Guardian

by yasha012

I used to want to save existence... I saw it as this beautiful place, capable of fostering life in all of its many forms. A place with the potential to nurture so much Light. But the closer I got to it... the more I fought for it… the better I could see the Darkness waiting within… the evil we would all rather forget. (Part 4 of the Hero series; sequel to "Eternal Shadow Falls".)

187. Struggles

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this emotional period… especially for the ones who are facing some tough times in romance.

~保護者~

"Struggles"

~保護者~

Espio and Armaris were finally safe, and the flames were being handled in Hyale. It was a good enough time for Ryuji to relax, and so he did, rubbing at his face lightly. He sat quietly against a tree, using his knee as something to prop his arm on. The situation was stressful, to say the least. His daughter had been taken, and Espio had suffered from a lack of ability to breathe properly because of all the smoke. This is a fucking nightmare.

The area was quiet and he instinctively knew that something was happening, but he didn't care. He heard the telltale sound of an arrow thud, glancing to the side as some creature fled with said arrow. "Hello, Arein," he murmured, glancing up into the treeline. Sure enough, Arein was there, holding her bow in hand and already reaching for another arrow.

"Hello," she echoed, nocking the arrow and firing it, a shriek sounding in the distance. Once it was assuredly dead, Arein dropped from the tree and set her bow around her shoulders, taking a seat beside Ryuji. "I presume a lot happened in the short time I was not present."

"We were attacked. My daughter was taken." Ryuji didn't look at Arein, choosing to say nothing more. "I cannot go. I would simply be corrupted as well."

"Demons," Arein grumbled. "No wonder the flames looked so familiar." She muttered several flavorful curses under her breath in their native language, then she spoke back up normally. "I wish there was aid I could provide in such a time. Should there be a way you think of, I will gladly aid in protecting one of our own."

Ryuji let out a low sigh. "What is your purpose here? I am not particularly interested in company."

"You are getting company, one way or another." Arein looked at Ryuji. "And you have not eaten. Must I cook for you again?"

"You enjoy that." Ryuji pointed out suddenly. "To offer once is kindness. To offer again is motive. Speak."

Arein chuckled a little at this, setting her bow aside after a moment. This was her first open display of emotion, one of amusement. "There is motive."

"You will not share?"

"Correct."

Ryuji rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head. "Sometimes I curse the secrecy of our kind."

"I quite like it."

"You're an ass."

"Correct."

Ryuji glared at her, slightly irritated. "If you have a purpose with me, go ahead. If you mean harm, you will merely die."

"I have a purpose, but nothing related to harm." She realized quickly that he was growing more irate, and it was plainly obvious that things were going to escalate if she continued with her vague answers. "I have an inclination to speak and interact with you."

The male chameleon sighed a little, shaking his head. Of course… That would be the situation. "Is that so?"

"Correct."

Ryuji stood up after a moment, deciding that this… wasn't something he wanted to talk about right now. "Look, whatever feelings you have, now is not the time. I've got enough going on that I don't want to lose focus on."

Arein thought over this and nodded. "Understood. Ensure that you take care of yourself. I will see to it that our people are safe while you save your daughter."

He turned to speak to her, but she was already gone. A frown spread on Ryuji's face. Why has that woman taken an interest in me? There is nothing to care for, in particular.

~保護者~

Ryint couldn't contain her excitement, shaking her head and allowing her feathers to ruffle. This was the first time the raptor had a date in ages. She'd already hunted down Nier after the combat, making sure to give him some time to relax before laying it on thick as she had before.

Now, she was showing him around the society/civilization Ghune had forged. It was her home, after all, and she certainly liked it here. Currently, Ryint had led Nier up to a watchtower that had a perfect view of the horizon. The woman leaned precariously over the edge, smiling. "Whatcha think so far?" Ryint asked, tossing a glance his way. "It's a lot to take in all at once, so a break was warranted."

"Trust me, this isn't too much at all," Nier smiled. "I entered existence way beyond Planet Babylon, so seeing that - and thus society as a whole - for the first was a lot. This is nothing like that." He, too, moved to lean on the railing. "But that aside, I like it here so far. It seems nice."

"It's peaceful," Ryint murmured. "Everyone here knows who we all are, vampires. No prejudice. That part is great." She turned to lean against the rail with her back, a gentle smile on her face. "The tough part is getting Ghune to stop working for five minutes," she joked.

"Bit of a workaholic, huh?" Nier chuckled. Then he got a touch more serious. "The lack of prejudice is definitely… apparent here. I can't even tell you how many races I spotted while we were walking, but everyone was respectful to one another. Even kind. That's amazing to me. I know it's a stereotype born of ignorance and all that, but all I ever hear anyone say about mythical races like yours is that everyone is just brutish and violent and blah, blah, blah. Seeing with my own eyes how wrong that is is amazing."

"I'm violent," Ryint giggled. "Nothing like twisting someone's neck every now and then." She made a show of winking to prove that she was joking.

"I get it, but my point was that there's more to all of you guys than that," Nier answered, grinning a little. "A lot of people just don't get it, is all."

Ryint laughed softly. "Their opinions don't matter. That's why this place exists. I'm just glad I got to be part of its conception… being among the first people turned and all."

"Wow. That's quite an accolade," Nier said. He thought about it, then added, "Maybe their opinions don't matter, but I'd still like to see them changed anyhow. I mean, it's been tens of thousands of generations since the last time the Black Arms wrought havoc in the universe, yet people still see them as these savage, mindless monsters. It's opinions like that that I want people to change. Especially when they're even directed at races like yours, which clearly is perfectly civil and whatnot."

Ryint slipped away from the railing, seamlessly interlocking her fingers with his and pulling him along. "In some cases, the opinions were warranted. Ghune alone was an army's worth of violence and brutality. Before we met, I don't know how many people may have died in her wake. There are other vampires that refuse to…" She thought for a moment of the words to use, frowning slightly. "There are some far from kind vampires that exist. Ghune has had to handle many of them. I've handled a few. The hard part is gonna be stopping their actions from further pushing those opinions along. Confirmation bias is a bitch."

"That's just it, though," Nier said, also frowning. "Those opinions were warranted. Emphasis on 'were'. As in, in the past. The people who were around to experience Ghune's darker years, the ones that survived that is, are dead many times over from the sheer amount of time alone between then and now, yet people cling to these ideas anyhow. And a few bad eggs don't make a whole race. Every race, every last one, has bad people among them. Even the Mobian races, which are generally among the most benign, helpful, and friendly in existence these days, have bad people. That doesn't mean that awful opinions are warranted against them anymore than it means they're warranted against you."

Ryint fell quiet for a moment. He had a point. However… "Ending racial stereotypes is a pain in the ass, and not the kind of topic I figured I'd be talking about during a date," she laughed.

"Well, if we're gonna continue dating, then you'll have to put up with it," Nier smiled, "because I'm not sitting back and letting crap like this continue. At the very least, I'll help people start making changes, even if it doesn't fully succeed even during my vast lifespan."

There was a faint smirk on the woman's face. "Continue, eh? Found something you like?" She turned to walk backward, putting her arms behind her head. "Is it the brains or the brawn that does it for you?"

"Maybe I found a few things," Nier winked. "Maybe I didn't. I'll never tell."

A laugh escaped the woman and she shoved his shoulder lightly. "Dick. Now I can't tell you about it, either."

"Alright, alright, you win," he caved, also laughing. "I'm curious by nature, so I definitely need this information and don't just want it. Definitely."

Ryint turned to walk normally again, vaguely noting the unusual behavior of a few people. She frowned, but the concern didn't last long. "How about this. I tell you one thing, you tell me one, then we go have some tea?"

"Sounds like a plan." Nier smiled to himself, thinking of which one he wanted to say. "Honestly… I'm a sucker for people with a sense of humor."

The female managed a small chuckle. "What got me originally was that magic, admittedly, but it's not what I like about ya. You're a total sweetheart that is willing to put up with my bullcrap."

"I haven't seen any substantial bullcrap yet," Nier teased, "so it's all good in my eyes."

"Get ready, then," she teased. "Taking you into the castle, by the way." The woman then teleported them both into her room, lightly nudging him in the direction of a chair. Though he raised an eyebrow at her, he did as she bid him to do and sat down. The woman put her focus into something else, snapping her fingers and causing a sort of alchemist's workstation to appear that she obviously didn't use for alchemy. She poured water out of a sealed urn into a kettle of sorts. "Sorry. Wanted to start on the tea."

"You're fine," he told her easily.

The scent of lit candles started filling the room, and Ryint pulled up a chair next to Nier, quite casually reclining her legs on his with her hands behind her head once more. "So… in the meantime, tell me more about yourself. I've been talking all day."

"There's not a ton to tell," Nier admitted, shrugging. "I'm the God of Runes, which I think I explained about before. And, as you might have guessed, I'm one of the deities that specifically exists for the sake of combat and whatnot. I've spent most of my life on the frontlines of this war, usually venturing alone into Nareish's territory to get intel or take people out. It doesn't leave much room for a life beyond any of that. I did have a bit of free time here and there in the past and I spent it dating an Immortal, but otherwise… It's pretty much just war. All the time."

"For me, I can't say I've done anywhere near as cool of stuff as dating an Immortal," Ryint replied. "I've been around vampires for the majority of my life, but before I was turned by Ghune, I was a sort of soldier against the Therians and Erukti. I say 'sort of', because I was off on my own for that a lot of it." She chuckled a little. "Ghune appeared in the middle of a battlefield, killed most everything that was present, tried to bite me, and I punched her in the face. Now, here I am."

Nier tilted his head. "Sorry if this is a rude question, but how does being a vampire even work for our kind? I mean, we have beaks. Not fangs. I don't understand how you're supposed to feed."

"It's a biological thing from everything I've ever seen," Ryint explained. "In terms of feeding, we'd still use our beaks to break the skin… but it's just a touch more violent." She shrugged. "I got lucky. I feed on souls. I don't even have to try to understand it."

