explained. Isaac nodded his head. Good... He was an obedient, well-behaved little dear.

She entered the room with the animals who had a wide array of reactions. Some were happy to see her and Isaac because they liked them, others were happy because it meant attention, and others were happy because seeing them meant food. "Now, let's begin with the birds." Double instructed, walking over to one corner of the room. Isaac obediently followed along behind her and watched as she reached into her bag of bird feed. She carefully poured some into her hand and held it out, prompting several of the birds to flutter down and dig in.

About a minute later, she gave Isaac some seed and let him hold it up to the birds. A few hopped down and looked at him, then began eating from his hand, pecking away at the seeds absent-mindedly, occasionally looking up at Isaac, or Double or the other birds. Isaac smiled widely as he watched his feathered friends eat their birdseed. He remembered each of their names from when Double had introduced them the day prior. His favourite was Lemon the budgie. The small bird seemed to settle down on his hand as it ate, taking the seeds but not flying off after doing so. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was the food, but Lemon stuck around for a bit, feeling oddly relaxed in Isaac's hand.

The bird eventually decided Isaac's hand just wasn't an ideal place to rest, and so she flapped her way onto the boy's shoulder and perched there, twittering merrily as she lightly nipped at his ear affectionately, Isaac let out what Double assumed was a laugh, and smiled at their interactions. While Double liked all the animals in her sanctuary, there was something so gentle and calm about the birds that she especially liked. They were peaceful, if somewhat loud at times, and it was clear that Lemon at least seemed to be getting along with Isaac. She just hoped Guppy didn't get to her... The cat wasn't really one to attack the birds, he had broken into their enclosure to visit some of them a few times, but most of the birds there seemed more or less annoyed by the small cat's energetic and playful attitude. But hey, as long as he didn't let the other cats in...

Lemon didn't feel any need to leave, though. As Double guided Isaac through the other animals (not including the cats, yet) the small budgie stayed with him, watching the animals she lived with. Isaac seemed enamoured with Oreo, and while the racoon was nocturnal, it would always be up and awake for food. Double handed Isaac the cup with food, instructing him to pour it into the racoon's bowl, which he did gently, seeming to take great care in doing so.

Isaac watched with wide eyes and a smile as the little raccoon grabed handfuls of the food in his bowl and eagerly shoved them into his mouth. It was a really cute thing to watch, especially the way he licked his hands clean. Double knew racoons had a bit of a reputation for being aggressive, vicious and well, wild animals. But Oreo was the opposite. He was somewhat chubby, lazy, friendly (surprisingly to the other animals as well) and pretty much just hung around, almost like a comfort animal in some cases. Although, he did like getting into the garbage, even if it was just because he would fall asleep in there. This was probably because she had rescued him when he was a newborn infant. His mother had been nowhere to be seen, and he was so small and helpless... Oreo was her very first pet. Her rescue of him was the catalyst that led to her taking in her other pets.

Either way, there was something oddly nice about having him around. He was friendly and rather calm, and he seemed to like Isaac well enough. After finishing his food, Oreo wandered off back to the corner that he had effectively claimed, and did what Double expected: lay down. "Of course." She smirked. She swore Oreo sighed, or snored in response, clearly saying something along the lines of; 'I don't have to work, ha-ha.'

The nun sighed and turned her attention to Cider, who had taken her bowl off to a corner and begun eating her food in silence, her back turned on them. Double nodded, simply content that she was eating. The fox was injured, and may never be that friendly to her or Isaac, but so long as it ate, that was enough to Double. The fox needed help, and if all the help she would accept was food, then that was what Double would do. She was quite surprised at the fact that she seemed so okay with Oreo's presence, though. She wouldn't exactly say they were best friends or anything, but the fact that they were willing to share living quarters spoke volumes.

Maybe it was because Oreo just ate, slept and then ate some more she had no reason to dislike the racoon, but still. Double would take what she could get. "Shall we go see the cats?" Double smiled, and Isaac nodded eagerly. "Very well, but Lemon will have to wait back here." Lemon let out a series of higher pitched chirps and Double rolled her eyes. "Just because Guppy is your friend doesn't mean all of the cats will be your friend. Stay behind or risk being devoured." She said bluntly.

The bird seemed a little disappointed, but understood and flew back to the cage where she settled down on a perch. Isaac seemed a little disappointed as well, but Double put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you can meet her again in a little bit." She smiled, hoping it was a reassuring smile, but didn't know what people would think of it. In actuality it was a rather unsettling and predatory smile that promised death to whomever saw it, but Isaac didn't really notice that and saw it as reassuring and kind. So he responded with a tiny adorable smile of his own.

The cats were (predictably) still sleeping, but the sound of a single can being opened sent life through them as if they were being awoken from the dead. The next thing Double knew, the cats had swarmed her and Isaac, looking for food, and when they say that food would be a minute, they all swarmed Isaac looking for attention. Something he was more than happy to give to each and every one of them. The boy giggled silently as the sea of fur and purrs engulfed him. He loved the other animals, to be certain, but at his very core, he would always be a cat lover. The felines clearly liked him just as much too.

Granted, cats tended to like anyone who agreed they were great, but that wasn't the point. Right now, Isaac seemed happier than ever, surrounded by his feline friends, all of whom wanted some pets from the small boy, and he was more than happy to oblige. He scratched ears, backs, bellies, legs, anything that they wanted really. The felines were all letting out a series of soft purrs as the young boy tended to their desire for affection. Double stood back with a small smile on her face, her hands clasped together at her front as she observed the boy's happiness. Still, they needed food, so she returned to opening the cans and filling the bowls for all the cats so they could eat. Save for the weird one that was sitting in its food bowl trying to eat the plastic dish. Double really didn't know what that cat's deal was, and she was honestly a little unnerved by it, and she couldn't say why.

Said cat looked up at her and let out a soft meow before it began purring intensely. The nun simply raised a brow in response and grabbed the cat, causing it to whine and struggle in protest, then poured some food in the bowl. The cat looked at the bowl like it was totally lost on what to do. There was a bunch of little pellets blocking it from its favourite spot again. Finally, it climbed back into its bowl, pushing the food about as it did so, and settled back down before continuing to try and eat the bowl. Double noticed Isaac look to her, then down to the cat, then back to her once more, clearly bewildered by what this cat's deal was. "I don't know." She said bluntly. "Nash is... weird." She had named him that after the town Nashville, which she got the idea due to its main export; whiskey. This cat acted so bizarrely, Double had honestly believed it was drunk when she first met it. He wasn't, he was just dumb.

Upstairs, Venus was laughing uproariously. "Oh man I love that little cat, he's so hilarious!" Sge exclaimed. Aeon was smiling slightly as well. Some of these animals had so much personality to them it was unreal.

"Probably best Lord Beerus doesn't see that..." Aeon remarked.

"Eh, he'd probably compare it to his brother or something." Venus shrugged.

Double sighed, shaking her head. The cat didn't hurt itself, or anyone else, so she didn't feel any need to question it further, but she felt like she was being made fun of in some way shape or form. Isaac watched Nash for a minute, the cat looking back to him with a 'What?' expression, as if asking: 'Do you need something? ...are you just gonna keep staring at me?'

Isaac approached the cat and extended a hand. Nash responded by placing his paw inside Isaac's hand and letting out a long, loud meow as if he was complaining about something. Isaac tilted his head in response. "I don't know." Double shook her head. After a few moments, Isaac pulled his hand away and Nash began rolling about in the bowl, spilling food as he did so before stopping on his back with his paws up in the air. Double just stared, then sighed, knowing that was another mess for her to deal with later. Isaac frowned and gave the cat a scolding boop on the nose. Nash started licking his finger and he smiled. This kitty was weird, but it was kinda funny how weird he was. It seemed the other cats were cleaning up his mess too.

'Well, if he and Isaac get along, that's good enough for me.' Double conceded, assuming this cat would remain an enigma to her for all time, that nothing sh did could ever explain and or justify the way it worked. It bothered her that she would have to live with that, but knew there wasn't much she could do to change that. Cats were cats.

She looked outside the room at all the other animals. There were certainly a few of lesser intelligence, and she didn't really know what to do with those ones, but for fome reason, her misstresses loved them if their laughter was anything to go by.

Maybe it was the idea of laughing at those less intelligent than oneself, or maybe their antics were amusing to the Goddesses. Either way, Double made no attempt to get rid of them, as aside from some messes, they weren't hurting anyone or anything, so she had no issue to be cross with them. Bewildered and confused, most definitely, but angered? No. She knew some humans would be angered at them for their sub-par thought process, but that was further folly of their character, as they blamed animals for what they couldn't control. It would be like if she had taken her anger out on Isaac for his accident when they first met. That was entirely beyond his control. 'I should check his bed each day, however. Wouldn't want him sleeping in that.' Double thought. And since she would be sharing the same bed with him for a while, simply due to the fact that her misstresses would prefer she stay with him as he slept, it was her problem as well. Though he seemed to be okay so long as she held him...

Most likely that accident only happened because of his nightmares, something she didn't understand how they happened, but understood why they were happening. Once more, so long as she stayed with him, most likely those nightmares wouldn't bother him. If they still did, she'd do her best to help him get through them. Though she would be lying if she said she really knew how to do so... Hmm... This caretaking was a complicated matter... Human emotions and thought processes were so much more complicated than animals... Isaac seemed happy nonetheless, surrounded by the animals and herself. She'd by lying if she said she totally understood what Isaac wanted or needed from her, but she figured she could try her best and do all she could to make him happy.

"Come, my little dear. There's a few more to feed." Double instructed, taking Isaac's hand and leading him to another room. She didn't recall if he had seen this yet, but one of the odder animals she had rescued was an old turtle, who was presently lumbering about in his terrarium. The reptile was extremely large, perhaps moreso a tortoise than a turtle. When he noticed Double was entering the room, he slowly turned to look at her and craned his neck up with what she felt looked very much like a smile on his face. "Issac, this is Kazan." Double nodded. she wasn't sure where she got the name, or why it seemed to suit the turtle (or tortoise, Double kept meaning to look that up in a book) but she felt it worked. Isaac seemed amazed by the reptile before him. Double assumed (correctly) Isaac had only ever seen a turtle in a book or on TV, and had never been this close to one. The two watched as the heavy reptile slowly made his way towards them. Double walked over to a small container and opened it, taking some crisp lettuce out and handed it to Isaac. "Here, he likes this."

Isaac nodded, taking the cold leaf-vegetable and holding it out to the turtle. The large reptile opened his mouth and used it to grab the lettuce. Isaac let go of it as the turtle slowly crunched the leafy breakfast, taking a minute or two to chew it into a state where he could safely swallow. He looked up at Isaac, again with what Agatha had come to associate him 'smiling' with and then looked around the room. She didn't know if he was old and had some version of turtle alzheimers, or if he just liked the room, but he always seemed fascinated with his surroundings. In a way, Double almost envied him. He didn't have a care in the world, he just lived live and did whatever made him happy.

Isaac slowly approached the large tortoise and slowly reached his tiny hand out to see if the large reptile was okay with being petted. The tortoise noticed and craned his neck forward. Isaac decided to give him a light scratch under the chin. The tortoise let out what Isaac thought was a sigh, but it was pretty quiet. After a little bit of attention the tortoise looked up to Double, as if asking her something wordlessly. "Yes, he'll be staying here for now." Double nodded, and she swore the old reptile nodded as if it was satisfied with this answer. 'Either this child is making me act more childish, or I'm losing my mind.' Double thought, but didn't much care.

The tortoise decided it wanted to go back to exploring its home, and this prompted the rest of the enclosure's inhabitants to make themselves known. This enclosure was filled with all sorts of reptiles and amphibians. From geckos to frogs. Double noted with amusement that Isaac seemed amazed by everything around him. Sure, child-like curiosity was one thing, but there was a fascination with the new animals, as if he wanted to learn about all of them. Double nodded to herself, noting she'd need to get some books for him to read at some point, then he could learn. 'Can he read?' She thought.

'I can teach him.' She answered.

Isaac walked up to her with huge, sparkling eyes snd a big smile on his face, and she herself smiled when she saw why. He held a chameleon in his arms, two geckos were perched on each shoulder, there was a frog on his head, and a garter snake draped loosely around his neck. Isaac really seemed to have a way with animals, all of them seemed rather calm (or 'calm' by their standards) around him. The snake, Noodle (Venus had named it that) lifted its head and flicked its tongue out, sniffing his face slightly, before lowering its head calmly. Isaac seemed like he had done this a million times, and that was a nice sight to the Nun. He was currently embodying the stereotype of young boys liking untraditionally cute pets like lizards, frogs and snakes. Now all that was missing was for him to tease a girl with them. But he was too kind for such a thing.

Double wondered if he had ever interacted with another child in his short life. She believed he had, but also just as easily believed he hadn't. There were many secrets he had yet to share, and she didn't want to force anything just yet. At the end of the day, it was his life, his story, and his choice. Sure, she could ask Aeon if she knew anything, but it was possible that the Issac she cared for and the Isaac Agatha was caring for had different pasts. It was just as her goddess always told her. Infinite timelines, infinite possibilities. Isaac was traumatized in this timeline, yet in other timelines he likely turned out just fine without her or Aeon or anyone, really. Heck, there was possibly one out there where his parents were kind and loving, and he lived happily with them out in the country, growing up with the ability to talk and having a great life... but that wasn't here. Agatha felt a pang of... sorrow? Guilt? She couldn't say exactly, but she felt bad that this Isaac was stuck with what had happened to him. Well, he had her now, so that was the beginning of something better.

But even then... she didn't fully know what she was even doing. This whole thing was very new to her and she was still trying to find the ropes. He was thankfully not a difficult child to care for, not by any means, but still... She knew the old saying was to 'learn from one's mistakes', but when a child was involved, that felt, well, wrong. Not that her mistakes were going to get Isaac hurt, but nevertheless, she didn't want to admit she had made a mistake, her pride was rather stubborn like that. Yes, Double knew her pride stemmed from her efficiency and ability to get things done correctly the first time, but those tasks were pertaining to her Mistress' goals, not to caring for a little child. And then she csme to a rather annoying realization. Technically, since the skullgirl had fallen in battle multiple times, she had long since broken her streak of getting stuff right the first time. In fact she didn't even technically have a streak. So what mistakes would she make with Isaac?

'None.' She told herself matter-of-factly. She wouldn't let her newly-realized incompetence harm little Isaac. He had been hurt enough by the ones who were supposed to care for him, she wouldn't continue that twisted cycle. Double knew she had to be better, and it wouldn't be hard, but she had to be. She watched the boy interacting with the animals with a small smile and felt that resolve strengthen. Isaac needed her. Someone needed to protect that smile... Yes, his smile... It was just lovely to look at. Isaac's smile just seemed to brighten up the entire room, and the animals seemed to like it as well. Some seemed happy to see Isaac, others seemed indifferent because he didn't hav food, which was to be expected.

'...Lady Aeon? Is there anything in particular I'm supposed to do with him?' Double asked. 'Aside from taking care of him and comforting him, is there anything he'd like to do?'

Aeon smiled widely, her eyes actually opening for once and sparkling excitedly. "I thought you'd never ask!" She then proceeded to rapid fire list all the things Isaac enjoyed doing, much too fast for Double to process. She heard some things but even with her advanced mind, she barely registered most of what was said. There were the sounds of struggle, as if someone was being pushed, and then Venus spoke up.

