Broken Angel: Rising Demon

by I LIKE FEAR 1-2

The Age of Man, is over. The Age of Magic, is about to begin. A Demon stands upon the Earth. A beast, named goddess by right of passing. Darkness settles upon the Earth, will this goddess usher in a golden age for humanity? Or will she cast them aside to drown in their own sins? Behold the rise of the demon, and the Kingdom of Albion. (Sequel to Broken Angel)

40. 40: Setting the Groundwork

Alright, time for the next chapter, hope everyone is ready. Been pretty busy as of late, but I'm happily getting back to a working schedule for my writing. So expect more chapters at an ever-growing rate. I'll hopefully get back up to at least one every two weeks, but hopefully it'll be closer to one a week. Alternating between my two current stories. I've also been asked if I was willing to start a discord server for my stories. I know I've mentioned it for my other story, but I wanted to see if anyone was interested here. If so, I'll probably start up a server where you can come check in, ask about the story, post ideas, I may even post updates, to what I'm working on there, if anyone is interested. Feel free to let me know. Otherwise, let's get this show on the road.

Broken Angel: Rising Demon

Chapter 40: Setting the Groundwork.

-Metropolis, United States. February 19th 2001-

Clark Kent stared up at the princess of Albion with a look of concern.

"Make introductions? With who?" He asked her.

"Your friend, Lex Luthor." Riley responded, causing him to blink several times in surprise before narrowing his eyes with concern.

"Why do you want to meet with Lex?" He asked her, remembering how she had told him she had seen his memories while they were fighting, at least some of them. So he didn't need to question how she knew that he knew Lex.

"The feather he carries, I know he's showed it to you. I know where it comes from." Riley responded, once more causing Clark to blink in surprise.

"You know where it comes from? Where?" Clark asked, staring up at her as he contemplated this sudden reveal and what it could possibly mean.

"It comes from me." Riley answered as her wings erupted from her back.

"You? You gave it to him? Why?" Clark questioned her, as his eyes passed over the cosmic darkness of her wings.

"Well, that's kind of an interesting story. Tell me, have you ever had any interactions with the multiverse or time travel?" Riley asked him in response.

"Yes, believe it or not." Clark answered her.

"Well, another me, from another time, gave that feather to your friend so that she could always locate him. She did the same with all of her children. That's right, your friend, is actually the child of an alternate version of myself from another time." Riley explained to him, causing Superman to blink several times in surprise as he took that in.

"That… that's… how do you know this? I mean, how can you be sure?" Clark uttered after taking a few moments to compose himself.

"I'm met others like him. My other children. There's more to the story, and I'm willing to explain it all, if you'll introduce us. I know he's your friend, and you'd most likely keep an ear our for him, at all times, just in case he might be in danger. So I decided to come speak with you first, and save the attempt at heroics that would spark if I just showed up at Mr Luthor's penthouse." Riley offered to him, earning a hard look from the man.

Several moments passed before he vanished back into his apartment, emerging a second or two later, dressed in his red and blue outfit, appearing as the Man of Steel.

"Alright, let's go." Superman said to her, flying off towards Lex's Penthouse, Riley following not far behind.

The two descended onto the balcony and Superman knocked on the glass door leading into the Billionaire's home.

A few seconds later, and Lex Luthor appeared on the other side of the glass, appearing puzzled. He opened the door after a moment.

"Superman… Well this is a bit… unusual…" He noted, his eyes flickering to Riley whom stood behind Superman, eyeing her offspring with a curious gaze.

"Hello Lex, do you have some time to talk, there's someone here who wants to meet you?" Superman inquired, earning a few blinks from his longtime friend before he nodded and stepped back, offering the two entrance into his home.

"Can I get you anything?" The Billionaire inquired, playing the part of respectful host. He, of course, knew exactly who Riley was. The Princess of Ablion was a well known face, not just due to her marriage to Artoria, but due to her status as what many considered to be, the most powerful magical being on the planet.

"No I'm alright." Superman responded.

"Same." Riley answered, as her gaze traveled over the decor of the room they were in. Works of art hung from the walls, including paintings, and statues. It was honestly quite the spectacle, but Riley expected no less from one of the richest men on the planet.

"I guess I'll skip right to the point then, to what do I owe a visit from Superman, and the Princess of Albion?" Lex asked, his eyes traveling to Superman first, before settling on Riley.

"The princess here, wished to meet you, and asked that I introduce her to you." Superman explained.

"Wished to meet me? Well I can't say that I'm not flattered your highness, but surely there could have been other ways to get a meeting. I mean, how did you even know that Superman and I were acquainted?" Lex asked, his eyes momentarily flickering back to Superman before returning to her.

"He and I fought, a few days ago. I can read the memories of the people I fight. The longer I fight them, the more I can learn about them. I learned quite a few things from the Man of Steel, including his ties to you. It was actually a particular memory of his that I witnessed, that made me want to meet with you, Mr. Luthor." Riley responded as she focused her gaze onto him.

"And what memory would that be?" Lex asked, rolling with her explanation.

"When you showed him the black feather you've carried with you your entire life. I know where it comes from, and I've met others who've carried the exact same type of feather. I know that Superman here keeps an eye on his friends, and so instead of just showing up here, and possibly startling you, which would have drawn Superman here anyway, I just decided to ask him to make introductions." Riley answered the question. Lex blinked several times in surprise, not quite sure what to make of that.

After a few moments he reached into his pocket and withdrew the black feather. The moment he held it up, Riley opened her hand, and the feather left his fingers and drifted over to her. It floated over her palm and began glowing. The feather blazed with a smoldering heat as it held it's place over her palm. Riley allowed her gaze to pass over the feather before letting out a chuckle. She then sent it back over to Lex, who watched this happen with extreme interest.

"That feather, was given to you by your parent, Mr. Luthor. I know little about you, other than the tidbits I've gotten in magazines and the like. The parents that raised you, are not your real parents. They found you when you were very young, and raised you as their own. That feather was given to you by your sire, the 'father' that helped to make you." Riley began to explain, earning dumbfounded amazement from Lex while Superman watched the scene play out with a curious and somewhat critical gaze.

"How do you know this?" Lex asked after a few seconds to take in what he'd just heard. He already knew he wasn't the biological child to the parents who'd raised him. His adoptive mother died when he was young, and his father was infertile, and had told him around the time he reached his teens, that he was adopted. He had tried to find his real parents at one point in time, but the search turned up nothing. No adoption records, no paper trail. Wherever the Luthors had gotten him, they'd erased any leads that he could have followed.

"I know these things, because your sister told them to me, and as I said, I've met others just like you." Riley answered him.

"My sister? I have a sister?" He asked, in surprise.

"You have many sisters. Many brothers too." Riley answered him, earning further intrigue from the man.

"Why does this matter to you? While I'm sure Lex is eager to learn more, what does this have to do with you?" Superman inquired, earning a look from Riley which quickly morphed into a smirk as she picked up on his desire to get to the truth of the matter. He already knew it, and he wanted Lex to know it too, so he was encouraging her to get to the crux of the matter.

"Mr. Luthor and his siblings are all children of an alternate version of myself, from another universe, another time. In essence, he is my son. Or at least a son I could have." Riley answered, turning her gaze back to Lex. Superman took in her answer once more and than turned his gaze towards his longtime friend, who was shocked by this sudden revelation.

"You-You're my mother?" Lex muttered in disbelief.

"Technically I'm your sire. Your 'father'. I didn't carry you, but I impregnated your mother." Riley offered in correction.

It took several long moments for the two men to wrap their minds around that. Lex even poured himself a scotch and downed the entire glass as he took in this revelation.

"You said I was a possibility of yours. That I'm not even from this time, but an entirely different one. How did I get here?" Lex asked after several long minutes of silence.

"Your sister, Elizabeth, she possess a unique power that allows her to open tears between universes, and between different times. When you were young, our family was attacked by a devil. In a panic, your sister activated her powers and scattered herself and all of her siblings across time and space. Since then, she has been working to bring her family back together. In this timeline, all of her siblings exist, and she's recruited me, to help reunite them. Some ended up here a long time ago. Others appeared here in the present, some may yet to have arrived, and will appear some day in the future. You're a possibility of mine, a child that I could have. Within you flows my power, my magic, and the blood of those I love very dearly. You may not be mine, but you're still my family, so I've accepted the duty of finding my scattered offspring and bringing them back together. I don't want anything from you. I didn't come here for an alliance, or to force you to become part of the family. If you want nothing to do with any of this, than I'll walk away, and leave you to your life. As my child, I want the chance to get to know you, but the choice is ultimately yours. You needed to know though, to finally have the answer to the questions that you've carried all your life. That feather you carry, I gave it too you, to all of your siblings, so that I could always have a means of finding you. It's not my feather, but it's still a part of me, just like you are. I'll happily answer any questions you have, or, if you want me gone, just say the word. For now, I'll step outside, and leave you to think on this, perhaps discuss it with your friend. Let me know when you're ready, and we'll talk." Riley explained to him, to the both of them. The two men listened with wrapped attention as Riley explained the nature of the situation.

At it's end, both were left to contemplate all that they'd learned.

Lex could only offer a small nod as Riley stepped out, to give them space, and allow the two men to digest this information.

Riley leaned against the railing of Lex's penthouse balcony, her gaze spread out over the expanse of Metropolis. When she was finished here, she'd head to Hogwarts and speak with Tom. She needed allies, to help her deal with her treacherous daughter, and help to provide Riley a bit of a safety net, when it came to her sanity.

The longer she thought on it, the more it dawned on her, that she couldn't fully trust the people in her life anymore. She had no idea what lengths Elizabeth would go to, to force them into a fight with the Archdevil. Riley simply didn't know the woman well enough to make any sort of guess as to what she could do, if her plans were threatened. Would she simply shrug her shoulders and go, 'oh well', and try again? Would she fight tooth and nail to make it happen? Would she work through agents, to try and manipulate this timeline to get what she wanted, or would she simply show up, and ask Riley to get back on the plot railroad? The Demoness didn't know.

It was that mystery, that deeply annoyed Riley, and made her gradually more upset. Knowing that she was in danger, but not knowing the scale of the danger, made it difficult to counter it. One thing that she knew for certain was that due to Elizabeth's ability to open tears to other times, and other universes, the list of potential answers she had to any sort of problem, was near limitless. Things beyond what Riley could imagine, could be called upon to set things right, if Riley disrupted her daughter's plans too greatly. At least, that was the worst case scenario, or at least, the second to worst case scenario.

The worst being what would happen if Elizabeth truly did have her hooks in some of Riley's friends or family. Now that thought, really pissed her off.

To imagine what lies could be used to manipulate or trick her friends and family into turning against her. No ideas immediately presented themselves. Riley was quite confident in the loyalty of those she loved, but again, she did not underestimate her daughter. The Elder Elizabeth had been grooming this timeline, this universe really, for billions of years. Even if Elizabeth hadn't actually spent all that time here, she had still been around for as long as time existed in this universe, and by her own admission, this wasn't the first timeline she had created, and groomed for this purpose.

Riley remembered clear as day how Elizabeth had claimed to have her work destroyed by the World Consuming version of Riley. So at least one other timeline existed, where Elizabeth had a hand in creating it, but there could be many more. How many alternate universes existed that her daughter had a hand in creating and grooming? Riley had no idea, neither did Parallax. So despite her daughter being only a half-demon, Riley knew that underestimating her was a very bad idea.

It was this uncertainty that kept her from just gathering up all of her friends and allies, and telling them all what she'd learned. Without knowing what, if any, backups Elizabeth had in store, Riley couldn't bring herself to risk the lives of those she cared for. The only answer she had, was to peel back the layers of uncertainty, bit by bit, until she knew enough to act. So walking paths she normally wouldn't was a good way to at least draw out those that Elizabeth had as agents, and playing ignorant as she deviated from the so-called, 'plan' would help to reveal the safeguards Elizabeth had put in place, all the while making it appear that Riley's non-compliance was unintentional, keeping her daughter from suspecting something more at play here.

To effectively counter her daughter, Riley would need to play the game in a way that none expected her too. Making an alliance with Superman was an unexpected avenue, considering the two had very different ideas in how to handle problems, and they both couldn't be further apart, when it came to how they thought their powers should be used.

At best, the people closest to her would expect Riley to tolerate Superman's existence, as a force of good in the world. Beyond that though, they most likely didn't have any greater hope.

Allowing him to learn such a valuable piece of information was something few of her allies would expect, and they most certainly wouldn't expect what came next.

'Going against the grain'. Her plan for revealing Elizabeth's agents, as well as her daughter's methods for maintaining control. Riley also intended to become overly vague about her plans and actions from this point forward. She wasn't going to tell anyone about Parallax, she wasn't going to tell anyone about how she'd absorbed Kryptonian DNA and how she'd used it to change her body. She wasn't going to tell anyone about her plans going forward. If anyone asked, she'd give them a vague, yet believable answer, and from those who weren't satisfied with her responses, she'd be able to narrow down those who were genuinely curious about her actions, and those who had some sort of ulterior motive, or were being used by a third party.

As it currently stood, Riley went to most everyone in her life, with her ideas, plans, for advice, and the like. Some things she kept from people, for example, the truth about Second Impact, she shared only with Madara and Kaguya, yet the truth about Millenium's attack on England, she shared only with Daphne. There were some things she kept from her family, and that list was going to grow, it had too. She was fighting an unknown, and that unknown had studied her for the entire span of her existence. If Riley wanted to outwit her daughter, and regain full control over her life, than she'd have to get creative, and the best way to do that, was to become an unknown once more. She had to be unreadable, even to the people who knew her best. If no one knew what to expect from her, than no one could anticipate her, and that made her infinitely more dangerous, especially to someone who relied on knowing what comes next, in order to manipulate outcomes.

