Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) during these long interactions… especially for the one who has found a new way to lend a hand.

~保護者~

"Road to Recovery"

~保護者~

That his hand was shaking as Kath set aside his glass shouldn't have been as irritating as it ultimately was. Quashing the emotion was only minimally effective at first, and entirely ineffective moments later. Then it abruptly plummeted back down, sending a near-crippling wave of depression surging through him. More shakiness ensued for reasons he didn't care to contemplate.

Sharp peaks and terrible drops in emotion, all negative, had become commonplace over the last several days. With every sensory assault, with every fever-induced nightmare, he grew less and less capable of coping. It didn't help that whatever medicine he'd been on, while still mostly helping by keeping him coherent and reducing his nausea, just wasn't getting rid of this illness. He hadn't expected that it would (why would the people of New Babylon know how to treat a Mobian illness that wouldn't normally affect their kind, after all?), but it was a problem. A problem that was arguably getting worse as he got worse. Of all the times for him to be targeted by whoever or whatever was capitalizing on his sensitivities, why did it have to be now?

Sleep rapidly claimed him again. When he woke next, it was to the sound of Azerel's clawed feet scraping the floor. The wolf jumped up on the bed, made himself comfortable, and laid down. Kath drifted away a bit more peacefully after that. It felt like not much time had passed, however, before he was woken up again. This time, it was because he sensed someone entering his room.

"Kath?" Arkiri called gently, pushing the door behind him closed in a silent manner. "How are you feeling?"

Azerel made some silent comment that Kath didn't bother to pay attention to. Forcing his eyes open, he located Arkiri (mostly to reassure himself that Arkiri was indeed real and really there) before saying, "...Well enough." This time, Azerel's silent words were a touch sharper. They still went ignored.

"Tell me how you really feel, Kath," Arkiri murmured, walking over and taking a seat by Kath's bed.

"Fine," Kath sighed, looking away. He was rewarded for his reply by a harsh nip from Azerel, who was then promptly smacked (albeit not hard) in the snout. Asshole. Arkiri gently motioned for him to continue, an amused smile on his face.

When Kath didn't speak up, Azerel decided to take matters into his own hands. Or, well, paws. "For the record, Kath, you had the chance to avoid me calling you out like this." Before Kath could do anything more than turn his head to look at him, Azerel reluctantly sat up and let out a short howl. It wasn't even a loud one, but with Kath as frazzled and overstimulated as he had been… well, it was enough. Unable to catch himself in time, Kath immediately slammed his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, expression tight with suddenly not-so-concealed stress. Azerel looked pointedly at Arkiri, willing him to understand.

Arkiri sighed gently and rubbed a hand over Azerel's head. "Kath… you know you can tell me about these things. We once shared the darkest of secrets together by the candlelight. I know that we could return to those days, but I can do nothing unless you tell me how you're feeling."

Kath had to take several moments to just breathe before he was able to force his tense body to relax somewhat. He loosed his hands a bit, but didn't fully uncover his ears. Very, very quietly, he admitted, "I don't even know what's happening…"

"Then let's start from the bottom. What are you feeling right now?" Arkiri questioned softly.

This wasn't a normal situation. In keeping with that, Kath found that he, for once, had no words to logically describe the problem he was presented with. At least, not at first. "Sensory information that is not there," he eventually said. "But it feels real enough."

"Hallucinations?" Arkiri questioned. "I assume… auditory and visual?"

"Involving every sense," Kath corrected glumly. I don't know that mere hallucinations can be the cause of this. I've hallucinated before… This feels different.

Arkiri frowned, turning his attention away as he thought. Often, letting his gaze wander was… useful. "Is there anything else you can think of?" Kath shook his head.

Azerel, meanwhile, resituated so that he was laying across his friend's legs. Feeling weight and pressure there was often a source of stress relief for Kath, and within moments it seemed to ease a bit more of the tension out of him. There is far too little "good" sensory information around to help counter any of this. Especially if it gets worse.

The owl, when Kath didn't answer, stood up. "Do you still have any of your old board games, Kath? I am dying for some mental stimulation." He flashed the hawk a gentle smile.

It took a moment, but Kath eventually gestured with a hand to a closet-like piece of furniture in the corner of the room. "The old ones are on the left side," he mumbled.

"Remind me which one was your favorite?" Arkiri idly questioned as he walked to the aforementioned piece of furniture and opened it. "We can play a few rounds."

Though he felt shaky and weak still, Kath pushed himself into a sitting position. He quickly combed his fingers through his hair to get it back into some semblance of order before looking over at the selection. After a pause, he quietly reminded, "Trikali was the one you taught me."

"So you did like me," Arkiri teased, grabbing the game carefully and walking over. "I always had to wonder if you just found it easy to talk to me." His tone made it plainly obvious that he was joking. "I am glad that I was able to teach you of such a wondrous game, no matter the reason you listened."

"I do not call just anyone a friend," Kath answered. With what little energy he had, he used his aura to drag a small table over to the bed, alongside his desk chair. Using the same wisps of aura, he removed the papers, pens, and books that were cluttering the table in question and deposited them on his desk.

The owl took great care to set up the game on this table, smiling as he did so. "I know. I am deeply pleased you saw me as such."

"It was more my honor than yours," Kath murmured, "considering how I was back then. I almost did not deserve your companionship, much of the time."

"The worst of kids need the greatest of love, Kath. The most troubled need the most hugs. That is a philosophy I lived by, and it has never turned on its head," Arkiri answered. "Besides… you were not as awful as you seem to think you were."

"What else would you call a drug-addicted criminal?" Kath questioned, a frown on his face. He set about helping to put the pieces in their places. "Awful is typically a suitable term."

Arkiri raised an eyebrow. "That was due to circumstance. Your life now is evidence enough that it was not who you truly were."

Kath didn't have a sufficient argument to that. All he did was shrug and offer a small, "Perhaps."

"I was also always better at arguing than you," Arkiri teased. "You always hit a wall that I created with my words. It was how I showed you that there is more than just what you see in yourself."

"Words are only my forte when I am writing," Kath grumbled. "At least then, I have more time to stop and consider what to say."

Arkiri laughed softly. "You do, but often… that which comes to mind first is truly how we feel. However… enough of this. I believe we have a game to begin?"

Abruptly, Azerel piped up again. "Take your medicine, first, now that you're awake. Or else I'll bite you again, and this time I will have more cause to be even less gentle."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes (he couldn't do much else to the wolf, since Azerel was behind him now), Kath did as he'd been told. Then, returning his attention to the board, he gestured to Arkiri. "Your move."

~保護者~

Rose stumbled her way onto Nier's home with a rough landing. The past several days… she'd felt numb, flying through space alone. It hurt. Everything hurt. Her Light was weak, she'd lost control of herself, her morals had been left behind, and worst of all, she couldn't face those she cared about. She couldn't shake the pain, even as she practically shoved the door open. The cat couldn't muster up the energy to teleport to Analia, despite it being there.

She couldn't really focus on anything around her as she continued along with her swaying gait. The walls were the only thing ensuring that she didn't fall to the ground as she tried to get to the stairs. Before she could proceed any further, a semi-physical hand came to rest on her shoulder and tugged her back, though not roughly. Words that weren't truly spoken sifted through the silence. "You need to stop. Why are you here?"

"Finis, please…" she pleaded. "I need to see Analia." As if to try and explain herself without speaking much further, she allowed Light to shine around her hands. "It's dimming… I need help…"

For a long moment, Finis eyed the Light in question. His gaze was critical, questioning, but most of all quietly concerned. He was no being of Light himself, but he knew that this was not normal. "Cease your clamoring around," he finally said, removing his hand from her shoulder. "She is asleep. If you wish to wake her, then do not be so loud about it."

Rose leaned up against the wall, trying once again to explain herself without speaking much. "It's difficult to move…" her gaze turned away and she looked to the ground. "...I need help."

In the quiet that followed, Finis nodded his understanding. He used his unusual Darkness to gently lift her up the stairs, following silently behind, then deposited her by the door. Once they were there, he opened it for her. "Do not ask too much of her. She is far more exhausted than she likes to let on." With that final piece of advice given, he vanished back into the shadows downstairs.