"Uuugh, calm down, A!" She muttered. "Look, the little guy likes doing a lot of things, drawing, walking, spending time with those he cares for, it doesn't take much to make him happy."

Double tilted her head, then nodded. "I see, I see. Then I will be sure to study what sorts of activities humans enjoy partaking in so that the little one and I may partake in these activities ourselves. Will that suffice?"

"Yeah, it's a start." Aeon admitted, finally being let go of by her sister. She was annoyed, but knew her Sister was sort of right. She had gotten pretty excited, and Double didn't really see herself as Isaac's 'Mother' just yet, but still as his guardian. These things would take time. But how much time, was the big question she had. Her little Isaac deserved a loving mother that was ready and eager to jump right into the role. Maybe that was asking too much, but then, any mother worth her salt would ask too much to see their child happy. ...okay, so maybe Isaac wasn't the best example considering what his Mother had put him through, but that wasn't the point! Double was learning, and she'd figure all this out on her own in good time. There was only so much Aeon or her sister could say/do in order to guide and help her. Part of this really did come down to figuring it out on her own.

In a way, Double was technically their child, and as such, they needed to find that proper balance between guiding her and telling her what to do and stepping back and letting her figure stuff out herself. Granted, she was born an adult, but still. It occurred to Aeon more and more how dumb some of their plans were in retrospect. Sure, creating Double wasn't an issue, but being so focused on creating a monster to help create another Skullgirl was an issue, and the Skullgirl itself was a bigger issue. Then, trying to force out actual Gods and Deities was a bigger issue, and... "Aeon." Venus said, snapping her sister back to reality. "You're doing that thing where like, you think way too much about like, our failures and stuff. Stop."

Aeon let out a sigh and hugged herself. She honestly wished she and her family had remained living the simple life of just enjoying their afterlives rather than chasing after revenge and the rulership they felt entitled to... But no... they just HAD to go there, and they just HAD to claim the powers, and now they were trapped forever, cut off from he rest of existence, slowly being forgotten, and forever separated from her son... nothing they could do could atone for those choices, and they would spend forever here, trapped, alone, and apart...

"...you think we're maybe being a LITTLE harsh on them?" Beerus looked over at the Watcher who was munching on a sandwich and shrugged.

"Possibly." The Destroyer remarked. "Honestly, I'm indifferent on letting them go. There's nothing more they can do to try and interfere with us, but we need everyone to agree on it."

"Yeah, yeah..." The Watcher nodded. "Zarathos ain't calming down any time soon..."

Beerus let out a hum. "Perhaps they'd willingly take a small blast from his penance stare in exchange for their freedom... That's how Kratos was allowed into the pantheon if I recall correctly." He mused.

"Yeah, but Kratos also had Atreus." The Entity shrugged. "He changed because he had a kid and- oh, wait a sec..." The flip-flopped flaming figure paused, realizing something, then shook its head. "Forget it, we'll bring it up next time we meet..."

Back below, Double had finished feeding the animals, and wasn't sure what to do now with Isaac, so she decided to take him back to his room so he could write out some more of what his life was like so she could get a better understanding. Happy with this decision, she turned and left, carrying the little boy with her. He squirmed about slightly in her embrace, trying to find the most comfortable position he reasonably could, eventually settling on his head resting on her breasts. Amazing how innocent such a perverse act was when done by a small boy. Maybe it was context, or maybe it was because she liked Isaac, but Double made no move to try and move him from where he was. He seemed so happy, she couldn't just disturb that... when she returned to his room, she set him down on the bed, Guppy quickly making himself known and nuzzling against the small boy.

Isaac squeaked happily and snatched up his kitty into his arms, cuddling him close. Guppy squirmed a bit and tried to get comfy. Double watched the scene with a smile. Their interactions were very wholesome, and Isaac clearly had a favourite pet. Well, she couldn't exactly blame him. The kitten had clearly snuggled up to him, and reminded him of his old cat. She smiled at the pair, the kitten clearly seemed happy with its current position, and purred softly. This cat was always the biggest escape artist of the bunch, so she supposed it made sense that he was the one to make the transition to living in the room with Isaac. Of course she would have to bring up a litter box for him...

And some bowls and other supplies, but if it made Isaac happy, she wouldn't complain about it. She still wasn't sure what made a child happy/unhappy, so if this kitten did that, then she'd do all she could to help make that a possibility. "All right, little Isaac." Double nodded, setting the paper and crayons before him. "I have some questions for you." Isaac looked up at her with his head tilted to the side, then saw the paper and crayons and nodded his head in understanding. Setting Guppy in his lap, he grabbed one of the crayons and prepared to draw. So, you've told me somewhat about your family, but is there anything you haven't told me about them, that you would like to? I only ask so we can close this chapter of your life for good, and move into better things."

Isaac passed, then drew something, it looked like Isaac, but its eyes were stitched shut, and its skin was a blueish colour. Double was confused, but didn't really know what to ask next aside from: "I'm sorry. What is that?" Isaac looked thoughtful, tapping the crayon against his cheek as he tried to figure out the best way to explain it. He decided he needed to write it out. And so he wrote it the best the short time he had spent in kindergarten had taught him to.

From what Double could tell, it was some sort of Nightmare-Isaac, for lack of a better term. It had followed him around while he was fighting for his life, someones doing nothing, other times hindering him, and very rarely helping him. Isaac didn't know what exactly it was, or where it had come from, but it had refused to leave, whatever it was. Double frowned and tilted her head. Now how was she to deal with such a thing? Would it ever return? Could she safely destroy it without harming Isaac? There were so many variables to consider in this situation... Was it still around? Had it only existed while the demons were present? Unfortunately, she hadn't seen it earlier, so she didn't know if Isaac was in danger or not. Apparently, neither did Isaac, as he seemed utterly confused and somewhat scared as to what this thing was.

And the very last thing she wanted was for him to be scared and upset. And so she turned to her best source of wisdom. 'Lady Aeon... Does this entity still torment this boy, and if do, how do I defeat it?"

"I... I'm sorry, I can't say." Aeon frowned deeply. "I've never met it, and in some timelines, it disappeared when the demons did, in others it went off on its own way. If it appears, I would advise directly engaging with it, as it could be connected to Isaac, but I don't know enough about it to really give you a good answer."

Double was taken aback by this. Her goddess didn't know what this being was intending? HER goddess? What an enigma this was... "I see... Can you tell me anything about it? Is it truly a malicious entity?"

"I believe it may be malicious only when provoked." Aeon remarked, thinking it over. "It seemed to be aggressive when forced to confront Isaac, but otherwise kept to itself, but that was only one timeline, what its after here... I can't say."

Double nodded her head. She would have to tread carefully around this thing... She had no idea what it was, what it wanted from her charge, or even what it was capable of. She looked at Isaac. "Carry on then, dear." Isaac drew some more, and it took a few minutes before he held up the paper once more. There were three people, then two, then one. 'His family, down to him...' Double reasoned. Next to that was a house, then a house with an 'X' through it. 'His broken home...' But the third picture shocked, and saddened her. It was the small figure with an equals sign, and the house with an 'X' followed by a question mark. It was unmistakable.

'Was this my fault?'

Double did not often open her eyes when she was in her Sister Agatha form. She tried to maintain an air of serenity and calm. But this... She found her eyes had widened in sheer shock, the glowing red orbs staring forward as her jaw went slack. "W..wh..why would you...you think this!?" Double asked, harsher than she intended, and immediately regretted her tone as Isaac notably flinched and recoiled in what she assumed (correctly) was fear. She shook her head and quickly returned to her serene state. "Little one, do you truly think this was your fault?" Isaac shrugged, and a few things clicked. He probably didn't know. He wasn't old enough to understand right and wrong to the degree needed to process this. All he knew was his father was gone, his mother had tried to kill him, and he had to fight demons.

Any child his age would be questioning things at that point. The poor boy... He had been brought up in a very religious household, so he was probably an avid believer in the concept of good and bad karma... He probably thought he had done something bad to warrant this torment... If his Dad had died, he might have been blamed for that too, or if he had left, then he cold've been blamed for that as well. It really seemed like no matter what he did, he seemed to have been blamed (objectively or not) for what had happened, and as such, all he could do was try and process it. But through that, all he felt was guilt. Guilt for things that were just beyond his control... This was the natural mindset of a child. If things in ther life were wrong, they would think they had done something wrong... Isaac was just such a sad little boy...

She picked um up and gave him what she hoped was a reassuring hug. Again, she wasn't the best at this 'comfort' thing, but she wanted to try her best right now. After everything that had happened, Isaac needed it, he needed it so badly. "Put such thoughts put of your mind, child. You are not to blame for the madness your life has become. Everything was entirely out of your control. It is all the fault of the ones responsible for hurting you." She spoke softly. Isaac nodded, but it was clear he didn't fully understand. Double sighed, trying to best think of a way to help explain this to him in a way that a child would understand. It was harder than she expected, as she wasn't exactly sure what caused his parents to split, or for his Mother to go insane.

Then again, it was quite likely that the divorce had occured simply because the mother was insane. Hmm... Had the father even tried to fight for custody or visitation rights or did he just coldly abandon his son to a psycho? Or was it possible he had died? That could've started Isaac's mother's descent into insanity beyond words, but Double didn't really want to ask, and she suspected Isaac probably didn't know. To him, his Father had probably disappeared one day, and then things just got worse and worse. This was most certainly a very, very sore spot for him that she frankly felt guilt at the mere thought of dredging it up. So she decided to simply ask her goddesses. "'Pardon me, Lady Aeon, but where is his father now?'

"From what I know, he is no longer present." Aeon said, her tone making it clear she felt somewhat awkward about this. "If I recall correctly, there was an accident concerning a storm of some sort, and he did not make it out of it. I could be wrong, though..."

Double's mouth formed into a thin line. 'I see... No wonder he is no longer a part of Isaac's life...' She frowned sadly at the boy and rubbed his head. Did he even know what had happened to his father? Did he think he was just abandoned? Honestly, she expected it was the latter. He was so young, he probably didn't understand he had most likely died in an accident, and then when his Mother went deeper into insanity, he would've associated him leaving with that pain... wow, this kid had it rough. 'And yet he seems to persevere.' Double blinked. She found it commendable that through it all, Isaac continued to push onwards. Be it because he believed tomorrow would be better, or simply out of a want for survival, with everything he had been through, he showed no signs of stopping.

She watched the boy closely as he drew something else and let a small smile grace her features. He still managed to have a sense of hope.., And she needed to keep that hope alive at all costs... This boy needed to be happy. However, her smile faltered for the briefest of moments when he held up the drawing. She assumed it was of her, but there were tendrils coming from behind her, next to a question mark. It was clear he was asking about her, or was finally working up the courage to ask WHAT she was. "Well, Little Isaac." Double began. "Seeing as how you shall be staying with me, I believe I should try to answer this to the best of my ability. I am a woman of many faces and many names, most commonly I am known as 'Double' or 'Sister Agatha'."

She picked him up and sat down on the edge of the bed, setting him on her lap and looking down at him. "You see, I have no true face... The monstrous form you originally saw me in... That is what I truly look like..." Isaac nodded, seemingly in understanding. He didn't seem frightened, or even that confused, more curious than anything, and it was the kind of child-like curiosity that was honestly somewhat relieving after all he had been put through. She decided to give a further explanation. "You see, child, I am an extension of the Trinity's will... I was created to carry out their missions on Earth..." Isaac's eyes widened. So Miss Double worked for the gods?!

"It's... complicated, to say the least." Double remarked, mostly off-handedly, not wanting to delve into the intricacies of her 'job', the things she had done, or apparently the fact that the Trinity were vastly, vastly outclassed by other Deities, that would all come some other day. "But essentially, yes, I work with the Gods."

'Are you an angel?' Isaac wrote.

Double was taken aback at this question. An angel... This boy thought she was an angel? She... did not match any of the requirements to be such a thing... If anything, her true form made her look more demonic than anything. Then again, maybe he didn't know that considering the monsters he had been forced to fight for so long. 'They're nice, and help people, right?' He wrote, and Double began to understand where he was coming from. She smiled softly, deciding against correcting him, and allowing him to believe what his little heart wanted to hear most.

"In some senses, yes, I am an angel." Double smiled, then bit her lip when she swore she heard Venus laughing. Or at least, was trying not to laugh.

Aeon nudged her sister with her elbow. "Hey, come on now, that's not nice. She may not look like a traditional angel, but she did still come from a place of divinity, so she still technically qualifies as one."

Jun 6"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just... I dunno." Venus smirked, while Aeon sighed in annoyance.

"I know she doesn't look like one. You think we made her for that reason?" Aeon asked flatly, inadvertently proving Venus' laughter justified. "Wait, no. Ignore that last part."

"Whatever you say." Both girls were silent, contemplating something they had long wondered about. "Why DID mom make her so that her real form was some grody blob of flesh and body parts, anyway? Kinda degrading to the poor girl if you ask me." Venus said.

"You think Mom was thinking when she came up with this?" Aeon scowled, long since done with Mother's plans. Maybe it was her better nature, or maybe it was selfishness and a want to be with Isaac, but Aeon kinda resented Mother now that they had taken a step back and seen what they've done. Not only that, but now that they've seen other timelines where things turned out better, namely the one where Aeon was Isaac's Mother... But no, things were the way they were, and she just had to accept that. 'Doesn't mean I have to like it...' Aeon thought, concluding her mental rant. Still, Isaac was safe with Double, and Isaac saw her as an angel, regardless of what she was. She just prayed that one day she would get to meet Isaac face to face. And if that day ever did come, she hoped he would see her as an angel as well... She would certainly do all she could to protect him, that was for certain.

"...I don't care."

"Zarathos, your anger is understandable, but they are remorseful for their actions."

"Don't care. Didn't ask."

Raiden looked to the others, who shrugged in a 'This-is-how-he-is-way'.

"Just... just watch for a time, that's all I ask."

Back below, Isaac asked a few other questions, then asked one that Double was more than happy to answer.

'The women in the paintings. Who are they?'

Double tilted her head, then nodded over at the paintings. "They are... the Trinity. They are the deities that this city worships... They have... made mistakes... Yet they are choosing to move past these mistakes and better themselves..." Isaac nodded in understanding, and didn't seem to have many other questions. Double debated if she should tell him that Aeon was his Mother in another timeline, but decided against it. She figured that would probably cause more problems then answers. She then had a realization that made her rather uncomfortable. If Lady Aeon was Isaac's mother in that timeline, he would have had to end up in the Trinity's home... And to do that... He would have had to die...

Feelings of pain and guilt welled up inside her, and they confused her... why did she care so much? He was a little human boy, why did she care if he had died? Was it because she loved him-? 'Oh.' Double blinked, realizing something. She... she kinda did... maybe not like a Mother, (yet), but she did at least care for him in some regard. She had never really cared at all about anyone bedides her misstresses before... In fact, serving the Trinity had been her entire identity for the longest time... But ever since the last Skullgirl died, she was discovering other things that brought positive feelings into her life.

