Sybil, Eluviendis, Asteria, Merin, and Fenri all arrive faster than you could have hoped yet slower than you wish. Every second Kynael isn't in your sight is accompanied by a host of nightmare scenarios, each more dreadful than the last.

Why didn't you tell Shirael and Castiel to knock her out as soon as they got home? You should have realized she'd be worried about you! The girl had to be stopped from tattooing your name above her heart just a few years ago, for Mother's sake! Of course she'd break out of Heaven before she even got your letter, how could you be so Goddess-damned stupid?!

"Ari." Sybil takes your arm gently as your sextet approaches the lesser-known Dungeon entrance the Watchers told you of. "It will be okay. Whatever happens, you'll take care of Kynael. I know you will."

It's actually rather reassuring that she doesn't sugarcoat things and claim that Kynael is totally fine. Sybil knows you better than to outright lie to you like that, and she knows as well as anybody that…

Don't think about it. So long as you don't think about it then it isn't real, it can't be real.

The Watchers wave you down as soon as you approach, and you're relieved to see see not only Rosie but… Scarlet? The rogue, clad in the red hooded cloak from which she takes her name, looks out of breath as you approach, though she immediately perks up when she finds you.

"Oh, thank the Goddesses! There you are!" She rushes over to you, huffing harder than before. "Heard Lita was walking around with an angel and thought I…" She coughs. "Well, I figured now would be as good a time as any to fix my fuckups. Seemed fitting, you know. Anyways, I got to tracking her group as soon as I heard. Rosie here was just telling me about the rest. I'm… I'm sorry, Ariel. I really am."

You open your mouth and close it again, your brain still too preoccupied with the peril of the situation to process a response to that. She takes your reply in stride, at least, simply bowing her head awkwardly and taking a step back.

Rosie flaps over to her. "They can't have gotten too far, Ari." She says as she sees your face. Is it still that obvious? "It's only been half a day or so."

Half a day may as well be an eternity so far as you're concerned. "Do you know where they went?"

She shakes her head sadly. "Hyla says there's too much going on in the tunnels." She gestures with a forewing to a grey-feathered harpy manning one of the towers. "Lots of scalekin around, for some reason. Not the cute ones you helped out. We think…"

She pauses, seemingly not wanting to give voice to her fear. "Well, they've got too much good stuff. So we think they're from a pretty snazzy nest. And like, I hate to make a bad time worse, but… well, it might be a dragon's nest."


"I don't give a damn if it's a dragon or Tiamat herself in there." You growl. "I'm going in."

"I knew you would." The harpy shrugs sadly. "Like, I would too, you know? Just be careful, Ari. If you're not back soon I'll send word for someone tough."

"Thank you, Rosie." You reply, turning towards the wall barring you from the dungeon. "Everyone ready?"

A tentative jerk on your robe and a cough catches your attention. "Er, Ariel? May I come? I know this is way out of my league, but I can maybe scout ahead or something for you. If… if it comes down to it, I can take the fall if you need it. I owe you that much."

Your blue eyes lock with Scarlet's, and you reply "I… thank you, Scarlet. I'd be happy to have you along." It's rather touching, enough that it actually penetrates the manic haze of your mind. "But don't think you need to take the fall for me, or… or even my sister. The thought alone is enough."

She gives you a small smile and reach out to grab Sybil and Fenri, lifting off with the both of them while Eluvi takes Asteria. Merin and Scarlet are dragged up by the Watchers, and once more you find yourself in the gaping maw of the Dungeon.

Scarlet is as good as her word, darting off to scout the various tunnels as you work on tracking Lita's group. Fortunately, Lita is still a bumbling braggart of a woman so you're able to follow her trail easily enough. Still, the question is whether you can find much out about her group or the various monsters you may face down here…


"That's weird." Scarlet mutters as she examines some of the scratches on the floor. "Nothing from Lita's group should be able to make scratches like that, unless… no, devils have normal feet. Most of the time, anyways. Er, no offense." She glances at your monstrous companions. "Human feet, I mean."

Fenri sniffs the air and grimaces. "Kobolds. Like the harpy said. Very many kobolds. Following your sister and the priestess."

Scarlet frowns. "Yeah, following. Not attacking, they're too close together in timeframe. Observing, maybe? I don't know why, though."

"Kobolds are trappers." Merin shrugs. "Maybe they figure it'd be easier to take Lita's group in a trap than to go at them head-on."

The thief shakes her head at that. "Nah, too many of 'em. A group that big could take a nobody like me or Lita out in a heartbeat, even if they are just 'bolds."

"Perhaps the trap is not for Lita." Sybil mutters. "But for any who might be following her."

"Which would mean us." You say, trying not to think too hard about why someone would be laying that particular sort of trap. As you stare further down the tunnel you could swear you spot a humanoid figure just barely visible against the walls, but when you blink it's gone. "Keep your guard up."

--

Sure enough, as you continue down the path you spot more and more of these humanoid figures. Now that you know what you're looking for they're more obvious, their lithe frames sticking out just enough against the tunnels that you can spot them. They don't seem to notice you noticing them, however, and only bolt away when you get within a fixed distance.

"There goes another one." You mutter as the latest of your observers scurries away. "I think we're getting closer to their trap. They're showing up more quickly, and they're kind of… excited, I guess. On edge."

Something about their tactics screams out to your subconscious, but you can't quite put it together yet. Yet another scurries across the top of the tunnel ceiling, clinging to the stalactites for purchase, and you know you're approaching the horde.

Do you try to sneak around alone to take them off guard? If you're caught you'll be alone for a round, but you are pretty strong. What's the worst a few dozen kobolds can do?


Being a blackfeather has its perks, especially when you've got double the feathers to work with. Your wings are a cloak, and you are silent as an owl in flight. Following the kobold before you, you navigate your way into a massive cave.

This is indeed a trap if you've ever seen one, with what looks like dozens or maybe even a hundred kobolds clinging to the walls and ceiling, waiting with baited breath for your arrival. You slip in among them, their attention on the entrance ironically working against them as they don't seem to notice you tuck yourself into the horde.

When the rest of your group arrives you're ready, and as the swarm falls all at once you prepare to teach the kobolds a lesson in awareness.


As the horde descends you alight at the dead center of the room, some few of their number noticing and turning in surprise. With the barest effort of will you activate your halo and markings, illuminating the room in a brilliant blue-purple glow that catches the attention of… everyone, really. With your daggers held ready, you're prepared to utterly thrash those who stand in your way.

Later, your companions will tell you that you look like an avenging angel in this moment, like a masterpiece painting given life. Several of the kobolds slam into the ground, their ambush forgotten. Most collide midair with one another and immediately set to ravishing one another with a furor matched only by a Beast in heat, much to your confusion.

Soon the entire cave fills with the sounds and smells of viper kobolds furiously fucking one another, the ones nearest you instead masturbating with wide, awed eyes at the mere sight of you. Suitably unnerved, you grab your party and hurriedly drag them further into the cave so that you can get back to finding your sister.

They're dead silent for a long while, and finally you hear Merin mutter "It's a good thing the girls weren't here for that."

She's got a good point. You wouldn't want your daughters seeing an orgy so soon after reaching adulthood. Who knows what damage that would do to their idea of what is and isn't appealing?


The silence pervades for a while longer after that as you continue following your sister's trail, your every nerve alight with a bizarre mix of panic and tentative hope as you approach her and her companions.

"Right, er…" Scarlet coughs, holding up a scrap of something. "This looks like it's from Lita's stupid tabard. We're definitely on the right track."

Sure enough, you recognize the silky material. It always annoyed you that she wasted so much money on a piece of equipment that's both bound to get dirty and frankly more for vanity than anything else, especially since it's not like she can feel the silk through her armor.

"Onwards, then?" She gives you a grin.


You're so wound up and listening for every little noise that you actually do manage to hear something before you see it. You… is that Kyna?!

The rest of your group is left in the dust as you bolt down the passage, dimly noting that you're approaching the Garden, if the sudden influx of foliage is any indication. Voices reach your ears, muffled, before you finally manage to make them out.

"— why? She can't be far, this was the last place I saw her!" You recognize Lita's voice immediately, her posh accent making her stand out just about anywhere outside of a far western noble household.

"Months ago!" Another woman hisses. Her voice is… familiar, but you can't quite place it right away. "You saw her months ago! Damn it, she's long since Fallen and you know it! Both of you!"

Kyna's voice hits you like a physical blow, the sudden realization of how close she is making you stagger. "I don't care! If she's Fallen then that's all the more reason she needs me. I can help her, I know I can!"

The second voice comes again, more frustrated and desperate. "Kynael, listen to me. She's Fallen. That Ariel isn't the one you knew. Trust me, I know them far better than you can even imagine. They're evil beyond evil." Her voice terminates in a choked sob. "Please, Kynael. Go home. Forget about all of this. Accept… accept that she's gone. Like my mama."

Your foot slips and there's a loud crack as you displace a stone, giving you only seconds to hide if you wish to do so.


"You are in so much trouble." You say as you step into the open area, your wings fanning out to make yourself larger. This is the Garden, you're sure of it now. Cracks in the dungeon itself allow the barest bits of sunlight in to feed the plants, aided by several florescent stones and fungi native to the dungeon itself. All in all, it's a rather picturesque place for a reunion… though you're apparently in for one more than you bargained for.

Lita you recognize immediately, her normally confident expression looking comically befuddled as you lays eyes on you. Were you here for her you might even take some delight in that.

Kynael, however… she looks just like you remember. Even though she's long since become a woman, you can still swear you see the little girl who clung to your robes as you walked the halls of Heaven. She was so much more shy in the early days, though that evaporated soon enough. Her face lights up and falls immediately as she sees you, immediately recognizing both your anger and devilish status.

"Ari! I—" She's interrupted by a panicked shove from the third woman, who hurriedly places herself between the two of you. Now that you can see her face, and with your prior knowledge of her nature, you recognize Sial Valac even without her horns, wings, and tail.

"Go, Kyna!" She says, her voice raw and desperate in a way you would have never expected from the devil. "Now!"

"No! She's already mad at me, if I go now —"

"I said leave!" Sial shouts, raising her hand and dropping whatever disguise it is that makes her appear human. Both of her companions gasp as her simple tunic morphs into a lewd, barely-covering two-piece outfit with accompanying gloves and boots. Horns sprout from her head, larger than you remember, and her spade-like tail and wings spring from her back.

"You're a — hey!" Both Kynael and Lita shout in surprise as a set of Infernal chains wrap them up, binding them. A host of demons appears, conjured by Sial's magic, grabbing the two and darting past you as you flail your daggers. Several fall, but the rest make it through. With any luck, they'll be stopped by your group, but…

Sial's whip cracks down and you dodge at the last moment, your distraction almost giving her the opening she needed.

"You…" She hisses, her voice dripping with hatred. "If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!" The whip snakes out again, striking at you once, twice, three times, each crack missing you as you weave around, trying to get a chance to aid your sister. "What did you offer her, hm?! What could a nobody like you possibly do to earn the eye of that abomination?!"

This is not how you imagined this confrontation would go.


"If you laid a single hair on Kyna's head—" You begin, ducking under another whip-crack.

The Succubus — for that is what she is now, you recognize the trappings — scoffs. "What, jealous? Upset that someone might take her before you get the chance to ruin her, abomination? I know what your kind do to your sisters!"

Tiring of her not making sense (not to mention her hypocrisy, you know full well what devils do to their siblings), you rush forward to take a swing at her with your dagger. To your surprise she outright screams before you even strike, her terror absolutely apparent on her face as you approach her, along with… is that a blush, or is she just flushed from the fight?

"GET AWAY!" She howls desperately, swinging her whip wildly now. "You won't take me! Not like them, not like m—"

Her wild flailing avails her not. She may have grown since you last saw her, but you've grown more. You seize her whip in midair when she makes a particularly weak attempt in her panic, and with a mighty tug you pull her directly into you.

You don't know what you expected, but the Succubus outright breaking down into terrified sobs wasn't it. "Nononononono!" She huffs between sobs. "I don't want to, please don't, please, not like mama!"


"Sial. Sial!" You snap, adopting your mom voice in an instinctive attempt to calm the sobbing girl. She stops muttering in a panic, but she's still gently crying and shaking her head against you. "Sial, listen to me. Something is clearly wrong with what's happening here." She doesn't answer right away, so you continue. "You were nothing like this when we met last time. What happened?"

She sniffles. "Like you don't know, monster." Annoyed, you grab her tear-stained cheeks and make her look you in the eyes.

"Sial. Look at me. I do not know what has you so upset." You say, emphasizing every single word. "I thought you were trying to rape my sister and make her Fall, that's why I followed you into the Dungeon. You seem to think otherwise."

"Whu…?" She stares at you blankly. "You followed us…? You weren't already here?"

"I was not." You reply, still enunciating each word clearly. "Why would you think I was?"

Her blank expression slowly morphs into one of horror. "She said she wanted me to deliver the angel to her slave." She whispers. "I thought that meant you, you're the only Fallen I know of—"

Whatever she's about to say is interrupted by shouts from the tunnel behind you, and your party explodes into the room carrying the bound Kyna and Lita. Scarlet looks at you with terror in her eyes. "It's her. We tricked the demons into fighting her for us, but—"

A voice that still occasionally haunts your nightmares echoes from the tunnel behind her, dripping with poisoned honey even as you hear the demons she fights screaming in agony. "Oh, is that you I taste in the air, morsel? She'll be so happy that I've found you so soon!"

Judging from the dimming sounds of combat you have but a few moments to prepare. How do you do so?


The monster that brought about your Fall slithers eagerly into the Garden, her gold and black scales shimmering in the scant sunlight. Instinctive terror seizes you, memories of the worst day of your life flooding back in a torrent of panic that briefly threatens to overwhelm you… until you catch sight of Kynael, still bound — though Sial is actively working to shatter her bindings now — and steel yourself.

You don't know what sort of cursed fate you have that this thing showed up here and now, but you know for sure you'll never let it touch Kyna or any of your lovers.

To your surprise and horror, once Nael is fully in the room a pair of brilliant wings erupt from her back, and you hear Eluvi take in a sharp breath. "A wyrm." She whispers, equal parts awed and furious. "An actual dragon."

"Do you like them, morsel?" She asks you, her gleaming golden eyes finding yours and sending a revolted shiver down your spine. "She gave them to me. What more will she give you when I tell her that I have you already, do you think?"

Her eyes are… distant. Almost like she's thinking about some lover she's left behind somewhere. It's almost comical seeing the lovelorn look on her face, save for the fact that she's clearly readying herself to attack.

Muttering a prayer to any Goddess willing to listen, you begin the attack.


You spring into action before anyone else, guided by both raw adrenaline and maternal instincts as you bring your daggers down and across the serpentine belly as you pass. From her shriek of fury and pain, you know you've hit home — and before you know it she's coiling around you, preparing to squeeze the fight from you as she did only a few short months ago.

For a moment terror seizes you as the memories come once more to the fore, but before she can bind you a ferocious yell accompanied by a heavy smack sends her flying off of you. Merin stands where the coils once were, her blade embedded several feet into the ground from her ferocious blow.

The wyrm hisses angrily at the interloper and waves her palm, casting… is that Infernal magic? Before you can fully realize the implications of that the spell is active, spectral whips lashing at Merin with frenzied excitement. For a moment you think they've got her, but at the last second she seems to almost… stumble right out of them.

A warmth settles over your body as Sybil finishes magic of her own, imbuing your weapons and armor with divine power. Asteria takes immediate advantage of this, charging forth to give a truly brutal smackdown down on the wyrm. You remember watching Mikael train one of your other sister's in brawling. This… this is kind of like that, only much more vivid for the real intent behind the blows.

Nael reels back and away from the group, rising on her tail and taking a deep breath. Eluvi shouts a quick warning, "BREATH ATTACK! MOVE!" and the rest of you duck and cover just in time. Your cloak shimmers with blue-gold light as the flames brush against one of your legs, and your earlier suspicion is confirmed — Nael isn't a scalekin. She's a crossbreed.

