Thank god I can still write! Sorry for the wait everyone, but I hope the one-shots I posted were enough to sate your appetites while I tried to get this chapter rolling. We're almost out of Vacuo as well, but I'm not too sure where the story is headed too next. Anyhow, that's for me to figure out, so with that I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Cheers, Searoar.

"Qrow, if you keep messing around with that ring I'm going to have to take it away from you." Summer pouted as the man in question reeled back in slight shock.

"Sorry, Summer, I guess my mind's starting to wander since we haven't had any Grimm to slay for the rest of the trip." Qrow sighed and put his belonging in his pocket.

Qrow didn't want to risk wearing it again, as much as he was inclined to, because the headache that followed his previous experience was already a decent deterrent. Still, the ring's potential was worth noting, especially since it was linked to Hawkins in some shape or form. Yet the magician never made note of Qrow's ring before... was it because he already knew about it and was simply unwilling to share his knowledge? Or was Hawkins just as clueless as Qrow?

"That's it," Summer rolled her eyes as Qrow subconsciously pulled out his ring in the span of half a minute. "I'm going to hold onto this until we've got everything sorted out and while we're at it, will you please eat some food? Your stomach is growling like an Ursa Major's."

Qrow made a smug comment about watching his sugar levels but was rebuffed as his leader shooed him away in the likeness of a stern mother. Summer watched Qrow, and pursed her lips as he dragged his feet. He was unhappy with her, Summer knew that all too well, as was Tai, but neither man voiced their complaints and chose to bottle it up until their mission was over. But was that truly how a team was to function? If there were problems among them, Summer was more than eager to sort things out and have a serious talk.

"Because I'm sick and tired of you being such a horrible disappointment!"

Summer blinked and clenched her fists. She knew what she said the last time she spoke to Hawkins. The memory played in her head like a broken record, always there and sounding its horrible tunes whether its audience wanted to hear it or not. Summer sighed bitterly. She did scream, she did pout, and she brought out her frustrations on her partner who was only doing what he thought was best for them at that given moment. Was that what Summer was? A child who stomped their feet whenever they didn't get what they wanted? Oum, was that how Hawkins saw her when he ended their call?

"How can I be a leader that deserves respect when I throw a tantrum whenever things don't go my way?" Summer scolded herself. It was reasonable, she thought, for Hawkins to not include herself or the others when he ventured out to a kingdom that was known to value strength above all else.

"That's why you left me..." Summer whimpered. While she may have graduated as one of the best huntresses in Beacon, she was leagues away from being the best leader. Summer stared out the window seeing nothing but sand and a sparse tumbleweed on occasion as she fiddled with the ring in her hand.

"Haha, now I see why Port has so many gray hairs," Summer chuckled. "Being a leader has to be the hardest job in the world. Meeting expectations, time management, and people skills, how many of those qualities do I actually have?"

A tear rolled down Summer's cheek and dipped into the downward curl of her lips.

"I... I want to make things right, but how do I do that? Hawkins probably hates me, and he'll most likely shut himself away when he finds out I followed him to Vacuo. W-Will Jaune hate me too? He's only six years old, and he's had to live on his own with Raven of all people."

Summer scowled. Whatever respect she had for her former partner, was worth but a thin strand of hair after all she'd done. The rivalry between Raven and Summer for Tai's affections was ferocious and heartfelt, but the genuine truth in their emotions was something that both women understood; despite neither of them verbally declaring it. Summer took a deep breath, then exhaled and loosened her hands. Qrow's ring dangled from between her thumb and index finger, and the more she dwelled on her inner musings, she could feel the ring heat up and her aura pulse within her breast.

Summer blinked. She held up the ring, focused her aura on her fingertips, and felt something stir within the ring. The feeling was foreign to her, but with much pondering, Summer deduced the sensation to be comforting. In a strange sort of way.

"Raven has a ring like this too..."

Summer recalled the day she'd brought Raven to a jewelry store. It wasn't the best gamble for their first day out in the city as partners, as the red reaper would come to realize, but it did give her some insight into her conservative partner. The rings were gifted to the Branwen siblings on their mother's passing, and since then they always kept them on, even when they bathed. That is until last night when Qrow's ring decided to develop a crazy power that allowed him to catch a glimpse of Hawkins of all people.

Summer pouted. She wanted to see Hawkins too...

More warmth seeped into the ring, and when Summer took note of this, she held up the silver trinket and stared at it for what felt like hours. Why did this happen, why was it when she thought of Hawkins the ring decided to react? Perhaps Qrow was thinking of Hawkins when the ring heated up as well?

