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".)

152. Communication Is Key

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this serious of communications… especially for the one who should be resting.

~保護者~

"Communication Is Key"

~保護者~

After going home, intermittent messages began coming from Steam's communicator, traveling across timelines to reach those he had temporarily left behind. They were warned through a sort of alert-like message that he was sending advice, requests, and so on to various people. Then the messages began to arrive.

Amy received the first one and looked it over. It read, "For now, I'd like you to help Eila get acquainted with the group a bit more, and help introduce her to anyone she doesn't know. She'll accept your help more readily because of how you've already helped her. I'd appreciate it." She typed back a quick assurance that she would do her best, then returned to what she was doing. Namely, helping Blaze feed Mei.

Sonic got the next message. He was monitoring the triplets while they slept, curled up next to their shared father while he slept. They were hidden away in the same home Analia had been resting in all this time, albeit in a different room. Aside from Finis, Sonic was the only one awake. But there was no danger, so he opened the message and read it. "Focus on tapping into your Chaos powers, and get Teyan or Ythene as soon as possible for this. They're gonna be the people with the most information, obviously."

It took a second. Just a second, then he remembered. Oh, yeah. Ythene is the "Voice", and Teyan is some sort of Chaos Queen. He sighed. Contacting Teyan might be interesting… but I can probably reach Ythene easily enough. His response to Steam was simple. "I'll work on it. Thanks."

Silver and Blaze got messages back to back. He got his first, then she got hers. "Just relax and be yourself. You're the only you."

The hedgehog, who was acting as a third set of hands with the baby just in case, grinned a little. "Sure am."

Before Blaze could even ask, her message came through. "Please dear god don't let Silver start a prank war with the Aether. It will be an absolute fucking catastrophe." She smirked. "Whatever compliment you believe he gave you, cast it out of your mind. Take a look."

He did. He balked. Then he exclaimed, "Hey, that's not fair! It wouldn't be a catastrophe! It would be awesome!"

Almost in unison, his adoptive mother and wife sighed. "Silver…"

"Okay, okay… Sheesh."

Elsewhere in Tails's small home, Knuckles and Rouge received the same message from Steam. "I'd appreciate you checking on Eila every now and then. She's talked to me about how nice you two are. Other than that, just do your thing."

Not being one to text much (he preferred calls, if not in person chats), Knuckles left it to Rouge to reply. "Sure, hun. We'll do what we can for her, don't worry." With that said, they resumed talking amongst themselves.

Tails and Wery were down in the workshop, as per usual. They got word from Steam next, also as a joint message. "Prepare something to prevent Gerald from electronically altering Shadow, and see what you can do with the other blueprint I send you. If you don't get to it, that's fine."

"Hm… That might be… really tricky to do," Tails said thoughtfully, hand on his chin. "Gerald isn't exactly incompetent…"

"Yeah… but… it should be possible. I might be able to, with his permission, figure out what device it was that Gerald used and block it from ever accessing Shadow?" Wery mused.

"We can try and ask him," Tails agreed with a small nod. "Maybe not yet, though. Toru just got back and all. They probably don't want anything else to bother them right this minute."

"Sounds like a good idea. In that case, let's take a look at that other blueprint? We might be able to do something with it in the meantime," Wery said, a smile on her face.

"Sounds like a plan," Tails agreed. "What was that one for, anyway? I didn't get a chance to look yet."

Wery frowned. "That's just it, I'm not sure. I think it'll make more sense when I delve into it, though." Tails nodded a second and resumed his search. They couldn't have gone far.

Eila was contacted after them in the part of the house she had been resting in. "You've been doing good lately, but I really want you to focus on making friends and feeling more at ease around everyone. It's good for you to be in their presence. Aside from that… check on Rose, when you can. See if you can get her to talk about what's going on, and try to convince her to open up. She's done something to herself, and you two are so close."

The white cat briefly was taken aback before typing up her response. "I'll do my best… I recently spoke to Sonic a little, and things went… well."

Steam's reply came after another minute or so. "Glad to hear it. I trust you'll do well."

Shadow was distracted from brushing Lia's hair when his communicator buzzed. Setting the brush aside, he turned the screen on and checked the message. "Focus your time on being with Toru or making things like guns, if you're able. When you can, spend some time outside. Try your best to eat, especially since you have that medicine. All in all, relax, please."

Tossing it aside and not replying was tempting. But, in the end, Shadow just huffed and got it over with. "I'm not promising anything." With that said, he resumed what he was doing. Lia wouldn't stand here and cooperate much longer.

Shortly after that, Toru got a message as well. "I'm sure you're coming and going a lot, that's how you are. Try to keep your in and out traffic down. Shadow really needs your presence, as does your sister."

The chameleon sighed in response. "Alright. I'll keep it all in mind."

On Kaden's planet, Marthal was startled out of a light doze when his communicator abruptly vibrated on his wrist. The hell? Scowling, he checked it, only for his confusion to mount. It's that Steam guy, he realized. Why the hell is he texting me?

"I assume Tyria's been hanging around you. Just let her be around. She's alright. Aside from that, you should probably check on Kaden and Analia every now and then. Their presence could really help."

Zareil glanced over at Marthal with a raised eyebrow. "What is that?"

"Communicator," the yokai said. "Lets us talk to each other over long distances, kinda like telepathy but with tech." He glanced the message over again. "I don't have a clue why, but Steam texted me."

The woman scowled at hearing Steam's name. "What did he say?" Marthal went ahead and showed her the message rather than bothering to read it aloud. She frowned a little before deciding to pose a question. "You know Kaden and Analia?"

Marthal blinked. "...Yeah," he said. "Known them for a long time. Kaden and I met when we were teenagers, and I met Analia some years later."

Zareil was quiet for a long moment before sighing. "Find them for me. Return to me and tell me how Kaden is doing."

Though he hissed softly in annoyance, Marthal didn't argue. "And what do you expect me to do if I get jumped by a bunch of people? I can only fight off so many people in that group."

The woman immediately stood and walked closer to Marthal. "Fine. We're both going."

"Great. Just what I wanted to hear." Sarcastic response aside, Marthal stood up. "Sonic had their scents on him, which means he's been around them recently. We figure out where he went, and you'll find those two soon enough."

Zareil grumbled a little and looked at Marthal. "Ask him. If he doesn't tell, I'll go to him myself."

"Yeah, fine. Whatever. I'll report back." With that said, he disappeared in a burst of flame. And that was the end of that for now.

The message Wave got on New Babylon was long. "Train with the Aether and learn how it works as an energy. Train it as well. Basic fighting knowledge. When I'm back, I'll help you more. Also, keep the Aether from Silver, and by god don't let a prank war start. We don't need that. Also, pass the word to Cyril that he needs to work with you some to focus on not allowing his magic to lead him. He's smart, but he'll keep allowing it to make the choices. Lastly, ask your dad if he can keep an eye on Ylden. I'm worried that what he did will be bad for him, and it might've attracted a lot of attention."

Blinking, Wave began to type. "Sure, I'll send word to them," she agreed. "Chances are, Dad will already be on top of that. But I'll ask him anyway. We'll work on training when we can." She then put her communicator away. It seemed she had work to do.

Far away on A'latria, Jet's communicator vibrated beside his bed. He was sleeping deeply enough that the sound didn't disturb him more than a little. It would be there when he woke up, regardless. "I know you're going through a lot. I'm not Sein, Alana, or Kath, but I'm here to listen, and I always will be. If there's something on your mind, or something you want to ask, I'll do my absolute best for you. Please try and relax a bit, you need it."

Just seconds later, Sein got a message as well. "You're gonna do everything I could honestly ask you to do. Be a father to Jet, in the way only you can. You're the best person to help him."

Sein smiled a little and replied. "Absolutely. I will."

After him was Alana. Her message read, "I haven't spoken to you recently enough to know what's happening on your end of things, but I do ask that you try and take a moment to visit Li. You need a sword, and there's someone else who needs one. Aside from that, tell me how Kath is doing. I have something to tell him if someone was able to get to him in time."

When she replied a minute or two later, she had some good news. "I will see Li soon," she started off. "And Father is alright. Eona reached him. He is better now, though tired and angry at himself so far as I can tell."

Steam replied in moments. "Thank god… Glad he's okay. If it's not too much trouble for him, I'd like to ask if he can try and teach Cyril how to fight without his magic. He's got too much reliance on it.

"I will ask him, though he may be unwilling for the moment," Alana replied. "Cyril fought him before Eona arrived. Father may try to avoid him as a result."

"...Shit. That's… rough. If it doesn't work out, it's fine, though."

"I agree. But, if nothing else, perhaps I can attempt to help Cyril. It will help me be less… useless at the moment."

"You're far from useless, and I'd appreciate the help. He's lagging behind in normal fighting. Make sure he doesn't use his cards while training, at least at first. He should learn to fight with and without it."

"I understand. I will do what I can for him."

"Thank you so much."

Rose was contacted sometime after Alana. "You've been putting way too much pressure on yourself. Your sister's life is safe, and you know that. Settle down and focus your time on yourself and Kial. You really need it before your Light gets too weak."

