Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in the aftermath of this battle… especially for the fathers.

~保護者~

"Our Fathers"

~保護者~

In the midst of the struggle against Kaden and Astra, a separate private war was being waged. Strangely breathless from shock and disbelief, Espio leapt backward again and again at high speeds, narrowly avoiding a near-constant stream of attacks in the process. Hesitant to believe what he was seeing, reluctant to even consider this was truly real, he found himself quietly calling out in Japanese, "Ch… Chichiue?" Another attack, another dodge. More and building dismay. "Okasan?" But there was no response, not from either of them. Nothing but emotionless, vacant stares and unrelenting attempts at his life.

Staying still was unwise. He knew this. Countless days of his childhood had been spent sparring with his parents while he honed his own skills. He knew his mother's strength, his father's speed. If he allowed them to get too near, the injuries he would suffer would be nothing less than grievous. These weren't even really them. Not truly. One look into their eyes had proven that much. They had been resurrected, but not in the same manner as Sonic or Silver. This was necromancy, plain and simple. Their emotions (or lack thereof), their thoughts (if they were permitted to have any), their actions… none were their own.

Logically, he knew all of this.

He just couldn't force himself to move.

Why he was frozen like this - just like he had been as a child surrounded by fire and death in some fucking vague memory that was suddenly filling his head - was beyond him. His parents, Shei and Aniko, were surging toward him with every intention of killing him where he stood. The desire not to have such an experience, coupled with a spike of self-preservation instincts kicking in, finally spurred him into motion. He twisted to the left just barely in time for his mother's sword to go skimming past his cheek, leaving a nasty cut in its wake. Then, moving faster than he was ever normally forced to when not in combat with Nyokae, he dropped down just before a second sword strike (this one his father's) could make contact with him.

Knowing it was stupid to stay still like he had been, he sprang further to the side and instantly turned on his camoflauge to render himself invisible. Due to a separate part of his particular version of this power, this rendered everything he was wearing and holding invisible as well, rendering him entirely untrackable so long as he didn't make a sound. The problem was… his parents were like him. They were shinobi. Not to mention the fact that they, for many years, helped to train him. They knew what he could do just as much as he knew what they could do. Granted, anything that had changed throughout all these years would be new to them and thus hard to counter, but how much had his fighting really changed? Not enough, he wagered. Why fix what was never broken, and all that…

Dammit, his mind was starting to wander again. Why was it always so fucking hard to focus when he was upset like this? Stress, he recalled briefly. This is stress. What a useless, unwanted emotion. Of all the things he could have relearned how to feel, why this? Why this of all emotions? But now wasn't the time to be cursing himself. Now was the time to pay attention, because his fucking emotions had caused some Darkness to crackle around him like electricity. His position was given away by his lapse of control, and just like that his parents were upon him again.

The seriousness of this situation was escalating. Their attacks were becoming faster, using more of the inherent strength he knew full well that they possessed. Dodging was no longer enough. Finally forced to retaliate and defend himself, lest he receive worse wounds than a simple cut, Espio gritted his teeth and lashed out at his nearest opponent. It happened to be his mother, and he winced subtly as metal clanged together once, then twice, over and over again until their swords were meeting one another with so much force that sparks were flying. Then she was moving almost as if in slow motion while he jumped backward to avoid a series of rapid sword strokes carried out by his father.

Just like that, Espio was clashing with Shei instead of Aniko, mixing speed and power as he fended off the incredibly fast but weaker attacks dealt by the other man. A hard kick was enough to send Shei flying, and again Espio winced. For the first time since his youth, he found himself bowing his head and silently asking for forgiveness. Back then, such an act was only ever carried out over minor mistakes, for he had never been guilty of more serious offenses. But just now… this felt like something he needed to be ashamed of. Striking his own father in such a way, being prepared to do the same to his mother if need be…

God, something had to be fundamentally wrong with him if he was thinking like this. Fucking emotions. He would have made a concerted effort to shove them all away and bury them deep, deep down where they could no longer be felt (as he normally did), had he not instead been forced to refocus on his mother. Her slower, stronger attacks could be overcome thanks to his inherited speed - not to mention his own power - if not for one simple fact.

