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".)

164. Forgiven

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this complicated time… especially for the one who's angry.

~保護者~

"Forgiven"

~保護者~

The sound of Toru's slow, even breathing proved soothing to Shadow. Though he didn't sleep, he was utterly relaxed in the other man's loose hold. He laid there throughout the night, eyes closed and body at rest but mind running endlessly. After less than two hours, his attention turned fully from idle, wandering thoughts to some more focused ones.

In particular, the matter of his Darkness held his attention at first. It didn't take him long to work a variety of things out, not the least of which was the simple matter of control. He tested it silently in multiple ways. Toru's barrier was removed, then reinstated easily. It was altered to a minor degree, then changed back. He then darkened it before again returning it to its previous state. Interesting. After that, he resolved to leave it alone before he woke Toru up.

Several more hours passed. The sun started to rise into the room. Only around that time did Shadow finally find himself dozing off. By the time a sliver of light began filtering into the room from the balcony, he was asleep entirely, still laying close to Toru and completely at ease.

Elsewhere, Eila focused on the spell she'd been working on. It was meant to be a doubly advanced version of her usual barriers… which would hopefully mean it might be able to protect someone. Even as she put all of her mind into this one task, it wandered off, returning to something Wave had told her.

This continued for a few hours before she grew irritated and dispelled her work. She kept good notes, so returning to this later would take no time at all. Collecting her books into a pack, Eila slung it over her shoulder and teleported out of Tails's home over to Shadow's (which she could only locate due to having sensed him there several times before).

Standing in front of the door, Eila hesitated. Sure, she should just knock, but… was this even a good idea? Should she even really be here, doing this? I feel like I'm going to get shot where I stand… All of this got to her head and she ended up simply staring at the door silently, slowly zoning out as she retreated into her thoughts.

It took a minute for Shadow's senses to wake him from his unintentional sleep, but eventually he noticed the presence of someone at the door. Despite having no desire whatsoever to get up, he forced himself to open his eyes. He used his newfound phasing power to slip away from Toru without disturbing the man. After that, he made his way through the house and to the front door. Upon seeing who was there he did tense up but, despite that, he kept his voice level. "What?"

Only a second later did he suddenly become aware of an aura he was putting off - one that felt predatory, communicated feelings of doom and dread and fear. Though he resolved to ponder on it later, for now he simply reigned it in and hid it from people's senses so that she (and, more importantly, his kids and Toru) didn't have to suffer its effects. Otherwise, focusing on Eila's arrival here took more precedence at the moment than spending time wondering about the new ability. She is not dumb or foolhardy… meaning she would not have come here without good reason.

It took Eila a few seconds to even realize that Shadow had come to the door, her eyes completely refocusing all at once. She blinked and her gaze flicked away immediately. "I was… told by Wave," she began, her tone growing far more quiet as she spoke, "that you… became a vampire?"

Shadow looked at her for a long moment before relinquishing a sort of sigh. "Yes. What of it?" Holding on to his past grievances toward her seemed pointless in the moment, particularly since Wave herself had sent Eila here. As such, he didn't give those issues any mind. They might return to him later on, when he was less sleepy and didn't have more important things to focus on, but not right now.

Eila reached into her pack and produced three separate books, along with some loose parchments, holding them out to him. "These are notes and various scribings made while I was… evil, regarding vampires, their magics, and what they are capable of. I thought that this may be useful to you." Frowning a little in a thoughtful manner, Shadow took everything he was handed, then turned and walked to the dining table close to the entrance of the house. Though there was no verbal invitation for her to come in, he left the door open wide. He set everything down and spread a few of the parchments out, already looking them over.

It took her time to work up the courage to step inside, masking her emotional turmoil with magic in order to hopefully keep it from being as easily sensed. She couldn't focus, since she felt like she was stepping into a death trap… even though Shadow hadn't so much as said a single negative word. Eila swallowed her fear momentarily and pointed to one of the parchments in particular. "I… shouldn't have brought this one. This is a dangerous ritual that not even I would attempt were I still in that mindset."

Crimson eyes glanced at the parchment she'd indicated. "If you'd prefer to take it somewhere else, I am not going to argue. There is a great deal here already."

Eila hesitated before whisking it away with her magic. Try to relax… Wave wouldn't send you here if he would kill you. It's fine. "Within reason… the rest should be safe." She waved a finger and flicked a book open to a specific page. "For potential curiosity's sake… I am no vampire," Eila said as she motioned to the entries regarding Necromancy. "Vampires have a predisposition toward things regarding death, and as such have access to magics such as Necromancy." Shadow inclined his head in understanding, already scanning the page. Eila was quiet for a second before murmuring, "You have a plethora of their magics available to you."

That gave him pause. "How would you know?" he asked, tone not accusing and more questioning as he continued to glance over things.

"I've always been capable of sensing magic," Eila answered slowly. "I can tell if someone has magic… and what kinds."

There was a brief silence before Shadow gave in to curiosity and asked, "What have you sensed?"

"Summoning, Curse Inducement, Hypnosis, Barrier Magic, Alchemy, Potion Making, Crafting Magical Weapons and Items, Necromancy, Chain Magic, Concealment Magic, Fear Magic, and Hemocraft," Eila said, openly listing them. "Several are rather… self-explanatory." Shadow nodded slowly in understanding. Eila continued. "The ones I believe to be self-explanatory are Curse Inducement, Alchemy, Potion Making, and Crafting Magical Weapons and Items. They all have entries in my books, so feel free to look into them later or ask."

This was… way more than he had been anticipating going into this situation. Still, Shadow did his best to roll with it for the time being. "Fine. I'll read about them."

"Summoning is fairly straight-forward. Using magic to bring a variety of creatures to your aid for multiple purposes," Eila further explained.

"What creatures?" Shadow asked. He rifled through her many notes in search of the ones on this subject specifically.

Eila opened a book and flipped to the correct page for Shadow. "Creatures such as goblins, multi-headed dogs… nightmares, and more."

Although Shadow had additional questions, he opted not to voice them for now. Not until he read what was already explained on the page. But, in the meantime, he continued to listen to her spoken descriptions. That didn't stop him from reading at the same time, however. Hellhounds, golems, normal animals, slimes, even dragons… All can be called upon and subjugated, but the longer one wishes to control them, the stronger their magic must be. And enslaving a dragon… That cannot be done without risks, surely.

"Vampiric hypnosis is similar to what I performed at times as Astra - controlling someone's mind. It lasts at best three to five days, and can be used for a variety of things like mind control can," Eila frowned thoughtfully. "It does require you to bite the victim, but you don't have to feed. It can be useful, and highly dangerous for the victim should you choose to use it."

Shadow nodded slowly. "...Understood," he said when he found he had no other comments to make.

"Barrier Magic," Eila murmured, "Is… an unusual one. Rather than a true barrier to block attacks, you can prevent beings from entering an area. With proper use, and sometimes the aid from another vampire, you can easily protect homes and places of safety."

That caught his attention. "It could be used to defend a place like this, then?" he quietly demanded.

"Certainly. If I wanted to come here and you wished to prevent me, with that magic you could more than stop me," Eila answered. "It would be a simple matter for you, provided you learn how to use the magic." Crimson eyes blinked, but in the end Shadow didn't voice further questions. Eila, when he said nothing, continued. "Necromancy is about as straightforward as it gets. Reviving the dead and exerting control over them."

"I assumed as much," was the bland reply.

"Chain magic is rather straightforward as well," Eila explained. "You can control chains for whatever you feel like."

"What is the point of it?" Shadow found himself asking, though he'd not entirely intended to say that out loud.

"Combat, restraining enemies, et cetera. Depends on what you need it to do."

"It sounds needless."

"You still have it," Eila said with a shrug. "Just pointing it out." He just nodded again. She continued once more. "Fear magic is… To keep it brief, a magic that allows the user to invoke feelings related to fear in victims. Even those who are incapable of fear or have fearless personalities will be affected as well… not that it prevents them from handling the fear. You can read into someone's worst fears and nightmares to summon beings that represent it."

"Is it related to that aura?" Shadow was quick to ask with a frown. He didn't bother to elaborate, suspecting she'd know full well what he was referencing.

"...Yes," Eila explained.

Lovely. Rather than dwell on that just yet, Shadow moved on. "What of the last one, then? Hemocraft."

"Hemocraft is Blood Magic," Eila explained. "It's range of uses seems to be mostly… offensive or augmentative, however… it is probably one of the most widely varied forms of magic I have seen in my life."

Well, he'd gathered that very first bit from the name alone. The rest of it, though… Needless to say, it was news to him. "Augmentative?' he questioned, when he found that to be the thing he was most curious about to start off with.

"For starters, the quality and strength of blood are important to note when casting any spell, as well as the powers they possess. If you use the blood of say… Steam, someone with a fire power, you could augment a blade to basically deal fire damage as well as maybe even blasting whatever you hit away."

...Interesting. "I see."

"You could also perhaps draw up barriers or shields," Eila explained. "As well as various types of curses. Curses ranging from the potential of inflicting serious harm on a target or making someone physically stronger." Eila flipped open a book and showed a massive section of pages. "This is an entire part of my books dedicated to blood curses, which explains how they work and how to perform them."

Blood curses… Didn't father mention those once? A vague childhood memory tugged at him, but when it didn't readily surface Shadow gave it no further attention in the moment. "Curses should not be capable of helping people, enemies or otherwise. That is not what curses entail."

Eila blinked once before nodding slowly. "Ah. Blood curses were named the way they are when they were merely curses on a target. As time progressed, more uses and possibilities were discovered. The name simply stuck."

