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?

3. Chapter 3

Double wasn't sure how long she slept, but when she awoke, the sun was rising outside. She blinked in confusion, how long had she slept? She had slept? What? 'What happened-' She began to question, then looked down and felt a warm smile form on her face as she saw Isaac still sleeping soundly. She remembered what had happened the night prior. He had made her a card. And she realized he saw her as a mother.

She gently cupped the little boy's cheek with her hand and stroked it affectionately. "...My precious son..." She said softly. Isaac still slept soundly, but felt happier than he had for some time, and he didn't know why. Double was in no rush to awaken him, and after everything he had experienced, he needed his sleep. Still, it was weird that SHE had slept, let alone slept as long as she had. In the past, she never needed it, but it felt rather nice nonetheless. It was a relaxing sensation, just allowing her mind to rest and come up with whatever imagery it would if left to its own devices... She had experienced dreams for the very first time this time around. She had dreamed she was a green monkey wearing a chocolate cake on her head giving an alligator a driver's exam. He passed.

She had no idea why that had happened, and had genuinely questioned if she had been drugged the night before. But, she wrote it off as the insanity of mortals, as their minds could conjure such a bizarre and meaningless tripe as what she experienced. However, last night was different. She had enjoyed her sleep, and she was happy to wake up with Isaac in her arms. She decided that for the time being, she would just watch him sleep. She formed her tendrils once again and carefully wrapped them around his tiny body to form a makeshift blanket, bundling him up so he could sleep in comfort. She smiled as he nestled into the newly formed tendril blanket. Then the little boy brought his tiny thumb to his mouth and began innocently sucking on it like a baby would a pacifier. It was such a sweet, innocent sight to Double. But for the life of her, she didn't know why. She had seen babies do this in the past, but she always felt indifferent. Yet, she had a pretty good feeling she knew why... she served the Trinity, she only did what they ordered of her, not what she herself enjoyed. This was her learning, adapting, growing.

Yes, she really was becoming human. Becoming her own individual. No longer was she jjst a mindless servant. Now she had her own hobbies, her own interests, her own things that she cared about and was willing to fight to protect. This just felt so... right. She realized her judgement of humans was far too harsh. They were all different, all complicated... And it wasn't as bad as she had expected. These humans were vain, selfish and cruel, but they were also caring, compassionate and kind. When they wanted to be, that was. She had reason to dislike them, but she also had reason to like them. Isaac was a wonderful gift. If someone like him could be amongst the human race, then surely they couldn't be quite as bad as her initial beliefs had led her to think... Why oh why couldn't her mind have been opened up years ago so she wouldn't have to deal with this rapidly building feeling of guilt bubbling to the surface within her?

Alas, it made sense. Who she was, what she was, all those factors led to her seeing humanity as a plague. Simply because she had never experienced it. She wondered if there were other creatures which loathed humanity, but in time came to see the good in them, or beasts which fought to protect a world which wasn't theirs or was no longer there's. That was what she felt like she had to do, at least for Isaac's sake. She looked at the sleeping boy in her arms and nodded her head as it became entirely clear to her what she had to do. This was his world. And because this was his world, as his mother, it was her job to defend it so that he would always have a place to live and be safe. She was most likely not going to become an active hero like that Annie girl, but she was going to put forth more effort into preserving the world she once sought to annihilate. It probably wouldn't be that hard. The Skullheart would appear, and without her guidance, it would die. Simple as that. It's power was immense, but volitile and she knew without someone to show it the way, it would turn on itself and become its own worst enemy.

She just had to ensure that no one wished on it... There were many foolish or desperate people out there that would do anything to have their wish granted, even if it ended up being completely pointless in the end. So many people wanted power, or wealth, or their loved ones back, and none of them seemed to realize the true cost of that, with a few exceptions. Some could use its power and remain unharmed, but more often than not, that wasn't the case. It was also rather odd how only women could use it, but Double assumed it was for the better. Although she had to admit, one timeline she had seen had been rather amusing as a fighter managed to get to the heart, wanting to use it to be allowed to go home, only to THEN find out it wouldn't work because he was male. She honestly had felt somewhat sorry for him... oh well. Not that it mattered, it was in a very different timeline. Hmm... If she had been able to muster up even the slightest bit of sympathy for that man she didn't know in a different timeline, perhaps it was possible that she actually did have more inherent humanity than she had ever realized. Isaac may have been the one to help her awaken this underlying humanity, but it was always there. She, deep down, always had the potential to be a decent person, she just chose to live in ignorance to this, chose to make all these terrible decisions... She felt this odd mix of elated and miserable at this revelation.

Well, there wasn't much she could do now, as she thought it over. The past was in the past, all she could do was ensure Isaac had a better future. Silently, she rose out of bed, keeping Isaac close and comfy and set towards the kitchen, wanting food to be ready for him when he woke up. She decided he needed to prepare something other than steamed vegetables this time around, he needed more balance in his diet. "...Lady Aeon? Can you hear me? I humbly request your directions in preparing a proper breakfast for young Isaac." The false nun asked her mistress for assistance, not confident in her cooking skills.

"Uuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh... okay..." Aeon awkwardly replied, not exactly great at cooking herself. "So, like get some eggs and stuff, and one of those metal frying pans, I think we can figure this out."

They could not.

When they were done, several eggs were all but incinerated, but the toast had survived, somehow.

At that point, Venus had entered the room and saw what had happened, and she began laughig hysterically. "Oh my goodness, you guys made such a huge mess, how did you mess up this badly just cooking eggs?!"

"Oh, and I suppose you could do better then?" Aeon asked with a pout.

"Oh, totally. Just follow my instructions, Double, I'm the one doing all the cooking up here after all."

Double followed as Venus instructed, to much better success. Well, the food didn't catch on fire, so that was already a plus, but still. The food looked good, and thankfully, Isaac had slept through their previous *ahem* attempt. "Little one, it's tome to stir yourself." Double said calmly, beginning to wake Isaac.

Isaac let out a squeak as he stirred from his deep slumber. Sitting up, he rubbed at his eyes with his tiny hands and looked up at his caretaker. Smiling sleepily, he gave her his best smile as he struggled to wake up. Then he reached out for her with his tiny arms. Double smiled and picked him up, unsure how to approach the subject of what she had seen last night, but she figured she could do that later. Right now, Isaac needed to eat, and that was more important than anything else right now. Setting the plate down, she sat down with Isaac on her lap, allowing the tiny boy to eat the breakfast she had prepared (and thankfully, hadn't incinerated. Venus was good at guiding her, she had to admit).

Isaac smiled and gave her a small bow before digging into his breakfast, eating slowly and carefully so as not to spill any of it, both out of not wanting to waste any of it and out of a subconscious fear of punishment if he did spill some. Double watched him eat with a small smile. For some reason watching this child perform simple, basic tasks was weirdly relaxing. He was just a delight. He was gentle and timid, but kind and caring. He was nice to have around, not just because Double was enjoying the feeling of having someone relying on her, not the other way around. 'Yes, yes. Eat and grow strong, my little Isaac.' Double smiled.

She looked over at the leftovers and debated on whether or not she would eat them herself or feed them to Isaac. Eventually, curiousity got the better of her and she decided to eat her eggs, just to see how they tasted. 'Hmm... My cooking js in need of improvement...' She shrugged, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't phenomenal either. She wanted to make something great for her newly taken in son, he deserved nothing but the best. She'd learn, and she'd make something better. Isaac for his part, was happy with the food, and part of that was because Miss Agatha had made it.

Of course, the other part was that he had been eating literal dog food before he had been taken in by her, but that was besides the point. This was a special thing that his mother figure had done just for him, just for the sake of taking care of him. She was clearly inexperienced, as evidenced by the failed pan of eggs, but she was learning. For him. Still, it's not like he could do much better, he had never even tried to cook before. But part of him was curious if he could, maybe he and Miss Agatha could learn together? He could tell it was possibly dangerous, so maybe he'd have to wait until he was older. Either way, he'd look forward to it. He'd look forward to doing anything with Miss Agatha. Spending time with her was just the happiest moments of his young life... Between having no friends, an abusive mother and a father that had been extremely busy with work, having erm... 'human' contact that wasn't revolved around making him miserable was something he valued very much.

What had happened to his Father? At the moment, he couldn't remember exactly. It hadn't been great, and his mother had ben angry at him for something concerning him, was that his fault? Isaac didn't think it was, but then again, he had no way to voice his complaints or concerns aside from the fighting for survival he had experienced. Thankfully, Miss Agatha didn't seem to require him to fight just to be able to go to sleep every night. He was allowed to just be who he was with her. He didn't have to hide anything from her. She didn't seem to mind that he enjoyed drawing creepy stuff. She didn't try to force him to alter any of his tastes and interests to bettèr suit what suited her lifestyle. She just let him be who he was, and she showed no sign that she resented him for it in any way. She seemed to understand that he would be who he would be. Furthermore, she was kind to him. She cared for him and protected him. Two things his actual Mother had barely ever done, even when his Dad was still in the picture for the brief moments Isaac could remember him being there.

His mother was not a mother. No, she was just the one to bring him into this world. As far as he was concerned, his real mother was Miss Agatha. She was more of a mother to him in just two days than his actual mother was in five tears of his life. So he intended to enjoy all the time he got with her, whatever they were doing. Once the food was finished, Double decided they needed to feed the animals, and she had a feeling Isaac would enjoy it if his enjoyment from yesterday was anything to go off of. Oh, who was she joking? Even she enjoyed feeding the animals. Smiling softly, she picked him up and held him close. "Well then... Shall we go and see your friends then?" Isaac clapped his hands eagerly. The nun's smile widened as she gave him a gentle squeeze and began carrying him out of the room. "It warms my heart to see you so excited, my little one."

Isaac looked up, and genuinely smiled at the prospect of seeing the animals again. Double felt a serene sense of calmness she hadn't felt, since, well, maybe ever. There was something so 'normal' about all this, and it oddly felt reassuring for reasons she couldn't explain. Still, she found herself rather liking it. This was her life now. No longer did it revolve around deception and destroying the lives of others. Now there were far more productive things going on in her life. Helping things grow and nurturing them into the best they could possibly be... It was such a gratifying feeling that she simply couldn't get enough of!

She wondered if she should try gardening again. She had attempted to grow some plants earlier, but both her lack of experience, and insufficient security systems (from the animals) ensured that didn't last long. Yet maybe now with Isaac, she had a good reason to try again. Double didn't know what she'd do with them if they actually grew, but it may be something else to do with the little boy she was now caring for.

He had a respectable enjoyment of nature, one that she was more than happy to cater to in any way she could. It was an interest they shared after all. It was so rare to encounter someone who so perfectly shared your interests... She had someone to share her passions with... And in return, she would let him share his own passions with her. After all, it was only right that he should have what he loved respected and taken seriously.

Granted, he seemed to enjoy rather odd and somewhat macabre things, but Double understood that. Aside from being essentially an Eldritch abomination akin to the horrific creature that she had heard stalked the realm known as the Upside-Down. A place so terrifying, not even the Trinity wanted to go within fifty thousand miles of it. Isaac's life had been surrounded by monsters and macabre things, so it was only natural he'd have a fascination with them. Still, he didn't seem fascinated in a twisted way, but rather curious and given some sort of creative ideals with it.

He wanted to know more about these things... She was willing to teach him, most certainly, if only to help him understand that these were dangerous and disgusting monsters that were not to be trifled with, but also to teach him the best possible ways to combat these creatures should he ever come face to face with them again. She absolutely hated, despised the fact that he had been forced to mutilate himself in order to combat these monsters... She wanted him to be able to defend himself, most definitely, but she also didn't want him getting hurt anymore... Her protective side was really beginning to awaken, it seemed.

These creatures didn't seem to care, they truly seemed like animals.

"It's all they are." A deep, rather intimidating voice spoke up, one Double didn't recognize, but felt clear apprehension over merely hearing. "They hunt, they kill, they feed. That's all. They're not agents of vengeance, their the remains of souls who were unable to be reached, now reduced to nothing but a monster..."

Double went quiet, unsure if she should speak or not. Mainly, uncertain if she should ask who was talking, but then the voice was gone, and she looked around confused. Agents of Vengeance? Why did that seem so familiar?

'You've been around for ages, it probably was spoken of in the past.' She reasoned. 'Focus on Isaac now, your past later.'

She still gave the boy a nervous squeeze though...

She made her way to the room her animals resided in and let out a sigh as she saw that several of them had escaped their enclosures. "For heaven's sake, Nash, stop bothering Cider. You know she doesn't like you." Indeed, the cat in question was trying to squeeze himself through the holes in Cider's cage.

As he did this, the frustrated fox was using her paw to forcibly push him back out, as the weirdly malleable body of a cat was allowing him to actually come very close to squeezing through this tiny little hole.

Of course, every time he was pushed out, Nash would let out one of his long, whiny meows before promptly trying again.

She really didn't get that cat.

Still, the others seemed to be sleeping, or playing with one another while they awaited the only thing that mattered to them. Food. Some noticed Isaac, and mewed happily, and others noticed Double and mewed happily because food. Setting Isaac down to pet the incoming cats, Double began preparing the food.

She poured the pellets and mush into separate bowls.

Certain kitties were very picky about what they were willing to eat. Some would only touch the dry food, some would only bother with the mush, and others still wanted the two mixed togethet. Feeding these snobby animals was always the most complicated part of her daily routine because they were just so picky.