I just need to talk… Rose thought to herself, pulling herself into the room and gently shutting the door behind her. She didn't want anyone else hearing this. The woman deposited herself on the floor as quietly as she could, wincing at the sound that felt oh so loud to her. Rose didn't feel… numb anymore. Everything was sharp. She could feel, see, and hear everything to an alarming degree. "A-Analia…?" she whispered.

The hedgehog in question blinked open her eyes and sat up in the bed. Upon seeing Rose, she immediately asked with eyes full of sympathy, "Oh, honey, what in the world is the matter?"

Rose couldn't muster the will to speak for some time, her eyes watering as she looked away. She felt ashamed for what she'd done. For not following Analia's advice carefully. For failing her own family's teachings. "My Light is dimming…"

Despite her own condition, Analia stepped out of the bed and moved to sit in front of Rose. "Show me," she murmured, her voice warm and gentle.

The cat lifted a hand slowly and allowed her Light to glow from within, tears welling up ever more in her eyes. "I feel… wrong…"

Analia closed a hand over Rose's and gently lowered them both back down. Once Rose's hand was down, she released it. "Tell me what has been happening," she instructed. "I must know."

"I cannot control my emotions anymore. I have felt so much… rage, hatred, pain, and agony… It drowns out all that our Light would encompass. The final moments I felt it course through me as it once did was when Eona's own Light was within my body…" Rose explained slowly. "I cannot control it…" Without fully realizing it, the cat slowly rocked back and forth, trying to find some form of comfort. Admitting it all made it hurt so much worse, even more to the woman she had looked up to all these years.

Analia was frowning subtly when she asked, "How long ago did this begin?" It was important information to gather. If this only started recently, then it is not as bad as it has the potential to be. Perhaps we may be able to handle it before it reaches that point.

Rose blinked once, having to bring herself from her thoughts momentarily to actually remember. "It was… not long. A short time after we spoke about my loss of compassion."

Pursing his lips together, Analia thought things over. Before too long, she had a new but no less pertinent question. "Did anything in particular occur that might have triggered this? Anything at all that struck you as unusually stressful, for example? Or perhaps merely unusual?"

A few tears ran down Rose's cheeks while her gaze lowered. "I… believe there was a flash of light one night. An unusual feeling. I checked with Aniko, and she said she'd experienced it as well, but neither of us knew what happened."

That immediately bothered Analia. A flash of Light… and now this. Where is the connection? "And this started immediately afterward?"

"I noticed it when my sister was attacked by some magic. Seeing her crumpled on the floor and… her body…" Rose gripped her head tightly in an effort to hold back her sobs. "I couldn't stop myself. I was hurting so badly, but never have I once wanted someone dead so much. They broke her down until she couldn't move!" All at once, she could feel the anger seeping back in, vivid reminders of the scene playing through her mind over and over. "I could tell they didn't want her there, but I couldn't just… leave her…"

"Breathe slowly, Rose," Analia gently instructed. "Try to find your center again. When you are grounded, if you are up to it, try and tell me more. Who did not want your sister around? Was it the same people who harmed her?"

It took some time for Rose to calm herself, wiping away the tears as if they didn't belong. "Sonic… he took one look at her and I could see it… I begged him to help…"

Sonic? Analia bit the corner of her lower lip lightly. Reason told her that her son wouldn't have been the one to harm Rose's sister, but why would he have considered refusing offering her help? That does not make sense. "What else can you tell me?"

"Amy was able to help," Rose murmured softly. "She made sure the situation couldn't grow worse… at least. I was so irritable after that, though. I… frightened Tails and his friend Wery. They were trying to help, but I was awful to them. They left quickly… as fast as they could manage."

Now Analia was even more surprised. Even Tails became upset? That is not normal.

The cat looked up at Analia with pain practically visible in her eyes. "I argued with my sister. I don't know what came over me, but I did it. I never once raised an offensive gesture, but I have never fought with her, even… when she was known as Astra."

She must mean verbally, then, Analia immediately concluded. For a being of Light to feel so combative and hostile… This is most troubling, indeed. Stifling a sigh, she stood with a wince. "Come, let us sit on the bed. I ache too much to remain on the floor."

Rose looked away. "I do not wish to… I do not belong with someone such as you."

"You do," Analia murmured, clutching at her particularly sore side with a hand. "You do not deserve the torment you have been put through, Rose. Not just now, but from the beginning. I aim to help, but I cannot do so if you are unwilling."

"Sit on the bed… there is one more thing I must explain," Rose answered in a murmur. "Then I will join you." Having planned on sitting regardless, Analia walked back to the bed and did just that. It was easier on her than sitting on the floor, as she'd mentioned. "I fought Zareil with Eona's Light…" Rose began. "I was injured severely, but I did not care. She threatened to kill me, and that was okay. However… the moment she threatened Eila's life, everything changed. I wanted nothing more than her death. I wanted to know that she had fallen by my hands for daring to so much as intend to hurt my sister. That was when I realized it was not Eila who had been broken. It was me."

"There has long been negativity in you," Analia told her. "It was not your fault. The method by which you were forced to live plays a key role to this very day. Aside from that… negativity lives in all of us. Even the brightest of Light does cast shadows. What is occurring now, however, is not natural. Something is drawing all of those emotions to the surface at once, and doing so in such a manner that you cannot cope. The reason for it must be determined."

Rose's internal whirlwind of emotions came to a brief stop, her gaze lifting as she stood. "I… Are… beings of Light supposed to feel… negative emotions?" She seemed confused, almost in a childlike manner. It didn't make sense.

Analia offered a small smile. "Being tied to such an energy does not make us entirely different from other people," she explained. "People have emotions of all kinds. We do as well, but typically our negative emotions are less potent than they would be for anyone else. It is no different than how positive emotions are rarely that strong in a being of Darkness."

"I don't… understand," Rose murmured. "My mother taught me that our negative emotions were a path to our Light dimming, that we should not… feel them. Was… she wrong?"

"They can be when they are felt in excess, or when they are too strong, such as now," Analia answered. The new information she'd just received about Rose's mother bothered her to no end. "Merely feeling them at all is not enough."

Rose sat on the bed. "I… did not know. My mother and father split our teaching's amongst one another. Fighting skills was my dad's side… while the inherent Light was my mother's. Did… she lie?" Rose looked to Analia, now beginning to grasp that the very teachings her life have been founded on were false.

"I do not know that she lied," Analia told her. "I am more of the opinion that, perhaps, she herself was taught incorrectly. Misconceptions are often passed on, despite our best intentions to raise our children well."

The cat wrapped her arms around herself. "I… Everything I have ever known… How I have lived my life. It was all based on inaccurate information. I could have done… so much more."

"Focus not on the past," Analia murmured. "If you spend too much time lingering there, you will lose sight of the future and, more importantly, the present. Mistakes were made, that much is clear. What matters now is that you do what you can to learn from them, to improve yourself, and to heal."

"May I ask a question?" Rose murmured, turning her gaze to Analia slowly.

"Of course," was the immediate reply. "You do not need to ask permission. You are always welcome to speak your mind with me."

"Do you think that this is why my sister fell onto such a dangerous path?" Rose asked gently. "Why she has become so torn?"

"It may well have played a role," Analia murmured. "But I do not know for sure."

"...There is something else there. In her mind. A presence that pushes her to do those terrible things," Rose murmured. "It is not my sister in control at all times."

Upon hearing this, Analia's head canted. "Perhaps there is something more, then… something related to the way her mind functions."

Rose nodded. "They mentioned Dissociative Identity Disorder… but… I do not know when the condition would have formed."

"It is difficult to say," Analia answered with a small sigh. "I cannot know at this time."

"I… I love her dearly. My heart still aches at how I treated her," Rose said gently. "I never wish to treat my beloved sister so badly."

"We will work to ensure that it does not happen a second time," Analia assured. "I will help where I can."

"This is why I looked up to you. I wished to be like you," Rose revealed softly. "I wanted nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of someone as great as you."

Analia gave her a tiny smile. "I am not without my own flaws, dear Rose. What I wish to see is you and your sister growing into your own strong, independent people. You have everything you need to become wondrous in your own ways. I know it."

