Ivy looked at Jack and Connor with what seemed to be a combination of shock and elation - at least, that was what it looked like to Jack. It was a bit hard to tell, but he could see that she was desperately trying to hide a smile as she moved into the room. She looked all around her at the painted walls and the bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and the crib. All of it modern.

"A… child?" Ivy asked. "Brianna was hiding a child down here? This place is hardly the best for raising one, but if she had such things as… whatever that is…"

Ivy continued to stare at the lightbulb for a few moments until she was right in front of Jack, looking down at Connor who merely stared back up at her with curious green eyes. Unconsciously, perhaps, she reached her gloved hand out, before retracting it.

"May I? Only briefly," Ivy whispered.

"What? Are you gonna pinch his cheek? H-he's very cute, right?" Jack said, a small, uncharacteristic giggle bubbling up from his mouth. "You weren't actually gonna do that, right?"

"What? Of course not," Ivy replied, crossing her arms. "I would never do such a thing. It is completely out of the question."

Jack nodded. "Of course. I believe you."

"I can see in your eyes that you do not," Ivy said, annoyed. She turned away, and Jack swore he saw her cheek puff out in a small pout.

"Oh? So you can read people's eyes now?" Jack said, looking down at Connor.

"I can. Or did you forget that I was in the Elusian Court for a reason?" Ivy said.

"Yeah, because you were the crown princess?" Jack answered.

"Were?" Ivy repeated. "I still am, thank you. I am… merely in exile at the moment. I will return. Hopefully with you behind me."

"And not beside," Jack said, letting out a sigh. "I'm… fuck, I'm sorry, you know?"

Ivy tilted her head. "For what?"

"For… freezing up, I guess," Jack said, brows furrowing. "Brianna, she… she fucked with my head just by being there. And I really hope - God do I hope the others don't blame me for that. I just wanted to talk her out of it. Reach her one last time, but I should've known I couldn't do that. I should've know, I-"

Jack shook his head.

Keep it together, Jacky. Keep it together in front of junior.

"Everyone is still alive out there," Ivy said quietly, looking toward the door. "I am fairly certain of that. And even if something happens, I still have your back. And I am certain the Divine One does as well. It is not easy confronting someone you used to care for. And what's more, seeing them turn into a monster before your eyes."

"Sometimes I feel like a coward," Jack murmured. "I could've helped after she transformed, but I couldn't. I could barely move."

"Hush," Ivy said, looking around one final time. "It is over now, and hopefully Connor will be fine once we reach the surface. This environment cannot be good for him."

"Are you his mom now?" Jack asked absentmindedly.

Ivy froze in place, as if Jack casted an frost spell on her. She didn't move for several seconds until she motioned toward the door.

"We should leave this place. The Divine One will be expecting us," she said quickly.

"Look, I didn't mean to say it like that-"

"Please, let us… let us just go. We can speak later," Ivy said.

Jack nodded, though his legs didn't move for a few seconds. He looked out the door and into the dark, and then around at the nicely painted room, and he felt as if leaving would shatter the illusion of normalcy. The moment he walked out the door would be the moment he'd be leaving it all behind again. The only thing that made him want to keep going was the little bundle in his arms.

And Jack knew that Ivy was right. Even if Connor didn't seem to be sick or dying or anything else didn't mean that he couldn't become that way if they stayed down in the ancient city for too long. They had been beneath the earth for so long that Jack could barely remember what the sun looked like.

The final nail in his coffin was when Ivy looked at him expectantly, despite his verbal blunder. Jack sighed, and he moved forward.

Jack's heart was in his throat as he approached the group. They were gathered around the stairway away from the summit of the temple. Alear stood at the front, his arms crossed as Jack and Ivy moved forward. His expression wasn't stern, or really anything - it was completely blank, and that fact only became more pronounced when he seemed to notice the bundle in Jack's arms.

"For a moment, I thought you'd… well, I will keep that to myself. It's… not appropriate," Alear admitted, his expression finally turning sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "But, I'm glad to see you two are alright. I was about to send someone out to find you. We're getting ready to leave."