It bothered the cat to no end to think about the fact that others definitely knew. "I see… I will… try. Rest well."

Elsewhere, on Nier's world, Analia received a message of her own while sleeping. "I'm sure you're probably asleep right now, but really just focus on what you normally would. Keep an eye on Kaden and, when you can, check on Rose. I'm really not sure why her situation is getting worse, but you or Eona are the best people to address it. Thanks in advance."

Aniko was still under the effects of the sedatives back on Mobius. Nevertheless, the message reached her, destined to only be seen later. "With Seiko back, you need to take some time to relax. You've been getting hit with a lot, and your transformation in that battle couldn't have been good for your mental state."

Armaris was messaged next. "If I can guess well enough, Dad is likely out of commission temporarily. If you can, seek out Finis and Cere for help. They're two of the best people to help. You need to strengthen your magic."

"You're right… That's a good idea." Armaris looked up from her communicator with a frown. Guess I gotta go to Cere soon.

The final person to be contacted with Espio. He normally would have ignored his communicator unless expecting a specific message (usually for a job or from someone he texted first), but for whatever reason looked at it this time. "I don't think you will respond, but I'd appreciate talking with you a bit. Since I'm home, I might be able to get some help from the Espio here… if he ever picks up his damn communicator. Other than that, spend time with Armaris where you can. She's had it rough, and your attention means more to her than she can vocalize."

He wasn't sure why he did it, but he wound up texting back after a few minutes. "What is there to talk about?" was all he sent.

"You know there's a lot. The situation with your Darkness, your relationship with Armaris… Stuff like that. You've got a lot of things you haven't talked to anyone about, and I want to let you talk to someone who knows about it."

"I don't need to talk about it," was the swift response. "Talking is pointless."

"Did Nyokae teach you that?"

That created a brief spike of anger that Espio didn't quite quell in time prior to sending his message. "Fuck off."

"If she taught you that, I want you to know she was wrong. Armaris will tell you, Aniko will, Shei, and Toru for sure. Talking can help, even if it seems to make things worse at first. I promise you it can, and I'm offering you an opportunity here."

"I have already been talking with Rose, though I would rather not," Espio replied. "It is accomplishing nothing."

"She's not bringing everything up. She doesn't know you, so she doesn't want to go into the fact of how deeply Nyokae practically tortured you. You literally had to learn new living habits to survive her in a remotely safe manner, right?" Espio didn't immediately reply to that, at a bit of a loss for the moment. When Espio didn't say anything else, Steam sent another message. "Look, man. Like I said, we're not close, but I know a lot about what you've been through. Maybe not everything… but I want to help."

Still entirely unconvinced, Espio rephrased what he had already said. "Talking has never helped with anything before. What makes you think this will be any different?"

"Because I did it once and I'll do it again," Steam replied. "It worked here. It can work again." Espio's lack of response again caused Steam to continue. "Talk to me about what's bothering you with your Darkness and how it's affecting you."

"It's more of the same," was all Espio said at first. But, eventually, he followed it up with, "The necklace Rose gave me works, but only short-term. Nothing else has been effective."

"And using anything else stronger would bring you harm… Sounds right, though I appreciate her attempt. Your heritage Malevolent heritage came to light, and obviously that's gonna make it worse to handle. I'd prefer to say we don't use a seal, unless we're coupling it with training from someone else who understands how to control that kind of power. What do you think?"

"Father has stated that a seal would be ineffective," Espio responded. "Given the specific portion of our heritage that has recently come to light, I am inclined to agree."

"Yeah… though, with magic like Cyril's, it might work. I don't think he'd know enough to do it with how far you've gotten. Have you spoken to Ryuji? I noticed that he joined the fight."

"Magic is generally ineffective against Malevolence. It will not work." After taking a second to redirect Zei away from a non-toy she started to play with, he further stated, "He and I have spoken, yes. He intends to work on training, though I am doubtful it will be enough on its own. Not right away."

"It's a start, honestly. I'm gonna get in touch with some others when I come back about this all, just because it's a big deal for you. On a different subject, how do you feel about Armaris? Do you feel close to her?"

It took Espio a long couple of moments to respond this time, but only because he was thinking. "I suppose. In a way."

"Armaris is a good person, I'll promise you that. She's pretty much the exact opposite of Nyokae, but I get that you might be hesitant. If you think you like her, I'm sure you do. You two could do well together, but you'd need to work on a few things together. Outside of that… what's your perception of her?"

"My… perception?"

"What do you think of her?"

For whatever reason, Espio found that this question had thrown him for a bit of a loop. Mostly because he had never really thought too much about it. So he opted for a simple, yet honest answer. "I don't know, exactly," he admitted.

"That's fair enough. Personally, I recommend thinking about it once while you interact her. When she says or does something, think about how it makes you feel. If you're not sure how you feel about it, that's fine. Just try at least once."

"...Fine." After redirecting Zei again, he asked, "Was that all?"

"I've got a few other things to bring up… some stuff a bit more unusual," Steam replied. He then followed it up with, "Did you break a sword recently?"

That brought up fresh frustration with enough suddenness that Espio didn't even think to question how Steam could possibly know that. "Yes," he said begrudgingly. "And nearly shattered a second."

"...Yeah… I've got Alana going to Li already for her own sword, so a new one can be made. I'll ask her to bring it up to him. You… well… it's hard to explain, so just let me mention that I'm not going to lie about anything to you."

Somehow, Espio found it in himself to immediately believe that. "I would not expect you to."

"Existence is making people stronger, specifically seven people. The strongest being of Neutral and Evil Darkness, Light, the person bonded with the Aether, one of the beings of Chaos, and a person I won't name. These six people are going to become Immortals, which makes seven when you count who's tied to Void."

This time, Espio's response was swift. "How is that even possible?" he demanded. "Existence is designed so that there can only be four total."

"Existence is reaching the point where it needs to be complete. As Jet and his family achieve higher states, you all would essentially take their place."

"You are making even less sense than Li." That accusation aside, Espio supposed this warranted further investigation. "Armaris intends to ask Cere what she knows. I will look into this somewhat as well."

"It's pretty unbelievable, honestly, but if you tell anyone, it should be Cere. I trust you and her to be able to keep this secret and act well using this knowledge. She probably doesn't know much as it is."

"I did not assume she would. But Armaris was insistent. It did not seem worthwhile to argue about it."

Steam seemed to think, considering his delay in response. "It may do you well to visit her as well. She's a good person, and she could help you with understanding Armaris better if you wish to pursue a relationship with her."

"Fine. I will consider it."

"...How much do you know about her past?"

"Only what little she has seen fit to share. It is not my place to question her about it."

Steam was typing for a short bit before sending a longer text. "I'm going to tell you one thing, and that's it, because it's important. She's been in several really bad relationships in the past, and truthfully, it's something you should sit down and talk to her about. She's obviously had nobody, and Ylden missed a larger portion of her young life, so you speaking to her would mean a lot. Otherwise, you can ignore that I said this and go on. I won't push this one."

"I would not know how to talk to anyone about something like this, much less her specifically," Espio replied. "This is a subject that upsets her whenever it is mentioned."

"I understand that, but she needs to speak about it at some point. If you do find it in you to bring it up, my recommendation is to have her sit down with you and ask about her relationship experience, and what she would want if she were to pursue one." Espio didn't answer this time, assuming that his simple "fine" sort of response would be obvious enough. Steam sent another message shortly after. "So, you fought someone during that battle. Who was it?"

Now Espio was frowning to himself. Almost scowling, really. "You know damn well who it was," he said irritably.

"Nyokae is back… That's a whole fucking mess. She didn't touch Zei or Sako, right?"

"She did not even attempt it."

"I'll come up with something to deal with that. In the meantime, do what anyone else would say that's obvious to do. The sooner she's gone from the picture, the better."

"Don't bother. I will handle her."

"If the chance arises, kill her immediately. You know it better than me, but she needs to stop living."

That earned another private scowl. "I ensured that once already. Whatever Nareish did to bring her back will only be repeated again and again." He glanced at Zei, who was busy playing by his side. "My concern is not that she dies, necessarily. Until revival can be prevented, it is a wasted effort. Keeping her far from Zei and Sako is my only concern."

"True… but you realize what she'll do to you, given the chance, right?"

"Nothing different than in the past. It does not matter. I will live."

"Espio, your safety and life matter, too."

The thought that Steam was wrong flickered through the chameleon's mind, but they didn't linger long enough to be considered or even entirely noticed. "I said I will live. That is enough. Worry is not necessary."

"Do I have to put you in a chat with the Espio here so that he can tell you the same thing I am?"

"What the fuck do you think that would accomplish?"

"To show you that everything I'm saying here is possible, and that there are things that do matter, even if you try to deny it. Your life is important to people, and there are a lot of people that don't want to see you hurt. Your mother is one strong example alone."

"I don't care what they want. I intend to live. There is nothing for them to worry over in the first place. I am not going to throw my life away."

"I don't think you'll throw your life away, and I want you to tell me that you don't care about what they want when your Darkness isn't affecting your mood."

