Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in the beginning of this time of peace… especially for the one who has so many questions.
~保護者~
"Healing Energies"
~保護者~
"So, Kath," Yareis started, leaning against a wall not far from where Li and Novei were diligently working at the moment. "You only came here to see why someone was here?"
"The person who created this world wished to have an answer to that," Kath shrugged vaguely. "I will be returning soon to tell him it is nothing to fret over."
"Do you have to?" she questioned, as if she were actually disappointed at that news.
"He has a right to know," Kath murmured in reply. "This is, apparently, his home. One of the few places he can ever truly consider to be generally safe for him."
Yareis frowned at this and crossed her arms. "That's annoying, but I guess I understand."
"What is there to be annoyed about?" Kath asked coolly.
"Nothing in particular," she huffed. Kath only shrugged. Yareis sighed faintly, crossing her arms tighter than before. "I'd rather have someone to talk to that understands me."
At this, Kath looked at her for a moment in silence before looking away again and murmuring, "I will return when I can, then. If things remain calm, it should not be too long before I am able to do so."
Yareis blinked a few times. "Really? You'll come back?"
"Yes," Kath nodded. After a tiny pause, he thought to ask, "Why does this surprise you?"
"Well, I just didn't think that anyone would actually… care enough to," Yareis admitted quietly.
"Why?" Kath found himself asking with a frown.
She glanced away. "I tend to not get along with people." Kath nodded slowly. He often had the same issue, but it wasn't as though he normally gave a crap. Yareis was quiet for some time before sighing and turning her gaze back to Kath. "So, when do you need to go back?"
"Likely within the next few minutes," Kath answered.
"Tch."
Li decided to speak up now. "Hey, Kath. Is everything more or less okay on Babylon now?"
"Aside from Sein continuing to be himself, yes," Kath huffed.
The wolf nodded slowly. "Yeah, that definitely sounds about right with him."
Yareis raised an eyebrow. "Sein?"
Kath sighed. "My son-in-law. He is… mischievous at the best of times."
"Eh? Why put up with him then?" Yareis asked.
He raised an eyebrow. "He is family, and I had a hand in raising him. Shunning him over petty annoyances will not do."
Yareis blinked a few times. "What does 'son-in-law' mean?"
"That he is my daughter's husband," Kath answered easily, not at all surprised by her confusion on the matter. "They are married. It is similar to being life-partners, as many people once did in the ancient past." Hopefully, using this as a frame of reference would help her.
"Oh." Yareis answered slowly. "Well, I'm sorry for you, then."
"Do not be," was the calm reply. "It is not a matter of significant upset."
"I mean, you have to put up with someone that's mischievous," Yareis answered with a shrug. "I suppose that's aggravating."
"It can be, but not enough to warrant too much action against it generally," Kath replied.
She nodded slowly before deciding to change the subject. "What's your daughter like?"
"I have been told she is like me, but I see much of her mother in her," Kath answered slowly. "She is generally calm and whatnot, but she carries all the ferocity of a storm within her, as do all who carry Erza's gift."
Yareis nodded again. "Sounds interesting like you. Does she have the same cold streak?"
"Referring to personality? I suppose she can, but it is different with her. Her outward attitude belies how gentle and caring she prefers to be when given the opportunity and when with the correct people. She is not… uncaring and the like, as I tend to be."
"I see," Yareis answered slowly. "Makes sense." He replied with a vague nod. She was now out of topics to talk about, and as such fell silent.
Luckily for them both, Li piped up once more. "Hey, Yareis. You've got ice that's hard to melt, right?"
"I suppose so, yeah. Takes some strong flames to melt them down," she answered. "Why?"
"I could use help with cooling the swords off. If you'd join us, that would be really appreciated," Li said. He looked up to them both with some obvious exhaustion beginning to appear on his features. The sooner he finished this, the better it would be.
Kath pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against, having decided it was time to take his leave. "If you choose to help him, we would all appreciate it," he ended up saying. "But regardless of what you do, I am leaving for now. If you choose to join me on Babylon later, you can. It possesses a cool climate in all but a few places, so you will not suffer."
Yareis glanced over to Li and felt some level of pity for the wolf working away without rest. "I'll stay here for now and join you later. I think they could use my help more." With a simple nod, Kath teleported away. The Goddess turned her attention to Li and moved over to set to work with the wolf and Therian. There was a lot to get done.
~保護者~
Quietly meditating against the wall near Jet's room, Wave frowned slightly when a new presence tugged at her senses. Then another one. Soon, however, her expression smoothed over and she quietly said, "Hey, Sein, Kath is back. I think Azerel is, too, but I'm not as familiar with his energy so I can't say for certain." Azerel was inured, too, from what I understand. Maybe he went and hid for a while to heal while Kath was out of commission.
Sein blinked a few times at this before nodding teleporting off to where he sensed Kath to be. The older hawk was currently kneeling in the grass in the palace's main courtyard, rubbing at Azerel's ears in a rare display of open affection even as he quietly chastised the wolf for having taken off for so long. His relief over his partner's return and lack of injury was apparent. Sein walked over to the two with a certainly pleased smile, arms crossing. "You don't show that kind of affection with me, Kath."
Immediately, ice blue eyes rolled. "You are also not a wolf, Sein," Kath retorted sarcastically. "You could not receive ear rubs even if you wanted them." With that smart-ass reply out of the way, he went ahead and stood up. Azerel shook himself a bit before also standing.
Sein's smile grew further in response. "You know that's not what I meant."
"Then perhaps you should be more specific next time," Kath responded. Then, without missing a beat, he calmly reported, "The people on that planet are no threat. The God of the Forge and his friend are working on crafting weapons, and the other person simply retreated there to recover. She is a Goddess herself and not against us in any fashion."
It took a moment for Sein to frown, an unusual amount of concern and confusion on his face. "What Goddess retreated there?"
"To put it as simply as possible, she is essentially the Goddess of all things cold," Kath answered. "As such, the cold can heal her, hence her going there. The environment suits those like her well."
Sein blinked a few times and frowned. "None of the current Gods or Goddesses are like that. Is she someone we didn't know about?"
"She is someone most no longer know about. But she, along with multiple others, has been around since near the beginning." Glancing off into the sky, Kath took a moment to think before saying, "She is akin to individuals like Zenith and Eona - albeit they, unlike her and others, did not find their names lost to the sands of time. But she is just as old as they are."
