Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this small reunion… especially for the one who is remembering slowly.
~保護者~
"Aging"
~保護者~
Hyale was as quiet and calm as they remembered it when Satsuno and Seiko arrived. Only… the place where the village had once been was now little more than a ruin. Destroyed houses and trees surrounded them. Satsuno could sense the auras of villagers in a settlement scarcely a mile or two to the northeast, but for now his focus remained on what he saw here. What happened to this place?
Seiko unsheathed her blade, merely as a precautionary measure. She knew about the Hollows that existed in the Highlands, and if there weren't shinobi actively living here, then that meant this area was dangerous. Still, she found herself wandering to inspect things, her eyes focused on trying to find any details she could work with. Something tore this place apart.
Having reached the same conclusion, Satsuno was quick to walk in the direction of Shei and Aniko's old home. The village pathways were long overgrown by now, but he remembered the way just fine. Before long, he found it, and was stunned by the sight. The once mighty tree whose branches the house had been built within was withered, dead, and blackened by ancient fires. The house itself was a ruin, a victim of its own fire damage and who knew what else. The walls were barely standing, and much of the roof had caved in. Someone or something had destroyed it utterly.
"We should go," Seiko murmured after a moment. "I can already sense them growing closer. When we find Espio, surely he can explain."
Right… Hollows. Stifling a sigh, Satsuno turned away from the ruins and nodded. "Yes. Let's go."
Seiko began walking, shifting the grip on her blade carefully. I don't like this. We don't know what happened here in the slightest.
They had scarcely left the old village before a sound caused Satsuno to whip around. Much to his internal surprise, the very person they were here to see now stood behind them. Espio had taken down a small but oddly lethal-looking Hollow with a knife. He tossed it away, then turned to face them. "Follow my teleport. Hollow species you are unfamiliar with make their home here now." He vanished without another word. Seiko didn't hesitate, grabbing Satsuno gently and teleporting them both after Espio.
They appeared on a porch on the outskirts of what appeared to be this era's Hyale. Once there, Espio deigned to more properly explain. "Those Hollows hide themselves from most senses," he told them. "Should you ever return to that area, you must be on the lookout for what tiny traces of aura they give off."
"I should have realized they would be different," Seiko said, leaning up against a wall. "After so many years, the world changes, along with its people."
"You give their kind too much credit," was the calm reply. "Their general biology and powers is ideal for them regardless of the era. It was pure misfortune that a few new ones appeared."
"It's not about credit," Seiko answered, then waved it off. "Regardless, that's not the point. What the hell happened there?"
"Multiple things," Espio admitted. "Our kind faced an attack by the Nocturne Clan, which destroyed multiple villages. Many years later, the whole of Mobius suffered a siege at the hands of Malevolence. Hyale was the hardest hit village in the Highlands, largely because of Malevolence's desire to attack the allies of an Immortal named Jet. Myself and two others were in the village at the time, so Malevolence laid waste to it. The survivors later opted to move here, rather than repopulate what was then such a desolate wasteland."
Seiko was quiet for a few seconds after he finished talking before sighing softly. "What the hell?"
Meanwhile, Satsuno was struggling to wrap his mind around one detail. The Nocturne Clan? They were sealed away not four generations after our kind first came to this world more than a million years prior to my birth. How could they have…? He let that thought trail off to be pondered more fully another time.
In response to her question, Espio just shrugged and walked inside. "I have no explanations beyond that," he said.
Around this time, a black cat popped up, dangling off the roof by a tendril of Darkness. "What am I missing?" she asked, tilting her head. Seiko immediately noticed how familiar she looked, but couldn't immediately make the connection on how.
Satsuno blinked several times. This girl is nothing like the demon we saw that day. …Perhaps that is for the best.
"Nothing," Espio told her, crossing the room. He took a seat at his table on one of the cushions. The cat dropped down beside him, landing neatly and taking a seat with him.
Seiko walked over and sat as well, frowning in thought. Ultimately, the familiarity wasn't making sense just yet, so she chose not to question it for now. "All of that aside, it is good to see you fully grown, Espio. I always imagined you would grow to be as incredible as your parents… and color me surprised to see how much you have surpassed them in terms of skill and speed."
Taking a seat by her side, Satsuno glanced at Armaris and then took Seiko's hand under the table. He gently opened said hand and spelled out with a finger on her palm, "Ylden." Then he said to Espio, "We always had high hopes and expectations of you. As Seiko said, you have surpassed all of them." Much like when he'd been a child, Espio apparently still wasn't good at accepting praise. Their words only made him shrug.
Seiko returned the favor to Satsuno, spelling out, "Daughter?" She then smiled a little. "Apparently you have not changed much, in some regards." She changed subjects after that. "And who might you be?" she asked, glancing to the black cat.
"Armaris," she greeted with a slight nod and a smile.
"Yes," Satsuno spelled out in his wife's palm. "Possibly." He decided not to say anything aloud for the moment, content to just let these two speak. Espio appeared to have made the same decision.
Taking a moment to fully assess the cat, she came to two conclusions. "You've got quite a lot of both Darkness and magic," Seiko stated. "Are you skilled?"
"Eh, I'm learning," Armaris replied with an easy shrug. "Didn't really come by the magic all that well until recently."
Seiko raised an eyebrow curiously. "Really? But you've obviously had potential this whole time."
"Grew up with chameleons for most of my childhood, then spent my life on the streets for a while. Eventually found myself in the company of Gods and Goddesses." Armaris shrugged again. "Only the most normal life," she joked casually.
"You remind me of someone. An old… well, I'll call him an acquaintance," Seiko said. "He was skilled in a lot of things. Name was Ylden."
Armaris nodded a little. "Always knew he was old as hell. That's my dad."
"I thought so," Satsuno murmured, thoughtful.
Seiko chose not to act upon Armaris's… probably unintended slight toward everyone in the room, instead looking back to Espio. "You're quite comfortable in her presence."
Amber eyes blinked at her, then Espio shrugged again. "I have known her for many years. There is little reason not to trust her."
"'Little'?" Seiko questioned, amused.
"Ask her," Espio huffed. "She knows full well what I mean."
The immediate shit-eating grin that grew on Armaris's face told Seiko everything. "She took after her father, then. Quite the pain in the ass at times, hm?"
"You could say that."
"Sounds about right," Armaris agreed with a laugh.
Seiko chuckled a little, shaking her head. "Of course." Espio just huffed. After a moment, Seiko decided to ask the question that had been on her mind since they'd met Armaris face-to-face. "Are you two a couple?"
Although this was normally the one topic in existence that Espio found himself feeling shy about, he swallowed that feeling enough to nod and say, "Yes."
The female hedgehog didn't exactly expect the next thing that happened, considering that Armaris suddenly threw herself on him in a visibly loving manner. "I suppose she agrees," Seiko chuckled. Espio mumbled something in response that he didn't feel the need to clarify and left it at that. He sort of squirmed momentarily in Armaris's embrace, but ultimately just let her stay put. "I've gotta say, I like you two together," Seiko eventually explained. "I didn't expect a cat and chameleon to get together, but you seem to be more than okay with one another."
