Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in these three very different scenes… especially for the best dad.
~保護者~
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Hello, MelGamingPlays! Yeah, he's in a bad state, but trust me - Shadow's not better off dead. He'll get better, just like he did before. He just needs time. :) Oh, and that wasn't a tantrum. That was just his way of ensuring he couldn't go through with any ideas he got from his cravings, thus keeping himself safe. :P Oh, and the child mind thing isn't actually true anymore! Allow me to explain. After a certain point in his infancy, his body was aged up to that of a child's. Eventually, his mind caught up and his body was aged again. This process eventually resulted in him being a teenager physically and mentally, which is how Ivo found him. Ivo then physically aged him to an adult in hedgehog years, but his mind took time to catch up (namely, the entire duration of "Hero" and much of "EotS"). He's now an adult mentally and physically, just suffering serious emotional and mental difficulties due to withdrawals. But, like I said, he'll get better in time. I promise, I won't make him struggle forever. :)
Yep, Shadow's struggle inspire the title of that chapter, since that chapter focused all on him for once. A nice change of pace, I think. And yeah, this sort of stuff happens in real life. Helps his suffering pull at people's heartstrings a bit more, I guess? *Nervous laughter* Anyway, thank you for all of your constant support! Love hearing from you, it always brightens my day to see your reviews. Hope you enjoy this newest chapter! :)
~保護者~
"A Little Faith"
~保護者~
Astra blew one of the walls of her temporary home out, letting the debris fly wherever it would as her anger reached its limits. "God damn Rosalline!" Her magic pulsed outward and launched several books off the floor into the atmosphere before she managed to slightly contain her anger. "I'll fucking kill all of them next time," she muttered to herself, grabbing a pen and rapidly jotting notes down in a book. "And I'll be damned if Astra forgets this shit! Fucking piece of shit, Kaden. I can't stand you."
Her eyes peered down at the open wound on her body and she growled. "Gotta fucking do something about that before it gets infected. I'm not a doctor, more like a surgeon," she muttered, her fingers flicking and threads flying out the tips to sew the damage closed. The cat's work was surprisingly precise and diligent, despite her shaking with anger at the moment. The air grew charged with her magic as she began levitating several books around her, haphazardly jotting down notes and drawing complex diagrams with several pens at a time.
As if she wasn't annoyed enough, the fact that doing all of this wasn't enough to help her calm down at all was making the entire thing worse for her. Astra could feel herself slowly pushing the boundaries of her anger once more. She decided to vent once more by blasting her table into nothing and leaning against the wall. "Still several broken bones I need to mend. Internal bleeding, and some bruising I need to handle."
Astra ignored her anger for the time being as her meticulous and almost tedious repair work. Her magic slowly brought her internal wounds and damage to a point where she could stop the bleeding, piece the bones back together, or remove the agents of bruising before they could fully form. "All of this because he decided to barge in like that and ruin my plans and my spells. Fucking bastard."
In response to her rant, a blade suddenly drove itself deep into her stomach from behind, then tore upward. "I suggest you mind your tongue, girl," came a soft but no less chilling threat.
The woman growled instinctively and pushed herself to move forward, pulling her body off the blade and turning to face him. "Oh, is that how you're gonna do this after that fucking miserable ending of that battle?"
Blood dripping from his sword, Kaden (or, rather, his clone) lowered his hand for now and fixed her with a decidedly darker than usual expression. "That your petty grudges were not satisfied does not mean nothing was accomplished," he rumbled, a growl notably coloring his tone. "I gave you a task. Nothing else mattered."
"I was trying to kill two of the biggest problems that we'll run into because they have Light. Rose is a problem just by existing because she's strong and very capable of fighting."
Striding forward, Kaden grabbed her by the throat and pinned her harshly against the wall. "Does it not occur to you that their Light must be taken before they die?" he snarled. "Doing so ensures they cannot simply be revived again. Not for many years."
"And what about that Balancer, huh? He doesn't inherently have Light, yet my plan to kill him was ruined! All it would take to remove him is to be Semi-Immortal."
"If you intend to kill someone like that," Kaden told her, tightening his hold on her throat, "then more will be required than what you can accomplish. You waste time in battles you are not equipped to win."
"I almost had him dead. Li was out of the way, that Therian was out of the way, and I had a clear shot to kill both of them. I called for you to deal with the Immortals since you're more than capable of killing them for a while, which would have given ample time to get rid of those two pests," She growled.
"I am not at your beck and call," Kaden snarled. "You interrupted me with something foolish." He slammed her backward into the wall, creating cracks in it.
"I don't want you at my beck and call," she snapped. "That was a chance and it got fucked over for both of us!"
"For you," Kaden corrected angrily. "You fail to see beyond the limits of your emotions, girl."
"I applaud you for not calling by the same derogatory nickname you call her," the cat muttered. "Though I am far more than just a girl."
Her words were odd, but Kaden had long expected that he understood the frankly broken nature of this woman's mind. Glaring hard at her, he tightened his hold enough for the tips of his fingers to begin drawing blood, only to simply fling her to the ground. Albeit with great force.
Only a grunt escaped Astra's mouth before she rose to her feet and idly blasted away another of the walls of her home. "I need her dead! She can reverse the seed I planted and if she finds out about it, she will remove it."
"She will be dealt with," Kaden growled at her. "But it will be done properly."
"Let me know. Or rather, let her know. I probably won't be here for that," she muttered, crossing her arms and kicking a book away. By now, it seemed most of her anger had subsided and she was merely pissy. "What do we do about that hedgehog? He obviously knows too much about what's happening."
Kaden actually took the time to carefully consider this problem before letting out another growl. "The Void is poised to burst free of its bonds soon," he muttered. "He will be one of the first it attempts to swallow."
Astra's eyebrows furrowed as her threads began sewing her new wounds closed. "Why him? Doesn't it have more important targets? He's just a Balancer."
"He stands in a unique position to interfere," Kaden responded impatiently. Then he added, "It will also be drawn to the energies he wields. The Light, in particular… it will want to destroy that."
