Guardian

by yasha012

I used to want to save existence... I saw it as this beautiful place, capable of fostering life in all of its many forms. A place with the potential to nurture so much Light. But the closer I got to it... the more I fought for it… the better I could see the Darkness waiting within… the evil we would all rather forget. (Part 4 of the Hero series; sequel to "Eternal Shadow Falls".)

151. Dreamscape

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this time of discussion… especially for the one whose motives are gradually coming to light.

~保護者~

"Dreamscape"

~保護者~

He was aware he was dreaming. In a loose sense of the term, anyway. Jet was awake only within the confines of his mind while his body was at rest. This was far from abnormal. His mind seldom needed much rest, whereas his body was often put through a lot. It needed reprieve far more often than he would have liked. As for why this all came together to cause part of him to remain awake while other parts were asleep was… unknown to him at this time. The matter warranted investigation at some point, but he could never find the time. He certainly didn't have such a luxury now.

Many higher beings could construct what was known as an "inner world". A place of peace, focus, rest, and so on. Sonic had mentioned speaking with Kaden within such a place before, back when the older man had been in a coma due to Dark Gaia. His often took the form of a simple forest, deep and dark and full of mist. Not unlike the forests surrounding Chun-nan.

Jet's was different. He had never deliberately constructed such a space, and as such it's appearance was an amalgamation of things. There was a vast forest, full of Babylonian-esque ruins and ancient technology. There was even a sort of replica of Alkarus stabbed in the ground near where he was. He had used that very weapon, imagined though it technically was, to train before. He wasn't here for that now.

As this was a space where he could move around and interact with things as though he was physically there, he opened his eyes to find himself laying on the ground amidst some stone ruins. Pushing himself up, he moved into a sitting position and looked around. Everything looked the same as it always did, but he knew that there was something different. One crucial, unmissable detail.

His mind was no longer just his own.

This space was shared.

Even so, why was his unwanted companion present in this place? Turning his head, he looked over at the Void with a frown. The living energy had taken on what was to date the most physical appearance it had offered up yet. It usually preferred to lurk around him unseen, with only him able to sense its presence. But it had deigned to render itself visible this time. Oddly enough, it did so by making itself appear as a Babylonian, albeit one comprised purely of its own deep purple energies.

Naturally, Jet had to ask. His curious nature practically demanded it. "Of all the things you could have chosen, why…?"

"I am most familiar with this race's physiology, for reasons I know to be immensely obvious." It walked over and sat down in front of him, mirroring his cross-legged posture. "But that is not an important question. You know what is. I am aware as well, but I will permit you to speak them yourself."

Permit him… as if it was somehow in charge? It was almost laughable, in an irritating sort of way. But Jet didn't currently have the energy to work up much in the way of emotions. He was still, in a sense, waking up. After having a seizure, as he knew he'd had, it normally took him a bit of time to mentally recover after awakening, even if it was just internally. Even so, he knew what the Void was talking about. "How was I able to use your power without you granting me access?"

Now the Void was mirroring his expression, too, by wearing the same sort of frown. "Somehow, despite being unconscious and thus not in control of yourself, you wrenched control from me for just a moment. Had I known it was possible and been prepared to guard against such a thing, it wouldn't have happened. Fortunately for you and your… 'pets', I figured out how to return the favor, putting a stop to your unintended outbursts long enough for you to recover."

And then Jet had called Sein, he was pretty sure he'd laid down… and now he was here. Had he gone under again? "I had another one, didn't I?" A nod. "Any further damage?"

Purple eyes blinked. "None. I ensured it."

That… was surprising. And confusing. "Any particular reason why? You haven't cared about breaking my shit before." No sooner than the words left his mouth, some of the fog lifted and a moment of clarity came over him. "It has something to do with my father, doesn't it?"

Eventually, the Void relented and gave a slow nod. "I have no reason to care about his opinion of me, or of you for that matter. However, I do have reason to care about your health. After careful observation of him and seeing your memories, I concluded that it would be… unhealthy to create issues between you two. Even if that upset is only a result of concern about seizures or the like."

Jet straightened, more confused than ever. "You talk about wanting me to kill my family, and now you suddenly give a damn about whether or not they're upset?" Granted, it had admitted to only caring about that in regards to that making him upset, but still.

"For now," the Void warned quietly. "You are not ready yet. However… you were willing to kill that demon woman. Yet, according to your own memories, the plan was to leave her alive."

A flicker of dark emotion made itself known, but quickly petered out. "Being willing to do something and actually doing it are two different things," he murmured. "There is a clear distinction." Suddenly, the world around them shifted and changed. The momentary startle-effect this had on Jet vanished just as abruptly as it hit, because of course the Void could alter this place as well. Wilderness and echoes of eras long passed faded away to be replaced by a sort of hallway. Lining the walls on either side of him were framed photographs. Even the barest of glances of glances around told him that what he was looking at were snapshots of his own memories. The hell…

The Void stood and walked to one picture, pointing with a loose finger at an all-too-familiar face. "Explain who this is," it instructed. "I have not looked deep enough to see much of him."

Though he let out a heavy sigh, Jet complied. "His name is Ross," he said. "I used to think he was my father."

There was a slight pause. "I suppose there is a resemblance."

"Because he's the son of Queen Laralei, my grandmother, in this timeline. I'm her grandson in a different timeline."

"As I recently learned," the Void agreed with a small nod. Then it said, "That answer does not satisfy me. There is more to your relationship with him than you have said." Lowering it's hand, the Void walked over to kneel in front of him, arms braced on its knees. "Tell me why you hated him."

It was… difficult to lie to the Void. Not just because it could easily find out the truth from his own mind, either. The Void was honest with him about its thoughts and intentions, even when it knew he wouldn't like what it said. He could sense that, the same as it could sense things from him. But it wasn't a matter of choosing to be honest. They were at this strange point (one that very well may have been temporary) where something about their bond was forcing them to be truthful in their words. Jet was just as affected as the Void was, unfortunately.

As a result, Jet eventually resigned himself to answering. "He hated me first," he muttered. "He let that emotion drive him to abuse and neglect me. He killed me twice when I was a child. I couldn't love someone like that."

"And yet you could let him hurt you?" the Void inquired smoothly. "I know you had no substantial powers back then. Yet you knew very well how to make use of weapons, how to use them to kill. You raised blades against people on multiple occasions to defend yourself, but never once against Ross. Explain why."

"He was doing awful shit to me. I didn't know those other people and I wasn't scared of them. But he scared me." Jet looked away, fighting back steadily rising emotions as he forced himself to continue. "He proved, time and again, that he was stronger than me. Faster. Smarter. Angrier. I couldn't do anything against him no matter how badly I may have wanted to."

"Incorrect. You are denying a truth you are reluctant to accept. Allow me to spell it out for you." The Void leaned in close, forcing Jet to look it in the eye for just a moment before he hastily broke the eye-contact. "You could have hurt or killed him, even back then. Just as you know it now, you knew it then. So tell me, why did you not take action? He deserved the pain you would have inflicted. He made you suffer. You wanted him to hurt like you did."

Still unable to truly lie on top of suddenly feeling all sorts of emotion for a moment, Jet quietly snapped, "I didn't do it because I couldn't. I didn't care about sinking to his level, and I was more angry than afraid sometimes. But I couldn't do it because I knew that I didn't have any right to."

The Void canted its head. "He harmed you," it reminded.

Jet grimaced. "I deserved it," he muttered. "All of it. The beatings, fending for myself, being locked up, being screamed at, all of it. It was all my fault."

No emotions were offered in return. The Void's presence was stoic, steady, and focused. "Explain," it ordered calmly.

"I'm the reason why his wife died," Jet eventually said, once he'd settled his feelings enough to do so without the risk of choking up. Be it from frustration or old grief and regret, he had no idea. "She… I grew up thinking she was my mother, but I never really knew her. She died when I was little. Ross never hid the fact that she died protecting me from something. He wasn't sure how I wound up in danger, but whenever he'd throw the incident in my face he'd claim that I wandered off somewhere I shouldn't have been. From the bits and pieces I remember, that seems most likely."

He continued. "Wherever I wound up, she found her way there, too. I was in some sort of danger, and in the process of getting me out of there she was killed. She died because of me and what I did, and he never forgave me for that. He hated me because of it. He tried to get over it, but at some point the anger was too much to keep in anymore and he…" Jet trailed off for a moment before finishing quietly, "I was punished for it, every day. Because nothing I could do would ever bring her back, and every second I lived was a second she could have lived without me."

"You are merely repeating his words," the Void suddenly asserted. "He beat them into you day after day, moment after moment. Evidently he was wildly successful, if you are still driven to recall and believe those words even after so much time has passed."

"Fuck off," Jet muttered, scowling at nothing in particular off to the side. "Why the hell do you even care?"

"Because the sooner you stop believing you deserve to suffer, the better you will be able to live." The Void let out a delicate snort before adding, "As far as I am concerned, you are the only being apart from myself that deserves to do so."

"There's another reason why you bothered bringing this shit up," Jet accused. Finally, he turned his head to look at the Void again. "I don't have mental abilities like you do, and this fucking bond only allows for so much right now. Spit it out already."

For just a moment, the Void seemed amused. Then it was serious again. It leaned in close for a second time, this time close enough to rest their foreheads together. And just like that, they were back in their original setting, as though the dark memories had been banished in a way. This position essentially forced Jet to look it in the eye as it murmured, "As I have said many times before, your enemies are the ones that deserve to feel pain. All those around you should die, but in different ways. Those close to you should go painlessly and with speed. Those who are against you should suffer. Let them know every moment of pain you have endured in your life and more. That is what they deserve. Not you. You are not an enemy. Cease treating yourself like one, as though you are something to despise and harm and eventually discard."

Rather than reply to that directly, Jet came up with another swift accusation as he pulled away. "You aren't speaking like you used to," he pointed out with a small scowl. The Void resumed sitting across from him, unbothered.