Maybe she did care for Isaac, maybe she was what he needed in his life to help him get better. Maybe... man, these were thoughts and feelings she had never experienced before, and all she could do, was enjoy them. Was this what Lady Aeon had been talking about? To learn to love, not just follow? Her animals... Isaac... These things made her feel a sense of... Of warmth and care that she had never felt before in her entire life... And she liked it... Could she perhaps find more things in this world that could make her feel this way?

Aeon wanted to say something. She REEEEEAAAALLLLLLYYYYYYYYY wanted to tell her 'yes, you can', but she knew that this was Double's discovery, it couldn't come from them. As much as she didn't like doing so, she had to simply watch and hope Double would figure this out on her own. Still, Double was smart, she'd figure it out, Aeon believed in her! Of course, there was also the fact that their mother had more or less built her with the mindset of 'always serve the Trinity above all else'. She rested a hand on her cheek and let out a sigh. What would her mother even think of this? Did Aeon really care? It was hard to say definitively. She didn't hate her Mother, but since they had been left here and forced to watch all the different timelines, her resentment had grown somewhat. Possibly because she saw the timeline where she was able to be Isaac's mother, or perhaps she finally realized how stupid the whole Skullgirl plot had been. Either way, what she did take issue with, was how stubborn Mother could be, it had taken her far, far, far too long to finally accept this wasn't going to work, and if she had thought rationally, they might be allowed to return to Earth as mortals!

'Again, you're going down this self-loathing path. Stop it.' She ordered herself, and sighed. There wasn't much she could do now, so she figured the best option would be to ensure Isaac had the best life he could while under Double's protection. She couldn't get directly involved, much to her frustration, but she was Double's tour guide to motherhood, the one that would give her pointers and nudges in the right direction so she could be an ideal caretaker. So, she settled back down, and decided to watch Double for the time being.

Back below, Isaac was asking Double another question about where he was, and it was occurring to Double just how little Isaac knew. He had apparently been to a school for a few days, and that was it, and he didn't really even know where he was right now. "This, is New Meridian. Your home." Double answered.

Isaac nodded his head. He had known that the city was there, his house was right on top of the hill that overlooked it after all, he had just never known what it was called. He decided that he liked living in the city though. Maybe it was because there was more to see, or maybe because of the animals, but Isaac liked his new home, it felt... big. Like there was so much he had yet to see, and he couldn't wait to get the chance to take it all in! Double noted this with a smile, his optimism was precious, and heartwarming, it singled he'd be okay, and that she was doing an all-right job. Her misstresses would be happy with her efforts. At least she hoped that was the case... Was that even the right mindset to have...? Oh how she wished she had been built with a stronger sense of emotion...

Maybe not just emotion, but maybe... freedom? She wasn't a slave, per say, but all she knew was to serve the Trinity no matter what- wow that sounded bad when she took a step back and looked at it realistically. Okay, scratch that, she was KIND OF a slave. But her point still stood, she wasn't sure if she was being a good guiding force for Isaac or not, she wasn't sure if this is what hey wanted, or if she should think for herself. It was a complicated situation, and one she needed to correct sooner than later. For the sake of Isaac and her goddesses... Lady Aeon needed her to play a big role in this boy's life and it was up to her to work things out. She knew little of 'magic' in the typical sense, but wondered if she could learn, and help tear down the walls imprisoning Aeon and Venus. Then they could be here once more, and Aeon could take care of little Isaac.

"...there's nothing she can-"

"No."

"Figured."

Or, maybe she could help find another artifact, something to rival the power of the Skull Heart, something... that... would mean... she wasn't needed anymore... Double never thought of that. If she found something akin to the Skull Heart... what need would Aeon or Venus have for her? Would they get rid of her? Throw her aside like trash? She was their tool, after all. What good was there in keeping a tool that they had no further use for? She felt a sudden sense of dread. She didn't want to be thrown away... Is this how Isaac felt? So alone and worthless that he had to run away for his own safety? But... she had done everything they had asked, she had done all that the Trinity required! Was... was she really nothing more than a monster? A tool?

'No.' She told herself sternly. 'You're not. If they see you as such, then... then they are wrong.' It felt wrong to accuse the Trinity of being incorrect, but Double didn't feel shame or regret, just, well, liberation for lack of a better term. 'If they don't see you as useful, then they are of no use to you, either. Little Isaac is the one you should give your attention to, he cares for you, and he needs you.'

"Uh, Aeon? Should we tell her something?" Venus asked, a bit nervous at the sight of Double contemplating retaliation against them.

"No." Aeon shook her head, surprising her sister. "This is good. She's learning to think for herself, we'll talk to her later. If we do it now, she'll think we're trying to control her."

Venus rubbed her elbow with a small frown. "Yeah, I guess... Still a bit unnerving though..." She honestly hadn't thought much of Double until Isaac had shown up. She was like that estranged sister that never really interacted with the family. Then again, maybe she was like that because Venus hadn't done anything other than tell her what to do. By that logic, everyone was at fault in this situation. Except Isaac. She couldn't blame him for anything that had happened thus far, he was just trying to get by and survive in a fight against demons, and now he was offered a home with someone who cared for him. Or at least... cared for him the best she reasonably could when her emotional growth was as stunted as it was. Double never had an opportunity to learn of these bare basic human emotions. She probably didn't even understand them.

Maybe this was a good opportunity for her to learn that then. Venus didn't like, wanna see Isaac as a guinea pig, but Isaac seemed to be helping reach Double in ways that no one else could. Maybe Isaac was he best thing for her in this situation. The animals were in a similar boat: living beings that Double found interesting that could help her understand emotions on a deeper level. But Isaac, as a human child with greater needs, was like... taking off the training wheels. She felt odd referring to him as such, but in a sense, that's kind of how it was. Well, whatever the reason, or for whom ever she'd work with, Double wasn't about to slack off. She'd give the same 120% to Isaac that she gave to the Trinity. She looked down, and saw Isaac had another question.

'What happen to me?'

"You'll be staying here." Double repeated herself, deciding to try and be reassuring. "You'll live with me, and I'll take care of you. You'll help me with the animals, and in time, I'll see about fixing some of your deeper injuries."

Isaac wrote something else and held it up for her to read. It said 'will i be in the way when your doing church things? i know the church people are really busy and have to talk with lots and lots of people...'

"No, no you shouldn't be." Double shook her head. "All I ask is you stick close to me, and remain in the back rooms when I ask. That should be a very rare occurrence, as the church is meant to be a place for all to come in peace, but you shouldn't be in my way at all." Isaac nodded, signalling he understood and Double smiled. He was rather smart for such a young boy, and clearly wanted to make her happy in some regard. "Don't worry, little Isaac, I don't think you'll be in my way at all."

Isaac nodded his head with a smile, content with her answer. He wouldn't be in the way... Hmm... Somehow that just wasn't satisfactory for him... He wrote something down and held it up. 'Can i help with the church things?'

Double smiled at that, then nodded. "Of course, you can." She said. "There are small things you can do to assist me, but don't feel like you have to do all the things I do, some of them are far more strenuous than a small boy could handle." Isaac was a little disappointed that he couldn't help as much as he wanted too, but understood he wasn't as big and strong as Miss Double. He also couldn't change like she could, so that was probably a factor too. She had assured him that he could still help her, so he decided to just be happy with that and be as helpful as possible in what areas he could. He just wanted to be a good boy for his new caretaker... He wanted her love...

Double somewhat picked up on that, but not as much as a regular human, or feral, or spirit, or... well, take your pick. She could tell he wanted to make her happy and to help, but she felt like there was something else, but she didn't know how to ask, or even if she should ask what that thing was. Would he tell her if there was anything else? He was so quiet and shy... It was very likely there were still issues he was keeping to himself that wouldn't come up unless she took the initiative and specifically asked him. Double decided she would take said initiative and ask, but not presently. One thing she knew about people in general, is when someone was hurt, or vulnerable, getting them to do what you wanted was easier if you played nice. While that wasn't exactly the case here, she thought it was similar enough in concept, and decided not to push Isaac too far for her first round of questioning.

She would need to make sure to take it nice and slow with him and gradually build up to the more hard-hitting questionsl. She would need to form a deeper bond with him before she could reasonably ask these questions... Yet that raised another question... how did she form a deeper bond? He clearly liked the animals, and so far everything she had done seemed to have made him happy, but she felt like she was missing something. Still, she could figure that out as it came by, and maybe Isaac had some ideas. She would just have to watch him closely, scope out things he enjoyed and work from there... Perhaps she would look into those various frivolous activities that seemed to be all the rage with this generation of children...

But for now, her just being close seemed to be enough for Isaac, maybe that was what he needed now more than ever. Comfort, stability, something along those lines. Double felt strange, actually, was she really the right person to try and be comforting? Well, if Isaac seemed to have chosen her as 'comforting' she guessed like it or not, she was to him. And she did like it, she found that feeling of connection to be a warm and rewarding one. He relied on her... Genuinely enjoyed her presence... For the first time ever, she had a genuine, real connection with someone in the land of the living. She was no longer alone, fighting against the world... In fact, she had begin to realize how... alone, she was sometimes. Most of the time, she liked that just fine, she could do whatever and it didn't really matter who was watching, but after a while, what was there to do? Or, more importantly, who was there to do it with?

Her entire life had revolved around the skull heart. Controlling and manipulating women into using it, trying to have Eliza killed, trying to kill all the lesser candidates to make room for the truly good ones... And when she looked at it, failing on most of those levels... 'Ugh...' She felt like a storm cloud appeared above her head. Was she really that incompetent? No, no she wasn't. Sure, the Skullgirl had been defeated every time, but that wasn't her fault, those who approached the heart challenged it, and if they won, they could make their wish, and the Skullgirl was defeated in the pro- 'That is the single most counter-intuitive thing I've ever heard in my long existence.' Double suddenly realized a massive flaw in this logic. 'Weird...'

Thankfully, the one known to the world as 'Eliza' recently was exposed as the murderous monster she was, and someone (despite her best efforts, Double hadn't been able to figure out who, and the Trinity apparently couldn't/wouldn't say) had done the world a favour and killed her, quite viciously if the rumours were to be believed. Apparently acid and a chainsaw were used... Double was suddenly pulled from her thoughts when she felt Isaac hugging her. She looked down in confusion, then saw the note he had written.

'Are you okay?'

'Oh, bless his little heart...' Double smiled, feeling genuine joy for the first time in a long time as she hugged Isaac in response.

"Why yes, Isaac, yes I am. I was merely doing a little bit of... self reflection." She explained softly. Isaac seemed content with this explanation and nodded his head. He had done a lot of that himself... He didn't usually come to very good conclusions... She wrapped Isaac in her arms and sto- no, actually, Double changed her mind. She didn't want to do anything right now. She sat back down and settled onto the bed with Isaac on her lap, content to just hold he little boy close and let him get comfortable. Right now, holding this little boy close would probably be most helpful, so she decided she was gonna do just that. It really was a soothing feeling, just having him in her arms... A small presence that she could speak to and know that he understood exactly what she was saying to him... She had been secluded for so long...

She was never really 'lonely' or looking for some sort of relationship, but at he same time, it felt nice having someone here. It was a gentle, warm feeling in her chest that she wanted more of. A feeling she could get used too, had gotten used too, a feeling she wanted to have more of. It was surprising that such a small little boy had been able to bring this to her. She had never thought much of children before in the past. In fact, she had found them rather irritating. They had a sense of innocence that adults lacked, yet it was as if corruption and cruelty were replaced with an overabundance of energy and loudness. Yet maybe because of his pain, Isaac preferred silence or maybe he still feared being hurt if he was loud. Either way, Isaac wasn't like most children Double had met, and she liked that about him, he seemed respectful to her, the animals, and the church, even if he knew nothing about it.

Then again, his mother had been very religious, even if she didn't follow the religion of the trinity... She had probably drilled respect for the sacred church into the boy's head since the child was old enough to process it. Still, it was nice to see Isaac following her example. He clearly wanted to do good and make people happy, even if in the past all that had earned him was scorn and pain. He didn't deserve those things, he didn't deserve anything that had happened! Even the ones she hated (with a few exceptions) Double wouldn't want submitted to a life of demonic torment, not when there was always a chance for a better future. And Isaac was going to get that better future no matter what it took. She would make absolutely sure of it. No matter what it took... It may be a long and difficult path, but ultimately, it was all going to turn out well for him.

Still, the portals to hell were gone, and unbeknownst to the Trinity or Double, those with real powers had seen to it they were gone for good. But again, Isaac was her main concern right now, so she'd tend to him in any way she could. "Isaac, you're not injured at all, are you?" Double asked. "Beyond what has happened, I mean." Isaac looked at his little hands, then looked up at Double and shook his head. Either he wasn't in pain beyond what had happened, or he didn't understand her question.

She studied him closely, then picked him up and looked him over. "Nowhere hurts, does it? Does it hurt when I do this, for instance?" She lightly pressed at his tiny ribcage... which caused him to giggle silently. Double blinked, then raised a brow. He had laughed? She was confused, so she did it again, and Isaac giggled softly once more. This truly confused Double, she was checking him for injuries, why was he laughing? Was this pleasurable in some odd way? Deciding she wanted to understand this a little better, she pushed every so slightly harder, which only made him giggle more. Double tilted her head, then looked at Isaac. "Hm, you seem to enjoy that." She mused. Was it like when she pet the cats? This contact was a good thing?

Isaac simply smiled back at her, and she tilted her head to the side. Aeon decided to shed light on the situation. "He's very ticklish around that area. It's so cute." She explained. Double blinked. Ticklish... What did that mean?

"His laughter, this is good, correct?"

"Yup! It means he's happy."

"I see..." Double blinked, before proceeding to tickle him a bit more, making him giggle louder. If it made him happy, she wasn't about to question why or how. If Isaac was happy, that meant she was taking good care of him. His laughter was odd... She hadn't thought a mute person was capable of laughter, but he was doing it... Though it came out as more like a series of wheezes and squeaks rather than actual laughter. What had his laugh sounded like...? Well, Double didn't much care. From the smile on Isaac's face, it was clear he was happy, and giggling his little lungs out at her contact, so she decided this was good enough. From what she put together, his laughter was akin to the cats purring, i meant they were happy, and she was doing something right.

"Careful, the little cutie still has to breathe." Aeon remarked.

Double blinked, then immediately ceased what she was doing and gave Isaac a light bow. "Apologies, dear, were you having trouble breathing?" Isaac simply squeaked in response. She smiled. "I see." She picked him up and held him close, letting him make himself comfortable in her embrace, before he let out a soft sigh. Reading his body language, Double deduced she was doing at least a decent job, not hearing Aeon saying she was doing a great job. Isaac looked up at her with a smile, then looked around his room, still seemingly having trouble processing that all this was his. He had so many of his belongings back and all gathered together safely in one room, just the way it should be... How he had hated that empty room... The dark dingy room, completely barren of any of his beloved items... None of the plush toys he took comfort in... Not even a bed...

And that wasn't even getting into the topic of the demons, crap, monsters or tear-soaked floors. Least of all, the monster he knew as his Mother. But Miss Agatha (or was it Sister Agatha? Isaac wasn't sure) had taken him from there. She had protected him, taken him into her home, helped him when he needed it! Did that make her his Mother? Honestly, Isaac rather liked that idea; a Mother was someone kind and caring, and that's exactly who Miss Agatha was, to him at least. He looked up at her with a big beaming smile and she tilted her head to the side, wondering just what was on this child's mind. He looked as though he had come to a conclusion that he liked, and was determined to hold onto that. She wanted to ask... but also decided it was his thoughts, and she didn't want to pry into them. Aeon however, could tell by his body language what he was thinking and wasn't sure if she was near tears, or overjoyed with what she was seeing. So, it ended up being the most logical option. Both.

