Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this worsening situation… especially for the one who can see so much while seeing nothing at all.

~保護者~

REVIEW REPLIES:

Hello, MelGamingPlays! Your review to Chapter 58: That's exactly the point, lol. That's why Li's never made any before, but I suppose he's curious about it now. XD Well... not really. Most of them don't have plot armor, and I've certainly killed main characters before! Only a select number of the characters right now are for sure going to survive to the end of this story. The rest... well, I can't promise they'll make it. Lol. Anyway, as far as guns being able to kill these guys, normal guns definitely won't cut it. But Shadow's figured out how to make his pack an extra punch. His are powered by and infused with Darkness, which also means that they can be modified to handle other energies as well. It's certainly an intriguing prospect. ;)

Your review to Chapter 59: Yeah, Sein's a great guy. :) And Steam's sentiments are certainly echoed here. Lol, it's okay that you didn't have much to say here. Your review is appreciated as always, regardless.

~保護者~

"Vision"

~保護者~

I was late. To know such destruction was wrought on what was once my home world… A lone man shook his head and slowly descended toward Mobius, allowing his cloak to gently blow upward with the wind. I wonder if the descendants of my family are still alive… Deciding not to focus on that as he neared the ground, the man began moving forward, intent on searching the battlefield that was Hyale. He was unsure what he might find, and this thought disturbed him.

He found his way in due time, adventuring toward the smell of ash and remnants of fire, a hand reaching into his cloak to produce a staff simply out of caution. He sensed no threats, but the possibility remained. There was still life among what was obviously the battlefield, that much he was sure of. One area in particular gained his attention, a noticeable, pulsating Light that felt familiar. Who was it?

The one he sought out noticed him before he could arrive in the area, teleporting over and gently setting a hand on his shoulder. "Kial?"

"You remember me, yet still," he answered softly, setting a hand on her shoulder in return. "I presume you are well, Rosalline?"

"Rose," she gently corrected. "Rose is far easier, and I am faring well."

Kial smiled softly, his tail curling around his leg as he turned his head toward the area she had come from. "You are with others? I thought you traveled alone."

"I am aiding a long-time ally of mine. They had need of my Light, and I am providing to the best of my ability."

"I see. Am I allowed to meet them?"

"I cannot see a reason otherwise." With this said, Rose walked briskly toward Espio's home, making sure that Kial was behind her. "You have grown… larger."

Kial shrugged softly. "Inevitable. The training strengthened my whole body, as well as sharpening my mind and senses. It was necessary."

"Where is your sensei?"

A note of sadness appeared on the grey bobcat's face. "He has passed."

Rose immediately regretted having brought it up. She turned her attention forward once more before offering a hand to him and teleporting them both into the house. Almost the instant they appeared in the front room, a huge but very low rumbling began to vibrate the entire house. It was clear that the sound was growling from a large creature's body, and the sound drew people from the back room. Sonic was still in the other hut with Tails and Shadow, meaning it was only Vector, Cream (who currently had Sako), and Espio still present. Only the first two emerged from the room initially, looking equal parts confused and concerned. "The heck?" the croc was mumbling as they stepped into view.

Kial blinked once and turned toward the opening of the home, tilting his head curiously. "A reptile of sorts? Doesn't sound large, but definitely big… and serpentine?" The rumbling stopped shortly after Kial spoke. In fact, it ceased quite abruptly, almost as though the source of the noise had been forced to quiet down. Then Espio silently dropped down off the roof and onto his porch, appearing subtly irritated by what he had apparently just dealt with. Kial tilted his head further, his tail idly morphing into something similar to what he had envisioned (a serpentine tail) the creature around the house being. "I see…"

Cream and Vector traded baffled looks with one another, but for once Espio was the one who spoke first. "Kial. Why are you here?" He walked fully into the house, expression shifting into something unreadable.

"I came to investigate the battle that occurred here. I had hoped to arrive sooner," Kial answered slowly, frowning. "You are different, though I suppose I am as well."

His comment earned a nearly inaudible scoff, but Espio said nothing more. Baby Sako, however, responded. ...Sort of. He suddenly climbed from Cream's arm to Vector's back and unintentionally created quite the ruckus in doing so… by somehow yanking hard on a scale. "Yeowch!" Vector cried, jumping a little. "Ack, get 'im offa me! He's on my back and pullin' on my scales!"

Kial stepped forward but was cut off by Rose quickly stepping up and attempting to aid Vector in collecting the baby off of his back. "Hold still as best you can, please," she said.

Powerful protective instincts suddenly flared up against Espio's will, and he was there before anyone could blink. He sort of smacked Vector's hands away and carefully dislodged the baby himself, only to then deposit the child onto a blanket on the floor. He may not have really wanted anyone else handling the boy (which he blamed solely on the aforementioned instincts), but that didn't mean he himself wanted to deal with Sako, either. Rose slowly backed away, unsure as to what to do next before Kial stepped up. "Espio. Are you okay?"