Her Darkness.

Darkness that, up until recently, he hadn't even known either of his parents possessed. Darkness that now she was wielding against him, throwing him off his guard once again by simple virtue of deliberately aiming such a devastating amount of the energy directly at him. It made contact before he could snap himself out of his stunned immobility, and just like that he was rocketing backward across the ground with so much force that his flight tore up said ground right up until he was finally able to get his feet under him and skid to a long halt. There he crouched, panting and clutching at his sword as his own Darkness crackled frenetically around him, raging about like black electricity. So much of it had risen to the surface, barely held back by little more than sheer force of will… but that didn't stop it from effecting him.

All at once, his hesitation, his hated emotions, his racing thoughts… all were cleared away as though they had never been. Shifting, he stood, then leaned to the side in time to avoid another potentially lethal attack. With the opportunity presenting itself to him, he plunged his sword into Aniko's stomach. Sword twisting, he used it as leverage to fling her off to the side and away from him. There was no remorse. No desire for repentance. Nothing but an all-consuming anger rising steadily from within.

Armaris suddenly slammed into the ground beside him, wielding her own blade against Shei's with an unusual ferocity as he returned to the fight. Whether the fact that she was fighting what had been her father figure for so much of her life bothered her or not wasn't showing in her eyes at this time. Though, oddly, no anger was present, nor any other obvious emotion. She had buried her emotions in the moment she realized who they were facing.

Being under direct orders to fight one person and one person only, Shei essentially plowed through her on his way to his real target. Espio, hissing softly between clenched teeth, instinctively loosed a concentrated beam of Darkness at the other chameleon, which was swiftly dodged. Their swords clashed over and over in a matter of seconds following this attempted attack, soon resulting in them both being thrown backward by the force they had exerted.

Aniko was already on the move when this happened, clashing blades with Armaris in such a manner that it launched the cat out of the way. Her blade skimmed through the grass as she brought it up to slice Espio's neck in two. Espio saw this blow coming and, in a display of shinobi flexibility, quickly leaned back to a sharp degree in order to avoid her sword. Then, following his momentum, he moved into a flip and kicked her chin forcibly enough to knock her up and away from him. Shei moved in for a quick but no less fierce stab, but Espio managed once more to dodge by leaping to the side.

A wave of wispy blue magic shards spread out from where Armaris stood as she leapt toward them, sliding in low and creating a powerful updraft of wind to drag them both into the sky. However, the long-dead couple had a solution to this… by making use of their Darkness again, something they never would have done in life. Countless sickles of Darkness rained down upon Armaris and Espio, earning a series of curses from the latter as he leapt out of range.

Armaris jumped and spun quickly, unleashing another wave of her wispy blue magic to move the sickles just enough that she could slip through before sending highly condensed blades of air their way. The two chameleons managed to use their Darkness to dodge and propel themselves into the air. Just like that, Espio and Shei were at it again, this time moving about with so much speed that even Aniko couldn't keep up if she'd tried. Every time the men's swords met there were sparks and clangs and sometimes even screeches from the metal. A few times, there were even small shockwaves. One of those shockwaves broke them apart, forcing them to skid to a halt where they'd landed. Both sported fresh wounds as a result of their spat, but Shei's were decidedly more serious. Shei, after all, was almost exclusively a speed fighter. His defensive and offensive skills weren't enough to protect him here.

Capitalizing on the momentary stillness of Espio, Aniko loosed a wave of Darkness intent on crashing over the chameleon. Espio dodged mostly out of the way, but soon found himself forced back into the line of fire by a barrage of consecutive attacks carried out by Shei. Two in particular knocked Espio sideways into the wall of a shattered and abandoned home, then through it. A split second afterward, Shei dodged and allowed Aniko's attack to hit their son. There was no concern from either of them over it, no desire to put a stop to any of this. It wasn't their fault, but it nevertheless further fueled the intense rage that suddenly filled Espio as his own Darkness spilled out ever further in response to the blow he'd suffered.

