Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this tense time… especially for the one who wants to make a deal.

~保護者~

"Deal With the Devil"

~保護者~

I fear we will need to return to sleep soon if we are not careful," Aethra murmured with a sigh. "We awoke early and have not yet fully recovered from our collective actions during the dawn. If we attempt to use as much power as we used on those realms a second time, we will be forced to return to rest. We must be careful. I do not wish to leave our young heroes to fend for themselves again."

"There is a chance that may not be necessary," Rusen replied, looking into the vastness of space. "Our young Balancer has begun to catch the eyes of our ancient friends. Not only that, but he has begun formulating plans."

"Nareish continues to be a menace," Aethra answered softly. "Should she do too much, he will not be enough."

"That is true… but he does wish to speak to us. Should we allow him to?"

"I do not believe any harm will come of it… but there is so little that we will be at liberty to share with him."

Rusen nodded. "It may be more for his comfort than his knowledge. He may also seek a touch of our aid, and I am willing to hear him out, should he wish to ask."

"I am willing to listen to his request as well," Aethra agreed. "Much troubles him, as of late."

"He performed admirably during the first wave of attacks, but now he is placing needless strain on himself. He is beginning to miss small details that would aid him greatly," Rusen said softly.

Aethra nodded slowly. "He is not the only one who I am worried about currently," she admitted. "Several of his allies have my concern as well."

"Of course. Who would you like to discuss first?"

"You have me lead our conversations too often, friend. I would like to hear your thoughts, to start."

Rusen shook his head lightly as if amused. "My sights have trained on the child of Sonic, Silver. Seeing him lose access to his powers has troubled me."

"It troubled me as well," Aethra said. "It devastated him once before already, to lose what he views as the only piece of his mother that he has left. I am pleased that it did not hurt him as deeply this time, but the pain remains."

"His wife as well," Rusen continued. "Losing access to that incredible fire she was gifted, as well as the knowledge she carried of her former mentor's fighting techniques…"

"That last bit… it has not even come to light yet. I worry how she will handle it when she discovers the truth." Aethra sighed faintly.

Rusen nodded slowly. "That is… true. She may handle it well, but it will trouble her, surely."

"Most likely, yes." Aethra let out another breath. "Who else is concerning you?"

"You truly intend for me to lead this conversation?" Rusen dared to ask.

At this, Aethra smiled. "Indeed."

Rusen huffed. "Eila… she has been dragging herself through the mud recently. I worry she may not recover if this mentality continues."

"That is so. She and her sister have been through much… and their journeys are far from over."

"Rose has been in a critical state for some time. All that needed to occur was for something to strike at it. However… she is on a path to recovery. That much is good."

"It is." Aethra closed her eyes. "I do not worry so much for their friend, however… he is discovering himself - right on schedule, as it were."

"That he is. His awakening is a crucial moment. I believe our dear balancer has been waiting for this as well, if only he knew," Rusen murmured.

"Our Mistress of Fates will be visiting him soon," Aethra suddenly said, "alongside several others. Perhaps they can answer more of the questions he has before he comes to us. It may provide him some measure of relief until he arrives here."

Rusen nodded. "Another matter… Kial. The one of mythical beasts. He has been a touch stressed lately due to not being able to see his friends and loved one."

"Yes… the man does continually find himself taking care of matters all alone. Not unlike dear Locke." Aethra shook her head slowly. "They have grown far too used to being apart from others. It will take time for them to relearn what it is to be part of a group."

Rusen turned and decided to watch a different section of space. "Tails has found himself a great partner to work with. They meshed as well as I expected."

"They do well together," Aethra replied. "I am happy that they do."

"I do not enjoy the potential that Wery might be convinced to not return. I understand why she might not, but her potential is so great. To realize it would be life-changing for her." Aethra inclined her head in silent agreement. "Tails has also performed admirably, and I am pleased that some of the strain his role bears on him has been alleviated."

"I am happy to see it," Aethra murmured. "He has long needed the aid."

"Rouge and Knuckles have both been doing… decently well since their revival. Both have taken the situation fairly well."

"Indeed, they have. It helps that they were not thrust into hardship quite so quickly as dear Cream and Vector were."

Rusen closed his eyes. "Poor Cream and Vector… For their lives to be ended in such a way… it pains me."

"I can only hope that they are finding rest now," Aethra murmured. "They deserve no less."

"Hm," Rusen murmured. He agreed, but he didn't have the words this time to say. His eyes opened and he stared endlessly into the endless space. "Who else?"

"I worry dearly for young Jet," Aethra suddenly said. "He has spent so long doing so much… I fear he no longer knows how to let others truly help him."

"Do you believe we could aid him in any way?" Rusen quietly questioned.

"It is difficult to say, at this time," Aethra answered slowly. "He has long been approaching a point where he will not be able to handle things anymore. He nearly reached that point multiple times already, but held back… It is not healthy."

"Surely we could manage some sort of respite? Nothing drastic… just enough to improve his situation so that he will not collapse on himself."

"What have you in mind, my friend?"

Rusen frowned, a slow, enigmatic movement. "Perhaps simply… a small reset on his health? Allow him to feel rested for a change, full… so on, with the stipulation that he must try to maintain that himself? Aid to allow him and others to help him further?"

"That does not tackle the root problem, but… it may be enough for now, I suppose."

"Us tackling the root problem is trying to fix it ourselves. We should give him the tools to attempt to do so himself, and hope he will use them well."

"I am sure he will," Aethra murmured. "Shall we begin, then? It will take time to go into effect, but it will be of use regardless."

"I have a question, first…" Rusen said, turning to Aethra. "How long do you believe it may be before the final energy is born into existence?"

"It is difficult to say," Aethra said. "Until the Void becomes a more overt threat, it may well continue to sleep."

Rusen thought over this. "It cannot form a bond with Steam as it did in his timeline, but perhaps he will be able to help whoever is chosen learn of their capabilities more quickly."

Aethra nodded. "I believe he will be more than capable of that." She paused suddenly, thinking. "...Now that I am thinking about it… Espio continues to concern me as well. Our little… stunt has largely stabilized him for now, and he took the matter surprisingly well. But it will not last for too much longer.

"You are correct," Rusen said. "And that the demon has possessed Armaris is a troubling thing. Few will be equipped to handle such a thing, but nothing about this occurrence has come to light."

"I worry about the impact she will have on his mind and emotions," Aethra answered. "She could well turn him back onto the path he has only just recently tried to break from."

Rusen nodded slowly. "That is what I fear."

"If he wanders too much further down that path, he will become lost," Aethra sighed.

"And Armaris will go with him… possessed or not," Rusen added.

Aethra frowned. "We cannot afford to lose her as well. If he does take that path, we must not allow her to do the same."