Gritting his teeth, Espio set the device aside. He had to take several minutes to focus solely on breathing before he could feel some of the abrupt tension in his shoulders start to subside, taking some of his mood shift with it. Only then did he respond. "If you don't think that, then why do you keep pressing the issue?" he finally asked, ignoring the rest of Steam's statement entirely.

"Your mental health and emotional wellbeing." Steam's response was shortly followed by another. "When you fight Nyokae, it's going to dredge up a lot of pain and thoughts in your mind, even if you push it away. It's there, and it's only going to add to the situation."

"Those don't matter," was the swift reply. "They can be ignored."

"That's one of the most incorrect things I've ever heard you say. We have autism. We can't ignore those parts of ourselves, not that others can either. It'll build up and cause you worse and worse problems. If you don't do something to take care of yourself in those areas, you might just put yourself in a situation where you can't protect your kids or your family."

Espio… didn't understand. Mounting frustration gave way to deep confusion as he re-read the message and tried to make sense of it. What did the autism have to do with this, and how in the hell would it prevent him from defending his family? It didn't make any damn sense to him. "Explain," he directed simply, in lieu of asking.

"Have you ever had a meltdown?" came the equally simple reply

Though he thought back, so much of Espio's own past had been lost to him due to his near-total amnesia long ago that he really had no idea. "I don't know," he admitted. "Mother would, but I cannot ask her now. She is resting."

"Fair enough. Do you know what a meltdown is?"

"I have a vague awareness. I believe I witnessed the tail-end of one of Kaden's long ago."

"A meltdown is best characterized, in a short summary by me, as a state where you're overwhelmed in some way to such a point that your mind and basically succumb, along with your emotions. You kinda lose control. For example, my meltdowns involve inability to focus, being hyper aware of my surroundings, having heightened sensitivity to touch, alongside other things. And you can throw in uncontrollable sobbing to the mix. If I had a meltdown in a fight, I wouldn't be able to protect someone, much less myself."

"And you are assuming that will happen to me?" Espio frowned once more. "I doubt it ever has before."

"I'm only saying that it's possible. Adding onto this, you already have some harsh sensitivities, such as food and touch, right?"

"...Yes."

"Things like that can get amplified. For me, I'm sensitive to sound. If I get too stressed, everything I hear can make things worse and bring me a lot of pain."

Though he knew it was a silly, pointless argument to make, Espio nevertheless sent the first comment that entered his mind. "Sound does not bother me."

"Yeah, that's fair. But touch does. If Zei wanted to be held, it could seem really overwhelming to simply touch her, for example. Not saying that's what will happen, but it can."

Actually… now that Steam had mentioned that, it occurred to Espio that something like that had happened a couple of times. They hadn't been major or long-lasting incidents, but even so… "That sounds somewhat familiar," he begrudgingly revealed.

"Then let's try to leave it at being familiar. The more you take care of yourself, the better you can protect your family… and now I sound like a hypocrite."

Finally, Espio had to make another, more serious admission. "I do not know how to take care of this. All I was told was to speak with Rose for now. As I already said, that is accomplishing nothing."

"She's approaching like a therapist. Admittedly, the best step usually. For you… You need to be approached in a different way. But I don't think I can get her to do it like that. It's just not in her nature, so do you mind if I ask you to try something really difficult?"

"Difficult?"

"Yeah… I want you to open up to someone about what happened between you and Nyokae. Just a small part. My recommendation is to do it when Rose comes to see you, or when you're sitting with Armaris alone. I also recommend you start with something like, 'I want to talk to you about something, but it's difficult.'. Tell them to just listen, unless you want their input in certain spots. Pick something from your experiences, whether it's how a certain act of hers made you feel, or maybe the things she made you learn to do. Tell what you know. If they ask, and you don't know… then say it. It's okay to not be sure."

A wave of what Espio could only think to name as "stress" hit him right then, making his pulse quicken and breathing a bit more difficult. "I cannot talk about any of that," he typed quickly. "It is better to ignore it. And safer."

"Can you tell me why it's better to ignore it?"

"I don't know."

"I get it. Take a moment and breathe, okay?" If only because he did not want this to escalate to the point where he needed his inhaler, Espio did as instructed and tried to steady his breathing. Steam waited a few minutes before sending another message. "Espio, it's hard to talk about trauma. I still sometimes struggle to talk about what Gerald did to me, and that's okay. It's okay to want to avoid things and avoid anxiety. I understand, but the problem is that when you always avoid these sorts of things, they really weigh on you. I ruined a lot of friendships because I refused to open up and heal from my trauma, and it got me in more trouble than I ever wanted."

In all honesty, Espio was barely taking in most of the words on the screen. It was hard to think at the moment, with his thoughts racing like they were. When Espio didn't respond this time, Steam sent one more message. "How about this, instead? While I'm gone, think about if there's something you feel comfortable opening up about. Try to speak to one of them. Whoever you need to be there for your sake, take them. If you just can't get the words out, I'll take over for Rose. I should have the time since we saved Kaden, and I think it'll be better for both of you. Is that okay?

"I don't know," Espio replied again, though he wasn't totally cognizant of having done it. "I don't know."

"Espio, I know a lot is happening, but I need you to focus. Where are you and what's around you?"

After re-reading the message several times in an effort to make sense of it, Espio slowly typed out, "I'm home."

"Is anyone near you?"

"Zei."

"Where is Sako?"

"In bed. He's asleep."

"Are you sitting, standing, or laying down?"

For a second, Espio genuinely didn't know, purely because his thoughts raced in a totally different direction for… however long it was. Eventually, though, he managed to say, "Sitting."

"What room are you in?"

"The front room… I think. I don't know."

"Where is Armaris? Do you know?" Pointless though it was, Espio sort of shook his head before putting his head in his hands and squeezing his eyes shut, trying again to level out his breathing. Steam sent another message shortly after. "Espio, if you can see this, call out to Armaris."

It took what felt like ages for him to make sense of the instructions he was reading. Once he did. Espio closed his eyes again and, albeit reluctantly, tried to do what he'd been told. He also opted to be frustrated over his old stutter later and not now. "A-Armaris?"

It took the cat a moment, but her name being called out woke her from her borderline asleep state. She immediately appeared in the room and moved up beside him. "Baby, are you okay?" she asked quickly. All he could really do was shake his head again, unable to get enough air in all of a sudden to say anything else. Armaris wasn't sure what to say or do, until she heard Steam's voice come through on Espio's communicator.

"Espio, is Armaris with you?" Once more, no verbal reply was given. Just a mute shake of the head.

Armaris spoke up. "I'm here. What do I need to do?"

"Stay where you are and watch over him. Give him space, and grab his inhaler. If Zei is close, keep her a distance away as well."

The cat immediately set about doing what Steam said, giving Espio a few feet of space and fetching his inhaler with a tendril before handing it over to him. "Now what?"

"Espio, use your inhaler, and I need you to think about the things you love in life. Your mother and father, for example. Armaris, just be present and be gentle. Keep me updated if anything progresses."

When Espio didn't move or speak, Zei wound up doing both. "Why is Daddy scared?" she whispered, wiggling in Armaris's arms with wide eyes.

Armaris held her close. "Daddy has a lot going on. There are some things that have happened that upset him," she whispered back, using her tendrils to very carefully nudge the inhaler to Espio's mouth. He flinched away, then reflexively grabbed it in one hand. "Espio, please use the inhaler. I need you to focus on that for me, okay? You need to breathe."

It took a moment or two for her words to really sink in, and by that time he was starting to cough a little as a result of not getting quite enough air in. He quickly used the inhaler like she'd instructed, but otherwise didn't respond to her. Zei, meanwhile, wriggled free of Armaris to sit on her own. Then she gained a serious frown, the kind of expression she hadn't worn since escaping from her mother. With swift and silent feet, she approached Espio and then slipped away with his hidden boot knife in hand. She tossed it neatly away with a flick of her wrist. "So Daddy doesn't get an ouch," she explained, looking down.

"Thank you, Zei," Armaris said softly.

"Espio, if you can hear me, I want you to think about the things that matter most to you, and why they're important to you." After another pause, Espio sort of tried to reply. He ended up just coughing again, badly enough that he had to use his inhaler a second time. Since he was a little more aware now that his breathing had started to calm down, he was able to use it properly this time, unlike before. As such, he began to have an easier time getting the necessary air in. "Whatever you normally do for comfort, I want you to do that. Have Armaris collect whatever you need, okay?"

"...I don't…" Espio trailed off, started to shake his head, then sort of stopped before disjointedly finishing, "...do that."

Armaris bit her lip and used her tendrils to pull the guitar she'd received from Rusen into her hands, beginning to play it gently with soft singing. Steam remained silent for now, waiting to see or hear if something changed. For the immediate moment, the only real response they got was a couple more, albeit much smaller and softer, coughs. But, eventually, a bit of the tension in his shoulders started to dissipate to some extent and his body in general relaxed just a little. Steam spoke up again, as Armaris continued playing her guitar. "Espio, talk to me. How are you feeling right now? Do you feel safe in Armaris's company?"

