What a perfect day for a feast. Within the sky lay the morning star,giving life to the earth below. A bright blue flowed out across the atmosphere, the verdant grasses shimmered a rich green, and gave off the smell of wet mud. His bare feet plodded, and his hands were caked with humanity.

A perfect day to teach his little brother a lesson.

"Don't eat things that taste like garbage," he said, a tad annoyed that he had to explain such a basic concept.

"We'll eat what we want," his brother replied, annoyed.

"Raise your standards, we eat good every day." He rubbed his stomach, and the loose rags which covered it from the world. Adults liked him to be covered, until they wanted the opposite. Such arbitrary creatures they were.

"We do too," the other boy said, following him through the tall grass, which reached nearly up to their waists.

"Nope, there's better food than random old villagers, dummy," he said. There was so much better in the world. He couldn't fathom how his brother lacked the ability to see that.

"Hey, she was only eighteen, Mama says that's young."

"But she didn't fight, she wasn't very Gourmet, ~tsu."

Roy pushed an extra tall bit of grass out of the way, trying to keep up with Ley's brisk walk. "She was still good, dumbass, ~tsu."

He had to sigh; his brother was so…childish. Time to rectify that, "No, Roy! She was bad. And yucky. And that woman shouldn't be letting you eat people like that."

Roy glared at him. "Mama's…nice."

"She's a big adult, old."

"Mama's young."

He shook his head, not so easily fooled. "She's just like all the rest, lying to us."

"She lets us eat," Roy said, crossing his arms.

"We let you eat."

"No you don't."

"We do too."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, only that dumb Gourmet!"

"Why would you need to eat anything else, we get all nice and full from it," he said, rubbing his stomach again. It was almost empty, even more so than normal. He'd need a good meal to satisfy this craving.

"You're insane," Roy looked away, rubbing his arms. "At least Mama…loves us."

"We love you, ~tsu."

"Sure." Roy shuddered, his eyes long, staring to a far off place. "Not like Mama."

The younger boy's long hair was falling into the mud, getting all dirty. He didn't help Roy; there was nothing to help. Adults were too angry about their cleanliness, so petty about it.

After a few more minutes of walking, Roy asked, "Can we eat the next ooooone?"

"No, that's our meal. We'll prepare them, you'll learn how."

"But we're hungry."

He grabbed his stomach. "But we're hungryyyy. And you just gobbled up a village."

"Mama wouldn't stop us from eating," Roy whispered, his eyes wet. "Mama would only…"

Roy never finished the sentence, and he didn't care to learn more. The little boy was right. He was being a bad older brother, not making sure his brother got enough to eat. Did it matter that he went hungry, so long as his brother didn't? Not at all. He repeated it to himself in his head, over and over, punishing himself for the mistake.

"You can eat the next one, Roy."

Roy looked up, a bit of light in his eyes. "Thanks, ~tsu."

"No problem, ~tsu." He tried to genuinely mean it, but there was such a deep hunger in his stomach. Such a demand. With a groan, he turned away from Roy, and bared his teeth. Maybe he wouldn't give Roy that meal, maybe he'd take it for himself, maybe he'd feed himself. His stomach growled, an earthquake from within himself.

Then came the pain, and his own howls. Red overcame his vision, and along came the true hunger. So deep he'd eat anything. He bit his tongue to try and stop it; Roy was starting to kick up a fuss about it. The boy shouldn't have to worry. Yet there was nothing he could do to hold back the screams. He'd already bitten chunks off the side of his tongue. Blood was flooding his mouth, like choking on a dagger. He relished when he swallowed it. What a fine taste.

He swallowed again.

It tasted old, used up, like garbage. The hunger receded.

And came back stronger.

Red, it was all red, there was nothing that wasn't red, red was in all places. The red was in him, the need, the desire, the strength, the weakness. It all came to him then escaped him. Roy's arms were on him, those little limbs which held untold levels of strength.

"Huh, hey!" Roy shouted. "Did you get tired of acting so fancy? Are you finally going to eat normally? Will you get rid of that Gourmet stuff?"

He looked toward Roy, reaching out for him—

A voice he'd never heard caressed him. "Hello, big brother. ~Tsu."

—and all went white for Ley Batenkaitos.


God had reached him.

God smote him; a hurricane came straight for his neck.

Hunger rose. She was still so unhappy.

"We love you," Ley whispered, a realization coming upon him.

Ley ducked beneath the blade.


