Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) during this horrifying encounter… especially for the one who's suddenly different.

~保護者~

"Corruption of the Mind"

~保護者~

It was nearing dawn when Armaris and Espio were finally healed. He was given the go-ahead to take her home to rest. That was an offer he didn't think about refusing, because he most certainly didn't want to be stuck in Tails's crowded home for any longer. He gathered Armaris into his arms again and teleported straight back to his home.

Though still unsure as to why he was able to be so mellow after that attack, he didn't bother questioning it too much right now. He was much more focused on Armaris's face. Now that her wounds were gone, she managed to seem much more peaceful. It might have been wishful thinking but, for once, he genuinely hoped for something to be true. Namely, that she truly was feeling better.

Sighing softly to himself, he sat down against a wall in the front room. He lowered her legs to the floor, but kept her sitting in his lap with her head on his shoulder. For whatever reason, he couldn't bring himself to move her from there, or to have his arms anywhere but wrapped loosely around her like they were. So, naturally enough, he didn't bother and just kept things how they were. And, feeling unusually content and also being tired (in a mental sense) from all the recent events, he somehow managed to doze off soon afterward.

Time passed. Armaris came to with a vaguely irritated groan, feeling the heat of someone against her body. Cracking an eye open proved who it was immediately, and she loosely wrapped her arms around him, cuddling into him. "Espio…" she murmured.

Her movement and voice woke Espio immediately. He looked down at her with no small amount of relief washing over him. ...She truly is fine, then.

"Espio," she murmured again. "What… happened?" Armaris asked.

"What do you remember?" Espio asked in turn.

"A lot of magic…" she said. "I saw so much, and so many colors. It was hard to tell who was where." Her eyes met his and she frowned a little. "Someone was purifying me, too. I remember it hurting, and I did something, then I went unconscious."

"Various people were attempting to trap you, not just magic users," Espio explained quietly. "Silver was there as well, for example. Rose was the one attempting to purify you. She succeeded eventually, and you have been unconscious since."

"Oh fuck, is he okay?" she asked quickly.

"Tired but fine," Espio murmured. "You did not harm him. I suspect he merely found you difficult to pin down."

Armaris nodded a little, relieved before quietly questioning, "Who purified me?"

"Rose," Espio patiently explained again. "Analia, Sonic's mother, was also present but did not aid in this effort with her own Light. I believe she was more focused on aiding in the containment of your Darkness."

Her eyes were downcast, snuggling into Espio more. "I killed her," she said softly. "She… I felt it. Her life faded as I went unconscious."

Almost, Espio sighed. But in the end he refrained. I had hoped she would not remember. "She is dead no longer," he told the cat quietly. "I have only a suspicion as to why, but the fact remains that she is alright now."

Armaris hugged Espio tighter. "I feel so bad…"

"Try to focus on other things," he murmured. After a momentary delay, he held her a little tighter as well. "The point is that she is alright now, and so are you."

"Yeah…" Armaris pulled out of her own hug for a moment and pressed her cheek to his softly. "I… it's not my fault that it happened, but I hate that I got corrupted again."

Amber eyes blinked slowly at the change in positions, but he made no comment about that. "I know."

"What happened to you?" she asked, wanting to change the topic off of herself.

Espio shrugged vaguely. "There was an additional attack after your purification. We were all caught up in it, but I was healed at the same that you were."

"Not that," she said. "When I was taken."

At this, he sighed. "I was dragged into Nareish's realm," he admitted. "She spoke a load of horse-shit and expected me to listen to her, then attacked me and sent me away. Ryuji later found me and brought me back here."

"Fuck that bitch," Armaris grumbled angrily, her fur standing on end for a moment. Espio hummed a vague agreement. The cat allowed herself to calm down, but she didn't have the energy or desire to leave where she was sitting. So, she instead nuzzled up to him again with a smile. "Thanks for taking care of me." He didn't know exactly how else to respond to that, so he just nodded. "If I was in a better mood, I might be tempted to 'reward' you… but being held in your arms gives me a different idea. She pulled back and lightly pressed her nose up against his horn, smiling.

Espio huffed and poked her in the ribs. "Don't get ideas," he warned teasingly. "I may thwart your plans purely because I am capable."

"You're strong, but I won't lose something like this," she said softly, tilting her head and leaning closer. He raised an eyebrow at her. Armaris huffed at him, rolling her eyes before suddenly pulling him into a soft kiss. Rather than "thwart her" as he'd claimed he'd do, Espio just closed his eyes and responded contentedly. She held this for a surprisingly long time before pulling back in favor of snuggling into him more. "I love you."

It took a good minute or so for Espio to finally decide to respond to that. After Nyokae, he'd wanted to avoid those words at all costs. With Armaris, however… It was almost like he couldn't help but say them. "I love you, too," he admitted quietly.

Hearing that suddenly made Armaris sit upright, her eyes tearing up. "Y-you mean it?" she questioned quickly, pulling back to look at him. Huffing again, Espio looked away and nodded. Shinobi, after all, did not make a habit of lying. Or, at least, they weren't supposed to. And those words… they were never, never said frivolously. She grabbed him lightly by the head and kissed him again, far more passionately than before. He really loves me!

Espio could feel her emotions in her energies, and they along with the kiss itself took enough his breath away to succeed in actually cutting off his train of thought. All that really managed to cross his mind was a small, Damn.