Venus chuckled and draped an arm around her sister. "Yeah, can't be easy seeing your special guy in the hands of another woman, but hey, she's taking really good care of him... Kinda surprised how well she's taken to this honestly."

"Yeah, yeah I guess." Aeon sighed sadly, wiping a tear from her eye. She couldn't be there with him, but Isaac was safe. "He's safe, and he's loved. That's good enough for me."

"...hrmm..." The Spirit of Vengeance muttered, watching the scene from afar. "True remorse... true love..."

Back below, Double sighed, beginning to wonder what to do now. Isaac was happy where he was, but she felt like they needed to DO something, lest they spend the day lying about. That didn't seem like the worse idea, but at the same time, Double wasn't used to doing nothing. But then, she hadn't had mych else to do in recent times... She was able to distract herself with walks and with caring for her animals, but even those tasks had grown a bit repetitive, and she really did crave something different... Still, Aeon had told her some of the tings Isaac enjoyed doing, so she figured she could do some of those. Now, if this Isaac was different then the Isaac she had cared for, that might be problematic, but that was beside the point. Double was willing to try just about anything if it made Isaac happy.

She remembered the park she would often go for long walks in. That park had a playground and a big open field, and she remembered that Isaac apparently loved to run around and play in such places... This was a good place to start. But she also wondered how people would react to a Nun being there with a child. Maybe she'd have to change her outfit, something which she wasn't looking forward to. She had to admit, she somewhat liked the Sister Agatha look, as it gave her a sense of respect from those who passed by that she wasn't sure many other disguises would. Hmm... Perhaps this one would suffice... With a flex of concentration, her form began to morph and twist into something new. Long blue hair, pale skin, cleavage-baring dress, and pointy ears... It was her elf disguise.

Isaac looked up in confusion, and Double wasn't sure what his confusion meant. Did he not like the outfit? Did he not understand why she did it? Was it something else? "You may wanna reconsider that." Aeon spoke up. "It looks nice, but if you're trying to avoid detection or not draw attention, that may not help." Double nodded her head and decided to settle on a more practical form. Focusing again, she returned to her Sister Agatha disguise, only this time she wore a black blouse over a black skirt. 'Is this better then?'

"Yup, that should you you not stand out too much." Aeon nodded in confirmation. "The other outfits look good, but if you're trying to remain anonymous, it's easier this way."

"I understand." Was the response Aeon got, but she could tell there was something... off, about it. Still, she didn't want to press right now, so she settled back to continue watching their interactions. She tilted her head as Double picked Isaac up. The expression on her face seemed so focused, so contemplative... She was intrigued. Just what was running through the head of the ever stoic Double?

'Is this skirt too short?' Double thought.

"I wouldn't say so." Aeon remarked. "I think it looks nice." Double smiled slightly at that, feeling good to hear praise from her- She stopped herself, not wanting to fall into a trap, and looked down at Isaac, who seemed to be looking at her curiously, as if wondering if he could do that.

"No, dear. I'm afraid not." Double said with a small smirk. "I don't think you'd be able to change like I can, at least, not presently." Her words made sense, and Isaac nodded in obedient understanding. But he did think it would be great to just turn into whatever he needed at a moment's notice... It would have certainly saved him the effort of tracking down individual items when he was still stuck in that labyrinth... He had to wonder, just how did that happen? He knew his house, or at least, THOUGHT he did, but it all made no sense. One moment, his home was normal, then filthy, then it didn't feel like a home anymore, and then the monsters appeared. The next thing he knew, it was one fight after another with no end in sight. But then there was an end, and he believed he was at his, but then Miss Agatha had saved him!

She had taken him in... She had hugged him, she had stopped his mother from hurting him, she had willingly given him sanctuary... No... Not just sanctuary... What she had given him was a home... A home he could belong in... That's what a Mother was supposed to do, right? Right. Still, even if she wasn't his Mom, Isaac was no less thankful for all the kind things she had done for him, he never expected ANYONE to willingly help him, and here she was, doing all these things for him before she even knew his name. It made him happy, that was the best way to explain it. He decided to give her his best smile, hoping that would do the job in signifying that he was grateful that she had come into his life. She may not have fully gotten the message, but the smile was still enough to bring her a great deal of satisfaction.

Double felt oddly relieved when she saw him smile, as if he was telling her she was doing a good job. Something about Isaac telling her that felt so much more rewarding that if the Trinity told her. Again, these feelings of rebellion were new, and she wasn't sure she liked them. Shaking her head, she decided to focus on there here and now, namely, Isaac. "Little one, do you know what exactly those horrid beasts were after?" Double asked, realizing something. Sometimes demons acted on instinct, other times on orders, yet most of the time, it was because they simply enjoyed hurting things. As she carried her charge through the church, he tilted his head, then shook it to signify that he didn't have the slightest clue why they went after him specifically. He had honestly thought it was just because they wanted to be mean.

"They probably solely sought to harm anything they could." Double said, re-affirming Isaac's theory. "Demons are unholy wretches, they live solely for pain and misery, and don't care who or what they hurt to get it." Isaac nodded, that sure seemed like the case when he was trapped below in the labyrinth. They were after him just because they were, not because they wanted anything in particular. That had honestly hurt so much more than the idea of them going after him for a specific reason. They made the decision to ruin his life just because they could. They considered the destruction of everything he loved a fun hobby. Unfortunately, that's just how things went with demons. Isaac had learned that first-hand now. But, he didn't need to worry, as they wouldn't be bothering him anymore. Neither would the monster that was his 'Mom', or was, in the past tense. He didn't fully get what had happened to her, but she seemed gone, and Miss Agatha was taking care of him, so really, he didn't much care.

He had a better life with better people... Or... one better person would technically be more accurate, he supposed... Everyone else in his life had hurt him in some way, shape or form, whether physically, emotionally or both... He didn't get why. Had he been bad? He tried not to be, he tried to do the right thing to make people happy. But everything he did just seemed to make things worse. Worse to a point where he was forced to flee his own home, even if 'home' wasn't how he would describe it. Prison, dungeon, nightmare, hell, those words were more fitting. He remembered when it had actually been a home... But even then, it had still never felt like a home to him. It was a place he lived, but thanks to his mother's harsh attitude towards him, it had always felt very hostile and unwelcoming...

Unlike the Cathedral he now called home. He felt accepted and even wanted, he felt like he could leave his worries in the past and simply live and focus on the future, and the now. That made him happy in ways he (quite literally) couldn't put into words. There was just a sense of freedom, a sense of trust and happiness he felt while being here, and it made him feel, well, oddly enough, brave. Granted, he still felt rather timid and nervous at the idea of seeing other people out in the town, but he knew that as long as he had his new caregiver by his side, he would be okay... She would help him through anything... Double may not have felt as strongly as Isaac did about their new situation, but she felt a stronger connection to this child than any child she had met, or any of the candidates for the Skullgirl in the past. She felt like she wanted to be with Isaac, to take care of him like a guardian, and that was enough, even though deep down she felt... more.

She really couldn't shake this feeling that Isaac and her shared a deeper connection than just a simple guardian and charge... Whenever she had this boy in her arms, she felt a sense of calm and ease she never had before. Double rather liked it, and saw no reason to try and stop it, so she saw no reason to put Isaac down. Granted, she was left rather confused as to what her next move should be, as she'd typically tend to whatever was required of her around the church or for the Trinity. But once more, that had changed, and she didn't fully know what to do. This planned visit to the park would kill time for a few hours, but then what would she do afterwards? Shaking her head, she decided she would figure it out on the way there. Looking down at Isaac, she nodded her head before walking out the door.

Isaac once more seemed amazed by his new home, he had seen Little Innsmouth, New Meridian and the Canopy Kingdom as a whole only from a distance or in passing, and now he was seeing it all. It felt so alive, and so colourful in a way he wished he could understand beyond 'it was'. But it felt like one of his drawings had come to life, and everything was made so much clearer. And that was just the view outside the church. As his caretaker carried him along, he found himself absorbing all the sights. It was everything he had ever dreamed... Meanwhile, Double was still fretting over the length she had chosen to make her skirt. It was only down to her knees! Her ankles were completely exposed! How scandolous! Then again, she wasn't as poorly dressed as some of the women she had recently encountered. The cat harlet who wore practically nothing, or the Medici girl Double was pretty sure was some sort of prostitute, but she was already better than them in many ways, so wearing more clothing didn't exactly help in this situation with her current feelings.

She maintained a small frown on her face the entire time she walked, and one thing she noticed that brought a scowl to her face was the fact that multiple people had noticed her, looked flirtatious, then lost interest the moment they saw she had a child. Did they not find her attractive? Did they have issue that she had a child? Actually, bigger question, here. Why did she care? At no point in her life had she ever cared in the slightest for the affection or attention of men or women, but now she suddenly felt much more conscious about it all. This wasn't Isaac's fault, not in the slightest, but why was this bothering her now?

She knew now. It was simply the fact that her having a child meant they would have to put more effort into pursuing any form of relationship with her. It was quite pathetic how unwilling they were to show responsibility.

Still, a few nodded in what she assumed to either be a wordless greeting, or some sort of 'good day'. It felt, nice. Double couldn't say why, as it was such a small and relatively meaningless gesture, but it still felt somewhat nice. Eventually, she reached the small park and looked around, realizing now she wasn't sure what to do. Usually children played on their own or with their friends, but she wasn't sure she wanted to leave Isaac alone here. And there weren't a lot of children around either. There were a few younger people, but they were teenagers that were in the process of attempting to ride their skateboards near open traffic, so there was no way she wanted Isaac associating with those reckless fools. Still, for now, she would spend time with Isaac, and hopefully it would make him happy in one way or another. She wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but she wanted to do what would help him trust her more. She didn't feel like Isaac distrusted her, but Double wanted to ensure Isaac knew she would keep him safe.

She could tell this boy had an underlying fear that something was going to happen to seriously hurt him again, either physically, emotionally or both... And that was just wrong, it was a fear no child should have to deal with... Now, yes. Pain was a factor of life, in fact, it often helped children learn and grow. But Isaac was so little, so young, he wasn't at the point in his life where that should be a factor or a consideration. He should be learning how to read, not the tough lessons that life inevitably would throw at him, it confused Double as to why someone so small would be subjected to such horrors. Why would any of the higher forces allow this to happen? It just didn't make sense. There were supposedly forces greater than even the Trinity, so why did they never step in and put a stop to this child's nightmare?

Was it because this was some sort of game to them? Or was it possible that fate itself couldn't be manipulated in the ways she had one thought it could. That some things were set in stone, and nothing anyone could do about that could ever change it? She looked down at Isaac, who seemed content and thinking about something else. 'I'm sorry this has been your life, little one.' She thought solemnly. She subconsciously tightened her hold on him and took a seat on the nearby park bench, deciding she would figure out what they would do in a few minutes time when she was content that he was feeling okay.

Isaac looked up, somewhat confused by the expression on his guardian's face, the last thing he wanted was to upset her, and he didn't THINK he had. But then again, better to be safe than sorry. He leaned forward and tried his best to hug her, the gesture genuinely surprising Double at the seemingly unwarranted but no less kind gesture. She exhaled softly and hugged him back, deciding to just let go of these emotions for the time being. Setting Isaac down, she rose to her feet. "I will allow you to decide what you would like to do today, child." Isaac nodded in understanding, then looked around the small park. He realized an issue with this... he had no idea WHAT to do here, as he had never been here before. He had seen a place like this at kindergarten, but he was too little to fully grasp or remember what this place had been. So, he began walking about, looking at everything with curiosity.

Double followed closely behind him like a dutiful servant, her hands clasped together, looking regal and elegant as she watched the little one explore the park. She did not rush him, waiting for him to make a choice with utmost patience. She herself wasn't totally sure what to do, or what to encourage Isaac to do, so she settled on letting him make the choices for himself. He was clearly smart, he could figure it out.

"They're just gonna walk around the park for a few hours, aren't they?" Venus deadpanned.

"Yup." Aeon blinked.

"Makes sense."

"Yup."

"You should probably tell her something."

"Yup."

Double heard her goddess' voice speak up in her head. "Hey Double... Isaac really likes playing on the swing set. You should take him over there and push him back and forth a bit. Start small though, his tummy's still sensitive... Double listened, then nodded. She gently guided Isaac over to the swings, and he seemed rather puzzled by what they were, so it was a bit of a shock when Double picked him up and put him onto one. This confusion only grew as she began to gently push him back and forth, but the confusion melted away to entertainment. He wasn't going very high, it was just a gentle back and forth motion that relaxed him and made him feel... calm. It was kind of like that old porch swing his mother had once had that he always enjoyed sitting on...

He enjoyed the feeling of momentum, and Double was satisfied with this. If Isaac was happy, then that was good enough for her. She didn't know how much 'fun' Isaac had ever had in his life, prior to the whole demon incident, but she wanted to help him in some way. She would say, however, that she didn't fully see what was so amusing about such an activity. He wasn't even going high, the swing was just lazily swaying back and forth, back and forth... Was such a simple thing really so amusing to him? Perhaps it was simply a 'human' thing, and she wouldn't understand it. Still, if he enjoyed it, she didn't feel much need to question it. Humans were weird sometimes, they could be unpredictable, corrupt, cruel, kind, or downright baffling. But they could also (apparently) be kind, wise and powerful in their own regard. Not that Double had seen that, yet.

Isaac non-withstanding.

Hmm... And the Medici girl was quite the bleeding heart, Filia was it? The princess was a failure of a ruler, but she tried... The cat girl had a sense of justice, she would give her that... The undead child was always kind and well mannered despite her predicament... The large music man was constantly helping others...

Really, there was that circus girl who seemed to stupid to live, that traitorous nurse who now had to live with the guilt of what she had done, (and all she had lost) forever, Eliza (may she burn forever in hell, Double REALLY wished she could've watched her die, over and over...) Beowulf, who was more incompetent than cruel, in fact, he meant well, and that odd mechanical cartoon girl that Double just didn't understand nor particularly care to understand. Other than that, many of the faces and candidates she had met weren't as bad as some in the past had been.

It was as if the human race, over the years, had slowly grown out of its more barbaric behaviours and become much more... adjusted to civilized living? No more were they all toiling the fields and lashing out at the first sign of trouble. But then there was Isaac, who seemed happy as could be to simply be with someone who didn't resent him, to be with someone who showed the slightest amount of kindness to him (another failing of the human race, Double mused). She didn't really understand it, but also didn't really want to question it. She was supposed to take care of Isaac, if he was happy, good enough. She watched him relax on the swingset as she gently pushed him back and forth. He seemed very at peace and in his own little world, evident by his closed eyes and almost completely slack facial expression.

Again, if he was happy, Double wanted to encourage that. If not because the Trinity had instructed her to do so, but rather because of what Isaac had been through. After all that, he deserved to be happy. 'These are odd thoughts for you.' She told herself. 'Why are you feeling this way towards a small boy? Ignoring the Trinity, do you feel something else for him?'

