Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this time of change… especially for the one who has so much to relearn.

~保護者~

"New Power"

~保護者~

The first thing Han was aware of as an all-consuming wave of dizziness passed was sitting cross-legged, head in his hands and eyes shut, on the ground somewhere. He didn't know why, much less where. Nothing about the place felt familiar, and he had no recollection of ever arriving here. The next thing he was aware of was a hand on his back. The owner of the hand was just as unfamiliar to him as this place felt. Their presence didn't seem to be threatening, but still he tensed.

Calm down. Think. This doesn't make any sense. Subtly, he pursed his lips together and frowned. Where am I? Who is that person? What the hell is happening? Try though he might, he couldn't conjure up any answers to his own questions. That bothered him, but still he didn't move or speak. Until he could determine if there really was no threat, it seemed prudent to stay put and continue trying to assess his situation.

"Han," the person said gently. "You don't know me anymore, do you?"

Rather than answer the question, Han weighed his options. When he couldn't think of any way that responding would endanger him, he spoke. "...Who are you?" he eventually asked.

"My name is Ylden. We used to be pretty good friends," the cat said. "You were attacked by someone and their attack slowly took away your memories."

As absurd as that claim was, it was a fairly reasonable explanation for his current state. Still, Han pulled away and put a healthy amount of space between them. Eyeing the other man distrustfully, he asked, "What is this place?"

"A realm created by an Immortal named Sein," Ylden answered patiently. "We were afraid that the attack would also corrupt you and lead you to become violent or aggressive. You agreed to come here for your own safety, as well as everyone else's. I came here to sit with you as I lost one of my best friends." The hurt in Ylden's eyes was not veiled, even as he turned to face the Hexan. "I wanted to be here with you."

Corrupted? ...My magic. It's supposed to be golden. That memory was faint, but present. Pursing his lips together, Han opened a palm and gathered a tiny amount of magic into it. The energy that appeared was red, and he quickly banished it. Damn.

Ylden crossed his arms. "I still wish I could've helped you more, Han. I blame myself even though I couldn't have done anything in the state I was in, but I can at least help you now. Do you want to know what I know of you?"

After a long, long pause, Han decided to go along with this for now. He wasn't sure if he really did want to know or whether to trust this man, but there didn't seem to be any immediate harm in listening. "...Yes."

"In that case, will you allow me to share my memories with you?" Ylden asked. Han just sort of looked at him, unsure what to make of the offer or what it even meant. Ylden blinked once before simply nodding understanding. "I would be using my magic to show you the memories and knowledge I have of you. It's technically second-hand… but it can help to show you that I am telling the truth."

Han frowned as he took this information in. "Alright," he eventually conceded.

Ylden was quiet as he waved a hand toward Han, filling the air around them with magic and opening his mind to share what he knew of the Hexan. "It might be a lot. We knew each other for… well, quite a long time." Han didn't say anything, but the fact that he was paying close attention was clear.

There was, indeed, a great deal to take in. Han saw through Ylden's eyes within the man's memories. He witnessed their first meeting, conversations they'd had, sparring matches they'd engaged in, lighthearted words they'd exchanged, and few other things. Little else had a chance to be shared before he was pulling away from the experience, too confused and overwhelmed to handle anymore for now. He wasn't upset, though. Just… at a loss.

The cat glanced away from him for a moment, letting out a sigh. "They took way more than I could ever even hope to give back to you," he murmured. "You've got kids, and there are others that know about you and care about you. I couldn't even begin to imagine all the things you knew about the universe that nobody else knows."

Han frowned at him, more confused than before. "Why would I have known things others did not?" He chose not to even mention the idea of having kids. He just… couldn't even begin to grasp that right now.

"You were intelligent, and you traversed existence a lot. It stands to reason that there were things that perhaps only you knew," Ylden said simply.

There was a lengthy silence before Han spoke again. "...You said we were friends. What does that mean?"

Ylden was quiet in response, putting a hand to his chin. "Truthfully, the best way I know to explain it is to say that we were well acquainted. We found a sort of peace or comfort in each other's presence."

"I… see." Han gave that matter some thought, idly adjusting his glasses as he did so. "You mentioned someone named Sein as well. Who is that?"

"He's a Babylonian. If you don't know, they're a race of bird people, similar to you and your kind in a few minor ways." Ylden thought for a moment before adding, "As I said, he's an Immortal and crafted this place, and he seems to be a very good hearted man. He showed up the moment we called upon him."

With a small nod, Han asked his next question. "Do you know who attacked me?" He found himself frowning a bit again. "And why?"

"Someone named Nira," Ylden answered. "They attacked you because they could, and their leader wanted to mess with you and others that care for you… if I am not mistaken. She is dead, as a result of another of your kind attacking her."

Another of my kind? Though a bit curious, Han had a more pressing question. "I have a… vague understanding of corruption, I think. But I don't grasp it well enough to understand why you spoke of it like a dangerous issue. What is it, exactly?"

"Corruption is plague in that it affects your mind, body, powers, soul, and emotions. It fundamentally changes who and what you are," Ylden explained. "Corruption becomes dangerous because it often feeds on latent negative emotions."

Han's frown was more apparent now than before. "And this was done to me?"

Ylden gave a slight nod. "We suspect so, at least. For now, you're more or less… normal."

Fantastic. "And that's why I have to stay here," Han mumbled in unhappy understanding. He may not have had many memories overall, but he remembered things about himself. One such thing was that he didn't enjoy being stationary. He thrived while travelling. Exploration was something he yearned for. Staying put here was going to be a pain… although doable.

"I maybe could show you the realms in which I help govern." Ylden murmured. "It is probably as safe as this place is."

"What realms?" Han asked, a little curious in spite of himself.

"I am the right hand of the God of Death," Ylden explained. "As such, there are realms in which I maintain to handle the stream of the souls of the dead."

Well, that was certainly more interesting than this place. "Alright," Han agreed, standing up.

Ylden nodded a little and stood as well, opening a portal for them both and stepping on through to his realms. It was as quiet and barren as ever, so the cat idly summoned some furniture for them both to sit. "I more or less have free control of the space around me here."

Han looked around a little before taking a cautious seat. "You reside here?"

"Sometimes," the cat said. "I consider this the intermediary space." With a wave, he let the stream of souls become wholly visible, using his magic to allow even Han to see. "Here is where they go along to their respective realms if they chose to not return to wherever they desired in the realms of the living."

This had Han frowning again, more out of continuing curiosity than anything else. "They are not forced to come here?"

"Good souls are not," Ylden amended. "Evil souls are required to come here, but sometimes they slip by even those like me."

"What is done when that happens?" Han asked, as eager to learn as he'd ever been even prior to losing his memories.

Ylden summoned his scythe in hand. "People such as me return them. If they choose to not come quietly and calmly, we take them. Our focus is usually forced to be on the most dangerous present, however."

People such as you… "This has something to do with more than you being a right hand, then? There cannot be multiple people in such a role."

"You are correct," Ylden said simply. "I am second in charge, and there are those under me. Many of us have similar powers, and we all retain the ability to reap souls as necessary. I am one of the few who chose a scythe for this, however." Han nodded slowly in understanding. "In the case of a soul escaping that must be returned, one of our reapers is dispatched to find and return them. Things become more convoluted after that point, and it would simply be best to show you if the time came."

"Understood." Han watched souls stream by them and was struck by an odd thought. Something vaguely seemed off to him about the sheer number of spirits he saw, though he couldn't at all place where the idea came from. Soon, he wrote it off as something he'd been made to largely forget. But nevertheless, he asked the question that had entered his mind. "Why are there so many of them?"

