Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this increasingly dire situation… especially for the one whose powers just revealed themselves.

~保護者~

"Regression"

~保護者~

Cyril pushed himself up, eyes unfocused as he tried to push himself to stand without much warning. If he was still being controlled by Nareish, he needed to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. He had no intention of listening to her again if he had any say in the matter. A heavy magical weight kept him from truly getting up. It was nothing he wouldn't be able to break with his newfound power, but only if he deliberately attacked it with force. His movement underneath this odd trap drew some attention and a pre-teen male's voice could be heard mumbling, "Hey, I think he's awake…"

"What's happening?" Cyril demanded to know, relaxing under the trap for a moment.

Footsteps approached and Han knelt down beside Cyril. "I had to restrain you, to be safe. Although, I was never convinced that this could hold you very long if you fought back. Are you in control of yourself for the moment?"

"I'm not myself," Cyril explained. "And… if I fight back, take your family and leave," he muttered. "I don't know what's going on."

Han nodded slowly. "I have taken my daughter somewhere separate. Somewhere safe, at least for the moment. She needs time to heal." He turned and located his son. "Alec, leave this place. Go home. I will join you later." The younger Hexan grumbled a bit, but obediently left the area with a quick teleport.

Cyril shook his head softly, disappointed in himself. "Attacking Wave is not what I wanted," he murmured.

Blue eyes blinked slowly. "I understand. Nareish takes… a unique brand of pleasure in forcing people to do that which they normally never would. I had hoped to come up with a solution for you by now, but I haven't found anything yet that can help."

"Then make me go unconscious again," Cyril harshly demanded. "I don't want to run the risk of anything else happening. I'd rather be in excruciating pain for days than listen to Nareish again."

"If I could help you in such a way, I would. But…" Slowly, deliberately, Han reached out a hand. His fingers came into contact with a previously invisible barrier of dark energy. Though it crackled up his arm like lightning, he showed no signs of pain. "Whatever this is, I've been unable to breach it. Even the trap had to be placed outside of this barrier. You are being protected."

Cyril raised a hand and touched his hand to the trap, shaking his head. "If you cannot help me, then leave. While you have a chance to get away."

Slowly, Han stood up. "Just know that I will keep working. If I discover anything… I will find you again. Be assured of that."

A moment of thought had Cyril speaking once more. "Get the Immortals. Jet, Sein, Alana… whoever. They… probably have the best chance of dealing with this somehow."

"I will do what I can." Turning, Han walked away, soon disappearing into the misty magical energies that swirled throughout the realm. Within seconds, he had vanished entirely.

Cyril let his magic flow around him for a moment before frowning. I find out that I'm someone important, just to be used against my friends. I hate this.

Predictably, he wasn't left to his own devices for long. The voice of the woman he now so hated entered his mind unbidden. "Well, as far as test runs go… I suppose that could have gone worse. But clearly some adjustments need to be made."

"I can't stand you," Cyril thought in return, assuming Nareish could hear. "I will find a way to get back to being myself."

She openly laughed at him. "How? Through the Immortals?" There was a second laugh. "I think not. Jet is in no mood to help anyone but himself, currently. And his parents… well, they are rather distracted by him at the moment. I'm afraid they don't even have a clue what's happened to you yet."

"I don't remember caring what you think," Cyril answered. "Leave me alone. I'd rather rot here than help you."

"Too bad we have already established that that won't be happening, little bird. I have more trials to put you through." Nareish hummed thoughtfully. "First, though… I did mention adjustments, didn't I? First to go, I think, should be the care you are still clinging to for your friends and allies. That serves you no purpose now." She began slowly and rather tortuously pulling the associated emotions from him without further warning. When she was done, she asked, "There, now… feel better?"

"Shut up," Cyril thought in response, waving a hand lightly and tearing the trap apart with his magic before shifting into a sitting position.

"Not yet. I have one more thing to do." She let out a thoughtful hum for the second time. "I do not wish to erase your free will. I enjoy watching my pets run around and create their own chaos. But this tendency of yours to tell others of my plans… that is troublesome. I will remove it, along with your general rebellion toward me." Nareish did as she'd promised without further delay, then asked, "Now, I leave it up to you. There are many targets you could potentially go against, many lives you could potentially end. Who do you desire to kill first?"

"Silver," Cyril responded as he stood. "Leave me alone."

"A fine choice, given how protected your last target currently is. Do what you will, then."

Cyril waved his hand in a semi-circle motion and magic enveloped his body, teleporting him away without a trace. "Fuck off."

~保護者~

Several days had passed since Sein had brought Jet to the palace medical ward for treatment. He had yet to regain consciousness or show any signs of doing so, and Alana refused to leave his side. She'd gone so far as to unintentionally fall asleep in a chair beside his bed the night before. Upon waking, she stretched a bit, wincing subtly at her now sore neck. Rubbing lightly at it, she opened her eyes to check on Jet. Nothing had changed. On the one hand, that was disheartening. But, at the same time, she had to acknowledge that it was better than him having gotten worse. Still… I wish he wakes soon. Reluctantly pushing that thought aside for now, she sat up properly and looked around for Sein.

Sein was moving about the area, checking on the various others within the medical ward and talking with anyone that was awake. He'd always had a big heart, and seeing his son in such a state as he had been led him to try and make use of his time. So, he was trying to offer hope and confidence to everyone he could. Alana let him finish what he was doing before quietly calling out, "Sein?"

The man turned to face her and walked over, a faint smile on his face. "Yeah?"

She looked him over for a moment, taking in his expression, before asking him softly, "Have you rested?"

He laughed sheepishly. "No, I haven't. It's… really hard when I don't know how Jet's doing. Decided to try and be productive with my time while I'm here and all."

Honestly, she understood. Looking back over at their son, she sighed. "He does not seem to have improved much, but… I am happy that he did not get worse."

"Yeah…" Sein responded softly. "That much is good, I suppose."

"You should come sit," Alana murmured. "Give your body some measure of rest for a time."