Armaris threw herself in between Espio and the two other shinobi, growling as tornado-like winds suddenly raged through the battlefield. This entire fight was beginning to piss her off because they were intentionally ignoring her and going for Espio - as they had no doubt been commanded to do. Everything about that not only pissed her off but deeply hurt her for reasons she wasn't able to comprehend yet. Aniko responded by using her Darkness to blast a momentary hole through the raging winds and rush through it, bringing her blade down at Espio while Armaris parried (albeit badly due to the sheer force) the blow and threw her aside with a controlled burst of wind.

Gritting his teeth in pain, Espio rolled out of the way and back onto his feet, reclaiming his sword in the same motion. His mother came at him again just as his father did the same and, seeing how it was his only chance to escape lethal injury, he quickly kicked Shei into the path of Aniko's attack and jumped clear of the two of them. There was a momentary lull in the combat as they sorted themselves out, then just like that Espio was dodging attack after attack while also throwing in his own at every available opportunity.

Knowing this was her best chance to even temporarily immobilize Shei and Aniko, Armaris snuck up from behind as quickly as she could before letting her Darkness reach out around the ground and grab at anyone that dared come into it besides Espio. Shei and Espio suddenly began fighting at incredible speeds again, moving further and further away in a matter of seconds. Armaris grabbed Aniko in the immediate moment she had, dragging the other woman into the shadows and doing everything she could to keep Aniko trapped.

Elsewhere, Espio and Shei broke apart again, only to resume their clash without so much as batting an eye. They repeated this process twice more before Espio was forced to focus on dodging for a short while. He bided his time, waiting for a rare opening to present itself and striking the very moment it did. This sent Shei tumbling away from him and, expression grim, Espio raced after him.

After this, Steam appeared in what was now a clearing thanks to Armaris, quickly rushing over to the cat when she realized she was struggling to keep someone in her shadow. "What the hell is happening?"

"Shei and Aniko were resurrected by that crazy cat bitch, and now they're attacking Espio! I've got Aniko here, but not for long," Armaris spat, gritting her teeth. "Do something!"

Steam's body quickly gained a noticeable amount of Light, but nowhere near as much as he usually would've had while readying his sword. "I'll do what I can, but I need you to work with me." Armaris didn't get to respond as she was thrown off the ground by Aniko suddenly reappearing from the Darkness and striking into her blade to remove the cat from her path. She attempted to follow Espio and Shei, but was blocked by Steam who managed to block several quick blows before being pushed aside. Armaris was quick to parry a few blows before Steam managed to move back in and strike, forcing her to jump back a short distance.

An idle swipe of Aniko's sword was enough to completely halt Armaris and Steam's approach, throwing them both back before she leapt into the air and teleported away on Astra's mental orders. Steam's face contorted in immense concern as he quickly got up and began moving toward where Aniko had been attempting to go before. Armaris only managed a weak frown before she followed after the hedgehog.

By this time, Shei and Espio had already attacked one another numerous more times. Their latest spat resulted in a lot of bloodshed… but not Espio's own. Teeth still tightly gritted, he clenched his sword in his hand and approached his father where the older man lay on the ground alive but unable to move. Nothing about Shei's demeanor had changed - he was still just as under control as before, but now unable to act upon the silent commands he was receiving. Still full of unspoken and barely contained anger, Espio stared down at his father with a deep scowl. There's no fear in him. Not even pain. His gaze narrowed almost hatefully. I don't like this… the emptiness of his eyes.

Armaris ran up to them and quickly folded her blade before looking to Espio. "What do we do?" she asked, her eyes now suddenly much more full of emotion than before. "We can't just… kill him, right?" Steam frowned at the sight as he ran up, stopping some feet away from the three.

There was no triumph to be gained from fighting a weakened opponent. That much was true. Yet, strangely, something Nyokae had once said to Espio rang through his mind. "Pain… pleasure… truly, where is there meant to be any difference between the two? The infliction of pain upon others, in my experience… is an even greater pleasure than I believe you understand, love."