Ivy nodded. "Apologies, Divine One. We were… distracted by something."

"I'm guessing it has to do with that bundle of cloth in Jack's arms," Alfred said, walking up beside Alear. "It… that's not what I think it is, right?"

"If what you're thinking is 'Brianna's child', then yes," Jack replied, the lump in his throat making it difficult to breathe or speak. "And, well, he's my son, too."

"I- dwhat now?" Alfred said, doing a double take as he looked at the bundle in Jack's arms and back to Jack's face. "S-She had a kid!? Down here? What're the odds?"

"She had a kid with me, before we got here, I guess," Jack mumbled.

"Oh, that's… congratulations!" Alfred said, trying to sound as cheery as possible as he held out his arms to his sides. "I mean, not the greatest of circumstances, but still! You're a father!"

Jack smiled softly. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Is it safe?"

Jack looked to Timerra, whose hands were clenched into fists. Jack took a step back.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Jack replied.

"Because he came from her," Timerra said, before blinking and shaking her head. "Wait, wait, wait, that sounded really bad. More bad than I've allowed so far. Sorry. I, uh, I mean is he alright? Is the kid alright? No signs of whatever that Brianna girl had going on?"

Jack took a deep breath, the tension leaving his body. "No. I can't see any. He has been really quiet since I've picked him up, though."

Timerra shook her head. "I'm not gonna blame him for what his mom did, if that's what you're wondering. Blaming him would be like killing someone's dad for what his son had done - there's no sense to it. At least, not to me. Just… be careful. And maybe, next time, try not to talk a monster to death, hm? Didn't go so well this time."

"Aha, I think Timerra just wants to be a bit cautious, Jack. No need to look like a zebra about to get pounced on by a lion," Fogado said, limping behind Timerra. He let out a small sigh of relief as he leaned against the side of a nearby wall. "I mean, it's a good question to ask, yeah? Maybe just keep a close eye on him. You know, just in case."

"I… probably for the best. You're right. Also, are you okay?" Jack asked, tilting his head. "You look a little… I dunno, under the weather."

"He's fine for now. Right, sibby?" Timerra asked.

Fogado held up a fist. "One of those spiders got me in the leg. Don't worry, the pain's not too bad. But, uh, we tried a healing staff but it didn't work. So maybe we should get outta here? There's not gonna be anymore Husks attacking our people, so, you know."

Jack looked around then, noticing that someone was missing. "Where's Queen Seforia?"

"She left for the surface," Diamant answered, stepping toward the stairs away from the temple. "And I believe we should join her before too long. This place… even without Brianna's influence, and with Veyle's help, there is something wrong here. Like treading upon a desecrated grave."

Ivy's pale skin became even paler at that, and she quickly moved toward the front of the group. "I volunteer to lead the way, then! My magic will help us with light. Come along now, follow me. No time to waste."

Jack couldn't help but chuckle at that, following the others as they made their way out of the ancient city.

Halfway through the long corridor out of the city, Connor began to whine. Or was it crying? And it was at that moment that Jack didn't know the slightest thing about child-rearing. He had a thought that maybe the baby was hungry, but he had no idea if he was weaned or if he still needed milk or not. Hell, he didn't even know when he was born. He could've been anywhere from a few weeks to a few months old - though, judging by his size, it was likely a few months. It would make sense, considering it had been months since Brianna had started her assault on Solm.

Brianna. That was a name that Jack would always feel weird hearing, even in his own mind, for the rest of his life. Whenever he thought of her, all he could think of was her broken, twisted, and crystalized form coming at him, and him, with all the cowardice he could muster, decided to stay perfectly motionless as he was punched across the plaza.

Jack shook that thought out of his head as they reached the surface, the sunlight falling upon his skin for the first time in what felt like forever. Jack shielded Connor's eyes from the sun, trying to ensure the poor boy didn't go blind from the suddenness. Jack didn't know how a child's eyes developed, but seeing natural light for what may have been the first time needed to be a gradual process.