"I will speak however is necessary to make myself understood." It shifted to cross its legs again. That it was unused to such a sitting position was obvious, as the motion wasn't fluid or carried out without any thought. However, it was situated in barely a second. "You occasionally are in the right mindset to appreciate my more enigmatic statements. Sometimes you respond best to direct, straightforward words. The latter seemed more appropriate this time."

"What you're doing is called manipulation."

"Incorrect. It is communication. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Communication with an ulterior motive is-"

"Incorrect." The interruption made Jet scowl again. "My motives are hidden, yes, but not from you. From the start, I have made my intentions clear to you and you alone. You know what it is I want. Just the same as I know what you want."

"What I want?" Jet echoed, suddenly almost furious. "You don't give a damn what I want. And it sure as hell has nothing to do with your bullshit plans."

"Incorrect," the Void said for the third time. Based on its tone, it intended for that to be the final time. "We may be unable to lie to one another, for the most part, but you are still lying to yourself. A destructive nature lies within you. A side of you that is dark and hateful and unafraid. It is part of why I chose you to latch onto when I learned I could not fully operate alone."

"You act like I have so much choice, but you admitted to learning how to control my powers without my consent," Jet snapped. "Why continue with the fucking charade?"

"It is no charade," was the murmured assurance. "What I seek is not a slave. Someone to control and use… No. It is a partner. It is no different than how the Aether will be, or perhaps already is, with whoever it decides to bond with."

Jet scoffed. "That requires the other person to be willing, and I'm fucking not. You should have chosen better."

For one bizarre, fleeting moment, the Void actually smiled. "I did," it said, standing up. "I chose… perfectly."

Before Jet could even conjure up a reply to that, it vanished. Just as suddenly as it departed, another mind took its place. How that was even possible was a matter to be considered another time. For now, Jet was too focused on standing up and turning around to face the newcomer. "...Dad?"

Sein flashed a small smile to Jet. "Hey, bud. How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

Not returning the smile, Jet opted not to answer that question directly. Instead, he asked, "How are you here?" As he spoke, he cast a quick glance around to see where in the hell the Void had gone. It had chosen to leave entirely, however, so far as he could tell.

Sein didn't answer that one in return, simply walking over with a frown. "Sit down. Let's talk a little. I think it's about time we address something."

Jet hesitated for a long moment before doing as he'd been told. "Address what?" he asked warily.

"How you feel regarding Ross and the stuff that you went through," Sein murmured gently. "If you're willing, that is."

"Nothing," Jet said, immediately looking away. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"It matters," Sein said. "It affected you, and I care about how you feel."

"It doesn't," Jet argued in response to both points. "And there's nothing to feel about it. He's dead. It's over. The end."

Sein sighed. "I heard your conversation with the Void, Jet," he murmured. "All of that has affected how you think and feel."

Several curses flitted through Jet's mind, none of them mild. He can still hear that shit? At a momentary loss, he didn't immediately reply.

"Talk to me, bud," Sein pressed softly. "Let's talk it out. I'm worried about you."

"I hate talking about him," Jet muttered, still not looking at Sein. "It's shit thinking about him, and talking is even worse. I'm better off doing neither."

Sein shook his head, moving closer to Jet. "You're hurting, bud," he said. "Please, talk to me." Jet just wordlessly shook his head this time, having no real idea what to say. He didn't even want to say anything. With a concerned sigh, Sein decided to take a shot. "Look… I want you to know that the things he said aren't true. It's not your fault."

That finally triggered a genuine response and Jet immediately flinched away from Sein. "It is," he quietly snapped. "I had some idea of what I was doing, even when I was a tiny kid. It was my stupid idea to walk off when I wasn't supposed to, my stupid idea that got her killed!"

Sein's voice remained soft, but it gained a much more firm tone. "You couldn't have known," the man murmured.

Having no substantial reply, Jet just shook his head again initially. But, after a time, he said, "That doesn't change anything. My actions killed someone. She would have lived without me, just like Ross loved to remind me. You can't lie and tell me that he was wrong."

"Do you know if he was wrong?" Sein demanded to know, tone firm yet still.

"He wasn't," Jet said bitterly.

Sein crossed his arms. "Can you prove it to me?" Jet remained silent, knowing full-well that there wasn't any way he could. The older of the two sighed softly. "Look, even if it's true… it's something that happened in the past. You have grown, and become a man that I'm so proud to know and be a father to."

"There's nothing to be proud of," Jet argued, further old hurts threatening to bubble to the surface. Realizing that, he didn't let himself elaborate any further.

The older hawk took a chance and slowly moved his hand to set it on Jet's shoulder. "I am and always will be proud of you, Jet."

Though he didn't move away, Jet remained frowning while looking away. "There's no reason to be," he muttered.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't be," Sein challenged softly. "Hit me with the worst you've got to feel."

"How about the hundreds of thousands of people who've died because of shit I've done or failed to do?" Jet shot back, temper rising. "All the people I couldn't save because I'm not enough."

Sein blinked once before frowning. "Bud… you realize you can't always save everyone, right? No matter how much you want to, there are just sometimes things that you can't do, and that's fine."

"It isn't, and it never will be!" Jet abruptly got up and stalked a couple feet away, just needing to move to somewhat help cope with his emotions. "Immortals are supposed to help people, to save lives, and I've been fucking it up since the very beginning!"

"I've fucked up too," Sein admitted, standing as well. "I've fucked up and seen the ramifications of what happens. Do you think less of me, knowing that my actions have cost people their lives?" the man asked. "Tell me, honestly, what you think." Jet didn't say another word, putting his face into his hands in a mixture of despair and anger. Sein continued. "I don't think less of you, nobody that matters will think less of you. Your friends, your family, we all love you. Just because you've made mistakes or haven't been strong enough sometimes doesn't mean that they're gonna think you're a failure. We all see you as strong."

"It's not about what people think," Jet eventually said with a sort of tense, aggravated sigh. "It's about what people expect. Everyone expects me to be the trump card in this absolute shit-show, to be the one who can put an end to all their problems, and I just can't. I may never be able to end this war, and that isn't acceptable anymore."

Sein crossed his arms. "And?" he pressed. Once again, he didn't get an answer. "You are more than just your strength and abilities," Sein began. "There is more to who you are than a trump card. No matter what, I want to be by your side. We will find a way, but I'll be damned if I just sit by and watch as you destroy yourself. You're my son, and seeing you hurt so much hurts me. I want to help you, no matter what happens in the end."

Destroy myself? That immediately reminded Jet of the Void's comment about treating himself like an enemy, but he shoved that matter aside. "I'm not hurting," he muttered, taking a seat again. There was a slight pause before he added, "Just pissed off."

"You don't have to lie to me," Sein said gently. "I'm always here for you. When we had to fight, god forbid that ever happen again, I was focused entirely on protecting my son. I will protect you as much as I can, and I will help as much as I can." He shifted a little closer to Jet, but gave the younger hawk plenty of room just in case it bothered him. "You've got a lot of trauma. I can tell without seeing your aura. That's okay," he assured. "Just because you've been hurt doesn't mean you can't heal. Talk to me about it, and I promise I'll do everything I can to help."

"I don't understand why you give so much of a damn," Jet found himself unintentionally admitting. It was too late to take back the words, so he reluctantly added one further detail. "Ross never did."

Sein felt his temper rise for a moment, but he took a long moment to relax himself and settle down. Even still, his response was clear. "Fuck Ross. I care because I'm your father. If he couldn't show that love to you as well, that's his problem." He took a moment and sighed gently. "No half-decent parent hurts their kid. A good parent provides, protects, and cares for their kid with every fiber of their being, and may the Faein themselves condemn anyone that isn't willing to do the same."

Jet put his head in his hands again, still struggling to deal with the tangled mess of emotions that had tried so hard to overtake him mere moments ago. "He hated me… so much. I don't want to make other people hate me, too. But every time I let this shit get worse and more people suffer for it… There's only so much forgiveness anyone can give."

"It's okay," Sein said gently, moving closer to Jet and setting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Look… I can't and won't speak for everyone, but I will never run out of forgiveness for you. No matter how many mistakes, how bad you mess up… No matter what, I will always, always be right by your side. Nothing will ever stop me loving you."

"I don't understand why," Jet insisted, voice soft now.

"Because I want to, and because I'm your father," Sein answered. "I gave my life once for you, and I would do it again. You mean so much to me, and I never want you to go a day in your life where you have to ask yourself if your own father really cares about you." In an effort not to let further age-old griefs spill out of him, Jet just shook his head wordlessly in response. Sein continued, undaunted by Jet's lack of reply. "Even if nobody else in the world cared, nobody, I will never stop caring myself. I would face Nareish and the Void alone for you if I had to, and I'd do it over and over again if that's what it took."

"That's not how it's supposed to be," Jet suddenly said, voice threatening to break a little. "People aren't supposed to give a shit. It's too fucking hard when they end up leaving."

Sein slipped closer and gently pulled his son into a hug. For once, Jet didn't even tense. "I'm not leaving. Even if one of us dies, I will always be there for you."

"Everyone leaves eventually," Jet said, burying his face in his hands further. "Even fucking Sonic and my kids and everyone else I ever gave a shit about… Even the ones that are back now won't be back for long if I can't pull a fucking miracle out of a hat sometime soon."

"Then stop acting alone," Sein answered. "Yeah, some fights you have to face yourself, but you're not alone. Me, your mother, Kath…" He almost continued on to mention Laralei, but thought it best to avoid that for now. "Eona, Zenith, Teyan, and so many more people are here, working to help now. We're going to fight back, so don't try to keep going it alone. Let's fuck up Nareish's shit together, and put an end to this whole war."

"The only modicum of safety I can provide any of them with is by not being near them," Jet protested. By the second sentence, his voice finally did start to break. "People who walk with me die. That has never changed no matter what I do, and I can't… I can't lose them again…"

Sein held him just a touch tighter. "We can do it," he assured. "We won't lose them, and I swear that we will find a way to stop all of this. I'm not going to let anyone die, not if I have a damn thing to say about it."