Red. It was all so extremely red, not a hint of any other color. Maybe a scratch of beige, maybe. Or were those just the tears in his eyes? Ley didn't have a clue, he just tried wiping the red from his face. His breath came in and out so fast, so loud. Oxygen flowed into him, too much, never enough. It could never be enough. He reached out, sucking down the air with furious abandon. He had to consume it.

Why had he kept running? Why had he kept trying to live? He'd written his message. He'd done it. He'd accepted nothing he could do would ever let him escape. He'd accepted he loved her so much.

"Please," he whispered, holding a hand to his side. "Please…" He couldn't get the rest of the words out. He just had to keep moving. Ley shouted, something unintelligible. His voice cracked, he choked up, whether from blood or tears he didn't know, and he dropped to the ground, his legs giving out.

"No!" he shouted, shoving himself up with his one good arm. The other was shattered, along with his skull. And yet…Ley Batenkaitos got up, and kept going. He loved her too much to stop. He loved everything about her. Every facet of her being filled him with so much love. For them, he had to move. For them, he had to stop moving.

Who was she?

Ley forced back another set of sobs. Blonde, her hair was blonde. Her name was Ra—LOUIS! Her name was Louis Arneb. She was his beautiful and wonderful sister. She was the girl who'd never tasted freedom or happiness. She was the girl who he wished the utter best for, no matter the cost to himself. Even if he drew deeper on Solar Eclipse, on names which now disgusted him, he'd do it for her.

He strode on, even while his feet were covered in blood. It was even harder to balance himself now; he'd used both Lunar and Solar Eclipse to draw on hundreds of people. Each one made up little parts of him now, throwing off his balance. Yet he must press forward, otherwise he'd die so easily. He grabbed his head, trying to keep some of the blood in. He reached for a water mage, and activated their abilities.

Disgust overcame him. "No!" He screamed, trying to hold the name down, yet it tore out of him, leaving a bloody froth all over his chin.

"Stop screaming." Her voice boomed across the entire tower. He tried to get a good look at her, but his eyes were too full of blood.

"Ram…" he whispered, forcing his legs to move, his feet to pound up and down on the dull stone tiles.

"Batenkaitos." Her response came, with such strength, such power, such divine radiance, such godly intelligence, such…beauty…

Ram, his sister—

NO! That was Louis. Ley shoved away Rem's personhood. She was getting in the way of Louis. He couldn't allow that.

"You will not escape," Ram's voice came again, louder. Her wind blades blasted from somewhere in the corridor behind. They collided against the walls with such a ferocity it was a wonder the tower didn't come down. Actually it wasn't, Ram was just so good she could control herself to the perfect degree! She was truly amazing, truly wonderful, TRULY GOURMET! No, none of that mattered.

Ley had to live, to make it out, to make it to safety, to protect Louis for the rest of his life.

He grit his teeth. "We aren't Rem!"

They were Ley Batenkaitos, the exiled Witch Cultist who'd crafted a grand technique.

The world changed around him, as he bored a hole through space, crossing the entire tower in an instant.

Disgust pulsed through him as he made more and more leaps, until he slammed face first into one of the walls, and collapsed onto the ground. He shoved himself off the floor, holding himself up with his arm. "We aren't disgusted. Ram isn't that good. Ram isn't that amazing. Ram isn't that Gourmet. Ram isn't that perfect."

Ley vomited Leaper Dorkell's name.

They were disgusted. Ram was that good. Ram was that amazing. Ram was that Gourmet. Ram was that perfect. Dorkell was useless in comparison. Dorkell was puny in comparison. Dorkell was Bizarre Eating in comparison. Dorkell was nothing in comparison to the being named Ram.

Tears poured down his cheeks. There was so much red. So much. Too much. It covered the ground beneath him, dripping from every wound on his body. He slipped on it, and almost vomited out another dozen names. Instead, he deactivated Solar and Lunar Eclipse. In comparison to the being that was Ram, they were nothing.

Nothing.

Worse than nothing.

"We're sorry, Louis…" he whispered. Ram was too incredible. Ram would hunt them to the ends of the earth. Ram would tear the Pleiades Watchtower apart to get him. And Ley Batenkaitos had failed to eat her.

For his sin, Louis would rot in the Hall of Memories for all eternity, never to gain happiness. Roy would die soon too.

"We're sorry, we're a terrible older brother," he said. There was so much red covering his hands.

"We're sorry, we're sorry, we're sorry, we're sorry, we're sorry…" he said it again and again, as he tried to use the red for something. Maybe write a second message, get her to listen to his pleas. But, the strength was draining from him so quickly, too quickly.