Checking to see if any of her peers were around, Summer felt guilty but tried to infuse the ring with some of her aura. Miraculously, the ring reacted and gained a bright silver light that sparkled brightly as a star and as hot as a campfire... or it didn't, and the ring decided to remain dormant as usual.

"Haha, why did I think that would work?" Summer softly shook her head. Life didn't often give handouts, especially to people in the wrong, but still, Summer could still hope couldn't she?

"Or maybe..." Summer bit her lower lip and hesitantly slipped the Qrow's belonging over her ring finger. It was then the ring decided to reveal its potential, and Summer was engulfed in a silver light that was as hot as a campfire.

Summer fought through the pain. She was ready for this, as the same scene happened to Qrow, and with careful breaths and aura control, Summer gained control of the ring's spiraling energies and focused it from a wild hot flame to a tame warmth.

"Hawkins... Can I see you too?" Summer whispered. She closed her eyes, clasped her left hand over the right which had the ring and pressed her palms against her chest.

/-/

"Um... Who are you?" Bastion stared at the random appearance of a silver puff of smoke that bobbed around the withered tree.

Bastion had returned to his stomping grounds after he'd made sure that Hawkins had departed, and was hoping for alone time to ponder ways of keeping the pale witch out of his domain, but alas fortune was a fickle thing that tended to change its mind like a coin flip.

"W-Where am I?! And why can't I feel my legs? Or arms? Or anything for that matter?!" The silver smoke wailed as it circled around the tree sending whisps of sparking silver light into the air as it did so.

"This is the spirit world, it's a place for the dead," Bastion replied. He'd learned through many trials and errors that the harsh truth was the best course of action. However, given that Hawkins had become a regular...

"WHAT?!" The silver smoke screamed. "I can't be dead! I have so many responsibilities back home! What about my family? My responsibilities as a huntress? Tell me, am I able to eat baked goods while I'm here?! Chocolate chip cookies will suffice!"

"Whoa, slow down, I'll show you the ropes so take a deep breath, and let's get things sorted out, alright?" Bastion drifted toward the ground as the silver smoke puffed to the base of the withered tree.

"I-I can't be dead... I've still got kids to raise and I haven't mended my relationship with Hawkins yet..."

Bastion white smoke went sparse. "Hold on, you know Hawkins? Funny enough, you just missed him..."

The silver smoke grew twice in size and shot into the air. "Wait, how did Hawkins get here? Is it because he's an actual magician? Does my partner actually have magic that he's never revealed to me?!"

Bastion fumbled for an answer, but the more he thought about it, he realized the silver smoke's voice was vaguely familiar.

"Wait, partner? Are you... Summer Rose?" Bastion asked.

"H-Huh? Yeah, that's me!" The silver smoke bawled in appreciation for having been recognized. "Please, I don't know who you are or why you're a white cloud, but can you help me get back to wherever I came from?!"

Bastion moved around the withered tree at a humble pace with Summer close behind. Truth be told, he wasn't sure as to how the whole operation of returning a soul back to Remnant was possible, nor did he have any insight into how Summer had arrived in the spirit world to begin with.

"Right, first things first, what did you do before you found yourself here?" Bastion hated to consider the possibility that Summer was dead, but how else would she find herself in his domain?

"I-I put on this ring my friend has, and then I wanted to see what happened when I infused it with aura..." Summer sulked.

"Who does that?" Bastion blurted. Perhaps having Hawkins for the company had made him a touch too blunt.

"I-I only did it because of what happened to Qrow!" Summer defended. She relayed all of her misgivings and her devotion to mending the bridges she'd burnt between Hawkins and herself, and after the whole debacle, Bastion had a newfound appreciation for Hawkins being a silent sort of man.

"Okay, so if I'm reading into this correctly, this ring your friend possesses is the root cause of your conundrum. So, wouldn't it make sense that if you took off said ring all would be well and you'd be back in the world of the living?" Bastion proposed.

"But how do I do that?" Summer asked. "I'm here, and my body is back in Remnant! That and none of my teammates were near me when I put the ring on! W-What do I do now?"

Bastion scratched his head, or he would have if he had one, and went back to the mental drawing board. "I suppose, if all else fails, we could just wait until one of your teammates decides to take off the silver ring. That should put all of this right, I think."

"Y-You think? So you're not sure if I'll be able to go back?" Summer's voice quivered.