"Wow." Sein blinked more, a bit confused at first before seeming to understand. "She's one of the ancient Goddesses then. That's…" His train of thought was interrupted as he suddenly thought of something else. "Why is she back now?"
Kath only shrugged before saying, "I don't know."
"Well then," Sein answered. "As long as she's not a threat to anyone, I suppose it's alright. Is she still recovering?"
Another shrug. "Perhaps."
"You were there for a bit. What happened?" Sein questioned lightly.
"Overall, nothing," Kath replied. "There was talking and periods of silence. Nothing of any particular note."
"Talk about anything interesting?" Sein asked, wondering what might have happened that Kath wasn't telling him. The man knew Kath had a knack for not exactly giving all the details, but Sein was a person who wanted the details.
"As I said, there was nothing of note discussed," Kath told him calmly.
Sein huffed. "I still haven't forgiven you for freezing my face before you left."
That earned a rare hint of a smirk on Kath's face. "You survived, did you not?"
A half-assed scoff served as a response. "I did, no thanks to you."
"Then there is little to be angry over." Kath paused, glanced down at Azerel, then nudged the wolf with one of his boots. "Keep your comments to yourself. He cannot hear them, anyway."
Sein huffed again at them. "You guys are mean."
"Hardly." A second later, Kath nudged Azerel again to shut the wolf up. Azerel had the audacity to look smug about whatever silent thing he was communicating to the hawk.
Sein nearly yelped when Cere suddenly landed on the ground next to him, jumping roughly a foot away out of sheer surprise. "Oi! Don't do that to me!"
"Huh?" Cere asked, looking to him curiously. "I didn't do anything."
"You appeared out of nowhere just like right next to me!" As Sein yelled this, Therin appeared in a neat crouch close to where Cere was standing, then promptly rolled his eyes at what he heard of Sein's outburst.
Cere shook her head and simply walked off toward the palace. "I've been busy for too long. I need to see how Jet's doing."
That prompted Kath to immediately return his attention to Sein. "How is he?" he asked.
"He's doing much better," Sein answered quickly. "He had some sort of issue with something like a nightmare earlier, but other than that he's been fine." Realistically, that was far from surprising, given Jet's previous emotional state. Kath didn't think it was anything terribly significant and so didn't comment further yet.
While Cere nodded to this, it didn't stop her stride. "I still need to see him." With that said, she teleported into the palace. Therin, who had seen no reason to talk to any of them this whole time, simply followed after her.
Sein blinked a few times. "Wow. She's giving off a lot of maternal vibes."
"That is how she is," Kath shrugged. "I assumed that you would be used to that by now."
"Yeah, but it's weird to know that she feels that way toward my son," Sein admitted. "Not that I mind, it's just… weird to know."
"She is the sort to take in those who need care and guidance," Kath said quietly. "From what I understand, he has needed those things for a long time. It makes sense that she would be inclined to do such a thing with him."
Sein nodded, then smiled. "I'm glad to know he had someone to act like a parent to him. She's trustworthy, too."
That evoked a new thought and Kath frowned faintly. "...He remains a teenager. Are you aware of this? He may behave like an adult in many respects, but he is still a teenager in other ways."
For a moment, Sein's smile remained. It took a bit of time for it to fade into a deep frown and his arms to cross. "He shouldn't have to act like an adult in his private life, but yeah. I know he's a teenager."
"You realize what this means, then?" Kath questioned carefully. "He will need parenting from you and Alana for the duration of his life, if this is where he stopped aging." Privately, he was grateful that this hadn't happened with either his daughter or with Sein (he may not have survived Sein, in particular, had he remained a child forever). Overall, this phenomenon was rare for Immortals and semi-Immortals alike. Most ceased to age while still youthful, yes, but not while being biologically under adult age. It was… unusual to see such an occurrence in person for the first time.
Something in Sein's eyes shone for just a second or two before he simply nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready to take on that kind of task," the man admitted easily.
"If you are certain," Kath shrugged. Without saying anything else, he teleported in after Cere and Therin. Sein followed suit without much hesitation.
Cere stood outside Jet's bedroom doors, her arms crossed and bearing a forlorn look as she watched the youngest of the three Immortals here sleep. "He truly is okay, but recent events have weighed on him heavily."
Wave, her eyes on Cere, nodded slowly. "Old events, too. Things both during this war and before it. They've been affecting him for a long time. He just… hasn't let himself react to much of it in a long time. Even earlier, when he very nearly had a meltdown, he still bottled up the vast majority of what he was feeling."
"I am not happy that he does such, but I understand why he does," Cere murmured, a deep frown on her face. "It's unnerving to know he has that much pain sitting within him that he will not let himself feel properly."
"It's because it's pain," Wave murmured, looking away. "That's been his main experience with life for far too many years of said life. He associates pain with his past traumas, which were never properly dealt with. So he just… tries to avoid it. It's the only way he knows how to cope, and Sonic and I have never been able to do much to change that."
Sein spoke up, walking to them quietly. "I hope that we can all find a way to help him, together. I want to see him feel better in the future."
"We all do," Wave said. "I just… don't know how to get to that point. Aside from getting professional help, I'm not certain what we can do."
Cere nodded gently. "Even if we know what to do, it will be a long road for him. One filled with much pain as he has to feel it all once more to be able to let himself be freed of it." Wave inclined her head in quiet agreement.
"I still hope we can do something, regardless," Sein murmured. Cere nodded her understanding to this.
Things were quiet for a long moment before Wave spoke up again. "Sein, if it's alright with you, I want to wake him up soon. He hasn't eaten in… a while. I want him to get a meal in him before too much more time passes."
Sein nodded. "That's a good idea. Go for it when you think you need to."
"Okay." She paused, thinking, then asked, "Actually, do you and Alana need anything? I can make a bigger meal if multiple people need food."
"A meal with Jet would probably do us both some good," Sein admitted. "As well as Jet. I think that would be an even better idea."
Suddenly, Wave broke out into a smile. "I have a fantastic idea, actually." She got up off the floor and stretched a little, then asked, "I don't suppose either of you have any skill in the kitchen? Because it just so happens that he loves cooking, and you three doing it together might just brighten him up a bit."
Sein smiled brightly. "That sounds like more than a fantastic idea, Wave," he readily answered. "That sounds like one of the best things I've heard since I came back."
Wave returned his smile easily, then unexpectedly turned to Kath. "So, I realize you're not the same Kath we once knew, but since I once helped act as a caretaker to the one here I feel obligated to remind you that you need to eat as well. And yes, there are things in the kitchen you can handle eating, for the record."