Espio opted for a noncommittal reply of, "I suppose."
"Seiko," Satsuno interrupted in a murmur, "chameleons often prefer to keep their love loves private outside of close family, remember? Do not press him so much."
"Alright, I understand," Seiko agreed softly. "That matter aside, what kinds of journeys have you made? You were always the type to wander."
"I have traveled over most lands on this world by now," Espio shrugged. "There are islands I have not visited yet and I limited my time in hotter, more arid areas as much as possible, however."
"Is that so? What is an area you found yourself enjoying more than others?" Seiko asked.
Dexterous fingers drummed lightly on the table in thought. "There is a place," Espio finally said, "that locals call Splash Hill. It is a series of emerald green hills along the coast on the western side of the continent. The area is lush, vibrant, and pleasant to spend time in. The waters there are amazingly clear, like the waters off of our own shores."
"Pleasing to hear," Seiko said after a moment. "I may need to see one day for myself."
"Perhaps."
Now Satsuno had a question. "Do you still have breathing difficulties?" he asked.
"Occasionally," Espio sighed. "There is modern medicine that helps significantly when I am struggling too much."
Seiko nodded slowly. "I am glad to know that much is available." Espio inclined his head.
"I have a separate question," Satsuno said. He gestured toward the hallway behind Espio, where a small wood-carved horse was laying on its side on the ground. It was a child's toy, a fact which he knew because Espio had had similar toys when he'd been little. "Have you taken to watching children, or do you have some of your own?"
"My own," Espio responded without hesitation. "Zei and Sako. They are little yet."
"And adorable," Armaris reminded.
"Zei"? As in, zeis? Their word for springtimes? "How old are they?"
"Sako is only a few months old," Espio answered. "Zei is around five."
Seiko tilted her head. "Where are they, currently?"
"Someplace safe," Espio replied vaguely. "Somewhere the enemy cannot hope to find. That is all that matters."
The woman nodded. "Understandably." Espio just returned her nod. Satsuno, having no further questions right now, grew quiet. "What do you enjoy doing? I know that chameleons are almost assuredly found with a skill in things such as singing, dancing, or playing an instrument."
"Mother got me a violin when I was around eight," Espio said. "I learned quickly and enjoyed playing it. I suppose I still would, if I had one these days. Beyond that, I am mostly just fond of typical things such as travel and swimming."
"Well, that's pleasant," Seiko said.
Armaris immediately spoke up once she replied, gasping. "You play the violin?"
"Yes," Espio confirmed, looking at her. "I do. Or I did, anyway."
"I'm going to find you a violin, and we have to play some songs together," Armaris replied.
Espio was agreeable to the idea and so he nodded. "Alright."
"So you both enjoy music, it seems?" Seiko asked, tilting her head vaguely.
"Yes," Espio said. "I have always enjoyed it."
"Same here," Armaris added. "I didn't get deep into it for a while, though."
Satsuno decided to speak up again. "Why not?"
"I was knee deep in some fucked up shit," Armaris answered after a moment, shrugging. "Had too much to handle to really sink my attention on that." Satsuno inclined his head in understanding.
Outside, there was the sound of rustling leaves and some of the branches creaked and shifted. Glancing to the open doorway leading out there, Espio said, "Aku will want to see you both. He is extremely old now and has bouts of confusion, as he did earlier during the call, but… he will remember you better than I can."
"C'mon!" Armaris said, suddenly launching herself out the doorway with a tendril of Darkness, throwing herself onto the roof.
Seiko chuckled softly, standing up. "I presume that you have plenty of fun with her being so excitable."
"When have I ever done 'fun'?" Espio huffed, rising to his feet. He idly tossed the toy from their earlier discussion onto the table as he walked by it, then headed outside as well.
As Seiko followed, she glanced to Satsuno. "He takes the teasing about as well as Aniko did."
"He is still so literal about things," Satsuno murmured. He walked after her. "Though I suppose I cannot speak too much on the subject. You often accuse me of being guilty of the same."
She nudged him lightly with a smile. "That is because you often are."
"Shush. I did not ask you." Satsuno returned her shove just as lightly as they emerged onto the porch. Before their very eyes, one of the thicker branches moved and curled around to face them. The branch then shifted coloration, revealing itself to be the dragon they were out here to reunite with. "Perfected his camouflage by now, I see." The dragon is a mere hatchling no more.
"Well, it seems at least one of us looks our age," Seiko said, smiling a little. "Been quite a while, hm?"
"I could do without your verbal barbs," Aku rumbled, old eyes narrowing. Clawed feet moved to better grip the branches around him, thus better maintaining his balance. "And you are far older than I, if you wish to be technical."
Seiko chose not to pursue her current train of thought, preferring to not be bitten by a dragon. "Regardless, you seem well enough."
"It varies moment to moment, these days."
"I would hope it goes better than that."
Her words earned a heavy release of air from the dragon. "It will not," he said. "I have grown too old. Espio and I have had our life forces tied together for many eons, but now that he is no longer alone I have asked him to remove that bond. My time is coming soon. It has been a very, very long time coming."
Seiko's ears folded down briefly. "Is… that so?"
"Yes," Espio said softly, looking away. "Every word of it."
She nodded quietly. "Well, as long as you have made your peace, I hope the best for you."
"I have," Aku murmured. "I am tired. This is something I have long been ready for."
Seiko stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what exactly to say or do at this point. Seeing this, Satsuno mentally connected with her for a moment. "We should say goodbye in some form, Seiko. That is likely why Espio brought Aku up in the first place."
"You know I find this incredibly difficult," Seiko replied.
"As if I do not? This may be the only chance we get."
She sent some unkind curses his way, mentally huffing. "In any case… though we met scarcely a few times, your presence will be missed." Aku let out a low, rumbling sound and laid his head down on a branch to rest. Armaris, meanwhile, used a tendril of Darkness to lift herself up to Aku, perching a little above him and rubbing his head affectionately. The ancient dragon seemed not to notice as he rapidly drifted off to sleep.
Espio looked on for a short time before dropping down onto the porch from the roof. Rather than potentially disturb his old friend further, he walked inside. Satsuno watched Armaris briefly before looking at Seiko again. "Do you wish to stay longer and talk more?"
"No," Seiko said, dropping onto the porch after Espio. Satsuno just nodded and followed her down. The woman turned to step inside briefly. "Espio, I do not wish to overstay my welcome here. I hope you all a good rest of your day."
The chameleon had been headed toward his food storage and he motioned for them to wait. He removed the panel from the wall and grabbed a pleasantly ripe fruit, which he then tossed to her. It was such a sweet food that it was eaten as a treat by the chameleons. "I remember Mother would share these with you," he said by way of explanation. "It is one of the last of the season. You can take it with you."
Seiko caught the fruit and examined it briefly before nodding. "Thank you. One day I will return this kindness to you."
"Do not bother. It is not necessary."