Armaris was far more reluctant to end this kiss, but she did in due time and she pulled back with a wide and teary smile. "God, you're so fucking awesome. I love you so much!"

This exclamation soon earned another teasing poke. "I suppose it is possible for you to say that louder than you already did," Espio falsely complained.

"Don't tempt me!" she said, giggling. "This…" Her smile only widened and she rubbed her cheek against his. "Is one of the best days of my life… minus the uh… killing people and all."

Espio let out a vague, "Mm," in agreement. Despite the lack of real words, it wasn't hard to tell that he didn't disagree.

Armaris kissed his cheek softly and let out a sigh of content."It means a lot to hear you say that… really. I never heard it enough from people." Amber eyes blinked once at this information, but Espio decided not to pry. He didn't need to, as she continued. "I've never… been with someone who cares about me like you do."

"...That goes both ways," Espio eventually said.

Armaris leaned back and wrapped her legs around his torso. "I wanna be your partner… when all of this is over. I want to be with you, and you alone."

Though suddenly uncomfortable because of what he was about to say, Espio for once did his best to forge ahead rather than allowing himself to shy away. Though, he did avert his gaze. "I was… hoping to bring that up. Someday."

"Are you okay with trying to take that step?" Armaris asked, blinking curiously. "I get if you're apprehensive… Nyokae hurt you a lot, and you have a lot going on."

"That is why I did not intend to do it immediately. Just… at some point."

Armaris smiled and grabbed his hands in her own. "I'll be here for you, forever and always." Espio looked at her again and nodded a little. Her hands squeezed his and she glanced to the side. "Have you ever danced?"

This earned a sigh. "I was taught how," he allowed, "but only dances traditional to my people. I will not be familiar with most things from the outside world."

"Dance with me. Follow my lead," Armaris suddenly said, slipping off of him and offering a hand to him as she stood up.

"Now?" Despite his incredulity, Espio soon took her hand and stood up.

"Yes," Armaris said immediately. "I want to show you."

"Show me what, exactly?" he dared to ask.

She smiled. "How to slow dance. It's really relaxed and… intimate. I enjoy it a lot, and thought you might as well."

That made Espio blink again. ...Slow dance? As in, what is commonly portrayed in movies? All he really knew was that Vector had enjoyed movie nights quite a lot in the past. As a result, the shinobi had viewed far more media of that nature than he'd ever wanted to. In some of those movies, people had indeed danced. Were those dances the same ones she was referring to?

The cat shifted his hands to the proper places for him and moved her feet in a slow manner. "Follow my movements… don't step on my feet."

"As if I would," Espio responded with just a touch of lightness. True to his nature as a shinobi, he was able to almost immediately start mirroring her movements without difficulty.

She smiled as they moved about the room in a skillful dance, leaning into him and enjoying the entire situation. This was… nice. a good change from the stress and pain of the recent battle.

It was just about perfect.

~保護者~

The God of Demons limped through his citadel, wincing in pain. The energy that Cere had emerged into existence with and used against him… That hurt. It would heal in time, but the searing pain was hard to ignore. It was meant to serve as a reminder to evil what awaited them if they acted out again.

He didn't care, truthfully. His thoughts were on the matter of the battle. Armaris had performed satisfactorily, perhaps even better than he'd originally expected. To have been able to kill someone of that white cat's calibre was impressive, especially against the magics and other energies being used to contain her. In that matter she'd done well. However, she'd failed to cause the destruction he wanted to cause, and so that was problematic. She could be punished later.

Cere's appearance had been the biggest problem. Her attack against him was why he was in the state he was in currently. It was something worth punishment as well… but a special kind was in order. She would suffer in due time. It was a matter of finding the right kind of trap to prevent her from being able to escape.

However… the most useful bit of information he'd gained was while he was trying to recover so he could leave, hiding his presence to avoid detection all the while. Seeing that spawn of Malevolence appear and then be attacked by none other than a Tokarian-Black Arms vampire was something he'd never expected. He grinned as he thought about this all. If that man was a newly turned vampire, he had to assume that there might be something to make use of there. It was a touch too early to say it was going to be easy, or what specifically he wanted to gain from it, so he planned to monitor the hedgehog and see what they were capable of.

There was also a face he'd definitely recognized from his timeline. Namley, Ghune. She would be a complete thorn in his side if allowed to live, so something needed to be done to prevent that from becoming a reality. She would be a problem, though, that he was sure of. In some form of another, she needed to be dealt with. Thoroughly. Swiftly. Permanently. That was all there was to it.

His thoughts were interrupted by one particularly strong demon. Well, half-demon. Kalek walked up to him and took advantage of the fact that Tianak had no chance to directly retaliate by setting a hand on the God's shoulder. "Oi, you've gotten yourself fucked up," he helpfully decided to point out.

Tianak might have doled out a punishment for this, but the brief moment of pause to his thoughts brought a short-lived reprieve from the pain he was in. "If you think you would do better, you can face Cere yourself. I'd like to see you fare any better."

Kalek walked in front of Tianak and shrugged. "Honestly, it's a bad idea for any demon to do that. Kaden got away with it because he was an old ally," the man said openly. "Judging by how they refused to seriously harm him."