Kath blinked once, then frowned. "...Caretaker?"
"The version of you here was much older," Wave shrugged. "He was something like… one hundred and ninety-eight in your years, and I'm pretty sure the normal max age of a hawk is two-hundred. He died during a war but was revived later on, living on until he finally passed from sheer age. Stubborn old coot refused to kick the bucket until he was two hundred and ten, though." Wave shook her head in amusement. "So, yes, he had a couple of caretakers. Not that he was terribly happy about needing the help, but nevertheless." This earned a huff, but Kath said nothing further, choosing instead to keep his comments to himself just as he had told Azerel to do earlier. The wolf in question just seemed incredibly entertained by what they'd just been told.
Sein blinked a few times at this information and raised his hand as if he was going to comment then thought better of it. "So, I guess we're all eating then? What about you two, Cere and Therin?"
The God of Thieves plopped down onto the floor against a wall and said, "I'm good. I don't need anything right now." 'Cept maybe a nap. Cere merely shrugged.
Sein seemed to take this shrug as a yes and gently grabbed her arm. "Well, come on then! What's wrong with a big family cooking session?"
"So you can cook, then?" Wave asked. "Because neither Jet or Kath will take too kindly to it if you burn their kitchen down."
It was obvious that Sein was tempted to say something that might have gotten him punted out of the palace right then and there, but he reluctantly refrained and nodded. "Yeah, I know how."
"And you will be careful, yes?" Kath questioned coolly.
"Obviously," Sein answered. "I don't want to get viciously popsicled."
"Viciously…" Kath started to repeat, then shook his head. "You are ridiculous, Sein."
Sein beamed. "Yes I am."
"That was not meant as a compliment," Kath huffed. Then, as if on cue, he promptly nudged Azerel to once again shut him up.
"So?"
"So do not act so proud about it."
"If you say so," Sein answered easily, still beaming.
Kath huffed again and changed the subject. "Where is Alana?"
"She's outside with Lucas for the moment," Sein answered. "I can go get her real fast and bring her in. Oh, we should totally have Lucas with us!"
Wave smiled again. "From what I heard… Lucas was learning a little bit about how to cook when he was about this age, before he… erm… passed." She paused for a second, her expression going through a few subtle but complex shifts before she forced it to settle back on her initial smile. It was a touch sadder, though. "I'm sure Jet would enjoy the chance to work with him on it again." Kath listened on in silence. He hadn't been around when Lucas had been around and had no idea who this person even was, but he nevertheless paid attention just in case it was an important matter.
Sein's own expression saddened a touch at hearing this before nodding. "Yeah. I'll go get them." He teleported away to go get his wife and grandson without much hesitation.
When they returned, Lucas looked at the new faces before suddenly beaming and making a beeline toward one person in particular. "Kath!" he exclaimed happily as he tackled the older hawk in a tight hug. "You're here! I missed you!" One look at the child's distinctive emerald green feathers answered several questions Kath had, but he nevertheless hesitated before sort of nodding in awkward, nonverbal reply. He was seldom ever sure how to handle other people's children… or new people in general, really.
Cere managed a faint chuckle of amusement at Kath's reaction. "You should take a moment to speak with him before you all go collect yourselves to the kitchen. It might be beneficial for you both," she murmured in Kath's direction, a faint wink of her eye accentuating what she said. She wanted to make sure that Kath could find out what Lucas knew about him so as to not cause awkward situations for either of them later on.
Seeing that her father was uncomfortable and didn't want to talk right this minute, Alana gently pried the child off and knelt down in front of said child. "Lucas, do you remember how your daddy does not always like to be hugged?"
Lucas's eyes went wide. "Oh, yeah. I forgot." Looking suddenly guilty, he turned to Kath again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
Just like that, the instinctual desire to soothe managed to drown out Kath's discomfort and he was able to force himself to speak. "You do not need to apologize," he assured quietly. Alana smiled at them both as she briefly peered into her son's room to check on him. Seeing that he was fine, she returned her focus to the situation at hand.
Sein leaned against a wall. "So, Alana. We're all gonna be cooking. Got any ideas?"
Alana blinked, momentarily at a loss, then finally understood what was going on. "...I assume we are preparing food for everyone?"
"Most everyone," Wave answered. "Excluding me and those two." She gestured to Cere and Therin.
After a brief pause, Alana looked at Lucas again. "What do you like to eat?"
"Um… I dunno what it's called," Lucas shrugged. "It's something daddy makes sometimes. He says it's more of a treat than a meal, but it's my favorite ever."
The sheer conviction in his young voice made Wave laugh a little. "Is that so? Then I think we can make an exception for today. Your dad's feeling better, and you've behaved incredibly well. That deserves a treat." She turned eyes glittering with amusement onto Sein. "What does Grandpa think, though?" For his part, Lucas didn't seem surprised about that revelation. It was almost like he had begun to suspect somehow and had just accepted it with the sort of ease that only a child could muster.
Sein smiled brightly. "I think it'd be perfectly fine to do that."
Lucas immediately cheered. "Yay! I get to have the thingy!" Wave openly laughed, but Lucas didn't seem to pay attention to that. And if he did, he certainly didn't care right then.
The child's cheering caused Jet to shift in bed suddenly. He rolled over and rubbed at his eyes, but thankfully didn't truly wake up just yet. Wave watched him for a moment until he settled back down. I'll give him a couple more minutes. Hearing everyone talking should ease him out of any dreams he's having, so hopefully he won't be startled by being fully woken up.
Cere smiled gently at this, her gaze flicking to Jet momentarily before understanding what Wave was doing. "What else do you all plan to make, then?"
Wave piped up again. "I don't suppose any of you know how to make curry?" she asked Sein, Alana, and Kath. The latter person did know how to, but he chose not to speak up right this minute.
Sein decided to speak up here, a bright grin on his face. "So, Kath. You gonna tell us that you know how or do I have to do it for you?"
"You could choose to shut up," Kath remarked blandly.
"Father has made it before, yes," Alana said to Wave. "Why do you ask?"
"It's one of Jet's favorite foods," Wave answered happily enough, her earlier sadness now mostly forgotten. "Curry with mild to moderate spice was, I think, one of the first things he taught himself how to cook because he loved it so much as a kid."
Cere nodded. "I'm certain he would appreciate it." Sein said nothing but he was obviously keeping mental notes of what was said.
"What about you, Sein?" Wave asked. "Anything in particular you want to be made?"
"I'm fine with whatever as long as it doesn't hurt me," he said simply.