Or maybe he was just paranoid, but considering what had happened, Jack felt like he needed to be paranoid.

"There you all are! I was wondering when you'd make it," Jack heard Queen Seforia say, somewhere at the front of the group. He'd put himself at the very back, just in case. "Can you tell this worrying busybody that everything's fine and that we're all fine? She keeps wanting to go down into the ruins but, well, we all know how that went last time."

"Worrying busybody!? She called me a worrying busybody! Ivy, the Queen of Solm called me a worrying busy-!"

"I heard her, Hortensia, and I am afraid her accusations are not entirely without merit," Ivy sighed, though Jack could imagine the smile on her face as she continued. "And believe me, I do appreciate it. It is good to see you again. Your face is… a welcome sight. All of them are."

Jack could make out a few people at the front of the formation - Boucheron, Louis, Goldmary, Alcryst - he assumed everyone else had arrived, but he couldn't see them. Slowly, he tried to move to a more shaded area as the scene before he played out, letting himself fade into the background.

"It's good to see all of you again. Rest assured, we're all fine. Mostly," Alear said, taking a quick glance at Fogado before continuing. "We should probably keep this short. We've dealt with the threat underneath your kingdom, Queen Seforia. I know that the day is late, but I'd rather we get this out of the way now before we continue."

"You want access to our spy network and all the benefits that come with having our army on your side, right?" Seforia asked, rubbing her forehead as she let out a dangerous chuckle. "When you kids are done saving the world, remind me to have a word with my daughter about letting info like that out…"

After that, Jack had to shamefully admit to himself that he had zero investment in the conversation. He focused instead on getting Connor to quiet down. Not that he knew who to do that beyond silently and gently shushing him and rocking him. He didn't know where he could find any food within Serenissima, especially since the city had essentially just broken an underground siege. And beyond that, who knew how much of the populace had been taken by Brianna and-

Jack didn't know if rocking and speaking slowly and quietly to Connor was helping him, but it was helping Jack keep focused.

"He's hungry, isn't he?"

Jack looked up to see Ivy again, in all her glory. Despite her clothes being dirt-stained, and more than a few drops of blood every so often, she looked like a goddess when outlined by the setting sun. Jack had to admit that he didn't know how to respond to her at first; he wasn't sure if his heart stopped or if his brain stopped. It was likely both.

"Hmm. You're staring at me," Ivy pointed out.

Jack blinked before nodding. "It's a marvelous view."

"Is that any way to speak in front of an infant?" Ivy asked.

"He's not in front of me. He's below me. It's fair game," Jack replied.

"Here I was, about to provide a solution for his crying," Ivy bemoaned, turning around. "I suppose I must take this food elsewhere-"

"Please, Ivy," Jack pleaded. "I know it's a lot to ask, but just- just bear with me, alright?"

Ivy turned back around. "I was joking, Jack. You don't even need to ask. Let me sit beside you."

Jack scooched over, allowing Ivy a spot next to him. She sat down, and Jack finally noticed the bowl she had in her hands.

"Gruel?" Jack asked. "Or is that porridge? I can't tell."

"It is the best I could find on such short notice. I could hear him crying from the front of the group," Ivy said.

"I… fair enough," Jack said, looking down. "I wonder if he has teeth yet. Or if this is even because he's hungry."

"There is only one way to find out," Ivy said. "Hold him a little closer. There we go. And…"

Ivy held a spoon filled with the - Jack still couldn't tell if the food she had was porridge or gruel, although Jack was betting on just thin porridge - and Connor eagerly snapped at it, as if he'd gone through the motions several times before. Jack could see baby teeth peaking out of his gums. He didn't know if that was any indication of how old he was, but considering he was eating somewhat solid food, it was definitely at least a few months.

"There we go," Ivy cooed, "All better now, right? I think you'll need a few more than that, won't you? You're as greedy as your father."

"Wha- I am not greedy!" Jack replied, "Don't listen to her, son. Women always spin lies. It's what they do. They're evil creatures. Always remember that."