Tianak might have doled out a punishment for this, but the brief moment of pause to his thoughts brought a short-lived reprieve from the pain he was in. "If you think you would do better, you can face Cere yourself. I'd like to see you fare any differently."

Kalek walked in front of Tianak and shrugged. "Honestly, it's a bad idea for any demon to do that. Kaden got away with it because he was an ally," the man said openly. "Judging by how they refused to seriously harm him."

The God rolled his eyes. "What's your point? I'm short on patience-"

"Sit the hell down. You'll think better without putting yourself in more pain," Kalek said, already moving to walk off. "Or don't. Your body."

Tianak made a mental note to return the favor to Kalek in the future with a vague scowl. Kalek was cocky, and he needed to be knocked down a peg. Regardless, his words held weight and the demon teleported into a side room to sit on a bed, grimacing. "Fuck…"

All that was left was summoning a demon that could perform a type of scrying, allowing him to watch what happened with those he had his eye on. A smile broke onto his face as he watched Ghune interact with another vampire… seeming quite close. That may be the key.

~保護者~

The time had come once more to temporarily awaken, immediately putting focus on the heroes. There was a lot to address… but as long as none of the Faein expended too much energy, this wouldn't really set them back on their resting. As such, Rusen simply appeared in Hyale and sent out a call for Armaris, Aniko and Ryuji.

Unsurprisingly, the first to appear was Aniko, shortly followed by Armaris, then Ryuji. It didn't take all that long for Armaris to realize who this was, blinking once. "Oh, so I guess something is happening if you're back?"

At this, Rusen managed a gentle smile. "Yes. I have come here regarding a matter to do with someone important to you all, and I-"

"Espio?" Armaris asked, tilting her head in his direction. "What about him?" Aniko shot Armaris a brief glare at interrupting someone like that (considering that even she had deigned to give this being respect upon sight), and Ryuji simply glanced in the cat's direction.

Despite the reaction Aniko had given, Rusen took it in stride and sat down, smiling. "Yes, it is about him. While you, Armaris, have managed to not cause any incidents, Ryuji and Aniko… you two have done so accidentally. I understand that you love him dearly for varying reasons, and I feel it is important you understand his situation and why the things you have said and have caused him trouble."

Aniko did not like this, standing up straighter. "What do you mean?" she calmly demanded.

Rusen's smile faded briefly as he watched her. "Aniko, you are his mother and your words and actions regarding him matter more than he will ever admit. The time in which you doubted him has remained in his mind and heart since." He managed a smile again, and it somehow appeared strained. "And though you have tried to backtrack, apologize, admit your failure in trusting him, it hasn't been enough to undo the damage. Simply having had that lapse in trust weighs him down." The female chameleon couldn't speak after hearing this, her heart wrenched with pain at the thought of her having caused such a problem with her son."

Without missing a beat, Rusen's gaze fell on the elder chameleon, Ryuji. "Under the influence of Kal, you did many things that could be considered abhorrent or outright disgusting." Ryuji froze briefly under the da Asani's gaze, as if he could tell just how much this person knew and understood. The weight of potential judgement suddenly settled on him, then it left in an instant.

"The worst of which I can hope you will never commit again, were the actions and words against your family," Rusen said evenly. "Even ignoring the intent toward your daughter, which she has largely forgiven by now in favor of allowing you an attempt at showing your new nature…" The Faein watched as Ryuji cast a subtle glance toward his daughter, letting this information sink in before continuing. "You fought your grandson and said a number of things. Firstly, you stated that his family was a waste of his time and that they needed to be dealt with. Further, you added that Aniko was a failure and Armaris is a disgrace to your people."

It was Aniko's turn to glance at Ryuji, the latter of which was intently focused on Rusen. The da Asani continued. "You continued by saying, 'You need to remove them from your life and focus on being what you should have become with the training our people failed to give you.'" Ryuji's hands tightened into uncomfortable fists, turning his gaze away. This hurt to hear, and he wasn't sure how to process all of the guilt that was crashing over him.

After allowing him a moment to take this in, Rusen continued "You also implied that his positive emotions were a hindrance that needed to be dealt with." Ryuji could have sworn that Rusen almost sounded angry as he spoke those words, but even he was spooked by the emotions that flooded from the da Asani's mouth next. "You also directly told him that his disorder was a weakness that could not be shown to others, needed to be prevented from having knowledge of it spread around, and needed to be dealt with in some manner. You only solidified his mindset toward that matter and further enabled dangerous behaviors that have simply allowed his Darkness more free reign over his mind and body."

Though Ryuji wanted to speak, to say something, he was practically frozen in place. What could he say? He had no excuse. Sure, he'd been under Kal's influence, but it had already been proven he was capable of thinking for himself. Nothing he could say or do would make any of this feel better… then, all of a sudden, Rusen's words became far more gentle. "This might not be such a serious matter had it not been for his learned behavior known as 'masking'. He hides his disorder and symptoms in an attempt to appear normal, like all others around him. He avoids abnormal behaviors, speaking at length about his hyper-fixations, and only engages in one activity that he fixates on - namely fighting. He has even buried away emotional responses and thoughts that he would feel as a result of the disorder. Literally bottling things up."

Rusen seemed disheartened all of a sudden, his head hanging far lower than it had this whole time. It felt like an eternity to the chameleons present, but in reality it had hardly been a few minutes. "He clings to the words and responses you have given regarding him far more due to his habit of masking and botting up, which is serving to only make things far worse than they would have been had he learned a proper method to handle his emotions and… 'unlearned' those behaviors."