People die all the time," Ylden answered. "However, the issue lies in the fact that we are in the midst of a war."

"Why?" Han was quick to question. "And against who?"

"It's very complex in why it matters so deeply, but we are fighting against a woman named Nareish who has stolen powers from the beings called Immortals," Ylden murmured. "She wants to essentially destroy existence as it is."

"Destroy it?" Han responded slowly.

Ylden nodded. "Yes. All that exists now. You, me, our children, the planets we call home… it is all in danger due to her." Han mumbled a vague curse under his breath in Hexan but otherwise didn't reply. Ylden fell quiet for a moment before asking a question slowly. "Would you like me to show you your kids?" Han waved a dismissive hand, mostly focused on his thoughts. That he was uninterested in the matter was plain to see. Ylden didn't necessarily like this, but decided it was simply better to not comment as he opened a window with his magic to allow them both to see Wave, Alec, and the Aether all sleeping in the same room. "The woman is Wave, a magical wonder. She's your oldest, obviously, and the younger boy is Alec. He's a kind child."

Pulling free of his thoughts, Han glanced over for a few moments. Soon, he looked away with a quiet, "...I see."

"The small being with Wave is the Aether. An existential energy that has bonded with her," Ylden added softly.

Han looked over at Ylden with renewed confusion. Existential…?

Ylden blinked once. "An existential energy is basically a pillar of existence. Light, Darkness, Chaos, Aether, Void, and Aura are the energies that are essential for balance. I am a being of Darkness, meaning I share in its power and abilities." Han was listening like before, but this time merely nodded as he considered this new information. "Wave is, in essence, a being of Aether. She shares in its powers and abilities. This means she is a powerful person, and she has every right to have the place she is in." If only you remembered… I know you were proud of her.

This prompted Han to glance at Wave and Alec again, though his gaze didn't linger any longer than it had the first time. A being of Aether… Odd.

After a moment, Ylden made the mirror switch what it showed. A black cat lay in the darkness of a tree, sleeping. "This is my daughter. My only biological child," he murmured. Han glanced over a third time and inclined his head. Ylden's gaze lingered on Armaris for a long moment before he waved it away. "Do you have other questions about anything?"

"Nothing else," Han answered. "Not at the moment, at any rate."

Ylden nodded slowly before letting out a sigh. "I… still cannot shake the burden that perhaps I could have stopped any of this from happening."

"You could not have," Han asserted. "If this was done to me as easily as you have implied, then the same likely could have been done to you. That would have done no one any favors aside from your enemies."

"We will likely never know," Ylden said simply. "But in a way I would have rather it been me than you. I could simply be set to work here. You… you likely wish to travel and see more of existence once more."

Blue eyes looked his way. "...Is that an issue?" Han asked carefully.

"No," Ylden said. "But you will want to leave soon. You will not wish to be confined to two places with little to explore and see."

"You say it as though it is a problem," Han pointed out. Though, like earlier, he was by no means upset and that was clear.

Ylden glanced away. "I fear that things may occur and we will never see one another as friends again."

"Why would that happen?" Han dared to ask.

"People desire different things. Some may desire to see to it that you turn on everything you once stood for," Ylden murmured.

"Why would they bother?" Han questioned seriously. He knew now what corruption was and what it did, but why would someone seek to actively do that to him?

Ylden seemed exasperated, not by Han but rather by the thought of it happening. "I don't know. People seem so damn intent on ruining everything and I'm getting real fucking tired of it all."

Han was quiet for a long time. Eventually, he crossed his arms and carefully inquired, "Would my staying ease your troubles some?"

"You do not have to," Ylden said, fully turning away and summoning the mirror up once again to look through areas of space.

"That does not answer my question," Han retorted.

"...Yes," Ylden admitted quietly. "It would help a lot."

"Then I will stay for the time being," Han conceded, leaning back in his seat.

Ylden was quiet for a moment before simply nodding. "I have other things to show you soon, but that can wait for now."

"What things?"

"More memories, things that are important to know," Ylden said gently. Han nodded a little, but otherwise didn't reply. Ylden returned his attention to the stream of souls before brandishing his scythe. "First, however, you are about to see a reaper in action. Do you see the soul there attempting to flee?"

Hearing this, Han peered over. After a short pause, he inclined his head. "Yes."

Ylden's body glowed with his Darkness Magic and he seamlessly slipped through the mirror he had created, returning them to the stream and accelerating their journey to their destined realm. He returned, shrugging. "They did not fight as much as I would have expected, but they can physically harm us if they are strong enough."

Han pondered over that for a moment. "Who would they dare harm, if you are all able to fight back like this?"

Ylden shrugged. "They sometimes care little if we can, or they are ignorant to the fact."

"Ah…" Han crossed his legs, once more left to ponder what he'd just learned.

The cat reclaimed his seat and the magic faded away. "It is often rather boring here."

"Then what do you do when not working?" Han inquired.

"For years I pored over the universe with my magic, looking into things that I had never seen," Ylden revealed. "Much of my time was spent watching over my daughter, however." Han murmured some vague reply with a slight nod of his head. Ylden sighed a little before conjuring up a bookcase. "I hate for you to simply listen to me. There are books here that you have read in times past. You found quite a few interesting."

Han blinked once. "What are they about?"

"Magic, the various realms, planets, and so on and so forth. It's a myriad of subjects. I find that it helps me to care when one is about something unrelated at times," Ylden said simply.

"...Helps you to care?" Han asked after a slight delay.

Ylden frowned openly at this. "My natural state of emotion does not often allow me to care much for… anything. If I read the same type of content repeatedly, I grow bored." Though he couldn't pretend to understand, Han nodded again. Without saying another word, Ylden grabbed a book with his magic at random and tossed it next to Han. "This is one you enjoyed a lot."

Taking the book, Han looked it over. "I see." He opened it without further ado, undeniably curious once again.

"Hope you enjoy it again," Ylden said, returning his attention to his mirrors that began appearing around him. He had cause to be concerned right now. Kaden… where are you? Surely they… didn't get to you already…

Because if they did, existence just got a whole lot more fucked than it already was.

~保護者~

With such clear signs presenting themselves that Kaden was waking up, Sonic convinced Zareil to let him take the triplets to another room. Once that was done, he helped his mother into that room as well. By that time, Marthal had already teleported away with Mei back to Kaden's demonic world. That left Zareil and Kaden alone together as he started coming to more and more. Before too much longer, he had abruptly awoken and sat himself up. Everything was temporarily lost in a haze of Light-filled confusion, but as memories began settling back into place he gradually allowed himself to relax.

He was safe.

He was himself.

He was… free.

Only… where the hell was he? He started to wonder about that, but only for a second. Only then did he realize for the first time that Zareil was asleep beside him. With the corruption gone, he was swiftly subjected to the full-range of positive emotions he felt toward her. Gone was the assumption that it was mere care. He knew this warm feeling, though never before had he felt it toward anyone besides Analia. Corruption had forced them apart forever, romantically speaking, which wasn't something he was willing to think about right now. He couldn't cope with any of it yet.

Why is she here? She has no reason to maintain loyalty now that I am like this. She should have killed me. It is no less than what I deserve. The thoughts came unbidden, and he frowned deeply. Keeping his movements slow, he eased away from her with the intention of climbing out of the bed. He would have just teleported, but he needed a moment to gather the necessary energy. Purification, he now knew, was more exhausting than he'd ever considered before. He was exhausted in a way he'd never been before and aching all over. Teleporting was going to be… taxing on him.

"Kaden," Zareil murmured. "Where are you going?" she asked, opening her eyes.