Sein weighed his options for a moment before nodding. As soon as he began to walk, though, he paused. "The hell is Steam doing here?" he questioned, changing course quickly. Alana turned in her seat to look over, bewildered. Meeting the hedgehog halfway, Sein was forced to make a few observations. One, his aura was very similar to Arkiri and Tarin's. Two, he was very stressed. And three, he was here with a specific purpose in mind. With all of this information, Sein simply smiled and beckoned for Steam to follow, taking a seat by Alana. "So, what's up?"

"I came to talk to you guys about something that I've been forced to keep a secret for a while now," Steam answered in a murmur. "In advance, I'm sorry for keeping it from you. I just didn't think it should be brought up too early on."

"What is it?" Alana asked with a small frown.

Steam glanced away. "It's about the Void and it's ties to Jet," he answered slowly.

Sensing that Steam was awaiting some sort of harsh reaction, Sein cut in gently. "Just talk, Steam. We know you're not trying to hurt anyone. You're doing the best you can." Alana nodded her agreement.

This seemed to be enough to ease his anxiety for the moment. "Jet has been tied to the Void for… a long time now. It took interest in him and has been trying to influence him. He apparently came into contact with the first traces of it directly while traveling between realms and it latched onto him." Steam sighed. "Possibly because of how immensely strong he is. He could actually handle the energy without it ripping him apart or being wiped from existence."

Sein frowned, contemplating this new information for some time before speaking. "So… it's essentially trying to have him act out its will?" Alana opened her mouth to say something, but after a second decided not to and remained silent.

Steam nodded slowly. "Kind of. It wants him to go along willingly, so it… speaks to him, trying to make him think about things he normally never would."

At this, Alana finally spoke up. "Such as what?" she demanded.

"Killing the people that hurt him," Steam answered quietly. "Destroying his allies. The meaning of life and death in different ways. All sorts of shit like that."

Alana's previously small frown deepened. "Why… Why the obsession with death and destruction?"

"That is the Void. That's what it is as an entity," Steam explained. "Its purpose."

Sein's expression grew serious. "So… the Void is trying to get him to turn his back on everyone and everything? Destroy it all?"

"Yeah…" Steam murmured. "It wants to destroy everything that exists."

Though alarmed beyond what she was willing to say, Alana strove to keep a level head. "Existence operates with a system of checks and balances. There must be something out there that will keep this threat in line, surely?"

Steam took a deep breath. "...Soon," he answered. "Something will keep it in check soon, once there's a need. Until then, we'll have to wait. I'm sorry about that."

"Don't apologize for something you can't control," Sein said easily. "It's not your fault existence works in a certain way." Alana nodded a little in agreement, too wrapped up in her thoughts now to say anything.

"When it arrives… it'll be named the Aether," Steam murmured in reply. "It'll tie itself to someone and help prevent the Void from causing too much damage."

Sein blinked a few times and nodded. "You were the one it tied itself to in your timeline, weren't you?"

Steam stood up, nodding. "Yeah. Whoever it chooses here, I'll help train them." His ear flicked briefly and he frowned. "The fuck?" he asked softly, suddenly walking out of the medical ward.

Only when Steam said that did Alana realize two things. One, she'd just felt some sort of subtle ripple through existence, something only she, Sein, and Steam seemed to have noticed. Two, she could no longer sense her father resting in the room he'd been in. She immediately stood up and hurried after Steam. What is going on?

Sein quickly followed the both of them, visibly frowning. "Oi, what the hell was that?"

"Oh, fucking hell!" Steam shouted, tearing off to the room Kath had been in. Sein grabbed Alana gently by the arm and teleported after the hedgehog. They arrived in the room instantly and, sure enough, it was now empty aside from one very confused and furiously sniffing wolf.

Just then, somewhere out in the hall, there came another shout. This one was decidedly not from Steam. "Let me go, you fucking assholes!"

Steam moved back out into the hall and groaned. "Now? Seriously?" he asked himself.

"What?" Alana demanded, moving toward the doorway to head out into the hall as well. She could clearly hear some sort of minor scuffle before a couple people (she recognized their auras from the medical ward, as they were among the many doctors working there) cursed and huffed. Poking her head out of the room, Alana took in the scene. There were the two doctors, sitting tiredly on the floor and watching a young and visibly bristling teen who was standing a few feet away from them. It didn't quite register at first, but everything about the teen she was looking at was familiar aside from the age and size. When it did finally register, she quickly ducked back into the room and rubbed at her eyes. "What in the world?"

Steam was about to rush in when Arkiri suddenly rushed past him, uttering some sort of apology as he attempted to stand between the teenager and the doctors. "Kath, you have to calm down," the owl said quickly. "I don't know what's going on, but we can all relax and settle down. Talk it out like always. Okay?" Hearing the name Arkiri had just said, Alana froze.

"Then tell them not to fucking grab me!" Kath snapped, not at all calming down. "I'm not fucking sick!"

"You have been!" one of the doctors insisted. "You need to go back to be-"

Kath cut them off just as snappily as before. "Fuck off!"

Tarin also stepped into the room and none-too-gently picked the doctors up over her shoulder and hauled them away, simply attempting to prevent any further issues. Arkiri turned to Kath fully and murmured, "Follow me. We'll go somewhere else and talk. Is that fine by you?"

Though he crossed his arms, Kath didn't argue. "Where the hell even is this?" he groused, finally lowering his voice.

"I'll explain everything away from here," Arkiri said, beginning to walk off. "Just come with me. We'll sit down somewhere." In a surprising display of obedience in spite of how he'd just been behaving, Kath walked with Arkiri without issue.

Sein blinked as they walked by, visibly confused beyond belief. That… that's Kath? What the hell?

Alana abruptly turned to face Steam again. "Explain."

The hedgehog sighed and lowered his head. "To… to keep it simple… Kath is a God. The God of Time, to be precise." Alana stared, unable to comprehend these words just yet.

Sein blinked several times, going through several minor emotional journeys before returning. "Okay, so, explain more."