"Souls?" he echoed, eyebrows upraised.

"Yup." The woman shifted a little, nudging one of his elbows with her shoe. "Like how we were fighting in the raid and I was killing all those minions. I fed on the energy of the souls nearby to sustain myself. I can also just outright steal the soul and get energy by biting, but it's easier to kill shit first. Otherwise, I can use my soul-stealing abilities to take the soul of the living without touching them and kill them that way. But all I'm doing is taking the energy from those souls. They still go to the proper Realm of Death afterward."

"In hindsight, I should have known it still involved biting," Nier chuckled. "That makes sense." He paused, thinking, then asked, "So I know now that you like to fight, but do you have any other hobbies or passions? I never have time for that sort of thing, but the guy I used to date… I used to love listening to him talk about the things he liked."

Ryint thought for a moment about what all to divulge. "Well, I do really enjoy combining things to make new teas, for starters. However… I am quite fond of making candles." She glanced around and motioned to the various lit candles. "Made them myself. Figured they'd really set the mood if you were into that."

"I do like candles, actually," Nier admitted. "I never made my own or anything, though. But these look really nice."

"You look really nice," Ryint replied, winking. "Though, of course, I could teach you to make them. Might be a fun time."

"Sounds like fun to me," Nier agreed with yet another smile.

Ryint looked at him with an obvious curiosity. "You know, it's rare that someone just doesn't respond to my flirting. Kinda nice from watching people get upset or flustered," she laughed.

"Nah, it's not that I'm not responding," he said, returning her laugh. "We were just talking, so I focused on that."

She huffed at him. "You could at least act interested," Ryint teased.

"Never," he said, sticking his tongue out. "You can't make me."

"I might be able to," she murmured in a low, sultry tone.

"Oh?" he asked, grinning. "Will I regret asking how?"

"Depends how far you're willing to let me go." Ryint gave him a mischievous grin. "Bed isn't exactly all that far away, too."

Nier laughed out loud. "Guess we'll have to see how things go, huh?"

The woman slipped out of her chair and precariously balanced herself on his legs, sitting rather calmly. "Guess so." Waving a hand, Ryint used her magic to lower the temperature of the flames boiling the water. They wouldn't need that tea for a while.

~保護者~

Forced transformations took an incredible toll on one's body. Black Doom knew that intimately by now. On top of all the usual pain and exhaustion, it sapped his energy in the sort of way that induced great hunger. He'd had no appetite for months now because of the starvation he'd been punished with for so long. Losing access to sustenance was a punishment. Punishments could be earned through any means of things. Disobedience, non-verbal vocalizations, talking, fighting back, trying to escape, shifting out of any form he was put in by Gerald or Nareish, shifting into a person-like form in general of his own volition…

But he wasn't there anymore. The ARK was destroyed. Shadow appeared to have been the one to do it, which no doubt meant that the job had been thorough. More than likely, there was little to nothing left of that place. Gerald was evidently dead, as proven by the sheer amount of blood Black Doom had smelled. He hadn't exactly noticed at the time, but hindsight revealed that detail loud and clear now.

Nareish was still out there. That much was true. However… Gerald had been the one to harm him the most. It was none other than Gerald who had trapped him, tortured him, experimented on him, and even derived pleasure from his suffering. With that man now gone, somehow… it almost felt as if some of the crushing weight on his shoulders had eased.

The bastard was dead again. Nareish wasn't likely to focus on Black Doom again for at least a while after whatever had just happened in her realm. All of this surely meant that he could safely remove himself even further from their torments. Many of the fears he'd developed, chiefly existing in his other forms though they did, had eased substantially. With the source of most of those fears gone, there was no reason to carry them around any longer.

Perhaps that relief was why he finally found himself experiencing a genuine desire to eat something, even if he had no real desire to hunt for himself. That latter detail wasn't like him and he knew it, but he couldn't force that particular issue to go the hell away. He didn't try all that hard, either. He was too damn tired right now.

After taking a small amount of time to try and clean some blood off of himself (a fruitless effort, in truth), he turned his attention to the carcass he had been brought shortly after first being returned home. It was no longer fresh, and thus no longer desirable to him. There were other Black Arms in the hive who thrived on scavenging off of such corpses, so he teleported it to the region of the hive they most frequently dwelled in.

His actions didn't go unnoticed. T'chalik entered his chambers without so much as a grunt of greeting, but that was fine. As his right-hand in managing, caring for, and protecting their kind, he was one of the select few who was allowed to come and go in here when he pleased. Because of that, he received no reprimand. Only a question. "Is there anything fresh?"

T'chalik nodded. "Yes. Are you willing to eat finally?" He was answered with a dry look and a nod. "Understood. I will have something brought here." The bulky being turned around and phased back out of Black Doom's chambers without another word.

Once he was gone, Black Doom relented on a small action he'd been carrying out this whole time. Namely, sustaining the "shorts" he'd created on himself. He had no more energy to waste on them, especially not when he was somewhere private. But… he also didn't have the energy to change into anything with claws or a snout. How was he supposed to tear into anything to eat it?

He was still pondering that from where he sat on his floor when some manner of kill was teleported into the dark space. He didn't recognize this species, but this sort of thing happened sometimes. A space-dwelling creature would wander too close and would wind up as prey for the hive. It wasn't something he dwelled on. He was just grateful for the lack of hair or fur. Those two things were universally hated amongst his kind, due in no small part to the fact that they couldn't digest things that weren't meat or bones.

In the end, he settled for using whatever strength he had left to pull off a small limb (since his kind only ate skin, muscle, and occasionally bone) which he could then hold in his hands. It was nothing short of strange to eat this way, but for now he just dealt with it. He was too busy finally letting himself enjoy a warm, bloody meal to care about too much else. And besides, there was no better way to get used to a new form than by properly living in it. This was just one aspect of that.

It was pure instinct that made him tense up, ready to retaliate violently the instant he sensed someone enter his long-established territory. However, when he realized it was only Ghune, he relaxed again and simply resumed eating. She would come straight here, knowing her. Even if she had business with other members of the hive for whatever reason, he wouldn't have to wait long. Focusing on eating in the meantime was fine.

Ghune found herself almost storming her way toward the chambers, taking this walk in order to relax a little from previous events and to give herself a moment to be composed. Her brief encounter with Saethrim had shaken her somewhat, but it was only natural to be concerned after seeing someone so lighthearted filled with such rage.

In the end, it didn't matter, however. He would handle himself, and she would do the same for herself. Her real concerns lied with Black Doom, hence why she decided to teleport directly to his chambers. He looked up from his food briefly and watched her enter, but said nothing immediately.

The woman was silent as she walked over, taking a seat by him and closing her eyes. "You seem better than expected."

"More or less," he agreed. He idly set aside the mostly stripped bone in his hands.

"I am surprised you have begun to eat so quickly," Ghune admitted. "Many would take days to get this far."

"I have been hungry," he admitted in return. "I just could not… permit myself to do anything about it." There was a slight pause, then he changed the subject to something infinitely more important to him. "I smelled Shadow where the ARK once was. Is he alright?"

"I checked recently. He is safe." Ghune cracked an eye open to look at him. "He is with Toru, on Mobius."

Black Doom inclined his head. He is with his partner. Good. Toru is protective. No harm will come to anyone in that home. Sufficiently reassured, he decided not to ask further questions on the subject.

"When was the last time you saw Saethrim truly furious?" Ghune asked after a moment of silence.

This was answered with a shrug. "I don't know."

The woman gave a sort of hum in reply, nodding. "Understood." He, meanwhile, idly teleported the bone from earlier away to another area of the hive. Ghune glanced at the body lying on the floor, distinctly reminded that she hadn't fed in a matter of several weeks now. With how worked up she'd been, the desire was growing. She chose to ignore it for the time being. "What happened to you most recently?"

After a short pause, she got a bit of a shrug in reply again. "I don't want to spell it out for you. You can guess more than enough by sight alone."

"Ah." Ghune chose not to press any further.

Black Doom sort of picked at some somewhat dried blood in the fur of one leg, using it as a distraction from his own thoughts. Gerald was gone, yes, and so were the fears regarding him. But Nareish was still alive and still fond of hurting him. Was he… afraid of her, too? It was strange to think of himself as being afraid of anyone, but after everything he'd gone through… No amount of distance between us will ever, ever be enough to stop her. But I shouldn't want to run to begin with. I am not prey. Some small part of him quietly argued that he was her prey, though he didn't let it linger for long.

"I can smell that, you know…" Ghune murmured gently. "What is on your mind? I do not wish to be left in the dark if there are matters bothering you."

Black Doom shook his head, though not in outright refusal to reply to her, necessarily. Still, he didn't give her the answer she wanted. "Ghune, I have already said that I do not want to discuss this."

Ghune fell quiet at this, simply nodding again. I cannot provide any aid at this time aside from my presence… The woman shifted imperceptibly, turning her head away from Black Doom momentarily. Something didn't feel quite right, but she wasn't sure what. Though he no doubt noticed her shift in attention, he chose not to comment for now. Eventually, she returned her focus to him. "I thought briefly that I sensed something unusual. My apologies."

"Sensed what?" he frowned. "I detected nothing."

"It may well be someting to do with me being a vampire, specifically," Ghune murmured. It was not another vampire, though. I would have known instantly.

After a few seconds, Black Doom asked her, "You are tied to two deities, are you not?"

"Correct." Ghune frowned visibly. "Finis, as I am a creature of the Night… and Saethrim, for I am a mythical being."

He waved a hand. "It was not Saethrim. We both would have sensed it. Perhaps the other one did something."

"I will check soon. I may well be able to perform my scrying here so that I am not forced to leave," Ghune replied, shrugging. "I have never known Finis to be someone to worry deeply over." Which makes this more concerning…

"You are not required to stay here," he reminded with a huff.

