Chapter 31: So Long Despair

It was a long climb back down the Pyramid. But with Gravitus' demise Mew and Kairi felt fine taking as much time as they needed.

The damage to the floors was far more intense on the outside than it was on the inside. It wasn't irreparable though. Surely someone would be tasked to fixing this up later.

When Mew had finished confiding with Kairi on everything he knew about "D.", she didn't have anything to say in return. She just nodded, then stayed silent on the way down.

Talking helped keep the pain at bay, at least for a bit. Mew didn't have much to say himself after the demon talk. He wanted to speak, but didn't know what kind of subject would work best.

He could tell Kairi was still upset at him for "faking his death", so to speak. But for as easy as it'd be to keep saying he wasn't dead...Mew honestly didn't know how he had survived. Spine broken in half, gaping wound in his chest...

"Even if the wound was burned shut on re-entry, it should've re-opened when I hit the Pyramid..." Mew closed his eyes in a pained manner and turned his head right, "I really should be dead...So why-"

"Oh hell, are you really going to make me say it?" "D." suddenly spat in misery.

"You? It was you who saved me?!" Mew widened his eyes in disbelief and chuckled, "Hell's really frozen over now!"

"Is something funny?" Kairi asked while Mew had to also hear "D." growl in annoyance.

"Oh yeah you know what they say...Laughter's the best medicine!" Mew said to Kairi real quick.

"But seriously, why?" He then asked the demon.

The answer was expected of one of his nature, "You owe me your body. I will not let you break it with your reckless behavior."

But this made for a prime opportunity to dabble in a little teasing, "Admit iiiiit...You liked working together."

"...Shut up. You're more grating than a pack of hungry goblins."

"Hehehe...!" Mew laughed some more, to Kairi's concern.

"Mew I think laughter's meant to help sadness, not backaches." She pointed out.

"Really? Cause I feel better already!" Mew leaned his head back and forced out a louder laugh, "Hahaha! Haha-"

Shaking his body pinched the open nerves in his spine and he bit down on the tip of his tongue. With his loud "Gack!" his laughter slowly infected Kairi.

"Teeheehee!" It was much more high-pitched than her usual tone and frankly, kind of cute.

She then smiled and daintily shook her head to say "God you're hopeless" in a humored manner.

A few more steps and they were finally outside the Pyramid. But when they stepped forth into the afternoon light they found themselves surrounded on all sides by Aurians. Mew had a bad angle of observation but swore that there were almost a thousand in the immediate vicinity.

Kairi stood still and her knees started shaking. All eyes were on them like a herd of hungry, wide-eyed monkeys.

Beyond the crowd Mew could feel charred glass and metal, broken pathways and houses, and a whole bunch of confusion in the air.

"Holy crap, I don't think this is my doing...What the hell happ-"

"Shhh!" Kairi hastily hissed between a forced grin. She edged towards the crowd and her teeth were clattering.

Their gaze followed every step, and soon Kairi's grin was concealed behind puckered lips. With a hard, deep gulp, she tensed her arms under Mew.

"Uh-oh, I got a bad feeling about this..." He whimpered.

Kairi suddenly darted forward through the crowd, making a beeline for home. Mew's back was rocked and tumbled through considerable pain.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Sorrysorrysorry!" Kairi nervously proclaimed.

The crowd was content not to interfere. They kept watching and stepped aside if they were in the way. Finally they made their way to the Aurora household. In her haste to get in she rammed Mew's head and legs into the sides of the door.

"Ow! O-Oh come on!" Mew vented his frustrations to the heavens above.

"Sorry!" Kairi exclaimed upon fixing her position and walking in sideways.

"Mom!" She then bellowed in a fit of panic.

"I'm right here dear," Auris immediately replied softly from beside the farthest couch, "Go ahead and put him down here."

"H-How did you-" Kairi stuttered in shock.

"Well you heard her! Hurry! I'm starting to see doubles here!" Mew yelled out to distract and get Kairi re-focused.

"Ri-right!" Kaiir cautiously inched around the furniture and gently laid Mew to test on the couch. She then got out of the way so her mother could sit on the table before him.

