A Meeting of The Dads
Summary: While the Familia welcomes its newest member, another meeting is happening elsewhere.
In the Space Between, a ball of blue light entered the water. Once submerged in the water, a figure replaced the ball.
The figure was unconscious and probably would have sunk to the bottom, but a clawed hand grabbed him.
Manny Noceda groaned as he woke up. He quickly noticed a strange creature in front of him. Or, more specifically, the bird-like tube sticking out of its right eye.
That sight startled the father into full consciousness, and he looked around.
"Where am I?" he asked curiously.
"This is the Space Between, well, the space between a lot of things," the creature replied in a rather casual tone.
Manny looked at the creature and studied it. Besides its odd appearance and the bird-tube sticking out its eye, the human couldn't help but get dad vibes from the creature.
"And who are you?" Manny asked, more curious than scared.
The creature chuckled as he stuck his hands in his pants pockets. "I really don't have a name, but you can call me Titan, Manny Noceda."
"You know me?" Manny asked curiously.
Titan chuckled again and took his hands out pockets. He bent down and took a cube from the water. He showed it to the Manny, and the human gasped as a picture appeared on it.
"Mija, Camila," Manny said softly as he took the cube.
He watched as Luz, Camila, and a group of human-like creatures laughed as a strange snake-like creature shifted between different forms. He smiled as his wife held his daughter close and whispered something in Spanish.
His smile vanished when a creature that looked a lot like Titan stumbled into the room. Manny watched as Luz patted her knees, and the creature quickly hopped onto Luz, hugging his stuffed bunny tight.
He couldn't help but compare the smaller creature to the one standing next to him.
"That's your kid, isn't it?" Manny asked Titan.
Titan sighed as he took the cube from the human and stared longingly at it. Manny joined his side and watched as Titan's kid began to play with Luz's snake.
"...Yes," Titan said sadly. "And it's one of my biggest regrets that I can only watch as King grows."
Manny looked at Titan sympathetically and grabbed his shoulder. He knew all too well the pain of leaving a child behind. He frowned as a thought popped into his head.
"How did I get here?" he asked. "I'm pretty sure I died."
Titan chuckled an empty chuckle and let the cube go. The item floated away from the human and titan.
"It's one of the many powers this place has," the older titan explained. "Your daughter and wife loved you so much that a piece of your soul remained with them both when you passed, like the loophole I found a few months ago."
Titan's form suddenly changed; his dad's bod was gone, replaced with a much fitter body and wearing a letterman jacket.
"I found I can link my soul with a witch and walk on my body," Titan explained. "Though I need a two-week nap afterward."
Manny made a face as Titan returned to his normal state and waited for the being to continue.
"When your daughter's Palisman hatched, the magic released with enough to dislodge the pieces of your soul and bring them here," the creature explained. "And this place was able to pull your whole soul into it."
Manny really didn't get it, but he wasn't one to complain. Instead, he grabbed the cube with the image of his family in it. He smiled as he saw that his family had decided to give Luz some space after everything, and she went back to bed, hugging her newest friend.
"What now?" Manny asked the titan.
"I guess that's up to you," Titan replied with a shrug. "You go back to sleep or just could hang around here."
Manny looked at the cube for a minute and then looked at Titan.
"If I stay and keep you company, I have to know one thing," Manny said seriously and grinned, "Can I get a sweet jacket like the one you have?"
(M Corner)
And that's how Manny and the Titan became friends. And we're now finished with the "settling" arc and going into some sweet "knocked-down" fluff with everyone's favorite basilisk. So, look forward to it.