Rose's eyes watered. "My sister is strong and independent. I am not. I have never been able to live my life without something driving me every day. Since my sister has returned to me… I find it difficult to have the same drive I once did. I am… dependent."

"Give yourself time," Analia soothed. "It does not happen straight away. You will find your footing in time."

"I… it feels odd, not having something like that after all this time. I could experience anything and yet my will pressed on. Now I often cannot muster enough of myself to defend my body. It… troubles me."

"I know. It will be hard. But there are people around you who will help, if only you will let them."

Rose frowned. "I am not used to accepting help. I have so long dedicated myself to helping others."

"Now is a good time to learn," Analia answered warmly.

Something randomly came to Rose's mind and it troubled her for a moment. Why had that thought come to be? "I fear the idea of becoming a mother. Seeing how… different I am from what I believed I was. I do not see myself being able to care for a child how they deserve to be." After some time of realizing that Analia didn't necessarily have a response, she looked up to the other woman. "What do you see in me?"

Analia's smile turned enigmatic. "Everything… and yet nothing. Your story is not yet fully written, young one. It is up to you to tell me who you are… in due time."

Rose set a hand on her own chest for a moment, contemplating what she'd been told. "I am not sure who I am yet. I once had an answer."

"People grow… people change. It is a good thing, to rediscover yourself." Analia's smile was warm again. Loving. "You will find your way. I am sure of it."

Rose unsheathed her sword quietly, looking over the blade. "I have done much with this weapon. It has served me well all these years, but… I never knew what the inscription meant. My mother swore that one day I would understand. That it would make sense…"

"Did it?" Analia prompted.

"No… She had visions but never gave me details. Always… believed that knowing too much was a bad thing," Rose answered. "I do not understand what it means."

"Will you permit me to read it? The blade, that is."

"You are more than welcome to do so," Rose murmured, carefully offering it to Analia.

Analia took the blade into her hands and looked over the inscription in question. "Disciple of Light… I see." She passed the weapon back. "Dear Rose… you will have much to learn. Of that, I am certain."

Rose blinked curiously. "What do you mean?" She asked, carefully sheathing her blade once more.

"To be a disciple is to learn," Analia told her. "The Light has much to teach you still, it would seem."

She blinked more, ever more curious. "Where can I go to learn? Do you have any guidance?"

"Answers will come in due time," Analia murmured. "I do not have them yet, either."

Rose seemed troubled by this, but didn't question it. "When… will I be able to return? I can feel the danger approaching. They will need me soon."

"When you are more stable," Analia answered. "We must return your emotions to a more calm state before you will be able to help again."

She looked away from Analia. "It hurts."

Analia sighed. "I know. Believe me… I know."

"You have not pushed yourself too hard to aid me, have you?" Rose asked softly.

"Not yet," Analia answered. "I am alright. Merely tired."

"...Can we both rest? The travel here has taken its toll on me."

"I believe there is a bedroll stored within the closet, and blankets as well. I do not believe Nier would mind you borrowing them."

Rose looked away slowly. "I will sleep elsewhere. I do not wish for my night terrors to wake you."

"Sleep in here," Analia insisted. "I will aid you if such terrors beset you."

"You deserve to rest well," Rose murmured. "I do not wish to disturb you."

"You will not be disturbing me," Analia murmured back. "It will be fine."

Rose gently opened the closet with her magic and pulled the bedroll and a blanket to herself. "...I have not slept near someone in quite some time."

"Nor have I," Analia admittedly softly, looking away. She busied herself with returning under the covers and laying down. "It has been… millenia."

Rose began to lay down as well, her gaze now fixed on the wall. "One more question and I will try to rest."

"Yes, Rose?" Analia asked.

"Would a visit to the Realm of Light possibly give me insight?"

"It is entirely possible. I have found answers of my own there, in the past. But it depends on what answers you seek… and how you choose to find them."

Rose's gaze sharpened as she felt a touch of her resolve return. "I may try that. If I can gain even a touch of insight, it may well be what sets me down the right path."

"Perhaps it may," was the soft agreement. "Perhaps it may."

~保護者~

Steam gripped the muscles in his shoulder tightly, pulling in a rough attempt to soothe the tension building up. He'd felt very stressed lately, to say the least, and it hadn't gotten a chance to be aleviated since Tails and Wery had scanned him. He knew he'd promised to try and relax… but with Nareish becoming active again, there was no choice. His friends needed him, and he was going to make sure he protected them at all costs.

His focus shifted to where he could sense Cere, already beginning to walk again. He let his hands fall to his sides and teleported inside the quaint home. He'd already announced his presence, so he wasn't worried about being attacked even as he approached. "Cere…" the hedgehog's gaze shifted and he nodded a greeting to Therin. "And Therin as well."

Cere nodded in return with a frown building on her face. "You don't make visits without a reason. I assume this has something to do with Zareil or some concerns with the future?"

"...Only partially right," Steam muttered. "Something happened and it's gonna start causing some pretty… bad problems."

The hexan's frown deepened as she watched Steam, but she didn't let on the exact reason just yet. "Go on," she invited.

"Nareish just recently revived Mephiles and Iblis, enemies from the timeline that Silver and Blaze came from. They're both powerful demons that are likely going to be far stronger when they show up," Steam explained before his eyebrows furrowed. He felt like he was missing something important… Right. "Working together, in that timeline, they were able to more or less destroy Mobius."

"I see…" Cere murmured, putting a hand to her chin and thinking on this information deeply. "A lot of us are currently busy with… a lot of things happening. Locke has remained near Mobius for some time, but considering that you came here, I assume you believe he won't be enough?"

Steam nodded slowly. "Iblis is a fire demon. It was capable of turning the ground molten, so there's no telling just how powerful it could become."

Cere closed her eyes. "I assume Mephiles is also strong, but probably the intelligent one. Pulling the strings."

"Yeah… but I know I can handle him. I've fought him before, and even though he's stronger now, there's no way his fighting has changed much," Steam answered.

"You're putting an utterly ridiculous amount of strain on yourself, Steam," Cere muttered. "You realize that, right?"

A faint growl-like sound came from Steam. "I'm not getting a choice anymore. We've already lost a number of the people that were revived due to Nareish's magical attacks, on top of the fact that Kath is sick, Jet is more or less stuck by Kaden, and Eila is immobilized. Toru's sister is paralyzed, so he's trying to stay with her, and Shadow hasn't been doing well. That doesn't leave a lot of room for me to avoid taking more on."

Cere sighed briefly, shaking her head. "Take care to not go further than you have. You practically radiate anxiety. However… that's not why you came. I'll inform everyone I can and see who we can have near Mobius. I've had little contact with the ancient gods and goddesses that were revived, but I presume you know where to find them?"

"Yeah, I do," Steam answered, his stance relaxing again. He hadn't even realized that he'd moved to be defensive, which was something that… bothered him. Usually he was aware of this stuff. "I can try and reach out to them, but I think they're trying to stay somewhat hands-off for a few reasons. I'll do what I can."

"That's what I assumed," The hexan answered. "Sona should be at her home, guarding Locke's children. I recommend speaking with her as well, since there are likely other threats incoming. I also venture to guess that you need to speak with Therin, judging by how your eyes have been shifting?" The male feline cracked his eyes open and looked over.

Though he did not like how thoroughly Cere was able to read into him, Steam turned his attention to Therin. "I did have something to speak with you about, per Jet's request."

Therin stood up with a frown, the heavy layers of his robes shifting around him as he moved. He walked over so as to properly join the conversation before asking, "What's he need?"

"Jet said something about you having a large network of spies. We need to be alerted if Nareish brings back any more enemies like she's doing now," Steam explained.

This caused Therin to cross his arms. "I've already gotten reports of two new freakish demons headed toward the demonic realm. She got anything to do with that?"

"Iblis and Mephiles," Steam answered. "The two I told Cere about. The fact that they're heading there right now is… better than I anticipated. Nareish is giving them free reign instead of controlling them. That gives me a lot of room to act… and a few days, if I'm lucky."

Tilting his head, Therin asked, "What other ugly shits are we looking out for? Even a vague description is better than working with nothing."