'Perhaps.' Double relented to herself, trying to find a suitable answer. She thought about how she had felt about Isaac in the short time she had had him. She certainly had never disliked having him around. He was always pleasant, at the worst of times, and honestly rather delightful at the best. She didn't mind having him around, although she did wish he could talk. Partially to make their communication easier, and partially because, well, a child should be able to speak. The fact he had lost the ability to speak, and as much as she loathed the labs, she wondered if anyone there may be able to help him with that.

She frowned softly and tilted her head to the side. Did she have reason to despise the labs at this point...? It seemed even two out of her three misstresses seemed to agree with their end goals... But then her ultimate creator still saw them as her enemy... Dare she interact with them? 'Perhaps, if it is for little Isaac's sake, then the animosity between Mother and the Labs could be... disregarded.' Double reasoned. Honestly, she was willing to do it either way, but she wanted to find a more 'neutral' reason to essentially defy the creator of all- wait, no. Not all things, but the creator of her, at least. This was very confounding. Was there a god that had created all things? Allegedly there were multiple gods, who were all responsible for different things. But someone had to have created them, so... did that make that person the creator of all things by extensi0on...?

It did. Which meant not only was the Trinity weaker if they were defeated by other Entities, but they weren't even technically GODS. This only continued to build an unspoken and unfelt resentment for all the time she had served them, feeling like it had all been for nothing... All the time she had spent stirring up interest in the skull heart... The effort she had put into creating and maintaining this cult, for lack of a better term... The battles she had fought... And the deaths she had experienced... And what was it for?

"There isn't anything we can say to help her, right now, is there?" Venus asked, raising a brow while Aeon sighed.

"No, not particularly." She admitted. "If she ever found out the truth, which she is now, it wasn't going to be what she wanted it to be. Now, she has to live with it." Both goddesses frowned. It was kind of disheartening. Double had been a good help to them. She was a trusted friend to Aeon and a favourite servant to Venus. But if Double had chosen to stop following them,they supposed they couldn't really blame her...

Really, Mother would blame her, calling her a 'traitor' and a bunch of other things, but at this point, Double probably had more power than she did, even if Mother refused to accept that. It was odd to them that these deities had chosen to dampen their mothers' power and not their own... Could it be possible that they had seen good in them somehow? If so, Aeon at least thought they were perhaps a bit too kind... Really, it was because their powers couldn't DO anything when compared to the powers possessed by the others, and even to an extent, to Isaac's powers. Still, they hadn't figured that out, and probably wouldn't for some time.

Back below, Double followed Isaac, as he explored the park, taking everything in for possibly the first time in his life. How long had he been hunted by those creatures? How long had his existence been misery? The day was a nice one, but nothing overly interesting. A crisp autumn afternoon with a blue sky and colourful leaves all across the ground. Very standard, very common. But... to Isaac, this was not the case. In fact, such basic things were a rare event for him. He had spent so long in nothing but nightmares and agony that even a boring simple day was a God-send to him. He was so happy to be out in this new world with Miss Agatha, and was wondering what she would want to do.

He looked around curiously. The playground was no good for her, she was a grown up... But she liked animals... And there was a duck pond nearby... He decided it would be a good idea to go and see the ducks with her. Isaac headed towards a nearby pond, and at first Double was nervous. She didn't know if Isaac knew at all how to swim, and she didn't want him getting hurt or worse. But, the. She saw him sit down on the grass, and blinked in confusion. "She really can't tell he's trying to do a nice thing for her, can she?" Venus asked flatly.

"Isaac can't talk, leave him alone." Aeon retorted. "But. Yes."

Double tilted her head at the boy in confusion before approaching him and taking a seat next to him, or rather crouching down on both knees. She looked at him curiously before looking out at the pond. Then she understood. He knew she liked animals, so he brought her to where the ducks were. She smiled at him, his kindness and gentle soul really being rather precious. She couldn't say if his kindness was because that's who he was, or if it was some sort of 'subservience' that had been forced upon him. Honestly, from the way he acted, it very much seemed like the former, and Double hoped it to be so. Again, while she could be rather cruel herself, being cruel to children was beyond her. At least... not directly, anyway... She was indirectly responsible for many children dying due to influencing various women to take the skull heart... Some of which were children... Oh... She really was a monster, wasn't she?

'Then by that logic, so was the Trinity.' She realized.

"Yeah, honestly we kinda suck." Venus admitted, speaking in her head. "But don't focus on that, Isaac's trying to bond with you, focus on him!" And so, she did. Turning her attention fully to the little boy, she watched with a bemused smirk as he watched a number of ducks swim or waddle by, all seemingly lost in their own world. It really was quite relaxing to behold these creatures in their natural habitat. Well, as natural as they could be in the confines of human civilization anyway... A mother duck swam by with a small row of ducklings, all quacking adorably as they followed their mother.

Isaac watched them, clearly enthralled by it, and Double couldn't help but smile. If Isaac liked animals, that was a good thing, as it would help them bond over things quicker. And from what she had seen thus far, Isaac had quite the gift for animals of all kinds. As they watched the ducks swim about, Double idly noted that various people were feeding the waterfowl various different foods, from oats to birdseed to even very thin slices of lettuce. It seemed others enjoyed watching the ducks as well... It was reassuring to know that humanity could at least somewhat appreciate nature. Actually, now that she thought about it, humanity did seem to (at least somewhat) appreciate nature in may ways, from taking care of animals to feeding wild ones. Perhaps they could look past their greed and selfishness to see the value of things as simple as the animals around them. She certainly knew Isaac could, he adoration of her companions and his new kitten were clear proof of that.

Could it be that there was more to the human race than she realized? They did many horrible things, but then she remembered the latest candidates for the skull heart and how genuinely heroic many of them were. But just as many had been cruel and twisted, at least, that's what she had seen, what the Trin- 'Damn it.' She cursed, realizing once again, she may have been lied to. This was a tough conversation to have, and unfortunately, the only people who would listen presently were Aeon, Venus and Isaac, the former who may be part of the problem, and the latter who didn't understand the issue, and couldn't talk. Resigned to this unanswered question, she decided to enjoy the time with Isaac.

A few ducks were now wandering around near them. Isaac watched them intently but made no move to interact with them. Double smiled softly. This was good, he understood that wildlife was not to be interfered with. Either way, Isaac could just as easily be afraid of them hurting him (which she doubted, as unlike the monstrous hell-spawn that were Canadian Geese, these ducks seemed rather calm and friendly) but more likely he understood that they had their own 'instincts' for lack of a better word, and trying to interferer with that was a bad idea. Although, she was confused as to why he looked from the Mother duck to her, then back to the duck. She puzzled together just why this could be. Her current form didn't resemble a duck in any way, did it? She was very much a human woman. She didn't have any duck like traits to speak of...

Aeon and Venus, quite frankly, found her obliviousness extremely amusing and strangely adorable. "Mrrrrrgghhhhhhhhhhh..." Aeon moaned into a pillow, which just made Venus laugh. It was hard enough for her sister to watch someone take care of her child, but to watch said woman clearly not understand what he was getting at was both sad, and hilarious. Mostly the latter, if Venus was honest.

She reached over and patted the agonized Aeon on the back. "There there now, Isaac will make the message clear sooner or later." She reassured her sister. "Or we could just bite the bullet now and just straight up tell her what the little guy means, but then that would suck away a lot of the fun now, wouldn't it?"

"Uuuuuuughhh..."

"I thought you'd see my reasoning."

"Uuuughhhhhh..."

"My thoughts exactly."

Back below, while Double had yet to pick up on Isaac's implications, she was nevertheless enjoying her time with him watching the waterfowls wander about. She swore she saw someone she had recently encountered - that idiotic Medici woman who clearly didn't understand that she was nothing more than a pawn - walk by, but she wasn't sure, and either way, she hadn't been noticed. She heard the sound of ducks quacking...

And the sound of her cooing...

She was here.

Damn it all, she didn't like this woman...

She decided to do her best to ignore the woman's presence. But she did find herself sneaking the odd glance at her. She was interacting with the ducks. As in, they were actually approaching her and eating birdseed straight from her hand. She rolled her eyes. The medici harlot was much too close to these pure, lovely creatures for her liking. Isaac noticed, but seemed mostly indifferent. He looked to the ducks, then pointed upwards, it was obvious he knew they could fly, but he was asking something else.

"Ah, every winter they will fly south." Double explained, casually. Happy to have something to talk about with little Isaac. "It's too cold for them to stay here, and they find warmer temperature down south." Isaac nodded, then pointed to her, then the sky. "Me? Oh, no child, this is my home, for better and worse."

Isaac shook his head, pointing to her, then drawing wings in the air, then pointing to the sky again. "Oh, I see. Have... you're asking if I've ever flown before? Or if I can?" She asked, and Isaac nodded in response. The nun thought about it. "Well, my child, the answer is yes. I can and have flown before." She replied calmly.

Isaac's eyes began sparkling at that revelation. He already thought his new caretaker was cool with her shapeshifting. But she could use it to get cool new powers like flight too?! What else could she do? He pointed to the water, took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks. "I do not require oxygen, no." He gestured to his eyes, then mimed something firing out of them. "I can fire lasers if I really want to."

This went on for several minutes. Isaac gestured to a man holding a cup. "Yes. I do come with a built in cupholder."

"...Why did mother include that again?" Aeon asked.

"I wonder why she made her at all." Venus muttered, and Aeon was a bit taken aback by her sister's remark. "What?" Only to receive no response. It was another hour or so of the two spending time at the park, Double answering Isaac's questions to the best of her ability (but didn't show him anything, she didn't want to reveal herself in public) before Isaac nodded and simply sat back to look up at the sky, thinking about... something. Double looked down at the child with a tilted head, then looked up at the sky herself. She could see why he was invested in it...

When looking at a crystal clear sky, it was so easy to get lost in thought. The endless expanse of blue was captivating and awakened a latent creativity within one's brain that made it so much easier to think, at least that was the way it was for certain people, like Isaac apparently. Just what was he thinking about...? She assumed he was probably thinking about his new life, about how he no longer needed to run and fight for his very survival, that he could simply take life one step at a time and see the world around him for what it was, and that was a nice thought. On her end, Double was beginning to wonder how she could further help little Isaac. She couldn't restore his voice (not yet, at least) but she wasn't sure what else she could do to be reassuring to him. Physical contact and verbal reassurance were effective, but she felt there had to be more she could do to make things easier for him. But she really had done all she could... She took him into her home, put a roof over his head, made sure he was properly fed, and gave him plenty of animal friends to interact with... What else was she to do? She looked at him and tilted her head, noting that he actually looked quite happy with the current state of things. 'Could it be... that what I am doing now was enough?

She figured it was, and didn't hear Aeon all but screaming hysterically into a pillow while Venus just laughed at her sister's reaction. Double rose to her feet, noting that while this was nice, she figured she needed to try and do something else with Isaac, and gently picked him up. The small boy smiled when he was held at her side, and Double set off once more. She looked around at the area and tried to come to some sort of decision as to what they were going to do next. She looked back to the playground equipment and tilted her head. It was most likely that he would wish to go and play there... Hmm... There appeared to be a built in water park area that sprayed water through various constructions and holes in the cement, that was something to keep in mind for another day... Isaac however, was just happy to be with Double. She was really nice, and really cool! She also took good care of him, like she was his Mom! But she wasn't, right? No, she wasn't, but he kinda wished she was. So far, she had saved him, comforted him, clothed and fed him, and taken care of him, all things his actual Mom had barely (if at all) done.

Even before she had gone all crazy and scary, she hadn't really done much for him aside from yell at him for not doing everything perfectly or drawing creepy things or crying too much... He felt the anxiety beginning to build up again and moved over to Double, deciding he needed to hug her leg to feel better. Double was a bit surprised, but when she saw the look in his shut eyes, everything made sense. Unlike his actual mother, she made no move to kick him away. If Isaac needed to hug her leg (as weird as that sounded) she'd let him. "It is okay, little Isaac, you're safe now, you'll never be hurt again." She said reassuringly. She was more correct than sh knew, as several of the more powerful Gods (and two guys who were super pissed off all the time and REALLY hated demons) had shut down the remaining few traces of demon magic, sealing them away for good and ensuring Isaac would never see another demon again.

The boy smiled up at her with wide puppy dog eyes that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight and Double felt that weird clenching feeling in her chest that she always felt when Isaac had done something particularly adorable. Smiling softly, she bent over and carefully picked him up, holding him against her chest and looking down at his sweet smiling face. "Goodness me, you're very affectionate, aren't you little one?" She lightly poked his nose and he let out a soft happy squeak that made her smile grow just a little bit wider. She may not like humanity too much as a whole, but Isaac was the exception. She rather liked him. He was kind, caring, cute, he was just a very good little boy. Double wished she could put into words what this odd feeling was, as it was relatively new to her, but she also oddly didn't want it to stop, she wanted to experience it for what it was worth.

She would find the meaning of it in time, she was sure of it... Perhaps later than sooner at this rate, but she knew she would get there at some point... Currently she was bemoaning Queen Lamia's decision to build her as an emotionless tool that had no capacity to understand such complicated emotions... Double was beginning to wonder if she had been given anything that would be helpful beyond her morphing powers. To her, it felt more and more like she wasn't as much a person, feral or dagonian as she was a tool. She knew Aeon and Venus at least were not at all responsible for this... Though until recently it seemed Aeon was the only one that really saw her as a person... Mother only gave her the time of day to give her orders and Venus had mostly just seen her as some sort of maid...

Did they ever see her as more? Would they ever allow her to join them in their exaltation? 'No. They wouldn't.' A voice spoke in Double's mind. Her own voice. 'But you knew that, didn't you? Yet you're so devoted, so blind to the truth...' Double bit her lip, feeling oddly vulnerable right now, and she didn't like this feeling. She quickly turned her attention back to Isaac, deciding to ignore these thoughts for now and focus on what was more important.

Her mission to protect Isaac... Which was... assigned to her by Lady Aeon... Double sighed softly and shook her head. Even little Isaac was another thing that was directly related to the Trinity in some way... Was she only caring for him due to her orders? She was very confused right now... She was a tool. She had no emotion. She was just a thing to be used. But in the end, she did feel emotions. She was feeling them right now. To be exact, she was feeling deeply saddened right now.

Things had caught up with her, and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She served the Trinity, but now they were powerless. Her past had guided her, but now it was being held up to light. Her powers were her usefulness, but now they seemed like a burden. She had very little place anywhere anymore. It seemed that little Isaac and her pets were the only real thing she had that she could definitively claim were her rock in a sense. They were the only things she could look to for a sense of humanity... But, she despised humanity, and now all she had was it? What was happening to her?! Double inhaled sharply, trying her best to keep her composure. It seemed like ever since the Skullgirl was defeated, that things had just gotten worse for her... and then she remembered the tiny boy in her arms, and remembered not everything was worse.

No... It was actually better... Isaac really was the best thing for her. He was here to help her grow and adapt to living amongst the beings she most despised. She was going to have to learn tolerance for them, as they were going to be her most prominent form of companionship from here on in. And Isaac was perfect help for this. She smiled down at the small boy, and he returned it. Wordlessly, there was a sort of communication happening between them, and Double oddly enjoyed it, more than she thought she would. They didn't even need to speak to each other to understand one another, all they had to do was exchange a brief glance and that was more than enough for both of them. This was what many would call a healthy relationship, she imagined.