Dammit. It seemed he was even more fatigued than he'd realized, if he'd neglected to anticipate how easily she'd wake. But cursing himself for that would have to wait. "Away from here," he mumbled, not looking at her. He extricated himself from her fully and stood up, though he barely felt strong enough to stay on his own two feet yet.

"Please don't go," Zareil murmured softly. "I don't want to be without you. Not again."

Once he was sure he wouldn't collapse, Kaden turned his focus to replying. "It's better that way," he argued. "The person you cared about wasn't real. Not in the way that matters. There is likely someone better suited for you elsewhere."

"I don't want someone else," she suddenly snapped before covering her mouth. She continued after a second. "I want you, Kaden. I felt alone without you. I can't possibly care about anyone else like I do with you."

Kaden was too damn tired to get worked up. That exhaustion kept his voice dull and largely unemotional as he said, "I'm not able to be what you want from a partner, Zareil, nor will I ever be again."

"I don't want anything but you," Zareil murmured. "It's not about the things we did… It was never about that. It was about me just wanting you."

Finally, he turned to face her again. He still felt dull, almost vacant from exhaustion, but but one thought was clear enough in his head to be voiced. "Why would you still want that," he challenged, "when the me you knew is gone?"

Teleportation was possible now, though only just. He'd gathered the energy needed to leave. For both of their sakes, he did just that, reappearing an instant later on the most barren, desolate, isolated dwarf of a planet he knew of. Once there, he had to immediately sit, feeling dizzy and breathless from how much of his currently limited energy supply that had cost. Never again, he found himself thinking. His mind lingered briefly on the topic of his purification and the reason behind its necessity. Never again.

Zareil, having not been allowed her chance to properly respond, teleported after Kaden and immediately moved to be directly in front of him. "I already said to not leave, so don't try to do it again," she murmured.

Kaden mumbled something under his breath in ancient Tokarian. Using what little was left of his strength right then, he teleported his last package of cigarettes to him from the citadel and lit one with a flaming fingertip. The flame was then banished and the box tossed aside. Being alone is too much to ask, it would seem… he mused, putting the stick in his mouth. At least for now, he couldn't find the energy to continue caring.

The demoness watched him before ultimately just sitting down, letting out a sigh. "I don't know what's going on… honestly. I just don't want to live without you again."

"You will live a better life apart from me," Kaden mumbled. Given that their daughters were also demons, he was tempted to say they also would be better off without him. But that idea was unpleasant at best (not like the idea of Zareil being out of his life wasn't), and so he refrained.

"A life without you is one I don't want to live." Kaden shrugged vaguely, having no further responses to give for now. However, her words lingered in his mind as they sat there together. The demoness didn't really know what else to say, simply staying where she was.

A lengthy amount of time passed in silence. Eventually, Kaden pulled his cigarette out of his mouth long enough to quietly warn, "Nareish is on her way. An unfamiliar demon is with her." He flicked the remains of the cigarette away and stood up. Nareish doing absolutely anything meant trouble for all. Her leaving her realm was even worse. Her leaving her realm in order to personally approach someone? That could usually be considered a worst case scenario. There was no real reason for this to be any different. She can no longer pretend I will one day play a willing role in her games. The question is what she intends to do about that.

Zareil immediately stood and summoned her spear in hand, pieces of herself seeming to return at hearing that. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded to know.

It was difficult to say with certainty what the answer to that question was, so Kaden merely lifted his shoulders in a vague shrug. He then stood up. "Be prepared to flee," he mumbled. "They may intend to end your life if you stay." Had he had the necessary energy to, he would have summoned Saika into his hand. As things stood, however, he doubted he had the strength to properly wield his blade right now, anyway.

The demoness turned to him. "What do you mean? I can't just… leave you," she answered. "I'm not going anywhere else."

"I will order you if I have to," Kaden warned. He bent down to grab his pack of cigarettes and pulled another one out. "This is not up for debate. You don't have a choice in this matter."

The gravity of this situation dawned on Zareil. How long has it been since he had to order me to do anything? With this thought, she backed away slowly and nodded. "I… understand." The demoness teleported away without another word.

Kaden watched her go, then lit his cigarette with a tiny flame on a finger just like before. He had barely finished doing this when a portal opened and Nareish stepped through it. "Hello again, dear," she said with that familiar teasing lilt to her tone. "I believe I have found your replacement."

Still utterly incapable of working up any emotion right now, Kaden just sighed. "Bring them here, then. I don't intend to wait around all day." Smiling, Nareish stepped aside to let her companion through.

The demon strode forward with hands on their hips and a raised eyebrow. "Shame. You've been purified. You would make a damned good demon."

Blinking once, Kaden put his cigarette in his mouth and didn't reply. Nareish gained a dark twinkle in her eye. Speaking to the other demon, she said, "I'm sure that can be arranged. You're strong enough to manage it, should you decide to in the future."

"I don't think I want him," they said with a growing grin. "I figure he took his place by becoming stronger and overtaking the previous God of Demons. I have no intention to allow such traitorous actions to take place in my presence. His blood would provide me more use."

"Suit yourself," Nareish chuckled. "And do what you will, in regards to ending his life. His purification was painfully recent. As I'm sure you can tell, he has no strength to fight anyone right now, much less you."

"Boring," the demon said, walking up to Kaden and regarding him with a curious gaze. "Will you even attempt to raise a hand in defense?"

"I don't intend to sit idly by and let you kill me," Kaden responded, arms crossed.

The demon scoffed a little and took a small step back from Kaden before conjuring a chain whip into their hand. "Good, though I wholeheartedly recommend you have a weapon."

"I will help with that, just this once," Nareish murmured. She teleported Saika to herself, sheath and all, then tossed it to Kaden. He caught it in one hand just as she turned to leave. "Call upon me when you are finished," she said to the other demon. "Oh, and do have some fun." With that said, she departed through her portal and let it close behind her.

Frowning in the direction she'd just been in, Kaden unsheathed his sword and tossed said sheath away. Fuck you, Nareish.

The chain whip lashed out at the blade without warning, a wicked grin on the demon's face. "Focus, Kaden," they taunted.

Though he had no real strength left in him, as Nareush had stated, Kaden still had his speed. He blurred out of the way of the attack and exhaled a sigh of smoke. "Do not think you can tell me what to do," he muttered, "no matter what happens here."

"I'll be the judge of that," the demon said with a grin, flicking the chain. "Let's see how long you even last."

~保護者~

Some time had passed since Seiko had departed. Satsuno had returned to Shadow's house. Unloading his past on her so suddenly had been… hard. Not as hard as he'd always imagined it would be, but even so. For that reason, he stopped short of the front door. After lingering on the porch for a moment, he executed a quick teleport and landed in the woods nearby instead. Being alone to think sounded preferable right now.

There was silence. Satsuno lost himself in his thoughts so thoroughly that, for the first time in years, someone managed to get close without him hearing it. "Why are you way out here?"

The sudden intrusion upon his thoughts might have annoyed Satsuno, but he decided not to let that be the case this time. It was just Soren, after all. This was a member of his family, albeit one he still didn't know well. As such, Satsuno truly wasn't bothered. "I suppose I could ask you the same," he replied. "Does your father know you are out here?"

"I dunno, probably," Soren shrugged. He was seated in the grass in front of Satsuno, cross-legged with his hands on his ankles. "He always keeps an eye on things, even when it doesn't seem like he is. If there was a problem with me coming out here, he would have stopped me before I did it."

He made a fair point. "Did you need something?" Satsuno asked, opening his eyes to look at Soren.

"Oh… Well, not really. I guess I've just been bored. Nowhere is safe, so Lia and I have been stuck in the house since we got back, for the most part. Oh, and Myriu, too." Soren sighed, scratching at one of his ears with a finger. "I can't sleep, either. I was sort of hoping you would be okay with talking some more? Like, about spirit stuff."