"The two I'm most concerned about are Chaos and Dark Gaia," Steam answered. "Chaos is a creature that appears to be made of a water-like substance with a pink brain visible.. Dark Gaia… it's a massive dark-colored creature with a serpentine body, several eyes with one large central eye, and it has a purple-ish, blueish energy. They're incredibly dangerous to a good number of us, and Dark Gaia even managed to kill Kaden and Analia in ancient times."

Grey eyebrows shot up. "How the fuck did some random-ass monster kill those two?"

"Nareish helped in releasing that beast," Cere muttered, crossing her arms. "I remember that much for sure. Even before killing Kaden and Analia, it managed to destroy several planets in its warpath."

Therin stared at them both for a long moment. "...Right. I'll spread the word to keep an eye out for those guys. Anything else?"

"Ix and Shade," Steam murmured. "Ix had a thing against Kaden for some reason, and Shade caused a number of problems for several people. They also worked together heavily, so I could see them both being brought back together."

"I remember those bastards," Therin muttered crossly. "They were irritating as fuck to wipe out."

Steam nodded slowly. "I could also see her reviving the Metarex leader and his right hand. Dark Oak and Black Narcissus. I don't see her avoiding bringing back the armies with them, because otherwise I feel like they might get overwhelmed once they're found. If you see one, expect that there's thousands more."

Now Therin's normally bored expression suddenly became much darker. "If she brings them back, I swear to fuck that I'll kill them myself."

"Therin," Cere murmured. "Try and relax. We'll deal with that when the time comes, but for now let's focus on the details we're being given."

Fuck that. They destroyed my whole fucking world. Despite these thoughts, all Therin said was a curt, "Fine."

Steam frowned, but decided it was best to not comment. "Last of all… Gerald and Ivo Robotnik. Gerald died before the fall of South Island, and Ivo… essentially took his place years afterward. Either one of them coming back wouldn't be good for Sonic or Shadow, assuredly, due to the trauma they suffered at those guys' hands." Not to mention how much Gerald performed tests on me and Shadow… trying to make a perfect weapon. His hands idly shifted, as if he wanted to cover several wounds that weren't actually there.

Slowly, some of the standard bored facade returned to Therin's face. "Sonic and Shadow… those are Kaden's boys, yeah?"

"Yeah," Steam answered.

Therin snorted. "Nareish is better off not reviving someone that would fuck with those two, then."

Steam frowned a bit, crossing his arms. "She makes a game of fucking with people and pissing Kaden off."

"Yeah, and she's lucky he hasn't taken her smug face off for it yet."

"If she does it, it'll be while Kaden is trapped," Steam murmured, eyes narrowing.

Cere cut in. "Steam, calm down. Don't get yourself worked up."

Turning away, Therin returned to the corner he'd been seated in and collected the few weapons he'd left sitting there. "Doesn't matter. I'll handle it like Jet wants."

"Thanks," Steam murmured, already beginning to turn away. "I still need to talk to Sona and Locke."

"Sona's at the temple with his kids," Therin told him simply. "Locke probably hasn't left the Mobian Solar system."

"Got it," Steam said, already moving to leave. "Contact me or Jet if you see anything else unusual. Those were just the big enemies I'm concerned about. Who knows what else she'll bring back?"

Therin grabbed his metal staff last and attached it to his back. "If anything goes down, Jet will be the first to know."

"Good." With that, Steam teleported away to Locke's home. He hadn't thought it through thoroughly, but going straight there warranted an attack. He had to catch Sona's scimitar in both hands before she realized that it wasn't an enemy.

The cat relaxed a little, but her obvious agitation was present. "The hell do you want? Showing up unannounced is a good way to get yourself killed."

"I'm just here to inform you that we may seriously need your help soon," Steam answered, massaging the palm of his right hand. "Nareish is reviving some old enemies and there's a good chance we don't have who we need to face them alone."

"And you're planning on fighting in that state? You're practically stumbling over your own feet," Sona muttered, narrowing her eyes. "I'll help if I can, but the safety of Locke's kids is my first priority. Surely you get that."

Steam understood what Sona was doing, not giving him a chance to argue against her. Something many people tried to make use of in his days as a mercenary. "I get that, but understand that if nobody else can fight, someone has to."

Sona shook her head in dismay. "You'll die."

The hedgehog muttered something under his breath. "I trust you'll show up if possible," he said as he turned away. Steam jumped in surprise when she grabbed him by the shoulder, roughly turning him around.

"If I find your dead body on a battlefield, I will tell Ylden to drag your soul out of hell so I can beat you senseless. You're being a fucking moron by thinking you can throw yourself at every threat. Now get out of my face." Sona shoved him away, her grip on her weapon tightening. "Or I will send you back to Mobius on my own."

Steam rubbed his shoulder lightly before teleporting away. He knew her life as a criminal had hardened her, but he always found it hard to get along with her. Even still… she'd seen through him just like Cere had. That bothered him, even as he approached where he could sense Locke.

The echidna was seated on Mobius's moon, facing away from the planet as though keeping watch. He sat with arms and legs crossed and eyes closed, but that didn't stop him from sensing Steam's approach. "Did you need something?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Steam answered, moving closer and sitting by him. "Nareish is bringing back some of our old enemies, and I think that there's a lot more to come."

Locke's eyes snapped open and he regarded Steam with a mixture of wariness and anger. "Which enemies, exactly?"

"So far, Mephiles and Iblis, from the timeline Silver and Blaze are from. I'm worried she'll bring back people like the Metarex or Ix and Shade, but I'm most concerned with her reviving Chaos and Dark Gaia."

"...I'm going to go ahead and assume that she's not going to leave them at the same level of strength they used to have," Locke said through gritted teeth. Looking away, he took in a breath and forced his body to relax to a degree. "If that's the case, we may be just as unprepared to face those threats as we were back then."

Steam nodded. "We'd wipe them out otherwise," he added. "On top of that, we're missing so many of the people we could really use for fights like what's coming. I'm not sure what to do."

"Who exactly are you missing?" Locke asked him. "I heard that some abnormal magical crap was going on, but I didn't think I needed to investigate it."

"I know most want her away from them, but Eila is out of commission. Rose went to Analia because her Light was dimming, Silver lost access to his powers… Blaze doesn't have her special fire that would be nice right now. Toru's not around because his sister is paralyzed, Kath has been sick. Jet needs to stay by Kaden to keep that trap up, as well as protect him, and Sonic and Sein are needed there to make sure that he doesn't ignore his need to eat and sleep," Steam murmured. "We're left with a lot of people that… can't fight some of these big threats well, outside of Espio's family, Wave, and Armaris. I talked to Cere, but there's no guarantee the other Gods and Goddesses can show up if something happens."

"I'll be here," Locke told him simply. "I can't promise I'll be enough, but I'll be here. When anything starts to go down, I'll do whatever I can to help."

Steam nodded. "Mephiles and Iblis… I don't know how much you can help there, but I should be able to deal with Mephiles alone."

"This won't be a situation where fighting fire with fire will work out," Locke agreed. "But if nothing else, I can keep that thing's fire at bay. Otherwise, it might as well have free reign to melt anything it wants."

"And I can't fight Mephiles with that thing freely attacking things," Steam muttered. "Even if fire and lava don't bother me that much, I still have to worry about being slowed down and dealing with concussive forces."

"There's an old Goddess, Yareis… She controls all things cold." Locke looked over at Steam. "She's the ideal foe for a beast that likes things hot."

Steam nodded slowly. "As far as I can tell, though… they've been asked to stay hands-off. Otherwise, with her temperament, she'd have shown up a lot more."

Locke shook his head. "Not entirely hands-off, no. They're allowed to help when things get too dire. I get the feeling that that's the road we're going to wind up travelling down before too much longer."

It's times like this where I'd like to speak to the Faein… Steam sighed a little and let his head rest on his knees. "Wish I could stop it from going that way, but there's so little I can do against a false Immortal."

"The best any of us can do right now is gear up and get ready," Locke told him. "Later on, when Jet and his parents aren't as tightly bound to Mobius like they are right now, we'll be able to take a more offensive stance. For now, we have to focus on defense. It's just the way things are."