Rusen suddenly smiled. "Perhaps a hint, then? Something to set the seed in a mind that something is amiss."

"Pray tell?" Aethra invited.

"I know not who, but perhaps a riddle of sorts. Someone who will understand where to look. Something that may well explain that… someone they know is not themselves."

"I see… but who is the right person to see it? That becomes the issue."

Rusen nodded. "Steam could not handle a fight if the news was broken. He also lacks… tact. Espio could, but I do not believe bringing him to face someone using Armaris's body is a good idea. Someone… external that knows her. Perhaps… Cyril? What say you to that?"

"His mind works in curious ways," Aethra murmured. "If any could understand a riddle of your creation, it would be him."

"He also possesses the skill to face that demon. His unique powers and his talents would be a worthy match. I shall set that seed after we are finished with Jet."

"I trust in your abilities, dear friend. Cyril will understand… when the time is right."

Rusen nodded. "Any others you wish to discuss?"

"Not at this time… no." Aethra opened her eyes to look at him. "And you?"

Thinking for a moment, Rusen shook his head. "I have one more thing that I may do in mind, but I will see how events play out first. I wish to see how our heroes will react to the small gifts we are capable of bestowing."

"And which gifts might you be referring to?"

Rusen's smile was unmistakable. "Seeds of hope that can grow into something beautiful. They will not squander that, I know. If they require one or two more… I am willing to provide." Aethra smiled as well in answer. "Let us begin, then," Rusen murmured. "The other gifts must wait."

Nodding, Aethra closed her eyes and began to focus.

~保護者~

Sonic watched over Jet protectively as the hawk slept. Rather than sitting against the barrier, Jet was lying semi-curled in the grass with his cloak still on. More than once, Sonic had debated the merits of trying to take it off of him. It couldn't have been very comfortable, what with how it had gotten bunched up and how it had all of those metal bits. However, each time the thought crossed his mind he wound up casting it aside. It would wake Jet up, and that wasn't worth it.

Sighing to himself, Sonic closed his eyes. If he was lucky, maybe he would get another nap in himself. He was still quite tired as well, after all. But, then again, it went without saying that Sein and Jet were both far more tired than he was. Given the locale, at least one of them needed to stay awake to keep watch, surely. Especially given the fact that the music box was still playing as well (quite ominously, in fact, to the point where he'd teleported it away for now). He opted to give the two Babylonians the chance to get some rest.

Just before he could open his eyes. An unexpected voice made his ears perk and his heart jolt. "Move to your left."

Eyes flying open, Sonic whirled around (as much as one could while sitting in the grass) to stare briefly at his father through the barriers. Too startled by the sudden comment, he only managed to get out a small, "H-Huh?"

Kaden, who was sitting in damn-near the same position he'd been in ever since becoming trapped, cracked his eyes open to level Sonic with a disapproving glare. Slowly, as though he regarded his son as some sort of a fool, he repeated, "Move to your left."

Silence. Sonic hesitated for a moment before inching over in the indicated direction. Glowing demonic eyes watched his movements with predictable disinterest, their previous glare gone. Unsure as to what was going on, Sonic dared to ask, "...Why?"

Rather than answer the question, Kaden opened his eyes fully and made a tiny gesture with his head. "Further."

"Why?" Sonic repeated, even as he did as he'd been told. He wasn't sure if this was the best idea, if he was going to wind up getting killed or something as a result, but… Everyone lectured him for not his instincts enough anymore. Right now, they were telling him that obedience was in his best interest, at least for the moment. For better or for worse, he decided to put his faith in them.

"Stay put." Another command. No explanations. Kaden didn't even blink when, out of absolutely nowhere, several attacks slammed into the outermost barrier - a barrier Jet had just erected an hour or so before in an effort to afford Kaden some more protection. Had Sonic remained where he'd been or moved further to the side, he'd have been struck. Jet, unfortunately, was. For once, he didn't wake up in time to dodge and wound up being slammed back-first into the trap. As Jet cursed and leapt clear, Kaden gave Sonic a bored look. "That is why."

Torn between confusion about what was going on and sudden understanding that his father had just taken steps to protect Sonic (albeit in a sort of roundabout way), Sonic floundered for a response. He quickly jumped to his feet and summoned Caliburn into his hand. "What is it?" he asked. Kaden only shrugged in response and closed his eyes again, clearly done caring about the situation.

Just then, the attacks abruptly cut off. Much to Sonic's surprise, Jet could be heard cursing up a storm a short distance away. Before Sonic could even ask, the hawk in question reappeared by Sonic's side. Sonic couldn't tell yet if Jet was injured. Jet didn't exactly make it obvious. "They were clones," he muttered, rubbing at his eyes. "The real attackers are elsewhere."

Sein was on his feet by now with his sword drawn and battle stance ready. "What kind of attack was that? Any idea what we're dealing with?"

When Jet only shrugged, apparently deciding to be entirely unhelpful in this moment, Sonic turned back around to regard his father pleadingly. "Dad…?"

Kaden withstood Sonic's gaze for a time before finally letting out an irritated sigh. "Beings of Light. I know not their origin. I never encountered them." Sonic immediately frowned. That attack hadn't been composed of Light, it had been something else entirely. How was Kaden so sure about this?

"What the hell…? Are they fucking insane?" Sein questioned. His gaze shifted around everything nearby, a frown on his face.

"They aren't here." Jet had, apparently, decided to resume taking part in this conversation. "I said that already. Stop looking around for them."

"So where are they?" Sonic pressed. When Jet shrugged again, Sonic heaved a heavy sigh. I swear, getting information out of you is like pulling teeth sometimes…

"...Do you guys hear that? It sounds like a thrumming energy," Sein murmured.

Sonic's ears perked. "Ah, fuck. That feels like a chameleon's energy." Immediately, he grabbed his communicator and started typing. Espio, you'd better be in the area… I need you to handle this.

Sein tensed up. "That's not any of the chameleons we know, is it?"

"No," Sonic answered. "I'm asking Espio to go deal with it. No telling if he will, though. He almost never texts back."

"Any ideas on what to do?" Sein questioned, largely looking to Jet.

Jet sat down, not making any moves to get ready for a fight. His next words explained why. "Nothing. They have no intention of truly arriving here now, and I can do nothing to prevent more clones from arriving. I can only handle them when they arrive."

Sein sheathed his claymore once more with a sigh. "I'll help make a barrier. Try to make a buffer of sorts between us and any other attacks.

"That's a good idea," Sonic sighed. He moved over to Jet and knelt down. "Hey, you alright? You keep just… not talking. And, damnit, stop rubbing your eyes. You're gonna make them sore."