"Let's not focus on the ifs and maybes." Bastion soothed. "I'm sorry that this world doesn't have much to offer in terms of scenery, but rest assured that this world is safe. I have made sure of that after the last incident. My name's Bastion by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So..." Summer said after a long pause. "Does Hawkins visit this place every time he sleeps? Did... Does he talk about me?"

"Unfortunately, even in this mystical plane, Hawkins keeps to himself," Bastion replied. "That, and the only times he's visited this place is when he's on the verge of death or in need of great assistance he cannot get in the living world. Though with how often I've been seeing him, there may be other forces manipulating his travel here. I was actually hoping that you'd have some answers for me, but I can tell that I'll be the one giving most of the explanations."

"Sorry," Summer's silver smoke wilted, "I'm new to this."

Bastion laughed. "Fear not, my magician is a force to be reckoned with, and I'm sure he's taking care of himself. Just so you know, he's defeated a well-renowned criminal and is close to reuniting with his son."

"That's great!" Summer cheered. "I knew Hawkins could do it! I knew-"

The red reaper stopped herself. Did she truly believe her own words? Did she venture to Vacuo only to satisfy her own guilt? No... deep down, Summer knew she doubted Hawkins. She was afraid to lose him, as would any close friend, and wanted to be there in his time of need.

"He's also with your former partner which I think I should point out," Bastion said. "However, there's no need to be worried about her at the moment seeing she's been tamed by our magician."

"Raven?" Summer's silver smoke festered and writhed. "What is she doing with Hawkins right now?"

"Er..." Bastion gulped. "She's resting on top of him with her pale face nuzzled on his chest."

"What?!" Summer balked.

The gray sky flickered and Summer's silver smoke fizzled.

"Oh, I suppose your time in my world has come to an end. I wish you the best, Ms. Rose, and hopefully, I won't see you here again. Not that I mind the company, I just don't enjoy the idea of a close friend of Hawkins being dead." Bastion chuckled.

"W-Wait! What do you mean-" Summer's question would remain unanswered as the calling of life had no patience. When the red reaper came to, she was met with the worried faces of Qrow and Tai, who'd carried her to a temporary medical tent pitched by the Atlesian soldiers.

/-/

"Hey, she's waking up," said Tai who drew a breath of relief.

"Other than her low aura levels, I don't see anything wrong with her." Qrow sighed and poked his leader's cheek just to be sure she was with them.

"Q-Qrow? T-Tai?" Summer groaned. "W-Where are we?"

"At the crumbled ruins," Tai replied.

Summer tried to stand, but Tai and Qrow forced her to remain on her bed, thus the red reaper settled for a seated posture.

"I'm glad you're still with us," Tai said with tears stinging the corners of his eyes and gave his wife a kiss on the lips.

"I've gotten rid of the ring," Qrow added, "or at least tucked it away in a place where none of us can get to it. I can't believe a family heirloom can cause this much bloody trouble, but I'm more surprised that you decided to put it on."

Summer flushed in embarrassment. She debated whether or not she should speak about her brief time with Bastion, then the reminder that Raven was sleeping with Hawkins came to, and Summer decided to keep her experience to herself for now.

"Ah, Summer, I'm glad to see you awake." Klein walked in but was not dressed in his butler uniform and adorned himself in a doctor's attire instead. He tapped his pen against his clipboard and muttered a few things before politely asking Tai and Qrow to leave.

The hunters weren't on board with that, but with some coaxing from their leader, Tai, and Qrow left the tent without a fuss. Klein hummed and offered Summer some tea, but the red reaper's appetite was lacking and she kindly refused.

"You haven't suffered any injuries, as your aura kept the heat of that silver ring in check, but you're lucky that your partners found you when they did, otherwise you'd be nothing more than a pile of ash. I'm serious about that by the way." Klein said sternly and showed Summer her medical report.

True to the butler's words nothing was out of the ordinary, and according to him, Qrow's ring had been placed in the reinforced safe on the armored car that could only be accessed by Willow or one of the captains under her command.

"Now, I expect that you'll want to join your partners when they venture into the ruins, but I can't help but say I'm against that idea. Not until you've gathered your bearings and aura that is." Klein hummed and called to a soldier outside to bring Summer some food and water.

"Wait, so does that mean Tai and Qrow are going without me? You can't do that! I'm the team leader and I need to support my partners!" Summer sputtered.

"The best way you can do that is by resting." Klein shook his head. "Because the more of a fuss you make, the more Tai and Qrow are going to worry about you on the job; and given your profession, I think awareness on the battlefield should be their priority, don't you?"