While the first question might have been doomed to be ignored or otherwise never answered, the second one was easier to reply to. "...Yes," Espio mumbled a few seconds later.

"Tell me where she is in relation to you."

Thinking was still hard, but with a bit of effort he managed to answer the question. "Um… t-to the r-right." Fucking stutter… Fuck you.

"Turn to face her. Try and look at her." Espio shook his head yet again, this time much more consciously. He didn't want to look at anyone, overtaken by the irrational, anxious thought that doing so might suddenly evoke yet more emotions he couldn't properly name or handle. So, silently, he refused. When he heard nothing happen, Steam deduced that in fact nothing did happen. "Alright. Tell me what color her fur is."

"B-black."

"She recently dyed some of her hair. Do you remember what color she used?"

Dyed? That sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember what the hell color she'd used or when. "N… N-no."

"That's okay. What color are her eyes?"

"Blue. I… th-think…"

"Yeah. She has ice blue eyes. Can you tell me where you are?"

"I'm… I'm h… home."

"What room are you in? Where's the doorway?"

Espio tried to reply, but wound up stuttering so badly for a second that he had to stop, take in a breath, and then try again. "The f-front room," he finally mumbled. It was all he said.

"Alright. What's your favorite food?"

It took a second for Espio to remember. "Peanuts," he said after a short pause.

"Do you remember the last time you had any?"

"...Weeks ag-go," was the quiet reply. He was genuinely calming down now and his pulse and breathing were better, but he still couldn't stop that damn stutter and he hated it. If nothing else that fresh surge of annoyance helped to further get his mind off the stress. Or anxiety. Or whatever the hell it was.

"Do you remember if you have any in your home?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell Armaris where they are?"

"...I-in the storage comp-partment."

"Armaris, go get them. Espio, how are you feeling? Can you focus on anything around you?" As he spoke, Armaris moved quickly and fetched the peanuts, bringing them over to Espio.

This time, Espio forced himself to carefully enunciate each word he was saying, thus avoiding the stutter for now. "I-It's… improving. Slowly." He sort of glanced at the peanuts, but didn't take any just yet. Whatever appetite he might have had before was pretty shot now.

"Good. What time of day is it for you?"

"Aft-ternoon."

"Can you tell where Aku is?"

"In the t-tree. Like alw-ways."

"How are you feeling?"

"...Okay."

"Do you feel well enough to stand up?"

As much as he disliked talking about his breathing problems, Espio had to make an admission here. He made a renewed effort to speak slowly and enunciate properly. "No. I need to sit. My breathing is not… well enough yet." Zei walked over and climbed into his lap as he spoke. That did bother him slightly due to him still being somewhat frazzled, but he didn't communicate that to her in any way.

Steam's response came after a brief sigh of relief. "You sound a lot better. I'm really sorry for starting this. It wasn't my intention, but I should've been a bit more careful."

Espio thought that over. "How did you know what was happening?" he asked, frowning.

"Been in your shoes, lived through it," Steam answered. "Helped others that deal with this sort of thing."

"That has never… happened before," Espio slowly revealed. He hoped the question on his mind would be obvious enough without him having to say it out loud. What the hell was that?

Steam could be heard sighing softly through the call. "I told you about the meltdowns… From everything I heard, it sounded like something sort of similar, called an anxiety attack. And judging by what triggered it, I have to say I'm not surprised. Holding onto that is really gonna mess you up, considering how fast the thought got to you." Espio thought that over very briefly before mumbling a vague curse under his breath. "Look, Espio. I'm not gonna push it, but we should talk when I'm back. You can't live with that."

Weighing his options, Espio eventually came to the conclusion that there really were no better options at present. So, reluctantly, he agreed. "Fine," he muttered.

"Once more… Sorry for bringing it up without warning. Shoulda been more careful with that topic. Are you feeling better?"

"Do not apologize," Espio sighed. "That topic has never caused this much… reaction before." After that, he decided to drop that part of the discussion in favor of adding a simple, "I'm fine now."

"I'm gonna go for now. You need to take time and relax after everything. Don't be too bothered if you feel kinda numb, dissociated, or empty. It'll fade in time as your body recovers. And as always, shoot me a message if you need anything."

Now, Espio had two reputations when it came to communicators. The first was never answering calls and texts. The second was typically just hanging up when a conversation was over. He certainly proved the second one true here. After hanging up, he pushed the communicator away. Armaris moved over to him cautiously, taking a seat beside the chameleon. "Is everything alright, hun?"

"I'm fine," Espio repeated, almost sighing again.

She wrapped an arm onto his shoulders, staying close to him. "I wish I'd noticed sooner. I'd liked to have helped more," she admitted.

"You helped enough," he told her truthfully.

Armaris didn't really have a response for that, so she settled for setting her head up against Espio's shoulder. "You gonna try talking to him instead of Rose?"

He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "He seems to believe it will help," he said.

"He seems to actually know how to talk to you," Armaris pointed out. "Rose always kinda was treading lightly… Maybe since she doesn't know you."

Another vague shrug. "Perhaps." Belatedly, he noticed something and frowned. "...Where is my knife?"

Zei spoke up. "In the hall," she stated matter-of-factly. As though that was the most normal thing in the world. "It didn't stab the floor or wall, Daddy. Promise."

Armaris moved a tendril to grab it, but she kept it where it was for now. "What's happening?" she asked softly.

It took a second for her concern to abruptly make sense. He full-on sighed again. "Nothing. I just noticed it was gone."

The knife was flung through the air for her to catch, handing it over to him by the blade. "Alright. Here you go."

He took the small blade and slipped it back into his boot sheath. "Zei, in the future, do not take weapons from people unless you are in danger. I do not want you hurting yourself."

Innocent eyes blinked up at him. "Oh. Okay. I promise." She got up and scampered off to play.

Armaris looked at Espio and gave a weak smile. "Wanna have a drink or something?" Despite having had a drink earlier (though, granted, it had been a small bottle), Espio nevertheless opened the compartment in the floor and grabbed himself a new one. He left it open in case she wanted any and popped open his drink. The cat didn't hesitate, pulling a bottle into her hand with magic and opening it as well. "I know a lot of serious stuff just happened… but can I ask you something?"

Only after taking a few small drinks did Espio concede. "I suppose," he agreed, closing the compartment's lid.

She turned the bottle in her hand up, drinking down several gulps before turning it back and setting it on the floor. "We've both got a lot of stuff going on, but I want to go through the courtship process fully with you," she admitted, coughing a little as she turned her gaze away. "I want to do the gift exchanging properly. I want to do this and I want to be with you," she murmured. "Even if I've said it a lot."

Espio ran that through his mind for a long moment. He hadn't really stopped to consider that he had initiated courtship with his gift to her some time back. But… it wasn't something he regretted doing. So, in true form, he didn't dwell on it. "Do you know how such matters work?" he asked her. His stutter seemingly gone for good by now, he stopped focusing so much on trying to prevent it.

"I remember a lot," Armaris answered. "As a kid, I always kinda dreamed about it all. Wanted to know how it worked. After bugging Shei a lot, he eventually told me. It stuck."

That was a little surprising. ...Or maybe more than just a little. "You… dreamed about it?" Espio questioned after a moment.

Armaris frowned a little and sighed. "Always wanted to get in a relationship… have a partner, kids… a home. All of it. Kinda had some misconceptions and it fucked me over when I left the village, 'cause people aren't really the same out there."

"No, they are not." After giving that quiet agreement, Espio took another drink. "You are aware of how long of a process this can be, then?"

She nodded, taking in alcohol in a similar method to before. "Honestly… yeah. I'm okay with that. We'll basically live forever, so… if it takes forever, it takes forever," she said with a soft shrug. "I'm willing to wait."

Well, as long as she was aware and accepted it. "In all technicality," he murmured, "I already initiated a courtship. Though that was not on my mind at that particular moment. Given that, nothing else has to be done unless your intention is to strictly follow tradition."

The grin on her face was unmistakable and she moved to stand. "C'mere. I wanna show you something." Though he huffed, Espio stood as well. He was slightly shaky, but otherwise had no real issue. Armaris leapt out the doorway, suddenly taking off with her wind power and using her tendrils to take Espio with her.

That earned immediate protest. "Armaris, I am capable of moving on my own."

"It's easier this way," she said, coming to a stop in a clearing and setting him down. She stepped away from him and chuckled. "So, I don't have a proper gift, but I wanted to show you this." Her guitar appeared in hand and she took a seat, motioning for him to do the same. Espio claimed a seat beside her after a moment or two. She began strumming the guitar and smiled as her magic slowly flowed out of it, forming together to visualize the notes she was playing as if it were sheet music around them. "I've been working on it a lot lately… mostly control. Not combat spells, but working to keep it really well controlled. I honestly thought you'd be… well… proud," she said, a soft smile on her face.

Espio watched the notes with obvious curiosity, his inquisitive nature fully taking hold in that moment. It stole enough of his focus that he missed most of what she'd said, but thankfully… that he was impressed was rather apparent in his gaze. "How are you doing that?"