"I'm just tired," Jet muttered, not at all lowering his hands.

Sein glanced over at Jet, a troubled look on his face. "Try and get some more sleep, bud. I can take over guarding us now that I know what's happening."

Now Sonic was starting to understand. He must be getting over tired. Naps aren't enough to cope with how damn exhausted he really is. "Your dad's right… go ahead and lay back down. I'll keep watch, and he'll handle defenses. We shouldn't be caught off-guard again." Jet looked ready to argue, but ultimately he did as he'd been told this time.

Sein smiled gently to them. "Just know that I've got this handled and try to relax. I'll make sure everything is okay."

It honestly looked like Jet had passed back out again already. Sonic sighed. "I don't like this. He keeps waking up, and it's already taking a toll on him. If he doesn't get enough sleep, he's going to start melting down just from being tired."

"Yeah…" Sein murmured before turning his attention to Kaden. "Do you know anything else about this enemy?"

Though Sonic hadn't expected Kaden to say anything more, his father managed to surprise him again. "No. I have never so much as sensed them before."

"They're not okay," Sein murmured. "It reminds me of when Rose was fighting Zareil."

"Something's not right with them," Sonic agreed. "I don't like it. I thought beings of Light weren't like that."

"They are not," Kaden muttered. "None except for the ones who decided to go against their natures, long ago, in an effort to purge from existence beings who they saw as unfit to live."

"Nareish brought them back, didn't she?" Sein dared to ask.

"Who else would have done it?" Kaden retorted dryly. "She seeks amusement as much as she seeks a means to achieve her goals. This was inevitable."

Sein sighed softly. "I don't understand what these beings of Light think they're doing. If they take down Jet, they'll have to face you. Needless to say, you'd likely find a way to slaughter them all."

At this, Kaden openly scoffed. "She is not after him."

"What do you mean?" Sein questioned.

"She convinced beings of Light to come here," Kaden growled, "a region full of Darkness. Does that not strike you as deliberate?"

Sein bit back the urge to curse openly. "God… you're right. Sonic, try to get ahold of Aniko or Shei if Espio isn't answering. We can't just let this happen."

"None of them are going to answer," Sonic frowned, already getting back to his feet. "Sein, can I pass through the barrier you're making? I'll run over there myself and make sure at least one of them knows what's coming."

Sein motioned for him to go. "Get moving. I'll hold things here." Nodding, Sonic rushed off.

No sooner than he'd disappeared into the distance, Jet suddenly jolted awake. He shot up, his hand going straight to his sword. A beam of Light penetrated the fledgeling barrier Sein was preparing and the barriers containing Kaden. With a curse, Kaden leapt as far to the side as he could, only just narrowly avoiding the attack. "Stupid fuckers," the demon muttered.

Sein bit back several curses of his own and looked to Jet. "I was being serious. Please try to sleep. I'll get Alana and make sure that we handle this."

Jet quite literally waved Sein off with his free hand as he drew Alkarus. "No." With that said, he stood up fully and eyed the sky, hoping to pick out where exactly the threat was.

"Jet, seriously," Sein murmured. "This is going to become too much."

"You think anyone would be able to sleep through this?" Jet countered, though not angrily, as he continued to look up above.

"I know…" Sein admitted. "It's just that I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine," was the distracted reply. Even Kaden gave him a look for that, though just for a second.

Sein began attempting to create another barrier. "I don't like it when my family lies for my sake," he murmured. "You don't want me to worry, but it makes me worry more."

"I'm fine," Jet insisted. His exhaustion, more than anything else, made his tone a touch harsh for the duration of that last word. Then he muttered more to himself than anyone else, "I can handle myself."

"Jet…" Sein murmured more softly. The younger hawk sighed, waiting to see if Sein would continue while simultaneously shifting his sword's form into a bow with a single metal arrow. "Sorry, I'll leave you be for now. We can talk more later."

Saying nothing, Jet notched his arrow and drew the string back. Gathering intense aura energy around the tip, he took aim and let the arrow fly. Moments after it soared into the sky, it hit the clone he had finally sensed and essentially blew it apart. That should have been more difficult… I don't like this.

Sein watched Jet quietly for a moment before returning to creating the barrier. I really wish I could help more, kid.

Jet teleported his arrow back into his hand and shifted the weapon back into a sword. Turning his attention to Kaden, he asked, "Are you alright?" Kaden's only response was to toss him a glare and sit back down.

"Hey, Kaden. I've been wanting to ask while Sonic wasn't around, but what do you think of your kids?" Sein questioned.

Now Kaden scowled at Sein instead. "The fuck kind of question is that?" he muttered, forgoing his usual manner of speech in his sudden irritation.

Sein sighed. "You seem to care about them to a degree beyond what a demon would. From what I've heard and seen, their health is extremely important to you."

Kaden bared his teeth instinctively when he again felt a surge of irritation. First Zareil and now this bastard… "Fuck off."

"So you do get it," Sein said with a smile. "I knew there was more to you even now."

"Fuck. Off," Kaden repeated with more force.

Jet decided to sit back down for now, eyeing Kaden quietly for a moment before speaking. "No… I don't think we will."

Sein nodded easily. "I want to talk to you. How do you see Sonic? What do you see in him? I'm curious." Kaden remained stubbornly silent this time, closing his eyes in an obvious effort to tune Sein out. Not that Jet believed it would work. "I see him as a courageous kid with a big heart. Someone who wants to protect the innocent and make sure that his loved ones are safe."

"If anything, he cares almost too much," Jet sighed. "He gets himself so worried that he can't handle it anymore. But it gives him strength when he needs it… just like you taught him."

The bait was obvious, but Kaden took it anyway. "I did not teach him to care."

"No… but you taught him how valuable that care could be. I remember that quite clearly." Kaden scoffed and didn't reply.

Sein had a wide smile. "I can definitely see that. You show it even now."

His tone taking on a falsely bored quality, Kaden drawled, "Pray tell…"

"I heard about you showing up when Shadow was injured," Sein said. "You made sure he would be okay and even let Toru and the others take him to be taken care of."

When Kaden didn't answer, Jet pressed the issue further. "You go so far as to not let Zareil lay a hand on either of them… That alone is telling enough."

Just because they weren't wrong didn't mean that Kaden was going to admit it aloud. "Fuck you." Sure, it wasn't a sophisticated response… but it was satisfying enough for a small moment.

"You remind me of Sona. If you've backed her into a corner in an argument, she starts cussing you out. Not because she doesn't believe you, but because she won't admit that you've got her beat. You know that what we're saying is true," Sein said.

Kaden cracked his eyes open to level Sein with a hateful look. "Perhaps if I were not in here I wouldn't be forced to resort to little more than swears."