Ryuji and Aniko were given a moment of reprieve when Armaris spoke up, breaking into the emotional speech that had served to make their heads feel light. "What about me…? Have I done anything?" she asked, genuinely concerned. "I don't want to hurt him."

The Faein lifted his gaze to the cat and smiled softly. "You were careful with your words and actions this entire time. The only time you ever came close was your reaction to his self-harm, and even then… it was resolved quickly. I am very proud of that." Armaris seemed relieved to hear this, relaxing a great deal. He returned his attention to Ryuji and Aniko, blinking once in a slow manner. "This would be more manageable had it not been influenced further by his Darkness. It influences his thoughts negatively often… though I am glad to see that you both care so deeply about the consequences of your actions."

"What can I do to right this?" Ryuji questioned.

"That's the right question," Rusen said gently. "Ensure that you do not fall into the same traps as before in how you address the issue of his Darkness and disorder, both of you," he said pointedly, looking between Aniko and Ryuji. "And encourage therapy. A certain timeline traveler would do rather well at speaking to Espio, especially if he is more willing to engage."

"...Who the hell are you talking about?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Faein chuckled. "His name is Steam, last name Alakara, if you care at all. A green hedgehog. You'll know him the moment you see him," the Faein said with a bright smile.

Aniko crossed her arms. "He's at least become a sort of pseudo-leader for the group we work with, and he's respectable enough." Her gaze fell on Rusen, frowning. "If you believe that he is actually capable of helping my son, I will do my best to encourage it."

"I wholeheartedly do believe that Steam is one of the most well-suited for such a job," Rusen said. "I give you my promise on that."

Armaris huffed a little. "Fine. I don't like him that much, but if he's going to be good for Espio, then it's fine by me."

Rusen glanced to Ryuji. "And you?" he questioned lightly.

"I will consent to this, for the good of my grandson," Ryuji answered.

"Good," Rusen said, standing up. "Now, I must take my leave. I have other matters to attend to." Armaris didn't wait for the excuse to leave, vanishing an instant later. Ryuji glanced between Rusen and Aniko for a moment, then turned his full attention to Aniko when the da Asani left.

"I'm… sorry for the things I have said regarding you all," Ryuji suddenly said. "I have no intention of ever doing such things again."

Aniko turned away, trying to act indifferent. It wasn't working. "Just… make sure you don't do that shit again. Espio needs us… all of us, and if any of us fuck this shit up, it's going to make it worse." She turned to him, sighing a little. "And for what it's worth… I'm glad you're back."

Ryuji didn't know how to answer this, or how to comprehend it… so he didn't and instead answered, "It's good to be back," before teleporting back to his home.

~保護者~

Time spent awake, living their lives out and about in the existence they had forged, was good for the Faein. They had started as calm, rational, yet curious beings with no other feelings or personality. As they had wandered and learned, they had grown into creators. Caretakers. Protectors. Educators. But there was still so much more that they could become. Utavi's pronounced, obvious personality traits were proof enough of that fact.

The reason why she had so much more character was simple. She had spent the most time awake before the great sleep, watching over her race as it slowly drove itself closer and closer to extinction. It was only after their planet had died that she had succumbed to the need for rest. Eons she had spent with them, developing herself all the while. Rusen and Aethra, meanwhile, had fallen asleep quickly and had had no such time to do such a thing.

Sul was somewhere in the middle. He had been awake after Rusen and Aethra, yes, but nowhere near as long as Utavi had been. In that time, he had come to find himself to some degree, just not as much as she had. As the embodiment of "soul", matters of good versus evil, corruption versus purification, and so on were what he understood best. Because of that, his personality traits had naturally begun to develop in ways that were in line with that.

Needless to say, that also meant that the name that Aethra had suggested he take on was rather fitting as well. Sul was, after all, the Therian word for "soul". Thinking back on that race, however, was… difficult. They were his people. The ones he had created and been responsible for. Like Utavi, he had found himself unable to steer his race back onto a better path once they had begun to stray. It had absolutely broken his heart. The warning that he had given them, engraved like a scar into the very ground they had walked on, had been his last hope. A way of reminding them to turn their backs on their dark ways or suffer the future he saw before them.

They had chosen not to listen.

Matters of the soul were matters of the heart and mind as well. So while he wasn't as calmly logical as Aethra, he'd been able to rationalize their actions to himself, to remind himself time and again that free will was too important a gift to take away in order to save them. And while he wasn't as freely emotional as Rusen, he still mourned over the loss he knew would one day come. His only consolation was the knowledge that some would live on as good people… but the fact remained that, for the rest of them, he had failed.

His inability to help led to him developing a twinge of hesitancy in his personality, along with a stronger hint of worry. He hesitated to potentially put himself in the same kind of situation as before. He worried over the lives of people more than he had before. The former trait might have initially made him unable to act, at least very briefly, but when he fully awoke and sensed this… That was when worry kicked in and spurred him into action.

This? This was no ordinary matter. A member of their small but growing family, one who was still finding his way and coming into his own, was in desperate need of help. So much has happened to you… I can only apologize for not awakening sooner to help. Wasting no further time, Sul phased through reality until he came to stand right beside Espio. The chameleon was in his home organizing the food storage. Sul spoke before he could. "Please, do not follow through with that idea. Knives are unpleasant and I am not fond of them."