"It is not about necessity," Satsuno gently corrected. Then he said, "We will take our leave now. Thank you for having us for a time." Espio murmured some vague reply, so Satsuno teleported away.
Seiko gave a respectful bow to Espio. "I hope to see you and your partner again soon."
Since it was only polite and his mother might scold him for being rude to this person in particular, Espio briefly returned the bow. "You may return whenever you wish."
"Thank you." Seiko chose now to leave him be, teleporting away to rejoin Satsuno.
~保護者~
When he and Seiko returned home, Satsuno opted not to go inside for now. Their time spent at Hyale had reminded him how much he enjoyed the outdoors, the cool air, and forests in general. Sitting out on the roof afforded him with all three. This place wasn't so far north that it would ever snow, he suspected, but it was still nice and cool here. It helped that Shadow had chosen to make his home in the heart of a rather dense forest. Truly, it was pleasant in this place. So he laid back on the roof with his arms behind his head, intent on relaxing for a bit.
Very soon, a presence approached him, one of a familiar younger girl. Myriu took a seat on the roof, silently staring out at the forest around them. Satsuno let her enjoy the peace and quiet for just a short bit before asking, "Was there something you wished to say?"
"Not yet," Myriu replied after a moment of silence. Satsuno cracked an eye open to give her an inquisitive look, but ultimately decided to just leave her be. For once, she had a gentle smile on her face as opposed to the absolutely neutral expression she'd been wearing naturally. "I like it outside."
"I do as well," he agreed. "It is enjoyable in many regards."
"I have better memories outside," Myriu murmured. "Away from everyone. I couldn't go far, though."
Rather than dwell, Satsuno issued a gentle challenge. "Looking back… what do you view as your best memory outdoors?"
"Sitting among the graves of honored shinobi." Myriu thought for a moment, then decided to elaborate. "It was one of the few places I felt safe. I suppose it makes more sense now."
He inclined his head in understanding. "Did you ever learn about any of those buried there? Your people have many tales to tell about their fallen heroes."
"Just one, because of the difficulty I had getting to anyone without my mother intervening." Myriu laid back, closing her eyes. "A woman… I hate to say I forgot her name. She always worked alone, but always stood for her people. Slew an entire hoard of beings of Light beings attempting to harm our people before succumbing. I always thought of her as the kind of warrior I'd want to be."
"I heard of that story as well. She certainly seems to have been someone your people held in very high regard." Opening both his eyes, he looked out into the sky placidly. "Certainly, a warrior who is so willing to fight to defend her home and her people is someone to admire and remember."
The girl nodded a little. "Mhm. I wish I'd had a chance to meet her."
Grey eyes blinked. "Assuming she did not move on to a Realm of Death, it could be possible to do so one day."
It took a moment for Myriu to clue in to what he meant, slowly giving a nod. "You're correct."
"It may be worth looking into sometime," he said, shrugging.
"I will think on it, assuredly."
"If you ever do decide that you want to attempt such a thing, tell me. I can assist."
"Perhaps another day."
Satsuno accepted her answer. "Very well." With that said, he closed his eyes again. He wasn't much for continuing conversations, usually, so he felt content to let it end here if she had nothing more to say.
She too left the conversation for some time, simply laying there. She felt better than usual, and that was enough to prompt her to enjoy this for once. However, soon a topic came to mind. "I have made a decision."
"Regarding which matter, specifically?" Satsuno asked her. "We discussed more than one issue, the other day."
"My training," Myriu replied.
A blue ear flicked. "We discussed two forms of training," he reminded mildly, "and one of them I cannot help you with beyond speaking to Aniko on your behalf."
"I want both," Myriu replied. "I do not wish to neglect either side of myself."
"Admirable," Satsuno murmured. "I will speak to Aniko, then. It may be prudent to wait until you are better rested to work on spiritual training, however. It can be draining mentally, emotionally, and at times even physically."
"You've noticed?" Myriu asked quietly.
Since there seemed to be a distinct possibility that she didn't know, Satsuno sought to explain. "Tokarian ears are highly sensitive. The way one's breathing and pulse sound when they are asleep versus when they are at rest are different. Had you been sleeping much, or doing so fitfully, I would have heard it."
Myriu huffed a little at him. "Of course." Vaguely amused, Satsuno almost smirked at her response. Rather than be indignant or irritable, she chose to explain. "I've been having bad dreams lately."
"I have noticed," Satsuno said. "Is it something your brother can help you with? He knows you better than anyone else here by far."
"Hardly," Myriu murmured. "I don't want to talk to him. His energies are getting weird."
A fair point. Though "weird" is not how I would describe it. "If it is something you are comfortable with," he replied, "you can try speaking with Seiko. She does not mind helping others, especially when they are children. She also has knowledge of mental struggles of various kinds, including nightmares. It is possible for her to help you."
The girl visibly frowned, rolling onto her side to put her back to him. "Why not you?" she mumbled.
Hearing her movement, Satsuno opened his eyes and looked at her. "I am not the ideal choice for aid in this sort of area," he explained. "I suffer from the same issue, albeit for different reasons, as you have been dealing with. It is not something I cope well with when I am without outside help."
Myriu only got quieter as she spoke, curling up a little. "But you understand me better than the others…"
A feeling of sympathy made its way into him, and he further gentled his already kind tone. "Myriu, I will do all I can for you, as I promised before. That includes being by your side when and if you find yourself in situations where you need the help of others. I will not simply dump you on someone else and walk away."
Knowing now how sensitive his ears were, she tried to keep herself quiet. Tears had found their way into her eyes, and she didn't understand why. She felt like crying, but for once she wasn't hurting. I don't understand… Still, she found it in herself to murmur a small, "Thank you."
Satsuno was silent very briefly. "We can discuss other things," he soon murmured, "if you need a break from this." The last thing he wanted was to press her too hard right now and cause her upset. Her mood was objectively good earlier. It was a nice change from what seemed to be normal for her.
"It's fine," she immediately said, rubbing at her eyes. "I promise." Myriu fell quiet again, waiting to see if he'd say anything else. When he didn't, she decided to change the subject herself. "I talked to my dad."
"I know it," he murmured, "but I did not listen in once I realized who you were speaking to."
"My mom tried to kill me, apparently," Myriu explained.
"That was wrong of her. More so than can be expressed with mere words."
"I know." The girl let out a sigh. "My Dad saved me."
Good. "I see." Satsuno kept his reply short, giving her ample space to continue speaking if she so desired.
Myriu wasn't sure if anything else needed explaining, then one fact came to mind. "He has apparently been watching over me since he died."
"I understand," Satsuno said softly. "My father also died, but it happened when I was scarcely two months old. I was presumably born being able to see and interact with the dead, however. For as far back as I can remember, my father was always there and looking out for me… as yours does now."
"I don't know how old I was when it happened, but I was probably really small," Myriu mused. "But… it was nice to know he's been there, even if I couldn't tell." Satsuno nodded a little to signify that he understood again. "It's weird. I dunno how to explain."
"Explanations can be difficult," he agreed. "You do not have to keep making the attempt, however. I know what you mean already."