Even if they wouldn't, she considered it one. Isaac wasn't being harmed, and he looked to her for advice and comfort, which in turn he oddly provided to Double as well. The young boy was a very calming and gentle presence, and Double was happy to have him around. Wait... Happy? Happy... Had she really found the ability to be happy? The only emotion she had been intended to have was tbe pure unadulterated rage and hatred that would kick up whenever Eliza was in the vicinity. She had never felt positive emotions before. But this... This was a very welcome feeling to be sure.

If she had to guess, Isaac probably felt safe around her, and that was a very welcome feeling to the young boy, so they were oddly very helpful to one another. Both gave the other something they hadn't realized they needed so badly, but once they had it, they didn't want to give it up, no matter what was offered, taken or threatened.

They both finally had a sense of stability, a sense of relaxation. Double no longer needed to worry about the chaos of managing the skullheart, Isaac no longer needed to worry about the literal hell his life had turned into. As long as the two of them had each other, Double was confident they would be able to work things out. Isaac looked up and smiled once more, Double feeling like he was thinking the same thing. It was nice... but it didn't really answer he question of what they were going to do now. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to do, little Isaac?" She asked, deciding to let Isaac take the lead on this one. Isaac looked around, still taking everything in, then shrugged.

Double tilted her head to the side. "I see. You are not used to playing like the other children, are you, child? That would certainly make this difficult..." She said softly. "Perhaps that slide would be to your liking?" Isaac looked over at the slide and tilted his head before turning to look at her and nodding his head in agreement. She carried Isaac over to the slide then set him on the top of it. After that, she stood back and waited, watching as he took a moment to observe things from the high ground, before pushing himself down and sliding down to her at the bottom of the slide. He looked up and let out what she assumed was a laugh, and she smiled, picking him up and setting him at the top of the slide once more.

Honestly, the process of climbing up and down the playground equipmemt with him was rather tedious and monotonous, but his happy face really did make it worth the trip up. She did wish she could just set him back up with a tendril, but that would blow her cover and she would have every force imagineable on her back before she could even think to run. The trials of being the skullheart's caretaker... Actually, what would happen to the Skullgirl now? What was supposed to happen? Would there be another? Was it done? More importantly, what would become of Isaac if it returned? She didn't want him getting hurt by it, but it was her job to find candidates for it... so, which came first? Isaac, or the Skullheart? As it stood, she honestly would say Isaac, she was somewhat done with the Trinity and their plans, and Aeon and Venus seemed to be as well. She felt fairly confident that Aeon and Venus would both encourage her to cast aside her original duties and put all her focus on Isaac. Aeon had already given her the orders to protect him and keep him safe, and she had no intention of going back on that order, though in this case it was less because her goddess ordered to and more because it was something she wanted to do, or at least now it was. Isaac was the first and so far only person that had genuinely... loved her right from the beginning.

Those were feelings Double had ignored for so long, not feeling the need for love, companionship, compassion or anything of that ilk. But ever since she had started taking in the stray animals, she had begun to develop a fondness for that feeling. The feeling of something or someone relying on you, needing you, not in a master-servant way, but in a mutually beneficial way for both parties. She provided the animals with food, shelter and attention, and in exchange, they provided her with a sense of comfort and tranquility, even when they were being particularly annoying. But at the end of the day, they were animals. They were lovely to have around, but despite what many a human may believe, the companionship of animals just couldn't come close to the companionship of a being that could understand you on a deeper level, like... like a human... This was such a weird feeling. She didn't like humanity, and she cared little for humans, but now she fond herself living, and feeling like one.

"Was I in the wrong?" Double questioned. "Is there more to humanity than I originally thought? Perhaps..." She thought back on the heroes she had fought once again. She had... seriously hurt at least three of them. Annie, who was cursed with unaging immortality... Sienna Contiello, who's life was ended far too soon, and right before her loving parents... Parasoul, who had to step up at a young age to run an entire kingdom and raise a difficult sibling... All a direct result of her scheming and machinations...

And for what? At the end of the day, what was the point of the Skullgirl? Sure, she got the part of it that granted wishes, but that was about it. Well, she promised herself she wouldn't let that happen to Isaac, his life wouldn't be affected by those choices. He had already lost the only family he had left to outside sources, so there wasn't much else the skullheart could take away from him at least... Her only real worry was Eliza's two cronies, Albus and Horace. Someone had been vandalizing the church ever since Eliza met her grizzly end, and she had a sneaking suspicion that someone was them. She also had no idea what had been painted, something... butt. It made no sense, it was a stupid figure with large eyes and a tail-thing that she assumed was meant to be offensive, but it just confused her more than anything. Regardless, she doubted they'd be stupid enough to try and hurt Isaac, but then again, they worked for Eliza, so intelligence was something that needed to be questioned at the time being.

They were clearly just the vile creature's dumb hired muscle, and no amount of posh dialect would ever disguise how truly stupid Horace was. Still, she worried that they might discover that she had Isaac and would be stupid enough to try and harm him at the cost of her slowly torturing them the same way their mistress had her goddesses back when they had lived. She may have to deal with them so that wouldn't be an issue. And then there was the other one. Albus or something. He didn't even try to hide his incompetence, he was there for strength, and that was all. Still, Double has a feeling that if vandalism was all they had done this far, it was probably all they'd be able to do for some time, lest whom or whatever killed Eliza return for them.

Whatever might happen, she promised herself she'd keep Isaac safe. It wouldn't be that hard. Anyone that put their filthy hands on this child with intent to harm him would be sent straight to Gehenna where they belonged. She would be absolutely sure to digest them as slowly and painfully as possible. They would be in her stomach acids for months before she would allow them to expire.

...She was a sadist, wasn't she? 'You have to learn to control that better, lest you traumatize Isaac.' She told herself, making a fair point. Yes, her shapeshifting would be beneficial in protecting him, but it could just as easily traumatize him. Still, she had done well thus-far in controlling them. Mainly because lately nobody had done anything to anger her. The demons were the closest things to do so, but even they were just mindless beasts with no agenda that she could just casually eat and call it a day.

For his part, Isaac was curious as to how Agatha had those powers, but he wasn't sure how to ask. She seemed like one of the heroes from the few books he had read before everything (literally) went to hell. She seemed very focused on something, and he wanted to know if there was more he could do to help her, but again, lacking vocal chords made that a bit harder. He couldn't just ask what was on her mind, and even if he could, she seemed to want to keep him as uninvolved with whatever it was as possible. He wondered just what exactly she was to be perfectly honest. In spite of him getting to know her so thoroughly in such a short amount of time, there was still much he didn't know. Like what was she? Was that blob like creature her true form? How was she born? Oh well, she was kind enough to him as it was, the last thing he wanted was to push her on something she didn't want to talk about and upset her. So, Isaac decided to just enjoy the time he had with her. She was so kind to him, and he didn't get why, but it just made him appreciate her more.

She seemed to humour him in everything he took interest in, unlike his own mother, who would often either blow him off like he was an afterthought or get angry with him and scream and yell at him for how 'unholy' many of his interests were... Then she would usually bring out those brass knuckle thingies that hurt so much... But Miss Agatha hadn't hurt him, she helped him! Isaac didn't even have the 'hasn't hurt him... yet' thought, as he didn't believe she would unless he did something bad, and he had no intentions of doing that. Not after everything she had done for him, he wanted to be good, he wanted to be helpful. He would make sure she was satisfied with her decision to save him... If there was one thing that made him nervous, it was the concept that she would grow tired of him or take offense to something he did and send him away. Then he would be forced back into that dark, twisted place inside his mind...

However, Double never expected to do such a thing to Isaac. Partially because she was asked by Aaron to care for him, and also because she rather liked his company. He was the kind of child that Agatha hadn't realized she wouldn't mind having around the church. Children in the church was something that very much tested her patience at the best of times. Most of the time they were just whining to their parents that they were bored or hungry or tired and it always made her feel a deep sense of outrage. But Isaac was different. He was very respectful and mature for his age. He was just doing his best to live, really. After all he had been through, he just wanted to live a decent life and everything that had been thrown at him was just horrific. Well, she wanted to help him in one way or another.

And she felt like she was doing a decent job at the very least... He clearly felt far more at ease than he had when she had first taken him in. Just a few days ago he gave off an air of constant fear that things would go wrong again. Then again, closing off those demonic portals probably helped. 'How did they even get opened in the first place?' She couldn't help but wonder. It didn't really matter at this point, but she wanted to ensure they were closed for good. They were, but she wanted to look to the future, for lack of a better term. 'Well, Isaac is safe now. Should that ever change, I'll deal with it.'

Her protective instincts were at full force. And honestly? She rather liked it,.. It really did feel good to be able to experience these... these human feelings. It helped her understand that she was not just a tool to be used by a power hungry goddess and her disillusioned daughters. ...Where had that come from? That was an awful thing to think of Mother Lamia! But... did she care? Like, thinking rationally, Mother Lamia hadn't done anything g to stop these creatures from harming Isaac, let alone killing him! She could've, right? Or were her powers as weak as they claimed they were? What if everything she had done had been for a false god?

'Ever since you found this boy, things have progressively gotten worse.' She frowned, then shook her head. Isaac was a gift, he was liberating in ways she couldn't explain, it was just... that liberation came with a price. Reality. Her goddesses... they really weren't goddesses at all in the grand scheme of things. Their atatus was... artificial. They were not born with almighty power. They were handed it by their parasites. They were truthfully very much as human as the very beings Queen Lamia despised so much... And why? Because of one monstrous woman and her zealot followers. No mind to all the people that had fought tooth and nail and lost their lives trying to save her and her daughters... No thoughts for the tears her loyal subjects had shed helplessly watching Aeon and Venus be executed... She was judging the entire species based off of Eliza and her followers...

And she had done the exact same thing. She remembered the timelines Aeon had showed her, the ones where the various warriors had defeated her... Filia used the skullheart to save a long forgotten friend... Cerebella only spared it a passing glance... Peacock destroyed it on the spot... Parasoul only used it out of desperate love for her sister... Ms. Fortune had a realization that she skullheart was not the answer and destroyed it... Painwheel didn't even think to use it despite her horrible pain... Valentine wished for a form of atonement and fully intended to be killed by Painwheel... Squigly didn't even think twice about destroying her only lifeline for the good of the world... Ben Birdland destroyed it... Beowulf learned and grew from his fight with the skullgirl... And Annie... Her long hated nemesis... Destroyed it every time she fought it and always tried her hardest to destroy it at its source... Even the vast majority of the skullgirls were tragic victims... From an innocent misled into believing the skullheart was benign to a desperate mother wanting her massacred family back to a young girl that was enslaved and witnessed the horrible torture and mutilation of her best friend...

By the gods, they were monsters. All four of them were complete and utter monsters. She hated humanity, she hated ferals... and for what? The humans she encountered were more often than not trying to be better, and the ferals like Ms. Fortune did what hey did, but also tried to be better. Then there was that blue fox she had seen about the town. They always seemed to be trying to help those who were neglected due to any number of reasons, simply because it was the right thing to do. And yet here she was. A monster.

She hated them for their cruelty when she intentionally destroyed lives and tore families apart and actively enjoyed it. She hated them for their greed when she served three goddesses that wanted nothing more than to rule over all life. She was a hypocrite. Everything that applied to the human race very much applied to her as well. She was just as cruel, just as eager to harm others, just as desperate for power. "Having the same train of thought, huh?" Aeon's voice filled her head.

"...I...I just-"

"It's fine, Agatha." Double could hear Aeon's smile. "The truth... is not what we wished it would be. And unfortunately, we cannot change that."

"All this pain, all this misery, for what?" Double asked before she realized she had.

"I wish I could tell you." She fell silent. She was created to fufill an evil purpose... Was she inherently evil? Was she incapable of doing good in any way?

Just then, she felt a tiny pair of arms around her leg. And just like that, those thoughts died. Isaac wasn't human, he was an angel. There was no way someone so small or so sweet could be human. Double smiled and picked him up again, noticing he seemed gravely concerned, his eyes watering somewhat, and Double realized she made a mistake. Her silent contemplation had lasted longer than she wanted, and during that, Isaac must've thought she was ignoring him. He couldn't speak, so it wasn't like there was anything he could do to get her attention...

"I'm terribly sorry, my child, I wasn't intentionally ignoring you, not at all... I was merely doing some self reflection." Isaac tilted his head. "I have been around a very long time, my little one... Longer than you could ever realize... And in the many years I've been around, I have done many horrible things to others that I am not proud of... I have hurt people... Lied to them... Deceived and manipulated them... And even taken their lives... And all the while I thought nothing of it... But then... you came into my life... And I am coming to see the error of my ways..." Isaac seemed confused, but nodded. He leaned against her and relaxed into her arms. Double sighed and smiled at that, and decided to focus on Isaac for the time being. She could continue her existential crisis at another time, but she didn't want to affect Isaac because of it. He would need to go to sleep at some point. She would wait until he was sleeping until she let herself stew in her own self loathing and disgust with what she was... She then realized she was in danger. She had many enemies from her time nurturing the skullgirls, especially Annie... She needed to be careful...

She doubted Annie knew what she looked like (as this), and also doubted she would harm Isaac... but, she would possibly try to take him to 'protect' him. Like it or not (and Double didn't like it) but she meant well. And it wasn't like she gave the girl of the stars much of a reason to trust her with a human child, not after the centuries long rivalry they had been building up... Annie would most definitely try to kill her on sight. Did Isaac know of the show? That would certain be an awkward conversation if he did... 'Yes, Little Isaac. I know her, I've been trying to kill her for ages, and she usually kills me.'

Double shook her head and hoped that wasn't the case, that was a conversation she didn't want to have.

Especially not if he was a fan of the show... It tended to be a very popular show to watch in those overly religious households due to to the morals the girl taught at the end of each amd every single episode... Truthfully, she preferred the older episodes, where Annie was more often portrayed as the butt of all the slapstick. Far more satisfying. Then again, if Isaac enjoyed the show, it could provide a good way for him to learn some things, and possibly act as a distraction should the need ever arise. Now, Double didn't intend on letting shows raise Isaac, that was lazy and wrong, but every now and then, something might happen that 'Sister Agatha' couldn't deal with in her simple form, and that was probably something Isaac didn't want to see.

It was very complicated, as parenthood ought to be. There were no easy paths, there were no shortcuts, she was going to have to learn and adapt to things as they came. She would have to grow and learn alongside Isaac. He was just as much a teacher to her as she was to him. He was already teaching her basic human empathy for the rest of the human race, helping her realize they weren't so bad. She wasn't sure how long they spent out on the town, but eventually Isaac seemed to grow tired. Double decided that they should head back to the cathedral.

"Come, little one. I think it's time we head back." She remarked, and Isaac nodded in acceptance. He had a very good day with Miss Double, so he wasn't about to complain. He reached up in hopes of being carried. Double smiled and scooped him up carefully, holding him against her shoulder. "There's a good boy... Come, let's go and have supper now..."

