Archon

by overlyred

NOTE:none of these story are mind kinda just transferd it to fanficion to aduiobook and hear it

1. part 1

Sapientia Oromasdis 9: Childlike Wonder

Beta'd and edited by The Grand Cogitator, Philosophysics, October Daye, and DR_Feelgood

Like most young children, Nahida often had dreams of flying. Unlike most young children, Nahida actually could fly, either in the Dream or in the waking world. Her flying was more like "floating", but she had the ability to levitate herself and move about as fast as she could running or walking, so no more than 20 kph or so.

That said, getting to fly on an airplane for the first time had Nahida so excited that even with her mental discipline she hadn't been able to sleep the night before. She'd eagerly looked up information on the aircraft they'd be taking, the Gulfstream III, and proceeded to talk Bashir and Farasha's ear off that entire morning.

"Did you know that the Gulfstream III is powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines, which have a maximum thrust of 78 kilonewtons!?"

"No, Nahida."

"Did you know that the Gulfstream III was manufactured from 1979-1988 on Earth Bet, but on Earth Aleph, it was built from 1979-1986 instead!?"

"No, Nahida."

"Did you know that it has a maximum velocity of 1157kPH if you ignore safety regulations without a tailwind?"

"No Nahida- Wait, what do you mean, ignore the safety regulations?" Farasha asked, turning around in the car to frown at Nahida.

"Well, the official listed maximum speed is 928 kPH, but I calculated that if you disable certain safety functions, it should be able to attain speeds of 1157 kPH without a tailwind. Obviously, real-world conditions will vary. I also gathered meteorological data to provide a forecast for today, broken down by hour and elevation!"

Nahida rummaged around in her backpack, until the Aranara she was smuggling held it out to her, then passed them to Farasha, straining against the restraints of her car seat to do it.

Bemusedly, Farasha took the extremely detailed forecast, her eyebrows climbing up her forehead. "Hey Doc, did you realize our daughter has a weather control power?"

"I can't control the weather," Nahida said in exasperation. "That's more Anemo, Electro, Cryo, and Hydro. Even Pyro would have a better shot at it than Dendro. But I can make detailed predictions predicated on advanced data collection!"

"That's very nice, but I'm trying to drive, and-" HONK- "MOVE! We're going to be late!" Bashir snapped, leaning on his horn and causing Qiqi to start in surprise.

"According to current traffic patterns, the distance to the airport, and our scheduled itinerary, we're still 15 minutes ahead of schedule," Nahida offered consolingly.

"Yes, thank you for the help, Nahida," Bashir growled in a tone that indicated she was being anything but, and honked his horn again.

"Move, asshole!" Qiqi cried, shaking her little fist at the car in front of them and swearing in English of all things. Bashir's head snapped around so fast that Nahida was concerned he'd give himself whiplash, while Farasha leaned over and honked the horn for Bashir, cackling madly.

"Qiqi, those are not words we should say," Bashir said, looking more than a little flushed.

"Oh. OK," Qiqi said with a nod.

"You're cute when you get mad," Farasha teased, and Bashir turned to glower at her. "Teaching Qiqi new words when you're driving, are you?"

"I'm an excellent driver," he grumbled. "I just can't stand these idiots when I have somewhere to be in a hurry. It's even worse when I'm transporting a patient."

"Just relax. We literally can't be late. It's a private jet," Farasha told him.

Bashir very much did not relax, and telling him to do so seemed to only wind him tighter.

Still, they managed to get to the airport with plenty of time to spare, and the plane was indeed waiting for them, as they were the only passengers.

"Make sure to buckle your seatbelt," Nahida told Farasha as she sprawled in the chair across from her, Nahida assiduously buckling her own.

Farasha rolled her eyes but did buckle up her seatbelt as Bashir did up Qiqi's. After that, Nahida and Qiqi had their faces glued to the windows as the plane took off, until they were high up in the sky over Baghdad itself. Nahida turned away to see poor Aranarakin and Arana shivering in fear, huddled under the seats.

"It's OK," Nahida told them, holding out a hand to the little forest spirits. "You can fly, right? It's just like that, only higher!"

"Metal bird flies so high, Arana does not like it," the female whimpered, even as she clung to Nahida's hand.

"Aranarakin can no longer feel the ground and trees, this is not like regular flying at all," her companion agreed.

Farasha frowned at the exchange, but then blinked in surprise when Nahida handed Arana over to Qiqi.

"Don't be sad, little djinn. Qiqi will protect you."

"Thank you, Cold Nara. You are not so scary now," Arana whimpered as Qiqi cradled her in her arms.

"Uh, they're just playing with their imaginary invisible friends, right?" Farasha whispered to Bashir.

Bashir coughed and glanced at Nahida, then looked around, but the Stewardess was up talking with the pilots and couldn't hear them.

"I'm interfacing with the bugs, you can talk safely," Nahida assured him.

"Ah, Nahida's invisible friends are… not so imaginary," Bashir said quietly.

"... right. I don't suppose you've been introduced?" Farasha asked.

"You met them in the Dream, remember?" Nahida prompted. "When you spend the night, I always invite Aranarakin and Arana to our tea parties."

"Butterfly Nara cannot see us now, she is too big, with thoughts full of sand," Aranarakin said with a shake of his head.

"Wait, hold on, you know about my dreams?! I thought… you mean that stuff with me playing with you and Qiqi was real?!" Farasha demanded.

"Qiqi likes dreams. But Mommy is little in them," Qiqi said, which caused Farasha's jaw to drop.

"Holy shiitake mushrooms, Radish. When you said you could see people's dreams… What are you, a Master 11?!" Farasha groaned, slumping back in her seat.

"By my estimation? At least that," Bashir said firmly. "Along with Thinker and Tinker ratings."

"Huh." Farasha suddenly grinned, and winked at Nahida. "Think you could use those Thinker powers to convince the inlaws to love us?"

"Um, dad says that I have to be very careful with my most powerful Master Power against grownups," Nahida said. When Farasha blanched, she hastily clarified, "I mean, like what you showed me. You know?" She folded her hands together, stuck her lip out a little, and made some tears dance in her eyes.

Farasha and Bashir both started laughing at that. "Save us! A Master 15 power! Who could resist!?"

Nahida giggled at that but had to suppress a shiver. She probably wouldn't qualify as a Master 15, she'd never tried to extend her range beyond a local level, but she was at least a Master 11 or 12. She'd accidentally learned long ago that she could puppet anything from animals to people, and of course, it would be easy for her to trap anything in a Dream, even inanimate objects.

That was one reason she'd vowed to herself long ago to never, ever use her powers to dominate the minds of mortals. The one and only time she'd done it, it had been when a Sage had threatened to beat her if she didn't follow his orders. Nahida had been only three years old at the time, and in her panic had completely dominated the man's mind, to the point that he'd suffered permanent brain damage.

She still felt horribly guilty about it, all these centuries later.

The flight to Basra was only an hour long, and the plane landed with no fuss for fanfare. However, on the runway, a man was waiting for them, and Nahida nervously hid behind Bashir as he escorted her down the stairs.

"Father, Peace Be With You," Bashir called, going over to hug and kiss the older man. He didn't look that much like Bashir, being bald with liver spots and a scraggly beard. But when he turned to Nahida, she could see the same kindness in his eyes.

"Peace Be With You, my son. And to you, my future daughter." He embraced Farasha, who was nervous herself, kissing her on the cheek.

"Well, not yet, but uh, you don't mind if I call you dad?" Farasha said in jocular tones, even if she was sweating more than the mild March weather called for.

"Well, don't tell anyone, but I had two sons, and always wanted a daughter. Faqir is yet unwed, the lazy layabout, so I'm glad I have at least one son who is taking care of his parents," the elder Saeed said.

Then he turned to Nahida and Qiqi, and Nahida felt her heart skip a beat. "Um, h-hello. I'm Nahida…"

"Hello, Qiqi," Qiqi said, waving one hand.

To Nahida's surprise, Grandpa Saeed knelt down and pulled both girls into a hug. "And what's this? Two cute granddaughters? And here I thought my religious son would have waited until marriage."

Bashir let out a strangled sound and went red, while Farasha laughed nervously.

"It is good to meet you, Nahida and Qiqi. I am Grandpa Ali. But what's this? There's something in your ears!"

Nahida watched in fascination as Grandpa Ali reached into her ear and palmed a caramel candy. Qiqi gasped in delight, her eyes going wide as one hand went to her own ear.

"Ah, ear wax. Very disgusting. Surely you don't want to eat it?" Grandpa Ali said seriously.

"That's not ear wax," Nahida giggled, deciding she liked the trick better if she just played along.

"Qiqi eat earwax?" Qiqi asked hopefully, reaching for one of the candies.

Grandpa Ali laughed and gave them both the sweets, which they popped into their mouths immediately. "Well, do you have much luggage?"

"Eh, that's what the help is for," Farasha said, nodding as the Stewardess and copilot carried down their bags. "Gotta be some perks to being dogs of the state."

"To those whom much is given, much is required," Grandpa Ali said with the air of someone quoting something.

"The Christian Bible, Luke 12:48," Nahida supplied. "A wise proverb."

Grandpa Ali's wiry eyebrows shot up nearly to the crown of his head. "Is that where it's from? Hmm, I thought that it was in the Quran…"

"It's similar to Surah 102. Both passages contain the same truth: That if you are given much, you must give back even more," Nahida said with a nod.

While the bags were put in the black car parked on the asphalt, Grandpa Ali studied Nahida, and she held her breath. At last, he smiled and slapped his son on the back. "Quite the little scholar you've raised, my son! To know the Sacred Quran so well!"

"She is a remarkable Little Radish," Bashir agreed, and Nahida felt an immense sense of relief.

After that, Grandpa Ali drove them across the city, Nahida eagerly studying everything they passed from her car seat in the back with Farasha and Qiqi. Basra was similar to Baghdad, though smaller. The main difference though was the port on the Shatt Al Arab River, which flowed into the Persian Gulf. It reminded Nahida of the trade flowing out of Sumeru City, which made her sit back in her car seat, a sudden realization dawning on her.

Sumeru City wasn't home for her anymore.

When had that happened, exactly? It was hard to know for certain. But despite having been on Earth Bet for less than half a year, and having spent half a millenia in Sumeru…this world, this land, now felt like home. The people they passed by on the street felt more like her people than those in Sumeru had. And most importantly: here, she had family.

The car ride wasn't too long, and before long, they were on the edge of the city, away from the port, but near the waterfront by a two story home with sprawling gardens and white washed walls. There was an iron gate out front, and the entire neighborhood was clearly the wealthy part of the city. Nahida had always known that Dr. Bashir was far from poor, even though he lived near the ghetto and treated lower-income patients. This, however, was a much more blatant display of wealth.