That was fair enough, he supposed. "Fine. I will read these and return them to you."

"Keep them as long as you desire," Eila murmured. "They are… rather useless to me. I am incapable of learning or using most vampire magics, even ignoring my Light heritage." He inclined his head slowly to acknowledge her words. Eila was quiet for a long moment before she decided it was time to mention something. "Look… I understand that you may have your reservations about trusting me or letting me around anyone you know… but… I first and foremost want to apologize for what I did as Astra."

Shadow took his time considering her words. Several subtle scans while she talked told him her apology was sincere and contained no physical evidence of any lies. That made it easy to accept to some degree, but forgiveness was something he wasn't used to doling out over serious issues. "...I am… willing to attempt accepting that," he finally said. "I cannot promise it will happen quickly. But I will make an effort."

Eila took a deep breath and cast a barrier around them both. "The reason I ever got that far was… complicated. I have… had a disorder." She hesitated, keeping her attention off him as the anxiety crept back up. Hearing this, Shadow turned to face her, his focus no longer mostly on the books and loose papers. If she intended to continue, he intended to listen. Eila closed her eyes before murmuring, "Do… you know what DID is?"

"Dissociative Identity Disorder," Shadow recited without missing a beat. "I have read on it a bit."

"That is what I had," Eila responded. "Before the Faein themselves… cleared it from me. I cannot begin to explain how that happened… but it from the personality that got me corrupted when I was young."

Pursing his lips together, Shadow looked away. "...You lacked control," he murmured in sudden, audible understanding.

Eila nodded. "I was not in control for much of my life, up until I was purified. Even then she wrested control from me at times."

Shadow crossed his arms, visibly tense. "...I know what that is like," he eventually admitted, "but not for the same reasons." He turned his head to look at her again. As much as he knew he was going to struggle getting through this next bit on a social level, he opted to try for one simple reason. Sincerity spoke volumes to him, and she had shown him nothing but that so far. It only felt right to do the same in return. But maybe that was just Toru's influence on his life talking here. "I have heard nothing from Tails or the others to indicate you are still how you were before. I have seen no evidence of it, either. Given that… then fine. I have accepted your apology. You do not need to walk on eggshells around me. Alright?"

It felt like a weight was removed from her, but she was still hesitant to respond for a long moment. "I understand," she eventually answered, dropping the barrier now that she was done explaining personal matters. "If you have need of me, simply say so."

"Fine," Shadow agreed calmly, glancing back at the books and whatnot.

Eila quietly glanced away before frowning. "You have guests approaching soon, if I'm not mistaken."

Great. Just what he needed, even more people in his house. "I'll keep an eye out," was all he said.

"...One may provide more insight into all of this," Eila murmured before teleporting away.

Possibly Saethrim, then. Stifling a sigh, Shadow pulled out a chair and settled in to read until the people she'd sensed arrived or people already here woke up for the day. Whichever came first.

~保護者~

He had never expected to really need to come back here, really. The castle was… well… big. It had expanded slowly no doubt, but with how long he'd been dead the thing had become massive. It now was a sort of civilization of its own. Saethrim was quite proud of that fact.

Even so, his presence initially garnered concern and confusion. After all, he wasn't the God of Mythical Beasts any more. He could only exert his control and presence to a certain degree, which meant that some creatures might not realize who he was. Nobody impeded his travel, which was good, because he had no desire to be fighting vampires today. Tomorrow might be a better day for it, but not today.

He suddenly began warping around, shifting his way into the castle and resuming his search. She should be here. Where? Saethrim moved quickly and kept his presence suppressed in favor of not being noticed by the various people traveling here and there. Only when he felt a blade at his neck did he stop with a vague smile. "Knew you were still alive, Ghune," the man chuckled. "Glad to meet you again."

"I was informed you'd been revived," the female known as Ghune revealed. "I did not expect you to come here so suddenly, however." She retracted the blade from his neck and sheathed it, raising an eyebrow. "What brings you here?"

"For one thing," Saethrim looked around, "you got quite the place going here. Way more people than I ever expected to see."

Ghune shrugged slightly. "It is… necessary. Those who are turned often need a place to stay. We provide a means of living safely, without the persecution that some other races or people may subject us to. I-"

"Yeah, look, I actually got something happening," Saethrim said, completely cutting her off. "I came here to ask you a question."

Impatient as always. "Ask," she invited.

Saethrim sighed. "Someone forced vampirism on another person without biting-"

It was Ghune's turn to cut him off, eyes flashing a deep red for just a moment. "What?" she demanded harshly. "How in the ever-loving hell?"

"Some woman named Nareish-"

"I know of her, do not waste my time explaining who she is," Ghune ordered.

"Anyway," Saethrim said, "yeah. She forced it on him. He's become a vampire."

Duties here be damned, this was an important issue to check in on at once. "I will appoint someone to take my place," she said, already beginning to walk off.

Saethrim jogged after her, which almost wasn't enough to keep pace with her determined stride. "Woah, hey, I didn't even get to the worst part." Her eyes focusing on him was the only indicator she was still listening, so he simply continued. "Guy's a Black Arms. Specifically the sole spawn of Black Doom."

All of a sudden, she wasn't beside him anymore. Saethrim blinked a few times and looked around before shrugging. "Eh, yeah, sounds about right. She's royally pissed off," he mused, leaning against a wall to wait quietly. It was merely a minute before the woman returned, noble dress all but abandoned in lieu of a sort of plated leather armor. He tilted his head a little until her hand gripped the top of his head and lifted him up off the ground.

"Warp us there this instant," Ghune demanded harshly.

"Fine, fine, don't get your panties in a twist," Saethrim said with an eye roll, even as the pressure increased on his skull. The two vanished from sight only after he finished rolling his eyes, headed for Shadow's home.

The two appeared not far from the house, and Ghune led the way (sensing the living beings there) with Saethrim still held off his feet by her. As soon as she arrived, she had no hesitation to knock. Mere seconds later, the door unlatched and opened, though no one was standing there to make that happen. Ghune muttered something under her breath as she walked in, prompting Saethrim to give her a confused, sidelong glance (as that was all he could manage currently). "That's kinda rude, you know?"

"It's rude to not greet visitors," Ghune huffed, shaking her head. Perhaps I am too used to my world's societal norms.

From the open dining room mere feet away, Shadow muttered, "It is also rude to discuss matters involving people as though the subject cannot hear you." He didn't look up from the book he was currently reading through as he spoke.

"I assumed you could hear me, truthfully," Ghune said as she dropped Saethrim to his feet. Her eyes locked onto the books and notes he had. She walked over and immediately inspected them. "Where did you get these?"

"A magic user saw fit to lend them to me," he explained simply.

With such a vague answer, she assumed there was a reason behind it. As such, she made a note to simply return to that topic later. "So you are the Black Arms vampire? Not what I expected to see," she admitted, looking over his body slowly. You don't feel entirely biological, either.

Shadow spared her a glance finally. "I am aware that I do not bear a resemblance to the rest of the hive. It cannot be helped."

Before Ghune could spit out another question, Saethrim stepped in. "Shadow, this woman is named Ghune. She's a powerful vampire that I had the…" he hesitated a moment, "displeasure of being acquainted with." Despite the word he used, it was obvious he was joking, even more so when he snickered at the strong hook to his shoulder from the vampire in question.

"Ghune"? It was probably among the strangest names Shadow had ever heard, but he opted to not mention it. And, in fact, to never say anything about it ever. That was one pointless fight he had no interest in instigating. So he just settled for a small, "Ah."

Ghune looked him over once more before murmuring, "You have quite the number of magics at your disposal as a result of your newfound heritage. Interesting."

"I'm so far under the impression that that is normal," Shadow replied almost like a query. He based his assumption off of what he'd read from Eila's writings so far.

Whoever he got these notes from was quite intelligent… or foolish. Perhaps both. "Yes, but you show actual promise compared to many," Ghune explained. "Perhaps it is due to your previous status as a semi-Immortal."

He gave that some consideration. "There is magic in my family already," he soon added for her benefit. "From what I understand, there is a long history of it. That may play a role." But it also may not. I don't know whether it would have any bearing on my potential with this form of magic.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Ghune said with a vague shrug. "Perhaps your… mage friend can discern that in time. I am not concerned with it." Shadow just set the book down for now so that he could focus fully on the conversation. "Do you wish to learn to control your newfound abilities and powers?" she asked.

Obviously. Since she'd made a stink about rudeness earlier, Shadow curbed his initial response and instead gave a decidedly more neutral, "Yes."

"Next sundown," Ghune said. "Be prepared.

"Fine," he agreed easily enough.

Ghune looked over the notes once more and was forced to admit, "These notes could get you quite far. I do not understand who could have gotten such detail aside from another vampire, but do make use of them."

"That is my intention," Shadow conceded.

The woman sniffed the air as she turned and straightened her stance. Light? "If you have no questions, I plan to return to my people."

"Fucking hell, why are there so many people coming in and out?" Toru abruptly called, walking out of the bedroom. His gaze fell on Ghune when he emerged from the hall, and he raised an eyebrow. "Who the fuck are you?"

Ghune looked at Shadow. "Who is this?"

"Three people is far from that many, Toru," Shadow huffed, temporarily ignoring Ghune in favor of giving the chameleon shit like usual.

Toru looked at the vampire woman. "So, who the hell are you?" he questioned, ignoring Shadow's comment for now. Shadow huffed again.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Ghune."