After several long minutes, the doorway to the balcony opened, and both Lex and Superman stepped out. Riley continued to gaze out over the skyline of Metropolis for a few seconds before turning to face them.

"Come to any decisions, or do you have more questions?" Riley inquired.

"Well I'm unsure of any decisions, I do have many questions." Lex responded.

"Alright then, ask away." Riley said to him.

"Well, first and foremost, what is it you want? You said you wanted nothing from me, just the opportunity to get to know me." Lex asked, his gaze locked onto her.

"It's true. You may be a rich and powerful man, but as it stands, you have nothing that I want. Or at least, nothing that I cannot get on my own. You have wealth, so do I. You have power, so do I. You have position, and respect, I have them as well. You're a great man, I am a great woman. In spite of all you have, Lex Luthor, you have nothing that I need. Nothing that would require me to come to you like this, and reveal such information. The truth is as I said it. Your sister, came to me, asked that I help reunite you and your siblings. I swore that I would, and have gathered together a number of them. Each one is unique, some from the distant past, others, born in this era. All have their own wants, needs, and desires. To some, I am their mother, their parent. To others, I am a friend, an ally, a teacher. You are a full grown man, no longer in need of a mother. If you want one, then I will fulfill that role, if you desire a comrade, an ally to assist in your ambitions, than I will aid you, as I do some of your other siblings. If you wish for me to simply be a part of your life, than that is what I will be, and whatever shape that takes will be left to fate to decide. I didn't come here because I wanted anything from you. Though I do wish to be part of your life, if you'll have me. If you refuse though, then I will walk away. It'll be disappointing, of course, but I'll respect your decision. At the end of the day, I am your mother, and I can be whatever you want me to be, even if that is only an abstract in the background of your life. An acknowledgment of a truth, and nothing more." Riley explained herself once more, letting the man understand her own position.

"You say you are my mother, but you're the mother that 'sired' me." Lex questioned.

"Yes. I am, as you can see, a woman. Or at least I take the form of a woman. You may or may not know that all of my mates are female. Well, technically five of them are female, and three choose to be female." Riley returned with a shrug, causing the two men to share a glance with one another.

"Myself and three of my mates are shapeshifters, able to change our forms at will, that includes our sex. All four of us appear as women, though technically we're women by choice. If we wanted to we could be men, women, neither, both." Riley explained when she took note of what they were possibly confused by.

"Don't you have an original state, a base form?" Lex inquired with curiosity.

"Not really. I guess you could say we had an original form from before we gained these powers, but now that we have them, we're unbound to any sort of genetic constraints, when it comes to our bodies. The reason I take the form of a woman is because I was born a girl, the form of a girl is more familiar to me, so that's why I choose to be this way. It's the same for my mates. They were all born girls, and now choose to remain the way they are because it's familiar to them. Comfortable, you could say. If I ever wanted to try something new, I can just will myself to be that way. Longer hair, shorter hair, shorter nose, longer arms, shorter torso, rounder face. I am the way that I am because I choose to be that way. Tomorrow I could wake up and choose differently. I was raised mostly by men, it wasn't until I was a teenager that I had a womanly figure come into my life. My mates see me as rather masculine, at least in terms of how I act. In truth, I'm a tomboy, always have been, probably always will be. Still I choose to remain in this form because it's familiar to me, and I'm comfortable looking like this. Ultimately though, it's my choice because I have these powers. When it comes to your conception, well any number of methods could have been used. I am a magical being after all. So while I am the 'father' in this relationship, most of my children call me mother. Feel free to address me as either, or just Riley. That works too." Riley helped the two understand the nature of the situation a bit better.

To her surprise, she found them accepting of her explanation. If Riley had to guess, both had, at some point in the past, dealt with shape-shifters before. She'd have to ask about that, sometime in the future.

"Well then, if you are the one that sired me, than which of your mates, is my mother?" Lex asked.

Riley smirked in reply and gave the man a good once over. If she shut her eyes and simply listened to the man, while taking in all that she knew about him, she'd have immediately guessed that he was Daphne's. However, because she could see him, see that innate magic he carried within him, she knew instantly who his mother was.

"Your mother is my second wife, Fleur Delacour, the lady of the Uchiwa clan." Riley answered him.

"You seem certain of that. You can tell just by looking?" Superman inquired.

"Yes. These eyes of mine can see magic. Fleur is, or was, a Veela. Males are rare among the Veela but far from impossible. You're one eighth Veela, as she was a quarter Veela. You have the power of Allure though it's kept largely in check due to the powers you gained from me. Had anyone else been your sire, you'd already be displaying signs of your Veela heritage." Riley answered him, letting out a chuckle as she did.

The two men shared a glance with one another, taking note of her laughter.

"What's so funny?" Superman asked.

"Just the nature of the situation. I've found plenty of my children so far. Two from almost all of them. The one that I've found the most for however, is the most demure and conservative of my mates, while arguably, the one who's the most promiscuous, I haven't found any for, until you. I've just always found it funny. Maybe those versions of my wives are different in the timeline you come from, or maybe it's the roll of the dice. Either way, it gets a chuckle out of me. Your mother is or was a Veela, and they are more instinctual creatures, by their very nature, than humans are. Unlike my human mates, she's driven by far stronger biological needs than they are, as these needs are also backed up and enforced by magic. You are the first of her children that I've found, though she and I have had our first child as well. You have a full blooded sister, as well as a number of half-siblings." Riley explained the source of her amusement, and how she'd always found it odd that Daphne seemed to have the most kids, at least, from what they'd encountered so far. Considering how planned out, everything needed to be for Daphne, it was difficult for Riley to imagine her having more than two or three children.

Both men stared at her, taking in that bit of information before moving on.

"How does this go from here? Say I agree to a further relationship, what happens then?" Lex asked after a few moments.

"Whatever you wish. If you simply want someone to talk to, then I can do that, if you wish for help in your endeavors than you'll have my aid. If you just wanna see where this goes, than that's fine too. Like I've said, I didn't come here because I wanted anything from you. My relationship with each of your siblings is unique. Some of them need me as a parent, others don't. Whatever you want, whatever you're comfortable with." Riley responded with a shrug.

"Help in my endeavors? What if I were to ask you to help me ensure the prosperity of the United States? What if my goals surrounded the advancement of this nation? What would happen then?" Lex questioned, challenging her, earning a smirk from Riley.

"I care nothing for this nation. It's downfall, it's prosperity. Neither matter to me. As we speak, peace talks have been set in motion. If the Americans realize that there is no competing with me, then the war will be over, in which case I'll have no reason to fight them, no reason to hinder any efforts in their recovery, and no reason not to aid you in helping them. This land, this country, is your home, just as Albion is mine. I attacked it because it attacked me. First was Alma. I told the world that she was a friend of mine, but really, she was your sister. Taken due to her powerful psychic abilities. Raped and impregnated twice. Even her children were experimented on, so I delivered a powerful blow to the Armacham Corporation and anyone who got in my way. Then your government sent soldiers to try and kidnap my newborn son, your little half-brother. So I killed them, wiped out their western European forces, and set the East Coast on fire. If you want to help these people, than I'm more than willing to offer you my aid, but just understand something fundamental about me…" Riley began to answer him, earning surprise from both of them when they heard about Alma. Both men had heard the reports in regards to Riley's reason for attacking Fairport, now they had a much clearer understanding of just why she had done it.

As she spoke, her gaze grew intense, and an aura of fear began to fill the room.

"I care nothing for the overall victories or failures of humanity. What I do care about is the lives of those I love. If they're happy, than I'm happy. If they're prospering, than I'm content. Albion matters to me, because it's my home, and it's the home of the people that I hold closest to heart. If you truly love this country, truly love this place, than I will help you make it better. But, if these people choose to target those that I love, than I will destroy them. I make no illusions about that. I don't hide this from my family, so I wont hide it from you. So long as your countrymen never attack my family, they'll have nothing to fear from me. I may even work to help them, from time to time. The people I love, matter to me, and I wont allow them to come to harm. Your friend here is a good example." Riley gestured towards Superman, causing him to blink several times.

"How so?" Lex inquired, glancing at his friend before returning his gaze to Riley.

"He's a threat. Unlike this country, this man here, is an actual threat. When we fought a few days ago, I intended to kill him, to remove that threat for good. However, when I saw his memories, saw his friendship with you, I changed my mind. I spared him, because he's important to you, and I didn't want to take away one of your friends. I didn't know you, and I still don't, but you're one of my children, and I'll do what I can to make life better for you." Riley informed them.

"Just like that, no hard feelings? You've killed a lot of people. Most, wont just sit back and forget that." Lex noted.

"I hope they don't forget it. If it were just about vengeance, I'd kill those responsible and no one else. It's not though, it's about sending a message. The nightmare I'll unleash if they piss me off. I want them to remember, I want them to think about what they've done, that caused it. Like I said, I care nothing for this country, or humanity as a whole, as a matter of fact. I don't really care what these people do, or why they do it, so long as me and mine are free and happy to live life as we please, I don't truly care what the rest of the world gets up to. I've told the Green Lanterns this before, so I'll offer it to you, Superman, as a courtesy. Keep your people away from me, and I wont be a problem. Keep them away from my family. So long as your people don't hurt mine, I wont have a reason to get involved. That's it. That's the plain simple truth about me. You want me to stop killing people, than tell them to stay out of my way, and leave me alone." Riley responded, her gaze passing out over Metropolis before returning to the two of them.

"And what about this religion building around you. A lot of people are claiming you're some kind of god." Superman stated.

"I had no hand in the creation of their religion, nor do I have any control over them. They choose to worship me of their own volition. Their beliefs are entirely their own, and have no bearing on me or my life. How they choose to see me, and how I am, are two entirely different things. Take the time, get to know me, you'll understand." Riley explained, offering a shrug as she did.

"I can see that this will take time. I'm sorry you find yourself aligned with forces that have earned my wrath. Hopefully peace-talks will go well and this war will end. I cannot promise you that I will never bring harm to this country again, all that I can promise you, is that I will take you into account if the time comes where they once more earn retribution by my hands. I don't care if they come after me. I can take anything these humans can dish out. There isn't a force in all the world, that can hurt me, but my loved ones, are not so immune. If your countrymen or any people in the world come after them again, I'll teach them another lesson, and with each lesson, the end result will be more painful, and the mountain of bodies left behind will be that much higher. This time I targeted just military installations, any civilians that died, was purely unintentional. The next time though, the next time they try to hurt one of my children, I wont be so focused. You have power in the world, Mr Luthor. With my help, and your connections, we can accomplish great things for humanity, but unlike your red and blue friend here, I wont hesitate to remind humanity of it's place, if they choose to step out of line. I have a very short patience when it comes to the safety of my loved ones. So long as they are left out of things, the damage I'll do will be kept to a minimum. You want me to stop killing your countrymen, that's all they have to do. Leave my family alone, and they never need fear my wrath." Riley said to them, her gaze lingering on Lex who gave her a nod to show that he understood.

"I need to get back. If you wish to continue our discussion, you need only send a message. And if you wish to meet the rest of your family, Albion is open to you. For now, I'll leave you to digest all of this, and reflect upon it. I know this will take time, and I'll leave the next step in your hands. I hope you choose to contact me, but I'll understand if you need time to come to terms with all this. For now, I'll take my leave." Riley offered before heading out. Both men watched her leave, as she stepped up onto the balcony and lifted into the air. Within moments, she was gone, leaving them to take in the ramifications of all that they'd learned.

-London, Albion-

Riley sat in mediation while overlooking the expanse of London. In her ears played the sounds of every living thing in the city. Every person, every animal, every insect. She could hear the waters coursing through the sewers, hear the churning of the river Thames.

Her hearing had always been great, even growing to the point of superhuman, but now, thanks to Superman's DNA, Riley's hearing was infinitely more sensitive. She could pick up the most minute sounds, even when mixed with the avalanche of noise that was the life around her. She could focus and listen in to specific conversations, hearing them as if she was present with the speakers.

After a few moments, she decided to focus in on a sound that she was familiar with, the voices of her mates.

The first voice she heard was Artoria's, which was nearest to her location in London. Riley could hear her speaking with her advisers as they planned out their approach for the peace-talks occurring in the next few days. Daphne's voice was also present there, standing out amongst the rest of Artoria's servants. A small smile graced Riley's lips as she focused her senses further out.

She found Kaede's voice, back at her house, she was talking with Kushina.

"Honestly, you should just tell her. You know she'll be more than happy to start a family with you." Kushina said.

"I know that. I know she probably wouldn't have any complaints, I just worry about the timing. I know a lot is going on right now, and unlike with some of the others, I'm a full demon. I have no idea what the rules will be, or what to expect. A child between Riley and I could appear overnight for all I know, and I'm not sure if now is the best time to bring another baby into the house." Kaede replied, her words causing Riley to chuckle to herself.

"Well, as always, I'd suggest just talking with her. Despite her ability to read minds, she doesn't actually know everything that you're thinking, so just talk to her. I know how excited you are to finally be a mother, so just take some time to talk with her, and see where her minds at. No point in fretting over something that could be easily dealt with." Kushina offered.

"Alright, then I guess that's what I'll do." Kaede agreed after a few quiet moments of thought.

"Don't worry, it'll all work itself out." Kushina said to her, no doubt smiling in the kindhearted way that she often would.

Riley allowed her focus to drift outward towards another of her mates, this time finding Fleur. She could hear her in discussions with several goblins at Gringotts. She was talking about finances for the Legion, as well as working out a deal to fund a new expansion for Legion facilities in the Hidden Village. As their numbers began growing, so too were their needs, so it was time to get structures in place to handle the growing, and evolving magical force.

Moving on from Fleur, Riley focused her hearing onto Luna's voice, taking in her humming as she worked with her father on the newest issue of the Quibbler.