The chameleon tossed Kial another unreadable glance, but this time Cream saw something more in his eyes. It seemed to be more of the irritation he'd been displaying moments before after dealing with Aku's loud growling. "Fine," he said simply, unwilling to answer beyond that.

Deciding not to press it further, Kial turned his attention to Cream and Vector. "I am Kial. I met Espio many years ago when we were children."

Still rubbing his back, Vector sighed and said, "Makes sense. By his own admission, he was kinda more friendly back then. Or somethin'." Espio chose not to comment on that. Instead, he focused more on watching Sako as the baby rolled around on the blanket in an effort to sit up again.

Cream left off watching her guardian long enough to give Kial a small smile. "It is nice to meet you. We have long been friends of his as well. My name is Cream. He is Vector."

"It is nice to meet the both of you," Kial answered gently, just now thinking to stow away his staff once more within his cloak.

"I had the pleasure of meeting Kial many years ago while I was traveling. A true coincidence, but something I can certainly say was pleasant," Rose explained, a bright smile on her face. "He is good company, when he is not asleep."

Kial coughed gently, his head turning to face the opening of the building. "The reptile outside. I presume you are all aware of its presence?"

This earned another quiet scoff from Espio. "Aku is not an it," he muttered. Then, calling upon his reserves of patience, he more calmly added, "He is an ancient dragon, and he lives here."

"Forgive me. I was not aware," Kial answered quickly, bowing slightly. "I meant no harm."

A rumbling voice from outside called in, "Then cease your yammering, cat."

"Quiet, Aku," Espio called back, irritated all over again. "Your bickering only causes trouble."

"Then perhaps you should tell your little friend to mind his tongue," was the vaguely aggravated reply. But after that, Aku said nothing more, having dropped the matter as he'd been told to do.

Kial didn't immediately respond to this, unsure of what exactly he should say. He coughed instead before speaking. "Regardless, it is nice to meet you as well, Aku." More grumbling answered him, but that was all for now. Rose leaned in toward Kial and whispered something softly, seeming to draw his attention away from outside and more directed toward the baby chameleon laying on the blanket (who very much seemed to be attempting to flip over onto his stomach). "You… have a child, Espio?"

Espio tossed a vaguely distasteful look at the child in question, then he just looked away. "...Yes," he eventually acknowledged. His tone did nothing to hint at it, but Cream could see in his demeanor that he was unhappy with how true Kial's question was. Deeply upset, in fact. Possibly even… angry?

"I see," Kial replied, slowly crossing his arms. "Well… in any case, I am glad to know that you are well."

Around this time, Armaris drug herself up into the building and visibly recoiled within her shadow at the sight of this new cat. How many new people are going to show up? she asked herself, quickly appearing out of the shadow and walking forward. However, she paused when the cat had absolutely no reaction to her approach.

Rose motioned to Armaris to gain her attention. "This is Kial. A friend of Espio and myself. However, he is… blind."

Kial glanced at her, for all the good that did, and sighed softly. "I generally wish to keep that a secret."

"Someone was bound to ask with you having not noticed the child. This merely keeps things simple," Rose retorted lightly. The bobcat had no real argument with this.

Armaris blinked a few times at this and walked forward. "You're actually blind?" she asked, staring at his eyes intently.

"Yes, I am," he answered, blinking once. "Though, by your breath, I can tell you are in front of me."

The black cat blinked a few more times at this, waving a hand in front of his face incredulously. When he gave no reaction, she backed away with a disbelieving look. "Alright then…"

"He is not lying, Armaris," Espio huffed.

"I just don't get how someone could feasibly live without their senses, especially through the shit that's happened as of late," Armaris muttered, crossing her arms.

At this, Espio gave her a hard look. "My first sensei was also blind," he reminded with a slight edge of harshness. "He got by without complication."

Armaris would have mouthed off something at Espio, but decided now was a bad time to do so and refrained. "Anyway, Kial… nice to meet you, I guess."

"Likewise," the bobcat answered kindly. He leaned over toward Rose and whispered something in her ear, who nodded and stepped away. Kial stepped forward to Espio, a small smile on his face. "Would you mind stepping outside to talk with me for a bit?"

Espio was quiet for a brief moment, sort of mulling over the request before simply turning and walking outside. "Fine," he said as he went. Though Cream worried about letting him out of their sight, she rationalized that he would still be close and so forced herself to relax as much as possible. Vector, meanwhile, focused mostly on entertaining the baby... and thus distracting himself from his own concerns.

Kial followed Espio quietly, erecting a barrier around the both of them to keep the ash away. "You have made many allies over the years," he commented softly. "I wasn't sure you'd ever care to really do that."

"It was not intentional," Espio admitted after a short pause. He didn't divulge any more than that for the time being, but some of the anger in his tone had inexplicably bled away.

"Sometimes the things we didn't try for are the things we needed most," Kial responded, shrugging. "I met someone who became my teacher for many years by a complete accident. It has changed my life for the better." Though mildly curious, Espio's initial response was just a vague hum of acknowledgement. "You have grown stronger as well, old friend. Both by time and training."