She frowned momentarily before beginning to write in a book. "Interesting…" Astra's attention focused on something else that certainly wasn't nearby before looking back to Kaden's clone. "What about the Immortals? They're very strong, and certainly capable of growing very quickly."
Another growl. This one was more hateful than the last. "I will deal with them," was all Kaden said. He turned and began to leave, only to stop and look back over his shoulder at her. "Send your other ninja out. He needs one final push before he loses control again, it would seem. Her presence will suffice."
"If there's an attack here, she will lose control of Aniko. It is also possible to wrest Aniko from the mind control, and that's something that I'm sure you're aware of. Do you still want her to have any part in this?"
Glowing eyes narrowed. "I am aware," he told her. "Whether or not control over her is retained in the end, it is more important for her to accomplish her task. I do not care what happens to her after that. She can be killed easily enough."
"Do you want me to do so if they begin to free her?" Astra asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You will be unable," Kaden told her simply. "If the need arises, someone more capable will handle her."
The cat closed her eyes and ruminated on this. "Fine enough. You're aware of the current state of Mobius, yes?"
This time, what escaped him was less an irritated growl and more a furious snarl. "Yes," he bit out. "I am aware."
"I was watching Mobius. That black cat retreated into some portal. I couldn't follow. The Balancer seems to be struggling, and luckily, Espio is alone with that… god." She snorted angrily, agitated.
"Send her out now, then," he responded simply, turning away again. "He will not be left alone forever. Not with so many allies of his worrying over him."
"Focus solely on pushing Espio?" The answer to that should have been obvious by now, and Kaden therefore didn't dignify the question with another response. She sighed softly and ran her fingers through her matted hair. "One more thing before you go. I mentioned the seed. Do you want me to start making use of it?"
"Do what you will," he said rather dismissively. "You are the one connected with it. Therefore you are the only one who knows when it is safe to proceed."
Unusual free will. I'll take it. "Alright. If anything presents itself, I'll mention it. Last thing though… Petry. Not Astrantia. I'll do what I can so she doesn't fuck this up."
Kaden scoffed and resumed walking away. As if he cared about her goddamn name… but he soon found cause to stop and face her one final time. "A warning…" he drawled. "Nareish appears to have become aware of your activities. She may come for you… and I will not protect you from her."
"What does she intend for me?" the cat asked, eyes narrowing.
"Suffering and death. What else?" With this flippant response given, he twirled his sword in his hand and left the house, not turning back this time. Soon, he was gone.
If I have to, I'll kill us first.
~保護者~
"Wave?"
Hearing his voice, Wave faded into view from the mists of golden magic that swirled around them. The mists permeated the entirety of this realm, the Lost Hex, but though it was lethal to most they were unharmed. Once she saw him, she relaxed into a smile. "Hey, Jet," she greeted warmly. "What brings you here?"
Rather than dumping everything on her all at once, Jet offered only part of the answer. "You have not been in contact much. I was checking on you."
"Sorry," she responded with a small shrug. "I guess I got a bit carried away. It's been too long since I've come home."
He inclined his head in understanding. "I know."
Her steps carried her closer, and she lightly dusted off one of his shoulders. He had yet to fully clean the ash off of himself. "What in the world have you been up to, dare I ask? You're filthy."
"I was thrown into the filth," he huffed at her. "It isn't as though I took a nap in it."
Shaking her head, she ceased her futile efforts to clean him up and let her hand simply rest where it was. "Why else are you here?" she asked. "I understand you were worried, but there must be another reason. I know you trust me to take care of myself."
That was true, and he certainly did. He also trusted her enough to know he could be honest with her and not suffer harm because of it. "Mobius is not as safe as we had hoped it would be," he revealed, looking away. "Calypso has healed it and all those on it, but danger is coming again."
His concerns and thoughts were strong enough that she sensed them. He was making no effort to hide them, anyway. Not when in her presence. "The World Eater…" she breathed. A moment of stunned silence passed before her expression hardened. "How much time do we have?"
Though he shrugged, he did have a guess. "A day… perhaps two."
"That will be enough," she told him firmly. "Dad and I will meet it in space. Taking it down before it reaches its destination would be preferable."
She was correct, of course. And he knew they would be victorious, but… he still couldn't stop himself from sighing. "Be careful," he murmured, turning his head back to face her again.
Her hand shifted to place itself on his cheek for a brief moment. His heart gave a little flutter when she smiled at him again, though the smile was smaller this time. "I will. I promise. But you should promise me the same thing."
Such a reasonable request could hardly be denied. Gently taking her hand into his own, perhaps in an effort to prolong this moment, he murmured, "I promise, Wave."
Giving his hand a little squeeze, she slowly slipped hers away. "I need to go prepare. You should probably head back now. But I'll see you again soon, alright?"
There was no chance for an extended farewell. The mists gradually swallowed her as she turned and walked away from him, and soon she was gone. Sighing, Jet opened his eyes, finding himself back on Mobius… where he had never truly left. He had slipped outside a short time ago in order to make contact with Wave, and out on the porch was where he still stood, arms crossed as he leaned back against a wall. He glanced around the immediate area, taking it all in, before shifting his attention to the traditionally door-less entrance to the front room of this home. Sure enough, Cream soon stepped through it. "Mister Jet?" she asked quietly, as though worried she was interrupting his thoughts. He blinked at her. She took this as permission to continue. "Mister Steam is asking for you. Will you come inside?"
Steam was, huh? That likely didn't mean anything good. And judging by the state Shadow (whom he knew Steam had been with earlier) seemed to be in, based on his aura… it almost certainly didn't. Stronger medicine is required. He had a suspicion that that was what this was about, but nevertheless waved a hand in a gesture for her to return inside. She nodded and did as asked, and he pushed off the wall to follow suit. He caught Steam's eye upon entering the room, but again gestured with a hand. This time, he was gently quieting the person in question. He didn't need to hear an explanation. Everything about Steam's aura told Jet that his guess had been correct. He knew what was going on.