Once more you dip into the fray, your two daggers slashing and carving any bit of the dragon you can get at with a furor undiminished by the rigors of combat. Nael is weakening swiftly, and your party presses the advantage. Even as her claws slash ineffectually against your new Erite armor Merin descends upon her once more, spinning like a top and then leaping into the air, the momentum sending her spiraling across the monster's tail.

The wyrm is terrified now, you can tell. She throws a spear of lightning at Merin which bounces off of Sybil's divine magic, and the battlefield falls still for a moment as she realizes she's all but lost.

The two of you stare at one another, confusion and disbelief clear in the crossbreed's eyes. Neither one of you dares move for a moment, held still by some indescribable sense of weight to this moment. The serpent breaks first, turning to flee as you immediately spread your wings to follow — only to meet a surprisingly meaty blow to the head, swung by one Sister Sybil, whose face looks as stony as you've ever seen it.

Nael reels back just in time to receive your final knockout blow, sending the monster of your nightmares to sprawling to the floor, unconscious.


It's silent in the Garden. The once-tyrannical serpent lies defeated, humiliated at the hands of one she is in no small part responsible for creating. You wish you had words for the feeling. It's not good, exactly, just… it feels right. Like this was how your story was supposed to go.

What do you do first?


Sial is just managing to free Kyna from the chains when you approach her. As your shadow passes over her she freezes and looks back, terror filling her eyes at the sight of you.

"What are you?" She whispers, shaking. "You weren't that strong before. What — eep!"

You pat the devil gently on the head, caressing her almost affectionately. "Thank you for trying to save Kyna, Sial."

She doesn't seem to know how to react to that, so you gently brush her aside and pick the now freed angel up and into your arms in a tight hug. "You are in so, so much trouble, Kynael." You whisper, tears stinging the corners of your eyes. "But I've never been happier to see you well."

She buries her face in your neck and you feel a wet patch spreading. "Mhmm." She intones. "'msorry. I love you."

"I love you too." You say, rocking her back and forth. Was she always so small? You did get a little taller when you grew stronger, but… oh, maybe it's the wings. "You're okay? You haven't Fallen?"

"No!" She shakes her head. "I'm fine. Oh, I guess I'm a little hungry, because Lita didn't bring enough rations, but Mother's blessing takes care—"

Yeah, she's fine. Speaking of Lita…

The priestess who led you to your damnation looks at you blankly, her jaw tensing and untensing as she clearly considers what to say to you. "An apology would be a good start." You comment. "But it can wait."

Releasing Kynael at last, your turn to Sial. "What were you talking about before? Who told you to bring Kyna here?"

Kyna looks alarmed at the news that she was being led anywhere, and you notice that Sial looks distinctly guilty. "You… you really don't know? I thought she could… but no, I suppose she hates the rest of you as much as she hates us."

"Who, Sial?" You ask, a little firmer this time, making her jump a little.

"T-the First! The First to Fall!" She squeaks, and you feel your insides run cold.


Even Kyna's never-ending energy dims at the mention of the most reviled of your sisters. "Helel?" She asks Sial, looking genuinely hurt and betrayed. "You were leading me into a trap for her?"

"I didn't want to!" Sial replies, tears beginning to fall down her face once more. "But she has… she has my mama, Kyna. She put her under her Crest, and told me if I wanted her to take it off I had to do what she said!"

"Which was…?" You ask. You know what she said before, of course, but she may have left something out.

She sniffles, rubbing her eyes with the back of a bare arm. "Bring the angel seeking her sister to the Great Mountain Dungeon, where her slave would await our arrival."

You and Kyna share glances. "Why would she want Kynael brought here?"

Sial shakes her head. "I don't know! I thought she was giving her to you for some reason. Like… a gift, or a reward."

"Because Fallen enslave angels when we cause their Falls. But you had a change of heart right when I found you." You recall. "You said she took your sire?"

The succubus hiccups, and Kynael, to both your and Sial's surprise, reaches out to rub her back reassuringly. "T-thank you." She says through shaky breaths. "M-my family lives in our own estate in Pandaemonium. No-one's stupid enough to attack another family's estate, so we didn't see her coming."

"She just… barged in and took her?" You ask. You've never been to Pandaemonium personally, but you're well aware that attacking a devil family in the heart of their power is profoundly unwise.

The devil's response is a bit hard to decipher through her crying, but you manage to get the gist of it down to: "She just flew in and put her Crest on her, right in front of all of us. Then she made mama attack anyone who tried to stop her, told me what she wanted me to do, and left."

She breaks down completely after that, and Kyna wraps her arms around her completely. "You're pretty close." You note, surprised.

"Oh, um…" Kyna looks almost guilty at having befriended a devil, even accidentally. "She kind of told me some of that before, but not fully? I knew a devil had taken her mama, but I didn't know much more than that. We…" She blushes a little out of embarrassment. "We kind of talked a lot about how much we missed our mothers and how worried we were about them."

"I see." You say, rubbing both their heads once more before turning to check on your allies. The mystery of why Helel wanted Kyna here is going to have to wait a moment.


Sybil, you notice immediately, is frozen in her post-swing position. "Sybil?" You ask, waving your hand in front of her eyes. "Sweetheart?"

She screams and jumps back, swinging her staff wildly. "AAAAAA! Oh, Ari!" She blushes furiously as she comes to her senses. "I am sorry. I just…" She coughs embarrassedly. "I did not truly believe that what happened happened, if you understand? I thought for certain I was about to be thrown across the room."

"By Nael?" You ask, and she gives a little nod. "Why did you do it, then?"

"Well, I saw she was trying to run away, and thought that it did not seem right for her to escape after all of that, so I just… swung. Before I really knew what I was doing, mind you, it just… happened." She glances at her own staff, a little mystified.

You can't help but giggle at her and she glares in response. "Do not laugh at me, Ariel! I was terrified!"

"I know you were." You reply, swooping in to steal a kiss from her. "Thank you."

The others are all fine, at a glance, save perhaps Fenri, who you're fairly certain is pretending to have been hurt by Nael's fire breath much worse than she actually was in order to cheat more belly rubs out of you.

Scarlet looks almost comically out of place. "Well hell, Ariel. I guess at least I helped find the place, huh?"

You laugh and give her a hug which overloads the poor thief's mind, and she excuses herself to lay down for a bit.

That just leaves…

Nael. The Serpent of the Garden.


It's funny. She seems smaller than you remember now, even though she's objectively larger than she was when you last met. By happenstance she stirs as you approach, her snakelike eyes opening just a fraction.

"Defeated." She mutters. "By prey." She laughs, weakly. "I am nothing, then. Less than prey, less than a dragon."

"Is that all that matters to you?" You ask, unable to keep the contempt from your voice.

"No." She admits, her voice filling with despair. "She'll be so disappointed in me, I know it. I failed her."

"Failed who?" You ask, though you've got a sinking feeling you know exactly who. Her use of Infernal magic and her sudden crossbreed nature, along with her almost planned arrival here point to one culprit.

"My mistress." She replies dreamily. "She's so kind to me, so generous, and I've let her down."

An ominous glow catches your attention and you bring your gaze to its source — a mark above her pubic area, just above where scale meets flesh. It's similar to your own, save that it's composed of six wings, and… are those eyes on the wings? You shiver.

The snake seems almost… pathetic now. Whatever Helel's Crest — and you're certain it's hers, you recognize the effects being capable of it yourself — has done to her has… if not softened her, definitely addled her mind to the point she's barely even the same anymore. You barely know Nael, but you doubt she'd be sitting here mourning letting someone else down if she wasn't being magically influenced.

Hell, her own words match that. Just before, she'd been talking about how being defeated by you made her nothing. A bit of clarity before the Crest reasserted itself, perhaps?

The question is, what do you do with her? Killing… well, it's one thing to kill an Eldritch. Nael is a monster, a sadistic and cruel creature, but she's hardly the only monster like that. Fenri was a normal gnoll before you tamed her, arguably, and they're notorious for their sadism. Lucia the alicante still has a scar that can attest to that. You gave the wolf a chance, didn't you?

Still, if anyone deserves to die, it's Nael. She tortured you mentally and physically, went out of her way to break you, and she doubtlessly would have done the same to any other angel in her path — including your Kyna. The original Nael may even see it as a mercy of sorts, to be free of Helel's manipulation…

You could try and force a Forgiveness Contract on her. It worked for Tindalos, and she's an eldritch, for Mother's sake! The question is whether you want to. Do you want to give the monster who caused your Fall a chance at redemption? Do you truly believe that anyone can be redeemed, and deserves the opportunity? It was easier when you were giving that chance to people who hadn't directly harmed you, but now…

Perhaps you could just… give her to Tamael. With some heavy Contracts, some binding from Kyna, and a good deal of rope, you could bind the wyrm as efficiently as she can be. Hell, if you're any judge, then based on her current despairing attitude she's not really going to fight it all that hard. The life seems to have just… drained out of her. Tamael may be able to analyze the Crest to find out more about the Fallen, and if Nael is some sort of Fallen crossbreed then that could prove enlightening as well…


"I hate you." You say, the words escaping before you even realize it. "I hate you more than I've ever hated anything. I thought I'd never hate anyone more than I hate Samael, but…" You chuckle, raising your shoulders in an ironic little shrug. "Here we are."

"I still have nightmares about what you did to me. I want you gone, I want to know that I'll never have to worry about you again."

You clench your fist, feeling your nails bite deep enough to draw blood. "But I'm not a killer. I won't let you take that from me, too. So we're going to bind you, give you someone who can keep you that way… and I'm never going to have to worry about you again."

With those words said, you reach out with your will to lay the first of several binding Contracts on her — when her Crest ignites, overwhelming your mind with a deluge of gold, black, and the sound of an overjoyed, joyous giggle.

--

You feel like a million tendrils are worming their way through your mind and soul. When the lights fade, you stand before a figure and face you recognize, though her features are subtly… wrong. Mikael's smile never made you feel so scared, her hair is a soft gold whereas here it's a cold, lifeless white, and her wings are too many… and those eyes.

"I knew you could do it!" The First to Fall claps her hands excitedly, her voice a softer version of the Archistrategos's. "Oh, Ariel. Come here!"

Your… you don't have arms and legs, but your self is propelled towards her, through the erite pillars that make up this place (you try not to look at the things writhing just beyond the limits they establish) and soon enough your being hugged by her. Even her embrace feels off, too hot and yet somehow chilling.

"Aaaahh… I love you, little sister. I'm so glad I can finally tell you in person."


You don't know what to say to that, so silence reigns for a moment as she… cuddles you. Now that you've got a second to put your metaphorical head right, you notice a distinct eldritch tingle to the sensations of both Helel and wherever you are. It's almost as bad as the chapel in the Dungeon, and somehow you know that the only reason it's not worse is because of the lessened influence of Eris on your soul.

Still, being here alone with one of the most dreaded entities in all of Heaven and Hell, without a body, and bathing in the essence of the Sealed Goddess is not at all a position you want to be in at the moment, or ever.

"Oh! Don't be scared!" Helel exclaims, her tone reminding you distinctly of a mother consoling a child. "Nothing will hurt you while I'm here, baby sister." Her hand comes up to reassuringly run across your… whatever your equivalent of a head is at the moment.

This, of course, is not reassuring in the slightest.

"There, there." She hums. "Oh, but you can't talk right now, can you? Here, let's see…"

With a snap of her fingers you find yourself occupying a body and sitting in her lap. She's distinctly larger than you, almost as if…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" She squeals, making this bizarre hellscape quake with her cry. "You're so cute!!!" You're wrapped tightly in her unnerving embrace once again, and when you raise your arms to reflexively try and push her back you realize why she's so excited.

Your arms are tiny — childlike, even. She's put you in the body of a child. Even your robe is the one you wore when you were just a little girl.

"Is this what She looked like when She was little?" Helel frantically looks you over, making you feel even more uncomfortable than before. "I have to burn this image into my memory forever!"

At least for the moment, it would appear you're relatively safe. Perhaps you can get a word in edgewise with her, though what do you even say?


"Hello?" You say, not knowing what else to begin with. "It's nice to meet you, sister. What's happening?" You have to fight back a grimace as your high-pitched child voice echoes out from your throat.

She lightly pinches your cheeks, her face the image of delight. "Oh, you sound cute too! What did you… oh! We're meeting up in spirit." She explains. "It's like… there's a connection you share to me. So if I can find a way to get you close enough to my magic, then we can talk."

"Am I here forever?" You ask, dreading the idea, but she shakes her head, her lips pursed in a pout.

"No. I mean, I could keep you here forever, but then I'll get in trouble." She sounds just as disappointed as you are relieved by that fact. "Or Mikael could sense me, then she'll probably kill you just to make sure I can't get out through you or something stupid like that." She waves a hand dismissively.

"Would she… would she do that?" You ask, trying to remember the few times Mika spoke to you of the First to Fall.

"Oh, certainly. She's done it before… but you don't need to worry! I'll leave before she gets off her self-righteous ass." The disdain in her voice for your sister is palpable. "But I decided I just couldn't wait to meet you, so I organized this little get-together anyways!"

She raises her hands and sparks erupt in the tentacular background in a bizarre mockery of fireworks. "Hurray! I can't bake to save my life so you don't have a cake, but how did you like my presents?"

"Presents?" You ask, a creeping suspicion worming its way through your mind already.

"You know, the little snake that hurt you and the angel." She smiles. "I was just going to give you the snake at first, but then I heard that… Kynael? Right, Kynael was in Gaea and just knew I had to give her to you too. She's your favorite, isn't she?"


You're about to snap that Kyna isn't something for her to just give away, but cold logic overrides your maternal instincts. It's not wise to antagonize the incredibly powerful Fallen who can apparently snap your soul up whenever she gets the slightest opportunity.

"What did you expect me to do with them?" You ask her, and she shrugs.

"I dunno! That's part of the idea, to figure out what you like, how you think. I need to know that for… oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself." She releases your cheeks and goes back to brushing your hair. "If it were me I'd break the snake and take Kynael home to protected by me forever, but you're not me! If it were Her…"

She frown, releasing you for a moment to clutch at her head, and you see the tendrils outside writhe madly for a moment before both she and they settle down. "Well, I'm not Her! So… what were you going to do?"

"… I'm imprisoning Nael, and Kyna… I don't know yet."

She nods seriously. "There's plenty of uses for dragons, even weaklings like that one, and you don't want to act without thinking and catch Mikael's eye." Her smile returns, brighter than before, and she hugs you close again. "Oh, you're so smart Ariel!"

That… hm. You really do feel like you're just talking past her half the time. She at least seems friendly on the surface though, so you might be able to ask more of her…


"Why did you get Sial wrapped up in this?" You ask her, and she frowns in confusion.

"Who?"

"The devil who brought Kynael to the Dungeon." You reply, unnerved that she apparently has to be reminded of the people she's tormented.

"The… oh, the Valac brat?" She shrugs. "She met you, didn't she? She tried to pretend she didn't but there's not many things in that area that can send a devil back that easy or would know to avoid just enslaving her."

A small smile plays at the First to Fall's lips as she continues to explain. "Devils hate us, Ariel, and that makes them easy to predict. I knew if I took her sire that she'd blame you by proxy, making her thirst for revenge against you. She's too weak to manage it, obviously, but that meant that between me having her sire and her want for revenge I could be sure she wouldn't just bail before bringing Kynael to the snake."

The shift in her tone and body language is startling. She reminds you uncomfortably of Zaphkiel reciting how she just solved some magical issue or another to you — proud of her achievement, the ease with which she accomplished it, and wanting you to know as much.

"Would…" You pause. You get the feeling that if you ask Helel to let Valac go she will. You can't help but remember, however, her earlier statement — she wants to know what you like, how you'll act in certain situations for some nebulous goal of her own.

You may be exposing a dangerous tendency to her in making the request, but if you don't then who knows if or when Sial ever gets her mama back. Of course, her sire is a devil, and therefore more than likely very immoral in her own right, but…


"Would you free Valac?" You ask her. She raises a brow, so you lie on the spot. "I'm interested in learning how Sial would react. Would she still hate me, or would she be grateful? Could I use that? That sort of thing."