Barely able to hold back tears at this point, Jet suddenly held up two fingers for just a second. "It's too late for that. Cream and Vector are gone. I helped raise her, but I couldn't keep her alive. They died because I couldn't keep them safe."

"You're trying too hard to do this all by yourself," Sein answered gently. "You're trying to handle your emotions, this war, and the Void all at once without anyone else."

"Because I have to," was the shaky reply.

"No," Sein countered. "I'm here. We can take a step at a time and do this together, okay?"

"No, we can't," Jet argued, shaking his head again. "I can't."

Sein shook his head in response. "I hate to tell you bud, but you're wrong about that. We can, and I know it." Jet couldn't force out another reply as the dam finally broke and a quiet sob burst free from him. When this happened, Sein temporarily paused his attempts at inspiring Jet to hold him in a more comforting manner, moving them both to sit down in a better position. "Look… I know you've got a lot going on and it seems so… insurmountable… but we can do it. All I need is for you to let me in… let me show you what I had to learn as well."

He waited for a moment, and when no reply came, he continued in a soft tone. "I… at one point, was living with Kath, Laralei, and Alana. They were good to me, but I was just trouble. I caused a lot of problems, and at one point I decided I'd go live on my own, prove that I didn't need help." Sein fell quiet for a moment, frowning softly. "Honestly… I could have managed. I was doing… horribly overall, but it was liveable. I didn't want to admit that I was wrong, that the life I was living was awful. That I was putting myself through something that I didn't have to."

"Kath came to me one day, to check on me. He'd given me time to go through with my decision and make my choices, and then he wanted to see if I was still okay. He came to me, and we had a talk. He pointed out that the way I was living was horrible. I wasn't really sleeping, was hardly eating, and I was constantly moving. He showed me how badly I was treating myself, and once that realization hit me, I broke down. He took me back, despite all of it starting with me storming off for no good reason. He invited me right back into the palace, and took care of me as he always did, and I want to show you that same care. You've gone down your own road, and I think it's time you take a few steps back and find a route that's not covered in thorns."

When it was clear Jet wouldn't, couldn't, reply, Sein focused fully on comforting his son. It was all he could do. That, and silently will him to be okay when this was all over. All he wanted was for Jet to be okay. Somehow.

~保護者~

Shadow was in the middle of giving Lia a bath (with freshly purchased bubbles included) when a knock sounded at the front door. Lia was too busy splashing and playing to notice, but Shadow did. "Don't splash water on the floor," he instructed, standing. He snatched up a hand towel to work on drying his hands and arms as fast as possible, before the water could turn cold and agonizing on his skin. "And finish scrubbing your hair. I'll be right back."

"Okay!" was the chipper reply.

He slipped out of the room and walked to the front door. Though he knew already who was out there, he had to admit he was surprised. Locke had never before found his way to this place, and yet here the man was standing on his porch. For that reason, Shadow was also confused. More so than he was surprised. "Did you need something?" he asked once the door was open.

"No really, just acting as a messenger." The echidna adjusted his hat idly with both hands before lowering them. "We caught up to Toru and got him to Eona. She's just about done purifying him. He should be home soon."

Relief washed over him in a single, unrelenting wave, but he managed to keep the emotion off of his face and out of his eyes. "Alright." One of his ears flicked when he heard an especially loud splash from down the hall. "I have to go," he sighed, already dreading handling yet more water. "It sounds as though Lia is making a fresh mess for me."

Locke laughed. "Kids are great, huh?" He waved. "I'll let you go, then. See you."

By the time Shadow finished closing the door, Locke was already gone. Reluctant though he was, he returned to Lia in short order. After getting on her about doing precisely what he'd told her not to do, he set about drying the floor. Then he helped his daughter rinse her hair before leaving her be to play for a while. Naturally, he made very sure to dry himself off before going off to do anything else.

Entering the living room, he found Soren laying on one of the couches while playing on his new game system. "This game is bad," the teen complained without provocation. "I don't get the story at all."

"Were there other games in that pile?" Shadow asked him, sitting down on the other couch. Soren shook his head. "We'll buy you something else later, then."

"Okay," Soren sighed. "Thanks. Oh, and…" He shut the screen off and quickly sat up. "That was Locke at the door, right? Which means that there's no way what he said was a lie, which then also means that Toru really was corrupted? Why didn't you tell us?"

The worried accusation in his voice didn't go unheard. It was met with a sigh, and then a simple explanation. "Soren, you're fifteen. Lia is six. You're too young to have to be worrying about corruption and the like."

"I'm almost an adult," Soren sulked, ears going down a touch. "I'm not a kid like she is."

"That may be so," Shadow acknowledged, "but this is war, Soren. You both suffered through one alongside myself and everyone else already. That was never something I was okay with. The less you are involved this time, the better."

Now it was Soren's turn to sigh. "I guess." There was momentary silence. Then he asked, "When's he going to be back?"

The chameleon in question shrugged. "Dunno. I hope it's soon. Heard he makes some killer food."

Soren jumped and spun around, but Shadow just rolled his eyes. "It would seem he is full of himself as well," he murmured. Further relief washed over him, but once more he did his best to bury it.

Toru chuckled easily, but it wasn't hard to tell that the man was tired. "That's a bit harsh. I like to think of myself as healthily confident."

"Conceited," Shadow corrected with a huff. "Though, perhaps not overly so."

Right about then, water sloshed down the hall and Lia called out, "I'm done, daddy! I'm gonna go get dressed!" She trotted down the hall to her borrowed room and shut the door loudly. Shadow resisted the urge to shake his head at her antics.

A keen eye shifted over Shadow and Soren, and he gave a soft frown, but didn't address what was on his mind directly. "Sorry for disappearing like that. I… really didn't want it to happen. Didn't get much of a choice."

Swallowing his nerves, Soren answered him directly. "We know. It isn't your fault." He looked away, fiddling with the buttons in his hands despite the screen being off still. "It's just… you know… good that you're back, and all."

Toru chuckled. "I'm glad to be back, with all of you," he answered. "I was watching over you all the whole time, even though I wasn't here. Couldn't just ignore you all."

Something about that made Soren brighten a little, but he nevertheless stood up to leave the room. "I'm gonna just… clean up all that water and stuff. To help pay you back for the game later, Dad." Shadow nodded and sort of waved him off, allowing the teen to flee down the hall.

The moment Soren was out of sight, Toru wrapped Shadow into a hug. "Fuck… I'm sorry that happened. I… it couldn't have been easy to hear about."

As often happened, Shadow wasn't entirely sure how to react to the hug and so just sort of let it happen. But he did react to the words, if nothing else. "...It wasn't," he admitted after a long pause. "But you don't have to apologize. It isn't as though you joined that side willingly. I endured it as well. I know how it is."

Toru let out a soft sigh. "It's not about that. I'm more concerned about the fact that I wasn't around. It bothers me." Having little else to say on the matter, Shadow shrugged. Comfort wasn't something he really knew how to offer. It was one of his worst shortcomings in regards to family and friends, and he knew it. But, with no idea how to remedy the situation, he just stayed quiet about it. Toru eventually seemed to relax and spoke again. "What happened while I was gone? Things seemed to have moved forward… a lot." He said this while glancing in between them at Shadow's stomach, leaving no doubt as to what he was talking about.

Shadow couldn't quite resist the urge this time. He sighed again, more heavily this time. "Kath was attacked while in the midst of using his time powers," he explained. "The interruption resulted in him losing his concentration and, thus, his tenuous control over the power. Myself and possibly others were struck by pure time in the form of some sort of energy. According to various scans I conducted, I was essentially aged by five months, even though time around me remained unchanged."

The chameleon blinked several times. "Well… that's uh… an interesting development."

"It's fucking bullshit," Shadow muttered, voice low so the kids wouldn't hear his less-than-friendly language.

Toru shrugged. "I mean… if anything, it makes this so it'll take way less time?"

"Time that could have been used to actually become ready for this," Shadow pointed out. "At least somewhat."

"Fair," Toru agreed, frowning. "It's… a weird situation."

"No shit," Shadow agreed sullenly. Then, realizing his mood was shifting of its own accord again, he made an effort to quell said mood and relax a little.

Toru thought for a moment before asking, "Do you want anything?"

Shadow relinquished a breath that bordered on being yet another sigh. "No," he said.

A sigh escaped the chameleon and he re-worded the question. "Would you like me to do anything now that I'm back?"

The words "stop leaving" flitted through Shadow's mind, but he didn't dare open himself up enough to say them. "You should check on your sister," he said instead. "She will have been worried."

"Soon," Toru said. "I'm going to spend a few minutes with you." Shadow nodded a little after a moment. It was the only admission he'd make right then that he was more than okay with that answer. Toru leaned up against him before shaking a plastic bag behind the hedgehog's back. "So, I'm gonna give you one guess as to what's in the bag. No peeking."

"Do I have to guess?" Shadow groused, though his ears perked a little to listen to the sound of the bag in spite of his demeanor. Curiosity was one thing he definitely got from Kaden, not Black Doom or Gerald.

"Yes, you don't have the option to simply ignore that," Toru answered. "Guess."

Shadow rolled his eyes a little and went with frankly the laziest option he could think of right then. "Knowing your people… a blade of some kind."

Toru laughed. "Didn't know it was possible to guess so far off." He pulled back from Shadow and held out the bag. "Look inside." Although he took the bag with a huff, Shadow did as he was told and pulled out what was inside. It was a life-sized model of a gun (more specifically a sidearm), albeit no gun that existed in real life. It was designed in a cyberpunk style, with the chrome and holographic neon designs highlighting that fact in great detail. "So, uh… you like it?"

His curiosity betrayed itself even further as Shadow examined the gift in closer detail. Then he couldn't help but ask, "How did you know to look for something like this?" As he asked this, his mind already began working through all the possible ways he could turn this decorative piece into a fully-functioning weapon.