"And you?" she asked Alana.
Alana gave it some thought before saying, "Antali, I suppose. Is that dish still prepared in this time?"
"Not too often, but I know what it is," Wave answered. "It's pretty ancient these days and there are so few people who know how to make those noodles now, but the ingredients for it are definitely still around. Pretty sure we've got everything you'd need in the kitchen, actually, so you're in luck." Alana nodded once, so Wave turned to Cere. "Do you eat Babylonian food, or is it not your thing? Someone can make something different if you want."
"I'm fine with the cuisine of several cultures," Cere answered. "Anything you make should suffice."
"This is about what you like," Wave huffed, "not what is simply 'fine' and tolerable."
Cere sighed momentarily, shaking her head. "A rice dish with whatever vegetables you decide mixed in. I could also make it, but I do not wish to be in the way of anyone else."
"Please, the kitchen is huge. There's plenty of room." Wave thought for a second or two. "Hm… curro is a dish with rice and vegetables covered in a mild sauce that basically just accentuates the flavors of everything else. Think that'd work for you?"
Cere thought about this for a moment before nodding. "I suppose so. That could work well enough."
Wave took a moment to think again. Let's see… Kath has the easiest time tolerating foods that are dry and crunchy. Things that are soft or in any way 'slimy' can easily make him sick, if I recall. ...Problem is that I don't remember ever being able to get him to eat a meal. We usually just called it good if we could get him to at least subsist on snacks like crackers and plain popcorn. Which doesn't work here.
Sein glanced to Wave, almost seeming to catch on to what she was thinking. "Let's worry about it when we get there, alright? I'm sure I can be of some help."
"How so?" Wave found herself asking, raising an eyebrow in a very Jet-like manner without even realizing it.
"I can be pretty persuasive," Sein answered easily.
Alana promptly threw him a look. "Try stubborn, Sein. Endlessly, hopelessly stubborn."
"Oi," Sein retorted. "Rude."
"Accurate, more like," Alana huffed.
Sein huffed. "You guys are so mean to me. Unwarranted, completely unwarranted." Even as he tried to stay composed, a snicker escaped him.
In the sort of loud whisper only children seemed to constantly do, Lucas tried to sneakily tell Alana, "He's kinda weird." Wave snorted before managing to choke back the rest of her amusement.
Sein almost choked at this, completely caught off guard by the comment and frowning. "Really? Even you?"
Innocent young eyes turned to him. "What?"
There was a look of intense dejection, a pain that he only knew now that his grandchild had called him weird. He'd never recover. Very suddenly he decided to switch the subject. "So, when are we waking up Jet?" Nothing from mere seconds before remained in his eyes, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Wave poked her head back into the room and soon was satisfied that her friend was stirring enough on his own. "Yeah, I think it's safe to now. He's been hearing us enough that, with any luck, me doing this won't scare the life out of the poor guy." She walked into the room without further ado so as to gently wake him up.
Sein glanced to Kath and smiled. "So, you're gonna make curry, right?"
Kath was silent initially, but eventually he let out a sigh. "Sein, I have not made that since you and Alana were small."
"But you're good at like, everything you put your mind to! I'm sure you could do it again and it'll be just as good as it was then," Sein answered immediately.
Upon hearing that, Kath sighed again and was forced to make an admission he almost never had to make. Because it was almost never true. "I do not remember how, Sein. It has been too long and too many things have happened."
Sein's smile softened. "Let's do it together, then. I'm sure we can get help from someone else if we need it." Kath shrugged faintly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing any further.
"I will help," Alana murmured. "I remember how to get the dish started, at least."
Cere smiled gently. "I will as well. I have prepared the dish once or twice for Jet. I am sure I could fill any gaps in your memories."
Alana looked at Cere. "I did not realize you would have cooked for him."
"I have watched over him for quite some time and cared for him within that. I simply learned how to do so to aid in the caregiving," Cere answered softly. "It was the least I could do."
"Thank you for it," Alana murmured. "If you would not mind, perhaps you could at some point share with us what you know about taking care of him? The more Sein and I know, the better we will be able to do for him."
"Of course," Cere responded. "I would love to do so."
Sein grinned. "Glad to hear it."
Right about then, Wave walked out of Jet's room with Jet close behind. He was rubbing at his eyes a little as he walked into the hall, but stopped to pick up Lucas without missing a single beat when the child slammed into him full-force wanting a hug. Before long, the child was happily snuggling while Jet took the opportunity to try to wake up the rest of the way. Wave couldn't help but smile. It's so good to see them together again. They both needed this.
Seeing all of this happen and his mood further rising, Sein beamed at them all and motioned onward with a hand. "To the kitchen we go, then?"
"Yep, off you go," Wave smiled. She gave Jet a gentle nudge in that direction. "Go with them, alright? If I have to make you, I swear I'll find a way to ensure you regret it later." Jet mumbled something in retort but was overall too tired to really argue as he wandered off toward the stairs (as the kitchen was on the main floor). Alana shook her head in amusement and followed with Kath at her heels. Feeling pleased with herself, Wave sat back down and returned to her meditation.
~保護者~
Steam laid on his back in a mostly clear area away from the village with his eyes closed, many thoughts buzzing through his mind as he attempted to make sense of all the things he was feeling. There was so much present that he just… couldn't focus. It was times like this, times where he felt so alone, that he wished he could go back home. Though, that wasn't an option. He had a job to do, and he'd be damned if he was going to turn on that.
Almost as if on cue, though perhaps it was, considering who was behind this, a voice sounded off that only he could hear. "Balancer… Steam. You have done a lot since coming here, but you have not let yourself feel like usual. Am I correct?"
Steam groaned internally. There was no use in lying this time, considering it was one of the Faein contacting him. No. I haven't. Why does it matter?
"I wanted to… show appreciation for your actions recently. You have come from your time, home, and life to help other timelines. That is admirable, and for that, I wish to allow you a chance to reconnect with your loved ones."
Steam's eyes snapped open and he sat up. What are you talking about?
The hedgehog could almost swear he felt the faint smile contained within the next words. "Use your communicator and find out."
It took a long moment, some level of disbelief evident on his face as he looked down at the communicator. He quickly tapped away at the screen and sent out a message to all of his friends, hoping that this wasn't some cruel prank for whatever reason. When it showed without a doubt that it was sent, he felt himself tear up briefly.