Summer wilted. "I..."

"Easy, my dear, all because you can't go out now, that doesn't mean you can't go out later. Your teammates will simply lead the first scouting expedition and determine how far the Atlesian forces can proceed into the ruins. Once we've discovered the cause of the ruin's destruction, we can decide from there whether or not the SDC mines nearby are in danger and need to be shut down and relocated." Klein said with a smile.

"Now get some rest, I'll be sure to keep you updated on the events, but I must tend to the soldiers who were injured during the deathstalker attack. If you'll excuse me."

Klein left and silence fell over the tent. Summer greeted the soldier who came with a food tray a few moments later, but the soldier didn't stick around and departed with a polite salute once he'd completed his task.

"Hawkins, Jaune... just please be safe." Summer said sadly and laid down on her bed. She glanced at her food tray and sighed as the rations were nothing more than a hearty bowl of oatmeal and a handful of apple slices with a cup of water on the side.

"Can't ignore a wise doctor's orders..." The red reaper relented. She sat herself up and picked up her metal spoon. The oatmeal was sweet, thank Oum, and after each mouthful Summer grew more determined to set herself straight.

"I'm bringing you back home, Hawkins, so you'd better be alive when I find you..."

/-/

"Five more minutes..." Raven roused from her short reprieve and grew alert at the harsh sound of a snarl and the rumbling earth beneath her. The bandit didn't need a second warning and shot to her feet.

Raven couldn't afford to carry any dead weight, and with Hawkins in his current state, the man was the definition of the word useless. Still, it was nice to have some physical comfort before she abandoned him, even though the vast majority of it was unwarranted and without her consent.

"Farewell, Hawkins, maybe if things were different... we could have actually worked something out that didn't involve your death."

Feeling the rush of red aura spread through her blood and veins, Raven slashed open a portal that fizzled and threatened to disperse in a few seconds. However, there was a part of Raven that did feel sad about leaving on such a poor note with Hawkins. The man hadn't done any recent harm to her, though given his earlier statements and injuries, he couldn't really do much even if he wanted to.

"Just step through the portal already!" Raven's mind urged her to take another step, but as she did so she could feel her toes and heels digging into the dirt. "Come on, there's never been an easier decision than the one right in front of you! Just leave this dead man to rot and move on with your life!"

Raven's fingers twitched and her palms grew clammy. Why did she care? There was no reason to care, she didn't hold any more ties similar to the ones that the blonde man on the ground held anymore. Blonde... Raven bit her lip. Of all the hair colors Hawkins could possess, it had to be the one that belonged to her ex-husband and...

"I shouldn't bother myself with these lost feelings..." Raven stomped her foot and took a deep breath. She had a whole new world in front of her. Mad Treasure was most likely dead, along with all the other dead-beat ruffians who dared to call themselves proper bandits, and not a soul on this earth gave a damn if she disappeared.

The snarls from afar grew closer, and the next rumble from the ground threatened to throw Raven off balance. Whatever was approaching, it was big and big tended to mean a Grimm or a hoard of them. Neither of which Raven felt like dealing with, nor could she at the moment given her poor physical state and aura reserves.

That said, Raven's portal had already lost a considerable amount of power, and the red streak of aura fizzled into sparks that soon disappeared. Her left eye twitching, Raven drew a deep breath and glanced at the ring on her red-beaded necklace. It was the last trinket she had when her parents still held control of the Branwen tribe and served as its respected leaders.

Truth be told, Raven hadn't the faintest idea of who her father was or what he looked like, but she did remember a beautiful pale face set in a stern but warm expression that belonged to her mother. Qrow didn't remember anything about their parents, but this was perhaps for the best considering how soon they died. Though Brick often recalled how much Raven's mother loved her children and would go the extra mile on her hunting expeditions to bring back extra food for them.

Raven unhooked the silver ring from her necklace. She was still a novice when it came to understanding the ring's potential, and truth be told she feared it to an extent, but she had used it before and as a result, she woke up after a serious coma of three days. A twinge of guilt nicked Raven's heart, as she knew her ring was the better of the two when she and Qrow split their family treasures, but she was the stronger one and older of the two siblings so it made sense at the time that she kept it. She also kept whatever vague properties the rings possessed from her brother, which also seemed like a smart move at the time.

In all this reminiscing, Raven felt the odd urge to spare a glance Hawkins' way. It was his eyes, Raven thought, those deep pools of crimson that were similar to her deceased mother's that brought mixed emotions from Raven which she wished to burn and keep buried. But alas, that was the tricky thing about the heart, as no matter how hard it wished to deny it, emotions were an integral part of being human.