"It is necessary," was the dismissive reply. "Shinobi must always grow. I believe I told you that once before."

"Yes, but I felt it necessary to acknowledge. It is something to be proud of. Most are not capable of continuing to become stronger after this long."

"Perhaps not."

"So, what plagues you?" Kial eventually dared to ask. "You are angry, that much is clear. Though, for someone such as you, that is likely only the surface."

Once more, thoughts swarmed about whether or not this damned negativity was even really him or merely brought on by his Darkness, but Espio swiftly decided that it was irrelevant. The emotions were there regardless, and his handle on them was evidently… lacking. He couldn't keep things under wraps like he normally could and it was frustrating. Even more frustrating, however, was the fact that he couldn't avoid answering the question. It would only come up again later. Answering it now seemed the simplest option. He just… wasn't pleased with that fact. And, despite his reluctant decision to cooperate, he still hedged around the question momentarily. "...There are many reasons," he eventually muttered, leaning against one of the outer walls of his home.

Kial nodded. "If you do not wish to divulge such information, I will not pry. However, I would like you to know you can speak of things that bother you, no matter how trivial. We have not seen each other in eons, but we need not act as if we are strangers."

"There are things you will be better off not getting involved in," Espio answered, closing his eyes with a small scowl. "Simply knowing will make you involved."

"Much of which I will likely become involved in by proxy of who I am," Kial replied easily, sighing. "Especially considering the circumstances in which we are meeting now."

Silence reigned for a short time before Espio slowly said, "...That baby… is part of the issue." He paused, then corrected, "Or, rather, his mother is."

Kial tilted his head curiously at this. "Why is that?"

"She is a deeply malevolent person," Espio admitted unhappily. The fact that that had always been part of the reason behind his draw to her was… something better left unsaid. Forever.

"I see…" the cat murmured softly. "Is there more to why she is such an issue?"

"Everything about her is an 'issue'," was the muttered reply. Espio hadn't meant to reveal that so openly, but the words were already out there, so fuck it. There were probably… worse people to vent to, anyway. Kial had always been… good at listening, Espio supposed. "Everything she says and does is to fulfill her goals, whatever they may be at any given time. One of them - by her own telling - has always been convincing me to join her."

"So you see her as manipulative, malevolent, and self-serving?" Kial questioned, tilting his head. "Is that right?"

"That is the simplest description of her," Espio remarked unhappily. Though, he made no effort to offer anything better.

The cat nodded. "I suppose my next question is if… you love her or not."

Espio had never directly admitted to this out loud, but he found himself sullenly mumbling a short, "...Yes," as he shifted into a sitting position against the wall.

"Then that makes it complicated…" Kial replied, moving over to sit by Espio. "I will say this as my advice. Do as you think is best for yourself, and who you want to be. Try not to let others dictate what you are." Espio didn't really answer, being unsure of what to say. He frowned to himself as more thoughts swirled against his will. "So… when you say that she has been trying to convince you to join her, what do you mean by that?"

"Games," Espio huffed, frowned deepening. "Manipulation. Fighting. Every interaction was for the sole purpose of accomplishing her goals. As I said, she wants me by her side in this war. Every refusal has simply sparked more determination from her. She does not give up. She merely changes tactics."

"And what side is she on?" Kial questioned further. "You speak as if she is aiding another. Or perhaps fighting her own front."

"She works within the Trokkelar Army," Espio told him, "directly under their sole leader. She is, in many ways, the unofficial second leader. She follows her leaders orders to the letter, but also does what she wants when she wants, so long as it does not go against her orders."

Kial nodded slowly, holding one of his arms. "Is that something you wish to be a part of?"

The answer to that was a resounding no, and yet… there was no denying the fact that when he hadn't been… himself… he hadn't been opposed, exactly. Was that… the same thing? Surely it wasn't. Surely it couldn't be. But he couldn't quite seem to silence that tiny voice in the back of his mind that whispered that all of this was little more than a lie he was telling himself. "...No."

"If that is how you feel, then do not let that be compromised. If you say so, that is how you choose to feel," Kial murmured softly. "Far too often the voices around us can convince us to feel that which we do not."

The urge to admit the truth, that it was no longer just her who he was fighting over this, was there. Ultimately, however, Espio refrained. Many matters are best left unsaid, he reminded himself silently.

"Another matter, where is she now? Did she leave this baby in your care?"

"I do not know where she goes when she is not bothering me," Espio muttered. He was quiet for a few seconds before adding, "She abandoned him here. I do not know when or specifically why."

"If anything, it was likely to affect you in some way. Such a thing could throw a wrench into the lives of most. You are no exception."

Espio didn't doubt the veracity of Kial's assessment. He himself had had similar suspicions. She was, after all, notorious for playing mental and emotional games of all kinds… Damn her.

"How do you feel about the baby?"

For some reason or another, Kial's question caused a spike in both Espio's Darkness and his emotions. It lasted for only a second or two, but it was long enough for him to respond sharply and without thinking. "I don't want it."