He checked over his shoulder. There she was, in all her radiant glory. The oni with pink hair, the oni who bled from a scar on her forehead, the oni who was more amazing than anything he'd ever laid eyes on. Aside from Louis. Aside from Louis. Louis surpassed her. Louis surpassed her…

Ram glared at him. Love rushed up from his chest. She'd be such a good meal. Such a lovely meal. A meal so Gourmet his mind was exploding from the mere fact of its existence. A meal Louis could enjoy. A meal so exceptional it could teach Roy how important Gourmet truly was.

A meal Ley was utterly powerless in the face of.

But he wouldn't beg, not for himself. "Please don't hurt our little sister…"

"You escaped Ram once, don't think yourself lucky or cunning enough to do so twice."

Ram blasted toward him, flying using only wind magic. The control, the precision! It was unlikely any being could ever reach that level of finesse for thousands of years. This was the pinnacle of wind magic, shooting toward him.

Ley barely broke his eyes away from her, and back to his message. He just barely finished it, before forcing himself to his feet, and turning back to Ram. "We love you."

"You're disgusting." Her voice was hard.

Ley breathed out, accepting it. He'd ducked under that blade of wind, managed to live. She wouldn't be so foolish as to trust a blade. No, Ram was amazing.

Ram threw a punch, while she was blasting forward at speeds so fast it shook the Pleiades Watchtower.

He stared right into it, knowing his death had come.

There was no second escape. Why had he even bothered escaping in the first place?


White, all white, without a soul in sight. Roy had vanished, the hunger panging within him was nowhere to be found, and his mind was…weird. Time felt so faint; the world hummed, yet he couldn't hear the sounds. In all directions, just more of the same. He slid his bare foot across the ground, and felt nothing. There was no hunger, no pain, no smells, no sounds, no sights; only whites.

Ley grabbed his stomach. He didn't have fingers.

He looked down.

He did have fingers…but they weren't real. They didn't feel, and his stomach didn't feel them. Even the rags covering him meant nothing. Yes, they still served their purpose, but he no longer experienced the itching of cloth.

Where in the world was he?

What adult had dragged him to this place?

Where was Roy?

Shit, Roy…

Ley turned in a direction, activating Lunar Eclipse. Leaper Dorkell's power flowed within him, and he teleported across the abyss…only to find more abyss.

Another leap.

More abyss.

Another leap.

More abyss.

Another leap.

More abyss.

He tried slapping himself to get his mind on task, but it just reminded him that there was no sensation here. Everything was too blank.

But Roy must be here, and even if he wasn't, Ley would find him.

Nothing could stop Ley Batenkaitos from finding his brother.

So he teleported, through the nothing.

To more. Nothing.

And yet more. Nothing.

An endless supply of. Nothing.

Till his body should have screamed, but no sensation came. Nothing

He grasped for Roy. Nothing.

Leap after leap after leap after leap. Nothing.

Roy, he had to find Roy, had to find him. Nothing.

Roy needed him. Nothing.

He couldn't let Roy fall further into the hands of that woman. Nothing.

The boy was being taught horrible things. Nothing.

He wasn't eating properly. Nothing.

Ley had to teach him. Nothing.

It was possible, he could reach out, he could get him to understand Gourmet. Nothing.

It was his duty as a brother. Nothing.

His obligation as someone who loved his little brother. Nothing.

That's why he leaped. Nothing.

Even when all seemed hopeless, even when hours had likely passed, he leaped. Nothing.

Even while tiny parts of him wanted to give in, he pushed forward for his brother. Nothing.

For hours. Nothing.

For time which he lost track of. Nothing.

For the millennia which came and went. Nothing.

For the brother waiting somewhere out there. Nothing.

For the brother who he'd reach. Nothing.

For the brother he couldn't doubt was somewhere in this void. Nothing.

For… Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing. Nothing.

Nothing, and nothing, and nothing upon nothing which rested on nothing alongside more nothing.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Ley slowed down, collapsing to the ground. The complete lack of sensation was so jarring; one second he was on his feet, in the next he was staring up.

At more nothing.

Just fucking NOTHING!

Ley grabbed his hair and—

Ley had to get out, there had to be a way out. Roy wasn't here. Ley wasn't protecting Roy. That Capella, she was poisoning Roy's mind, turning him against Ley, teaching him to stay away from Gourmet. Ley had to stop her, Ley had to save Roy, Ley had to make sure the boy was able to eat good meals. One would go hungry without meals, and without good meals. They were both necessary. Roy had to know that. If he didn't, he might become like the adults. Roy couldn't become like the adults, he had to stay Roy, he had to stay Ley's little brother, he had to stay. He couldn't leave, like those from the shadows in the back of Ley's mind.