"Kath is a God that keeps things in check when it comes to Time. He has various time-based abilities that I'm not going to try to explain, but do know that he can reverse and fast-forward his own time… affecting his age," Steam explained further.

"And he did this… why?" Sein dared to ask.

Steam shook his head. "Not on purpose. From what I know… he was sick, right? If it got too bad, perhaps those powers awakened to help by reversing his age and protecting him from the illness."

Because he was not ill at this age… he reversed to it? Alana shook her head. "That does not explain why his age reversed so much," she murmured.

"He likely wasn't in control of it," Steam said. "Think about this. When someone unlocks access to a power in a life-threatening situation, it tends to have a powerful reaction that sometimes might be way more than is necessary. That could be exactly what happened here."

"...Just like what happened when I first manipulated gravity," Alana realized aloud, glancing at Sein.

"Or when I first went into my aura form," Sein added. "I get what you mean."

Steam nodded slowly to them both. "Chances are that he has no clue who or… what he is, in that sense. But now everyone with significant power and importance will know more or less. We have to get this situation under control soon," he murmured.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Alana asked him.

"...That owl," Steam murmured. "Kath listens to him. If we can give him the right information, he may be able to guide Kath through reverting himself back to normal."

Slowly, Alana inclined her head. "We should go speak with them both, then."

Steam nodded slowly. "Definitely." Alana motioned for them to follow and went in the direction of her father and Arkiri. She found them within moments and quietly entered the room.

Upon seeing them, Kath huffed and looked away, "I thought you said we'd be alone, Dad," he muttered.

Arkiri turned and looked to Sein, Alana, and Steam, frowning. "Do you need something? I assume it must be important." He ignored Kath's statement for just the moment, obviously intent on figuring out what they wanted. He had an idea, but he didn't want to assume.

Sein blinked several times, looking between Arkiri and Kath and thinking about what the now young hawk had said. Dad…? Deciding not to dwell on that for too long, he spoke. "We wanted to talk to you, Arkiri. I think… we have information you'll want to hear."

Arkiri slowly nodded before turning his attention back to Kath. "I'll explain who they are in a moment. Do you mind if I step out and see what they want to talk about?" Despite mumbling various gripes in a very ancient form of Babylonian, Kath took a seat on a couch and made no move to stop Arkiri from going. The owl then stood and stepped out of the room before turning to them. "If this is about the situation at hand, I assure you I can keep him from getting into more scuffles like that."

"It's more than that," Steam murmured. "We need your help." Saying this, he quickly explained the situation to Arkiri and retold the information he'd given to Sein and Alana about Kath's role as the God of Time.

Arkiri sighed softly. "God of Time… that's… incredible, but certainly inconvenient at this time. I'll see what can be done for you, assuredly. However, if you would join me for a moment, I wish to introduce you to him so that it may come together easier when I explain this all."

Sein shrugged. "Sounds fine, I suppose. Your idea has merit and all." Alana nodded her agreement without hesitation.

Arkiri led them all back into the room, instructing them gently to stay at the door before sitting down once more with Kath. "Kath, I would like you to meet Sein and Alana. In the… future, so to speak, Alana is your daughter and Sein is your adopted son."

Several emotions (Alana was honestly stunned by just how open he was) flickered across Kath's face before he settled back into his previous irritability. "There's no fucking way," he answered in a show of stubborn refusal to accept this explanation so easily. But even as he said that, he subtly cast glances at the pair in question, eyes a mixture of confused, stunned, and suspicious.

"Have I ever lied to you, Kath?" Arkiri questioned honestly. "Tell me the truth."

"...No," Kath admitted, looking away as though he'd just been chastised.

Arkiri smiled gently. "Now… onto far more serious business, we have a lot to discuss. Namely, your age, where you are, and a few other things." He glanced over to Sein, Alana, and Steam with an apologetic smile. "I hate to do this, but could you three step out for a bit? I assure you I'll tell him everything."

Alana took Sein's hand, leading him and Steam out of the room respectfully. She closed the door, but not quite fast enough to avoid hearing Kath suddenly ask with uncharacteristic nervousness, "...Where's Lari? Is she here?" Heart hurting, Alana shut the door the rest of the way.

Sein looked away with a soft sigh. "I… Fuck, that hurt more than I expected it to." A glimpse at Steam revealed that he too seemed upset at the reminder, and he was puzzled before it clicked. "You're… part Babylonian, right?" Barely paying attention to what Sein was saying, Alana just held onto his arm and tried to breathe through her suddenly rising emotions.

"I-... Yeah?" Steam asked, vaguely confused. "My grandfather was Babylonian. Never got to meet him, though. Died when my mom was young."

"Your grandparents are here," Sein answered. "Arkiri is your grandfather. Tarin is your grandmother."

Steam blinked several times at this before frowning. "Are… you sure?"

Sein nodded before turning to Alana. "Hey, you alright?" he asked her softly.

With a small nod, Alana wiped at one of her eyes. "I just… I was not prepared for him to mention her. That is all."

"Let's focus on something else for a moment. Don't wanna dwell on that," he murmured gently. "Do you sense the similarities between Steam and Arkiri and Tarin's auras?" Alana took in a deep breath, let it out slow, and then nodded.

Tarin chose this moment to approach. "You were speaking of me?" she questioned softly.

"Do you recognize Steam in any way," Sein asked, motioning to Steam.

"I would always recognize one of my kind. Why?" She asked.

"I think you're related. Why don't you two go and talk for a bit while me and Alana speak about a few things," Sein suggested, a smile on his face. Steam blinked once and frowned, but ultimately nodded and walked off with Tarin to another room. Sein then turned his attention back to Alana and gently led her back to the medical ward. "That's all… a lot to take in at once."

Somehow, in spite of everything, Alana managed to crack a small smile. "I suppose you can no longer complain about Father's usual temper after witnessing this."

Sein took the chance to laugh a bit. "I suppose so. He seems tame compared to when he was a teen."

Alana shook her head. "'Tame' is not a word I would ever associate with him," she answered. "He is anything but, as I seem to recall." Her eyes were quick to locate Jet across the room and she looked him over, confirming to herself that he was still alright, before returning her focus to Sein.