Even now, with his Darkness raging inside and threatening to burst free as it already had once before, Espio found himself disagreeing with her sentiment. There is no pleasure to be found in killing a monster who doesn't know who or even what it is. Still… it wasn't as though they could just let Shei be. Not as he was now, lacking free will and under another's control. So long as Astra retained a hold on his mind, he was a threat… and a dire one at that. Such a dangerous individual could not be ignored. It may have been foolish to revel in such conflict, but it was even more foolish to let an enemy escape. Something had to be done.

"Let's try to find a way to break the mind control," Steam murmured. "We've got Immortals, Rose, and a lot of really intelligent people who can figure this out," he explained. Armaris looked at Espio, pleading for him to listen to this.

Espio openly scoffed. "Necromancy cannot be undone," he informed bitterly, "unless the victim or their captor is killed." There was technically also a third option, the captor relinquishing their control of their own accord, but against someone like Astra... there was no chance of that ever happening. So his point still stood. "You cannot simply free them." Shei managed to shift slightly, and Espio's gaze snapped back to him.

Steam glanced away and gently set an arm on Armaris's shoulder. "If that's the case, we can't leave him around, right?" In Espio's mind, that decision had already been made for them. There was no choice here.

For once, he averted his gaze just before lashing out with his sword, then spun around on his heel and stalked away… leaving Shei now lifeless in the ash-filled, bloodstained grass. Armaris was laid on the ground, her sword unfolded in an obvious attempt to have stopped Espio… without success. The pain in her eyes was plainly visible, even more so as Steam gently lifted her off the ground and began carrying her away. He couldn't just leave her, because he knew she might not return for a long time otherwise. Though… the same could be said for Espio, that much he knew.

~保護者~

Sein skidded to a stop by Kath and quickly began checking over him, worried beyond belief for the man's safety. "You better not have died on me," he murmured. No response came from the older man, though it wasn't abundantly clear whether or not he was actually unconscious. He lay where he had fallen, trembling and convulsing uncharacteristically in agony as residual Darkness crackled violently around him.

Seconds later, Alana came running over with her sword still in hand. "Sein?" she called. "How is…" she trailed off upon reaching them and seeing the state her father was in, fear tying her tongue and rendering her briefly speechless.

"Fuck, fuck," Sein muttered, glancing to Alana. "What do we do?" he asked quickly, concern immediately evident in his tone.

Alana was given no time to reply. Calypso was suddenly just there, and she insistently brushed Sein a minute distance away from Kath. "No touching," she tersely ordered, "or you be in same state as he in a second."

He was reluctant to move at all, but his better judgement took hold and he gave a nod. "Got it…" Alana gently took him by his arm to move him to a safer distance, though she was just as hesitant to do so.

Satisfied by their cooperation, Calypso knelt down - though she heeded her own warning and didn't lay a hand on Kath. "We lucky Kaden not do worse to him," she eventually said, tone dark in a manner that was unlike her. "Corruption a hell of a t'ing. Draining Light would make it easier to let Darkness take root."

Her words took a moment to sink in. Alana stared at her. Finally it clicked and she dared to ask, "What… What are you implying?"

Dark purple eyes glanced toward the couple. "He not drain all the Light. He have chance to. He strong enough to. Why he not do it, eh? He not waste time, so he have plan. What you think it be?"

"Maybe trying to just weaken our forces, but…" Sein frowned. "If he really wanted to do that, he should've gotten us killed. He could've done so, fairly easily." This all bothered the hawk, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

Calypso made a dissatisfied clicking sound with her tongue and stood back up. "I said he no waste time. Your ears work? There no point in weaken an enemy, then leave them alive. It waste time. He not sort to do that." Alana stayed quiet throughout this, unable to conjure up a decent reply as her mind raced.

"Cere might know?" Sein asked, unsure. "I dunno exactly-" The hawk was caught off guard by a footfall behind him, followed by a hand on his shoulder.

"I believe I do know," Cere murmured softly. "Calypso, are you referring to what is long past?"

The darker woman offered a single sharp nod. "I am. Least you listen to me."

Sein huffed at her, only to receive a sharp flick from Cere. "Now is not the time, Calypso. You should know how… rowdy he is." Despite this, she cast a small smile. "I am aware of your efforts in the battle. Rest assured that you did well."