Kairi perched her fingers by her teeth and nibbled on her fingernails while her mother's hands hovered over Mew's stomach. Auris then paused, turned her head, and said to her doting daughter, "You don't need to stick around dear."

"I-Is he going to be alright?" Kairi asked.

"He'll be fine. This one's too stubborn to die I'm afraid..." Auris chuckled. Mew silently looked at her with an insulted tilt of the head.

"Are you sure that-"

"You're done enough Kairi," Auris closed her eyes to smile, "You're tired. You should take a nice long relaxing shower. Leave Mew to me."

'...Alright mom." Kaiir nodded and made her way to the stairs. She kept turning at Mew even once she was at the top of the stairs. Before she was out of sight she quietly said, "M-Mom?"

"Yes dear?" Auris replied with an affirming smile.

"N-Nothing..." Kairi hastily went up the stairs and Auris shook her head.

"Such a hard time saying what's on her mind...I wonder where she got that naughty habit from..." Auris propped her hand back over Mew and he let out a hasty chuckle.

"Well, definitely not from her d-"

"Sh sh sh..." Auris hushed him up by flipping him over onto his stomach.

"We can talk about that in a bit..." Auris spoke in a comforting whisper. Then her hands got to work curling up Mew's shirt until it was past his shoulder blades. From there she slowly moved Mew's arms to pull it off.

"Sorry to say I didn't have a nurse's dress in my closet. But may that image relax you as I get to work..."

Mew closed his eyes and the vivid thoughts of Auris' rockin' body in nurses' clothes got his body melting like ice. But he didn't even get to hum before Auris stuck her thumb into his back.

"O-Ow!" Mew jerked his head back and remarked, "Why'd you do that?!"

"You aren't actually allowed to think dirty thoughts about me anymore. That was a test."

"Wha wha what?!" Mew blurted in a baffled fashion.

"Oh..." Auris laid a hand on her face and stared with overwhelming pity, "My poor summer child...You really hadn't noticed?"

"...Y'know I really doubt this' the time to be a tease Auris." Mew sighed in exasperation.

"Teehee...Oh I do look forward to seeing how long this lasts..." Auris waited for Mew's head to turn then reached into her breasts and whipped out a sharp knife from the cleavage, "Now hold still."

Mew turned back then widened his eyes open upon seeing the tip of the knife, "W-Whoa hang on now!"

Auris laced the knife with aura and even as she cut down Mew's back he didn't feel a thing. Even better, there was no blood coming out. It was a perfect, clean incision.

Mew fluttered his eyelashes and then rested his squeamish hands on the back and front of the couch. In a rare admission of defeat, he flicked his fingers back and remarked, "Huh...Carry on."

"Mmm hmm..." Auris laid the knife on the table for now and laid her hands on both sides of Mew's wound. She then closed her eyes and commented on the state of Mew's spine.

"You're quite lucky. There are no bone fragments in your muscles."

"So all it'll take is a quick patch job and I'll be good as new? Man, Aura really can do a lot, can't it!" Mew was excited, but Auris wasn't so enthused.

"Not quite..." Auris' aura flowed from her hands and into the wound like a gentle stream of water, "I will fortify your spine with aura so you stand up and walk again, while using a little aura to motivate the bone marrow to reconnect. But if you push yourself too hard for the next two days, it'll permanently break your spine."

"Soooo what you're saying is..."

"No training, no fighting, no reckless flying." Auris stated firmly.

Mew plopped his face into the leather cushion and grumbled in a muffled manner, "Awwww man..."

"But you can still play video games and watch TV." She then said with a perky smile.

"Oh that's good then!" Mew exclaimed with his head lifted right up.

Auris sealed the wound with a last bit of aura then rested her hands on her knees, "There you go. All better."

Mew sat right up without a second thought and stretched his arms high above his head. With a vigorous grunt he proclaimed, "Its like I just got outta bed! Thanks Auris!"

"You're welcome dear. Its the least I could do really..."

Mew looked Auris in the eyes with his lips puckered then turned away, rubbing the back of his head. After a soft whistle he let out a long sigh and remarked, "...Sooo, do you want to talk now?"