Not paying attention to whatever reaction Steam had to that, Jet crossed the room to his parents. They were talking quietly and he felt irrationally nervous about interrupting him (hadn't Ross always hated Jet doing that?), but nevertheless he approached. Maybe it was foolish of him, maybe it was even childish, but even though he by no means had to go anywhere or do anything dangerous… Jet didn't want to go alone. He couldn't ask his mother to accompany him, not when she was so anxiously awaiting Kath's return from Eras, but maybe Sein…? Talking with the man earlier had left Jet feeling better than he had in a while, and though the idea of being alone with any sort of a father figure made him nervous as hell for reasons he did not want to think about… he couldn't shake the idea that trying would be worth it.
Swallowing his nerves, he hesitantly reached out and gave Sein's arm a little tug. The blue hawk turned, blinking a few times before casting him a smile. "Hey, Jet. What's up?" he asked.
"I have to go," Jet murmured, glancing away. "Shadow requires medicine the da Asani produce."
Sein's confused frown formed and remained for a few seconds before he pushed himself to stand, casting Alana a look quickly to say that he was leaving as well. He had a strong feeling that he knew what Jet was wanting, and certainly wanted to follow that feeling. "We'll be back soon, alright?"
Managing a small smile of her own, Alana inclined her head. "Alright." She looked at Jet before adding, "Try to relax a bit, my son. You will find no trouble there."
That wasn't what he'd been nervous about, but sure. He'd pretend. It was easier than acknowledging the truth. "I know." Then, casting a vaguely thankful glance Sein's way, he headed back outside.
Before Sein could follow suit, Sonic noticed Jet's departure (having heard the conversation) and walked over. "You're going with him, huh?"
Sein gave a nod. "Yeah, he seemed to want me to go with him. If he wants it, I've got no reason to say otherwise, yeah?"
Sonic smiled, actually properly smiled for the first time in too long. "He's actually really making an effort to spend some time with you," he observed. "I was worried he just… wouldn't." Not after Ross.
"He seems to really be warming up to me," Sein offered with a small shrug. "I'm not complaining, though. I've wanted this ever since I knew Alana was going to have a child."
"I understand," Sonic answered. He thought for a moment, considering the options before him, then suggested, "You know… why don't you come back again once you get the medicine to Shadow? I might know a way you two can hang out a bit more before shit hits the fan again."
Sein blinked a few times, curiosity evident on his face before he gave a smile and another nod. "'Course, kid. I'll be back soon." Sonic responded by waving him off and returning to where he'd been earlier. The hawk vanished from sight as he quickly headed out to follow Jet. By this time, Jet had already teleported straight to the da Asani homeworld and was waiting around for Sein to arrive. Once he did, Jet walked to the building they needed, which was sort of their equivalent to a hospital and pharmacy combined. More specifically, it was about the only one that still prescribed and handed out (however rarely they did so) the medicine Shadow now needed. Sein glanced around curiously as they walked, taking note of various things before asking, "They really don't change a whole lot over time, do they?"
Jet initially only shrugged, but soon he said, "No. They have little motivation to do so, overall." As he spoke, he walked through the building toward the part of the building where the person they needed to talk to would be.
"Makes sense," Sein answered with his own shrug. "They don't often have much of a reason to, either."
Jet nodded vaguely before fully shifting his focus to the person he had come to see. He conversed quietly with the person for a few minutes, both of them speaking in an odd mixture of the native da Asani language and modern Babylonian, before the person gave a small bow of respect. "Of course, my lord. I will prepare it immediately." They shuffled off into another room through a door behind them.
Being called that made Jet's eyebrow twitch. "Don't… call me that." But it was too late. The younger man was already out of earshot.
Sein made a nearly silent clicking sound with his tongue before glancing to Jet. "You don't like being referred to that way, do you?"
"I am not the king anymore," Jet answered stiffly. "Even when I was, such respect was… unnecessary."
"Eh, I get it. I had a few people give respect that I didn't really feel was… needed when I was younger. I always tried to get them to not do it, but it never worked out," Sein sighed softly. "One of those things where, if they're determined to do it, they'll just keep going on."
Jet shrugged, but dropped the subject. The person came back, holding several bottles of medicine. They handed it over grimly. "If the person did indeed suffer from such extensive usage, I cannot promise this will be enough. Come back if more is needed."
Managing some manners, Jet inclined his head. "Thank you." With that, he turned to leave, grateful that he wouldn't be forced to socialize any longer. For the moment, at least.
Sein walked after him, but not before inclining his own head in the same manner. "So… what's on your mind?"
There were probably a few good answers to that, but Jet didn't necessarily want to bring any of it up. "...Nothing important," he eventually said.
He picked up that Jet might react adversely to bringing up most things that were definitely on his mind, so Sein instead picked a different subject. "So, are you feeling better than you have been?"
Seeing that there was no harm in answering that, Jet did so. "I suppose," he relented after a short pause.
"That's what matters to me at this moment, then," Sein admitted. "I'm really glad you're feeling a bit better, if nothing else."
Jet took some time to think about that, carefully weighing his words before finally forcing them out. "...Ross… was nothing like you," he admitted. "Being around you… it's been difficult because of him." He scowled at the ground as they walked, deliberately avoiding looking at Sein. Then, even more quietly, he added, "I hate that."
"Don't worry about that," Sein said softly. "You're trying. That's what matters to me. You obviously want to or you wouldn't do it, so I'll support you doing so no matter what." The blue hawk offered a bright smile. Somehow, though normally not one who found comfort easily, Jet found himself feeling a bit relieved at Sein's words. He wasn't sure how much he believed them (yes he was trying to give the man a chance, but was that really good enough?), and yet… Sein had seemed genuine. However, he didn't know what to say to that, so he just nodded a little. Sein continued smiling at this, and simply motioned his head in the vague direction of Mobius despite how vastly distant it was from this world. "Sonic wanted to talk to me about some sort of idea, so I guess I'll be talking to him in a moment."
Jet frowned slightly. "About what?"
Sein offered a very unhelpful shrug. "Something about… uh…" He took a moment before realizing that he didn't fully remember what it was that Sonic had said. "You know, I think I'm gonna have to pretend I didn't forget."
Somehow, Jet felt a twinge of amusement. "Of course," he responded blandly. "Because a person of your stature has no business forgetting things."