"I have my ways," Toru responded easily, a smile on his face. "I wanted to get you something really tailored to you."

Despite what etiquette and whatnot he'd managed to learn telling him it was technically rude to ask, Shadow knew gifts tended to not be random per se for chameleons. They tended to have meanings behind them. So, cautiously in case it was indeed seen as rude or worse, he asked, "Why did you get this?" It wasn't that he was unappreciative, however. He was the opposite, strangely enough. Not that he knew a half-decent way of saying that beyond a decidedly weak 'thank you'.

Toru shrugged softly. "Might be wanting to make a new step in our relationship, perhaps," the chameleon answered. "As well as say sorry for disappearing."

"Stop apologizing," Shadow replied with a frown. "I told you already that you don't need to." Then the rest of Toru's statement clicked and he found himself voicing a new, even riskier question. "...A new step?"

"We've had, like, one brief conversation about chameleon culture," Toru explained. "And I mentioned how courtship and all that works… I think. Anyway, I want to move forward to the actual relationship part where we're together and do things together in… well, different ways."

Understanding that Toru was being tactful, Shadow opted to do the same. There were kids about, after all. "That might be complicated, given the fact that I clearly do not live alone anymore," he huffed. "One child of mine is particularly nosy."

"Even if we can't, that's the step of our relationship I really want to go to with you," Toru explained. "It's okay, I just… really want to be with you."

It wasn't really necessary to think it over. Shadow knew his answer, it was just a matter of forcing himself to say it. "I want to be with you as well," he finally admitted, though he studiously avoided eye-contact the whole time.

"Then you're okay with going forward?" Toru dared to ask. Shadow didn't even hesitate to nod, as that was far easier than speaking about this. If Shadow wasn't pregnant right now, Toru would have tackled him into a kiss, but instead he settled for pulling the other man close and doing the same thing without the potential violence.

When they eventually pulled apart, Shadow (albeit a touch distractedly since his head was sort of spinning) gave in to a little urge and leaned into Toru a bit. "You are single-handedly the most confusing man in existence," he accused quietly. It wasn't so much that Toru was, though. More that the emotions were.

"That's fine by me if we're together," Toru answered, smiling brightly.

"Ass," Shadow huffed. Though, in truth, he couldn't even come up with a fake reason for calling Toru that for once.

Toru chuckled easily at that, refraining from making a joke if only due to the fact that there were children in the home. "As I said, fine by me."

Somehow aware of what Toru had likely thought about saying, Shadow elbowed him. "None of that," he chided, though he wasn't serious about it.

The chameleon smirked a little and nudged Shadow back. "C'mon. I'm sure we'll get a chance."

"Only if you have some sort of a suggestion," Shadow argued, albeit somewhat lightly. "Even as children, Tokarians have impeccable hearing."

"I'm pretty sure I have an idea," Toru assured easily. "But first, I should check on Myriu."

"Obviously. I need to make sure Lia dressed herself properly, as well." With that said, Shadow reluctantly pulled away and stood up.

Toru nodded a little. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?" Shadow just returned the nod and disappeared down the hall. With Shadow gone, Toru pushed himself up to go see his sister.

~保護者~

Despite how long it had been since Han had last visited the Realms of Death, he found his way back to them with ease the moment he decided to do so. And he had good reason to make such a decision, too. He had easily sensed Ylden's outburst (though he didn't yet know the cause of it), along with the fact that Cere had cast Judgement on the man as a result of it. As Ylden was an old friend, albeit one Han hadn't had much contact with since the birth of his children, he was worried.

Stepping out of a golden portal, he found himself mere feet from the cat in question. He immediately frowned. "Two things. One, what the hell were you thinking? Two, are you alright?"

Ylden's words were laced with the obvious irritation of his whole situation, but none of it was directed at Han. "One, I was trying to do right by my children for the first time in eons, and two, I got a bit fucked up."

"Stay still," the Hexan instructed. Magic flowed over Ylden and began steadily closing his wounds. "Explain, also, what you meant. What does Armaris have to do with this?"

"Zareil corrupted someone I took care of when I was younger, and tried to set Armaris against her allies," Ylden explained, wincing.

Han murmured something in his language that he didn't care to translate, then said, "Start with Armaris first. Is she alright? I understand how that can be… damaging to a person's psyche at times."

"...I haven't had a chance to speak to her about it," Ylden revealed. "It's… probably bothering her."

"Speak to her when you can, then," Han murmured. "As you said, it is likely weighing on her. Regarding the other one, however… that matter is more immediately concerning. What became of them? Are they still corrupted?"

Ylden nodded, standing up slowly. "He is. I spoke to him briefly before Cere brought me back."

"Aside from the corruption, is he alright?" Han asked, wearing a slightly deeper frown than before. "I understand that sometimes, freshly corrupted demons are not treated especially well."

"He seemed fine," the cat affirmed. "Aside from the corruption, that is."

Han inclined his head. Once the wounds were finished closing, he retracted his magic. He thought it best to change the subject, and so did just that. "I suspect you may have more company soon. Word has reached me that two old friends of ours are alive and well again."

Ylden frowned vaguely. "Fuck, if Seiko shows up I'm going to get chewed the fuck out."

"Wrong," Han stated. "She may be busy, anyway. There are only a scant few other reasons why she is not currently close to Satsuno right now."

Whether or not Ylden believed Han, he didn't let on to it. The man immediately turned his attention away and focused on something else, narrowing his eyes. "Kaden's not awake, but something is going on. Didn't notice until now…"

A new voice spoke up while its owner walked into the room. "It is Zenith," Satsuno said as he came into view. "New Gods and Goddesses will come and go, but these will forever be his realms. He saw fit to begin repairing and expanding them to accommodate the countless deceased brought here by recent wars."

Ylden crossed his arms lightly, turning to Satsuno with a raised eyebrow. "So I can finally leave behind some of my concern regarding the realms?"

Satsuno blinked slowly. "It would seem so."

The cat let out a long, relieved sigh. "Thank fuck… Even with the authority to do certain things, holding this all together has been difficult."

"You have an opportunity to rest now," Satsuno replied. "I recommend taking advantage of it."

Ylden crossed his arms and willed a couch to appear behind him, frowning. "Honestly, I'm not gonna be able to relax. Not well, at least."

"I did not say relax," Satsuno pointed out. "I merely said rest. You will not be able to help anyone effectively, least of all yourself, until you do so."

"Resting isn't effective without relaxing," Ylden countered.

"It is still better than what you are doing now," Satsuno shrugged.

A groan escaped the cat and he flicked his wrist, creating a window in the air in front of him that allowed sight into the Realm of the Living. "I'd prefer to keep watch over things."

"There are others who can accomplish such a thing," Han sighed. "You need rest."

"Han," Ylden muttered, temper rising in a way he hadn't expected. He took a moment to recompose himself before sighing. "I'm worried about my kids."

"I understand that," Han murmured. "You must believe me when I say that I do. Something will be done to help the boy, and I will personally help watch over your daughter while you recover. But you are of no help to them like this."

Ylden didn't like that and he immediately stood, instinctively hiding a wince at the pain. "Han, I'm not going to sit idly by."

"You will," Han responded easily, his entire demeanor relaxed as ever. "Even if I have to bind you to that couch with every hex I know."

The cat growled at this thought before shaking his head rapidly to clear his thoughts. Why was he so upset? "Just… fuck. I don't even know what's going on…" He groaned and unceremoniously flopped back onto the couch.

"In regards to what?" Han asked carefully. He watched as Satsuno surreptitiously edged away from them, eyes tracking souls that Han had no ability or desire to see.

Ylden glanced to Satsuno briefly. "I don't feel the same as I did before that fight."

"Can you explain?" Han pressed, a slight frown betraying him. "I can do little to help if I don't know what is happening."

"I'm irritable," Ylden groaned. "Things are pissing me off that usually wouldn't bother me at all."

"As I have seen," Han conceded. "I don't know the cause any more than you, however." He looked at Satsuno again. "Is this something related to Darkness?"

Eyes never leaving whatever spirits he was watching, Satsuno replied, "No, it does not." He edged away from a ghost again, the motion of his eyes indicating that said ghost merely passed him by after his side-step.

The cat rubbed at his eyes a bit. "Regardless… I'm not in the mood to really be relaxing right now."

Rather abruptly, Satsuno changed the subject. "I was asked to bring you news," he said without warning. "From what I have been told, you cared for a yokai long ago, correct? Sonic reached out to me with news regarding him." He looked at Ylden quietly. "It would seem that the man's daughter has been revived as a mere kit. If that is indeed the case, she will require protection from as many people as possible, lest she be corrupted as well."

Ylden blinked a few times in response to this when something he'd been told some time ago reentered his mind. God… he had daughters and I wasn't around for that either… He'd known Marthal had daughters, but the fact really just clicked now as he thought about it. "I… I understand."

Han was frowning again. "Where is she now? If she remains on Mobius, I regret to say that she is not entirely safe."

"I was not told where she is," Satsuno shrugged. "I'm left to assume that she is at least close to whatever place Sonic has been staying at as of late."

The cat rubbed at his eyes and made the window disappear, walking toward a spirit and guiding them back to the stream of souls. "Fuck… this is a really shitty time for that."

"I agree," Han murmured. "However… it is possible that news of this might well be enough to convince her father to accept purification."

"Perhaps, if we can get to him," Ylden answered. "He's a yokai."

"He is," the Hexan acknowledged. "They are… remarkably similar to demons, are they not?"

"Don't remind me," Ylden muttered bitterly. "They're incredibly similar, aside from the fact that they aren't controlled by the God of Demons."

"My point," Han considered carefully, "is that they are not the same, and being told of his daughter's return may give him reason to fight against what is happening to him."

Ylden took a moment to steady himself. My emotions are getting the better of me… "I can hope, I suppose."