Multiple replies came in one after the other, but several stood out from the rest due to his bonds with these people. The first of the messages was from Tails, who was arguably one of the fastest to text people back in general when he was messaged. "Hey! It's great to hear from you! It's good to hear that you're okay. We were all getting pretty worried about you, you know."
Steam tried his damndest not to smile like an idiot as a level of happiness hit him and slowly began to overtake the other, much more negative emotions he'd been feeling. "Yeah, I'm doing alright. And don't worry. You of all people know that it's borderline impossible to get rid of me. That whole robot fiasco with the ones I programmed should prove that much."
"How could I not?" was the enthusiastic reply. "You literally programmed them to try to kill you for 'training'! I mean, that was too crazy not to remember!"
"It was a mistake, and I learned a lot about how to not try and kill myself with them. But, yeah. Hard to get rid of me. I'll make sure to come back in one piece and help you on whatever your next project is."
"Sounds good, Steam. Hope to hear from you again soon! I've gotta go, though. It smells like I might've set something ablaze somewhere…"
Steam chuckled faintly to himself, shaking his head in mock dismay even though it wouldn't be seen. "Get to it. I'll get in contact some other time if I can."
Once that conversation was over and closed, other newer messages popped up. At the very top of the list was one from Sonic. "Glad to know you're not deader than a doornail out there. How're you holding up?"
"...Admittedly, not the best. It's been rough without you guys around, even though you guys are here because of timeline bullshit. Hard to really… talk about what's going on and all." Steam cringed lightly at the admittance of this fault, knowing that his propensity for not letting people get close often added to his issues.
"Need to vent at all?" Sonic was quick to ask him. He was always willing to lend a listening ear, after all.
"I feel like I'm fucking up all over again. Things keep happening that I think I should have been able to prevent. It really hurts."
"I highly doubt you're fucking up, Steam. What all's been going on so far?"
Steam frowned a bit as he tried to decide how to go about… explaining this. "People have died, Espio's Darkness is far worse than it was in our timeline, we're getting thrashed around and beaten at every corner… It's rough."
Sonic's reply was as swift as before. "It sounds like it… If we could come help, we would. I'm sorry we can't."
"I made this choice, and I've gotta live with it. As sucky as it can be. I'm not turning my back on these people now. But… thanks. I'm glad to know you'd help if you could."
"Of course I would. We all would. You're kind of a friend of ours, as you may recall."
"Oh, shut up. I know that, asshole." Steam shook his head. You're like this no matter the timeline, huh?
"Anyway, I just yelled at that brother of mine to text you back. Well, not literally 'yelled at'. More like blew up his communicator with texts so he'd finally check yours. He might actually reply to you now."
"Ah, thanks. Glad to know that he might actually pick up the damn thing for once when I text him. It was good talking to you again, Sonic."
"Yeah, good to hear from you, too. Try to contact us again sometime, alright?"
"Will if I can. You can count on that."
"Good." After that, Sonic didn't further reply.
Sure enough, once that conversation was closed, there was a single message from Shadow. It simply read, "So you have managed not to die, I hear."
"You're one to talk."
"Care to elaborate?" was the immediate response.
Steam took a moment to consider his words. "Nah. I don't have to. You already know what I'm talking about."
"Given how vague you are being, I can easily claim ignorance."
"Keep telling yourself that. How are you holding up?"
Unsurprisingly, this particular reply was kept exceedingly brief. "Fine."
"That's really good to hear. You take care of yourself or I'll come back and kick your ass, alright?"
"As if you were capable of such a feat."
"Keep on and I'll prove that I can, asshole." No reply came to that, which was probably to be expected given who Steam was talking to. Steam then took this moment to type up a special message to someone far closer to him than his friends. "Hey, Tara. I… got some help from the Faein and they're letting me contact people. I wanted to wait and get to you last so we could do a call or something, or just talk without interruptions." For a second or so, there was no reply. Then, almost out of the blue, a call started to come through. Steam accepted it without a second thought, almost immediately choking up just because he knew he'd be talking to this person again. "Hey, Tara."
Immediately, Tara responded with a stern and yet no less concerned, "Steam? Why the hell have you taken so long to find a way to talk with all of us? You promised you would be in contact."
"Oi. I had to wait for the help of the Faein to be able to do this. We just got to a time of peace, so I'm just now able to sit down and do something that isn't fighting or waiting for the next fight. Get off my ass." There was no anger in his voice, only amusement and some sort of… joy. Hearing Tara's voice was enough to make him tear up again.
Tara sighed heavily, and just like that any and all semblance of heat left her voice. However, a faint edge of her usual stern attitude remained regardless. It was just part of who she was. "How are you, Steam?"
"I'm… not great. Things have been weighing on me a lot recently. Probably because I just find it so… hard to talk to people, especially ones I don't technically know," Steam admitted slowly. "I've become friends with this Sonic, I guess, but I don't know."
"Has no one else attempted to be kind to you?" Tara asked, a frown in her voice. "That does not sound right."
"It's not really that," the hedgehog said softly. "I've just been… off and on with my better moods lately. Nearly had a meltdown recently, so I guess that tells you the state I've been. That was followed with being hurtled through time by Infinite with Sonic, so I guess I've only really had a chance to bond with him."
"You still consider Tails and Shadow to be your friends here, yes?" Tara asked. "If so, try talking to the versions of them there. It may help you cope better."
"I ran into Shadow not long before he got Zero forcibly injected into him. It's been hard to talk to him because of that, and Tails has just been getting rattled back and forth by enemies recently. From what I was told, Zareil killed him once. I don't want to dump my problems on people that have enough to deal with already," Steam huffed.
"Steam, if they are anything like the versions of themselves that we know, they will be willing to listen to you, even if they cannot actively help," Tara told him frankly. "They cannot do so if you shut them out."
Steam sighed softly. "I'm just worried about making anything worse for people. It feels like if I self-destruct, at least everyone else would be able to steer clear of my bullshit until it dies down."
"Steam, I will not continue to ask you to do this," Tara answered, audibly frowning. "Bottling up and otherwise suppressing your emotions will be what causes you to implode, and you know this. Deal with it or I will find a way to reach through our communicators and deck you."
The hedgehog huffed. "Fine, Tara. I'll… I'll try. So… how are you doing? Things going alright?"
"Things are fine here, Steam," she assured without pause. "There is nothing for you to worry about regarding us."
"I can't help but worry. I don't want something to happen to you because I'm gone and some enemy I've made decides that they want to get revenge now. I can't do anything," he muttered.
"We are more than capable of taking care of ourselves," Tara reminded quietly. "We are not helpless, and as such we will be fine."