"Aw, not you too!" Sein said with an exasperated sigh. "Alana, Li, and now you? I'll never get away from the teasing!"
"Not with that defeatist attitude," Jet quipped.
Sein huffed. "You're just like your mom, too," he teased, smirking. "Next you're gonna be threatening to punt me to another planet or something."
Jet answered that with a huff of his own and even a small eye roll. "Only if you were Sonic," he answered.
"Good to know you've got a friend like that," Sein murmured, rolling his eyes in amusement.
Sensing that this conversation was mostly over, Jet responded with another one of his shrugs and teleported back to Mobius. Sein smiled gently and teleported after him without much hesitation. Jet immediately went inside and disappeared into the room where Shadow, Tails, and Li were in order to administer the medicine. Seeing this, Alana watched him go and then turned to face Sein. "That did not take long."
Sein nodded with a smile. "Yep. It was pretty easy. They just kinda listened to Jet, because he's cool and a badass and all."
This earned a quiet laugh. "Sein, you are ridiculous," she gently accused.
He smiled and leaned in to talk to her quietly, his face growing more serious. "He talked a little about his, er… 'adoptive' father, Ross. He mentioned that he's been struggling to interact with me because of it," he murmured softly.
Alana's smile faltered, as did her good mood. "Ross?" she asked. She'd not heard that name before… or anything about an adoptive father.
"That was… the man who raised him. The way he spoke about Ross worries me, a lot," Sein answered, a frown on his face.
Now duly concerned, Alana questioned him further. "What has he said, Sein?"
"Not much, really. He said that he was 'nothing like me', and I don't really like that implication," Sein admitted slowly. Alana frowned at this. "Sonic, though, mentioned something about abuse and neglect. I… don't like that, but I don't wanna pry."
Alana was stunned into silence for a long moment before she could force herself to speak. "That man hurt our son?"
Sein nodded slowly. "Sonic wouldn't lie," he muttered. There were very strong notes of anger in his voice, but he did well to quell them for now. Being angry wouldn't fix anything.
"This must be dealt with," Alana told him firmly. Then she sighed and admitted, "But… perhaps later. Jet is not in a position to handle such a thing right now."
"Absolutely. And to be honest, this isn't a good time to try and do it anyway, regardless of that," Sein said. "There's just a lot going on at once." She gave a small nod of agreement. "Alright, well… Sonic wanted to talk to me about something, so I'm gonna go grab his attention."
She relented with a small nod. "Alright."
The blue hawk moved across the room to Sonic, gently tapping on his shoulder to grab the hedgehog's attention. "So, what's up?"
Sonic immediately looked up, having been lost in his thoughts, then blinked. "Oh, right." He straightened. "So, we were talking about you two spending time together, and that got me thinking about ways you could do that. I asked Alana, and she confirmed for me that New Babylon was restored as well. Some further questioning of other people revealed that some of Jet's belongings are still in the palace, including the full contents of his old bedroom." Sein's head tilted curiously, but he didn't say anything and motioned for Sonic to continue. Sonic did just that. "So, before I get too much into this, how familiar are you with the idea of so-called 'age-inappropriate' interests, supposedly 'abnormal' attachments to objects, and the like in people with autism?"
"Uh… I know it's something that isn't unusual, and I can pretty easily piece together what you're talking about regardless," Sein answered, still curious.
"Right. So, in Jet's case, he's got a really special fondness for trains. Always has." Sonic relaxed into a smile. "He's always loved model trains, toy trains, real trains… you get the idea. Because of that, he's acquired a lot of them over the years. To be honest… a lot of that's my fault. Once I learned how much he loved them, I started giving them to him any time I had the chance. Kath even made him one once, for your guys's equivalent of a Christmas-like holiday." His smile slowly shifted into one full of fondness. "Anyway… he and I, we used to build tracks for his trains all the time. He loved being able to hang out, and indulging in an activity he enjoyed so much really helped him to relax whenever he was upset."
Sein's heart was positively melting at this idea and he immediately whirled around to Alana. "We're going to New Babylon, like, now," he stated, leaving no room for argument. The light in his eyes said he was letting nothing stop him from experiencing this.
When she almost hesitated in spite of her obvious desire to accompany him, Sonic piped up with, "You can go. One of us will contact you if Kath comes back before you do. I promise."
After a moment's pause, Alana relented. "Alright, Sein."
Ears working, Sonic then added, "You're going to have to wait just a second, though. Sounds like he's still busy in there." He gave that some thought before continuing. "Since we have time, want to know another fun little detail?" His smile was back in full force.
Sein quickly turned back around and blinked a few times. "What's that?" There was impatience and excitement in his voice, very evident in the quick way he spoke.
"This is gonna sound totally silly, but hear me out," Sonic chuckled. "So, there's this old show that used to run in the earlier days on television here on Mobius. I don't remember anymore what it was called, but Jet loved it when he was a kid. It was all about this train and its adventures, but it and all its friends had personalities and names. I don't know why, but that was brought up one time so, as a joke, I started naming all the trains I gave him. He and I even jokingly named all the others ones. And… well, they kinda stuck." A specific name popped back into his head just then, and he laughed, "Oh my god, that reminds me - the best one I ever named was this stupid little engine that couldn't drive properly. Ended up calling the damn thing 'Tipsy' because it freaking drives like it's drunk."
The blue hawk's smile widened ever more at all of this, soaking in the information so that he could make sure to make use of it later. "That's absolutely amazing, Sonic!"
His excitement was infectious enough that Alana found herself smiling anew. However, it was Sonic who spoke then and not her as Jet finally emerged from the guest room. "Hey, Jet," he called, "wanna go have some fun?"
Jet stopped walking and regarded him with (for once) open confusion. "...What are you talking about?" he finally asked.
Sein was positively bubbling with excitement. "Let's go to Babylon!"
That… explained nothing. Looking back and forth between the pair, Jet sought some sort of an explanation. When one didn't seem forthcoming, he turned to Alana. "What are they going on about?"
She shrugged a little, but nevertheless said, "Sonic believes it would be good for you to spend some time relaxing, while it is still possible for you to do so."