"Ah, doesn't explain a damn thing. Didn't ask your name," Toru said as he crossed his arms.

Saethrim snatched Ghune's arm as she attempted to move forward, pulling her back before she could make a mistake. "Ghune is a woman that runs a society for vampires."

"More than vampires. Creatures such as trolls, goblins, kelpies, yokai, chimeras, and more live under my protection," Ghune answered. The sudden knowledge that all of these creatures (aside from the yokai and the one or two things Eila mentioned earlier) existed was enough to throw Shadow for a loop and he briefly remained silent.

Toru huffed a little. "Alright. Answers my question."

Ghune watched him quietly for a long moment before glancing to Shadow. "If you ever express desire to see this world, I will allow you to see it. It may provide you some form of… relaxation."

Shadow blinked once, then frowned thoughtfully. "I would like to see it sometime," he eventually admitted. "Just not now. Too much is going on."

She nodded. "Understandable."

Saethrim poked his head around the corner of a wall after having silently warped himself to it, smiling. "Seems like we've got another small visitor approaching."

Hearing this, Shadow's ears reflexively perked. Sure enough, he soon heard blankets rustling, followed by footsteps, a door opening, and more footsteps. Lia wandered down the hallway and into view, rubbing at her eyes sleepily as she skirted around Saethrim. "'Scuse me, mister," she mumbled around a yawn.

Saethrim shifted himself so that she couldn't accidentally trip on him. "You are certainly excused."

This gave the small girl pause, and she looked up at him quizzically. "Huh?"

The man watched her before chuckling. "Just a way to respond to you, kid. Nothing special about it."

"Oh. Okay." Lia walked over to Toru and hugged on his leg, then yawned again. Afterward, she whispered in that special loud way that kids were skilled at, "Who is he? And who's the pretty lady?"

Toru smiled. "The guy is Saethrim," he explained before adding (while attempting to hide his disdain), "and the woman is named Ghune."

Lia considered these details carefully, then looked up at Ghune. "Your name is pretty, too," she decided. "Your mommy and daddy picked good."

The vampire woman was quiet for a long moment, considering how to respond. It wasn't often she was called 'pretty'. Even less so that her name was complimented. "...Thank you, little one," she eventually replied.

As soon as she spoke, Lia's ruby eyes lit up with curiosity. "Your teeth are pointy like mine!" she exclaimed. She gave a big grin for a second to show off this fact, then continued, "See? But mine are still little 'cause I'm little. How come you have pointy teeth, too? Do you like meat like we do? And how come your name is different from all the names I've heard before? And you look different, too, but in a really pretty sort of way."

Shadow attempted to head her off before she could ask more questions, but she verbally ploughed right over his effort. After a slight pause, he cut in with a firmer, "Liara. Enough. You cannot bombard people like this."

As soon as she heard her full name, she pouted. "I just wanna know," she whined.

Ghune listened quietly the whole time before hooking two fingers at the corner of her lips to pull them back and show off just how pointy they were. "I am a vampire. That is the very reason that all of those things are different about me. I consume blood instead of meat, which is helpful as I do not need to seriously harm something to have sustenance."

Lia pondered over all of this for a long moment before saying, "I guess that's kinda good. Movies and stuff always say vampires are bad guys, but I don't think you're a bad guy." She searched Ghune's gaze. "You're nice… right?"

"I attempt to be," Ghune answered honestly. "I am not evil, yet I am not good. I merely act in the manner that is best for the future."

"You're kind of like my daddy's daddy," Lia told her. "The kinda scary one who lives in outer space. He said something like that one time, I think."

I should bash his head simply because of this. After this mental joke vaguely caused her to smile, she nodded. "I am much like him, in various ways. He is far more irritating than I, however."

"He's a meanie sometimes," Lia pouted. "Daddy's other daddy lets me call him 'papa', but his scarier daddy doesn't like it."

Ghune very obviously heard Toru murmur some sort of comment under his breath, but chose not to bring it up yet. "I will speak with him on that matter," she suddenly promised.

Lia lit up instantly. "Really?"

"Certainly," Ghune answered.

"Okay! Thank you, miss! Oh, I mean Ghune." Lia released Toru and ran to Shadow to give him a tight hug. "I'm still sleepy, Daddy, so I'm gonna lay back down. Plus, my blankets are snuggly warm. Okay?"

Since it was rare for her to want to sleep in, Shadow didn't argue. "Alright." She smiled and dashed back down the hall with more than enough energy for him to doubt her departure would be long-lasting.

Ghune watched the girl the whole time before glancing to Shadow. "You have quite the remarkable child there."

With no real idea how else to respond, Shadow just executed a slow shrug and said, "I suppose."

The vampire moved to leave before suddenly teleporting beside Shadow. "Something is the matter with her. It should be handled quickly."

"I am aware," Shadow said, now tense. "Nothing can be done until her illness becomes active in even a vague way so that the nature of it can be determined. No one is certain about what it even is. It is a waiting game for now."

Much to Toru's irritation, Ghune suddenly sniffed Shadow before frowning thoughtfully. "I will begin work, regardless. I refused to sit idly by."

"Alright, what the fuck are you doing?" Toru questioned, walking over to the two and more or less inserting himself between Ghune and Shadow. "That's not fucking okay."

Saethrim peeled Ghune away once more, whispering something to her that seemed to calm her. The vampire huffed. "I smelled an illness from the girl. She never interacted with me, so smelling something she interacted with was necessary."

Well, that didn't make it less unwanted of an experience, but being around Marthal for so many years allowed Shadow to quickly brush this all off. However, he didn't brush off Toru's reaction, knowing pretty well by now what chameleon protectiveness was like. It seemed like a good idea to address that. "Toru, relax," he said quietly. "It is fine."

Toru crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine." His attention turned to Ghune. "Don't do that shit again. It's fuckin' weird."

I do not need to listen to you. Ghune simply turned to look at Saethrim. "I am leaving." She didn't waste time in teleporting away.

Saethrim blinked once before sighing and rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry 'bout that. She probably doesn't interact with non-mythical creatures often. She also seems to be… pretty used to the society she runs."

Shadow wasn't bothered and so waved Saethrim off. "It is fine," he repeated simply.

Toru huffed a little to himself once again before murmuring, "As long as it doesn't become a habit." Shadow had to concede that Toru had a point, so he nodded once in agreement.

"I'll talk to her about that," Saethrim promised. "She really does want to help, so I'm sure she'll do her best to accommodate."

A twinge of anxiety over Lia's previously fatal illness rose up, prompting Shadow to immediately ask, "What are the chances that she will actually be able to help?"

"Judging by her reaction to meeting you," Saethrim murmured, "probably pretty good. She seemed confident that you had potential."

Frowning, Shadow corrected, "Regarding my daughter. She seemed to be of the opinion she could do something. I am asking to hear your opinion."

Saethrim blinked once. "She's way, way older than I am. Woman is a magical genius, and could probably kill any of us here if she really planned to. Not to mention she's intelligent in general. I think there's a good chance she can help." Shadow nodded a bit, willing himself to relax again and accept this for now. Thankfully, since Lia wasn't in immediate danger, that wasn't too difficult to do.

"So… you're planning to train with this woman?" Toru asked Shadow.

"It is necessary," Shadow pointed out. "I cannot continue developing abilities with no idea how to control them. That is dangerous."

Toru blinked once before sighing. "If she acts weird, kick her ass."

Not likely to happen, Saethrim thought to himself, but he kept that thought to himself.

Not two full seconds later, Shadow suddenly noticed something and he stood up. With no concern for Toru's potential dislike of his actions, he pushed the chameleon's head to one side to look at his neck. "The wound is still there," he said with a frown, removing his hand. "You should have healed hours ago."

Saethrim laughed nervously before saying, "Yeah, that's not normal, nor is it a vampire thing."

"No, it isn't," Shadow muttered in agreement. He moved back out of Toru's personal space, mind racing. Toru had clearly recovered from the bloodloss just fine, yet the bite itself was still plainly there. That made no sense whatsoever.

Toru sighed a little. "Let's talk to Rose or Analia, then. Surely they can help or tell us what we need to do," he answered, rather calm despite it all.

"Toru," Saethrim intervened, "the only thing that can permanently injure someone like you, a chameleon, is an Immortal," the man explained. "That-" Saethrim glanced at Shadow. "We need to speak to an Immortal, soon. If…" He obviously retreated to his thoughts for a second before saying, "Don't feed from him if you can help it. That's no longer a safe option."

Shadow gave Toru a look. "This would be a great time for one of your 'better' alternatives to appear," he remarked dryly.

Toru chuckled a little. "I would offer some, if I had any." Shadow stifled a sigh. Unfortunately, he didn't have any better ideas, either.

"I'm going to tell Ghune, then I'm going to find someone to figure this out quickly," Saethrim explained. Shadow could only nod again, so he did. Still, he naturally had to wonder, what the hell was he meant to do now? Saethrim warped away without waiting for any verbal reply.

As per usual, Toru relaxed pretty easily once everyone was gone. "So, I guess the verdict is you're somehow becoming an Immortal or some shit like that?"

"That is not possible," Shadow dismissed straight away. "There are already four of them."

"I thought the same about the Faein existing," Toru said. "That it was impossible. I was wrong."

That was news to Shadow, but logically he supposed it made sense that not everyone would believe in such beings without some form of proof. "...Even ignoring that," he eventually said, "we are left with a problem."

"Yes?" Toru asked.

Shadow gave Toru his best "you're an idiot" frown because, really, the problem in question was beyond obvious in his opinion. "If feeding off of you is unsafe and feeding off of anything else is even more so, then feeding has just become entirely impossible to do without harming someone or killing them."