Steam leaned up against the tree quietly. "Before I go, I really want to talk to you about something. It's been bothering me since I started actually doing things around here."
"What?"
It took a long moment for Steam to practically whisper what he wanted to talk about, and he nearly choked up as he did so. "Am I a failure, Tara? It feels like I fuck up everything I do, somehow."
"Absolutely not," was the immediate response. All of that previous sternness was back in one fell swoop. "You are not a failure, Steam."
Steam's eyes watered, but he was able to hold it back briefly. "It just… I always feel like there's more I could've done. More I could have helped with so things didn't go so bad…"
There was a heavy sigh. "I already said it once, Steam. You are not a failure."
The tears streamed down his face but he did everything he could to keep his voice level. It didn't work, however. "...Thank you, Tara. I… really needed to hear that from you."
"I can tell," she murmured. Then she said (albeit very gently), "Try to calm yourself, alright? Getting worked up will not help you now."
Steam bit his lip and coughed a bit, sighing. "You know me a bit too well." This seemed to be enough to quell his emotions for the time being, letting him calm himself down.
Tara murmured a soft reply of some sort, then told him, "I need to go now. I have work to attend to still today. If you can call again later tonight, I will be able to speak more."
"I'll try to call again, as soon as I can. Or text, whatever. Thanks for talking to me." He smiled faintly before adding, "Love you, Tara."
"I love you, too. Stay out of trouble, dumbass." With that oh-so-affectionate farewell, Tara hung up.
Steam took a second and calmed himself down, this farewell somehow seeming to have further lightened his mood. All my friends besides Tails are assholes, and I couldn't ask for anything better.
Not a full thirty seconds later, Sonic teleported back into the area. He took a couple of minutes to sort out what Marthal was doing and where he was going to go (given that most everyone else had taken off), and afterward walked over to Steam with crossed arms. "Hey," he called once he was close enough, "you planning on sticking around here? Silver, Blaze, and I are going to be staying at Tails's place for now. You can probably come there if you want."
Steam took a moment to wipe at his face a little bit (not wanting people to see that he had, in fact, been crying). "Well, I don't think the chameleons would necessarily like me all that much. It's probably best if I get somewhere else and relax for a bit."
"Like I said," Sonic shrugged, "you can probably come to Tails's place with us. Marthal's gonna come, too, but he's probably gonna stay in the woods and not the house."
"That could be good. It'd be nice to work with Tails on a project like I usually do in my timeline," Steam admitted. "Might help my nerves a bit."
Sonic frowned for a second, but it soon evaporated. "If you think it'd help, you can definitely ask him. He usually appreciates being lent a hand."
"On top of that, we can continue to train your lacking ass so you can protect yourself more." Steam managed a faint smirk toward the other hedgehog.
Although Sonic glowered at him a touch, he didn't argue. "Yeah. I was going to go to Jet about the same issue, actually. Since he remembers the way I used to be able to fight, I figured he could help out. But training with more than one person is probably good." Just not with Espio again. I'm not ready for that.
At hearing this, Steam slowly nodded and made a realization. "There's… the chance of two or three people reaching out to you for that. Two of the possible people will help with your Chaos, while the other can help train your fire so you can make good use of it. We'll have to see, though, because they've got their hands full with a lot of things."
Sonic nodded slowly. "...Okay. I'll keep an eye out, I guess."
"Anyway, is that all you needed to ask?" Steam questioned as he pushed himself to stand.
"Pretty much," Sonic answered. "We're just trying to figure out who's going where so that we can keep track of everyone. Peacetime or not, it's best not to fall out of contact."
Steam nodded and glanced to his communicator. "I'll help with that much, at the least. Keeping up with things is something I'm not half bad at." His attention was grabbed when a familiar presence teleported nearby and seemingly just appeared by them. He turned to face Rose, blinking. "Hey, what's up?"
Rose glanced to Sonic, a small frown on her face. "I have something… important to mention to you. You are aware of what happened to Shadow recently, correct?"
Immediately, Sonic's mood deeply soured. "Yeah. Kinda hard not to be. Tails's workshop is still full of blood."
She walked a touch closer, her frown deepening. "Kaden was there when we were retrieving him. He did not corrupt Shadow, nor did he attack or kill anyone. It seemed like he was there to… check on him. I thought you might want to know this."
For a long, long moment, Sonic just stared. Eventually, however, he managed to choke out a small question. "Dad was… there?"
Rose nodded slowly. "He was there. Outside of speculation, I cannot say for sure what his motives were, but he allowed us to freely take Shadow to care for him."
Steam paused for a few seconds before his eyes widened. "That… that's actually really good…"
"I thought he couldn't care like that anymore," Sonic muttered, turning his head away with a pained scowl.
"If he can… that means there's a part of him that we can reach. He's not completely lost," Steam explained. "We just can't let anyone take that from him."
"What can we even do?" Sonic demanded. "It's not like we're capable of anything that'd help."
Rose suddenly set a hand on both of their shoulders. "Now is not the time to try and discern what to do. This is a discussion to be held with people more powerful than any of us here. I recommend, for both of you, that you not try to discuss this further."
Whether or not it bothered him to be touched so suddenly, Steam didn't immediately show that. He simply brushed her hand off him and sighed. "She's right. We need to talk to Analia, and… probably Eona, if we can. They'll know more about this and who else we need to talk to about it."
After what happened to her… will Mom even want to help? Sonic briefly bit into his lower lip, as he so often did when worrying, but forced himself to stop when a fang sharply pricked at his skin. "...I guess," he mumbled in noncommittal agreement.
"I am sorry, Sonic," Rose murmured softly. "I will do what I can to help, but for now you should try and take time to relax. It can do you well, if you do so with your friends."
At first, Sonic only shrugged. After a moment, however, he firmly stated, "Shadow needs to know. He has a right to know."
"Absolutely. I agree with you wholeheartedly. If you can tell me where he is, I will make sure this information reaches him," Rose answered with certainty in her voice.
Wanting to end this conversation quickly now, Sonic turned to Steam, "I assume you know how to get to his place, right?"
Steam nodded. "I know where he lives. If you're wanting to go, go ahead and do so. I'll join you in a minute or so."
"Right. See you then, I guess." With that, Sonic motioned to Marthal and they both teleported away.