"In the meantime, I cannot stress enough that you should rest." Han glanced at Satsuno, who only blinked. "We can leave you be now to do that, unless you have more to say."

"I have someone I plan to go see, someone that may be able to help me understand why I feel the way I do," Ylden murmured.

"Very well," Han shrugged. "But rest after, even if you do not sleep."

Ylden groaned and put his face in his hands. "Dear fucking god, I will."

Han gave a rare smirk of vague amusement before saying, "Farewell, then. I will do what I can to keep an eye on the kit for you." With that said, he vanished in a flash of golden magic. Satsuno only nodded his goodbye before also leaving.

With them both gone, Ylden opened a portal, one that would lead him to someone he last saw lying in a puddle of their own blood. The image flashed in his mind and he shook it away, only to hesitate to step into the portal when he realized it lead to an evil Realm of Death. That… cannot be. With concern anew brewing within his body, Ylden stepped through to find his mother. There were more questions than answers, and truthfully… he didn't like that.

He didn't like that at all.

~保護者~

"Papa here! Papa here! He here, he here!"

Zei's enthusiastic shouting roused Aku, who cracked an eye open. He glared toward the ground first, then turned his gaze in the nearest window. "She means Aniko's father," he said.

Espio blinked, then frowned. He hadn't actually seen or heard from the man since the fight. Checking on him had slipped his mind. Since Ryuji was here now, though, an opportunity had presented itself. Gathering his infant son in his arms, earning a pitiful whine in complaint, and stepped out onto the porch. Zei was still bouncing around excitedly, which he curbed just a bit by murmuring, "Perhaps you should find a different name to call him or my dad. It may be confusing if they are both 'Papa'."

She stopped bouncing. The tiny gears in her young mind began working. "I think of something better soon!" she declared a moment later. Then she ran to the edge of the porch and waved down to the approaching chameleon. "Hi! We waiting for you! I feel you coming!"

Ryuji raised an eyebrow curiously and teleported up to the porch, giving a slight nod of greeting to Espio. "It is good to see you all."

Espio nodded a little in greeting. "Is something the matter?" he asked, trying to work out the reason for this impromptu visit.

"No," Ryuji said simply. "I simply came to visit."

Armaris emerged from Espio's shadow and tilted her head. "Come in, then, and sit down." Zei nodded enthusiastically and ran inside. With a vague gesture of his hand, Espio made the same offer before heading in himself.

Ryuji followed them and took a seat, a deep breath escaping him. "Truthfully, I am glad to see you both doing fairly well."

"And so you!" Zei smiled. She then ran off, presumably to go play. Espio huffed in vague amusement at her.

The man's lips quirked at the sight of Zei. "She seems well," he commented. "How are you two doing, however?" He asked, turning his attention to the both of them. "I am aware that some developments have occurred."

Espio shrugged and reflexively defaulted to his usual sort of reply. "Fine."

Armaris raised an eyebrow at him and nudged him a little. "C'mon, hun. Surely you've got more to say."

"I don't," Espio said simply. He released his hold on Sako when the baby decided to crawl up him a little in order to rest his tiny head on Espio's shoulder. Once sure the boy was settled, Espio resumed supporting him with one arm.

Ryuji nodded gently and turned to Armaris. "And you?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, been better. That fight still has me a bit shaken up on all ends, but I'll be fine." Espio didn't offer any comment, choosing instead to just listen.

"I see… You did well to control such a power," Ryuji commented.

Armaris glanced away. "I didn't like it."

Ryuji cooked his head. "What do you mean?"

Given that it wasn't his place to say, Espio didn't explain himself. But he did quietly remind Armaris, "You do not have to explain if you do not want to."

She shrugged it off. "I don't like being a demon, honestly. It makes me feel things I don't enjoy feeling."

"That makes sense," Ryuji murmured. Espio only blinked and remained quiet. He agreed with the sentiment, sure, but he didn't feel the need to say that.

Again, Armaris shrugged. "I did it because someone asked. I don't plan to do it unless there's a good reason."

"Quite understandable," Ryuji murmured. He didn't quite fully understand why she would dislike tapping into such power, but he supposed it was her decision. With nothing to say still, Espio just continued to listen. This silence resulted in Ryuji's attention being turned to Espio. "You have said little. What is happening in your life?"

Espio blinked at him. "Nothing that is any different from the usual."

"I somehow disbelieve this," Ryuji answered.

"There's nothing to tell," Espio said simply.

Ryuji inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. "Espio… what of your Darkness, then?"

The younger chameleon huffed and looked away. "It's the same as usual," he said again. "Nothing works long-term to handle it, and control is only barely possible in very brief instances."

"Have you attempted training with a chameleon who is experienced in handling their Darkness?" Ryuji questioned.

"There are none in this day and age," Espio muttered. "They are as far removed from their ancient roots as they can be."

"I suppose your… friend is off the table?" Ryuji questioned. "His name was… Soul, if I remember correctly."

"He is busy with his own family," Espio stated. "And it is not as though he makes a habit of using his Darkness much, either."

Ryuji sighed. "Then I can attempt, if he is unable."

Amber eyes regarded him somewhat dubiously. "I have seen you use your Darkness only sparingly," he said. "Would that truly be enough to handle this mess?"

"I use it when I wish. I have gained enough control to call upon its power of my own accord. What you have seen of my use is nothing compared to what I can do," Ryuji explained. "I believe it could be a much more proper starting point than others have attempted to give you."

It was better than nothing. Training was something he'd been after since the beginning, anyway. "If you believe you can help, then fine," Espio said. "However, I cannot do any form of training that requires a sword at the moment. That will have to wait, if it is done at all."

Ryuji nodded. "For now, training will wait until tomorrow. You have a partner, and I have preparations to make." Espio nodded a little.

"So, uh… What happened to the sword Li gave you?" Armaris asked. "Guy is, like, one of the best weapon makers in existence to my knowledge."

This earned another huff, this one more irritated. "It broke," was all Espio initially said.

"How did it break? You didn't fight an Immortal, right?" Armaris asked quickly.

Though tempted, Espio refrained from rolling his eyes. "No, I didn't. I fought only demons." And Nyokae. This last part went unsaid because, frankly, he didn't want to confront the truth of her revival right this second. Nor did he want to reveal said truth to these two here and now.

Armaris frowned. "How did it break?" she repeated more firmly.

"I don't know," Espio muttered. Then, reluctantly, he added, "The explanation Li gave was as nonsensical as it was impossible."

"Explain," Ryuji prompted. "Certainly more ears could bring aid."

Espio let out an aggravated sigh, but finally relented. "He claimed I am becoming an Immortal, despite the fact that such a thing has never been, nor will ever be, remotely possible."

Armaris blinked several times. "...Maybe we need to pay Cere a visit or have her come here. She's probably one of the only people that could tell us if this is true… besides the Immortals, maybe."

"I highly doubt she would know," Espio said.

"She might. I don't know what all she's capable of, but she's one of the oldest beings that exists," Armaris answered. "If not, she might know who to talk to or where to go to find answers." That technically wasn't a bad idea. Espio just suddenly wasn't quite in the mood to accept that fact. But he opted to keep said mood to himself as much as possible by not speaking. He just nodded a little.

Ryuji shrugged gently. "Perhaps another time. I am quite sure that the Goddess of Judgement is busy with one thing or another at this moment."

Whether or not Espio intended to reply, it didn't matter for the moment. Zei came trotting out of his room with something small and red in her hands. She held it up and asked, "Dada, what this?"

Turning his head, Espio spied the object and quickly but gently took it. "Medicine. Do not play with it."

"Oh. Okay." The child plopped down in his lap and got comfy.

Armaris smiled to Espio and stretched a tendril of Darkness to take the medicine and put it back where it came from. Espio, after a moment, quietly teleported the inhaler back to himself and set it aside, just in case. "So, Ryuji, how have you been feeling lately? I know things were a bit rough for a while."

Ryuji blinked once at her before ultimately shrugging again. "Quiet, without Kal. I have not been dragged around by someone in quite some time."

"She has been… absent," Espio observed cautiously. "I am under the impression that that does not often bode well."

"It does not," Ryuji agreed. "It is likely she will return, but the time is unknown."

Well, that was just lovely. But Espio didn't think it was a good idea to linger on the topic too long for Ryuji's sake. "I will inform people as necessary. People who can help keep an eye out. I refuse to be caught by surprise by her again."

Armaris nodded. "I'll do what I can. Not sure how much I can help, but I'll try."

Though Ryuji didn't totally understand why they would do so, specifically Armaris, he nodded. "Thank you. Your aid is much appreciated, but I will be facing her myself this time. I will not allow others to fight my battles."

"Be that as it may," Espio said, "the choice of who faces her may not be ours to make. She went after you exclusively the last time, yes. But she has also gone after me in the past. It is possible she may go after Mother or Armaris as well. Everyone will need to be prepared for conflict."

"Then Armaris needs further training," Ryuji said. "Currently, Kal would likely bring her serious harm… or worse."

The cat sighed a little. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but yeah. I haven't been able to train with my magic as much as I want, and my dad's currently a bit busy, as well as Cere. So… yeah… Not sure who can teach me."

"I know of no others with magic such as hers," Espio shrugged, "aside from Kaden. But for various reasons, that is not a viable course of action." Armaris openly shivered at the thought, rubbing one of her arms.

Ryuji nodded slowly, taking a moment to think. "I am not sure…" As he had no real suggestions himself, Espio couldn't really add anything.

Armaris shrugged. "Dunno. No matter how much training I get with swords and stuff, I'll never be able to put up a fight against someone like Kal. I'd just be delaying the inevitable."

"Or, if all else fails, delaying her long enough for someone else to come to your aid," Espio pointed out after a moment. "However… it is far from ideal."

"Both of you, tomorrow. I will handle training for you both. Armaris will focus on fine-tuning what she knows, and Espio, we will work to begin helping you control your Darkness. This cannot be delayed any further," Ryuji decided.