"I have a really fucking stupid idea," Steam said suddenly. "I think I know how to make it work… but it's way too risky."

"Well, go on, then," the older man invited. "Tell me your 'stupid' idea."

Steam turned his attention to Locke. "I want to try and convince Zareil to form a temporary truce with us. Nareish is likely going to unleash some stuff that will interfere with her plans… so I think it's possible to talk her into it."

At this, Locke gained a thoughtful frown. "I'm not sure how well that would work… But I guess it's possible that somehow it might."

"She's gonna want to negotiate some form of terms that will give her an advantage on us if we try to cross her, I know… but I don't know what to say to get her to agree. It's likely that if I can't come up with something good, she'd just wait until we're desperate and force us into agreeing with her."

"I don't have a solution, either," Locke admitted with a shrug. "It's something you may have to come up with on your own. You know better than I do what might work with her and what won't."

Steam laid back, staring quietly into space for a few seconds. "She's gonna want to corrupt someone… I can't just… willingly let that happen. I just know that's what she'll want."

"I can't say you're wrong… It's a legitimate concern to have," Locke nodded slowly.

"I'll think on it some more, I guess. I have to try and talk to Yareis now and hope she doesn't impale me because I have a fire power," Steam muttered.

Locke let out a laugh. "Best of luck to you, kid. If nothing else, maybe try mentioning that you're an ally of Kath's. She seems to have taken a liking to him."

"Worst case scenario, she does impale me but someone stops her from going further," Steam said, already pushing himself to stand. "I've been through worse. Fight with Zareil had me bedridden for a while longer than I would've liked."

"Just take it easy, whatever happens." With that said, Locke closed his eyes again. A second later, he added, "Oh, and try to get in a nap or something after you're done. You look like you could use the shut-eye."

"I'm starting to think I won't have time," Steam murmured. "I've been struggling to get everything as ready as I have been."

"And no matter how ready you get everyone else, it won't make a lick of difference if you're so tired you can't walk a straight line," Locke countered easily. He gave Steam a look. "Just try and do what you can for yourself whenever you do find the time. That's all I'm saying."

"I'll… try," Steam answered. "I'm off to talk to Yareis. Thanks for the talk, Locke."

"Anytime, kid."

~保護者~

"Tell me about yourself, then."

Upon hearing this invitation, Wave smiled to herself. She was seated in a miniature library-esque room near Kath's bedroom with Alana. The man was asleep right now, thankfully. The two women had worked together over the past several days, making sure he took his medicine, ate when his nausea was down enough for him to do so. With him asleep, they had time on their hands. Neither wanted to go too far away, just in case he woke up, so they had decided to talk. After all, they had never spoken terribly much before.

"Alright. Well, I'm honestly not complicated. For the most part, anyway." Wave drew her legs up onto the cushion of the couch she was on, crossing them comfortably. "For my whole life, I've loved inventing things and participating in air and water sports. I love to tinker, make new tech, race, swim, and that sort of thing. What about you? What do you like to do?"

Alana gave her a smile of her own. It was small, but genuine. It reminded Wave a lot of Jet's smiles. "I have always loved to draw," she said. "When I was a child, I carried a sketchbook and pencil with me almost everywhere I went. Since Father typically only draws when it is related to something he is studying, I learned to draw for the sake of creativity from my mother. I loved spending time with her in her room, just creating pictures with one another."

"That sounds wonderful," Wave murmured. "I've never had the pleasure of learning much about Queen Laralei, but from what I have heard… she seems like such an amazing person."

"She was." Alana's smile was a touch wistful and sad now, but she kept her tone light. "What of your parents? Did you pick up either of your hobbies from them?"

"Oh, absolutely. They were both famous inventors on Babylon back in the day, from what I was told." Wave though about that, then tilted her head. "Actually, I'm curious now. In your timeline, did you ever hear of Han and Mara?"

Recognition lit up in Alana's eyes. "I did," was the quick reply. "They worked in the palace sometimes, with my parents. Mara, your mother, she helped to invent our 'hoverbikes'. Supposedly, she helped to name them, as well. The story goes that she picked the name 'sparrow' as a way to pay homage to a deceased friend of hers who was himself a sparrow."

Wave's eyes were wide. "...I… I never knew that. She… never told me."

"Perhaps it was too hard," Alana answered gently. "After fleeing the destruction of our home… many of us struggled to think of or talk about anything to do with it for many years."

"...You're right." Wave took in a breath, letting go of a twinge of sadness that threatened to rise up in her. The more she let herself dwell on the loss of her mother, the worse it would be. Better to linger on happier thoughts… such as her mother's apparent early success as an inventor. Way to go, mom. "I am curious about something now, though. Sparrows have been around since before even your dad was born, right?"

"Correct," Alana nodded. Then, correctly guessing what Wave would ask next, she continued. "It was never any secret to anyone that Han was a Hexan and not a Babylonian. It was a point of contention for some, since most Hexans are not exactly… friendly, but the fact remains that everyone who knew him knew what race he was. Now, Hexans are remarkable for the sheer amount of magic they possess, are they not?"

"It helps that our race's entire home realm is comprised of raw magic in and of itself," Wave explained. "We, pureblooded Hexans especially, are born of that energy as much as we are born of biological entities."

Alana inclined her head. "Using that magic, Hexans are one of but a few races capable of tying life forces together. An individual may tie one or two life forces to their own, meaning that so long as the original person remains alive the other person cannot die from certain natural forces. Those being old age, illness, exhaustion, or the like. However, external forces such as bleeding, burning, suffocation, and the like can sever the bond and end a life regardless."

Wave looked down. "...Or drowning."

Sighing, Alana nodded again. "Yes. That would be enough, as well." A moment was all Wave allowed herself to take to dwell before she collected herself again. Only once she had done that did Alana ask a new question. "You said you enjoy sports?"

Grateful for the change of subject, Wave answered, "Yeah. They were always fun, especially since no powers were ever allowed and I enjoyed the challenge. I used to play water-related sports professionally, a long time ago. One of my favorites was volleyball, but played waist-deep in water. It made movement a bit harder, but it was fun."

"You mentioned 'air sports' as well," Alana said. "What did you mean by that?"

Finally, Wave's smile returned. "Oh, that. Well, you see, our friend Sonic was an absolutely whizz with old tech. The kind that was around way before this era. He built his own little propeller plane as a kid, for example. As a teenager, he invented a hoverboard type device that runs on air. So long as there's air, it'll have power. With Jet's help, he ended up coming up with the name Extreme Gear for it."

Now that caught Alana's interest. "Jet was involved with this?"

"Yep, and more than a little bit," Wave answered happily. "Sonic eventually made a board for him, then later me and a guy we knew named storm. Eventually, after a series of events I don't feel like regalling you with right now, Extreme Gear racing became a huge sport for Mobius. For a while, Sonic raced with us, but he stopped when he and Jet were around sixteen. But Jet, Storm, and I kept at it for a really long time, and we were a team. We had a blast, and I miss doing it."

"That does sound like fun," Alana murmured, her voice light. "I imagine my husband would have quite loved a sport like that as well, had he and I ever come across it."

"Well, if nothing else," Wave offered, "I do still have tons of old recordings of our races. Maybe you guys can experience it that way, at least at some point."

Alana flashed her another brief smile. "I would like that." She stood then, almost apologetically. "I should go and check on my father again, and then I would like to get in contact with Sein to check on him and Jet. If you do not find yourself busy when I have finished, I would enjoy talking with you some more."

"Of course," Wave responded. "I'd like that, too."

Nodding, Alana turned and slipped out of the room.

~保護者~

More flashbacks had been plaguing Shadow since returning to his home after his brief travel with Toru to the hive's territory. They hadn't spent long there, mostly since he'd refused to. He'd gotten just enough information to confirm the facts that Amy and Tails had discovered on their own, then he'd taken Toru and left. Ever since, he'd been home alone, catching up on as much rest as he could in between bouts of nightmarish surges of memories. The most recent onslaught had him pacing a bit in his room, too restless to sit or lay down or even really do anything else.