Armaris paused her strumming for a moment. "I figured that learning how to put it into a form I know would actually let me try to keep it controlled. So… I worked on making it into sheet music. It made things really easy."

This time, he focused enough to really grasp what she said. It helped that the music had stopped. "...It is a good method," he said.

She smiled happily. "It's not much of a gift, like I said, but I figured you'd like to see my progress. I'll make sure to get you a proper gift soon."

"Gifts do not have to be physical in nature," Espio explained, shaking his head. "Experiences can and often are gifts as well."

Armaris shrugged. "I like giving physical gifts. It's really nice." Espio nodded a little in understanding. She shifted closer to Espio and leaned into him. "I also really like you." Verbally acknowledging that had been hard enough the first time he had done it. Reciprocating had been even harder. Now was no different, especially given his emotional tiredness after earlier events. As such, all he managed to say in response was some murmured agreement. Armaris wasn't perturbed, simply deciding to relax there for the time being before speaking back up. "We should uh… get back, shouldn't we?"

Espio soon nodded. "Yes. The children require monitoring, and Aku is asleep."

The cat shrugged again. "Fair enough. One more thing before we go, though?" He just looked at her. When he did, the cat suddenly wrapped her arms around Espio and kissed him softly. As much of an issue as he often had with hugs, kisses were something he was fairly used to (for reasons he no longer wished to recall) and as such he didn't hesitate to respond, using the fingers of one hand to lightly brush her hair aside in the process. Armaris held him there for a short time before pulling back with a soft smile on her face. "Now, let's get back to the kids."

"You are something else," Espio quietly accused in a way that was entirely teasing. He gently moved out of her grasp and stood, then offered her a hand.

Armaris grabbed his hand and pulled herself up with his hand, raising an eyebrow. "Race you back?"

"Now you are asking for too much."

The cat suddenly vanished into the shadows of the woodlands around them with nothing more than a shout of, "keep up!" Huffing to himself, Espio shook his head and ran off after her.

~保護者~

Satsuno returned to Shadow's home promptly after leaving Ylden. As much as living, breathing people made him uncomfortable (he'd spent so much of his life not around the living that he didn't think he'd ever truly adjust), that wasn't a sufficient excuse to avoid going back inside. He'd given his word that he would monitor the spirits congregating inside for Myriu's sake. Now he knew that it was for Soren's sake as well. All the more reason to do the honorable thing and keep his promise.

Once inside, he slipped into the room he'd been given to share with Seiko for the short-term. He was only in there long enough to make certain that she was still gone, but that was long enough for the open door to be noticed. The teen he'd met once before briefly poked his head in. "Oh, it's just you. Sorry. I thought Lia might've gotten up and wandered in." He started to leave, clearly embarrassed about the minor intrusion.

The former king, however, was unbothered. Had the boy (Soren, wasn't it?) come fully in, that might have annoyed him. But a quick inward glance and a retreat was hardly worth getting worked up over. "It is fine," he assured. "However, why are you awake? It is very late." As he spoke, he kept to normal manners - at least from his era, at any rate - and stepped out of his boots since he was in the house now.

Soren paused, lingering in the doorway. "Oh, um… I just can't sleep, I guess." He shuffled from foot to foot. "Just sort of had a lot on my mind, is all. But it's nothing serious."

Pondering that for a moment, Satsuno sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed his legs. Once comfortable, he responded, "That is understandable. Much has been happening as of late." He gestured with a hand for Soren to come in. "You do not have to stand there. You may come in."

It took a second for Soren to take him up on the offer. After another unspoken gesture of permission, he sat on the bed beside his great-grandfather. "Can I… ask you some stuff?" he asked, a twinge of nervousness and hope blending together in his voice.

Light, greyish eyes with a visible but faint purple hue blinked. "You may," Satsuno agreed. "I will answer what I can."

"Growing up, did you ever know both of your parents?" Soren inquired. "I know that's… I know that's a really personal question and all, so you don't have to tell me, but… yeah."

"I did," Satsuno said after a moment. "In a manner of speaking, at least. My mother was the only one alive."

Now Soren was looking down. "...What's it like?" he murmured. "Having both of them around, I mean. Is it… Is it…"

When he trailed off, Satsuno spoke up again. "I knew, intimately, what it was like to live with both and to live without one. My father's spirit was not, could not, always be around. I learned to treasure the times when he was there. As I aged I also came to realize that being just with my mother was not such a bad thing. I loved them both dearly, and being apart from one was never truly easy. But, together or apart, the important thing to remember was that I was also loved. That did not diminish or change just because we were not with one another always."

Suddenly, Soren was wiping at his eyes. "Do you think… whoever my other parent was, where I come from… Do you think they cared about me? I never even… met them."

"They would have cared then," Satsuno asserted firmly, "and they will care now. A parent's love does not simply end. It goes on. It is one of the few things that transcends time and even death. Your parent, whoever they are, is no different. Your father, Shadow, is proof enough of that."

The teen drew in a ragged breath. "Yeah… I, um… I guess you're right." That he needed a bit of time and quiet to collect himself was clear. Satsuno gave him both, waiting for Soren to pick up the dropped thread of conversation whenever he was ready. It took a good few minutes, but eventually he did just that. "Let's… Um, let's talk about something else."

"You said you had questions, not just a single one." When that garnered no response, Satsuno further prompted the boy. "Ask. You do not need to worry. Nothing you say or wish to know will upset me."

"You're sure?" Soren asked, lifting his head to look at him. Satsuno nodded. Soren took out another breath and let it out slowly. "Okay. So… I was also kinda curious about what we talked about last time. You said you had a friend who might be able to help with this ghost stuff?"

"To train you in regards to it, yes. I did see him earlier, but he is preoccupied with other matters. I will ask him when he is less distracted." And less emotional. Not that the cat didn't have good reason to be moody, but still.

"Is it okay if I ask who he is?"

"His name is Ylden. He works within the Realms of Death, and has for many years. Spirits are something he is deeply familiar with."

Soren thought about that. "Realms of Death?" he finally said. "As in, places people like to call 'hell' and such?"

"That is a common name for one of them, yes," Satsuno agreed. "Though, contrary to popular belief, it is not that easy to wind up there in the afterlife. Nor are all souls tortured forevermore as punishment. However much some of them might deserve to be."

"Actually… my granddad talked about that place, once," Soren frowned. "He said sometimes evil spirits are punished in a different way. They don't get basic luxuries like sunlight, plants, and comfortable resting places in their realm, just to name a few. Supposedly, they're also stripped of their fighting abilities, so they can't just try busting out of the realm."

"Those are a few of the methods used, yes," was the calm confirmation. "Those are among the more… benign punishments. Typically, if a spirit receives only mild punishments, it is because they were not terrible in life, and have a chance to change their ways in death. If that is accomplished, they are permitted to move on to a happier existence in another Realm of Death."

"And the worst of the worst get the really bad punishments, right?" Soren surmised. "Probably don't get to redeem themselves, either."

Satsuno inclined his head. "There are a few things that cannot be forgiven. For example, one who tortures and inflicts suffering will never leave that place. All punishments they face will be just as terrible as what they inflicted upon others in life. That is the way things are."

More silence. This time, it didn't last as long. "Why do people in our family have powers like this, anyway?" he asked. His curiosity was apparent. "Relating to the dead, I mean."

The older of the two gave that some thought. "What do you know of your heritage?" he asked in return.

"I know some stuff, but not a lot. Like, I was told about this Zenith guy a little and how we're related to him. Dad and my granddad said our Darkness mostly comes from being related to him." Soren shrugged. "One of them also said he was in charge of those realms a long time ago."

"He still is, and he always will be. It is because he ever existed at all that those realms also exist, and he is intimately tied to them." Satsuno pondered the ceiling while doing his best to explain. "Darkness deals in and with death. There is no escaping that. It is one of the ways that it is most opposite from Light. Perhaps, owing to that, Zenith has always had the ability to handle the results of that connection. That involves seeing the dead, touching them, hearing them, sorting them, and so on."

Soren was starting to understand. "So… some of those powers got passed down. Kinda like how a mom with fire powers might pass it on to her kids."

"Yes, like that. However, there are some… complications regarding that analogy." Satsuno gave this a bit of thought before pressing on. "I am not at liberty to know precisely how it works, but there are some that cannot fully handle such a power for one reason or another. As an example, my mother's grandmother was not entirely well, mentally speaking. She struggled with great bouts of sadness and lethargy. Though she was strong and none doubted it, her spiritual abilities were weak. In any other scenario, that would make little sense, would it not?"

"No, it wouldn't at all," Soren frowned. "Like, I could see not being as great with one power as you are with another, but the differences are rarely drastic, you know?"

"And yet it was for her," Satsuno continued. "So much so that, while she could easily have destroyed a small army with her Darkness, she could do nothing more than occasionally catch a glimpse of a spirit." Soren's mouth made a small 'o' of surprise. "She was not the first example of such a thing occurring, however. Merely the most recent that I am aware of."