"Cere… why are you here?" Alana interrupted quietly.

"A number of reasons. You three, four now. My student. The child of chaos. Mostly, however, I wanted to make sure Kath was… alive. I felt awful for what I did." The Hexan closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. "I do not wish to reveal the secrets of one who wishes them gone, but I believe it has become necessary. Calypso, would you aid me by filling in any information I miss?" The Therian almost glared at her, but again nodded. A sigh escaped Cere and she began speaking once more. "Kath, when he was young, was gifted with the power of Light by Eona. However, due to many circumstances and experiences, he was led to a path where he could have been corrupted in a similar manner to Astra. He never progressed that far, of course, but the effects of all of those combined has left a mark that leaves him susceptible yet still."

Calypso muttered something in her native tongue before speaking openly to the group of them. "He lose his way on a long, winding path for too many years of his youth. We meet during t'at time. But he eventually find his way back. The wounds t'at led him to t'at path heal, but scars remain. T'ey be remnants t'at can influence his vulnerability to Darkness, like I say before."

"So, you're both worried that Kaden is trying to force Kath into a state where he can be corrupted?" Sein asked, his expression borderline unreadable for a moment.

A single nod was the only response he got for some few seconds before Cere decided to finally speak once more. "That is why I spoke to him, urged him to talk to you all about his past… Then I made my mistake." She didn't seem to let herself dwell on it long, instead focusing on the matter at hand.

Unlike her husband, Alana had allowed her expression to become completely unreadable - and stay that way. "What can be done?" she asked in that soft tone she only ever used when masking her emotions.

"Not'ing," was Calypso's less-than-optimistic reply. "'Til he get better from t'is, we can't tell how bad damage is. Too dangerous to do anyt'ing when he like t'is."

"We can't just leave him in the face of danger, though," Sein answered quickly. "That World Eater thing is coming, right? If he's not in a good state, then it's outright dangerous to leave him here, isn't it?"

Cere cast a glance to Calypso, asking her opinion as she mentally contacted Finis. Unexpectedly, her reclusive and often silent partner immediately answered her in such a manner that all could hear. "Return him to Eras." The woman's eyes widened faintly at this, slowly nodding.

A look of understanding flashed across Alana's face. The Garden of Light… a place of healing for those graced with its power, and the place where Eona herself first crossed into this realm.

Sein gave a faint sigh of relief, but immediately threw himself to his feet and hurried over to where he'd last sensed someone in particular. Within seconds, he returned with Rose's unconscious and still injured form in his arms. "She needs to go as well. That fight… she did a lot."

A slow nod came from the Hexan, slowly picking Rose up out of Sein's arms. "She fought against Astra, yes?"

"She did," Alana confirmed simply.

"Then she may have serious injuries she didn't take the time to heal," Cere muttered. "I am sure they will return when they are better."

In response to the uncertainty in the air between the young couple, Calypso huffed and reassured, "They be safe there. There be places even Darkness cannot dwell, no matter how strong, just as sure as there be places Light can not shine no matter how bright. They be safe."

"You be safe as well, Cere," Sein murmured gently. "And please… make sure my dad is safe."

Cere nodded faintly. "Of course. You as well, young one." She didn't hesitate to teleport away, taking the two Light beings with her.

Novei lightly kicked Sein in the back. "Sappy shit."

Sein turned around and huffed. "Careless as ever."

"Says you."

"Not necessary, both of you," Kial called as he approached, wrapped in his cloak. "Though the lightheartedness is welcome in such a dark moment, we should take stock of everyone and everything while we have the chance."

Alana spoke up again, demeanor a bit distant as she drifted into her thoughts. "The wounded are still away with Sonic's son. They are far from here, but seem to be safe." While she spoke, Sonic and Shadow slowly trudged into view.

"Espio and Armaris vanished at the beginning of the fight, though I sensed Armaris' Darkness and her energies are still very noticeable. She is alive, and I believe Steam is with her. I'm not sure about how they're faring," Kial explained softly, his gaze wandering for as little good as that did. "Where is Rose?"