Thankfully, she got it right this time and the kittens all took to their bowls and began eating. Double looked back and watched as Isaac seemed to be looking at Cider. The fox didn't seem angered, or even that interested in him. But compared to how she reacted to most animals and people, this was more than unusual.

Isaac noticed Nash was still trying to squeeze himself through the cage and decded to stop him. Toddling his way over, he grabbed the cat and picked him up off the floor. Nash whined at this and squirmed in Isaac's grip trying to escape and return to his daily routine of annoying the other animals before eventually giving up.

He returned and mewed in annoyance, before pushing the food from his bowl so he could sit in it. Isaac looked to Double, concerned for the cat's mental health, and she merely shrugged. She didn't know what to say concerning Nash, so she simply gave up.

"Nash is... Nash." She said, and Isaac nodded in confused understanding.

She looked at the cat as he started trying to eat his bowl again. She sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, cat, do you somehow manage to subside entirely off of chewing on plastic your entire life?" She chided.

Nash looked at her like he thought she was an idiot.

He then went back to chewing plastic.

"I feel like he's mocking me." Double muttered, indignantly. She turned back to the others, having Isaac assist her in preparing the bowls and other dishes for the animals and set them down before them. Isaac was a good listener, taking everything she said to heart and doing his best to make he food the best it could be for the animals on the first try. If anything, he may be over-trying, but it was cute.

He looked at her with wide, questioning eyes.

She smiled back at him and gently patted his head. "Yes, my child, you have done very well." She assured him gently. He beamed with pride and hugged her leg, prompting her to pick him up and hold him close. "There's a good child... Now come along, we've others to feed still..." She carried him off to tend to the rest of her-no... the rest of THEIR pets. Isaac responded by excitedly clapping his hands.

The two worked for about twenty minutes, and then all the animals were fed. Double wondered something she had often questioned; what would she do with them? Yes, here they had food, shelter and care, but they were, well, animals. Should she keep them to herself? Or should she allow them to find new and possibly better homes?

'Whatever may happen, it's clear Isaac will be of great help in that outcome.' She mused, nodding to herself as she smiled at Isaac.

Still, if she did give them away, which she doubted she would due to wanting to be selfish and keep them all to herself, she would have to be absolutely certain they were given to people she trusted with all her heart. But that was a very short list. In fact, it was so short that only one person was even on it.

She trusted Isaac, but he was a child, and he lived with her...She had literally nobody else in the world that she trusted.

She figured that could be a bridge to build or cross when they came to t, and from the way things were going, they weren't near that bridge any time soon.

"You're doing really well, D." Venus remarked with a smile, but Double could tell something was off.

"Lady Venus, is Lady Aeon all right?"

"She's... uh... it's complicated." Venus coughed awkwardly.

Double tilted her head with a frown. Her goddess' current mood was most concerning... What could it mean?

Could it perhaps mean that she was not doing an adequate job as Isaac's caregiver? But she was trying so hard...

What was she doing wrong?

"That's not the problem." Venus reassured her.

Double was confused, and a little nervous, so Venus decided to just be blunt for a moment.

"Look, this is a feeling you and post people will probably never, ever feel, and that's a good thing. But A's dealing with I guess you could call it separation Anxiety? She sees her kid, but she can't be with him, and even if she could, it's not HER kid. Does that make sense?"

It did. To an alarming degree. Double looked down at Isaac sadly, noting that in at least one timeline, this little boy was Aeon's son, and now, she saw that, and saw him, but could never have that kind of connection.

It was a very awful sort of situation for any mother to be in, being so far away from their child, unable to hold them...

Forced to watch them be cared for by someone else, forced into a position where they have nothing to do with their son's life... It was a thought that she would never experience, but just the thought sent shivers up her spine.

Isaac remained oblivious to his mother's sad stare, too focused on playing and interacting with the animals. She let out a sigh and smiled softly. This boy really did have a penchant for dredging happy feelings out...

Actually, did Isaac know she now saw him as her son? She hadn't said anything about it yet... and now, the thought of bringing it up sent... what was this? Was this fear? No. It wasn't fear. It felt similar to it, but almost sickly, as if she was afraid of something which hadn't happened or may not happen. What an odd feeling. Double had never experienced this in her long existence, and wasn't sure how to deal with it. Was it fear of Isaac rejecting her? If somehow hurting him? Both those things?

She frowned and tilted her head to the side, trying to puzzle out why she felt this way. 'How peculiar... I already know he sees me as his mother... He directly stated so in that card he was drawing, which I would imagine he intended to give it to me at some point... Surely there shouldn't be any reason for this uncomfortable dread... Hmm... Could it be perhaps that I am afraid of challenging the status quo? How very... human of me...' She sighed at this last thought and studied Isaac closely.

He seemed happy as could be, petting Kazan as the old tortoise chomped down on the cold leaves. The gentle giant seemed to have an air of wisdom about him, and Double never failed to find that concept amusing. She knew animals were intelligent, Nash being the exception, but Kazan seemed to have a 'traveled' look to him. As if he had seen many worlds, many lifetimes, many journeys. It was a ridiculous thought, but it was also amusing.

'Still, I should at least tell him that I do intend to keep him as more than a guest.' Double reasoned. 'Little Isaac has probably figured it out for himself, but perhaps hearing that will help reassure him.'

Nodding her head, she approached the little boy and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, falling down to her knees to put herself more on his level. He looked up to her with his head tilted to the side, a curious expression on his face. She smiled warmly at him. 'We have fed all the animals, child, so now there is something I wish to discuss with you. And no... It is nothing bad, I promise you that."

Isaac blinked, then nodded in understanding. Double smiled and carefully picked him up, holding him against her shoulder as she carried him upstairs.

Once she was back in her (and Isaac's) room, she smiled as she seated herself on his bed. Isaac looked up, somewhat confused and a little concerned about all this. He didn't THINK he had done anything bad...

"Now, Isaac. You know I am more than happy to have you here." She said with a smile. Isaac nodded timidly, still unsure on what to do. "But last night, I found one of your drawings, and I noticed you referred to me as your Mother."

Isaac's eyes widened in fear, afraid he had gone too far and was now going to be punished because of it.

"I am more than happy to fill that role if that is what you want."

Isaac froze for all of two seconds before slowly moving his head to look up at her. He was searching her thoroughly, searching for any signs of sarcasm or dishonesty, anger, hatred, disgust, any such things.

He found none of that. Instead, what he did find, was a warm, sincere smile that reassured him, promised him that she was being completely and totally honest and up front with him. She really was offering to be his mommy...

His eyes were blurry, he was having a hard time seeing, his eyes felt moist, and he took a few moments to realize he was crying.

But why? He wasn't sad...

Double didn't fully understand either, but she felt like the right thing to do was hug him. So, she did. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go of her son. She didn't get why she felt this way, but her son seemed unhappy, and she wanted to un-unhappy him... if that was the proper term, and if it wasn't, let it be darned.

"There, there, my child." She spoke softly. "It's all right, you have nothing to be upset over."

She rocked him back and forth gently to try and ease his fears... But then, was he actually sad though? Could it be that this was similar to the tears she had shed without understanding them when she had seen the picture? Was it possible that what Crona waa feeling now was that mysterious happy feeling?

...Tears of joy... Such a thing was real?

Well, they had to be as she was now experiencing them. Yet it didn't do much to change her thoughts from how odd such a concept was. She wasn't well-versed in human emotions, but this seemed all backwards, yet he she was.

'It truly seems like my son brings out the best in me.' She smiled to herself.

She pulled Isaac away from her and gave him a small smile. "So Isaac... What do you think? Would you like to officially be known as my child?" She asked gently. "I will be more than happy to accept you..."

Isaac sniffled, then nodded his head slowly.

Double smiled, happy to know that Isaac was willing to see her as his Mother. Wrapping her arms and a few tendrils around him, she sighed contently as Isaac snuggled closer to his new caretaker. Her chest felt warm, and she liked this feeling. Was this love? She supposed it was, and she was okay with it. In fact, she rather liked it.

One might even go so far as to say that she... loved it? Yes, that was the most probable answer for this immensely powerful feeling welling up within her... She had never known what love was until this precise moment, but now it was crystal clear to her... This was what it meant to unconditionally love someone...

Isaac was snug in hhis new Mom's arms, feeling a sense of love and warmth he had never experienced before. To him, this was the best feeling in the world! And if he went through the hells he did to end up with Miss Agatha, then he was fine with that!

Double seemed to pick up on his thoughts and frowned slightly. She didn't want him trying to justify his nightmares, but this wasn't the time to deal with that.

She simply gave her son a gentle squeeze and rocked him back and forth in her arms gently, before pausing when she felt him shaking in her arms. Why was he shaking? Was he cold? Did he need a blanket?

Upon closer inspection, she quickly found that he was silently sobbing into her chest, all the pain he had suffered catching up with him.

"Oh, you poor, sweet child..." she cooed softly, rocking him in her arms in an attempt to soothe him. She didn't know a lot about calming a human, but she hoped this worked well enough for the time being. "It's all right, those nightmares are over now. They cannot ever come near you again. I promise you that. You're safe and secure here with me, and nothing will ever take you from me."

She adjusted him so that his head was rested on her shoulder and buried in the crook of her neck. "You know that my power is much greater than theirs... If they were to ever try to come for you again, they would first have to go through me... I would destroy them with no effort..." Despite her words, Isaac was still sobbing into her neck. She frowned sadly and gently patted his back to provide comfort.

She wasn't sure what else she could say or do to try and comfort Isaac, and in the end, she decided that the best option was to simply hold him close and safe. Maybe he just needed to get this pain and fear out, then things would be okay for him. That made sense, but Double didn't like it. She didn't like that he needed to get this pain out to begin with... but then again, she couldn't say she hadn't caused many children similar pain if she was honest with herself...

How many parents had been lost in the many skullgirl attacks she had orchestrated? How many already awful parents had lashed out physically or verbally at their children as a result of them? How many tears had been shed because of her and the trinity's actions? How... How many children had they killed...? How many young innocent lives had been cruelly snuffed out because of her creators' bitter, petty vengeance against the human race? Had they even found peace in their deaths?

Or had they become the monsters Isaac was forced to face?

'I've done so many terrible things, yet only now do I feel even the slightest bit of remorse... why?' Double thought. She wasn't sure if she felt sad (remember, she was new to this whole 'emotions' thing) but there wasn't the pride or satisfaction she normally felt when her duties were concerned.

"Because only now are you seeing what you have caused." Another deep voice spoke in her head, and she flinched slightly. "Only now do you see the death and chaos your path has wrought, similar to the path I chose when I agreed to serve false Gods and their Wars. Yet here is where you have a choice. Will you become better, or will you fall from this path? Whatever your choice is, neither will be easy, and once you've made that choice, there is no going back. You will lose something you cared for, but also gain something you care for more than anything."

'What will I lose? I won't lose Isaac, I won't!'

"You will lose who you were, and you will lose those you served in one way or another.' The voice replied after a few moments of silence. 'But as I said, this is not something a Goddess of Wisdom, or a God of War could choose for you. This is your life. Live it.'

Double said nothing. Never in her life had she been given such sagelike advice... This was a true deity... This was a being of immense power that had seen enough of this world to know just what to say... and with the utmost confidence at that.

'Thank you.' Double somewhat awkwardly said, but received no reply. Still, she understood what was being said, and for the first time in possibly forever, she felt an odd sense of dread. She knew what she had to do, she was done with the Trinity, she was no longer their creation, she was not their slave... but how would they react?

"FINALLY!" Venus exclaimed, laughing in exasperation as she watched Double finally put it all together.

"Yes... this was long overdue, I would say..." Aeon nodded, still feeling rather off from seeing Isaac accept Double as his Mom. Sure, this may not be 'her' Isaac, but she wasn't sure if there was a 'her' Isaac.

Isaac didn't really belong to anybody, he wasn't her Isaac, he wasn't Double's Isaac, he wasn't Filia, Cerebella, Marie or Parasoul's Isaac, he was just... Isaac. No matter what timeline, no matter who cared for him, he always remained the sweet, pure, innocent little boy that had melted her formerly cold, hardened heart.

Still, she cared for him, and she knew that, as hard as it would be, the best thing would be to move on. She'd love Isaac with all her heart for as long as she lived, and if she was lucky (although she didn't feel like she would EVER deserve this) she maybe one day could meet Double again and meet this version of Isaac. Yes, she believed that was more than she deserved, but still.

Everyone was at least slightly selfish at the end of the day, that was why the skullheart had so mucn power over the human race... She would never be able to let go of these desires to be a mother... It would likely only get stronger when a universe where she was raising Harry or Crona inevitably popped up too...

Still, if Isaac was safe with Double, she could live with that for the time being. It didn't mean she liked it, but she could live with it.

"Hey... Isaac's safe." Venus said, kindly. "I miss him too, but we both know this is probably for the best."

"I... Yes. I know

She knew it was what was best for her child in the end. She knew this was what ultimately needed to happen.

She knew that this was a lesson she needed to learn. She knew that it all just had to be this way for the good of everyone.

But what was best was so rarely what was easy...

But again, she could hardly act like she had done no wrong. The fact she was allowed this much freedom (even if she was forever trapped here) was probably more than she deserved. Heck, the fact she could even WATCH Isaac was more than she had expected. Apparently one of the Gods, something called a 'Watcher' had convinced the others to at least let them see the different worlds, as it may help them somehow.