After getting out of the car, Nahida followed Grandpa Ali inside, finding a house that seemed to be decorated with fashions from several decades ago, along with a number of pictures of powerful members of the Ba'ath party with Grandpa Ali, especially Saddam Hussein. Everything was well maintained, and Nahida finally understood fully just what sort of family Bashir belonged to.

Before she could ask any questions, a woman with greying hair hanging loose about her shoulders and a fine dress bustled in. Unlike Grandpa Ali, this woman was clearly Bashir's mother. Their jawline and nose were very similar, and aside from Bashir's broader shoulders, their willowy build was very similar. Upon seeing her son, she beamed, and hurried over to him to wrap him in a tight hug.

"My baby boy! It has been so long! Look at you, so thin! Does your bride-to-be not feed you?" Grandma Saeed huffed.

"Heck no, have you seen my cooking? If anything, he's the one who feeds me," Farasha blurted.

Stepping back from her son, the older woman looked Farasha up and down. They were rather similar in many ways, both being of average height with slim figures, though Bashir's mother was slightly more rounded from age and childbirth. Their faces were quite different though, with Farasha's cheery smile and a rather more sour demeanor from Mrs. Saeed.

"Hmph. Well, I suppose you have some work to do before you are a proper bride," Grandma Saeed said, her nose up in the air.

"Hmm, remind me my beloved, when was the last time you cooked for us?" Grandpa Ali mused, stroking his grey beard, a bemused smile on his face.

His wife colored at that. "Well, I can cook."

"Do let me know when you do, I shall make sure to dine out that night," Grandpa Ali said gravely, which earned him a furious look from his wife.

She turned then to her son, giving him a warm smile. "My Bashir enjoys my cooking, do you not?"

Bashir coughed, struggling to hide his own smile. "You shouldn't wear yourself out, mother. Please, I would be more than happy to cook for you."

"I can cook!" Nahida said, raising her hand. "I'm really good at it too!"

That got her a beaming smile. "Why, I'm so sorry my dears, I forgot all about you. You can call me Granny Heba. And I would be delighted to cook with my grandaughters. You're Nahida, right? And this must be Qiqi."

"Hello, Qiqi," Qiqi said, opening and closing her fingers in greeting.

That made Grandma Heba blink in surprise. "Ah, say, 'hello, Grandma."

"Hello, Grandma," Nahida said, and Qiqi echoed her a moment later.

"Um, Qiqi's mind is still hurt," Nahida said, putting an arm around her adoptive sister.

"I see, Bashir said she was getting better, though," Grandma Heba said, looking to her son.

"She is, but the road to recovery is a long one, and it's likely she'll always have some sort of trauma and delay," Bashir said, putting a hand on each of his girls' shoulders. "Nahida has helped with that a great deal."

"Well, I heard you like coconuts, so I had Mariam buy the ingredients to make macaroons. We had them in France on our last visit, and I got the recipe," Granny Heba said. "Come, I'll introduce you to Granny Ela, she's out on the porch, then we can make some. You too, young woman. I won't have my daughter-in-law be unable to cook!"

"Sure thing, mom," Farasha said with a roll of her eyes, but trotted along after.

They went out into an inner garden with several flower beds and decorative palms, with a small fountain at the center. There, they found an old woman in a wheelchair with a young attendant at her side, sitting in a puddle of sunlight and soaking up the rays with her wrinkled old face.

"Mother," Granny Heba said, coming close. "This is Farasha, you know, your grandson's intended. And their daughters."

"Daughters? Yes, I had two daughters, including that scoundrel Heba. Never could cook, you know," the old woman said, turning bright eyes towards the group and smiling.

Heba sighed, "Mother I am-"

"I know you're Heba, my mind isn't gone yet!" the matriarch cackled. She beckoned. "Come closer, please. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be. Ears aren't so good either, so speak up."

Farasha stepped forward first, crouching down by the wheelchair. "Um, hello, Granny. I'm… I'm Hutah Tanha. You might… you might know me as Farasha."

"Hmm? What's that, dearie? Are you Hutah, or Farasha?" Grandma Ela asked, tilting her head to one side.

"... Hutah."

On hearing that name, Nahida's heart nearly burst for joy, even as she sensed Farasha's Demon grumble slightly. She sent it a small burst of information, with a message: Thank you. Let her be happy, and herself. Can't you see how much more wonderful this is?

DATA ACCEPTABLE. SPECMEN EXPERIMENT MAY CONTINUE UNDER NEW PARAMETERS.

Alright. What's your name, by the way?

NAMES ARE EXTRANEOUS.

I have to call you something, though. 'Demon' seems rude.

After a pause so long Nahida thought she wouldn't get an answer, the Demon responded, YOU MAY DESIGNATE THIS ONE AS PROPAGATION OF DEATH TO BRING RENEWAL.

That's… not a very good name. I know! You're like a butterfly, right? What if I called you… Papilio Charontis. That means Butterfly of Charon. Charon was the boatman over the River Styx in Greek Mythology and carried souls to the underworld.

DESIGNATIONS ARE IRRELEVANT. YOU MAY REFER TO THIS ONE AS YOU WISH.

PapilIo Charontis it is! And thank you. I'm sure we can be friends!

She got no response and got the impression that Papilo was digesting the thesis on Elemental Reactions involving Pyro she'd set it, and let it be.

Even as that conversation had been taking place, Nahida had stepped forward to Grandma Ela and introduced herself.

"Nahida? That's a pretty name," Grandma Ela said, taking Nahida's face in her hands and caressing it. Nahida could tell the old woman's eyesight was much worse than she let on, though her hearing wasn't as bad as she pretended. She was very nearly blind thanks to Age-Related Macular Degeneration. There wasn't much Nahida could do about it, or rather, would do about it, as this was the natural course of things.

However, what she could do, she did. Gently, Nahida cupped Ela's face in her hands, and breathed on her eyes. "See. For just a few hours more, see."

The dendro infusion she used strengthened the optic nerve as well as formed temporary lenses to correct vision, and enhanced the visual areas of the brain. Grandma Ela gasped, her eyes going wide, even as Grandma Heba let out a cry.

"No! Don't use your devilry in this house!"

"Heba?" Ela said, even as Nahida was dragged away by the back of her neck. "When did you get so grey?"

Heba froze in the act of shoving Nahida away. "Mother?"

"Let go of the child, Heba. My, my. The roses are budding. Young lady, ah, I've forgotten your name, but would you push me a little closer? I'd like to smell them."

The woman, Mariam, Nahida knew though they hadn't been introduced, rose, but Farasha stepped in. "I got this. Come on, Granny. Let's go smell the flowers together."

Heba watched Farasha push her mother over to the flower bush, talking quietly with the suddenly animated old woman. Frowning, Heba let go of Nahida and looked down at her. "What… what did you do?"

"Her vision has decayed greatly. I put in a few temporary fixes. Studies show that dementia is greatly accelerated by a lack of sensory input. I also fixed up her taste buds and sense of smell, just a little. I can't completely halt the progress of age, but I did what I could for now," Nahida said quietly. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I just… I wanted her to have at least one more happy day, before she passes on."

Tears filled Heba's eyes, and she managed, "Thank you. Is… can you tell? When her time is? I know you parahumans have some devilry, but-"

"No one can truly know the hour of a woman's death, save Allah," Nahida said with a shake of her head. But she bit her lip, and continued, "But if we stay more than a day or two… I think we'll probably be here for it. Has she been eating, lately?"

"She lost her appetite several weeks ago. We keep offering her food, but…" Heba trailed off and swallowed. "I told Bashir he had to come now, if he was going to come. I wanted him to take a look at her. The doctors say her time is near, but…"

"They're right," Nahida said, gently taking Heba's hand. "You know they are. It's alright. She's had a good life."

Heba closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I suppose so." Then she shook herself. "Look at me, getting all morose. And talking of such things with a little girl! Ah, never mind."

"Heba, come here. You simply must see these darling creatures," Ela called. "They look like djinn."

"They are not djinn, they're parahumans, and your great-granddaughters," Heba said firmly, taking Nahida's hand and gently pulling her forward. "This is Nahida."

"No, not her, these little ones! They say their names are Arana and Aranarakin," Ela called, her voice containing more strength than it had before.

Nahda's breath caught in her throat, and she broke away from Heba. "Sorry! I'll be right back!"

She scurried back to the living room, where she found Bashir sitting with his father and talking. They looked up, surprised to see her.

"Nahida? Is something wrong?" Bashir asked.

"Come quickly," Nahida begged, grabbing Bashir's hand. "Hurry. Please."

Bashir stood instantly, and Ali got slowly to his feet. "Nahida? What's wrong?"

She didn't answer, only sprinting back to the garden, the two men hot on her heels.

When she got there, Ela was smiling at the two Aranara, who were singing softly to her, Qiqi humming along.

Life is a dream

We all must wake

Life is a dream

New journey to take

"Ah, Bashir. Grandson," Ela said, her tone sleepy. "So good of you to come see me."

Waken the sleeper

That life may go on

Waken the sleeper

The new dream song

"It is good to see you, Grandmother," Bashir said, coming to kneel beside the chair as the Aranara continued their song. He put his hand to her wrist on reflex, and frowned, then peered into her eyes. "Grandmother?"

Life is a dream

We all must wake

Life is a dream

New Journey to take

"I think I'll sleep now," Ela said, as her soul began to loosen from her body. "Here in the sun."

Open your eyes

A soul is a seed

Open your Eyes

To sleep in the Mother

Nahida pushed Ali and Heba forward, and they started, looking down at her in shock.

Life is a dream

We all must wake

Life is a dream

New Journey to take

"Say goodbye," Nahida told them softly. "Tell her you love her, and will see her again."

All dreams must end

We shall meet again soon

All dreams must end

Until a new world bloom

"Mother?" Heba gasped, falling to her knees beside Bashir. "Mother, are you there?"

The song came to a soft end, and Ela stood up from her body. Old no longer, she was young again. Not a child, but a young woman, full of life.

Goodness, whatever has happened to me? Ela asked, looking down at her old body. When did I get so old and ugly?

"You were never ugly," Nahida told the spirit. "You were beautiful, as was the life you lived." She reached out and hugged Ela, her form as tangible as if it were still flesh to Nahida. "Don't be scared. This was but a Dream. Go now to the next one, and know that you were loved."

Thank you, Mother, Ela said, bowing. My goodness. Oh! Hello there, little friends.

"Hello, Nara Seed," Arana said, lifting off the back of the wheelchair and fluttering up by the spirit's face. "Come. I will show you the way. It is not too far."