Ghune huffed back at him. "I am aware. I choose to remain." He waved her off again and turned his attention to pondering whether or not he wanted to eat more. All of a sudden, he didn't have as much of an appetite. Some time passed as Ghune sat with her thoughts. Thoughts that… bothered her. "I am worried that these recent events will affect you in ways I am incapable of helping you with," she stated simply. "You have been forced to endure pain that many could never experience in a multitude of their lifetimes."

Her words earned yet another shrug and an, "I know," but little else.

"Do you feel at all unusual currently? As in, physically?" Ghune dared to ask.

A memory twigged, but it was too vague for him to know what exactly he'd just recalled. All he remembered clearly was pain and blood. "...No," he said with a renewed frown.

"Saethrim told me that Nareish took some of his blood and put it in your body," the woman explained after a moment. "I worry for the consequences it may bear."

Black Doom's ears perked and he tensed. A long silence ensued, then he slowly revealed, "When Shadow was conceived… it only took once. Just one attempt on Gerald's part, and he was met with perfect success."

"Then this may well come to fruition." Ghune chose not to joke about the fact that it was with Saethrim, deciding easily that this was not the time. "If that is the case… what should be done?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "If there is a spawn and it is to be gotten rid of, the window of opportunity to do so is rapidly closing. But this is not a decision that solely I can make this time."

Ghune nodded. This was… entirely true. "I am aware…" The woman expanded her senses briefly and realized that she had no intention of getting involved in whatever Saethrim was currently doing to be having such obscene emotional responses. How he manages to think in such a way, I do not understand. "When the chance arises, I will ensure he comes here. We do not want to interrupt him currently."

Dark eyebrows raised, but Black Doom made no comment on that latter detail. "He will likely come on his own, regardless. He is not the type to ignore pressing issues." If anything, he reacts to them too quickly at times.

"No kidding," Ghune scoffed. "He is foolish. If he was not as skilled and capable, I would have ended him for his recklessness."

"I attempted to end him for far lesser reasons when he first found me," Black Doom shrugged. "I am hardly in a position to fault you."

"I did so as well," Ghune admitted easily. "I merely found him agitating."

"I saw him as nothing more than another prey item," he said. "Saethrim did not take kindly to being half-mauled on our first meeting."

"He also did not much enjoy being bitten and blasted into a different planet by me." Ghune huffed a little. "He was lucky that he could not be turned into a vampire. I could have then had a modicum of control over his will." Black Doom huffed, almost amused at the idea. After the amusement faded on her end of the conversation, she chose to change the subject. "Those new forms you have come across… Have you had issues with other Black Arms taking on those forms and appearing in the hive?"

"There are no new forms within the hive," Black Doom told her.

"For the time being… that is pleasant to know," Ghune murmured. "Though they likely will appear."

"I remember at least one form," he revealed, "that came to be on the ARK. Do not let Saethrim battle it when creatures born from it appear. He is far too fond of lightning."

Ghune clicked her tongue. "I will handle that when it happens, then. I have a few methods of dealing with lightning and electricity due to said fondness."

"It does not create its own electrical currents," Black Doom clarified for her benefit. "It merely grows stronger from the energy that is thrown at it, regardless of the original source."

"Hm." She shrugged a little. "Regardless, I will handle the issue when it comes up."

He was quiet again for a few seconds before admitting, "I have no control over that form as of now. If there are indeed others that have arisen, it will be the same story. I barely had the wherewithal to shift back to this form the last time I was forced to change."

Ghune nodded. "I understand. Should it arise in such a manner that makes decisive action necessary… I will swiftly end the confrontation." He returned her nod with a sigh. "That all aside… I would very much like to rest. I may have gotten a touch violent during the raid."

"Eat first," he told her calmly. "I don't care if you have to leave to do it. It needs to be done. You're hungry."

"Is that a guess or an assertion?" Ghune dared to ask.

"Take your pick," was the huffed reply. "It's irrelevant to the matter at hand."

Ghune huffed back at him and focused her senses, teleporting a vial of blood into her hand and sinking a tooth into the cork. The blood was inexplicably drawn toward her mouth and through the cork, allowing her to drink it. She did feel a touch better now, but that didn't matter. "Happy?" she questioned around the vial, muffled by it.

"At times," was the somewhat sarcastic response. Black Doom took a moment to stretch out one aching arm, testing it for any new pains before using it to tear another small limb off of his own meal. His appetite had somewhat come back, and now seemed like a good enough time to deal with it.

Ghune eventually leaned over and onto him, closing her eyes fully. "I do not intend to leave you for some time."

Only quick reflexes on his part saved her. Black Doom managed to create a thin layer of Darkness between them where they were touching so that none of his caustic blood could get on her or her clothing. Reckless woman. Despite his thought, a part of him suddenly felt this odd fondness all over again, as had been the case for years prior to his death. He didn't know exactly what to make of it. As he'd told her repeatedly, he knew no words for feelings like this. If only to spare himself the struggle, he didn't even attempt to address any of it. He focused on eating a little more instead.

She had already created a barrier of magic over her skin, it turned out. She glanced at him with a vague frown. "You believe I would not have protected myself from your blood?" Ghune asked. "You need not protect me. We are both quite capable in terms of protecting ourselves."

Black Doom muttered something under his breath, then said, "It is necessary to take extra precautions. You know this as well as I. If my blood eats into you and comes into contact with yours, even you would not survive."

"I have worked on a way…" Ghune frowned and corrected herself. "At one time, I was working on a way to be unaffected by your blood. I ceased said work after unfortunate events occurred." I do appreciate the thought, however.

Tired yellow eyes blinked slowly. "I did not think it was possible for even you to create any sort of adequate protection against that."

"Mm." Ghune shrugged. "I had made some progress. Minor resistance to it. I was forced to fling the substance off my body when it did not work adequately. That was as far as I ever made it."

"It was a foolish endeavor," Black Doom murmured. "Your people would have been left in turmoil had you died. Far worse than anything that happened within the hive."

"I was prepared should it have gone wrong." I could not ignore the chance… considering my feelings spanned since even before that time. "I would have been fine regardless."

While he didn't exactly believe her, he chose not to argue the point further. He had no energy to waste on such a thing. As it was, he already couldn't keep up his barrier, causing it to fade away into nothing. Hell, he didn't even feel like eating anymore. All of his exhaustion was catching up to him again suddenly. He idly tossed the limb aside and simply shifted to lay down on the floor. The lack of bedding made no difference to him, being as used to resting like this as he was. His arm was more than enough cushion for his head, and the rest of him was comfortable enough overall. Thus settled, he closed his eyes to sleep.

Ghune settled behind him, wrapping an arm over Black Doom and allowing herself to relax a little. He needed some time, for many reasons, but they were both definitely tired. Her barrier stayed between them, allowing her to stay near him. In time he may well be okay. For now, however, I will remain with him.

~保護者~

Escaping the sudden inferno in Hyale had been no easy feat. It had begun and then spread so rapidly that next to no one had had time to react. The village's already decimated population had no doubt suffered yet more losses, on top of the catastrophic destruction of their homes. Marthal strongly suspected he'd seen at least one child casualty. If that made him angry, he could only imagine how the chameleons were feeling.

They wouldn't stand for this.

As much as everything bothered him, however, he knew better than to butt his nose into such a private society's business. He was fortunate enough to have been permitted to remain within their settlements. That wasn't a privilege he intended on losing, not when there was so much uncertainty and danger these days. Especially not when I have Mei. I can't just throw away the protection we've been offered.

His kit had escaped unscathed. While he was a touch less fortunate, the burns on his left arm weren't serious all things considered. Still… Only true Hellfire can burn a yokai so easily. At the very least, you'd need standard demonic flames to do the trick. That knowledge, coupled with the scents he'd picked up on his almost literal flight out of the village, told him one thing loud and clear. The new God of Demons is behind this. No question about it. But what was he after?

Suddenly, fleeing so quickly felt like the wrong decision. What if he corrupted someone again? What if Espio and his family were targeted? Shit, what if it's something else entirely that I'm not thinking about? All of this worry and tension was doing nothing for his already fried nerves. He sat down beneath a tree outside of another village he'd located and carefully put his squirming daughter down in his lap. His hands had been reflexively clenching. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her in the process.

That was when a new thought occurred to him. Did Tyria make it? It almost struck him as foolish to wonder. She was a chameleon, after all, and far from unskilled. Surely she was just fine. And yet, his mind chose to remind him of one simple fact. Stronger people have fallen to lesser threats. He did his best to banish the thought, closing his eyes. Without hearing aids, he would just have to pay extra close attention to scents while he rested. They would be his only warning.

A figure shot past him at incredible speeds, skidding to a stop and setting down a child so they could leave. Tyria glanced back toward Marthal and winced when she turned to him, sporting a nasty burn alongside much of the right side of her body. "You… are okay," she breathed in relief, walking closer and kneeling down.

Having not seen her, Marthal's nose was his only indication that she was there. He quickly opened his eyes, then signed to her, "That's a hell of a burn."

"I will be alright. It was more important to save others." she signed in return, fingers curling when she shifted her right arm. "I will be okay."

"Does anyone know what the scale of the disaster is?" he questioned her. "Any idea how many dead and wounded?"

"I am unaware. I was caught up in the flames myself. I only recently was able to escape and begin rescuing people." She glanced away, visibly upset by the situation.

"The new God of Demons is responsible for this. I smelled him there." Marthal scowled and showed her his own burn. "Only a demon's fire can hurt yokai, and only their God can hurt us so easily with fire."

The woman was visibly upset by this, gritting her teeth briefly. Why will the demons not leave us alone? "Your child is safe, yes?"

"She's fine. Nothing touched her, somehow." Almost as if she knew she was being talked about, Mei briefly looked at them before resuming her anxious squirming.