The boy seemed to enjoy these talks. Indulging him further further was likely fine. "What do you want to know?"

Soren launched in with a curious expression. It had probably been there all along, but only now was it so open and obvious. "So if there are all these Realms of Death and stuff, why are ghosts even… you know, a thing?"

"Not everyone chooses to immediately move on when they die, even good people. Some are too emotional. Others have things they still want to accomplish. Still others choose to watch over their families, or simply enjoy the world without responsibilities or mortality weighing them down."

"But what about the bad ones? Why do they get a choice?"

"They don't have as much as it might seem. Reapers exist to move souls on to the Realms of Death, for no one who dies is sent to them automatically. Good souls can be permitted to stay, but the rest are gathered up. The issue lies in the sheer number of deaths across all realms, not just our own. There can never be as many reapers as there are dead. As such, not every deserving soul can be captured and removed in a timely manner. The very worst have to be prioritized, such as the malevolent souls of demons and their ilk. But that is why other methods exist."

"Other methods? Like… Like exorcisms? I've seen those in movies a few times."

"Exorcisms are not… a feasible method, no. That requires one to rely on the power of a deity to rid the victim of their possessor. Such beings do not exist."

"I thought Gods and Goddesses were real."

"They are, but in name only. They were not always referred to as such. However, ancient people knew no better term. They persisted with names such as God of Death for so long that they inevitably stuck."

"So, exorcisms aren't a thing. What does work?"

"Banishment. It is a similar concept in some regards, though it relies on one's own abilities and not that of a higher power. Only those with considerable spiritual powers or a very specific form of magic can accomplish such a thing. Otherwise, it is left to the God or Goddess of Death, their right-hand, and the reapers to secure evil spirits and deal with them accordingly."

"What do you have to do to banish a spirit?"

Satsuno shook his head slowly. "Don't trouble yourself with that for now," he murmured. "Banishments are not something you will need to do for yourself anytime soon."

Apparently, Soren was disappointed by the lack of explanation. "Oh. Okay, I guess."

"My turn," Satsuno murmured. Soren's ears perked in surprise. "Information should be a fair trade, should it not?"

"O-oh! Right. Sorry… I didn't think of that." The younger hedgehog rubbed at the back of his head. "But… I doubt I have anything interesting I could teach you."

"We shall see," was the enigmatic response. Then Satsuno asked, "How old are you, exactly?"

"In Tokarian years I'd be fifteen, but… I don't know how many that equates to in 'normal' years. It wasn't something anyone ever tried to keep track of where I'm from, either."

"And where is it that you come from?"

"Um… Have you ever heard of different timelines? Er, realities?"

Blinking, Satsuno gestured with a hand. "Enlighten me."

"Oh. Uh… So, they're sort of like different versions of the same thing, I guess? Like… in this reality, the one we're in now, I was never born. In the one I come from, Dad and Lia are dead. Here, the world recovered from past conflicts and got better, at least up until now. There, the Nocturnians killed almost everyone and our world is in ruins. And these are just the differences between two realities. There are a lot more." Soren shrugged. "I was born in that reality, but after making my way here… I stayed to be with my family. Someday I'll return to where I come from for a while, to help make it better. But for now…"

"It is better to stay," Satsuno agreed, "while you are young and vulnerable. There are people here that care for you and can help you become stronger while also sharing with you their love. Staying with them is for the best."

Soren managed a smile. "Yeah. That's what I think, too."

"This was good to know. However… it is enough for now." Satsuno stood and motioned for Soren to do the same. "Return inside. I have somewhere to go, and I do not want you out here alone."

"Okay. But you'll come back soon, right?" Soren stood up and brushed his legs off, though nothing was on them. "You're strong. I can tell. But, like I said before, nowhere is really safe right now. I'm not saying you'd be defeated, but I'd sort of… worry."

After a slight pause, Satsuno let out a breath. He reached out a hand and ruffled Soren's hair, the corner of his mouth faintly upturned. "I understand. Take this as my promise, then. I will return as soon as I am able. Alright?"

Though he'd initially frozen under Satsuno's touch, Soren soon smiled openly at his great-grandfather. "Right. That's definitely a promise. I'll hold you to it."

Satsuno removed his hand and motioned with his head. "Go on, then. At least attempt to sleep." With a wave, Soren turned and hurried back to the house. Only once he was gone did the older hedgehog teleport away, headed for the northeast.

He had something he needed to see.

~保護者~

Roughly an hour had passed since Kath and Yareis had gone to the mountains together. He finally excused himself at that point so as to go and see his family and check on them. And, in truth, to allow at least a couple of them to do the same to him since he wouldn't get away with anything less. Since he'd spoken with Laralei plenty earlier and he'd sent her back to bed, he visited their daughter first.

Neither of them were overly talkative, and they had seen each other several times since his saving already. As such, the meeting was short. Jet had teleported away with Lucas shortly before Kath's arrival. Checking on them wasn't entirely feasible at the moment. That just left Sein, who he hadn't seen since the fight. The man didn't seem to be with Jet at the present moment, so teleporting to him was a safe enough endeavor.

Roughly an hour had passed since Kath and Yareis had gone to the mountains together. He finally excused himself at that point so as to go and see his family and check on them. And, in truth, to allow at least a couple of them to do the same to him since he wouldn't get away with anything less. Since he'd spoken with Laralei plenty earlier and he'd sent her back to bed, he visited their daughter first.

Neither were overly talkative, and they had seen each other several times since his saving already. As such, the meeting was short. Jet had teleported away with Lucas shortly before Kath's arrival. Checking on them wasn't entirely feasible at the moment. That just left Sein, who he hadn't seen since the fight. The man didn't seem to be with Jet at present, so teleporting to him was a safe enough endeavor.

Cere had asked Sein to go to Mobius and warn people of the potential upcoming fight. However, in the end, nothing had come of any of it. Still, Kath fully anticipated Sein being on the aforementioned planet to warn people regardless. He made a mental note to keep their interaction brief if that was the case, then teleported.

Sein was, unusually, leaned up against a tree with his arms crossed and eyes closed. The man was in deep thought, but Kath's appearance stirred him from this state easily. "Hm?" he asked. "What are you doing on Mobius?"

"Checking on people," Kath explained simply. "Mainly you, for now."

A smile answered Kath. "I'm alright. How are you feeling, though?"

"Well enough," was the calm reply. Randomly, a leaf drifting down from overhead had its time rewound for just a second before he caught it. He huffed. "Aside from that happening now and then."

Sein chuckled a little. "You'll get the hang of it. You always do." The man smiled brightly.

Pure blue eyes rolled faintly. "You have always been oddly optimistic," he said. Then he changed the subject. "I have not seen many people since I was attacked, and so far no one has said what the result of the battle was. Did Steam and the others achieve their desired outcome?"

"We purified Kaden, if that's what you're asking," Sein said with a grin. "He's resting, as far as I know."

Kath inclined his head. That was good news. "What of Jet?" he asked. "Has his condition improved? I have not seen him since he took Calypso to New Babylon for medical attention. He was not… well at the time."

Sein scratched the back of his head a little. "Yes and no. He's had it rough lately, and I've been trying to sit around with him as much as I can." The hawk smiled. "I'd say he's doing a bit better, though, at least."

"Understood. I will visit him later, if possible."

"He'd probably love to see you," Sein said with a brighter smile.

"That is likely an exaggeration," Kath rebuked calmly. But he didn't truly argue.

Sein waved him off. "Hardly. I can't exaggerate that one."