She cocks her head from side to side, picking up your hands and idly playing with them as if you were the child you look like. "I suppose so, yes. I don't think you'll find out anything worth knowing — they're very simple things, Ariel, you'll see — but how can I say no to this cute face?" She beams at you. though there's something in her eyes that tells you she may not entirely believe your explanation.

"I'll take my seal off little Valac and send her back home. You can tell the brat as much. I'll even promise not to do it again, but that's mostly because I don't need them anymore." She gives you a wink.

"Thank you, sister." You reply and she squeezes you tight.

"Oh yoooouuuu!" She squeals happily. "You're too much. It should be illegal for someone to be so cute! No wonder the rest of our sisters are so boring, you took all the cuteness for yourself!"

An odd warmth spreads through your body — not at her words, those are still as unsettling as always, but you could swear it's a little brighter in this place now.

"Are you fucking…" Helel hisses. "Damn her. Alright Ari, we don't have much longer. One more question, then I get to ask you something. Okay?"


"Why me? Why did you go through all of this to set up a meeting with me? I'm not that interesting, am I?"

Her eyes meet yours and you freeze. There's a madness there, an obsession, a want, and once more you're reminded of one your daughters — young Sera and the way she looked at Sybil before you set her straight.

"I used to think there was only one person in all of creation worth loving, Ariel." She says, leaning in close so that she's only inches from your face — and you suddenly realize that you're an adult again. "Then I saw you and realized there were two."

Her hand reaches up to caress your cheek. "Every feature, every detail, even the way you sound, the way you move… it's all like Her. Imagine my joy when I saw you, Ari. All of my favorite things repeated; perfection given flesh once more."

She leans in closer, just barely brushing her eldritch-tainted lips against your own and sending a thousand tendrils writhing through your body and mind alike. "Now it's my turn to ask something, baby sister. Will you come visit me?"


Mikael didn't raise a fool, and this is setting off enough danger flags in your brain that you have to stop yourself from just trying to fly out of here.

"I… thank you for the offer, sister, but I'll have to decline for now. I do appreciate you answering my questions, though, and it was nice to meet you."

Her smile looks absolutely devilish now, and she nods. "I thought as much. It's hard to give it all up at once — even I hesitated back in the day. The Valac brat knows how to get to Pandaemonium from Gaea. Try not to keep me waiting too long, baby sister — I'd hate to have to send someone to pick you up."


You stumble and nearly sprawl across Nael as you're suddenly thrust back into the real world, still reaching for the wyrm. You manage to catch yourself by flapping your wings, but it's a near thing. The others look over at you with concern as the light from Nael's crest fades.

"Are you alright, Ariel?" Merin asks, trotting over to you. "Not cursed by that light or something weird?"

"How… how long was I standing here?" You ask. You spent a few minutes at most talking with Helel, so hopefully…

Merin frowns at you, her concern deepening. "A few seconds talking to the wyrm, then you reached down and tripped like a doofus."

"I… I wasn't standing there for at least a few minutes?"

"No." Her eyes narrow. "Did you stumble across some new disaster already? That's it, we're going home and locking you up. Eluvi, grab her!"

The scalekin wraps her arms and wings around you from behind as Merin goes to retrieve some rope…

--

"You WHAT?!" Merin shouts after you explain your encounter, making several of your other companions flinch. "I was kidding before, but now I'm not. Asteria, how secure can you make her room?"

"Very." The minotaur grunts. "From without and within."

"Good." She nods. "Sybil, you're in charge of casting blessings on the place. We'll get Liane to lay another layer of enchantment outside those." Sybil nods, her face set and determined. "Eluvi, we're moving your treasure into Ariel's room so that you'll be able to guard both. Fenri—"

"Don't I get a say in any of this?" You ask, only to receive a collective "No!" from your disobedient harem. Even Puppy! You've never felt so betrayed.

--

Unfortunately for them you happen to be quite nimble now, and you've struggled free of your restraints and flapped out of reach of all but Eluvi, whom you bought off by promising to give a particularly large ruby she saw in a shop last week.

A good deal of bargaining later and you've managed to talk the rest out of their attempts to imprison you for your own good, mostly by arguing that they can't actually manage it anyways and it'd be better to just focus on protecting the homestead from outside threats.


"Oh, Sial." You smile gently at the devil after your harem's antics are calmed. "You heard about my talk?"

She nods carefully. "Did she… did she mention…?"

"Your sire? She didn't at first, but I brought it up. I asked her to let her go, and she agreed. I don't know for sure that she really will do it, but she… well, she seemed to want to make me happy, so hopefully?"

If the succubus were as strong as Eluvi she'd have likely squeezed you clean in half. As it is, she gives it a good attempt, sobbing her thanks into your chest the whole time. Kyna pats her back happily, telling her "See? I told you we'd get our moms back in the end!"

Once Sial has finished swearing over and over to repay you Helel's last words drift to the forefront of your mind. "Sial… is there a way into Pandaemonium from Gaea?"

She sniffles, wiping her eyes. "… huh? Oh, there's… I mean, there's the Sunless Isles. It's basically our foothold on Gaea, we have a few gateways opened there. There's even a coven of Fallen there that maintain a path for other Fallen, but I've never bothered with them."

You frown. You'd heard of the Sunless Isles, of course, but Mikael had always forbidden you from even thinking about looking into them. "Are the Isles dangerous?"

"Not really." She shrugs her thin shoulders, the corrects herself. "I mean, not more than Pandaemonium itself. You're pretty strong so you'd be fine, but… why would you want to go?"

You glance to make sure the harem is far enough away that they won't overhear. No need to set them off again, and really this is just a 'what if' in case Helel really can follow up on her promise to send someone after you. "She wants me to visit. I don't plan on it, but if she sends someone else after me…"

"… it will probably be from the Isles, yeah." She nods. "Either that or she finds a witch to summon someone for her, but there aren't many strong enough to summon anything that can handle you. I can tell you what I know about them just in case."

"I'd appreciate that." You smile down at her, patting her on the shoulder.

She returns the smile hesitantly. "I owe you. That's… don't tell anyone I said that, please. Devils take that sort of thing seriously."

"I won't." You say, retrieving a bit of spare clothe and rubbing some of the wetness from her cheeks. "Come on, let's get out of here. Coming, Lita?"

To tell the truth, you'd almost forgotten that your former charge was there. She jumps as you say her name, but nods tentatively and trails behind as the rest of your bundle up Nael and your haul, preparing to depart the Dungeon once more.

--

As you walk, you do ponder what to do about Lita. She clearly knows you're Fallen, the question is what to do about it. A Contract could easily seal her lips for a time if she agrees. A stern request might do just as well, however — Lita isn't the best priestess in the world, and the gravity of letting a Fallen walk might not really hit her.

Of course, there's also the question of whether you want to take the opportunity for further reprisal on the final person you can hold responsible for your Fall.


You reach the Watchers easily enough, who squawk in shock and surprise when you reveal you want them to carry Wyrm across the barrier but do it regardless.

"Lita." You say before she can be lifted over by a harpy herself. She freezes, looking at you with fear in her eyes. "Come here. We need to talk."

The others are all airlifted over, leaving the two of you alone, and you stare down at the priestess for a long while before finally speaking. "I warned you, Lita. Over and over. One day you're going to rush headlong into something and hurt yourself, or worse, someone else."

"I know." She whispers. "I'm sorry."

"It's easy to say you're sorry when you're not the one who lost literally everything she had." You say. Surprisingly, you find you're not snarling it at her, more just saying it matter-of-factly. "There was a time just after my Fall when I would have visited that exact same pain on you… but no longer."

She looks up at you hopefully, her eyes watery. "I know I messed up, Ariel. I know… I know it hurt you. I just wanted—"

"I know what you wanted, Lita. To be a hero. To prove yourself. I know that's why you nearly led my sister down that same road to damnation." She flinches as if struck, and you sigh. "I am not your mother, Lita, though it often felt like I was. I know you're not… evil, or even malicious, so much as foolhardy and arrogant."

"But the intent does not change the outcome. I Fell. My sister nearly did as well. Both because you could not be bothered to use your head for more than considering the best possible outcome and the glory it would bring you."

Her shame hangs off her like a cloak. "I could force you to never speak of me ever again." You whisper. "I could do a thousand horrible things to you… but I won't. I may be a monster, but I'm not a Monster. I ask that you keep quiet about me out of respect for the time we spent together and what you have cost me, if nothing else."

Her head remains hanging, though you sense a bit of relief as her shoulders sag just a little less. "That said, I think you could do with some guidelines, so to speak. I'm going to make a Contract with you — Scarlet made one as well. You'll be made to put yourself at risk, to act without putting yourself and your image above everything else. If you're lucky, perhaps when it ends some of the lessons I've long tried to teach you will finally sink in."

"…alright." She mutters, nodding softly. "Where do I sign?"

--

Lita splits from your group with Scarlet shortly thereafter, the latter woman assuring you she'll keep an eye on her former ally as they head towards Latchky.

Your trek to Skask is uneventful, probably because there are no monsters stupid enough to pick a fight with someone who clearly subdued a dragon of all things. When you reach the city itself you're met with outright disbelief and granted an honor guard to the church just in case.

Tamael… well. She's split between frustration at you just marching through town and dumping a dragon on her doorstep and excitement at studying the mark of the First to Fall. "Really, you could have sent word ahead!" is a phrase you hear more than once as she makes room in her sex dungeon for Nael.


Once Nael is squared away and you're back in the chapel proper Tamael finally seems to notice the rest of your group. "Oh!" She claps her hands together as she waves for one of the priestesses to retrieve some food and snacks. "And who are these lovely young ladies?"

You introduce them and she smiles widely at Kynael. "Ariel speaks of you on occasion. Your wings are conspicuously absent of dye, I notice."

"They better stay that way, too." You glare at Kyna who surreptitiously looks away.

"Why does that matter to you?" Sial asks, and you blink.

"Sorry?"

"Why does it matter to you what color she dyes her wings? Surely imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

"I have always wondered that when you spoke of her." Sybil says. "Surely it is not so terrible a thing, to want to be close to your sister? I know your other sisters consider it uncouth, but…"

You open your mouth and close it, trying to think of how to explain it, but Tamael answers for you.

"Ariel has perhaps underplayed the degree of unwarranted hatred our sisters hold for her." The older angel explains sadly. "Blackfeathers in general are loathed as impure, but Ariel in particular was a pariah among pariahs — even her fellow blackfeathers did not associate with her for fear of drawing eyes towards themselves. I regret to say that though I did not contribute to the problem directly, I also did nothing to alleviate it."

"That's awful!" Sybil replies, clapping her hands to her mouth. "That Her children could be so…"

"Cruel? We may pretend otherwise, but we are not so different from mortals, Sister Sybil." Tamael replies, a somber smile on her face. "Truthfully, I wonder if the Fall does not simply give many of us an excuse and that is why so many of us become devils beyond devils. But that is neither here nor there — I believe what Ariel wishes to say is that she does not want Kynael to suffer any more prejudice than she already does simply for being associated with her."

"That's about it, yeah." You say, ruffling Kyna's hair. "She knows that too, but never listens."

"I don't care what they say." She pouts.

"I know you don't." You sigh. "But it's not just… ugh, nevermind. We've had this conversation a thousand times. If you dye your wings I'll tan your rear and that's final."

She crosses her arms and pouts, leaning into Sial, who appears absolutely baffled but slightly pleased at the contact.

"Actually, since you're here…" You mutter. "Tamael, can we run the test on her? She's a pure angel, so…"

"So she is." Tamael nods, clearly having hoped you'd bring it up. "Kynael, if you would permit me to cast a spell to check your magical signature, I'd be most grateful." She pauses, then glances at Sial. "You as well, Miss Valac. It would be useful to know whether what I seek exists in all devils."


Valac goes first, and once the glow dissipates Tamael hums cheerfully and jots down her findings. "Fascinating how similar we are, really. Like the similarities between Infernal and Divine magics, if I were to describe it very simply. Ah, and you're perfectly free of any sort of outside influence, should that have been a worry."

"Thank you?" Sial replies, clearly unnerved that she hadn't considered the possibility herself. "Could Helel have done that to me without me knowing?"

"Oh, absolutely." Tamael replies, fixing her gaze to the succubus. "I do not know what stories the devils tell of the First to Fall, but among our sisters the tales of her subtlety and manipulations abound. The only reason both Mikael and Helel remain out of Gaea is a mutual understanding — Mikael could easily destroy Helel, but the First to Fall could cause untold damage with her manipulations that the Archistrategos would have no hope of discovering during that time."

"She's always hanging off of the Goddess's arm. That's the only time I met her before…" Sial says, shooting you a glance as she says Goddess. "…I knew my mother hated her, as do most devils, but until recently I didn't know exactly why."

"Mm." Tamael hums again. "She is… well, Helel. Ariel likely knows that better than most, after their conversation."

You do indeed, though you'd rather not dwell on your most evil sister at the moment. "And Kyna?"

"One moment…" The red light emits once more from Tamael's palm, bathing your younger sister, and…


Tamael's face is unreadable as she jots down her findings, though you could swear you see a slight shake in her hand. "You feel alright?" You fuss over Kynael in the meantime.

"I feel fine." She replies, ineffectually batting at your hands as you inspect her.

"Ariel, if I may speak to you in private?" Tamael's voice interrupts before you can fuss over your little sister any more. Concern fills you like a poison and you nod, following her to her office.

To your frustrating she doesn't immediately explain anything, instead comparing her current notes to her old ones. When she finally speaks, she's pale and dead serious.

"She has it too, Ariel." Your stomach sinks not just at the knowledge that Kyna already possesses the taint but at the implication.

"So angels…?"

"… are related to the Eldritch, and by extension the Sealed Goddess." She finishes. "Yes. Kynael's corruption is almost imperceptible, mind you — were I not actively looking for it I doubt I would have noticed. If I were to compare it to ours…"

She pauses, tapping her chin, then nods and continues. "If your corruption and mine are like weeds sprouting in our souls, then hers is like the seeds of those weeds — present, but without an appropriate environment it they cannot bloom."

"With the appropriate environment being sex." You note.

"Or sexual pleasure in general, yes." She nods. "If legend is to be believed Helel and several others fell from their own activities. To be plain, an orgasm seems to be a necessary part of the process — the necessary part of the process."

Thoughts of your own Fall drift to the forefront of your mind unbidden, and you recall how thoughts that, in retrospect, weren't entirely your own preceded your Mother ripping your divinity away. "Do you think that's why Mother abandons us? She fears… I don't know. An Eldritch with Divine power, or even being corrupted by proxy?"

"Perhaps." Tamael nods. "As always, it is difficult to draw perfect conclusions from incomplete data. For now, we know for certain that angels bear some relation to the Sealed Goddess. Whether that is the result of some curse she laid upon us or our Mother, or even a direct familial connection as we suspect, is yet to be determined."

"What now?" You ask after a long silence.

"I don't know." She admits. "I will continue to examine the data we have in case I missed something. In the meantime… do not worry yourself overmuch, Ariel. Whatever we are, whatever you are — know that you are the best of us. This I believe with all of my heart."

Her embrace is so much more genuine, so much more warm than Helel's was. "Thanks, Tamael."


The two of you debate back and forth for a bit before deciding that Kynael — and by extension all angels — have a right to know what lurks within them. Kyna at least seems to take it well — she even seems to relish the idea of telling it to Samael. "Imagine that stuck-up cunt's face!" She snickers.

"Language." You warn, glaring at her. "And you talk to Mikael before telling anyone anything, do you hear me? She'll know how best to relay that information."

"Now then. Tamael has her own life to live and a new subject to study, so we'll be getting out of her hair." You tell the girls matter-of-factly. "Besides, I think it'd be nice for the kids to meet another one of their aunts."

"The… WHAT?" Kyna squeals with delight. "I'm an auntie?!"

"You are." You smile. "Several times over, in fact. Now come on, we might be able to catch them before the youngests' bedtime."