Tyria reached forward and gently stroked Mei's head, letting out a sigh. "Good. I was worried for you both."

Although the idea of that made him uncomfortable, Marthal elected not to bring that topic up again here and now. "You should escort that other child to a safer place. There might still be danger."

"I saw another of my kind coming, but perhaps we should both get moving. It is unlikely that we can do much to suppress the flames."

"I don't know about you, but I can't do shit about them," Marthal told her frankly. He then scooped up his kit and stood.

Tyria nodded easily and disappeared, scooping up the child she'd brought here and bolting away. Marthal was quick to run after her. With the both of them moving at their incredible speeds, they were able to make it to safety. Marthal hunted down the medicinal supplies and began gently treating her burns (as little as it would do to help against Hellfire). Tyria, meanwhile, simply sat with him, a smile on her face as she observed his apparent skill and passion in this area. I knew my feelings about you were correct.

~保護者~

As opposed to leaving at literally any point since arriving, Sona had chosen to stay at Therin's home. She helped him with his sister whenever possible, and usually collapsed on his couch for naps and to sleep. The woman was laying face down with her shirt haphazardly tossed elsewhere in the room.

Therin wandered in for one reason or another after she'd laid down this last time. Whatever that reason was promptly eluded him when he saw her state of semi-undress. Sure, she had a bra and her pants on, but that was it. He stopped in his tracks, then cleared his throat softly and looked away. Staring was rude, and he had no intention of behaving like some creep. Continuing on his way and finding a drink or something in the kitchen sounded like a much better idea, so off he went.

"Therin," Sona softly called, lifting her face off the couch. The woman rolled herself onto her feet and rubbed away at her eyes groggily. "What are you doing…?"

"I was looking for a cup," the male cat sighed, "but I guess I put off doing the dishes for too long." Seconds later, the sink turned on and he began moving things around to get started on his latest chore.

The woman walked into the kitchen and bumped into him purposely, shifting him aside enough to begin helping. "Jeez. Guess I'll help you."

"You don't need to," he told her. Naturally, he scowled a little in her direction in response to being moved, but he soon turned his attention to rolling his sleeves up. "There's not much to do overall and I take care of these things on my own all the time."

"I'm helping," she mumbled at him, making sure to keep her space as she began cleaning dishes. "I didn't ask."

"Yeah, well neither did I," was the grumbled reply. Therin began washing as well, his tail moving restlessly from side to side. "I'm telling you, I take care of this stuff just fine by myself. I don't need the help."

"Maybe I just want to help," she said quieter, glancing away a little. "I like helping…"

"What are you talking about?"

Sona didn't quite reply to this, keeping her gaze away from him as she grabbed and cleaned whatever dishes she could get her hands on. "I've been here for a bit. I'm gonna help," she answered vaguely, not bothering to hide that she was lying about her reasoning.

The intention to call her out was there. It really was. But Therin stopped short when he heard a weak voice from down the hall softly calling out, "Therin… are you picking fights again?"

Sighing, Therin called back, "No... I'm not."

After a moment, Sona glanced at Therin. She frowned a little in thought as she set the dishes she'd washed aside before murmuring something. "Sorry if I bugged you."

Another sigh. Therin picked up a plate to clean and said, "Look… you didn't, okay? It's just- It's been just us, just the two of us here, for most of our lives. She can't take care of herself. It's my job to do it for her, to take care of myself and make sure I come back home to her, and to take care of this house so her needs can be met. That's my job. My responsibility."

"I want to help," Sona blurted out after a moment.

"I'm saying that you don't need to. I appreciate it, Sona, but this is my job to do. It just is."

"I-" Sona glanced away. "I don't think you understand. I want to help and be here with you."

He sighed again and looked at her. "Make me understand, then, because nothing you just said counteracts what I said."

Sona tapped her feet a little, suddenly a little anxious. Words shot through her mind. I want to live with you- No. I want to be here- No, I already said that! She settled on the words before she even really understood what she was saying, grabbing one of his hands. "I like you, Therin. I like being here and helping you."

"Why?" he asked her, a touch exasperated. "We barely know each other, Sona. We barely started being friendly not even a half a month ago."

"I have always liked you, but you weren't a goddamn failure like me," Sona bit out. "Ever since Azanae died I have fucked up everything. You were everything I wanted to be, and you didn't get your ass kicked every time you tried to do something."

At this, Therin abruptly shut the water off and turned to look at her. He took hold of her shoulders, heedless of his wet hands, with a deep frown. "Okay, back up a minute. You're wrong on so many levels there, but I'm gonna focus on the most important detail for now. You're not a failure, and you never have been. You hear me, Sona? Never."

Her lips quivered as she looked at him. "I sleep half the day away every day… I can't go to a battlefield alone half the time either," she mumbled, trying to hold back tears.

"You think I go traipsing through combat all by my lonesome, either?" he challenged her. "Do I look like Nier or Cere to you? And for fuck's sake, you're allowed to sleep."

She looked at the ground quietly and her shoulders sunk down a little. "I just… I feel like a failure. You get so much done and you're effective."

"Yeah, and you know why I'm effective? Because I have a group, a big one, that I rely on to help me do my job. If I were gunning it alone like you've had to do this whole time, I'd probably be dead by now." Therin gestured to the sink. "Doing stuff like this alone is one thing. This is literally just a chore. Out there, though? There's actual war going on. I know Azanae taught you all that she could, but the fact is that you weren't ready when she was killed. That isn't your fault."

Sona briefly used her strength to shrug off his hand from one of her shoulders… just enough so she could walk closer and wrap her arms softly around him. She shivered a little, hugging him and laying her head on his shoulder. "It's still hard to get up sometimes. I miss her… I never had someone like her."

"I can't pretend to know how that feels," Therin admitted. He hesitated to hug her back, but eventually did. "I didn't have a teacher, or parents, or anything like that. You at least had one of those things. People always talk about how important those bonds are, and because of how important they are you are allowed to be sad. I don't care that so much time has passed. Emotions don't just vanish. You can't keep beating yourself up for having feelings like these."

After I grew up… Sona thought to herself. I never met her until I was practically grown. Her thoughts didn't quite break down the rest of what he said, however. He had a point. "It's just… been such a long time. I figured it would be easier to get up and know she was gone."

"You've got to find other things to focus on," he told her. "Me, I focus on my sister. You know that. She's my everything, and she keeps me going. But there are other people out there, too. Friends, for one thing. You've got Locke and his girls. They all love you in that family sort of way. And I know being around them makes you happier. You have to remember that bonds like that are a reason to get up everyday, too, not just the bonds that you've lost."

"I want one of them to be you," Sona admitted. She thought for a moment, confused with why she said it like that. "I… I really do like you, though." Sona was quiet after this, a bit concerned as to what his reply might be.

Therin let out a soft hum and gingerly rested his chin atop her head. "I seem to recall us discussing that before," he mused, almost teasing but not quite. He also stopped talking, but just for a few seconds. "I might need a little time to sort out my own… Whatever emotions these are. But I need you to understand that this isn't rejection, alright? And my sis likes you, so you've already got points in your favor."

Sona clung to him tighter, closing her eyes. "Just…" She fell quiet, her words failing her in a moment where she so desperately wanted them. "I just… I… want to be friends, even if you don't like…" The woman groaned a little, frustrated at her own inability to piece her thoughts together.

"Pretty sure I've already said I'm cool with that," he murmured, "but either way, I want you to ingrain this in your memory. I am fine with being friends. Alright?"

"Yes." Sona replied quickly, pressing her face into his neck. She then realized that her reply was not… exactly an answer to that question, so she corrected herself. "Y-yeah… I'll keep that in mind."

After a brief pause, Therin gave her a small nudge and let go of her. "Listen, why don't you go sit with Maizey for a while?" he suggested, using his old nickname for his sister rather than her real name. "I'm sure she has all kinds of embarrassing childhood stories of mine to keep you entertained while I finish these."

Sona nodded a little to him, reluctant to pull away from the hug. After a few seconds, though, she did. "I… might need to find my shirt. I lost it."

"More like you threw it across the living room," Therin told her, pointing idly in the direction of that room. "I saw it on the floor."

The woman blinked a few times. "I swear I couldn't-" She bolted off to the living room, confused. No fucking way… It really was just sitting there. How tired was I?

~保護者~

Tails couldn't muster up any words as he picked through the rubble of his home. Virtually everything above ground had been torn to smithereens. He didn't even have two walls left standing anymore. Just one. Hell, there weren't even any doors left. That made it difficult to tell exactly where in the house he was standing at any given time, which in turn made his efforts difficult. Some might even say fruitless.

All he wanted, all he was after, was his photograph. The group photo of him and all his friends that he had shown Wery some time ago. He'd always kept it in the living room, but there wasn't any living room left. Just debris and smoke and, occasionally… blood. Kira's blood. God… Just-... God.

Eventually, he couldn't stomach it anymore. He gave up his search, at least for now, and headed for the staircase leading underground to his workshop. Everyone else was sheltering there, including a mysterious sleeping girl Toru had inexplicably teleported into one of the side rooms. That was a mystery to be addressed a bit later, though. He had a much more pressing concern, namely that of Wery. I need to check on her. With this in mind, he quickly set off in search of the other fox.

Wery was… understandably doing awful. The woman sat in front of her computer, staring blankly at what she'd been working on before all of this. She didn't have the energy to even reach for the keyboard, just looking at the screen. Of course, she was the one who took Kira's death the hardest. She was the only person here who had really known the woman. They'd been best friends for… years. Now that was gone, Wery was left feeling empty. It wasn't a pain she was used to. It went deeper than burns and ached more than she dared to comprehend.

Tails approached slowly, trying not to startle her. Once he was close enough, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he murmured. "We should find you a better place to sit. You don't need to be trying to work right now."

It took her an unusual amount of time to respond, and when she did, she simply looked at him for a moment. "I don't want to move…" she mumbled, reaching up and taking hold of his arm to pull him closer.