This earned a soft huff. "Regardless… it's time for me to leave. I made a promise to Laralei." Kath gathered up the necessary energy to teleport, but didn't depart just yet. "Call if anything happens, Sein. Even if it seems minor."

"Of course," Sein said. "Now go keep that promise. I'd hate to see what happens if you break it."

"Indeed." Kath vanished and instantly appeared back on New Babylon. He landed in the palace just a few feet from his bedroom door. A quick peek in proved that Laralei wasn't in there sleeping, so he went inside. Once in there, he grabbed the starmap he'd agreed to show her and Arkiri.

Arkiri appeared, having teleported to the door of the bedroom. He knocked a little and softly called, "Hey, Kath." Hearing that voice was enough to curb usual Kath's startle reflex. He turned and nodded a little in greeting. The man stayed outside of the room with a smile on his face. "How are you doing? Been a bit since we got to really talk."

"I'm fine," Kath said honestly. "I had more than enough time to recover."

"Glad to hear it," Arkiri said with a smile. "I noticed that someone is back."

Kath clued in to who he meant right away. "Lari has been staying down the hall," he said.

"'Lari'?" Arkiri teased.

This caused Kath to roll his eyes. "You and I both know you have heard that name before," he huffed.

Arkiri rolled his eyes in return. "That's not the point, and you know it."

"You can prove nothing," was the vaguely snarky retort, though the tone was only used in a joking manner.

"I'd say I already have," Arkiri said with a smile. "You're good at doing that for me, however."

"One of these days I will prove you wrong on that front, however briefly it will last," Kath idly threatened. Right about then Azerel came trotting in, nothing in his outward demeanor communicating how damn worried he'd been. Kath bent down to pet his wolf companion, like always.

The owl smiled at the sight before asking, "So, what's in your hand?"

"Lari asked me to show you and her my starmap," Kath explained, the fingers of one hand gently rubbing at Azerel's left ear. "It's the one she and I worked on together as children and always showed off to you. I continued working on it after Babylon fell and we were separated."

Akiri's eyes positively shone at hearing this and his smile grew. "You simply have to show me. I am so curious as to the progress you made in your lifetime."

Nodding, Kath turned his full attention to Azerel. "Will you fetch her?" Azerel gave some silent reply before standing, shaking himself off, and walking off to do just that.

"So," Arkiri said gently. "Aside from your recovering, have you been looking after yourself as I always had you do?"

Lying was an utterly pointless waste of effort with this man and Kath knew it. That knowledge caused him to sigh. "...Mostly," he admitted.

"Have you been eating?" Arkiri questioned pointedly. "Or is it avoidance of sleep this time?"

"I sleep when I'm capable of it," Kath said. Then he reluctantly added in a mumbled, "I eat when I absolutely have to. I don't enjoy food."

"If I cook the five of us a meal, would you be willing to attempt to eat? I can certainly address any issues you have with eating food," Arkiri answered with a soft smile. "Such as texture."

"I hate food, Arkiri," Kath said again. "I will not eat when I don't have to."

Arkiri nodded. "I am aware, but would you try to eat if I ask kindly?"

"No. I don't want to." Kath turned away to move a table and chair out from the middle of the floor with his aura. This gave them plenty of space to open his map and walk around it.

"But I will simply continue to ask kindly," Arkiri said. "If you do not eat at some point while you are able, something may occur and food may not be available when you find it to be necessary to eat."

"Then I will make do," was the vaguely petulant argument. "I prefer hunger over suffering through eating."

"I will ask Laralei to aid me," Arkiri threatened lightly, though there was no heat or upset to his tone. Kath openly ignored that one as he finished moving things out of the way. Arkiri simply watched this for now, as Kath was the one who knew how much space was needed.

Before too much more time passed, Azerel returned with a yawning Laralei in tow. "It could be considered rude to wake a sleeping lady, you know," she said through said yawn.

Kath huffed at her. "You are the one who wanted to see this."

Laralei stuck her tongue out at him playfully, then gave Arkiri a warm smile. "Hello again. It's good to see you, as always."

Arkiri smiled brightly at her. "As always to you as well," the man said. "I do so wish my partner could join us, but she found delight in something she saw outside. I couldn't pull her away, so I figured coming to see Kath would allow her time to return."

"Did he tell you what he's going to show us?" Laralei asked him, happiness stealing away her drowsiness with no real effort.

"I have heard tales," Arkiri said brightly. "Though, I have yet to see it. I begin to wonder if it exists."

Laralei let out a decidedly un-ladylike snort of amusement, and Kath lightly flicked them both with his aura. "You are acting like children," he accused without any seriousness. He set the box-like device on the center of the floor and activated it, causing a holographic map to be projected above it. The map was entirely three-dimensional and was currently zoomed in close to some asteroid belt. Kath interacted with the map briefly, zooming it out to show a much wider area of space than before. "This was the last sector of space I managed to explore before I died. It took close to a decade to catalogue everything."

Arkiri regarded it all with immense curiosity, eyes keenly roving over the details. "Kath, this is absolutely spectacular. You catalogued this yourself?"

Kath nodded. "I had long since stepped down from the throne. Free time was something I had in abundance. This was what I enjoyed doing."

In awe, Laralei leaned in close to look over everything. "You even detailed the specific craters on these moons here… that's amazing. The tech we worked with as kids couldn't simulate that level of detail."

"It's incredible," Arkiri said. "This is incredible. You did very well."

Any kind of praise from his father figure had a way of lifting Kath's mood in a way many other things didn't, and it showed somewhat in his tone when he spoke next. "I finally explored the region where the Erukti homeworld is as well," he revealed. With deft fingers, he moved the map to focus on that area. "Your team's suspicion that there were fourteen rogue planets in the area was correct. They don't orbit any star, as was suspected. The sun is too far away from them."

"What kind of orbit do they follow?" Arkiri suddenly asked. "Or do you already know that which they orbit?"

Kath zoomed out again and gestured to a large black blotch many lightyears from the planets in question. "They are being painstakingly dragged toward that, at the moment. The Erukti's world is spared from such a fate because a Faein created and is presumably guarding it. The rest of the planets in the area are not so fortunate."

"They're unpopulated, right?" Laralei frowned. "That was the assumption back then."

"They are," Kath confirmed. "I checked. Thoroughly."

Arkiri tapped his chin. "Is it even remotely possible to save them from such a fate?"

"An Immortal could," Kath shrugged. "It is not possible for virtually anyone else to accomplish such a feat."

"I see," Arkiri murmured. "I suppose that none of us are capable of anything similar, then." Kath shook his head in agreement.

Laralei continued eyeing all the minute details before suddenly giving a bright smile. "Well! You know what they say. Food is good for the brain, is it not? I vote we go get dinner."

Oh, Kath just knew Azerel had said something. He tossed the wolf a glare. "You need to learn to keep your mouth shut." The wolf just looked up at him smugly.

Arkiri smiled. "I vote that I cook. There are dishes that I presume are no longer a part of our culinary regime. It would be lovely to have some of the ancient foods we all once enjoyed, yes?"

"Perfect!" Laralei responded while Kath closed the map and returned it to one of his bookshelves. "Perhaps we should have employed you as the royal chef when you weren't off on your expeditions."

"I would have been honored had I not spent the majority of my free time poring over scrolls and books, as well as writing my findings," Arkiri said with a wide smile.

"I know," Laralei laughed. "I was just teasing, anyway. Speaking of, Kath, do you know if any of his writings made it off Babylon? They didn't end up with me."

"Some of them made it here," Kath revealed. "I don't know who thought to grab them, but they survived the journey. Most were lost to the explosions, but most of the more important works are in the library."

