"So, still made at me?"
Rydia stifled an irritated sigh.
Leviathan looked amused. Asura less so.
Crossing her arms, she looked over her shoulder at her husband. "I'm a little busy with more important things,"
"More important than me?" Edge asked, feigning hurt and dramatically pressing a hand to his chest.
Rydia sighed out loud this time and pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath before ignoring him and returning her attention to her adopted parents.
"As I was saying," she began. "has anything like this ever happened before?"
Leviathan shook his head. "No."
"The Feymarch is many things. Constant and unchanging." Asura remarked. "To even consider that, after all this time, anything could change here is..."
"Incomprehensible, to... use a phrase," Leviathan chimed in.
Rydia's fingers tapped on her opposite elbows as she stared off into the distance. "It is odd... I wonder where these shadows could have even come from. It's not like anything can just... exist in the Feymarch, after all."
"We'd probably be able to answer that question if we knew what they were," Edge pointed out.
She nodded absently, lost in thought.
"There is something you may be able to help with," Asura said, rolling her shoulders. "We've been unable to contact Bahamut throughout this ordeal. Perhaps he would have more insights. Would you be able to summon him?"
Rydia nodded, "Yes, of course. You couldn't contact him?"
Her mother shook her head. "No. With how... unstable things have been since these shadows appeared, communication has been difficult. Even speaking with the Sylphs was taxing, and they remain attached to this place."
Edge frowned, "Wait, so how did you talk to Rydia and Cuore?"
Asura cocked an eyebrow. "We did no such thing. Titania said she contacted you?"
Rydia nodded slowly, "She did, but, I've been feeling... off recently. And Cuore mentioned troubling dreams. We had thought perhaps these were our Eidolons trying to communicate with us."
Leviathan stroked his beard. "How intriguing. It wasn't us. Perhaps you merely felt something off because of the situation,"
"Maybe, but how did Cuore know?" Rydia asked to no one in particular.
Cuore, despite her own form of connection with her Eidolons, wasn't linked to the fabric of the Feymarch in the same way as a summoner.
She wouldn't have the insights that summoners did, no matter how much she loved and cared for this magical world and her beloved Eidolons.
She sighed again. "Regardless, let me summon Bahamut. We should speak with him."
Clasping her hands together, Rydia began the familiar chant to call the oldest of the Eidolons to them.
She desperately hoped he had further answers for them. But, even if he didn't, his wisdom, guidance and power would be a welcome comfort.
"Hallowed father, come and assist thy daughter. Lord of all dragons and ruler of the skies, I summon thee."
Runes of light wove their way around her feet and in a flash, Bahamut circled the high ceiling of the Feymarch to land at her side.
"Ah, I had been waiting to be called," he rumbled. He dipped his head to Rydia and then turned to Leviathan and Asura.
They had both dropped into a quick bow and he folded his wings to shrink his size with less than impressive results.
"The Feymarch has felt quite far away as of late," Bahamut commented. It was hard to read his thoughts and feelings due to his draconic nature, but his voice tone sounded like he was frowning. "What has happened?"
Leviathan filled him in on their situation, and Rydia listened, relaxing at the familiar presence of the dragon and at the king's humming voice.
Her hand gently touched the dark scales on his leg, drawing relief at being near her beloved Eidolons. Not only were they powerful, capable of felling foes in the blink of an eye, but they had been so much a part of her life for so long that they were an extension of herself in many ways.
It felt comforting to have them nearby, even for a moment.
"Concerning." Bahamut muttered when the explanation had finished. "The nature of the Feymarch prevents things from merely happening. This is a rare phenomenon indeed."
Rydia peered up at him. "Has anything like this ever happened before?"
"Not here."
She paused, picking up on his phrasing. "Not here? Somewhere else, then?"
Bahamut, although a part of the Feymarch as every Eidolon was, had never spent any length of time here, as she understood it.
He found sitting still impossible, and his very essence so overpowering that staying put for too long often influenced the things around him.
At least, that was what she'd been told.
Time was an odd thing to an Eidolon, so who could say what 'too long' really meant.
Bahamut snorted, which was likely a laugh. "I see time has not dulled your mind, Rydia."
"I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not," she joked back, a smile tugging at her lips.
Bahamut tilted his head to see her better. "I meant it as such. While the sudden appearance of shadows has never been seen by my eyes before, I wonder if perhaps this anomaly is more familiar then one might think upon first glance."
Bahamut stiffed, "There are other differences here, however..."
"Oh, that's probably me," Edge said, offering a wave.
"You're here again I see."
Rydia rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately..."
Her husband tossed her an irritated look and the dragon merely shook his head at them.
"And I would guess your children, as well?"
"Actually, only two out of three." Edge commented, eyes narrowing. "I am honestly surprised Seren didn't break into this little quest, too, but I guess I should be glad."
Bahamut sighed. "It is good that you are all here."
Asura looked less than thrilled, but the dragon turned to look at her, preempting any remarks.
"We will need the help." he continued. "In unprecedented times, we must act accordingly."
Rydia had to agree, though she refused to voice that thought out loud. Bahamut was wise, but putting so many in danger, when the very threat they faced was unknown, felt horrible.
"I should speak with Phoenix," Bahamut said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "She may have knowledge that was confirm my suspicions."
Asura shook her head, "Phoenix is not here. She was lost when the shadows advanced along with others. We have not heard from them since."
Bahamut grumbled. "Tell me who else is lost."
Cuore awoke with a pounding headache and lingering tingles throughout her body.
She grimaced, "How unpleasant,"
She didn't recall fainting, but she had some idea that was exactly what had happened. She hadn't thought channeling so much magic would drain her, but then many things had been odd about this situation.
Cuore sat up slowly, eyes narrowed against her headache, and took in her surroundings. She frowned, pulling Kieran's jacket off of her. It had been draped across her shoulders as a makeshift blanket since the bed she was laying on had none.
Her husband wasn't too far away from her, sitting and working on something laid out on a table. His back was too her, and she took a moment to watch him.
He was going to be upset with her. Inwardly she sighed, bracing for a lecture.
Cuore stood, casting one final look around the non-descript room. She guessed it was one of the unoccupied, strange houses that existed within the Feymarch. There were no decorations inside, and very sparse furniture.
As she got closer, she could tell Kieran was busy trying to manually recalibrate his gauntlet, gently fussing with wires and using a tiny screwdriver to adjust relays.
Her own bracelet as laying off to the side on the table, untouched.