Espio gave him a slight frown. "And what do you propose I do with Zei and Sako?" he asked. "There is no one to watch them."

Ryuji blinked. "What of Aniko and Shei?"

"Mother is resting," Espio hedged. "She needs to recover from recent events. And Father is… indisposed. I do not know when he will be back." Or if he will.

Ryuji frowned. "I… see. In that case, you can take turns. While one trains, the other can watch the kids. Is that acceptable?"

Acceptable was an apt description, Espio supposed. He was fine with it, at least. But he still looked to Armaris for her reaction, since this included her. Armaris shrugged. "Sounds good to me, but I'm an irritable student."

Espio frowned a little, more out of vague confusion and curiosity than anything else. "...What?" he asked after a slight pause.

"I'm sure you remember our training session," Armaris explained. "I got pissed off 'cause what I was doing wasn't working."

"Momentary frustration does not constitute such a label," Espio huffed.

She mocked him with a hand, opening and closing it as he spoke before snickering and ultimately laughing. Ryuji sighed a little. "I appear to have gone in over my head with this one."

Espio huffed. But Zei spoke before he did. "Daddy says I should find a new name for you!" she suddenly declared. "Papa is already Papa. What do I call you?"

Aware that he should be careful lest he confuse her, Ryuji thought for a moment. "Grandpa is suitable, I suppose, considering what you call your father."

The little girl thought this over carefully, tiny brows creased in concentration. Then she brightened into a smile. "Okay! You grandpa now!" She turned to Armaris and Espio and pointed. "He grandpa," she reiterated, as though they hadn't heard.

Armaris chuckled a little. "Yes he is, Zei."

"He nice," she then stated. Turning back around, she smiled up at Ryuji. "You nice. You nice to Dada and Mama. I like nice."

Ryuji blinked a few times at this, tilting his head slightly. "I suppose I am."

"Mother not nice," Zei suddenly frowned. Espio immediately wanted to shush her, to not let her think about her bad past experiences, but wound up not stopping her just yet. "I don't like her. But like you. You nice."

He managed a faint smile. "I will always attempt to be nicer than her." Zei smiled right back at him, happy as could be all over again.

Armaris looked between them both before turning her attention to Espio. "All serious matters aside now, I'm kinda hungry."

Espio gestured to the compartment where food was stored. "Go find something. You do not need to wait for permission." Then he shifted enough to reach and open a hidden compartment in the floor, the one where alcohol stashes were kept. He pulled out a bottle for himself before asking Ryuji, "Do you want anything? You are welcome as well."

The man shrugged softly. "I am fine, though I thank you for the gesture."

"Grandpa not hungry?" Zei asked. "We have lots of yummies."

"I am not hungry," Ryuji affirmed. He then had to wonder and ask himself when he last ate. It had to have been some time now.

"Oh. Okay. We have yummies without you." Zei playfully stuck her tongue out, then scurried off to get a snack. Espio huffed at her and opened his drink. His daughter came back with several small fruits, which she set on the table. One rolled away from her and bumped against the inhaler. She obediently grabbed only the former object, not the latter. But that didn't stop her from asking questions. "What kind of medicine is that, daddy? It doesn't look like other stuff here."

Well, that was because it came from a modern (technologically speaking) society. Not that he felt the need to try to explain that to a small child. Espio looked down at her. "Do not concern yourself with it," he said. "Focus on your food for now."

"But I wanna know…" Zei whined. But, despite wearing a newfound pout, she didn't complain any further and began to eat.

Ryuji inclined his head to Espio, not bothering to hide his curiosity. "It is important, considering that you keep it."

The younger chameleon uncharacteristically grumbled something under his breath. But then he went right out and explained the truth. "It is an inhaler," he said. "It is modern medicine used to assist me in breathing. I have had severe respiratory attacks since I was small. Mother and Father were led to believe that I was born with the issue, but once I overheard the elder surmise that it was the result of an injury. Whatever the cause, the regeneration is not healing it. Thus, the medicine is still needed."

The second possibility really bothered Ryuji, and he fell silent as he thought it over. "I… see. Keep it with you for training."

Espio frowned. "I do not need it frequently. I will be fine."

"I still recommend you keep it near," Ryuji countered softly.

Though he huffed, Espio didn't argue further. "Fine," he mumbled.

The older chameleon let the matter go before murmuring, "Perhaps a drink would be nice. It has been some time."

Espio made a "help yourself" gesture with his hand in the direction of the compartment where said drinks were kept. "Take what you want," he said.

Ryuji moved to his feet and shifted closer to the compartment, idly looking through them before pulling out a specific bottle and returning to his seat. "I see you have fine taste," the man murmured.

"In truth, it is not entirely my doing," Espio shrugged. "Father favors that kind. I merely wound up agreeing with him."

"Aniko chose a good man, then," Ryuji said, his mood darkening just a touch. "I am glad that you both have such taste."

Deciding it best to steer the conversation away for now, Espio indulged in a sliver of curiosity and asked, "What flavors do you prefer?"

"It often depends on my mood," Ryuji divulged. "My range is wide, but my all time favorites are the ones you feel most in the back of your throat. Vague burning sensations."

Hearing this, Espio plucked another bottle up by the neck. "Try this one sometime, then," he said, tossing it to his grandfather. "It is a modern variety of an old, overly sweet recipe. They altered it, and now it should suit your tastes adequately."

The man caught the bottle and looked it over with a keen gaze. "Hm, it may well suit me," he agreed.

"Perhaps try it when you are not planning to do anything mentally taxing for a time," Espio cautioned suddenly, despite how incredibly resistant their kind was to the effects of even their own alcohol. "It is… strong."

Ryuji smiled. "That truly is my kind of alcohol," the man explained.

That earned an amused huff. "I suppose we are related, after all," the younger man quipped before taking a long drink.

Popping the top off his own bottle, Ryuji followed suit with his grandson before allowing his eyes to follow Armaris as she suddenly leapt out the doorway from wherever she'd just been. He set his bottle down and blinked. "Does she do this often?"

Espio turned to look at her, watched for a moment, then shrugged again. "We have not lived together for long," he admitted. "I am still learning what her 'normal' is."

Ryuji nodded slowly in response, simply moving to take another drink rather than addressing that. "Zei seems to have taken well to you both."

"She has," Espio agreed quietly after a small pause. "She has taken well to you, also."

"I suppose she has," Ryuji admitted. "Truthfully, it surprised me."

"It surprised me as well, but in my experience that is how children are." After taking another drink, Espio continued. "The children I have come to know in the past often had good instincts in regards to who was trustworthy and who gave off bad signals. She is intuitive in this regard, as they were."

Ryuji nodded. "She is intuitive," he agreed. "Far more so than I would initially expect."

"I am trying to gauge how much training she has had," Espio suddenly said. "She shows remarkable intelligence, which her… mother would have capitalized on. So far, she has proven to be skilled at reading people and even disarming others."

"Be sure to hone those skills," Ryuji reminded. "As you know, these sorts of traits are important."

The younger shinobi inclined his head. "We have been improving her skills with the basics. Nyokae neglected them in favor of jumping to more advanced techniques. Footwork, stances, and balance all need work, along with focus."

"Nyokae is a fool," Ryuji muttered. "There is a reason for our methods of training. To simply ignore crucial steps is borderline imbecilic."

"I am aware," Espio stated. Then he said, "I tested her knowledge of blades recently as well, using the 'stick battle' method. She excelled. So not everything she endured being taught was a waste."

"Regardless…" Ryuji said, sighing. "I trust you will train her well, but if you wish for me to aid in any way, I would be pleased to."

Espio thought about that. "What do you know that you would be comfortable teaching a small child?" he soon asked. Ryuji knew many high-level things, from what Espio had seen, but beyond that he was forced to admit that he really didn't know what exactly his grandfather could even do.

"Refinement," Ryuji answered immediately. "A secondary approach, new angles to learn from. Something necessary to growing into a proper shinobi."

A fair point. "Do as you see fit," Espio said with a vague wave of his hand, "when you see fit. You have full permission."

"I will ask when the time comes, regardless," Ryuji assured. "I appreciate your trust, nonetheless." Espio only murmured an agreement and took another drink.

For the first time since meeting, the two settled into a comfortable silence.

~保護者~

A bit of time passed before the orders Marthal was under to stay away from the citadel faded into nonexistence. Free to travel back there now, he took up his staff and did just that. He both was and wasn't surprised to see the state Zareil was left in following her confrontation with Ylden. "I told you there was a reason why Kaden kept you away from him," he muttered, almost scoffing. He was treading on thin ice and might be made to severely regret his words later, but right now he didn't give a damn. "Maybe trust his judgement next time and don't fight people like that."

Zareil muttered something at him angrily, narrowing her gaze at him. "Silence." Despite her irritation and malice, the woman winced painfully and shifted from her aches. She was still covered in blood as well, and it didn't help that some of the stained skin was also covered in deep lacerations or otherwise torn to hell. "Fucking… I couldn't have avoided it even if I wanted to," she admitted.

Marthal shrugged and sat down. "There are a bunch of demons circling this place waiting for you to keel over. Might want to stand up and prove you're not dying."

The demoness growled and stabbed her spear into the ground powerfully, immediately ordering for them to disperse lest she murder them. The pain set in again, and she winced, but didn't let it stop her. "This… Fuck." Marthal looked on in silence, offering no further comment. Zareil peeled dried blood from her arm and forced herself to stand, focusing on her undying anger to fuel everything she did. "He didn't take off with you, so that's good," she muttered.

The yokai huffed. "Whatever," he muttered back.

Zareil shifted her weight forward and began walking to the doorway to drive off the demons that remained, expanding her Darkness as she walked through the doorway to the citadel. Marthal got up and began to follow, but at a slower pace. "Marthal… stay back for now. Someone is coming."

Pausing, Marthal scented the air and the power within. "...That energy is chaotic. Literally. Pretty sure that gives away who it is."