Arkiri blinked once. "I'm glad to know my work was worth saving to someone."

"To many people," Kath corrected. "The works that travelled here with us did so on a variety of different ships with a variety of different people. They were not all grabbed by one person or one group of people."

That warmed his heart to hear. "That's… really pleasing to hear. I am glad people found my works important."

"Of course they did," Laralei murmured with a smile. Then she took hold of Kath's arm and began walking out of the room. He reluctantly followed her since it was clear he had no choice in the matter. "Now come on. I believe we were promised a meal."

~保護者~

Traversing Nareish's realm left Saethrim more than a little upset. Even in the hellhound form he'd taken on to blend in, with all of the anger it fed into him, he could tell that most of it was his own emotions. This was bad and the sheer scope of it all led him to realize how serious things were getting. It did provide him with a lot of information that not many people really seemed to have… as far as he knew.

If he could fight her himself, he would have… but he knew better. There was no good reason to put himself at that kind of risk, especially when his chance of winning was slim to none. As such, he simply focused on trying to find his weapon. Having to wander around in this form was slowing him down, though, but using his natural speed would definitely draw attention. Frustrated, he decided to just transform into a wyvern instead. Without giving anyone time to respond to the hellhound becoming a massive draconic creature, the man began flying and shot away from where he'd been.

It was some time later that he saw something that triggered an instinct gained through being in this form. Anger flooded his body and he had to fight to simply hold his control together as he shot toward it and tore a hole through the hull. Saethrim had never asked what the hell this thing was at the time, for it simply hadn't mattered. He's alive? How the hell did he survive Black Doom? What the fuck is going on? Taking on the form of a wyvern was problematic in its own right… but the most notable thing was how angry it left him. How much he wanted to kill something.

This was why he only used it when he was incredibly upset.

Various defense mechanisms activated but flames raged through the halls at his behest and he ripped into anything in his way. He was forced to turn back to normal when it became wholly obvious that he couldn't keep that form in control for the moment, taking a deep breath and storming forward. His sight landed on a man he'd only ever really seen once before. The man who had taken Black Doom's son. "You dirty little fucking child stealer," the da Asani muttered, storming forward.

Gerald took steps back as Saethrim approached, eyes widening a margin. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"The last goddamn person you want pissed off," Saethrim answered, letting his arms take the form of a lightning elemental's as he went to blast Gerald out of existence.

Before the attack could make contact, a barrier appeared in the space between them. Nareish faded into view, walking over them with a vague tsk. "Now, now," she murmured, tone falsely soothing. "I do not believe this is the time or place for bloodshed, shapeshifter." She turned her head to Gerald. "Doctor, am I to presume that you know this man?"

The man let out a breath he'd been holding. "I do not, no."

"If you did, you'd have died far sooner," Saethrim muttered bitterly. "You have no place meddling in the existence of the Black Arms."

Nareish's dark eyes shifted back to him, a thoughtful glint appearing in them. "Oh…? You have some form of care for those creatures?"

Saethrim held his face in a hand. "It's almost like you forget who I am. Kinda disappointing, honestly. I expected better of you."

The woman smiled faintly. "I have not been blessed with meeting all the old beings. Though I suspect I know the role you once occupied."

"I'm not talking in front of this freak," Saethrim suddenly said, turning his attention back on Gerald. "Put it somewhere else."

"Not at all. My dear doctor has work he and I would both like him to complete." Nareish twirled a finger, and she and Saethrim appeared in a random location on a lonely world far away. "There. Is that better?"

Saethrim tapped his foot on the ground. "Would've much rather seen his head removed and-" The man cut himself off and took a breath. "It's good enough, I suppose."

With a soft chuckle, Nareish formed a seat from her energy and sat upon it. "Now, please do tell me why you have been wandering about my realm, will you? You caused quite a stir, you know."

"It would certainly be a lot funnier if I didn't," Saethrim snickered suddenly. "Sometimes the best things are left unknown. Surely you agree."

"Hm, I suppose so," she allowed. "But to keep things fair, in that case, I will not be able to permit your reentry at this time."

The man clicked his tongue. "Well, that won't do. I've got a sneaking suspicion that someone in your army has something that's mine. Kinda want it back."

His words sparked her interest anew. "Pray tell," she invited. "Describe this person to me. I may just be willing to let you find them. It could prove quite amusing."

"Kinda hard to remember amongst the memories of blood spraying when I got jumped by a shit ton of my enemies," Saethrim admitted easily. "I'd have an easier time describing my blade, and the damned thing is pretty unique."

"Do so, then," Nareish answered with a wave of her hand.

Saethrim snorted at her a little. "It's a blade that only responds to me, so it's probably still in the form of a dragon's claw. A metal handle with an inscription in an old and long dead language that translates to something like, 'May the beasts rise'. It was from my younger years." He thought for a moment before adding, "Not that I was ever really younger than I am now. Being born into a role does that to you. But hey, I never had to grow up with people telling me what to do."

Her eyes slowly closed in thought. "A useless blade, so it was believed… The one wielding it has never been able to truly use it." She opened her eyes to look at him. "I do not care for most who choose to follow me. This one has certainly failed to show any worth. Feel free to do what you wish with their life. As I said, it may prove very amusing." She mentally passed on the knowledge of the individual's location.

"Most of them are worthless anyway," Saethrim chuckled, summoning a staff in hand. It was technically Kial's, as he'd given it to the bobcat eons ago. However… borrowing it for a moment wouldn't be an issue. "Most of them didn't realize I was here until I made it obvious."

"Indeed they did not. But that is why they populate the outer edges of my realm. They die much faster when enemies come barging in, that way." Nareish stood and let her chair vanish. "I might be tempted to take you to replace them… but I think not. You are much like Kaden, in many ways. Strong of mind, body, and heart. A worthwhile and interesting enemy. Given that… I believe you maintaining your freedom will be far more valuable to me." She smiled faintly. "I do so love a foe who can strike back."

Saethrim gained a sort of wild grin, laughing. "If you want me to strike back, let me at some of those you keep closest to you. I might get bored otherwise."

"Perhaps soon," she allowed, dark humor making its way into her tone. "I will need time to observe you first, and to consider who is best equipped to handle your… unique skills."

"If you ask me, nothing short of Eona, Zenith, the Immortals, and the Faein are realistically able to do much… but that's with my limited knowledge of what kind of people live these days." Saethrim shrugged a little. "Maybe I can find someone interesting. Wonder how far Cere has come since my death?" he mused.

"Not far enough to be worth my time," Nareish dismissed. "There are a few individuals of interest, however… One chameleon, in particular, has been making quite a name for himself on both sides of this war. We are all just dying to have him on our side due to his unique power. Perhaps one day I can find cause to pit you two against one another… Though that day is not today."

Saethrim leveled her with a frown. "You plan on giving him the choice of which side of this war he wants to be on, correct? I'm not much a fan of picking sides, but I realize that I'm gonna have to rebuff your attempts to do things. Is he afforded the same luxury you so 'generously' gave me?"

"I will not take him, if that is what you imply. What side he goes to and remains with is entirely up to him. Although… I am not averse to making efforts to sway him this way, as many others would."

"Hm," the man thought this over before daring to ask, "So, I'm gonna make sure this is clear. You understand that I'll never willingly join you, correct?"

"Oh, yes, I am very aware." Nareish smiled again, more visibly this time. "But making the attempt to change that position will still provide me with entertainment when I'm bored. So why not, truly?"