"Yeah. I'm glad someone does."
"Mm-hm."
Myriu fell quiet again before rolling over finally to look at him. "I don't know where exactly I should start on the training."
"With rest," Satsuno reminded gently. "This work will prove tiring in a way you are not used to. Spiritual exhaustion can weigh down heavily on one's mind and body as well. I would like for you to have had better sleep before we begin with anything."
She huffed a little. "I don't know how long that will take."
"However long is necessary," Satsuno said. "This is not something to be rushed. You will be protected from spirits as much as possible in the meantime, but the rest can wait until you are properly ready."
Myriu huffed again. "Fine."
"If you think you can, why not try to sleep out here?" Satsuno asked her. "You stated you like it out here, and I intend to remain for sometime. You will not be alone or unprotected."
The girl didn't exactly argue, just mumbling briefly before rolling over again, facing away. "Fine."
Good. She decided not to argue. "Do you need a blanket or pillow?"
"No," Myriu replied. "I find my arm comfortable enough." Satsuno nodded and closed his eyes again. The girl fell quiet. She felt comfortable and safe, so it was quite easy to relax. Meanwhile, Satsuno allowed himself to start dozing off. Myriu curled up on herself and chose to go to sleep... if only because she really was tired.
~保護者~
His time was just about up. Rather than cut it any closer than he already had, Han used the device he'd been given to make contact with Ylden as he'd promised he would. How will I even know if he gets whatever message this sends out?
An illusory image of Ylden flickered to life out of the device, and the man crossed his arms. "Pushed your time a little, ya know?"
Han nearly jumped, but managed not to somehow. What in the hell? How is he...? "...I was busy," he soon replied, once he'd decided that Ylden would probably hear him as well. "There's so much to see here."
"You're fine," Ylden replied. "I'll get a portal open for you to come back for a short bit."
Do I have to? Stifling a sigh, Han decided it was best not to argue. "Alright."
Soon, the portal opened up near Han, and Ylden ended the call. Now Han did sigh, but he nevertheless stood up and walked through the portal. As soon as he was through, the portal closed, and Ylden spoke up. "So, did you like wandering around?"
"Yes," Han admitted, taking a seat on the couch like he'd done before. "There were many things to observe and ponder over."
"Anything interesting or unusual happen?" Ylden asked, finally turning around and walking over.
"I found a place full of tall structures made of some brown material," Han was quick to explain. "Their tops were covered with green, and all manner of animals lived among them. I stayed there the entire time. One other person passed through the area, but otherwise it was just me there."
Ylden frowned a little. "One other person? I… didn't think there'd really be people there."
"There was some sort of settlement nearby," Han said. "It would have been easy to walk to my location from there."
"I must've missed that, then," Ylden said. Han only shrugged. "What was it like, there?"
"Strange. Those brown things were everywhere, as was some sort of green covering across the ground. It was… soft." Han shrugged again, more to himself this time. "None of it was what I expected."
"The brown things were probably trees, and the green stuff is called grass."
Fascinated as he was by everything he'd seen, Han was quick to commit the terms to memory. "What about the green on top of the trees? Was that also grass?"
"Nope. That's usually called leaves. They can vary in how they look," Ylden explained easily.
"They all looked the same where I was."
"Then, they were all the same type of tree."
Strange things, they are. Han crossed his legs and asked, "Why did I have to come back? I liked it there."
"People went after you once, so it's reasonable to assume they'd do so again," Ylden explained. "I'm not sure what I'd do if they corrupted you again or worse."
That made enough sense… but Han was still disappointed. "Alright," he agreed, resisting the urge to sigh.
"Just stay safe while I try to find a way to restore your memories," Ylden said, smiling. "I want you in good health."
"I know," Han replied. "I understand that."
"Beyond that, would you like to go somewhere similar next, or somewhere completely different?" Ylden asked, raising an eyebrow.
At this, Han blinked. "What kinds of different places are there? What are they like?"
"All kinds. Existence is vast, varied, and beautiful," Ylden said gently.
Han thought this over quietly, as he often did when receiving new information. Then, quite abruptly, he decided to change the subject. "How are Wave and Alec?" He couldn't place why he wanted to know. Beyond a purely logical understanding of what the words meant, he didn't grasp the deeper meanings behind the terms "father" and "love". He had no memory of them. Beyond memories of Ylden telling him about them, he had no memory of the two younger Hexans, either. Thinking of them as somehow being his was strange and foreign and the confusion he felt as a result was entirely unwelcome. But he still found his thoughts on the pair of them at the moment regardless. Why am I even curious about this?
"Would you like to know?" Ylden asked, raising an eyebrow slowly.
"That's why I asked," Han said.
"I'm asking more if you would like to meet them for yourself." The cat turned to more fully face Han. "If you'd like to see what kind of people they are."
Han pursed his lips together and then shook his head. He wasn't sure if he was… ready for that, somehow. "I don't… think so," he all but mumbled.
"In that case, they're doing okay," Ylden said easily.
"Alright," Han said. He was quiet for a short time before speaking back up. "Why do I… care about that? I don't understand."
Ylden let out a slow sigh. "It's about being a parent. You care because they are a part of you."
"I don't understand," Han said again. "I know what the word parent means by definition, but I don't…" His words trailed off.
"You can't, and you never will," Ylden replied. "It will always be something indescribable."
That doesn't make sense. Han decided not to say that, silently resigning himself to the fact that he was never going to grasp this concept again. Asking was pointless, then.
"Don't try," Ylden murmured after a moment. "Even in my lowest times, my concern was for my child. Maybe if you feel ready or okay with meeting them, you'll understand, but please take it at your own pace."
"Why tell me not to try, then immediately turn around and tell me to try if I am ready?" Han sighed. "You make no sense."
"It got your attention off your thoughts, didn't it?" Ylden asked.
Han huffed, frowning, before just shaking his head. "Whatever," he said like the teenager he was in a very rare moment of mild attitude.
Ylden managed a soft chuckle at that. "Despite losing your memories… you haven't changed. Not too much."
Blue eyes glanced at him. In the end, Han had no substantial response to that, so he wound up shrugging. "I will have to take your word for it."
"I think I've gotten things handled here for a bit," Ylden said after a moment. "How about I go with you somewhere and teach you more things? There's a lot of universe to explore and sometimes the answers are hard to find."
The prospect of further learning caused Han's demeanor to brighten again. "Alright," he readily agreed.
Ylden smiled a little. "I can find us an interesting place." Han nodded to signal his further agreement. The cat created a window of sorts with his magic, examining various places in existence. "Tell me if anything catches your eye."
After a short time, Han pointed at one place in particular. "That one," he said, eyes full of interest.
The cat took a moment to look everything over, making sure nothing was inherently dangerous to either of them. Han, meanwhile, briefly took his glasses off and used some magic to clean the lenses. Ylden soon turned this window into a portal, motioning with a hand toward it. "Alright. Ready to go?"
Han got up off the couch and put his glasses back on. "Yes." Ylden hopped through as soon as the word left Han's mouth. Han was quick to follow him through.