"Meaning… for reasons maybe only that Zenith guy knows, only people who can mentally handle spiritual powers get them?"

"And emotionally. That plays an important role as well."

That did it. Something in Soren's slowly improving mood was abruptly dampened again. "So why did I get them?" he almost demanded. "I can't even deal with real stuff very well."

"This is no less real than anything else," Satsuno was quick to remind. Then he said, "And I disagree. That you have abilities at all proves you can handle them. It does not mean, necessarily, that you have many abilities, or that they are powerful, but that is far from the point."

This explanation earned him a sigh in response. "...Yeah… I guess you're right."

"Try not to doubt yourself so much," Satsuno found himself saying. "You are not as incapable as you would lead yourself to believe."

Somehow, after a couple of seconds, Soren managed a small sound. "I'll, um… I'll try." He cleared his throat rather awkwardly. "I have one more question, if that's okay."

"Ask," Satsuno invited again. "I do not mind."

"We talked a little about what I could do last time," Soren began, "but I don't think you ever said what your powers were. Is… that okay to ask about?"

Now, Satsuno didn't make a habit of spreading this information around. Less because he cared what people thought or did and more because he was such a private person by nature. But, in all honesty, he didn't mind sharing this time. "I can explain some things, if that is what you want."

All at once, Soren brightened. His posture straightened, too. "Really? That would be great!"

His enthusiasm was a little heart-warming, after seeing so much bottled-up upset earlier. Satsuno shifted to the side and turned around to face him, in order to make talking easier. Soren followed his lead and did the same. "Let us start off simple," the older hedgehog said. "You know already that awareness of spirits to begin with is a power. That awareness can extend to all of the relevant basic senses, meaning sight, sound, and touch. You, myself, and Myriu can all do this."

Soren nodded. "Right. And from what I accidentally overheard when you guys talked, she can see them pretty clearly, right?" Satsuno voiced a vague agreement. "I sometimes can, but a lot of times they just look like… I dunno, shadow people. Like, blobs of shadows in the shapes of people. Once in a while, I'll see their eyes off and on, too."

Satsuno took this in and carefully filed the new information away for later. "In my case, I see the dead just as clearly as I can, for example, see you sitting here. I hear them just as clearly and easily as well."

That made Soren think. "Hearing them isn't hard for me, but their voices tend to kind of echo. Almost like they're kinda… not real, somehow?" He shrugged, apparently uncertain with his own explanation. "What about with touching? Myriu and I can be touched a little, but for me it's mostly when they're trying to hurt me somehow."

More new information that would be relevant later, particularly when discussing training with Ylden. Satsuno committed it to memory as well, and resolved to do the same with anything else important that was revealed. "It is the same with this as well," he said. "I can touch them, and vice versa, just the same as I can with something that is living."

Grey eyes went wide. "Whoa…"

"There is more to awareness of the dead than this, however," Satsuno continued. "There is… general awareness as well. It is a feeling, in a sense. Knowing without seeing, hearing, or touching that there are spirits around. This is something I am capable of with the very same ease."

"I don't think I can do that," Soren replied, shaking his head. "I kinda… don't want to, either, all things considered." That seemed to bring up another question. "So, wait. If you and ghosts can interact with each other that much, does that mean they can hurt you like they do with me and Myriu?"

With a touch of reluctance, Satsuno admitted the truth. "They can, yes. But because of my heightened awareness and ability to interact, I can suffer attacks that are far more severe than anything either of you are at risk of. The abilities of spirits are curious in the sense that they cannot interact with people without powers like yours or mine. They are unable to do much against someone with weaker versions of said powers. But that goes both ways. In an individual with stronger powers, they can suffer stronger assaults."

"That's…" Soren swallowed hard. "Frightening. And awful."

Indeed. "It is not all so terrible," Satsuno responded. "For instance, another ability I have is that I can understand any language a spirit may speak, no matter what it is. Though, this cannot be applied to anyone living."

"Okay, that one's cool," Soren was quick to say. "So, like, if a ghost started talking in Babylonian, you would know what they were telling you?"

For now, Satsuno opted not to reveal that he had no idea what a Babylonian even was. "Yes, I would."

"Definitely cool." With that decided, Soren moved on. "Oh, what about causes of death? Can you sense those somehow?"

Satsuno nodded. Privately, he was rather surprised that Soren even thought to guess that sort of thing. "Yes. Unless I fully turn my attention to the matter, I only get impressions of what happened. If a spirit died from illness, for example, I would get an idea of that, though I would not glean many details. But if I take the time to pay attention, sometimes I will sense it so clearly that it is barely different from seeing it happen. Though, it is more akin to a vision or a dream as opposed to truly seeing something."

"It happens in your mind, then?" Soren asked. He received a nod. "Huh. I guess you weren't kidding when you said mental fortitude was important. Something like that can't be super pleasant."

It wasn't, but that went unsaid. "I rarely kid," was the shrugging reply.

"What about… Can you tell how someone who isn't dead will die?"

Honestly, that wasn't a question Satsuno had anticipated either. But he rolled with it regardless. "Not deliberately, or often."

"Whoa," Soren said again. "How does it work?"

"If it happens - and it is rare, mind you - all it takes is a glance. Merely laying eyes on the person in question, in the event that this power is triggered, causes me to be hit with a vision. They are usually brief, but detailed. However…" Satsuno canted his head thoughtfully. "As any clairvoyant will tell you, no vision of the future is set in stone. Sometimes the smallest of actions or words can change things."

"That's really…" Without warning, Soren was overtaken by a yawn. "...Really awesome," he finished belatedly.

A flicker of amusement passed through Satsuno. "Go sleep. We can continue this discussion tomorrow, if you are still curious."

"Alright," the teen agreed. He stood up and walked out, tossing a quiet, "Goodnight," over his shoulder on the way.

Shaking his head to himself, Satsuno reclined diagonally across the bed with his arms behind his head. Though he closed his eyes, he didn't sleep, resolved to keep watch over everything for the night.

~保護者~

Laralei had been asleep in a separate room from Kath recently, so as to leave his bed open for… well… him. But though she'd had no real choice but to sleep for the last couple days or so, she'd had some awareness of things that had gone down. It helped that Azerel had just finished explaining things to her. He also shared with her where their mutual friend had disappeared to. After thanking him for the information, she wasted no time in teleporting straight to Kath's location.

They had already had their emotional reunion. This wasn't a continuation of that. This was one worried friend checking on another. He was seated on a large rock covered in snow, and she walked over. "Mind if I join you?" she asked softly.

Whatever thoughts he'd been lost in, he was promptly pulled from them. After glancing at her, he shifted to the side and brushed away some snow with his hand for her. "It's fine," he assured.

Once she was seated, she got right into it. He appreciated not beating around the bush, as she recalled. "I heard what happened," she said. "The corruption and the fight, that is. And that Eona arrived to help you. I'm glad that she did."

He relinquished a sigh. "I am as well," he admitted. A bit of wind rushed through the area, twisting her hair into her face and messing up his bangs. They both had to take a moment to fix their hair a bit, mostly her.

With a twirl of her finger, Laralei redirected the wind to blow in a different direction. "There, that should keep our hair out of our eyes," she huffed. Then she continued, "How are you feeling? I was told the person who confronted you is an acquaintance of yours."

"He is, somewhat," Kath agreed. He thought over her question for a short time before answering her. "It is hard to feel… much about it. I am not always the most capable of emotion. You know that."

"I do," she acknowledged. "What do you feel right now?"

His answer was about what she expected. "Tired?" he offered. Then he sighed again. "Regretful, I suppose. In that state, I attempted to severely injure him. He did not deserve it."

"No, he did not. But you were also not in control." Laralei reached over to his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "From what I understand, whoever corrupted you made you do those things. You were under orders, were you not?"

"I was told to leave the planet," Kath reluctantly explained, "and kill whoever got in my way. Part of why Cyril did not suffer such a fate is because I have no real idea what he is capable of. I did not know how to effectively fight him, nor was I given time to work it out. But… that is for the best."

"I understand, Kath. But let's not dwell. Perhaps we can talk about something less serious." When he wasn't forthcoming with a suggestion, she made one herself. "I have heard nothing but praise for your rule in my absence. I always knew you had it in you." She smiled at him, earning another glance. That mute acknowledgement of her gentle happiness allowed her smile to grow a touch wider. "Our people have prospered. I cannot thank you enough for that."

"All I did, I learned from yours and your parents' rules," Kath said. "It is nothing you three would not have done."

"But you had the strength and desire to do those things yourself," Laralei insisted. "That is my point. Aside from that, however, I hope life has treated you kindly. Were you able to continue your studies into space and the like?"

Kath nodded. "I worked on them for many years, once things were truly settled and stable. The star-map you and I started together was lost when Babylon exploded, but I recreated it the best that I could. It has far more detail to it now, and many more locations."

"Glad to hear it. I remember you were so thrilled when we first got that technology to work." Her smile turned a touch wistful. "We were only… what, eighteen at the time? Not quite adults, but almost. Yet we were so excited to show my parents and your guardian, like children with a new toy. Albeit, a very valuable toy."