Toru frowned in thought. "Maybe that woman can come up with something. She consumes blood and all, so maybe they've got something figured out."

"No. They hunt, like the Black Arms do." Shadow crossed his arms again and sat back down. "And as we have already established, I cannot do that."

"What if they have something you can hunt?" Toru questioned.

That wasn't something Shadow had a good counter to, actually. "I don't know." He pondered it briefly, then turned his attention to a different matter. "Why the hell did you heal from losing blood but not from being bitten? That makes no sense."

"I dunno," Toru said with a shrug.

By now, Shadow had learned that Toru sometimes just refused to be useful. So, rather than argue about it this time, he just rolled his eyes. "If we aren't able to contact Ghune about this issue before it actually occurs," he said instead, "there needs to be some other kind of plan. At least another barrier." He paused, then thought to add, "...Not another one made of Darkness. I dismantled it in multiple different ways."

"Yeah, it woke me up," Toru answered. "I knew. So how do we do it this time? If it's Light or some shit, you'll probably just blast it apart unless it's like… Analia's."

"I'm not certain that Mother is in any shape to be crafting and sustaining powerful barriers right now," Shadow replied. "The last battle took a great deal out of her."

Toru blinked a few times. "We haven't really talked to her at all recently, have we?" Shadow shook his head. "We should check in on her, too."

Shadow looked away. He was silent for several long moments before finally, quietly admitting, "I have been avoiding it."

"Why?" Toru asked, concerned.

More silence initially answered him, but eventually Shadow caved and further admitted, "Until late yesterday night… Father was also there."

Toru fell quiet after hearing that, nodding. "I… oh."

"I want to see him," Shadow revealed slowly, "but I also do not know if I am ready to. But, regardless of that… he has taken off. No one knows where he is." He stood up, cleaning up the books and things in preparation to take things to his room. "I will ask Sonic to contact Mother. He has been with her recently and should know if she can help."

"You should look into it soon, if it can be managed," Toru said after a moment. 'It would be best." The chameleon moved to help Shadow, frowning in thought.

"Perhaps," Shadow murmured noncommittally. Once everything was gathered up and orderly, he teleported it all onto his desk in his bedroom.

Toru wrapped an arm around Shadow, letting out a sigh. "It's a good idea to."

"I did not disagree," Shadow said. He relaxed in Toru's hold without even realizing it, but even once he noticed he made no effort to play it off. In the end, he was relaxed and hiding that in a private setting like this didn't strike him as something he wanted to do.

The chameleon allowed Shadow to stay like this for some time before murmuring, "You should try to sleep."

Shadow sighed. "I should have known you would bring that up."

"You didn't sleep at all last night, but you fell asleep a bit ago before Eila came by. If you sleep better during the day, that's fine," Toru said. "As long as you get some sleep."

"I need to be awake during the day," Shadow argued, though not forcefully. "Even ignoring everything else going on, Lia and Soren are awake during the day, as are you."

"If I'm awake, then they'll be fine, won't they?" Toru questioned. Since that wasn't a point he could disagree with, Shadow just sighed ever so slightly. "Look," Toru began. "I can handle things around here now that me and Myriu are okay. You, however, need sleep."

After lingering for a short bit longer, Shadow gently pulled out of Toru's hold. "Fine," he conceded.

Toru smiled a little and nudged Shadow a little. "Then go. I'll handle the kids." Shadow didn't argue further, merely murmuring some vague agreement before heading off toward the bedroom. Toru watched Shadow before chuckling a little. I got myself into one hell of an interesting mess, haven't I?

~保護者~

Ryuji went back to that home in the forest, but this time he didn't make it all the way there. He was approached by a bird person, Babylonian. His name was Cyril. After quick conversation, Cyril took them both to Babylon and led him to the palace, in search of Alana or Sein.

It didn't take long for attention to be drawn (after all, chameleons were just as strange to Babylonians as the other way around), and that attention pulled Alana straight to the source of it all. Seeing Cyril there, she relaxed a good bit from her previously cautious state. "Is something the matter?"

Ryuji immediately stepped forward. "My grandson was attacked by Nareish, and he is not healing as a result of it," the man explained. He could just… tell that this woman was an Immortal, simply by her presence. That gave him some measure of hope.

Alarmed, Alana demanded, "What is his condition and where is he?"

"On Mobius, in my home," Ryuji explained. "I had him rest while I came here."

That didn't answer both questions, but it was good enough. "My partner and I have not learned a great deal in the way of healing, but I will do what I can. Take me to him."

Cyril immediately teleported them all to the Highlands, where Ryuji proceeded to lead the way to his home by essentially pulling them along with his Darkness. As soon as they arrived, Alana wasted no time in just heading inside. With no knowledge of how dire or not this situation was, she refused to waste precious seconds by worrying about things like asking for permission to go inside.

She found Espio easily enough and knelt down beside him to check him over. He'd passed out again, the inhaler still loosely gripped in his hand, and the sight of both issues heightened her concern. "Why does he have that?" she quietly demanded. As she did so, she called upon the (admittedly not mastered) healing abilities she possessed, the same sort she'd used to heal Steam once. The worst injury she could see was first to start being taken care of.

"He was injured in the past by an Immortal," Ryuji explained. "His lungs are damaged."

"What Immortal?" Alana asked him, emotions sharpening her tongue. "I need a name, or at least a guess. Any guess you have."

"I don't know," Ryuji answered just as sharply. "It was when he was a child."

"Give me an estimate of how long ago that would have been," Alana suddenly said. "I know when the ancient era on this world officially ended. That was the year the world's king was murdered by Malevolence. How many years prior to that was your grandson born?"

"Four to five thousand years prior," Ryuji told her.

Alana frowned to herself as she thought. "Back then…" she eventually said, "there was an Immortal named Kathros. I don't know anything about him for the most part, but from what Sein and I were told, there was something… wrong with him. With the way he thought and behaved. He was more than misguided. He was… flawed. And, according to some, he enjoyed being that way."

"Can you undo what he did?" Ryuji said, ignoring the other details. He could learn the man's backstory once his grandson was safe and in better condition than he was currently.

"If it was indeed him, then no. I cannot. He was stronger than I am now. It took all three of the other Immortals to deal with him, according to one story. I cannot heal wounds caused by someone that powerful." Alana's hands drifted to another serious injury, still overflowing with healing energy. "However, I may be able to lessen the damage to some extent. I swear to you that I will do all I can."

Ryuji couldn't be… upset with that, so instead he moved to monitor outside, protective instincts flaring up despite him trying to keep them under wraps. "Focus on your work."

"I can speak and focus at the same time," the Babylonian murmured, "but very well."

The chameleon was tense as he stared silently outside, sword clenched tightly in hand. He was so inexperienced with these sorts of feelings, and suddenly going through it with such ferocity was… unusual. As such, he simply focused on other things. Luckily, other than some minor injuries she could heal from in time, Aniko was okay. Armaris was injured and in the hands of the God of Demons, but with a personality like hers, he certainly felt like the chance of bringing her back was well enough in their favor to not worry too deeply. Aniko's partner, Shei, was a man who was related to Malevolence. This was obvious, but it was hard to be… bothered. Aside from the influence of that side now and then, Shei remained largely unchanged.

The distractions didn't last long. Still, Anything to focus on until Espio was healed was better than focusing on his injuries. However, Ryuji's attention was soon called back over when Alana spoke. "His injuries are healed. He should wake soon. However, about his lungs…" She paused, frowning to herself. "I cannot explain it, but they are already healing. He is recovering on his own."

Ryuji was quiet for some time before turning around fully and walking over, setting a hand on his grandson's chest to examine the man's breathing. Sure enough… things were beginning to feel more and more natural as time went on. "This is… confusing."

"I don't understand it, either," Alana murmured. "It should not be possible and yet… here is proof that it somehow is."

Ryuji nodded in slow understanding, frowning. What is happening here?

"Unless you have further need of me, I will take my leave. I understand how much privacy is often valued after stressful events." Alana stood and politely moved away from Ryuji and Espio, the latter of whom was showing signs of coming to.

"Thank you," Ryuji murmured quietly, kneeling down by Espio. Alana nodded and vanished. Maybe a minute or so passed before Espio finally opened his eyes. They wavered dangerously between gold and amber for no more than a second before settling firmly on the latter, and he sat up. Ryuji was dead silent, watching as Espio sat up. He didn't dare say a word, wanting to make sure his grandson was… okay.

It took Espio a good moment to fully recollect what had happened, and when he did he tensed up. He almost started to ask where Armaris was, but stopped when he recalled what Ryuji had told him shortly before he'd been abducted as well. As much as he wanted to go after her, he forced himself to admit that that was a terrible idea. Given that, he likewise forced himself to focus on other things. "...How did you find me?" he eventually asked, voice quiet. In truth, he didn't remember being found at all, only being attacked.

"I got help," Ryuji murmured. "I went as quickly as I could manage."

Espio thought this over, then frowned. "I should not be unharmed. Nareish lashed out at me. Violently."

"I do not understand myself. I brought an Immortal here to heal you, but she said that you had begun healing on your own."

There was a long silence. Then Espio let out a heavy sigh. "You cannot tell my parents this yet. It will needlessly stress them further. Promise me that, and I can tell you what I know, though it isn't much."

Ryuji nodded slowly. "I understand."