~保護者~
It was a neat landing, and a damn good one at that. She was impressed with herself, at least for a moment. Truthfully, she was just trying to enjoy herself a little before finally getting involved in this war. She'd cowered to the side long enough.
The woman walked up to the house in the middle of the forest she'd followed Steam's presence to, idly fixing her cowboy hat. She was armed to the teeth, but fidgeting with any of it could send the wrong message. She stepped to the door and knocked with a heavy hand, striking the door with a loud thud a few times. "Hey! Anybody home?" she called.
Given the nature of her greeting, it didn't take long for someone to answer her. "Oi, oi," a blue hedgehog with green eyes complained as he pulled open the door. "Why are you shouting? And who are you?"
"Ah, meant nothin' by it," the woman apologized. "Name's Tessa. I was approached by a man named Steam. Green hedgehog. Spoke to me about helpin' with this whole war?"
Way to keep the rest of us informed that you actually did this, dude. He pulled the door open wider to let her in. "Yeah, okay. He should be up and around by now. Take a seat somewhere and I'll go get him."
"Alrighty then," Tessa said, walking inside and glancing around. Tons of magic here. Never sensed anythin' like it. "Much thanks to ya."
After closing the door, the man said, "Oh, name's Sonic, by the way. Should've returned the favor when you introduced yourself. Didn't mean to be rude." He began walking down the small house's lone hallway. "Be right back."
"I was a bit on the loud side, so your rudeness was warranted," Tessa said, taking a seat on the couch and putting her arms behind her head.
No reply came right then. Things were fairly quiet for a moment, then Sonic returned to the living room. "Pretty sure he'll be out in a minute," he reported.
"Good to hear," Tessa replied with an easy smile. "Say, you've got an awful lotta people here. This the 'make-do' base of operations or somethin'?"
"Uh… In a manner of speaking, I guess," Sonic shrugged. He took a seat in a chair close by. "It's mainly just because this is where an old friend of ours lives, and pretty much always has. So it's a place we all know, and somewhere that's easy for the newly revived to find on their own if we somehow miss them."
Tessa thought this over before giving a nod. "Fair 'nough. So, you're the Sonic that saved this planet a couple times now?"
"S'pose so," he said.
"Well, I gotta give a mild thanks to ya, at least. This place is like a second home. Love it here." Tessa thought it over before adding, "Same is extended to any allies you had along the way. They all played a part."
Sonic leaned forward in his seat to brace his arms on his knees. "You know… despite everything I've experienced by now, you're the first echidna Light user I've ever seen or heard of," he told her. And a dark orange one, at that… Never seen that color, personally, outside of old artwork from Locke's tribe. "You from your people's homeworld instead of here?"
She winked at him. "Gettin' a bit personal there, partner." He quirked a brow at her, but only managed to retain the faux serious expression for so long before he wound up smirking just a bit in amusement. Tessa gave him a toothy smile before answering his question. "Yeah. I was born there. Lived here sporadically once I learned our kind had been here before. Wanted to learn. Oh, and thanks for not gettin' too riled up with my playin'. Some do."
Hearing this, Sonic made a sort of psh sound. "You ever meet an Immortal named Jet? He can be way worse than you are. Trust me, I'm used to being taunted and teased and whatever else. …Hell, not even from just him, but still."
"I was more referrin' to the not-so-subtle, but in no way serious, flirtiness. People lose it sometimes," Tessa laughed. "I never mean anythin' by it. Life's too short to not have fun, even when you can live forever."
"Yeah, you've got a point." Sonic hesitated for a moment. "...Say… can I ask you one more question? I suppose it could be considered personal depending on who you ask for an opinion on the matter, but I'd like to ask anyhow."
Tessa rolled her eyes a little at him. "Worst I can do is shoot ya." She idly thumbed at the hammer of a holstered revolver, amused.
"You're just like me brother," Sonic immediately complained with a groan.
She laughed at him, putting her arms back behind her head. "Hit me with it. If it's too personal, I just won't answer. No danger here."
He muttered some further complaints under his breath before continuing. "So, listen, I know a guy from one of your people's oldest and, from what I've heard, most respected tribes, the Tribe of the Sun. I've been told there are a variety of other tribes out there, but few of them wound up transported to this world in ancient times. And, at least when I was last alive, even though cities and the like were now a thing on your world, people still kept their tribal connections and whatnot. If that's true and you don't mind me asking, what tribe do you hail from? My friend… he would be even more interested to know than me."
"The Tribe of Water," Tessa replied, a softer tone taking over briefly. "I haven't been back to our homeworld in a while." She rubbed at her head a little, sighing to herself.
"My friend has never been," Sonic admitted. "Neither have his son or grandkids. From the stories he's told me, his parents were still pretty young, maybe even still kids, when his tribe and several others appeared here. I guess… that they were pretty famous, though? At least, that's what I can gather based on all the cave art and the like left behind depicting them. I don't suppose you've ever heard of Saul and Terra?"
The dark orange echidna seemed a touch lost in her thoughts as she listened, but ultimately she soon replied. "I know for sure I've heard of Terra," Tessa admitted. Her train of thought was interrupted as Steam walked into the room and took a seat. She glanced his way briefly before looking to Sonic. "If you've got any other questions, shoot now before we get down to business. Don't wanna keep the man waitin'."
Sonic waved her off. "Now's not the time. I'm done, anyway."
Tessa turned more fully to Steam. "You got a lot to say, I'm bettin'. Got that look."
"Yeah, no shit," Steam answered. "I appreciate you coming all the way out here, though. Seriously. Any help we can get is appreciated."
It was her turn to wave someone off, shaking her head. "I am plain tired of sitting aside like a coward," she explained. "I avoided the God of Demons, but this is too much. I can't just watch and wait."
"My m- …I mean, Analia… She's awake again," Sonic murmured. "Light users of all levels of strength have a fighting chance again, now that people like her can help you all like in the past."
"Then who the hell is the other?" Tessa suddenly asked.
"Rose. She's younger. Apparently becoming an Immortal or something, though."
"...Rosalline?" Tessa murmured. "I remember her. Er, at least, talks of 'er."
Steam shrugged. "She's a great person with a rough past. With her and Analia around, you should be safe."
"Well, I'm tryna snag some of my old friends," Tessa replied. "Other Light users. Regrettably, some of them are pussy-footing around."
"I heard Jet tried to get into contact with all surviving Light users a long time ago," Sonic said quietly, "but each refused to come out of hiding and help."
Tessa sighed a little and leaned forward, dropping her arms on her legs. "Look, if we're bein' honest here, even he had trouble against Kaden. It felt outright foolish to go out, and… I was scared. We all were. Our people were bein' hunted. It was terrifying."
He could have used the help regardless. He and Wave wouldn't have struggled so much if they hadn't been facing that threat by themselves. Sonic decided not to voice that thought. True though it might have been, there was no denying that her words were also valid. As such, he decided not press the matter further.
She continued, however. "I was stopped. There were people who wouldn't exactly give me a chance to go. I let their opinion change mine. I should have come out to help. I'm not going to speak for anyone else, though."
