Less than half-awake, Raha felt a delicate tug, and the next thing he knew, as his senses came to a full awareness was drifting in nothingness, with the feeling of disembodiment.
Sorry, boy, Damon's voice rang all around him before he had a chance to panic, and he got back his 'sight,' settling some when he quickly realized what happened. That he was apparently pulled into a union with his Ancient, who now stood in the middle of the Ocular across from his husband and accompanied by Nyx. He wondered involuntarily if Senri, too… Yes, he's with Ares now. We know you need time to readjust, Raha, hence I'm sorry, but for the next step, we need our full power. Though, if you prefer, I can make you unaware.
N-no, I'm fine, he sighed. But it does feel very… strange.
Something to get used to, I believe, Damon hummed with humor. If I don't plan to make a habit of that, don't worry. And if able to, next time, I'll warn you beforehand. Now, please, settle down and let me work, hm?
Sure, he wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to do that… but, oh, well. But later… we will have a talk about that whole bet, Damon.
Mhmm, he didn't miss his amusement when Damon cleared his throat and smiled at Ares. "All good, love?"
"Eh… Senri's whining a bit about waking up like this," the teen-looking Ancient grimaced slightly before looking toward his father. "Some of that spoiling you did definitely shows, Dad."
"Like I was the only one," Nyx smiled somewhat sheepishly and shrugged. "He does need to wait until he meets his sisters… Re-meets them, I guess. They're busy now setting things up around Eorzea and the Far East, but once they're back, he would get a real lesson in who exactly spoiled his counterpart the most."
At that Raha's consciousness sparked with memories supplied by his counterpart that explained the statement: and if he could he would snort. Yeah, meeting with their older sisters was bound to be quite an experience… and as apprehensive as it made him, it was also quite an exciting idea, too.
Glad you think so, Damon snickered, then clapped to gain the two other Ancient's attention. "Alright, think we're ready to proceed."
"Are you sure you want to do this alone, Damon?" Ares asked, closing the space between them while taking hold of the redhead's braid, moving it back over his shoulder. Now dressed very much in a style that Senri preffered, with an all-black sleeveless vest, pants, and heavy boots, he did look perhaps a tad strange if it did fit much better with his beauty that the earlier robes. Only nod toward those seemed to be a red mask attached to his belt, and other Raha's memories warned that all of their patrons that used to hold Seat in the Convocation in a similar manner carried their marks somewhere in their attire.
To celebrate my win, Damon chortled, though without explaining his meaning, and this time there was no explanation coming from his fused memory. His Ancient smiled reassuringly at his husband, raising his hand and resting it against Ares's cheek. "I'll be fine, my heart. You and your father go get Venat, okay? Krile will be expecting you at the Baldesion Annex and will lead you to the meeting with the Forum. As the price for involvement with our future endeavors, they're bound to provide you with their way to communicate with her. I'm not sure what it is… so better if you both go at the peak of your power," he looked toward Nyx over Ares's shoulder and the immortal nodded, smiling with the usual cheer.
"Cael's safely tucked in," he chuckled before his expression twitched slightly, and he sigh, moving to stand next to them and resting his hand over Damon's shoulder. "And though I do understand why you want to do this alone, son… Perhaps with all that time to reconsider, your mother did have a change of heart."
"I very much doubt that," Damon's said, and Raha cringed slightly when understanding dawned of what his Ancient planned. The cold detachment in his voice was clue enough when he rested his hand over Nyx's. "I expect it's not going to be anything else than taking out the trash, Father. And I do not consider her my mother. Not anymore. For all I care, Cassiopeia was and is my mother in every way that matters… far longer than that woman who 'designed' me. Now, if it's okay… I will rather be done with this as swiftly as possible, hm? And focus on the more pleasant things we still have to do."
"Alright," Nyx replied, pulling his hand back with a slightly rueful smile before nodding toward his son. "See you in Old Sharlayan, Ares."
"Be right there," he replied, and when Nyx warped away, turned his bright, sky-blue eyes toward his husband as he moved closer and wrapped his hand around Damon's jaw, smoothing his thumb over his lower lip when the redhead smiled somewhat wryly, in turn wrapping his hand around the back of Ares's neck. "I don't like letting you do this alone… but I understand. And when we can, we will discuss your prize, hm?"