Riley smiled as she took in Luna's gentle voice, always so carefree, and lighthearted. The times when Luna was serious was few and far between, and you could really tell in her tone when she actually was being serious. Otherwise she spoke with such a light, and airy voice, that it seemed like she was almost incapable of shouting, or yelling. In all the years that Riley had known her soon-to-be wife, she had only heard her shout a handful of times. Raising her voice simply wasn't in Luna's nature.

Riley spent a few moments listening to Luna's humming before allowing her focus to shift to the sound of Katie's voice.

Riley could hear her panting in repetition. Focusing outward, beyond her voice, Riley could make out the familiar sound of exercise. Katie was at the Hidden Village, no doubt running through some exercises, or handling some personal training in her free time. Riley let out a chuckle, taking a moment to admire the image of her mate hard at work, pushing herself to increase her already admirable physical abilities.

With that, Riley allowed her focus to withdraw and she once more took in the sounds of London, and the surrounding country. Yugito and Gaia were on the opposite side of the planet, and while Riley was certain that she could hear them, if she actually tried to, it would be far more difficult, than hearing what people were saying in Albion.

Definitely a unique capability of Superman's super-hearing. It didn't seem to rely on sound actually traveling in order for him to pick it up. Riley had tested it a few times in Kamui, that she would hear things the instant they happened, and than hear them again, when the sound waves actually reached her.

So Riley was confident that she could hear Gaia and Yugito, if she wanted too, but she'd have to focus her senses much further in order to pick them up.

With a smile, Riley rose to her feet and gazed around at the expanse of London. She took in the city with a calculating gaze. This place, her home. A place where her loved ones could exist, where they could live and be happy. A place she could live, and be happy in. Albion was her home, and because of that, she'd kill to protect it.

"But what happens when it turns on you?" Parallax spoke from within her mind.

"In what manner?" Riley responded, blinking once, then twice as she took in her offspring's question.

"This place is your home, but what happens when it is used against you? My sister is cunning, and she knows your weaknesses. What will you do if she decides to use this place, or even, use them, against you?" Parallax questioned.

"Is this just you embracing your nature as a fear-based entity, praying on my worst fears, or are you asking a genuine question?" Riley asked in response, her question causing her demonic offspring to chuckle in amusement.

"It's a genuine question, though perhaps it's a bit of both." Parallax answered.

"Well then, I would ask how it would be used against me?" Riley asked, after a few moments.

"It's importance, could be used against you. Think about it, all of your beloved friends, and family, all of them, were fed the same lie that you were. They all think, that there is no way out. That victory or defeat can only be decided here, on this planet. In order to leave, they'd have to leave the Earth behind entirely, abandon it to it's fate, a prospect most wont find desirable. What if my sister uses their love for this world, and their belief that there is no other way, to manipulate them into turning on you. What would happen if I went and told your mates, that a certain action you were taking, was either increasing the likelihood of the Day of Wrath, or that you were accelerating it's arrival? Would they choose you, over the world?" Parallax clarified it's question, causing Riley to take pause.

She felt Kurama stir within her, having heard the question as well, though he sat silently, awaiting Riley's answer.

For several moments, she stood in silence, images of every last person she knew and held dear, flashing through her mind. Everyone she loved, everyone she cared for, everyone she had ever formed a bond with. If faced with a choice such as that, Riley or the world, what would they choose?

She knew her answer, but a cold chill ran up her spine as she realized that she didn't know for certain, what the answer would be for the people in her life.

She began going through them, trying to come to a decision for each one.

Fleur? She'd probably choose Riley at the end of the day, though Riley wasn't certain. If it was Riley, or her family, her children, her world… would Fleur actually choose her mate?

Katie? The world. It hit like a punch to the face, but if Katie was forced to choose between her mate, and the world, Riley actually thought she'd choose the world.

Daphne? The world. Yet another blow, but this one was a bit easier to rationalize. Daphne's whole identity was built around the image she constructed for herself. If she lost the world, it would be like losing who she was. As much as Riley meant to her, their love, was only part of Daphne's life, and Riley had always known that Daphne could survive without her, but would she be able to make such a choice? Riley didn't immediately know.

Luna? Riley didn't have an answer there. A part of her wanted to say that of course, Luna would choose Riley, but given how strong of an effect Luna's visions had had on the course of Riley's life, the idea that she was one of Elizabeth's main tools of manipulation, led Riley to feeling uncertain.

The hardest part of figuring out how she should feel in regards to those agents of Elizabeth, was not knowing the lengths that Elizabeth would go to, to achieve her goals. If she chose to believe Elizabeth, than this whole thing was merely a project to help reunite all of her siblings. If she chose to believe Parallax, than this timeline was created as a trap to lure in the Archdevil, and use all of the powers that had been amassed here in order to kill him. If that was true, than how far would Elizabeth than go, to keep things on the rails? Would she be willing to hurt people to see it done?

Without knowing that answer, Riley was left in the difficult position of not knowing how to proceed.

Her mind continued on with her mates.

Kaede would choose Riley, that was one she was sure of. Kaede didn't care for the world, or the people in it, so she'd definitely choose Riley.

"What if it were a choice between you, and the children you'll one day share?" Parallax put in, causing Riley to pause, and let out a sigh.

She shook her head, and continued on with her thoughts, knowing that to entertain that possibility was to leave her angry, and frustrated.

Gaia would choose the world, her people. Riley knew she would, even if it meant going against Riley.

Yugito would also choose her people, Riley was certain of that.

Finally there was Artoria, and Riley was certain again, that in spite of how much she had changed from her past, she would still do her duty as a Queen, and sacrifice whatever it took to protect her people, even if that meant sacrificing Riley.

One… just one of her mates, Riley was confident about.

The thought was one that really struck at Riley.

Of the eight of her mates, if push came to shove, if it was the world, or Riley, what would they choose? Only one of them, Riley was confident would choose her. That thought hit her in a way she'd never been struck before.

That wasn't even taking into account all of the other people that Riley held so close to heart. All of her loved ones, her family, her friends, the people that she could count on. One in eight, of the people closest to her, would choose her. Twelve-and-a-half percent of the people in Riley's life, may choose her, if such a terrible choice was placed before them, best case scenario.

Yet, for each one, for every single person, Riley had the same answer. If she were asked, that person, or the world, she would always choose the person, each and every time.

"Well, you've done a damn good job of ruining her mood." Kurama noted dryly as Riley lowered her gaze, and fought off the avalanche of depression that was washing over her.

"I meant no harm in my question, merely to make a point. My sister is determined to see her plans through. Do not forget, that by her own admission, such plans have already been thwarted before by her real parent. She will not allow it to fail again, not when it has come so far, not when 'he' is falling further and further into the net. She will not let this fail. I know you do not know the lengths she will go to, in order to make it happen, but trust that she is determined to see her goals accomplished. It would not surprise me in the least to know that she would cast aside all of our lives for this goal of hers. And if she would allow us to be killed, than she'd more than happily ruin our lives in any way that helped her get what she wanted. She has no reason to care for us. If she wants a family, wants people to enjoy life with, she can find other variants of her siblings across the multiverse. She chooses this path because family is not her goal. Do not underestimate the lengths that someone with her level of determination will go to, and never forget the power of the Curse of Hatred, and what it can drive our kind to do." Parallax stated, drilling into Riley that in spite of Elizabeth being mostly an unknown, she was far more dangerous, than most other threats. She was a time traveler, who had patience, and determination to see her goals achieved. She also had malice, and the heart of a demon, on top of the effects of the Curse of Hatred, if she truly was afflicted with it.

No, if Riley wanted to prepare to deal with Elizabeth's schemes, than she had to expect the worst, and that meant considering things like what Parallax had suggested. With the right words and enough charisma, anything was possible. In truth, without much thought, Riley already knew of a way to get her mates, and her loved ones to turn on her.

If Elizabeth convinced people that Riley was endangering the world, she could probably get them to do almost anything, especially if she played on their love for her. Convinced them to do something because it would save the world without hurting Riley. That was an option that most of her closest bonds would probably take if forced to choose. Than the question boiled down to how would Elizabeth manipulate Riley through them, using something like that. There was the obvious, of attacking Riley outright, or drawing her into a trap. There was also the destabilization angle, of putting a wedge between Riley and her family. So then how did Riley counter this threat?

The easiest answer was to simply gather everyone together, tell them all the truth, the whole truth, and let everyone in on Elizabeth's secret. The upside was that it would most likely keep most people from blindly trusting the older Elizabeth, but it would also alert her wayward daughter from the future, that Riley now knew what she was really after. There was also the threat of retaliation. There was nothing that said that Elizabeth couldn't start over entirely from scratch, but that didn't mean she'd just wash her hands of this time. If she was as vindictive as Riley was, she may try to get revenge, which was as easy as sitting around somewhere on Earth and waiting for the moment, that her real sire showed up. The World Devouring version of Riley would appear in search of the Elder Elizabeth, and devour the entire planet in order to get to her. Riley would of course fight back against her alternate self, as would everyone else, which would buy the older Elizabeth just enough time to escape.

So on top of possibly manipulating Riley's loved ones to any sort of end, Elizabeth could also doom the entire planet out of spite, or as a threat. Hell that was also a way to manipulate everyone as well. Threaten them that she'll just hang around somewhere on Earth and await the World Devouring Riley, and than run away if everyone didn't dance to her tune.

The more she thought on it, the more obvious that it became, that without knowing more about the Elder Elizabeth, without knowing her limits, her moral limits, if she even had them, than Riley couldn't risk angering her, without a plan in place. In fact, without that knowledge, without an understanding of Elizabeth, the only option to ensure that the world was safe from her machinations, was to kill her outright. Riley's opening volley, would also be the only volley, because if she didn't kill her daughter, she'd open the world up to any sort of retaliatory strike.

No, there were too many what-ifs, and many of them led to Riley losing everything, if she went against Elizabeth head-on. No, the answer lay in subterfuge and deception. Riley had to learn more about her daughter, but she also had to devise a plan to find the people that Elizabeth either had working for her, or were most likely to be used by her, if she needed to intercede in the timeline and manipulate events. Than, just as Parallax had suggested, Riley go her own way, forge her own path, and force those corrective measures. Aggravate Elizabeth, but never reveal to her that Riley was intentionally going off-script.

If Riley could keep Elizabeth oblivious to her true motivations, than she could buy time until she was able to draw her daughter into a trap. That trap, would have to be the end of Elizabeth's involvement. Whether that meant killing her, stripping her of her magic, sealing her away. All were possibilities, that Riley had to consider.

Riley had always been paranoid, and this one question from Parallax had opened her mind to a whole slew of deeply disturbing possibilities. Could she take the risk that Parallax was lying, or just full of shit? Could she take the risk that Elizabeth's whole angle was centered around family and them being reunited? Riley had believed her when she'd said it, but now, now she had doubts, and questions.

Who to believe?

At the end of the day, Parallax was actually bonded to her. If he had lied to her, than he had a much greater chance of being caught, and being put at odds with Riley. That alone gave him a greater reason to be truthful, besides that, what would he gain from turning Riley against Elizabeth? By his own admission, while he'd enjoy vengeance against the Archdevil, his reason for being here was to reunite with Riley, as he had always felt that he was meant to be bonded to her, to work alongside her.

Ultimately, when it came right down to it, Riley had to side with the one that had less interest in a possible suicidal fight against an ancient Archdevil. Parallax openly admitted that while vengeance would be nice, he didn't want to die for it. So if they could get it, good. But he wasn't interested in risking himself for it. While on the other hand, things seemed to be setting up for such a fight, in a timeline that had been specifically groomed by the older Elizabeth. More and more it seemed like they were fated into this fight, which Riley was far from comfortable with, and it lent credit to Parallax's word.

The truth would eventually come out, but Riley didn't have the luxury of waiting until then. She had to make a choice, and that choice was to fight for the lives of all the people she loved, which may mean going against Elizabeth's plans. If she had to fight one version of her daughter, to save the lives of every other person she loved, than Riley would do it.

"It's a fair point he's made, as painful as it is to think on. He is right to bring up such things. I know the people I love would never hurt me out of malice, and I know they'd never betray me for their own gain, but if the choice was me or the world, if someone could make them think that I was on a path to see the planet destroyed, than who knows what they could be convinced of." Riley thought after a few long minutes of thought.

"Well then, you should ensure they never forget what you taught the world at Fairport. Remind them of how deep your love runs, and what could happen to the world, if they damage those feelings. Fear the Archdevil all they want, fear the World Devouring version of you, fear Elizabeth and the infinite nightmares she could unleash, but never forget that they already have doomsday incarnate walking amongst them. Anger you, betray you, and it wont matter what any of those other things do. You hold this planet in your grasp Riley, if you want to ensure they don't betray, then ensure they never forget just why you haven't squeezed the life out of it." Kurama offered with a vicious snarl.

"Yes, Kurama is right in that. This world is a fragile thing, and you can easily destroy it many times over. Those that you hold so dear, are the key to hurting you the most, ensuring they understand just how important your feelings for them are, will make it that much more difficult when my dearest sister decides to make her next move." Parallax agreed.

"Ensure they never forget… yes… I'll make sure that they never doubt my reasons for defending this planet. I wont allow them to think that I actually care for this world. I'm here for them. I'm here because this is their home, my home. But home, isn't a place, it's a people. Wherever I go, so long as I have them, I'm home. London, Albion, Suna, Kumo, Earth… these are just places. Places to live in. I wont let my loved ones forget where I stand. I'll make sure they fully grasp what will happen, if I lose my home. That way, when Elizabeth does make a move, they'll be given that much more pause, when they hear what she has to say. In the meantime, I'm going to find her agents, and I'm going to learn more about Elizabeth. I'll spend more time with my Elizabeth, learn more about her deeper thoughts, and dreams, and try to develop a deeper understanding of who her Older self has become. That way, I can better guess at what she'll ultimately do, if the day comes when I bring too much disorder to her well laid plans." Riley decided, turning her gaze in the direction of her home.