Auris opened her eyes and replied in a ditzy manner, "Talk about what?"

"You know what involving your know who?" Mew didn't want to say it directly because he felt uncomfortable using those words around a woman.

Auris dug her fingertips into the space below her knees and pressed her lips into a smile. With a tilt of the head she replied, "Why don't you go first? How did that make you feel?"

Mew swung his head back and shook it around a little. The feelings still felt fresh even after the climb down, "Angry. Pissed off. I almost damn near blew it..."

He then looked Auris in the eyes and remarked, "Though I think now I get why you didn't tell me that sooner. I would've charged right into the Pyramid and demanded Gravitus' head."

"That's not why I didn't say anything," Auris laid a hand upon her chest and laid calmly spoke out, "My tight lips have always been towards Kairi's benefit."

"How so?" Mew inquired with a tilt of the head.

"To forge a bond of trust strong enough to pull her free from the shackles that bound her to the past required you to be yourself. You showed her what its like to be able to trust people outside of her sister again. And because of that, it made her worthy of the Neo Drive."

"...Auris, you knew all along what the Neo Drive judges worth as, didn't you?"

"But of course. I am not a Sage for nothing." She replied with a smile.

"Then what is it? I have literally no idea..."

"Its the capacity to care for more than just yourself. And after you 'died', when Kairi chose not to take revenge and give Gravitus the chance to win...That was the moment she truly became worthy."

Mew dragged his head to the back of the couch and let out a huge sigh, "Soooo you just brought me in to serve as fodder for Kairi's personal growth."

"Oh no no no..." Auris poked her eyes open and crease her smile wide to admit, "Even I couldn't have predicted you doing something as fucking stupid as nearly getting yourself killed three times over."

Mew recoiled fully into the couch and widened his eyes from Auris' choice of words there, "Geez! No mercy!"

She then creased her eyes shut and Mew felt a dangerous energy exuding from her body as she said, devoid of any trace of emotion, "If you try and pull a reckless stunt like that again in my presence then I will redefine the definition of 'No Mercy', Mew."

Mew shakily raised two thumbs-up and stuttered, "M-Message received loud and clear..."

After being given a chance to settle down Auris spoke to Mew in a comforting tone, "But no, it was more than that. I wanted to fill the missing space in your heart."

"Huh?" Mew gawked back.

"You can't deny that you've befriended my daughter now, yes? Or that you fought a battle with all your might that also meant something?" Auris laid a hand upon her chest and remarked, "You can consider that to be your recompense for answering my call."

Mew crossed his arms against his chest and gazed up at the ceiling, "Well Kairi and I are definitely friends now...But I don't know if that battle was satisfying enough for me."

"Oh?" Auris curiously tilted her head up to get Mew's attention.

"I mean sure it was fun dismantling Gravitus' lies but...That son of a bitch totally robbed me of the chance to kill him, ugh!"

"Is that really so bad though?" Auris inquired.

Mew bobbed his head left-to-right then sat up and sighed, "Nooo...Kairi earned it."

He then laid his hands flat on his legs and leaned in to Auris to whisper, "Speaking of earning stuff...I really think you oughta tell Kairi about your clairvoyance and junk."

"There'll be a time for that some other day...But now, especially now, it'd just be an unnecessary crutch."

"Whaddya mean?" Before Mew could get an answer, much to his unsurprise, he could hear tiny footsteps making their way down the stairs. He silently closed his eyes and wagged his finger at Auris for her trickery then turned to greet the obvious someone coming down.

Kairi had put on a new green shirt but had exchanged her shorts out for long jeans. Her hair was clean and shiny but she appeared to have forgotten to tie it back up in a ponytail. She fidgeted her hand behind her head, looked down at the ground, and muttered something almost too quiet for Mew to pick up.

"H-How do I look?"

Mew stared at her with an innocent smile and gave her a thumbs-up of approval, "You look clean as a whistle!"

Kairi shifted her head up then locked her eyes onto Mew. Her pupils shrank and with a shrill "Eep!" her face started turning red.

"Huh? What's the matter?" Mew said as he sat there shirtless, with his fit, somewhat muscular body exposed. Kairi squeezed her eyes shut and started shaking.