Cuore settled her hands on his shoulders once she was standing behind him. Kieran started, but then just tilted his head to smile up at her. One of his hands reached up to clasp hers.
"Welcome back. How do you feel?"
Cuore frowned. "I have a headache."
Kieran's fingers gently rubbed against hers. "You should go back to sleep,"
He didn't sound angry. He didn't even sound frustrated with her.
Cuore's frown deepened. "No lecture?"
"What's the point?" he retorted, chuckling. "You never listen to me anyway."
She slid her hands free and sat in the chair next to him. "Good, I'm too tired to argue."
Kieran grinned at her, "No promises on your parents, though. Rydia already put Leo through the ringer. And everyone else, for that matter. I think she's still kind of mad at me, too."
She sighed and glanced back to the project on the table. "Mother has personal reasons for being so concerned over that kind of summoning magic."
"That, and you all still treat Leo like a kid,"
Cuore cocked an eyebrow. "All?"
Kieran stared at her pointedly.
She frowned again and averted her gaze. "True."
He nudged her with his foot before returning to work and adjusting a few more of the bolts. They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the occasional scrapping noise from his tools.
Cuore couldn't believe how drowsy she felt, as if her energy was being redirected somewhere else. Even with the amount of magic she'd used, she never would have thought it would lead to this level of lethargy.
Her gaze wandered over the table, then up to her husband. She studied his profile for a moment, still somewhat surprised he wasn't being overprotective and harassing her for her decision.
She felt a pang of guilt for not checking in with him, knowing that the Feymarch could have wreaked havoc with his human normalcy.
But he seemed fine, and she had to guess the Displacer was, in fact, working.
"Kieran?"
He made a vague sound in the back of his throat.
"I know I was being difficult about you coming with me on his trip." she began, voice quiet. "But... I'm glad you're here. And, I'm sorry."
He was looking at her now, and carefully set down the tools and his gauntlet. "That's really diplomatic of you,"
She grinned, running her hand up and down her knee in an effort to get rid of the pins and needles in her fingers. "I wanted to say something nice in reply to you not chiding me."
He rolled his eyes and she shook her head, reaching out her other hand to rest on his arm. "No, I mean it, Kieran. I'm glad you're here."
He smiled, and leaned forward to give her a quick kiss.
"That is good to hear," he said. "And, I'm sorry for forcing you to be okay with me tagging along."
Cuore smiled, "Don't be. You were right. We are better together. I just... worry about you."
His looked puzzled and she shrugged one shoulder. "I think I feel a bit responsible for always getting us into dangerous situations. I don't like the idea of having to..."
She trailed off, suddenly hesitant.
They were usually open about anything and everything, and yet lately Cuore felt like they were drifting apart. It made her nervous. Uneasy. Cautious.
He was keeping something from her, and she felt unsure about voicing everything out loud.
"I," she started again, beginning to move her hand across her knee once more. "I don't like the idea of us having to keep fighting. Again. Especially you. I don't want anything to happen to you. I care about you too much, and you deserve to just... exist without all of this. I feel terrible for dragging you into something else. Again."
Kieran frowned, "You know what I'm going to say to that, right?"
Cuore sighed and closed her eyes, "Yes, I do. You are going to tell me I'm worrying about nothing, and that its' your choice to come along on these misadventures, and your choice to fight. You will probably tell me that it's bound to happen because the two of us are magnets for trouble."
Kieran chuckled, "All true. Especially the magnet part."
"I'm tired, Kieran." Cuore muttered.
His expression softened. "I am too, blade dancer. This Feymarch thing is poor timing, but, it's too significant to ignore. I know how important the Eidolons are to you. That means they are important to me, too."
He went back to fiddling with the gauntlet. "Besides, that's why I said we needed to take a break. After this, we will. And if you try to get out of it, I'll figure out a way to kidnap you."
"Good luck," she replied, grinning.
Kieran laughed, and screwed one of the tiny bolts back into place.
"Did you think about where you want to go?"
She nodded, eyes watching him work. "The beach."
Kieran paused, "...That's way more open-ended then I expected from you. A specific beach? Or, just any beach?"
"The beach near Eblan." she murmured. "I know it's not that exciting, but I haven't been there in a long time. It was there where I saw the ocean for the first time. I remember taking my siblings there for the first time. I remember summoning there, sort of, for the first time, too. It's sentimental."
"Okay, then that specific beach it is." Kieran said flicking her a quick smile before returning to twisting some wires together.
"Its' also where I think I first fell in love with you. It would be nice to spend time there together. As I said, it's sentimental."
Kieran looked up again, "Wait, you never told me that."
Cuore shrugged. "You never asked."
He rolled his eyes at her. She hid a grin.
She was partially surprised her didn't ask any follow up questions, but she was distracted for a moment when he winced as a spark emitted from the wires he was working with.
"Ouch!"
Cuore reached out, "Here, let me,"
Kieran handed the project over. "I thought I'd made some progress, but the gauntlet isn't automatically syncing." He gestured to a crystalized block on the far end of the table. "I had thought having a sample and more time would make it work, but, no such luck."
Cuore blinked and peered closer at the block. "A sample?"
"I had Shiva freeze a bit of that shadow stuff."
She jerked up to stare at him.
Kieran looked smug. "What?"
"...That was brilliant,"
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for noticing."
She rolled her eyes.
"I'm glad Shiva didn't give you any trouble,"
Kieran propped his chin on his hand and leaned into the table. "She was acting weird about it, but I'm not surprised. It's not every day some random non-magic person asks you to freeze shadows."
Cuore grinned and took her eyes off her work to catch her husband's eye. "That's not why the Eidolons are so... standoffish. Eidolons aren't use to taking orders from anyone but their summoners. To them, it feels... abnormal to be asked to do something by someone who isn't bonded to them. In short, they don't like following orders."
Her grin grew, "You should get along great with them, hmm?"
He snorted. "Yeah, but I'm sure none of them has the wide range and sheer number of demerits that I have,"
Cuore giggled and shook her head, "I'm not sure that's something to be bragging about, cloud biter."
"Well, not to everyone." he said, "but the right people get it."
She shook her head with another chuckle before dropping her gaze back down at the gauntlet. "You said this still wasn't reading that darkness?"
"Not even a little bit. I really thought it was energy of some kind. Shiva even mentioned it... moved. Like, magically."
"Yes," Cuore muttered absently. "Hmm... intriguing. Perhaps..."