Kial waited a moment at hearing this response, not wanting to further agitate the chameleon in any way. "Is there a particular reason…?"

Once things had settled again, and it thankfully didn't take long, Espio was able to acknowledge that there wasn't. Not really. He just had this overwhelming desire to be rid of this new… hindrance in his life. He wasn't even entirely sure why. "No."

"Hm… Maybe it's more subconscious then. For now, I would personally recommend trying to adjust to the presence of the baby, if nothing else. That may help you ease into accepting it as a part of your life."

In response, Espio openly scoffed. He had no desire to do that. In fact, he was suddenly recalling why he'd been so desperate to leave earlier. Perhaps now would be the best time to follow through on that little idea. Except… the more logical side of himself argued that it wasn't. And it argued that point quite loudly. So, for now, he stayed put. Soon, he told himself. Not now.

"So, is there anything else on your mind?" Kial asked, genuinely curious. He didn't like dwelling on less than pleasant conversations when it wasn't entirely necessary.

There were many things, in truth, but Espio wasn't sure how much should actually be revealed. Except… revealing them now, when things were calm, would be easier than the alternative. So, with a heavy sigh, he called forth a small amount of Darkness into his palm. "Do you sense this?" he asked in turn, not looking over.

Kial hesitated, a bit unsure that he was really sensing what he was sensing. "Yes… I do."

Hesitation was unbecoming of a shinobi, so Espio forged ahead regardless of how badly he wanted to drop this whole conversation. "This… apparently… runs in my family. It is what they were once infamous for. Recently, it has awakened." He scowled to himself. "It did not do so quietly."

"What do you mean by it not awakening quietly?" Kial dared to ask, a touch more visibly concerned than he seemed before.

"Take a guess," Espio muttered, allowing the energy to dissipate from his hand.

"Violence?"

"An understatement."

Kial sighed softly, sitting up straighter. "I suppose that is lending toward your unusual mood as of late?" Espio muttered some noncommittal response to that but otherwise didn't speak. "I am sorry to hear it happened in the way it did, if nothing else. That is truly awful to hear."

Random irritation (perhaps even anger) surged, but Espio ignored the sudden urge to grab for a knife by clutching his fists closed. Enough, he mentally chided himself.

Kial seemed to understand that something wasn't entirely right in the moment and said nothing, waiting for some time before saying something else. "How long has it been since you've spoken to someone about how you feel?"

"I haven't," Espio muttered.

"Thank you for confiding in me, at least," Kial said softly. "I am glad you were able."

Espio just sort of shrugged, again unsure of what to say. However, after a long moment's pause, he found something to say. Or, rather, an observation that had yet to be voiced. "...Your tail is not yours," he stated bluntly.

The cat's small smile slowly shifted into something a touch more neutral. "Er… yeah. I was hoping to not have to explain this after having just arrived, but you'll find out soon enough anyway." Kial let his tail turn back into his natural cat tail, standing up. "Over those years of training, my teacher was actually one of the Gods. He took me in, seeing some potential that I wasn't aware of, and taught me how to… essentially take his place."

That piqued enough interest to briefly smother Espio's bad mood. After some quiet contemplation over this matter, he asked, "What God?"

"God of Mythical Creatures, sometimes known as the God of Mystical Creatures. That means…" Kial's body began morphing until the entirety of his being was comprised of water. "I can turn into things like elementals, dragons, magical wolves, and plenty more." His body shifted back into his bobcat form, leaving him to stretch on instinct. "It's still weird to get used to, even after all these years." Kial sat back down, his head tilting up toward the house. "I didn't want to explain it so suddenly and get bombarded with questions, especially since I'd just be appearing and pronouncing myself as a God. Not to mention, a lesser known God since my teacher was missing for many years."

Immediately, Espio huffed. "The two most likely to have questioned you the most are not in the house. You would have been spared." After a second, he asked, "Missing in what sense?"

Kial notably grew saddened at this, but he didn't seem too overly bothered by it. "For a long time, he was being actively hunted by an enemy or enemies. He briefly explained that he was worried that he'd be killed one day, and then… it just happened. An enemy appeared and attacked. In the moments before he died, he transferred his powers to me and…" He shifted uncomfortably. "I… made sure that the enemy didn't leave that planet alive."

Espio thought this new information over carefully. The idea of Kial losing control in such a manner was… unusual at best. And yet, he had to acknowledge the fact that such a vast amount of time that had passed since their last interaction clearly suggested that Kial could have changed. Substantially, in fact. He knew that he himself was not the child he had once been. However… He seems mostly the same.

"Sorry for the… depressing note on that one. Saethrim was someone I considered very close to me," Kial explained softly. "It's still a bit of a sore spot." Eventually, the cat gave a soft sigh, then flashed a smile to Espio. "Thanks for talking to me. It was good to catch up a little bit. Do you want to go back inside with me?"

The response Kial received was a flat, "No."