Mew then turned his head to Auris and remarked, "I hope she's not catching a fever."

"P-Put a shirt on! UGH!" Kairi spat her fury Mew's way then stamped her feet back up the stairs, her voice echoing down angrily, "I...I'll be back down for dinner!"

Mew kept looking oblivious as Auris brushed the bottom of her chin with her hand and chuckled deeply to herself. She then handed Mew's shirt back to him and said, "Maybe you should heed her request."

Mew squinted and snatched his shirt back out of her hand, wagging a finger at her accusingly, "You're enjoying this way too much."

"For the first time in a long while, I can enjoy myself." Auris whispered under her breath. Before Mew could be given a chance to respond she stood right up and then turned for the kitchen, gazing over her shoulder as she walked towards it.

"So, will you be staying for one more night?"

"Sure. Why not? Probably the best place for me to rest right now anyways." Mew replied.

"Excellent." Auris put one hand on the doorframe leading into the kitchen and hung her head to her chest. Then she hummed a little, and pushed on ahead...

Later that night...

The stars were shining bright over the silent city. Auris, with only an empty bottle to her name, sat at the northern edge of the city and stared straight towards the chilly horizon. Her breaths were visible, but not too thick.

The clang of metal coming from behind closed her eyes shut as a familiar voice respectfully remarked, "I knew I'd find you out here, Lady Auris."

The gentle giant Gabriel brushed his hand out before his hip and Auris nodded her head. Then he sat down beside her on his knees and gazed up at the stars.

"Such a beautiful sight." He remarked in a soothed voice.

"Its a common one around here but never an unwelcome one..." Auris opened her eyes and put the bottle down next to five other empty ones on her left.

Gabriel nudged his head towards her and remarked in a solemn manner, "This may be blunt of me but...Is this really how you've chosen to celebrate, Lady Auris?"

Auris perched her hands on her knees and let the soft caress of the arctic winds brush her hair, "Did you do what I asked of you Gabriel?"

Gabriel took a few seconds to reply, starting off with a mild sigh, "Yes...I kept Catherine and the others distracted from the battle with Damascus to the best of my ability. But...are you sure this was a good idea?"

"They need to realize the truth on their own merits, especially young Catherine." Auris softly replied.

"...Damascus' demise does leave us with quite the mess to clean up though," Gabriel rubbed his shaggy beard and closed his eyes to ponder aloud, "All those planets will be thrown into chaos once they learn of his death. Pluto managed to escape before he could be captured...And on top of that, Damascus undid the first seal..."

Auris set her gaze towards the stars and watched as the Northern Lights lit up anew. The waving strokes of their incandescent light mixing splendidly with the ebony sky.

"Even long after he's gone, all of us are still cleaning up after my father's mistakes..." Auris started to curl one hand into a fist but Gabriel put his own hand down to stop her.

She looked him in the eyes and his gentle smile eased its way into her weary heart, "Your father was a flawed man, but what happened with Damascus was not one of his flaws."

"You're right and yet at the same time..." Auris turned her head away and murmured, "I can't help but feel that he still played some part in it..."

"Are you really angry at him? Or at yourself, Lady Auris?" Gabriel said in a stern tone of voice. Auris widened her eyes and softly gaze over her shoulder with a smile.

"Perhaps its a little of a both..." She remarked.

Gabriel took his hand off hers and rested it upon her shoulder. Then he said, devoid of any judgmental attitude, "Our sins are with us forever...But that doesn't mean that we should be defined by them. Your father made his mistakes...But you and I know that he loved you very much."

"Yes. You're absolutely right..." Auris put her hand atop Gabriel's and gently brushed it off to stand.

She then turned to the man and remarked in a somewhat playful tone of voice, "Gabriel. There's something I want to give to you. Could you close your eyes for a moment?"

Gabriel fluttered his eyelashes for a moment but then obeyed her command with a curious smile, "I think I'm too old for this sort of thing now Lady Auris."

Auris reached into her breasts and pulled out that ever useful kitchen knife and positioned herself behind Gabriel. She took the knot of his ponytail into her hand, then cut the whole thing off in one swift slice.