Aside from pacing, he'd spent a portion of the last hour or so messaging back and forth with Tails. Usually, neither of them texted much. Shadow did it even less than Tails and had a much worse reputation for often failing to answer messages - something Tails only ever did when he was too absorbed in his work to notice said messages being received. But every once in a while the two of them would find themselves wrapped up in a conversation via text. Now was one of those times.

Tails:

She's gonna stay a couple of days, from what they were saying. Whatever she decides to do, I'll support her. It's her life, you know? She shouldn't have to sacrifice it fighting our battles with us.

Shadow:

This war is everyone's battle, Tails. If it is lost, everyone will eventually perish. But… it is her choice, like you said.

Tails:

Yeah. Anyway, I'm gonna switch subjects now. I know you said you're fine, but my readings on you on the bio-mon are still showing that you're pretty jittery and restless. Are you sure you're okay? The medicine isn't wearing off, is it?

Shadow:

It isn't. I took it when I was supposed to.

Tails:

Avoiding the question doesn't work on me, remember? Just tell me, it'll be faster than trying to outlast me in terms of stubbornness here.

Shadow:

I hate you.

Tails:

Nahhh.

Shadow:

I mentioned those flashbacks to you yesterday. More have been happening today.

Tails:

Oh, crap. Were they really bad this time, or were there just a lot of them?

Shadow:

I don't… know, exactly.

Tails:

That's understandable. You're probably subconsciously trying to block it all out again. Listen, remember those methods for stress management that your mom and Locke were always working on with Kaden in the past? I know you learned some of them, too, since you tried to help your dad out as much as you could as well. Using some of those techniques on yourself might be good here.

Shadow:

If I have to, I will attempt it.

Tails:

That's all I ask. Now, more importantly, does Toru know about any of this?

Now Shadow was frowning to himself as he typed.

Shadow:

No. He has enough to deal with. I am not interested in giving him more to be concerned over.

Tails:

I understand where you're coming from, but I'd hazard a guess that he'd prefer to know. He seems to care a lot, you know.

Shadow:

Then I will tell him some other time. Preferably after his sister recovers.

Tails:

I don't know… I still feel like telling him sooner than that would be a good idea, is all. But I won't tell you what you should and shouldn't do, don't worry. On another subject, I got some more of Gerald's files recovered. Well, more like Wery did and I helped, haha. You should be proud of me, though… I recovered a super pixelated photograph all by myself!

Shadow:

I'm applauding you as we speak.

Tails:

You'd better be! Haha. Anyway, I'll send them over for you to look at. I'll work on trying to recover more while Wery's gone. And, on that note, I'm gonna go ahead and go. I have a bunch of things to work on on top of those files.

Shadow:

Alright.

Shadow turned off his communicator's screen and tossed the device onto his bed. He soon laid down next to it, arms behind his head as he stared distantly at the ceiling. A bit of time was spent debating whether or not he actually wanted to see any of those files for himself, but eventually he decided to just do it and get it over with.

He mentally connected to his communicator this time, as opposed to physically picking it up, and opened the last message Tails had sent following his own last message. From there, he opened the various files he'd received. Sure enough, there was a highly pixelated photo there. So bad was the pixelation, in fact, that he had to really sit there and scrutinize the thing for a time before he was able to start making sense of what he was viewing. Unless he was mistaken, it honestly looked like some terribly old photo of none other than Black Doom him… or itself.

Scoffing, Shadow closed that file (he didn't bother reading any of its contents in-depth, since it was mostly just descriptions of the image and the creature within it that Gerald had written). The next file had no images, just a bit of text that he soon resigned himself to reading.

I am unable to create more of them. If I am to have any chance of one day possessing more weapons, I must perfect the first one. Genetic editing is a must… the traits I require this individual to possess are not as prevalent in both "parents" as I had hoped. This weapon must be cunning, vicious, cold, and unempathetic. In modifying the genetic code, I may be able to make the creature more predisposed to such an emotional and mental state. The rest will be up to how it is raised and trained.

The previously small frown Shadow had been wearing grew deeper. He wasn't sure what to think about what he'd just read, despite having known already that these things had been done. He lingered on the paragraph for a time, for the millionth time almost agonizing over the fact that he had been fucking engineered. Unlike everyone else on the fucking planet, he wasn't his own person. He was what Gerald had wanted him to be.

Those thoughts swirled around and around for an indeterminate amount of time before he finally forced them to go away. They were shoved back and down right alongside many of his old memories where hoped they would remain until the end of time. Not that he held out that much hope. Distraction would be good right about now, but he settled for continuing to read instead. A separate paragraph of notes was below the first.

Such barbaric beasts. Their leader initiated some sort of a ritual, so far as I could tell. The group of creatures involved in it fought until they were all dead, and then the blood was collected. For what, I don't yet know. This level of savagery will be perfect, provided I am able to find a means to channel it. I do not want a mere animal. I want a weapon.

That was the end of that file. Everything else was still damaged and corrupted. Shadow closed it, not allowing himself to dwell on these words like he had with the last ones. He opened the next file, which had decidedly more writing than the others had.

The hive appears to be, in some instinctual form, almost religious. Their leader was the very first of their kind. They view this creature as the ultimate authority in their pseudo-society. The degree of loyalty they display in regards to the leader is almost impossibly high. When receiving orders, they are unfailingly obedient. It matters not whether or not the hive mind is being utilized to force the hive to behave in a certain manner. Even when such a thing is not being done, they obey.

Their ritualistic and ceremonial behaviors have almost religious undertones as well. I still have yet to understand what these activities entail or what purpose they serve, but there is no denying the way they appear to outsiders.

That they all involve blood is unsurprising. It is what gives their species the ability to reproduce. Many primitive cultures celebrate that which gives them life. This, however, is taken to an entirely new level with this race. Their celebration (if it can be called that) of the substance is to the point of obsession. They obsess over ritualistic and ceremonial injury (both self-inflicted and inflicted upon others), bloodletting, blood collecting, and even death. Even their leader seems to partake, though I do not know how often or to what extent.

I must take measures to ensure that my creation is not plagued by such flawed instincts. It must be loyal only to me, and I cannot have it distracted by the desire to waste time on behaviors such as these. If it is possible, I will purge these behaviors and instincts from it entirely.

All in all, this whole set of notes had turned out to be decidedly more disturbing than Shadow anticipated. Not so much what had been directly stated, but what had been implied. Namely, the fact that it was possible Gerald hadn't purged those instincts and whatever else. If he hadn't, that meant Shadow would one day have a whole new level of shit to contend with regarding his fucked up heritage. Which was… far from a pleasant thought.

For better or for worse, that file was the last one Tails had sent him. Shadow grappled with the thought of maybe telling Toru about what he'd just read. Mostly, he didn't want to. He would have greatly preferred not saying anything at all, just in case this turned out to be nothing either of them needed to worry about.

Despite his thoughts, he got up out of bed and collected his teleporter off of his nightstand. Purely out of habit, he grabbed his communicator and strapped it to his wrist before activating the teleporter. He arrived on New Babylon an instant later. He hadn't come with any intention of discussing anything that was on his mind (which was now both the flashbacks and the files collectively), but rather to check up on Toru, of course, his sister. It had been a couple of days, after all, and he wanted to see for himself that they were alright.

With that in mind, he went into the palace and made the long journey from the bottom floor to the floor with the medical ward where Myriu was being kept. Upon reaching that floor, he slipped into the ward and moments later into the room in question. Since he sensed Toru was indeed in there currently, he didn't hesitate to go in, though he did so quietly just in case one or both of the siblings were asleep.

With that in mind, he went into the palace and made the long journey from the bottom floor to the floor with the medical ward where Myriu was being kept. Upon reaching that floor, he slipped into the ward and moments later into the room in question. Since he sensed Toru was indeed in there currently, he didn't hesitate to go in, though he did so quietly just in case one or both of the siblings were asleep.

Toru's gaze was on him immediately and he sat up, meeting Shadow and pulling him a short distance away. "Don't wanna wake her up…" he murmured softly.

Shadow nodded his understanding. "How is she?" he asked just as quietly.

"Still freaked out," Toru answered. "This has her really worried… for obvious reasons."

Another nod. After a brief pause, Shadow asked more pointedly, "How are you doing?"