Kial was taken aback enough that he blinked, for as little good as that did him. It's really been too long since I've been around you. That normally wouldn't have fazed me. The cat recovered from his mild surprise and simply smiled. "Alright. I assume you're sticking around nearby?"

It isn't as though I have a choice. He knew full well that no one in that building (or the neighboring one, for that matter) would let him leave. Quashing his emotions as best as he could, Espio simply said, "Yes."

"I will go catch up with Rose momentarily, in that case. I hope we get a chance to talk like this once more, my friend," Kial said softly, teleporting inside but still leaving the barrier around Espio should he choose to stay within it.

~保護者~

Sein and Alana appeared in the palace near to the observatory, the male already quickly walking forward to check on Kath. Alana walked with him, quiet as she pondered what, exactly, might have been going on. Cere was so unwilling to discuss it… That was unlike her. Sein thought along the same lines, but was partially avoiding thinking too deeply on the matter so he could focus on figuring out what was going on. As they approached the hall leading to where her father seemed to spend most of his time on this property, Alana asked in a low tone, "What will we do if he is in a serious state? Mother is… not here to calm him."

"Cere would have told us if it was something that serious…" I hope. Sein glanced to her, obviously concerned. "We'll make do."

Alana shook her head and reminded, "Even if he was mostly calm before she left, it may have escalated since then. He often bottles things up when in the company of others, only for that control to gradually slip once he is alone. "

Sein set a hand on Alana's shoulder softly, sighing. "I am sure that we can manage. We may not be Laralei, but surely she's not the only person who can help him. We might have been his children, but that doesn't mean we can't help."

"We do not know how," she protested, still keeping her voice low so that no random passersby could easily hear them. "Mother was always the one to care for him." And she was never not around… not back then.

"Then we will figure out how," he responded. "We know how to interact with him, and we more than certainly know what not to do. We'll start from there and work our way through this." Sein was doing his best to keep his voice level, but the worry was slowly creeping in. "I… I'm sure we can do it."

Alana stayed silent at this point, deciding it was not a great idea to continue adding to their collective concerns. She didn't speak as they followed the long hall to the double doors at the end. Both were securely shut, and whatever lights may have been on in the room were so dim that they didn't show under those doors. She also noted that it was very silent in there as well. Was he not still clearing rubble?

Sein raised a hand to knock on the door, then glanced to Alana for approval. She merely gestured for him to go ahead. He slowly did so, then called out to Kath to make sure that the other man was indeed in there. What answered him was the all-too familiar sound of Azerel growling. However, he was swiftly silenced by a small thump, most likely the sound of Kath cuffing the wolf behind the ear as he often did. Or... was that a rock falling? Alana wasn't sure, and there was no real response beyond that. "Do we just… go in?" Sein asked, frowning.

"We may have to," Alana answered with a small sigh. "He may not be paying attention to who is at the door, as he does when he is very intent on ignoring the world around him - such as while studying." As she spoke, she noted something odd seeping out from under the doors in thick, sluggish plumes. ...Dust?

Sein nodded and took a short breath before pushing the door in, slowly stepping in. "Kath?" he called softly, glancing around. Alana followed him in, concern mounting over her father's lack of response. Waving thick clouds of dust away from her face, she progressed slowly through the piles of various forms of rubble and debris, and soon had to carefully step around a segment of the roof that had entirely caved into the large room. This was not here before. Finding herself pressed against the wall in her efforts to move past this huge chunk of ancient gem-like stone, she found herself stifling some coughs. "Sein, we may need to attempt to move this. But it is comprised largely of the same sort of materials as Mother's palace. It will not be lightweight."

He lightly nodded, fixing the gauntlets on his hands and finding a handhold. With his aid, the pair of hawks slowly and arduously shoved the segment of roof enough to allow passage to the rest of the room. With the pathway open, Alana stepped around it fully and gestured for him to follow. Some bits of rock and other materials peppered her as she went, suggesting to her that this collapse had likely not happened as long ago as it had first seemed. This must have been from mere minutes ago. In a way, this concerned more than if the latter had been true. Because though he often masked it quite well, she knew her father to have a strong startle-reflex caused by some anxiety problems that she had never fully been privy to as a child. He hated being startled, for it left him jumpy and uneasy and just generally in a heightened state of distress, even when he'd been calm before. Cere's account suggests that he was not calm earlier… and he will not have had time to settle down from this event, nor his interaction with her by now.

Sein slowly let his aura grow even more noticeable, having thought along the same lines as Alana. If he startled Kath, this would grow infinitely harder, and the blue hawk was having none of that. "Hey, Azerel? You here?" he called, walking ahead slightly.

Having heard his voice, the distinct sound of clawed canine feet lightly scraping across flooring answered Sein. A few seconds later, the (for once) filthy wolf shimmied his way under some more debris until he was able to stand in front of the pair. Seeing this through all the dust that was clouding the air, Alana frowned and peered upward into the darkening sky. The hole above their heads was much larger than she had previously believed… Sein spotted all of this as well and his heart raced. He rushed over and scanned over the debris quickly to find where he could start removing things. Before long, he began hoisting various pieces out of the way. "Thank you, Azerel," he said between his stunted breaths. If the wolf hadn't shown them where to dig, they could have been here for hours…

Alana knelt down and quickly asked, "Is Father injured?"