The gears in her head starting turning, and she ignored her headache and went to work. "My fingers are smaller so let me adjust this. Perhaps resetting this completely will allow it to properly read whatever energy signature this thing is giving out, if any. And, if it can't, then perhaps it will tell us that rather then a simple error message. The absence of energy can tell us plenty."
"Sounds good to me." Kieran remarked, crossing his arms. "I can't believe freezing it actually worked, although honestly, I'm not sure freezing in the right word. I forget sometimes how powerful the Eidolons really are."
She made a sound to acknowledge his comment, but was too engrossed in her work to fully answer.
The Eidolons were powerful, which was why their vulnerability and uncertainty in this situation unsettled her so greatly.
The Eidolons were invariable.
They were, and always would be.
Nothing was supposed to ever be different within the Feymarch.
Hopefully they would get to the bottom of this strange darkness soon, and without any further damage.
"Are you going to tell me what secret you've been keeping?" Cuore asked, eyes focused on the recalibration.
She heard Kieran exhale and then shift in his seat, as if uncomfortable.
"Noticed that, did you?" he muttered.
Cuore looked up to pin her husband with a look. "Are you asking your telepathic, empathetic, overthinking wife with an eidetic memory if she noticed something?"
He grinned, "I was stalling, actually,"
Cuore shook her head and went back to work. "I'll figure it out eventually. You might as well tell me."
"I wanted to wait until this latest crisis was over, but... well, you did put yourself in danger so I guess I need to tell you..."
She snapped the pieces back together and set it on the table before swiveling around to face him. "That will take approximately four minutes to finish, so now is your chance."
Kieran frowned, "I was hoping to stall a bit longer,"
"Approximately three minutes and fifty-two seconds,"
He rolled his eyes, sighed, and shifted once more before reaching out to take her hands.
"Cuore, I think you might be pregnant."
There was a long pause.
Cuore frowned. "Impossible."
"Why?" he asked dryly.
He didn't sound all that surprised by her words, more exasperated.
"The Maenads didn't reproduce in that fashion," she explained.
Kieran narrowed his eyes at her. "First off, the Maenads were designed to mimic Rydia, and obviously she has kids. Second, the Maenads weren't around long enough to know if they reproduced in that fashion, and third, Cuore, I know you know how biology works, so..."
She dropped her eyes to the floor so she could think.
"I have been fatigued more often lately."
She frowned. "I have desired specific tastes lately..."
She glanced up at him, "Have I had mood swings lately?"
"There is no way for me to answer that in a way that won't be wrong." Kieran remarked. "But the short answer is yes. Also, Asura kind of... confirmed it when you were out."
Cuore continued to stare at the floor.
After a few moments, Kieran gave her hands a squeeze. "Talk to me?"
"...I'm not sure what words to say," Cuore replied slowly, carefully.
Truthfully, she was fairly certain she was in shock.
Part of her knew there was no way she could be pregnant, while another part of her knew, somehow, that she was.
"What are you feeling?" Kieran asked softly.
Cuore blinked, then swallowed. "I... don't know." She flicked her gaze up to him. "What are you feeling?"
He gave a short, single laugh. "Oh, everything. Excited, terrified, surprised, worried, frantic, panicked, delighted, delirious..."
She smiled slightly. "I... think I feel the same,"
But she wasn't sure at the moment she felt anything.
Kieran sighed softly and released one of her hands so he could reach out to gently lift her chin. It forced her to look at him and he frowned.
"This is why I wanted to wait to tell you. Are you alright?"
Cuore bit her lip and resisted the urge to look away.
"I... don't know." she confessed. "I know we talked about children before, but... I guess... I thought we'd have more time, or... a plan, or... adopt like we talked about..."
"Yeah, things don't always go to plan, Cuore," he pointed out.
"Unfortunately," she muttered.
He smiled slightly, "We can still talk about it more. And we still have time to plan. And adopt, if we want."
Cuore nodded. She gripped his hand. "Are you alright?"
"I don't know," Kieran said, laughing in a halting fashion. "I'm... sort of all over the place. I'm ecstatic, but also freaking out a bit."
She nodded again, absently.
The knowledge was catching up with her. She had a burst of adrenaline and glee, but then it flipped to fear and worry.
She exhaled shakily.
They were having a child. A tiny, fleshy, completely dependent and defenseless thing.
But that tiny thing would be a person. A real, breathing, child. That child would grow up. It would have a future and a personality.
Cuore raised her free hand to her mouth, taking a deep breath, and then exhaling it slowly again.
Her eyes flickered back to Kieran, who was regarding her cautiously.
She gave a single laugh. "We're having a baby,"
Kieran's face broke into a smile, "Yeah, I know,"
She giggled and then squeezed his hand again. "I'm feeling a lot of things." She bit down hard on her lower lip. "I... I can't be a mother,"
"Why not?"
She swallowed and closed her eyes. "I don't... I can't... feel things correctly, or... I do things strangely. I feel things differently."
Kieran tapped her chin again to make her look at him. "Cuore, you'll be a great mother,"
"Mothers always know the right things to say. The right things to do. They care so deeply, and completely, and..." she averted her gaze. "I... don't. Children need love, and affection, and-"
Kieran cut her off. "Cuore, you know full well that isn't true. You feel things differently, yes, but you feel them deeply."
"This is a living, breathing human," she countered. "Humans need things that I can't provide. I can't be responsible for a human child!"
"You did really well with Bryn,"
She rolled her eyes. "Bryn was different. He is older, and although his upbringing was terrible, he still had one. This is a life that we'll be completely responsible for immediately."
Kieran frowned, "Cuore, you love your siblings. They were children once, right?"
She hesitated. "That was different."
"Why?"
Cuore paused, framing her argument. She frowned at her husband. He could be obnoxious sometimes.
"Loving siblings is different then... then... this."
He was still frowning. "Now who's stalling?"
Cuore scowled at him.
He sighed, stroking the back of her hand. "Cuore, I know this is unexpected and a lot to come to terms with right now. I know you are scared. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But, trust me when I tell you that I think you will be a wonderful parent."
"Why are you scared?" she muttered, glancing at the now re-starting gauntlet as it beeped. "You are a human. You feel like a human. You also don't have to be an incubating machine gestating a living organism for months."
"I will give you the second part of that statement," Kieran said, making a face. "Although I'm not sure that's how I'd describe it,"
Cuore opened her mouth to tell him her phrasing was completely correct, but he was already continuing.
"But I won't agree with you on the first part." Kieran sighed. "Cuore, I know that this is going to be hard. Of course it will be. For both of us. But you have just as many human emotions and feelings as I do."