Before you go, however, Tamael stops Kynael. "Could I ask you a favor?" She asks the younger angel, and Kynael nods. "Give this letter to my… to Ophael. She'll show it to the others, I'm sure."

The name rings a bell, but it takes you a moment to remember — Ophael is one of the angels who Tamael raised. "Gotcha." Kyna tucks the letter away. "I'll tell them you're doing alright, too."

"Thank you, Kynael. You really are your mother's daughter." Tamael glances at you and winks, and then turns around. "Now, where is my darling Chalice? I could use a bit of winding down after all this excitement…"

--

"Er…" Sial coughs. She's currently wearing her mortal disguise, thankfully, so she's not causing a panic in the middle of the city. "Could I ask you for some money for a place to stay? I'll head back to Pandaemonium soon, but the Isles are a good ways away and I'd rather not have my summoning crest broken again. That hurts waaaay more than you'd think."

You could easily give her the money, of course, but you could also let her stay with you. The question is whether you're willing to let her do so.


"You can just stay with us." You shrug. "You're Kyna's friend now, right? Kyna wouldn't make friends with someone I can't trust at my home."

You do in fact recall that she was going to sell Kynael out originally, but a bit of guilt-tripping can't hurt. Besides, she changed her mind in the end at great potential personal cost.

Sial, for her part, blushes red and reflexively grabs Kyna's hand. "I… thank you."

--

"MAMA'S HOME!" You hear Signali before you see her — mostly because she's decided to hang out in the pond, making her all-but invisible thanks to her slime body.

What sounds like a small stampede sounds from the cottage before the door bursts open to a flood of your children young and old. For a moment you think you count eight older children and wonder why Lia came back already, but then you realize the eighth is actually the astonishingly tall Io, who is maybe just a bit shorter than Tianshi, the smallest of the first generation.

"Crossbreeds?" Sial mutters in surprise. "Is that… did you knock up a slime?" She asks, looking at you with something approaching admiration. "I didn't know that was possible."

"Neither did I." You admit, still a little salty about that particular surprise. You love Signali, of course, but that was still not at all what you expected to result from having sex with Echo.

"So… which ones are with your daughters?" She asks, clearly excited. You don't… really understand the question. Is she asking how many your daughters have had? That makes sense, you guess.

"None of my girls have gotten pregnant yet." You note. "The oldest just came of age a little while ago." If you also didn't know your own daughters by heart you could make the mistake of thinking they'd all gotten done running a marathon with how red their cheeks are. Which is understandable, no daughter wants to hear her mother talking about them getting pregnant and having your children grandchildren.

Though the look in their eyes is a little… off. Meimei looks lost in her own little daydream, a blissful smile adorning her pink lips. Zaphi and Ava both share a significant glance that makes you distinctly worried. They're not thinking about going and getting knocked up, are they? You'll have to make sure to be there. For them, you mean. When they need you. Only just the three of you together.

The rest of your oldest share similarly conspiratorial glances, with Io looking distinctly miffed, for some reason. Like she feels left out of whatever game her older sisters are playing. It's kind of cute, really. Fiona takes the opportunity created by your distraction to sneak her hand into yours and you squeeze it idly, making the girl giggle softly as if she feels she's just won something.

Honestly, if you didn't know any better, you'd think those blushes were more… maiden-in-love than embarrassed. But that doesn't make sense, there's no-one here for most of them to fall for. And why would Ava and Zaphi be staring at you like that? Unless…

Before you can think about it more, Sial's voice rouses you from your thoughts. "Oh, gotcha. My mama was pretty strict about that too, pretty much everyone is. Goddess, but my coming of age day was something… I never got pregnant, though." She says with a small sigh. "Thanks again for saving mama, by the way. When I get back, if you do decide to come down… I'll find some way to help you. I swear it."

"The last time you swore something to me you threatened we'd meet again, as I recall." You note, raising an eyebrow.

"And we did, didn't we?" She sniffs. "My vows are so airtight even I cannot control them."


Merin ends up graciously giving up her room for Sial to sleep in. It's near enough to some of the lighter sleepers' rooms that even if she does turn out to be a very good actress you're confident she won't get away with any funny business.

Merin, for her part, is happy to sleep with her mother in the living room with one of Asteria's spare beds, reminding you of your earlier idea of a mother-daughter threesome. You really need to get on that. It's not… really incest, right? And even if it was, it's not like, bad incest, right?

So it is that you're spending the night with Kynael alone — well, Kynael alone and your three scaled daughters. You considered having them sleep with their sire for the night, but poor Adalinda looks like she'll break down sobbing if you so much as suggest it.

"Mommy, can I bring my treasures?" Ivule asks as she toddles towards the bed with an armful of what can generously be described as shiny rocks.

"You may bring one treasure." You reply, and though she pouts she does indeed choose one (red and sparkly, of course) and puts the others under the bed. "You too, Kali. One stuffed animal." Kali selects her favorite (a black lion) and climbs into bed, offering her sister a helping wing.

"Ada, sweetie. Come here. It's alright, Kyna won't bite." You smile as you lift the shy girl onto the bed. Her long white hair hangs down her face, just barely obscuring her baby-blue eyes, and she nervously glances at her aunt as if the possibility of her biting has just now become real in her mind.

"Is she shy?" Kyna asks gently, and you nod. "I used to be pretty shy too, didn't I?"

"Don't remind me. I don't need to worry about this one running around dyeing her feathers and scales black too." You ruffle Ada's hair and she giggles softly before clinging tightly to your torso and closing her eyes. "She's getting better. Used to be she'd freeze up if anyone other than her full sisters, sire, or I spoke to her."

You lie down, taking Adalinda with you, and are quickly nuzzled up on each side by the rest of your three daughters. Ada doesn't so much as flinch when she feels Kyna on the other side of her, so either she's decided she will indeed avoid being bitten this night or has chosen to pretend she doesn't exist. Either way, progress.

"Good night, girls. I love you."


Your dreams are… bizarre. First you dream you're an angel again, but instead of black feathers you have chicken wings and legs. Eventually you realize you're actually a harpy and fly back down to Gaea to be a Dungeon Watcher, where you fight a big snake by stomping it to death with your chicken feet.

Then, you dream you're a devil true. You and your sire spend the day frolicking around and doing devil things like seducing the good to evil, and at the end of it she kisses you goodnight, except instead of a normal kiss it's a long, deep, tongue-filled affair that makes you feel happier than you've ever felt before.

Your final dream is of taking Zaphkiel and Ava out on a mother daughter date. At the end of it, for some reason, the last dream comes to mind and makes you think it's a good idea to kiss them just like that. They argue over who gets the first kiss, so you decide to settle it with a three-way kiss, and before your lips touch Saoirse pops up and lectures you about bugs for some reason.

--

Your eyes snap open and you feel vaguely disappointed for some reason. You were having a pretty good dream there at the end, about… something. Then Saoirse ruined it. "Saoirse?" You whisper.

The fairy blinks into existence in front of you, illuminating the room with her pixie dust glow. "Yes?"

"You can't mess with my dreams, can you?"

"I can if you give me permission." She shrugs. "I'm not very good at it though. Everything ends up the wrong color, apparently."

Hm. "Do you like bugs?"

"I am a bug. Or was one." She shrugs, pointing at her wings. "Insect totem, technically. More or less. It's complicated, as the Beloved like to say."

Very suspicious. You eye her warily before noticing that the sunlight is beginning to peak through the windows. "Hope you're ready for the tour." You mutter to a sleeping Kyna as you skillfully wriggle free of your sister's embrace, still carrying Ada, and prepare for the day.


Sybil - Benediction: Sybil's Homestead roll thresholds are reduced to 30 and 60 for each respective effect. Additionally, the homestead is shielded from any attempt to find/track it or its inhabitants by any who would do its residents harm.

Fenri - Smog Raptor: Smog Raptors are velociraptors who evolved within volcanic regions. They're so named for their ability to generate a toxic smog similar to that generated from an eruption. What this one was doing so far from its typical habitat is a mystery, but regardless, its bones and scales should make for decent upgrades to your harem's equipment.

Liane - Vengeful Guardian Enchantment: An enchantment applied to Merin's sword, allowing it to apply Power Attack for free and ignore the Attack penalty once per encounter, but only when used with her Berserker Armor, Vengeful Strikes, or any other similar effects she ends up getting.

Eluvi - Pridesire's Band: A lovely wedding ring made to match the one your children gave you. It possesses a similar enchantment to Soniel's bracelet, which allows you to generate more rings for your harem from it. More interestingly, it also allows you to spend 2 Focus once per day to gain an Advantage that one of your harem possesses.

It can also send a 'ping' of sorts out that lets you know where your harem is relative to yourself, does the same for them, and also lets them know if you'd like them to come to you. Unlike Soniel's bracelet, this effect may be used under stress.

Apparently the original enchantment was requisitioned by Nemea, a wealthy member of the Leonid species of lion-women, who form harems known as prides with themselves as the sole sire amidst their harem, hence the name.


No sooner have you stepped out the door than you hear a familiar howl and sigh. "Mother help me." Adalinda stirs in your grasp and opens her eyes a fraction. "You wanna see puppy, Adalin?"

She thinks for a moment before nodding slowly, so you carry her with you outside to meet your pet, wondering what horrible nightmare beast she's slaughtered this time around. As you pass by the living room, you dimly note that only one person is sleeping on the couch.

Fenri isn't alone outside, though thankfully neither Zuriel or Luna is with her. You'd need to have a serious talk with the wolfgirl if she woke your children up this early to help her hunt at their age. The person who is with her does surprise you a bit, though — Ulfhild nods cheerfully at you before gesturing to your puppy, who is currently gazing at you expectantly with her lovely ice-blue eyes.

"Woke up this one sniffing out a few hours ago and figured I'd follow her. We found this nasty beastie prowling the roads a ways away."

You look down at the red-and-grey scaled wyvern. It's a curious thing, without the wings you've come to associate with its kind. "Any idea what it is?"

Ulfhild shrugs, nodding back towards the cottage. "I'm sure my daughter could tell you. The girl practically talked my ear off about all the different monsters she's seen or heard of when I moved in." A faint smile passes over her lips as she reaches down to scritch Fenri's ears. "I know wolves, but that's it."

As soon as you step within a foot of her, Fenri flops hard onto her back and rolls over, clearly signaling her desired reward. Sighing, you kneel down and rub her belly, smiling as Adalinda reaches out to do the same. She really is getting better.

So much so, in fact, that when you try to stand you notice the barest hint of a pout on the crossbreed's face. "Do you want to stay here and play with Fenri while mommy goes to get Aunt Merin?" You ask her, and she nods enthusiastically.

Fenri is more than happy to oblige, butting her head into Adalin's hands as the little Azazel happily pets her. Ulfhild looks at you and gestures once more towards the cottage. "I'll stick around here for a minute. I'm sure your wolf has the girl well protected, but just in case…"

"Thank you." You reply, fetching Merin.

--

"Huh." Merin mutters, leaning down to examine the carcass. "Smog Raptor, if I'm not wrong. See how the grey kind of looks like clouds against the red? Dead giveaway."

"Why 'huh?'" You ask, watching as Adalin clings to Fenri's back as the wolfgirl lifts gives her a piggyback ride.

"They're supposed to only show up near volcanic areas. Not that I'd know from experience…" She trails off, then glances at her mother. "You said you found it near a road?"

"More or less." Ulfhild answers. "Near enough to one I assumed it was preying on travelers."

"Could have been, but…" Merin groans. "Damn it, let me contact a few people. My guess is someone was transporting this thing for some reason or another and it got loose."

"Is that illegal?" You ask, not really sure of the local laws. Probably something you should brush up on, now that you think about it.

"Could be. There's laws against the transport of dangerous males like this, but you can get permits for certain reasons. Could have been legitimate, could have been smuggling. Which is why I need to ask around."

"Well, don't let us keep you." You hip check her and she smiles.

"Sure. Oh, but don't let Eluvi… er, just tell her to wait until I get back. She'll know what I mean."

You nod, pondering what she might mean.


Kyna is up and about a little after that, and you take the chance to spend a good deal of time with her.

"Wow." She mutters as she watches the homestead come to life with a small host of Fallen. "There's so many. It's only been a few months, hasn't it?"

"Yes." You admit, a little embarrassed that your little sister is seeing the fruits of your lust so clearly. "Tia, if you so much as think about it I swear I will tickle you until you cry."

Kyna jerks a little in surprise as Tianshi pops her head out of the ground, of all things, her lips pursed in frustration. "How did you know?"

You reach down and lift one of the other hidden Fallen, little Jeniel, who shrieks in surprise. "The triplets only try to catch me off guard when they see you doing it." You explain, tickling Jen's belly as the other two triplets break and flee, leaving their sibling to your mercy. "How did you even get down there?"

"This." She holds up a map, one you vaguely recognize as having been plundered from Nael. "There's all sorts of little tunnels down here, and…" She grins. "A hot spring. Mom's working with Aunt Liane to get the water to the surface. Speaking of aunts…"

The ninja-angel ducks back underground before popping up behind the two of you. "You're our aunt too, right? Like Tamael, or…" She frowns. "Does Tindalos count?"

That's a good question, actually… "Tindalos isn't an angel name." Kyna notes, glancing at you curiously.

"I'll explain later. She's… well. Special."

"Mm." Kyna nods, then suddenly explodes into motion, wrapping Tia in a hug and lifting her into the air. "Yes, I'm your aunt. You can call me Kyna! Or Auntie Kyna. Or… nevermind, that makes me feel old. I'm only two-hundred or so."

Tianshi, not to be outdone in her area of expertise, returns the hug tenfold. "Tianshi. Or Tia. I like Tia more. That's Jeniel." Jen waves to her aunt from her perch in your arms.

Which brings about a realization in you — you have yet to actually introduce Kyna to the children properly. Luckily, they all seem to be gathering around Sybil for some reason.


Said reason turns out to be because Sybil is currently leading them in prayer, something that Sera recently began encouraging her siblings to participate in. It's rather funny in a way, seeing a bunch of devils praying to the Goddess of Order, but they seem to enjoy it, and Sybil is delighted by it. Io as well seems to enjoy taking a leading role in the affair, and she makes for quite a cute Sister of the Faith even with her clearly monstrous features.

You wonder what your Mother thinks of it, really. Did she get your letter? Would she hold your daughters' nature against them, knowing they've never been anything else?

"Oh, Goddess," Sybil speaks, her voice soft. The girls are surprisingly silent, respect for Sybil as their third mother keeping even the youngest tame. "We pray that you protect our family from the First-to-Fall, whose eyes have fallen upon your dear daughter Ariel. We pray that more of your Fallen daughters may find their way to her, that she may save them from themselves. We pray —"

It goes on like that for a while, and you find your cheeks heating up. It halfway feels like a sermon to yourself at some points, though Kyna simply nods along as you watch so maybe it's not as heretical as you fear.

"How… how is Mother?" You ask, unable to help wondering.

"I dunno." She shrugs simply. "I haven't talked with her for a little while. I don't think anyone has, actually… except maybe Mika."

"I see." You answer. The Goddess rarely spoke to you personally for reasons you've basically pieced together, but she was hardly so withdrawn from the others. Except for on occasion, when you always assumed she had something to be doing.

Now that you think about it… did those times line up with others Falling? Has she shut herself away every time, mourning what she'd damned another of her children to? You wish you knew for sure. Even if you've forgiven her, it's hard not to think back to that moment and the abandonment you felt.

You open your mouth to ask another question, but before you can get it out a sudden brilliant glow erupts from Sybil. It should be blinding, but for some reason you can see right through it with no trouble or pain, a quality that the rest of the attendees share.

Sybil herself blinks and looks around in confusion, then freezes, her eyes wide.

The glow is warm, and for a second you could swear someone is holding you tightly, then it vanishes. "What—"

"Mother?" Kyna frowns, her head cocked to the side.

Now that she's said it, you realize she's right. Something about that feeling stirs the memory of the one hug you can remember receiving from Justicia. "That's not… Sybil?"

"Ah!" Sybil jumps when you get closer, her eyes still wide with shock and wonder. "Ariel? Did you… did you hear Her too?"