"Arkiri is alive again as well," he suddenly revealed to her. "Perhaps sometime I can show you both the current map."

Something about that offer warmed her heart. "I would like that. Very much." Comfortable silence settled between them aside from the sound of the wind. It was only broken again when she quietly asked, "Kath, where do we stand with one another? Azerel mentioned a crush you have on Calypso." Doing her best to communicate that she was in no way upset with him, she gave his hand another reassuring squeeze. "Is that true?"

He turned that over and over again in his mind before eventually answering her. "It looked… for a time like things might be allowed to progress further," he admitted slowly. "However, she was captured by an enemy and… endured things she has no desire to disclose. Whatever they were, she said she is not prepared to deal with it on top of any kind of romance."

"Does that bother you?" she inquired gently.

Once more, he had to think about what he was being asked. "Somewhat," he said. "But not immensely. This was not something that went on between us for years. It was recent, prior to my death."

Equipped with newfound understanding of the situation, Laralei posed a new question. "And what of the other woman Azerel mentioned?"

I need to remember to kill him later. In spite of that though, Kath admittedly wasn't following. "Who?" he asked, frowning a little.

"Someone he called Yareis," she explained. "He is under the impression that she has taken a liking to you."

Kath blinked. She… what? "...I was not… aware of that," he admitted slowly.

Coming from him, that isn't terribly surprising. He is the first to admit that he does not read other people's emotions easily when aura senses are not involved. Given what she'd learned, it was Laralei's turn to think things over. I always wanted him to move on and find happiness after I died. He finally started to try doing that with Calypso but she had to step back to focus on taking care of herself. And it's far too soon to say whether or not anything will happen between him and Yareis, I suppose.

"I have an idea to propose," Laralei said after a time. He looked at her in fairly open confusion. "Kath, what I want more than anything for you is happiness. Let us take a step back from one another, romantically speaking. We will still be the very best of friends, just the same as always. But it gives us time and space to decide if that is all we want, or if we want to go back to how things were before. It allows you a chance to see where things go with Yareis as well, if that's something you want."

Now he looked worried, but not substantially so. "And what about you?" he questioned. More wind rushed by, sending their hair into a tizzy and nearly stealing the sound of his words away.

"I will still have my friends, including you," she smiled once things had quieted down. "I will also have my family. No matter what happens, that category will forever also include you as well. No matter who we choose to give our hearts to, neither of us will be alone. Alright?"

For a single, rare moment, Kath held her gaze. Then he looked off into the sky with another sigh-like exhalation of breath. "People always call me the enigmatic one… but you remain as mysterious and confusing to me as ever." Unable to help it, she laughed and gave him a quick hug. Despite the somewhat serious nature of their discussion, she truly did still feel happy. She could only hope he felt the same.

~保護者~

Shei had no real idea how much time had passed since he had seen Aniko and Seiko. His mind and emotions were in turmoil. Maintaining awareness of anything else that existed seemed an exercise in futility at best. Damn-near impossible, really. He was so unfocused that he truly, genuinely had no idea how long he was suspended in air with thin, wide ribbons of energy coiled loosely around him. By the time it truly registered, some of the ribbons were already retreating.

As belatedly as before, he realized he was being pulled along. He remained how he was, legs crossed and head in his hands, but finally forced his eyes open. His eyes couldn't entirely comprehend some of the things he saw. Realities entirely unfamiliar to him passed him by with enough speed to make even him want to recoil. Yet, in spite of seeing this, he felt nothing. Not even the flow of air. Just the soft but insistent tugging of the ribbons that were curled around his arms, his thighs, his ankles, his stomach, his wrists, his chest, his calves…

Who was pulling him? More importantly, where were they pulling him? Close examination wasn't necessary to understand what sort of energy he was contending with. It was black. It was crimson. It was familiar. Malevolent, just like his own. Just like… Well, he wasn't in the mood to think about that. Not right now. He didn't have enough control over himself to fight back. There was no point in trying. Giving in whatever his fate was, he squeezed his eyes shut and resumed vying for the aforementioned control. It was all he could do right now. So he sat there and let himself be tugged along, unaware once more of the passage of time and of his surroundings at large.

When he next regained that awareness, he was seated hunched over on the ground in the same position he'd been in before. Slowly, very slowly, he realized he could sense someone. His eyes snapped open and darted up from the ground. There, crouched in front of him, was a… woman. In many ways, she looked a lot like him. Some of her body had turned pure Malevolent as well, like his had. The parts that hadn't transformed were dark purple in color. Her eyes were black like his were when they weren't glowing red. More importantly, there was no denying one thing.

This was a chameleon.

"That took longer than I'd hoped." Her gaze was inscrutable. Her tone was the same. "Hopefully we weren't noticed."

Shei collected himself enough to bite out via thought-speech, "Who are you?"

"Atani," was the simple response. She didn't even question his chosen method of communication. "Tell me your name."

"No."

"Suit yourself."

He watched her for a moment as she stood up. "Why did you bring me here?" he demanded quietly. When she didn't immediately answer, he struggled to his feet. "You have given me no reason to trust you. Tell me who you are."

Silence answered him. Then something far more unexpected. "Are you the reason Mother is dead?" Her eyes flickered intensely for a moment. Red. Black. Red. Finally, they settled onto black once more.

The implication was right there, out in the open. He didn't miss it, and it gave him pause. But, rather than acknowledge it directly, he offered a slow, "...No," in response.

"You were there." A sigh. She turned away. "I wish I could have been. You're lucky you don't have to remember what she was like. You'd have wanted to deal the killing blow, too."

More silence. Shei stared at her. "So you are…" Though he trailed off, his inquiry was clear enough in his opinion.

"Your sister," came the swift confirmation. "Half-sister, that is. Which, for the record, I just learned about a couple weeks ago. Different dads." Ayra abruptly turned on her heel to sit down in front of him. That, coupled with his lack of strength at the present moment, prompted him to slowly reclaim his own seat. "Tell me about you. I'll do the same. Remembering helps with… this. Happiness. Love. Those sorts of things. They're important. Willpower alone isn't enough."

Well, Shei could have told her that last bit. He'd become intimately familiar with that truth as of very recently. Her idea had merit. "I grew up in a village called Hyale," he said after a short pause. Starting off simple seemed to be the best.

"Tovi," she responded in kind. "We're not allied with Hyale, but we never warred with your village. We're probably too far to the west of the Highlands for that to be worth the effort." She shifted to cross her legs like he was doing. "If we're talking normal years, I'm nineteen. You?"

"Twenty-two," Shei answered.

"I was dead once. Some kind of crazy light show brought me back… maybe a month ago."

"I was dead as well. Though I was revived sooner than you were."

"My weapon of choice is my bow. If I had to pick a second one, I'd go with my giant shuriken."

"I prefer swords, such as a katana. But I use bows frequently as well."

Atani appeared to think for a second. "My favorite food is koryuki. It's a dish my village specializes in. We grill pano fruits with sea bass and add special seasonings."

"I enjoy ayoto. It comes from a village to the south of Hyale. They take various river fish and roast them over a fire, then cut them into small pieces that are mixed together and seasoned. It is then portioned out into individual bowls for people to eat." Shei thought back randomly to the last time he'd had any. It had been ages, truly.

His… sister… did her best to offer a smile. It was tiny and tentative, but there. Albeit briefly. "I'll try yours if you'll try mine." She surprised him a second time by holding her hand out.

Slowly, he extended his own hand. "Alright. You have a deal." They shook on it. The gesture felt warmer than it probably should have, especially in this scenario. Then, taking his hand back, he gestured for them to continue. Like the last time, he started. "I enjoy playing the flute, from time to time."

"I don't play music, but I love to dance," she replied. "I take part in every festival, when I'm not on missions."

"I prefer stealth to full frontal assaults in missions, personally."

"So do I. Though I can handle that well enough if I have support. By myself, not so much."

"I have a son and, more recently, two grandchildren."

"I don't have any kids, but I play with the ones in the village sometimes." She paused once again, then continued. "I was in a courtship for a few decades. Thought he was the one and all that sappy nonsense. Turned out he was trash and I was blind to it."

"I was courted for less than two years before my partner and I made our relationship 'official'." Shei found himself shrugging. "I suppose we were lucky. We rushed forward, but not without reason."

"When I was a child, my first mission was smuggling some valuable intel from my village to one of our southern allies during a conflict." She executed her own shrug. "No idea who thought that was a good idea, but I didn't die. So there is that."

"My first mission was a glorified assist, essentially," he told her. "I was instructed to 'kill a young Hollow' before it could wander into the village, but so were three other children. Two of us did not even find the creature before it died."

That earned a snort. Was that… some sort of a choked-back laugh? "I hope your tracking skills improved after that," Arya commented. He levelled her with a flat look. Another snort. This one was more clearly a sound of amusement. "Good. I might have disowned you."

"You just learned about me."

"Some things are just unforgivable."

"Such as snorting?"

"That doesn't count."