It came as no surprise that this statement stopped Espio short. He just sort of stood there for a second, almost playing the part of a statue, before turning to face Sul with a small scowl. He glanced over Sul's carefully crafted Therian disguise. "Who are you?" he quietly demanded.

"I believe you know the answer to that already," Sul murmured. When Espio didn't acknowledge that, the Faein gently encouraged him by adding, "Your senses are not incorrect. You are growing into an Immortal, as you have been told. Even the very youngest Immortals are members of our family. They know us by our energies on an intrinsic level, as we have learned. The feeling you got when I arrived was accurate."

Espio took in a breath and let it off slowly. "You're… a Faein."

Pleased that Espio had decided to trust in his instincts after all, Sul smiled faintly. "Yes, I am. My name is Sul. Ah, that's 'sool'. The pronunciation is fairly similar." Amber eyes blinked and Espio inclined his head. "I trust that you are doing well after that attack. You appear to have seen a healer.

Though it wasn't said, Espio suddenly seemed to understand something. Brushing aside what had just been said, he replied, "You are the one who protected my Darkness from the influence of that being's energy."

Another faint smile. "Yes. I was mostly asleep when it occurred, however, so I was not entirely cognizant of events at the time. Still, I knew enough to tell that Malevolent energy was dangerously close to you. I sought to protect you from that in some way." He used a hand to gesture at the cushions placed at Espio's table. "Please, may we sit? I have some things I would like to discuss with you."

Rather than ask why or even outright refuse, Espio simply left the food where it was for now and crossed the room. Once he was seated, Sul followed suit. "What things?" the chameleon asked, a frown on his face.

"I feel I must explain something before I can answer that," Sul told him apologetically. "It's rather simple and straightforward. You see… much like how you and the other new Immortals all embody specific energies, myself and the other Faein embody one particular trait that is important to an overall 'self'. Rusen, creator of the empathetic and kindly da Asani, embodies heart. Utavi, creator of the strong and iron-willed Erukti, embodies, well, body. Aethra, creator of the logical and inventive Babylonians, embodies mind. And I, creator of the Therians who struggled so much on their path through life, embody soul."

He sighed to himself and continued. "We Faein do not make claims of perfection. We are capable of our own challenges, shortcomings, and failures, though perhaps not in the same way as other beings. Utavi's people became war-hungry and battled their way into extinction. My people succumbed to dark influences with largely the same end result. We both failed our people in different and yet too similar ways. There are things we could have done better, arguably should have. But that cannot be changed so easily now that it has happened."

"What I wish to avoid here," he said softly, "is the making of another mistake on my part. Souls contain two natures within them. Good and evil are potentials that exist in all with a scant few exceptions, such as us Faein, Eona, and Zenith. For all others, this duality exists. Generally, it does not create immense issues for most. With time and experience, virtually all people come to know with certainty who they are and which path they will choose. Things have not been so easy and clear-cut for you. This is something I can help you with. Not doing so would be a mistake, and I am unwilling to make it. However, the choice is yours alone. Would you be willing to have this discussion with me?"

It was quiet for a time. Sul allowed it, knowing the man before him often struggled to put his thoughts and feelings into words. He further struggled to communicate those words rather frequently. As such, his eventual response was far from surprising. "I don't know how," Espio eventually responded. That was all he said on the matter, but it was enough.

"If you're willing to try, then I will do all I can to help in ways you are comfortable with," Sul promised him. "Hidden or not, I am more than aware of your energies and all that they reveal. That is knowledge that I, with your permission, am more than capable of using to help you along without making you too uncomfortable."

For complicated reasons, Espio soon agreed… though he remained uncertain and wary. "...Alright."

Sul gave him an encouraging half-smile. "Let's start off easy, shall we? We both know you care about your family very deeply. That includes Armaris at this point, at least in the ways that matter, as well as young Cream. Aside from them, however, can you tell me who else you feel such a genuine bond with? Who else do you hold close to you?"

Though the mention of Cream did cause Espio a pain that Sul felt shoot through them both, the chameleon managed not to linger on that sensation for long. "Vector and Charmy," he admitted quietly. That, too, caused him pain and so he moved on swiftly. "And Shadow."

"I thought you would say them," Sul said warmly. "Those three are very dear to your heart. They matter to you greatly. Have you ever truly thought about how much they likewise care about you?"

"...No," Espio admitted.

"Let me ask you this, then. When you think back on your years spent with them, what is one positive thing you can recall each of them saying about you?"

This sudden question threw Espio for a bit of a loop. He was visibly at a loss for a time but, eventually, seemed to force himself to do as he'd been asked. "...Vector… often told me I was good at solving mysteries with him," he eventually said.

"What of Charmy?" Sul asked him.

"He said as a child that I was fun to play with."

"And Shadow?"

Unsurprisingly, Espio had to think about that one more deeply. Shadow, after all, wasn't often the type to openly share kind words with others. He often preferred to stick with snarkiness, faux irritability, and so on. "...He told me once that he thought I was talented."

"In what way?" Sul gently pressed.

Slim shoulders lifted in a shrug. "As a fighter."