"If you're desperate and have no one else to turn to..." Raven repeated her mother's words and slowly closed her eyes. She slipped the ring over her index finger and felt a pulsating warmth overtake her hand that worked upward until her entire body felt hot.

However, as Raven did this, she did not notice the faded emblem on Hawkins' chest brighten or the wisp of golden light that reached out to her ring. As Raven prepared to use the wonders of her ring to bolster her aura and slash a new portal, it reacted violently and burst into a myriad of colors ranging from red, to yellow, and white.

"W-What's going on?!" Raven opened her eyes as a surge of energy entered her body. The hairs on her scalp tingled and glowed a vibrant gold, and the tips of her fingers emitted hot fiery sparks that flew into the air above that would shape themselves into a crescent moon. It was her ring, however, that shined the brightest and in the blink of an eye, the world around Raven was no more than a distorted blur.

/-/

"Okay... this is getting ridiculous. I mean really!" Bastion gawked as a manifestation of swirling red smoke appeared at the base of the tree. Whoever's soul this red smoke belonged to, had quite the temper and was not afraid to voice their confusion or anger.

"Alright, time to bestow some wisdom and de-escalate the situation..." Bastion stopped in his tracks as the red smoke continued to swirl and grow in size, and when it reached its peak, it burst in a flourish of white smoke.

"Well, this is quite the event," Bastion hummed in bewilderment as a pale woman with blood-red eyes and a wild mane of silky black hair appeared before him.

"Where the hell am I?!" Raven screamed and desperately searched for anything that reminded her of where she came. Yet all she saw was a gray sky and a withered tree on the cracked stone platform that she stood upon.

"Um, hello there. My name is Bastion, and this place is-"

"Who the hell are you?!" Raven cut Bastion off and retreated several steps.

"Huh, now that's a reaction I did expect but did not prepare for. How about we start this nice and slow? My name's Bastion..."

"Gyaaah!" Raven screamed.

/-/

"Urnf..." Hawkins groaned and felt his head spinning at an alarming rate. He felt nauseous, and the moment he could move, he sat himself upright and emptied whatever he had in his stomach.

"...Ms. Branwen?" Hawkins cleaned his mouth and stood on wobbly legs. His recent memory was still fuzzy, but he remembered being in the bandit's embrace before his lights went out.

"Hmm?" The magician peered down at his chest which showed the Arc insignia. The sigil wasn't bright, but it was noticeable to a degree and could be hidden from view with a simple shirt. Hawkins shook his head. He left Bastion in the other world, and though he'd never admit it, he hoped the spirit had also made an escape from whatever evil grasp that shadowed figure possessed.

"Perhaps Ms. Branwen decided to move on..." Hawkins surmised. Though he curled a brow at the bandit's weapon and sheath that lay before him. The chances of the bandit leaving behind a personal treasure were unlikely and didn't make any sense considering her background.

Hawkins picked up Raven's sword, and his curiosity increased when the hilt was still hot to the touch. Hold on, hot? That didn't sound right, and why did it feel that someone was staring at him? Also, why was the scent of Grimm drool thick in the air?

"Feassst!"

Hawkins snapped his gaze upward, and his blood ran cold at the daunting sight of a Grimm-like serpent that towered over him. With cruel fangs long as spears and red, empty eyes that wished for death upon him, Hawkins jumped to the side and barely avoided the Grimm's hungry bite.

"I can deal with a beast of this fortitude, despite my poor condition..." Hawkins drew a nervous breath and manifested his devil fruit powers, but his straw fell limp and the iron nails that would replace his hands dropped on the ground.

"Feassst!" The snake Grimm snarled and lunged at Hawkins.

With little at his disposal, Hawkins took the direct approach and met the threat head-on. He withdrew his longsword, crouched, then sprang upward and went straight into the serpent's mouth. After a terrifying chomp, the serpent tried to swallow but wailed in pain as steel pierced the roof of its mouth and tore its way to its large, right eye.

"Sssuffering!" The snake Grimm choked and spat out what was supposed to be its dinner.

However, Hawkins was more infuriated than ever, and he would not show mercy to this abomination of malice. As the Grimm's head fell to the ground, Hawkins went for the kill and hacked and slashed the vulnerable monster's head as if it were a fresh slab of meat. When all was said and done, all that was left of the Grimm was a chopped-up corpse and a pool of foul-smelling black blood.