The man and woman, faces eroded by time.

The baby left face down in the ice.

The winds, blowing without end.

The snow, covering all things.

The man and woman, gone.

His tiny fingers, so small the box seemed big.

The dark.

The hunger.

Ley raged. He had to find Roy. He couldn't leave the boy. Not here, not know, not while he was stuck in this white fucking void. Ley Batenkaitos would make it out. Ley Batenkaitos would—

"I see our time is up, ~tsu," an ethereal voice came. He didn't even hear the words, just knew them from context. Yet there was no context.

A little girl in a torn and tattered black dress appeared before him.

Ley tried to back away.

She touched his chest, he wouldn't have even noticed had he not been looking down at her hand. He couldn't feel anything.

She ran her hand back and forth, and said, "Brother."

Ley's eyes widened. Had he really? He'd focused on Roy so much that he'd never even known about this girl. He didn't even know her name, who she was, what she was like, or why she was here. But he believed that word, his sister. His little sister. The one who'd been left to this horrible place for eternity.

His hand snapped forward, and he shouted, "—!"

The words rang silent, but the sentiment remained.

Nothing would get in the way of his siblings' happiness.


Ley stared upon Her, Ram, the most Gourmet thing to ever walk the earth, and the most Gourmet thing which ever would.

Love bloomed within him.

Ley understood it all now.

Ram…the greatest thing upon this earth, the most brilliant existence in the world, the pinnacle of all things which had ever bathed in the moon's light, and the most lovely sister to possess a beating heart, was really just average. There was only one reason she was so wonderful. There was only one reason Ley even considered her worthy of affection.

Because Louis had never lived. She was the most brilliant existence, yet to exist in the world. The pinnacle of all things, which had never bathed in the moon's light, and the most lovely sister of all time.

Ley Batenkaitos vomited Rem's name. If he was to show Louis the sunlight, he couldn't be distracted.

Ram's fist was only a few centimeters away.

Her eyes widened, and she slowed, just for a second. "Rem…"

Ley had a free shot. And Ram had taught him a lesson.

He brought forth every single identity up from the melting pot that had become his self, while keeping Ley Batenkaitos strong at the center.

Neiji Rockheart, Beli Heinelga, and countless others all formed him at that moment.

Ley became a rocket, moving across space in such a short time that Ram had no chance to notice him. With every fiber of his being, every skill of each being consumed, he struck.

A fist, right in Ram's nose.

The one he'd thought of as god fell to the ground, her horn pouring blood.

"Synesthesia!" he shouted, discovering it, while he kicked Ram in the jaw. That was how she'd become so powerful. She was using Rem's horn. Unfortunately for Ram, an amnesiac girl couldn't use her horn very well.

Ram glared up at him, but Ley couldn't let her emotions get to him anymore. For Louis, he slammed his knuckles into her nose, for Louis he crushed her larynx, for Louis he bashed her cheek bone in, for Louis he punched her—

Ram caught his fist. "So the serendipity of time now affects Ram once more."

"LOUIS!" he shouted, grasping for Leaper.

But he'd vomited the name; it was gone.

Ley flew through the air, blood spewing everywhere. So…much…red. Yet everything was cold…no…

He tried grabbing his head, but he couldn't feel his arm. Why was everything cold?

Why…in the world…would everything be so…gone…

Ley landed on the ground, and stared over the floor. His body slumped down, collapsing in a pool of blood. He wasn't attached to it anymore.

"Hm, it seems Ram made a mistake," she said, putting her boot on his skull. "So in your dying throes, you were at least successful once."

Ley—

—why was he still alive—

—forced his lips to move.

"Louis…" the word was so faint even he almost missed it.

"I will show her mercy, until she shows me she isn't worthy of it. Ram promises."

"Tha…"

Ram dropped her boot.

His head exploded.


Ley opened his eyes to a white realm. Everything was the same as last time, except for the presence of sensation. Touch, taste, smell…

The sound of a young girl weeping.

"Louis…?"

She wept, her back turned to him, her shoulders shaking. He stepped closer, his voice raising, "Louis?"

"L-Ley?" her voice came, so weak and brittle, it shook and trembled, like the watchtower had under the weight of Ram's might, like the world would under Louis' superior brilliance. Louis turned, looking at him. The normal, and exceptional, expression on her face was gone, replaced by wide eyes, puffy cheeks, and open lips. "Ley…we…we…"

"Louis?" He dashed over to her, extending a hand. She took it, holding on with everything she had. There was no warmth beneath her skin, no sweat slipping from the pores. "What's wrong?"

"We don't wanna die," she whimpered, gripping his hand tighter.