This was something Sonic had to know. "Who prevented you from doing something?" he asked her, frowning deeply.
"We're not gettin' into this right now," Tessa murmured softly. "Maybe later."
Flashing a glance at Steam, Sonic disagreed with her. "No, not later," he argued. "If whoever you mentioned is influencing other Light users and convincing them to stay in hiding, they're actively hurting our chances of being able to properly stand and fight against threats like the demons. We're already vastly underpowered and outnumbered and we can't afford to miss out on valuable allies for any reason."
Tessa fell completely silent, her eyes focused on the ground. Where she'd originally been loose and relaxed, she was now visibly tense. "Whatever you do, any of you, I'm going to outright demand one promise before I tell you anythin'."
"I can't agree to that without knowing what the hell you're asking for," he responded. "Specifically."
"I demand," Tessa replied, "that you understand one of them was my brother, and that you don't do a damn thing to him. That is all."
Emerald eyes narrowed slightly. Her brother? "Listen," he said, "I don't know what you might have heard or from who or where, but harming people we disagree with isn't something we do. No matter how vehement that disagreement might be. Talking to the people in question is one thing, hurting them is something else altogether."
Steam let out a gentle sigh. "We don't hurt people unless they're someone like Nareish. Even if someone that we care about is in danger from someone who's not a true enemy, we just protect them and get the hell out rather than harming anyone. It's better to come to an understanding than to go around beating people."
Tessa groaned in frustration, getting to her feet. "Gah, dammit. This whole damn war has me on edge," she grumbled briefly. "I didn't mean to come off so hard, but I can't always be sure, ya know?" Her body had already relaxed a great amount, and she was beginning to settle down once more.
How to approach this… Sonic thought carefully, then asked, "You trust other Light users, right?"
"'Course. You can tell if they're shit or not the moment ya meet 'em," Tessa said, taking a seat once more. "Why d'ya ask?
"Because of this." Sonic conjured up pure Light into his hand so that she could easily see. "I'm a halfling, so to speak, and the only one at that. If you trust beings of Light, maybe you can try to trust me, too."
"Now that is cheatin'," Tessa chuckled, shaking her head. "I trusted ya, already. Besides, if you'd had any other intentions, I woulda shot ya already."
Sonic banished the Light and sat back in his chair. "It was more of… trying to say you could trust me in regards to this, in particular," he said. "And, seriously, you're way too much like my brother. Do me a favor and cut that out, will you?"
Tessa snorted indelicately. "No intention of it," she joked. "But seriously, you speak well. I can tell ya got the best in heart… even if ya talk too much."
He shrugged. "When you're in charge of other people for way, way, way too long, you learn to talk a lot. It just happens."
"Fair 'nough. So, whats the plan here? What're y'all doin'?"
Rather than try to explain it himself, Sonic gestured to Steam. "It's your plan, so you're up."
I'm either gonna get shot or hit. Or both. Steam let out a sigh. "So, you both need to not kill me immediately. Alright?" Sonic waved him off. Tessa shrugged lightly. "I have every intention of raiding Nareish's realm and taking out as much of her army as imaginable."
"I heard about that already," Sonic informed Steam. "Jet texted me a head's up a little while back and told me not to spread the word. I'm guessing you told him the same thing, but… well, you know how he can be."
"Jet is simultaneously the most and least trustworthy person I know," Steam murmured. This earned him a small chuckle. "Regardless, this whole massive raid is to cover up the fact that I want to make sure we stop some of her important pieces in this game, like Gerald and the Widow," the green hedgehog explained. "While myself, Jet, and Wave are keeping Nareish as busy as possible, people like Toru or you take down whoever can be reached in time before we get the hell out. Of course, I'll come up with a more tactical plan than this, but that's the whole idea behind it."
"My concern at this point is her necromancy," Sonic sighed. "We know by now that she used Calypso's magic to revive as many people as she did so quickly, but if we kill Gerald or even this 'Widow' person, what's stopping her from reviving one or both of them?"
Steam leaned back a little. "I'm wanting to speak to the Faein and see if they can either take that from her, or block it entirely. Otherwise, we're fighting a completely unwinnable fight. It's hard enough already."
Tessa let out a chuckle. "Ya mean to tell me y'all've come across the Faein?"
"Erm… it's more like they found us," Sonic told her.
"Hm." Tessa crossed her arms. "And you wanna just waltz up and ask them for help?" she asked Steam.
"Done it before, and I'll do it again," Steam answered honestly. "This isn't a fight we can win alone. Nobody is ready to face Nareish, which is why I want this to buy us some time."
"Frankly, I get the feeling that the Faein want this war to end even more badly than we do," Sonic said. "All the Immortals who have come to be after the Faein… They consider those people their family. Family which Nareish has made a long habit of slaughtering and stealing from. Not to mention how much she's threatening the existence they've loved for so long."
"And they're the most trustworthy allies we have," Steam added. "Of all the people I've ever trusted or otherwise listened to, they're among the ones I am most likely to follow."
Tessa huffed a little. "Well, sounds like a piece of the plan needs solidifyin'. If you can just go talk to them, you should."
"It's… really not that simple," Sonic cautioned. "First of all, they tend to be in a place none of us could ever hope to access, somewhere outside of existence as we know it. And secondly, they're still exhausted from all the things they did at the dawn of life and all that, so they might have been forced to essentially 'take a nap' again. They wake up frequently, but can only stay awake for so long."
Steam nodded. "If they can't, I will drop this plan. I'm not going to ask people to put themselves at risk if we don't stand to gain from it, and even then…"
Tessa glanced between Sonic and Steam for a moment before shrugging. "I'm here for the ride. You guys got a plan, count me in."
"Then consider yourself welcome to hang around," Sonic invited. "You would have been regardless, but still. If you'd prefer to go elsewhere while you wait, I can give you a device to contact us with."
"Thank you kindly," Tessa replied, smiling. "I have every intention of findin' others like me to get involved in this. Maybe seein' others taking the step will draw 'em out."
Since Tails had a small pile of extras built by now, Sonic teleported one of the communicators out of the workshop and into his hand. He activated it and added his own and Steam's contacts. After that, he got up and walked over. He briefly showed her how to use the basic functions, then said, "You can keep this one. All of our friends and allies have them, or at least the ones that wanted one do. For now, Steam and I are the only ones I put in there for you, though."
"That one echidna friend of yours got one?" Tessa questioned.
"Actually… I'm not sure." Sonic looked over at Steam. "Do you know if he does? He's not mentioned it to me the few times I've seen him recently."
"He has one now, as of just recently," Steam replied, grabbing the communicator from Sonic and entering in Locke's contact before handing it back. "There. If you don't have it, you should get it."
Sonic blinked a couple of times. …Okay, I didn't expect him and Jet to have the same issue with just grabbing things from people. Now's not the time to address it, though.
Tessa watched Steam do this, then blinked, having caught sight of the name on the communicator briefly. Locke? Do I know that name? "Well, I may take a moment and stop to see him, if he'll give a stranger some of his spare time."