"That's the thing, though. For once… you're here with us. We can have a… somewhat civil conversation. You're not such a bad guy, and deep down, I think part of you knows that." Without any prior warning that it was going to happen, a vicious spike of Darkness slammed into the barrier's interior nearest to where Sein was. Kaden had closed his eyes again with a scowl.

Sein shook his head gently. "Look… I know you're upset, but just know that it's gonna take more than that to dissuade me."

Teeth baring again for a brief moment, Kaden muttered darkly, "Worry more about your own family's issues, bastard." He gestured meaningfully and with clear agitation at Jet, who had started rapidly drumming his fingers to some unheard rhythm on his thigh while seemingly lost in thought. The younger hawk looked dead-tired and yet strangely wide awake at the same time.

Sein looked at Jet for a moment with a deep frown. Yes, Kaden had a strong point. However… what could he do? Jet wasn't listening to him, and obviously these enemies weren't going to let up. Meanwhile, Jet abruptly noticed what he was doing and made himself stop. I have to stop doing that…

"You alright, Jet?" Sein asked gently.

Now for the third time, Jet insisted, "I'm fine."

"Jet," Sein said, a touch more firm but still keeping his tone soft, "you're not." Lacking any sufficient argument, Jet stayed silent this time. Almost of their own accord, his fingers started drumming again. Sein moved closer and spoke again. "You're obviously not doing fine. It's okay to admit that."

No, it isn't. Rather than say that aloud, Jet only lifted his shoulders in a vague shrug.

"I dealt with Kath being stubborn and refusing to admit that something was wrong. I'd like to think that I know how to see it," Sein murmured. "I can tell that you're not feeling the best."

Without entirely having meant to, Jet found himself suddenly admitting again, "I'm just tired. That's all."

"You're not hungry as well?" Sein probed gently. "You've been giving us a hard time about eating as well."

"I'm not hungry," Jet mumbled, looking away. "I don't want to eat."

"I dealt with Kath being stubborn and refusing to admit that something was wrong. I'd like to think that I know how to see it," Sein murmured. "I can tell that you're not feeling the best."

Without entirely having meant to, Jet found himself suddenly admitting again, "I'm just tired. That's all."

"You're not hungry as well?" Sein probed gently. "You've been giving us a hard time about eating as well."

"I'm not hungry," Jet mumbled, looking away. "I don't want to eat."

Sein raised an eyebrow. "No appetite, or are you just refusing to because you believe you don't need to right now?"

"I'm not hungry," Jet repeated without hesitation.

Almost before the last word could leave his mouth, Sonic reappeared. Taking quick stock of the situation, the hedgehog immediately asked, "...What's going on here?"

Sein glanced to Sonic. "Jet's saying he isn't hungry, but he admitted to being tired."

This earned an immediate sigh. "Jet, come on… we talked about this. You need food, at least somewhat."

"I already said I'm not hungry, just drop it," Jet retorted, looking away.

Sein looked to Sonic fully with a concerned expression, unsure of what to do. The hedgehog in question thought about things for a moment, weighing options in mind. Not sure how long this can work on Immortals, but… Calling upon what little Chaos was actually stored in his own body, Sonic quickly said, "Time Stop," before Jet could react. Just like that, time was frozen all around him, aside from him and Sein. He sighed again. "Well, that might buy us a few seconds, at least… Sein, how's he been acting since I left?"

"A bit defiant, to the point where it's obvious that he doesn't want to accept any help. He's even been a bit snappy," Sein explained gently. "It's worrying me."

"That's what I was worried about." Time flickered around them, so Sonic picked up the pace. "Listen, when he's starting to get close to a meltdown for any reason, he sometimes starts being like this. You know, defiant to an abnormal degree and uncooperative. The weird silences earlier are another warning sign, which is why I was trying to get him to go back to sleep. He's getting really over tired, I think."

Sein nodded. "I don't think we'll get him to, though. With everything happening, I think it's more likely that he'll begin to openly push away our advances to help."

"This on top of all the stress and crap he's been bottling up is going to make this meltdown bad when it hits if we aren't able to stave it off," Sonic muttered, tapping his foot anxiously. Then a thought struck him and his ears went back slightly. "Wait… can demons still be affected by disorders?" he asked quickly, his gaze shifting to Kaden.

The hawk blinked a few times. "I… don't know. I would assume it's possible, at least."

"Shit. If Jet melts down, then, we're gonna have a real problem on our hands." Still trying to be quick, he didn't dwell and just immediately explained, "Dad's autistic, too. In a lot of ways, he's got it worse than Jet does. People exhibiting high stress around him can cause his own stress to spike pretty severely. I'm not certain, but a meltdown happening right next time probably might cause him to start down that path, too."

Sein frowned deeply. "That's really fucking bad."

Time started to slowly unfreeze. "I don't know what we're gonna do," Sonic admitted. "I can't just haul his butt back home and force him to lay down this time."

"We've gotta figure something out," Sein murmured.

Sonic's mind raced. "...Would it be possible for you and Alana to fully take over the barrier for a short time, that way I can get him out of here?"

Sein nodded. "Yeah. We can handle it for a good bit of time," the man answered. "If that's the best we've got, I'll make sure we can do it."

"We've gotta convince him to go, though," Sonic warned. "No way he'll let us forcibly teleport him. And even if we did do that somehow it would just make his mood worse."

"That'll be the hard part, then," Sein murmured. "I can get Alana, and maybe together we can manage something?"

"Might be our best shot," was all Sonic had time to say before time fully returned to normal.

Already, Jet was glaring at him. "What the hell did you freeze shit for?"

"Do you like pineapples?" Sein suddenly questioned, turning to Jet. Immediately, all eyes were on him, looking at him strangely with varying degrees of confusion. "What? It's a legitimate question," Sein said. "And I'm being serious. Do you?" he questioned Jet once more.

"Why does it matter?" Jet asked. Sonic, meanwhile, quickly typed out a message to Alana while Jet was distracted.

Sein smiled. "Curiosity's sake."

Jet frowned at him for a moment, perplexed and no doubt thinking Sein was utterly strange, before finally looking away with a huff. "No, I don't like them."

"Damn, that's one of my favorites," Sein said, turning away. His gaze shifted to Sonic, hoping that the hedgehog had taken advantage of the situation properly. Sonic made a subtle gesture to indicate that he'd sent the message. The hawk flashed a quick smile before turning back toward Jet. "Do you sense any more of the clones?"

"No. They haven't come back yet." Jet did another search of the area via his senses once more just to be sure, but there was still nothing.

Sein nodded. "Can you at least sit down for a few minutes and try to relax a little?"