"You know what I meant," Sein said, amused.

"Do I?" Alana teased. She moved away from him, headed back toward Jet. "Come, let us sit for now. I am sure Arkiri will fetch us if we are needed."

Sein nodded gently and took a seat, letting his own gaze shift to Jet. I wish there was more I could do for you, bud...

~保護者~

Things were quiet when Shadow woke up in his own bed. Unlike the past several days, he had managed to sleep through the night this time. There had been no nightmares, and he hadn't nearly panicked by virtue of forgetting temporarily where he was upon waking. As the memories grew more and more unfocused and hazy (it occurred to him that he was just blocking them out, but he didn't care), he felt more and more like himself. ...For the most part, anyway. Constantly, he still caught himself slipping back into the mindsets that had been all but hammered into him since birth.

Weapons have no emotions.

Don't react. Don't flinch. Don't speak. Don't earn punishments.

I have no say. It doesn't matter what I want. It doesn't matter what I think. He's in charge.

On and on the list went, but… Toru was there. That one, simple fact helped far more than Shadow had ever expected it would. He'd found himself in a way clinging to the sheer sense of warmth and safety that Toru had been providing him with since his rescue. Part of him felt ridiculous for it, but the rest of him had stopped caring almost immediately. Even now, despite having only just woken up, he was already sitting up and looking around for the chameleon, hoping to see him somewhere close by.

Toru wasn't in the room, but he was still within the home. A quick scan of the home showed this, and Shadow felt a small wave of irritational relief at the confirmation that Toru was indeed still there. He chided himself a little for it, but ultimately brushed it aside. After taking a moment to stretch and wake up further, he stood up and walked out of the room. The sounds Shadow could hear indicated that Toru was cooking, a mix of various scents filling the house easily. Shadow opted to just sit down in the living room for now, immediately trying to think of some way to get out of eating. He had no appetite to speak of, and he greatly disliked the idea of trying to force himself.

The chameleon seemed to sense him moving around and appeared by Shadow, taking a seat. "Hey, how are you doing?"

Unbothered by this sudden appearance, Shadow merely shrugged. "Well enough," he answered after a moment.

"Glad to hear that," Toru answered. "I got up because Myriu was griping about being hungry." Shadow nodded a little. He started to reach for a box of cigarettes he'd left nearby, but then suddenly thought better of it and unhappily retracted his hand. Toru raised an eyebrow, blinking once. "Something the matter?"

Shadow huffed. "All things considered, it is not the best idea to use those right now," he muttered.

Toru shrugged. "Reasonable enough. Do you think you can eat?" he asked softly.

That immediately earned a shake of the head. "No. I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure?" Toru questioned. "I'd like to see you eat, but I don't want you to force yourself."

"I'm not hungry," Shadow insisted. The mere idea of eating alone almost had him feeling vaguely uneasy and maybe even a touch nauseous.

Toru frowned, but simply nodded. "I'll save some for you. If you get to feeling like you can eat, it'll be available to you."

"I won't," Shadow mumbled, speaking from experience.

The chameleon simply smiled and wrapped an arm around him. "That's fine too." Shadow nodded a little, relaxing into the touch almost without realizing it. Toru suddenly shifted and teleported away briefly, only to return within the minute. "Gotta make sure it doesn't burn or my sister will never let me live it down."

"Neither will I," Shadow promised lightly. "Chameleons have a collective reputation to uphold, do they not? We cannot have you tarnishing it."

Toru huffed at him. "Hush." Shadow managed a very fleeting smirk in response. "You know you're an asshole, right?" Toru asked in amusement.

"It may have been mentioned by some people in the past," Shadow shrugged, feigning total nonchalance in spite of the amusement that he also felt.

The chameleon sighed softly and teleported back to deal with the food once more as Myriu suddenly sat down beside Shadow. "Are you alright?" The young girl asked.

Though a little surprised by her concern, Shadow didn't let it show. He inclined his head and confirmed, "I'm alright."

Myriu frowned at him. "You lie about how you feel, though."

Her words earned a very vague shrug. "It is not a total lie," he told her, choosing not to go into any more detail than that. Intuitive though she clearly was, she was a child and didn't need to be burdened with any degree of the real truth.

The child huffed in a manner similar to Toru. "Fine then. See if I play board games with you anymore." It wasn't really a threat, and there was no intent to follow through.

Shadow huffed, feigning mild indignation. "See if I continue to let you win, then," he answered in kind, even though he'd never actually done that and they both knew it.

She huffed once more before stalking off somewhere as she often did, finding something to interest her for some time. Toru eventually returned and reclaimed his seat by the hedgehog. "So, what's on your mind?"

Glancing at him, Shadow was quick to shake his head and deny, "Nothing."

Toru raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Feeling a bit stubborn all of a sudden, Shadow crossed his arms. "Yes," he grumbled.

The chameleon wrapped an arm around him. "Doesn't sound like it," he murmured.

After a long pause, Shadow forced himself to quietly admit, "Gerald is still… out there. It is impossible to fully be at ease, knowing that."

"Hm," Toru hummed softly. "I can… see how that would be unnerving." Shadow didn't say anything else, not wanting to vocalize just how unnerving it really was when he let himself think about it too much. Toru held him closer, sighing. "Look… I can't say for certain that he won't try to do something, but you've got good people looking out for you. Those foxes, your brother, and so on and so forth. We'll make sure this gets dealt with." Shadow only nodded, giving himself a bit of time to think about what Toru had said and accept it. He managed to force himself to relax a bit more once he did so.

"So, what else?" Toru prompted. "You've got more on your mind."

As much as Shadow didn't want to bring up this particular topic, he forced himself to do so anyway. If only to just get it done and over with. "I don't know what to do about the…" He hesitated, caught himself nearly referring to it as a 'spawn' like Gerald had, then mumbled, "...Baby." Though he didn't want to admit it aloud, he was honestly… beyond nervous, and not to mention 'weirded out' (as Tails would have put it), among other things. Those weren't feelings he was used to.