He shrugged, "Like I said, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, too. I'd be lying if I wasn't worried about being a good parent, just like you probably are. But, I'm sure that's normal."
The bracelet was chiming, but Cuore ignored it.
"Why are you worried about that?" she asked, tipping her head to one side.
Kieran gave a little laugh, "I think everyone worries about that. But, I guess... I know I'm not always patient. I'm not always understanding or... what's the word. Nurturing, I guess? I'm short tempered."
He looked away, "And, maybe part of me is still a little... raw about all the people that I've lost."
Cuore bit her lip, feeling badly for not thinking about him.
Again.
Just like she hadn't thought to ask if the Displacer was working.
She was being incredible selfish, which was especially unfair considering this was very much their child.
She reached out to take his other hand back, drawing his attention to her. "You are patient and understanding when it's important. And I know it's difficult to think about letting someone else be so close to you when you've lost so much. But, however much sorrow and pain you've endured can be equally measured by how much joy and life you can experience. It will never replace that which was lost, but it can bring more to you then you had before."
Kieran smiled slowly. "See? You do always know what to say."
Cuore laughed and shook her head at him.
He studied her for a moment. "What else is bothering you?"
She blinked.
"We are bonded, you and I. I can tell. What is it?" Kieran asked quietly.
She frowned, irritated that he could read her so easily. She shouldn't be surprised, considering. Even without their empathetic bond they could often tell what the other was thinking or feeling.
Still, did she want to voice her other fear aloud?
Being a terrible mother was one thing, but this was only adding to the growing dread she felt. Dread that overshadowed how excited she should be.
But Kieran already knew something was bothering her, so she couldn't hide it.
"I," Cuore began, uneasy. "don't want our child to have magic,"
There was a long, heavy pause.
"Why?" Kieran finally asked. His voice was soft, but baffled.
She swallowed. "Because I don't want them to be like me." She answered honesty.
"Cuore..."
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "Kieran, don't. I don't mean it like that. I just know how dangerous magic is. I know how difficult it can make life. I know how much harm it can cause. I don't want that for this child. I want... I want them to be happy. To be... normal."
It took him a moment to answer. "Magic isn't bad."
Cuore shrugged. "I know. It would just be easier if this child didn't have it."
"Easier on you, or them?" Kieran asked.
She glared at him and he continued. "It's okay to be concerned about this, Cuore, but, magic isn't bad. It doesn't make someone dangerous. Leo has magic. Your mother and father have magic. Ceodore, his parents, your cousin... so many people we know have magic. The Eidolons are made of magic."
Cuore shifted uncomfortably.
Kieran squeezed her hands again. "I understand why you worry. And I know that it can be dangerous. But it's also a part of so many lives. It's a part of you. You shouldn't wish that away for them, if they have it. And if they don't, that's okay too. Normal is a relative term."
He offered a small smile. "And, they might end up being boring, like me. We haven't met them yet. Whatever happens, we'll be there for this child." Kieran said. "Magic, no magic... we'll figure it out. Together."
Cuore swallowed thickly. "Even dangerous magic?"
"Especially dangerous magic," he said. "If our child needs help, then that's what we're here for. We stay together, no matter what."
The words weren't groundbreaking or said with anything but a normal tone of voice, but Cuore found herself staring at him.
Stay together.
Tears prickle her eyes.
She had mentioned to her parents that it hurt when she had to leave them and stay in the Feymarch because her magic was unstable, and because she'd very nearly hurt people with it.
But she'd never told them how deeply it had hurt. How lonely she'd been. How a part of her had felt betrayed.
She never told them, because she knew if they knew how much it hurt her, they would have felt guilty. She never wanted things to be harder on them. They hadn't wanted to send her away, she knew that.
She understood why she had to go, why she needed help.
But all the knowledge in this world and those beyond hadn't helped it hurt any less.
"Do you mean that?" Cuore whispered. "That... no matter what, our family will stay together? Even if this child is... dangerous?"
Kieran seemed confused by the question, but nodded. "Yes, of course I mean it. I promise."
And just like that, Cuore felt herself falling in love with him all over again.
She slid forward in her chair so she could lean over and kiss him.
Kieran made a surprised noise, and blinked at her when she pulled back. "What was that for?"
Cuore shrugged, eyes averted off to the side. "For saying the right thing."
"A first," he joked.
She whacked his shoulder halfheartedly with the back of her hand. "Smartass."
He grinned at her and she smiled, using one of her hands to balance by gripping the front of her chair. "And... I just... I know I'm all over the place. And I'm scared, but... I really am excited about this child. It's just... a lot. But, I love you. I..."
Cuore hesitated, unsure how to put into words what she wanted to say. "I'm glad that its' our child."
"Me too." he murmured, swiping a thumb across her cheek. His fingers trailed down her neck. "I love you too. We can talk more about this, and take as much time to plan as we need too."
She smiled at him, and he returned the expression.
There was still a lot of uncertainty clouding her thoughts, but Cuore was glad that they had time, and she was feeling more at ease to know she was pregnant.
She leaned forward again to kiss him.
Kieran was being remarkably understanding about her apprehensions, even if he was obviously giddy at the news. She appreciated the balance.
Still, through their link she could feel his own concerns lingering as well, which helped her realize she wasn't completely off track.
Her feelings, thoughts and emotions were scattered at the moment, but she had every hope that it would be alright.
The way she was perched on her chair was precarious, so Cuore got up and instead plopped onto his lap.
Kieran tensed in surprise, but she just ducked her head down for another kiss, sweeping her hair over one shoulder in a swift motion.
Normally she would want to analyze her situation more and plot out the plan immediately. But in this moment, she didn't. All she wanted was to be close to her husband.
His fingers were tangled in her hair and pressed against her scalp, with his other hand resting against her hip. It kept her balanced and she shifted ever so slightly so she could slip a hand underneath his shirt.
Kieran's grip on her tighten and she stifled a giggle as she pulled back slightly to catch her breath.
"You should be resting," he commented breathlessly.
She flexed her fingers against his chest, He shivered.
"Should I be?" Cuore whispered. "I believe hormonal changes are common during pregnancy. I do feel quite amorous,"
"Well," Kieran said, grinning at her. "that would explain your recent behavior."
She pressed her forehead to his. "Is it a problem?"
"No. I'm feeling quite amorous myself,"
Cuore giggled. "Then we can look at the data on that dark stuff a little later?"
"As always," Kieran said. "you have the best ideas, blade dancer."
He kissed her again.
