Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this revealing conversation… especially for the one who finally comes clean.

~保護者~

"Persuasive"

~保護者~

In the aftermath of their struggles of the day, Aniko held Armaris close to her, relieved to see that the other woman was awake and feeling better than she had before. Her other free arm was holding Shei as well, refusing to let either of them go. This level of protectiveness didn't often show itself, but it shone through due to the recent circumstances involving her son and honorary granddaughter. She refused to lose anyone else. The cat was nestled up in this embrace, currently just trying to keep herself calm and not think too deeply on anything that had just occurred.

Whatever sort of private moment they were having was interrupted suddenly when someone connected their minds to this person's. They revealed themselves to be Alana when they heard the person's voice. "Something of consequence may be occurring with Espio. He has just entered a place that is not a place… an area that shouldn't exist and technically does not."

Aniko frowned immediately, unsure of what to say in return at first. "What do you mean, woman?"

"It is a hole in reality that an Immortal appears to have once created. I do not know why he is there, but it cannot be over a trivial manner if he has gone to such a place."

"Can you show us what is happening?"

"If that is what you wish." Without further warning, their minds all seemed to warp together to the place where Alana had sensed Espio's energies and was now viewing them.

Everything was dark when Alana focused in on Espio's location, allowing his parents and Armaris to see him. He was walking expressionlessly through a thick black fog across a rocky landscape. His intention was initially unclear, with empty hands and a seemingly relaxed posture, but everything about the state of his energies seemed to indicate that he was actively hunting for someone or something to kill. His target, whoever or whatever they were, appeared to be very specific, judging by how unwaveringly he kept on his path forward.

Eventually, a voice called out from somewhere ahead of him. "Come to finally rid yourself of me, have you?"

Stepping closer through the thick wisps of swirling blackness, Espio levelled Nyokae with a cold look. "If I have...?"

Offering a strangely small smile, Nyokae turned to face him fully. "I would have to advise against it," she told him. "Although… I know you, how stubborn you are. Talking you out of this is unlikely to be possible."

Slowly, a weapon formed in Espio's hand out of Darkness. It was a proper katana, energy-based but more than solid enough to stab and slice. His voice softening with deadly intent, he murmured, "I am done listening to you."

She drew her own weapon, that small smile remaining. "I expected you would be, now that I can no longer affect you."

His eyes narrowed. "Explain yourself. Fully." It was the only chance he would ever give her.

Surprisingly, Nyokae obliged for once, actually listening to what he said and what he wanted from her. With permission granted to speak, she did just that. She slowly turned her head away, eyes roving about and looking at nowhere in particular. "This place… once upon a time, only Immortals - or those with their powers - could enter it. Before my lady busted a hole open in this little realm, that is. Prior to that moment, it was a place outside of time, outside of our reality, dwelling somewhere in the darkness between said reality and the place where the Faein are said to sleep."

Turning her gaze back on him, she continued, "I was sealed away here by the Immortal who somehow created this place, alone and suffering in the dark. For what reason, I never knew. But I grew to understand myself, my powers, the truth of our race's nature, in my time here. So, I suppose, my time was not wasted. And being that there is no time here, my youth was preserved… much like yours was beyond the confines of my newfound home." She sighed. "My home… it was here, in a place beyond the stars, beyond anyone's reach… until she found me. I dwelt here for a time almost beyond memory, and yet she found me."

Unexpectedly, she let out a small laugh. "Being as you are, I do not expect you to grasp the concept of gratitude, of repayment, of willingly serving another person. But whether you understand or not, I do. I swore to myself from that moment on that I would help her see to it that her dream would come true… to the extent where it became my dream as well." Her head canted, eyes searching his impassive face. "An existence where those like us are no longer punished, persecuted, massacred in droves by those who believe they have the right to control us… is that not something you wish to come to pass?"

Rather than answering her question, he shifted a foot very slightly, putting it into a position best suited for performing a lunge. "Your point, Nyokae."

Another laugh. This one was bitter. "Strength is what we gain from the madness we survive, is it not?" she asked him. "At least, that is one method for it. It certainly seems to have been a deciding factor in my life. I have crossed the seas of countless centuries, turning worlds against one another, waging wars, slaying those who once could not be killed by the likes of us… and all the while, my strength only grew. I grew along with it, fighting harder and longer than ever before, on and on until one day… I realized I could go no further."