Ever since Tails and Wery had done… whatever they'd done while he'd been unconscious, emotions that were just as often totally foreign as they were just mostly unfamiliar had been plaguing him. Partially in an effort to cope and partly in response to memories of his years of training on the ARK, he did his level best to force all his emotions away. Gerald's recent words (among the only clear things he could still remember about what he went through mere days ago) echoed through his mind unbidden, only resulting in him forcing his emotions down harder. "You have obviously strayed far from my programming for you. That simply will not do."

Toru frowned and held him closer, obviously concerned beyond just the initial topic. "Hey, what else is going on?" he probed lightly. "Something else is really bothering you."

His voice startled Shadow away from those thoughts and he shook his head, almost as if to banish the offending memory. "...What did Tails and Wery do?" he demanded in return. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

"I was told that they'd removed Gerald's ability to control you and that they'd made sure you could feel," Toru murmured softly.

Shadow shook his head again, scowling a little to himself. This… explained a lot. But it didn't make him any happier. "I am not supposed to feel to this degree," he answered. He didn't outright say that he utterly lacked the skills necessary to handle the emotions he was being subjected to, but the implication was there and he knew it.

Toru frowned openly at this. "What do you mean?" he questioned.

"I meant what I said," Shadow muttered. His displeasure had only increased. He'd hoped he wouldn't have to spell this shit out, but here he was… spelling it out. "I was built and programmed not to have a full range of emotions from the beginning. Some emotions were only blocked or weakened later on, but many were never there to begin with."

The chameleon shifted closer. "Do you need her to rewrite whatever she did?" he asked slowly. "I'm sure she'd be happy to make sure you're okay."

In the end, Shadow had no idea what in the hell he wanted anymore. "I don't know."

"Look," Toru murmured, pulling Shadow into a tighter hug. "If you want me to try and help you through your emotions, I'd be happy to. This is new for you, so it stands to reason that you'd need someone else."

In spite of himself, Shadow let himself relax bit by bit into the embrace. More emotions came and went, many of which he had no names for, and he pursed his lips together. Is everything meant to be this intense?

As Shadow reacted to his emotions, Toru only increased his efforts to try and comfort the hedgehog. "Is that something you want to do?"

"I don't know," Shadow repeated, half distracted by still trying to shove things down and away. It took a few minutes before he was able to calm things down enough within himself that he felt some degree of normalcy settle over him again. This is bullshit, was his first thought. His next was, ...Little wonder why Sonic acts like a fool so damn often, I suppose.

"That's fine," Toru assured. "We can take it step by step, alright?" That earned a small nod. For once, Shadow didn't feel like arguing. He didn't even see a point in it right now. "So… back to the original thing. The… baby," the chameleon said softly. "What… ...I don't really know what we should do there."

Inwardly, Shadow scowled again. As if I do. "If we do not make our own decision," he said slowly and carefully, "then Gerald will find a way to make it for us."

It took a moment, a long moment, for Toru to sigh and speak. "I don't know how you feel about it, but I have always wanted a child."

When Toru's words eventually sank in, Shadow found himself quietly saying, "Sometimes… I suppose that I miss it. Raising a child was exhausting, but… worth it." Whether or not that meant he was okay with this, though, he had no real idea. But he was starting to think that maybe, just maybe… this was something he could be okay with. Even if not immediately.

The chameleon gently rubbed a hand against Shadow's back. Initially, the hedgehog tensed up a little, as it was a foreign sensation, but gradually he relaxed again. "We can think on it for today and talk again later if you'd like. We don't have to make an immediate decision." Shadow nodded a little in agreement.

Myriu popped her head up between them suddenly. "There's someone outside. They just appeared."

Sure enough, the moment Shadow did a scan he detected the person. He mentally chided himself for paying so little attention to their surroundings before telling Toru, "It is a chameleon. Do you know him?"

"Him?" Toru questioned before standing up and reaching for his sword. He didn't sense danger… but a chameleon coming all this way that they weren't immediately able to recognize was concerning. "Show me." Shadow obliged and pulled up the live feed on his communicator before passing it to Toru. The chameleon picked up the device for a moment before dropping it and dragging Shadow to the door. "Myriu! Follow me!"

Though confused, Myriu decided to do as she was bid and followed them to the door before asking, "What's wrong with you?"

Shadow managed not to stumble by some miracle, but he was quick to complain about what was happening. "Toru, what the hell?" he demanded.

"Disable the security, you both need to meet him," Toru answered, already throwing the door open and pulling them both outside. "This… is my father." Completely thrown for a loop, Shadow wordlessly did as he'd been told.

The older chameleon blinked a few times at the three before suddenly stepping through the doorway, but didn't get a chance to otherwise respond before Toru threw himself at the man for a hug. He caught Toru with a faint smile before raising an eyebrow. "Miss me that much?"

Toru didn't speak for some time, simply embracing the older man tightly. When he did, it was soft-spoken. "You… How are you back? Did they revive you?"

"Guess so," the man responded before gently pulling out of the hug. "So, gonna tell me who this man and the younger girl are? They've been standing there, semi-patiently." His eyes trained on Myriu who raised an eyebrow at him.

"This is Shadow," Toru gestured to the hedgehog. "And this is Myriu, my younger sister."

Definitely not my child… What did Ekai do when I died? The man's gaze shifted to Shadow. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Caer." Shadow nodded a little but opted to stay quiet.

Toru looked to Shadow with visible excitement in his eyes before turning his attention back to Caer. "So you just reappeared here?"

"...Pretty much," the man answered. "I decided this would be the best place to look for information since I was already here, but I definitely didn't expect this to happen."

Well, he certainly wasn't the only one who was surprised. I don't think anyone would have reasonably expected this, Shadow found himself thinking in response. Only his desire to keep from dampening Toru's mood kept him from voicing that comment, or anything else that was remotely snarky. ...Tails's past remarks that his social skills needed 'work' suddenly didn't seem so far-fetched.