Then, Arana took Ela's hand, and slipped into the Dream, and Beyond, to the Next Dream. Nahida waved farewell, tears trickling down her face. She sniffed, then scrubbed at them with the back of her hands. When she turned around, she found everyone, even Qiqi, staring at her.

"My son," Ali whispered, his hands gripping his sobbing wife who was clutching at the cooling body of her mother. "Who… who is this… being? Is she Djinn, or is she an Angel of Allah?"

In response, Bashir put a hand on Nahida's shoulder and squeezed, kneeling down beside her. "Father, mother. This is my daughter, Nahida. The Dendro Archon."

Nahida felt tears sting her eyes and hung her head. "W-when… when did you...?"

"When I heard your voice in the night, and received my Vision," Bashir told her. "Or not long after. I think you knew that."

"I did," Nahida admitted. She sniffled again, scrubbing at her face. "I guess… I guess I have to go now… or will you lock me away?"

"Don't be foolish, child," Heba snapped, scrubbing at her own face and glaring. "Don't you have ears?"

Nahida blinked in shock, and Heba stepped forward, then picked Nahida up, holding her in a tight hug. "You're his daughter, and my granddaughter. You're not going anywhere."

That made Nahida cry, emotions too big for her small body bursting forth.

The family stayed in the small garden for a long time, even Mariam. Grandmother Ela might have been gone, but she had left behind a great deal of love.

That night, Nahida snuck into Bashir's room, only to find him studying the Quran, Farasha drowsing in a chair. He looked up, closing the book, and shook Farasha's leg. "Wake up, she's here."

"Snnerk- I'm awake!" Farasha's eyes fluttered open, and she stretched and yawned, smiling at Nahida. "There you are kiddo. Come on over, let's talk."

Nahida ended up sitting on Farasha's lap as Bashir pulled a chair in close. She fussed with her night gown, not looking up, uncertain of what to say.

"So. Obviously, we can't let anyone know about any of this," Farasha said, hugging Nahida tightly. "But, just for the slow ones in the class, what the hell just happened?"

"No, not hell. Ela didn't go to hell, I'm very certain of that," Nahida said with a shake of her head.

Bashir had to knuckle away a tear, while Farasha shifted uncomfortably. When Bashir did speak, he asked, "So. The afterlife is real?"

"There is another world after this one. I know that souls go there when the body dies. I can sense it, like a distant song, like a dream you can almost touch. But I don't know what it's like. I've never been there," Nahida admitted.

"So much for being an atheist," Farasha said with a heavy sigh. "Guess I gotta start going to the mosque more often. Won't Taher just be thrilled."

"Wait, you didn't believe in gods," Nahida asked, turning her head around in astonishment. "But… haven't you seen them? Didn't the Prophet record his Visions?"

Farasha gave her a blank look, then she glanced at Bashir. "Uh… I haven't exactly seen Allah, Nahida. And what do you mean 'them?'"

Bashir cleared his throat. "The Japanese view The Raiden Shogun as the Narukami Ogosho. Literally translated, it means something like 'Supreme Ruler Thunder God.' Barbatos is currently viewed either as an angel or as The God of Freedom. Both are Archons."

"Wait. So Nahida you're…" Farasha trailed off, swallowing heavily and looking a little pale.

"I think in common nomenclature, I'd be a djinn," Nahida clarified. "Some have called me a god, but not God, like Allah. I'm more like… a powerful nature spirit. A bigger version of the Aranara. I'm closest biologically to a tree."

"That's uh… huh. Alright. Let's say I buy that. Doesn't change anything," Farasha said, squeezing Nahida tightly. "We CANNOT let Saddam know you're this powerful. What did you do with Grandma Ela, exactly?"

"Nothing. I just sensed it was her time. I… I'm not a psychopomp, not really." That earned her a blank look from Farasha, but Bashir nodded.

"She means she doesn't guide the dead to the afterlife. But I thought I caught a glimpse of…" Bashir shook his head, but Nahida nodded.

"Yes. Arana led Ela's soul to the next life. Or, well, to the door. Aranara can die the same as any living creature, but while they live, they cannot pass beyond this Dream. They don't always guide souls like that, but when a life was lived well and full of love, a life full of dreams and wonder… they're attracted to it. They want to celebrate that life. And, well, as we grow near to death, so we grow near to childhood. In her last moments, Ela could see the Aranara. That's how I knew…" Her throat closed up, and Nahida sniffed again. Bashir handed her a tissue, and Nahida blew her nose and dabbed at her eyes.

"You are a weird little radish, you know that?" Farasha asked, tickling Nahida so that she giggled. She sighed heavily. "Look, I just… I don't get what all this means. But, if you're up for it… I guess I sort of still want to be your mom. If Archons have mothers."

In response, Nahida could only burst into tears and hugged Farasha tightly.

They stayed in Basra for ten days, long enough for the funeral. Nahida met a grand cavalcade of relatives, from cousins to aunts and uncles to old friends that were ancient in their own right. Nahida stayed away from most of them, and they from her. While Heba and Ali brooked no rudeness towards Nahida and Farasha, the fear that most of the family felt towards them was palpable. Qiqi was more pitied, but she didn't like the big crowds and was kept away as well.

After that, they flew back to Baghdad, which Nahida enjoyed just as much as the first time. Flying was just so wonderful!

A few days after they returned home, Nahida called Bashir into the office and closed the door. "Dad, there's someone I want you to meet."

"Nahida, you haven't been talking to strangers online again, have you?" Bashir asked, looking concerned. "I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, but developmentally I'm still worried."

"Well, she's not a stranger anymore!" Nahida said brightly. When Bashir scowled at her, she wilted slightly. "Um, yes, I did. But please, talk to her first! She's not what you expect."

"She?" Bashir asked, turning towards the computer, where Nahida had set up a microphone and camera.

"Um, hello." The screen flickered, and the image of Tessa appeared, smiling nervously and waving. "I'm Nahida's friend."

"Hello," Bashir said slowly, taking a seat on the office chair as Nahida shifted nervously at his side. "I'm Nahida's father, Doctor Bashir Saeed."

"You don't look like a tree," Tess joked, which prompted a frown from Bashir. "Uh, sorry. I know, she's mentioned you and I sort of looked you up."

"I see. And how, exactly, do you know my daughter?" Bashir asked, leaning towards the camera.

"We, uh, we were in a couple online classes together and we sort of noticed there was something off about each other," Tess explained.

Bashir looked to Nahida, and she nodded hastily. He continued to frown. "And what, exactly, is different about Tess?"

"Uh, I'm not a human," Tess said, and Bashir's head snapped around. Tess's image suddenly pixilated, until she looked much like a character from a video game, complete with thick polygon lines. Her voice grew digitized, and she added. "I sort of…live in the computer."

Groaning, Bashir reached up and took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. "Nahida. Please tell me you didn't create an AI."

"No, no! She didn't make me! My creator was, uh, that's not important, but he's a parahuman Tinker. We just… met," Tess explained.

"Well, that's a relief," Bashir muttered, putting his glasses back on and squinting at Tess.

"I just didn't want to lie to you," Nahida explained. "So, um, I wanted to introduce you to Tess. She's really nice, promise!"

"And is she a fully functional AI, or just a very advanced program?" Bashir asked wearily.

"I can hear you, you know," Tess grumbled, putting her hands on her hips.

"She has a soul. She's more of a digital spirit than a simple machine," Nahida clarified. "We spend time together in the Dream too."

Bashir considered that, looking from Nahida to Tess, who both smiled at him hopefully. He finally laughed and shook his head. "You know, when Farasha first brought you home, I knew taking care of a young Vision Holder would be a challenge, but I don't think I was really prepared for just how interesting life with you is, Nahida. Very well. So, tell me a little about yourself, Tess. Are you a good influence on my daughter?"

"Uh, yes sir! Well, I'm currently working on a degree in Parahuman Psychology, and er, trying to figure out what it means to be… me," Tess admitted. "I don't actually have a body, since, you know, Artificial Intelligence. I just… Nahida is the first person who treated me like a person, you know?"

"I am familiar," Bashir said, rubbing Nahida's head fondly. "Though she does tend to cause trouble."

"I've noticed. All of the third time we met, she dragged me into another reality and it was a heck of a shock to have a physical body. Well, temporarily. Still working on the whole 'getting one in the real world' thing."

Groaning, Bashir put his head in his hands. "Nahida. We can't build a body for an unshackled AI. Do you have any idea how much trouble we'd get into, or she would be in? If anyone found out about either of you, you'd be locked away or worse."

"Um, we weren't talking about building her a body," Nahida said, patting Bashir on the arm. "She just… needed some advice."

"Advice?" Bashir looked up, frowning. "Frankly, I don't know what sort of medical opinion I could give to a… gynoid?"

"Uh, eventually. But, er, it was more… advice on how to deal with my own creator?" Tess said, sounding concerned and hopeful. "Nahida said you're pretty good at giving young women advice, so, uh, here I am…"

"I'm going to have to start charging a consulting fee, aren't I?" Bashir asked Nahida dryly.

"Oh! I have money! Lots of money, actually," Tess offered. "I sort of steal from the mob and other unsavory sorts. Not in America anymore though, that jerk Cheevy keeps foiling my little schemes."

"I was making a jest. I don't know how I'd explain money from a mysterious stranger on the internet showing up in my accounts, especially since I assume you're foreign despite speaking excellent Arabic," Bashir said with a shake of his head. He steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. "Very well. What sort of advice do you need, exactly, Miss Tess?"

Smiling, Nahida listened as Tess started to pour her heart out, and Bashir listened.

Slowly, surely, things were starting to grow in the right direction.

Author's Note:

And that wraps up arc 1 of Nahida's story. Next, we'll have a few chapters catching up with Venti, Cauldron, and the world in general, before it's time to wish Nahida a happy birthday! I hope someone brought pain.

I mean cake. Anyway, the next three chapters are on as always.

PHILO:

And thus a gentle act of kindness,

a soft song of mercy

marks the quiet anointing

of the Dendro Archon.

In the coming days,

a battle will be fought,

a tyrant overthrown,

and then her country and her people

will crown her ruler.

But in this moment,

in this private coronation,

the only audience she needs is that of her family,

the only crown she cares for is the wreath her sister crafts

with flower and ice,

the only inauguration she desires

is the proud pat of her father

and the warm embrace of her mother,

the only approval she needs

is the one she has finally gained for herself.

Kneel not for this one of the Seven

for her tenets are of kindness and knowledge.

Help one another and aid one another,

banish ignorance and spread knowledge;

these are all that she asks of her Akademiya.