Raising her palm, she suddenly slit her own hand and then tipped it over so that the blood could fall. Only… much of the blood turned to dust before it could ever hit the ground. "There are consequences to existing as I did for so long, within this place," she revealed. "My body is crumbling. You, perhaps, should have never come to this place, given that I don't know how long it takes for this unfortunate… process to become an inevitable part of one's future. Though, if you leave soon, you may well be safe."

His grip shifted on his weapon. "You are stalling," he quietly accused. "Get to your point. I will not ask again."

With a small shrug, she again obeyed. "When my lady shared with me her dream, it became ours. I swore we would see it through together. As I am now, however… I have been forced to accept that that will not be possible. This war shows no sign of ending soon enough for me. She may have an endless bounty of time, but I do not." She looked him in the eye again. "Her dream is all that matters to me. Nothing else. For that reason, I began to seek out a replacement, someone to take my place by her side when I am gone. I had thought, for far too many years, that my search was a fruitless one destined to fail… but then I stumbled upon you."

She dared to step closer and, for now, he simply let her. Now that she was finally getting at the heart of the matter, he seemed prepared to patiently take whatever nonsense she threw his way - including her stepping closer than he normally liked anyone being to him. "I admit that I had no idea who you were, at first," she told him. "The way you fought, however… the way that you so valiantly held your own against me… that warranted curiosity. I needed knowledge, knowledge that I gained after a great deal of time spent digging through the past. Your past, in fact. To learn that you are descended from the two most powerful families our kind has ever known…" Now for the third time, she let out a short laugh. "Well, color me surprised. I must say, I was not expecting that in the slightest."

Taking another step forward, she asked him, "When I first asked you your name, you refused to answer. You threw the question back in my face, demanding to know who I was. Do you remember?" Her smile finally grew. "My response was this. 'It does not matter who I am. It matters what I intend to do.' And, love, at that point in time… I was not warping the truth."

"I am meant to trust your word now?" he asked her softly.

"I do not see how you cannot trust these words, in particular, but believe what you will. Nevertheless, I do still have more confessing to do." He fell silent, although he gained a slight glare, so she continued. "Given how little your dear, loving parents saw fit to tell you, I believe some more education is in order. I already taught you so much - how blood tastes, the sheer pleasure that can be found in killing, what it is like to succumb to our kind's true nature - but there are still things you have yet to learn. One is a detail I deliberately kept out of my discussions with you, for it served me well to do so."

His eyes narrowed a touch further, but she paid him no mind as she revealed, "As you recently discovered, our kind and our Darkness do not and cannot compare to that of other Darkness in existence. That is because of what we are, love. Borne by Darkness and into Darkness shortly before even Malevolence itself came to be… we have a great many talents, abilities, and powers that our current softer culture has chosen to forget." Her gaze drifted away from him again for some uncertain reason. Despite her inattentiveness, he still made no move to attack just yet. "One of the abilities we have is a fun little skill for… persuasion, I suppose you could say."

At this, she tossed him one of her standard grins. "By simply saying or suggesting things, we can convince people to do what we want, think what we want, feel what we want… Most would choose to call it 'manipulation'. You yourself certainly accused me of that often enough. You were correct but, of course, I had no desire to tell you that. The less you knew, the less able you were to resist." As he glared at her, harder than before, she said, "Manipulating you was still by far one of the hardest things I have ever attempted to do. I have said it before, and I shall say it again: you are by far the most stubborn man I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. For it to take seven centuries to do what can normally be achieved in seconds… Truly, I once began to question whether you would ever start to warm up."

Her feet carried her one step closer. He swiftly raised his sword, barring her from approaching him any further by keeping the length of it firmly pressed against her torso. Her lips twitched into another brief grin. "You did, of course, cave eventually… as you well know. My goal from there was to convince you to join me. To join us." She put a hand on his cheek, prompting him to push his sword into her hard enough to draw thin lines of blood in minor retaliation. Yet even now, he continued to let her speak, appearing determined to hear every last word of the truth before he finally forced her out of his life… for good. "In that endeavor, I failed. I know that as well as you do. However… that I was able to bring you to this point… I believe I can say now that that is victory enough for me. To bring you to a position where you realize that we are one and the same… I can be happy enough, knowing that."