A smile spread across her lips, as a plan, finally began forming in her mind. It was raw, right now, but it would begin taking shape with each passing day.

She had met with Lex Luthor, and allowed Superman to know of one of her secrets. She knew she'd see them again, probably in the not too distant future.

For now, she'd let her newly discovered son make the next move. Until he did, Riley had some bonding to do and some moves to make, so with that, she leaped from the rooftop she spent the last hour meditating on, and flew towards Hogwarts.

-Hogwarts-

Riley passed into the halls of one of her favorite places in the world. She stopped her advance before the Main Hall and glanced around, taking in the sights, and reflecting on her past.

A smile touched at her lips as she gazed around.

Filch came wandering by, stopping when he noticed her. He immediately recognized who she was, and her eyes quickly found their way to him. She offered the man a nod, and proceeded further into the castle.

Lessons were currently in session, though it was nearly time for them to break for lunch.

She passed through the castle, taking in the familiar sights until she arrived at her destination.

She stepped into the open classroom, standing at the back as Tom's voice filled her ears.

"The nature of the Dark Arts has always been about intent. Often it was easy to dismiss then as vile and cruel, yet with time, patience, and study, we've begun peeling back the layers of mystery surrounding these magical arts, and have gained a greater understanding. What makes a spell dark? Spells that hurt people? Spells that manipulate them? Spells that draw from the darker emotions of the caster? Each answer I've provided has been used, often times unilaterally, to describe the nature of dark magic. You've spent all year learning more and more in-depth about the nature of the Dark Arts, and starting next year, you'll begin learning how to use them, how to control them, how to ensure that you know how to handle such power, and the temptations that come with it." Tom spoke to his class, a troop of Gryffindors and Slytherins, all from fourth year.

His students hung on his every word, as Tom stood before them, his gaze passing over each of his pupils in turn.

Riley took a moment to admire the state of the class room. Far from the dark and gloomy dungeon one might expect the Dark Lord to take as his chambers. It was well lit, and the students of the two houses were largely intermixed. There was a degree of separation, though unlike during Riley's time, the students weren't clustered with their housemates. She was unsure if Tom had assigned them these seats to encourage cooperation between the houses or if the newer generations were growing closer as they progressed.

Riley certainly didn't know at first glance though she did intend to ask about it.

As her eyes returned to Tom, she found him glancing back at her, having noticed her standing opposite of him on the far side of the room.

"For your school work over the weekend I'll expect an answer from each and every one of you. With everything you've learned, everything we've discussed and theorized, everything you feel based on your own preconceptions and life experiences, I want you to answer the questions, 'what are the Dark Arts?'. One page, your answer, your reasoning, your thoughts. We'll share them when we meet again and discuss." Tom instructed his students, causing many to begin packing their books.

"Now, I know time flies but we're not yet done for the day. It seems we have a visitor." Tom halted them, motioning towards Riley, causing the students to turn to look at her.

Riley let out a chuckle as a number of the children openly began to gawk at her as they realized who it was they were looking at.

She advanced forward, passing by the students, offering the students a look as she passed them.

She recognized many of these children, especially the Slytherins who'd all been first years during her final year at Hogwarts.

"Princess." Tom offered in greeting, earning an annoyed snort from Riley.

"Tom, we've been friends for a long time. No need for such formalities." Riley said to him, earning a chuckle from the Dark Lord.

"Of course. What brings you to Hogwarts, more specifically, our class?" Tom inquired.

"I came to speak with you, though I am happy to see some familiar faces. I do hope you all are keeping up with your studies, as well as getting along?" Riley offered to the students, her gaze passing over them, stopping at a few of the Slytherins who nodded eagerly.

"Hmm, well I'll have plenty of time to talk in a few minutes, we were just about finished with today's lesson. However, I'd be remiss in my duties as an educator if I didn't take this opportunity to ask if you'd be willing to offer a demonstration to the children? A practitioner of your renown and skill, well we don't often get such chances." Tom asked, earning a sea of hopeful looks from his students. The possibility of seeing the princess, the lord of three of the four founding houses, and almost irrefutably the greatest magical practitioner alive, in action was a chance that no one would pass up. About the only other people the children would be as excited to see would be someone like Merlin or Hashirama.

Riley offered a smile and turned towards the collection of students, she then thought for a moment before deciding on a showing.

"From the sounds of it, you're learning of the nature of the Dark Arts, preparing your minds for the harsh and foreboding reality of dark magic in the future. As professor Gaunt has said, magic, especially the Dark Arts, is all about intent. If you don't have the feel for it, it wont work, but if you feel too much, and grow too accustomed to the feeling, than you'll have difficulties achieving the same result without reaching that same peak of emotion. Calm, focused, and deliberate, if you can maintain such a stance, you can utilize the Dark Arts without the negative effects." Riley said to them, holding up both of her hands. From the palm of one hand rose swirling blue magic that roiled and folded in on itself, filling the air with an unnatural sound. From the other hand, rose a ball of flame that burned loudly, adding a hiss to the silence of the room as air rushed into the blazing flame.

"Magic is power, and is given shape by your will, and intent. The Dark Arts are a reflection of ones darkest emotions, and if you allow them too, they can draw upon the worst parts of yourself. But that doesn't mean you should fear them, or flee from them. In order to know magic, to it's fullest extent, you must open your mind to it's every part, even the parts that make you afraid. Heed your professor's lesson. Learn of the nature of the Dark Arts, and conquer your own emotions. Always take caution, when advancing, but never stop moving. Anything is possible, so long as your heart and mind are put towards it. I learned long ago that natural talent can be easily trumped by skill, and skill is acquired over many long hours of study, and practice." Riley continued, closing her hands at her final word, causing both showings of magic to evaporate out of existence.

Tom's students hung on her every word, and were mesmerized by the casual showing of magic. What kind of spell or power she had used, none of them knew, but she had done it without a wand, or a spoken spell. That alone was enough to awe them.

After a few moments Riley made a motion with her hand causing a bird made of blue light to leap from her finger tips and soar throughout the room. The bird soon broke into two birds, than four, than eight. At thirty-two, the flock soared in coordination around the room. The students stared up at the casual display of magic with wonderment.

"Never stop advancing. If you run into a wall than you have a choice to make. You either climb it, break it down, or go in another direction. Ultimately though, never stop moving. One day, this great kingdom of ours will be yours to guide, and protect. You'll be the hearts and mind that drive it, so push yourselves to be the best version of yourself. My biggest piece of advice for each and every one of you, is to never settle on yourself. You can always improve, always get better." Riley offered to them, before vanishing the flock with a small gesture.

"Wise words, from our noble princess. I do believe we have a few more moments for a question or two, if you're willing?" Tom inquired, earning a nod from Riley as the children lit up with excitement and pretty much every hand went up.

"Alright then, lets see, how about you." Riley pointed at one of the boys sitting in the middle of the room.

"Uhm, what's it like, being so strong? My dad says that you can do things with magic that others could only ever dream of, whats that like?" The boy asked.

"I've heard that question before, it's not an easy one to answer. I've always been gifted when it comes to magic. That's not to say that I haven't worked my butt off to get to where I am. As for what it feels like, it feels like a great weight, placed upon you, but you never feel the strain of it. It's like knowing that you hold an incredible responsibility, a responsibility to use your powers in the best way that you can, while also staying true to yourself. It's like knowing that people rely on you, but you know you can shoulder their needs. I've never, in my life, taken my own power for granted. My friends and family like to say I'm the master of redundancy. I like to learn things, even if it accomplishes the same result as something else I know. Through all of the various arts and schools of magic that I know, I can manifest a fireball in over a dozen different ways. At it's core it's still just a fireball, but I can still produce it using various methods. I've never stopped learning and growing, so while I recognize this power, and I realize just how much I could accomplish, I've never seen it as anything other than what I was, what I'd accomplished. It's a part of me, a part of my life. That's the best way I can describe it." Riley answered thoughtfully.

"How about you?" Riley turned her gaze towards another student who'd had their hand raised.

"What was it like, fighting against the Ten Tails? The professors say that it was the source of magic, and you fought it. What was that like?" The girl asked.

"Intense, frightening, overwhelming. The power of the Ten Tails cannot be put into words. Hell I have the thing sealed inside of me, and even I find it difficult to put into words just how powerful it is." Riley replied.

"Were you scared?" Another girl asked.

"Of course. Who wouldn't be. I was scared for my friends, my family, the people that I love. I was scared for the world, the place we all call home. I was scared of failing." Riley admitted honestly.

"But you weren't scared of dying?" One of the boys noted.

"Well, I was a little, but… not as much as the other things. I was raised as warrior, taught to fight from the time when I was very small. Fighting is in my blood, it's what I'm good at. All my life, I've fought. I learned at a young age that tomorrow is not a guarantee, especially if you're someone like me, who faces the challenges of the world head on, and deals with the consequences the same way. I know that I might die when I go into a battle, I've always known that. I don't want to die, I'd prefer to stay alive, but I accepted the nature of life, a long time ago. Definitely before I fought the Ten-Tails. So yes, I feared for my life, but it was hardly noticeable when compared to what I felt and feared for those that I care about. What is life, without the people, the things you love in it? If you told me, that I had to fight that thing again, tomorrow, to keep my family safe, to keep my friends safe, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and I'd do it gladly. Yes, I'd be afraid for my life, but their lives matter more to me than my own, so I'll gladly take on that challenge as many times as I have to, to keep them safe." Riley answered, determination filling her aura.

"Alright, one final question, and then we'll dismiss you for the day." Tom offered.

All the hands went back up as Riley gazed around the room.

After a moment she pointed at a girl sitting in the front row.

"Are you really a god?" The girl asked, earning great curiosity from the rest of the students. No doubt many, if not all of them had heard the preaching of the Unitologists, and their beliefs, so word of that was definitely getting around. Riley knew that the Prophet and the Quibbler had both reported on it.

Tom raised an eyebrow at that and gave her an inquisitive look, wondering how she'd respond.

"A god? Hmm… I believe that a god, is what others believe it to be. I am powerful, that's what I know for certain. Does that power make me a god? I guess that depends on what you believe a god is. I believe that gods are power incarnate, I believe that they are meant to represent something, to be something of importance to people. An ideal, a lesson, a virtue. I believe that the Sage of Six Paths was a god. I believe that the Shinju, the Ten-Tails, is a god. I believe that the Rabbit Goddess, the mother of the Sage, was a god. I possess the powers of all three of these examples. I have the Ten-Tails sealed within me, I have the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage, I have the Rinne Sharingan, the eyes of the Rabbit Goddess. I have these things, so does that make me a god by default? That is a question that only you can answer. I believe that I am me. I have always just been me. A woman who loves to fight, to train, to spend time with her loved ones, and see them smile. That's who I am. That's what I am, to me. If you believe that I'm god, than that's your belief and you're welcome to it. Just as it's your right to believe whatever you want about me, good or ill. See me as a god, don't, neither changes the way that I see myself. Being a god, is a title, and it's a title that only holds meaning when given by others. Whether I believe myself a god or not is inconsequential. It's what everyone else believes that will define that answer." Riley responded sagely, earning a nod of agreement from Tom.

"Well said, princess. We are how others perceive us." Tom offered.

"Yeah, a Japanese proverb that I once heard, sums it up quite well. It says that humans have three faces. One you show to strangers, one you show to your loved ones, and one you show only to yourself. Who we are is how others perceive us, but only we truly know ourselves. Remember that, all of you. It's a truth that you'll have to learn and accept in life. That you'll only ever see two of those three faces, no matter how close you get to someone. Their true self will always be hidden within, reflected only in their minds eye. Because of that, who we are, will always be an enigma. How you see me, and who I am are two entirely different things, and that's okay. It's the same for all of you. How I see you, and how you see each other, defines who you are to us. To me, you are students of my old friend, and kids I once went to school with. You're young, hopeful minds, eager to learn and grow. I know that my view of you is far from the truth of who you are, but it is who you are to me." Riley agreed with him.

"There is much truth in that. Why don't you all join me in thanking the princess for speaking with us." Tom instructed, earning a chorus of thank yous from the students.

Tom escorted them out of the room, and closed the door behind them, once the final one had left. He then turned to her, offering her a curious look before approaching.

"I certainly did not expect to see you hear. You said you needed to talk?" Tom inquired.

"Yes, I do." Riley responded with a sigh.

"Alright then, what's going on?" He asked.

Riley was silent for a moment as she turned thoughtful. She lifted her gaze to one of the windows and took in the light peaking through it for several seconds before letting out a sigh and answering.

"What if I were to tell you that I had learned a terrible truth. That what we thought we knew was actually a lie. It was a lie fed to us, to force us onto a path, to make us perform someone's bidding." Riley began turning her gaze back to him.

"Well, I would ask what this truth was?" Tom replied.

"The Day of Wrath, the Archdevil's invasion. I've learned that there is a strong possibility that someone is pushing us towards a confrontation with this thing. That someone is manipulating us into a battle against a foe unlike any we've ever faced before." Riley expressed to him.

Tom's gaze hardened as he took in her words. He turned thoughtful for several moments before turning his eyes to the ceiling. A few more moments went by before he returned his sight to Riley. "You're being overly cautious with your words, why?"

"Because I need to know if I can rely on you for this. You've settled into a nice retirement here. You're happy here. I don't wish to needlessly drag you back into this. If you want no part in this, than I'll leave now." Riley responded.

"Why come to me? Have you told your grandfathers? The Queen? Your mates?" Tom questioned her.

"No, and I wont. If you choose to help me, you'll understand why I cant. It isn't pretty Tom. I wont lie to you, this is bad, and it'll probably be the biggest pain in the ass we've ever had the misfortune to deal with. If I'm right though, then we're being guided onto a path of annihilation, where even if we win, and kill the Archdevil, all we'll be left with is a ruined, dead world, and a broken people. I need your help, but I understand if you want to be left out of this." Riley offered to him, earning a dark look from the Dark Lord. He once more turned away from her, and strode a few steps towards his desk. He stopped as he stared out into the middle distance before turning back towards her.