Okay, so that was something at least. But still hardly the explanation Jet had been after. "...Fine," he told Sein with a sigh. So long as someone says what the hell is going on. Sonic just smiled at him.
Sein grinned widely and gently grabbed Alana's hand before extending his free one to Jet, offering to teleport them all together. Very, very hesitantly, Jet reached out and slowly accepted the hand he'd been offered. He cast Sonic an anxious look, which Sonic was quick to acknowledge with some mouthed words of encouragement. Jet hesitated a moment longer before taking a breath and trying to relax. Sein waited for this to happen before teleporting them to Babylon. He let go of Jet's hand when they arrived, not wanting to stress him out unnecessarily.
This prompted Jet to cross his arms, mostly for self-comfort. "Why are we here?" he asked again. "Specifically, that is."
"Where is your room?" Alana asked in turn.
Given that this was most certainly not the response he'd been expecting, Jet blinked at her several times. "My… room?"
"Yeah," Sein answered, smiling.
"Why?" Jet found himself asking again.
"I promise you'll understand when we get there," Sein replied, motioning softly for Jet to lead.
Sensing that Sein might actually just take off and try to find it himself if given the opportunity, Jet staved off the desire to question him again and began walking with a heavy sigh. He led the two of them to the very top floor and then into the hall where Kath's observatory was. That was at the very farthest end of the hall, but on the right side about twenty or so feet from those doors was another set of ornate double doors. Pulling them open, Jet revealed the immaculate room hidden within, looking untouched by time despite how long it had been since he'd last spent time in this space. "This is it."
Sein slipped past both Jet and Alana, quickly and curiously investigating the room. There wasn't too much to note in the room anymore, since most of Jet's belongings now resided on A'latria, but the bed and desk remained, as did an open closet full of boxes and the like. Resting on the wall beside that was his Extreme Gear… which had seen some better days. There wasn't much beyond that to look at. Sein's curiosity was piqued at the sight of the Extreme Gear. "What's this?"
Jet walked over to his board and skimmed his fingers over one of the most broken areas. "A racing vehicle," he said. "It flies."
"So it's like a board version of a sparrow…" Sein said, kneeling down to inspect it more closely. "Except, well… it flies instead of hovering."
"In a manner of speaking, yes," Jet answered.
Sein stood back up, smiling brightly. "Anything else of interest?"
Sonic… what the hell did you fill his head with? Resisting the urge to sigh again, Jet glanced over the contents of his closet before shrugging.
"Sein, must you be so vague with him?" Alana gently chided.
"I'm sorry, but I want to see more than just what he told us about!" Sein answered. "Is that so wrong?"
"What were you told?" Jet asked him with audible suspicion, seizing the opportunity as it came.
Sein started rattling off information at far too high of a speed for his own good before wholly realizing that he was making no sense and slowing himself down. "He talked about trains," he simplified before smiling sheepishly. "Er, you liking trains and all." Jet's initial reaction was to be annoyed at Sonic for bringing something like that up so fucking randomly, but… he couldn't quite mask the faint light of positivity that entered his aura. "So, uh… yeah. He told us about that and well… I wanted to see them."
"If you do not mind," Alana gently added. "We will not push."
Jet hesitated for a long couple of moments, thinking, before just giving in. It had been years since he'd pulled any of this stuff out, anyway… so he turned around and walked into the closet. Before too long, he'd uncovered a couple of wooden boxes and slid them out toward Sein with careful pushes from his foot. The last one he grabbed was carried out instead and set down with the others. Then, feeling a touch awkward (mostly because he'd never really shared this sort of thing with too many people before), he just gestured weakly and said, "They're in these."
Sein gave a gentle smile before opening one of the boxes and slowly reaching to grab one, but stopped to look at Jet, seeming to ask for permission. Jet just shrugged at him, not in any way telling him he couldn't proceed. Sein continued as planned, carefully picking up one of the trains to inspect it. Alana took a seat by his side, prompting Jet to eventually sit down on the other side of the box from them. Sein's mind went to work and his aura flared to life around his body before flowing around the room and very intricately coming together all around to form a long train track. He then gently set the train down in front of him onto the track and watched it slowly roll along with the movement of Sein's aura.
Given how easily his attention could be snagged by things he truly enjoyed, Jet found himself just watching this for a time. Before he knew it, he realized he was actually relaxing quite a bit. It was… a nice change of pace from how he'd been feeling lately. So nice that he realized he had actually missed being this peaceful. How long had it been…? Deciding that didn't matter right this minute, he turned to the box Sein had opened and dug around in it for a moment before pulling one out and setting it on the track as well. Following Sein's lead, he began carefully pushing it along with his aura. Alana watched them both with a contented smile, feeling perfectly happy to just watch them enjoy themselves. Sein decided to take it a touch further, creating a fully fledged system where several other tracks that branched off and continued on their own paths could take a few other trains that he slowly began setting on it as well.
After watching this for a short bit, Jet pulled another train out also. Alana decided to ask, "Where did you acquire this one? The detail is quite intricate."
Turning the train over in his hands, Jet answered, "Kaicha made it." Being exceedingly gentle with this especially valuable (sentimentally speaking) piece, he set it down and sent it on its way.
"You appreciate it a lot," Sein pointed out a soft smile on his face. "Means a lot to you, yeah?"
"The gift was… unexpected," Jet admitted. "He went out of his way to surprise me with it. That he did that and put so much effort into making it… It mattered to me." Alana couldn't stop smiling at this little revelation. It was such a rare thing, hearing about her father actively showing such kindness and care… and that made it all the more special.
Sein gave a bright smile at this and watched Jet. "I can understand where you're coming from. It's definitely… rare to hear of something like that ever happening," he admitted softly, chuckling.
Jet didn't answer that, but instead dug through his box again and pulled out a new train. Much to Alana's surprise, he volunteered information about this one without any prompting at all. Holding the scribbled-on train for them to see, he murmured, "My youngest, Suri… she made this one when she was still small. It was Wave's idea."
There was a long moment of Sein internally and almost literally squealing with delight, adoring this little fact. "That is adorable."
Unable to recall all of a sudden, Alana gently pried a little. "How many children did you have?"
