I don't own Re:Zero or any of the characters.

Settled

Ian groaned pitifully as he stirred, every cell in his body screaming in protest at the inevitability of him moving and his head pulsating like Meili's giant hippo was kicking his temples with every beat of his heart. Of course, he reasoned, the fact that he was in pain and his heart was, in fact, beating was probably as good a sign as he was getting. He forced his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering unresponsively for a few seconds before finally crawling open. His eyes burned instantly, as though he'd been awake staring at his computer for two days straight like he used to. He ignored the familiar discomfort and looked down, finally noticing the two sets of arms wrapped around him and the two small forms pressed tight to his sides. He smiled, relief both that they'd saved him and that Ram was so worried that she was holding him while he slept washing over him. After a moment, he lifted his left hand, which was pinned under her, to gently stroke it over her hair.

She stirred instantly, blinking twice before looking up at him, her eyes bloodshot but her face otherwise apathetic. "You may stop touching Ram now, indecent man."

Ian sighed, smiling. "Good morning to you, too." His smile fell. "Are you alright?"

Ram's eyes narrowed. "You truly have no sense, asking Ram if she's okay when you were the one who was wounded. It would be better for you to ask how injured you still are."

Ian smiled again. "I'm glad to know you were worried about me."

Ram's narrowed eyes became a full scowl. "I was merely worried about my Sister's heart." She paused slightly, then turned her head away. "That is the only reason that I gave you my blood. It had nothing to do with saving you, so forget it." She glanced at him. "Although, proper etiquette dictates that you show Ram your gratitude in a manner at minimum equaling the actions you are grateful for."

Ian sighed, smiling, and squeezed her lightly. "Thank you for helping save my life, Ram. I'll find a suitable way to repay you. I promise."

Ram huffed, turning her head away again. "Useless. Having nothing to show your gratitude with. Fine. Ram will give you one month to repay her kindness."

Ian smiled and nodded, then turned his head to Rem, kissing her forehead. Before she'd even woken fully, as if by instinct alone, she reached up, kissing him. Ian smiled as he returned the kiss, ignoring the feeling of Ram watching them. Finally, he pulled back and worry filled Rem's features.

"How do you feel?" Rem asked.

"Like I just got sat on by the White Whale," Ian grimaced. "But I think i'm out of danger, so the pain should pass."

Rem nodded, smiling in relief.

Ian's face grew serious as the events leading up to him being wounded filtered into his brain, namely the identity of Elsa's client and her message to him before the battle. "There's something I need to tell you both."

Both watched him in silence.

"The assassins were hired by Roswaal," Ian said.

Ram's reaction was exactly as he'd expected. Outrage.

"How dare you baselessly accuse Lord Roswaal of something so horrible!?" Ram shrieked.

"Do you remember her message before the fight started?" Ian asked calmly.

Ram hesitated, frowning. "Killing you was non-negotiable?"

"Before that," Ian said.

Ram thought for a moment. "Consider yourself warned."

Ian nodded. "That message was from Roswaal. A few days ago, when I found his Gospel, I made a deal with him. In exchange for me helping him keep things going in accordance with it's instructions, he would warn me before he did anything that would put the two of you in danger. So, when she said to consider myself warned..."

"It was Lord Roswaal keeping his promise," Rem said.

"Pretending to," Ian said. "He knew full well that the warning was meant to be so that I could get you two out of the way. By having the message delivered as it was, he was doing the bare minimum to technically not be in breach of our agreement while still putting you two in a situation he fully expected to result in both of you dying."

Ram shook her head, expression conflicted. "Lord Roswaal would never do such a thing. He would never...He would never risk Sister's safety. That was our agreement."

"Like allowing the Witch's Cult to destroy your village?" Ian asked, Rem's eyes going wide. "Or allowing Rem to try and wipe out the Wolgarm in the forest alone when there was no way she could have succeeded?"

Ram's face grew more and more conflicted.

"Ram, what does he mean Roswaal allowed the Witch's Cult to destroy our village?" Rem asked.

Ram hesitated before sighing. "He knew about the attack before it happened, but allowed it to happen anyway in an effort to achieve his goal."

Rem's eyes narrowed. "And you're okay with that? It's his fault Mother and Father died! It's his fault you lost your horn!"

"That's the Witch's Cult's fault!" Ram said. "Lord Roswaal would never cause-"

"The fault is his by choosing to allow it," Ian said.

Ram's distress grew, before Ian sighed, looking outside at the star-lit sky. With a jolt, he remembered they were on a time limit.