You shake your head slowly. "What did she say?"


Sybil

You are aware that your daily prayer sessions have deviated from their original form, though you suppose it was bound to happen eventually. One does not willingly entangle themselves with a devil without consequence, even if said devil happens to be the most moral and loving being to walk Gaea.

Of course, you are certain the Goddess will forgive your little praises of your lover, despite the fact that you are certain the Church itself would call you an apostate for them. Truthfully, after a certain point it feels less like prayer and more an attempt to inform your… do you really dare to call your Goddess your mother-in-law? Either way, you simply want to espouse Ariel's many virtues to her Mother, so that She knows of them.

It feels like the least you can do for her. For both of them, really. When you think on what you have learned of the angels, and the Fall… while you would never downplay Ariel's suffering, you know it must be agony for the Goddess as well. If you can bridge even the slightest gap between them, act as a conduit for their eventual reconciliation… well. It may not be your place, and you will stop if Ariel wishes it, but for now you hope she will permit you to continue.

You are in the middle of your prayers when a sudden warmth washes over you and throughout your entire body, emitting from you as though you were a brilliant bonfire. Confused, you look around — is one of the girls playing tricks on you again? They do enjoy teasing you almost as much as their sire, but you would prefer they did not do so during prayer…

Tell her that I am sorry, please. I hope this helps. It is not much, but it is all I can do…

A voice that carries with it incredible authority, majesty, and beauty echoes in your mind for what feels both like an eternity and the fleetest of moments, then the warmth subsides. Stunned, you nearly fall on your bottom before Ariel appears, holding your back so as to prevent such an embarrassing occurrence.

"… Sybil?" She asks, and you detect just the barest resemblance between her voice and the one that just left you.

"Ariel? Did you… did you hear Her too?"


You don't really know what to think. A quick glance through Liane's spectacles confirms that there's a massive, insanely complex Divine working running through your homestead's every point, binding it all together in some sort of protective enchantment that dazzles the eyes to look at.

"I think," Liane hazards as she examines the magic. "…and keep in mind my expertise lies elsewhere, but I think this is hiding our home from prying eyes, whether they be looking for it normally or through magic."

"Will that make it hard for our mail to get here?" You ask, a sudden image of Shëo flitting about confusedly flashing through your mind.

"Prooobably not?" Liane winces as she looks at the enchantment again. "I think it accounts for intent."

That's a relief, then. Sybil's flock remains, watching her with concern as she sits dumbfounded. "I heard Her voice." She mutters. "None but the highest of the Church have ever… and even then, the last recorded instance was…"

Sera leans down, rubbing her back soothingly. "I would speak to you were I a Goddess, mother."

Sybil snorts a little, the shock wearing off from her face. "Thank you, Sera dear."

"Are you alright?" You ask her, and she nods, allowing Sera to lift her to her feet.

"I am. It is just… shocking. Much that I never considered possible has happened these past months, of course, but… well. I will acclimate, I believe."

"Hm." You frown, then a wicked smile paints itself across your lips. "You know, maybe Mother was simply rewarding the one who struck down Helel's champion."

"… what?" She asks, her eyes narrowing at you. "I did not—"

"You should have seen her, girls." You turn to the little host, who eagerly wriggle forward as one to listen to your tale. "There we were, fighting the evil Serpent of the Garden, when she turned to flee! Sybil filled with righteous fury, charged forward with her staff and single-handedly stopped her flight, subduing the monster once and for all!"

Gasps of surprise and admiration fill the air as Sybil's face slowly ripens to a lovely shade of crimson, her mouth opening and closing as she tries and fails to refute your words through her embarrassment.

"Mama Sybil, so brave!" Soniel hugs the priestess from behind, giving you a wink to show she knows the game afoot.

Her sisters pick up the chant, and soon "Brave Mama Sybil!" is echoing across the entire homestead as the priestess stands there covering her face with both hands.

"That was mean." Kyna notes, but you hear a snicker in her voice regardless.


"Doesn't feel all that different." Merin comments as she lifts her blade. A slight shine emits from it for a moment before disappearing. Her trip, it appears, did not take nearly as long as she feared.

"It wouldn't." Liane rolls her eyes. "It's supposed to activate when you move to protect or avenge someone else."

"So if someone were to slap Ariel…"

Liane sighs. "It wouldn't trigger unless they were really trying to hurt her. The laws that influence it are more complicated than that."

"Huh. Alright then." She lifts the blade back onto her back, glancing at you. "No little sister?"

"No, Io wanted to talk with her aunt." You admit, recalling the goat-eyed crossbreed insistently tugging on Kyna's arm before dragging her off to convene with some of your other daughters. When you tried to follow Io shook her head insistently, so you wandered off to find someone else to bother for a moment, since Sybil is not talking to you.

"Have either of you seen our other guest?" You ask, realizing you haven't seen Sial all morning. "She didn't leave already, did she?"

"Nah." Merin points towards the woods, where you just spot Sial speaking with two of your children. "Zaphi and Ava caught her. Dunno what they're talking about, but… I can guess." She looks at you as if you're supposed to understand what that means.

"Alright then. Any news on that Smog Raptor?"

"Funny story, that." She grins. "Actually—"


Io

It is fortunate, you realize, that your aunt caught on quickly to your nonverbal request. You try not to speak too much in front of mama — she thinks you simply quiet. The truth is more complicated: you wish your only words within Ariel's earshot to be dripping with meaning, laden with love. It's a fixation you have possessed for as long as you can remember, and though you are not certain of its origin you have recently learned of its ultimate conclusion thanks to your more talkative elder sisters.

You see mama differently than everyone else… save perhaps young Fiona, whose eyes possess that selfsame quality yours do — a reverence that goes beyond simple love and affection into worship. You see the inner fire that shines within her; you know that one day she will be something far beyond what she is now. So brilliant is her radiance that you have been forced to requisition a covering for your eye from the Deliverer of Words and Goods Beyond, for you can only bare to gaze upon her with a single pupil at any one time lest you be overwhelmed by her majesty.

Even mostly unfamiliar with the nuances of adult relationships as you are, you can spot the longing and desire in the eyes of your mother's many mates… not to mention your eldest sisters. Ideally, they will have resolved her mental blocks by the time you are of age, but you have plans in place should they fail.

"Aunt Kynael." You motion for her to sit amongst yourself and your fellow adherents. Both of your full-blooded sisters are here of course — though you suspect Ophelia, First of the Second Brood is merely keeping an eye on you, the absolute busybody. Luna and Zuriel, the Twin Wings of Sun and Moon, attend as well, along with Vati, the Black Dove, and Fiona, who you have yet to come up with a cool… er, suitably prestigious title for.

"Kind of reminds me of my old hiding place back home." Your aunt comments, glancing at the little pond you congregate around. "It was your mom's favorite hiding place too. She's the one who showed it to me, actually."

There! Perfect. Information on your mother is your primary concern, and she gives such precious details to you without a second thought. Perhaps you will have to add her to your burgeoning gospel. She will need a suitable title within the gospel, of course — Herald of Blessed Knowledge seems fitting enough, though First Daughter of Perfection is another. A difficult decision.

"Oh?" You ask her, careful to keep your excitement and eagerness from overwhelming you lest the subject of your discussion overhear and investigate. "Perhaps you could share more? Mother does not speak of herself often."

"What, was that it?" Kynael laughs. "I thought it was something super serious, from the look on your face. If you just want to know about Ariel, I know tons." She rubs her hands together eagerly. "What do you want to hear first? I've got… let's see. Do you want a story about her being cool, her being cute, or her being embarrassed?"

All are manna from the Goddesses themselves, it's so difficult to choose! Ariel is often cool, but it is not as though she can be too cool. Cute, though… you suspect few have seen her cute side. Your aunts and mother, perhaps. Embarrassed… why, that may be even more rare than cute. What could your mother possibly have to be embarrassed about?

Decisions, decisions. It's nearly crippling, really, but you eventually decide…


"Cool, please." You ask as your sisters lean in.

"Cool, huh? Good choice." Kynael kicks off her sandals and dips them into the pond, leaning back as she thinks.

"Well, I don't know how much you know about heaven," She begins. "But it's filled with people who think they're better than your mama just because she was born with black wings."

This is not entirely new to you, though you hold your tongue for the moment.

"It's hard to really get across how bad it is, especially… well, you're kids." She sighs. "But imagine that no matter what you did, no matter how well you did it, someone found some reason to hate you for it. And worse, you could never get away from them because you lived in the same house."

"That's basically what it was like for her. She tries to downplay it to me like I'm still a kid, but I know better than anyone but her what it was like. I saw our 'sisters,'" she snarls that word. "Treat her like absolute garbage just because they couldn't see past a color."

The Black Dove flutters the small wings for which you gave her the title and speaks. "Why do they care?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Kyna shrugs. "I don't know completely. I do know who started it though, which is why this is a cool story." She winks.

"This angel is Samael, and she's… well, she's a bitch. Don't say that word in front of Ari, and if you do…" She shivers. "Don't tell her I taught it to you. Anyways, Samael's an old bitch, older than almost everyone else — number three. As in, the third angel to be born."

"What number is mama?" You ask immediately. Such information is absolutely required to fill out the gospel.

"Six hundred sixty-sixth." Kyna answers immediately and you engrave the knowledge upon your heart. Six is clearly a blessed number. "I'm seven hundred forty-second, if you were curious. Anyways, older angels tend to be stronger. I… don't know why, actually. I think they had to be, for the War."

"The thing you have to know about Samael is that she's too much of a coward to do things face to face. She won't insult you to your face without couching it in some backhanded insult or something, and usually she has her lackeys do it for her."

"One day, I came across her cronies picking on Oschiel, a blackfeather like your mom. I was only a teenager then, but I knew what they were doing was wrong. So… I beat them up." She grins cheerfully. "Being older doesn't matter if you get brained from behind, and especially if you're too much of a pussy to fight someone willing to hit back instead of some lonely blackfeather."

Kynael winces and looks around. "Um, don't say pussy either. Seriously, I don't know how she hasn't tanned my ass already for coming down here in the first place and I don't want want to give her a reason. Don't say ass either! Damn it!"

She pauses, breathing deep, then continues. "Anyways, they ran back to Samael and Samael came to Ariel, since I was still technically her ward and punishment fell to her when I stepped out of line."

You and your sisters lean forward further, sensing the arrival of your mother's moment of coolness. Perhaps she beat the poisonous angel with her pinky finger alone, or laid her low with her words as Samael did to many others! You can hardly wait for this thrilling climax.

"So Samael walks into Ari's office like she owns the place and… well, I figured I was screwed." Kyna admits. "I mean, I did attack Samael's brats after all, and Ari had always gotten on to me about my temper… and maybe she would have agreed to punishing me if Samael didn't ask for too much. The bitch demanded I be turned over to her as her ward from that day forward."

You gasp. Your mother's attachment to the First Daughter of Perfection is clear — such a request would be far beyond tolerable.

"Exactly." Kyna nods at the response you now realize your sisters shared with you. Something tells you she's intentionally directing this story to manipulate your reactions — an interesting trick, and one you must replicate for your novel — er, gospel. "I don't think I've ever seen Ariel so mad in my life… or so I would have said before yesterday." She amends. You will need to remember to wheedle that story from one of your mother's mates, actually. Perhaps Sybil will be accommodating if you promise to stop your sisters from chanting Brave Aunt Sybil in the future.

"No screaming, no yelling, no nothing. Her eyes just got fiercer than anything you ever saw, and I swear on our Mother that Samael flinched. She looked at me and asked what happened, so I told her the truth. The old bitch called me a liar, of course, and Ariel said that I knew better than to lie to her."

"It went back and forth like that for a while, and Samael made more than a few 'subtle' threats about making life harder on her. I don't think she realized she'd already made life hard enough on Ari that she didn't give a shit — er, don't say that either, alright? Anyways, no matter what Samael said she wouldn't back down, and eventually the biggest bitch in all of Heaven had to stomp out empty handed."

There's a smile on your aunt's face as she finished her story. "I felt terrible at the time. Thought I'd made my sister's life in heaven even worse than it already was because I was a fuckup — don't… you know what, whatever. She just asked me if what I said was true again, and I told her it was. She stood up, walked over to me… I was convinced she was about to spank me so bad I wouldn't be able to sit ever again."

You make a mental note not to earn your mother's ire, for if her Palm of Judgment is half as deadly as Kynael fears it is something to avoid at all costs.

"But she just hugged me. Told me she was proud of me for helping someone else, even if she didn't necessarily agree with the way I did it. And that was that." She ends her story and you all sit around the pond in silence for a moment.

"That's it?" Luna asks, clearly disappointed. "I thought mama would beat her up."

"That's it." Kyna replies happily. "You don't get it. Standing up to someone like that, someone who could make life hell for her, just for a fuckup like me? Someone who fought the forces of Discord and is still in heaven to brag about it? Being cool doesn't always mean facing down a giant dragon or beating impossible odds, my cute little nieces. Sometimes it's all in the little things that might mean the world to someone else."

A curious lesson, but thinking on it, conjuring the images in your minds eye… you think you agree.


Sial

Your life has been something of a wild minecart ride, recently. Up and down, surprise and relief, back and forth and this way and that all in rapid succession.

First you lost your mama forever, then you find someone who understands that pain enough that you call her a friend. Then you faced the dread of betraying her, followed by the determination to do what Beloved call the right thing.

After that you faced down what you were certain was your doom, only to be relieved when she told you she had no idea what you were talking about — followed quickly by a damned wyrm, of all things, which the Fallen then beat handily. Then she saved your mama and invited you into her home as if you were just a friend of her sister… which you suppose is true.

In short, you've been through the ringer physically, mentally, and emotionally. Last night was the first full rest you've had in what feels like a lifetime, and it's at least managed to recharge you a bit. Enough so that you're capable of engaging with your host's daughters when they request your presence.

"You're a devil." Zaphkiel, the red-haired one begins.

"Observant." You snark back, though you ensure your tone is light.

"So you've…" The other continues, an odd hesitation in her voice. "You've shared a bed with your sire."

"Of course." You answer. What an odd question. One may as well ask whether the sky in Gaea is blue, or whether a dragon is greedy. Perhaps this is some sort of Fallen game or ritual. "Are we simply relaying facts about one another as we know them? Your hair is black like your sire's, and your sister's eyes are a lovely shade of yellow. Am I doing this right?"

"You think my eyes are — nevermind." Zaphkiel shakes her head. "What… how did you do it? Did you have to seduce her, or did she take you? Was it gradual, or all at once?"

You frown, not entirely understanding why she's bringing this up. It would be very rude were she Pandaemonium-raised, but you suppose you cannot fault her for not knowing the customs of a land she's never been to. "Those are typically very personal details, but since I am indebted to your mother…"

You relay your first time to the two. How your sire held as big of a coming-of-age ball as she could afford as the head of a Low House. It was not much, but it meant the world to you that she did everything she could. How you got to see the inside of her chambers for the first time, how soft and silky the sheets were, how her cock felt when it—

"Gah! We get the picture!" Avariel covers her face, blushing like the priestess from earlier. A fortunate find for the Fallen, that one — you can still smell the claimed purity that radiates from the woman from across the field. Doubtless it's part of why the many younger Fallen cling to her, even if they do not realize why.

"Apologies. I got caught up in my memories." You say dreamily. "Ah, to turn eighteen again."

"Eighteen?" The toned Fallen asks, despair on her face. "Years? You had to wait that long?"

"But of course. We may be devils, but even we would never lay our hands on… ah." You snap your fingers. "Of course, you would not know. Devil children age at the same rate Beloved do in Pandaemonium. Only in Pandaemonium, which is why we do not allow those not of age to enter Gaea."

"Really?" The redhead's face lights up with interest. "Fascinating. That level of enchantment would have to be the work of…"

"A Goddess, yes." You finish for her, smiling. "Asmodeus, Grandsire of all devils… save the Fallen and heads of the High Houses, of course. It is one of her blessings upon our realm. I do not know exactly why she granted it — though I have always assumed it is so that we will have the experience necessary to thrive in Gaea when we are summoned."