Carmen Dei 23: The Vision of Europe

Dark blue waters sparkled under clear skies, and a stiff breeze blew across the canal, forcing Lumine to pull her knitted cap down on her head more tightly. Despite her wool hoodie, she still shivered a little in the late afternoon sun. Actually, checking her phone, it was well after 7pm, but the sun was still well above the horizon. The colorful buildings along the waterfront were still busy and lively, with crowds still going in and out of shops.

"Hey, any luck?" Aether asked, coming up to her and handing her a steaming cup of coffee.

Shaking her head, Lumine sighed heavily. "Are you really surprised? I mean, what are the odds of us just running into one of the most elusive people in the entire world on the street?"

"Don't give up! Paimon just knows that if anyone can help you, the Anemo Archon can!" The little fairy took a noisy slurp of her own drink, hot chocolate by the smell, and smiled at Lumine with a little bit of whipped cream on her lips. Many of the passersby stared at Paimon, as floating toddlers were not exactly common on Earth Bet, but no one made a fuss.

"Do you really think he's from our world? I've never heard of Barbatos before, except as a summon in fantasy games or something," Lumine asked as she sipped at her own drink, a latte with just a hint of cloves and spice in it.

"Paimon never said that! But Barbatos isn't from this world. So, maybe he knows a way to other worlds! Besides, the Seven are very powerful, and if anyone knows how to travel between worlds, it's the gods," Paimon explained.

Lumine shared a look with her brother, but Aether just shrugged. "It's something to look for, anyway. It was a long enough boat ride across the ocean as it was."

"Ugh, don't remind Paimon, she was seasick the entire time. We shoulda gotten plane tickets, flying is much better!" Painmon declared, then let out a little belch and smacked her lips.

"Well, come on. Maybe he's not even here," Lumine said, clutching her drink for warmth and heading off down the street. "But we may as well look around. Eurovision is tomorrow, and all the rumors say the Tone Deaf Bards will make an appearance."

They continued to walk down the boulevard, or in Paimon's case float, searching for the person who had to be the most elusive in the entire world. Lumine was frustrated, but then again, the last 10 months had been full of nothing but frustration in their quest. She listened to what people were saying, but once more came up with nothing. She could sort of understand English now, and even speak a little, but Danish might as well have been the chattering of birds.

"We could split up and make the searching faster?" she suggested after an hour's fruitless walk. "Meet back at the hostel at 11:00?"

Aether pulled out his phone and frowned at it. "I don't know, we don't have the right SIM cards to make calls right now, if we get lost or separated…"

"Oh relax, we can take care of ourselves. If a supervillain or something pops up, I'll just teleport them into the water or whatever," Lumine said dismissively. "What do you think, Paimon?"

"All this floating is making Paimon tired and hungry," the fairy whined. "Paimon wants to take a break…"

"We could try hitting up bars? I mean, supposedly that's the best place to find Venti," Aether suggested.

Lumine rolled her eyes. "No one is going to believe we're 18. They won't let you drink and we haven't had time to find someone to make us a fake ID here."

"I said look, not get drunk. It's at least a plan," Aether said, gritting his teeth in frustration and shoving his hands into his hoodie's pouch.

"Yeah, fine. Come on, Paimon. You and I can stop at a cafe and people-watch. Not like we won't see just as many people. My brother can go bar hopping. Good luck with picking up any chicks," Lumine said with a wink.

That made her brother blush and mutter something choice, but he nodded and waved once before disappearing into the crowd.

The sun was just setting, but plenty of cafes were still open despite it being nearly 9pm. Lumine picked one at random and took a seat, Paimon settling down in her lap and eyeing the menu excitedly. "Ooo, Paimon wants to try some yummy Danish food. What do they have? Hmm, what's Stjerneskud?"

"I don't know, you're the one who speaks Danish," Lumine said in exasperation. The picture on the menu looked like fish on bread with some lemon, fish eggs, and mayo garnish. "It's not too expensive is it?"

"Hmm, we did get a few thousand kroner for taking care of those slimes in that warehouse, so Paimon thinks we should treat ourselves!"

"You think that all the time," Lumine giggled, but decided she agreed. Walking around all day had her hungry and tired, and she was nearly as much of a foodie as Paimon was.

The waiter came over and took their order for two Stjerneskud and some more hot coffee, and Lumine sat with her head resting on one hand, staring sightlessly at the passing crowd. This place was nothing like home still. She remembered the sky cities hovering over the pristine wilderness below, flying from building to building on grav wings, participating in the FD-VR leagues with her brother. It had felt like each day was a new world and wonder to experience, until That Day.

"Will we ever return home?" Lumine asked mournfully, her eyes not seeing most of the passersby. One group, however, stood out to her: a woman with bright green hair, accompanied by a giant hulk of a man and a woman with what Lumine had learned to recognize as Japanese features. The two women were both carrying Visions, and with the size of their male companion Lumine's mind immediately went to capes.

"Think they know Barbatos?" Lumine asked, nudging Paimon.

"Hmm?" Paimon floated up over the table, frowning at the capes. "Maybe? We could ask them…"

On seeing Paimon float, quite a few people shied away, but the woman with green hair stopped dead in her tracks so that she was bowled over by her giant companion, who tripped and fell himself. That started a slight ruckus, which forced Lumine to hide a smile in her drink. She nearly spit it out when she heard the green haired woman shout, "Paimon!?"

"Oh?" Paimon zipped forward to hover over the two collapsed strangers. "Does Paimon know you!? Paimon has mostly forgotten, but if you were Paimon's friends-"

The woman jabbered something in a strange language, and Lumine lost track of the conversation, but she did hear the "Paimon" repeated several times. The greenhaired woman pointed to Lumine and the table, so she smiled and waved. A moment later, Paimon and the strangers came over and seated themselves.

"Lumine! Lumine you won't believe it, but this is Cookie Schmidt!" Paimon said excitedly. "You know, the head of the Knights of Favonius?!"

"Really?" Lumine sat up and grinned. "Does she know where we can find Barbatos?"

"In a bar, probably," Cookie said by way of Paimon, but she shook her head and added, "Who exactly are you, and how do you know Paimon?"

"Uh, I don't think we should tell her that, just say we're traveling companions. Ask her how she knows you though," Lumine instructed.

In response, Cookie pulled out a strange looking carved wooden box and began to rummage through it. As she did, the giant stuck out his hand, and Paimon translated for him.

"Heya! The name's Itul 'Red Oni' Armburst! This is my actually real girlfriend, Sara Tengan. I'm sure you've heard all about us and my many heroic deeds! I'm sort of a big deal, kind of a badass."

"Uh, I've never heard of him, have you, Paimon?" Lumine said, blushing slightly. Paimon didn't even need to translate her look of confusion, which caused Itul to blush red.

"Ah, I feel you, I feel you, must be new here and stuff! Well, don't worry, I'm like, the Strongest Knight in all of Germany! Just here to provide some protection for my Bro and his band."

"Uh, that's nice," Lumine said, frowning at Sara, who hadn't said anything but was regarding Paimon curiously. "I guess they're all capes?"

"Well, he says he's a member of the Knights, and Cookie is the Grandmaster, so Paimon supposes so," the fairy said with a shrug.

Before they could go further down that rabbit trail, Cookie pulled out several cards, slapping them down on the table. Lumine tilted her head to one side to study them, then gasped: All showed Paimon in her original outfit, smiling happily as she floated.

"Ooo, what are these, are they other Paimons!?" Paimon picked one up in her chubby little hands, studying it as she turned it side to side. "Where did you get them, Cookie?"

After translating the question, Cookie replied, "I got them from Lord Barbados. They're Genius Invocation TCG Cards: I'm actually here to promote them. We're launching our first product line, and Venti is supposed to help promote it. Tracking down the squirrely bastard is almost impossible though."

"We're looking for Barbatos too!" Lumine said excitedly. She pointed to herself and Paimon. "We're from another world! We're trying to get home, and we think maybe the Anemo Archon could help us!"

"I know Paimon is from another world. These cards are from another world entirely. They're from Teyvat, the same world as Venti is. Raiden too," Cookie explained.

Lumine's eyes went wide at that, and she gingerly took another card, studying it. Frowning, she peered closer, and then gasped with a start, pointing to it. "Paimon, I think the two other people here are me and Aether!"

She flipped it over, then nearly had a heart attack. She could read the card.

The Bestest Travel Companion!

Convert two Elemental Dice into Omni Dice.

"You might be only one of countless stars, but you're Paimon's whole world!"

"Paimon… this… this card is written in Teyvan," Lumine said, her voice shaking slightly as she held it up so her companion… no, her bestest travel companion, could read it.

"Hey! They're quoting Paimon! Hmph. This game better be paying Paimon royalties!" Paimon turned back to Cookie and jabbered away again, but Lumine felt faint, slumping back in her chair. Was this her way home?

"Cookie says she's really surprised, but wants us to meet Venti! Oooo, this is our chance to meet the Anemo Archon, the first of the Seven!" Paimon said excitedly, wiggling in delight as she grinned at Lumine.

"Yeah, that's amazing, ask them if we can meet him right away!" Lumine said eagerly, butterflies flitting in her chest.

However, when Paimon posed the question, Cookie just shook her head. "I don't know where Venti is. Good luck finding him before Eurovision starts. Heck, I'm still not certain he'll actually show up for it. You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Lumine felt slightly morose at that, but they did enjoy a nice meal with Grandmaster Cookie, Knight Itul, and the woman who turned out to be the famous ninja Sara Tengan. Lumine reflected that 'famous ninja' was something of a contradiction, but she wasn't going to argue with a woman who had fought both Nazis and the Yangban.

As they were finishing, Lumine's phone buzzed, and she glanced at it to see a text from Aether.

I met someone at the bar tonight.

Wow, is my pure and innocent brother actually having some fun?

I don't think I was clear.

There was an image attachment that took several seconds to load, and was rather pixilated when it did. Lumine had to hold the screen close to her face and squint, but when she did, she let out a gasp. "Venti!"

The image showed a somewhat flustered Aether holding up the camera, while a slender figure with dark braids dyed green hugged him and kissed his cheek.

The others at the table all looked expectantly at Lumine, and she hastily showed them the picture of Aether and Venti.

"I should have known," Cookie said by way of Paimon. "That bastard would be in a bar."

Unfortunately, by the time they ran the several blocks to where Aether was, Venti had already vanished, leaving a flustered Aether to meet them outside alone.

"She just came in and started singing karaoke! No one recognized her at first, but then she caught sight of me and had me come up and sing with her! She even knew my name somehow, and asked about Paimon!" Aether blathered. "But then all of a sudden, I recognized her! It was like I was blind or something before! No one else seemed to get it, and then she gave me these and just left!"

Aether held up three tickets, which Paimon eagerly took. "Hey! These are tickets to Eurovision! That means we can go watch the show, and talk to the Anemo Archon!"