Calypso shot him a look. "She be gone. Cere take her to heal." There was a poignant pause before she added, "Your friend be fine, in t'at he alive. You may need intercept him before he leave."

"Understood. I'll do so in a moment," Kial murmured, his body already shifting into something vaguely cat-like before he bolted away without another word.

Steam emerged from what little remained of the burnt-out forest with Armaris still held in his arms. He teleported the rest of the way and gently set Armaris on the ground by Sein. "I'm going to go after Espio. I'm worried he's going to leave. Please watch after Armaris, okay?"

"'Course, kid. Be careful." Sein flicked a wan smile his way, and Steam started to walk off. Shadow reached them at that time, but stayed silent.

Before the green hedgehog could go far, Sonic jogged to catch up with him. "Wait, Steam," he called. Once caught up he quickly asked, "What happened? We lost track of you. Where's-"

"I need to catch up to Espio. He just… had to kill one of his parents, because Astra used necromancy to bring them back," Steam explained. "I need to go." Stunned, Sonic fell silent and allowed Steam to take off.

Back with the others, Alana shook off his distraction for now and knelt down beside Armaris. "Can you stand?" The cat didn't respond, seeming entirely intent on remaining curled up.

Sein shook his head to Alana gently. "Just let her be for now. I don't think she's too hurt… physically." Resigned to obeying his suggestion for now, she nodded and stood up.

Ears low, Sonic approached everyone. He looked everyone over, then said, "We should probably head back to the house… if it's still standing. I think resting might be in everyone's best interest right now.

"Yeah… at least, for now," Sein agreed. "We'll figure something out if it isn't." With a nod, Sonic traded a look with Shadow before teleporting that direction with his brother in tow. Calypso and Alana soon followed suit, with Alana gently taking Armaris and the unconscious Locke along with her.

Sein started to follow, but a whisper of energy stopped him. That whisper turned into a violent crack as reality fracture appeared in the sky, sending multiple indiscernible shapes rocketing toward the ground as it did so. It vanished just as abruptly as it had appeared not even a second later. The various objects slammed into the ground with tremendous force, sending plumes of debris up into the air. Most of the unfortunate victims seemed to be inanimate objects, but one was definitely giving off a familiar energy signature. The hawk once again brandished his sword just in case another fight broke out, not willing to be caught off guard this time as he approached.

Amidst all the dust and debris, Jet coughed several times and staggered to his feet, reaching blindly for his sword as he did so. Once he had rubbed enough of the once ground-dwelling ash away from his face and eyes to be able to see, he located the weapon and picked it up. Then, a bit off-balance due to the way he'd landed and the suddenness of the crash itself, he somewhat shakily climbed out of the crater he'd found himself occupying. Sein quickly rushed toward Jet, a short flurry of questions escaping him before he calmed himself. "What the hell happened?"

Stifling another cough, Jet pulled himself the rest of the way out of the crater and briefly stabbed his sword into the ground so that he could make further efforts at wiping his eyes clean. "I fought with Kaden," he answered shortly. "...A clone of him. I don't know what his aim was. The clone died when that fracture opened up and sucked me through it."

"He sent a clone here as well. We managed to destroy it, but… a lot of people are injured." Sein explained. "Do you think it could have been to keep you from getting back here?"

Jet frowned. "He seldom makes use of diversionary tactics," he answered carefully. However, he didn't outright deny the possibility that Sein was correct.

The blue hawk sighed softly, then managed a smile. "I'm really glad that you made it back okay. I was worried about you." Unsure how to reply, exactly, Jet just shrugged and reclaimed his sword so that he could slide it back into its sheath. A few seconds went by and Sein finally worked up the courage to ask, "How are you doing?" Another shrug answered him. Jet had gone back to getting as much ash as possible off of himself, this time focusing on his arms and legs. "Well… Locke mentioned that you've been… hurting yourself. Would you be okay talking about that?"

That made Jet stop. He was momentarily too surprised to respond, but soon he found himself thinking, Of course he did. When he finally spoke, he mumbled, "What is there to talk about?"