"Explain your logic." His challenge given, Shei crossed his arms. "Go on. I will wait."

"I refuse." She shifted one of her arms to examine it. "...Look. It's gotten a little better."

Blinking, he was quick to check his own arms. Sure enough, some of the energy had receded, leaving his normal skin behind. That's… ...Useful. Lowering his arms, he looked at her again. "I need to know something. How did you know about me?"

"I didn't for most of my life. And I probably still wouldn't, if not for the fact that Mother showed her face again." Her face gained a subtle scowl. "She mentioned you. Not in detail, but she did make it clear you existed. And then I sensed your energy in our home realm, and I realized you were going through the same thing as me. Only, yours is recent, isn't it?" When he nodded a little, she sighed. "I thought as much. The truth is that this isn't the first time this has happened to me."

"This has happened before?" Shei echoed, incredulous.

Atani inclined her head. "Unfortunately. Though, all the other times were when I was a kid, before my dad got me away from her. He's the one who helped me figure out how to fight this back, along with my adoptive mother. That is, his partner after Mother."

And then she saw fit to help me… despite having no idea if I had turned out just like… her. "Were you never sealed?" he asked.

"I was, but my memories weren't trapped along with everything else. Part of me wishes they would have done that. Not remembering her must be nice." Turning her head, she glanced him over. "You're doing better, but I'd still advise against going home yet. Once you're fully physical again, it should be alright. Provided you kept a lid on this garbage."

He agreed quietly before saying, "You mentioned hoping we were not noticed. Is Malevolence after you or I?"

"Not strictly speaking, no. But would it prefer we wind up in its realm? No shit." Atani rubbed a hand over her face. "I've avoided it for this long. I'd like to keep it that way. All things considered, I'd rather you do the same." Frankly, he had to agree. He said as much as well. "Anyway… try to rest for a while. I'll help you get back in a bit."

In truth, he was tired. Very tired. Fighting oneself was exhausting work. She got up and moved to the either side of what he finally realized was a some cave-like space lit with a few candles in the center. Then she laid down, back to him and arm under her head like a pillow. Taking her lead for now (what other choice did he have?), he also laid down, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.

~保護者~

To say that she felt fully present was… a lie. Rose had since left Kial so they could both do their own missions, but truthfully Rose felt as if she had no purpose currently. The truth was striking her. Aside from fighting evil, the one and only thing that she had ever done with herself was search. Endlessly search for her sister. No matter how many steps behind she was.

And here she was, without said motivation. She supposed that was a concern all on its own. She didn't know how to live. When had she last eaten or slept of her own accord? What scars had she sustained from forgoing her own health? Her feet picked up the pace, charging along the barren expanse of the planet she'd gone to for distance from it all. Somewhere she could sort herself. Bare feet collided with rocky soil, and her usual dress billowed with the wind as she ran. Why am I even running, and why does my heart feel so fast?

An unsettling anxiety set in and she broke into a harder sprint, feeling the resistance from the wind keeping her from a certain barrier. She broke it and the sound boomed, the woman speeding freely along the uninhabited area she was running through. Her emotions felt so far, but yet so deeply set. She felt empty, in a way. Rose soon slowed to a gradual stop, until she could reasonably settle back into a walk. What her antics had achieved, she didn't know. She felt as devoid of proper hope as ever. Why am I not growing from my past…? Where does this end? There was one end she always felt looming, a dark loneliness that worried her. She would willingly give herself to it if it meant saving others… but what purpose would it hold now? Eila was not in any true danger. Not now, at least.

The cat's walk slowed further and she felt a pinprick of cold on her skin. It caught her off guard and her gaze flicked up. Water dripped into her eye from the sky and she shook her head a little in response before wiping at it. Rain is coming… I should… go elsewhere. She teleported elsewhere on the planet and found a seat beneath a tree. This place was much more vibrant and teeming with life, and she could feel the atmosphere of this place. It seemed to flow around her and permeate through her, soothing her body. It was then that she felt the tree shift, a small creature seeming to emerge from the wood itself beside her. She shifted a foot or so away and turned to face it, blinking once. "Forgive me. I did not mean to disturb you."

The creature didn't really respond to this, shifting a little closer to inspect her. "Your kind aren't one of us, but you're like us in a way. Are you lost?"

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What she was about to say would have been a lie as well. "I am, but… not physically. I chose to be here."

"Okay," it said, merging back into the tree. The sunken in details of a face appeared on the bark and it watched Rose for a second or so. "How lost are you?"

"Very," Rose admitted quietly. "I have not felt like this in eons."

"Oh, you're old," it said. "Like us. Why did you come here? If you chose to be here, that means you came from somewhere, right?"

Rose nodded slowly. "Yes. I came from a place called Mobius."

The whole tree seemed to shift just a hair, but it was almost unnoticeable. "Wow. That's not a place I've heard of. Why did you come here?" it repeated.

"I came here because I have not felt like myself as of late," Rose said gently.

"Hm… that's no good. Has it been raining too much?" the creature asked.

Rose moved to shake her head, but she frowned and stayed still. "In a way… yes. I have been causing said rain, hypothetically… And it is… deepening." I… do not like to admit it, but it is my fault for allowing my view and mindset to have gone this far. These emotions prevailing over me… They ruly do feel like rain.

"Flooding is really bad," the creature said, a touch concerned. "But you're not rooted. You can get away from it."

"I am rooted… just not in the same way," Rose explained softly. "I cannot leave the rain."

"Well, that's really no good," the creature mused. "Well… if it's not like me, maybe you can be unrooted and moved somewhere else?" it suggested. "I'm not sure what your people are like, but someone did that for me once. They scooped into the ground and pulled me free when I was a young'un. Picked me up and carried me here, away from the flood. Back there I was kinda sick… felt heavy. Here, there's enough sunlight and rain to keep me feeling good. Maybe you need to get somewhere with more sun?"

Rose blinked. This made a lot of sense. Perhaps… all she needed was to take herself away from the source of what was causing her these problems. All she'd ever done was fight, so… just maybe. The woman stood and moved closer to the tree, setting a hand against it with a soft smile. "Thank you. I sincerely appreciate your help."

The creature in the tree seemed… confused. Though, it didn't let that feeling stop it. "Well, I'm glad I could help! Maybe one day you can see the person who helped me, but until then, there's a really nice sunny patch due west of here. Should be really good if you want to be rooted in a safe place."

Once more, the cat blinked. It had no clue… I… perhaps I am further removed from myself than I first believed… But maybe this still merits an attempt. It may well help. "Thank you. I will sincerely consider it. Perhaps one day we will see each other once again."

It emerged from the tree and held her hand for a moment before pulling back and waving. "I'm sure we will!" Rose teleported home, intent on uprooting herself entirely.

~保護者~

It was dim and quiet in the room. Sonic was still watching over his parents and small half-siblings (he was making good progress toward wrapping his brain around that one, he believed). His mother had been awake for a short time by now, and he was seated on the edge of her bed while they quietly talked to one another. She was wearing one of her trademark soft smiles as she said, ""Your father did the impossible, Sonic, held on to bits and pieces of himself for all this time… though none before or after him have ever managed to for so long."

Sonic looked at her, confusion apparent. "Why do you keep saying that? Silver mentally you heard you tell Satsuno and Seiko the same thing."

"Because it is important," Analia insisted quietly. "Had he truly been demonic through and through, even you would not have been safe. You would have lived, yes, but not well. Prior to your revival, when even Shadow wisely stayed away, those pieces of himself that he saved were dormant, sparing their strength. But your return sparked changes, both in him and others' interactions with him. His true self began to awaken again, to fight back."

Some measure of understanding dawned. Emerald eyes widened with newfound clarity. "Is that… Is that why, since I've been around, he's not really lived up to the reputation he had in the past?" He shot a glance at his father, though the man of course didn't react. He was still unconscious, after all. "His plans never came to fruition, he let people get away with stuff that Zareil didn't agree with… That sort of thing."

Analia inclined her head. "Yes, my son. That is exactly it. He was at war within himself, despite being largely unaware of it at the start. He began making ineffective plans, at times executing them poorly, showing striking amounts of care and concern for his sons and grandson, willingly aiding and communicating with people he should have wholly viewed as enemies…"

Suddenly breathless, Sonic stared at her for a moment. Then, even more softly than before, he asked, "...He let us capture him… didn't he?"

"I believe so. He fought you, yes, but not hard enough to truly grant him a chance at escape." His mother sighed softly. It seemed to be a sound of relief. "He was willing to be caught."

"Because… he wanted to be saved," Sonic murmured.

"And in the end, when it mattered the most, he helped me accomplish just that. Every last ounce of strength those crucial, precious parts of him had left went into that final struggle. I am very, deeply pleased to say that it was enough." Her eyes teared up, but her smile never faded away. "He is free."

Sonic let the words sink in. He basked in them and the emotions they caused. He is free, echoed through his mind. When he turned his head to look at Kaden again, he felt his own eyes begin to water. Then he, too, began to smile. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess he is."

~保護者~

16,429 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all his help and support. Posted (at about 11:05) 08-18-21.