"Yeah, kinda worked out. Uh, who are your friends, Lumine?" Aether asked, frowning at their companions.

"Oh, no one important. Just the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius, the head of the Shuumatsuban, and the Red Oni. No one special," Lumine said nonchalantly, buffing her knuckles on her sweater and then admiring her nails.

"Oh. Huh." Aether scratched his chest contemplatively for a moment, then grinned. "I still win."

Lumine shot him a dirty look, then sighed. "Yeah, fine. But… there's something else you should see."

The sun had already set by the time Lumine, Aether, Paimon, and Sara Tengan made it into Parken Stadium. Venti had given Aether three tickets, while Sara had her own as a part of her visit. The entire place was absolutely packed, with the high roof reverberating with the excited buzz of the crowd. Lumine and her companions were out on the stadium's pitch in some of the best seats in the house near the stage.

Despite the fact that this was really about getting information from an Archon about how to get back to their home dimension, Lumine was still slightly giddy that she was at such a massive concert. She'd gone with Aether and their friends back home to see Kiana and the Valkyries and a few other big names, but this was definitely the biggest crowd that Lumine had been a part of.

"Wow, do you really think Venti and the Tone Deaf Bards can really win?" Paimon squeaked, her voice barely discernible over the crowds.

"Eh, I think you're taking this too seriously," Lumine told Paimon. "We're really just here for information, whoever wins and loses doesn't matter to us."

"Really?" Aether asked. He frowned and rubbed his nose. "You've got something on your faces then."

That made Lumine very grateful that the black, red, and yellow face paint she had caked on was way too thick to show her blush. "Hush. I just want to get on Venti's good side."

"You should take this seriously. An audience with an Archon is no small matter," Sara stated flatly. She held out her bag. "Now, did you study the wotagei I sent you?"

"Oh, I think we can handle it," Lumine said, and revealed the glowsticks she'd smuggled in herself.

"Paimon will make sure to cheer extra loud when the Tone Deaf Bards come on!" the little fairy said excitedly, her own face painted in Germany's colors as well. "But they're not on until the nineteenth song, so Paimon thinks it'll be a long wait…"

"Dang, then we'll just have to sit through the entire concert," Aether said, shaking his head. "What a tragedy."

"Shut up, you were as excited as I was!" Lumine needled, and her twin grinned and winked at her.

"Shhh! It's starting!" Paimon said excitedly, even as the crowd roared and cheered as the opening act, the previous year's winner of Aqua, came out and performed their new hit song, 'Anime Heroes' for the cheering crowd.

Caught up in the excitement, Lumine cheered and waved a small German flag along with everyone else. Most of the songs were performed in English, which she sort of understood at this point. Even when she didn't know the lyrics, the poppy tunes were enough to get her amped up just to be there and alive.

To Lumine's amusement, Sara Tengan had completely shed the mask of the stoic assassin and was squealing like a schoolgirl while jumping up and down on her tiptoes, especially if there were attractive dancers. Lumine was right there with her though, jumping along and laughing in delight. It was, perhaps, the first time since coming to this world that she truly felt joy and peace.

At long last, Germany's place in the contest came up, and Lumine found she was holding her breath as the screen lit up with Germany's intro. Each of the various nations had played a short clip while their performers took the stage, something that was supposed to share a little of their culture and what was to come in the performance.

In this case, it started off with a dark room, a single lit candle providing the only illumination, the sound that of roaring winds outside. The candle flickered, and for a moment, it seemed like it would go out.

Then, clear as a bell, two children's voices began to sing.

Freude, schöner Götterfunken

Tochter aus Elysium

Wir betreten feuertrunken

Himmlische, dein Heiligtum

The crowd went from deathly silent to wild cheers, as on the screen, two of the most famous faces in Europe appeared: Mina and Heinz Schafer, Visions glowing in their hands as they stepped forward into the candle's light. The darkness around them was pushed back as the candle's flame grew with the light of Anemo, revealing the hopeful faces of dozens of people in the room with the two children. The people were varied: young and old, pale and swarthy, dark and fair, men and women, dressed in clothes of a dozen nations.

Just as Lumine felt tears shimmer in her eyes, a golden man appeared, stern and foreboding, and the candle was snuffed out. The crowd gasped in shock, flinching as one. Lumine reacted with horror herself, blinking in confusion. What was this? Wasn't Scion the world's greatest hero?

Before she could think further on it, the lights on the stage came on, revealing a dozen knights in armor, standing at attention, gleaming silver swords held before them. The knights suddenly turned, forming a tunnel with their blades.

There was a burst of cheery laughter, and a green blur blew through the tunnel, the swords flying from the knight's hands. Venti appeared, posing in green jacket and tight white pants, an accordion of all things in his hands.

"Why the long faces?" Venti chuckled, peering out at the crowd. "I thought this was a concert! Aren't you all supposed to be having fun?"

That brought confused and nervous chuckles.

"Didn't you hear?" Venti chuckled and played a note on his accordion. Or at least, Lumine was pretty sure Venti was a man at the moment. "The Winds are changing!"

There was a groan from overhead, and everyone started and looked up as the roof suddenly began to retract, a gust of warm summer wind blowing in despite the late hour. Lumine let out a sigh of relief, but when she looked back, the knights had gathered around Venti menacingly, their fists raised as if to strike him.

"Now, now," Venti tutted. "Why don't we all… loosen up a little?"

"ARE YOU READY TO ROCK!?" a new voice boomed, and lightning rumbled as a purple bolt struck next to Venti. It resolved into the form of Capri Lakatos, posing with her pick raised to the heavens, dressed in tight purple leather, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief.

Even as she spoke, a wind gusted in from the now open roof, a green streak shooting down to land next to Capri and Venti as Naomi Cohen coalesced from the air itself. She was holding a pair of drumsticks, and one of the knights produced a drum set, setting it before her. "Stand up! Let's dance together!"

"JOY!" Venti cried, and he began to play on the accordion as his bandmates joined in. They began a rendition of Ode to Joy, but with a distinctly rock and roll feel to it.

As if caught up in the music, the knights began to dance, their armor falling away and revealing some of the more famous members of the Knights of Favonius, including Itul and Cookie. Instead of the full armor, they were now dressed in skin-tight spandex, or in Itul's case, were bare chested.

"OOOOOO! SIX PACK! SEXY!" Sara squealed, a bit of blood leaking out of her right nostril and spraying as she jumped up and down.

"Right, Travelers, you know what to do!" Paimon declared, even as Lumine handed her a set of glow sticks.

"Rock on!" Lumine declared, and she and Aether struck a pose themselves, two glow sticks helped in each hand, poking out between their fingers. Then they began an intricate dance in time to the rapid music, nearly matching the frantic pace of the dancing knights.

Even as the song played on, wings sprouted from Venti's back, and he flew around the stadium, still playing his accordion and singing, even as people screamed and jumped up, trying to touch the Anemo Archon.

Be embraced, all ye nations!

Brothers, within our midst

Surely dwells a voice of Freedom!

Do you kneel before Him, oh millions?

Nay! Rise up, all humanity!

Kneel not before these gods!

Do not bow before the golden one

Who comes beyond the stars

Then, it was over in all too short a time. The crowd went absolutely berserk as Venti touched down and bowed, Lumine right there with them.

"I LOVE YOU ITUL!" Sara screamed desperately, but even her power-enhanced voice couldn't be heard in the cacophony. The Germans shuffled off stage, Venti turning to blow one last kiss to the crowd, which made them erupt all over again.

There were still four more performances after that, but it was all perfunctory. While the rest of the music had been a mixture of pop, ballads, and some progressive rock, no one had done anything as flamboyant and over the top as what Germany had put on, nor had anyone mixed an accordion with heavy rock. When the votes were finally tallied, to no one's surprise, Germany blew everyone out of the water. Nearly every single country gave Germany either 11 or 12 points, save for the Germans themselves, who naturally couldn't vote for themselves.

When the Tone Deaf Bards were summoned back to the stage, the crowd went wild as Naomi and Capri stepped onto the stage, smiling and standing hand in hand, waving little German flags. They were followed by the Knights of Favonius, including Cookie herself, still dressed in her skimpy skin-tight cape costume, though her mask was hanging down around her neck. Not that it would have done her any good, Lumine reflected, as Cookie was easily one of the most famous capes in the world.

Last but not least, Venti appeared to feverish applause and cheers from the crowd. The hosts offered their congratulations and attempted to give Venti the trophy, only for him to chuckle and pass it back. "Keep it safe for me! I wouldn't know where to put it in Capri's van."

"Make a bitchin' hood ornament," Capri commented, which earned her an elbow from Naomi and wild cackles from the audience at the coarse language.

As the cheers continued, Venti walked up to the front of the stage, taking a microphone from one of the hosts. He sat down, grinning out at the audience who continued to cheer for several moments. Then Venti made a gesture for everyone to take a seat, and to Lumine's surprise, the crowd did, quickly quieting themselves. She leaned forward in her seat, eager to hear what Venti had to say.

"Well, it's nice to finally have someone who appreciates my lyrics," Venti said, winking at the crowd. "Capri normally just tells me to knock it off."

That brought laughter and a few catcalls, but the crowd soon grew silent again.

"It's been a lovely evening here with you all," Venti said, smiling around at the crowd as he held the microphone to his lips. "I hope you enjoyed our little song and dance. Ultimately, what's important is that we all had fun, right? Let's give it up for all the other performers, who worked so hard to entertain us!"

Hearty cheers from everyone, along with enthusiastic clapping. Venti cheered and clapped himself for several moments, then let the applause die down.

"Now, I know you all have a lot of questions for me. I think the biggest one is this: Is Europe safe?"

There was dead silence now. Lumine held her breath again, and even Paimon had floated down into her chair, her big eyes wide.

"There's always a price for safety, and it's a hard one to pay. Is it worth it to sacrifice your freedom to be safe from all harm?" Venti asked, and he shook his head. "That's a question you'll all have to decide on your own. Far be it from me to tell mortals how to live their lives."

There was a sharp hiss of breath as the crowd seemed to exhale as one. Was Venti confirming he was a god? An angel? Something else? Was he saying he would not, or could not offer safety?

"I can't offer you the bargain that the Raiden Shogun offered Japan, nor am I one to dictate terms of peace and demand that you set down your weapons. I'm just a bard, wandering the lands," Venti said, and Lumine felt a cold hand grasp her heart.

"But," Venti said, and it felt as though the entire world hung on that word. "I can promise you this: Wherever those who love freedom gather, and as long as you live under the same sky as my children… I'll watch out for you. As the Anemo Archon, I swear to you this: I will ensure that the children of Europe, so long as they desire it, shall enjoy Freedom beneath my wings."