Jet seemed ready to just argue at that point so, even though it was mostly a bad idea, Sonic went ahead and physically pulled him down until he was sitting. Predictably, Jet wrenched his arm free with a small snap of, "Leave me alone." But, thankfully, nothing worse happened.

Unsure as to what he should do now, Sein took a risk and sat by Jet, just a few feet away. "What else do you like doing besides making weapons and such?" he questioned gently.

When this didn't garner a response, Sonic verbally nudged, "You still like making music, right?"

"...Sometimes," Jet eventually mumbled. He crossed his arms, looking away from them.

"What kind of music do you like making?" Sein asked.

"I don't know. Just leave me alone."

Sein winced faintly, glancing away for a moment. "Alright, bud. I'll leave you be for a minute."

Sonic pursed his lips together for a second, then said, "Sein, why don't you go see what's keeping Alana? I'll… try to help here for a minute."

"Alright. I'll be back," Sein said, standing back up and teleporting away to New Babylon.

Almost immediately, Alana walked over to him. "Sein," she greeted quietly. "I just received the message. What is going on?"

"Me and Sonic are worried that Jet's on the verge of a meltdown," Sein explained quickly. "He's obviously not doing well right now."

Her eyes clouded with worry. "I wish I could go and help," she murmured, "but father… he is getting worse. Arkiri and I are the only ones here aside from the medics who can care for him. I do not wish to leave it all to Arkiri so soon after his revival. He is still… very tired."

Sein grimaced visibly. "How's Kath doing right now?"

Almost wincing, Alana tugged Sein down the hall by his hand and cracked open Kath's door. Immediately, nothing but terrible coughs could be heard from the room. "His fever has returned, on top of this," Alana reported softly. "It has not gone down in three hours."

"Crap," Sein muttered, looking away. "Can you handle things here?"

"For now… yes," Alana answered. "But we must find a new, more effective medicine soon."

Sein nodded slowly before hugging her. "I'm gonna go back to Jet. See if we can't do… something. I'll try my best to keep you updated."

Alana hugged him back tightly for a moment. "Please do. I am sorry I cannot help."

"It's okay. We need someone here for Kath. I gotta go. I love you, Alana," Sein said gently.

"I love you, too." Hearing this, Sein teleported back to Mobius, looking to Sonic and shaking his head gently.

By now, things were already escalating. Sonic acknowledged Sein's arrival and silent message with a glance, but mostly he was focused on Jet. The hawk had clearly gotten himself even more worked up already through some means or another and was barely holding back tears as he irritably told Sonic yet again, "Just leave me alone, already!"

"No can do…" Sonic sighed. "You know I can't do that. I'm gonna stay right here with you, but I won't touch you unless you force me again. Try not to hit your head anymore, and it won't happen."

Sein walked over by Sonic and knelt down. "What happened?"

Since Jet obviously wasn't going to answer the question, Sonic did. "He started hitting his head on the barrier and I intervened. It never goes well."

Hearing that pained Sein deeply, putting a hand to his chest for a moment in an attempt to quell the heartache. "Anything else?" Sonic shook his head as Jet hugged his knees up to his chest and buried his face, no doubt trying his damnedest to hold back the tears. "Jet, you can hear me, right?" Sein questioned softly. There wasn't an answer this time, but Sonic held his tongue. Sein decided to continue talking regardless. "I know that you don't feel okay right now, but I promise, everything will be okay."

For reasons Sonic would never be able to personally understand, simply hearing people continue to talk added to Jet's rising stress. Worried about how badly this would turn out of it continued, Sonic turned his head to check on Kaden. The other hedgehog had deliberately moved to the other end of the spherical trap at some point, but otherwise appeared to just be tuning everyone out like usual. I don't buy it… His jaw's clenched and he's too stiff. This isn't great.

Sein looked to Sonic, no longer knowing what to do. He'd taken guesses… but it was obvious that doing so was too risky. "What do we do now?"

Before Sonic could respond, another attack like the ones earlier slammed into Sein's barrier with a thunderous sound. Kaden visibly flinched at the sudden sound while Jet startled badly and rushed to cover his own ears. Sonic stared up at the attack in dismay. "Ah, hell." Any chance we had of ending this peacefully is just went out the window. Great.

Fuck, Sein thought to himself, drawing his sword. If either Kaden or Jet got attacked, there would be no salvaging this. He stretched out his senses, only to take a step back and extend the shield from his gauntlet to protect Jet and Kaden as best he could. "Not good…" he muttered.

Sonic stood and drew his sword. "You and I are gonna have to fight them off," he said quickly. "Just keep a barrier up around these two." His words were almost drowned out by another painfully loud attack, one which abruptly ripped a stress-laden sob from Jet. Ah, shit. He's about to break down…

Sein pointed his sword where he could sense one of the clones and fired a concentrated beam of Aura at it, cursing internally. Of course they're attacking when my son is upset. Damn these people.

A third attack pierced the barrier in several spots, forcing Sonic to grab Jet to pull him away from harm. That went over about as terribly as he'd expected, earning more sobs and even some thrashing as Jet tried to get out of Sonic's grasp. "Easy, easy," Sonic tried to sooth, already letting him go. "We're done now, just breathe. I'm not grabbing you anymore if it can be avoided."

"What is their problem?" Sein asked aloud to nobody in particular, blurring out of sight for just long enough to tear another clone open with his sword before reappearing. "I don't get why they think this is okay."

"No idea…" Sonic muttered, grabbing his sword again. He utilized one of the new holes in the barrier to send a wave of fire at another clone when he caught sight of it. The clone vanished, but others remained.

Sein was about to use his Immortal Speed to take down another clone, but stopped himself as he watched Steam tackle them out of the sky and crush them with a blast of Darkness. "Thank god you're here. Get in the barrier, now." Steam didn't dare question it, teleporting his way in beside the Immortal.

"I saw what was happening. They picked a really bad time to start this," Steam muttered, unsheathing his sword. As if on cue, beams of pure Light blasted through the top of Sein's barrier and into the one Kaden was contained within. Having been distracted by everything else going on, Kaden didn't quite protect himself fast enough to avoid the searing, well, light that got in his face and he hissed softly in pain even as his Darkness rose up to guard him. Steam started to turn back to check on him, but was forced to whirl around again when he felt a dangerous presence approach. Oh, fucking hell.

A spear shot into sight and skewered several of the clones before returning to the hand of its owner, Zareil. She walked forward with a seething rage in her eyes shoving her way through the barrier and standing in front of the trap Kaden was contained in. "You're all so piss-poor at your job that you can't keep a prisoner safe," she muttered. "Focus on your own. I'll kill these fuckers."