"Alright, tell me what's going on." He instructed.

"You're certain?" Riley asked.

"No, but you came to me, and I wont turn you away if you truly need help." Tom answered.

"Thank you, this means a lot to me." Riley offered with a smile, earning another sigh from the man, but he nodded, and motioned for her to begin.

"Alright, you heard how I disappeared for a few days not to long ago?" Riley asked.

Tom offered a nod, and from there, Riley began to explain what had happened during her forced trip to Qward. He listened as she explained meeting Parallax on Qward, and how the Darkness was only a piece of him, left behind to wait for Riley to be born.

Now she held Fear itself, locked within her, and that Fear entity carried with it, a terrible truth.

Elizabeth, the older Elizabeth had potentially set all of this up as one big trap. Using every member of her family, even using her own alternate self as a means of getting revenge against the Devil that had torn her family apart, and caused her parent's lunacy, ultimately creating the World-Devouring Riley that now stalked the multiverse, killing and consuming everything in it's path, all in an eternal search for the older Elizabeth.

They were all being used for this purpose, all being manipulated. It was something so subtle, so hidden. A secret that none of them would have realized had Parallax not spilled the beans. If it was telling the truth, than they were being driven into a battle against an entity that was beyond any foe they had ever faced. Something so dangerous, not even Riley could hope to defeat it without help.

If it was all true, than the Dark Lord could understand why Riley was playing things so close to the chest.

"I'm assuming, even though you have no proof, you believe this all to be true?" Tom questioned her.

"I do. I can't afford to take the risk that it isn't." Riley answered him.

"So why not go to your grandfathers, or the Queen?" Tom asked.

"They are the people I'd turn to if I ever needed help, that means that, of all people, they're the ones that would most likely be used to manipulate me, and also, be the ones most likely to be watched." Riley explained to him.

Tom offered a slow nod at that, and turned thoughtful, after several long moments he let out a sigh.

"My daughter is clever, she'll have set contingencies in place to keep her plans going. I have no idea how far she'll go to make sure we face the Archdevil. I have no idea who she'll sacrifice to make it happen. I wont risk the lives of those I love by acting rashly. You stepped away from it all, you retired from that life, only offering your wisdom and guidance when it is called upon, but otherwise, you sought out the quiet life. If Elizabeth intended to use you as a means of manipulation than you've already fulfilled your purpose. I believe I can trust you, trust that you believe me, believe that this situation is as bad as it appears. I need help, need an ally. There's no one else I can trust outside of the beings living within me. As a center point of her manipulations, I'm right in the thick of it, with people pulling the strings all around me. I need an outsider to turn to, someone who's away from it all to look at each situation and see the forest for the trees. There aren't many people I can trust with this, and fewer still that I can rely upon to carry the weight of this problem." Riley expressed to him.

"What is it you plan to do?" Tom asked her.

"Find her agents, find those manipulating me, lure her out, and deal with her. I can't let her know that I know the truth. I can't let anyone know that I know the truth. I plan on acting in accordance with my own will, doing what I want to do, and not what others suggest. For a long time I've simply done as asked, only acting in my own way when I saw opportunity, or felt like it. In order to draw out her agents I need to go my own way, and see who pushes themselves to influence me. Than I need to figure out if they're following of their own volition, or under the directive of someone else. Once I can identify Elizabeth's agents, or tools, than I can work on drawing her in and removing her as a threat. Once she's out of the picture, I can then decide on how I wish to deal with her plot. All I know for certain is that I will not risk the lives of all those I love for her vengeance. I wont risk my life for her vengeance. The problem is, that I don't know enough about her to know how far she'll go if she learns of my defiance, if she learns that I know the truth and am choosing to go against her plans. She may just dismiss it, or settle on trying again. Or she may go much further, turning to threats, manipulations, or even attacks to force me, force us, to play her game to the bitter end. I just don't know, and so I have to be careful, we have to be careful." Riley explained to him, Tom's gaze, hard and distant as he took in her words, and digested the nature and scale of this unknown threat.

"What do you want me to do?" Tom questioned her after several long moments of silence.

"I need a soundboard. Someone to here what's been going on and observe the events surrounding my life. It's no great mystery that I'm one of the most important pieces in this game. My powers are pretty much unrivaled in this world, so getting me to do what she wants is vital. I'm right in the middle of everything, and I need an outsiders perspective. Someone to watch what I'm doing, and watch how others respond to my actions. I need to know what they're doing, know who's taking a deeper interest in my actions, and I need to know who's working the hardest to get me to tow the line." Riley answered him.

"Alright. What is you plan on doing if in regards to the Archdevil and the Day of Wrath?" Tom inquired.

"Elizabeth's plan may give us the best chance of killing this thing, but I don't know what it wants, or why it's coming here. I know why it attacked my alternate self, but I don't know why it's coming here. It could be trying again with me, in which case I'll have to fight it eventually. If not though, if it's after something else, than I see no need to face it on anyone's terms other than our own. If it comes to that, than I'll take those that I love, take all those that I care for, and all those they care for, bind them all to me and take them from this world. Maybe will settle on another planet, or in a pocket dimension I create, maybe I'll take them to another timeline, another earth. Parallax told me that the rules of time travel don't apply to demons, and if I bind everyone to me, and make them extensions of myself, than they can freely travel along with me. I need information before I decide on what I'll do. Until I know for certain, I can only create as many contingencies as I can." Riley responded, her gaze heavy and focused.

"I'll help how I can. When you need me, my door is always open, and I'll start working my way back into the political arena. I know that trying times lay ahead, but we'll make it through. I'll keep this secret and monitor the situation as best I can. Keep me appraised of anything you may learn that could help us, and I'll do the same. I take it that I'm the first you've come to?" Tom stated.

"Yes." Riley answered.

"Than we'll need to work on a plan. This isn't going to be easy. Give me a couple of days, I'll come up with some ideas to help us." Tom offered to her, earning a smirk and a nod from Riley.

"Thanks. The idea of dealing with all of this, pretty much alone was utterly maddening. You're right though, we'll figure things out. We'll talk again in a week or two. After my wedding. I hope to see you there." Riley said to him, causing the man to smile.

"You will. Until then." He offered her farewell, earning one in response.

From there, Riley departed, passing out into the hallway, where she took a moment to pause and once more gaze around at Hogwarts itself. After a few seconds she smiled softly and headed back through the castle, eager to return home, and enact the next step on her agenda.

-Riley's Home, London Albion-

Not long after her return home, Riley sought out Elizabeth and asked her if she'd like to go for walk around London.

While surprised by her offer, Elizabeth quickly accepted, and the two poked around the house, asking if anyone else wished to join them. They were soon joined by Kushina, Kaede, Elric, and Lucille, the two young children being brought along to enjoy the sights, and give Kushina some reprieve from babysitting.

Once everyone was bundled up nice and warm, especially the two youngest, their group set out for a pleasant stroll around the city.

Riley spent much of the trip speaking with Elizabeth, chatting about this or that, though she did take some time to talk with her mother, and with Kaede whom after her earlier eavesdropping, Riley knew wanted to talk in private.

While it was Riley's intention to expand her understanding of her daughter's mind and how she thought, she didn't let that stop her from being genuine with their talks nor did she allow it to stop her from taking the time to enjoy playing in the snow with Lucille. Elric spent most of the trip sleeping in his stroller only opening his eyes once or twice before returning to sleep.

Riley and company eventually returned home around mid afternoon to enjoy a nice dinner as the rest of the family began to return as well.

Riley's family didn't notice anything off about Riley, though her mates did pick up on the newfound clarity of her vision, when she allowed their shared eyesight to return. Later that night as six of her mates gathered in her bedroom, she was questioned on it, the things that Riley was now perceiving, was more intense and intricate than what they were used to.

"It's crazy what you're seeing Riley, how did you manage this?" Katie asked as she sat in front of Riley on their bed.

Riley smiled at her, her gaze passing over Katie's face before settling on a few strands of hair that stuck up from her head. Her gaze focused in on them, examining each in extreme detail, causing Katie to blink and then brush down her head, earning a chuckle from her mate.

"I practiced a bit while I was away. Can see things more clearly now. I'll try to keep it to a minimum so as not to trip you guys out." Riley offered with another chuckle.

"That was weird." Katie muttered, before being pulled into an embrace by Riley.

"You know, you're cuter than hell sometimes." Riley said to her, causing Katie to smile at her, and give her a peck on the lips.

Riley returned the gesture with a peck of her own, her arms still wrapped around Katie.

Katie's smile grew as she locked gazes with Riley.

"You're pretty cute yourself, ya know." Katie chirped, leaning her forehead against Riley's.

"If you two are gonna fuck like jackrabbits can you please take it somewhere else, I had a long day today, and tomorrow will be just as long." Daphne groaned as she exited the bathroom, trudged across the room, and fell into bed.

Riley and Katie both glanced over at her with Riley offering her wife a chuckle.

Riley offered Katie a kiss before settling into bed, laying on her back and allowing Katie to cuddle into one side of her, leaving the other side open, which was quickly taken to Kaede, who'd spent the entire night watching Riley. Not long afterwards they were joined by the rest of the rest of Riley's mates and settled in for the night.

About an hour later, Riley decided that now would be a good time to speak with Kaede, knowing full well what her demonic wife wanted to talk about.

"Hey Kaede, I know you're awake. You've been staring at me all day, something on your mind?" Riley whispered into her mind. She felt Kaede shift in her arms, reacting to the sudden question.

"I've just been thinking about something. We can talk about it tomorrow." Kaede replied after several quiet moments.

"Hows about we talk about it now, because if it was just something, it wouldn't have been bothering you all day." Riley countered, using the arm she had wrapped around Kaede to tap her fingers on her hip.

"It's really nothing." Kaede responded, pulling closer into Riley's side.

"Kaede… if you want something, you have to ask for it, otherwise how am I supposed to know when to give it to you?" Riley asked, smirking as she felt Kaede tense and then sit up to stare at her.

Riley opened one of her eyes to meet Kaede's gaze.

Kaede blushed a deep red as she stared down at Riley. The way Riley worded her question made it appear like she knew exactly what was on Kaede's mind.

Their physical contact allowed Riley to hear the dozen panicked thoughts that sped through Kaede's head as the fought with herself to say what she wanted.

After about ten full seconds Riley let out a chuckle, and decided to end her mate's distress.

"Kaede, are you ready to be a mom?" Riley asked.

Kaede blinked several times and her blush deepened. Her blood red eyes fell, and a nervous smile touched at her lips. Finally she lowered herself back down, and wrapped an arm around Riley as she nestled into her side.

"What- What would happen? We're both demons." Kaede asked after a few moments, not able to build enough courage to say yes to Riley's question.

"Well it will probably be a very quick pregnancy. Maybe a few days, maybe a week or two. Though exactly how long it takes will depend on the child. I've had these talks with Kurama before when it comes to me. According to him, purely demon pregnancies are easier than normal but also a lot harder. You see, because the child forming it just like us, living magic, it has to form a will of it's own. The child of two demons, is just a familiar, but it's formed from the powers of two separate entities rather than just one. It's the presence of a foreign power and will that prevents either parent from dominating or controlling the mind and spirit of the child. Meaning it'll be a blank slate, that'll learn from us like any child would. It'll only take a short while to form, but once it does, it'll be up to either the child, or the mother to decide when the birth is. If the child wants to leave, than unless you try to keep it in, it'll trigger the birthing process, which involves using the mother's magic to give themselves a physical body. It's a much faster process than regular child-birth, lasting only a couple of minutes, and it shouldn't cause you any pain or discomfort, just the feeling of another presence or entity drawing upon your magics, consuming it and molding it into a shape. It'll then appear. The snag is how it appears. Since we both have human bodies, if the child appears inside of our wombs, for example, than we have to get them out, otherwise they can use magic to manifest outside of the mother's body, but again that all depends on the child. See, when it comes to me, I have to be really careful for when I mother children because I have the soul of a demon. Because of that, my children will also be demons, thus they'll be wild, animalistic, and highly instinctual creatures when they're born. That doesn't mean they wont also be intelligent, but they're not going to behave like I do. You are a devil, meaning your babies will have the soul of devils, meaning they'll have focus, control, and will be less ruled by instinct, but they'll still have demonic power within them as well, so I'm not sure what'll happen." Riley answered her, expressing her own uncertainty in what will ultimately happen.

"So, is it possible that the child could end up being a combination of us, coming out as a fiend? How exactly does procreation work with demons? You said it was like making familiars." Kaede asked.

"Not sure is they'll end up as a fiend, I guess we'll just have to see when we try it out. As for how it all works, well when you create a familiar you take either a piece of your own magic, or take the magic of another and fully dominate it, making it an extension of you. Then you give it shape, form it's will, decide on how it thinks, and feels, and than you manifest it into the world. Familiars cannot ever turn on their creators because they are essentially pieces of them. All of my familiars, save for one, were made from powers I took from elsewhere and corrupted and dominated. They think the way they do because I made them that way. All of their wants and needs are bound up in my creation of them. At any moment, I can change them, alter them, or absorb them back into myself, if they were made from my magic. When it comes to procreation, its a similar process, but you're taking your control out of it. The entity created is entirely separate from you, or will be upon it's birth. How it thinks and feels will be determined only by the state of it's being, and the environment it grows up in." Riley offered to her, gaining an audible hum from Kaede.

"So, do you think we should wait? If it's going to possibly be more difficult to raise our child then should we hold off?" Kaede questioned.

"I think that would be best. I'm not saying we wait years, but maybe a month or two more, see if things settle down so that you and I can devote our time to raising our child. If things don't settle down, than we'll go into Kamui and we'll do it there. I do want to start having children with you, and I know you want it too, so we wont wait much longer." Riley answered her.