"Yeah," she agreed. "We'll wait for him."

"You gonna make me leave again?" Marthal asked, displeased with the idea.

"No… not unless he tries to take you," Zareil answered. "We'll stay where we are."

A shaky portal opened before he could reply. As Sonic had never made a portal before, this was unsurprising. That he'd made one at all was, but Marthal chose to ignore that for the moment. He watched as Sonic emerged, carefully maintaining his escape route even as he boldly approached Zareil. "You and I need to have a quick chat," he said, almost sighing.

Zareil gripped her spear tightly. "Tell me why you're here before I make you leave." She had to fight to maintain a composure that didn't lead on to how injured she was, and even then it wasn't working as well as she'd liked.

Sonic glanced her over knowingly, but didn't comment on her wounds. At least, not directly. "You know the shape Dad's in right now, I assume. I can clearly see the shape you're in. Care to tell me where your daughters are so I can get to them before someone else takes advantage of this situation?"

Her immediate response was fury, lashing out at the ground by his feet with her Darkness. "I will lead nobody to my children other than their father!" she snapped. "Get the fuck out of my God's citadel."

"Not leaving," Sonic said. Amazingly, he didn't flinch, didn't even blink in response to her attack. "They're your kids, and I get that. But you know what that means? They're my family, too. Even if they weren't, they're kids. I make it my business to give a shit about kids whose lives are in danger. And the longer you sit here and bullshit me about how much you can protect them right this minute, the more time any hostile demon or other entity has to find the girls themselves!"

"Shut the fuck up," she roared, stomping up to him and rearing back. "Your attitude is more than enough for me to take your head." The demoness didn't move after she said that, only able to suppress a noise brought on by her pain. She realized he wasn't lying, and further inspection showed that he was wanting to help. Zareil dropped her spear and coughed painfully before letting out a sigh. "Fine… I'll take you there."

Sonic's shoulders sagged with relief and he let out a breath. "We need to hurry. I don't like the idea of anyone getting there before you." He motioned with a hand for her to lead the way.

Zareil gripped Sonic's closest arm and teleported them both immediately, walking forward once they'd arrived. "This area is impossible to teleport to…" she explained.

"I figured as much," Sonic admitted. "It didn't sound like you to overlook that particular added layer of safety."

"What about you is able to evoke such an unusual emotion in Kaden?" she suddenly demanded, changing topic entirely. "Why would he not teach you a lesson on going against him and his wishes?"

"He's my Dad," Sonic frowned, "not my owner or some shit. Parents are supposed to care about their kids beyond just keeping them alive. They're meant to love their kids, to want them to be happy and healthy and whatever else."

"Maybe I should have taken your head off," she grumbled. "None of that makes any damn sense."

"Didn't think it would," Sonic sighed. "Not to you, anyway. But that's the only answer you're getting from me."

Zareil scoffed. "Unreasonable." She turned her attention elsewhere briefly before cautiously asking, "How is Kaden doing?"

Another sigh escaped him, this one more relieved. "He's… he's okay," Sonic murmured. "He hasn't woken up yet, but he's not hurt. Just exhausted. He's probably going to be out for a while. Just… really needs the rest."

The demoness was quiet before muttering something under her breath. "I don't know what to do with him… not being himself. I am not the Goddess of Demons, nor am I ready to be."

"No one said you have to be," Sonic shrugged. He chose to ignore, for now, the rest of what she'd said. As inaccurate as it thankfully was, it wasn't worth arguing over right now. "Can't someone else take the job now that Dad's not doing it himself anymore?"

"No," Zareil muttered. "He will remain in the role until he is killed by another demon. That is how the role is passed on." Her eyes narrowed. "We do not pass it to others like the other Gods and Goddesses will."

Hearing this, Sonic frowned deeply. It was mostly out of concern. "...Is there no one else who can act as a stand-in or something?" he eventually asked.

"You're looking at her, the second in command," Zareil growled. "And I'm not ready to lead them. I can't even repel attacks launched against me, nor have I been able to fully win a battle that I should have."

Sonic rubbed his hands over his face. "Maybe… maybe Dad can keep teaching you after he wakes up? He's not just going to hang you out to dry. He cares about you in some way, you know. Helping you get ready is probably something he'll want to do, honestly."

"Demons don't care," Zareil muttered. "Now that he's not a demon, there's less reason for him to give a shit about whether I'm ready to lead."

"Except they do care," Sonic countered. "At least, in a way. You cared enough to come to his aid several times, and to help guard him while he was in that trap. You cared enough to hide your daughters from threats while you were away, and to agree to let me go to them to further protect them. And he cared enough to be with you all the time, to train you, to keep you alive… Do I have to go on?"

Zareil's eyes grew distant as he spoke, trying to comprehend something that reasonably made absolutely no sense. "I care because he's my God. I will serve him until the day I die. My daughters must live because they require the chance to grow old enough to fend for themselves properly. Kaden's care was simply in an attempt to prepare should something happen to him. It is assuredly nothing more, and your foolishness is grating on my nerves."

Sonic sighed heavily. "You and I both know that demons are capable of love to some extent. Why else would Shadow refrain from seriously hurting Toru when he was corrupted, for example? If you ask me, you're in denial. I can't claim to know why, but you are. Accept it or not, but Dad has some kind of feelings for you. You matter to him, and that's why we're all doing what we can to make sure you can stay in his life, within reason."

"I will kill every last one of your allies, take my God back, and resume servitude at the first chance. I do not need your help, and I will not accept. You're out of line, and Kaden should have handled you immediately for your insubordination." Zareil pushed him away several feet. "Stay that distance or I will make an attempt on your life."

"Except you won't," Sonic said, "because you know just as well as I do that Dad gives a shit about me and doesn't want me dead or grievously injured. He wants the same for you, which is why we're looking out for you now whether you like it or not. Threats like Nareish are out there. She will obliterate anyone she can get her hands on. Or, worse, she may try to turn you against the very person you want to be with by using her own brand of corruption. Do you want that? Because if you do, we can absolutely leave you to your own devices from now on."

"Not. Another. Word." she demanded coolly, taking a slow breath. "I am finished with this conversation. Silence your assumptions."

Emerald eyes rolled. "Denial it is," he muttered under his breath. Then he said at a more audible volume, "On a separate subject, then, we've got Toru back to normal last I heard. I recommend not doing that again. Pretty sure he wants to kill you."

"He can and will," Zareil confirmed. "Given the chance."

"Yeah. So I'd say that leaving him and Shadow alone is in your best interest," Sonic informed her coolly. "And maybe don't go after Shei again, either, in case you haven't heard what's happening to him."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Zareil sighed. "In case you haven't been listening, I obviously can't complete any mission I undertake. Only ones directly headed by Kaden himself have warranted any true success. I cannot operate without him here, and I will not be attempting anything other than rescue efforts, which will likely have no backup due to the lack of care for my leadership among the generals."

"It was just a general warning," Sonic shrugged. Then he reluctantly admitted, "And unfortunately for me and my allies, you're not as much of a failure as you paint yourself to be. You didn't get Toru or 'save' Dad, but you got away with Marthal and we can't really do anything about it right now. That's not to say we aren't gonna try, but that's not the point."

"Within a week you and your allies will likely have found a way to return him, and nothing I do will stop it," she bit out. "I cannot face you all any further unless I take Kaden back." Her voice wavered more the longer she spoke, to the point where she simply stopped talking as it grew too obvious.

"Actually… no," he frowned. "We don't have a clue how to save someone who's, as we just learned, almost demonic normally. Not a clue in hell."

"You don't get it!" she snapped. "You have someone from another timeline aiding you, the power of the other Gods and Goddesses, the most powerful Immortal to exist to my knowledge, and so much more. Regardless of how little you know, something is always inherently possible and you've all taken advantage of every god damn detail you can!" The woman held her face in her hands with such strength that she drew blood. "I'm so fucking sick of embarrassment at the hands of the only people I was allowed to face in this war! I can't even help with Nareish, nor was I able to help remove Malevolence before Eona herself stepped in! I can't do anything!"

"There's a difference between not getting it and just disagreeing," Sonic pointed out. "You've been facing insane odds, like you said. That doesn't make you a failure, especially when you consider the fact that it takes nearly all of us to defeat just one of you. Granted, yeah, there are a couple exceptions like Jet. But most of us are nowhere near his level, or yours. You've kicked our asses plenty, too. The difference is we have allies on our side. That's the only reason why we're sort of keeping ahead of you for the moment."

Zareil shook her head. "It won't matter soon. I've monitored Mobius. Wave has a bond with a new energy. Kaden is almost assuredly on your side. Analia has… somewhat recovered. She will be aiding you all soon. Rose may be failing herself, but she's strong. You have more magic users… Without the support of the generals, I would be a fool to charge in at your forces. I would likely lose and be trapped in much the same way Kaden was."

"Then stop fighting us and work with us," Sonic suddenly said. "We've got common enemies that have to be stopped, and one of the people we both care about is probably on the biggest threat's hit list. I'm not saying we have to be buddy-buddy, but we can work together toward the same goal."

Zareil fell silent for a long moment before muttering, "Take my daughters and put them somewhere safe. If harm befalls any of them, you will be the sole person punished." She placed a hand against some sort of invisible wall and pushed, causing a ripple across the hidden building as the door opened. She stepped inside and knelt down, silently giving the triplets the command to approach her.

As she was their mother, the threat didn't come as any surprise to Sonic whatsoever. Nor did it surprise him when the girls rushed to her, clearly relieved to see a familiar face. "Mother," the slightly youngest, Tyrnn, gasped with clear alarm. "Mother, one of the Nightstalkers kept trying to come in. She threatened to skin us alive and turn us into new armor for her own daughters." The mere idea of that made Sonic flinch, equal parts disgusted and quietly horrified.