After enduring what felt like years of fussing from her aunts, Titania had manage to convince them she was healthy.
They were obviously worried, but the simple and short trip to the overworld to fetch help hadn't taken that much of a toll on her.
She felt perfectly fine once she was back in the Feymarch. Her veins were practically humming with magic.
They were her family, and had every right to be concerned, but sometimes she wondered if their desire to protect her bordered on imprisonment.
They were terrified of the world, even distrustful of the other Eidolons. They barely left their own private cavern anymore.
Loosing Arial had changed them so much.
Titania sighed and picked her way carefully along the false streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of one person in particular.
She should have been looking for any member of the family, but Leo was who she wanted to speak with. He'd seemed so distressed after the magical mishap that she needed to make sure he was alright.
A flash of guilt washed over her. She couldn't help but feel like the turmoil in their family was partially her fault. They had only started to argue when she'd shown up to tell them about the Feymarch's woes.
It was her fault that Cuore was so drained. She should have felt it and released the spell much sooner then she had.
Titania sighed once more, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Everything felt so very complicated recently.
Titania smiled and waved to Ramuh, who waved back, and then had to dance a few paces out of the way to avoid stepping on Midgardsormr or Carbuncle.
"Oh, hey Titania!" the snake greeted. He was always so cheerful that she couldn't stay miserable around him.
"Hi Midgardsormr," she bent down to pat his head and then scratch Carbuncle between the ears. "What are you two up too?"
"Oh, headed to check on Cuore." He said, tail wriggling. "Did you hear? I mean, you probably did. Everyone is talking about it!"
She smiled, "Oh, is it about Cuore?"
"Uh huh."
"Is it about Cuore being pregnant?"
"Uh huh!" Midgardsormr nodded his head up and down. The bobbing motion made her giggle. His tongue darted out.
She'd realized a long time ago that was a sign he was laughing, too. Or at least amused.
"So, anyway, we're going to go check on her." he said, coiling up on the pathway. "Hopefully she won't throw a hissy fit!"
Titania groaned and Carbuncle's eyes narrowed. He lashed his tail hard enough to smack the snake.
"Hey, okay, okay," Midgardsormr complained. "Anyway, the whole Feymarch is talking about it. Sure, the kid probably won't have any summoning magic, but, still! Who doesn't like babies?"
She giggled. "Just don't overwhelm Cuore. It's been kind of a busy day."
"True," he lifted his head, "What about you? Headed off somewhere?"
Titania shrugged, "I was actually looking for Leo."
"Oh, we saw him!" Midgardsormr said, turning to Carbuncle. "He was talking to Alexander, right? Near the scary cave entrance where all that dark stuff came from."
He shuddered, and she noticed how Carbuncle's nails dug into the ground at the mention of the shadows.
No matter how brave the Eidolons appeared, the entire place was frazzled with fear. Nothing like this had ever happened, and Titania knew her feelings of helplessness and dread were felt by every other Eidolon.
"Thanks, I think I'll go find him." she said, forcing another smile. "Tell Cuore hi for me. I'll check on her later."
After parting ways with the two, she changed directions and started headed towards the outskirts.
Sure enough, as she drew closer, Alexander's form was easy to spot. When he was standing firm and stationary, it was difficult to tell he wasn't just a building.
Although, an ornate building this far from the center of the city did look out of place.
At first, Titania didn't see Leo.
But, as she drew closer, she finally spotted him.
They weren't speaking, but the prince was leaning back against Alexander, fidgeting with something in his hands. His eyes were unfocused, staring ahead but also quite obviously looking at nothing.
She must have made noise, because he started, blinking and sitting up straight as she stepped within ten feet of him.
Titania's heart sank when she noticed the tear stains on his cheeks. He wasn't crying now, but the evidence was noticeable.
"Oh," Leo muttered, forcing a smile. "Hey Titania."
She hesitated, glancing at his Eidolon before lowering her gaze back to him. One of her hands gripped at the fabric of her skirt.
"Hi," she whispered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to... um... check on you..."
Leo looked away, and gave a hollow sounding laugh. "Thanks. I'm okay."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
He didn't reply.
Titania peeked back at Alexander. It was hard to tell based on his form if he was looking anywhere.
"He is lying. He isn't okay."
The prince slumped, "Ugh, thanks Alexander. I'll add 'the honest' to your list of titles..."
She bit back a snicker at his sarcastic remark and instead bounced on her toes and few times. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Leo looked up, then away sharply. "I don't want to bother you."
Her heart sank.
They were supposed to be best friends. They hadn't ever kept secrets before, except maybe that they both had crushes on each other.
Alexander nudged him and Leo frowned up at him, only to sigh after a moment.
"I'm sorry Titania. I didn't mean it like that. I just..." he trailed off, and she saw him twirl one of his folded blades between his fingers.
A nervous twitch she'd seen a dozen times.
"I'm okay, really." Leo muttered, forcing another smile. "We're got bigger fish to fry, as they say."
"Bigger fish then fighting with your family?" Titania asked softly.
The motion on his rolling blade stopped, paused, and then resumed.
"Yeah,"
"No."
Both Eidolon and Summoner looked at each other. This time it was clear that Alexander had tilted his head to look down.
Titania bit her lip. "It kind of sounds like you need to talk about it,"
Leo sighed and leaned backwards, tipping his head so his gaze faced upwards and the back of his head rested against Alexander.
"I do, probably. But I meant that I didn't want to bother you. Just because... because it's just drama. I'll apologize later to my family."
She frowned, edging closer although he refused to look at her. "That's good, but, I'm still worried about you."
Leo remained silent, which was terribly unlike him. Leo was never overly chatty, but he always spoke up when it mattered. She'd never seen him so despondent.
Titania shuffled over and sat down next to him, brushing her skirt aside so she could tuck her legs to the side with her knees bent.
"I hope you don't feel guilty about Cuore. She'll be okay. And anyway, that was my fault for not feeling how much the combined spell was draining her."
"I know she'll be okay. And it's not your fault." Leo muttered, eyes closed.
"Do you regret us casting that spell?"
He shook his head. "No,"
Titania blinked. "Do you feel bad about snapping at your mother?"
Here he glanced at her, and she could see the unease in his expression. With a sigh, she reached over to take his hands apart and stop his fidgeting.
"Are you scared?"
Leo tensed. "...Yes,"
Without another word, he squeezed his eyes shut and began talking. The words were rushed, but clear.