But she knew her sister was right. Isaac was safe now, he was loved, there wasn't much she could do or wanted to do to change that.

He was in the hands of someone she knew personally and trusted to look after him too, that was more than she could have ever asked for... She had looked into the timelines where he was taken in by that naive schoolgirl that repeatedly failed to see signs of abuse, that idiotic circus performer that left him with that rotten father of hers for a month, that tortured experiment that could have skewered him and killed him entirely by accident at any time, that nurse that was willing to do anything to end the skullgirls no matter who she hurt...

Needless to say, her counterpart in those dimensions was a terrified, screeching wreck half the time, even if those women, at their core, were very good and loving mothers...

'Yet they're only like that because of us.' Aeon had to admit to herself. They were twisted, or misled, or desperate because of what THEY had brought into the world, not because of who they were outside of that. It was further proof of how wrong they had been, and how twisted their actions had been. Without the Skullheart, they most likely wouldn't've turned out like they had, good mothers or not.

Well, except for circus girl, she was just dumb and would probably be mindlessly serving her obviously evil mafia boss father regardless of whether or not the skull heart was involved... But without skullgirls, the Medici girl wouldn't have been gunned down and had her memories erased by a parasite, the lab rat wouldn't have been turned into a living weapon and the nurse wouldn't have the motivation to turn the lab rat into a living weapon.

Humanity was... troubled. And she certainly wasn't helping things. None of them were. Heck, Isaac aside, Double sure as heck wasn't helping anyone at all. If anything, she was another massive issue.

'She's an issue because YOU made her that, dumbass.' A voice spoke in her head, and she bristled at one of the more... abrasive Gods speaking to her. 'She literally had no reason to exist, and you gave her the reason of being a monster.'

"That's not..." Aeon began, but knew it was true.

The words, the instinct to defend herself and deny any responsibility, died in her throat and she let out a soft sigh and nodded her head. She really didn't have any right to defend herself against any accusations thrown her way...

Double was never given a choice until now. Isaac was her chance to have thst choice. She was free to be a different person, a better person than she was before... All it took was one little boy to help her see that.

Isaac was a gift to all who took him in, in every single timeline. He changed their entire outlook on life...

She knew this was how it should be, at least this time, and she sighed softly. There wasn't anything she could do...

'I get it.' Another voice spoke in her head, the one who had actually seemed (somewhat) compassionate, and had convinced the others to at leas let them watch the timelines. 'There's been a lotta worlds where I wanna help, or I want whatever's happening to happen to me, but sometimes... sometimes that's just not an option, and that's a really hard thing to live with.'

Back below, Isaac had finally stopped crying, be it because he had cried himself dry, or simply had calmed down, Double couldn't tell. But her grip didn't loosen on him either way.

She maintained her calm, serene demeanour and gently patted his back. "There we are, my little one, you are safe..."

Isaac slowly looked up at her with huge, tearstained eyes and let out what she could only assume was supposed to be a whimper. With a gentle squeeze and a soft "Shhhh...", she rocked him back and forth gently. Isaac sniffled and snuggled into her embrace, clutching tightly at her habit with his tiny fists.

The demonic nun smiled sadly as he pressed himself as tightly against her as he possibly could. He really was such a sweet thing...

Yet for how cute he was, that hadn't spared him the nightmares he was exposed to over and over again. But, now she had him, ergo, those nightmares ended here and now. She was now his Mom, a position she had never expected herself to occupy under any circumstance. But, she was glad to be proven wrong.

This time.

How arrogant she was... Always expecting to be seen as the one in the right due to being the creation of a higher force of being... She let out a sigh as she realized how much her outlook on life was changing and improving, she was becoming more open minded and understanding of the humans she once loathed.

All thanks to one little boy.

Well, these changes were good, and she wasn't going to fight them like many of the other changes she had witnessed. She also knew sooner or later she'd have to get up, as it wasn't exactly good conduct to sit in one place all day, but Isaac was so content. So... good conduct could wait. She was spending time with her son.

After all, if it was for his sake, how bad could it really be, right? A sleeping child needed a nice, stable, safe place to rest where they felt comfortable after all. She smiled mirthfully at her self justification and let out a soft sigh. If anyone came in, she would just send one of the Gehenna doubles she made to deal with it...

Thankfully for the time being, it seemed rather quiet and calm. Even the animals all seemed to be doing their own thing and didn't require her assistance. As much as she enjoyed their company, they could be a little problematic at times. But right now, it was just her and Isaac, and she was happy.

A soft mewl alerted her to Guppy's presence just before he jumped up onto her lap. The small cat sat down on his haunches and looked up at Isaac, letting out a meow to get his attention. The boy looked over and tilted his head at his pet. Guppy padded his way across Double's lap, hopped up to rest his forelegs on Isaac's side and lightly batted at him with his paw in a playful manner.

Isaac let out what Double had come to associate as his laugh and reached down, patting his kitten. The small kitten mewed happily and leaned into it, the two seeming rather happy together. The kitten batting at Isaac, and the small boy returning the affection with head pats. There was something oddly soothing about all of it.

He was so happy with just his little kitty and it warmed the false nun's heart to watch their interactions. Guppy himself had a rather dark past. She had just barely managed to pull him out from the gutter before he was swept away by a storm after his cardboard box had fallen apart due to heavy rain.

Still, she doubted Isaac needed to know that at the moment. And despite all he had seen, Guppy seemed to be doing just fine. Sure, he could be a little anti-social, often not interacting with the other kittens, but Double was fine with letting Guppy come into his own. And if his own meant bonding with Isaac, she saw no reason to interfere.

Though currently she was fully expecting the few friends Guppy did have to come up and join the main family. Cotton the rabbit and Lemon the budgie. The little troublemaker was always helping those two escape so they could play around the cathedral, so she got the sense she would be seeing more of them in the near future.

She let out a small sight and smiled down at Isaac, who seemed happy as could be. This was really all she wanted for him. She just wanted him to be happy, to be able to enjoy life and have someone care for him. He deserved it, more than anyone! And of course, that meant he had been denied it. Whatever, she was here to ensure he had a better life.

And she would do anything it took to make sure that happened... The boy had certainly improved her life by a significant margin, and she knew that she had returned the favour to an extent, but there was still more to do to help him find the happiness and love that he truly deserved. Only the best for her child after all.

Isaac needed to be happy, he deserved to be! And now she intended on making him happy. Whatever that took.

"My sweet little boy." She said kindly, rocking in the chair she sat in gently. Isaac looked up and smiled at her, feeling love for the first time in a long time.

This was the first time he had ever received love from a sentient being. Everyone else had just bullied and hurt him...

He had previously given up on ever feeling loved. But he was learning that he could be cared for...That there were people that would show him a decent life...

He had always believed this to be true, but just not for him. Really, he hadn't been able to fight against these thoughts, and had accepted it as truth, relegating himself to a life of pain and misery from which he couldn't escape. But then he met Miss Agatha, his new Mom. She had been kind to him from the start, she didn't have to be, but she was!

But why her and not anyone else? The other kids in his class bullied him, his mother abused him, his father was rarely there, the only one who had shown him kindness was his pet! Was Miss Agatha just the exception to the rule? Was she the only really nice person in the entire world? Would he be hated by everyone else except her?

He didn't want to think so... but he wasn't sure who else there was. Well, there was Guppy, and the other animals, they were nice. And no one had attacked them while they were out, so that was a plus...

No one had really acknowledged him either though... He was just sort of... there as far as they were concerned... Miss Agatha had been the only one to pay him any real mind... Was he supposed to initiate first contact...?

He didn't want to anger or upset anyone, so what would happen if they didn't like him? Isaac believed there were good people in the world, and that he could make friends (Miss Agatha was proof!) but aside from her and the animals, he didn't know much about making friends. But on the other hand, what was he supposed to do? Just stand around and do nothing? There had to be more to it than that.

He knew that he had to interact with them somehow. But how could he do that? He didn't even have a voice. He couldn't talk to people. They would have no idea what he was trying to say and they would just see him as that creepy kid that draws creepy pictures and deserves to die and go to hell and it would be just like being back in school all over again and he really didn't want to to back to living like that...

"Shh... shh... shh... it's all right, Little Isaac." Double suddenly spoke up, soothingly. She pulled Isaac close once again and sighed, rubbing his back. "It's okay, it's going to be okay." She wasn't telepathic, but she had a pretty good feeling she knew what Isaac was thinking about, and shw didn't like it. "We'll figure this out, together. You don't need to concern yourself with your whole future in a single day, little one."

Isaac squeaked in response and nestled into her embrace with a small content smile. He looked up at her with huge adoring eyes that warmed her heart. She gently rubbed his head and leaned back in her rocking chair. "We have plenty of time to figure everything out, my child... You see... I too find it difficult to understand and interact with others. I've never even really given anyone else mucn thought... Until I met you..."

Isaac looked up and felt somewhat relaxed by those words, as if it wasn't just him who had this issue, but his Mother as well. Maybe if adults had this issue, he didn't need to be so concerned about it. Besides, if she said she'd help him, he believed her full-heartedly.

They could learn how to interact with people and make friends together... And if it all went wrong, they would still have each other and their pets to keep them comfort... Everything was going to turn out okay...

Double had a feeling despite her wanting this to be true, something was going to go wrong. Sooner or later, it had too. But, whatever went wrong was going to have to go against HER, so she didn't expect it to end badly for Isaac, just anyone stupid enough to mess with her (or Isaac).

She was, at the very least, fairly confident in her own abilities, at least enough so to keep herself and her son safe from any potential threata to their safety from mortals. But there was also the fear of one of these deities deciding she was an unworthy guardian for the boy and deciding they were going to smite her...

Unbeknownst to her, even the most vicious and violent ones saw her attempts and beginning of true change, and were fine with leaving her be for the time being. Heck, they weren't concerned for Isaac's well-being (aside from the demon stuff, but they were working to ensure that would NEVER happen again.) Unfortunately (and despite the efforts of some of the kinder ones) they hadn't voted to let Aeon and Venus leave their prison, but also hadn't voted to do anything more to punish them. Even the more, well, 'sadistic' wouldn't be the right word. But the more chaotic deities didn't feel like messing with them for their own amusement right now. Honestly, Lamia was the only one they still had issue with, and unfortunately it didn't seem like those issues were going anywhere any time soon. Her anger, vanity, pride and hatred still burned too harshly, and truth be told? they were running out of ideas to help/reasons to not just condemn her to an eternity of pain.

They were kicking around ideas, trying to figure out some way to get through to the woman and force her to learn her lesson. Physical assault was no good, and too many of the gods were morally against harming her... Messing with her and pulling pranks wasn't doing any good, no matter how many snowbanks Snow Miser threw her into, she just never learned... She scoffed off any and all attempts at talking to her, absolutely refusing to get the point and change herself for the better... It really did seem like a pointless effort that would lead them nowhere... "Why don't we try solitary confinement?" Whis suggested. "She relishes in the worship and dedication of others, so perhaps if we force her to spend her every waking moment all alone for several decades, she will come to understand what her futute holds if she carries on with this self destructive path that she's carved forward for herself." The gods all genuinely considered this option, some more pleased with it than others.

"Okay, so... I'm not saying this is a good idea, but it's an idea." Thorn remarked, some groaning at her history of 'Ideas' and others seeming interested. "The only thing Llama seems to care for is Aeon and Venus-"

"And herself." Beerus interrupted.

"Right. Yeah. So what if we took them left her truly alone?"

"...you're saying we should kill Aeon and Venus?" Zarathos asked.

"What?! No! Absolutely not!"

"Oh. Okay, I didn't think you were saying that..."

"What I'm saying is, even if we don't send them back to Earth, we send Aeon and Venus somewhere else. somewhere where they won't have contact with Lam." Thorn continued. "Let them truly live without her influence, and let Lamia see what little she truly has."

"It sounds like it would cause excruciating emotional anguish for her... this is a good idea."

"Beerus..." Raiden muttered.

"What? You won't let us take the simple solution to the problem and simply destroy her, what has she done to earn any sort of respite from us?"

"She is human... She has feelings and emotions, much moreso than you or I. Humans are emotionally frail creatures. If we approach this in the wrong way, we may permanently destroy her psyche..."

"And? I fail to aee any downsides here." The cat said lazily.

"You really need to work on your empathy." Palutena chided.

"Hmph." Beerus grunted.

"With that said, I am not against the idea..." Raiden started.

"Great! Let's go get the kids and leave old mother stubborn locked in her room!" The embodiment of chaos, Discord, cheered.

"However!" Raiden raised a hand to command attention. "If we are going to do this, we mustn't leave her alone. One of us will have to monitor her and make sure she doesn't go entirely mad from isolation."

"So we leave her alone with someone she doesn't like then?" Beerus asked.

"Well... I suppose that would be best, yes..." Raiden sighed.

"Oh! Oh let me do it! I haven't visited my dear friend Lamia in ages! I must see how she's doing! I was thinking I would turn her entire castle into fish sticks this time!" Discord pleaded. He was by far Lamia's most hated of the gods. He was a relentless prankster after all.

"I am in full support of this." Beerus nodded.

"Again. Empathy. Learn it." Palutena said flatly.

"Oh, and the millions she's slaughtered with that stupid heart are okay?"

"..."

"Haven't you killed many, many more?"

"Yes. That's my job."