"I still do not fully believe it," Espio told him with another sigh, "but an ally of ours… He is from another timeline. He has lived through many similar events, all related to this war. Most of his assessments about things turn out to be accurate, even if some details are different here." There was another small pause. "He claims I and several others either already have begun to or soon will begin to turn into Immortals."

"That makes little sense," Ryuji answered immediately.

"That is what I said," Espio muttered. "Yet I broke a semi-Immortal blade with ease, nearly shattered another, and now this has happened.

Ryuji frowned openly. "I do not understand how this can be happening."

"It supposedly has something to do with Immortals coming into being to govern the existential energies. Light, Chaos… both forms of Darkness." Espio looked away with a vague scowl. "And others. But it does not take a genius to discern what I am, in theory, supposed to embody."

"Did this ally seem upset or concerned at the fact of you apparently becoming an Immortal?" Ryuji questioned.

"I am not the best at reading others' emotions even when they are right in front of me. It is even more difficult when we are merely sending messages back and forth, as we were." Espio stifled the urge to sigh a third time. "So I don't know."

"May I see them?" Ryuji questioned. "Perhaps I can figure it out."

In response, Espio teleported his communicator to himself. He opened the conversation in question and tossed the device to his grandfather. "Be my guest."

Ryuji caught the device and read through it, frowning a little. "Judging by the words he used, which could have been handpicked to avoid upset, he does not seem… terribly worried about that fact."

"So what if he does not?" Espio asked him. "The fact that things may have worked out in his reality does not mean they will here."

"But the fact that he appears less worried than I would expect means there may well be a path in which this is… okay," Ryuji murmured. "I don't understand it, but…" He let out a slow breath and trailed off.

Espio was briefly silent before asking, "Has Aku returned with the children?"

"Aniko has them. A man… named Kial is helping her take them to a safe world," Ryuji explained gently. "Aniko is under the impression you know him, and she seems to trust him."

...Cosmo, then. Hearing this allowed Espio's tense posture to finally relax somewhat. "I know him," he confirmed. "We met and travelled together when we were children. His words and actions can always be trusted."

"...Do you consistently befriend dragons?" Ryuji suddenly asked.

"No. He is a bobcat. I only somewhat recently learned he is capable of transforming into creatures such as that." Espio shifted to cross his legs, since that was a more comfortable position to sit in. "He is the God of Mythical Beasts, I believe is what he said."

Ryuji blinked. Bobcat…? They are nearly extinct. "I… will accept that at face value for the moment, if you trust him."

"I do."

I missed much of your life. "For now, I suppose they will be safe, then. It may well be best."

"If they have been taken where I think they have, they will be fine," Espio told him. "One of my allies, an Immortal named Jet, frequently keeps a child of his own there. I am unsure what he did, but somehow that location is undetectable to anyone who has never been there before. It has even managed to keep Nareish away thus far."

Ryuji thought this over before simply nodding. "Good."

"...I am worried about this," Espio spontaneously admitted a few seconds later. "Specifically over the fact that Armaris is where she is, and Mother… She has already not been stable as of late."

"I believe that Aniko will be okay," Ryuji murmured. "She has shown the ability to control her Darkness well."

"This has been different," Espio answered. "That control has slipped in minor ways more than once. It is unlike her."

Ryuji wasn't sure what to say about that. "Not to say I am not concerned for her, but I believe that returning Armaris will aid her greatly. She has been through a great deal emotionally as of late."

"Until Armaris is no longer on that world," Espio said with a fresh scowl, "retrieving her will be a foolhardy venture at best. Many of the people who are strong enough to face the God are either indisposed or have faced corruption before. The latter alone is more than enough reason not to allow them to go." Myself included.

"I understand," Ryuji murmured. "We do not need to put ourselves at unnecessary risk, but for them to take her, there would be a purpose she is supposed to fulfill, correct?"

"In theory. But demons do not always act with purpose. They are just as fond of sowing chaos and shedding blood purely for the sake of it." Espio idly thought back over a few previous fights, then shook his head. "We have encountered that before."

Ryuji frowned deeply. "What would you suspect is the case?"

"It is… difficult to say. With Kaden purified, there must be some new God. Or perhaps Goddess. There is no telling how they act until we see it for ourselves." Espio was soon frowning again as well. "Either way… it is entirely too likely that Armaris will be forced to attack some planet or another. That appears to be the greatest strength of the sort of demon she is." ...Sometimes is.

Ryuji thought this over before nodding slowly. "I see… If that is the case, our one and only good chance would be to save her during the next attack she is used in?" Espio nodded stiffly. "Then that is what we will do."

"It will require a lot of Light. Unless Analia is well enough to join us, our chances of success are low."

Ryuji stood up briefly to change his position, sitting down afterward. "We have to try."

"I did not say otherwise," was the unhappy response.

The older man fell quiet, unsure of what to say next. There wasn't much they could plan if they weren't with the others. "How… are you feeling?"

Espio blinked once and glanced at him. "Fine," he soon said.

"Explain," Ryuji murmured. "Physically, first."

"I am fine," Espio repeated, a touch annoyed at having to repeat himself. But the emotion eased pretty quickly. "The wounds are healed, there is no pain, and I can breathe fine for now."

"Good," Ryuji murmured. "What about mentally?"

"Fine," Espio said once again. This time, he didn't elaborate.

Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "Espio," he murmured. His grandson glanced at him again, but didn't let the eye-contact persist. "I need you to explain. I cannot read your mind."

"There is nothing on my mind aside from what I have said," Espio dismissed.

"Unlikely," Ryuji murmured. Espio just sort of huffed but otherwise didn't respond. As always, he refused to so openly speak his mind about matters such as his health and safety, regardless of who was asking. Ryuji simply crossed his arms, more than ready to just… wait.

Finally, Espio said, "There is nothing to discuss. Let it go." The negative shift in his mood was becoming apparent, and he was growing more and more irritated.

"You wouldn't leave me in my own mind," Ryuji countered lightly.

"So what?" was the suddenly borderline snappish response.

"I am merely returning the kindness you would show me," Ryuji answered. Espio fell silent again. This time, it appeared to be because he'd realized the change in his mood and was attempting to calm back down. Ryuji waited patiently before murmuring, "That encounter with Nareish was difficult for you, wasn't it?"

"...Yes," Espio eventually admitted, but he still didn't elaborate.

"I sorely wish I could have prevented such a situation," Ryuji said. "It is not my fault, but I still am not pleased with the outcome."

Espio was quiet for a time. "She felt the need to tell me the same thing Steam did," he said. "About people becoming Immortals."

Ryuji frowned openly. "So this is true, then?" Espio lifted his shoulders in a vague shrug. The older man wasn't sure what to make of that. It still made little sense overall. "I suppose either way, it changes little about who you are."

"Who I am is the entire problem," Espio suddenly argued. "Everyone wastes time trying to pretend otherwise, but they are wrong."

Ryuji crossed his arms. "Are you so sure?" Espio just sort of scowled and said nothing. A sigh escaped Ryuji. "Espio, who exactly do you want to be?"

"I don't know," the younger chameleon muttered. "I have never known."

"Answer that question for yourself," Ryuji said. "Do you want a life with those you love?" Espio hesitated to answer, but only because his initial response to this kind of thing was to keep such emotionally charged truths private in his life. But, soon, he forced himself to nod a little. "Then you must make that your life," Ryuji murmured. "A step at a time. If this ally of yours knows what is happening so well, maybe he knows what to do to make that a reality." Espio didn't have a counter to that, nor did he have much of any other response. So, in the end, he just shrugged again.

Ryuji spoke again, a touch more softly. "Continue to make those efforts, even if it seems out of reach. You did not give up on me, and I refuse to do so to you."

"You could be saved," Espio told him, voice also quiet. He was looking away again. "Anyone else could have helped you in my place had they chosen to. I did nothing special."

The older man looked away as well. "Regardless of it being special or not, the fact remains that this can likely be handled as well. You are not a lost cause."

"There are many who would argue that point," Espio suddenly retorted. Then he suddenly revealed, "I threatened Armaris with my sword, Ryuji, and another time set off a potentially lethal explosion without giving a damn that she could be caught in it. I attempted to stab Steam through the heart the moment I laid eyes on him. I killed members of this village, as well as people elsewhere on the continent. Entire families were wiped out because of me, and it will only continue happening."

"I killed our kind multiple times," Ryuji countered. "I had every intention of bringing harm to or killing my daughter and her partner. I intended to harm you. I cared for nothing," the man muttered. "You are walking a natural path that you must manage. I have seen this before, even ignoring your other heritage."

"There was objective goodness in you," Espio argued, frowning. "Even I could see it. That has never been the case with me. The best I have ever managed was utter neutrality."

"Explain your care for your children," Ryuji challenged.

It didn't take long for Espio to reluctantly admit the truth. "I don't know how."

"You care for them, yes?" That earned a small nod. "Do you care for your parents?" Another small nod. "That alone is enough. They are important. You have good qualities. It is time to accept that."

I don't. The thought came unbidden and lingered, but Espio didn't dare voice it when his mind suddenly decided to remind him how much he hated people becoming upset at him. He didn't know Ryuji well enough to say with any degree of certainty that that would happen here, and he refused to find out. So he just said a small, disingenuous, "...Fine."

"Espio," Ryuji said softly. "You do understand that you have good qualities as well, correct?" His grandson opted not to answer that, focusing instead on finding a way out of this conversation. "Answer me, Espio," Ryuji murmured. "I just want you to know that there is good within you."