Steam was quick to turn to Rose and inform her of where to go. Once she was sure of her destination, she teleported away and left Steam to his devices. He quickly tapped at his communicator screen and sent a message to the Jet of his timeline. "So I fucked up and left those gloves that I use for fighting in our timeline. Could… you send them over here for me?" Predictably, Jet didn't bother to text back, choosing instead to just go ahead and do as he'd been asked. A portal opened and the gloves in question were simply tossed through. Then the portal shut again. The hedgehog sighed, collected the gloves and put them on, then teleported away to Tails's house.
~保護者~
"I cannot remain here, Finis."
Opening his eyes, Finis turned his head to look at Analia. She was laying in bed still, as she should have been, but not sleeping. She needed to sleep. Her body wanted to sleep. But it seemed her mind had other ideas. And this woman… she was vastly more stubborn than she typically liked to let on, it would seem. Sighing internally, he used his mind to reply to her via what was known as "thought-speech", as he always did when speaking to anyone other than Cere. "You must," he told her. "You are not strong enough to leave."
"I will not be strong enough for a very long time," Analia murmured, idly toying with the hem of the sheets between two fingers. "Regardless, strength does not matter now. You heard the news just as I did. We are safe… for now. And I cannot continue to stay away from my sons and grandson. I cannot imagine the pain they are in. They need to know that they are not alone."
Another internal sigh. Finis slowly crossed his arms. "They have their friends by their sides," he pointed out evenly.
"That is not the same," Analia insisted, voice growing quieter. "Friends are important, yes, but… so is family."
Her words held deeper weight than Finis initially realized. When it clicked, he suddenly understood part of the reason behind her pleading. They need their family, certainly… and she needs them just as desperately. Pursing his lips together, he allowed himself a brief moment to run this over in his mind before finally coming to a decision. "I will take you to them, then… but only after you sleep. You need further rest today."
Although she appeared prepared to argue (albeit in her typically polite and kind manner, he was sure), she very quickly settled back down once she saw the sound reasoning behind his compromise. "Alright," she agreed, nodding her head just a little.
Pleased with this, Finis closed his eyes. Almost as soon as he'd done this, someone appeared on the planet and gently knocked on the front door. Finis frowned a little and opened his eyes to regard the door questioningly. Who the-
Analia cut into his thoughts. "Let her in," she sighed softly. "She is not here to harm anyone." After a short pause, Finis relented and tugged the door open with a small thread of Darkness that immediately dissipated.
Eila stood in the doorway before quietly walking in and carefully climbing the stairs. It was evident in the aura that she wasn't attempting to hide that she was… afraid of being attacked, with good reason. It didn't take her long to make it to the bedroom door and knock, despite it being open already. "Do… you mind if I come in?"
Despite the disapproving look she got for doing so, Analia moved to slowly push herself up. "It is alright," she murmured. "You may enter. And do not look so frightened. We will not harm you."
The cat carefully walked through the door, some amount of her fear seemingly being left behind where she had been standing moments before. Tellingly, however, she didn't come much closer, still a few feet from the end of the bed. "I had some questions I wanted to ask… because you know who I was and would understand how to answer them." Her attention was directed at Analia, but every now and then it flicked to Finis as if still afraid of being struck down at any moment.
With a subtle huff, Finis phased out of the room and left the two women alone to talk. Analia got herself situated as best as she could while having close to no strength left in her body, then offered the best smile she could manage right now. "What are your questions? I will answer them as best as I can."
"First, before I ask anything… I want to apologize. Not only for deceiving you, your family, and your friends, but for also attacking them and using them for my own gain. I'm aware that my mental state was… different, but that's… no excuse for how I acted," she murmured, letting her hair fall over her face so that it would be harder for Analia to see. Admitting all of this left her feeling so much more ashamed of herself than she had been.
"I made mistakes back then as well," Analia unexpectedly replied. "I was… careless. Had I paid attention, I could have helped you back then and prevented all of this. That you and those around you suffered is also my fault. I owe you an apology as well."
Eila's immediate response was a harsh, "No." She quickly caught herself and gulped. "Just… no. Don't say that… please." Let me feel this shame toward myself. Don't give her a reason to try and take over again.
"If you wish," Analia agreed with a slow nod.
It took a moment for Eila to compose herself once more, slowly pulling her hair back behind her ears and looking to Analia once more. "I… am a being with very weak Light, so weak that corruption is possible on me. What do I do about that? How do I keep myself from being corrupted again?"
"There is one possible method," Analia murmured, "but it would require you to allow someone such as myself to directly aid you - and continue to do so for however long you feel is necessary."
"What… do you mean?" Eila questioned further. "Aid how? I don't get it."
"Light can protect other Light, just as the same as Darkness being capable of shielding Darkness," Analia patiently explained. "If I use my light to shield you, then any who seek to corrupt you would have to bypass my strength and yours to do so. If you chose to seek aid from someone else, this would still hold true."
Eila frowned. "I don't want people to need to protect me. I want to be able to do it… myself." She fell quiet for a moment before letting this sink in. It was the only method that Analia, the only embodiment of Light aside from Eona herself told her. If that was the only way… it hurt to know.
"Unless we someone found a method, one day, of strengthening your own Light… this may be the only way," Analia told her gently.
The cat fell quiet for a moment before walking closer. "There's something I need to explain, something I've never told to anyone that makes this… harder for me."
"I am listening," Analia invited.
"I… there are other beings in my mind. Voices, sentient voices that sometimes talk to me or convince me to do things. Other times they just… take control and I can't alw-" she paused suddenly, clutching her head tightly. "Petry isn't happy that I'm telling someone this…" Eila murmured lowly, her fingers digging in far deeper than they should. "She's the one who started this… and I don't know what to do…"
Frowning, Analia slowly raised a hand. What little Light she could call upon flowed from her palm toward Eila's head and enveloped it like a mist for a few moments before fading away, having temporarily quelled the voices within. "Light is a healing energy, young one," she murmured, lowering her hand. "it cannot cure what ails you… but having further Light within you for any reason will help to keep your symptoms at bay."
Eila's eyes teared up and she almost couldn't bring herself to keep standing. "Thank you, Analia…"
Smiling a little more, Analia pulled herself out of the bed and sat down a couple feet away from Eila on the floor. "You have a great deal of pain within you… and you do not wish to burden others. But I would like to help you if I may."
"How can you help me?" Eila questioned softly. "It takes so much effort from my sister to get me to not attack someone when I think they're a threat."
"For now, let us focus on one problem at a time," Analia gently suggested. "If you try to direct your attention to everything at once, you will become overwhelmed. Every obstacle will suddenly seem insurmountable. By dealing with one at a time, we will do better for you."