"You should," he insisted gently. "You really don't need to be trying to work. Trust me, it isn't going to do any good, sitting here."

"I'm not," she admitted, pressing the power button on her computer to shut it off. Wery wrapped her arms around Tails and simply leaned into him, choosing to be quiet for now.

"It's not just that," he insisted. "You don't need to be sitting here right now, Wery, surrounded by work either. It's better to find somewhere more comfortable where you can try and rest a little."

"I don't really know what else to do…" Wery mumbled.

"Let's find you somewhere else to sit, " Tails told her. "That's all I'm saying."

She hesitated for a moment before standing up, moving to go with him wherever he might lead her. "Okay…"

Tails took the opportunity to lead her to the workshop's only couch and helped her to sit on it. Then he said, "It just gets chilly in here sometimes. Do you want a blanket?" Really, it would be more for the emotional support… but not everyone is wants to use that kind of thing.

She didn't really respond to that initially, instead holding her arms open to him. It took her a moment, but Wery ultimately murmured, "Just… sit with me…"

"Yeah… of course." Tails moved into the seat beside her, stifling a worried sigh. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"Thank you," she whispered softly, leaning up on him and trying to make herself comfortable. Tails nodded and carefully wrapped an arm around her. The female fox was quiet after this, settling down with her head on his shoulder. This whole situation… it was tiring. It hurt. She didn't want to be awake to feel it right now.

She soon drifted off to sleep, thankfully feeling safe and comfortable enough in Tails's arms to temporarily forget her pain… even if it would come back when she was awake.

~保護者~

It had been relatively quiet since leaving the raid. Han was dozing on a couch while Ylden focused on the realms. Ghune's attack alone had sent a wave of souls through, and that was far from the end of it all. For now, though, since Ylden come back so soon, things were stable and he could monitor it all.

However, that didn't mean that things were going to stay quiet. He didn't expect it at all, but soon enough he sensed a portal open. The cat turned in time to see Tempest walk through before the portal closed. Zenith what the fuck are you doing?

Rather than voice his thoughts, the cat decided to simply approach the Therian woman as she looked around curiously. None of her usual flare was present, and Ylden could tell at a glance that she was far calmer than usual. He supposed it was at least fairly reasonable for Zenith to have allowed her entrance, but the real question was why she even came… and how she knew to get to this place.

"Why are you here?" Ylden asked, choosing to be straightforward. "I can't ascertain the reason for your presence."

Tempest clearly ignored him for a moment, reaching forward and grabbing the necklace around his neck. "You've worn this?" she asked after a moment.

The cat slipped her fingers off of the crystalline jewelry, stepping back minutely. "I have. Why do you ask?"

"I came to see if you still had it," Tempest answered.

Ylden couldn't quite pick up if it was a lie or merely a half truth. Something was missing, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "I still do. If that is all your business-"

"This is where you live?" she suddenly questioned, turning around to look at the barren area… save for some furniture and a familiar sleeping Hexan. Han? What the fuck are you doing here?

"Yes-"

Once more, she cut him off. "Why you no have things?" Tempest asked, unintentionally slipping into a speech pattern not unlike her closest living relative.

"I don't need them," Ylden replied, more than a touch irritated. He didn't understand why she was here, and being cut off repeatedly was getting on his nerves. "I am usually here alone."

"Why alone?"

"My job is a lonely one." The cat reflected on his answer as soon as the words left his mouth. He supposed that in a way, this was true. However… it was once far less lonely with Kaden around. He missed their old companionship. "There are not exactly many people capable of doing what I do."

Tempest huffed a little at this answer, reaching forward again and grabbing his hand. "Then I stay."

Ylden froze up when she took his hand in her own, instinctively shrinking back a little as he expected… something to happen. When nothing did, he relaxed somewhat. "You don't need to stay."

"Don't need. I want to." She frowned vaguely at him. "I stay."

The cat ultimately huffed and pulled his hand away, unsure how to handle this. Why did she want to stay? Her presence was concerning him now. What did she want? He barely knew her. But… she wasn't like her. Don't think like that. Not everyone is out to hurt you.

Those exact thoughts had gotten him into his abusive relationship in the past. Osaina was evil. She tried to hurt Armaris as a baby. Ylden's breathing sped up and he walked further away, pulling at his hair painfully. Tempest is not Osaina. Stop thinking about her. Nothing got the demoness out of his mind, though. She would always be a permanent fixture, no matter what he did. The things she'd done…

His thoughts were interrupted by hands wrapping around him, causing him to briefly return to reality. He looked down and immediately realized that he was on the floor. He didn't… really understand what was going on until he glanced to the side, seeing none other than the Therian woman. It wasn't the most comforting sight, really, but it was enough to keep his thoughts steadier. "W…what are you doing…?"

"You panicking," Tempest murmured. "I help…"

He wasn't sure if she was… particularly helpful, or if it was just the unusual fact of someone so vicious being so… sweet. However… he wasn't going to complain. In a way, her strong grip felt comforting. Ylden found it possible to relax for the time being, lowering his head as the mild exhaustion from such emotional turmoil hit him all at once.

He could permit himself to rest, just this time.

~保護者~

At this time of day, Kath's observatory was abandoned aside from him and Azerel. The wolf had finally returned from the mountains where he and the rest of his kind had hidden away during the last outset of danger, but the return was brief. Azerel was only here to rest and prove that he was safe, nothing more.

Kath, meanwhile, was focused on something that was more immediately important to him. After getting the broken pieces of his sword from Sein (and after making a mental note to try again later at assuaging the man's guilt), he'd taken them here. Now he was trying to rewind time enough to fix it, but without affecting anything else.

That was proving to be a goddamn chore.

It wasn't often he found himself even mildly frustrated over something so intricate and fascinating, but the fact was that he cared far less about the process than the result for once. He wanted his sword back in pristine condition. Nothing more, nothing less. But after having to stop for the umpteenth time to fix the effects on other surrounding objects, he sat back in his chair with an aggravated huff and admitted temporary defeat with crossed arms and a small scowl. Damned thing.

As was the usual for Yareis's arrival, the room grew far colder. The woman appeared somewhat near to the door and immediately approached, halting only when she saw the sword. She straightened a little at the sight, blinking. "What… happened to it?"

"I had an altercation with someone recently," Kath sighed, "and this was the result. I used to only be mortal. My blade is nothing more than that yet still."

Yareis gently picked up one of the pieces and inspected it, frowning softly. "I… am sorry that it has been broken."

"As am I," Kath admitted, voice growing quiet. "It was an… important possession of mine."

"The best I could offer would be to mend the pieces temporarily with ice," Yareis murmured. "I am no smith."

The idea certainly had merit. Her ice wouldn't, couldn't, melt easily. It especially wouldn't melt because of anything around here. "I would appreciate the help, but I would not ask you to expend your energy on my issues."

"Expending energy for you is something I would do on a whim," Yareis answered, suddenly collecting the rest of the pieces and arranging them precariously to be aligned as a blade. "It is rare I find someone who I can care for in this way."

That statement made Kath pause. He spontaneously recalled Laralei's words, her belief that Yareis harbored some sort of affection toward him. Could she have been correct? And what do I do if she was? Rather than contemplate the matter straight away, he conceded to the overall point of her statement. "I would appreciate the help," he reiterated.

Yareis didn't hesitate to draw a hand over the organized pieces of the blade, binding the metal with nothing but ice. She didn't know what else to really say until she was finished and could pick up the sword, watching as water vapor in the air froze and clinked on the ground as ice when it fell. "For now, I suppose this would suffice… and perhaps more closely resemble the level of power you wield." Though… the gap is still quite immense. Unexpected. He is transitioning quickly.

"Thank you," Kath responded, looking over the blade. It was true that it wasn't actually mended, but at least in this state it was whole… to an extent. But that got him thinking about something else. She mentioned a smith… Is there not…? "There is a deity who works with weapons, isn't there?"

"The God of the Forge, yes." Yareis affirmed this to herself after a moment's thought. "A man named Li, I believe. Related to the original, Sothan." He was quite the man…

Sothan? …Did I not hear that name on the battlefield? "Someone said that name during the fight," he revealed thoughtfully. "I did not see who, but it sounded like someone calling out the name in… concern, I suppose." Aside from that… Perhaps when this war is over, I can take my sword to this "Li" and ask about proper repairs. This is not a sword I can mend myself. I lack the skill and the time… As ridiculous as that last part now sounds, I suppose.

Yareis glanced to him, eyes widening. "Does this mean that Sothan is alive?" She asked quickly.

"Revivals have become possible in this day and age somehow," Kath shrugged. "He and I," the hawk gestured at Azerel, "were both dead as well less than half a year ago."

The woman frowned in thought. If Sothan was alive… then that was one incredible addition to their side. "If this is true… I am glad. He was a good ally. Helpful." Yareis rubbed her hands on her cheeks a little, wiping away water as some of the frost melted. Unusual…

"What else do you know of him?" Kath asked her. It was purely out of curiosity, but there was no harm in indulging in that out loud a bit for once.

"He was quite possibly the strongest of us all, physically speaking," Yareis murmured distractedly. "He wields a hammer that not even Saethrim can lift easily. He was also a very kind man, and one of few words." More of that water appeared on her cheeks, causing her to frown. She distantly remembered that this had happened once before… when she was around Sothan.

Interesting. I will have to learn more some other time. Another thought started to enter Kath's mind, but it was interrupted when Azerel decided to make a pointed comment out of the blue. He slanted a glare at his companion and nudged him none-too-gently with a boot. You shut your mouth.

Yareis was visibly returned from her thoughts by this, blinking a few times at the sight. "What… Are you two communicating?" she asked after a moment, then reiterated her question to be a bit more direct and less vague. "As in, are you communicating mentally?"