"She left to get reinforcements," Shyrr, the middle child by a mere thirty seconds or so, said with a soft frown. She gestured with a small hand to their left to indicate what direction the woman had gone in. "Her claim was that there are many who would be happy to erase your 'legacy'. But when I challenged her to estimate how many, she could not give a believable number. I believe I angered her further."

Alynn, the oldest and most Kaden-like of the three, crossed her arms and scowled. "They claimed Father could have chosen someone better to breed with. If I'd had my dagger, I'd have cut her." She paused, realized her mistake, and moodily looked down in a submissive, obedient manner. "With your permission, of course. I didn't mean to assume it would be allowed, Mother. It won't happen again."

Zareil listened to them all quietly before motioning to Sonic. "Go with him. I have business to settle. He will be able to take you to your father. You will be safe. Mind yourselves, and do not get into needless trouble. Is this understood?" Her voice quaked with an unspoken anger, even as she tried to maintain her composure in front of her children. To threaten my children… I will turn them into paste on the ground. Every god damn one.

"Yes, Mother," the girls responded in near unison. They reluctantly went to Sonic and allowed him to pick them up.

"I'll send word to you soon," he said, "to confirm they're with him and safe."

The demoness stood and turned to Sonic. "Leave. I'm about to kill something, and if you're remotely in my way, you're next. Get back to Mobius."

Sonic gave in and rolled his eyes again. "Yeah. Sure." But he vanished without further argument.

Once Sonic left with her children, Zareil stepped out of the hidden home and immediately issued the command for the one she believed to have threatened her children to come to her, summoning her axe in hand. The other woman appeared moments later, a disdainful sneer on her face, but wisely didn't speak just yet. Zareil didn't say a word, instead moving forward and grabbing the Nightstalker by the throat, slamming the offending demon into the ground. Your face alone is pissing me off. She didn't hesitate to continue the assault, bringing her foot down on the other demon's head until Zareil was sure she was dead, then twice more for good measure before kicking her some distance away. She then extended her next words to be known by all demons. "Let it be known now. Merely threatening my children is punishable by death. I will kill you all before I allow them to be harmed by someone lesser than I."

~保護者~

The first and only sign that Kath was awake was when he suddenly just wasn't there. No warning was given before he vanished, no signal was given that he was waking up. Then he was gone. Alana was the first to react, intercepting his teleport and causing them both to crash painfully back down to the planet's surface. However, before any true confrontation could begin, purple energy encased her and whisked her away to safety.

Left to his own devices, Kath dusted himself off and prepared to teleport a second time. This time, Cyril appeared in front of him and held up a hand with multi-colored magic flowing. "Kath… I'm gonna need you to stop. Go back, please," he murmured. "I don't want to fight."

"I'm leaving," Kath responded coldly. "Move, or I will make you."

Though he hardened his voice, Cyril's eyes betrayed his pain as he cast the strongest barrier he could around them both. "I've been preparing this since I got here. I… can't let you leave."

Kath idly tested the barrier with his aura while he drew his sword. "I did not ask you to let me," he said, voice even colder in its calmness.

Cyril sighed and pulled a tarot card from his deck, flipping it around and activating it. Immediately, a clone appeared beside him and they both drew a metal card and a playing card. "Kath… I didn't want this, but you're not leaving," he said.

The ground began to steadily freeze beneath their feet as Kath said, "I do not care what you want. But you will not keep me here." His aura gathered and then released in a rapid but no less powerful blast that sent Cyril and his clone hurtling backward. They were then met with spikes of ice at their backs that began stabbing them through as their momentum carried them further along.

The two dissipated as the spikes only seemed to stretch their body out, appearing in the air above Kath and launching separate cards at him. One exploded in a small burst of flames while the other was a dangerously strong gust of wind. Carefully placed, the flames were stoked with the supply of air flowing into it and both attacks soared toward the hawk. So glad I learned to elasticize my body with magic. I'd be dead already otherwise.

Almost curious, Kath looked on for a moment before abruptly deciding not to care. His aura fiercely lashed out at Cyril and the clone, engulfing them both and subjecting them to what could only be described as a thousand stabbing sensations meant to draw real blood. The clone shortly disappeared, but Cyril himself remained unharmed for a short time before tapping into his magic and bursting out, breathing deeper than usual.

Internally, Kath scoffed. His rather idle testing of Cyril's capabilities was proving that the finch was no pushover. His magic was considerable, if it was able to defend him that thoroughly. It was irritating. But no more so than everything else about this situation was. Especially one key fact he had gleaned from the beginning. He is stalling.

Cyril watched Kath quietly for a long moment before gripping another tarot card. "Kath… I don't want to fight you, but it's better for me to do it than anyone else that can keep up with you. People care about you. Your family is alive, and they want you safe! I don't mind being the one to face you in their stead, but… I don't like any of it."

That evoked absolutely no emotion. Not a trace of care or concern or anything. "I don't care what they want," Kath muttered. Another attack slammed into Cyril with crushing force and encased him, intent on squeezing him to death.

"You will," Cyril promised, pressing his magic against the aura to keep himself from certain death. "Once you're saved… you'll care again. I'll be there no matter what, so stand down."

Kath's aura only compressed tighter in response to Cyril's words. Ice began flooding the energy as well, adding the threat of near-instant hypothermia to the finch's list of current problems. "I will not," was the muttered reply.

Though it pained Cyril to say this, he went through with it. "Then I'll make you stand down." He pulled his next tarot card, The Emperor, and made it so that Kath couldn't use his aura anymore. He then let his magic loose in a sphere around him and cleared the ice, letting out a long breath and summoning his staff into his hand. "I can't defend forever… even if I wish I could." Kath only watched for a moment, mentally reassessing how to counter as he did so.

When it was apparent that neither was moving immediately, Cyril made the first move, twirling his staff and bringing several cards into the air with it. An unseen force kept them gliding just inches away from the ends as he moved forward and began launching them. Each one seemed to do something different, with one raising a pillar of rock at Kath while another slammed into the pillar and sent debris flying. Others came in different directions, with Cyril approaching directly from the front.

With his aura unavailable as a means of defense, Kath was forced to use a different power that he rarely felt the need to rely on. At seemingly the last possible moment, he stabbed his sword into the ground, extended his arms, and spun on one foot with immense speed. This created a sphere of rotating air-like energy that extended around him and powerfully deflected every single attack that came his way. It even caught and threw Cyril back before fading away as Kath ceased the motion.

Cyril recovered quickly, following up by pulling one of his cards and throwing it into the air. It froze as he activated it and slammed into the ground, immediately leaving a crater that Cyril launched a card into, blasting chunks of earth into the air that he sent flying toward Kath with magic.

Kath neatly dodged most of the projectiles before being forced to create another defensive sphere to deflect everything back. There simply wasn't enough room in here for him to dodge effectively, not when there were that many objects coming at him simultaneously. He then retaliated by launching everything back into the air in some form or fashion and sending it hurtling back toward Cyril.

Cyril ducked and rolled under a chunk of earth, sliding back to his feet with a grin, flicking another card into the air and holding it there. "Ace of spades, my friend!" Kath only frowned at him, already running possible effects through his mind as he looked at the card. He grabbed his sword again. The finch didn't dare drop the facade, using his magic to draw a new tarot card as The Emperor faded, now using Justice. "Kath… I'm hoping someone intervenes before the next ten minutes are over." He activated the ace and swapped places with Kath's blade, letting loose a wave of magic toward the hawk in hopes of blasting him into the walls of his temporary trap.

Being unable to access his Light in his current state and for once not immediately noticing an important change (namely that he could use his aura again by now), Kath had no means of effectively countering this. He was carried off his feet and slammed into the walls of said trap. He cursed in Babylonian under his breath when he realized his mistake and quickly retaliated with a wide-sweeping blast of aura energy.

Cyril waved his hand and negated the aura with one of the powers he gained from Justice, letting out a breath. He didn't have time to think about how helpful this had been, focusing his efforts on summoning plants from all around them and launching them toward Kath as he tossed another card into the air and threw a missile of magic.

Kath started to cut through the plants with blades of ice, but a wave of intense Light washed over them, interrupting both of their attacks and dissipating them. It dismantled the trap and wrapped itself around both Babylonians, though it only did so with Cyril long enough to gently move him aside. Then he was released safely on solid ground while Kath continued to be wrapped up and restrained.

Cyril took this moment to let out a deep breath and summoned Kath's blade to his side with magic, flopping into a sitting position. "Oh thank god," he breathed.

The Aether shortly appeared near Kath and frowned a little. "Oh my gosh…"

Eona herself arrived seconds later, stepping into this realm right beside Cyril. With a wave of her hand, she took care of any minor injuries he had acquired. "I apologize for coming so late," she murmured. "I had to seek out some aid." She looked meaningfully to the Aether. The Aether cast a smile to her.

Cyril waved it off, chuckling nervously. "Nah, it's fine. I promise. Just uh…" He shivered a bit. "Just kinda cold, is all. I appreciate you coming at all, honestly."

Eona created a thin blanket of pure Light and draped it over his shoulders. "Seek warmth then, young one. We will tend to your friend." She walked over to the Aether, concern betraying itself in her eyes. "That woman wields the powers of Immortals from long ago. It may take all of our combined strength to undo this."

The Aether nodded to Eona. "Mhm… I'm sure you know what to do, so let's get started."

Regarding the sphere of Light she had encased Kath in, Eona sighed and closed her eyes. "We must carefully undo every thread of corruption one at a time. It runs very deep. Begin at the surface and work your way in. This will be a long process."

"I know," the Aether murmured. It moved over to join Eona properly, but glanced back as Cyril stood and collected Kath's sword in his hand. A smile broke onto its face when Cyril teleported back to the palace, and it finally turned its attention back to Kath. "Good guy, that Cyril."

"He is, indeed," Eona murmured. Then, with a slight smile playing at her lips, she focused on the task at hand.

~保護者~

17,703 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all his help and support. Posted (at about 10:10 p.m.) 07-27-21.