It took a moment for Eila to respond, initially only nodding. A second or so later, she spoke up once more. "So… what do we focus on?"
"What would you like to focus on?" Analia asked her.
"I… don't know. There's so much… so many problems that I've caused myself," she murmured. "Though… I do want to understand how I can protect my sister." Eila trailed off for a moment before reluctantly adding, "She's my lifeline. If something happens to her, I won't have control anymore."
"For now, she is safe," Analia responded quietly. "We all are, at least in the interim. And even when this brief interlude passes us by, she will be protected. I and others will help you ensure that."
Eila nodded gently before biting her lip. "I have to admit that I have been spying on people… not… never mind. I've been watching how the others interact after I arrive and… they hate me. I know I can't change that, but it seems to be tearing them apart. What do I do?"
"I do not know that answer to that," Analia admitted, shaking her head. "But… I do know them. Most of them, at any rate. They will find a way to remain together and get by. They always do. It is alright for you to remain. They will learn how to handle it, given time."
"I don't want to cause them more problems by simply being around them. It's the opposite of what I want to do with my life, going forward," Eila answered softly.
"I do not know how to help," the older woman sighed. "Without being there and seeing for myself what is happening and what is being said, I can offer little in the way of advice."
Eila gave a slow nod of understanding. It took her some time to voice her next question, and her words came out slowly. Almost painfully. "Is… there a way for me to see my parents?"
"Only by visiting a Realm of Death, one that is specifically tied to the Realm of Light," Analia answered. "However, the God who rules the realms of death is currently… indisposed. It will not be possible right now."
"I… see." It was obvious that this answer pained her more than she was willing to express, but she simply ignored this feeling and moved on. "Is there a way for the knowledge of the Dark Magic I used to be removed from my memory?"
"Only by an exceptionally powerful Immortal," Analia replied with a small frown. "Even if you were to somehow get amnesia, or use a spell to clear your memory, or whatever else, the knowledge would still subconsciously remain. Only an Immortal of high power and skill could remove all traces of it from you."
Eila sunk down where she was, frowning deeply. "The only Immortal I know of that is alive who could do so will never speak to me. I tortured him and took control of his body. He should have killed me while he had the chance, but instead…" she trailed off, obviously not intending to finish that sentence.
"He is not unreasonable," Analia sighed. "If someone else were to go to him with your request, the chance is still there that he would help you - assuming he has the capability to do so."
"I will not subject him to the anxiety that he would suffer by being around me," Eila muttered gently. "That… is far from fair to him."
"He would not need to be near you," Analia said just as gently. "He could do so from elsewhere. Immortals do not require proximity to use their abilities, generally speaking."
Eila was quiet before changing the topic. "I… I asked something similar to this long ago, but… what is Light? What is this power that I was born with and still do not understand?"
At this, Analia managed a new smile. "As with all things, existence is about balance. Just as there is death, there must be life. Where shadows reign, lights must still shine. Everything that Darkness is, Light is not. Our energy exists to heal, to maintain life, to bring good where evil has been. It is… in many ways, what every person who calls themselves a 'hero' fights for, in essence."
"I am no hero," Eila murmured. "I never have been, nor will I ever be. I am not sure if I can use this gift in the way it was meant to be, either…"
Despite being told this, Analia continued to smile. "Tell me something, dear. Your sister… she is someone you wish to protect, is she not? And she is someone you love, yes?"
It took a moment for Eila to answer. Not out of hesitation, but more so curiosity for where Analia was going with this. "Yes… I do."
"Then your Light will still serve you well," Analia murmured. "Light also exists to defend, Eila. So long as you have someone in your life to protect, it will serve a purpose to you."
"How can I trust myself to not be corrupted again with Dark Magic?" Eila suddenly questioned. "If I use it again… everything I want in life is gone again."
"That you do not want to walk that path anymore is enough to greatly prevent it from happening," Analia answered carefully. "But… there are other ways to look at it. For one thing, I assume your sister has shown that she trusts you not to do such a thing. Do you trust her and her judgement?"
Eila looked down at the ground. "Yes and no. She always saw me as the perfect older sister, then I corrupted myself and attacked our family. I hurt her and my parents, then left. After that, the only time that I truly saw her was when I nearly killed her. She should not trust me because I can't be trusted."
Analia's head canted. "And yet she does… does she not?"
"Too much," Eila admitted.
"Perhaps if trusting yourself is too difficult right now, you should place your faith in her instead," Analia said to her quietly. "Maybe you will find that her trust in you is enough to get by."
"I worry that she has placed too much of herself into me," Eila said softly.
Green eyes blinked placidly at her, then Analia stated with great frankness, "I do not believe she has."
Eila frowned, finally lifting her gaze up. "She is self-sacrificial. She has given up on her own life to pursue me, and I worry that if something happens to me, she'll go down a road that not even she could recover from."
"She will be alright," Analia answered, "because you will be alright."
The subject of her sister was obviously something that could quickly draw forth her anger, shown in the way her words came out. "Are you aware of how brittle my body is? How easy it is to break me?"
"I am," Analia confirmed simply.
"If Zareil sees me, she will break down any defense I have and kill me without hesitation. I got lucky last time she was on Mobius."
"That is precisely why you will be protected," Analia calmly assured, not at all rattled.
Eila seemed to calm down at this and sighed gently. "There's so much to worry about now…"
"There is," Analia acknowledged, "but for now… for now, it would be wise to rest both your body and your mind. You sorely need it. Further contemplation of your future can come later, when you have recovered further from your ordeals."
"I… understand…" Eila murmured softly.
"Was there anything else you wished to discuss?" Analia asked, blinking slowly. All of her exhaustion and general fatigue was suddenly catching back up with her. If this could be wrapped up quickly, that would be best.
Eila pushed herself to stand, not realizing that she had ever actually sat down. "Not… now. Maybe another time, but for now… I should have a starting point. I'll go from here."
Analia nodded once, then placed a hand on the bed. Using that as leverage, she hauled herself up and then sat down weakly on the edge of the bed. "I understand. Please, feel free to come again if you ever need anything else."
The cat nodded gently and turned to leave before glancing back. "I will not let you or Eona down," she murmured. "And I will prove that I am more than Astra ever was."
Managing a wider smile than before, Analia inclined her head. "I look forward to it… dear Eila."
~保護者~
11,585 words this time. Hope you all enjoyed. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Posted (at about 4:50 p.m.) -7-05-20.