Kaede smiled as she nuzzled closer to Riley, happy with her answer.

-February 21th 2001-

Two days later and negotiations began between Albion and the United States. As she said she would, Riley played no part in the talks. She left everything in the hands of Artoria and her advisers. While all eyes were on these talks, Riley took the time to return to Prime Kamui and continue with her training. This time her focus was on mastering her fears.

Over the last two days Riley, Kurama, and Parallax had all surmised that the Elder Elizabeth's best means of manipulating Riley was to use her fears against her. Fear of loss, fear of loneliness, fear of being used, and seen as nothing more than a tool. It was her best means of getting Riley to cooperate if push came to shove.

So it was decided that Riley would begin learning to master her fears. Her training trips would start becoming much shorter in order to alleviate the affects of enduring this training. Only a few days at most before Riley would return to her loved ones. While under though, she would open her mind, and allow Parallax to subject her to her worst fears.

For days, Riley sat within Kamui, deep in meditation as her demonic child tormented her with horrifying visions and illusions.

As easy as it would be to break through these visions, and shatter these falsities, Riley kept herself from doing so. She had to endure it, had to learn to take it, so when the time came, and she had to challenge her wayward daughter, she had the means and the ability to resist whatever attempts Elizabeth might make.

The first trip lasted only six days within Riley's pocket dimension before Riley couldn't take it anymore.

Parallax struck her at every angle, playing at her mind, tormenting in a way only a demon could.

He filled her mind with the vilest of thoughts, made her experience things that had long haunted her nightmares.

Forcing her to endure the murders of her family members, forcing her to live through abandonment at the hands of those she loved most, even filling her head with the possibility that those cherished loved ones were only using her, only with her because she had so much to offer them.

It was six days of absolute hell, and at it's end, Riley was left deeply disturbed and shaken, so much so that she had to spend several more days within Kamui with Kurama doing the exact opposite of Parallax, dragging up her best memories and allowing her to relive the most cherished times of her life.

It took time, but Riley was able to calm down enough to return home, and when she did, she spent the rest of the day lying in bed.

Late that night, Kaede came into the room with Luna. Daphne and Artoria were no doubt still at the Ministry having discussions with the rest of the Round Table after the first round of political talks. Fleur was visiting her parents today with Lucille, their family having only recently started relocating back to France, now that the situation there was settling down. Gaia and Yugito were on the opposite side of the planet at the moment, and Katie was still working, and probably wouldn't be home till early in the morning, if at all.

Tonight it seemed to be just the two of them. When they stepped into the room, they both immediately took notice of the melancholic atmosphere that hung in the room. Both of them were surprised to find Riley laying in bed, since their sight-line had remained severed all day, which usually meant Riley was in Kamui and neither could detect her emotions as clearly as they normally could, which usually meant that she was in her pocket dimension.

Standing in the room, both could tell that something was wrong. Riley's magic was filling the air around them with this aura of anger, depression, sadness, and heartbreak.

"Riley." Luna spoke out as she crossed the room, and climbed into bed.

Riley opened her eyes and glanced at her, for the briefest of moments, Luna caught the pain that flashed within those expressive orbs before it melted away into joy.

Riley rose up, offered Luna a smile, and pulled her soon-to-be wife into an embrace as she did.

"Riley, what's wrong?" Luna asked, blinking several times in confusion.

"Rough day." Riley muttered in response.

"What happened?" Kaede asked, as she sat in bed next to them.

"Training." Riley hummed, pulling back from Luna and offering Kaede a tired smile.

"Training? What happened? Were you in there a long time?" Luna questioned.

"No, only about two weeks. Just mental training, left me exhausted. Worn out." Riley expressed as she laid back in bed.

Luna stared down at her for several long moments before laying by her side. Kaede was quick to join her, the two on either side of Riley.

"You wanna talk about it?" Luna asked.

"No." Riley answered.

"Are you sure?" Came Luna's follow-up.

"Yeah. Thank you though. I appreciate it." Riley replied, giving Luna a kiss on the brow, as she wrapped her arms around her mates and held them close to her.

"Riley…" Luna began, sensing that this was something much deeper than just simple training.

"Can you do me a favor?" Riley asked, suddenly.

"Anything." Luna replied softly.

"When you tell the others about this, and they all start worrying, tell them that I'm fine. I'll be like this for a while, but I need to do this, I need this training. It's better for me, for my mental health if they don't force me to relive it, when I'm done." Riley said to her.

Silence followed for several long moments before Luna nuzzled into Riley's side and pulled her tightly into an embrace.

"Okay." She said in a whisper.

A calm quiet fell over the room as the aura of depression drifted away to a pleasant nothingness. Riley took in the comfort of her mates, but as she shut her eyes, vivid flashes born of a living nightmare rippled through her mind.

Riley let out a sigh, and pushed away the memories, passing them into the deepest corners of her mind, and holding them there. This training would probably be the hardest of her life, but she needed it, she knew she needed it. A moments hesitation could cost her the game, she needed to be prepared, and she needed to have the strength to endure the worst that the world could throw at her. For a long time she fought against such possibilities, now she had to embrace them, lest she lose control or focus at a vital moment.

Parallax was an excellent teacher in this regard. He held nothing back when he subjected her to this torment. Fear itself, a title her son was more than worthy of, if the last week was anything to go off of.

Fear, it was one of the few things that could be used as a weapon against Riley, and arguably, it was the most effective. Learning to control her fears, learning to master them, could only help her in the future, but it was definitely not the kind of training for the faint of heart.

Riley didn't sleep that night, merely sat in meditation listening to her mates slumber and observing their dreams as they slept. It was a calming time, and it helped to steady her as she prepared for what tomorrow would bring, and for the day when she was ready to once more face fear itself.

-February 25th 2001-

Several days passed as world continued on it's way. Discussions with the United States carried on but reasonable headway was being made. Artoria was very firm in her position that Albion's authority and sovereignty would never again be threatened. The days when the Americans could do as they pleased had passed, and if they ever made an attempt on the royal family again, then Albion would not stop until they were completely destroyed.

For now, the ceasefire would hold, but Albion was insistent that American military forces be removed from neighboring countries, denying them ease-of-access to Europe and another attack. Many of their neighbors were in an uproar over this stance, many of them relying on the United States to bolster their security, especially in a world caught in the grips of post Second Impact devastation.

Without a US military presence, further destabilization seemed inevitable. While taking a stance of condemning the attack on the Princess and the Prince, the UN tried to push for a reasonable, and responsible solution that would help everyone. They were insistent that some kind of compromise be made, even if it was only a partial compromise.

So negotiations would continue, and while they did, Riley kept her focus on herself, and building her own strength.

She hadn't yet tried to run the gauntlet with Parallax again, still recovering from the first week of hell, instead she focused on further refining her skills, learning to harness the power of the yellow light without the need for a power ring, as well as refining her fighting ability while channeling either or both of the powers of her demonic companions.

When it was just Riley, Kurama, and the Darkness, it was Riley and Kurama resonating with one another, while the Darkness fueled their power. With Parallax now taking the Darkness's place, the situation was slightly altered. While it could fulfill the same role as the Darkness, acting as a fuel source to allow them to maintain Bijuu Mode for extended periods of time, even at incredibly high performance levels, it could also now take the lead, resonating with Riley directly.

This had occurred momentarily when she had first bonded with Parallax back when they had first met, and after a bit of trial and error, they found they could repeat the process. When Riley resonated with Kurama and used Parallax as a battery to charge their combined state, it's effects were basically the same as the form she had utilized against the Ten-Tails, however, if she resonated with Parallax instead, she'd enter a different state.

She would gain coverings of yellow energy, and her features would take on a more hellish appearance, mimicking some of those that Parallax possessed. In this form her ability to manipulate the yellow energy, as well as the power of fear would become unparalleled.

She could enter this state with just Parallax, without Kurama's input, however if he joined the two of them, then they entered a sort of hybrid state. In this form, Riley would adopt both appearances, taking on some of Parallax's traits while her body would be consumed in a golden aura, causing her skin to blaze with light, while pitch black marks spread across it. In such a state, Riley gained access to both of their powers, to the extreme.

It was difficult to describe to others how entering such a state affected them and their combat abilities. In the past, Riley had been questioned as to the point of such a mode as she could already channel Kurama's power if she wanted to, so why the need for such a resonance?

The answer was made apparent in this form, more than either of the other two. In this hybrid Bijuu Mode, Riley, Kurama, and Parallax were essentially operating as one being, with Riley as the vessel and pilot. They were as joined as they could be without dissolving into one another. In such a state there was no channeling their powers through her, their powers were hers, and hers theirs.

It's why, despite having access to their powers while not in such a mode, she was noticeably stronger when using it. It also meant that her two demonic companions could operate through her, as if they were in control as well. At least magically speaking. In this harmonized state they could use their own consciousness to direct some of the magic at their combined disposal. In essence, it was like fighting three different entities, who operated out of one body. In this form, Riley could fight how she normally did, while Kurama channeled their magic in the way that he normally would, while Parallax harnessed the power of Fear and used it as he saw fit.

This union, coupled with Riley's senses, would allow her to fight with the focus of three separate entities.

So Riley focused on honing her control in such a state. After several weeks she returned from Kamui to check in on things.

It was late on the night of her return when she felt something approach the borders of Albion.

-Albion-

Riley hovered in the air as a green light approached her. Slowing as he closed in on her, the Green Lantern, John Stewart closed the distance.

"I'm assuming you're here with a reply from your bosses." Riley surmised her gaze focused on him, arms folded over her chest.

"Yeah. I delivered your message. After some debate, one of them agreed to meet with you. He'll meet you on the moon in three days time, along with a small troop of guards. I'll be there as well. Three days, around noon here in Albion." John informed her.

"Happy to hear. I'll see you then." Riley offered, earning a slow nod from John who watched as she drifted away.

Once she was beyond the borders of the barrier of Albion, The Green Lantern flew away, set on preparing for the meeting with the princess, a meeting he was certain would reveal some shocking information.

-February 28th 2001-

The next three days passed by quickly, with more talks between the Albions and the United States. In that time, the wars that had been on pause since Riley's attack on the Eastern seaboard began to resume, whatever reasons that drove them becoming to powerful to ignore any longer.

Fighting continued in places around the world, even as other countries monitored the negotiations between the US and Albion with great interest.

Riley remained aloof in regards to the negotiations, offering advice only when it was asked of her, but otherwise remaining unconcerned and borderline uninterested in what came of them. This stuck out to her family, especially Daphne, Artoria, Gaia, Madara, and Hashirama. The five of them couldn't help but find it odd that Riley showed little to no interest in the fate of these negotiations and whether or not peace could be achieved.

In this time, Riley once more subjected herself to Parallax's tender mercies, which left her in a near vegetative state for nearly a month within her pocket dimension. She delved further into her own fears, and it heavily taxed her mind and spirit. Parallax attacked her from all angles, filling her mind with thoughts that nearly broke her. The idea of being abandoned, being betrayed, watching her mates, and her family die, watching her children die, all were tools that her demonic offspring used to torment her.

Each lesson hurt worse than the last, and each time she was forced to endure.

When she recovered enough to begin moving around again, she spent nearly six months in Kamui getting her head on straight so that no one would notice her condition when she returned home.

Thankfully, in that time, Riley had kept Alma away from her mind, leaving her instead with her children, which Alma was more than happy with. Riley had yet to allow her daughter to return to her mind, having kept her with her sons since the start of the war between Albion and United States. She had no desire to subject Alma to what she was planning, and being with sons was allowing Alma to further bond with them.

Allowing her daughter to socialize even if it was just with her children, was hopefully making a world of difference for Alma's recovery. Despite all the time that had passed Riley had still never had an actual conversation with her daughter, though that didn't mean they didn't communicate, with Alma often showing images to Riley within her mind, as a form of communication.

Such communication was still possible even with Alma spending her time now with her sons. Her separation from Riley, went without complaint as she was simply happy to be with her sons, so it was something that Riley could accept, even if, at times she wondered what she would say if Alma wanted to come back to her. Having her daughter floating around in her mind would mean bringing Alma into her plans, and while Alma was one of the lowest on the list for people Riley suspected of manipulation, she didn't want to put the weight of this situation on Alma, she wanted her daughter to live a happy and peaceful life without having to worry about this.

For now, thing were alright, but it was something that stuck in Riley's mind.

It was early in the morning, the day she was meant to go and meet with the Green Lanterns on the moon, when she was questioned by Artoria, and Daphne, both of whom had noticed her strange distance these last few days, as well as hearing from Luna how Riley had been depressed after a recent training session, a state that they had found her in once again, just one day prior.

-Riley's Home, London. Albion-

Riley stared up at the two blondes as they stood over her. She sat at the edge of her bed, Daphne and Artoria standing in front of her. Luna sat on the bed behind her, alongside Fleur, who'd taken notice of the situation. Kaede and Katie were the only two absent, having already trudged into the bathroom to prepare of the day.

"You've been a bit off lately. What's going on?" Daphne inquired.

"Training. Mental stuff, tiring, bothersome, I don't really want to get into it." Riley responded plainly.

"Yeah, we heard. What kind of training leaves you so exhausted? You're never exhausted, and you love training. You'd spend years in there doing nothing but training if we didn't force you to agree to a limit." Daphne countered with a shake of her head.

"I guess Luna left out the part of me not wanting to get into it." Riley hummed with a sigh.

"We're not doing this to berate you, but it's obvious that whatever you're putting yourself through is having a profound affect, and that's not something we're used to seeing. If you don't want to get into specifics, that's fine but at least tell us what you're doing, help us understand. I didn't know what to make of it when I heard about the state you were in, but seeing it yesterday, I can understand now why Luna was so worried." Artoria continued on.