"Shit!" Ian swore. "What time is it? How long was I asleep?"

"Only a few hours," Rem said. "It's almost midnight."

Ian scrambled out from between the two of them, noticing he was bare of clothes besides underwear, and grabbed a pair of black pants from off to the side and pulled them on. Then, he grabbed his gospel from the bedside table, his brain not stopping to wonder why Ram had said nothing about it, and ran to the door. "Beatrice, we need to talk."

He opened the door and found Beatrice sitting on her step ladder just inside the library. She looked up as he walked into the room, her own Gospel resting in her lap.

"You're awake," Betty said. "You'll most likely be in pain for a few days, I suppose. In order to save you, Ram's blood had to be transferred to your body. But your own Od began to fade, I suppose, so I was forced to supplement it with the trace amounts of Ram's Od that remained within her blood, I suppose. You won't die, but it will take a long time for it to settle, I suppose."

"Okay," Ian nodded. "Now get up, it's time for you to leave this library and get involved with the real world. You're done being a shut-in."

Beatrice's eyes widened. "What is this nonsense, I suppose?"

Ian sighed. He hadn't expected it to be that easy. "Your gospel's empty, isn't it?"

Beatrice hesitated before opening the book, displaying its blank pages. "How did you know?"

"What were your instructions in the contract?" Ian asked.

"Betty has no reason to tell you," Beatrice said.

Ian nodded. "Then I'll guess. Echidna was too smart not to see her death coming, so you're probably not keeping the library safe for her. I'm assuming this Library is all of her accumulated knowledge, possibly tied to her Authority. But if you're not keeping it safe for her, then who for? Not yourself, because as your contract makes it impossible for you to leave, you'd have no use for it. So instead, there must be someone else. A successor of Echidna's, maybe?"

"Someone..." Beatrice trailed off, then changed the conversation topic. "Where did you get that Gospel, I suppose?"

"From the source herself," Ian said.

Betty's eyes fell. "Then Mother really has forgotten Betty." She seemed to forget Ian was there. "Why, Mother? Did Betty not do well enough, I suppose? Was Betty wrong? Were one of them Betty's 'They?'"

"You're supposed to hand the knowledge over, but Echidna never told you who it would be, did she?" Ian asked. "You've been waiting here for four hundred years without the slightest idea who you were even waiting for."

Beatrice nodded. "Betty's 'They' never came."

"And that's where your wrong," Ian said.

Beatrice looked up at him, eyes widening slightly before her brow furrowed. Her eyes dropped to the Gospel in his hands. "You are...Betty's 'They?'"

Ian sighed, shaking his head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not."

Beatrice's head fell.

"You already have a 'They,'" Ian said. "So I can't be it."

Beatrice's brows furrowed in confusion.

"What did everyone you rejected want?" Ian asked.

"They wanted Mother's knowledge, or Betty's power, I suppose," Beatrice said.

"So if none of them were the person you were waiting for, and they all wanted the same thing, then wouldn't that mean that the person you're waiting for is someone who has no interest in Echidna's knowledge or your power?" Ian asked.

Beatrice's brow scrunched up even more. "No person like that exists, I suppose. No one except..." she stopped, eyes widening before fury and indignation bloomed on her face. "That is inconceivable, I suppose! There is no way Mother would have chosen that idiot as Betty's 'They!'"

"And yet, you know I'm right," Ian said. "He'd never accept that he's your they, but he wants to save you from here as well."

"No!" Beatrice snapped. "You're wrong, I suppose!"

Ian sighed, shaking his head and raising his Gospel. "It's in here. I'm supposed to make a temporary contract with you in order to get you to the Sanctuary so that the contract can be switched to Subaru."

Beatrice's eyes widened. "I don't believe you, I suppose."

Ian tossed her the book. "Page three."

Beatrice frowned and opened it, turning to the page he'd said and reading it silently. Suddenly, her eyes went as wide as saucers, the book falling from her hands. "He's...So then...Mother..."

"He doesn't beat Door Crossing because he's lucky," Ian said. "He beats Door Crossing because even without accepting it, you've chosen him as your 'They.'"

Beatrice stared at the book before frowning. "I'm sure I just read something that proves your argument, I suppose. But I can't remember it."

"She said that's how it works," Ian said. "Only I can remember what it says."

Beatrice nodded, picking up the book and walking over to him, holding it out to him. "What should Betty do with her Gospel?"

"Leave it behind," Ian said. "It's not updating anymore, and now your job as keeper of the Library is finished, so there's no need for you to have it. Besides, if the time ever comes that you do need it, it'll still be here."