"So you just had to be of age, then. Fully grown." Avariel sighs in relief.

"Of course. What sort of monster would make her daughter wait for eighteen long years of maturity to grant her the gift of intimacy? Waiting through puberty was bad enough."

They both flinch, and your mouth falls open in shock and horror. You had thought the Fallen an exemplar of kindness and virtue, but this… "Such cruelty." You mutter.

"She's not cruel! She just… doesn't think of us like that." Zaphkiel says at last. "Evara — the elf, over there — believes she's just in denial. We've been trying to get her to notice us as women, but…"

"Her denial is stronger than steel." Avariel finishes for her.

Ah. You calm down. You're… somewhat familiar with the situation of the Fallen. It's relatively common knowledge amongst devils, when your people deign to think of them at all. Were you not just considering it uncouth to blame the girls for their unfamiliarity with Pandaemonium customs? It only makes sense that such naivety would extend to their parent.

"I can tell her for you." You say at last. "She knows she is a devil, correct? Once she's aware, I don't doubt she will be delighted to claim you. The bond between sire and child is… well, I hardly need to tell you, do I?" Their need for Ariel is palpable, after all.

"No!" Zaphkiel shakes her head. "We don't… we want it to be us. We want her to want us enough to figure it out on her own. If anyone just told her…"

"Ah." You nod, understanding completely. To know that your sire wants you so badly that she is willing to throw aside centuries of sexual repression just for you… ah, if only. You almost envy them the experience despite the clear torment of their situation.

"Allow me to find some other way to help, then." You say at last. "I owe your family that much and more."

The two look at one another, clearly debating the wisdom of trusting you. Their suspicion isn't entirely unwarranted — had this been a month ago you'd have abused them of their trust without a second thought. The Sial of today, however…

"I will not enchant her… not that I could regardless, the woman is a monster." You note, recalling her absolute devastation of the wyrm. "Nor will I outright tell her of the possibility. I will merely… nudge her a bit. This I swear."

The two look at one another a moment longer before turning to you with their answer.


There's an odd energy in the air that you can't quite place. Eluvi's eyes are constantly on the sky, waiting for a delivery of some sort. The rest of the household seems to be picking up on her energy, practically electrifying the emotional atmosphere with anticipation. Hopefully Liane is right about whatever enchantment your mom put on your house, or everyone is about to be very disappointed.

Shëo's appearance nearly causes your red-scaled lover to erupt into the air herself, but both Merin and Asteria hold her down long enough for the harpy to land.

"Delivery!" Shëo chirps cheerfully, holding her talon up to Eluvi and giving you a wink. "Gotta admit, I'm kinda jealous. Anyways, off to the next."

She's gone as quick as she came, and Eluvi is left holding a curious little cube, her tail slapping the ground in either nervousness or excitement —which incidentally makes both Merin and Asteria duck for cover. Your little dragon is strong.

"Is everyone here?" Eluvi asks excitedly, and a quick glance confirms that everyone, including your guests, are present. "Great. Okay." She takes a deep breath and steps over to you.

"Are you alright?" You ask. "You don't usually get nervous. That's not something from your hoard, is it? You know you don't have to—"

"It's not." She shakes her head. "Oh, but I did pay for some of it… that's not important."

You raise your eyebrows. Eluvi, paying for something from her hoard? It's not… impossible, but for her to do that would mean this is very important indeed.

"Um, we all pitched in." Her tail swings again, nearly sending poor Fi flying as she dives out of the way. You'd think they'd learn not to stand so close to her, honestly. "And… well, here. I'm not good at this sort of thing."

The cube is handed to you and you realize there's a seam midway through it. With a gentle tug you pry it open, revealing a dazzling ring studded with jewels. "This is…" You breathe. "Is this… orichalcum? And… dragonblood rubies? It must have cost a fortune."

"It did." Fi replies dryly. "But we kind of like you, so we figured it was worth it."

"But only just." Merin continues Fi's teasing. "So you better say yes, because we're not asking again."

"Eluvi did most of the bargaining." Sybil adds. "She did a very good job, too."

"They kept trying to rip me off for… not important. Monsters don't marry, but you're special, and it's not just monsters here, so… well. It doesn't have to be right away, but will you marry us?"

Your brain stops working for a second as tries and fails to process what's happening. Are you… being proposed to? You nearly fall over, but luckily one of your daughters prepared a seat for you.

"Yes, you're being proposed to." Eva laughs. "Figured it'd take too long for you to do it yourself, dense as you are."

Rude.

"It's an odd custom, but I agree that spending my life with you is what I want." Asteria adds.

Fenri lays her head in your lap and wags her tail, saying everything she needs to say without words.

"It works sort of like Soniel's bracelet." Liane explains as she takes the ring out and slips it onto your finger next to the ring your daughters got for you. They look… rather similar in design, actually. What a funny coincidence. "You can make more by thinking about it. Try it."

You do, and sure enough another ring appears in your palm, which you hand over to Eluvi. As soon as she slips it on her claw you feel her, a white-hot sensation on your spirit, before the sensation vanishes.

"I don't know if I can wear rings, but I can just carry it around inside of me." Echo comments cheerfully as she oozes beneath the chair.

"And I would not dare to raise myself to the level of wife, of course, but should you be willing to consider me a consort…" Ilyen says shyly, her face a brilliant red that contrasts her blue scales.

"I can do with being married again." Ulfhild comments. "Everyone back home badgered me about it relentlessly. 'When are you marrying, Ulfhild? You're our chieftaness, you're not getting any younger.' Bah! We'll show them."

"That one would be mine." Ju says, plucking a second ring from your palm the instant it appears. "I have given birth to seven of your daughters. It is high time you take responsibility." She winks to show she's kidding despite her serious tone.

Well it looks like you're engaged now. It's… you're not crying. It's raining. Everyone better stop hugging you right now.


"Wait, when did any of you even get my ring size?" You ask, realizing for the first time that it's not something you even know yourself.

"The girls knew it." Fi shrugs. "From ordering their ring for you."

"Tianshi measured it while you were sleeping." Soniel says in response to your interrogative look, earning her a shove from her older sister.

"Tia, don't push your sister. Soni, don't tattle." You say reflexively as you will a new set of rings into existence and place each on your… fiancées. That's an odd thought.

You sniffle a little, still a little teary at the idea of being married for real. You've known about marriage for ages, of course — even if angels don't engage in the practice themselves, you've participated in a few for one reason or another over the years. It was always a melancholy sort of thing, for reasons you were never really able to place until now — seeing something joyful that you can never truly experience for yourself isn't the best feeling on Gaea.

But now things are different. It's funny, really — this isn't the first time you've contemplated how much you've gained since your Fall, of course, but it never stops making you laugh a little inside. To think the worst day of your life would be responsible for the best ones…

You finish slotting rings onto fingers and focus on your own, feeling your bond with your lovers through it. It's… indescribable, emotionally speaking. Each and every one of your harem is a constant presence in your mind, a constant reassurance of what you have gained.

"Alright." You sigh, standing up. "Show's over, ladies. That means you, brat." You snatch a not-as-sneaky-as-she-thinks Tianshi out from behind you and chase the rest of the girls away so they can't see their mom sniffling still get back to their normal day as good and growing girls should.

--

"Don't weddings have a maid of honor?" Kynael asks as she examines the ring on your finger, utterly fascinated. The two of you, as well as Sial, are currently sitting on a bench, watching the children go about their day while the little monsters try to pretend they aren't stealing glances at you when they think they can get away with it.

"It depends." You reply, turning your hand over so she can see the other side of the ring. "Feran weddings are more informal. Few are…" You cough. "…excuses for 'group encounters,' we'll call it."

"Ah. Orgies." Sial replies instantly. "Perhaps I should come to Gaea more often."

"Mm… just be sure not to put your Crest on any unaware women again, hm?" You tell her, giving her a look. "That priestess back in Moonbright still has it, by the way. I'd appreciate if you removed it."

"The… oh." She coughs, turning her face away and looking eerily like one of your own children when caught doing something they shouldn't. "I will remove it, yes. And the others."

"The others…?" You sigh. "Nevermind. Thank you, Sial. Actually, that reminds me…" You wave Estelle over, the little blue-haired Fallen staring up at you dutifully. "Could you bring mama the Infernal book?"

She nods, her long blue hair making waves with the motion, and darts off. When she returns, she's holding Sial's Infernal magic book, the one you claimed along with Eluvi when you banished the then-Imp.

"This is yours, I believe." You tell her, passing it over to her. She blinks in surprise, takes the book, and smiles softly as she flips through it.

"Ah. I knew it was unwise to gamble something I cared for like that, but… well, you remember. Arrogance meant I could not recover it before being banished." She shuts it, looking at you curiously. "Are you certain you don't wish to keep it?"

You shake your head. "Liane has the whole thing memorized and copied. It seemed personal from how you wrote in it, so I thought you might like to have it back."

"You were correct." She replies, her smile widening. "Thank you."

"Of course." You reply, looking out at the girls playing. The triplets have convinced Camiel to try juggling them, an endeavor that is more amusing than fruitful for everyone involved.

"Your ring is quite useful." Sial says, seemingly out of nowhere. "Aside from the sentimental value, I mean."

"It is." You admit. "It's nice to know everyone is safe."

She nods thoughtfully. "Well… perhaps not everyone, hm?"

You frown. "What do you mean?"


"You have not given them to your daughters." She points out, as if it's obvious. "Ergo, your ring's magic does not extend to them."

"Well, of course, but that's… I can't give my daughters an engagement ring." You wave your hand and laugh nervously, the thought exciting upsetting you. "That would imply…"

"No?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. "How will you know they are safe, then?"

"I… they don't leave home." You reply lamely, twisting the ring around your finger. "Well, except for Soni, and I guess now Liangyu is out and about… oh, and Tia is sneaking out to meet with her teacher even if she thinks I don't know it yet."

"That is… three of eight, yes?" The devil asks, her tone concerned. "That is nearly half, Ariel."

Oh Goddess she's right. That is nearly half. They're going to go out, get in danger, meet pretty girls, get rings from pretty girls… that upsets you more than anything else, for some reason.

"I still can't just…" You wave your hands around. "I mean, what if they get the wrong idea?"

"What sort of wrong idea?" She asks, and you feel distinctly like a fish on a hook.

"I mean… look, it's just not appropriate." You say. "I mean, I know devils…"

Wait a second. You know devils what?

"Devils what?" She echoes your thoughts gently, and you shake your head.

"Nevermind. Just… I'll think about getting them something." You say, your cheeks flushing. Kyna looks at you curiously. "Anyways, how about I leave you two alone? You're friends, have fun."

You like to think you flee that conversation with grace and dignity, but if you're being honest with yourself it was more with blind panic and shame.

--

After very carefully burying any untoward and totally-not-real thoughts, you find yourself considering Sial's words. Not about devils and whatever weird nonsense they get up to, but whether or not you should give the girls some of these rings.

On one hand, your actual harem may not like it. It's something they got you to share with them, so it might be overstepping? You could always ask them if it's okay, of course, but for some reason that idea embarrasses you.

On the other, it would be nice to know the girls are safe at all times. It's not like you'll force them to take the rings, either. Hell, they'll probably turn it down out of embarrassment, because who wants to wear their mom's wedding ring?

In the end, you decide…


You decide to consult the harem. They got you the gift, it only seems right that they help decide on this matter.

Eva gives you this almost disappointed look and you decide that she needs to be bullied later for it. "Well, it certainly would be strange to give an engagement ring to someone you don't plan on being with." She tells you, with a tone that seems to imply something more.

"Real weird." Fi says, rolling her eyes. "But hey, if you're that worried about the kids…"

"They're big girls." Merin says with a shrug. "If they feel the need to, er… 'have you looking over their shoulder,' they can ask you directly. This game of theirs has gone on long enough." Ulfhild nods her agreement with her daughter, unsurprisingly.

"What game?" You ask her, and she just shakes her head. Rude.

"Just ask them." Eluvi shrugs. "It's a nice ring. If someone gave me a nice anything I'd be happy."

Fenri's only input is that she desires belly rubs, which you provide. Spoiled mutt.

Sybil seems the most uncomfortable with the idea. "I think it would be nice if they got something different. A wedding ring… it is just a bit much, is it not? Perhaps a necklace, or…"

"The ring already cost an arm and a leg." Ju notes dryly. "It would be quite pricy to replicate the effect again."

That's true…

Aaaaargh! Why does this have to be so complicated?

"Why not just have them wear the rings on different fingers?" Ilyen asks. "It is my understanding that the Beloved wear theirs on a specific finger to indicate marriage."

"Yes, the ring finger." You reply, holding up your own left ring finger. "It's a Justician tradition, actually."

"Really?" Merin asks. "We do it up north too."

"It originated with the Faith, but was spread by pilgrims over the ages." Sybil explains. "Though… curiously, there are no records of where the practice originated in the Faith itself."

"Huh. Really?" Fi asks, mildly intrigued.

"Really." Sybil nods, a bit of excitement entering her voice. "I spent many a night as a young priestess scouring as many records as I could find for any doctrine or passage that might explain the custom, but to no avail. It is… something of a passion of mine. A little mystery that I like to pursue, when I have the chance."

The others look at you for an explanation, but you shake your head. "Marriage is not an angel thing." You note. "If any of my sisters know why they never mentioned it."

You frown. "More importantly, we've gotten of track."

Ilyen's idea isn't a bad one. If the girls understand it's just to keep an eye on them while they're out… hell, after Kyna's recent situation they can't blame you for wanting to watch over them.


"I think Ilyen has a good idea." You say, spawning eight rings in your palm. The almost-dragon smiles delightedly.

"I am happy to be of service, my lady." In the distance you see Valariel spot her mother's curtsy, which she immediately studies and imitates.

"Alright, let's gather all eight…" You frown. "Seven of the girls up. Lia… I'll set hers aside for now."

--

To your surprise the girls are all too eager to take the rings, slipping them onto their right ring fingers. "Thanks mama!" Says Soniel as the girls rush off as a collective. "No eavesdropping!"

Why are your kids so weird? "Mommy?" You look down to see little Ivule staring up at you with wide ruby-red eyes. "Can I have a ring too?"

"When you're older." You laugh, pulling the girl up and into your lap. She pouts, doubtless upset that she can't add something shiny to her hoard right away. "Don't pout at me, little girl. Do you know what happens to girls who pout at their mothers?"

She puffs her cheeks out wider, as if daring you to do something about it.

"They…" You raise your hands, wriggling your fingers menacingly. "Get…" She realizes too late the doom she has brought upon herself with her disobedience, flailing wildly with all of her limbs to escape your lap… but to no avail. "TICKLES!"

After Ivule's downright cruel fate, none of the second generation dare to challenge you over the ring issue.


Sial's departure is surprisingly sad affair, mostly because Kyna cries over it, which of course leads to Sial herself crying. You're pretty sure you saw Remi tear up a little too, but when you tried to comfort her she refused and ran away to her mother.

The devil gives your daughters some parting words you're not privy to, but you're confident enough that she's not trying to do anything bad so you let it slide.

"Come on, Kyna." You tell your favorite sister as she sniffles in the wake of her friend's departure. She wraps her arms around you tightly, reminding you of the many times you had to comfort the younger angel when you raised her. "I'm sure you'll see one another again soon enough. Let's get you to bed…"

In the end, she doesn't let go of you even when she falls asleep.

--

The next morning sees you being awoken by a ping from your ring. From…

It's insistent, every few seconds. "Soni?" You frown. From what you can feel she's in her room, but…

"SQUISHY!" You hear her cry.

Oh no. IT must have finally shown its true, slimy colors. You dash out of the room and across the hall, throwing the door open to see—

"Mama?" Your brain stops working for a good few seconds as you stare at her round ass her wet pussy her face, a faint blush on her cheeks to match your own.

"Y-your ring." You manage to choke out, your throat feeling insanely dry all of a sudden.

"Oh!" She says, as if suddenly realizing the position she's in, raising from her bent over position. She was reaching under the bed, you see now, and she holds up the ring. "Um… Squishy got it. I think he likes the color of the metal. I was just getting it back from him, see?"