Riley's eyes flickered between the two several times as she fought with every ounce of her being not to appear indignant. She loved how much her mates cared for her safety, but they could be overbearing, and a bit intrusive when it came to things that worried them.

"Remind you of someone?" Kurama inquired with a snort of amusement.

"What, you can't mean me can you?" Riley replied, allowing her indignation to show.

"Either you're just this dense, or you're being a hypocrite, which one is it?" Kurama challenged teasingly.

"Fuck off, I know I'm far worse when it comes to monitoring everything my mates do, but the difference is that I don't tell them they can't do something, I just make sure they're safe while doing it." Riley replied, earning a hum from Kurama.

"So, how are you gonna respond. Gonna give in? Lie? Show your annoyance?" Kurama inquired.

"Decisions, decisions." Riley responded causing Kurama to chuckle.

"Listen, ladies, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but it's no big deal, it's just training. I'm working on my mind, organizing my thoughts, going over things. It's a process, and it's a long one. Besides, it's not like I'm walking around all depressed, yeah it leaves me exhausted, and down in the dumps, but I cheer up pretty quickly, so what's the big deal?" Riley responded to the two, going with all three options that Kurama had presented her.

"You're lying." Daphne noted, narrowing her eyes at her.

"I'm also telling the truth." Riley pointed out.

"What are you doing that you don't want to tell us about? You tell us everything. Riley you barely have a filter when it comes to us. You'll go into every gory detail about how you killed someone, but now you're keeping secrets? What's going on? Ever since you got back from that planet, you've been… off." Daphne challenged her earning a smirk from Riley.

Despite her annoyance, she loved watching her mate get fired up.

With a dark chuckle Riley rose to her feet, her stature allowing her to loom over both Daphne and Artoria.

Both women were powerful and used to being in charge and also used to getting their way. Riley loved seeing them so powerful, so in control, so confident, but they needed to understand something, remember something important. Riley was an Archdemon, she was evil incarnate, she was chaos incarnate, she was power incarnate. Her mates were a guiding light in her life, but they did not control her.

"Feeling stressed, aren't you?" Kurama noted, it wasn't a question. Before learning the truth on Qward, Riley would have never shown her annoyance with her mates' protective nature. She'd have never cared if they pestered her or annoyed her.

It was obvious to her demonic friend that the stress of being forced to question everything and everyone she knew was digging at Riley and thinning her patience.

"I know you're trying to pin down who you can trust, and I know it's easy to start placing them into categories but don't forget that Daphne and Artoria have always been this way. Daphne especially. Don't allow yourself to label them the enemy without any sort of proof. I want the truth; I don't want you to make an incorrect assumption based on nothing more than your anxiety and annoyance. Make sure you get it right, Riley." Kurama warned her.

"I know. I need to fight something, get my head cleared up. This shit is really starting to get to me." Riley agreed, knowing full well that she was getting stressed out by all of this paranoia.

"I'm learning to face my greatest fears. It's taxing, it's painful, it's draining. You try and spend a week enduring your greatest nightmares, and let's see how well you recover from it." Riley finally answered, earning a blink of curiosity from both of her wives, while Luna and Fleur watched from behind her.

"Why didn't you want to tell us about this?" Artoria questioned her.

"Because it doesn't really matter. It's training. It's difficult training, but it's the kind of training that I need to endure in order to improve upon myself. Yes, it leaves me drained. It leaves me emotionally exhausted, and mentally taxed. I'd rather not have to spend my time with the people that I love, remembering the things that hurt me the most. The point is that I learn to face those fears, so that they can't be used against me. If I learn to master my own fear than I take away one of the biggest weapons that my enemies could use against me. Control, that's the goal. To always maintain control. Fear leads to anger, anger to rage, and rage is what gets millions killed. I saw on Qward how easy it was to kill millions. I know I didn't drill it home, so let me emphasize it clearly to you, I killed millions on that planet, tens of millions. They were slaughtered in untold droves in a matter of minutes. That's how easily this world could fall if I lose control, anything to help me improve my control is something I'm gonna pursue. So, I'm going to endure this training, and I'm going to continue not talking about it. I'd kindly ask that you not twist the knife in my heart and let me just bask in the joy of knowing that no matter how terrible the things I see are, that I'll always have you." Riley told them, impressing upon them, all four of them how she needed to see this training through, but that she didn't want them involved in it. She was facing her fears, and when she came home, she wanted to be happy and unwind, she didn't want to unload that hell onto them.

Silence filled the air as Riley stepped past her wives, her day's attire manifesting around her as she headed over to the window.

"Riley, wait." Daphne called out to her.

Riley glanced back at them; she could tell that her words had definitely upset them. Luna's gaze had fallen, obviously she felt guilty for not listening the first time when Riley told her she didn't want to talk about it. Fleur stared back at her sadly. Artoria seemed to be reflecting on Riley's words, while Daphne met her gaze with compassion.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I just…" Daphne began, earning a soft smile from Riley.

"I know my love. You were right, I do come to you for almost everything, but this is something that I have to face alone. If you wanna help, then just be there for me. That's all I ask." Riley said to her, to all of them. Her words earned smiles from her mates, and nods of understanding from Luna and Fleur.

"Where are you going?" Luna asked as Riley turned back towards the window.

"Got some exploring to do. Gonna go take a look at the moon, see what's up there. I'll report back if I find anything interesting in the Ōtsutsuki ruins." Riley responded before leaping out the window and soaring into the sky.

Her mates were left to contemplate what had been said. Despite their curiosity, they knew their lover well enough to know that Riley was being serious when she said she wasn't going to talk about it. Talk about the things she was enduring. 'Facing her fears', there was a list of fears that Riley held, but if it was the kind of things that could be used to enrage her, then her mates could easily guess what she was experiencing.

The loss of those she loved, her family and friends, suffering. It made sense why she didn't want to talk about it.

"You think we made her mad?" Daphne asked the room.

"She is going zrough some zings. It must be horrible. When she comes back tonight, we should do as she asked, and show her we are zere for her." Fleur responded, Luna nodding in agreement.

"Yeah." Daphne said quietly, turning her gaze to the window.

-The Moon-

Riley sat in meditation on the Lunar surface. It would still be a few hours until the Green Lanterns arrived, so she allowed herself to fall into a quiet mediation, taking in the absolute silence of the dead world.

Time passed, and soon Riley felt a presence approaching.

She opened her eyes and was greeted to a sight of a dozen or so Green Lanterns, led by a blue skinned being that stood at around four feet tall. Riley could sense great power emanating from this being, enough power to put up a decent fight if it came to that. His powers were colored strongly by a brilliant green aura, the raw energy of willpower.

"Ganthet." Parallax growled within her mind.

Among the troop of Green Lanterns was the familiar faces of John Stewart and Hal Jordan.

The green Lanterns spread out around her, with the blue skinned Oan floating before her, flanked on either side by John and Hal.

"Greetings princess. I am Ganthet" The Oan offered.

"Greetings to you as well. My name is Riley." Riley responded.

"You asked for this meeting, against the judgment of some of my fellow Guardians I agreed to come and speak with you. You were taken by the Sinestro Corp, and now carry a Qwardian Power Ring, yet you claim to have refused an alliance with Sinestro. Tell me, why have you asked us here?" Ganthet questioned, his mighty gaze piercing into her, as if attempting to dissect her secrets.

"I wish to form an alliance with the Green Lanterns." Riley responded, causing some of the Lanterns to share looks with one another.

"The Albions wish to ally with the Corp, why?" Ganthet asked her.

"Not the Albions, me. I wish for this alliance. My people don't know that I'm here, that I'm meeting with you. In truth they don't even know who you are. This is all me." Riley clarified.

"I see. Why do you wish for an alliance then?" Ganthet questioned again.

"The Earth is under threat, and I know you have a vested interest in this world for some reason. I gathered from the Yellow Lanterns I killed that there's quite a few Green Lanterns who keep an eye on this little blue ball, more so than normal. In fact, Earth is probably one of the most heavily populated Green Lantern outposts, after your homeworld." Riley answered.

"You refused joining Sinestro, and instead offer to join forces with us. All the while you carry a Yellow Power Ring…" Hal noted, causing Riley to raise the hand that held the ring and run her eyes along it.

"They would have had me bow to Sinestro's will, and I have no intention of following whatever agenda he may have. This power ring is a tool, nothing more. It grants me greater options in battle, so I kept it." Riley said to them.

"By now the ring's run out of power. The Sinestro Corp would have cut off your access to the Yellow Power Battery by now. Is that why you asked us here, to try and discern a way to fuel its power?" Ganthet inquired.

"Not at all." Riley responded as the yellow light emanated from the ring, shining with the power of Fear, and causing the surrounding Green Lanterns to tense.

"I can use my own power to fuel the ring. Convert my magic into fear energy that the ring can use as fuel. It's a brute force method, but it works. The ring acts as a conduit changing fear-laced magic, in the Yellow energy." Riley said to them.

"You can use magic to fuel the power ring? And it maintains it's efficiency? Interesting." Ganthet noted, floating a bit closer to her, his eyes falling to the Qwardian ring.

"I'm willing to make you an offer. I'll work with your Green Lanterns to protect the Earth, in exchange for your cooperation in regards to other matters. If you, and your fellows here, swear an oath of secrecy, to only ever share this information upon receiving a similar oath from the remainder of the Guardians, than I will tell you what I am, and I will tell you what I took from Sinestro, and why my connection to it, will change everything you thought you knew. If you refuse, than we'll stick to the basic alliance. I'll swear to work alongside the Green Lanterns to protect the earth from any threat that could destroy the planet or humanity, and in exchange your Green Lanterns will stay away from Albion unless otherwise invited. Your choice. My powers should be known to you, so you're well aware of how integral my cooperation could be to the safety and stability of this world. Humanity aside, I'm willing to stand in the way of any force that seeks to destroy this world so long as I call it my home, even to the point of allying with your organization. The choice is yours though, agree to either of my offers, or refuse, and we'll leave it at that." Riley said to the Guardian, taking a step closer to him as she did.

Ganthet stared back at her for several long moments as he contemplated her offer. You are certain that your information would truly cause such ripples?" The Oan inquired with a piercing gaze.

"Yes." Riley responded.

"What manner of oath would be needed?" Hal questioned her.

"A magical oath, preventing any of those present from sharing this information with anyone not present. The only added stipulation would be an allowance to share this information with the other Guardians on the condition that they too swear an oath of secrecy to never share this information beyond themselves. That means that none of you can share the information with others, and you can only share it with your fellow Guardians if they swear to an oath of secrecy as well, as dictated by the oath you've sworn. Magic will enforce such an oath, not even beings of your power can resist it. Swear the oath, and I'll tell you the truth." Riley answered her eyes never leaving Ganthet.

"You want us to all bind ourselves with magic, taking a risk on you revealing information that could endanger countless lives, and we'll be unable to share that information with others." Hal questioned, laying out how important such a request was.

"I can promise you this, the information I have, will not endanger the lives of anyone other than those who stand against me. I would never normally share this information, but in order to defeat the threat that is coming, I need all the help I can get. I'm willing to bet on the people who already have a vested interest in protecting the Earth. A demonic invasion is coming, and I need your help to stop it. The information I hold, if shared may increase our odds of victory, when you hear it, you'll understand why." Riley responded to him, finally taking her gaze off of Ganthet and turning towards Hal Jordan.

Ganthet was silent for a few long moments as he pondered her offer. It was unwise of him to bind himself to her with such a magical oath. Hal Jordan was right, what information she had to offer may be the difference between life and death for trillions of people, but if bound by magic, then there was little he could do to circumvent such a protection. It was a gamble, but something about this woman, told him that he needed to take the risk. So much about her was a mystery, and what had happened on Qward could very well change the way things were.

Magic was a fickle thing and could not be reasoned with. If he agreed to such an oath, then he was bound eternally by it. However, if he was the only one bound to this oath, then he could decide if it was worth binding the others to it, in order to learn this secret. At the very least, it wasn't an all or nothing thing, and just because he was bound to never share the secret with anyone did not mean he could not use this information to his advantage.

It was a risk, but one that he believed he needed to take.

"Speak the words of this oath." Ganthet instructed.

"You will swear on your lives and magic to never share this information with anyone outside this gathering. The only ones you may discuss it with are those standing here, and the other Guardians of the Universe, if, and only if, they too swear an oath on their lives and magic, to never reveal this information or discuss it with others, outside of those who already know it. Each of you will swear the oath, as I have instructed, and I will tell you what I know." Riley said to him.

Ganthet was silent for a moment before turning his gaze to the rest of the Green Lanterns.

"Retreat from here. The weight of this knowledge I will bare alone. Do not try to eavesdrop, or listen in to what is said, otherwise I will die. I will recall you once we have finished discussing this secret." Ganthet instructed them.

"You're sure about this?" Hal inquired as some of the other lanterns began to lift into the air.

"Place trust in me Hal Jordan, as you have in the past. If this information carries as much meaning as she claims, then you will understand through the decisions I make in the future. Just because I cannot tell you what she will tell me, does not mean you cannot learn it one day. Whatever it may be, I will bear the weight of it. Go now, I will summon you back when we're done." Ganthet replied, earning a nod from the veteran Green Lantern.

Once the Green Lanterns were safely away, and out of earshot of the discussion, Riley focused her attention onto the Guardian and awaited the oath.

The Oan stared back at her for several long before speaking the oath. He declared that he would not reveal whatever information she shared with him prescribing to the need for this oath and would only reveal it to his fellow Guardians under the fulfillment of the condition that they too swore an oath of secrecy.

The oath was made and accepted.

As magic began to settle, Riley allowed a cool smirk to spread across her face. The Guardian watched her closely as her wings suddenly erupted from her back, and her tails unfurled from around her. Riley allowed her demonic features to show themselves as she began to speak.