Beatrice considered for a long few moments before nodding. "A temporary contract, was it, I suppose?"

"Yeah," Ian nodded. "Something simple, like, I'll take you to Subaru so you can form a contract with him, voiding ours, and in exchange, you'll help me fight any impending threats that arise in the mean time."

"What threats are you expecting to meet, I suppose?" Beatrice asked.

"At this point, I've fought a surprise fight against Elsa twice, a horde of Wolgarm, the White Whale, three Sin Archbishops, and Garfiel. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to have to fight against both the Great Rabbit and the Black Serpent by the time we find Subaru."

Beatrice sighed. "You're as much a magnet for trouble as the other idiot is, I suppose."

"And you're going to have had a contract with both of us," Ian smirked.

Beatrice sighed heavily before walking over and placing her hand against his chest. "No point restating the terms, I suppose. I agree to yours. You'll be able to use magic using me instead of your Gate until the contract ends. It'll work the same, I suppose, but your own depleted mana won't be used."

Ian nodded. This was why it had to be a contract instead of just her accompanying him. Because he was going to need his magic.

"Will you need to be next to me for me to use you as a Gate?" Ian asked.

"Yes," Beatrice nodded.

Ian nodded and turned to the open door where Rem and Ram were standing, Rem holding out his sword belt, now free of the sheath for Felix's sword. "Where's my broken sword?"

"It's in your room," Rem said.

"Since it's broken, we thought it would be best to leave it behind," Ram said.

Ian nodded, finishing fastening his belt and accepting his boots from Ram before Rem closed the door. Ian slipped his boots on just before they stepped out of the door and into a room with a huge crystal in the center of the room with Ryuzu trapped inside.

"What...is..." Rem trailed off, almost everyone staring at it, Ian noticing Beatrice refusing to look at it.

"Finally!" Subaru groaned from beside them. "You were almost late!"

"Sorry," Ian said, turning to him. "We had a bit of trouble."

"Whoa!" Subaru yelped, staring at the jagged scar in his chest, over his heart. "What..."

"I'm fine, now," Ian said. "Are we too late?"

"Not yet," Subaru said. "Garfiel says he can smell them coming, though."

"They?" Beatrice asked.

"The Great Rabbit," Subaru said.

Beatrice's eyes widened before she looked up at Ian in surprise. "How long?"

"Not very," Subaru said.

"We should switch the contract now," Beatrice said.

"Not yet," Ian said. "There something that needs to be dealt with before the Great Rabbit gets here."

"What!?" Subaru yelped.

"Relax," Ian said, holding up his Gospel. "I have a feeling we have just enough time."

Subaru hesitated before nodding. "Get to the tomb as soon as you're finished."

"Will do," Ian nodded.

They all left the area, and Ram took the lead, saying she could sense Roswaal. Ian knew where to find him, but he allowed her to lead anyway. After a couple of minutes of running, they all slowed to a stop as they finally found him. He was in a clear area of the forest, and as they stepped out, he turned to them, fury and malice shining from his face instantly.

"How dare you show yourself here!?" Roswaal snarled, his usual tone absent and his heterochromatic eyes shining with a crazed light. "How dare you still be alive!? HOW DARE YOU CONTINUE TO DEFY ECHIDNA'S WRIT!?"

"I told you, I am Narcissism," Ian said. "I refuse to die because you tell me to. But while we're discussing your plans, we'd like to file some complaints."

"Oh is that right!?" Roswaal roared. "And what makes you think you have that right!?"

Ian drew his sword, Ram her wand, and Rem her flail.

"First complaint," Ian said.

"You put Rem in danger," Ram said.

"You put Ram in danger," Rem said.

"And you warned me in such a way to prevent me from keeping them out of danger," Ian said. "Second complaint."

"You allowed our home to be destroyed and Sister's horn to be cut off," Rem said. "Third complaint."

"You manipulated me every step of the way to make me useful, then tried to throw both me and Rem aside by way of Regulus Corneus and Lye Batenkaitos," Ian said. "Final complaint."

"Your complete obsession with your Gospel," all four of them said.

Roswaal's fury spiked sharply. "And what will you do!? Why should I care about your complaints!?"

"We'll do what we must," Ian said.

"We'll snatch you away from your witch delusions," Ram said.

"So, as soon as the world diverges from the writ of my Gospel, the first thing you do is turn against my plan," Roswaal snarled at Ram, voice dripping with venomous rage. "That is, after all, why you're here, isn't it? After all this time swearing false loyalty and serving as a faithful pawn, now you finally have your chance for revenge?"