Sonic opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. As Jet grew more and more inconsolable, the portions of the trap that he'd been maintaining on his own started to falter and fall apart. Not that Kaden was making any effort to break free at the present moment, but his Darkness started seeping out dangerously from within the barriers. Oh, no…

Sein was fast to begin pouring his energy into the trap, trying to hold it together before the Darkness could cause any problems. "Sonic, call Alana now. I can't hold this together without her." Sonic immediately did as he was told while simultaneously trying to calm Jet down.

Steam glanced at Zareil briefly, unbelieving of the fact for some few moments that she was actively creating a barrier of Darkness around them to protect everyone from the Light. Even more so that she allowed him to pass through and actively begin fighting the clones while she fired off several attacks at their enemies. Though she couldn't show up physically, Alana began helping from afar, taking some of the burden off of Sein while these two focused on fighting.

Zareil eventually left the barrier of her making, joining Steam in ridding themselves of the threat of these clones. Once that was done some time later, much to her annoyance (due to how irritating their presence had been), she walked into her barrier and knelt down by the trap to watch Kaden for a moment. It took a few seconds, but Sein come up with an idea once he saw that she had no ill intent. "Zareil… if I let you in long enough to help him, would you trust that I'm not going to try and trap you with him?" Sein questioned, desperate to have someone aiding Kaden.

Her gaze shifted to Sein and she glared hatefully for some long, several seconds before saying, "If you cross me, you will face the collective wrath of the entire ranks of the armies we have amassed."

"You have my word. As soon as you're ready to be let out, I'll let you back out," Sein promised, a smile on his face.

Zareil seemed to distrust him for a few moments before pressing her hand against the trap. Sein took this as a cue to let her in and watched as she walked over to Kaden and sat down by him. The demoness crossed her legs and looked back at Sein, ultimately deciding to trust him. Her gaze shifted back to Kaden and she sighed. "You're listening to me, correct?" she asked. Though his eyes were tightly closed and he had his ears covered, Kaden clearly heard her and he nodded. "They attacked you, yes?"

Kaden took in a steadying breath (he was clearly far more collected at the moment than Jet was, which was good) before answering. "Yes."

"I'm sorry I did not protect you sooner. I removed the threat from the area," Zareil explained gently. "They're gone, and I'm giving these three a chance to handle Jet's inability to handle himself." Her hand vaguely gestured to Steam, Sonic, and Sein, despite Kaden's eyes being closed.

Another steadying breath. Then another. "You did not need to protect me," Kaden muttered. "I was fine."

"They attacked you. I would not take that sitting down. It is a direct disgrace, not only to you but to me," Zareil growled lightly. "Regardless, I could not allow that to continue." Kaden didn't answer this time, only muttering something to himself. Zareil shifted closer, frowning. "You are not alright."

"The hell I'm not," was the irritable reply. Kaden uncovered his ears finally. "I'm fine, Zareil."

"Prove to me that you are fine," Zareil said. "Do that and I will stop pestering you about it." In response, Kaden acted out of spite by not-too-gently knocking her a foot or so away from him with a sharp kick to the side. She didn't flinch, instead shifting her weight so she couldn't be knocked over. "Open your eyes," Zareil murmured. "You have proven nothing."

Lowering his voice so no one else could hear, Kaden muttered, "No. They fucking sting."

Zareil shifted back over to him and veiled them both further with her own Darkness. "I'll stay here until you're properly okay." Despite having every intention of ignoring the others outside the trap, her senses distinctly picked up on Steam approaching and standing by the trap. Her spear in hand, she glared at him. "Leave us alone."

"I want to talk. To both of you," Steam said.

"I said leave us alone," Zareil snapped, already walking toward him. "Are you fucking deaf?"

"Zareil," Kaden abruptly snapped, his temper already a bit frayed due to earlier events. "That is enough." We cannot go on a killing spree now. "Playing nice" is the best course of action while I remain trapped.

She turned to him briefly, rage filled eyes shining with a faint flash of irritation before she got the message. Her gaze fixated on Steam once more, still glaring. "Explain."

Steam took a deep breath. "I want to call a temporary truce. Nareish's plans are very obviously going to cause us all problems. If we at least work together to remove the upcoming threats, we can temporarily both be at an advantage."

"Why should I work with you? I could just as easily attempt to murder you all and take the God of Demons back to his throne. The important ones would revive and we would be fine," Zareil explained. "What do we stand to gain?"

Steam prevented himself from reacting outwardly too much. This was the exact thing he wanted to avoid talking about so suddenly. "We can attempt to negotiate that, but as it stands, you'll for sure be in far less danger as well as being able to protect Kaden from some of the threats that are likely to be revived."

At this, Kaden suddenly snarled. "I do not need protection."

Steam fixed him with a look. "She's going to toy with you. There are enemies she will revive from your past that will have every intention of fucking you over, and I'm not about to allow that to happen." Though they still burned, Kaden cracked his eyes open long enough to glare at Steam.

Zareil pointed the flat end of her spear outside of the trap and pushed Steam's forehead. "Wipe that look off your face. You're still speaking to the God of Demons." She didn't allow him to respond, continuing easily. "You haven't proven why my original idea can't work. You should start there before trying to convince us further."

"We do not do deals with filth," Kaden muttered, "nor do we do things to help our enemies. You should well know this by now."

Steam turned his gaze over to Kaden again. "You'll make a deal that benefits you, something that puts you at an advantage. You want that, and it's what I'm banking on." He then shifted his attention to Zareil. "And I'll just say that if you try, we will have to seal you in here as well. We agreed to allow you to check on him, not to kill us."

"Fucker's a bit smarter than he looks," Zareil thought to Kaden.

Kaden's immediate response to that was swift and entirely lacking in gentility. Making use of a tactic not unlike the one he'd utilized earlier, he swung his leg out and kicked Zareil. This time, with enough force to knock her entirely free of the trap before Steam could make good on his threat. Now Zareil could leave whenever she needed to, removing that bit of leverage from the other hedgehog. Irritating bastard.

As Zareil pushed herself to stand, Steam sighed. "Regardless of whether you were trapped or not, Kaden, I'd be attempting this. Nareish is a common enemy and I know you're not against taking the chance to remove something that could throw a wrench in your plans. That's why I'm talking with you right now."

"I see no reason to accept your aid," Kaden growled, clear derision coloring that one word. "I will handle her myself."

"Then tell me what you want. Zareil's plan to free you will fail if she attempts it, so don't rely on that," Steam murmured. He didn't flinch as Zareil pressed the blade end of her spear against his neck out of agitation, nor when she took a standing position beside him.

As if Kaden had been relying on that, anyhow. He snorted softly at the notion. She has her orders… Other, more important things to focus on. He allowed himself a moment to think about what was being offered before speaking again. "And what, pray tell," he drawled in a tone of supreme boredom, "do you think I could want from you?"