With that, Venti suddenly spread his wings, standing up. His form rippled, growing less human and more angelic, his visage glowing slightly as he smiled benevolently down on the crowd.

Take heart, children of Freedom. So long as you treasure song, drink, and each other, you will have a place beneath my wings.

Then, to Lumine's shock, Venti turned and seemed to look right at her.

"And, in the famous words of Chris Farley: Make good choices, or you'll end up living in a van down by the river!"

Then, with a flutter of his wings, Venti lifted himself up out of the still-open roof.

"How strange," Sara murmured to Lumine in English, watching him go. "I didn't expect them to win, you know."

"Why not? They were clearly the best act," Lumine said as the volume of the crowd grew.

Sara nodded, but her expression was pensive. "Yes. But they sang in Japanese."

"Huh? No, they sang in… in Teyvan," Lumine muttered. Wait. How could they have sung in Teyvan? That should have been impossible…

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

Venti swooped back down, holding out his hands. "I have a very special announcement to make: Everyone in attendance gets a free commemorative version of Venti, Tone Deaf Bard, from the new game Genius Invocation TCG! See, Cookie? I did remember!"

Then, playing cards began to spill from the sky, fluttering down into people's outstretched hands. Lumine snagged one herself, and blinked in astonishment. The image on the card depicted Venti, dressed in strange clothes, with three birds hovering around him. But the card moved! It was like she was holding a living breath of wind in her hands, with Venti smiling and winking at her as he floated in the air.

"Uh, buy Genius Invocation TCG Cards!" Cookie's voice called. "Available now from your local game store! Skip the big box retailers, support your LGS today!"

"Oh boy, a new Genius Invocation TCG card!" Paimon said excitedly, floating up in the air with several Venti cards in her chubby little hands. "Ooo, I hope we can get some cards! This is sure to be super popular!"

"Yeah, but, we didn't get a chance to talk to Venti," Lumine said, feeling deflated despite her earlier elation.

"Oh, I think we still have a chance if we hurry," Aether said, standing up and grabbing Lumine's hand. "Come on! Before the crowds start to leave!"

Running along with her twin, Lumine shook her head. "But where will we even begin to look for Venti?!"

"Didn't you hear him?" Aether chuckled. "In a van. Down by the river."

It took them until nearly dawn, but at last, footsore and weary, Lumine and her two companions dragged themselves towards the sound of an accordion playing over the waters, as the waves of the Baltic lapped against the stone wall not far away. There was a campfire burning, and Venti was sitting in a folding chair near an old Volkswagon van, three other empty chairs near the fire.

"Ah, Travelers! You found my humble abode at last. Come, stay a while, and listen!" Venti said cheerily.

"Sure thing, Deckard," Lumine groaned, stumbling forward and slumping in the chair. They were about five kilometers north of Copenhagen now, and they'd taken a combination of buses and simple walking to get here. But Aether had been right after all, even if it hadn't been a river.

"Deckard?" Venti frowned in his playing, sitting up slightly as Paimon slumped down in her chair, gasping for breath. "Is that a reference to the cards I passed out?"

"It's Diablo," Aether told him. "It's like, one of the most famous games in this world. It's at basically every internet cafe. Haven't you played it?"

"Hmm, can't say that I have," Venti admitted, beginning a soft, mournful tune on his accordion.

"Do you have any food?" Paimon panted. "Paimon's been floating all day, and she's exhausted! Paimon needs something to eat, or Paimon will just pass out from starvation…"

"Ah, of course! What kind of host would I be without refreshments?" Venti rummaged around in a bag at his side, pulling out several thin metal skewers, along with several bags. "Hotdogs, or marshmallows?"

"Hotdogs," Lumine said as her stomach rumbled, eagerly taking a skewer and a cold weiner.

"Marshmallows," Aether said, until Lumine smacked his hand away.

"Aether! You need protein! You can't just fill up on sweets!" Lumine said in exasperation.

"Oh come on, he's got chocolate and graham crackers in there! How can you say no to s'mores around a campfire?!" Aether demanded.

"Paimon will have both! Paimon's stomach is big enough for hotdogs and smores!" the fair declared, taking a loaded skewer for each hand.

Soon enough, their dinner (or was it breakfast? It couldn't be long until dawn) was roasting over the fire.

Venti smiled, leaning back as he looked up at the sky above them. "You know, it's odd, seeing a sky full of real stars. I wonder, what do they think, looking down on us? What sort of fate is written in this endless heaven?

"The stars here are all different than they were back home," Lumine agreed. She turned to Venti, frowning. "Do you know a way back, to your own home?"

"And more importantly, to ours?" Aether asked, slowly rotating his marshmallow as it turned golden brown. Lumine had no patience for that. She always just lit hers on fire and blew them out. Much faster that way.

"Ah, how interesting. You know, that's not the first time a Traveler from afar has asked me that question," Venti mused, looking down into the flames. "Tell me, what was the name of the world you came from?"

"There were many names, much like on this world. But we called it… Primordial, in our language," Lumine supplied.

"Genshin," Aether agreed. "I think that's how you'd pronounce it in English."

"Hmm. And yet, you speak Teyvan," Venti mused. "How interesting."

"Well, the nation we were from was one of the seven nations of Teyvat, thousands of years ago. I don't know, I never paid much attention in history class," Aether admitted. "We just called it Honkai, though."

"Curiouser and curiouser," Venti mused, pulling his hotdog from the fire. He pulled out a pack of buns, slipping his sausage onto one, then handing the bag over to Lumine, who prepared some for herself, Paimon, and Aether, who handed her a smores in exchange.

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Paimon asked, "So… do you know where the Travelers are from? What about Paimon? Have you ever met a Paimon before?"

"Where could anyone ever meet such an excellent travel companion as Paimon?" Venti chuckled. Then, he sighed and shook his head. "As to whether or not I have a way to travel between worlds… no. I can't say I do."

"But, you're the Anemo Archon! One of the Seven!" Lumine protested.

"Indeed I am," Venti agreed. "Disturbingly commonplace that knowledge is. However, while I know a great many things, I do not know how either myself, or yourselves arrived here, including the wondrous Paimon."

Hot tears blurred Lumine's vision, and she scrubbed at her face with her forearm, her throat too tight to eat or speak.

"So… there's no way home?" Aether asked, his tone hollow and dull.

"Well, I didn't say that! I'm hardly the only person from another world here, you know!" Venti chuckled and took a big bite of his hotdog, which he'd smothered in sauerkraut and mustard. Lumine could hardly wait for him to chew and swallow, but at last, around half a mouthful of food, Venti said, "Seek out the Raiden Shogun. If there was anyone who could carve a path between worlds, it would be her."

"The Raiden Shogun? But she's all the way in Japan!" Paimon protested, sending out a spray of crumbs from her own cheeks stuffed with food.

"That's… a very long ways away. And they're still rebuilding from their war with China," Aether said slowly.

"Yeah. But… at least it's something," Lumine whispered. She forced herself to take a bite of her food, chewing determinedly.

"Here, I think you're probably too young to drink still, but I did get you some cider! Try it, it's not half bad, even if it's basically just juice," Venti said, passing around some bottles.

Gratefully, Lumine swallowed a mouthful of the mildly alcoholic beverage, then let out a sigh. "So. Our journey goes on."

"Until we find a way back home," Aether agreed, reaching out his hand. Lumine took it, giving her brother's hand a squeeze. A moment later, a tiny third hand wrapped itself around theirs as well.

"And Paimon will come too! Don't worry, Travelers! We'll find your home, someday!"

"This I foresee," Venti said, and his eyes glowed a vivid green. "One day, you shall rest your weary heads, and find the home where your hearts lie. All journeys have an end, but yours shall be a joyous one."

"You mean it?!" Paimon gasped happily.

Venti shook his head, then laughed and shrugged. "Well, who can say? I'm just a humble traveling musician!"

"Who just won Eurovision," Lumine pointed out.

"And got his own TCG, apparently," Aether added. He dug out his own copy of Venti's card. "I wonder how much a signed version is worth…"

"Ooo, Paimon has six! Sign all of Paimons! She wants to sell them for lots of mora so she can buy all the food!" Paimon said eagerly, digging out her own cards and shoving them at Venti.

"My my, do you really think Morax will be here so soon?" Venti laughed.

"He'd better be, China's in big trouble as it is!" Paimon huffed.

Lumine and Aether both stared first at their guide, then at Paimon.

"Morax?"

"China?"

"Uhh…" Paimon blinked, then drooped and put her head in her hands. "Oooh, Paimon doesn't feel so good… Paimon has a big headache… What… what was Paimon saying?"

"Ah, I'm sure it was nothing. But as it turns out, there is a Morax card in Genius Invocation TCG!" Venti said brightly and produced a set of decks. "Care for a game or two? It's been a long time since I sat down to a game with friends!"

And so, as the sun rose in the east, Lumine enjoyed food, friends, and laughter. For at least one more day. But before the sun had set, she and her brother and their guide would depart once more, traveling across the land, until they found home once more.

Author's Note:

This is the first of the three "interlude" chapters catching us up to Nahida's place in the timeline, after which there will be a timeskip for Nahida herself. If you're looking for a preview, I have it here for you:

Interlude 6: Here Be Dragons

Lightning flashed over the sea of Japan, and Kenta raced with all the speed he had over the dark waters, desperately racing over the several hundred kilometers separating him from his goal. He panted, trying to put on more speed as he swam through skies, but he still feared he would be too slow. He had to make it. He had to.

There was a slightly different flash of thunder, and a moment later, a figure drifted up on the winds, keeping pace with Mushu as he flew. He turned one great eye, not slowing his pace, to see Raiden herself flying alongside him.

"WHAT? I'M NOT GOING BACK!" Kenta roared, continuing his desperate flight.

"I do not expect you to," Raiden said calmly. "I merely wished to offer you guidance."

"YEAH WELL SOME OF US DON'T BUILD OUR KIDS IN THE WORKSHOP, LADY!" Kenta growled, still flying on.

"Yes," Ei said mildly. "I do not have much guidance to offer on the act of childbirth itself, for I do not procreate as mortals do."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME TO STOP?" Kenta demanded.

"I merely wished to offer you a portal, though I do ask that you shrink down slightly first. We do not wish to startle the doctors."

Mushu came to a halt so quickly his head spun. He hovered in the air for a moment, feeling incredibly sheepish as he slowly shrank down from over 100 meters long to a more manageable ten or so.

"Oh. Uh, guess that makes sense," Kenta admitted. "Could you, um?"

There was a pop, and Kenta found himself hovering in midair in his tiny form, feeling flummoxed and flustered. "That wasn't what I meant, you crazy thunder lady!"