"I was born human, but on the day of my birth the Nine Tailed Fox attacked my village. My father split the beast in half, sealing it's soul into my body. Not long after that, an ally of the one who orchestrated the attack, came to kill me and my twin, hoping to unleash the Fox so that it could finish the job. His curse struck the seal used to contain the Fox and damaged it, and in a burst of accidental magic I rebounded the curse back at him, killing the man. Fast forward twelve years, and the Fox awakens from it's slumber and informs me that parts of it's soul are leaking out of the ruined seal, and I'm absorbing it, becoming a half-demon. In order to save itself, it offers me a deal, it'll teach me a ritual to adapt the human half of my soul to the demon half, making me a full demon, and in return I will release the Fox, and allow it to use my body as a temple to keep safe in. Fast forward even more and I become a full demon. A Tailed Beast. Over the course of more than a century I mature until I reach my full growth. The very same day I reached my maturity, I fought the Ten-Tails, and sealed it into my body. I then absorbed it's essence, consuming it entirely, taking all of it's power to add to my own. Now I stand as not only a Tailed Beast, but the precursor to all magic on Earth." Riley gave him the rundown of who she was, and what she was. Ganthet listened intently, showing visible surprise when she unveiled the truth to him. For several long moments he questioned how he never guessed or suspected her truer nature, but before he could question her on it, she continued.

"I'm an Archdemon, but I was born human. I have human wants and needs, driven by who I was before my ascension. Because of that, I choose to embrace something other than my truer nature. Earth is my home, Albion is my home, and I choose to protect it because it is my home. It's important that you understand what I am, and why I'm here so that can understand what comes next." Riley carried on, earning a slow nod from the Oan as he took to studying her with his eyes, seeing her in a new light now that the secret was revealed.

"A few years ago, I was met by daughter. A daughter I hadn't had yet. A daughter from a possible future of mine. She came to me and told me how she had the power to open tears between different points in time and space. She was a traveler and could go wherever she wanted with these tears. When she was very young, her family was attacked, and in a fit of fear and accidental magic she used this power to opens tears allowing her and her siblings to escape to safety. Unfortunately, she was just a child at the time with no control over her powers. As a result, she sent her siblings across time and space. When she came to me, it was with a plan to have me reunite my lost children. They may not have been mind, but my daughter pleaded with me to help, so I agreed. Fast forward to a few days ago. I've rescued a few of my children, bonded with them, made my way in life, until I'm taken to Qward by the Yellow Power Ring. These rings are designed to avoid coming to gods, and demons, creatures like me. I'm sure your Green Rings are set up the same way, to avoid placing this power in the hands of beings like me. Even still, the power ring came to me, and stole me away to Qward. There, within the Yellow Power Battery, I met one of my children, a full demon child that you know very well." Riley explained to the Guardian, his eyes widening in fear and disbelief as yellow energy began to bubble around Riley, and from her aura, a grinning evil could be see staring out at the Oan.

"The Yellow Impurity… it was on Qward… you have it!" Ganthet spoke in disbelief and astonishment.

"It was Parallax who sent the Yellow Ring to me. It was his intent to bring me to Qward so that I could unite with him. Parallax is one of my children. A full demon child I carried that was sent to a time before the universe burst into being. He was one of three, and those three, found four others that they took as mates. You know of the entities I'm referring to." Riley said to him.

"The Emotional Spectrum Entities. Three of them are siblings? Parallax and two others. Four taken as mates…" Ganthet responded, his mind whirling with this revelation.

"I'll give you a guess as to why the green energy of Ion can restrain Parallax and it's not brotherly love." Riley said to him with a chuckle.

"I see. Is that why you've called me here, you wish for Ion?" Ganthet asked, suspecting her truer motive.

"One day. When the time is right. But no, for now Ion can remain where it is, and continue to empower your Green Lanterns. Parallax suspects you know the location of it's siblings, and it knows for a fact that you know where Ophidian is located. Ophidian is mated to the Predator, one of two of it's mates, and getting it will help to gain the Predator's allegiance." Riley responded.

"You seek to unite the color entities?" Ganthet realized.

"A war is coming, Guardian. The same Archdevil that attacked my time-traveling daughter is coming here. Parallax believes that finding the others and gaining their assistance will give us the best odds in beating it. If you help me in saving those that I love, then I'll be indebted to you. Part of that debt will involve keeping Parallax out of the hands of those who would use his power to dominate the universe. He is not possessing me, but rather bonded to me. Much like the Nine-Tailed Fox, his powers are bonded to my own, intertwined in a way that is highly uncommon for creatures like us." Riley said to him, turning her gaze out towards the Earth before returning into the Guardian of the Universe.

"You believe you can control the Fear entity? How certain are you that he is not manipulating you?" Ganthet questioned.

"Call it a mother's intuition. By his own admission, Parallax was bonded to me strongly before he was born. So strongly in fact, that he had no desire to be separated from me and sought to simply remain. This was all before he became the Fear entity. Before he took on the aspect of fear and spread his power across the cosmos. He had grown, evolved, but that original want, has not changed. When he looks at me, he sees home, safety, a place to live. He is a demon, just like me, and just like me, he has access to that which makes me human, gives me the ability to defy my nature, and choose how I wish to live. He is fear incarnate, and I am the greatest possible vessel he could hope for. For I am his mother, and at it's very base, his power comes from me." Riley replied, shrugging as she did.

"And because of that, you are the perfect conduit for the Yellow Impurity. Like the perfect power ring." Ganthet realized.

"Exactly. I told your man, John that there was a reason why me having this power ring, wouldn't ultimately matter. And as Hal Jordan noted, if the Sinestro Corp wanted they could cut off my access to the Yellow Central Power Battery, eventually rendering the ring powerless. In truth it should have already run out of power, but using Parallax, I can refuel it with ease, and using it as a focus, I can utilize Parallax's power while I learn to control it. Eventually I'll get rid of the ring, once I no longer need it, once my own control surpasses what it can do." Riley offered to him, gazing down at the ring for a moment before returning her eyes to Ganthet.

"Parallax was very much against this idea, but I know that if I'm to have any chance of stopping this Archdevil, I'm going to need help. Finding Parallax's siblings, in the Predator and the Butcher and reuniting the three will be one helluva start, but getting your allegiance, and adding Ion to the mix will further tilt the odds in my favor. Predator being the entity of love will no doubt want it's mates back, and your knowledge of the location of Ophidian will help in that endeavor. I'm not doing this because I like you. In truth I have every reason to stand against your organization for keeping my child and his mate imprisoned for billions of years, but I'm willing to set that aside in favor of winning the war to come. It's why I hurt the Sinestro Corp but didn't kill them all. They too will be needed, in the war to come. According to Parallax, he suspects that when this Archdevil comes he'll launch an attack on the entire galaxy, your lanterns will be called upon to protect countless worlds from such an invasion. Working together is the only way this galaxy survives." Riley lied to Ganthet, making him believe this was her idea rather than a suggestion from the Fear Entity itself. Riley fully intended on reclaiming Ion when the time was right and repaying the Guardians for holding her child as a prisoner for so long, but that could come later, after the war that they all knew was coming.

If she managed to survive that conflict, then she could worry about avenging her child. Sowing the seeds for a tentative trust would help them when the Day of Wrath came, and ultimately, if they won, Riley could use that trust to then plan out how to deal with them.

Riley knew well enough that to lie directly to them was to invite failure, these beings were far smarter than she was, and had keen and cunning minds. They'd definitely be planning on how to control her, or destroy her, so revealing her hand in such a way would paint a very particular picture, get them to see her in a specific way. Being an archdemon and having Parallax with her would prevent them from coming after her directly, she was simply too powerful to face head-on, especially if they wished to keep the Earth intact. Telling them the truth, while also keeping the scope of Parallax's influence a secret, would allow her to manipulate them into a way of perceiving her. So long as she stuck to the charade and ensured that they only saw what she wanted them to see, she could plan for revenge against them. Giving them obvious targets to focus on, would also help in that endeavor. By telling them that she had a reason to hate them, rather than pretending that she didn't they would come to trust her actions. They certainly wouldn't trust her, but that was fine, they were unlikely to trust her anyway. In order to defeat such powerful beings, Riley needed to make them predictable, and in order to do that, she needed to make them perceive her in a way that benefited her.

These beings were hyper intelligent, but Riley had Parallax, and despite their powers, and their incredibly long lives, the Guardians were not true immortals, they grew old, and they died. Parallax had been around since the dawn of the universe, and had known the Guardians for billions of years

Despite her desire to avenge her child's imprisonment, both she and Parallax knew that they had not time to focus on such things. For now, they needed to play a game, and when the time was right, they'd strike down this foe.

"What is it you're suggesting?" Ganthet asked.

"I will keep Parallax here, and under control. His desire for a perfect vessel will keep him placid for a time. Long enough for us to deal with the threat of this Archdevil. If the Earth survives his assault, then we can worry about our future. In return, I want any information you may know that can help us beat this thing. As a part of our alliance, I will aid your lanterns in facing any threat to the Earth, and I will be open to allowing your lanterns to handle the aftermath of such threats. Your lanterns will stay out of Albion's business and stay away from my family unless I say otherwise. I cannot promise that we won't come into conflict in regard to interplanetary issues, but I will spare any lantern I come into conflict with, over such issues. When the Archdevil invades, he'll come for Earth, meaning the fate of that invasion will be decided here. I'll be here when he comes, and I'll use everything at my disposal to defeat him. Help me stop this threat and save the galaxy from his invasion." She responded to him, earning a slow nod from the Guardian.

"If you are right as to the nature of this invader, and the scope of his plans, then we will need to work together to defeat him. We looked into that mark you described to our agents and have come to learn the likely identity of the devil behind the attack on your planet during the Fourth Great Ninja War. If he intends to strike again, and on a level like you describe, then cooperation will be needed." Ganthet said to her, earning surprise and great interest from Riley.

"You know who he is?" Riley said, blinking several times in response.

"Trigon." Ganthet responded.

"Trigon? Well… finally have a name for this thing. Know anything else that might be of use?" Riley inquired.

"Yes, if it is truly Trigon that we face, then he has already conquered millions of worlds. An assault like the one you describe is well within his power to accomplish." Ganthet answered her.

"Have you dealt with him before?" Riley asked him.

"No. Yet we know of him peripherally. His invasions and conquests have displaced many a demonic entity, some of which have ended up pushed into attacking our reality due to his movements. He is a tyrant, a demonic warlord with a vast army. Even with the Yellow Impurity, your chances of defeating him alone are low, and he most certainly will not fight you alone. His armies will wash over the Earth, killing and enslaving all in their path. Only together can we hope to defeat him and save this world." Ganthet responded to her, his gaze heavy and filled with focus.

"Then do you accept my offer? An alliance aimed towards the Earth's survival and the fall of this foe." Riley questioned.

"I will carry your offer back to the others, and once they swear an oath of secrecy, I will tell them what you have told me. I believe that working together is in our best interest. Trigon is a grave foe, and we have been monitoring his ever-growing power for a long time. Facing him will not be an easy task, but it is our duty to protect the universe from such threats. If you are willing to offer your aid, and that of the Yellow Impurity, then for now, we may be able to work together. You will be contacted once we have made our decision. Until such a time, I must return to Oa." Ganthet responded as he began to lift into the air.

As he did, his troop of guards returned, forming up behind him.

Riley stared up at them, watching intently as they pulled back.

"I will await your reply, Guardian, but no matter what your answer is, I will defend this planet, my home, with all of my might." Riley said to him.

"You will have your answer soon. For now, farewell." Ganthet said in response before he and the Green Lanterns shot into the sky, vanishing into the darkness of space.

"You think that went well?" Riley hummed.

"The seeds have been sown, now we see how they react." Parallax replied with a devilish chuckle.

"Trigon, eh… now I have a name for my foe." Riley thought to herself.

"Yes, Trigon. A name for our enemy after so long. Let us return, there is nothing left on this moon." Parallax agreed, earning a nod from Riley as she rose into the air and flew back to Earth.

-Riley's home, London. Albion-

Several hours passed with Riley spending the majority of her time in mediation while floating in the sky over London. Finally, she decided to return home, and when she did, she found her mates waiting for her.

Six of the eight were present which was a rarity due to their schedules.

"Hey Riley. Welcome back!" Katie offered to her.

"Hey babe." Riley replied, pulling Katie into a kiss before turning to the others.

She shared kisses with Luna, Kaede, and Fleur, before settling onto the edge of the bed. Artoria was already lying in bed, watching Riley with a curious gaze, meanwhile Daphne sat next to her.

Daphne looked like she was about to speak, but Riley spoke first.

"Sorry if I seemed a little short with you earlier." Riley said to her, earning surprise from Daphne.

"I- No worries. I shouldn't have been so confrontational." Daphne shook her in response.

"It's alright. I know you only do it because you care, and I appreciate it." Riley said, smiling at her a giving her a kiss as she did.

"Did you find anything interesting on the moon?" Luna asked after a moment of silence passed by.

"Not especially. What about the rest of you, get up to anything today?" Riley inquired, allowing the room to fill with chatter, and draw her thoughts away from her personal plans. For now, she'd take in the joy of being with the people that she loved. She had a wedding to enjoy in a little over a week, and she didn't want her marriage to Luna to start off with such dark thoughts hanging over it. For now, she'd just enjoy herself, and allow things to settle in the world. In the meantime, Riley would continue to expand her powers, and make moves in the shadows. The time would come to worry on what she knew was coming, for now, she'd enjoy these moments of happiness, for as long as they lasted.

-To Be Continued-

Alright, there you, got through this one, a lot of plots and plans, this chapter was a helluva beast, and I had to rewrite a few parts of it to get to where I wanted. A lot of set up, a lot of discussions and Riley finally no knows the name of her enemy. She's also gotten involved with the Guardians of the Universe, one of the most dangerous entities that she could possibly face. Time to see what becomes of that alliance, and how far both sides will go to manipulate the other.