A scoff answered her. "Don't waste your time. I've remained unchanged in the face of anything that's come my way. You'd be better off focusing on other people." Saethrim thought this over before deciding to say, "I'll add this. Don't touch Kial. Anyone you send will be very brutally murdered at the first chance I'm allowed." He knew intimidation was useless against her, but the emotions that the thoughts running through his mind evoked left him with shifting eyes. "And I'll do it as many times as necessary to send the message."

"I believe I can agree with that," she chuckled. "In exchange, I feel I must ask that you stick to the outer edges of my realm and stray no deeper. I will be forced to intervene otherwise, and that will not end well for you despite all your strength."

"It wouldn't have ended well regardless," Saethrim said. "Setting foot in there is like approaching a dragon's hoard."

"An interesting analogy… but I suppose I would have to agree."

Saethrim chuckled a little. "Good. Also," stay away from Calypso, too. You taking her magic almost gave me enough reason to wipe what pitiful excuse of an army I saw on the way here." The man's smile betrayed none of his anger. "I can and will do it."

"Hm… I suppose I can agree to this as well. I will not touch her again. I have no further need of her abilities, nor do I have any plans to take her." Nareish crossed her arms thoughtfully. "The more you ask of me, however, the more I will ask of you. Uphold your end of any agreements if you expect me to uphold mine."

"I'm all out of promises to give," Saethrim said with a grin. "You got nothing else from me today." The man gave a two-finger wave and warped away to go collect his weapon.

Using her mind, Nareish told him with amusement, "Then for now, I will not make the last agreement you asked of me. Until next time, shapeshifter." She vanished as well seconds later.

"Call me Saethrim," he replied. "Way cooler."

"Understood. I will remember it."

"By the way, the hell is your name? Forgot to ask and I'll probably just refer to you with condescending curses otherwise."

"I am Nareish," she said, though she suspected he knew, as she entered her throne room.

"Oh, one more thing. I will uphold my end of the bargain. I just gotta give people a hard time. Life's no fun when it's all business."

"Indeed… I suppose I will have to come up with a second promise for you, to even out the two you asked of me. In that case, I have a rather odd request. Do watch over our little vampire, will you? I would hate for anything to happen to him before he has a chance to show me what he can really do. I have seen tantalizing hints here and there… but the rest will have to wait until he grows into himself more. Watch over him. Keep him safe and alive. In return, I will not harm or approach the Therian woman or her sister. Have we a deal?"

"Suppose so. Not like I wouldn't have been watching over him, anyway." The man's attention turned toward an ancient foe and he didn't hesitate to grab the person by the neck and crush it, taking his weapon and leaving them to choke to death. "Ah, there we go. How many of your people will think it's a wise idea to attack me?"

"Far too many," she acknowledged. "They are armed with a collective intelligence so low that they think themselves wise. It is as many say… the less intelligent someone is, the less able they are to realize it."

Saethrim turned and blinked slowly. Already the sight of these people was boring him. A wave of his hand as he turned into a fire elemental burnt a number of them to crisp. The rest were engulfed in the inferno that followed the swipe of his weapon. Pathetic. The man decided to ignore the rest that attacked for now, idly waving them off before leaving altogether. There was a yokai he needed to go see, and then he could spend some time with Calypso again.

~保護者~

To say that Satsuno was amazed would have been an understatement. He had been to this place only a handful of times in the past, with the last visit taking place just shy of the second year of his and Seiko's pre-marriage relationship. Their lives had gotten much busier after that. Leisurely travels hadn't been a feature in their lives. But though it had been a long time since he'd last set foot on these streets, he still recognized every inch of them.

It was as though Chun-nan hadn't aged at all.

The sun had long since set by now, yet people were still out and about. Lit by the many paper lanterns adorning the shops that lined the pathways, they went about their business. It was very reminiscent of the old days, aside from the decidedly modern version of Chun-nan clothing everyone wore. These crowds were nothing like the crowds from this city's heyday, either. Other than those things… it honestly felt like he'd stepped back in time.

His startled thoughts were interrupted quite suddenly. An impact on his legs proved jarring enough to wrench him out of his mind and back into the external world. Looking down, he spied a small child. The boy appeared to have tripped and was now laying on his stomach, seeming almost dazed from the fall. Blinking, Satsuno knelt down. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Small ears perked. Emerald eyes cautiously peeked up at him, startling Satsuno anew. "Um… y-yeah. Sorry, sir. Mama told me to mind my feet because I'm clumsy, but I didn't do a good job of it." He pushed himself up, inadvertently moving into a ring of lantern light in the process. Only then did Satsuno realize that the child's fur was an almost cobalt blue, not dissimilar from Sonic's fur color. His hair was even of a style somewhat reminiscent of the other man's, though it was noticeably wilder and more unruly. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, you did not," Satsuno assured, unable to help the amused lilt to his tone. "Are you hurt? That was an impressive fall."

"I skidded on the stupid stones," the boy complain, eyeing the cobbled road as though it was at fault. "I'm okay, though. Mama says I'm tough, 'cause I don't get scrapes super easily."

"Where is your mother? Did you wander away from her?"

"She's off buying dangos and other treats for us. My little brother really likes them, and so does my big sister." The boy hopped up and brushed himself off. "Kaori and I walked this way to look at the art stuff but I got bored. So I kinda snuck away." He scuffed his shoe on the ground, eyes downcast, and added in a mumble, "I just wanted to run."

Oh, if only he knew just how deeply Satsuno could sympathize with that last statement. It teased a slight smile out of him. "Come, let's return you to your family." Perhaps in doing so, I can glean more information about our likely relation… Though I will not press.

"Okay," the boy agreed. He began walking. "My sister was this way, come on. Oh, I'm Kinai, by the way. What's your name?"

"Satsuno," he replied easily, walking by Akira's side.

Kinai gave him an odd look. "Why?"

This question was nothing short of baffling. "...Why?" Satsuno repeated, entirely at a loss.

"Yeah. Why? No one uses the name Satsuno or the name Seiko 'cause they're so important." Akira bestowed another strange glance upon him. "No one's used those names since the king and queen died, and since it's been so long people treat it like a tradition now. My mama says 'it just isn't done'."

Of all the questions Satsuno could have asked, he wound up sticking with just one. "How is this even enforceable?" he asked. "There are too many people across the world to do so, surely."

"You're weird," Kinai suddenly accused. "Except for our current leader, this guy named Shadow, all of our kind lives here now. Like, all of them. There aren't that many Tokarians on Mobius, so we all fit here easily. Especially since people don't have tons of kids or anything. My family is called big 'cause there are three kids. Us and two other families are the biggest ones in the city right now."

If this information was accurate, Satsuno supposed that would indeed make enforcing traditions easier. Such an emphasis on tradition could very well explain why all of the architecture here looked (and possibly was) so old even in this day and age. And yet the clothing has evolved and changed while other things have not. That is unusual.

Now for the second time, Kinai interrupted his thoughts. "Oh, wanna know something cool?" he asked with obvious delight. "That guy I mentioned, Shadow, he's a part of my family! He's way older than us so we're not super closely related or anything. But still, it's so cool 'cause he's so cool! He has, like, these awesome guns and he's part robot or something! Since we're family, Mama knew him when she was a kid, too. We visit sometimes."

"That is… 'cool'." Privately, Satsuno was thankful for the linguistic lesson he'd received from Wery regarding that word. That did nothing to lessen how strange it felt to say in such a context, but at least he understood this time around the meaning behind it.

"I really wish we could have met his brother," Kinai continued. "Mama says that he's the one we're 'descended from'. I only kinda get what that means, though. And it sucks, 'cause Shadow says his brother died a really long time ago. So I guess we'll never meet him."