There was a second or two of hesitation, then Azerel let out a sound that was rare for him (and his kind as a whole). Namely, a sort of barking sound. She had no idea what it was meant to convey, but soon Azerel was turning tail and scooting his way back through the rubble in the direction he'd come from. Alana tossed her husband a bewildered look before standing to help him move debris aside. Sein was eventually able to lift out a piece of debris and pull a few piles away that let him finally reach Kath and Azerel, his frantic mind hardly able to think as he tossed the fairly large piece of debris out of the way. "Oh thank fuck," he said as he dropped down and quickly pulled Kath into a soft hug. "Cere said that you were left in a bad state… and then I saw all of this…" Sein tried to pull himself together, but slowly felt his resolve crumble as a few small tears slipped out. "I am so glad you're okay."

Alana quickly knelt down beside them, taking in the sight so as to ensure everyone truly was okay. She knew that Sein was, of course, and her father and Azerel mostly seemed to be… but they were certainly banged up. Both were even bloodied in some places, but neither sported truly serious injuries. The pair sat together on the ground, Azerel flopped dramatically in Kath's lap and he with his arms loosely around the wolf's neck and torso. The pair made quite a sight, equal parts amusing, worrying, and sweet, and Alana couldn't help a slight smile. Thank goodness.

Upon hearing Sein's ramblings and Alana's footsteps, Kath appeared to pull out of the sort of zoned-out state he'd been in before. The onset of this state was likely why he had failed to teleport himself out or something similar as of now. "Hey, Kath. Let's get away from here, okay?" Sein asked, gently, slowly pulling out of his hug. "This area isn't the most safe."

When he was slow to respond, Alana took his hand and tugged him forward and to his feet. This caused Azerel to be deposited on the floor, much to his annoyance. He gave himself a good shake to get rid of some of the dirt. "Come," she gently urged. "The roof is structurally unsound at this time. More of it may collapse with time. It would be best to leave." No complaints or disagreements came, so she began carefully leading him out with Azerel at their heels. Sein followed behind them, just in case anything were to happen alongside the fact that he was visibly shaking as his adrenaline high slowly wore off. As it turned out, just because he didn't feel the strain, didn't mean that there wasn't strain on his muscles.

Alana soon had them all safely back in the corridor and, suspecting that her father wouldn't talk (he long had had the issue of regressing into total silence when deeply upset), she spoke to Sein instead. "Do you recall where any of the sitting rooms are? Or any room with suitable seating arrangements."

Sein gave a faintly shaky nod. "Yeah, I can lead the way," he answered, stretching his body as he walked. "I saw some when I went to talk with Li, Novei, and Sona." The others followed along behind him. He led them to a sitting room that was more or less in good shape still, stepping in and sitting down the first chance he had. Alana guided her father to sit as well, then tossed Sein a questioning glance. She wanted his opinion on whether or not she should find some form of a doctor, but she didn't feel the need to ask it aloud. Rather than answer immediately, the blue hawk took it upon himself to essentially scan Azerel and Kath with his aura. He rather quickly motioned for Alana to go ahead and start looking for a doctor, not liking the injuries he found. Nodding faintly, she left the room.

At this point, Kath seemed to come around a little bit more. Enough so that he managed to mumble with at least some traces of his usual attitude, "I'm fine, Sein." Still, he kept one hand busy idly petting Azerel. He didn't normally do that, didn't normally seek comfort unless it was actually required.

"Kath, I can't agree with that," Sein answered, frowning yet still. "You realize that you were hit with debris that me and Alana had trouble pushing along the floor, right? It hit you really hard and I can't let you not be checked over by a medical professional." Apparently in agreement with Sein, Azerel woofed and growled as he nudged Kath's arm. Kath left off petting him long enough to lightly shove the wolf's head back in very mild reprimand. There was none of the usual fire and agitation behind their silent bickering, but the air of stress from earlier had lessened a degree already. It seemed that merely leaving the room had helped them both. Sein watched this with a faint smile forming on his face. It certainly relieved him somewhat that Kath seemed to be doing better already, even more so that it felt like it was true.

A few moments later, Alana returned to the room with a couple of others who immediately set about checking over Kath and Azerel together. While they worked, she walked over to Sein. "It would seem that the roof has collapsed in multiple other places as well," she murmured, shaking her head. "I have never heard of such extensive damage done to a building crafted of these materials. They are supposed to be close to indestructible when against a wide array of threats. Mother's palace was the same, was it not?"

Sein nodded. "Yeah. The only things I remember that wouldn't hold up were things like windows. Anything else was amazingly strong."

"It fell only when our world did," Alana quietly lamented. Then she said, "I do not like this. The implication that these demons were even stronger than the blast that the Astral Babylon unleashed is…" She trailed off and shook her head again.