"Yes. I'm scared. I'm angry, I'm upset, I'm... not as powerful or smart as Cuore. I'm not as adventurous or outgoing as Seren. I'm not enough like my parents, or maybe I'm too much like them. I'm just...I'm just me. But I don't... I don't know what I'm supposed to do half the time! There's so much to learn but no one even acts like I can learn. I'm trying so hard, but... it's so much, Titania. Everything feels like it's wrong and I just want to help..."
He swiped his arm across his eyes. "And now I sound whiney and childish and I don't like that, either!"
Titania wasn't entirely sure what to say to his long speech. Instead, she reached over and hugged him.
Leo relaxed in her arms, sagging into the embrace. After a moment, he hugged her back, with his hands carefully placed along her back to avoid her wings.
He sniffed and she gave him a squeeze.
"It's okay Leo. Cuore will be fine, and your parents won't stay mad at you. They just worry. Like my aunts. It's just because they love us, even if it's kind of annoying."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "I think you are pretty smart and powerful, and you are adventurous enough to be here right now. But, I like you. Just you. I don't want you to be anything or anyone else."
Titania closed her eyes, hoping he felt as comfortable in her arms as she felt in his. "Just you is... kind and funny and sweet and so very brave. You don't need to be anything else. I know we're not kids anymore, but we still have things to learn. And that's scary sometimes."
His arms tightened around her.
"I'm scared too." she admitted. "These shadows are really creepy. I'm worried about Siren. I feel terrible for leaving her behind. I'm worried about the Feymarch, and I... I miss my friends and my father and everything else from your world."
Leo shifted, pulling away enough to look at her. "I'm sorry Titania." he whispered. "I didn't want to bring it up because I didn't want you to feel bad. But, I guess that was selfish of me."
She shook her head, "It's okay." She smiled. "See? You are really kind and sweet, Leo. The little boy I instantly fell for who gave me his cloak because I was cold and held my hand and asked me my name."
He gave a little laughed and looked away, obviously embarrassed.
Titania reached out to brush a tear off his cheek. "It's okay to be scared and angry and upset... we'll be alright though. We'll figure it out."
He nodded, and she smiled. "Are you okay?"
"Not really," Leo confessed with a teary laugh. "But, I do feel better still. Thanks, Titania."
She nodded and gave his arm a squeeze, "That's what friends are for, silly."
Something about the moment felt tense and static. The sensation was intense, but not unpleasant.
Leo brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. His fingertips barely grazed the slightly pointed tip of her ear.
Titania was suddenly very aware of how close they were sitting. His fingers glided from her ear to her chin, barely touching her.
She had unconsciously leaned forward, and only realized she had moved at all when the fingers on her hand still on the ground splayed out to hold her weight better.
Leo was staring at her, studying her face, gaze flickering over her features. Titania stayed still, lost in his eyes.
They were so terribly expressive.
He had leaned forward as well, and even tilted his head slightly as if he was going to kiss her. But he had paused, and Titania was certain she could feel his hesitation rolling off of him in waves.
The moment dragged on for what felt like forever, but she was certain her heart only beat twice before he abruptly pulled away when Alexander made a sound that resembled someone clearing their throat.
Titania winced, having completely forgotten the ancient Eidolon looming over them.
They both scooted apart, looking off to the sides and falling quiet.
Titania wasn't sure if she felt more irritated at the interruption, or self-conscious about forgetting Alexander was there at all.
It was probably an even split.
After another moment of silence, Leo finally glanced at her and smile, some of his usual light present.
"Thanks, Titania."
She nodded and smiled back. "Anytime."
Another moment passed, and Titania was about to suggest that they go find his family when Leo spoke up again.
"Reed misses you."
She froze.
"He talks about you a lot." Leo added, glancing over at her.
Thoughts whirling, she merely murmured; "You stay in touch with my father?"
"Yeah, of course." he replied. "He's helped with a couple of projects of Cuore's and Kieran's, and some other countries, too. Sometimes we exchange letters when it's been awhile since we've seen each other. He always talks about you."
Titania dropped her eyes to her lap, fingers curling into themselves. "Good."
She closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. "I mean... good that he is okay. And... good that he's... well," she trailed off.
"Yeah," Leo said, voice quiet. "He's good. He just misses you."
She swallowed. "I miss him too."
Being trapped in the Feymarch wouldn't have felt like a bad thing had she not left behind family and friends. Sometimes she wondered if her aunts had been right to tell her to never travel to the world above.
If she hadn't, then she wouldn't know what she was missing.
But if she hadn't, then she never would have made friends like Rainbow, Felix and Raj.
She never would have met Leo.
She never would have gotten to hug her father or heard stories about how much he loved her mother.
It would have hurt less, perhaps, but the pain was a small price to pay for all the wonder she'd experienced.
"Will you tell him I miss him too? And tell him that I love him?" Titania asked.
Leo nodded, expression soft. "Of course."
She flicked a smile at him and then looked down to where her hands twisted the fabric of her skirt. "Thanks..."
"That's what friends are for, silly."
Titania glanced up at the humorous tone of voice and caught his grin before he wiped it from his face and averted his gaze.
She giggled, which made him laugh too.
Her emotions were mixed at the moment; laughing felt so natural and right around Leo, but it only served to remind her that they would have to part ways again soon. She'd be unable to hear that laugh again, or see his cute little grin, or hug him.
The somber knowledge tempered her enjoyment of the moment.
She wondered if he felt the same.
Before she could ponder it further, Leo turned to her again looking adorably unsure. "I shouldn't hide anymore. I need to talk to my family. Will... will you come with me?
Titania smiled, wondering if he thought he really needed to ask her that. He could have asked her to go anywhere with him and she'd have agreed in a heartbeat.
"Of course I will," she replied.
Leo beamed at her, making her blush, and hopped to his feet. He offered a hand down to her.
She smothered a smile at his overly polite, sweet gestures but took his hand regardless. She refused to let go of it once they were standing.
Titania leaned forward to kiss his cheek, ignoring the embarrassment that flooded over her as a result of doing such a thing in front of Alexander. She reveled in the way Leo blinked, dumbfounded, then ducked his head with a nervous laugh.
She stifled her own giggle and smiled at him when he peeked at her shyly.
With a brush to his arm, Titania tipped her head towards the city. "Lead the way,"
Leo swallowed, but nodded resolutely and tugged her along.
She could have sworn she heard Alexander mutter something under his breath as they walked away.
Cuore unwound Midgardsormr from around her shoulders. "Not that it isn't good to see you, but I really do need to talk to the others about what we found out."