Toru looked away with a sigh. "Worried out of my mind. Irritated. Pissed off. Plenty of other things."

That was all perfectly reasonable, and about what Shadow had expected to hear. "Have you eaten or slept?"

"Not in the past couple of days, no," Toru admitted. "I don't want those fuckers to have a chance at hurting her."

In response to that, Shadow silently dragged a chair over and sat down in it. "Then I am staying here while you get yourself some food, if nothing else."

"You came here for a reason," Toru interjected. "What's up?"

"To check on you," Shadow answered simply. It was mostly the truth, after all.

Toru raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

Though he shrugged, Shadow did reveal just a tiny bit more. "I couldn't sleep. Being busy with something else is preferable to pacing in my room."

"What's keeping you up?" Toru questioned, taking a chair and sitting by him.

Since it also wasn't a total lie, Shadow opted for another partial truth. "I have always had issues with sleep. It is nothing unusual."

Toru sighed. "Alright then." He leaned back in the chair, frowning. "Steam's been checking in with me a lot, too," he revealed.

Shadow blinked. "I am not surprised. He seems to do that with most people."

The chameleon shrugged easily. "It's whatever. How are Tails and Wery doing?"

"Tails is fine," Shadow shrugged. "He seems worried about Wery, however. She is with her parents for now."

"Hm? She get bugged by the last battle and go home?" Toru asked. "Didn't seem like that kind of girl, but she was easily frightened by things."

"Tails did not go into specifics," Shadow answered. "All he said was that she was speaking with them and may return in a couple of days."

"Well, it would be good if she does. Tails seems to benefit from having her around, and vice versa."

"He has a tendency to run himself ragged, trying to be everywhere and do everything for everyone," Shadow frowned. "With her around, there is less strain on him to behave in such a manner. However, he is concerned that being thrown into this will prove to be too much for her. It is a legitimate concern."

Toru weighed the information he'd been given with what he knew before coming to a conclusion. "She's had it pretty easy lately, if I'm honest. That, and she's adapting well. When we first saw her, she seemed to jump at the light casting her shadow. Now she's only shivering at the sight of demons."

Shadow nodded slowly. "She has also been sheltered, for the most part, from much of the horror of this war. We cannot guarantee her that safety forever."

"As long as it's her decision… her fate is her choice," Toru murmured. "She's smart. If she comes back, it'll be for good. Whether that turns into her death… who knows."

Before Shadow could voice a reply, his communicator vibrated on his wrist. For once, he opted to check the message. Lighting up the screen, he saw it was Tails and he was quick to respond.

Tails:

Hey, did you read those files yet? Just wanted to know, since I have a second to be bored and curious.

Shadow:

Yes.

Tails:

Great.

No reply came to that. Shadow silently huffed. Toru raised an eyebrow. "So… gonna tell me what that's about or make me find out myself?"

Even though he'd hoped that this wouldn't get brought up, Shadow saw no other choice but to relent at this point. "He sent me more of Gerald's old files to read."

Toru frowned a bit at this, not necessarily liking that idea. "About the Black Arms?" Shadow reluctantly nodded. "I assume that's part of why you came here, then?"

"I hadn't wanted to discuss it," Shadow grumbled.

"Not gonna make you talk to me about it, but it obviously bothered you. I'm here, you know. You can talk to me," Toru murmured.

Shadow thought about what he wanted to do for a few moments before turning his communicator's screen back on. He re-opened the files and passed the device over for Toru to see. "I did not… like what I read," he admitted as he relinquished his hold on it.

Toru quietly read over the files, a slowly growing frown on his face. "This… this guy was a fucking menace. Who the hell can think like that and still consider themselves a person?" Shadow only shrugged. The chameleon looked back at the device for a moment. "He really… thought of you as a weapon…"

"That has never been a secret," Shadow responded, looking away. "It is what I was built for."

"Fuck this guy," Toru muttered. "While I don't like the Black Arms, there's no reason to talk shit about another race's customs."

"It may be warranted, in this case," Shadow muttered back.

Toru sighed. "Even then, the way he views them is obviously just as fucking tools. He's worse than my mother was."

"It is how he always was," Shadow shrugged. To him it was just… normal. It took a second for him to abruptly recall that it wasn't.

The chameleon looked to Shadow sharply. "Know this, and you better be listening damn well. You're more than a tool or a weapon. Anyone who says otherwise can be on the receiving end of my tachi."

"I am more weapon than anything else," Shadow responded with a faint scowl. He hadn't meant to say that aloud, but something about Toru's words and the shift in his tone had just forced the words out somehow. "That is how it is. Merely saying otherwise does not change the truth."

Toru wrapped Shadow up in a tight hug quickly. "No, you're so much more than that. I'll do whatever I have to do to prove it to you." The suddenness of the hug started Shadow into silence, enough so that he stopped arguing entirely for the moment. Toru hugged just a little bit tighter. "I promise you're more than a weapon…"

Shadow let out the breath he'd been holding in and he frowned to himself. "Why does this matter so much to you?" he found himself asking.

"You matter to me, dammit," Toru muttered. "You're one of the people I care about most in life, right next to my sister. I think about you every day and night, so yeah. It matters to me."

In an effort to hide his other emotions, Shadow grumbled some vague reply but otherwise kept quiet. Toru eventually let go, slipping back into his chair carefully. Shadow adjusted his position in his own seat and allowed himself a few moments to think. Eventually, he made another admission. "I am not… used to people caring. Not like this."

"Get used to it," Toru muttered. "I'm not going away, no matter how hard you try to get rid of me."

At this, Shadow shook his head, trying to find a way to voice what he was thinking. "I only meant that I am still… trying to adapt. I do not mean to keep upsetting you with this."

Toru snickered, shaking his head. "I'm saying it like that because the gentility thing doesn't work with you. I sometimes have to beat it into your stubborn head."

"That is not the point," Shadow sighed, looking away.

"My point is that you're doing fine," Toru said softly. "I'm not getting upset. We're both learning and that's fine."

Shadow opted to just nod a little in response. Silence settled that was rather calm, but it only lasted a moment before he broke it. "I was serious when I told you to eat and sleep."

Toru huffed at him. "Fine. Just… let me check on Myriu one more time. I want to make sure she's actually asleep."

"Fine, then."

~保護者~

"...I'm bored," Cyril murmured, leaning back in his chair further to the point where he was almost lying on it. He was in Eila's home still, and Wave had come for a visit (more to him than Eila, of course).

"How can you possibly be bored right now?" the aforementioned woman asked with a frown. "We're still busy with this, you know."

Cyril sighed. "I miss being a showman," the finch answered. "Getting to make kids smile as they watch magic they've never seen do unspeakable things. That's what I live for, you know?"

"I do. Believe me, I know." Wave sighed, exasperated, and used her aura to forcibly lift him out of his slouch. "But if you don't stop wallowing long enough to figure out how to make use of your magic here, there won't be any kids - or anyone else for that matter - left on this world to entertain."

"That's really dark, Wave," Cyril commented, shivering. "But regardless, I don't get it. All I've got is cards. I don't know how I can use it to help with what's going on right now."

"It may be dark, but that's the reality of this situation," Wave sighed. "And, anyway, you and your cards are exactly why I'm here, Cyril. I said I sensed deeper magic in you, and I meant it. That you can utilize magic in a way that's never been seen before means that there's something special about you and your power. You just need to find a way to see that for yourself."

Eila decided now was the time to speak up, as she'd been silent this entire time. Wave glanced her way, but kept herself calm with practiced ease. Any beefs she had with this woman on Jet's behalf could be dealt with, away from here and in private, at a later time. She wasn't looking for any sort of confrontation. "If it helps any… I sense it, too. The wells of power your magic draws from are insane. I haven't seen something like that in my life, as far as I remember."

Cyril shrugged, unsure. "I just… I don't know how I would even try."

"How do you normally access your magic?" Wave prompted. "Do what you usually do, but dig deeper. Don't just pull from the surface."

The finch sighed and stood up, glancing between his card decks. "I always just… take a card out and it kinda became second nature to want it to activate."