Myriu approached the man and blinked a few times. "So you're my brother's dad?"

"Yes, I certainly am," Caer responded easily.

"So it's your fault he's so insufferable," Myriu huffed before walking back inside.

Caer watched her in confusion before sighing. "Definitely took a little bit after Ekai… speaks her mind very openly."

Toru nodded and crossed his arms. "There's some stuff we'll need to talk about soon, but that can wait."

No sooner than he'd finished that sentence, Shadow's communicator started vibrating. He went back to where it had been abandoned on the floor and picked it up to see who was messaging him. A second later he simply dropped it back down and told Toru, "The Highlands are under attack. Sonic needs help."

Caer turned sharply to Shadow. "The Highlands? Who the fuck is attacking there of all places?"

"Currently, old beings of Light," Shadow answered, not even remotely bothered by the abrupt change in demeanor. "Demons tore down the barriers months ago, and any threat is free to come and go as they please now."

"I will be fixing that once this is over," Caer muttered. Damn those bastards. "Toru, stay here." He didn't wait for a response, simply teleporting away immediately.

Toru groaned and looked to Shadow. "If I go, will you stay here with Myriu? We need to take these bastards down quickly."

Shadow's initial response was to say an angry fuck that, but he was quick to acknowledge the fact that it really would be best for him to stay put for now, for reasons he wasn't… entirely ready to acknowledge again. Still, his reply was no less irritable. "Tell me the moment you know whether Sonic is safe."

"Was already going to," Toru murmured. "Stay safe and I'll be back soon." With this said, the chameleon teleported after his father.

Myriu walked up to Shadow quietly, frowning. "They're too similar," she huffed openly.

Shadow let out his own huff as he shut the door and reactivated the security. "They are different enough that I believe you can cope."

The girl simply shrugged. "Maybe."

Resisting the urge to huff, Shadow walked off in search of something for this moody child to do long enough to keep her out of trouble.

~保護者~

She couldn't remember the last time she'd really left the Highlands, if she was honest with herself. It had been quite some time ago, all things considered. And so, she kept her guard up. That didn't matter too much, as where she was certainly didn't have any threats as dangerous as the Hollows. However, she couldn't forget the reason she was out here. She'd noticed that the orange cat she'd met, Marthal, had suddenly left his group of allies.

Considering what had been happening lately with corruption and all… she was a touch concerned. And so Tyria had searched the last couple of days, trying to find him. Sticking to dense wilderness had been the best idea. He'd told her himself that he vastly preferred wild places to civilized ones. And out here, away from even the sparsely populated the Highlands, there truly was no one. No one except for her and one distant, seemingly resting source of demonic energy

And so, as she closed in on this energy, she sped up her pace, not wishing to allow it to get away from her once again. He had done so so many times now that she partly believed it might not be possible to catch him. If he was resting, though… just maybe she could get to him this time. Sure enough, the energy remained where it was, not changing or moving anywhere and, curiously, not showing signs of having noticed her. Tyria moved quietly and carefully, shifting ever closer to this energy until she was close enough to see.

Sure enough, Marthal was the one she'd been sensing. He was laying on his stomach with his head on his hands, sleeping with a frown on his face in a high branch of a tree. This little place he'd chosen was breezy, keeping her scent upwind from him and no doubt playing into his failure to detect her presence. That, and his apparent tiredness.

Tyria began climbing a tree nearby to the one he was resting in, frowning as she did so. Why choose here? Is it truly because he prefers to be away from civilization? Whatever the case, she continued onward until she was level with him. The chameleon then spoke softly. "Marthal?" Her voice startled the cat awake and he visibly jumped, fur already bristling in response to the emotion. Upon seeing her, he cursed profusely in undertone, his distinctly demonic eyes already full of anger. "Why are you so far out here?" she questioned, not at all bothered by the anger she could feel from him.

"Because I am," Marthal growled, refusing to truly answer the question. "Get the hell away from me." If not for the fact that he was currently under orders to keep a low profile and not get into fights until told otherwise, he might have attempted to force the issue. For now, however, he was incapable of doing so due to the control he was under.

"Your allies do not know where you are," Tyria said, taking a seat on a branch as if to answer him. "They are in great danger currently."

"I don't give a shit," was the less-than-friendly retort. Marthal sat up in preparation to leave.

A faint frown appeared on her face. "That does not sound like you, truthfully." Aniko did not lie about what she said regarding corruption.

"Don't care," he reiterated, dropping down out of the tree.

Tyria dropped down as well, landing on the ground neatly. "Are they telling you to stay away from everyone?" Marthal threw her a glare, refusing to answer, and began to walk away with his hands shoved deeply into his pants pockets. The chameleon followed after him without hesitation. "You could come back and be purified so that you do not have to listen?" she murmured, tilting her head. "I can imagine that losing your own will is not pleasant."

Another glare, this one harsher, answered her. "You don't understand anything."

"Then help me understand," Tyria answered calmly. "You have not given me much to work with."

"Leave me alone," was all Marthal told her, fists clenching a bit.

"I will not until you return to your allies," she said simply.

"I'm not going back, so fuck off."

Tyria shook her head. "I will not leave. They will be worried about you."

"The hell makes you think I care?" Marthal demanded, rounding on her with quiet fury. Bits of fire sparked in his orange fur.

She raised an eyebrow at this, equal parts confused and concerned about his current state of mind. "I am not sure. I am sure a part of you still cares for them, however." The only answer she got this time was a low hiss and he spun back around to resume walking away. Tyria continued to follow after him before grabbing something she'd carried with her all this way. She held it out in his direction before asking, "What is this?"

The faint twitching of his nose told him what she was holding even before he turned his head to look. "Nothing useful to you," he muttered, facing her again. "Give it back."

"You left it in Hyale," Tyria said, closing her hand around it carefully. "Why is it useful to you?"

"I'm not telling you shit," he answered, his words partially drowned out by another hiss. If he could have fought to get the device away from her, he absolutely would have. "Give it back."