"I really don't need cheering up, Ares," Damon frowned, but his tone warmed up considerably. His husband chuckled and leaned in to brush his lips against the corner of his mouth, staying like that as their breaths mixed.
"It's not about cheering you up, love… But for eons, I've been wondering what you're going to demand as your prize if you win," he said, and Damon snickered a tad breathlessly, coiling both arms around his neck.
"If I win?" he asked hauntingly. "Was there ever any doubt about that, my Azem?"
"Never," Ares replied, and they kissed, long and hungry… and it was so fucking weird, Raha wasn't sure what to think. When they pulled apart, internally, Damon laughed at him when moving back from his lover. "But do be careful, hm?"
"I always am," his Ancient smiled… which faded as soon as Ares saluted funnily and warped away in a flash of black-purple aether. "They worry far too much," he scoffed toward the empty, round room.
They love you, Raha sighed. And she already once ruined your future, Damon.
"You forget I was always very, very good at predicting things and people's behaviors, Raha… Well, with anyone other than Ares, I suppose," his immortal scowled, then snapped his fingers, and a shimmering surface of the ink-colored portal appeared a step in front of them. "Our world ended in a huge measure because our people were incapable of change… and my so-called 'mother' was a prime example of that."
What… he hesitated then continued. What exactly did you do to her? You and Ares, I mean?
"Ares didn't do anything more than make sure she wouldn't escape by slipping away into the aetherial sea. As for me…" a mean type of smile tilted his lips as he stepped into the portal. "…you're going to see, Raha. If… well, if I'm correct in my expectations, it won't be pretty, so… steal your senses, boy," his tone dropped to that cool detachment again as they entered another dimension.
At first… Raha gushed at the glory of it when he realized that they were surrounded by the multitude of flowers that very much reminded him of their stay in Ares's greenhouse. In a variety of sizes and colors, he couldn't help but admire the sight while his Ancient moved across the veritable sea of it toward something that looked like the biggest… pile of colorful plants.
But when Damon got closer to it, and he could make out the shape hidden among the petals… his stomach would roll if he had one at the moment.
"I was inspired by Ares's garden, yes," Damon hummed with utterly cold consideration, looking at the apparent… source of the surrounding flora, as there was no doubt that by their spread, the flowers grew out of every orifice of the barely visible form of a red-haired woman visibly twitching among the covering her blooms. And the idea that she was alive… like that for who knows how long… Raha recoiled, growing utterly cold inside. "Oh, do not pity her, my boy," his Ancient chuckled ruefully, raising his hands and spreading them toward the surrounding them sea of flowers. "As it's all her own doing, not mine. All I did was I planted a seed inside her to grow with every negative emotion. With every scheme, she would think to punish me for this… time-out. Would she reconsider her misgivings… it wouldn't bloom – and I would free her if she proved to be able to change. And like I predicted… she wasn't," he chuckled and folded his hand into a snap. "Goodbye… mother, and perhaps in another life… as mortal, you'll do better, hm?" he snapped his fingers, and it all… dissolved, leaving them standing in an empty, dark space.
Damon dropped his arms to his sides and closed his eyes briefly, taking a slightly shaky breath.
I'm sorry, Raha whispered. No matter what… I'm sorry she didn't… couldn't change, Damon.
"Doesn't matter anymore," his Ancient shook his head and opened his eyes, then clenched his jaw, exhaling slowly. "Like I said… nothing more than taking out the trash, Raha. And I only gave her a chance… she wouldn't give me… because I didn't want Ares to realize – back then – just how much our people were incapable of changing. Of… accepting him. We were so young then… and he still a tad naively hoped that eventually… Eh, you can imagine, yes? Thanks to you… by the time he did learn it – fully understood how doomed our world was – I was by his side and could protect him and his heart. And for that, Raha… both you and Senri would have my eternal gratitude. And if you let me… I hope you won't mind being one of my boys… when you get over your misgivings about our bet."
I don't really… he sighed then admitted somewhat ruefully. I'm not really angry about that, Damon… just embarrassed. That other Raha… his memories, I mean… you do know that he went far, far beyond the list you left him, yes?