This… probably wasn't the time or place to break this little boy's brain by trying to explain the concepts of Chaos and Light and the revival of life. He was still working on understanding the process himself. As such, he just murmured a noncommittal agreement and kept walking. Eventually, they came upon a teenage girl with the same eyes as him. Satsuno stopped walking and looked down at his small companion, who had been chattering happily all the while. "Is that Kaori?"

Kinai stopped walking and looked over. "Yep!" he chirped, all smiles. "Wanna come meet her?"

Slowly, Satsuno shook his head. "Perhaps some other time," he murmured. "I am here to explore the city a bit, and then I need to leave."

"Leave where?" Kinai asked him. "And why explore it? Don't you live here?"

"I don't live here, no. I never have. However, I learned from some… people that my son used to live here. I wanted to see this place for myself." Satsuno paused, then added, "Later, I will be returning to the home I have been staying in. My partner and I are staying with Shadow for now. The very same Shadow you spoke of."

Young eyes went wide. "Whoa, really?! That's awesome!" Kinai grinned at him. "We'll totally come visit you guys sometime, then!"

Another slight smile made its way onto Satsuno's face. "I look forward to it, then." He gestured toward Kaori, who was practically neck-deep in the handcrafted beads she was digging through at one of the market stalls. "Go rejoin her. Don't wander off again, alright?"

"I won't, I promise. Bye for now!" Kinai darted off to stand by his sister.

Shaking his head in amusement, Satsuno turned and walked the other way. As he'd said, he had a city to explore.

~保護者~

A portal opened in front of Kaden's citadel, rousing Marthal from his light doze. He was laying on his stomach across a large piece of rubble, his head on his arms and his kit curled against his side. His eyes cracked open, fur bristling. This response was only toward one of the newcomers, however. As for the other… that was the new God. He could feel that with every fiber of his being. Bristling at that person in a show of hostility was something he would never dare do.

To be on the safe side, he forced his fur to lie flat. He picked up Mei by her scruff with gentle teeth, ready to immediately vacate the premises if it was demanded of him. After that, he moved into a crouch, then just watched and waited. Seconds later, Nareish emerged. "Oh, so you are still here then," she mused, tone light with amusement. "What a treat it is, to see one of your kind finally enslaved… You lot have escaped your fates for far too long."

Nose twitching, Marthal sifted through the scents clinging to the new God as they, too, exited the portal. Kaden's blood… and a lot of it. If his instincts hadn't proved this man's identity, this smell certainly did. Following said instincts, he carefully avoided making eye contact with the God and said nothing since no permission had been given to interact with this technical enemy.

The God of Demons watched Marthal silently before snickering softly. "A yokai. Been quite some time since I saw one of your kind."

Marthal deposited his kit into his arms and nodded a little. His instincts continued to warn him not to speak, not to leave, not to do anything he wasn't told to do. He wasn't high enough in the demonic hierarchy to be permitted any degree of free will in the God's presence, and he knew it. Just stay quiet, he told himself tensely. Stay quiet.

"As you can see," Nareish told the God, "this one is quite obedient. He does have his stubborn and rebellious streaks now and then, but nothing that has so far compromised his overall obedience. This is… oh, his second time being corrupted, I believe? Naturally, he was far more willing this time around." She tossed the God a smile. "He may make a good pet, though I'll leave it up to you what you want to do with him."

"Pets are boring," the god said. "They lap at your heels, beg for things they do not need. I need more than a pet."

"My, you are interesting," Nareish murmured, still smiling. "You remain in luck, then. He has a great deal of untapped potential, as I am sure you can sense for yourself."

The demon watched Marthal before glancing back at Nareish. "Perhaps, but I have some others I wish to collect soon. Some… other types of half-breeds. They tend to remain unique."

"Indeed," Nareish agreed. "I presume you will be more than fine on your own, but should you need anything… Well, you know how to contact me. In the meantime, this is farewell for now." She turned and walked back through her portal, letting it close behind her.

The new God of Demons looked around the citadel before shaking his head. "You should step out, unless you wish to be crushed. I have plans of a brief reformation." Their gaze fell on Marthal. "Unless you simply wish to defy me." Marthal knew better than to do that. He bowed his head and executed a short teleport to get himself well out of the God's way with Mei in tow. A single motion brought the remnants of the citadel tumbling down, crumbling into nothing more than dust. Another removed any worthwhile artifacts and items, while a final constructed a new building in its place, one they deemed a touch more fitting.

Marthal watched all of this in silence, unsure whether to be impressed or entirely uninterested. Architecture had never been of any particular interest to him. But, either way, he was careful to keep his emotions to himself and his mouth firmly shut. It wasn't long before he received the order to return inside. Following this order, he took Mei's scruff in his teeth again and hurried in on all fours.

They stood upon their new throne, examining everything around them in vague satisfaction. "There… Very little left of his reign. Now all that's left is his most loyal. She needs to be removed shortly, but it can wait." Marthal inclined his head in understanding. He lingered where he was currently standing, not daring to approach any closer. He wasn't that bold - or foolish. The God looked to him with a raised brow. "What of you? Will you be loyal, or do I have to make an example of you and your… spawn?"

Setting Mei down so he could speak, Marthal averted his gaze again and responded, "I will obey. It is not my intention to earn death."

"You were almost interesting," the God said, moving to sit on their throne. "Step aside and remain silent. I will be extending myself to search for others, ones that are half-demon. I am curious of what they can offer to me." Honestly, Marthal didn't care about being interesting, so long as he was able to remain alive. His survival instincts were just too powerful to ignore. Picking up his kit again, he did as he was told and sat down.

Survival was all he cared about.

~保護者~

This wasn't a situation he wanted to approach, and he had no issue admitting as much. Last time he'd talked to his sister, she'd thrown a knife at him. He'd stood no risk of death or injury, but… it was still his sister and he cared about her and what she thought.

He stood outside the door to the room she'd been using every now and then, letting out a slow sigh as he knocked slowly. It briefly startled him when a, "Come in" reached his ears the moment he touched the door. Toru gripped the handle and opened the door, stepping inside slowly. Myriu looked at him from where she was sitting on the floor, blinking once slowly. "Do you need something?"

Toru walked closer and sat down on the floor as well, taking a deep breath. "I… wanted to apologize."

The confusion on her face was immediately evident. Apologize? "Why?" she asked immediately.

"I made a lot of mistakes when you were younger," Toru said softly. "I wasn't around you enough. I didn't protect you from our mother. I keep disappearing to do this and that and not thinking about what might happen. I need to apologize for all of it."

Utavi mentioned all of that. Did she put him up to this…? No, that doesn't sound right. "It's whatever," she answered with a shrug. "I'm not upset anymore."

Toru looked at the ground. "The issue is that you felt that way at all. My actions made it worse for you, even though I thought I was helping you. I have to own up to it."

Myriu rolled her eyes. "I already knew, dumbass," she answered huffily. "It's been obvious. You've outright avoided talking to me because I didn't want to talk to you."

"You're not a little kid and I need to stop treating you like one," Toru said slowly. "You're intelligent. I'm-"

"Stop apologizing," Myriu said, pointing her finger at him with the vaguest annoyance on her face. "Just do better like you already want to. You're better at action anyway. When you talk about your emotions, you ramble needlessly."

Toru let out a sigh. "You're right. I'll do my best to be a better brother."

Now, Toru was a well trained shinobi, but even he didn't expect the speed with which Myriu suddenly hugged him. The man's eyes watered and he put his arms around his sister slowly. The girl murmured something in their kind's language that he understood. "I love you, brother."

"Love you too, Myriu," the man answered, fighting to hold back tears just as much as she was.

~保護者~

13,677 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for his help and support. Posted (at about 12:20 p.m.) 09-16-21.