Without warning, a spark of his normal self burst free and he snapped at her, "I am nothing like you."

"Are you so certain?" she challenged him. Her thumb started stroking his cheek. "To feel most alive when bringing death upon others… to live for the joy of making others suffer and bleed… Tell me, where exactly do you and I differ?" He suddenly lashed out, kicking her back and away from him hard enough that she landed doubled over on her knee with an arm wrapped around her middle. Still, despite her sudden pain, she laughed. "Apart, we are nearly unbreakable. But together… you and I are nearly invincible. Our unity has made this so. Tell me, with but a few exceptions, who out there is this sad reality can actually harm us aside from each other? Hm?"

For a moment, he lowered his sword. "That does not matter here."

"Perhaps not," she agreed, moving to stand. "But unless you want to join me in an eternal dance of battle within this place, I suggest you let me say my piece."

He seemed to understand something in her words that Shei, Aniko, and Alana could not. Frowning, he allowed her to do as she asked with a simple, "Speak."

"You may not have realized it yet… but I have given all that I have, all that I am, to you. My Darkness, my power, my abilities, my love…" his eyes narrowed hatefully at that word, "...and even children. I have given it all to you in preparation for this moment." She smiled yet again, but this time it was different. Almost… rueful. "I can read you just as well as you can, perhaps even better. When we fought earlier, I could feel your desire to kill me. I had long known it could come to this point, and I am prepared now to accept that it has."

Ignoring everything else she had just said, Espio sharply demanded, "Children?"

A sigh escaped her and she closed her eyes. "Strange, isn't it? That a chameleon couple, of all things, has managed produce not just one offspring, as rare as that is… but two?"

In that moment, he made a split-second decision. Faster than even she could have managed to react (supposing that she had not done as she'd implied and somehow given him her speed, along with everything else), he lunged forward. In less than the time it would take one to blink, he had sunk his sword deep into her chest and torn downward in an act of savage violence. He now kept her pinned to the ground with said sword as he snapped at her, "Where is the other one?"

Though she was coughing up blood and struggling for air, Nyokae managed to get out a raspy laugh. "As in tune with your instincts as ever, I see… but I do not intend for you to take her from her home. She belongs with the Army, you see. If I cannot have you there in my stead… then I will leave her there in your place."

Cold fury surged throughout him, causing his Darkness to flare violently and influencing his next actions. Gripping his sword tightly, he wrenched it through her body in a different direction than before, twisting it sharply just to amplify her pain. Bones and organs alike were ripped through, causing so much pain that even someone like her could never hope to hide it. "Tell. Me. Where."

Coughing violently, Nyokae was initially unable to answer. Nonlethal though these wounds would normally have been to a chameleon (what with their regenerative abilities and all), without them she had no chance of surviving… even if he chose to cease torturing her right that minute. Still, in spite of this, she managed a weakening smile. "Oh, you suffer beautifully…" she whispered, reaching up to again rest a hand on his cheek. Appearing to not even think, merely react, Espio lashed out with his sword, severing her arm at the elbow. Her body convulsed with fresh agony, but even now she kept talking. "So helpless against the power of your own emotions when they finally choose to show themselves…"

Finally, he seemed to have enough. Without a shred of mercy, he tore his sword through her one last time, cutting a deep line from the center of her heart, across her throat, and up the side of her face. Then, knowing she would soon be dead from these wounds, he muttered with such dark animosity that it gave even the likes of her chills, "I will find her myself, then… and I will personally ensure that your dream crumbles in the same way as you… into dust." Standing, he violently kicked her away from him, turned on his heel, and simply walked away… disappearing into the fog from whence he had come.

Armaris didn't enjoy the dark satisfaction she gained from watching Nyokae be killed, nor did she like what Espio had done. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but everything about it filled her with a dread she had no clue how to perceive other than with fear of what could happen from here. Aniko shared this feeling to some degree, but ultimately she was left feeling far more worry, concern, and confusion. Her son had gone so far, and she hadn't been able to truly help stop any of it.

As the mental connection faded, Shei slowly signed, "...A daughter…?"

Aniko nodded slowly. "He has a daughter she never… told him about," she murmured, biting her lip. This was burdensome and worrying in its own right.

"He expressed his intention to find this child," Shei said, "but that may not be safe for her sake. He will not harm her himself, but simply being around him will draw countless threats her way. Especially if he is stealing her away from the Trokkelar Army itself."