Ivy laughed. It was like music to Jack's ears. "How rude! This is slander, I'll have you know. And I will not stand for it."

"Yeah, you won't. 'Cause you're sitting and you don't wanna upset Connor," Jack pointed out.

"And so I am trapped in a prison of my own creation. But he's a very cute prison, isn't he?" Ivy said.

It went like that for a while, the both of them just talking as Connor finally went quiet, and before long, he closed his eyes, and seemingly went to sleep. Jack took a deep breath after that, letting everything wash over him. He felt filthy, disgusting, even, but there was likely still a long way to go until he could take a bath, and he wasn't going to leave Connor alone.

"I really am sorry, you know," Jack breathed out.

Ivy had put the bowl off to the side, still half-filled with porridge, before looking at Jack with confusion. "What for? You have not done anything. And if it is for those comments you made, you don't need to worry; I knew you were joking."

"No, not for that, I…" Jack sighed. "Maybe it's just me that feels this way, but it feels like I should've done more. That I should've helped Alear more or let the others at Brianna when she had her back turned. Just… When he turned into a dragon, I just stood by and watched as he destroyed her. It didn't even look that difficult for him. And then she was just gone. And I'm still here, with our kid. It's a real strange feeling, you know? All this time, I was a father, and I didn't even know it."

"I don't need to remind you that I merely stood by and watched as well, correct?" Ivy said, crossing her arms.

"Well, yes, I guess you did," Jack admitted. "But… I dunno. I can't really explain it. It felt good to hold Connor in my arms. Felt good to finally let all those emotions I'd been bottling up out, but now I just feel… empty. And Nat's gone, too. She didn't even say goodbye."

"I'm still curious how she will 'spy' for us, but I suppose we will cross that bridge when we get there," Ivy said.

Jack nodded. "She'll find a way. If she was able to realize she was being manipulated, then she'll find a way. I mean, I kinda wish we had the time to figure out a way to exchange info, but hey, I trust her."

"You trust her very much for someone you have fought against," Ivy noted.

Jack shrugged. "She's my sister. And… I dunno. Maybe I'm just trying to make up for not being the best brother I could've been when we were younger."

"Were you… unsatisfactory in that regard?" Ivy asked tentatively.

"I feel like I was," Jack replied, looking down at Connor with thin lips. "I should've tried to keep her from doing that. From going back to the Hounds. Maybe I was just so frazzled by what had happened that I just didn't give it the proper thought it needed. Now she's back with them, so it's too late. Only thing I can hope for is that she makes it through this. She's tougher than she looks."

Ivy nodded, allowing herself to lean back. "I understand how you feel, to an extent. No doubt my upbringing and yours are substantially different, but I can relate to feeling as if you have failed as an older sibling."

Jack smiled sadly. "I get the feeling a lot of our friend group could feel the same way."

"Hmm. I am unsure if Prince Alfred does, but Prince Diamant seems to most likely to feel that way. I am basing that on what I have observed from them, of course; I would never ask directly. That would be rude."

"Ruder than asking me?" Jack said, raising a brow.

"Pardon my saying this, Jack, but you are not royalty," Ivy replied. "Not that you are any less deserving of courtesy, and I apologize if I offended you by-"

"Relax! Relax, I wasn't harping on your or anything," Jack said, "Just… it's strange to think about. I'm talking with royalty every day. Before I came here, I only ever saw 'royals' on T.V. And, well, the country I come from has a sordid history with people like that. I'm glad to see you guys aren't tyrants or anything like that."

"I pride myself on being unlike my predecessors," Ivy admitted, "Elusia has a sordid history as well. Hm. Perhaps it is no wonder that we get along so well."

"Well, you are fun to tease," Jack said, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"Oh, am I now?" Ivy asked rhetorically. "Choose your words carefully, Jack. One of these days, you may inadvertently declare a war."

Jack was about to respond - there was a warm feeling in his chest whenever he spoke to Ivy, and he couldn't get enough of it. He wanted the conversation to last longer, but he was interrupted by a shout from where the others were. Jack looked quickly to see that Fogado had collapsed, clutching at his leg.