"He is a Celestial Wolf," Kath explained, still glaring at said animal. "Celestial creatures are mythical beings native to the original Planet Babylon. At times, an individual will form a bond with one Babylonian, and those with said bonds can mentally communicate. He and I have been bonded since… As long as I can remember, really."

"That is incredible," Yareis breathed, walking over and kneeling down by Azerel to take a closer look. "I had thought that only Saethrim would be truly capable of such communication with creatures like this."

"It is a highly unique situation," Kath said. "Something about the nature of our shared origins allows us to connect. I do not know if it was our planet's innate magic, if it was the aura energy we were created from, or something else. But as it stands, this has never been reliably repeated by other races on other worlds." As Kath spoke, Azerel sort of wuffed at Yareis and stretched on the floor where he was laying.

Yareis was visibly intrigued. She smiled and offered her hand toward Azerel, essentially asking permission to pet him while her gaze went to Kath. The wolf took his time to finish stretching first, then nudged her hand with his nose. "It is far more special, then," she murmured. "I did not know such a thing was possible." Once his nose touched her hand, she immediately began rubbing Azerel's head, allowing her other hand to stroke the fur of his back.

"It has always been, at least for us," Kath told her. "Back during some of our earliest days as a race, when we still lived in scattered tribes, these bonds were seen as sacred. But I assume that you know that that is not a normal method of thinking for a Babylonian."

"My knowledge of Babylonian culture is heavily lacking, for more than one reason," Yareis answered, not once taking a break from petting Azerel. In response, the wolf stood and shook himself for one reason or another. "However, this I do know. Calling something 'sacred' was merely not a thing that your people would have done normally."

"Indeed. It proves your point rather well, I think. That this whole situation is something very 'special', as it were."

Yareis nodded. "Certainly." Still… to think about it. So incredible. After some several seconds of silence, she retracted her hands from Azerel and looked up to Kath. "There are more celestial wolves, then?" She knew it was a needless question, based on how he'd explained before… but she wanted to hear it.

"There are entire packs of them, all based around families and long-time allies. Friends, even. Those smaller packs, however, view each other pack as an ally in and of itself. In times when their safety is not ensured, the packs will all join into one, and there is one sole leader. Once, it was his grandfather who held that position. Currently, it is him."

"Tell her you can turn into one," Azerel silently said. "You may be surprised by her-"

"Shut up."

Yareis listened quietly, then immediately pointed out something. "You are communicating mentally again. What is he saying?" she asked Kath.

"He's being a smart-ass," Kath grumbled. "I would be ignoring him if I could."

The woman snickered a little. "Seriously, though. What's he saying? If he's commenting on something I said, I'd like to know."

"He's commenting on me," Kath corrected. When he mentally reprimanded his friend again, he found himself being nipped sharply on the knee. That caused him to react almost on instinct by this point after so many years by cuffing the wolf just as sharply on the ear. "Knock it off."

Yareis huffed a little. "Now you're being secretive over nothing." She chose to not respond at all to the way they interacted physically, either unbothered or uncaring.

Only because of his stupid insinuations. Kath had no time to say anything before Azerel decided to take matters into his own hands. …So to speak. Utilizing his powers as the overall alpha he (fucking smugly) forced Kath to change there and then. This caused Kath to unintentionally slip out of the chair and onto the floor. Just like that, the two of them were back to arguing, this time through growls, bared teeth, and rapid-fire thoughts.

Yareis didn't exactly contain her response, scooping up Kath and petting his head. "Oh my god, you didn't tell me you could turn into one!" she exclaimed excitedly, a bright smile on her face. Azerel made a face that could rightly be taken as laughter while Kath squirmed and struggled in her grip. However, he gave up rather fast with a hard huff of breath and a displeased expression. The woman did not stop, more than happy with the situation at hand. "This is amazing."

While Azerel continued silently laughing and Yareis continued weirdly gushing, Kath mentally reached out to Sein. "Get your ass over to my observatory and help me. And I swear, if you say one word about this situation past this moment and time I will end you."

The man soon arrived and opened the doors, confused. It was only added to when he caught sight of… this. "What… the fuck?" Sein asked openly. Kath cast a pointed glare at Azerel in an effort to somewhat explain what was going on.

Perhaps the most confusing part of this all was the way that Yareis turned to Sein with a visible grin, holding what was obviously Kath in his wolf form that Azerel likely forced him into. She was practically ruffling Kath's fur, positively beaming. "This is so cool!" she exclaimed brightly.

Sein decided to come save Kath after fighting off a minor laughing fit, gently setting a hand on his adoptive father. "Look, uh, he's not the most pleased right now. If you could let him go so he can turn back, I'd appreciate it."

Her smile faded and she none-too-subtly shoved his hand away, holding Kath protectively. "No."

The hell? Kath silently complained. Not… that he was one to complain. Ever. A fact which Azerel promptly started arguing with him about right then and there.

Sein immediately echoed Kath's sentiments, trying so hard not to laugh at his father's misfortune. "C'mon. He's not exactly the type to enjoy being held."

Yareis glared hatefully at Sein. "Fuck off." She then stormed her way some several feet from Sein and sat down, holding Kath in her lap as she set her head on his back. This position more or less forced Kath into a laying down position (being pinned as he was between her legs, arms, and head) and made him decidedly less happy than he'd already been. He huffed again, unwilling to do anything drastic and unable to change back until Azerel got bored and decided to goddamn let him.

Choosing to try and save his father another way, Sein went to fetch Arkiri, hoping beyond hope that Arkiri could reason with one of the parties involved and that the situation might help Arkiri momentarily feel better in the wake of recent news. He soon returned with the older man, Arkiri walking ahead of him with a minutely amused smile. "Azerel, enough of this. He has suffered enough. Let him turn back so he is not trapped," he said softly.

"This is the most fun I've managed to have with him in years," Azerel argued, doing his best to communicate the sentiment through his eyes and face. Despite his own amusement, some of his joy did fade away when Arkiri's scent filled his nose. This grief… The rumors must be true, then. Damn it all… He did his best to not let his thoughts linger, as if they would somehow reach the man before him and make the old bird suffer even more. "I'd rather drag it out."

Arkiri did his best to convey his usual gentle and soft nature, but it was drowned out somewhat by how tired and miserable he was. "Please, Azerel. Allow him respite. She is holding him down." The man pointed gently to Yareis and Kath, making it obvious that he was indeed trapped… even though Azerel assuredly knew. "The joke has certainly run its course."

That hollow tone was convincing enough. Azerel didn't like it, and he knew that Kath didn't, either. His friend had gone very still at the mere sound of it, which Azerel also didn't like. This was a decent distraction for us both, but I suppose it is time to end it. He released his hold on Kath's transformation ability and sat down. "There, you're free now. I'd suggest waiting until she lets go before changing, though, given the position you're in."

"No kidding," was the somewhat snarky response.

Sein didn't dare approach Yareis lest she freeze him solid. "Hey, Yareis? Would you mind letting Kath go? I think he wants to turn back."

This prompted Yareis to open her eyes, shocked when she finally came to realize what she was doing. The woman vanished into ice on the floor and then appeared away from Kath, turning away quickly and trying to wipe her cheeks dry. This damned water! Why does it keep reappearing?

Kath stood and vigorously shook himself off before shifting back into his normal form. He took a minute to fix his ruffled clothing and hair before standing up. "Not. One. Word," he told Sein sternly, frowning. There was gratitude in there somewhere, but he didn't translate it into language right this minute.

Doing his level best to not directly address Arkiri's emotional state, Sein chose to indulge in his amusement and snicker, nodding his head to Kath. "Yeah, I won't say anything," he promised.

Arkiri watched the scene before him quietly, turning his attention to Yareis briefly, then looking at Kath. After a moment, he chose to walk closer and gently took hold of Kath's longer sleeve. "May I speak with you for a moment?" His attention thoroughly caught (he swore, Alana had practically trained him to react this way at some point with all of her constant tugging and yanking as a child), Kath blinked and then nodded. "This woman… very clearly likes you." He glanced back to Yareis, managing a soft smile. For a moment, his happiness shone through. "I suggest you decide if you return those feelings, for both of your sakes."

"D'o tre haidi," Kath muttered, sighing. ("Not this again.") "Arkiri, this is nothing like what I am familiar with. If there are feelings, I cannot tell. It was far, far easier with Laralei. It is something we simply knew, always. That is not the case here."

"I only say this because she will continue coming and hoping," Arkiri murmured softly. "Neither of us like seeing people upset, and I am sure that you would not wish to lead her on mistakenly, even if it is no fault of your own. Ask yourself if you enjoy her company and could see yourself having that company around permanently."

"I said already that I don't know," Kath responded, a touch sullen.

"You don't have to know now," Arkiri explained. "I envision her being a good friend regardless. She likes your company, and you two seem to get along well. We can talk about this more another time, if you would like help sorting your emotions again. I need… to rest, though. Enjoy time with your friend."

It was just as well that Arkiri wanted to lay back down. Kath had been planning on sending him off to go do just that, anyway. "Go, then," he said, his entire demeanor softening. "I will check on you later, if that is alright."

Arkiri nodded a little. "Bring a board game as well," the man said softly. "I still need to prove that I am superior in the only thing that matters." He winked, chuckling vaguely.

Kath managed a very slight smile. "I discovered a new favorite the other day. I will bring it. Laralei is rather convinced that you will 'instantly win' once you try it."

"She was always a bright one," Arkiri answered. "I must take her word for it."

"We shall see. Now go, I will not keep you longer." Kath gently extracted his sleeve from Arkiri's fingers, then idly used a couple of his own to brush some hair out of his eyes.

Arkiri didn't dare argue with that, already desiring sleep. "Of course." Within a few moments, he strode out of the observatory, managing to keep a somewhat lighter presence about him. Sein was gone by now as well, having decided it would be good to leave them all to do what they will. If he was needed, they knew where and how to find him.