"Here is something I would like you to think about," Sul told him. "If they did not also care about you and think of you as a friend, would they have said those nice things about you?" After a short delay, Espio shook his head. "It stands to reason, then, that they are your friends. And those three, they're good people, are they not?"

This time, there was no hesitation. "Yes," Espio declared softly. "There can be no question about that."

"Do good people make a habit of befriending someone who is evil?" Sul abruptly challenged him. "Someone who is nothing but violent and murderous? Someone who cannot be saved and brought back to a good path?" Espio stiffened and dropped his gaze. Sul again pressed, but like before he kept everything gentle. "Can you answer that, Espio?"

"...No," Espio eventually said. "They would not do that."

"Very good," Sul murmured, smiling once more. "It is difficult to admit that when Darkness is so constantly and insistently urging you to believe otherwise. I am proud of you for succeeding in separating your thoughts from its influence just now." Espio fidgeted, looking uncomfortable at the praise, and turned his head away. "Let me ask you one more thing, and then we can be done for now. I know this has already given you something important to think about today."

"What?"

There was a sliver of trepidation there. Espio wasn't sure he wanted to ask that question, much less hear the answer. But he'd chosen to forge ahead, and for that Sul was even more proud. He made that be known through his own energy as he spoke. "Those negative things you have been thinking about yourself… Do you think your friends would think the same thing, genuinely? I want you to think on that. Separate your thoughts from the influence of your Darkness as much as you can while you do so."

Sul stood up. "If not because I asked, if not for your own benefit, I ask that you do this for the sake of your children. Whatever you choose to believe, regardless of what choice you make, will impact them most of all. So think hard, young one, and feel deeply. For now, that is the only advice I can give you."

Giving the chameleon one last reassuring smile, he vanished back to their resting place. He needed to return to sleep… and Espio had a lot to think about.

~保護者~

Now seemed to be the ideal time.

Her target was currently not immediately within range of anyone's senses. His partner had returned to New Babylon. His child was on A'latria. His allies were scattered to the four winds, taking care of minor grievances on a variety of worlds. He had been asked to return to his child's side and keep an eye on the boy, but wasn't quite to his destination yet. Now was the time to strike. Now, when no one else was around to notice his absence.

With a thought and a smile, Nareish brought Sein to float before her. A twirl of her finger made energy coil tightly around his arms and legs, holding him firmly in place. Further energy then created a bubble around him that would prevent any potential attacks with his powers would be redirected back at him. So long as he remained trapped in there, he wouldn't be able to teleport away or call for any kind of help.

Pleased with the knowledge that she had secured her latest object of interest, Nareish smiled some more. "As much fun as it was to unleash the God of Magic upon his friend… I have decided that I would much rather own you as opposed to spending time on him again, at least for now. It was enjoyable to see a sliver of what he is capable of, but you will be infinitely more fun." With a crook of her finger, she dragged the man closer. "You will do very nicely."

Sein stared at her in utter defiance, clenching his fists. He focused his energy elsewhere, choosing to not try and break free. He could tell it wasn't a good idea. "What the hell do you want with me?"

"Take a guess," Nareish invited. "Or three. I have all the time in the world to listen to you prattle on if I so desire." She stood and walked over to him, a thoughtful look in her eye. "That defiance will certainly need to be taken care of, however…"

"You could let me kill that Gerald guy everyone hates so much," Sein said in lieu of a guess. "Maybe even some of your favorite people. I feel like that would be a good use of your time."

"It most certainly would not," Nareish said with a derisive sniff. "I have plans for him as well, and he likewise has plans of his own. Those must be carried out, do you not think?"

Sein would've shrugged if he could. "I dunno. You do weird things sometimes. It wouldn't be surprising if you suddenly told me to kill him. Figured it might be entertaining, too."

"Hm, perhaps it would be, but that is not my goal. My goal, Sein, is to gain the power and ability to change existence. In order to do that… why, I would need to end the whole of this one." Nareish smiled at him. "And I believe I know just the boy to use toward that end."

"I'd rather him erase me from existence than ever allow your stained hands to come near him," Sein responded testily. "In fact, I hope he does. And I hope he wipes your sorry ass out, too."

"You would wish that on your own son? The pain of knowing he erased his own father? My, even I was not prepared to go quite that far at this stage."

Sein glared at her. "The pain of erasing me is better than the pain that being used by you would put him through." The man pulled against his restraints to no avail, but it helped vent his anger. "You are the sorriest piece of shit I've ever met, and if my death is what it takes, I hope that you never get to see the light of life ever again."

Nareish grinned at him. "I do enjoy your spirit. You and all of your friends are so much fun to observe. It has been far too long since any aside from the deities have had enough of a spine to so boldly face me without fear."

"I'm not afraid of you, and I never will be," Sein said openly. "I can't stoop so low as to fear someone who has killed and stolen to gain everything she has." His eyes flashed briefly with his aura as he fought the urge to try and break free. "One of the few people I would ever take real satisfaction in seeing die."

"Hm… not everything of mine is stolen. There is something specific that I developed on my own." Nareish strode closer and lightly poked her finger against his forehead. "The God of Magic… I suppose you know him as Cyril? You have met, yes? I trust word spread as to what happened with him at some point. His energies and whatnot remained unchanged, but his mind… That was corrupted quite deeply. Although, evidently, not deeply enough to withstand an attempted removal by someone of your son's calibre. That mistake will not be made twice."