He sighed, "I know, I know. But hey, at least we got to see you for a bit! Say hi and bye before you leave, yeah?"
She nodded and gently set him on the ground. "Yes, of course I will."
Cuore glanced over at Kieran, who was sitting cross legged on the floor with Carbuncle curled in his lap. He was giving her an exasperated look as he petted the mint fox.
She grinned sheepishly.
At one point in time, even the more laid back of her Eidolons had hated Kieran. Now, she had begun to discover that they were actual quite fond of him.
She was fairly certain the same thing had happened with her mother and father. She suspected it was because of how overly protective of their summoners Eidolons were, that they had to make sure any mates were going to stick around before accepting them.
Midgardsormr slithered towards the door. "Come on, Carbuncle! We gotta let these two go save us or whatever."
The fox yawned, gave Kieran's hand one more head bump, and then trotted after the snake.
"Oh! Bahamut's here!" Midgardsormr called once he was outside.
Cuore frowned, "Mom must have summoned him. Perhaps he will be able to make sense of this data we found."
Kieran had stood and was brushing Carbuncle's fur off his shirt. He wasn't having much luck.
"That would be helpful," he said. "Maybe he knows if anything like this has ever happened before, too."
Cuore giggled at how little hair he had managed to remove from his clothes and tossed him his Trading Alliance jacket to cover it up.
She clipped her gauntlet back into place and scooped up the frozen darkness.
Kieran caught her around waist as she walked by, spinning her around so he could kiss her briefly.
Cuore giggled, placing her free hand on his shoulder for balance.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "We can talk more if you want."
She shook her head, "I'll be alright. I'm still processing, but, I'm satisfactory for now." She picked a piece of Carbuncle fur off his collar and tossed it aside. "Besides, we should deal with this threat, first."
"Okay. But if you need anything, do you promise to tell me?" Kieran asked, swaying them slightly.
Cuore smiled and nodded. "Promise,"
Kieran grinned, kissed her quickly one last time, and then released her before beckoning her towards the door.
She brushed her hair back and followed, still feeling all over the place. Despite the dire situation, she was certain she would have difficulties focusing solely on the shadowy threat with all the thoughts racing through her head.
Bahamut was indeed present. His large form was easily spotted in the distance. Cuore had to assume her parents were there as well, and made her way towards them.
The closer she got, the more an uneasy, anxious feeling crawled up her spine. She frowned, twitching from the unpleasant sensation.
Her confusion suddenly lessened when she realized it wasn't her feeling apprehensive, it was Kieran.
Cuore glanced back at him, brow furrowing. If she didn't know him as well as she did, she probably wouldn't have noticed the very rigid expression on his face.
She darted a glanced at the dragon they were walking towards, then back to her husband.
It clicked into place.
"Kieran?" she asked quietly.
He looked at her curiously, and she frowned, letting him know his fake expression wasn't fooling her.
"I'm fine," he assured her after she stared at him for a moment. "I know he's not dangerous."
Cuore hesitated, knowing she should probably say something, but completely at a loss for words.
"Really, I'm fine." he said again. He waved his hands in a motion of dismissal.
She bit her lip, but didn't argue and before long, they had reached the group and drawn far more attention to themselves then she would have liked.
Her mother rushed over and hugged her.
"Oh Cuore,"
Cuore wasn't sure if she was about to get a lecture about how dangerous things were, or if her mother was about to gush with tears and laughs about the baby.
Neither option sounded ideal.
"I'm so glad you are alright." Rydia began, pulled back and smiling at her. She cupped her face. "And you're going to be a mother! Oh, my small lady,"
Cuore stifled a sigh.
Both, then.
"Yes..."
Her mother searched her face for a moment and reached out to tuck a hair behind her ear. "Are you alright with the news?"
Cuore glanced back at Kieran, smiled, and then nodded at Rydia.
"Yes. It's a lot to process, but... yes."
Her mother hugged her again, whispering; "When this is all over, we can talk as much or as little as you want. I'll answer anything, Cuore."
She nodded, embracing her mother back and relaxing.
Rydia released her and reached out to hug Kieran. He looked almost as uncomfortable with that as he was with the nearby dragon.
"I'm so happy for you both!"
"Thanks,"
To his credit, he didn't sound annoyed.
Cuore was distracted from analyzing when her father hugged her next. "Why am I always the last to know everything!" he complained.
She shrugged. "Because you aren't as observant as you think you are."
He released her to arm's length so he could frown at her, and she heard her mother laugh.
Cuore blinked. "Oh, that... was one of those strange, futile rhetorical questions, wasn't it?"
Edge rolled his eyes, "Yes, but you are probably right..."
He hugged her again.
She was grateful for the support, but the attention was a little overwhelming. Especially when the Feymarch was still in crisis and Bahamut, Asura and Leviathan were nearby.
"We found some interesting readings on the shadows," Cuore blurted out once the hugs had finished.
Luckily no one found her sudden and clumsy topic change odd. Rydia gave her arm a final squeeze and smiled before switching back into High Summoner mode.
"What did you find?"
Cuore held out her arm so that everyone could see the gauntlet's readout. "Kieran and I finally got these to register the darkness, which meant we could scan it."
She flicked a look over her shoulder to her husband. "And Kieran had the brilliant idea to freeze some of it so we could observe it."
He shrugged. "Shiva was the one who did all the hard work,"
"Oh," Rydia said, glancing between them. "She mentioned something about that. I think her and a few other Eidolons are busy fortifying the city with ice, rock and crystals to slow another attack down."
Cuore nodded and held up the icy cube in her other hand. "And this is the result."
"Wow, you actually froze it?" Edge asked, carefully taking it from her hands. "Huh. It's just as weird like this."
"Indeed." she agreed. "The power signature is... alarming."
Typing a few commands into the armband, she displayed the reading. To an untrained eye, it likely looked like nothing more than swirling lines.
"This is the signature of that piece of darkness." she explained.
Cuore paused, allowing everyone to see it before she sighed and swapped to a different image. "And this is a scan from an Eidolon."
The images were eerily similar, something she hadn't been expecting.
Rydia's brow furrowed. "They are so close... but how could that be possible?"
"Unclear." she replied.
Kieran shrugged. "We ran the scans multiple times just to be sure. Even if this isn't an exact match, those shadows are definitely made of magic."
"I suppose that makes sense," Edge commented, turning the frozen object around in his hands. "What else would be moving darkness, right? Still, though, those readings look very close."
Cuore nodded. "Lunarian magic looks nothing like this, so this isn't a spell or creature related to them. This has to be something else."