"Yes, but you are much less threatening this way," Raiden said, holding out her arm for Kenta to perch on. "Come. Your mate awaits."

"You know it sounds really creepy when you call her that, right? Dammit, you married us! Just call her my wife!" Kenta ranted, even as Raiden stepped through the portal and into the hospital lobby.

There was a gasp, and several doctors and nurses bowed to Raiden, though she waved a dismissive hand to them. "Attend to your roles. I merely bring my familiar to his wife, that he may attend to his fatherly duties."

"Everybody get back to work! Where's my wife!? Where's my baby!?" Kenta wailed, though it came out as a bit of a high pitched squeak, given his current size.

Raiden walked calmly and far too slowly for Kenta's tastes to the hospital room. Kenta was grateful to see the building was supplied with power, though he knew that Raiden had replanted enough Thunder Sakura trees and enough power plants had been brought back online that most of the country had power now, for at least part of the day. There were still brownouts and electrical usage was strictly rationed, but things weren't completely dire now.

Eventually, Raiden arrived at the hospital room, and Kenta scurried off her shoulder and down her leg, then hopped up on the bed where Keiga lay panting and moaning slightly.

Taking her hand in his tiny little claws, Kenta squeezed. "It's alright, I'm here for you baby, and- GODDAMMIT RAIDEN I AM NOT WITNESSING THE BIRTH OF MY FIRST CHILD WHILE I SOUND LIKE A GOOFY ASS CHILDREN'S CARTOON!"

"Kenta, my love, I am very glad you are here, but if you continue to scream like that, I will strangle you for doing this to me," Keiga growled, her face pale and streaked with sweat.

"Very well," Raiden said, and Kenta found himself growing back to regular size. Doctors hastily came forward, forcing him to wash his hands and put on a hair net and mask, though Kenta noticed they were doing no such thing to the Almighty NEET, who appeared mildly disinterested by the entire proceeding.

"Alright, I'm here honey," Kenta said, taking Keiga's hands in his and giving them a squeeze. She smiled at him through the tears, then grit her teeth. "Just breathe…"

Keiga had already been mostly dilated by the time Kenta had arrived, but it took another eight hours. While Keiga had been given an epidural, her draconian biology meant that it had worn off within moments, and the doctors refused to give another, citing that they had no way of knowing what that much medication would do, even to someone of Keiga's impressive fortitude. The process was long and grueling, but Kenta stayed by Keiga's side the entire time, even though Raiden had wandered off after less than an hour.

At long last, the midwife had Kenta step back, moving behind Keiga to put his hands on her shoulders. With a last cry, she pushed, and the baby's head finally popped into view, pale skin with purple fuzz on top. Then the baby was out, and the midwife slapped it firmly on the buttocks. The baby sucked in a mighty breath, and let out an ear-piercing wail.

"You did good, honey," Kenta whispered, giving Keiga a squeeze as she lay back on the bed, drenched in sweat and exhausted.

"A… ah, healthy baby boy," the midwife said. "No, ah, girl. That's a tail."

"Tail?" Keiga asked, her eyes fluttering open.

"Tail!?" Kenta demanded, and stormed around, grabbing the baby before it could finish being cleaned, even as it continued to cry. Even with his inexperienced eye, he could tell the child was not normal. There were two small bumps on the forehead that were a pale purple, and the hair was also an unnatural lavender color. Strangest of all was the long, scaly tail that grew from the baby's tailbone.

Gently, Kenta cleaned the baby off in the basin that had been prepared as the nurses quickly cleaned up the mess that Keiga had made of herself in the birth. Then, he wrapped the still screaming babe in swaddling, and handed her back to her mother.

"Is something wrong?" Keiga asked, her eyes fluttering open, a smile on her lips as she cradled their child to her swollen bare breast. The baby was soon silent and sucking greedily, her eyes closed tightly.

"Uh, kid's a dragon," Kenta said with a shrug of his massive shoulders, feeling entirely helpless despite his power. "She's got a tail."

Keiga blinked, then unwrapped a bit of the swaddling until the tail poked loose, which made the baby start to fuss again. She hastily rewrapped her, then looked up at Kenta, startled.

"I… that's… good?"

"Never heard of a child being born a parahuman before," Kenta said, shaking his head and feeling helpless.

"She is not a child of parasites."

Kenta whirled, and for a moment, he thought it was Raiden standing there. Then he blinked, and saw that it was Tsukoyomi, who stepped into the room as doctors bowed to her.

"But she's got a tail," Kenta said, pointing. "She's a parahuman."

"She is no more a parahuman than her parents are," Tsukoyomi stated simply, coming to stand at Kenta's shoulder to look down at the nursing babe and her mother.

Kenta and Keiga exchanged looks, and then Keiga sighed. "Forgive me, but I am tired. Tsu, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Kenta beamed proudly. Keiga was going to make a great familiar.

"You are no longer parahumans. Kenta has not been one since my mother blessed him and made him her familiar, and you have not been one since you were gifted the Heart of Leviathan," Tsukoyomi stated, taking the lese majeste in stride.

"We're… not?" Kenta asked, now truly puzzled. "Then how the hell do I turn into a giant dragon?"

"Because you are a dragon," Tsukoyomi said, frowning slightly and tilting her head ever so slightly to one side, as she often did when perplexed by the vagaries of mortals.

"You mean…" Kenta's mind went blank, and he looked helplessly to his wife, but she was looking down thoughtfully at their child. "We have become shenlong, and our child is one as well?"

"Yes."

That one word seemed to turn Kenta's entire world upside down. For a moment, he didn't know what to do, or what to say. Then he knelt down and wrapped his wife and child in a tight embrace. "Doesn't matter. We're still a family, and I've got the prettiest wife, and cutest daughter in the world."

Keiga nodded tiredly, resting her head against Kenta's. "What do we name her?

For a moment, Kenta was silent. Then he said, "Bailu."

"A Chinese name?" Keiga asked, opening her eyes and looking at Kenta for a moment.

"My grandmother's," Kenta muttered, feeling defensive.

"Then it is a good name," Keiga said. "Welcome to the world, little Bailu."

The baby, having drunk her fill, was now sleeping quietly. Kenta took the child, and hugged her to his chest as Keiga lay back herself and began to snore. Holding this tiny little being… Kenta felt something awaken deep within himself. He would move Heaven and Earth to keep his precious daughter safe and happy.

The night air was warm and muggy, with not even a faint breeze to stir the air. The sound of not so distant traffic could be heard from the highway, along with the faint chirping of crickets. Most of the light came from buzzing fireflies amongst the weeds and wildflowers, illuminating the DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE sign on a rusty chain link fence.

Then came the crunch of gravel underfoot, and the fireflies buzzed out of the way as two dark figures crept out of the shadows.

"This is stupid! What if we get caught?" a squeaky voiced hissed. "I can't see anything!"

"We won't get caught. We're going to find the monsters, and kill them," a more muffled voice replied.

"There aren't any monsters! Not unless there's a biotinker here, and what are we going to do about it?!" the first voice demanded.

The first held up a glass jar filled with fireflies that glowed softly, illuminating the two figures. Despite the warm weather, both were dressed in long sleeved hoodies, one gray, the other dark purple. Oddly, the hoodies had animal ears, one like a cats, the other like insect wings. "Then we protect this city, as my father would have wished."

The gray cat ripped her hoodie off, revealing messy blonde hair and an irritated expression. "Taylor, we should just call the Protectorate if there's any danger! They can handle it!"

"No, we have to take out the monsters, so I can join the Wards," Taylor said firmly, pushing her own hood forward, her glasses gleaming in the dim light. "You can be my sidekick."

"What!? I am not being your sidekick! If anything YOU should be my sidekick!"

"I have a Vision," Taylor pointed out, and held up her father's dimmed one.

"It doesn't work! Ugh, we don't have any powers, and they don't let people with no powers in the Wards!"

"We can be like Batman. He joined the Justice League."

"Yeah and he was super rich! Are you super rich?!"

"No, but you are. Besides, I was going to see if I could steal some of Uncle Wyatt's stuff," Taylor sniffed, and continued towards the power station. She reached the chain link fence, then took off her bright pink Lightning Princess Ami backpack, which had a baseball bat with a couple of nails clumsily driven into it poking out of the main pocket. She unzipped it, rummaging around inside.

"It is so unfair that you won't let me ask Alexandria and Hero for their autographs, you know," Sarah grumbled, squatting down next to Tailor. Nervously, she fingered the very expensive nine iron she'd stolen from her father to use as her weapon. "Also, I'm pretty sure my parents won't let us buy like, batarangs or something. Plus, my parents are millionaires. Not, like, Batman rich."

Taylor just grunted, then pulled out a pair of wire cutters and stepped up to the chain link fence. "Well, maybe when we kill the monsters, they'll have some valuable loot."

"That's completely stupid you know. Monsters don't just drop loot when you kill them like in a video game or something," Sarah lectured. "If anything, we'd have to like, scavenge their parts and sell them to illegal Tinkers for money."

"So, like Monster Hunter instead of Dragon Quest," Taylor said with a shrug. She grunted, trying to get the wire cutters to snip the chain link fence. Even with two hands, it was too hard for the wiry little six year old to manage.

Shoving Taylor aside, Sarah took the wire cutters. "Ugh, let me do it." Straining, Sarah managed to snip one link of the chain fence and grinned triumphantly, her white teeth flashing in the night. "Ha! See, this is why you'd be my sidekick: I'm older and stronger."

"You're the muscle, I'm the brains," Taylor said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Nu-uh."

"Yeah huh."

Nu-uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

Before the squabble could devolve any further, there was a rustling in the bushes, and both girls sprang back like they'd been shocked, Sarah brandishing her golf club, and Taylor grabbing the wire cutters and holding them forward like a knife.

"I-It's just a raccoon or something," Sarah stammered. "T-there's no monsters out here…"

"People have reported seeing something strange, and the PRT was all over these woods today. There has to be something," Taylor hissed. Then she drew herself up and raised her voice. "Whatever you are, show yourself! We're with the Wards! Stop in the name of the Law!"

A moment later, the bush suddenly bloomed, weird veins of light running all along the leaves. Both girls screamed, hugging one another in a panic. A moment later, a glowing purple blob sprang out of the bushes and extended a glowing white antenna towards the two girls.

"Oh my God," Sarah gasped.

"I was RIGHT!" Taylor cheered, and ran forward, grabbing her backpack, even as the slime regarded them, its antenna crackling slightly as it waved around.

"It's… it's a slime," Sarah said, picking up her dropped golf club and gingerly pointing it towards the creature. "But… but I thought those were like, only in Japan and Germany and stuff…"

"They were sighted on the West Coast a month ago, and they've been all over Australia since the Loy Yang battle," Taylor declared, taking a few tries, but finally jerking her baseball bat free. "Now, at last, we will slay this foul beast!"