Immediately, more energy appeared and began to forcibly hold his head up. Nareish tutted at him. "None of that," she chided. "You are of no use to anyone dead, least of all your allies."

"Better than me alive and against them," Sein chuckled in vague irritation. "Besides… I had to try. My spirit is what you like so much, so I was gonna try and get it out of your reach."

"Not your literal spirit," Nareish responded with a sudden laugh. "I must admit, however, that I was not anticipating such a literal interpretation of my words."

Sein rolled his eyes. "Alana has always said I was good at trying to bend words… or maybe that was someone else. I hardly remember with how much I want my sword through your heart."

"Do not fret. Your mind will clear itself momentarily." The tip of her finger began to glow against his head, and she smiled. "Shall we begin, then?"

"One final thing, since I've got no other choice here?" Sein asked. "It won't take long."

"Hm, I suppose. Say what you wish."

Sein managed a weak smile in spite of this dire moment, closing his eyes. "No catch, no funny shit. I want Jet to hear me say this. He needs to know that I love him dearly."

"You will be able to communicate that to him, genuinely, when I am finished with you," Nareish unexpectedly told him, all traces of humor gone from her eyes.

"...Huh?" Sein asked, confused.

"Your personality will remain the same," Nareish said. The glow at her finger intensified, the corruption process beginning as she spoke. "If it is changed, people will notice. And I enjoy your fire too much to douse it, besides. You will remain happy around your family, as usual. You will be as protective as ever over others. You will have your moments of 'goofiness' and the like. I could go on, but it bears no further mentioning. You surely understand my point."

Sein grimaced, but otherwise didn't question it. "Okay?"

"You will be loyal to me and me alone. Your personality traits, even including your love for family, will not get in the way of that. Loyalty to me comes first, always. You will serve me fully, and you will be happy to do so. Even if I were to command you to slay your whole family, you will do so without any hesitation, reservations, or second thoughts." Nareish was grinning again. "You will not feel guilt or remorse, sadness or fear. Not when carrying out my orders, that is. When the emotions are warranted among Jet and the others, you will feel and express them as normal."

"...And?"

"And all of this will be hidden perfectly, of course. I will hide the corruption of your mind from all who could potentially sense it, and your behaviors, words, and the like will reveal nothing." With that said, Nareish finally finished her explanations and did every last thing she had described all at once.

"Fine… I'm changing the last request I had," Sein murmured, doing his best to stay calm. "You've got a visitor, and they're fucking pissed."

"I am aware." Nareish did the very last thing, adding the very literal happy to serve aspect to her corruption of Sein. Then she said, "I am going to hide your presence. Regardless, stay silent and do not move. Am I understood?" Sein didn't say or do anything in response to this, merely blinking.

Satisfied, Nareish promptly hid him and then dragged her new visitor straight into the room. "Hello again, Saethrim," she greeted.

"Alright, look here fuckwit," Saethrim said in lieu of a greeting. "I'm damn certain that whole spawn of Malevolence had something to do with you. What the fuck?"

Dark eyes blinked. "Whether you believe me or not, I did not have anything to do with that little mess."

"I haven't the slightest reason to believe you," Saethrim countered.

"I suppose that is true," Nareish acknowledged. "That does, however, mean that asking me was rather pointless."

"You tend to like touting when you fuck with shit," Saethrim replied. "So that was all Malevolence's doing?"

"That, or whatever spawn you encountered was exerting a measure of free will," Nareish answered with a shrug. "A few of them now and then are more than capable of doing… 'their own thing'. It's so-called daughter being a prime example."

"It fucking reeks in here," Saethrim suddenly pointed out. "The hell were you doing?"

"You have heard of my beloved Pyrzar beasts, yes?" Nareish asked him, one corner of her mouth lifting up into a slight smile. "Former demons that I corrupted quite irreparably, in case you are unfamiliar. They all have rather… unique smells. Most are not pleasant, as you might imagine."

"Genuinely, this is one of the most putrid smells I've encountered," Saethrim huffed. "Unusual, even for it being unique. I encountered a few out in your realm, I'm sure."

"You likely did, but as with any other being they do all smell different from one another," Nareish reminded easily.

Saethrim crossed his arms. "You're hiding something, but hell if I know what it is."

"I am always hiding things, my dear," Nareish laughed. "It is 'part of the job', so to speak."

"Then why not show what you just corrupted," Saethrim said, turning away and beginning to walk away. "Not that you would. I'd probably try to tear it's head off."

"Mm, I suppose you would." Nareish calmly returned to her seat and sat down in it. "Saethrim, just a moment before you go. I did happen to look in on the battlefield around the time of the attack you mentioned. What I observed there was quite interesting. It would seem our little vampire is developing much faster than even I had expected."

"Touch him and your army won't exist anymore," Saethrim openly threatened. "I will kill them all."

"That is not what I am saying," she smiled. "I merely meant that I would show you… as this does potentially require attention. It would be good for both of our sides that this is monitored, would it not?" A screen of energy formed in front of Saethrim, playing out the events from the moment the Spawn appeared to the moment Toru and Sonic got Shadow off of the battlefield.

"It'll be handled. Stop pretending to care," Saethrim bit out. "You're already pissing me off."

"So long as you know, then I am satisfied." The screen vanished and Nareish leaned back in her seat to get comfortable.