"He'll do that without an issue," Sonic assured her, "if he's not busy with something serious. He's always been a friendly sort of guy."
The woman grinned a bit. "Good to know. Anyway, if you won't be needin' my presence here beyond this, I'm gonna go drag some old friends out. They'll fight like hell, though."
Steam nodded to this. "Glad to hear it. Hopefully they'll listen to me like you did." Tessa nodded to him, waving a little before vanishing.
~保護者~
Days and nights had passed without Haru sleeping. Thoughts and questions plagued his mind. Who or what had torn apart the seal on his son, the very seal he had given his life to create? What had become of Shei's mother, and where was she now? How could he get around her threats on Shei's life should he dare to be near the boy? She wasn't something he could defeat. So long as Malevolence itself lived, unless an Immortal of great power intervened… so would she. What was he supposed to do about that? And, more importantly, how did he handle their son's powers being free and active now?
At least it was quiet here, deep in the woods many miles beyond Hyale's borders. The tree branch he was reclining on was relatively comfortable, too. That made it easier to think. This is nearly hopeless. And he's the one paying the price for it. Damn it all… This is my fault. He doesn't deserve this shit, the poor kid. Haru sighed under his breath and put his arms under his head to act as a cushion. No, that's not right. He isn't a child anymore. It's… difficult to accept that.
Closing his eyes, Haru crossed one leg over the other. More minor, trivial thoughts came to him now, and for now he allowed it to happen. What to do… I was lucky enough to have coins in my pocket when I somehow revived, but I don't know where to spend them anymore. I need some damn shoes. It's harder to run at full speed in socks. They catch on things or slip due to lack of grip. Going barefoot isn't an option, either. I hate being barefoot.
That was all he had time to ponder. A low vibration faintly made the leaves around him shake. Cracking open his dark eyes, he shifted his gaze to his right. That way. Something's coming. He was crouched defensively on the end of the branch in an instant, ready to leap clear of any potential oncoming threats. Hell of a time to have only a knife on me... Shei seems to have my old sword, and I don't have anything else to use. Shit.
More vibrations. It seemed deeper, louder, yet somehow not any closer. Just what was going on? He couldn't work it out. Until, that is, it abruptly twigged just where the vibrations were coming from. Beneath the ground? Something is- Damn! His thought barely had time to finish itself. The ground exploded upward in a huge release of energy. Only then did he truly understand what was happening… because he now saw just what he was up against as he jumped out of the tree to dodge falling rocks, trunks, and other debris. A spawn of Malevolence…!
It wasn't her. That was only a small comfort at this point. But the thought was hardly relevant anymore. The spawn floated out of the massive crater it had created and rather casually looked around. "Hm," it murmured. "It seems I missed. Phasing under the ground for an attack was easy enough, but you chameleons are difficult to track even from feet away." Crimson eyes drifted his way, and the person-like creature grinned wildly at him. "Nevermind that, though. It seems I flushed my prey out of hiding regardless."
Haru drew his knife and clutched it tightly in his hand. This is bad.
"Are you the reason why she's gone?" the spawn suddenly asked him. It turned fully to face him as it spoke, still hovering in the air. "Whether you are or aren't, we want you dead. You served your purpose in proving to her that half-breeds can be made. Now you can die. And this time you can stay that way."
…Dead? She's… …Impossible. How can that be? Shoving that matter aside to be dealt with some other damn time, Haru bit out a terse reply. "I had nothing to do with it." There was nothing else to say beyond that. Each of them knew it. As such, neither of them wasted any further time.
With no weapons and few known attack-based powers to his name beyond Darkness, Haru knew he was in trouble. Doomed, really. The threat to his life was substantial when he wasn't letting himself truly use the aforementioned Darkness. That fact alone caused his eyes to take on a somewhat of a metallic sheen. His eyes went from being just black to almost like onyx. His energies took on a harsher edge as he loosed them at the spawn. Useless though such a move was in terms of harming the thing, his attack knocked the spawn out of the air and slammed them into the ground. This bought him a precious few seconds to make a break for the cover of the trees.
Laughter soon followed at his back. Gritting his teeth, he blurred into motion and all but flung himself out of view. The spawn only continued to laugh. "So my prey wants to hide, does it?" Trunks began falling all around him, sliced clean through by an unseen attack. Explosions ripped up the ground in all directions. "No matter. I'll raze this whole continent to the ground if I have to. You'll be dead the morrow."
Tch. If I don't do something, the bastard's going to give me hell. Belatedly, it crossed his mind that the rest of his people were potentially endangered, but he couldn't bring himself to care as much about that. Self-preservation had fully kicked in, as did parental instincts. All that mattered was somehow surviving this (without letting himself slip any deeper into this state) so that he could ensure his son wasn't touched. Nothing else was important.
However, all the dodging that he now found himself having to do could only get him so far. Before long, he was snagged by tendrils of energy and yanked forcefully onto the ground. There he was pinned, laying on his stomach with his chin digging into the ground in an uncomfortable way. The spawn appeared before him and, with a grin, set off an explosion whose epicenter was directly beneath him. By the time the dust had settled, he was left covered from head to toe in bleeding wounds. His eyes had now fully changed... and not just because of the danger. His attacker grinned further. "You're coming with me for a moment."
The tendrils coiled around him, exuding so much Malevolent energy that he couldn't break free of them. He was lifted up, arms and legs pinned tightly together, as the spawn took to the sky high above the forest. "If you fuckers have any blood in you, I'm going to paint this whole fucking region in it," he seethed, "right after I gouge your eyes out and cut that fucking grin off your face." With him having however unintentionally shifted into a full evil state, he no longer felt the need to clamp down on his own Darkness. As such, the threat to his life was removed immediately. Now it was this bastard who was endangered.
"My, I heard your kind can be crass in their language, but this is too much," the spawn laughed. "And here I was, merely attempting to enjoy the view. Ah, not the one below me, that is. But rather, you. Being tied up and unable to move makes you look so pathetic. It suits a tiny and weak being like you." Suddenly, it licked its lips. "You would be so easy to kill this way, too. I wonder how chameleon meat tastes…"
Using his Darkness, Haru took the knife from his own hand and flung it into the spawn's face. It dug into an eye and tore it out, just as he'd promised, then slashed a deep line across to the other eye. However, as expected, the weapon was blasted away before he could finish. While this spawn (like all the others) was comprised of energy and immediately regrew the lost eye, Haru was able to smirk in deep, dark satisfaction at how much the smug bastard had felt regardless. The fresh assault he suffered as a result of the spawn's own Darkness was fairly worth it, considering the pain he'd just caused.
In truth, he had expected the attack to go on longer. He sort of lost track of what was even happening when he was struck in the head by a literal fist made of Malevolent energy. It was rather unimaginative, and even as faint stars danced behind his eyes he managed to feel irritated by that fact. Death and bloodshed weren't just wild, frenzied attacks to chameleons, especially not to the ones deemed "evil" by outsiders. There was an art to every attack, a beauty in the agony and fear of their victims, a pleasure to be found in every drop of blood. This monster was little more than an animal losing control by comparison.