"Four," Jet answered. "There were others that I took in, over the years, but those four…" He shrugged and trailed off. But it was clear that he was happy to an extent to be talking about them… long gone though they seemed to be. That no doubt brought him pain.
"Did the others make any of these?" Alana asked him, hoping to provide more happiness to him as opposed to sadness.
He shook his head. "No. They made other things, but not these."
"You still appreciated those just as much, though, didn't you?" Sein asked.
"Yeah. Of course." Jet set the train down and let it go. Sein continued watching this all in contentment, settling back and letting all of the trains move along as they would if they were real. It was in the midst of this peace that Alana eventually left, leaving her boys to enjoy their time together… smiling and enjoying one another's company just as she had always dreamed they would.
~保護者~
Introductions had been made several minutes ago. Sonic waited patiently for the usual "I-just-met-this-person-and-want-to-say-things" chatter to fully subside before saying, "I'm sorry we had to meet under these sorts of circumstances, Shei. I wish things could have been more pleasant." The chameleon shrugged a little and made a vague hand gesture. That reminded Sonic of something. Looking around at his other friends, Sonic asked, "Um… I don't suppose you lot know sign language. Or is it just me?" The only person in the room he wasn't addressing was Silver. Having just been revived very recently, the younger hedgehog was tired. He'd finally settled down for a bit of sleep a short while ago. Come to think of it… wasn't Locke still out, too? A quick glance confirmed he definitely was.
"Cream and I know some," Vector volunteered. "Espio used to resort to it during missions sometimes, or when he just didn't want to talk."
"Yes, he did," Cream confirmed. "I believe I know enough to understand anything Mister Shei says."
With a nod, Sonic turned to Alana and Steam. "What about you two?"
Alana, who had been watching the goings-on without comment prior to this moment, offered a shrug. "I know some," she offered vaguely.
Steam shrugged. "Not enough to be much help, sadly."
Another nod. Sonic looked back at Shei. "Listen… this probably isn't the best way for you to find out, but there's someone you need to meet."
Cream straightened. "I will get him." She stood from the chair at Espio's table and hurried off toward his bedroom.
No doubt puzzled, Shei signed a simple question. "Who?"
"His name is Sako," Sonic answered. Cream emerged with a tiny bundle in her arms. "And, well…"
The bundle squirmed, soft blanket falling away enough to reveal a tiny face. Cream carried the baby toward Shei, who had clearly put the pieces together and was stunned in the vague, quiet way that only those who were largely inexpressive could manage. "He is your grandson," the bunny murmured, carefully lowering Sako into Shei's arms. "He was only born days ago."
Having just awakened from a nap, Sako yawned sleepily while Shei watched him. There was a period of silence… one that somehow just gave Sonic the feeling that there was some sort of unspoken bonding taking place. The sight made him smile a little. Eventually, Shei shifted Sako in his arms, freeing his hands so that he could sign. "How many days old is he?"
Looks were traded. No one seemed terribly sure. "I… dunno," Vector finally said. "The days seem to really be blendin' together lately…"
"He's less than a week," Sonic said, trying to be helpful, "but more than two days. I think I can be pretty certain of that."
Shei nodded and signed back, "That is good enough."
"Why did you need to know?" Cream asked.
"He should be beginning to climb now and cling to those carrying him," Shei answered. Not awaiting a reply, he gently lifted the baby so that Sako was upright. Just like that, tiny hands grasped at Shei's shoulder without hesitation. Sako pulled himself up further, got comfortable, and laid his head down while he indulged in another yawn. Shei removed his hands and, sure enough, Sako stayed where he was without any struggle. This seemed to satisfy Shei. "Good. Any delays in this area are not unheard of, but do make care more… difficult."
Sonic thought he understood. "Because chameleons travel and fight a lot, right?" A nod answered him. He responded by gesturing to the wall panel behind which Espio's foods, drinks, and medicines were stored. "Before everything was healed, a few survivors of the attack on this village came by. One of them brought the blanket he's been using, and one brought a couple traditional bottle-things. Espio mentioned that Sako wouldn't need to have anything right away, but is that still true?"
It might have been hard to judge, given the slightly iffy estimation on Sako's precise age, but Shei soon shook his head. "No. He will need to feed within the next day or so."
"Juice will suffice, yes?" Cream queried.
"Yes. But I will handle it." Shei turned his head to watch as one of Sako's little hands started patting the older chameleon's mask in apparent curiosity, but soon returned his attention to the others. "Armaris said that Espio has left."
This topic was pretty inevitable. Sonic made no effort to skirt around it. "Yeah, he did," he confirmed, glancing outside. Armaris was still out there somewhere, right? Probably a bit of a distance from the house, too, if he had to guess. "He just left… not even an hour ago, I think. But, knowing him, he's probably pretty damn far away by now."
Shei nodded slowly, not at all surprised by this information judging by his current demeanor. "Where would he have gone?"
Cream sighed softly. "We do not know. He did not tell us anything. But, then, he seldom does explain himself."
This earned a soft huff from Shei. "Too much like his mother, that one." He stood but, though Sonic was reflexively alarmed that Sako wasn't being held, the baby maintained his position effortlessly and didn't seem at all perturbed by the motion. If anything, it seemed to have interested him, judging by the way he was now looking around.
"You goin' somewhere?" Vector asked, shifting in his makeshift seat on the floor.
The only answer Shei gave was to walk over to the panel Sonic had indicated earlier. He removed it in a practiced motion (lending credence to Sonic's long standing belief that such panels had been used in their homes for a very long time) and then set it aside. He then carefully rifled through the contents of the compartment, soon removing one of the wooden bottles once he'd located it. He set it on the table to his left, then began pulling a few leaves of some kind and some grapes. Then, using some sort of a bowl and grinding tool, he quickly and easily turned these ingredients into a small amount of juice, which was then simply poured into the bottle. Sako showed no interest in it yet, though he did watch Shei work with wide eyes, so the bottle was simply left on the table for now to be used later.
"Will he cry when he needs things?" Cream asked, filling in the silence with a tilted head.