Armaris muttered something under her breath before speaking. "I… don't think he intends to keep the child. He seems to only want the kid away from that army."

Shei shook his head. "No. His actions with Sako prove that some miniscule part of him seeks to keep his child - children - safe from harm. This is not about keeping her away from an enemy and nothing more. This is about protecting her in general."

"Then, it is likely he still would not intend to keep the child," Aniko answered. "His lifestyle will begin to draw threats, as you mentioned. That would not be safe for a child."

"Not even one of our own," Shei agreed. He hesitated for a long moment, then looked her in the eye and said, "Aniko… a part of him remains awake. Is it possible that he can be brought back without the need for some form of purification?"

Aniko frowned deeply, then she reluctantly shrugged. "I am not sure. It may be possible… but, I do not know."

"If a shred of him remains, a chance is there to bring him back," Armaris answered softly. "No matter how small, it still exists. As long as that doesn't get taken away, somehow, then we can bring him back from this."

"If you are correct," Shei answered, "then acting quickly is tantamount. We cannot dawdle any longer."

Aniko tapped her fingers gently against Armaris's shoulder, frowning. "You are sure of this, Armaris?"

The cat nodded gently, moving to sit up properly. "I wouldn't have said it otherwise," she muttered, mild annoyance bleeding into her tone. "I've been through it several times, and it's something that Cere taught me as well. I have reason to believe it."

"Then this is the basis we must act upon," Aniko said, sighing and holding them both close. "We will bring him back." The conviction in her words managed to bring Armaris some hope for this, a faint smile breaking onto her face.

If only that smile, and their hope, could last.

~保護者~

"So, Shadow," Toru called gently, walking up from behind the tree calmly. It had been roughly an hour since Silver had brought him the medicine, and the chameleon couldn't help but check up on the dark hedgehog. Something in him said he should, so he went with it. Crimson eyes glanced his way in response as the chameleon took a seat, eyes that were clear and completely coherent once more. Shadow was still resting a bit for the moment, but beyond still sitting he seemed completely fine now that the medicine had taken effect. The chameleon managed a smile at this, sitting down by Shadow. "How are you feeling, now?"

"Fine," Shadow answered honestly. Inwardly, he was relieved to be able to admit that. He hated feeling like such shit and was glad it was over. For now, at least. So long as I do not miss future doses, at any rate.

Toru seemed pleased with this fact, nodding slowly. "Good to hear that. I was worried."

Unsure how to respond exactly, Shadow offered a very slight one-shouldered shrug. "You did not need to be."

"I was, so too bad," Toru joked lightly. "But honestly, I wanted to congratulate you for something."

Now sufficiently confused, Shadow turned to look at him fully. "...Dare I ask what you're talking about?"

"You were a badass during that fight. You took a hit from a demon that sent me flying," Toru remarked, leaning against the tree. "If I didn't know any better, I might say you could kick my ass because of that."

Shadow's right ear flicked as he listened to these words and processed them. After a moment, he huffed and indulged in a rare eye-roll. "Perhaps I can," he answered lightly, almost jokingly, while moving to stand and stretch a little. Dozing against a tree had left him a bit stiff, which he didn't appreciate.

"Also, it was pretty damn cool to watch you shoot that fucker in the face," Toru added, smiling. "Stubborn as fuck, eh?"

"So I have been told," Shadow responded. He indulged in a quick stretch before continuing. "Though, usually people say so when I am irritating them."

Toru shrugged. "I'm not irritated. Just impressed."

"There is little reason to be," Shadow told him. "You did as well as could have been expected of anyone in that situation."

"You do realize that not many people could take a punch like that and still have the resilience to be that stubborn, right? She had to take your guns just to keep you from continuing to shoot her."

At this point, Shadow let out a sigh and spontaneously revealed, "I was built as a weapon, Soul. I was created to do this, and I can seldom feel pain. It is not something to be admired."

"You don't act like a weapon, in my eyes, Shadow," Toru answered, standing up finally. "You act like a person. Don't bind yourself to the idea of what someone made you or told you to be." Suddenly uncertain again as to how to reply, Shadow only shrugged slightly in response. Toru then smirked faintly. "And don't be afraid to let your skills be admired. Whether it's part of you or something you've gained, it's something that's yours. Use it, and use it proudly."