The chameleon backed a few steps away, beginning to piece information together. "Your allies also have ones similar to this. It must be linked to them somehow. I will not be giving it back, if that is the case." With still no other option but to follow his orders, Marthal abruptly turned back around and resumed taking his leave of this place. Rather than keep backing away, Tyria simply kept her distance, tapping at the device until the screen came on. "This is unusual," she murmured. The chameleon kept poking at the device until she accidentally called someone, blinking several times.

"Marthal? What the hell?" Steam asked. "You alright?"

"This is not Marthal. I am currently trailing him," Tyria answered.

An audible groan followed by a sigh of relief escaped the hedgehog on the line. "Don't touch anything on the communicator. I'll get this handled."

"Alright," Tyria agreed, continuing to follow a short distance from Marthal.

Within a few seconds, Steam appeared in front of them both, a deep frown on his face. "Marthal, I'm gonna have to ask that you come back with me. We can deal with the corruption, but we need to do it now before things get worse."

The cat in question only continued to walk away as he muttered a cross, "Fuck. Off."

Steam stayed a distance ahead of the cat, frown deepening. "You aren't allowed to go with us, eh? That makes shit way more difficult than it has to be." The hedgehog shifted before his body filled with Light. "Sorry for this, man." Without hesitation, Light exploded out from his body as he rushed to Marthal. The cat in question had no time to react or dodge. Upon seeing this, Steam was quick to get as close as possible and blast Marthal with concentrated Light, effectively knocking the cat out. The hedgehog hoisted Marthal onto his shoulder and looked to Tyria. "I'll get you out of here, then take you back to Hyale later. Thanks for calling me."

"Calling?" Tyria questioned. "I did not understand what I was doing. I simply tapped at the contraption until it did something."

Amused, Steam could only shake his head. "I figured as much. Either way, you did good." He extended a hand. "Let's get out of here. I'll update you when we figure out more about his condition." Tyria accepted the hand and nodded, blinking once as they teleported away.

~保護者~

"Novei, please!" Li called, throat hoarse from the past few days of chasing the Therian. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but let me help you."

"For the last time, I am in need of no help from you," Novei murmured. "You have not proven yourself capable of aiding me in any way."

Li groaned openly. "I can make you whatever weapons you want!"

"I am not in need of weapons. I have plenty," Novei answered, eyes narrowed faintly as she watched him. She had felt nothing since that flash of light, and even now she couldn't even be angry like she once had. It was odd, but she had no room to complain. There was nothing to complain about, after all.

"Then what do you need?" Li questioned.

"Nothing. I am fine. Return to your forge."

For the first time in a while, Li physically and verbally stood his ground. "No. I am not going back without you." For a moment, he supposed that it was entirely possible Sein would commend him for this action, as the hawk had always advocated for him to stand up for himself.

Novei blinked once. "Why?"

"I need you, Novei. I've spent so much time around you and now being without you leaves me feeling so alone," Li admitted. "I don't want to be anywhere unless I know I'll get to see you again."

"You make no sense," Novei muttered.

The wolf laughed softly. "You said that when we first met. You accused me of being too emotional. Of being too scared. Running away when my forge was set ablaze. Kinda bizarre to hear that now."

Novei blinked once. She had said that, and everything that followed made so little sense to her now. Perhaps that was what this whole "emotion" thing was about. Something that she currently wasn't understanding. "Who are you?" she questioned.

"My name is Li. I'm the God of the Forge. When we first met, you said you'd guard me if one day I made you the biggest and best sword I could manage. I still intend to do that, so I definitely need you around."

"Hm." She moved toward him and grabbed him by the arm. "You will teach me of your persistent 'emotions'. I do not comprehend them."

The smile on the wolf's face was tired, but extremely happy. "Of course. I'd be happy to teach you all over again what it means to feel."

~保護者~

The relative silence of the day was interrupted by the faint scrape of boots against the wood flooring of Shei and Aniko's home. Shei looked up from the fruit he had been methodically peeling in time to see Espio step inside. Espio spared him a glance, but ultimately focused his attention solely on Aniko. "Mother. I may require your… assistance."

Aniko blinked a few times before nodding slowly. "What do you need, my son?" she questioned in a gentle manner.

Espio looked away a subtle frown on his face. Something in his expression was a bit… dark, and his next words seemed to explain why. "Armaris is not… herself. And I mean that rather literally."

"...What?" Aniko asked, almost audibly confused. "What do you mean, exactly?"

After a small pause, Espio elaborated, "Demonic possession, I think."

Aniko's eyes flashed with visible anger. "What?" She demanded, standing immediately. "A demon possessed her?" Shei immediately dropped his fruit, suddenly no longer hungry.

Though he shrugged, Espio said, "It seems possible."

"What makes you believe this is the case?" Aniko asked quickly, walking toward her son. "We haven't been around you much as of late."

Espio crossed his arms, almost seeming to debate how to answer. "She is not acting like herself. She has suddenly become… interested in strengthening, controlling, and accepting her fully demonic side."

Aniko blinked several times. "I-... what? Armaris? The one who reeks of fear around demons?" Espio only nodded, his expression unchanging. Shaking her head, Aniko spoke again. "That is unlikely. Her being interested in that part of her…"

He tossed her an unhappy glance. "I said she was not behaving like herself. I meant it."

"I, for one," Aniko muttered, already moving to leave the home, "will not allow a demon to possess her body any further. This will not stand in my family."

Shei quickly signed, "Where is she?"

Seeing this, Espio answered, "My home. Zei and Sako are elsewhere."

"We will confront her and get answers," Aniko said. "Are you ready?" she asked Espio. Walking over to join her, Espio nodded. The woman immediately teleported the three of them to Espio's home and walked inside. Espio and Shei walked after her silently.

Armaris was… visibly confused as they approached, standing up from where she'd been laying. "Is… something the matter?" Shei opted to hang back by the doorway, deciding to block the easiest method of escape.

Expression as unchanging as before, Espio murmured, "You are not who you claim to be."