That left Yareis, whose cheeks were still dripping water. "I- er- Sorry," she mumbled softly, keeping her gaze turned away from Kath entirely.

Although he sighed, all traces of Kath's previous upset were already gone. Well, except for what portions of it were aimed at a certain wolf in the room. He reclaimed his earlier seat and said, "It is alright. I merely called for help because communication is limited in that form. And I… do not always handle sudden situations like that well." Or touching.

The woman mumbled out an apology moments later, tripping over her words and failing to make a coherent sentence. Eventually she just gave up and sat on the floor, face in her hands. Why did I do that? It was so foolish…

Kath idly drummed his fingers on the table, trying to think of some way to cheer her up. He was not skilled in this area, but perhaps he had some semblance of an idea…? "Many of the younger wolves," he started slowly, "rather enjoy being held and petted. Especially the pups. I do not think any of the adults would object to your presence in their company, either." With Azerel's silent permission, he continued. "They are all taking refuge in the mountains right now. It is safer for them during times like these. I can show you to them sometime if you wish."

"I would like that," she mumbled, trying to collect herself. The ice that normally enveloped her body was rapidly melting despite her best efforts to keep it from doing so. It was irritating, to say the least, and ultimately she simply froze the puddle to keep it from harming anything in the observatory. "Sorry… I… I don't know what I'm doing."

That makes two of us. "Nor do I," the Babylonian said lightly. "But I said already that you do not need to apologize. I meant it."

Yareis let out a little huff before mumbling something under her breath… unaware that both of the other beings in the room could probably hear. "I like you… I… don't know what to do…" She didn't acknowledge herself saying this, instead standing up and manipulating the ice to cover herself again. "Perhaps we should… focus on something other than the situations at hand."

Hearing this suddenly reminded Kath of something. He stood and crossed the room without a word at first, stopping only once he reached a specific bit of shelving on the wall. He pulled two truly ancient books off of them with extraordinarily careful hands and then carried them to Yareis. The language written on their covers was unmistakable. "I found these in my collections downstairs. I believe Arkiri, the older man you saw, found these when I was younger. They are merely children's fables, but they come from your home. The right to own them is yours."

Yareis saw the books and took them from Kath with equally careful movements, icy tears welling up in her eyes. The books were soon set aside and she wrapped her arms around Kath, unable to contain herself for the second time today as a few drops of ice clinked on the floor. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she murmured, briefly forgetting that he didn't exactly like being touched. "You don't know how much this means to me."

Breathe, Kath quickly told himself in an effort to stave off the inevitable freeze. Breathe. You're fine. Breathe. It took quite a bit of effort, but he managed to relax himself enough that he was at least able to lightly put a hand on her back in a vague semblance of a return hug. "You should more truly thank him, sometime," he murmured back with a stiff sort of shrug. "I have not set foot on your world since… …In a long time. He is the one who has tried to preserve what he could of your people."

"You gave them to me." Those were the only words that came out of her mouth in reply for some time before she reiterated, "You gave them…" Kath didn't know what else to do anymore. At a complete loss by this point, he decided to just nod and not argue the point further.

By now… she didn't realize that the dress of ice she wore was completely melted into water, flowing around her far more freely. This was the happiest she'd been in… nearly her whole life. Thank you.

~保護者~

There was some cause for concern by now, considering how long both Shadow and Toru had been gone. His grandson (Satsuno supposed he had just about fully come to terms with that idea) had inexplicably vanished. Naturally enough, Toru had chased after him. Satsuno had taken it upon himself to mind the children and the home while they were gone, thus allowing his wife some time to herself to decompress and perhaps get a little sleep.

Seiko was careful with what she let on to others, always, but he knew she had been going through her own struggles. Memories of the loss of their son still filled her with grief, and the fact that they hadn't yet been able to see him too easily allowed that pain to continue to fester. He knew it well, for that pain was not solely hers to bear. It was something he felt too, along with the hope for his continued safety and wellbeing. And if he was longing to see their boy this badly, he could scarcely imagine what his partner was going through. I just wish I could help her.

Pursing his lips together, Satsuno refocused as best as he could on tucking young Lia into bed. It wasn't truly late, but at her age this time of the evening was more than late enough for bedtime. He'd observed Shadow keeping to roughly the same schedule whenever possible as well, so it was in line with his grandson's parenting. That was all the more reason to stick to it despite the chorus of complaints he'd received minutes before. "I'm really not tired," the child insisted through a yawn. Her eyelids had nearly drooped shut.

"As I can see," Satsuno murmured, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "Perhaps you can humor me, then. Does your father normally tell you stories before you sleep?"

"If I ask him super, super nicely," Lia said. "I don't always want one 'cause I don't wanna sleep."

Stubborn through and through, I see. "Humor me," he said again. "You are not tired, but let's pretend that I am. What sort of story would you tell me to help me sleep?"

Hearing this made those sweet young eyes light up. "I get to tell you a bedtime story?" she asked, almost in awe.

"If you can think of one, you are more than welcome to," Satsuno told her, unable to suppress a rare true smile. "I would like to hear what your mind can create."

"I know the best story!" Lia exclaimed, delighted to the core. She squirmed and wiggled her way further under the covers until she was comfortable and then began her tale. "So, a super-duper long time ago, there was this super cool spaceship. It was so big it could fit all of our friends, and it even had a swimmy pool! Everybody had their own room, there was a kitchen, and it was just the best."

"It certainly sounds like it," Satsuno agreed, still smiling. "Go on. You have me interested."

"Okay, so on that spaceship was a girl and her daddy. Bad guys kept trying to hurt everybody, but her daddy and her papa and her uncle and her auntie and everybody else kept her so safe that she wasn't even scared! She was the bravest ever."

That word again. "Papa"... Was that not what she called Kaden when speaking with Seiko and I once before? That led into a more intriguing question. If Kaden is in this story, perhaps she speaks of a real event. Or, at least, parts of something real are in this story somewhere. "I suppose she must have been," he indulged her, "if there were that many 'bad guys'."

Lia beamed at him. "She was! But she did get scared one time, 'cause the bad guys took her away. She didn't know what happened, but they made her wake up someplace dark and spooky and she was stuck in a cage. They said lots of mean things and laughed at her a lot, and some of them even poked her and stuff. She didn't like it there at all."

Now frowning minutely, Satsuno encouraged her to continue. "I can imagine not. What did the girl do?"

"Well, she was so, so, so scared that I think she fell asleep," Lia told him. "She didn't sleep good, though. Her dreams were scary, too. Plus it was cold and she didn't have her unicorn or a pillow. Plus she was thirsty and that was no fun at all." She was quiet and somber for just a moment before smiling anew. "But guess what? When she woke up, stuff got better! A boy was there and he helped her get out of there safe and sound! No bad guys ever got to hurt her and he helped her find her daddy. Her daddy gave her a big, big hug and the bad guys never took her again!"

"Did this boy have a name?" Satsuno asked her, eyebrows slightly raised.

"Soren," Lia told him matter-of-factly.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward in an effort to smile again. "I see." Reaching over, Satsuno picked up a stuffed animal he had noticed her sleeping with recently and tucked it in beside her. This made her smile, and soon she was tucking the toy in herself. "That was a good story, Lia. You were right to say that the girl was brave. It sounds to me that she remembered to stay hopeful as well. Those are good things to try to do when we are afraid."

"Uh-huh," Lia agreed, happy as could be. "That's what my Nana used to say, too. Well, something like that, I guess. I dunno which words she used."

"Perhaps if you slept, you will be able to remember tomorrow."

"But I'm not tired. Honest."

"Hm, tell you what." Satsuno stood and tucked her in one last time when her restless movements shifted her blankets down. "If you sleep now, I will make plenty of time in the morning for you to tell me more stories. Alright?"

"You really mean it?" she asked, eyes wide.

"I do. They can be whatever kind of stories you want, and I will listen. Deal?"

"Okay. That sounds like fun." Lia smiled at him and yawned again, then finally closed her eyes. "I'm glad you're my papa's daddy. You're nice like him and my daddy and uncle. That's proof you're really, really his daddy and not just pretending. So he'll hafta believe you when you tell him."

"I believe he knows already," Satsuno corrected gently. "Now go to sleep. Your father should be back by the time you wake up." He got a muffled response from under her covers when she pulled them up even further, and that was good enough for him. He turned and left the room, then quietly shut the door. After that, he ran a hand through his hair with a sigh and went to his and Seiko's room. Soren was entertaining himself just fine with something he'd called "a video game", so now was a good a time as any for Satsuno to lay down.

Seiko waited for him to lay in bed before wrapping an arm around him, pulling him close to her with a soft smile. "Lia is quite adorable, is she not?"

"She is," Satsuno agreed, already feeling complete contentment now that he was back in Seiko's company. He closed his eyes, but not in preparation to sleep. He was just comfortable and relaxed.

"I heard her story. She seems to have really enjoyed the ending of those memories, despite how it all began."

"It would seem so. I did not expect her to recall something supposedly from so long ago so well."

"For her, I would suppose it is a core memory of sorts. That would have been when she met her big brother, correct?"

"I'm not sure. It's possible she knew him prior to that. Trying to guess based on that story alone is difficult." Satsuno thought briefly, then said, "Soren could shed some light on the matter sometime, perhaps."

Seiko chuckled softly. "I would hazard a guess that I am correct. But I have a more important question that I have been curious about. What are your thoughts on the woman named Ghune that has visited a small number of times? We have remained quiet when she's been here, but she does seem quite intent on helping."

"Despite Toru's early demeanor toward her, Shadow has displayed a surprising amount of trust so far," Satsuno mused. "Perhaps the mentions of this other father of his being her friend has helped in that regard. Either way, the fact remains that she has been providing him important support and aid. I find no fault in her for that reason."

"I will note one thing that has been striking me as… odd," Seiko murmured. "Have you noticed just how supportive she has been with him?"