"I see." You reply. "Just… be careful, okay?"

"'kay. Love you mama." She replies with a smile and a shy wave as you close the door.

Squishy really is just the worst. After all, not only did he apparently steal the ring and hide under the bed, but he also managed to end up on the exact opposite end of the room before you even entered it.


You love Kyna dearly, but part of you hopes she heads home tonight so you can maybe release some of your pent up… frustrations. You're getting some weird thoughts these days, and being pent-up is the only possible explanation for them.

Thankfully, your younger daughters are far less prone to causing these… frustrations, so you're safely able to play with them without arousing… er, agitating yourself. Yes. That's a much better word.

Today in particular is interesting, because four of your girls are currently undergoing a rite of passage…


Ophelia watches beside you her sisters run around the place, desperately flapping their wings to achieve liftoff. The oldest of your second generation grinds her teeth as Zuriel nearly bowls over Vati for the fourth time.

"Zuri, be careful!" She shouts angrily. "And tuck your wings in before you jump!"

Unfortunately, this and her many other shouted instructions go either unheard or unheeded, making the girls' attempts at flight far more of a clusterfuck than they need to be. Finally, the tall Fallen stands, marches past you and onto the field, and lays into them one by one.

"Io, you're too tall to fly this close to the house! Cami, if you keep trying to take off from a standstill you're going to hurt your wings! Luna—"

"If you're so smart then why don't you do it, busybody?" Camiel snarls. For a moment you think you're going to have to break up a fight, as both raise to their full height and you feel sparks of magic gather… but Ophelia just shoves her sister aside.

"Move. All of you." Her tone brooks no argument, and even Camiel quails after a moment and steps aside, providing her with a clean run for takeoff. Without a word, Ophelia charges down the bare space — reminding you in the process that even without being a crossbreed she's still got some minotaur in her — and, with a mighty leap and flap of her wings, soars in a picture-perfect arc before circling around and landing just as perfectly.

"There." She huffs. "Call me a busybody again and I'll—"

Ophelia is interrupted by a swarm of your other younger children, each of them all-too-eager to listen to her advice now that they've seen physical evidence of its usefulness. After a moment the realization of what she's done seems to hit her, and she looks over at you with wonder in her eyes.

Laughing, you stand to both congratulate her and free her from the horde.

--

Io, Camiel, Luna, Zuriel, and Vati all manage flight shortly after their older sister. Kynael is a big help, as it turns out. You never thought little Kyna would be much of a teacher, but with her help they're up in the air in what feels like no time.

The rest of the girls are all sorely disappointed, though there really isn't anything to be done for it. Most of them yet lack the wingspan for flight, and the only one who does have large enough wings is actually suffering from that success — Kali's wings are far too heavy for her to fly with at her age.

"Great." Fi grumbles next to you as she watches Vati fly around the household, the young girl laughing all the while. "She was already a nightmare to keep track of, Ariel." The halfling glares at you. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Learn to fly, clearly." You reply, already ducking to avoid the sandal she throws at you in response.


"You know, I don't think I've ever seen so many little ones flying at once." Kynael comments, smiling up at the little flock of Fallen. The older girls have joined in now, and are showing their sisters their various tricks.

"Yeah. There've only been, what? Three sets of twins in all of Heaven's history? Otherwise, Mother doesn't tend to birth them close enough to fly together."

Kyna counts on her fingers, then nods. "Yep. Shirael and Castiel, Auriel and Limniel, then Shael and Ashel."

There's one more pair, you think. Helel's resemblance to Mikael was far too complete, barring the wing-eyes and hair color, for her to be anything but Mika's twin, even if Mika never told you as much. Not that you can blame her, really.

"Speaking of Shirael and Castiel…" Your eyes narrow dangerously at her and she flinches. "I gave them a letter for you and it's become apparent you did not read it."

She coughs nervously, refusing to look you in the eye. "I, um… well, see, they came to my room when I had been grounded for a while, so they just happened to be there when I ran aw… left to check on you."

"Uh-huh." You smile at her. "Do you want to know what the letter said?"

She shivers, inching away from you. "N-no?"

"It said listen to Mika. And you just told me that Mika told you to stay put."

"B-but I didn't read it, so…"

"So you're allowed to ignore rules if you don't know about them?"

"That sounds like a trick question, actually, and I don't—"

Today is a day your daughters will remember. Not only did many of them experience the joy of flight, all of them learned why not listening to you is a bad idea.


"…and?"

"I'll tell Shira and Casti that I'm sorry." Kyna sniffles.

"…AND?"

"I'll tell Mika I'm sorry too, and I'll help Ophael with the snakes, and I'll stop putting dye in the showers."

"Good." You reach over to rub her head. "Think next time before you go charging off. If I were a normal Fallen…"

"I know." She sniffles again.

"Alright. Now, let's see if we can't find my last daughter. I'd hate for her to miss the chance to meet you."

"Liangyu?" She asks, wiping her eyes. "So we're leaving here?"

"Just for a while. If we're lucky, Lia's group hasn't left Skask yet."

"Okay." She stands, still sniffling. "Is anyone else coming?"

"No." You shake your head, holding up your ring. "I know my girls are safe here, and I'd like to spend some time with just you."

She brightens at that, and the two of you set on your way…


The trip to Skask is spent mostly in silence, with the two of you simply enjoying flying side-by-side once more. You can't remember the last time you did this with her, actually — surely not since she became an adult.

"You still fly too close to the trees." You chastise her, not seriously.

"I like to touch the branches." She replies. "And sometimes grab birds, but only if they're slow."

"Don't…" You sigh. "So long as you don't hurt them."

"I don't!" She says defensively.

--

It takes you a minute to remember exactly where you last saw Lia — you were in something of a panicked fury then. "What was it called… Wanderer's Hall." You snap your fingers, pointing in the direction of the inn. "Let's go."

The Hall is as you remember it from a few days ago, and fortunately…

"Lia!" You call out towards the little adventuring group, making the girl's head turn up sharply.

"Ma— sister?" She corrects herself hastily, raising from her seat to meet and hug you. "That was fast!"

"I'm surprised we caught you, actually." You say, pulling back from her and waving towards Kynael. "This is Kynael, by the way."

Liangyu looks your sister up and down appraisingly. "Yeah, you look like the sort of person to make a 'Missing Sister' sign like that." She grins.

"What's wrong with my sign?" Kynael huffs.

"It's more the sort of thing you expect to see for a missing dog." Lia laughs. "Come on, lemme introduce you. Ma… Ariel already met my party, but she had to leave early because someone was in trouble."

The three of you sit down and are introduced (re-introduced, in your case) to Lia's party. "We actually just got done with our own job." Lia notes proudly.

"That we did." The goblin leader… Griveet, as you recall, nods. "Bunch of deviants with a breastfeeding fetish needed a good wallop."

"I… what?" You ask, and Lia cheerfully explains.

Apparently a group of mages from the university got their hands on an Infernal take on the Mother's Bounty spell and decided to accost random women and test it out at night.

"… which turned out to be a bad idea, because the spell wasn't ready yet and the, er… swelling didn't go down like it should have. So boss here figured out what the spell did and how to fix it, Lucava tracked the culprits, and I…" She mimes swinging her staff. "Taught them about consent and magic safety."

"I think one of them enjoyed it." The bard-elf… Viria? Viria comments. "A pity you're an angel. I hear the Madame of the Menagerie pays well for that sort of talent."

You cough. "Well, it sounds like everything went well."

"It did." Griveet nods. "Figured we'd start with something less dangerous so Lia can get her feet under her. Or wings. Dunno what you flying types say."

"Legs works." You reply, reaching out to ruffle Lia's hair. "Oh, take this. It works like your sister's bracelet — if you're ever in serious trouble use it to notify me and I'll come as soon as I can."

"I will." Lia smiles. "Anyways, we're actually about to head off, so…"

You feel a pang in your chest, but nod. "Alright. Be safe. Or so help me Mother you'll find out how I punished Kyna for leaving Heaven without permission."

The angel in question whimpers behind you. "Goodbye, sweetheart. I love you." Lia gets a kiss goodbye and you and Kyna are off once more.

--

"Is there anywhere you'd like to visit?" You ask your sister.

"How about we meet that Eldritch you mentioned?" She asks. "I'm kind of curious."

"Tindalos?" You think for a moment, then take off with Kyna right behind you. "We'll see if we can find her!" You shout.

--

The not-dog tentacle thing that is your 'sister' isn't just wandering the roads like the last time you met, so you're forced to range out a bit further. Actually, now that she's got a less… distinct body shape it's harder to find her than you expected, until it occurs to you to check her 'friend's' little garden.

What you see when you arrive makes you laugh out loud. The blind woman sits in her spot, as usual… and Tindalos is on her knees with her head buried in the woman's lap, face down, her arms wrapped around the woman's legs. It's not at all sexual, from what you can tell, and you're pretty sure your Contract would prevent that anyways.

The woman turns her head up as she hears your wings, making Tindalos stir. "Wings. My sister?"

"I don't know." The woman replies. "There are two of them, though."

"It's me, Tindalos." You call, just in case. The gooey black mass atop her head lifts into the shape of a pair of canine ears, which perk up at the sound of your voice.

The Eldritch slides reluctantly out of her friend's lap and flops onto the ground, making the woman laugh. "Get up Tinny, you lazy thing."

"I do not want to." The Eldritch replies. "My sister can come to me."

"Tinny, you shouldn't be rude to your siblings."

"It's fine." You laugh as well, closing in on Tindalos with Kyna in tow. "You're having fun, I see."

"I like Millie." Wait, isn't one of Soni's harpy friends named Millie?

The woman clears her throat and offers her hand. "My full name is Camilla, but my friends call me Millie." She explains. "And if you're Tinny's family…"

"It's nice to meet you, Millie." You reply, picking up on the implied friendship and her hand at the same time. She's got a solid grip for someone with such soft hands. "I'm Ariel. This is Kynael." Kyna takes her hand in turn.

"Angels?" She asks, cocking her head to the side. "Then how…?"

"We're not… actual sisters." You explain. "Tindalos is more a metaphorical sister. We're still piecing together the connection."

"Ah." She nods, smiling. "Well, either way. Tinny has talked about you some."

"Oh?"

"She says you taught her dot-writing." The woman turns in your direction but her eyes don't track towards yours the way they would for a person capable of sight.

"I got her the books, but she actually learned herself." You explain.

Millie claps her hands together. "She's very smart, isn't she? I've been teaching her mathematics."

"What, really?" You ask, looking amusedly at the Eldritch.

"I do not understand why squares require roots." The monster says to you seriously. "Trees are not squares."

"She's just being difficult." Camilla winks. "What's the square root of one-hundred sixty-nine, Tinny?"

"Thirteen." Tindalos answers immediately.

Camilla smirks as if to say 'see?' "Actually, Tinny… could you and your other sister go talk for a bit? I'd like to speak with Ariel for a moment."

"Okay." The Eldritch obediently gets up and gestures for your sister to follow. Kyna, for her part, looks to be a mix of awed and baffled at the sight of one of the most fearsome beings in Gaea obeying a blind woman as though she were a trained dog.

"So." Millie begins, scooching aside to give you room to sit next to her. "May I ask you what Tinny is?"


"That's… not really my place to say." You tell her. "Have you asked her?"

She nods, humming in thought. "She just says that she doesn't want me getting in trouble if she's found out."

You blink. "That's a good sign."

"How so?"

"She's worried about someone other than herself. She's… if she told you that much, I can at least say she's not wrong to be worried. Most of her species are killed on sight."

Millie gasps. "What could justify…?"

"Most of them deserve it." You state matter-of-factly. "But Tindalos is trying to be better… and succeeding. She really, really wanted to speak to you, you know. I didn't just teach her dot-writing out of the blue, she asked me to give you a message for her."

Millie's face flushes a little and she smiles widely. "She is very sweet, isn't she? I feel a little bad naming her that now."

"What, Tindalos? Does it mean something?"

"It's the name of a monstrous dog from an old horror story that drags women away into another world." She says, embarrassed. "When I first heard her approaching me, I knew she wasn't a normal wolf or hound. Her steps were wrong. I thought I was about to be made into a monster's broodmother, so I called out 'Come to claim your prize, Tindalos?' A bit overdramatic, to be sure, but I was ever one for drama. But she just stopped, then ran away. I didn't know what to think at the time."

"So that's why you call her Tinny." You say, and she nods.

"I felt terrible! Imagine, naming such a sweet thing after a horrible beast! But even when I explained what had happened, she refused to change it. She likes it, apparently."

"I think she likes that you gave it to her, even if it was a mistake. I doubt she's ever had a name before." Well. Not one that wasn't a horrible title or some such, at least.

"Now she's not even a dog, though. It's hardly fitting." She goes silent for a moment, rubbing her bare feet against the grass. "Could you speak with her for me? Ask her to tell me the truth. I know it will put me in danger, but I don't care."

"That… might not be the only reason she doesn't tell you." You admit. "I think she's scared you'll abandon her."

"Never." She shakes her head firmly. "I know I am her only friend, Ariel. What she does not know is that she is my only friend as well. There are not many who are willing to put up with me, you see."

"Why not?" You ask.

"A combination of reasons, none of which we truly have time to discuss… but I can tell you that my family is wealthy enough that despite my being a cripple I would say I'm better off than most in this world." She tugs at her dress, which you realize is actually quite well-made… and expensive, if you're any judge. "Not to complain about my fortunate upbringing, but wealth rarely begets true friendships."

"Even if she weren't my only friend, however, I like to think I'm a good enough woman to not abandon her. Whatever her secret is… she is my friend. That's all that matters to me."

You're rather starting to like Millie.

--

"Have fun with your other 'sister?'" You ask Tindalos as the two return.

"She is not my sister. Not like you are. Not yet." Tindalos says plainly. "Not ever, if she is lucky."

Your stomach sinks as you realize what she means. "Right. If she's lucky. And if she stops running away from Heaven."

"I said I was sorry…" Kyna pouts.

"Why would one run from Heaven?" Millie asks, her eyes sparkling with curiosity even through the milky-white haze that covers them.

"She thought she knew better than the Archistrategos." You answer. "And has been reminded that she in fact does not. Haven't you?"

"Yes ma'am…" Kyna mutters, shrinking a little. You sigh, deciding to let up on her. She's either learned her lesson or she hasn't, and you don't doubt Mika has an earful ready for her when she goes back as well.

"Well, we'll leave you alone for now." You say, standing and stretching your arms, but Millie shakes her head.

"Oh, no. I'm due back soon anyways. Why don't you go with them, Tinny? I believe your sister had something to talk to you about."

For once, Tindalos does not look eager to obey Camilla… but she eventually relents and agrees.

"Hold on." The Eldritch says, holding her black-gelled arm wrist-up. A bit of movement occurs beneath its surface, and after a moment a jet-black mouse crawls from her wrist to scurry over to Millie. "If something happens I will be back."

"Thank you, Tinny." Millie replies as the creature crawls up her dress and settles next to her shoulder. You have to give the blind woman credit — you sincerely doubt you'd be anywhere near as calm if something you couldn't see crawled up you like that. "I think I'll call you… Dally." She tells the little mouse as she turns, waving a thin cane in front of her to find her way.

Tindalos looks at you expectantly and you wave for her to follow, remembering that she can actually fly alongside you now…


You relay Camilla's request to Tindalos, which makes the Eldritch go eerily silent for a while. Kyna watches her curiously, still clearly somewhat amazed at the Eldritch's agreeability. It's not until Skask enters your line of sight that Tindalos responds.

"If that is what she wishes." Tinny says simply, sounding a mixture of relieved and resigned. "Will you be there for me, when I tell her?"

"I… of course. If that's what you want." You reply. "I thought you'd want some privacy, but…"

She shakes her head, the humanity of the gesture making you smile. "I do not talk… normally. I fear she will misunderstand my words. If you are there, you can explain for me if I… screw up. Correct?"

"Sure." You reply, seeing her worry. You think she speaks clearly enough, but maybe you've just been around her enough now that you can pick out her meaning.