It was clear that this honestly seemed like the only solution everyone was in some level of agreement on, even if a few of them thought that it may be a bad idea to send Discord. But even some of the purer-hearted ones had to admit, it'd probably be pretty amusing to see her reaction.

"But what about the other two?" Spawn spoke up, having been quiet (as usual). "I don't think sendin' them back to their Earth is a good idea, and they ain't comin' up here. And like it or not, I doubt most of us WANT them on our turf for whatever reason."

"Let's not worry about!" Discord said. "I'll just bring Lamia to my domain!"

"You mean the distorted chaotic mess where nothing makes sense?" Palutena asked.

"Excuse me, do I criticize your internal decorating?!"

"Discord..."

"Palutena's temple is boring and samey and I need three pairs of sunglasses to protect my eyes!"

"Don't be like that."

"You decorate how you like, I'll do it how I like! If I want cotton candy clouds raining chocolate milk, a seven headed hydra, fused animals with freakishly disturbing body proportions and a large statue of myself made out of soap bubbles in the dead center, that is my perogative!"

Everyone stared at the draconequs as he sat there in a huff. "...Okay. Guess Lamia's going on vacation to Discord's place." Palutena sighed. Discord threw his arms up and let out a cheer of excitement, eager to get back to messing with his favourite target.

"I fully support this. On the sole condition you record her reaction." Heat Miser said.

"Oh, do you believe I wasn't going to set up at least three dozen cameras to film her glorious reaction, you're SORELY mistaken!" Discord laughed.

"All right, but what about that freak show they created, the one watching the kid?" Spawn asked, pointing with a chain to the screen showing Double and Isaac.

"Honestly, I think we should leave them be." Zarathos said, shocking a few in the room by his... well, not-Zarathos-ness. "It was their weapon, but it- er, she, I guess, is becoming more than that now that she has the boy."

"Agreed." Raiden nodded.

"Yup."

"Totally."

"They've been through enough, let them have this."

"The kid's been through hell, I think she's best for him."

"Take away the sisters and Lamia, and she'll live as close to a human life as she can get." Whis reasoned. "Without those pretenders trying to summon that wretched heart every seven years, and the little boy she now cares for, she could effectively be human, powers not withstanding."

"Fair point."

"Exactly."

"Yeah, makes sense, I guess."

"Then it's settled."

"Pretty much." The Watcher nodded, closing a tome.

"But what about the heart?" Thorn asked, raising a fair point.

"Hrgh... it was made by all three of them." Kratos remarked. "The two sisters show no interest in it, and Double no longer shows a want to guard it. Lamia may be stupid enough to try and create it on her own..."

"Ahahaha~! I'd like to see her try!" Discord laughed at the mere notion of it.

He rubbed his paw and talon together.

"What will you turn it into, my good chum? A frozen heart? A cow's heart? A frozen heart?" Snow Miser asked.

"You said frozen heart twice." Heat Miser muttered, crossing his arms and sulking at his brother's continued insistence on pushing his preferred element. "I'd prefer it be turned into a heart aflame personally..."

"Oh, it doesn't matter, I'll turn it into something ridiculous that'll make her look like an idiot. Hmm... Maybe I'll turn it into a magic lamp, hide inside of it and grant wishes to anyone that finds it!" He laughed.

"And you'll grant any wish?" Thorn asked.

"Yes, but whether they'll like it or not varies on the person."

"Ah, the classic cruel genie. What a wonderful trick." Beerus snickered.

"Hope Lorenzo finds it. I'd love to see how you twist his wishes..." Spawn drawled.

"He wants an empire, he'll get one! We'll see how he likes running a lowly fast food empire." Discord snickered.

"So it seems we are at an agreement then." Raiden spoke up. "Queen Lamia will spend the next three decades imprisoned with Discord, and her daughters will be given free reign of their home." He concluded.

"Yes, I suppose they won't cause trouble." Zarathos said.

"You're on their side now?" Snow Miser asked.

"Not entirely. I will watch them closely."

"Well I believe they have changed." Palutena said.

"They're definitely on the right track." Spawn nodded.

"In good time, they will be free." Thorn nodded.

"But when will we initiate this plan?" Whis asked, putting a finger under his chin. "Do we go ahead and get it over with right this very moment, or do we wait and watch her to see what she does?" Raiden clasped his hands.

"We will begin within the week."

Back below, Double sighed, rising to her feet with Isaac secure in her arms. He had settled down somewhat, but was still a little awkward and tense. But the small smile on his face told her he was doing okay, and that's all that mattered to her in this moment. Things were weird, they weren't great (aside from the fast that Isaac saw her as his Mother) but she was content for the moment. There was so much to consider, so many factors to now see as simply part of her life, but she wasn't totally sure what to make of all of them. From now being considered almost 'human' to now trying to live on her own, away from the Trinity's control, to the needs of Isaac, there was so much more to consider.

What was she to do with her life now? She couldn't exactly encourage the people of the city to come and worship the trinity anymore, they were more or less disgraced deities... She certainly didn't want to anger the forces above that seemed as though theh could easily smite her if given an excuse to do so... Would she have to... repurpose her church and turn it into one meant for the mysterious deities that stole back power from three power hungry mortals? That would certainly be complicated. First off, the public was already so used to worshipping the trinity that the sudden change would be downright jarring. And second, she just didn't know who these new gods were or how many of them existed...

'Maybe it doesn't have to change, for the time being.' Double reasoned, biting her lip slightly as she considered her options. 'This was always meant to be a sanctuary, a place for all to come and be at peace. Perhaps it could still be that, even if the Trinity isn't mentioned as much. Then again, perhaps these new deities may be able to erase everyone's minds? No. No... that would be ridiculous. Not to mention wrong to some degree. Removing the memories of so many without warning could cause more harm than good.'

She looked around the large open room which the services were held in. For so long, things had made sense. But now, she was realizing they only made sense because she was told what that 'sense' was. The truth was a real eye-opener, and predictably, conflicting.

Her entire world view was being challenged... No, not just challenged, torn apart at the very seams... Nothing she had believed prior to the demise of the last skullgirl rang true anymore... Why oh why did she have to be made with genocidal intentions by a homicidal maniac that wanted to feed her own ego? ...That was an awful thing to think about the woman she once considered a goddess. But the thing was, she didn't particularly care anymore, that woman was an affront to her child's safety.

Wow. She really was changing at a rapid pace, wasn't she? She never would have imagined even being capable of feeling such vitriol towards Queen Lamia. Perhaps the fact that she was a mother herself now was the reason for that...

Still, it was human to change. Was it not? If that's what being human was, then that's what she would do. Change meant accepting things weren't always as they seemed, and as the voice had warned her, she would lose what she held dear, but gain something so much more precious. Looking to Isaac, she knew exactly what he was talking about.

The Trinity may hate her now, but that was that. She no longer wanted to be their slave, not when she had something worth living for now.

"Mother may hate you for turning your back on her, Double... But Venus and I never could. Your loyalty is much appreciated, and I am very grateful to you for caring for my child where I cannot. I appreciate you with all my heart, my faithful servant... No... My beloved close friend..." Aeon's voice filled her head.

Double teared up and smiled softly. It felt wonderful to know that at least two lf her creators still cared for her...

Isaac looked up, and she knew that the little boy also cared greatly for her, which also helped her current mood lighten somewhat. He was so kind and sweet, he was everything she truly needed right now. Comfort, reassurance, all of that stuff.

"I am all right, little one." She smiled warmly at him. "Just... thinking, is all."

Isaac nodded in understanding. He didn't know what she was thinking about, but she seemed happy, and that made him happy.

There were tears in her eyes, but he knew that those weren't tears of sadness. After using his own tears as a literal weapon, he knew all too well the difference between tears of pain and tears of joy.

His mother's smile made it clear that it was the latter.

Did the goddesses perhaps tell her something nice? She clearly had some sort of connection to them after all.

He wondered if someday he could talk to them as well. They seemed nice, and Miss Agatha seemed to really like them. But she also wondered what it would be like to know a God. Or... gods, in this case. Actually, come to think of it, he wondered what they did. Did they make things? Did they watch things all day? He was kinda curious now.

Maybe... he could talk to them... Through Miss Agatha... Perhaps he could write down his questions and what he wanted to say to them and she could pass on the message and they could have small conversations with each other... But would they even want to talk to him? He was just a boy, aftet all.

Double had recomposed herself and smiled down at Isaac, looking back up to the oddly coloured lights shining in from the stained glass windows above. It was always a rather beautiful sight to her, and it was also rather relaxing. Still, she wasn't sure how to feel about all this, especially as far as explaining the Trinity to Isaac, now that all had been revealed and changed.

She looked at Isaac with a tilted head as he turned to look at her. By the expression on his face, it was clear that he wanted to tell her something. "What is it, dear?" He pointed at the stained glass window, the one featuring Aeon. Then he pointed to his mouth, which was wide open. "...You... wish to eat Lady Aeon...? That's an odd request..." Isaac shook his head rapidly and mimed speaking, lip synching his words. "You wish to speak to Lady Aeon?"

Isaac nodded, and Double wasn't sure what to say or do. Really, no one but her and the previous skullgirls knew she was able to talk to Aeon and Venus. So, did she tell him she had a direct line to them? she figured he must've put that much together from their interactions, but moreover, how would aeon react? This was probably something she wanted more than anything, but Double also didn't know how to approach such a subject with the Go- well, with Aeon.

But then she heard her mistresses' voice sounding out in her head. "Oh my gosh, yes, please say yes, please let me have some form of interaction with my baby..." Double smiled softly. There really was no way she could say no to that. So she nodded her head at Isaac, who clapped his hands and rushed off out of the room. Double waited patiently as she heard him rummaging for something the next room over. He then came back holding onto a little notepad and a crayon, eyes sparkling and looking ready to start.

Isaac seemed to consider some things for a minute, before writing something down on the notepad. He looked at the question, then flipped it over so Double could see it.

"Well, he appears to be asking what it is you do." Double remarked, not sure how Aeon would react to this question, especially considering everything that had been happening as of late.

Aeon tilted her head at the question and considered it. She... didn't really do much in terms of godly duties... She decided to embelish the truth a bit.

"Lady Aeon wishes for me to tell you that she oversees the mortal realm and watches over what we all do. She has seen your story, my child. All that you have been through has touched her deeply. She wishes for you to be happy."

Isaac seemed confused. Aeon knew him? That was weird. Then again, if she was a God, she expected her to be able to see all things, so he paused, trying to think of a good second question. Finally, he thought of one and wrote it down.

"Little Isaac wishes to know why you hadn't done... anything sooner..." Double slowly spoke, realizing the question as she went. It was an honest one, but also one neither side really wanted to answer just yet.

Aeon let out a soft sigh and rubbed her arm. She didn't want to answer, but she also didn't want to deny her child the answers he craved... She decided to bite the bullet on this one and give him her best answer.

Double waited patiently for her to finish. "Lady Aeon says she has no power over the realm of the living. While she can observe many different realities, she cannot interact with any of them. Though she wished to help you, she could not."

To everyone's surprise, Isaac just nodded. Double stared blankly at him, having expected more of a reaction from that, but a few things dawned on her; first of all, Isaac was a little boy, so he probably didn't understand certain concepts (such as the difference between an all-powerful god, and what Aeon was) that well. Second, what had happened, had happened. He seemed to understand and live with the trauma of it, but it was as if he knew nothing could be done to change it. Finally, Isaac didn't know that Aeon in some timelines was his mother, so he probably assumed she might have been too busy to help him.

Then again, even in those timelines where she was his mother, that was only the case because his psychotic mother had successfully killed him or he had suffocated to death in his toy chest hiding from her and she had just sort of snatched him up the second she had the chance. More than likely she first saw him as some sort of pet, but as she spent more and more time with him, her inner human slowly awakened and she realized that she loved him like a son. But the long and short of it was that his life was no more in her hands than it was anyone else in this world. Whether or not she got to be his mother depended on luckl

This was a depressing thought... still, she wasn't sure what to say in this situation. Isaac had accepted Double as his Mother, she didn't want to say anything which may disrupt that or confuse him. So, really, talking to him via Double was her best option for now. there was so much more she wanted to do, but she knew there wasn't much she could do, either.

She waited patiently for the next question. He wanted to know if she liked his drawings. That question had brought a huge smile to her face. She made to go on and on about how great the boy's drawings were, and she made sure Double repeated every word back to him. It was... rather tiring for the nun, as she struggled to keep up with her mistress while she spoke a mile a minute about 'her little artist'.

To Isaac, it meant the world though. To hear someone (God or not) didn't think his drawing were weird and messed up, and that he should be punished for them, meant the world to him. Despite how fast she had to speak, she had to admit, there was something sweet about seeing how happy Isaac was.

She smiled at the way he lit up at every compliment. She swore he was literally glowing by the time Lady Aeon had finished talking. She let out a deep sigh, taking a moment to breathe after expending so much oxygen on that, then smiled at her child and scooped him up, setting him in her lap. "Do you have any more questions?"

Finally, Isaac wrote another question, and when he showed it to Double, both Double and Aeon went quiet.

'Why did this happen to me?'

'Oh.'

'Ohhh...'

The two went silent, as if they tried to think of a proper answer. However, it was a dark question that neither side really wanted to answer. But they also felt like they should try and answer it nonetheless.

Aeon took a deep breath and relayed her reply to her loyal servant, who nodded and passed the message on to the child.

"There are some questions even they do not have the answer to."