"Ah, so, then, proof of my hypothesis." Bahamut said, stepping forward.
She hadn't noticed when exactly Bahamut had shed his dragon form and shifted into his human guise of a small child.
Truthfully, Cuore found that form far more unsettling then the massive, powerful dragon, but she kept the thought to herself.
The area looked noticeably smaller without the massive dragon, and now Bahamut was looking up at the gauntlet.
"You didn't have to do that," Kieran muttered to him.
Bahamut shrugged. "I don't mind. Besides, being a dragon is almost always better, but not always ideal in a cave, as you know."
Kieran grinned, "True,"
Turning his attention to the others, he peered out from under his hood. "I had wondered about this. This darkness is... unsettling, but not alien."
"Lord Bahamut," Asura said, tone careful. "All of the Eidolons are accounted for. Our spells, named long ago. This... cannot be from that,"
"It cannot be from that, no," he said, nodding sagely. "Not from spells like the ones that forge you or Leviathan or even me. But, I do believe that this creature is a spell. Just... not one we are familiar with."
His eyes pivoted back to the displayed image. "Or, maybe we are..."
Cuore cocked an eyebrow, "You have another hypothesis?"
He grinned at her and clasped his hands behind his back. His childish appearance didn't mesh well with his age-old voice.
"There is a spell known to us that could be the cause of all this. We should speak."
Kieran crossed his arms, "Oh, great, a serious talk. That doesn't bode well."
"Then let us speak. We are out of options, and will need your guidance," Leviathan said.
Bahamut nodded. "I would have liked to consult with my counterpart Phoenix, but since she is still unaccounted for, we will have to proceed without her."
Cuore stiffened.
She was terrified for her Eidolon.
Asura hesitated and then averted her gaze. It was uncharacteristic to see the firm queen seem unnerved. "Yes. We are all concerned over our missing comrades."
Kieran gave Cuore's shoulder a squeeze and she tossed him an appreciative look before frowning.
"Where is Leo?" she asked, looking around. There was no doubt that her brother would be feeling all sorts of emotions after what had transpired earlier that day.
Whether good or bad was the question.
Rydia sighed, "I'm not sure. I haven't seen him since the shadows retreated."
"He's sitting with Alexander." Edge remarked, nodding his head in the general direction. "He seemed lost in thought so I let him be. That was a while ago though."
Kieran frowned, "He hasn't been back yet though? That's odd,"
"I doubt he wants us hovering," her mother muttered. "I don't think he needs us to keep an eye on him, regardless. The danger seems to be on hold at the moment."
Cuore shifted her look from her mother to her father and then back to her mother. "You didn't think you needed to keep an eye on the offspring of the two of you?"
She didn't wait for them to reply and instead looked over her shoulder to her husband. "We're putting a tracking device on our child."
Kieran blinked. "Let's put a pin in that idea and discuss it in further detail at a later date."
She frowned.
That was his 'business' tone of voice that he forced out when trying to be diplomatic. Obviously, he disagreed with her.
For some reason.
"Oh yeah," Edge commented, gesturing vaguely to them. "I'm dying to know. Where are those trackers you have on each other? Don't tell me they are inside your blood or something,"
Cuore shook her head, "That was my first idea, but blood is easily contaminated. My second idea was to embed it directly underneath our epidermis. However, Kieran informed me that, given what happened during the last world war, he wasn't overly fond of things under his skin."
"Strange, I know." Kieran deadpanned.
She ignored him. "So, we opted to put them into something that we would still keep with us, but was less obvious."
Cuore held up her left hand, displaying the metal and meteorite ring on her finger.
Rydia tilted her head. "Your wedding bands?"
"Yes, since we never take them off. I hardly even notice I have one on anymore," Kieran commented.
Cuore wrinkled her nose. "I notice mine,"
"You notice everything," he countered.
She paused, and then nodded. "True."
She returned her attention to her parents. "We should probably fetch Leo and Titania and discuss all of this with them."
Rydia and Edge exchanged a look.
A 'parental' look.
Kieran said nothing, but Cuore had feel his reaction to the look and it mirrored her own.
"We should keep them in the loop, as is the saying. They will force themselves into it, in any case." Cuore pointed out. "I know what we did was risky, but both of them desire to help, and both of them have a connection to the Feymarch."
"We are all here together now," Edge agreed. "And Cuore is right. Leo will get involved with or without us."
Leviathan chuckled, "Very true we can't keep any of you away, can we? Since you are all here, now, then we may as well face this together."
"Agreed," Bahamut added.
The green haired summoner sighed. "You are all probably right..."
"I know you don't like it, but, well," her father commented.
"Yes, there's been quite a few things I haven't liked recently." she complained. She sighed again and tossed her hands up in resignation. "We should regroup. We have bought ourselves some time to formulate a plan. We shouldn't waste it."
Cuore nodded, glad they weren't going to be difficult about it going forward.
Or at least, less difficult.
As they walked in the direction Edge had said he saw Leo, Kieran took her hand. She gave it a squeeze and felt a tug on her mind.
Blinking, she reached out to his thoughts and established a mental connection.
"What's with your parents?"
"They are still mad at each other, I think." she replied, resisting an eye roll.
"Still?" he said, sounding dubious. "Are they going to be like this the whole time?"
"Most likely, yes."
Kieran mentally sighed and she tossed him a grin.
"Don't worry. They fight and make up often. They are both quite dramatic personalities." Cuore assured him. She wasn't worried about their moods, as she'd seen this before. They never let it get in the way of important things, either.
"I am understanding more and more why it took them seventeen years to get married,"
Cuore giggled, which caused her parents to look back at her. She offered a shrug in reply.
"Are you two talking about us?" Edge asked after a moment, glancing between the two of them.
She nodded. "Yes."
Kieran sighed and rolled his eyes, "Wow, thanks, Cuore..."
"Why lie?" she asked, still somewhat amused.
Rydia looked irritated. "Yes, I know we are still fighting-"
"Because your mother won't talk to me," Edge cut in.
She glared at him.
He grinned.
"Yes. Yes, they will be like this for awhile." Cuore informed her husband out loud.
Author's Note: It's the next chapter!
Sorry this one was just people talking and talking and talking - I had THOUGHT this would just be the start of the chapter, but since it was over 10k words already, I felt like I needed to stop, lol.
There should be more "plot" next chapter.
And since this is a shorter story, there's actually not that many chapters left.
I do hope you enjoyed these long character moments, however. Most of the scenes were really fun to write and I so enjoy these characters!