"What's stressing you out? What's been happening to upset you?" Sein shrugged softly. "It's not that there isn't something to talk about, more that I feel you just… want to avoid it. Right?" Jet hesitated, then offered another (weaker) shrug. With that, Sein continued softly. "Look. I won't make you do anything, and I can't. But I really want to be there for you, and I really want to be able to help if I can. I care too much to just idly stand by, knowing you're upset, and I'm absolutely sure you understand that."

There was a drawn out, heavy pause as Jet thought that over, along with various recent events. Then, unexpectedly, he found himself almost whispering a vague admission. "I don't… like fire."

Sein nodded softly, outstretching a hand and the catching himself midway. "What about it, if you don't mind me asking?"

Another pause. Jet almost found his hands gripping at his arms again, but made himself stop this time. He hesitated for a much longer time than before, then finally said, "It's… I had… bad experiences. That's all."

The hawk gave a small smile despite that. "I'm sorry, but… is there anything I can do to help? I can't erase fire from existence, but… if there's something I can do directly, I'd like to." The idea that Sein had even considered trying to accomplish such a feat might have been pretty amusing in any other circumstances, but right now Jet just found himself shrugging once again. He bit his inner cheek in a (perhaps misguided, he realized) effort to prevent himself from hurting his arms anymore.

Sein set a hand softly on Jet's shoulder, taking a risk and hoping it wouldn't backfire. The unexpected contact made Jet jump a little but he didn't pull away, instead turning his head to look Sein directly in the eye for the very first time. Sein held back a few tears upon seeing his son's reaction. It managed to touch his heart much more powerfully than he would have anticipated. "I'm here for you, no matter what. I won't let anything stand in the way." His smile grew faintly and he chuckled. "Well… some things I'm obviously not strong enough to really… well, you know what I mean. I'll do whatever I can."

There was another long silence. Jet inevitably averted his gaze before too much time had passed, but he still didn't remove himself from Sein's touch or from this moment… despite how difficult both physical contact and emotional situations were for him. Eventually, he came to a decision and murmured back, "I know." Then, much more quietly, he added, "...I trust you."

The blue hawk could barely contain his happiness, almost throwing himself onto Jet to hug him but refraining for fear of the consequences. "I'm glad to hear that, Jet." Sein took a moment to savor this brief interaction before allowing himself to grow a touch more serious. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Almost catching himself reaching for his arms again, Jet forced his hands to remain at his sides. He considered the question for a time, debating what to say or whether to speak at all, before eventually admitting, "I don't know."

Sein gently withdrew his hand, nodding. "I understand. If you ever want to talk about something, let me know. We can step aside, with anyone that you want there for any reason, at any time. Alright?"

The amount of relief that Jet wound up feeling surprised even him. He was unused to this, after all. Any of this. All of this. Such a show of compassion and concern and everything else, it was just… a lot to take in, he supposed. In the past, only three people had ever had these sorts of moments with him. Moments that were… so warm. Those people were Kath, his grandfather figure in the past and - as it happened - also his actual grandfather, Sonic, his best friend (though they had both once been adamantly against admitting such), and Wave. His… friend? Perhaps something more, he didn't know, but it was irrelevant right now. The point was that no parental figure had ever treated him this way. That Sein chose to do so now reaffirmed in Jet's mind that he had made the correct choice in choosing to trust him - and his mother. "...Alright."

"Well, for now, let's go meet back up with the others. A lot happened, and you should know. You think you're set to do all that?"

The honest truth was that he wasn't, but it wasn't as though he actually had a choice. But before they left, Jet asked one last question. "...Is Sonic alright?"

"A little banged up, but he's fine otherwise. You should check on him though, since I think that fight really shook him up," Sein answered, smiling. "You could use some time with your friend, regardless." Jet took that information in, gave a vague nod, then simply teleported away toward the others. Sein smiled and let himself relax. The fear he had of upsetting his son was slowly fading, and every part of him was beaming with joy. At least something good came out of this fight.

~保護者~

6,267 words this time. Hope you all enjoyed! Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Couldn't do it without ya, dude! Posted (at about 11:50 a.m.) 04-08-20.