Isaac looked down sadly.

Double hugged him.

"However, that is of no importance... What is important now is that you are free from that situation and are in much better care now..."

Isaac looked up, and then nodded, hugging Double back while Aeon watched, feeling like she was going to tear up at the sight. She felt more powerless than she ever had before. She wished she had an answer, but she didn't. Isaac was safe with Double, and she'd have to live with that, there wasn't much more she could do.

Isaac's mother was currently in limbo, being made to atone for her sins long before she could make it to the afterlife, so that left punishing her off the table, even disregarding the fact that that was not her jurisdiction. It was absolutely maddening, not being able to do anything for him personally. She sighed sadly.

"Double, when the time is right, let him know..." Aeon began, but trailed off. Not sure what to say.

"Yes?"

"Tell him... tell him he is loved. Tell him that things will get better, and that I wish I could've done more to help him. It doesn't have to be right now, or anytime soon, but please. Let him know that. For me."

Double felt the smile forming on her face, and she nodded her head in understanding. "I hear and obey, Lady Aeon."

The goddess smiled.

She had so much she wanted to say to Isaac, so much love she wanted to share, but she knew she couldn't interfere with the love he had for his mother... Who wasn't her...

Unlike her Mother, and to a far lesser extent, her sister, Aeon was willing to admit to what they had done. Was willing to admit they were wrong. But it didn't make much of a difference now, did it? They were where they were, and the best she could hope for was occasionally talking to Isaac via Double, who herself seemed to have drastically changed from how she used to be. No longer blindly following orders, but rather finding pure love in this innocent little boy.

Much like the rest of her family had in the timeline where she was the one to take the boy in... That timeline was proof. Proof that all three of them could change and become good people. Even her mother was a proud and doting grandmother in that reality. What, oh what would it take? Suddenly, there was a flash of light and one of the few gods that seemed to like her arrived. "Oh Aeeeeeooooon~! Break out those game controllers, I've been practicing my Peacock and this time I'm going to be the big winner!" Discord called out. "Oh, and I also have news too I guess..."

"Huh? Oh, hey Discord." Aeon sighed, still feeling somewhat down. The Dragonesques blinked, then looked at her inn confusion.

"Oh, what happened? Did you see that Beowulf and Roxxie broke up?"

"THEY WHAT!?"

"Ah! My mistake! Spoilers!"

"Great, well that just makes this day a whole lot better..." Aeon muttered, turning away from Discord, who coughed awkwardly at his involuntary spoiler. He may be a God of Chaos, but he knew there were SOME things that were 'sacred'. Timeline/tv show spoilers were definitely one of them.

"No, no... look. I've got some fantastic news, and some really bad news, depending on who you are."

Aeon and Venus looked to him, expecting a 'you're-gonna-die-now' news because the Gods got tired of their insolence.

"The fantastic news is... I'm moving in!"

Aeon blinked and tilted her head, then smiled at that revelation. "Well that's pleasant news all righy. Your company is always enjoyable."

"I assume that leads us to the bad news?" Venus asked.

"Your old lady's going in one of my pocket dimensions."

Blank stares and silence.

"I see." Aeon finally broke the silence and looked down with a sigh. "I suppose her punishment was inevitable... And she has nothing but her own stubborness to blame, though she will try her best to redirect blame anyway..."

"I understand this is a little uncomfortable for you two..."

"Yeah, that's a bit of a mild way of putting it... So she's going into solitary confinement, huh? How long is she gonna be in for?" Venus asked.

"Hmm... Not too terribly long, just a decade or two."

"Oh, which reminds me. There was a third bit of news. The others I hang out with are essentially done with you two." Discord added, his words sounding like an ominous threat.

"Meaning..."

"Meaning sooner or later, they'll probably let you two go." Discord shrugged and Aeon's eyes shot open in disbelief. "Now, don't get too excited. It'll probably mean you'll move to some sort of 'Evil Deity Retirement Home' or something, I doibt you can go back to earth in any real form. But they've noticed how much - you've at least tried - to change." Lowering his voice he added: "And y'didn't hear this from me, but even Zarathos isn't feeling hatred towards you two, I'm pretty sure I saw him crying recently. But you EVER mention that, and we're ALL in trouble!"

Aeon nodded her head in understanding and Discord beamed. "Glad we're on the same page. I may love chaos just as much as the next guy, but an emraged Zarathos on my tail is something I just don't need."

"Because of what happened to the last god of chaos?" Venus asked.

Discord shuddered at the memory. The last god of chaos was a floating triangle named Bill Cipher. The dorito got a little too big for his britches and started attempting a hostile takeover of the mortal realm until Zarathos and his host put an end to his little twisted games. It was not unlike what Queen Lamia was attempting, with the key difference being that they didn't need to take immediate action with her like they did with Bill because quite frankly, Queen Lamia and her daughtets were so much weaker than Bill it wasn't even funny.

And as for Bill now? Well, he was confused to an eternity of literal nothing, forever trapped as part of Zarathos, and that wasn't a good fate. Not in the slightest. Still, it was at least somewhat reassuring that they weren't going to share a similar fate until they did something equally stupid, which is why Venus was concerned by the video camera Discord was giving her sister.

"Uh, what isa that for?"

"You'll see..." Discord said with a mischievous smirk. Without warning, he walked over and kicked open the doors to Lamia's throne room. "HEEEEEYYYYY NEW ROOMIE!"

Lamia's enraged shriek was enough to get both girls giggling uncontrollably. Their mother hated all of the old gods with an undying passion, but her hatred for Discord in particular was especially powerful, as he was by far the most notorious prankster of the bunch, and he just loved to dish ot some large, generous doses of karma to his favourite 'friend', who was really more of a punching bag, as much as he possibly could.

And he was to be her only company.

Hmm... So technically this meant that the draconequs was going to be their babysitter for a little while. Been quite some time snce they needed a sitter...

"Oh, we are going to have SO much fun together! We'll stay up late, trade gossip, talk about our feelings and our failures, I can help you redecorate..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU, WRETCH!" Lamia screamed in both anger and terror. Discord blinked, the frowned annoyed.

"I've been called many things in my time. Monster, villain, fan-favourite, but a wrench? That is absurd!" He declared, changing the top half of his body into a wrench, then changing his entire body into a male figure wearing punk spikes and a weird mask. "And I'll have you know, that I am many things, but I'm no tool." He spoke in a distorted voice before changing back to his regular form.

Both girls had to giggle silently into their hands at the interaction between the two. Seeing their mother so frazzled was regretably funny...

"Girls, help your mother dispose of this miscreant at once or else you are both grounded for a month!" Lamia barked.

"Oh, I hardly think you're in any position to be barking orders, my dear. You're being punished after all. Come along now, let's not dawdle, you have several centuries of pain and suffering you need to pay the price for while the rest of the REAL gods help the world recover from all that hell you inflicted upon them!"

Aeon set the camera down as Lamia kept screaming for her daughters to help, looking back to Isaac on the screen, who was once again sitting on Double's lap, enjoying the comfort she brought him. Aeon sighed and sat down, pulling her legs close. Honestly, she half expected a sad song to start playing from somewhere, but neither her sister nor Discord decided to ruin the moment for her, and just let her enjoy seeing her son well cared for.

"Oh, don't be like that! We'll only be living together for a few decades at least!" Discord remarked, which didn't help Lamia's mood.

"LET ME GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She shrieked. Discord grimaced and rubbed the inside of his ear with his lion paw to try and regain his hearing. Venus was stifling a series of hysterical giggles, not realizing the pipes her mother had. Even Double and Isaac, from all the way down on Earth, heard the noise and looked around in brief confusion before brushing it off as nothing. Even Eliza, through her eternal torture and suffering at the hands of Zarathos, overhead it and smirked at her old rival's suffering.

"STOP SMILING AT ONCE!" Zarathos shut that down real quickly with an increase in heat that evaporated her ever regenerating blood.

"Rgh... damn you!" Eliza scowled. "Where are my servants?!"

"Gone." Was all Zarathos said. "Either hiding from what they've done, hiding from Double, or hiding from the one who killed you. Or all three. Either way, they can't help you."

Back below, Double took a moment to ask Aeon what was happening, trying not to let her confusion show too much and disturb Isaac. He didn't know about Lamia, and for the time being, she didn't want to tell him about her.

"Uh, Mom's just... dealing with some karma..." Aeon awkwardly admitted, and Double decided to leave this question there.

"I see." She said simply.

Isaac looked up at her and she realized she had spoken out loud. "Ah. I was merely speaking with Lady Aeon, my child."

Content with this answer, Isaac nodded his head with a bright smile. If he had the ability to talk to a god or goddess, he too would eagerly speak with them at every opportunity he got. The fact that his mother had that privilege was so cool!

And the goddess seemed to like her too, or at least respect her to a degree. Must be because she was a woman of the church.

His Mom had been a woman of faith, too. But it always seemed wrong. Wasn't a big part of faith being kind and loving to others? He remembered hearing that to one point, that one of the biggest rules in faith was being kind to one another. So why hadn't his Mom been kind to him? Was he in the wrong?

No, that didn't make sense. If he HAD been bad, he should've been punished, but he didn't think his drawings were wrong, he didn't think his likes were bad, at least not to a degree where what he went through could be justified. Maybe, and this wasn't something he liked thinking about, maybe his Mom was just bad. Maybe she was just not a good person. That made him sad. He wished she was, but she wasn't really ever kind to him, so what did it matter?

She was the one that brought him into the world, did that mean he had some innate badness himself? Would he end up growing up to become an insane, screaming psycho like his mother was? The thought of it honestly made him intensely nervous. He didn't want to grow up and have kids only to snap and try to kill them like that, what if his mother's issues were some kind of genetic mental illness?!

Double noticed Isaac was beginning to grow tense and she gave him a gentle squeeze to try and ease the boy's fear. "Do not worry, my child, everything is all right... Would you care to tell me what troubles you?" Isaac hesitated before he grabbed his little pencil and began writing something down in his little notebook. He held it up to Double. It said three simple, yet powerful words: 'Am I bad?'

Double went silent, feeling a great deal of pain before pulling Isaac into a tight hug.

"No...no, no, no, no... no, my little darling. You're not bad, you're absolutely not." Double spoke in a consoling tone. "You're a sweet little boy. What's happened to you was so horrible, it was horrific, and you didn't deserve it. Any of it. You're just a little boy, this has nothing to do with you, some people are just twisted, that's just who they are."

Isaac looked up sadly, but didn't respond (understandably). He just looked at her, then nodded.

Her words were reassuring, at least a little...

But why did the world have such a weird way of working? If he hadn't been bad enough to deserve such treatment, why had he received it? Surely there was someone in charge of karma... Good things were supposed to happen to good people while bad things happened to bad people... right?

Well... Technically, good things had happened to him...

He had met Miss Agatha! And then she had taken him in and now cared for him. She was his mother! He let out a tiny sigh and nodded, trying his best to understand that. For her part, Double was content to hold her little boy close and enjoyed the feeling of connection she had while she held him. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that nothing would ever go wrong again (she had more than enough enemies that could prove to be a REAL problem for her...) but she also understood the importance of these moments, of just taking time to relax, to be happy. It was such a new concept to her, and now she was questioning why she hadn't done this sooner. Well, she knew why, but that wasn't her point.

She wished she had found herself sooner... All the wasted years, thinking she was nothing more than a tool to serve her creators'twisted whims, not even realizing she was a person with her own thoughts and feelings until a literal raccoon showed her. Now that she thought about it, much of what she had now was in thanks to Oreo. If she had never found that little baby raccoon outside of her church injured and abandoned and nursed him back to health, then she never would have discovered her passion for animals and mother nature's many wonderful creatures, and as a resultk her mind would have remained closed until the day her mistresses perished. She owed that little raccoon a great deal...

But she owed Isaac a great deal more. The little boy had shown up by accident and changed everything for her. The little boy was something she never realized she needed. It was a connection, freedom, and she cared for little Isaac just as much as he did her. It was a surprisingly wholesome relationship between the two, and Double was content for the first time in her life to have this.

'Yet this can't last forever.' She frowned, thinking it over. 'Sooner or later, someone will recognize me, or Queen Lamia may try to make the Skull Heart again... if she's foolish enough to try, she won't have a guardian for it.'

Honestly? At this point, she wouldn't hesitate to destroy the Skull Heart herself if it meant providing her child with a safe world to live in. The mere idea of her doing such a thing in the past was entirely inconceivable... How much time has changed her. The trouble was, she highly doubted the many, many enemies she had made over the centuries would care in the slightest how she had changed.

Annastasia would certainly never forget... That child, no, that woman would carry her hatred for her to her very grave if it ever came to that. And honestly, it really was hard to put any blame for that on her.

Double did dread ever meeting her again, especially now that she had Isaac. The woman was a warrior for justice and truth, and there wasn't a chance in whatever afterlife existed that she would trust her, or believe that she had changed. Most likely, she would try to take Isaac from her, but even that, while it angered her to no end, she understood. It wasn't like if that wretch Eliza tried to do so, it would've been out of compassion and fear for his safety, not out of a want to hurt her or Isaac. It was a feeling she herself now understood, and while she would not hesitate to fight Annie, she knew she couldn't blame her the way she wanted too. The others, yes. She could blame them. As they were all trapped in a needless cycle of revenge and hatred that Double truly doubted would ever go away, until someone died, and that was very unlikely on her end.