Saethrim unscathed his blade and muttered something under his breath as he warped out of the inner part of the realm, unleashing a violent storm of lightning on the army he'd already placed a threat against. It made him feel a little better… but not enough.

Once she was sure he was too far away to sense things in this room anymore, Nareish unveiled Sein and released him from her earlier hold. "You may move and speak again," she told him, resting her cheek in a hand. "Tell me, how do you feel?"

"Like a bed would feel nice," Sein said, shrugging.

"I suppose it has been quite some time since you last rested." Nareish took a moment to wipe all the corrupted scents off of him, then continued. "Aside from that, however. Do you feel like your usual self aside from your ties to me?"

"Suppose so," Sein shrugged again, blinking slowly. "Corruption was tiring enough."

"As I said, it has been quite some time since you or your wife have rested. When you return, that will be your excuse for sleeping if anyone asks." Nareish looked him over. "Answer me truthfully. How would you feel if I were to bring your family here and ask you to kill them all?" As she spoke, she temporarily removed his tiredness so that his responses wouldn't continue to be so dull and exhausted.

"I'd do it," Sein answered easily. "I don't know if I'd actually be able to manage it on my own, though."

Nareish smiled. "Of course. I would not ask you to attempt it, anyway. I cannot have you dying. That was merely hypothetical." She shifted in her seat again to get a bit more comfortable. "Now, how do you feel about serving me? Tell me your emotions regarding that."

"I'll serve you regardless of your orders," Sein answered immediately.

"Indeed… but what of your emotions?" Nareish inquired. "That is what I asked."

"I feel more or less the same." Sein said with a smile.

"Good," Nareish answered with a smile. "Now, I am going to return your fatigue to you. Your allies would be suspicious if you were suddenly well rested. Live your life however you would normally live it until I next contact you." Without waiting for a reply, she did as she'd said she'd do and then teleported him back to where he's been before.

Once he was gone, Nareish stood and began walking. Within just a couple of steps, she had seamlessly slipped through reality to enter the Space Colony ARK. "Oh, Gerald," she called while she approached the room he was in. "I have some rather interesting news to share with you.

Gerald turned in his chair to face her, a smile on his face. "Is that so?"

"It is indeed." As she'd done before with Saethrim, Nareish formed a screen of energy in front of his face. "Watch what your weapon has already learned how to do, despite spending not but two days with his newfound abilities." Just like earlier, she replayed events for him from the time that the spawn of Malevolence attacked to the time Shadow was finally forced off of the battlefield.

The man watched this all quietly, observing the situation rather curiously. "That's certainly interesting, I will say. To think his abilities would have grown that much in such a short time…" he mused.

"In retrospect," Nareish laughed, "I should have expected it to some extent. That other hedgehog, the one you pulled some DNA from to make Shadow… Well, let us just say that his own magical prowess is nothing to sniff at. That family has quite the heritage. Despite not having been born with magic himself, it would seem your weapon retains the same acuity for it."

"Would that be due to the vampirism?" Gerald thought to ask. "He certainly would have not had this before, and it begs the question of why it would gain him such power. Is that how the vampires are naturally?"

"His talent is wholly his own," Nareish explained, "but the magic itself does come from being a vampire. It likely only added to his natural skill in this area as well, which is very common when people are turned into vampires." She crossed her arms. "I wager you never saw fit to waste your time with tales of mythology, so allow me to briefly educate you. Vampires are intensely magical beings, among the most powerful anyone could ever hope to encounter."

She continued. "Their magics, however, are often rather dark - though not evil per se. A prime example would be the rather potent necromancy he used during that skirmish. That is one of that race's special talents… Though I will say that his talent for it goes beyond the norm, given how swiftly he accessed it and how powerfully he managed to use it. I believe his strong ties to the violent, murderous Black Arms race may be the cause of that."

Gerald allowed this to sink in and he nodded slowly. "Are there other vampires that could be monitored to show the acceleration of his growth in comparison to one who has already mastered much of their talent?"

"There are indeed." Nareish formed several more screens to watch other vampires, each one already focused on their subjects. She pointed to each screen in turn. "That one is named Ghune. She is essentially the race's leader, as well as the one who intends on training your weapon. This one is an ally of hers, Ryint. I suspect she is quite skilled as well, though her control is entirely lacking. This third one is one of the top magic-users, named Akol. Observing his abilities may give you an idea of what Shadow will soon be capable of." She handed the screens off to him.

Gerald set the screens on his desk and propped them against the monitor, watching them for a brief moment. "Good. Now… on the matter of my robot. It should be ready," he revealed with a grin.

"Good. Release it whenever you see fit. I have granted it the ability to teleport so that it may reach your targets no matter where they move to." "The matter now is to choose who it will target," Gerald responded.

"Target whoever you see fit," was the easy reply.

He tapped his chin a couple times before glancing to Nareish. "What about the two that interfered with my weapon?"

"I can direct it to them if that's what you wish," Nareish agreed. She took the liberty of teleporting the first screen she had made for him into her hand and then setting it with the others. This was the one she had crafted some time back to allow him to watch Shadow whenever he wanted, no matter where the living weapon was.

Gerald grinned a little. "Let's do it."

~保護者~

9,427 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Happy Halloween, everyone! Hope that Nareish scene was spooky enough for ya. Posted (at about 11:25 p.m.) 10-31-21.