"That's what we're discussing," Steam murmured. "My guess is some sort of warranty that protects your interests."

"And how far are you willing to take this, exactly…?"

"You can use me to guarantee whatever we decide upon. You've got the Mark of Death power, right?" Steam questioned, earning a sharp look from Sein. The hedgehog glanced at him before deciding to ignore it and turned his attention back to Kaden. "Whatever we decide upon, you can place that mark on me. If I go back on my word, you have an effortless way to kill me in retaliation."

Though Kaden scoffed… his mind was already working. Or, at least, it was working as best as it could considering the present circumstances. After a brief moment of silence, he muttered, "Come back later… when he is calmer." He nodded meaningfully and with no small amount of aggravation toward Jet.

Steam nodded slowly. "Understood," he murmured, moving to stand up. He was quiet about it, but already he could feel his stress levels peaking. An alert came on his communicator and he read over it. Wery had connected his communicator to the device monitoring his vitals without telling him, but now he knew it was too late. The hedgehog felt his gait sway as he teleported away.

~保護者~

"I got your text. I am going to handle it."

Hearing this reassurance, Sonic sighed heavily in relief. He looked around the front room of Espio's home, taking note of the fact that no one else seemed to be up and about here. He could hear the soft, even breathing of the children sleeping in another room, along with the faint and rougher sounds of Aku sleeping outside in the tree somewhere. Armaris seemed to have wandered off somewhere, as she often did. Looking back at Espio, he watched as the chameleon collected his sword and positioned it at his side. "...Do you want me to stay with them?" he found himself asking. "Or I can get your parents, if you'd prefer."

At this, Espio hesitated. Sonic let him take a moment to settle his protective instincts, waiting patiently for a reply. "...I will inform them soon," was all he wound up saying.

"You're not going to tell them now?" Sonic asked, surprised.

Espio hummed a little in thought. "Not now," he murmured in agreement. "Later, perhaps. From what you described, it sounds as though these people are merely toying with people for the time being. That is nothing that cannot be handled. My main concern now is the person whose energy you sensed"

Almost hesitantly, Sonic asked him, "Do… you know about Dad's music box?" Espio blinked and nodded slowly. "It's been playing non-stop all day."

For his part, Espio didn't hesitate to reply like Sonic had. "Then be prepared for the moment to arrive when they decide to stop fooling around." He started toward the doorway, but paused and turned back around. "...I appreciate your offer to remain here, but it is unnecessary. Aku will wake if danger finds its way into the village."

With a nod, Sonic said a small farewell and teleported away. Once he was gone, Espio vanished from his home only to reappear an instant later a few feet away from Ryuji. The man glanced at him, both hands tightly gripping the weapons he'd been gifted. "What?" he questioned harshly.

"Your energy is flooding the forest," Espio remarked blandly. A couple well-thrown shuriken knocked Ryuji's hands away from his weapons with minimal damage to skin. "Care to explain?"

"Those beings of Light. They are the very ones who slaughtered my people. Our people. They committed mass genocide," Ryuji muttered, not bothering to avoid the shrunken at all.

Espio frowned openly. "Back from the dead, then… Wonderful."

"I want them to come after me so I can get revenge for my fallen comrades," Ryuji muttered. "That and so they will leave our people alone for a time."

"Now is not the time," Espio answered. "They are only sending clones to the area, and the Immortals have been handling it. Save your rage for when the true threats arrive. We will likely need your strength at that time."

They are cowards and fools. Ryuji used his Darkness to return Espio's shuriken to him. "Fine. I will refrain."

"Much appreciated," Espio responded dryly, just a note of something akin to humor in his tone. He caught his shuriken and turned to walk away. "Keep an eye out for them. I will do the same."

"Will you be allowing your mate to join the fray?" Ryuji questioned, eyebrow raised.

Immediately, Espio stopped walking and turned back around to frown at Ryuji. "I have not taken a mate," he answered pointedly. "And she may do as she wishes. I do not claim to control her."

"If she is not careful, she will be slaughtered. Her Darkness is great, but she is not like us," Ryuji murmured. "And you seem to have taken enough of a liking to her. I assumed you were moving along nicely." His own faint hint of humor became evident in his tone.

"Please," Espio muttered, eyes rolling. "We only just established a courtship."

"She is eager. I see it in the ways she moves about you," Ryuji said easily.

"You…" Espio cut himself off and shook his head. "Never mind. Cease your comments, already."

A faint smile made its way onto Ryuji's face. "Alright, then. Regardless, I would recommend she stay away unless she taps into the full ability of her Darkness. They will wish to purge her."

"No doubt," Espio murmured, turning back around. He resumed walking away. "We may recommend things to her all we like, but she does what she wants. I will defend her as best I can."

Ryuji closed his eyes briefly in thought. "I see. Is that all you wish to speak about?"

"For now." With that, Espio took to the trees and vanished into the snow. Moments later, he landed on his front porch from above and walked inside.

Armaris dangled from the ceiling, smiling at him. "What did you go do?"

"Spoke with Ryuji," Espio answered, glancing up at her. "Convinced him not to go on a rampage just yet."

"Hm." Armaris frowned and dropped to the grounds, tendrils wrapping around her body lightly. "Those beings of Light being around at all gives me chills. As if being around Rose wasn't enough."

"It is irritating," Espio agreed with a shrug. He tapped his shoe on the floor to get some snow off the top of it before moving to seat by the table.

She took a seat beside him, allowing her Darkness to retreat within her body. "We just gonna wait for them to show up?"

Espio idly picked a peanut out of a bowl and ate it before asking, "Do you have some alternative suggestion?"

The cat shrugged. "I was just asking," she said with a smile. "At the very least, I'll have a real reason to use my magic."

"That is so," Espio agreed. He reached into the bowl again while idly asking, "What do you plan to do in the meantime? You have been out of the house for some time already today."

"I'm not sure," she murmured. "I was hoping you might have some ideas."

This made Espio shrug. "I can do little while Zei and Sako are asleep."

"Tch." Armaris leaned up against him. "C'mon. You gotta have something in mind." His only response was to shrug again and eat another peanut. She rolled lightly and basically sat on him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Then let's talk a little."

Though he huffed at her, Espio didn't argue. "Fine. But must you use me as a chair, Armaris?"

She seemed to debate internally for a moment before nodding. "Absolutely necessary, unless you don't like it."

That earned her another huff. "You said you wanted to talk, so talk," he invited in lieu of another reply.

"I wanted to ask how you really feel about me trying to tap into my demonic side. You've been… quiet. I want to know if I have your support," she murmured.

"I do not… necessarily like the idea," Espio answered after a moment. "But I trust your judgement. If you feel it is to your benefit, so long as it does not get out of hand, I will not stop you."