"Caring about family does not make me good. Even demons are capable of caring for their relatives. It means nothing in regards to one's alignment." Espio made himself stop talking after that, still seeking to avoid earning any anger. He knew his tendency to argue often grated on people's nerves and, taking that into consideration, he began making a more concentrated effort not to do it anymore.

"Do you care about how they feel? What they think?" Ryuji pressed, keeping his tone gentle. Espio hesitated for a long moment before once again nodding. "That is what separates you from a demon," the older man explained. "They matter to you beyond simply keeping them alive and making sure they are strong. Their concerns, happiness, anger, it all means something to you. That alone is a powerful quality."

Having resolved not to argue any further, Espio responded with a simple, "Okay," and nothing more.

Ryuji glanced to his grandson for a long moment before saying, "I am not upset." Espio just nodded. "You can speak to me. I assure you that nothing you say here will upset me."

Despite his words, Espio still found himself trying to avoid all this entirely. "There is nothing for me to say."

"False," Ryuji answered. "You can always attempt to prove me wrong, despite the fact that your actions regarding everyone you currently intentionally stay around will always do the opposite." Espio pursed his lips together, unsure what to say in response. Ryuji looked away again, thinking of the words he should say next. "You lie to yourself."

That caught Espio's attention, and he looked over sharply. "What?"

"You continue to tell yourself that you're evil, right?" Ryuji questioned, eyebrow raised.

Espio looked away again. "I never said that."

"Do you have to say it, or do your actions speak for you?"

"...I don't know."

Ryuji shifted closer to Espio. "I don't want you to lie to yourself," he murmured. "I can see it. You harm yourself with your own words." Espio yet again didn't say anything in reply, but he also didn't shy away from the closer proximity. "I want you to understand that even if this is an insurmountable obstacle, you simply cannot give in to your thoughts. Be the strong man you grew to be and keep fighting it… even if you slip. Try to do that, for yourself, your family, and your children." Ryuji took a deep breath. "You deserve the best of you."

"The 'best' of me has never been anything worth fighting for," Espio muttered. "It never has been."

"Your friends seem to think otherwise. You even have a woman who sees all the best qualities in you," Ryuji murmured. "I see good in you, so much so that I would slit Nareish's throat open if I had the ability to do so."

You're the one who's lying. Rather than say that, Espio just made himself nod and stay quiet.

Ryuji blinked once and looked at Espio, frowning. "What?"

This question caught Espio a little off-guard, since it came across as random. And therefore, it managed to be confusing. "...I did not say anything," he eventually said.

"It's what you didn't say," Ryuji revealed. "That's a statement you normally would have rebuffed."

"There was no rebuff to give," Espio mumbled, steadfastly looking anywhere but at Ryuji. He didn't like the suddenly nervous way his emotions were shifting, and looking away seemed to help for the moment.

Ryuji shifted away a little again to give Espio space. "What were you thinking, then?"

"Nothing."

"Are you lying?" Ryuji pressed softly. "I want you to be truthful with me, as I try to be with you."

"I don't want to talk about this," Espio suddenly told him, shifting a bit further away from Ryuji. "Just drop it."

"Too much?" Ryuji questioned lightly.

Espio didn't answer beyond saying a small, "I don't know."

"I won't push you further," Ryuji said gently. "We can let this go for now."

After a long silence, Espio stood up. "I'm going home," was all he said, still mumbling and avoiding looking at his grandfather.

"Why?" Ryuji questioned, concerned more so than anything. Espio just shook his head, unable to articulate a reason (largely because he truly didn't know), and teleported away. The older chameleon stood and teleported as well, but not directly to Espio. He sat amongst the carnage of the village in silence, attempting to keep his senses focused on Espio. The man couldn't shake his concern, even as the exhaustion from all of his own recent emotional turmoil tried to overtake him.

I must remain awake… at least until I know… he's… okay.

~保護者~

How long had it been since she'd felt this level of anger… no, rage? Not even Nareish managed to upset her in this way often, and they'd been at it for quite some time. Now, however, was a different story. Nareish abducted her student, practically her daughter, and then the new God of Demons had corrupted her. Her Judgement flowed out of her body in droves as her desire to bring those two down only became stronger.

Luckily for everyone she cared about, she had learned to reign in her anger and energy pretty well. As such, she merely stood some distance away from Finis while her energy reacted to her emotions like this. "If it wasn't another of our 'kin', I would kill that son of a bitch where he stands," the woman muttered hatefully. "That's one of my children. How fucking dare he?"

Finis stayed silent as she, quite justifiably, raged. He was upset, too, but thought it best not to express that much. Darkness had a tendency to react badly to that kind of thing, after all. So, for now, he just stayed quiet and lent a listening ear to her. Cere paced openly, trying to find some brief vent to her anger, even if it required her to pace for hours. "This is fucking ridiculous. I can't sit idly by while she becomes something that she hates."

"Something will be done," Finis projected to her. "I don't know what yet, but something will be done. The others are aware already and are forming their own plans and backup plans. Ylden will no doubt do what he can as well, and I can't imagine that his friends won't help. We also have Sein, Alana, and Jet if someone can get in contact with him. Someone will figure something out."

"Their job is to save her," Cere muttered angrily. "I will deal with the God of Demons myself."

"You cannot kill him," Finis reminded carefully. "That would make you the new ruler. You would become one of them yourself."

"I have no plans to kill him, simply to make him regret touching Armaris," Cere answered.

Finis nodded slowly. "When will you confront him?"

"Once Armaris is safe," Cere answered. "He very well could attempt to send her after me, which would severely harm her mental state."

"I would have to agree," Finis said. "The moment we know where she will be sent and she arrives there may be your best chance, then."

Cere crossed her arms and quietly thought over this before nodding. "Yes."

"I will help monitor things," he told her. "With so many eyes searching, with luck we will not be caught off guard by the attack when it happens."

"Ensure that all of the defenses are not centralized in one area," Cere suddenly murmured. "We don't actually know what this demon wants to use her for, but we know what she is capable of. He'll try to use her to take down an entire place all at once, and we can't fight back if there's nobody there to stop her."

"Of course. As much will be protected as possible."

Cere let out a slow breath, holding a hand over her face as she reigned in her anger and thought. "I may seek counsel with Sona or Eila, to see what they think. Aside from Kaden, they have the most intimate knowledge of evil."

Finis inclined his head. "What exactly are you hoping to glean from them in this scenario?"

"Now? Targets. What places might be attacked," Cere explained. "This is a new enemy we know little about."

"In truth… I've had a feeling," Finis suddenly admitted. "Yes, Mobius is often a target these days. However, there are other allied worlds with fewer immediate threats on them. Places like New Babylon, or what remains of Therius."

"I'm not sure it would make… sense to go after Therius, but it is still potentially possible," Cere acknowledged.

"Regardless of plausibility," Finis said, "I would prefer that we are prepared. If Mobius is ignored but all of our focus is there, we may be dooming other people to slaughter." He was quiet for a time, then let out a rare sigh. "And… Therius may yet be a target, though possibly only for the purpose of corruption. I watch over creatures of shadow, Cere, many of which also fall under Kial's newfound jurisdiction. Some, such as nightmares, are native to Therius already and live on despite the Therian's near-total extinction."

"In recent eons," he continued, "some vampires, lycanthropes, and other creatures and peoples have taken up residence on that world in small but significant numbers. They may be considered darker beings, but I wish to ensure their protection as well. Planets like Therius are well-suited for those like them, but these worlds are few and far between throughout most of this realm. At least two such planets were torn asunder by Tein's conquests, forcing the survivors to relocate. I would prefer it not be allowed to happen again."

Cere thought this over before conceding to that fact. "Not to mention it would likely upset Saethrim as well, which will make it all the harder to have him listen to us." The Hexan let out a slow sigh. "How can we divide our forces to accurately protect the worlds that require it most?"

"I'm not sure," Finis admitted. "We don't have forces to begin with. Merely a single group of allies that can all too easily be spread too thin."

"The best we could do is station a few of our strong allies in different places in hopes that it will allow us some modicum of protection," Cere responded.

"Then we will have to decide who to send where," Finis murmured.

"For starters… among the strongest in our ranks naturally, myself, you… specifically in terms of defense, Saethrim, Locke, and Nier," Cere began before adding, "Alongside the growing power of Cyril, Kial, and Kath. Sona is nothing to scoff at, all things considered, and we have not recently been in contact with Yareis and Pyrun."

Finis give this all some thought. "Saethrim may best be positioned on New Babylon. The mythical creatures found there are much closer to facing extinction than those on Therius. The Celestial wolves and horses are found nowhere else in existence and their populations always suffer during attacks on their current planet." He paused. "It is only natural to assume Kath will remain there as well."

"Locke and Sona can be stationed together near Therius… though perhaps it may be best to place them at Mobius, then put Cyril and Nier together at Therius." Cere frowned deeply, looking around slowly as she tried to allow herself to think. "Myself and you can be stationed elsewhere, especially seeing as we can travel quickly, however putting you near something that may affect your Darkness is something I would not wish to risk."

"The vampires on Therius provide plenty of magical prowess on their own," Finis told her. "It would be better to put Locke and Sona with them, since that adds additional physical strength to the mix. That would mean Cyril and Nier can handle Mobius. As for myself… I was debating going to the da Asani homeworld. They have been remarkably ignored throughout the war so far, but I am wary of trusting that will remain true."

"In that case, I may position Pyrun with you and have Yareis at my side, so that we can quickly depart to another location with ease, bringing further aid as necessary," Cere said. "I hate to divide our group so heavily, but this is necessary."