They really were the root of all evil, her and her mistresses... Well, them and the Medicis... if she had a nickel for everyone that became a skullgirl as a drect result of their actions, she would have a healthy sum of thirty five dollars. She decided she was going to kill them all later. No big plans, she would just massacre them, rip them apart and spit on the pieces.

Honestly, it'd be doing the world a favour. The older one was on death's door, and had done all but sell his soul in a desperate attempt to keep living, and his son had as much coming as he did. Their death would come, and the world wouldn't care. If anything, things would be better off because of it.

'Be careful.' She told herself. 'This is who you used to be, you mustn't fall back into this in front of Isaac, destroying them is one thing, but don't let yourself become the creature you once were.'

'Right. Right...' She mentally nodded.

Still, it was high time those men suffered the consequences of their actions. And all of their pathetic followers along with them. They were nothing more than a bunch of stupid, insufferable thugs taking advantage of ther prestigious bosses to get away with literal murder. Many of them had slowly perished in Gehanna after thinking they would get away with harming her church.

And Isaac wasn't safe when they were around. Especially with those wretched child traffickers that loved to abuse their slaves...

There was a special place in hell for them.

"Agreed." A voice spoke in her head, and she flinched. Zarathos decided to take his leave now, but kind of had a habit of showing up whenever 'hell' and someone especially egregious were mentioned in the same thought. It wasn't even a choice, he was the Spirit of Vengeance, it was his job. He had already made most of them literally lose their minds in a mixture of pain and insanity, and he wasn't stopping any time soon. With those freaks, none of the other Deities thought twice about how far he went in his torture.

Double didn't know why, but she felt oddly reassured by that single word. But it didn't take away from the here and now. Still, from what she knew, there were a few so-called (well, okay. They actually WERE) 'heroes' who were taking down slave traders, would-be killers and other low-life scum. There was Deep Violet, and someone else known as 'Morales' who she hadn't seen yet, but apparently was quite young. Then, there was the third, a man (she assumed) and a parasite who she had seen once, and decided against antagonizing, considering the parasite covered the man's ENTIRE BODY and made him nearly eight feet tall, and looked like 'they' - as they had spoken about themselves, and their weird want for chocolate - could tear through anything.

She would rely on them for now. But the second she thought they weren't getting the job done efficiently enough, she would swoop in and eat as many of them as she possibly could and let them slowly dissolve in her stomach acids. And she would also send a hefty dose of reality into that blasted circus girl's head, it was high time she woke up and saw what was right in front of her face.

Double at least understood what she had done, she knew she was a monster, but that idiot at the circus couldn't open her eyes and realize what she was doing. How many lives she was ruining, had ruined and continued to ruin.

Then again, she wasn't exactly much better... but she knew she was worse off, so... yeah. She wasn't the villain here.

She looked down at Isaac with a small smile and rubbed his head. He certainly didn't think she was the villain. If anything, he saw her as his big hero... Her, a hero... That certainly didn't seem possible... Not after everything she had done... She didn't deserve to be called a hero by anybody...

But that could change... Couldn't it? She could start foghting for the right reasons and actually become a hero instead of the monster that needed to be stopped...

Thankfully, she had many years before this could truly become an issue again. And if the other, true Entities seemed to be acting as powerfully as they were, then that was a sign this wasn't a fight she was alone in. Furthermore, there were heroes who were trying to make the Canopy Kingdom a better place, as well as the royal family. Still, what could she do to change?

'Do what you've done before, but for a different reason.' A voice spoke up in her head, and she couldn't tell if it was hers, or someone else's. 'Guide from the shadows, but help those in need.'

Double blinied at the mysterious voice's words, then nodded in understanding. She understood what she could do now. Before, she was guiding others onto the wrong path. But now, she could guide others onto the correct path. The righteous path that would allow them to benefit the world around them.

This, of course, began with Isaac. She looked at the tiny boy in her lap and smiled, wrapping him up in her arms and pulling him into another tight and reassuring hug. As she rose to her feet, she looked out the window overlooking Maplecrest, noticing for the first time in possibly forever how gentle and calm things looked. When there wasn't the threat of the Skullgirl, things seemed picturesque for lack of a better term. It was kinda funny, something as simple as a nice view was convincing Double that she was making the right call, and taking the right path.

She was enjoying the sight of peace and tranquility. The crisp fall air, the changing colours of the leaves, the beautiful blue sky, it was all so wonderful. The occasional passing lf high school students and ordinary folk just out on their daily stroll added to the atmosphere. It gave an odd sense of...home. Like it was naturally supposed to be that way. She never noticed how reassuring the presence of other human beings could be... Just watching them go about their daily business gave a sense of community and warmth. It was a sign that she was not alone, that Isaac was not alone with just her and the animals.

Sure, that 'community' would probably try to kill her should they ever find out what she had done, and really, Double came to realize she had two options for starting anew. 1.) Hide until everyone was dead and act like the past never happened. or 2.) kill everyone then go from there. Both were extremely problematic, and Double didn't want either of them as an option or a plan, so she decided to just focus on her little son for now.

Perhaps she would relocate to another part of the world... There really wasn't much of a reason for her to stay here anymore... She didn't have any friends, she didn't have a purpose, she didn't have to stay and live in waiting to be attacked. Perhaps she would move down to the South. She was relatively unknown down there, her existence was a rumour or urban legend at best... So long as she stayed in disguise, she would blend in just nicely...

North was apparently a very welcome and friendly place, and from the conversations she had overheard, the food was amazing. Even though she didn't real have 'taste' the way humans did, she could appreciate a nice, calm view with a good meal, and-

"Ehhhh the North may be fun an'all, but my brother freezes that place for ten months of the year!" A voice remarked in her head, and she blinked, that idea being shot down IMMEDIATELY.

"Aw, that's the matter? Aren't things so nice when covered in ice?"

"No." Double and the other voice both said at once.

"Eh, your loss."

Still, the realized there was much she could do. The south, or the east both seemed like nice options. There were plenty of countries which hadn't been affected by Skullheart (at least, to the degree others had) so she could move there, and no one would know a thing!

It wasn't like moving the church and all her animals was any sort of hassle either. The church was an extension of herself, after all. All she needed to do was focus and it would follow her wherever she went.

...Okay, there was a major issue with that. She highly doubted anyone would look past a walking church moving through town.

Oh how annoying this was.

Seemed she was stuck for now.

Hmm...

Maybe she could earn the favour of the people... She had no idea how to go about doing so, but she had managed to do it before... Wait... Would it be considered manipulative to try and just earn their favour?

'I believe that'a called 'making friends'." Aeon remarked in her head.

'I have not the slightest clue how to do that.'

'Same.'

The two sat in silence for a moment, then Double looked back to Isaac, assuming that he didn't really know what to do as far as 'making friends' was concerned. So, maybe this was something they could learn together.

She let out a sigh.

Life was compljcated.

Was this what it was like to be human?

Well now she just felt bad. Humans already had so many complications in their lives and she was helping to add on to that stress with that damned skullheart... Honestly, did she even deserve to have friends at this point?

Maybe not, but maybe she could change to a point where she COULD deserve them. Isaac more than did, but he was a sweet little boy who had done no wrong. So, he was already DRASTICALLY different compared to her.

'There are many things I must atone for. Where do I begin?' She wondered, thinking back to the long, long list of sins that now followed her. She knew it would take a long time, decades, possibly, to even get an eight of the way through the list. But, she knew someday she had to start, and she'd take it one day at a time, just like how she was taking care of Isaac. She couldn't concern herself with what she couldn't change, but should instead focus on what she could change.

It was now she noticed that Isaac had been wearing the same clothes for the past day and a half, and decided he needed to change those.

She rose to her feet. "Come along now, child. It's time we dressed you in something else..." She said softly. Isaac nodded his head in affirmation. He wantes to try some more of his clothes. He missed them so much...

Maybe they would find his favourite sweater. It was so warm, soft and comfortable, plus it was slightly too big for him, so it draped over him like a blanket... He missed that sweater, it was a gift from his deceased grandmother, he missed her too... The sweater was all he had left to remember her by, now that he thought about it...

He suddenly became incredibly desperate to find that sweater. He looked up at Double, clutching tightly at her habit and giving her the puppy eyes.

"Oh? What's wrong, my little one?" Double asked, concerned as to why Isaac suddenly seemed upset. He made some gestures, and she unfortunately didn't understand them, so she had to look for a minute to find the notepad she had given him, and he seemed to be working on something, before showing her. It was him, in... a dress? Uh, all right. She knew he liked to dress-up, but why was that-

The words 'Gramma made me this' with an arrow pointing to what she now realized was a sweater made everything click into place. She assumed (correctly) that Isaac didn't know if it was still around or not, and he wanted to find it if he could.

"All right, let's go look." She nodded, not needing to hear more.

She entered their shared bedroom and pulled open the wardrobe. Forming many tentacles, she began to pull out various articles of clothing in search of the sweater Isaac sought out. It was blue, from what she knew...

They dug for what felt like hours, but was probably only ten minutes, and Double did feel some genuine anxiety as she couldn't find it. At least, she felt Isaac's anxiety. It was clear this sweater meant a lot to him, had been given to him by someone who WASN'T a horrible monster, so she wanted to help her son find it if she could. Or, find him a new one that was the exact same. She hoped for the former, but still.

Finally, digging through the last box, she noticed something sticking up from the bottom, and low and behold, she found it.

She felt an immense wave of relief wash through her as she held it up and smiled at it. It was a rather tacky little thing, not at all a very appealing colour, and it didn't have the most appealing design. It was very much something a grandparent would pick out. She felt squirming in her arms and looked down to see a bright eyed Isaac reaching out for the sweater with a large smile on his tiny face.

The joy he showed was very contagious, and Double smiled and set him down, handing him the sweater so he could change.

He pulled the large warm sweater over his body, then held his arms up to Double, who couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was much, MUCH bigger than he was, and his arms made it about three-quarters of the way through the sleeves, and she scooped him up once more, noting that the sweater, while tacky, was rather warm. Plus, Isaac was happy, so that was more than enough for her. .

Plus he looked rather adorable, swaddled up in the much too big sweater with only his head amd his tiny hands barely visible. It did make her think though... Surely the boy's grandmother didn't intentionally knit a sweater that was much too big for him, right? That would mean that the weight he had lost would have been astronomicsl for it to be that big on him... The poor boy, he was so emaciated...

All his life, nothing but pain, suffering and hardship, and honestly? It was starting to anger Double. She was done asking 'why', as it made no difference. Now, she needed to make his future better, whatever that took. She could keep asking why this had happened, she could ask why Isaac was subjected to this, but none of that mattered anymore.

'Well, what now?' Double questioned. Isaac didn't seem hungry, so she didn't expect they needed food right away. But perhaps he would soon. Still, she didn't want to prepare everything only for it to go cold... this was a very 'human' problem she was facing right now.

And a rather mundane one at that. My, how mundane many of her problems had become... Well, aside from the new threat of death should she set a toe out of line, or hell, even if she didn't... Why oh why did she have to have so many enemies? Curse her for being an evil manipulator in her past!

Perhaps for the time being... she could tell Isaac some stories. Children loved to hear stories, right? Content with this decision, she made her way over to a large rocking chair and sat down, considering what story she wanted to tell.

The issue was, if she told him stories about herself, those wouldn't exactly be appropriate for someone Isaac's age, or experience. Many of her conquests were achieved through manipulation and deception, leading good people to their fates... which were twisted against what they SHOULD'VE BEEN, usually ending in a vicious, tragic fate for those who followed her or fell for her lies. Truly, the more she thought about it, only the cat feral (which surprised her), the wrester (which REALLY surprised her) and Annie (which didn't surprise her) didn't have tragic endings to their stories when they encountered the Skull Heart. She briefly thought back to what she had been shown, the choices they had made to be stronger than what she expected. In a way, it was respectable. Even when she was evil, she would've had to admit, there was more to them than she expected.

Oh, and there was that living cartoon brat, but she trashed the cathedral and nearly killed a bunch of her animals, so Double didn't add her to that list.

'Focus.' She told herself. 'Stories. Not vengeance.'

Hmm... What could she tell him that wouldn't destroy his view of her...? Oh! She could tell him about how she got her many pets into her care! Each and every one of them had such an interesting and sometimes hilarious story to tell... But which one would she start with...? Hmm... Either Oreo or Guppy. Oreo was her first pet and Guppy was Isaac's best friend... Hmm... Perhaps she would let him be the one to decide which story he heard... "Isaac, my dear. What story would you prefer to hear? Would you rather know how I met Oreo, or how I met Guppy?" Isaac blinked and tilted his head to the side, uncertain as to which story to choose from. On the one hand, he did want to know more about his little cat friend, but on the other hand, he also kinda wanted to know how his mother had a pet raccoon of all things...

Decisions, decisions... Double noticed how unsure he seemed and gave him a reassuring pat on the head.

"I can tell you both if you like."

Isaac nodded in confirmation, and Double smiled, deciding to start with the one who started it all.

"Well, a few years ago, I had been in an... 'incident', let's say." She began, thinking back to not long after the Skullheart was destroyed. Again. I had returned home after some personal matters were settled, and since I'm the caretaker of the Cathedral, it wasn't in the best shape." She frowned, remembering the dusty look the cathedral had supported. She had been gone... three days? No. It made no difference. Without her, the cathedral fell into a dirty mess! One of the windows had been left open! "Anyhow, I had been tending to some plants, when I noticed one of them was... missing."