"That's not something to focus on right now," Sein answered. "There's enough to worry about, and that's not something I can put my immediate concern into."

Alana sat down directly beside him and set her hands atop of his, eyes earnest and almost begging for him to listen. "Sein, you are not listening to me. The strongest of the demons we face were not here. They were on Mobius. And yet the demons that were here did this."

"And their leader was able to kill me before I could react. I realize the threat, and that there are likely much stronger demons, but I don't know what to do." Sein murmured weakly.

"This is something that must be prepared for," Alana insisted. "The God of Demons did not bring any of his truly formidable forces to either world that he attacked. Whatever those demons are, they could be vastly beyond any level of strength that we have seen yet. And for all we know, some of them may already be coming."

Sein contemplated this for a moment, concern lighting up his features. "Do you think that he's going to try and destroy both planets somehow? He's already crippled both… One more step and he could get rid of two big threats at once."

"Why else would he have come at all?" Alana asked in return. "You remember Kaden as well as I. He is not the sort to waste time and effort, least of all his own, on meaningless tasks and ventures. This attack had a purpose."

The blue hawk attempted to push himself out of his seat, but gave up halfway into the movement and sighed. "Fuck… It's great that Rose is around… but I don't know what we'd do about something strong enough to destroy a planet."

"I do not know," Alana confided. "Until we know the nature of the threat, no one can know." She glanced at Kath briefly. "I had hoped that Father would be able to use his Vision to try and see it, but… I worry about him using that power at all."

"I- Let's wait for Jet and the other two to return. If they don't find anything, then we can go from there." It took the hawk a moment, but then he realized what she was saying. "Why are you worried about him using the Vision power?"

Alana's gaze shifted back to Sein in an instant. "Making use of such a vast range of sight does not leave one unscathed. Using it too many times will inevitably cause total blindness, rendering the user unable to see anything but what can be seen through use of the power. I do not know the extent of the vision loss he has now, but he has made use of his gift many times in the past. It may not take too much more to fully blind him." And now our son possesses this same gift.

Sein sighed softly. "Then… what else can we do? I couldn't ask him to risk his sight, but…" It could mean the difference between these planets living or being destroyed.

"I do not know," Alana admitted again. "But… waiting is not a risk we can afford to take. Something must be done." After a few moments of silence, she turned toward Kath. "Father-"

He unexpectedly cut her off. "I heard."

This shouldn't have been surprising, so it wasn't. Alana let out a breath. "What do you suggest we do?" When he didn't reply, she shifted to see his face and was dismayed to realize that he was using his Vision after all… regardless of the personal risk. "Father…"

Her concern went ignored for now. "...Tell me if Therius still stands in this timeline," Kath suddenly and sharply demanded. His tone was such that one of the medics jumped a little.

"We don't… know," Sein answered slowly. "We haven't been around long enough to have heard anything about it."

It was then that the non-jumpy medic spoke up. "With the exception of a few families, their race is extinct."

Alana's eyebrows raised in shock. "What?" The idea of one of the four first races being virtually wiped out was… Why, it was insane. Only one other had ever been destroyed totally, and it had taken millennia of violent warfare between them, the Babylonians, and the da Asani for that to occur. How could the Therians, the most brutal of the first four races, be in such a state?

The medic nodded solemnly. "The Guardian fought them. I don't know the details, but it was by his hand that they met their fate. Only a few were spared, those who took a stance of at least neutrality instead of the outright evil that had consumed the Therians for so long."

Sein was quiet for a time as he processed this, but eventually questioned, "Why are you asking?"

Kath's posture was suddenly tense in a way that, to Alana, communicated concern. His next words explained the reason behind the emotion. "Who, exactly, was spared?" he bit out, ignoring Sein's question.

"Mostly no one of note," the medic shrugged, "but there was one family… two sisters and one child, the daughter of the younger sister. The older one… I've heard she's ancient. Older than Mobius, even, older than the catastrophe of Planet Babylon."

That seemed to be the information Kath had been seeking, and he relaxed almost imperceptibly. Alana now suspected she knew what was going on. "You wish to seek out Calypso… don't you?"

"She could be invaluable, considering she was a huge ally ages ago," Sein shrugged. "I could see it being a really good idea. And the chances she's still alive are likely pretty high."

"Unless something somehow has finally managed to overpower her," Alana calmly said, "she will be alive. Therians live vastly longer lives than we can. She will not be old yet, not in her years. Not truly young, either, but young enough to be healthy." Kath said and did nothing to correct her, further indicating that she wasn't wrong.

Sein shrugged again. "Absolutely no reason not to check and see if she can help." Alana was quiet in response, focused on trying to determine what to do. Cere wanted her and Sein here, speaking with Kath. They were also needed on Mobius to ensure its safety. Someone had to travel to the far reaches of space to find Calypso. But there was only so much two people could do. Especially when she didn't feel they could risk expending the energy to create clones. Sein's gaze flicked to Alana, and he caught on to her thoughts. "Well, what if we send Li and Novei? Surely those two could manage to talk to Calypso on our behalf."