"Once we know where Armaris and any additional forces are due to show up, we can gather again in larger numbers," Finis reminded calmly. "But, yes, I agree that it is not favorable. Where will you and Yareis go, by the way?"

Cere tapped her fingers against her arms. "Truthfully… I am not sure. This certainly would cover our bases well. With Jet being temporarily unable to join us in this all, I feel it best that we simply keep a watch on other potential targets rather than spread ourselves thinner."

"Perhaps send Yareis to Babylon as well, then," Finis suggested. "She and Kath appear to have powers and personalities that work well together, and that can be a powerful thing on the battlefield. This also frees you to take off the moment the chance for you to go to the God of Demons presents itself."

The Hexan acknowledged this with a nod before frowning. "We need to speak to Sein, Alana, Rose, and Analia as well. Rose and Analia are key to preventing anything happening with Armaris, as they can purify her, and for obvious reasons we need contact with our last two Immortals," Cere explained, despite knowing Finis certainly knew this as well.

"Wherever we have Rose and Analia waiting, someone needs to be ready to send them elsewhere as soon as we know where Armaris will go," Finis said. "If they are on Mobius, for instance, and Armaris goes to Therius, they will have to be sent there after her at once."

"Maybe it is best they stay by my side, then?" Cere proposed. "As I will be prepared to head to any location the moment we know where she goes?"

"That may be the best option," he agreed. "The quicker they can be taken to the proper location, the better."

Cere nodded. "And that simply leaves where we should station Alana and Sein… provided we can. Sein has been away from Babylon lately, and it's entirely possible…" Her thoughts drifted off briefly before she returned to the conversation. "That he may be with Jet."

"If he is, it may be best to let him remain there. His presence may be the only thing that can keep Jet steady and calm during the fight." Finis crossed his arms. "The Void never stops behaving the way it does, from what I understand, but it does seem to act up much more severely during combat scenarios."

"For that matter… Wave," Cere pointed out. "Do you know where she is currently?"

"She has been going back and forth between Ylden's domain and Babylon as of late," Finis answered. "She has been with her brother in between checking on her father."

Cere sighed. "I am not… pleased to know that something has happened to him." She considered all of this for a moment before murmuring, "If Therin or myself keep an eye on the demonic world to know when they leave… I may well be able to see how she is."

"Therin alone is more than capable of monitoring even that location for a short time," Finis said. "I will defend him as well, since there are not other matters to divide my attention between for the moment.

Cere nodded a little. "Absolutely. In that case, are there any other matters to attend to?"

"I don't believe so. I can start spreading word to Therin and the others regarding our discussion and potential plan for positions."

"Understood." Cere walked closer to Finis and smiled weakly. "I will see you again soon. Be safe."

"Only if you do so as well. Otherwise, I refuse." No sooner than he'd finished teasing her, Finis leaned forward and gave her a fleeting kiss on the forehead.

Cere returned this moments later with a soft chuckle. "I will try."

"Good. Now get going. As you said, time is not skewed in our favor, like always." Finis couldn't quite help giving her a proper kiss for just a moment before gently pulling back so they could both (however reluctantly) part ways.

The Hexan was more than accepting of all of this, even as they pulled back from one another. "I will see you soon," she murmured. Finis murmured a vague agreement, then vanished. Cere soon followed his lead.

~保護者~

Ynder had called for others to meet, and so they did. Pyrun and Yareis were the first to arrive, appearing almost immediately in the building Ynder had claimed as her own. Yareis immediately took notice of the beautiful marble interior, complimented by the obsidian table in the very middle of the room. Ynder was seated at one end and motioned for them to both to take a seat. "Please, join me."

Pyrun nodded a little and pulled out a seat to one side of her, sitting down. "I presume you're gonna wait until everyone else arrives to talk, eh?"

Ynder nodded gently as Yareis took her seat as well, one down from Pyrun to put a space between them. "I intend to, yes. Whoever can arrive, that is. Some cannot hear my call as well as they can Cere's."

"Fair," Yareis shrugged. "What's this all about?"

"You'll see," Ynder answered vaguely, much to Yareis's disdain.

"C'mon, Yareis, won't hurt ya to be patient," called a fourth voice. Soon, Locke walked into view.

Yareis rolled her eyes. "It may as well."

Locke took a seat with a breathy chuckle. "I somehow find it in myself to disagree," he said. As he spoke, he crossed his arms comfortably and leaned back in his chosen chair.

Pyrun echoed the chuckle softly. "She'll never agree."

"Have no plans to, either," Yareis huffed.

"Yeesh. You're a right ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Locke tossed her a smile to try to communicate that he was joking. "I'm kidding, by the way. Not actually trying to be an ass. I'll quit, don't worry."

Yareis waved him off. "You're the sunshine, anyway," the woman responded calmly.

"Eh, only if you're being technical," Locke answered.

"Seems like we have one of our new faces," Ynder suddenly murmured, motioning toward a chair.

The space was empty for a mere second before Cyril appeared standing nearby in a flash of rainbow-colored magic. "Didn't mean to take so long," Cyril chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Had to check up on someone before I felt comfortable leaving."

"Something the matter?" Locke asked him.

"Ah, my girlfriend is getting herself busy. Wanted to make sure she doesn't get too deep and push herself too hard," Cyril explained with a shrug, appearing in a seat with another flash of his magic. "Nothing too serious right now." It was easy to say that when he wasn't thinking about what happened to Han. I hope Wave is okay… We haven't talked since that happened.

"Ah. Understandable." Locke looked over at Ynder. "We waiting on anyone in particular?"

Ynder tapped her fingers on the table before nodding. "One more, at least, then a special guest will join us."

"What guest?" Locke asked, a bit confused. Then Nier abruptly appeared in the seat next to his, distracting him from the matter for the moment. "Yo. Haven't seen you for a hot minute."

"Ah, yeah, been… Well, been getting my ass handed to me and then mildly chewed out lately," Nier said with a soft chuckle. Then he added while looking at Ynder, Pyrun, and Yareis, "Oh, hey, guys. Haven't seen you three in ages. Not since at least one of you referred to me as the new 'baby god' that last time." He grinned, plainly amused.

Yareis winked. "Any time," she chuckled.

"So it was you?" Nier laughed. "I should have known. That's just like you to do."

The woman shrugged a little. "Perhaps."

"So what's this all about, exactly?" Nier asked Ynder, waving Yareis off with a hand. "I've not really been caught up to speed on everything yet."

"When Rose arrives, it'll all make sense," Ynder explained. "However, it is pleasant to reconvene."

"O...kay. Not even a hint until then, huh?" Nier huffed, but the sound was still amused. "Fair enough, I guess."

Pyrun shrugged. "It might be something that it's best to hear from her instead of Ynder."

"How do you figure?" Locke asked him.

"I dunno," Pyrun offered unhelpfully. "Not exactly sure what's going on either."

"Yeah, I didn't figure," Locke sighed. "Seems we're nearly all at a loss."

Yareis crossed her arms. "So, honestly-" Her attention flicked to the left and she tilted her head at the sight of the white cat appearing. "I suppose this is Rose."

Rose's attention fell on Yareis and she nodded softly. "Yes, I am."

"Yo," Locke greeted again, as he'd done earlier. "Long time no see."

"Yes, it certainly has been," Rose answered. "The rest of you, those I have not met, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Rosalline, but you are free to refer to me as Rose." Nier waved a bit, since he'd met her not long ago at all.

Pyrun gave a short wave. "Nice to meet ya, but I think we're all waiting to hear what's about to happen. If it's important enough for Ynder to call us here, that would be enough for me to be concerned. No offense, but let's get that out of the way before introductions?"

Rose nodded a little. "I understand." The woman moved to take a seat by Nier, letting out a gentle sigh. "For those who are not aware, there is a new God of Demons in existence."

Nier sort of paled and, as he would have expected, Locke froze before softly demanding, "What?! Rose, how?! Kaden was supposed to be kept somewhere safe!" In his tone was a mix of fear and anger, but none of it was truly aimed at her. Pyrun and Yareis had no real outward reaction to it all, and Ynder was simply silent and watching.

"Nareish had to have brought him here. From my knowledge, the new God killed Kaden… but Kaden must still be alive," Rose murmured. "Existence would have… been out of balance if he was still dead."

"More so than it already is, yeah," Nier muttered. "He's the God of Death. If he was gone for more than… I don't know, a few seconds, we'd be facing a shitshow unlike anything we've been forced to deal with so far. But since that didn't happen, someone must have brought him back somehow. It couldn't have been through the Chaos method, though. That takes longer, since it heals all the person's wounds and whatnot."

Ynder broke her silence, willing the strings of fate to fade into sight for those around her. She reached up and rubbed a finger against one, showing an image of Ylden. "This man has become the God of Death. Kaden passed along the role."

Pyrun frowned openly. "So he is alive. Do we know where he is?"

Rose shook her head initially, but Ynder touched another string and showed an image of Kaden resting. "He is with Zenith. Safe."

Violet eyes examining the image closely, Locke gritted his teeth. Then has said, "I need to know where Zareil is. Look at him, Ynder. He's not well, even if he's somehow sleeping right now. He might have even been having a meltdown, judging by the bite marks on his hand there. Zareil may be one of the only people who can be around him right now without making things worse."

Ynder pressed a string again and showed an image of Zareil with her triplets. "She is watching the new God from afar."

"...That's not a great idea, if you ask me," Nier said.

"I am aware," Rose murmured.

Yareis frowned openly. "We need to remove her from any sort of vicinity. She's totally loyal to Kaden, right?"