"I have," he agreed. Then he said, "You have a point to make. Speak it."

"I am of the opinion that she is taking a sort of motherly role," Seiko explained, allowing the thought to sit for a moment before expanding upon it. "She has been selective with her words and I have noted that her presence softens when near him. Nothing major, of course, but enough to be noticed… if one was paying attention."

Satsuno nodded slowly. "I still do not understand how it is possible, but Shadow does not appear to have a true mother. I am in no doubt that he views Sonic's mother as his own in some way, but it does not seem that he feels the same attachment to her that one would normally expect. Perhaps, if things continue to go well, he will finally be able to form this important bond in full with Ghune. I believe it would be good for him."

Seiko nodded as well. "Correct. It also goes without mention that she would be good for him with how willing she is to facilitate his needs. I certainly hope she continues to make a deeper bond with him and Toru. They are all excellent."

"Shadow certainly seems to love him," Satsuno murmured. "That is enough for me."

"What has your progress with Myriu been as of late?" Seiko asked, changing the subject. "She has been a lot more… at peace, from what I can tell."

"I have spoken with her very little recently," Satsuno told her, "but her father has done so in my place. Do you remember what I once told you about my own father watching over me after he died, even before I was strong enough to see and hear him? This appears to be what happened here."

Seiko nodded. "That would explain some of the rambling on. She appears to have a high opinion of you already, judging by the way she speaks."

Grey eyes blinked. "...I was not aware," he soon admitted with a shrug.

"She waited for you to be asleep," Seiko murmured with a smile. "She has realized we developed a schedule to rest and watch over the home. Quite intuitive."

"She is, yes. And very… I suppose you could say 'determined'. Once she decided she wanted to see and interact with the man more clearly and easily, she was able to."

Seiko nodded. "She has potential. Plenty of it. I am glad we are around her."

"She has expressed some interest in training," Satsuno said. "However… until such time that she is fully certain she wants it, I will not expose her to this further. There are reasons why few people can handle such powers. She is young enough that any bad experiences can prove permanently damaging."

"I would normally say that someone like her can handle those bad experiences, but considering what little we know of her past, I cannot follow that line of thinking. She has obviously had a tough time."

"To put it mildly, yes," Satsuno agreed. He was now frowning to himself. "There is a spirit of a woman who follows her around and antagonizes her from time to time. She vanishes whenever I come close enough to potentially do anything, however. Based on her appearance, I can only assume she was the girl's mother in life. If this is how she is when dead, one can too easily imagine what she was like in life behind closed doors."

Satsuno was surely aware of the temper Seiko bore at times and the way it could flare. It did so right then, the woman's muscles noticeably tensing. "The spirit of her mother antagonizes her even in death?" she murmured.

"Infrequently enough that I had difficulty determining who she was until earlier today," Satsuno sighed, "but yes. I was able to finally catch a glimpse of her perhaps two hours ago, but she wisely departed before bothering the child again."

A brief growl escaped Seiko. "I will hunt her down soon. The girl deserves better."

"She does." Satsuno was quiet for a short moment before saying, "In terms of spiritual matters, I worry for Soren also. I assume you have seen for yourself by now how traumatized he appears to have been by his abilities in the past."

Seiko chose to hold off the rest of her anger for later. It wasn't worth holding onto and replying through gritted teeth. Myriu's mother was the only one deserving of that fate. "I am aware. He is quite… reserved, as well."

"I had hoped to ask Ylden to handle the boy's training," Satsuno revealed. "Ylden knows a thing or two about recovering from the social fears and whatnot Soren displays, as well as being more than capable in spiritual matters himself. Soren and Myriu both would benefit from one-on-one training. I cannot easily do that for both of them." He relinquished a sigh. "However… with Han's wellbeing in uncharacteristic jeopardy, I have not found a proper time to approach Ylden about this."

"This is all reasonable," Seiko agreed. "I believe Myriu has expressed a desire to learn combat as well, but I cannot say for certain I am sure what Soren desires. I do believe, however, that you are correct in saying Ylden may be able to aid Soren."

"I told her I would speak with Aniko regarding her chameleon training at some point," Satsuno said. "Considering the amount of training Myriu appears to have missed, Aniko is one of the best chameleons to have any hope of catching her up without cutting corners or compromising the quality of the teachings."

"And it goes without saying that their family has had a… rough time as of late," Seiko replied. "I am sure that Aniko would take on this responsibility, but for similar reasons as Ylden, it may be difficult to find a good time to approach her."

"Aniko is preoccupied with fears for her husband and son," Satsuno reminded quietly. "I will not be the one to distract her from her justifiable emotions." He paused momentarily, then allowed himself to relax a degree and said, "Their boy has grown so much, Seiko. I don't think I was quite prepared to see him as an adult already. He is not the same tiny lad you once cradled in your arms."

"And to think he has grown so well," Seiko said with a soft smile. "His skill with a blade is nigh unrivaled. If he were to somehow become more skilled…" She chuckled. "I do not know a being who could withstand him for long."

"He proved himself to be a force of nature in the short time we say him on that battlefield," Satsuno agreed, "without using any powers beyond his speed and strength. Should he have chosen to use more than that, I do not think our enemies would have held on for as long as they did. However… I do not fault him for not going that far. His Darkness appears to be something he is struggling with. I suppose that means that Aniko and Shei indeed settled on their decision to try to keep his power buried within him as he grew." A decision that I still view as unwise… but he is not my child. It was not my choice to make.

"I dislike that decision," Seiko murmured.

"And now he is suffering the consequences," Satsuno sighed. "This is a situation that may potentially grow dire even if not left unchecked. Intervention may not be such a simple thing."

"I am aware," Seiko murmured. "I remember the days of Aniko's unchecked rage. He certainly would be even harder to handle."

"Rage is easier to manage than unfeeling bloodlust," Satsuno sighed. The topic more or less died there, and he let it. His own words had reminded him of something else, anyway. "I am still… surprised that vampirism continues to thrive in an era like this one. I certainly did not expect it to ever afflict someone in our family."

"I do not believe it was a vampire that caused this," Seiko replied. "We likely would have sensed them near Shadow… or he may well have killed them before they got a chance to bite him. He is quite strong on his own."

"Regardless of what caused it, he is one of them now," Satsuno said. "Sonic saw it with his own eyes, as did we. There is no mistaking that frenzy he endured as anything else."

Seiko nodded. "I am pleased to know he has support in the form of another vampire. And… he's apparently becoming quite skilled. The only thing he lacks currently is control."

"It is a potentially severe problem. All it would take is one lapse for him to unintentionally hurt someone he cares for."

"Judging from what we've heard, it seems to be getting even better," Seiko explained. "I believe he is beginning to recognize people, though I cannot say to what extent."

"My concern is for those he doesn't yet have the capacity to recognize," Satsuno told her. "With how strong he is becoming, it would be too easy to overpower many people."

"What aid is there to give, however? We know not the workings of a vampire."

"It is evidently time we learn. This is our grandson, Seiko. I refuse to be willingly uninvolved in such an important aspect of his life. I want to be able to help him, even if we cannot do so just yet."

Seiko smiled suddenly. "I'm glad you came to the same opinion. Next time Ghune arrives, what say you to introducing ourselves?"

"I would think it wise to do so," Satsuno agreed. He paused, thinking, then said, "Perhaps we should do the same with his other father as well. Although… that may have the potential to be dangerous. His energy was wild and primal even despite his much more civilized interactions with Shadow and Toru. I do not know what to expect from such a being. Much less one as vastly ancient as he seemed to be."

"He would not harm us if he knew our relation to Shadow, I am sure," Seiko answered easily.

"I did not expect harm to befall us," Satsuno huffed. "I simply meant that I do not know how to interact with such a being."

"I would handle such. After all, I managed to calm down Aniko." Seiko winked slightly, amused, before stating more seriously, "I do not think we would present ourselves in any manner different than how we are now."

That was probably true enough. Satsuno nodded a little in agreement and then said, "We should rest. It has been a long day."

"Mm… in a moment. I have an abusive mother to annihilate. I cannot bear the thought of her continuing to exist." Seiko said easily. "I can return and rest after, if you'd like."

Rather than respond to that last part, Satsuno sat up. "I will search for her. You cannot very well locate the woman on your own."

"I intended to make Zenith or Ylden do so for me," Seiko answered, pushing herself up and off the bed.

"They are busy." Satsuno stood and walked out of the room, already intent on getting this done. He soon located the offending spirit again and pointed her out to Seiko. "She is there, beside Myriu's door. I do not think she has noticed us yet." Spirits hyper-fixate on their actions at times… often to the detriment of the living. This time, it will be her own worst enemy.

Seiko moved in a flash, drawing her blade and encasing it with her magic before slashing through the spot where the spirit was, soon reappearing beside Satsuno. "Handled?"

Satsuno examined the area carefully with his eyes, then nodded. "Yes. She is gone." He crossed his arms and looked around some more. "However… this entire house needs a cleansing. There are no more dangerous spirits present, but there are too many gathering here regardless. They have taken too keen an interest in the three of us being in close proximity to one another while in possession of spiritual powers like ours." Minor possessions are a risk with spirits like this… And their presence in such numbers only draws more of their kind here to see what is happening. If I still had the sage and other materials I once owned, sending them away without doing them harm would be a simple matter.

"Then… aid me." Seiko gently took hold of his hand, sheathing her blade once more. "I can repel them from here… as gently as possible."

"There is a small group of them near the front door," Satsuno said, wasting no time. "One spirit is that of a young child. Be as careful as you possibly can."

Seiko was careful with her magic, making sure to avoid harming the child's spirit. With Satsuno's aid… she'd be able to help them all be sent away.

~保護者~

17,815 words this time. After my long hiatus visiting family, I have triumphantly returned! Lol, anyway, in all seriousness... Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support, and we hope you all enjoyed. Posted (at about 10:30 p.m.) 04-29-22.