The cat blinked several times. "I… what?" she demanded softly. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

Completely unmoved by this denial, Espio conjured up some of his own Darkness. Much to Shei's silent shock, the younger chameleon used that power to start forcing the demon out of Armaris to some degree. How in the hell…?

"Wh-what the fuck?" she cried out, a mingling of two separate voices ringing out by the end of it. "You're making a mistake!" There was a threat within the demon's words, but they hadn't made good on it yet.

"No. I am not." With no concern or sympathy in his tone, Espio continued to force the demon out. In spite of his cold demeanor, however, it was impossible to miss how damn careful he was not to hurt Armaris as he did this.

The demon still partially within Armaris attempted to do something to her, perhaps corruption, but it was interrupted by a flash of blue magic slamming into its face. Ylden stormed into the home, glancing apologetically to Espio and his family for intruding before approaching the demon. "I was locked within the Realms of Death and incapable of seeing my daughter, only to come back to this?" he demanded, slamming the demon against the wall once it was fully removed from Armaris. Shei caught Armaris before she could hit the ground and rushed her away from the middle of this confrontation. "How dare you," the male cat snapped, brandishing his scythe.

Knowing that this was no fight it could win, the demon retreated through the wall and attempted to flee, only to be slammed into the ground with more magic being brought down upon it. Ylden descended from the air and touched down, stepping forward. "You will pay for harming my child."

With one silent glance at Armaris, Espio turned his full attention to the fight. With Ylden clearly handling it, he slowly lost interest in getting involved. The hand he'd had resting on the handle of his sword moved away and he focused instead on taking measures to ensure the demon couldn't simply take off. Using his Darkness, he kept the demon forcibly pinned where it was, intent on letting it die right there.

Ylden gathered magical energy within the tip of his scythe. "I'll see you in the deepest pits of whatever hell I can gift you for your afterlife," he muttered, spinning the scythe once before bringing it down with a mighty explosion of blue light. The energy didn't expand far, however, collapsing back in on itself and destroying whatever may have remained of the body.

The cat then turned back around and replaced the scythe on his back as he walked to Espio. "Thank you for keeping it there, and for saving my daughter," Ylden murmured.

That bit of darkness that Shei had noted in his son's eyes deepened subtly. "I did nothing," Espio muttered, glancing back at Armaris. I was blind as everyone else, for a time… perhaps moreso.

Ylden sighed. "You did much. Many would have been fooled by a demon such as that. It's primary purpose is to imitate someone."

"I am aware," Espio answered, sudden irritability entering his tone.

"My point is… you did well enough," Ylden murmured. "I appreciate it." Espio fell unhappily silent, looking away and crossing his arms. Shei, meanwhile, walked back over to Ylden with Armaris in tow. Ylden carefully picked her up in his own arms before turning his attention back to Espio. "Would you prefer for me to care for her for a time? You do not seem… pleased, to put it simply."

At this, Espio abruptly turned and started to leave. "Do what you want. I don't care."

Ylden frowned and immediately nodded before beginning to walk toward Aniko and Shei, beckoning them to him. As Shei was already there, he waited for Aniko to join them. Espio, meanwhile, jumped down off the porch and quickly disappeared. Ylden shifted Armaris in his arms as he spoke. "Watch over your son. I believe his Darkness is affecting him deeply at this moment."

Aniko frowned in the direction Espio had gone. "You may be right," she murmured.

With no real way of knowing whether or not Ylden would even be able to understand him, Shei signed specifically to Aniko. "If this persists as long as it did before, it will become a massive danger again."

She nodded slowly. "You are right, but what should we do about such a thing?"

"I don't know," he replied quickly. "Nothing anyone did the last time truly made any difference. Only the Faein's intervention reigned it in for a time."

"If you have need of my aid for any reason… say the word," Ylden murmured. "I don't know what I can do to help with this, but I will do what I can."

Aniko nodded again and crossed her arms. We saved Armaris, but… what did that demon do when we weren't paying attention? she thought to herself.

More importantly... what could they do to fix this?

~保護者~

With a shake of her head, Nareish tutted under her breath. "I must admit… I did not foresee how easily they would find you, Gerald. It would seem your weapon's allies are more tenacious than I had once believed." She cracked her dark eyes open to look at him, expression bored and almost lazy. "It goes without saying that he should be punished for remaining with them once he awoke. I assumed he would know better than to go against your wishes so blatantly."

"It's quite obvious that there is someone out there who is… fairly skilled with technology. I have been able to trace that much, but I was incapable of properly tracking where they are or how they did what they did," Gerald answered slowly. "They have certainly done their homework."

Nareish inclined her head. "I believe I may know who they are," she murmured. "But that is no matter. For now, I shall restore your ARK. Until you are in a position to control your weapon again, perhaps it is best that he simply remain under surveillance for now."

"I will prepare for more and continue my attempts to… sabotage those who dare step into my work," Gerald answered. "This will not stand. I do see merit in your plan, however. Perhaps seeing him in combat of his own volition could even spark new ideas for what I should do to him next."

"Very well, then." Nareish waved a hand and reconstructed the ARK as she'd promised, then conjured up a screen of energy. She tossed that screen to him, explaining, "Use this to view him whenever you wish."

Gerald caught it and nodded slowly. "I now see what you meant with what was said of his… 'mate'."

This earned a blink. "Oh? Do you, now?"

"He was the one to destroy the ARK, correct?" Gerald asked. "That would take some level of power, that you know for sure."

"He was," she acknowledged, waving a hand for him to continue.

"This means that the spawn they bear have a greater chance to be… powerful on their own. Even more so when they are… enhanced," Gerald said with a growing smile. "It is actually wonderful news."

That earned him a smirk. "That is very true. I assume you will require blood, then, in order to create more of these offspring."

"I wish to observe the process more fully so that it can be easily recreated in a laboratory setting, but yes," Gerald agreed.

"It will be handled," Nareish told him.

Without another word, she repaired the ARK like she'd promised and set him on his way.

~保護者~

10,347 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Also, happy New Year! Posted (at about 7:09 p.m.) 01-03-21.