"I mean… she was when he could force it," Locke answered carefully. "Tricky thing is that there's no way of knowing for sure if that's what he did without asking one of them. But, either way, there does seem to be at least some level of care between them. That's why I suggested her at all."

Ynder managed a weak smile, despite her intense focus on the strings of, which were normally only used to tie fates to mortals when needed. "She is loyal even now."

"Okay, so after this meeting one of us needs to go get her and take her and those kids to wherever Kaden is," Nier said. "Ynder, when it's time for that, do you think you can put specific focus into figuring out where exactly that room is located?"

The Goddess of Fates turned entirely to Nier, blinking once in an eerily slow manner. "With Zenith and Ylden… Death… permeates…"

"Gotta be the Realms of Death, then," Locke frowned. "Which presents us with a new problem. No one can just go there without having ties the place or being permitted entry."

Cyril blinked. "I think I might be able to," the finch suddenly said. "I mean… it's a stretch, but I can try."

That gave the God of Runes pause. "Have you been there already or something? You seem weirdly sure about this."

"Yes," Cyril answered. "I think Ylden would let me in, and even ignoring that, I've been there."

"Works for me, then." Nier waved a hand to Rose. "Go ahead. We got off track, but you were explaining things, yeah? Stage's all yours again."

Rose nodded softly. "Recently, there was an attack on the Highlands. I did not learn of it until after the fact, but I believe that Armaris, the student of Cere and partner of Espio, was abducted, as well as Espio himself."

"Shit," Locke cursed under his breath. Then he said more clearly, "We need to know where they are. Got any leads?"

"From the information I received from my sister… Espio's grandfather went to retrieve him. I don't know the results of this just yet, but…" Rose's expression gained a noticeable concern in it. "Armaris is with the new God."

"Ah, hell," the echidna muttered.

Pyrun frowned deeply. "Something here is missing."

Ynder took the stage once more and grabbed a string this time, conjuring up an image of a terrifyingly large demon, towering over the palace of New Babylon. "This is her true demonic form…" Ynder murmured.

Nier blinked several times. "Well that looks… friendly." He stood up. "Hey, you guys keep going, alright? I'm gonna step out for just a second, see if I can't get ahold of Jet. He can't be here, but if we can at least get him in a call… I think he needs to hear this. Might be good to get his input, too."

Rose nodded softly. "Certainly. I would prefer to have his input before we continue more," the woman murmured gently.

"Yeah," Cyril said.

"Sure. Be right back, then." Nier left the room, a communicator appearing in his hands as he went. About two or three minutes later, he came back in with a relieved smile on his face. "Got him. He's listening."

"Did you fill him in, or should I?" Rose questioned gently.

"Got it covered," Nier assured. "We're good to continue."

Ynder was quiet for a moment. "Armaris has the potential to tear down the palace of New Babylon if left to her devices for too long. This form… is… beast-like."

"That species of demon was bred to tear apart planets, not just buildings," Jet said darkly. "Babylon's barriers are formidable, but even they won't do anything more than delay her. If she is indeed sent there, we may need everyone there in order to be able to stop her without ending her life."

Yareis frowned deeply. "It's that bad?" she asked openly.

"I crafted those barriers myself," the hawk told her. "I know what they can handle, and this is not within the scope of their ability. Ignoring that, killing her wouldn't necessarily be immensely difficult for certain people, but stopping her rampage without going that far? It will never be easy to do."

Cyril frowned deeply. "So… this image of her attacking New Babylon. Is that where she'll end up?"

Ynder shook her head. "This is… a possibility. The outcome with the greatest possibility, yes, but… still only one."

"Mobius has been a favorite target lately," Locke pointed out. "Just in case, we need to have people there, too. But they need to be ready to move immediately if it turns out not to be the target this time around."

"In that case, everywhere we defend needs someone who can teleport a large number of people," Pyrun murmured. "If we intend to split numbers."

"We'd need to send people in at least four different directions," Nier said. "Therius and the da Asani homeworld may be at risk, too."

Rose turned in Nier's direction to speak to Jet directly. "Do you have any idea as to which planets may need to be most heavily defended?"

"Babylon and Asinara," Jet responded without hesitation. A split second later, he clarified the Babylonian word he used by adding, "The da Asani homeworld. If anywhere is to hit, it will be one of those two locations. Perhaps even both."

"I will pass this information along and help make the necessary plans." Rose glanced back to everyone else in the room. "I believe that is all I needed to directly inform everyone here of."

"I'll help tell people," Locke sighed. "At least, the people on Mobius."

"Myself and Yareis will warn the da Asani," Pyrun added. "Get the word out. Cyril, you do the same with Babylon."

The finch nodded. "Of course. Is there anything else we need to discuss before we head on out to prepare?" Cyril questioned.

"Someone's gotta get ahold of Saethrim and let him know about all this," Nier said. "Only issue is that he's been moving all over the place like a bar outta hell lately. Kinda makes it hard to get to him and pin him down for a discussion."

"I can," Ynder murmured. "Someone must also prevent him from outright killing Armaris, as he does not yet know her identity. He will see a beast. If she is sent to Babylon, he will be protective of the creatures there. If it is the home of the da Asani, he will protect his people."

"Has anyone we know ever spent a lot of time with the guy?" Nier suddenly asked. "If we send someone he already trusts to talk to him, he may be more inclined to listen, I'd think."

"There are few he openly trusts," Ynder murmured. "The likes of mythical creatures, Calypso, and Finis are the few I am aware of. His relationships with other of our kin were always… strained."

Nier thought back through the ages and soon nodded. "Yeah… you're right. But you're also right about Finis. The two of them were full-on friends, weren't they?"

Ynder nodded easily. "Certainly."

"I'll talk to him about going over to Saethrim, then," Nier decided.

"That may well be our best option," Rose added. "If he is as strong as Kial, I would worry of him mistaking an ally as an outright enemy."

"Stronger," Nier corrected. "No offense to Kial, of course, but trust me. Saethrim is way stronger. That's why this is so serious. Even without his status as a God, he's one of the most powerful people we've got on our side."

Rose blinked. "Is that so?"

Yareis spoke up. "He is. That man… Saethrim, he is incredibly strong. He and Cere have faced one another and it is clear which of the two would come out on top."

Locke let out a low whistle. "Not what I expected to learn today. Damn."

"Isn't she like… the leader of the Gods and Goddesses? Everyone seems to have this insane respect and fear of her. Is there that much of a gap?" Cyril questioned.

"She's one of our leaders, yeah," Nier confirmed. "But strength isn't all there is to it. She's got a level head and can usually direct people very effectively even in hard, emotional situations. That's a big part of why she's respected so much, at least in my opinion. As for fearing her... Well, she's got a hell of a temper." He chuckled, then got serious again. "But, yes, Saethrim is stronger. He has to be, in order to do what he was born to do. You can't turn into things like wyverns and lycanthropes and dragons and whatever else on top of governing and protecting them without having some serious power."

Rose frowned a little. She hadn't thought of it in that manner, and the cat supposed that was her own fault for not thinking of it… not that she had really known to begin with. "That certainly makes sense. He would even have to contend with them, at times, I presume," she said gently.

"If by that you mean fight against them, then yeah. Not often, though. Sure, plenty mythical creatures can be categorized as dark, but really only a handful every actually turn out objectively bad or evil." Nier looked down at his communicator, blinking when he realized Jet had at some point hung up. You couldn't at least say "bye"? Ass. I'll find a way to get back at you later.

Pyrun moved to stand. "All things considered, we should all get going. This is a serious matter, and it'll only grow worse the longer we leave it alone."

"Yeah, agreed," Locke sighed. He stood, too, and moved away from the chairs and table to avoid setting things ablaze, then waved farewell and vanished in a burst of Sunfire. Cyril gave a small wave as well before vanishing into the floor through a portal, disappearing quickly.

Once they were gone, Nier said a quick goodbye, then added to Rose, "Hey, maybe stick around, yeah? Got a feeling Ynder wants to have a word." With that said, he teleported away to find Finis. A vaguely confused frown broke out on Yareis's face, but ultimately she and Pyrun vanished with their respective energies.

Rose walked over quietly to Ynder, watching as multiple strings flowed off her body toward the Goddess. Standing mere feet away from the woman of fate, Ynder suddenly gripped a string and Rose was struck with a vision. Pain and blood, darkness, and purple eyes were all she could make out before her mind returned. Rose blinked several times, wanting to speak but not having the words to do so.

Ynder spoke first. "You are in danger, Disciple of Light. Your Light is incredibly important to existence, and with you having grown weaker due to your travels and experiences, the only thing that will save you is returning to your former self."

Rose watched Ynder silently for a long time before asking slowly, "What… can I do?"

"Be yourself, or The Redeemed will be lost to us all," Ynder warned. "The you that once was, but was lost to pain and suffering."

There was a short few seconds before Rose understood the implications and her eyes widened. "No… I… Eila need not suffer more than she has."

Ynder nodded and returned her gaze to the world around them, setting a hand on Rose's shoulder. "You have made great strides… but return to yourself. You are a kind and gentle woman. Be that woman."

"I understand," Rose murmured. "I will."

"Good," Ynder smiled. "Now, leave. You have a job to do." Rose nodded and teleported away. The Goddess of Fates let out a sigh and returned her attention to the strings, moving through them. Be careful, all ye heroes.

Hell hath returned.

~保護者~

16,604 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Also, fun fact: the name of his character, Ghune, is actually pronounced "gyoon". Don't worry, that threw me off, too! Posted (at about 12:35 p.m.) 09-29-21.