She goes silent once more at that, and the three of you make it all the way to Skask with minimal fuss.

--

You could just fly in to Skask, of course, but technically new arrivals to the city are supposed to go through the gate. Now that tensions in the city are lessening, there actually are monsters assisting at the gates, which includes harpies to catch any unknown fliers.

The guards give Tindalos a slightly curious look, but to your relief whatever naturally unnerving quality most Eldritch possess seems to have left her entirely. In fact, they seem more concerned with examining you than either of your companions.

"How do you keep your hair so silky?" One of the guardswomen, a short-haired elf asks, her face a soft shade of red. "I always had trouble keeping mine, so I just chopped it off."

"And your wings!" One of the new harpy guards comments, brushing her feathers along your own in a ticklish sort of way by accident as she prods your wing with her forewing. "They're so lustrous! Do you preen them often? Oil them, maybe? Perhaps if I could just—"

Flustered, you manage to fob them off by giving them a quick rundown of your daily care routine, but somehow that doesn't keep them from interrogating you. After a few minutes you finally convince them to let you pass, but you can't help but notice the lingering disappointment as they watch you leave.

"What in Mother's name was that all about?" You wonder aloud as you walk through the city, suddenly hyper-aware of any attention you receive — and you receive a lot of it.

"They wanted you to stay." Tindalos notes. "Are they your friends? I often want Millie to stay when she has to leave, and she is my friend."

"You normally fly over the wall, right?" Kyna asks, and you nod in reply. "So they don't see you up close often."

"Well, I suppose not. What, you think they're struck by my lovely looks?" You strike a mock pose and nearly jump as you hear a heavy thud to your left. A glance shows you that a tall, embarrassed-looking woman apparently ran headfirst into a low-hanging sign that she absolutely should have seen… assuming she hadn't been distracted, that is.

"Um… yeah." Kyna responds wryly. "I do think that, actually."

--

You'd actually gotten sort of used to how people shoot you weird looks now, but the sudden influx of attention from the guards has made you aware of it all over again. Thinking back a bit, you can recall a few times today where the Skask residents have been a bit… off in your presence.

In fact, you can vaguely remember more than one woman creeping a bit closer to you in the inn when you were talking to Liangyu. Was that why she seemed to shove you out so abruptly? You felt a little hurt at the time, but perhaps she just wasn't comfortable with her mom getting so much attention in front of her. You'll have to ask her later… and maybe tease her about it, too.

It at least works out in your favor, though. Eyes that may have otherwise lingered overlong on Tindalos find their way to you, and the Eldritch is free to ogle at the city and its various odds and ends unmolested. You hadn't considered how novel this experience might be for her, actually — has she ever been in a Beloved city before, in this life or another? You doubt it.

"Ah, here we are." You say, gesturing to the chapel for Tindalos's sake and making your way inside. She hesitates before following you in, glancing warily at the sky… but fortunately for everyone involved, no furious smiting occurs when she crosses the threshold.

One of the priestesses informs you that Tamael is in her office, so you make your way there. It's hard to believe this place was so much less welcoming just a few short months ago.


"Ariel." Tamael greets you with her usual warm smile as you enter the office. "Kynael. And…" She frowns, staring at Tindalos for a moment before her eyes widen. "Your Eldritch friend?"

"This is Tindalos, yes." You say, pushing her forward a bit. "She's changed since the last time you saw her, and I thought it might be helpful to examine her again."

Tamael nods, humming to herself as she stands. "A reasonable assumption, and one I would have posited myself had I known she was so close to her change. Hold still, dear?"

The wyldebeast obliges, shifting her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably as the light passes over her.

"Hmm…" Tamael intones, returning to her desk and rifling through some of her notes. Finding the Eldritch's page, she quickly scribbles down her findings while explaining them to your group.

"She's… still very much an Eldritch. If I were to describe her as a glass with both Eldritch and Beast liquids in it, she has more of both than before, but their amounts relative to one another have shifted — she's got more Beast and less Eldritch than before, though the latter still outweighs the former."

"I'm surprised She'd allow it to take after Her. Forgiveness, perhaps? Or revenge?" A voice mutters, sounding almost as if it were right in your ear. You turn your head and frown, having recognized Saiorse's voice but seeing no sign of her.

"What did you say?" You ask, but the fairy does not answer.

Tamael apparently assumed you meant her, as she'd been talking at the same time. "I said she'll likely always be Eldritch to some degree, but based on this information she can continue to… lessen the percentage, as it were."

"That's not… thank you." You sigh, realizing that either the fairy didn't intend on you hearing her and has clammed up to avoid spilling anything else, or the "slipup" was on purpose and she doesn't intend to elaborate for the moment.

You'll have to talk to her later, you think.

"Am I still required?" Tindalos asks, and Tamael shakes her head.

"You're free to go, dear. Ah, but first… Ariel, you recall that sensor ritual we discussed?"

It takes you a moment. "Oh! Right before this one decided to stick her head into a giant mess and give me a heart attack." You say, grabbing Kyna and ruffling her hair. She protests half-heartedly, clearly enjoying the attention more than she dislikes having her hair messed with.

"It works. As of right now there aren't any major signals that cannot be attributed to anyone in this room at the moment. Should that change, I'll let you know immediately."

You thank her before leaving the city and parting ways with Tindalos once more.

--

"Sorry." You say to Kynael as the two of you sit atop a rock in the fields outside of Skask. "I said I wanted to just spend time with you today, but things didn't quite work out like that."

"It's okay. I'm the one who brought up Tindalos."

"Still." You reply. "I could have waited to bring her to Tamael."

She doesn't reply right away, instead kicking her feet idly, a habit she's possessed since childhood. "I don't want to leave."

"I know you don't." You reply gently. "I don't want you to leave, for the record… but what we want isn't always what's best."

She nods sadly. Doubtless she wants to argue, but she knows the futility of the effort. "Can I visit again?"

"Of course." You assure her before frowning. "Assuming Mika doesn't lock you up for the next decade, that is."

"Pfft." Kyna waves a hand dismissively. "She'll want someone to check on you anyways. That'll be me."

"Oh?" You raise an eyebrow. "And you're sure of that?"

"Yup." She replies cheerfully. "She won't trust most of our sisters to do it, and anyone she does trust will be too busy. Since she was keeping me at home anyways, I don't have anything else to do… meaning I'm the obvious choice even if she is mad at me."

"Hmph." You wrap an arm around her opposite shoulder and tug her in closer, making her rest her head on your shoulder happily. "Brat. Who do you even take after?"

"The best angel." She replies immediately. "Mika's told me stories about you, you know."

"All exaggerated." You lie easily. "I've only ever been the model of angelic decorum, I'll have you know."

"Sure." She drolls. "And I threw away all my dye like I was supposed to."

You choose to be magnanimous and not comment on that.


The two of you spend some more quality time with one another before making your way back to the homestead, where you are predictably ambushed by a horde of winged monsters.

"Mama!" The triplets shout in unison as they attempt to literally drag you down to their level, with Jeniel smiling up at you from the shin she's trying to take out from under you as she continues speaking. "Tia said to distract you so she can sneak up on you! Oh. Oops."

"You—!" An angry shriek comes from the trees, where Tianshi pokes her head out. "You did that on purpose!"

"No I didn't!" Jeniel replies, scandalized.

Astel seems similarly affronted as she releases the arm she was attempting to drag you to the ground by. "No she didn't!"

Ciel giggles atop your back and whispers the truth in your ear. "Tia didn't want to play with us earlier so this is what she gets."

The three of them abandon you and switch to attempting to take down their older sister, but she's got one big advantage that they don't — flight.

"Ah! Cheater!"

"Bully!"

"Devil!"

"We're all devils, you brats!" She shouts back at them.

They continue to hurl insults in an attempt to get her to land, but she simply ignores them and flies off while they rush after her on foot. Signali arrives as they depart, and for once one of your children seems less interested in you than in someone else — in this case, Kynael. Your sister is quickly convinced to carry her niece home, a feat far easier said than done due to the fact that Signali is basically a living liquid, but Kyna doesn't seem to mind.

A little hand wriggles its way into your own and you look down at Estelle, who looks back up at you expectantly. Tightening your hand around hers makes her give you an angelic smile as you make your way back to your home…

--

Dinner is as hectic as it ever is with over thirty mouths at the table, but at this point you wouldn't have it any other way. Once everyone goes to their separate rooms or to bathe, you get a moment to yourself…

… or rather a moment alone with a certain fairy.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about earlier?" You ask, and after a good minute of silence the fae finally responds.

"Eventually." Her bell-like voice echoes in the room as she pops into existence inches from your nose. "But not now."

"Any reason why?"

"I don't want to." She replies with a small smile. "You will discover the answer on your own, I think. That is more interesting than simply giving it to you."

"Can you tell me if it's important for me to know, at least?"

"Oh, immensely." She replies, her smile widening. "But not for the reasons you might think. The beastly blood of Eris is more of an anomaly than you realize, hm? For one of her origin to think of anyone as a 'friend'…"

She laughs, the wind-chime ripple once more echoing throughout the room. "Let us just say that you may have found something the Goddesses themselves thought long lost."

Her eyes twinkle as she dangles that vague hint in front of you and when you blink she's gone, a few fairy dust particles in the air being the only evidence that she was ever present.

If you ever had any doubts that Saiorse is more than just a pixie, they've all but vanished now.

--

Kyna is even clingier tonight than she was last night, so much so that you think you'd have trouble breathing if you hadn't already undergone a change three times. Your dreams are blissfully free of any oddities this night, instead being filled with little angels…


The next morning is a somber one.

Kyna refuses to get out of bed and actively tries to prevent you from doing so either. You actually have to give her credit — apparently while you were speaking with Saiorse last night she managed to convince several of your traitorous spawn to assist her in this endeavor.

"Camiel, sweetheart." You say sweetly.

"Yeah, mom?"

"Let go of my legs, please."

"I don't want to."

Hm.

"Luna, Zuriel."

"Mama." Come two voices in unison.

"Get off my wings, please."

"Don't wanna."

"Kynael." You say warningly, realizing that you're going to have to go for the head of this particular serpent if you wish to be free.

"No."

"Young lady, don't you say 'no' to me."

"I don't wanna leave."

"I know you don't."

"So don't make me." She replies petulantly.

"Honestly, Kyna. You're over a century old, it's past time—"

It takes a while longer to finally convince your treasonous children to release you, and longer than that to get Kyna herself to finally give in to the inevitable.

Her departure is attended by all of your family, and more than a few tears are shed — mostly from Kynael herself, admittedly. You hold on admirably as your daughters kiss their aunt goodbye, but when the time comes for you to to so yourself you can feel the dam is ready to burst.

"Kyna." You manage to keep your voice straight as you look at your blotchy-faced sister. "You never should have come down after me. It was foolish, irresponsible, and insanely dangerous, and if you ever do anything like it again I will spank you so hard that you won't be able to sit down for an entire century."

"But, all that said… I never thought I'd see you again. I'm… I'm glad I was wrong." Your voice breaks and you wrap your arms around her tightly, a gesture which she returns in kind. You close your eyes against the flood of tears the spills down your cheeks and onto her shoulder, and for a moment you can't help but think back on the first hug you ever gave her.

--

It's been a long, long year. Samael and her cronies have been absolutely relentless, Mikael is busy, and you're feeling crushingly, overwhelmingly alone. Which is why when your Mother calls you to her side, you wonder if she's going to berate or console you.

The actual reason is something you never expected.

"This is Kynael."

You don't know what to say as your Mother gently brushes her robes aside, revealing a tiny blonde-haired blue-eyed angel who can't be older than six hiding behind them and clinging to her leg. The girl stares up at you with wonder in her eyes, clearly not used to seeing anyone besides Mother.

"I… don't understand." You tell your Mother, confused as to why she's called you to her side for the first time in literal centuries. Surely she doesn't just want to show off your latest little sister? Sure, she's cute, but…

"You are to raise her." Mother says, gently pressing Kynael's back and moving the girl forward. Kynael looks back at her in surprise. "It's alright, Kyna. Ariel is your sister. She'll take good care of you… won't you?" She looks up at you.

Stunned, you open your mouth to protest. "Surely you can't be serious? Mother, you know what the others will say about her, don't you? It's not fair to her. I can't—"

"You can and you will." Mother's voice makes it clear she will brook no argument. "It will be good for both of you."

"She's so young, Mother." You say, ignoring your better judgment and arguing with a literal Goddess to spare your sister the torment of being your sister. "Look, she clearly doesn't want to leave your side. Can't this wait a few years? I—"

"Ariel." Justicia says, making you freeze as you meet her eyes. "It will be alright. Trust me. Kynael…" She looks down at the girl, brushing a finger against Kyna's cheek lovingly. "She is more fierce than she looks. Treat her well and your bond shall never waver."

Apparently that's the end of the conversation as Kynael is guided to your side before the two of your are seen out of the chamber entirely. You look down at the girl, who looks back at you, her eyes still wide with wonder.

"Kynael?" You say after a moment of mental grappling with the sudden responsibility you find yourself with.

She doesn't respond verbally but you can tell she's listening, so you get on one knee to meet her at her own eye level. "I… I won't lie to you. I don't have any idea what I'm doing."

Her baby-blue eyes stare into yours, unwavering, and you choose to take that as a good sign. "Many of our sisters hate me. They'll say bad things to you about me. That might say bad things about you. I don't care if they say something about me, but if they ever hurt you…"

You pause, trying to think of what to say. "Well, just tell me. I'll make sure they don't do it again. Okay?"

She nods, and you sigh. "Not very talkative are you? No, that's fine!" You assure her as she looks down ashamedly. "Sorry, like I said. I don't know what I'm doing. Come on, you."

You lift her up and she squeaks in surprise, reflexively wrapping her arms around your neck as your rise. You hug her in return, thinking about just how awkward this whole thing is and how arbitrary your Mother's whims are…

… but for some reason, the troubles that weighed on you before are gone, replaced by the weight of the little angel in your arms.

--

You're on your knees, you realize, having taken Kyna down with you as you broke down sobbing. She's not holding back any better than you are, and you wonder if she's thinking back to that moment as well.

"don't wanna…" She hiccups into your chest.

"I know." You reply, struggling to regain control of your voice. "But you're always welcome, you know? I… I'll always have room for you. No matter what."

She mumbles something that sounds like it could be either 'okay' or 'no way.' Probably the former, given the context. "Come on, you. Mika's probably worried sick. There we go, wings up…"

Slowly, regretfully, Kynael rises into the air wingbeat by wingbeat, her hand held in your own for as long as possible before the tips of your fingers finally separate. With one last hiccupped sob she turns her head towards the heavens and soars, and you watch her ascent until you can no longer see her ever-shrinking figure.


You spend the rest of the day in a bit of a fog. If you didn't have your family, you'd probably have spiraled into a depression not unlike the one that accompanied your Fall… but when you're being constantly checked up on by your fiancées and children it's hard to not feel your chest swell despite yourself.

"There, there." Evara coos as you lay your head in her lap. "She'll be back soon enough, I bet. I got the impression she's not one to take no for an answer as far as you're concerned."

You giggle. "Yeah. She's a brat."

"You tend to raise those, I notice." She replies cheekily, and you stick your tongue out at her.

"Speaking of, could you remind Soniel that she should wear underwear to bed? Or at least something other than a shirt."

Eva frowns. "What do you mean? She wears pajamas to bed. You've seen them. The ones with the little slimes on them?"

Oh. Right. She literally begged you to custom order those for her when she found out about that particular seamstress. "Then why wasn't she wearing them this morning…?"

"Oh, Ari." Eva sighs as she brushes your hair. "You really are a handful, you know that?"

--

Your night is rather more hectic than usual, as your daughters and lovers have apparently decided to take shifts sleeping in your bed. You're woken up every few hours as the bodies shift and are replaced, but in the end you can't really complain. It makes you feel loved, and really, now that two of your children have flown the nest in quick succession? You kind of need that.

Your dreams are filled with memories of Lia and Kyna, bittersweet and beautiful.