"What do you not like about it?" she questioned, shifting a bit to get more comfortable.

"If you lose yourself to that side of you, Armaris, it will not be beneficial for either of us," Espio reminded her carefully. He loosely wrapped an arm around her while using the other to snag another peanut.

Armaris winked with a smile. "That's why I have you." A faint chuckle escaped her before she continued. "In all seriousness… I think my issue has been that I could never accept it as part of me. Maybe if I see it as another part of myself, I won't lose myself to it." Espio very faintly tilted his head, waiting to see if she'd continue. She did not, tilting her head in the opposite direction as she curiously awaited his response.

Seeing this, Espio decided to go ahead and speak again. "And what do you intend to do if it does not go as planned?"

"I'll have to reign it in and learn how to control it," Armaris said quietly, suddenly shifting her gaze away. "I'd like to think I could manage it."

"I think you are capable as well," Espio admitted, "but it is wise to be prepared for other outcomes regardless."

She huffed a little. "You always make it sound like I can't do it."

"That is not my intention," was the calm reply.

"I have another question," Armaris murmured, shifting a little bit closer to him somehow.

"Ask, then," Espio invited.

Armaris frowned for a moment. "Is my Darkness strong enough that yours feeds off of it?"

Espio blinked at the question. "It… could. Though I have not attempted it."

"Why not?" Armaris asked softly.

"What is the point of it?" Espio countered.

"I am curious about how strong I am, even if I have to be compared to you. People say that I'm powerful, but things always seem to overwhelm me," she revealed gently. "If yours can feed off mine, then that means I am strong and that there's something I'm missing."

After a moment of thought, Espio carefully reached his Darkness out toward her. The moment he allowed it to, it did indeed begin feeding off of hers. He put a stop to it quickly and retracted his energy. "It would seem that it can."

Armaris set her hands on his chest, leaning in close. "Then what am I missing?"

In response, Espio shook his head. "I don't know."

"Do you think it's the other side of me, or something else?" she questioned further, obviously wanting to try and get to the bottom of this.

"It could be."

"You're not helping," she pouted.

With a huff at her expression, he asked, "What are you thinking on the matter, then?"

Armaris shrugged. "Having access to all of my power properly might just be the issue, if you ask me."

Espio gave that some consideration before cautiously admitting, "It could be."

"If I try to fully access it, will you watch over me and stop me if I lose control?" she asked, tone suddenly softening again.

There was no hesitation this time. "Of course."

Glee shone in her eyes. Oh, you're so gullible. "Let's do it, right away… but sometime when we're not around the kids. I don't want them to be scared of me."

He tilted his head. "We are bored, anyway, and Aku is here. Stepping away for a short time is not out of the question."

Armaris grinned and used her tendrils to lift them both off the ground and outside the house. "Let's go, then!"

Though he was suddenly questioning his own thoughts a bit (he felt a bit like he was wavering on either side of some thin line in his mind for the first time in a good while), Espio didn't resist. "Lead the way, I suppose."

Armaris carried them through the trees with her Darkness until they were a safe distance from house, depositing them both on the ground gently. "So… if things get bad, what are you gonna be doing?"

Espio shrugged lightly. "It depends on how things go wrong, if they do."

She nodded slowly before setting down on the ground. "So… just to be clear. I'm just gonna slowly make the shift and see what happens when I fully change. Okay?" Espio nodded once, then used his own Darkness to shield them from the senses of others. Armaris went silent as her Darkness surrounded her body, allowing the demonic taint to seep in and begin covering her body.

Armaris suddenly shifted her gaze up and removed the sphere of Darkness around herself so Espio could see what was happening. He watched in silence for now, every sense alert to any sign of trouble. Dark, chitinous formations creeped up along her body before she doubled over, a low growl escaping her. Claws erected from the outcroppings of her forming body and she pushed herself up with her arms to be on all-fours for a moment. Her gaze shifted to Espio, frowning. "I'm nothing like my mother was. This is something… more dangerous. Stronger."

Canting his head, Espio made a pointed inquiry. "You remain in control, then?"

"I cannot push it fully," Armaris revealed. "The form… it wants to grow. To expand. We can't realistically hide that."

That earned a vague frown. …"Grow"? Did she only mean in strength, or was there something else he was missing?

To show her point briefly, Armaris allowed her Darkness to surround her body further. It seemed to calcify around her, encapsulating her body in a slowly growing outer shell of some sort of yet to be seen creature. From within, she spoke with an odd… shift in her voice. It was louder than before. "It grows." Espio nodded slowly.

Armaris slowly forced the form to break itself apart, collapsing around her to allow her natural body to be left sitting as it was. "That form is utterly massive. Towering in size. It seems to want to expand outward as much as possible."

"Odd," was the only comment Espio had at that point, so it was all he said

"You know… if I can manage this, maybe you can do the same?" A smile broke out onto her face.

All in all, that sounded unlikely. "I do not have high hopes for that," Espio muttered,

Armaris set a hand one of his. "If I can handle this, surely you can learn. You're way stronger than me."

"More than mere strength is required, Armaris," Espio pointed out.

"Why do you think you can't do it? You had faith in me."

"You are also vastly more familiar with your Darkness than I am with mine."

She huffed. "Answer my question."

"That was my answer, in part," he told her. "It plays a role in being able to attain control."

Armaris moved closer. "You can become familiar with it. The more you use it, the more you'll understand."

More mental teetering. Espio had a hard time discerning why it was happening now. He trusted Armaris, didn't he? So why was he hesitating so much? "...It is… possible."

She held his hands softly. "I believe that you can do it, and I'll be there every step of the way with you."

"I cannot simply play around with this," he suddenly told her. "After the previous incidents, I have eyes on me constantly. I do not need any confrontations right now."

"We can figure out how to handle that," Armaris murmured, leaning forward. "I want you to be able to accept every part of you and use what you have to do what you want."

This earned her a sigh. "If anything goes wrong, you must be prepared for that," he warned.

"I'll be prepared," Armaris murmured, even more gently as she practically leaned up on him. "Don't you trust me?"

That question caught him off-guard and he frowned again. "Yes. I do."

"Then, trust," her arms slowly wrapped around him and she stared into his eyes, "that I will protect myself and make sure everything is okay."

Another sigh, this one softer. He looked away, not wanting the eye-contact at all (though it had less to do with her and more to do with his own comfort). "Fine, then." With that said, he teleported them back to the house.

Armaris crawled off of him and smiled easily. "Whenever you want to try… just say the word."

With a nod, Espio returned inside.

~保護者~

11,465 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Hope y'all had a good Christmas! Posted (at about 10:45 p.m.) 12-26-20.