She let out a soft sigh and looked up at the ceiling. It was a wonder she hadn't snapped at that raccoon with how much of a troublemaker he was...

"I investigated the church thoroughly, and I found many of the plants were in varying states of dissaray. Some were torn up, some were burrowed into, and others still were tipped over onto the floor. As I inspected the area, I noticed there were small pawprints trailing across the floors, and I heard scratching sounds from within one of the walls... So I opened the wall up, and right there on the other side was a small raccoon with a small collection of various items, having made his little den within the walls of the church... Quite literally. I was less than enthusiastic at first, but he was rather adorable...

Honestly, she had tried to get rid of Oreo, more than a few times. But somehow, someway, that racoon kept finding its way back into the cathedral. She had no idea how, she remembered how she picked it up, set it outside, closed the door, and it was already back inside.

"Eventually, I gave up. However Oreo was getting in was beyond me, and I found that if I left him food, he would leave my plants alone. For the most part." She added, a little annoyed. "He really seemed to like the grapes I was trying to grow for communion, and no matter where I hid them, he'd find them... somehow."

She let out a sigh. "But, against all odds, I gradually found myself growing attached to the little vermin... I found that having another living creature in my home was comforting. I never really noticed how lonely I was until Oreo came into my life... Oh. He got his name because he slept in a discared Oreo bag..."

She smiled fondly as memories came rushing back. "And after Oreo came many of my cats, one of which was the mother of Guppy... I found them on the sde of the road, very nearby my cathedral... It was pouring rain, and they were all just seated in their little cardboard box, anticipating rescue..."

Isaac looked over to Guppy, who was sleeping in a warm sun spot, and seemed to grow saddened by this. The kitties were just left outside? Why? what had happened to them?

"Well, I didn't have any experience with these types of animals, but I brought them home anyways, even if I did intend to send them to a shelter at a later date." Double continued, remembering her original plan, and how - once again - that racoon seemed to have a plan of his own, and seemed to be determined to make her second-guess every choice she made. "I noticed Oreo wasn't eating anymore, soI followed him one night, and I found he had been taking his food over to them, he didn't want to eat until all of them had..." She laughed slightly and shook her head. "He also made it clear he didn't want them going anywhere, so I didn't really have much of a choice in keeping them or not."

It was that instant that got her to develop an immense respect for animal life. Seeing Oreo sticking his neck out for a small group of kittens was absolutely beautiful and she realized that the natural creatures of the world were so pure and wholesome.

"So I wound up keeping the kittens... And they were little wanderers that kept bringing back other strays... I had to make some fast renovations to the church to make room for all the cats that were showing up. That was how the animal sanctuary was created. It was rather exasperating for a time, but after a while, I found myself genuinely enjoying having the little creatures around... Witnessing them explore, play and just being who they were... It was wonderful. For the first time in my life, I had something that I genuinely enjoyed doing... And then, one day, the cats started having babies..."

She looked over at Guppy, who seemed more than annoyed that the sun had moved, and he had to get up and move as well.

"One of those was Guppy." She remarked with a small smile, and Isaac smiled as well. While he'd miss Guppy forever, he still really liked having a cat, it was replacing the one he lost, but it was helping with that pain. "Now, Guppy was a bit different, he always seemed more off-beat than the other kittens. He'd eat, and play with the others but seemed to prefer being by himself, and I can't say why." She chose not to mention the fact that he had ran away one night, gone missing for several weeks, and had just narrowly been saved from the gutter by her...

Isaac tilted his head to the side. That wasn't like his old Guppy, his old Guppy was extremely affectionate and loved everybody.

But then, it wasn't really that surprising. Cats all had very different personalities after all. Some were social, some were quiet and solitary. Some were nice, some were mean. Some were clever, some were Nash. That was why he loved cats so much, they all felt like their own unique creatures with their own personalities.

Still, the currently sleeping Guppy seemed rather happy with where he was and what he was doing. Namely, sleeping in the sun. Isaac looked up at his Mama and smiled, leaning against her, as she continued her story.

"Anyway, I kept taking care of them, and in time, I brought home more of your friends." Double remarked. She honestly didn't even know where she got all of them, some of them just showed up one day, and she didn't really question it. "Kazan was another odd one, I don't beleive you've ever been to Little Innsmouth?"

Isaac looked up, confused.

"Well, it's a town I'll take you to someday." Double remarked. "But I found Kazan there, living in an overgrown hedge."

She smiled softly at the memory. "He didn't have the things he needed to survive there, I just couldn't leave him... So I just grabbed him and brought him home. He made no fuss. He just let me carry him back with me..."

She let out a sigh. "He was my first reptile, and he was the one that made me realize that I needed to learn how to care for animals other than mammals. It became apparent that the temperature was much too cold for him, so I made him his own enclosure that came with interior heating so he could live in comfort..."

Isaac nodded.

"And then I began to find other reptiles and amphibiahs. Snakes, lizards, frogs, newts... I felt a desire to bring them back so they could live in tranquility..."

That was pretty much the case for all the animals. She found one, and then more followed. Some stayed, others left, but there were always a few who remained. Kazan, Oreo, the Cats, Lemon, Cider - although Double didn't know why, the fox didn't seem too happy here - they seemed like they'd all stay, regardless of who else came or went, or whomever ended up in the cathedral.

Honestly, she was surprised there hand't been more incidents with them getting out during the worship times. Only a few birds had ever gotten out, and no one really paid them any mind, assuming they flew in through an open door or window.

Granted, she had been very careful to make sure that the door to their room was carefully barricaded at all times so they wouldn't get out, but still, she doubted even the sturdiest of locks would prevent the likes of Oreo and Nash from getting out if they really wanted to... It seemed Oreo had enough respect for her to stay in his room, and Nash was probably just too dumb to even try it.

That gave her an idea, actually... She could tell Isaac stories of all the ridiculous things Nash had done under her care. She could write three whole novels with all the material that bizarre feline had given her...

Really, that cat seemed to have a mind of its own, wanting to cause her as much trouble as he could, while also having no idea what he was doing half the time. Seriously, Nash didn't seem to understand his actions, and just sort of existed.

On the one hand, she thought it was kinda cute, seeing Nash so care-free and free-spirited, but on the other hand, it really annoyed her. Because nothing she did could even BEGIN to explain what the heck was wrong with that cat.

She told Isaac of the day she first met him. She had noticed a weird noise coming from the lavatories, and when she investigated, she had found the cat rolling around in the toilet, purring like he was having the time of his life.

That cat was not among her pets. He just randomly showed up. And apparently he had come through the toilet because there was no other possible way he could have gotten in, especially smelling the way he did.

She really did want to question Nash more than she did, but she almost feared doing so, as if those questions would beget answers which would only raise more questions, or take her down a path of insanity from which there would be no escape. It seemed like this was a tortuous mystery she would have to bear for her entire life.

"Does anyone know what the hell is with that cat?" Spawn asked, looking to the other Gods.

"No."

"Nope."

"Don't."

"No clue."

Back below, Double continued her story, smiling to herself as Isaac seemed to settle into the warm sweater-blanket on her lap, enjoying her words as much as her company.

"...And just as I was about to cut into the cake, Nash's head popped out of it. I have no idea how or when he got mixed into it, and the fact that he's still alive after the fact amazes me... I honestly don't even know if he's ever actually eaten considering all he wants to do with his food is sit on it..." She said with a sigh.

Isaac giggled silently at the silly story.

Nash was a silly kity.

And he couldn't die?

That was a good thing.

He didn't want to deal with another dead kitty...

Double caught onto this and sighed softly. "I have lost a few pets to old age as well, child. It is a difficult part of life, but alas, inevitable."

Isaac nodded sadly, he didn't understand death. But he saw more of it than most people ever would. Technically - and while he didn't understand this - he had killed far, far more than most people would. Yes, they were monsters, but technically it was still killing. However, none of the Deities above would hold that against him, or anyone in his situation for that matter, but to Isaac, he knew that death meant loss, and he didn't like that feeling.

He had lost Guppy, he had lost everything he cared for, he had even lost his Mother, but he didn't know how to feel about that one. It just- well- she had tried- he was so young and fragile that there was no possible way he COULD come to a logical conclusion, even with the guidance of someone like Double.

He lost so much, but he also gained so much not long after he had lost it all... It felt as if the world was trying to make everything up to him, as if they saw what he had been through, felt bad and gave him the new life he was now currently living as a makeup gift to ease the pain of all his past losses. It was the only explanation he could think of for why everything was suddenly so... right with the world.

Guppy seemed to catch onto his human's current state and stood on his hind legs, resting his front paws on his chest and letting out a soft mewl before beginning to purr softly. Isaac blinked, then gave his kitty a small smile and hugged him back to show just how much he appreciated him. The cat nuzzled him.

Isaac patted its head and settled back down, trying to enjoy the warmth of his family, and his sweater. And it was working. Double felt calm, relaxed, finally able to just enjoy this moment with her child. She'd take it.

'You've done so much for me, Little Isaac, and I truly believe you may never understand just how much you've done...' Double thought to herself. Her past was complicated, no to ways about it, and she dind't know how or when she'd explain everything to Isaac. But he deserved the truth! ...at a later day.

She just dreaded to think how he would react to the truth. He thought so highly of her, how would he respond to knowing that the mother he looked up to and loved so dearly was directly responsible for the corruption of innocent women?

She didn't think she could handle her thinking less of her... She loved being a major part in the boy's life. What if he became afraid of her, or worse, started to hate her? Then the warm, tender moments between family would be a thing of the past and they would be stuck with a relationship that was civil at best...

Yet humans seemed oddly forgiving, even to a dangerous degree at times. Perhaps in time, Isaac would see that wasn't HER, and maybe they could have some sort of relationship once more. At least, she hoped so. She couldn't imagine Isaac hating her, and she didn't want to think about him fearing her. Neither of those options were outcomes she wanted. He was so young, so innocent! She couldn't lose what she had made with him! She wouldn't! She wouldn't let-

Everything came to a stop when she saw Isaac yawn and snuggle down against her, breathing peacefully. Double blinked, then sighed quietly. Was this her fate? Was this her punishment for all she had done? Knowing no matter what she did, or how hard she tried that sooner or later would turn on her?

...But would he though...? His mother was religious, that much was certain. And while the gospel of the Trinity was certainly all... well, filth and lies she cooked up to make them seem much better than they really were, it still taught valuable lessons, among them forgiveness and to give others a chance of redemption... His mother had failed to follow these beliefs, as evidenced by her attempts on the boy's life, but Isaac himself? She had faith that he would follow them to a T, that he would remain confident that they were the right thing to believe.

He was the purest little soul she had ever met in her entire life... It just didn't make sense to her how anyone could think he was a filthy, disgusting demon from the deepest, foulest of cesspools known to man... Just one look at his adorable little face should have been enough for his mother to see how wrong she was.

And in an ironic twist, said 'demon' was the one who was now caring for him. The one who was showing him the kindness and compassion she had withheld for so long. Yet would it be enough? Would Isaac be able to look past all that when the time came? She wanted to be better, if only for Isaacs' sake, but this wasn't entirely up to her. Furthermore, telling him right now would probably only confuse him, and that was the last thing she wanted.

It was a story for when he grew older... At least a good seven or eight years, when he was twelve or thirteen... Such a long time, yet also a very short one... She let out a sigh. She really needed to stop jumping to the worst case scenario, it was taking a real toll on her mental health and turning her into a complete and utter worrywart... Right now she just needed to live in the moment and enjoy having Isaac around, especially when he was so tiny and adorable and nice and easy to hold in her arms.

He was a sweet, adorable little boy she just enjoyed keeping close and snuggled close to her chest. He seemed so so content now, so happy, as if he was finally having the life that he should've had from the start. But it had taken a monster like herself to finally give him that. It was just so wrong...

But it did make her feel like less of a monster at least. She had enough decency to be a good mother that her adopted child adored. That was worth some praise, right? Right. She had some good in her that had developed along with her love for her animals and an actual personality and life outside of her dutiee.

She wanted to ask if it would be enough, but she already knew the (annoying, but true) answer. There was no answer. Only time could tell if she would truly live up to the changes she aspired too. She didn't know if the next time the Heart appeared if she'd be able to ignore it, or be forced to serve it. It was never clear if she actually had 'free will' in that regard or not. Still, she'd do all she could, not for her sake, not for this world's sake, but for Isaac's. He was her son now, and she would never allow anything to come in the way of harming him.

She smiled softly at the boy. He really was the best thing that ever happened to her... He was so tiny, adorable and sweet, and he was the one that gave her a chance at redemption... If she had never met him, she would probably still be stuck in this awful rut where she tried so hard to destroy everyone and everything to no avail until she was eventually murdered by one of her many, many many enemies. But now she had an actual reason to live, and to fight for her right to do so. Isaac was a little treasure, a true little gift from the gods themselves... Um... Metaphorically speaking of course.

Still, Isaac was a gift she would care for, and nothing would ever take it away from her. Even if it meant atoning in less than favourable ways, even if she had to confront Annabelle over their past history of violence. She'd do it! She didn't care what it took. Double wasn't looking to make friends with the girl, but there was certainly a conversation that would have to happen at some point. But, for now, she could relax and-

"Mew."

'No...' Double mentally groaned, looking over and seeing Nash had somehow gotten into the room, and was now staring down at her from a shelf.