Shei shook his head. "It is unsafe to do such a thing. Hollows and others that inhabit these lands will actively hunt for anything that so blatantly reveals itself to be tiny and helpless."
That was a decidedly… gruesome thought. But it made sense. "What do chameleon babies do instead?" Sonic questioned.
"They will fuss," Shei answered, "as other babies would. It will just be quieter."
Duly noted. "Anything else we need to know?"
"Do not lay hands on him without permission when his parents are here," was the grim reply. "Not while he is this young. No matter how Espio and the mother feel about him, whether they accept him or not, their instincts will nevertheless remain - and they are powerful. Even simple unwanted touches can earn violent repercussions from either of them."
Vector scratched at the back of his head. "Right… We sorta knew about that." He thought for a second, then frowned. "How long's that gonna keep up, anyhow?"
"We age very much slower than other species on this world," Shei explained, displaying great patience despite their constant questioning. "Sako will be small for years to come. He will not even begin to walk until his first century."
Although he'd had an idea about the crazy aging process for chameleons before, Sonic felt his eyes go wide. Wait… if that's true… how the hell long ago was Espio born? He did some calculations in his head, which only further fueled his shock. He'd have had to be alive at the same time as Mom, Dad, and Locke, back on South Island. Maybe… maybe even before then.
"Yeesh. That's a long time to be raisin' a kid." Vector eyed Sako was a fondness on his face that had once been reserved solely for young Charmy and Cream. "Good thing this kid's worth the work. Ain'tcha?" Of course, Sako didn't respond to him in any way. He couldn't have, first of all, and besides that he was much too entertained by grasping at and tugging on Shei's horn. Shei allowed him to persist for a surprising number of moments before gently redirecting him to play with the blanket instead. This only worked for a few seconds before the child was back at it again, however. It was actually rather impressive, the amount of focused determination he was already displaying when so young.
When Sako lost interest in this finally (mostly because Shei continued to keep giving him other things to do instead), the baby's gaze landed on Steam. Apparently curious about him in particular, he stared with those wise and innocent eyes that all babies possessed. Sonic noticed this with a smile and nudged Steam. "He's looking at you. Seems you caught his eye."
Steam stared back at Sako for a moment before managing a small smile. This display was enough to raise his spirits, even if only temporarily. "I'm not much of a baby person, sadly."
"It's not for everyone," Sonic agreed, "but even then you've gotta admit that he's cute. ...Albeit probably still lethal somehow, if only because of what species he is."
"Perhaps he is," Steam admitted slowly, crossing his arms and rolling one of his shoulders in a deliberately wide arc. Why were his muscles so tense…?
Sonic let the matter go at that point. Cream's suddenly rapt interest on the doorway leading outside was plenty distraction. "What's up?"
Slowly, the bunny frowned. "Armaris is… upset," she revealed slowly. "I believe she just left."
Steam's eyes glowed a golden color before he frowned. "No way I can follow her. She's going to a realm I've got no access to."
That drew Shei's attention to them. With a small frown he signed, "If she has gone there, then she will not want to be followed, regardless. Let her return when she is ready." Given that Steam couldn't completely follow by his own admission, Sonic quickly translated for him.
"I've got an idea of where she went, regardless. It's likely she's with her dad, so she'll definitely be safe." Steam shrugged faintly, not as concerned as he'd been originally.
She signed back immediately. "I am aware of where she went. She has gone there before." Once again, Sonic translated.
Steam blinked a few times, a touch confused for a moment before he simply nodded. His eyes wandered away slowly as one of his hands idly began lightly scratching at his head. "So, is there anything that needs to be handled in the meantime?"
Sonic sighed. "I mean… I would normally say that preparing for the next big attack would be our next move, but by the way Jet was talking… it sounds like Wave can handle that World Eater mess on her own."
Unexpectedly, so much so that Sonic nearly jumped, Alana piped up. "If what he said about her is correct, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then she most certainly can. As such, our efforts should be focused elsewhere."
"I do not know what else we can do," Cream admitted. "We cannot handle Mister Kaden as we are now. Especially not with Miss Analia still in desperate need of rest."
"But that ain't the only problem at hand," Vector reminded with a frown. He turned to face her. "I know there's no way you wanna let Espio just take off like he did. You wanna find him, don'tcha?"
Cream looked down, blinking rapidly to force back a few random tears. "Of course I do," she nearly whispered. Then, drawing in a small breath, she painfully admitted, "I have already lost both of my parents to the evils of this world, and beyond. I cannot stand to lose him, too." Steam stayed quiet throughout this entire thing. He'd placed a lot of faith in Kial being able to help with Espio, but… how much would he be able to help?
"There doesn't seem to be too much we can do about it," Sonic muttered unhappily. "If he doesn't want to be found, he just won't be. That's all there is to it." Shei said nothing throughout all of this, though the frown he had been wearing earlier was more pronounced now.
A portal snapped into existence beside Steam and Armaris stepped through, her hair tied behind her in a ponytail and noticeably highlighted with bright blue at the tips. Her clothes had also changed into a plain red shirt and some pants with grey shoes and a black leather jacket. "What's happening?"
Trying to lighten the mood slightly, Vector started off with, "Oh, you know… some bondin'." He gestured to Shei and Sako, the former of whom was again gently stopping the baby from tugging on his horn.
She blinked a few times and watched Sako for a moment before managing a gentle smile. "Little bastard's already clinging, eh?"
Shei raised an eyebrow at her words, but nevertheless answered, "As he should be."
Armaris raised an eyebrow back at him, curious as to what he was thinking. "Something wrong?"
It was too much to try to sign, so Shei simply gestured in a way that clearly communicated, "Ask them."
The cat glanced to the others, idly motioning with a hand for someone to explain. "What's up? I dunno how much time passed here."
"Um… okay, first off, what do you mean by that?" Sonic questioned.
"I was in a Realm of Death. Time passes there very differently, so I've been gone a few days in however long it's been here," Armaris explained simply.
"It's been several minutes," Vector helpfully told her.
Sonic tried to recall what things he knew about the Realms of Death, decided this detail was most certainly not one of them, then shook his head. "Uh-huh… Okay. Anyway, to answer your question, we were all trying to decide what we need to be doing since Wave's pretty much got the World Eater thing handled, by Jet's telling."