Jack shot up, only realizing his mistake when Connor began crying, but nonetheless he pressed forward, with Ivy not far in front of him; she had gotten up first. When Jack saw Fogado, he had to hold back a wretch.

Recalling the battle with Brianna and her otherworldly forces, Jack remembered that Fogado had been bitten on the leg by one of the crystal spiders. Looking down at the wound, which had been uncovered by the others, Jack had to take a step back. Crystal, not unlike the kind the spiders were made of in the first place, was growing out of the open wound. The skin around it was a dark blue and black, and Jack could see more crystal forming underneath those patches of skin.

The others began talking and shouting, and the sound of Connor crying reverberated in Jack's ears, but one thought reigned supreme in his mind.

If you had just taken the chance to end her instead of talking to her, this wouldn't be happening.

Lionel watched the ring on Seadall's hand suspiciously. It wasn't that long ago when it was against them, after all. Brianna was an idiot, but she knew how to activate the Emblems to some extent, which meant she must've had a backer of some sort. There was no way she would have been able to activate it herself. She was stupid, yes, stupid as stupid could get. Like a sponge. Sponges were pretty stupid but they didn't need to be smart, not like them. Not like humans. Never like humans. They were related but very distantly, so much so that Lionel often wondered if they were even animals. Science said they were, but science could sometimes be used for evil, and it seemed unfair to the sponges to call them stupid. But stupid is as stupid was and-

"Lionel," Seadall called. "Are you okay?"

Lionel blinked, as if waking up from sleep. He looked around. They were at the entrance to the underground, ancient city that Brianna had somehow found. And he had been looking at the ring on Seadall's finger. A woman appeared beside him, a woman that appeared familiar somehow, but there were all sorts of-

"I'm fine," Lionel said, waving a hand. "It's just a bit hard to concentrate right now. Who's your new glowy friend?"

The woman bowed her head. "You may call me Emblem Corrin, although I'm sure I told you my name not too long ago."

"Hmm. So you did," Lionel hummed.

Seadall frowned. Frowned as if something was wrong, and Lionel knew something was wrong because it was hard to concentrate, as hard as limestone to concentrate and he hated feeling that way and he hated feeling like there was a conspiracy underneath every pebble and stone, but by God, could he not stop seeing the lines and connections - it was like a never ending web, like the webs the crystal spiders down below could spring if they made webs. He wondered if they acted like funnel spiders, or were they called something else? He could never remember-

"Lionel, we're going to find something to help you," Seadall said, outstretching his hand and grasping Lionel's. "I promise you this. We will find a way."

Lionel frowned. "I hope so, Seadall. I really hope so."

Hope. It was a strange concept, hope. Hope hope hope. There was so much hope in the old world and there was so much hope before him and around him and under him that sometimes when he looked at it he thought he'd go blind. Hope hope hope. It had four letters but they weren't alphabetical, as some might think. It was like looking at a clock in a way, he thought, like looking at a clock and knowing that even if the numbers aren't at the position you need them to be that they'd eventually turn to one that you needed and maybe that would be a job interview or a murder but it would come all the same and when it did he'd need to be ready because being ready was very important, very important when the world threatened to swallow you up and spit you out for merely existing, and Elyos was like that but the United States of fuckin' America was also like that and he hated living there sometimes but sometimes it also wasn't so bad but that was only during his good days when he still had people and friends and the pills and sometimes the pills made him feel bad but it was better than now, it was better than then, and it was better than it ever would be. Sometimes it felt like he was a broken record going over and over in circles constantly spinning but never really changing because change was hard and difficult and dreaded, but how could someone face what they dread if they were doomed to repeat everything they had ever done over and over and over again. It was a twisted, disgusting, demented cycle and Lionel was trapped, more trapped than he'd ever been and Seadall and Corrin were looking at him again and Corrin's eyes weren't supposed to be blue but for some reason they were and where were her slits and where did Seadall-

Lionel squeezed Seadall's hand. "I really hope we do, Seadall. I really hope we do."