Isaac let out what was either a sigh or yawn contently and leaned against her. Double had a small smile on her face as she walked back to her home. Isaac seemed happy, and that was a good thing. She felt like she had done a good job taking care of him today. She had shown him a fun time and made him happy. That was more or less the most Lady Aeon, who was rapidly becoming her favourite of the trio of goddesses, could ask of her. She paused at the fact that she now had a favourite goddess. How far she had fallen. Well, if she was honest, Aeon was the only one who was kind to her, and she clearly cared for Isaac, so that simply was what it was. Double shook her head, her job was to care for Isaac, that's what she'd do. Aeon had asked her to care for him, so she would.

She smiled down at the boy as he cuddled up close to her bosom. 'No... This is not just for Lady Aeon... In fact, very little of it is for Lady Aeon... The overwhelming majority of this is for me... and Isaac...' She thought.

"Mrrrggghhhh..."

"Zarathos?"

"..."

"Zarathos, are you crying?"

"NO."

The others smirked as they watched the Spirit of Vengeance trying to maintain his anger. It was clear he wasn't succeeding, but no one wanted to anger the Spirit of Vengeance.

It seemed Aeon at the very least would be granted probation after all...

Maybe Venus too.

After a little more time passed...

Double felt she was being watched by an unfamiliar presence. 'Those previously unheard of deities, perhaps... They must be keeping a very close eye on all that transpires in this world now...' She tried not to think about that, and thankfully, Isaac was good at distracting her. When they returned to the cathedral (which thankfully wasn't vandalized) Double and Isaac set to feeding the animals before they ate. Once more, Isaac clearly enjoyed his times with the kittens, and seemed just as fascinated with Kazan as he had been earlier.

Even Cider had seemed slightly less on edge around the boy this time around, though she still gave him a wide berth and kept a very close eye on him. Oreo spent the entire time feeding her perched snugly atop Isaac's tiny bald head, much to the little boy's absolute delight, and nibbled on a piece of lettuce. Once the animals were fed, Double got dinner set up for Isaac, making boiled vegetables once again. She knew she needed to learn to make more, but he was happy enough as it was. Isaac ate happily, enjoying the vegetables his caretaker made for him. Double sat across from him with a smaller plate of vegetables, watching him eat with a small smile. There was just something so enchanting about watching this child do the simplest of tasks, it was hard to explain.

For now, she wanted to make sure he was eating enough, he was too small for this to be healthy, so she wanted to make sure he hold be okay. Double had a bad feeling there was a lot of 'Not eating' going on in his life, especially when he was trapped in that nightmare, and she intended to fix that. But she needed to learn to properly cook before she could do that. She didn't want to feed him nothing but steamed vegetables all the time, he needed a proper balance in his meals. Meats, dairy products, all that stuff she had no idea how to make... Perhaps she could find a decent cookbook somewhere... Honestly, there were probably a lot of book stores around the city, and she could get some books for Isaac as well, even if she had to read them to him, she didn't much mind that. If it made him happy, she didn't mind at all.

She actually quite liked the idea of laying in bed with the child at night, reading books to him by candlelight. It was a very nice, wholesome scenario that she hoped could become reality... She smiled warmly at the thought. Aeon had given her orders to learn to love, not just live, and she was beginning to see what she meant by that. Having Isaac with her was so... right. It felt like this always should've been the way things were, but she couldn't imagine Isaac being exposed to the horrors of the Skullheart, the thing she was once sworn to protect at all costs. Now? It honestly disgusted her. Everything about it left a sour taste in her mouth, from the very thing it represented, right down to the way it looked. She really wanted to cut that cursed thing out of her life completely, but could she? It was a part of who she was for so long... Would she have to go back to defending and nurturing it like she had been for so long before? Even when she had little Isaac to nurture and defend, a being far more worthy of her care?

'You make me sick.' A voice spoke in her head. 'We've defended the Heart for generations, and now you throw it all away, because of some... BOY?! Do you not know how repugnant, how disrespectful, how, how PATHETIC that is!?' Double didn't reply. She didn't know how. This voice sounded like her own, but also, it clearly wasn't. Was it Queen Lamia's? Was it the monstrous thing she could become? Heck, had Eliza found some way to cheat death itself, and now haunted her? 'Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, don't be that last one.' She mentally prayed. Thankfully, it wasn't. Unthankfully, the actual voice wasn't much better.

It was, in fact, Queen Lamia, seething in rage as she sat atop her throne. Or at least what was left of it. A few years back Heat Miser had set it on fire and burned it to a crisp. Said something about 'showing her she isn't even close to being hot stuff'. She hated them. Every last one of those damned gods. They were denying her what was rightfully hers. Her right to rule over a kingdom, her right to have servants waiting on her hand and foot, her right to be the queen... And worst of all, they turned her own daughters against her. Aeon and Venus were no longer on board for their plans... And now even the Skull Heart's guardian was turning on her?!

"Absurd... Everyone is betraying me... Their entire disgusting race deserves to die! Why can't they see that?!"

"I see you've learned absolutely nothing in the last few years. I suggest you work on that. All this rage will take many centuries off your lifespan." The sound of the god of destruction's voice filled her ears and she scowled.

"Stop invading my private quarters, you hairless fleabag! And stop raiding our refrigerator!"

"Oh? And what exactly are you going to do about it? Smite me with your powe- oh, wait. You don't have any." Beerus shrugged. "Seriously, that skeleton in the hoodie is stronger than you. I'm pretty sure the Watcher's friend became a God recently... Frankly I'm pretty sure Yamcha could defeat you at this point." Lamia glared absolute hared at Beerus, but knew there wasn't anything she could do about it at this moment.

"Honestly, I would get over your anger now, or the isolation is going to do you in."

"I'm isolated as it is, you repugnant bastard!"

"No, I'm talking about when Aeon and Venus leave." Beerus shrugged. "Things are going well for them. Zarathos has finally seemed to calm down against them - not you, don't even think about that - and there's a good chance they'll be set free to return to earth as mortals or something. But you? Well... that doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen."

Queen Lamia felt like she had been slapped as she watched the skinny skeleton with an addiction to slushies and the other taller one who loved spaghetti appeared in a portal, opening a door back to the God's realm.

"By the way, your alcohol is awful and you're out of it!" Beerus called. Queen Lamia clenched her fists and screamed violently in rage. Then she was promptly buried under a pile of snow courtesy of Snow Miser. He had been doing that quite a lot lately. He just never got tired of harassing the wicked queen with his constant snow pranks. Laughing, he retreated back into his portal.

Back in the realm of the living, Double shivered as she felt someone's intense anger was finding its way into her head. 'Seems Queen Lamia is having difficulty coping.' She thought. Honestly, she didn't care that much anymore.

Looking over at Isaac, she saw that he had finished eating his dinner and smiled. "Very good, my dear, you ate all of your food. Come along now... Let us find a nice way to spend the last few hours before we go to sleep for the night." She grabbed him out of his seat and carried him out of the room. Isaac smiled and snuggled in closer to the nun's habit, clutching at it with his tiny fists. He honestly didn't mind what they did, as long as he could continue being held by his caretaker. She was so warm and comfy... He wanted her to be his mommy.

He kinda saw her as such. She protected him, comforted him, fed him, was kind to him, those were all things his actual mother had never done. But was it that easy? Could he simply ask her to take that on? Would she be willing? For as bold and - let's be real here, brave - Isaac could be, what with everything he had survived, angering Double was the one thing he truly feared. He didn't want to make her cross with him, he just wanted her to like him. The idea of her being angry with him, of not liking him, honestly made him feel kind of nauseous. He hated the idea. He really wanted her to be happy and proud of him... How could he ask her to be his mother without upsetting her? Make a really really nice card, perhaps? Would she like that? She did seem to encourage his love of drawing, unlike his mother... Maybe make a nice little craft of some sort to go with it...? He wanted to make sure to do something very special before he asked so much of her...

Aeon watched and sighed deeply, her sister reading her face and sat next to her.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Venus said quietly. "I know you care for him, and I know you want to tell Double what to do, but-"

"This isn't my Isaac." She said quietly, shaking her head. "I just want him to be happy, I don't care about anything else." Yes, that was what she told herself... But frankly, she just couldn't look at the boy and not see him as her Isaac no matter what timeline it was...

It seemed everyone had a chance to be Isaac's mother in at least one timeline, and she just hated to share. Heck, even (alternate versions of) herself, Venus and some of the Gods who imprisoned them here had a chance to be Isaac's mother, yet she had to watch, never able to interact with him, never able to tell him how much she loved him. It was a fate worse than death, and whether she wanted to admit to it or not, it was a fate she deserved. For all the lives she had ruined, corrupted or outright ended, she couldn't expect herself to have a perfect life, now could she? Sadly, she couldn't.

This was just what she deserved. This was her punishment, her way of atoning for her sins... To be forced to watch her child in the arms of other women, thinking of them as his mother instead of her, not even being allowed to have any sort of role in his life... It really was a gut-wrenching feeling that she couldn't stand. A fitting punishment for someone that had taken away many a mother from their child with her mother's terrible idea... She still didn't get it. All this power, this death, this chaos, for what? They weren't back on Earth, and there wasn't much they could do to rectify that.

'I guess, for now I'll simply watch Isaac, and hope he's okay.' She mentally sighed, shaking her head. Turning back to the TV, she focused on watching what happened between Double and Isaac with a sad smile. Double had decided to let Isaac draw for a while as she debated what she herself would do. Perhaps she should invest in one of those fancy televisions...

She wasn't sure what she'd watch, as aside from maybe a nature documentary, she couldn't think of much she'd be interested in watching. Then again, she hadn't tried watching much as she had been busy serving the whims of those who created her. So maybe she could find something herself and Isaac would enjoy. Well, mainly Isaac, she never much cared for the concept of TV. It ws mainly foolish humans doing foolish things, and while her goddesses may have found such a thing hilarious, she just found it sad, pathetic and migraine inducing. Unless the one making a fool of herself was either Eliza or Annie. There was one show she had briefly seen in passing that truly confounded her. It was a group of humans and ferals (unsurprisingly, all men) who set out to routinely harm themselves egregiously for no reason other than they seemed to enjoy it. Double hadn't the slightest idea why anyone would subject themselves to pain, torture and borderline mutilation, but these... she forgot the proper term, something equating to a donkey, seemed to revel in it. She truly didn't understand why, though.

Television, for the most part, was just a perfect display of how utterly stupid and reckless the human race could be. Another example was that television show, 20000 Ways to Die, which displayed multiple instances of true stories of humans getting themselves killed in the most ludicrous of manners, from trying to snort fire ants up their noses to trying to build themselves a constricting wetsuit so they could try to live amongs fish and baking themselves in the sun to stubbornly dragging themselves through an increasingly narrow tunnel, getting stuck and being devoured alive by rats. She didn't want Isaac watching any of that. She turned her attention back to said boy, who was still busy working on something, and whatever it was, he seemed oddly focused on it. Double smiled at that, content in knowing that there was something that made him happy, and he seemed to enjoy. And it was something so simple, so humble, something that he could jusr pick up and do at any given opportunity for the most part. It was honestly quite precious that he put so much effort and concentration into something as simple as a drawing. She sat by idly and decided to just watch him draw for a bit.

Isaac seemed to be thinking about everything he did, as if this was of the utmost importance to him. Double couldn't yet tell what he was making, but again, made no move to intrude. Isaac needed something he enjoyed, after all he had gone through, he needed something that made him happy. And it seemed he had found multiple things that fit into that niche. From drawing to animals to just being around her. And that last one was particularly heartwarming to her taking into consideration just what she was. She was inhuman. Monstrous. Her true form made most children cry uncontrollably. It was a wonder Isaac didn't after the monsters he had seen...

'Still, what caused those?' She couldn't help but wonder. Were they lost souls? Fallen angels? Both? Demons were tricky to understand, regardless of how one went about it. More than ever, she was thankful for her strength, lest they return for Isaac and she be unable to just hoped that it would be enough. For all she knew there were far more powerful demons out there just waiting to strike. Demons that even she would not be strong enougj to defend the poor dear from... No. That would never happen. She was more than a match for any demon, and even if there were ones stronger than her, she would find a way to defeat it regardless. Because that was what a guardian did for their charge.

Unbeknownst to her, there was a being among those considered 'Gods', who while not a God himself, had the respect of them, who shared such a notion, and had seen to it that any remaining demons were purged from the world of the living. Double didn't know that, and might not ever know, but still. 'Thankfully Isaac seems to have survived their encounters well enough.' She thought with a nod. There was something about Isaac she couldn't quite place yet, but it wasn't demonic, thankfully. If anything, it was more like he had something protecting him... An angelic force that was doing all it could to keep him safe... It felt like a deceased spirit... Perhaps a long dearly departed relative was standing by his side after death to ensure that he remained safe from the horrors he had suffered through...

Or perhaps the previously unheard of deities had taken pity on the boy and offered their protection without him realizing it? Yet, there was a third option, and Double wasn't sure what she thought of it. That being Isaac was strong enough to hold his own with some sort of power he didn't know he had, while tapping into it to fight the monsters. That could be the case, but Double wasn't sure what she thought of that. If Isaac had powers, great. But she didn't like that his first experience using them was what he had been through. Power like that was meant to be nurtured and eased into, not forced out in a desperate attempt to stay alive in a horrifying situation like that... If only he had been able to avoid coming into contact with those damned filthy demons, he might have turned out to have better control over it... She could sense it... His powers were unstable... He only had the slightest sense of control over them...

She wondered if things were different, if she'd had fought him. Perhaps one day he would've grown into one of the ones Aeon had shown her, someone setting out to defeat or destroy the Skullheart for one reason or another. That didn't sit right with Double, after knowing Isaac, she didn't like the idea of having to fight him. She wouldn't fight him. She would never fight him. The skullheart would never tear them apart. She didn't care in the least what Mother had to say about the matter, she would willingly hand over the heart for Isaac to destroy if it came down to that. There was no way she would raise a tentacle in violence to this boy. Again, it felt so weird to feel so strongly for a small mortal boy, but it felt right. She still had urges and thoughts of violence and vengeance, but around Isaac, they seemed mitigated.

She was beginning to feel so much more relaxed and at ease... And above all else, she felt... comfortable with the sudden similarities to the human race she had despised for so many years. As if she had accepted she was ultimately one of them af her core.

Maybe she wasn't supposed to feel this, or maybe she was. She didn't much care. Double was finding her own path, and Isaac was helping her with that, this tiny boy was helping her understand her place in this world, understanding her new job, and understanding the good things that came with it. She was finally becoming an individual, her very own person that wasn't bound to the thoughts, feelings and wills of the ones who created her. She had her own life, her own hobbies, her own interests... And... maybe someday her own circle of friends? Her pets and Isaac were lovely, but... someone to talk to would be nice... Then again, who could she talk to? Those she had faced probably wanted her dead. Well, no. They did. So they were out of the question. But were there others she hadn't met yet? In her years of service, she had been so fixated on appeasing the Trinity, that any form of a social life seemed ridiculous to her, but now here she was. In a ridiculous situation, so to say.