The cat began purring intensely the second he made eye contact with her before he walked over to a nearby vase and swatted it off the shelf, prompting Double to just barely catch it with one of her tendrils. She gave Nash an unamused stare and shook her head. "Honestly, Nash, why must you always push your luck? And how did you manage to get out of the room? I know very well I locked it."

"Mrowr."

Nash responded by jumping off the shelf and landing on her head, where he curled up and laid down to begin cleaning himself.

Isaac looked down to Nash, then up at Double, his face readable this time, clearly saying 'I have no idea what that cat is doing, and honestly that scares me a little.'

"Me too, Isaac. Me too..." Double sighed, shaking her head as she patted his head. Isaac smiled warmly at the contact and patted Guppy on the head, who mewed happily. The small kitten was a bit smaller than the others, but seemed just as happy, if not happier than them, as she had made a real connection with Isaac, something Double was happy to see.

He had the same love for animals that she did. In fact, from the looks of it, it seemed that he saw them as an escape from the cruelty of the world.

And that was certainly a fair mindset. Animals were much less complicated and hard to deal with than humans. They could have their bad moods, they could have moments when they needed their space, but at the end of the day, they offered tbeir companionship at a very low price, just some kibble in a bowl.

Aside from Nash, who seemed determined to drive everyone who met him insane with questions, or he was an extreme death-seeker who wanted to find the limits of what his kitten body could take, for no reason other than he could. Double truly didn't know which was the correct answer, and both answers concerned her for different reasons. On the one hand, she didn't want Nash getting hurt, especially with little Isaac's clear care for cats, but on the other hand, what if this was punishment from the other Deities? As punishment for her actions, her mind would be spit in two by- okay, she was REALLY overthinking things now.

She let out a deep sigh and shook her head, Nash somehow managing to remain perfectly curled up atop her head despite the sudden movement. She would drive herself up tne wall questioning him some other time, right noe she could focus on Isaac. And then, a small yellow budgie flew into the room through the vent. "...Lemon..." She groaned. And then a little bunny crawled out from under the bed. "Cotton..." And then Oreo opened the door with his tiny raccoon hands and entered the room with Rosie the Chinchilla perched comfortably atop his back. "...Okay. That's all of you, right?" Double asked flatly.

"Mew."

Double blinked, noticing Guppy had gotten up on a bookshelf, and was now lounging in a nearby sun ray. The small kitten raised its paw as if announcing its presence lazily. Double hadn't forgotten Guppy, but she also didn't know how she got up there. Wait. No. Please. PLEASE don't let Nash be influencing Guppy! That was the last thing she needed!

She sighed.

Now her room was filled with animals, all of which were seeking attention, whether it be from her or Isaac. With a small smile, she gently scritched Lemon under the chin while Isaac silently giggled as Cotton hopped up to try and jump onto Double's lap to join him. He reached down and managed to grab the bunny.

Well, if this was to be her life, it certainly wasn't a bad one. To be totally honest, it was probably better than she deserved, but she had been through this. She was twisted, evil, there was no way around it. But that was the past, and that didn't determine her future. She would do what she could to make a better future for everyone. Not just herself, not just Isaac, but all who exited in this world. Now, sure. She wasn't going to become some sort of hero who fought on the front lines, but there was certainly more than enough she could do in the meantime. And certainly more than enough people she needed to help in one regard or another. Not just Annabelle, but the Contiello girl who was now tethered to the heart, the Medici girl who was nothing like her family, even the mechanical monstrosity Double had seen around the cathedral a few times, all of them had suffered, as had many more, and in time, she'd try to help them. Indirectly or directly remained to be seen, but that wasn't the fact of the present matter.

She may lose the respect of the Trinity, and she may have to deal with the unpredictable consequences of that, but she knew Aeon at least supported her in this, and she hoped Venus wouldn't hate her for this change in direction. But from what she had heard, the only one she truly did have to fear - Lamia - was now being dealt with by a much higher power. So that gave her some relief for the time being.

To think she would betray the 'goddesses' she had spent so many centuries serving so loyally... She truly was a heretic, and it wasn't often one would consider that to be a good thing. Lamia in particular was not a deity that was at all worth following... Hmm... Perhaps a few changes to the cathedral were in order... Perhaps she could begin her atonement for her many sins by spreading awareness of the true gods... She needed to figure out what they looked like first... But that was what she would do. She would create new stain glass windows, tell the stories of the true deities that watched over the earth, make sure they received the credit they deserved after spending all these centuries with the general population entirely unaware of their existence. To be forgktten by the very mortals they defended and cared for must have been a crushing blow to them, and after playing a part in setting her free from her shackles as Lamia's evil servant. After all, without them, how would she ever stand up to the goddess?

No. She wasn't a goddess. She never was. In fact, none of the Trinity were. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, they were all very much human. They were born humans and they had died humans. If anything, their parasites were the true deities, and from what she could understand, even they had their strict limits in comparison to the ones that resided above them. All along, they were small fish in a big pond...

A pond which happened to have several other true deities either fishing or more accurately defacing it in manners she did not want to consider. For what it was worth, there wasn't much she could do about it. They were powerful in ways she could only begin to try and comprehend, and if she was honest? She preferred it this way. There was so much about them that gave her concern about attempting to fight them, so why would she attempt a fight that admittedly she could never win? It was truly pointless, not when she now had so much to care for and to an extent, live for.

They clearly knew what they were doing, far moreso than Aeon, Venus and Lamia did, so there was no worries of senseless destruction and ruination anymore... The real trouble was the way the people would respond to the pantheon they had been worshipping for centuries suddenly being changed into something else entirely. Humans were naturally resistant to change, they really liked to latch onto the status quo. Convincing them to accept their true saviours was going to be hard.

Then again, she saw herself with no other options than to try, as she was technically responsible for bringing them to the Trinity for all these years.

A tug on her habit made her look down at Isaac, who was looking up at her with concern. Double smiled and patted his head, reassuringly.

"It's nothing, little one." She said with a smile. "Just thinking on some things, that's all." Isaac nodded in understanding, but whether or not Isaac actually understood was another matter. But it satisfied both parties for now, so Double decided to let it go.

She let out a sigh and looked out the window with a small smile, just taking a moment to enjoy the city.

"Things are going to be very different from now on, Isaac... For both of us." She explained softly. Isaac tilted his head.

She was right. Things were never going to be the same way they were again. And thank goodness for that, because he never wanted to live like that agsin, ever. He wanted to enjoy this new happy life.

Isaac WANTED to be happy, what child didn't? But he had begun to feel like that just wasn't possible. After everything he had been through, all the pain he had suffered, being here with Miss Agatha was more than enough for him. There was a warm sense of safety that he couldn't explain, but never wanted to lose. He was happy, content, relaxed, this was the life hw had always wanted!

He remembered the creatures he had seen, the monsters he fought, and the ones who had helped him in their own ways. He didn't know what they were after, and part of him wanted to know, but he also wanted to hide the past, to put it away and never look back.

But that just wasn't possible after the sheer horrors he had been through. There was no forgetting seeing the literal bowels of hell... Those fleshy walls, those deformed monsters, those horrible powerups that hurt him to use, it was all impossible to forget... These horrible memories were going to stick with him for his entire life. Every time he went to sleep, they would be within his dreams...

His mother was the only thing that could make that fear go away. Only when he was in her arms was when he felt safe and happy. Was he overreliant on her...? Now he felt sad again... He wS a burden to his mother...

Double frowned, noting Isaac's downturn in mood, and wrapped him up once more. She had noticed in his body language that he did seem to enjoy this. Something about being close just made him feel safer, and that made Double - well, was happy the correct expression? Yes, yes it was. It made her happy, knowing that Little Isaac found such comfort in her embrace. It was an embrace which usually meant death to anyone who tried anything, but not this time. Never with Isaac.

He was the first one she had ever embraced without murderous intent... The first one she had ever held in her arms just for the sake of showing love and affection... The first time she had ever genuinely enjoyed the warm contact of a hug with a human being... In fact, he was the first thing she evwr hugged at all. She had never really hugged any of her animals, as she felt weird about potentially constraining them and making them uncomfortable... But she knew that humans naturally enjoyed this warm, gentle touch.

Isaac was certainly no exception, considering how he seemed to curl up in her embrace as if it was the only source of warmth in the world, which Double reasoned may be somewhat true for him. Still, seeing his content little face was adorable, and she liked seeing it, it was so calming. Admittedly, she found that a bit weird, as it wasn't an action, or an expression, just a small boy's happy face. Still, she didn't much mind. It was a lovely sight, and it made her feel like she was doing the right thing. Although, how she could see it with her eyes shut was beyond her, but still.

How did her eyes work anyway...? She never opened them unless she was trying to intimidate somebody, yet she had absolutely no issue seeing... In fact, her entire biology was weird now that she really thought about it. She was technically inside out, with her current form being nothing more than an elaborate disguise meant to lure in unsuspecting humans, her stomach was actually an entirely separate dimension, and she had body parts. All over her body. In places where it really didn't make sense for them to be. Why did she need seven arms, three of which her on her back?

Well, she figured now she could hug Isaac more times than normal. Which was fine with her. Letting out a content sigh, she settled down on the bed and wrapped her arms around him once more, settling down again and rocking the chair back and forth. This was nice, this was relaxing. Still, she wished she could spend it more with her son, well, vocally. She honestly wished that her son could speak, and they could converse about-

A small cough caught her attention, and she looked down at Isaac, who seemed to be coughing, or trying to do something which she couldn't understand.

"M..."

"Isaac?"

"...Mama..."

Her eyes snapped wide open, her blood red sclara glowing brightly as she gaped at her child. He... He had said something... He had spoken to her... It was a miracle... Sure, it took every bit of energy he had to say it, and it was highly doubtful he would be able to do it again, but just the simple fact that he had found it in himself to say that one word to her just touched her heart and... Oh my goodness...

She was crying. She hadn't even noticed the tears pouring down her face. With a small choked laugh, she hugged him tightly.

Isaac squeaked.

She felt his tiny hands clutch at her habit.

Laughing softly, she kissed his head.

"Oh, that was so sweet, my precious little Isaac." Double said quietly, pulling Isaac close and nuzzling the top of his head with her cheek. She struggled to hold back the happy tears as she held her little son close in her arms. Up above, Aeon watched with tears running down her face after hearing her son finally speak.

Not even in her timeline where she was his mother had he ever spoken to her... It was clear to ger that the bond between Isaac and Double was something else entirely... They were so close to one another, and in such a short amount of time too... She was a true natural mother... Perhaps it came from Mother's genes...

Okay, considering how much her mother was presently screaming, maybe not.

"What happened?" Discord asked, appearing from the doorway, looking around in a want to get involved in any potential drama.

"Isaac spoke, he called... he called Double 'Mama'." Aeon softly spoke, smiling sadly.

"Score!" The God of Mischief remarked, then slammed the door behind him, leaving the sisters to watch. Venus bit her lip, then finally looked over to Aeon.

"You gonna be all right?" She asked.

"Yes..." Aeon said softly.

"Hey... I know this must be really hard for you to watch..." Venus began, but Aeon simply shook her head.

"No... Not at all..."

Venus was taken aback. "So you're... not upset to see him bonded with someone else?" Aeon smiled tearfully.

"I just want him to be happy."

"Yeah, me too." Venus admitted with a sad smile. "He is my sweet little nephew, after all." Her comment made Aeon look over at her sister, who also gave her a sad smile. It seemed like the Ex-Goddess seemed to have accepted what would and wouldn't be. As hard as it was, she knew deep down, that the best way to care for Isaac would be to help Double any way she could. While it was true that Aeon wanted nothing more than to hold Isaac close, hear him call her 'Mama', she understood that simply wasn't to be.

Yet, while she may have been able to change that, she didn't want too. Both because she didn't want to take away Isaac's first true, loving, connection, at least in this timeline. But because she didn't want to take that from Double. After living a life based on nothing but servitude, Double deserved a chance to find out what being truly 'happy' was like. Aeon and Venus were more than happy to see her taking in the stray animals, but Aeon knew in her heart that Isaac was what she needed to have a connection that she never would've expected, probably never wanted, but now would never give up, for any reason.

Seeing the two of them interact was extremely touching... The two of them needed each other, more than they even realized now... They were both in dire need of a loving touch from another sentient lifeform, and it really did feel as though fate had brought them together. While it was hard to watch her son being raised by anyone other than her, she knew that it was unreasonable to be angry or upset about it... As long as he was in a loving environment, she would put on a smile and accept it.

She wished there was more she could do, but that wasn't meant to be. And sadly that was her fate. But this time, fate couldn't and wouldn't be altered.

Below, Double rocked the chair back and forth, smiling widely at her son, who was snuggled close to her chest. She wanted to ask him, encourage him, help him, to speak again. But she knew that wasn't going to happen.

This was just a one time thing that took every bit of effort he had in his entire tiny body to muster up the energy to do.

She would consider herself lucky she got to hear him speak, that she got to hear the sound of his voice just this one time... It was the greatest privilege one could ever ask for... She leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

Isaac looked up with a happy smile and snuggled closer to his Mom. His small breathing was a peaceful sound to Double as it signalled that he was doing all right. He was content, and he was happy.

And for the first time in a long time, possibly forever, so was Double.

She had finally found something she never knew she wanted, no. Never knew she NEEDED. She had a real, genuine connection, and she wouldn't give it up for anything in the world.