"Second nature is a method our bodies and minds use to automate a function," Eila murmured. "Instead, do it manually. Think your way through the process and do every step yourself, alongside what Wave said. If you notice anything you don't believe that you've seen or felt before, keep it in mind."

"Be deliberate in whatever you're doing," Wave agreed. "That's the key here. That, and focusing. Being dramatic isn't the key right now."

Cyril rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, I understand. None of my… usual stuff." The finch pulled one of his tarot cards and eyed it quietly for a moment frowning. "Eesh… what a time for Death…" He flipped it around between his fingers for a moment before his shoulders slouched. "I don't… I don't get it."

"Get what?" Wave asked, hoping to get something more detailed out of him. "Walk us through it."

"Well… usually I just pull the card out and know what it's gonna do. I did that, and… well, I might have activated that one power I told you about just because it might help this make more sense. For once, though… I don't know what exactly it's gonna do," Cyril murmured.

"What does that card usually do, then? Start there," Eila prompted.

Cyril shrugged. "Usually it's something that heals people. Even when I look at it, though, there's some sort of mystery behind it this time. Something I can't quite… explain."

"A mystery…?" Wave repeated in undertone, more to herself than to either of them. "How odd…"

Eila shrugged lightly. "Well… you went through most of your steps, right? If you're ready, activate it. Maybe you'll get more insight."

"You sure?" Cyril looked between both of them. "I don't want something bad to happen."

"Go for it," Wave agreed right away. "We'll never get any further information about what's going on if you don't give this a shot."

The finch took a deep breath and flipped the card around, letting it activate and burn away in his hand. His eyes widened and he turned to Wave quickly. "Not much time. Where's Toru and his sister?"

Though surprised that he even knew who they were, Wave answered, "New Babylon, in the medical ward on the top floor. Why?"

"Bring Eila there. Now," he said quickly, throwing a metal card down and dropping through the portal that formed under his feet. Cyril landed on the top floor of the palace and bolted into the medical ward.

Now utterly perplexed, Wave stood up. She regarded the vanishing portal for just a second before walking to Eila. "Sorry about this." With no further warning, she scooped the cat up and quickly jumped through the portal after her friend. Though Eila seriously disliked being touched suddenly, she didn't complain this time. Wave was nice enough to be civil about it, and the situation seemed… important, to say the least. Her gaze trained on Cyril who was rapidly trying to explain something to Toru and she idly motioned with her head for Wave to head that way. Taking the hint, Wave hurried in that direction.

Cyril turned to Wave and Eila and extended his hand, setting it on Eila's forehead while his other went to Myriu's. Toru seemed ready to cut his head off until he saw what was happening. Eila's body suddenly was returning to normal and Myriu was able to react by moving away. Eila removed herself gently from Wave's grasp and stood on her own, eyes widening in shock. Wave let her go immediately and took a step back. "How the hell…?"

Toru frowned. "What did you just do?"

"Magic."

Wave nearly face-palmed. "Cyril, this isn't some performance. You can and should reveal your secrets here, just a bit."

"You're absolutely right," Cyril said. "The thing is, it was all the magic. I used the card and it told me what to do. I knew right away what I could do, but I didn't have much time."

Toru cut in quickly. "Hold on. Card? Magic? The hell are you on about?"

That earned a sigh from Wave. "He uses cards as a means of channeling his magic. He always has. This time, he managed to use that magic in a new way, to counter the magic she," Wave gestured to Myriu, "and Eila were suffering from. So, essentially, he healed them."

Myriu crawled over to Cyril and inspected him. "You're… odd, but thank you."

Cyril smiled gently to her. "It's no problem. I'll always take a chance to help people when I can."

"You can move fully now, right sweetie?" Wave gently asked. With a chameleon, she knew such gentility wasn't normally needed or wanted, but at the same time… She's a child, chameleon or not. Suddenly being paralyzed would be terrifying to a kid of any race.

The young chameleon nodded slowly, standing up. "I don't feel any sort of… stiffness." Her arms wrapped around one of Toru's, and the man carefully hugged her close to him.

"I'm glad to hear it." Wave managed a brief but fleeting smile. "Toru, I think it's safe to head back to Mobius with her. I doubt anything else is going to happen now. She should be fine."

Toru nodded slowly, then turned his attention to Cyril. "Thank you for healing her. It means a lot."

Cyril's grin was unmistakable. "Glad to help. Now, go on home. You can relax a bit."

Before Toru could go, however, Wave quickly spoke back up. "I don't know exactly what's been going on with him," she warned, "but I think Shadow's being affected by some similar magic, too. I tend to make a habit of keeping my mind open to our friends so that I can detect signs of distress without reading anyone's thoughts. It's not normal for him to be the way he's been for the past few days. You might want to keep an eye on him, especially if he's bottling things up."

"I'll do that," Toru murmured. "See if I can't get him to talk to me. Anything else?"

"Just let Tails or Sonic know if something somehow gets worse with him," Wave answered. "They're usually able to help with that sort of thing."

Toru nodded once before teleporting away. Cyril looked over at Wave with a smile. "Just to note, I think there… might be a way for me to use my magic outside of the cards. Not sure why, but it's a hunch."

"It would make sense," Wave shrugged. "Magic doesn't usually need a conduit, not when the person using it is this strong. I think you'll figure something out."

Eila nodded. "We can work together on that, for sure." Her gaze shifted to Wave briefly. "Before you leave, though… I have something I need to give you. It's important that it's not in my hands anymore."

Wave turned to face her. "I'm listening," she invited.

The cat's gaze shifted to Cyril briefly, who seemed confused, before moving back to Wave. "From my time as… Astra… there were a lot of notes I kept. Things I wrote down so I wouldn't forget. I've compiled everything into a few books as best I could, and I want someone trustworthy to handle it. Nobody should be allowed to have that knowledge, but in the right hands… it could be used to help stop those who do gain it in other ways."

Blue eyes sharpened. "I'll take them," Wave agreed immediately. "Are the books themselves corrupted, or are they safe to touch?"

"I destroyed the corrupted books I got my hands on. These were created in the time that I've been purified," Eila murmured. "Unless Light magic will hurt to touch, then it should be safe."

"That'll be fine," Wave nodded. "I'll take them away, where people can't find them."

Eila nodded as well. "I would also wish to have the knowledge removed from my mind… but I don't know anyone who could. There's other complications… but that can be discussed another time. I assume you have things you need to do."

"Not too many things… but I have people I need to check on," Wave murmured. She took special care not to mention who, not wanting to create trouble right now. "If you have need of it, we can speak another time."

"I'll keep that in mind." Eila started to leave before returning her attention to Wave. "One more thing… I can sense how you feel about me. For as little as it might be worth... I'm sorry for what I became and did as Astra. I have no intention of returning to that life, even if it gets me killed."

Wave looked over, meeting Eila's gaze steadily. "Your actions since your purification say more to me than I expected they would. But I'm not upset about that. I want you to prove my misgivings wrong, Eila. I want you to prove me wrong. I can't promise forgiveness right now, but that doesn't mean I wish harm upon you. I don't wish for your death, either. There are people who care about you and who need you. Don't let yourself lose sight of that."

Though Eila wanted to say something, she couldn't find the words to say. Cyril seemed to pick up on this and chose to speak, wrapping an arm around the cat's shoulders. "I'm sure she's gonna surprise everyone way more than I could ever manage. Especially now that she can start doing things again."

In response, Wave nodded a little before saying, "On another note… Cyril, I want you to keep playing around with your magic, alright? If you're able to heal anyone else who's been hit with that magic, we'll all be better off." With that, she gathered her aura in preparation to teleport. "I'm off to see the trap, make sure things are alright. See you, Cyril." She vanished not a second later.

Cyril waved a hearty farewell before looking to Eila. "Shall we get going, my fair maiden?"

Eila sighed briefly. "You'll never change."

"Not my forte," Cyril answered. "I live to drum up the hullabaloo that we call life!"

"Please for the love of all that is not fucking insane, be quiet," Eila muttered.

Cyril winked. "No can do." And with that, he created a portal under their feet with a smile. Seems like I can make a difference once again.

~保護者~

14,580 words this time. Whew, this was a long one! Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Posted (at about 12:00 p.m.) 12-23-20.