Alana shrugged. "You are welcome to ask them yourself," she invited with a small wave of her hand. She then walked over to her father to check on his condition alongside the medics.

The blue hawk nodded and simply teleported Li into the room. The wolf was caught off guard and almost tripped in his surprise. "Li! Need to ask you something!"

Li blinked and shook his head a little, trying to catch up to what was happening. "I mean, sure, but I need to find Novei before she gets into trouble."

The small ruckus drew both Alana and Kath's attention back over to Sein, and then to Li. Alana loosely crossed her arms after a second and commented, "She is precisely why Sein is getting into contact with you. Although," she tossed a pointed look at the man in question, "my husband could well have done so through a simple call."

Sein sheepishly laughed, rubbing at the back of his head and giving Li a look that asked for saving. No salvation came from the wolf, merely a look of confusion. Li turned to Alana, blinking. "Why? Do you need Novei for something?"

"In a manner of speaking," Alana agreed. Then she explained, "More specifically, we are in need of a means of contacting her aunt. However, due to her location and the fact that she is not fond of technology, someone will need to physically seek her out. And not many are permitted at her home."

Li nodded slowly, understanding the issue. "Er, well… I don't know where Novei is. I lost track of her within, like, half an hour of showing up on Mobius," the wolf explained, crossing his arms. "I'd ask her to look, but she's wandered off and won't answer my calls."

Kath's eyes shifted, but it occured to Alana suddenly that he wasn't actually seeing anything the room. Meaning he was still using his Vision. But he spoke before she could. "Novei is already on Therius's moon, heading toward Calypso's home."

Did she know we would seek her out…? Li thought to himself, absolutely dumbfounded by this situation. She is absolutely beyond me. "I guess… I'll go accompany her or something," he said, huffing softly.

"Don't forget what I told you," Sein piped in quickly before teleporting the wolf away, not leaving the other man a chance to respond.

Huffing to herself, Alana arched a brow at him. "Truly, Sein?"

Sein shrugged softly, smiling. "I think they'd be cute together is all. Is that so wrong?"

"It is wrong to stick your nose in where it does not belong," Alana answered carefully, still giving him a look. At about this time, Kath blinked his eyes clear, finally refocusing on the sights that were physically around him as opposed to what he had been viewing in space. Noticing this, Alana turned to face him once more. "Father… why do you wish to send word to Calypso? She has made clear in the past that she refuses to be involved in conflicts that are anything less than… apocalyptic, in her mind."

Kath leveled her with a truly grave look, one she had only ever had the misfortune to see once before… the day their world had begun to crumble around them. All he'd said to her then was, "Run for the ships." Now, his warning was equally quick and ambiguous as to the cause of his distress. "This will fit her criteria. She will come."

"Do… you think we need her? Or is this just us gathering what allies we can while we can?" Sein asked, crossing his arms as he tried to settle down after seeing Kath's expression.

The older hawk shifted his gaze to Azerel, seemingly listening to something the wolf was saying, but nevertheless answered Sein at the same time. "Her magic is among the oldest arcane magics remaining in existence. It is formidable, even against the likes of demons and their ilk. Her assistance is required, not simply wanted."

His specific mention of demons drew Alana's brows downward into a deep frown. "How many are coming?"

Her father's jaw tightened. "...One."

Sein's body noticeably tensed and he resisted the urge to let his aura flare slightly. The thought of one demon being enough to require more help, and from someone as powerful as Calypso… It frustrated to no end him to think that the situation was that bad and was likely only going to get worse. Nonetheless, he kept himself calm and let out a soft sigh. Guess we have to prepare a lot more than we would have, if it's that serious.

Unexpectedly, it appeared that Kath had more to say on the matter. "Your son…" he began slowly, frowning to himself. He took a moment to think before continuing. "He will need to be back before the demon reaches Mobius. It is unlikely to be stopped otherwise, with or without Calypso's aid." That Kaden would specifically target that planet was not knowledge Alana would normally expect someone to have, but given that Kaden had personally wrought death and destruction on the younger planet as opposed to making an appearance on the much stronger and more heavily fortified New Babylon… well, it certainly did indicate a sort of personal grudge, if nothing else. A vendetta, of sorts.

"He'll be back. Jet, Steam, and at least one other person are on Kaden's world, attempting to rescue Analia," Sein answered.

"That does not ensure they will be back in time," Alana pointed out quietly.

Sein frowned. "If they realize what's happening, they'll come back. There's no way Steam would ignore something that big, much less Jet. They will be back in time." Despite the conviction in his words, there was an obvious front that he had to make to fully believe it himself. He had to hold onto hope that they would be back before the demon reached these worlds.

They all did.

~保護者~

8,524 words this time. Hope y'all enjoyed! And since it took me so long to put all these scenes into chapters despite them having been written for a while, I'll be posting a second chapter today. Y'all are spoiled. XD Anyway, many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all his help and support, and I'll be posting again real soon. Posted (at about _ a.m.) 03-25-20.