"Of course," his Ancient chuckled, then warped right back into the Ocular and, with the snap of his fingers, closed the still-open portal. "Honestly… Some of the uses of my gift he found… fun application for even I find a tad… surprising, I suppose. If I consider those more of something to try when Ares and I have the leisure to do so…."
You know that's not what I mean! Raha groaned and cringed when his immortal chortled at his expanse if he was a tad relieved that he seemed more… relaxed.
"I do," Damon remarked, and the multitude of shimmering diagrams bloomed in the air around him, filling the Ocular. "And I suppose if you're really so… bothered by it, if you ask Ares, he won't mind adjusting some of your peers… memories about your counterpart's escapades."
Like… that's the issue! I just… don't get it, he admitted, watching his Ancient look through the multitude of diagrams and rapid speed, still somewhat surprised that he could understand the writing inside them.
"You do have Echo now, boy," Damon hummed with distraction. "And what bothers you so much… Raha, when you fully and completely trust your partner, experimenting with sexual pleasures comes naturally. With Ares, we also did plenty of that, boy… And yes, including inviting others to entangle with us. It in no way meant that we were bored with each other or lessened any of our love… but was simply fun. What your counterpart more than understood, yes? Your discomfort and disbelief hugely come from your fear of somehow making Senri lose interest in you… which that Raha had no inclination to believe, knowing only his lover's devotion for as long as he could remember," he trailed off and sighed, stopping and making one of the diagrams bigger while others disappeared. And while Raha read its contents… suddenly his misgivings about their counterparts 'playing' seemed much less important as this text added new context to some of their performed tasks over the years. "As for the next part… I do hope you kept his skill at public speaking, boy."
If he could right now, Raha would start to sweat.
When they stepped on the glowing platform deep inside the aetherial sea, Ares looked about the shimmering space with some internal astonishment. Of all the places in existence… this one was one he never thought that he would end up visiting – while living, that is. And without his 'mortal' likely, it wouldn't be possible, either, considering that even with the anchor of Senri's soul, he could feel a somewhat distant call of the sea that wanted nothing more than to drown him.
For it, as was its nature after the split, his – and others like him – existence was unnatural, and it yearned to sever his soul and sent its splintered shards onto their intended journeys across broken Eitherys. And thinking of it, he couldn't help but grimace, imagining that staying here couldn't be in any way more pleasant for his aunt.
Was Venat even now punishing herself for what she had no choice in doing? If that was the case, he made a mental note to tell her later that she had surprisingly much in common with his splintered, reincarnated self… which, perhaps, wasn't that surprising, all things considered…
Stopping in the middle of the platform, he looked toward the massive crystal visible in the distance behind in, and with a brief gesture toward his father, he took a deep breath and reached toward his gift.
"Hydealyn, show yourself!" he boomed and steeled himself when the aether around them twisted then recoiled, if thankfully, the backlash was lesser than he expected, only tearing a breathless groan from his mouth as it slammed onto his soul. And even that, perhaps because he was careful to weave a protective shield around Senri's soul the moment they stepped into the Sharlayans' device serving to peer into the Underworld – as they used to know it. After all, they did for him, he wasn't taking any chances with his boy's soul, especially here.
The huge, winged figure appeared at the edge of the platform, and he breathed a sigh of relief not to see a hint of will in an almost too-perfect version of his aunt's face. Damon – like always – was right, predicting that in this shattered world, their 'full' power would be magnified accordingly.
"Time to come home, sister," his father whispered, and Ares didn't have to look toward him to guess his feelings. The sadness that settled over his soul was clue enough if Nyx's voice wasn't enough for it.
But he had his task – and goal – so he focused again and took another deep breath, preparing for a harder hit of the backlash – just in case, if nothing else – when his father moved around him and headed toward towering over them figure.
Soon, with a string of precise commands, a much smaller but familiar form split herself from the massive Primal and landed in Nyx's arms while the creation itself – and its crystal – dissolved into the sea around them, freeing the souls of those who gave them up to bring her forth and shatter their doomed world. And though the backlash this time was much, much harder, when his father rejoined his side carefully embracing his sister's form, Ares grinned when feeling his relief.
Home… not yet, perhaps… but if all would go according to his husband's plans, soon it would be one. And he couldn't wait to see it!