"So, what is it?" Armaris thought and cut in quickly before anyone could dare capitalize on her minute mistake. "It's obviously a world eater, but other details. I've kinda been in a place where I didn't listen to much of anything."
"Some sort of massive demon that breaks worlds and then eats them, all apparently without breaking a sweat," Sonic shrugged. "I don't know too much beyond that."
The mention of demons certainly left a sour taste on Armaris's tongue, but she said nothing about it and cast a glance to Steam. "You're from that other timeline. Anything else you got to add?"
"Not really," Steam answered, crossing his arms once more. "Wave and her dad should be able to handle it."
"Besides that," Sonic continued, "we're sort of at a loss about what to do. But… Cream really does want to go after Espio."
"It really could be dangerous to go. Not just because of Nyokae, but if we upset Espio as well. If anyone went, they'd have to be incredibly careful, and capable of holding their own against ninja," Steam answered.
Cream pursed her lips together, debating whether or not to say anything, before finally asking, "Do you truly believe he would hurt us?"
"Yeah, didn't he get… I don't know, calmed down or somethin'?" Vector asked, no doubt deeply concerned.
Armaris sighed lowly. "Darkness is very confusing and difficult to understand and handle. His emotions are definitely in a volatile place right now, which is probably a part of why he bailed when he did. It's entirely possible for him to attack someone, and even pretending he doesn't Nyokae is still a problem. She's a ninja and a powerful one at that."
Finally, Shei rejoined the conversation. Catching her eye, he signed, "Is she currently on the planet?"
"Maybe," Armaris murmured. "Considering it hasn't been long since I left…"
Steam decided to pipe in, confused. "What does that have to do with it?"
The cat's whole demeanor shifted and she groaned, putting her face in her hands. "Son of a bitch decided to come and talk to me. She said something about Espio not being on our side soo-" Armaris's eyes widened and she mouthed several expletives in agitation before moving to head for the door. She halted when Steam's hand snatched her wrist and lightly pulled back.
"We don't need to rush into anything. You admitted she's strong, which means she's a problem. If you rush in, she very well could just kill you if she can get away with it," Steam explained quickly, staring her down.
Armaris's eye twitched and she pulled her hand away before glancing to Shei. "What do you think we should do, then?"
"Left to his own devices, there is no telling what may happen," Shei answered slowly. "If he can be found, it is necessary for someone to interfere in whatever that woman is attempting to do." He shifted Sako a little when the baby fidgeted and squirmed before continuing, speaking more to the others than her this time. "You must also remember, though, that not as much of this is her fault as you may have been led to believe. Outside influences can affect one's Darkness, yes, but the true depths of corruption come from an individual's heart." Frowning he glanced away. "He is not inherently evil, but the potential for that to change has always been there."
"I'm very aware of that, Shei," she very lightly snapped, not so gently gesturing to herself before biting back her anger. "Sorry," the cat muttered, settling down slowly. "Nonetheless, we still need to do something about Nyokae."
"What can we do?" Sonic responded. "We don't even know where either of them are."
"We know where Kial is," Steam answered. "He's got my communicator."
Sonic's ears perked up. "Wait, he does?" Immediately, he turned his communicator screen on and then tossed the device to Steam. "I don't think mine's linked to yours, so tracking it's on you."
"I'll link it. Shouldn't take me long, considering I modified the thing myself with Tails in my timeline…" Steam murmured, already beginning to go through several calibrations.
"Let me know when you find it," Sonic answered. Then, looking around at everyone, he said, "So… new question. Who all should go? Aside from you, Armaris. I know you're going."
"Shei," Armaris answered, glancing to the chameleon. "I want you to go as well."
Shei immediately nodded… though he knew that that meant Sako would have to go as well. For the child's own sake, he needed to be with a relative during these first days of his life. It was important for mental and emotional growth and development… not to mention physical safety. His presence may aid us in our task, as well.
Armaris idly cast a glance between Vector and Cream. She wouldn't argue against them going, but Armaris certainly didn't want them in more danger than necessary.
Understanding what she was thinking, Cream murmured, "I know Vector and I cannot go with. Besides… the fewer people go, the better, I suppose."
Armaris nodded slowly and idly teleported a sheathed weapon to her, fastening it around her waist. "I guess it'll be me and Shei, then."
Sonic sighed, but agreed. "I'd go with if I could," he told her. "I just… I have to be here for my brother." He glanced at Alana who, who had said nothing, but he didn't ask her to go with either. Just like he needed to be here for Shadow… she needed to be here for Jet.
"Don't worry about that, Sonic," Armaris answered. "You're better off here, regardless. No offense."
He waved her off. "Yeah, I know."
Armaris sighed and crossed her arms. "Anyway… I guess that's it, aye?"
"Not entirely," Shei answered. He looked pointedly at Steam in order to further convey his meaning.
The cat clicked her tongue and waited semi-patiently before the hedgehog seemed satisfied. "I've got it linked. It's also connected to the rest of the communicators that are active, just in case something happens," Steam answered, glancing to Sonic. "You don't mind if they take it with them, right?"
"No, it's fine. Most of the things on it are obsolete these days, so it's not like I have anything important to try to keep. Tails made sure it can still call, and that's the important thing."
"I mean, considering that you're old and just kinda came back from the dead…" Armaris murmured, shrugging. "I was gonna take it regardless."
Sonic tossed her a glare. "You can stop talking right now."
"Oh, and who's gonna make me, hm?" she said almost sweetly, sticking her tongue out. "I'd love to see you try."
"You-"
Vector cut him off. "Uh… I don't think fightin' back's a great idea there, Sonic…" Sonic's glare shifted to him.
Armaris tossed Sonic a whistle to grab his attention. "I'll kick your ass when I get back." She winked and snatched the communicator from Steam with a tendril of Darkness before her body appeared to bleed into the floor and disappear. Taking her lead, Shei disappeared out the door.
~保護者~
10,349 words this time. Hope you all enjoyed! Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Posted (at about 4:45 p.m.) 04-29-20.