Huffing again, Shadow loosely crossed his arms. "Turned into a motivational speaker, have we?"

"I learned to try and teach kids to be whatever they wish themselves to be," the chameleon answered. "You have to be… 'motivational' to get a kid's attention at times."

Shadow turned his head away and murmured, "Perhaps that would have been effective with my daughter. She was always… determined not to listen when she did not want to."

"Sounds like she took after you," Toru murmured gently. "Stubborn."

"For better or for worse," Shadow answered.

Toru smiled. "Tell me about her," he suddenly prompted.

After a pause, Shadow relented and said, "She was always getting into trouble. She had her own ideas about how things should be done, what rules should be enforced, what she should be able to do… normal behaviors for a child, I suppose, but amplified in a way. She was… a handful, to say the least."

The chameleon nodded gently. "That definitely sounds fairly normal, honestly," the man answered. "Though, I still feel like a few of those things apply to you."

"Pray tell," Shadow responded dryly.

"Handful, getting into trouble, own ideas about how things should be done…" Toru smiled. "Those sound like traits you may or may not have."

"I will admit to nothing," Shadow answered him simply, a hint of a smirk showing itself on his face for a very brief second.

"Then I'll just have to watch and see. I'll let you know my findings," the chameleon smirked in return, crossing his arms.

"Best of luck to you," Shadow responded with another huff. "I have been told that your target is rather unwilling to submit to being observed in such a manner."

"I doubt he'll even realize I'm watching," Toru answered easily, shrugging. "I've done this professionally before. I think I'll manage."

"Have you, now? To think, a shinobi who has practiced their skills before. Shocking."

"No, I simply picked it up and apparently was a master at it," the chameleon answered. "No practice required."

"Certainly not."

"See? Now you get it."

Shadow rolled his eyes once more and muttered something involving the words "cheeky bastard" under his breath. Toru took a chance and lightly nudged him with an elbow, a faint smirk still apparent on his face. In response, Shadow just as casually shoved Toru slightly with a hand.

"Better watch it, I'm pretty good at pushing people," Toru laughed. "Natural shinobi skills and all."

"I somehow doubt that pushing is a necessary shinobi skill," Shadow told him. "And I am not about to get into a shoving match with you."

"You nearly went and started one," the chameleon answered. "And while it isn't necessary, I am naturally very good at it, as I said."

"Wrong," Shadow corrected. "You started this, as I recall."

"The details become less important once you have won," Toru answered. "At least, in this situation."

"Cheeky," Shadow said again. "You have 'won' nothing."

Toru smiled, a bit more gently than he had before. "You're interesting when you're relaxed. I enjoy it."

Though he never quite intended to, Shadow's knee-jerk reaction to situations like this was to ask, "Why?" That was precisely what happened here.

"Well, you seem like someone who usually doesn't cut around with people, yet, here you are, doing exactly that," Toru explained.

With no better response to give, Shadow murmured a simple, "I suppose."

"Not to mention, this is the first time I have seen this side of you."

Shadow thought about that for a second and realized it was true. He didn't often let his guard down like this around… anyone, really. Maybe Sonic or Silver once in a while, sometimes Tails, but not anyone else. Ever. "...It is," he acknowledged.

Toru smiled. "Good to know you can relax around me."

Another moment of thought, then Shadow said, "Likewise, I suppose."

"We should probably go see how the others are doing. A few things have happened recently, and we should keep up with everything happening," Toru stated, sighing. "It's for the best."

"Their conditions are stable," Shadow was quick to report. "Those with minor injuries are healed." His eyes performed a quick scan before he continued. "Something appears to be going on with Aniko and her family, however."

"You wanna go check on your friends, I assume?" Toru suddenly asked. "I'm fairly sure you don't wanna try and deal with Aniko if she's feeling remotely volatile."

"'Murderous' might be a better word," Shadow remarked, already starting to walk away.

Toru shrugged. "I'd never say that to her face. It would cause her to be murderous," he replied in return. "Let me know how they're doing. I'll update you on Aniko and the others when we meet back up." Shadow's only answer was to raise his left hand in vague farewell and continue on his way toward his nephew and friend. It was high time he checked on them.

~保護者~

4,770 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support, and I hope you all enjoyed. Posted (at about 11:30 a.m. ) 05-23-20.