Natalie didn't know what she did to end up bound again, with Zephia standing over her and looking down at her with nothing but scorn in her eyes. The tanned Mage Dragon sighed, rubbing her temples as she walked all around in front of her.

They were far away from Serenissima, having escaped before the Queen or any of Jack's friends returned to the broken capital, but the desert sand beneath Natalie felt strange, somehow, as if it wasn't real. That may have been the stress talking, though. That, and it was dark out, with an alien moon above them. That definitely had something to do with it.

"Such a headache, this is," she said, "you just had to leave my sight, didn't you? You could not stay in one place for too long, and so you lost the Emblem Bracelet we so selflessly lent you, and what's more, you spent time around that brother of yours, and he had no doubt poisoned your mind."

"Z-Zephia, I seriously have no idea what you're talking about. I told you I escaped-"

"I didn't see any signs of bondage, sweetie, so you were definitely without them for a while until I amended that mistake," Zephia commented. "What did he say to you, I wonder? That brother of yours has been a thorn in our sides for so long, I have forgotten what it was like to not feel a migraine."

Natalie muttered something under her breath.

"Oh, come now, what's a few words between friends? You won't remember this conversation in a few minutes anyway, so might as well get it out of your head, right?" Zephia said. Her voice was so sickly sweet, Natalie felt like she needed to take a bath.

No matter what happens, Nat, remember what she says. Remember what she says.

"Why am I even here?" Natalie asked, her breath coming out in quick gasps as she cried as convincingly as possible. "Why am I here? Why is he here? Why!?"

"Why? Well, my dear, your world is very difficult to get to, you know. So difficult that something needs to happen, a key needs to be made, if you will…" Zephia said, smiling all the while. "Honestly, if you ask me, we do not need the weapons of your world. Lord Sombron's power is so much more than anything man could invent, even in a world as advanced as yours. The fact one of you had knowledge of the future, though… I will admit, that was one of Lord Sombron's only blunders. But that is alright. That is why I am here."

Natalie's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she turned her head to Zephia completely. Her tears were no longer fake. "It was you!? You and Sombron!? You-! You-!"

A sharp 'smack' sound rang out in the night, and Natalie felt her head shoved violently to the side as a stinging sensation eclipsed her left cheek.

"I'll need to heal that before erasing your memory," Zephia said. "But I have been wanting to do that for some time, fool. I have been waiting to tell you that as well. That look of betrayal... Yes, it was Lord Sombron. And once your usefulness is at an end, you will follow your friend Brianna into the great beyond. That pillar of light - it was spectacular, was it not? Soon, you, your brother, and the other Outlander will be pillars of light that will guide our way through the darkness. The multiverse will not be such a terrifying place after that…"

Natalie whimpered.

"A good thing Griss and Marni are scouting ahead. Even Griss would not wish to see this. Now, I think our game is at an end," Zephia said. "Stand still."

Remember, Natalie. Remember this.

A bright flash felt like it engulfed all of Natalie's being.

Remember.

Her thoughts became clouded and she saw all there was to see-

Remember!

She could see herself, so clearly, back home. She wasn't really good friends with Brianna or Lionel but Jack was pretty neat. She'd just graduated from high school and she was going to go to college soon, a college Jack was going with her so she'd know where to go and what to do. She wished for those days back. She really wanted to see her world again.

But it was just a dream, and dreams weren't real.

REMEMBER!

And there we go, ending of Act 2. This'll be the last chapter until I go to finish Homebound, but after that, I'll be all in on Augur. So, looking forward to it!

Lots of reveals this chapter, and lots of reveals left to come. Stay tuned!

Oh, and before I forget, I think it's safe to reveal what the name for Act 3 is gonna be, so here's the updated list...

Act 1 (Chapter 1-16) - The Beginning

Act 2 - (Chapter 17-28) The Descent

Act 3 - (Chapter 29-?) The Invasion

Act 4 - ?

Act 5 - ?

Act 6 - ?

Fun fun fun!

Here's a link to our Discord server: discord. gg/u89gs745fn

See you guys next time!