"Something as weak as you should no longer be alive," it hissed, drawing his metallic gaze back to it. "You shouldn't even be conscious. I can somewhat see what she saw in you, but that won't be enough to save your miserable life."
"Worry about your own life," Haru muttered, a cruel glint in his eye. "You've more than convinced me to hunt down and kill every last one of your kin. I'm going to kill them all and make you watch. You'll be the last to die, but only after I make you suffer."
His captor laughed yet again. The sound was as wild as the creature had been acting, and it only further grated on Haru's nerves. "You? Hah! You and your pathetic Darkness could never hope to even break free of your bonds, much less kill me."
"Think again." A surge of energy heralded Haru's release. The tendrils of Malevolent energy that had been holding him back crumbled to dust around him and fell away. Using his Darkness under each foot as small platforms that would follow his every step, he stood before the spawn and smirked. "You show your small age in your actions. You are brash, clueless, over-confident, and above all else weak. Did you think that because I cannot best her that you can defeat me easily? Fool. She is in a league entirely her own, many lightyears beyond what you could have ever achieved. Your idiocy will be your undoing."
The spawn shifted backward about a foot or so, looking equal parts alarmed and shocked. For it to be capable of such emotions, it had to be a half-breed like Shei was or something similar. It would regret the path it had chosen to follow, Haru would make sure of that. "My people keep our promises," he murmured, striding closer. Teleporting his knife back into his hand, he slashed at his foe's face a second time, this time thoroughly ruining both eyes. His attack dug through the creature's form, soon finding something physical beneath the surface. Oh, how he enjoyed the howls his efforts earned him when he cut into what he'd found.
"You will suffer. But not here. Not now. I'm going to destroy your kind, all those you feel any sort of connection to. And when I'm finished, I will make you feel every last bit of pain they endured before you join them in Hell." Wrenching his knife free, he thrust it back in once more, stabbing it into the spawn deeply. After tearing it back out a second time, he teleported his newest prey someplace off the planet (he didn't care where) and looked down at his knife.
Much to his satisfaction, he had indeed drawn blood. Enough so that his hand had been covered in it. Some of it had even sprayed onto his clothes, barely visible against the black fabric. His smirk grew a little, enough to show some teeth. How long had it been since he'd embarked on a good hunt? There had been pitifully few opportunities after his people had fled Zyr. With a small son in tow by the time his people had built their first new villages, he couldn't have done much. But now… This will be fun.
"You know, it might be best to not get directly involved in all that just yet," Caer called, suddenly approaching. He'd been silent in his observation until now, if only because he'd realized how different the level of skill and power was between Haru and the spawn. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a spawn of Malevolence and I doubt it would take kindly. Strong as you are, you'd last longer than most, but not long enough."
Haru dropped down to the ground and landed in a neat crouch. "I'm not interested in your shit right now," he muttered. "Go preach to someone else."
"Nope," Caer replied. "Your Darkness is active and you aren't thinking straight."
Rather than argue, Haru speared Caer through the stomach with a spike of Darkness that jutted up from the ground behind the other man. "Fuck off." With this said, he turned and began walking away. He had much bigger prey to worry about and had no interest in wasting time killing Caer right now. I detest these fucking spawn. All of them. They deserve to suffer and die.
Caer let out a sigh, rubbing at his face. That kinda fucking hurts. Nevertheless, he pulled himself off it and walked after Haru. "This is a really fucking bad idea."
This time, Darkness slammed into Caer from the front and threw him backward into and then through a tree. Haru stopped walking and turned to face him. "Follow me again and I will gut you."
Another sigh, followed by Caer pushing himself to his feet. "Stop." He murmured. Caer was already healing from his injuries rather effectively, and chose this time to not approach. "You are making a mistake."
"I don't care what you think. Your opinion is worthless to me."
"It's objectively the second worst possible fucking idea you could make!" Caer bit out. "Unless you'd like to die before seeing your son properly safe, I am recommending for your benefit and his that you take a damn second and think!"
"You're irritating." Saying nothing more, Haru slammed Caer into the ground again, this time pinning him down. Energy coiled around Caer's throat, intent on choking the life out of him.
Caer took care to not overreact, forcing his own energy between Haru's and his throat to give him a second to think. Act fast. Focus. You're not dying here. There wasn't much he could come up with other than keeping Haru's energy back enough that he could kind of breathe. Maybe he could protect himself if he chose to tap into his own Darkness, but that wasn't exactly an option he wanted right now. The energy coiled around him tightened, pressing down harder and harder despite the resistance Caer was putting up. Haru was intent on following through with this impromptu plan, despite how tolerant he'd been of Caer prior to all of this.
Overall, Caer's resistance was good, but not enough in this case. However, he fortunately realized that someone else was adding to his efforts. The Darkness of another was pressing against Haru's, and Caer took the opportunity to get himself free and move a distance away immediately, rather than push his luck further. Haru watched him irritably, then turned his attention to the person who had interrupted. I don't have time for this shit.
Ryuji watched Haru in return silently for a moment. "If you're gonna go kill something, make sure it's not one of our people," he said. "We've had infighting for enough of our lives."
"Then stop fucking following me," Haru bit out. He spun around on a heel and resumed walking off.
"I won't follow," Ryuji said. He was ignored as Haru went on his way. Rather than try to interrupt Haru, he instead chose to hold back Caer from following, if only because he could tell that the man was about to make a decision that would end his life. Only once Haru was gone did Ryuji release Caer. "You're a fucking fool."
"I didn't want to give up on him-"
Ryuji cut him off, using his Darkness to cover Caer's mouth. "He was just fighting a spawn of Malevolence. His state of mind right now is hellbent on violence towards them, and getting in his way will only have that turned on you."
Caer scoffed a little. "I hate seeing our people follow these paths."
"As do I, but getting yourself killed solves nothing," Ryuji bit out. "If you advance toward him, I will knock you unconscious myself and drag you to a safe place in the Highlands. Is this understood?"
"Ah, fine. I've been away from my kid for entirely too long, anyway. I need to check on him, so I'll be back later to try and talk to him again," Caer said, shrugging easily.
This is not what I meant… "Fine," Ryuji muttered. "Get out of here." Ryuji vanished elsewhere as soon as this was said, not wanting to waste much more time.
Caer glanced in the direction of Ryuji and blinked once. His gaze then fell in the opposite direction, where he sensed a Hollow… which likely meant there were more. Rather than take his chances, he began walking. There's gotta be something that'll let me get through to him. Maybe talking to his son would give me some clues? He allowed these thoughts to continue for some time before teleporting away to return to Shadow's home. It was about time he checked on Toru and Myriu, anyway.
~保護者~
12,234 words this time. This chapter's been finished for a bit, but I'm posting it late. Pokemon Legends: Arceus really sucked me in, haha. Anyway, many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support and I hope you all enjoyed. Posted (at about 11:40 p.m.) 02-01-21.