'Issac will need friends, too.' She reasoned, looking down to him, where he kept drawing intently. 'And he'll need to go to school in some regard, eventually.' She knew enough about the world to teach him some things, but in the end, it was in the boy's best interest to attend an actual school. Had he been to school before...? Had it been a good experience? He hadn't spoken to her of his school life outside of a few drawings of his home life that made it clear that he was being bullied... But just how bad was the bullying this sweet little boy had endured? Was she going to have to beat up children? She wouldn't hesitate to do so for Isaac. Not like they would even know it was her.

Okay, that was a bad thought, but it also was one that came from a good place. She wanted to defend Isaac, but hurting other kids? Well, maybe they shouldn't have bullied Isaac. 'You may want to hold back on that.' Aeon said flatly, and Double nodded in agreement. She'd protect and care for Isaac, but she didn't want him to turn on her because of her choices, either. For now, she decided to just observe the boy drawing in an environment he felt comfortable and safe in. Curious, she looked over his shoulder to sneak a peek at what the boy was drawing. 'Hmm... Very interesting...'

The drawing was very macabre. To be frank, she had no idea where he got the inspiration for such eerie imagery what was she talking about of course she did. It was her. Isaac, for one reason or another, was drawing what he had seen of her in her other form. Yet while it was monstrous, it wasn't horrific, he seemed o be drawing it in good faith, as if he was thankful for it, or something along those lines. The drawimg had a warm, welcoming expresdion on its face that, in spite of the way it was drawn, made it look extremely warm and welcoming. And that was a very pleasant feeling, that he had such faith in her that even her monstrous form was seen as a caring presence.

She smiled, but didn't want to interrupt. She was surprised at how, well, detailed the drawing was. Isaac clearly had a knack for this, and clearly was trying his best on this one. Leaning back, Double was fine with letting Isaac work, if it made him happy, she saw nothing wrong with it. "Mew?" She looked down and saw Guppy looking up at her curiously. She realized while the cat and Isaac had bonded, she hadn't really gotten to know the kitten too well.

He was a newer addition to her little collection of animal friends, and life had been so busy she simply hadn't had the time. But now seemed as good a time as any to form a bond with this tiny kitten. Reaching down, she scooped Guppy up in one hand and held him up to eye level. "Hello, Guppy. How are you?"Guppy batted lightly at her nose. Double smirked and poked his nose. "Guppy is a most fitting name... Few things are smaller than a guppy, and you are so much smaller than the other cats."

The kitten blinked, and Double couldn't tell if it understood what she was saying, didn't understand at all, or was offended by the size comment. Either way, Guppy began purring contently when Double began scratching its head, so the nun assumed it didn't care at this point. "You're doing a very good job making Isaac happy, thank you." She remarked. Guppy mewled in response and curled up in her hand to try and relax. Double chuckled softly at the fact that the tiny kitten formed a perfect ball shape right in the palm of her hand. Cats were so strange. They were expert contortionists that could assume the strangest positions and end up in the strangest places.

If she had a nickel for every time she found Nash somewhere no solid form of mass could ever get to... That cat truly made no sense, but it never meant ill to anyone. Its stupidity may get himself in trouble, but he never seemed to annoy or hurt the other animals. That didn't excuse his weirdness, but it made it slightly more tolerable. Guppy on the other hand, seemed content with sleeping where he was, simply happy to be allowed to rest. She took a seat on a nearby chair and gently set the tiny feline down on top of her lap, prompting the small kitten to start purring softly and stretching out his tiny legs as he made himself more comfy in his new position. Double smiled. 'Cats are such wonderful little companions... Their personalities truly shine through...'

Sure, some could be jerks, others could be lazy, and others could be Nash. But at the end of the day, Guppy seemed to be none of those, and Double was just fine with that. Really, the only animal that seemed to be giving her grief was Cider, and Double wasn't totally sure how to go about dealing with that. Isaac meanwhile was still focused on his drawing. He was remembering what Miss Agatha had looked like when she saved him (honestly, it'd be hard to forget) but unlike most who saw that form, he wasn't as terrified as he was intrigued. She was a lot like all the scary monsters that he had fought in that labyrinth, but unlike them, she was nowhere near as monstrous, distorted and terrifying a presence. There was something regal and elegant about her appearance. Unlike those other monsters, she maintained a sense of humanity, a sense of care.

And above all else, she was in complete control of her actions the entire time. The other demons he had encountered were all completely driven by instinct. They were like wild animals that were always shrieking and raging. Maybe it was because of where they were that drove them to act out in such a way, but Isaac didn't know and couldn't tell. All he knew was they were horrifying, and they wanted him dead for some unfathomable reason. Isaac kind of wanted to know why, but he was also afraid to ask. Monsters were that, monsters. If they wanted to hurt him, did they need a reason? Did his mother? He was starting to get bummed out the more he thought about it. This whole thing was either entirely without rhyme or reason or simply due to evil twisted creatures wanting to have their evil twisted fun with him. He felt slightly nauseous at the thought of it, and suddenly that feeling began to grow even stronger. Somehow, he felt as if only now his traumatic experiences were catching up with him all at once.

Double didn't notice this right away, but when she looked over to Isaac, she frowned deeply. His eyes were wide and filled with tears, his body was shaking, and he seemed as broken as when she had first found him. "Oh, what's wrong, little one?" She asked softly, pulling him over and setting him on her lap. She mentally kicked herself when she remembered he couldn't talk, and he simply looked up at her with sad eyes. "Is it me? Have I done something wrong?" Isaac shook his head in response. "Is it... oh, is it the monsters? Are you remembering them?" Isaac nodded his head slowly and let out a soft sniffle. Double sighed softly and embraced him tightly, holding him close to her breast and gently rubbing the back of his head to try and ease his fears and trauma.

"Shhhhh... It's all right, Isaac... My little one... Please don't be frightened... I am right here for you... And I always will be... You are in a safe place where none of those creatures will ever reach you again... Put all of those fears to rest my child... You are under my protection, and I intend to ensure you are well protected." Now, Double ran into an issue she had never experienced, or ever believed she would experience. She didn't know how to feel. Isaac was clearly emotionally distressed, and while the east thing would be to say 'I understand your pain', she didn't. If anything, she CAUSED the pain Isaac was feeing onto other people. Never in her existence had she considered consoling someone with that pain... Her mind dug around for ideas, finally finding the conversations she had with the lost souls who entered the church for one reason or another. Seeking guidance, shelter, or something else. She figured now was the best time to simply be a comforting presence.

But whole before, in those instances, she had merely been pretending to be a comforting, caring presence when she really hadn't cared about them or their paltry, insignificant problems in the slightest. But this was a very different situation in the sense that she did care. She cared very much. She was just saying whatever sounded reasonable at the time to try and come off as a good sister, but here, she genuinely did want to help. But what to say? What could she possibly say in this situation that wouldn't come off as false or just plain disrespectful? She needed to be the comforting presence this child needed now more than ever but she just didn't know how. Eventually, she got a feeling in her chest that she was doing okay, looking at how Isaac was curled up against her chest, trying his best to calm himself while Double did her best to console him.

"It's okay, little one." She said quietly. She gently wrapped her arms around him, paused, then found a moment of inspiration. Forming some tendrils from her body, she gently and carefully wrapped them around the boy and used them to offer a comforting feeling. Isaac was briefly confused before noticing what she was doing.

He settled down, letting himself be wrapped in a safe embrace, feeling his fears and anxieties slowly fade away. They were still there, and annoyingly, wouldn't go away, but at least when he was in Miss Agatha's arms, he felt like they couldn't get to him. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, trying not to let the past get to him. Double gave the boy a smile. This smile was significantly bigger and more genuine than any other she had given him. Noticing herself in the stained glass window, she was taken aback at how sincere her expression was. Her smiles were typically either small and subtle or... vicious and predatory... Yet here was this little boy, close to her chest, trying his best to keep calm. Thankfully, her comfort seemed to work, as his soft breathing was soon heard, and Double relaxed he was asleep.

'Rest well, Little one.' She thought. She extended a tendril over and picked up his drawing, looking at it again. She turned it over, and let out a small gasp at what was written on the back.

Me and Miss Agatha, My Mama.

She realized that it was multiple pages long and she slowly looked through the other pages to discover that Isaac had written all about her. And he had nothing but kind, wonderful things to say about her...

He had described their time together in-depth, and it quickly became clear that she truly meant the world to this boy.

It took her a few minutes to realize she was crying.

It made no sense. Why was she crying?! She didn't think she was capable of such a thing! She had always assumed she was made to be cold, calculated, uncaring, not emotional! And yet this little boy had broken every defence she had, and here she was, crying silently over something as menial as a drawing!

'No.' She told herself, refusing to think like that. 'It's more than a drawing.'

She looked it over again, the entire thing, and she rapidly saw just how meaningful this child's art project was. He didn't see it as a simple drawing, this was the result of him unbottling all the feelings towards her that had been building up ever since she first found him. Just how much he... he loved her...

She was actively sobbing now.

Isaac didn't notice, but he did tighten his hold on his caretaker, sensing she was unhappy, and that made him unhappy. Little did he knew she was happy, but she couldn't say why. Well, she could, but she couldn't say why she was crying. This was probably the most confusing thing she had ever experienced, but she didn't want it to stop. She squeezed the boy as tightly as she could without harming him and gently rubbed his tiny bald head, occasionally planting kisses on top of his crown. She rocked him back and forth gently and carefully draped her tendrils around his tiny form to form them into a makeshift blanket that bundled him up like a newborn baby. She didn't say anything, she didn't think about anything. She just focused on the tiny boy in her arms, feeling a sense of warmth she had never known existed, much less craved. But that was the case. She wanted this more than she could explain, she wanted to hold this little boy, her... her son, close. She wanted to be there for him, to comfort him, to be what he saw her as.

A mother... He saw her as his mother...He saw her as the most important, cherished figure in his life, he saw her as someone he could look up to, someone he could depend on, someone he could turn to for comfort and reassurance when things were starting to look bad or scary. He felt true, genuine love for her... Love that he very much wanted to see be reciprocated. And frankly, after seeing that, how could she not? She let out a soft sigh and settled down in the chair, Isaac sleeping soundly on her lap. She closed her eyes (again, they were usually closed, but whatever) and let sleep overtake her as well. Perhaps not sleep, but something like it. A feeling of warmth and love, kept close as the tiny boy she now called her son curled up in her arms, showing her all the love and affection anyone could ever want.

On the other side, Aeon and Venus were watching this play out. Venus let out a soft sigh and turned to give her sister a small smirk. "Well, sis, it's about time they took that final step." She didn't get any reply. "...Sis?" She looked over at her little sister and frowned when she saw her looking away, her shoulders slumped over and shaking violently. "Awww, sis, don't cry, here..." She wrapped an arm around her. She wasn't really sure what to say. Isaac was her child in some timelines, so seeing what she so desperately wanted happen before her to someone else couldn't be easy to watch. "Hey, sis, it'll be okay. He's happy with her." Venus spoke quietly, unsure of what else she could say.

"I know... I know..." Aeon whispered softly through her tears. Isaac was happy. That was something that should make her happy as well. But she just wanted to hold him in her arms loke that so badly... She was so envious of Double... Somehow even moreso than the other timelines where the womem she didn't know personally adopted Isaac...

Queen Lamia watched, then scoffed. Her own Daughter was so... soft?! It was a child! A mortal boy! He had no power, no value, he was nothing but a boy! "You think so lowly of your own child, yet you wonder why you rule nothing." A voice spoke up, and Lamia recoiled in shock at the Spirit of Vengeance looking at her with disgust.

"What do you want, demon?!" She snapped.

"...nothing. Just curious." Was all Zarathos said, before wordlessly leaving. Anger and confusion overwhelmed the former Queen, and she wanted to lash out, but there was no one around. Now powers to draw on.

"And it's all those mortals' fault!" She seethed. She sat down atop her throne and seethed, tapping her fingers against the armrest and gritting her teeth in fury.

"Can't you just be satisfied with Eliza and her followers' deaths? Honestly!" She rolled her eyes at the sound of Palutena's voice.

"Why must you all invade my sanctuary?"

"The others do it because they hate you. I do it because I'm worried about your daughters." Lamia scowled at her. "You're already showing disgust with one of them for having human emotions. How far will it escalate? Would you harm her?"

"How DARE you suggest such a thing?!"

"You were the one who forced them into this, yes?"

"What does that have-"

"And the one who made them into what they were, yes?"

"That has nothing-"

"And the one who refused to heed their concerns about what you were doing, correct?"

"I did no such thing!"

"For someone who claims they wish no harm on their daughters, you seem to have a bad record of not harming them."

"I love them!"

"Then learn to show it better."

"I show it every day!"

"If you really loved them, you would change your ways."

"NEVER!"

"Honestly, why are you children so stubborn?"

"Children?"

"I predate you by many millenia, young lady."

"And yet you keep company with murderers, thieves and demons!"

"Kratos gave up his powers for his son, Zarathos is a judge, not an outright demon, as is Sans. The Watcher shows remorse and only does as they have to for its job, and everything Beerus stole was food."

"Our food!"

"And? You can't starve to death. What use is it to you?"

"What use is it to him?!"

"It keeps him from erasing your daughters from all planes of existence and leaving you a grieving mess." Palutena said flatly. "Yet if I need to spell this out for you, you've clearly learned nothing. You let your emotions control you, you allow lust to blind you. Why do you think you're still here? Simply because we don't like you?"

"That's part of it!" Someone shouted from another plane.

"...be that as it may, if we let you and your daughters go, it's clear YOU would simply return to your wicked ways, and you'd drag your daughters along with you. If that happened, your fate would be much more horrific."

"Once again you threaten md in my own home..."

"I'm not threatening you! I'm trying to guide you off of this awful path you've carved for yourself! Like it or not, you are human, no matter how hard you try to deny it, and I care for each and every member of the human race!"

"Then why did you allow that monster to murder us?!"

"The gods are not allowed to interfere-"

"SHE AND HER FOLLOWERS TORTURED US TO DEATH!"

"Yes! What happened to you and your daughters was horrifying! I know that, you know that, we all know that! But your daughters are not allowing it to rule them like you are, don't you see?! You blame the entire human race for your death when the majority of your subjects wept helplessly at your daughter's execution!"

"If they cared, they would have fought for them!"

"They were civilians with no combat experience! The entirety of your guards died for your sake, fighting with all their might to protect you! Can't you just be satisfied with the fact that your torturer's soul is in the hands of Zarathos now?!"

"No!"

There was silence, and finally Palutena sighed deeply, shaking her head.

"Perhaps the others are right. Perhaps you are a lost cause."

Lamia turned to demand who dared consider her a lost cause, but the Goddess - an ACTUAL Goddess - was gone. She remained where she was, in silence, stewing in anger and frustration. Unfortunately, the words from those far wiser (and more well-known) failed to sink in.

She clenched her fists.

She kicked the wall.

She flipped a table.

None of it did anything to even come close to quelling the intense, unbridled rage she felt at this particular moment or just in general really the way things had been going lately. She screamed and raged out all of her anger and resentment.

...nothing.

No reaction.

No response.

No sounds, no servants, not even her own daughters. Nothing. Not even the few Gods and Entities who seemed to derive enjoyment from tormenting her seemed to be paying her any heed. The crushing isolation she loathed more than anything returned, but this time, there was nothing she could do to ward it off

"Damn then all..." she seethed.

She sat down in her throne and did what she normally did. She quietly stewed in her own anger and hatred.