She then put the hair in her hand, knelt down beside its owner, and raised the whole thing right to his face, "Open your eyes now."

Gabriel was shocked and confused the moment he laid eyes on his hair. He rubbed the spot where it used to be and briefly lost his upstanding demeanor, "I-I don't understand..."

"I give you your freedom Gabriel..." Auris parted her hand towards the sky and the individual strands of Gabriel's hair scattered to the discard, "You do not need to serve our bloodline anymore."

Gabriel gasped. He turned away from Auris for a moment and shook his head. Then he swung it back towards her and blurted out, "W-With all due respect Lady Auris, that is not your decision to make."

"I think the time you were forced to spend working for Damascus...Was more than punishment enough for whatever crime you may have committed in the past," Auris put her hand beside Gabriel's face and brushed his bearded cheek, "I don't want you to live your life thinking you are burdened by your past Gabriel. So please, can you not just heed my last request, and try to live your life to the fullest from here on out?"

Gabriel put his hand on hers and lowered it. Then with a soft, hearty chuckle he let out a sigh of exasperation, "...I-I honestly don't know what to say except...Thank you."

The two stood up and looked each other in the eyes like adults. Then Gabriel, trying hard not to smile like a romantic teenager, put a hand on his hilt and asked, "But is it alright if I still refer to you as 'Lady Auris'?"

"I do not mind. I always found it...endearing."

The two shared a quiet laugh in the dead of night. When it was said and done, Gabriel slanted his eyes and sternly looked up towards the stars, changing the subject with a hint of dread in his voice.

"So...what shall we do about the seal?" By the time Gabriel lowered his head Auris had already turned her back to him and slowly started walking towards the city.

"Damascus played god and chose our fate...The future now is inevitable..." Auris crushed her hands into fists by her hips and whispered to herself as she stared blankly towards the horizon, "The least we can do is let those two enjoy a couple days of peace...Before he returns."

It was a short walk back to her house, upon which Auris tiredly climbed the stairs to retreat to her bed. But she did not make it more than halfway there before she heard a murmur from her daughter's room.

"M-Mom...? Is that you?"

Auris tilted her head to the door and saw Kairi peeking out from behind it. She pushed the cloth aside and stepped out inches away from her mother. She was in her soft, barely fitting pajamas and her hands were tucked behind her back.

"Having trouble sleeping my de-"

Kairi suddenly flung her arms around Auris' waist and hugged her tightly. Auris' heart froze momentarily, and the color was flushed from her face. With a silent gasp, she listened as her daughter bled her heart dry of all her pent up feelings of appreciation.

"I-I love you mom! I'm so sorry that I was ever mean to you! P-Please forgive me..."

Auris' heart felt faint. A few moments passed before she held her hands against her daughter's back and pressed her face up against her chest.

She closed her eyes, and whispered in a teary tone, "I already forgave you long ago..."

Kairi lifted her head back and muttered, "Y-You did?"

"Of course," Auris pushed her head back in and hugged even tighter, "A mother can never truly stop loving their child...Even at their worst. You were so torn apart by your sister's disappearance and I did nothing to make you feel better. I felt powerless..."

She softened her grip and allowed Kairi room to breathe. In that moment she pulled away from her mother, held her by the hips, and tearfully looked her in the eyes with a smile.

"Mom...Shina's alive..."

Auris' eyes perked up ever so slightly. She then closed them halfway and appeared to frown. Kairi turned her head and remarked, "M-Mom?"

Auris forced a smile and wiggled her head around, saying in a raspy tone of voice, "T-That's wonderful dear. I...I always had a feeling she was still alive out there."

She then stroked the back of her daughter's hair and lovingly patted her on the cheek, "But its been a long day. We'll talk more about this in the morning, ok?"

Kairi replied with a nod, then returned to her room. But not before saying "Good night mom."

"Good night honey." Auris replied back, her expression turned sour the moment Kairi could no longer see it.

She then turned to the left, and laid a hand on her still beating chest. Without emotion in her voice, she repeated with dread on her mind, "Two days..."

Next Time: Mend the Present