Ley dropped to one knee, wrapping her in a hug. "We don't either, Louis."

Louis squirmed in his grasp, her breath coming hard. "Let go, Ley…stop…stop."

"We understand, Louis." He held tight. Short groans and sobs escaped her as she shook in his arms.

"We understand, Louis. It's alright."

She pushed on his stomach, just a light pressure.

"We understand. It's okay."

She rubbed her head into his neck, wiping tears and snot all over the rags on his collar.

"We understand, we get it."

She bashed her head into his.

"Louis?"

"You're dead!" she shouted, trying to worm her way out of his embrace. "You didn't come back, you only did the easy part."

"Easy—" Ley choked up. "…we won't be able to watch you and Roy…"

Louis shoved him away, her misted over eyes took on a sharpness, her limp hands balled into fists, and her expression became a snarl. "Watch us… You just forced us to eat your bland garbage Gourmet for a decade!"

Ley rubbed his stomach. He'd let his eating take too much control. He understood. His head dropped, and he nodded. "We're sorry. We love you."

Her eyes narrowed. "So? We're still not happy!"

"We're sorry," Ley said again. "We can't make it up to you, ever, but…"

"What, Ley?"

"We can give you another hug, before we go."

She glared at him, breathing in and out faster and faster. Her lips trembled, and she bit down. Through gritted teeth, she let out, "That won't matter, we can't feel it."

"Please," Ley interlocked his fingers.

She held him in her gaze. Her hands trembled, her knees kept locking and unlocking, and tears were leaking down her face.

"Please, Louis…"

She rubbed the tears still dripping from her eyes, then whispered. "Fine…if you're so needy about it…"

Ley didn't respond to her insult; she had every right to be angry. All he did was wrap her in a hug, finding he could feel, even in this place. So there was one perk to death, to fading away slowly, to growing more ethereal by the second. "Thank you, sister."

"Just get it over with and die already, we can't even feel this. Useless fucking brother." She said all that, but still put her arms around him.

"Can we describe it, then?" Ley asked, his grip tightening.

"Fine, ramble, we won't have to hear it for much longer."

"Your arms are warm around us, everything is perfect. There's no adults to kill or hurt us, or leave us in the snow and sell us. No witch to give us a black box. No reason to hunt like an animal."

"Which us do you mean?" Louis demanded, her anger striking him. But he was used to lashings.

"We mean us, Ley and Louis. We can just be us now, here."

"Why would we want to be here? Idiot."

"Because it's peaceful."

"But it's not happy."

"No, that's why you need to escape, but it's still peaceful."

"Compared to what, your complaining?" Louis mocked.

"Compared to merchants staring at you like you're a good to buy and sell," Ley replied, remembering all that had rushed through his heart in those days long past.

"Compared to adults whipping you for fun. Compared to adults whipping you for not being small enough. Compared to adults whipping you for not being big enough. Compared to adults whipping you for existing." Ley's voice trembled, reality was fading, his self was fading, he was being recycled. "Compared to adults making rules and then breaking them themselves. Compared to adults eyeing you up and grabbing your clothes. Compared to adults grabbing your skin and groaning. Compared to having to deal with the pity of other adults who're no better."

"Compared to dying over and over…" Louis' voice cracked, she slumped down in his grip.

Ley hugged tighter; he didn't want to go yet. "It's okay, Louis. You're safe here. You can relax here, before you go out and find your happiness."

"But…" She'd stopped breathing so hard; all the strength had drained from her grip. "We don't wanna die."

"We're sorry Louis, but if you go out into the world, you'll die. Hopefully of old age, hopefully in your sleep, but you'll die. The world out there can be so horrible."

She sobbed, just a little. "Why…" Emotions poured out of her, sorrow, despair, melancholy. "Why did we have to be born here?"

"You might have starved to death out there," Ley said, hoping he could say all he wanted. The memories were growing dim, being scraped off his self. "Roy almost did, we almost did."

"But we…" Louis whispered, desperately wrapping her entire form around him. She trembled and quivered. "We would have really been able to hug you…"

Ley pulled back, from the girl who'd hated him, and the girl who clung to him. He smiled down at her. "You can still hug Roy."

She looked down at the ground. "But he's…been captured."

He ran his hand through Louis' hair. "Then free him, and hug him, for you. That'll be enough for us."

"We don't care what you want," Louis said, her voice quieted by snot.

Ley smiled wider. "We wish we could have given you a real hug, ~tsu."

Louis turned away, her hands forming into fists. "Thank you."

Those two words were enough for Ley Batenkaitos to fade away, satiated.