Ram remained silent, Ian seeing the pain and guilt in her eyes, born of standing against the man to whom her heart belonged. He refocused his attention on Roswaal, Beatrice stepping back, away from the impending battle, Ian's Gospel held to her chest.

"Are you so suuure the world has truly diverged from my Goooospel's writ Ram?" Roswaal asked, his usual tone suddenly back and his eyes, while no less deranged, suddenly shining with something akin to arrogance, rather than rage.

"I am," Ram nodded. "For as long as Ian draws breath, at the very least, the world has diverged. There is also the fact that Subaru has lost his qualifications and cannot challenge the trials, and Miss Emilia is currently undertaking the final Trial, and will pass it. She will not make it snow in the Sanctuary, so there is nothing currently that matches your Gospel's writ."

Roswaal, once again glaring at Ian, took several ragged breaths. "Indeed. Ian's persisting existence is a divergence I can no longer permit. I was certain that woman would be enough to kill you, but apparently I overestimated her abilities."

"She would have killed me, if not for Rem and Beatrice healing me and Ram giving me her blood," Ian said, smirking as shock and outrage filled Roswaal's face.

"You?" Roswaal snarled. "You forced a divergence?"

"The world had already diverged," Ram said. "I was within the terms of the contract to save his life. And now, I am acting within the terms of the contract to free you from your obsession."

Roswaal snapped. Apparently, her having no regrets about saving Ian was the straw that broke the camel's back, and as soon just as she finished her sentence, his arm snapped up, a massive flood of crimson flames spewing from his palm. Ram reacted first, swiping her cane and sending a massive blast of wind magic into the flames, only for them to erupt into a massive vortex of flames and wind, spanning ten feet across and sucking all the air around it into itself, forming a sort of vacuum. As it sped toward them, the four of them scattered, Beatrice retreating, distancing herself from the fight, as per the orders Ian gave her on the way here, as he could use her as a Gate without her actually being at his side, while Ian and Rem circled the incoming strike one way while Ram went the other. As soon as it reached where they were, the three of them having moved only ten feet away from it, the base of the vortex suddenly constricted then bulged, changing its form into a massive explosion, which hurled all three through the air. Ian flipped, catching Rem before activating his magic, landing on a cushion of wind before dropping her and taking off. His face formed into a mask of focus and concentration, his eyes carefully analyzing Roswaal as he looked around between his three opponents, all three of which were still circling. Finally, he turned, swiping a hand toward Ian, sending out three massive fireballs. One was crimson, one blue, and one a vivid green. Ian snorted, launching himself high into the air, escaping all three before spinning himself, focusing wind magic to the tip of his sword before slinging it at Roswaal. Roswaal sent a green fireball into it to block it and it transformed into a massive serpent, which crashed heavily to the ground and streaked toward Ram, only for a massive spear of ice to explode down on its head, the rest of the serpent erupting into an elongated explosion. Ian landed on a cushion of wind magic again and raced forward as Roswaal began to turn toward him.

Ian pulled his sword back beside him. Roswaal's eyes could be healed later by Felix. If he blinded him, they could proceed without trouble. However, before he could reach Roswaal, fireballs, dozens of them, suddenly burst into life in a vortex, flying around and around Roswaal, each fireball a different shade somewhere between the three previous colors. Before Ian could collide with the vortex of flames, however, Rem's flail wrapped around him, yanking him backward away from it. At the same time, Ian and Ram both struck, Ian slashing and sending the same attack as before at Roswaal while Ram fired an El Fura. Both attacks slammed into the vortex from opposite sides and detonated all of the fireballs at once. Out of the resultant explosion emerged three massive, flaming serpents; one a dark green, one a deep purple, and one a dull, almost grey, blue. Rem leapt into the air, forming a massive ice spike for each, only for the purple serpent to avoid it. Ian shot toward it as it sped toward Ram, who had run out of mana and was barely standing now. It opened its mouth wide, lunging, but Ian swept past, grabbing her at the last second and escaping from the explosion just before it struck.

"Why do you continue to interfere!?" Roswaal roared, arm extending and fireballs of varying shades spraying from his palm like a machine gun, Ian keeping ahead of them. "Why do you try so hard!"