"That wasn't so bad..." Hawkins allowed a faint smirk to mark his pale face and felt it disappear in the next minute as the ground below him rumbled much more ferociously. There was something in the near darkness, something big that would make the monster he slew seem insignificant.

"I'm not in the mood for any more fighting..." Hawkins sighed as the grip of fear wrapped around his heart. He gathered his belongings and decided to gather those of Raven as well, and made a tactical retreat toward the lower sections of the ruins.

"That's a stupid idea..."

Hawkins' steps slowed at the familiar voice.

"...Ms. Branwen?" Hawkins said slowly as if he did not believe his own words. Then Hawkins heard a loud scream as he wiped a splotch of Grimm blood off his hands. The voice sounded human, and young to boot. The magician dared not to hope, but still, he followed his instincts and hurried toward the source of the childish sounds and rushing water.

/-/

"Emerald, help me!" Sun yelled as he barreled through the river at a breakneck pace. Soaked from head to toe, his ears were full of water, and whenever he opened his mouth his throat was choked with liquid.

"I-I can't swim!" Emerald cried as she barely managed to stay afloat in the chaos. She flailed her limbs in hopes of latching onto something to pull her out of the roaring river, but the river was wide and did not have any low-hanging trees or branches to aid her in her plight.

"I'm gonna drown!" Sun wailed.

"I'm gonna die!" Emerald screamed.

"SPLASH!"

"...Is this what dead people feel like?" Sun croaked as his small body bobbed over the underground lake. "I'm sorry Starr, I was the one who stole the chestnuts you roasted last week, I was just really craving them, honest!"

"Help-mrphlgrlgrlgl-me!" Emerald splashed for dear life as the sight of land was but a few feet away.

"I also stole an extra apple from Jaune when he wasn't looking..." Sun moped.

"I'm-mrphlgrglgrgl-dying!" Emerald panted as the taste of fresh water filled her mouth and nostrils.

"I even showed some of the older guys there was a hole in the girls' tent when they were changing... though I don't know why the guys cared about that because we took our baths naked together, so why did it matter when the girls bathed together?" Sun sighed as he shed a tear for his cousin. "Starr, I hope you're still alive because your stupid little brother is about to enter the afterlife!"

"You're not dead you stupid moron!" Emerald squealed as she latched her hands around Sun's stomach and clambered onto it.

"Wait, I'm not dead?!" Sun said in an angelic voice. "Eating those chestnuts was totally worth it!"

It was messy, but Sun managed to drag Emerald along as he paddled his way to dry ground. When the two of them reached safety, they got on their soaking knees and kissed the dirt. Well, Sun did most of the kissing while Emerald watched in confusion.

"Gosh, I can't believe that river led to a giant lake..." Sun took off his shirt and rung it dry. "You think there's a way to go back the way we came down?"

"I-I don't know..." Emerald said through chattering teeth.

"Hey," Sun was in the middle of slipping off his shorts, "why are you still wearing your wet clothes? You'll get sick if you don't take them off."

"W-What?" Emerald blushed. "H-Hey, don't undress in front of me!"

Sun's tail wagged back and forth in irritation. "What's the big deal? The kids in my tribe all shared the same baths, saves water that way y'know, and most of the time we don't need to care about how messy we get unless we really stink."

"T-That doesn't change my point!" Emerald covered her eyes and tucked in her legs. "It's improper to undress in front of the opposite sex!"

"Clunk~"

Sun's and Emerald's ears shot upright and their nerves tensed. They scuttled next to each other, with Emerald still dripping wet and Sun wearing only his shorts as a large figure emerged from the shadows.

"D-Don't come any closer!" Sun yelled. "I've got a tail and I know how to use it!"

"W-What he said!" Emerald added.

"But you don't have a tail," Sun said with a skeptical look.

"Now's not the time to correct me!" Emerald snapped back.

"Hmm... so the child in the distance wasn't my son." Hummed a grave voice that Emerald immediately recognized.

From the darkness came a broad pale figure with golden hair and crimson eyes. His ruffled cloak and pants in tatters, he stumbled back as two children ran up to him and jumped for a hug.

"Hawkins!" Emerald cheered and cried herself dry. Her red eyes were wide with relief and excitement, she nuzzled her face against his stomach and did everything she could to stay attached to the magician.

Sun opted for Hawkins' shoulder and anchored himself to the magician's person by wrapping his tail around his neck. The whole scene was comical, but despite his discomfort, Hawkins showed a small smile at the relief that washed over Emerald's face. For a moment he dared to hope, that his son would be this happy when his father met him too...