"You fail to understand," Ram said, her voice being largely drowned out by the explosions, though Roswaal's brow furrowed in confusion, proving he could hear her regardless. "You believe I am fighting you for revenge. You believe it was always about revenge." She paused as Ian launched them into the air over a particularly large blast of blue flames. "At first it was, but after years of serving you, it changed." She paused again as Rem's flail wrapped around Ian's ankle, yanking them back to the ground and under a trio of crimson fireballs. "I fell in love with you, Lord Roswaal. I have waited for a long time to be able to free you from your obsession so that I could then prove my feelings to you in hopes of them being reciprocated. To earn your attention."

"You lie!" Roswaal roared, firing a barrage of fireballs at them, Ian stopping and setting Ram down, extending his arm. "Feelings cannot change so drastically!"

"Ul Fura!" Ian growled, a massive cyclone swallowing the flames, transforming into a vortex of flames for a moment before spewing the flames into the air above them where they dispersed harmlessly.

"However," Ram continued, her voice growing serious and her tone severe as Ian sped away from her, taking Roswaal's aim with him. "You endangered my perfect sister, and have repeatedly attempted to have her killed. And you did the same to Ian. That is an unforgiveable crime. This is no longer to prove my feelings to you. You will never return them, and after what you've done, I no longer desire that. I will punish you for what you've done."

Roswaal roared, spinning and sending a ring of crimson flames surging outward from himself. However, as he did, Ian and Rem both appeared in front of her, extending their arms.

"El Fura!"

"Ul Huma!"

A massive blast of wind magic exploded into the flames a split second before a massive wall of enormous ice spikes appeared in a semicircle around them. The explosion of Ian's magic against Roswaal's washed over the ice, shattering the outer half of them, but diverting around them. Then, Ram shrieked in pain and effort, blood flooding from her eyes and streaming down her face from where her horn should be. As she exploded forward, Rem's flail exploded through the ice wall in front of them, then through the ground, sending a massive wave of debris at Roswaal. Roswaal shouted in effort, swiping a hand and clearing the debris with a pulse of mana, only to reveal Ram streaking toward him faster than he could process. However, rather than killing him, she streaked past him, taking his Gospel with her.

"W...What!?" Roswaal gaped, having been expecting an attack. He turned to to her, staring uncomprehendingly as she vomited blood. Then, his eyes fell upon the black book in her hand. "That-"

"You are...useful," Ram forced out, blood coating much of her face from her eyes down. "This is...the root...of all evil."

Just as Roswaal began to run, Ram swung her arm, casting the Gospel into a smoldering green fire left over from the battle. The instant the book landed in it, the flames flared back to life, incinerating the book almost instantaneously. Roswaal roared in rage, swiping his arm, only for Ian's fist to explode into his jaw, his condensed magic shattering his jaw and sending him bouncing along the ground. However, the spell had been cast. A massive fireball twice Ian's height sped across the ground at Ram. Ian's magic roared as he sped to her side, ramming his shoulder into her. She bounced away instantly, but just as she did, the fireball caught Ian's legs, erupting into a massive explosion and flinging him. Rem extended her horn, mana surging toward her as she caught him, instantly setting him down as she and Beatrice began to heal his legs.

"You're an imbecile, I suppose!" Beatrice snapped. "You must want to die, I suppose!"

"Twice in a day!" Ram seethed, walking over to drop onto her knees beside him, slapping him. "Do you even care about Rem's feelings at all!?"

"I do," Ian nodded. "That's why I saved her sister. That way she would never have to know the pain of losing her only sister."

Ram sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Irredeemably foolish."

Ian sighed, shrugging, and looked down at his legs. Both were still mangled and heavily burned, but they were regenerating rapidly. Finally, after about four minutes, the burns were healed enough for him to use his legs and he pushed himself up, all four quickly heading for the tomb, Ian using his magic to avoid having to use his legs. However, after a moment, it began to snow just as Ram's legs gave out, dropping her to the ground. Ian swung back around, stopping beside her.

"You pushed yourself too far," Ian said.

"Transforming as I did, using my lost demon power without my horn, strains my body past its limit," Ram said. "And after having used it once already to get what was needed to save you, Ram is at her limit."

"You used that to save me?" Ian asked.

Ram nodded. "It was the only option."

Ian smiled, nodding. "Thank you, Ram. It means a lot."

Ram nodded, then looked back toward the field. "Lord Roswaal is making it snow, and has likely given up on living. He will not find shelter from the Great Rabbit."

Ian sighed. "I'll go get him and bring him to the tomb. We still need him."

The others nodded and Rem picked Ram up onto her back before heading for the tomb, Ian heading back to save the person who was roughly number three for whose deaths he most wanted to see.

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