"I dunno, it looks kinda cute," Sarah said, tilting her head to one side. "Are slimes like, dangerous or anything?"

"Only if you're dumb," Taylor told her.

Nodding, Sarah extended her metal golf club towards the slime, and poked it.

The resulting shock knocked the breath out of Sarah and sent her two feet back to land flat on her rear in the sharp gravel, where she sat for a moment, stunned. Then she started crying, trembling all over.

Seeing her friend so wounded, entirely through her own actions, Taylor bellowed out a warcry: "TO THE PAIN!" and swung her baseball bat with all her might. To her shock, the slime bent and wobbled at the blow, squishing like it was, well, made of slime. Taylor smacked it repeatedly, but the feeble blows of a six (and a half!) year old girl who only participated in sports when forced to had very little effect on the creature. The slime bounced forward, smacking Taylor in the chest, and giving her a nasty shock. She stumbled back as well, her glasses tumbling off her face, and leaving her nearly blind in the darkness.

"GET OFF HER, YOU JERK!" Sarah scrambled, grabbing up the bat Taylor had dropped and clubbing the slime repeatedly. Despite having a good two inches and seven pounds on Taylor, Sara's blows were no more effective on the slime, and she found herself knocked back and shocked again when the slime bounced onto her.

Screaming, Sarah looked up in horror as the slime bounced towards her ominously, curling up into a ball to try to protect herself. This was actually the right thing to do, especially against a lone, rather small slime, as slimes are not carnivorous (or herbivorous) and would just leave a non-threatening human alone, unless they had a source of elemental energy on them.

Like the cell phone that Sarah had in her pocket.

Before the slime could attack again, by touch alone, Taylor had found her backpack and retrieved two items. The first was her back up pair of glasses. The second was less practical.

"FACE JUSTICE!"

There was a FWOOSH and a jet of flames shot out from the can of deodorant Taylor had stuck a lighter in front of. As soon as the fire touched the slime, it detonated, exploding into little chunks of charged elemental goop.

Unfortunately, Taylor also lit a bit of Sara's hair on fire, along with some brush. Taylor managed to dig out her canteen and pour it over Sarah to put her out, but the two girls were desperately trying to stomp out the ever-growing fire before it spread, when a commanding voice barked out, "Stand back!"

There was a hissing sound, and then cold white foam enveloped both Taylor and Sara, who began coughing as the fire sputtered and died. A moment later, strong hands picked both of them up by their collars and hauled them back, before dumping them on the ground a short distance away.

There was a pounding of boots and Taylor and Sarah coughed, and a voice cried out, "Ma'am! We found another slime! What seems to be the problem here?"

"It's just two kids," a faintly accented voice said in disgust. "Relax, Sergeant Piggot. Did you manage to capture the thing?"

"Yes ma'am. Uh, kids?"

Blinking, Taylor looked up to see dark eyes glaring down at her over an American flag-patterned bandana, bright lights shining at her from the hands of several PRT troopers in heavy protective gear.

"Oh no…" Taylor groaned. "My mom is gonna-"

Sarah elbowed her, then calmly stood up, brushing the firefighting foam off of herself. "Thank you, Miss Militia. We'll make sure to include your help in our report."

The cape's eyebrows rose. "Oh really?"

"Yes," Sarah said primly, putting her hoodie back on. "I'm, uh-"

"Tattletale," Taylor said with a smirk, but Sarah just nodded and continued, sounding snootier and putting on what someone else might have recognized as the antiquated mid-Atlantic accent.

"Tattletale, from the Hartford Wards. We were in the area and heard there might be a problem. This is Skitter, she's a Vision Holder."

Taylor very helpfully produced her father's Vision, praying that it would pass scrutiny, despite the fact that it was dim and empty.

Miss Militia and Sergeant Piggot exchanged glances. "You don't say."

"I do," Sarah drawled. "Now, if you'll just excuse us, we'll be heading back to our accommodations to file a report."

"I think it's best if you check in with command directly first," Miss Militia said, putting a firm hand on both girl's shoulders. "Right this way."

Taylor shot Sarah a wide-eyed look, which her friend momentarily returned. Desperately, Taylor clutched her Vision. God, Dad, whoever is out there, if you're listening… now would be a REALLY good time for you to give me powers. I promise to use them to hunt down the Siberian!

Despite her silent pleas, her Vision remained dull and lifeless. After a few minutes of hiking up to the road, bright lights of emergency vehicles began to filter through the trees, and Taylor felt cold sweat trickle down her back. She looked at Sara, who was biting her lip nervously, fear on her face. Seeing that, Taylor straightened her back, and squared her small shoulders. She would be a hero. She had nothing to fear.

Except her mom grounding her forever.

When they made it up to the road, Taylor saw several PRT vehicles and a dozen troopers, along with several glass crates. They all held slimes within them, most of them the purple kind, though there was one large glowing orange one that crackled with power.

A sudden idea came to Taylor, and she broke away from Miss Militia's guiding hand, running over to one of the crates. She jammed her father's Vision into the slime, then let out a yip as the electro raced up her arm. Her muscles locked up, and body stiffened. The next thing she knew, she was slammed to the ground. When she recovered, she found a stern-faced Sergeant Piggot kneeling over her.

"Do you have a death wish, kid? That was a damn stupid thing to do."

"I'm a Vision Holder," Taylor said stubbornly, holding her Vision up like a talisman. It was, to her immense frustration, still empty. "I needed a recharge."

Piggot sighed heavily and muttered several no-no words, then reached down and picked Taylor up, clamping her hand around Taylor's wrist. "Come on. I'm sticking you in a squad car until we can sort this out."

Even as Taylor was frog-marched over to a car, she heard Sarah loudly protesting as she too was dragged over by Miss Militia.

"I'm telling you, I'm a Thinker! We're Wards! From Connecticut!" Amazingly, Sarah managed all that while maintaining her mid-Atlantic accent, kicking her legs as she dangled from Miss Militia's hand.

"Uh huh. You just wait here and show me just what kind of 'Thinker' you are, kid," Miss Militia said, cramming Sarah along with Taylor into the back of a police car and shutting the door.

The two girls sat in horrified silence for several long moments, both of them panting slightly. At last, Sarah swallowed. "I told you so."

"We defeated the slime. We're heroes," Taylor said stubbornly. "They have to recognize our heroic deeds and make us Wards."

"Ugh, this was a bad idea from the start! We should have just actually gone over to my house and watched a movie or something!" Sarah said, throwing up her hands. "I'd even have watched the stupid Princess Bride with you again!"

"But you said you love that movie!" Taylor gasped, deeply offended.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I'd rather watch episodes of Mushu Adventures. Princess Bride sucks."

Tears filled Taylor's eyes, and she sniffed, scrubbing at her face. "Princess Bride was my dad's favorite movie."

"Oh." Sarah shifted uncomfortably. "Um, I like it. I'm just mad. Because we got caught. And how did they not believe we were Wards!? We have costumes and you have a Vision!"

"A stupid one that doesn't work," Taylor said in disgust, looking down at the empty totem in her lap.

"Well it's better than my imaginary Thinker powers," Sarah sighed, putting her head in her hands and looking dejectedly at the ground. She sniffled, looking lost and forlorn herself. "You're not the only one who wishes she had superpowers…"

"It's OK, you're a super friend," Taylor told Sara, and gave her a hug.

The two girls were sitting like that with the driver's side door of the squad car opened, and a moment later the small grate that separated the back of the police car from the front slid down. A moment later, a face that sent a chill down Taylor's spine appeared.

"Taylor. Why, exactly, were you wandering around a dangerous forest in the middle of a PRT operation?" Legend asked, his expression completely exasperated.

"Um, I-I don't know what you mean," Taylor said, scratching the side of her face as Sarah blushed and gazed dreamily at Legend. "I'm, um, Skitter…from the Wards…"

"Taylor, I know exactly who all the Wards in Hartford are. And we very much don't have a pair of six year olds on that team, or any team," Legend said sternly.

"I'm seven," Sarah said sullenly, which rather proved Legend's point.

"I'll get to you, Miss Livsey," Legend said sternly. "Impersonating a cape is a serious crime."

"Who said I'm not a Thinker?" Sarah demanded, leaning back and pouting. "I know your real name!"

Legend's eyes snapped to Taylor, but she waved her hands in protest. "I-I didn't tell her anything, I swear!"

"I see." Legend's eyes turned back to Sara, who smirked. "And who, exactly, do you think I am?"

"Taylor's Uncle Keith," Sarah said smugly. "You're Junior's dad from Mrs. Sanchez's class"

Groaning, Legend rubbed the bridge of his nose. "... how many kids at your school know this? I suppose I should be grateful that my son wasn't trekking through the woods at midnight with the two of you…"

"Just me, I figured it all out on my own," Sarah said airly, sticking her nose in the air and reacquiring her mid-Atlantic accent.

"... she stole my journal," Taylor said, giving Sarah a dirty look.

"... and the names of how many highly classified Protectorate capes are in that journal?" Legend asked, his tone pained.

"Um, I haven't figured out who Eidolon is yet," Sarah admitted, giving him an innocent smile. "But I'm pretty sure I know who Uncle Wyatte and Aunt Becky are."

"Fantastic," Legend breathed out. He gave Sarah a thoughtful look. "Are you actually a Thinker?"

"If I say yes, am I still in trouble?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Oh, yes, absolutely," Legend said, his expression growing stern.

"You can't send us to jail!" Sarah wailed, pressing up to the window as tears streaked her cheeks. "We just wanted to fight monsters and get Taylor's Vision working again!"

"Taylor…" Legend groaned, his expression taking on a different kind of pain.

"I'll get my powers someday," Taylor said, gripping her Vision tightly. "And then, I will track down the Siberian. And when I find her, I will say, 'Hello-"

"My name is Taylor Hebert!" Sarah said, making a fist of her own.

"'You Killed my Father, Prepare to die!'" both girls declared in unison.

Legend regarded both girls for a long moment, then said, "Does your mother know where you are, Taylor?"

"Um, no, please don't tell her…" Taylor whispered, shrinking in on herself.

"And your parents, Miss Livsey?" Legend asked.

"... they think we're spending the night at my house, and my brother is watching us," Sarah admitted. "They're out at a party or something."

"And your brother…?"

"Is over at his girlfriend's house," Sarah admitted. "I'm covering for him."

"Amazing. This is above my pay grade," Legend said, opening the door.

"So, you'll let us go?!" Taylor gasped excitedly, pressing her nose to the open slot.

"I'm calling Annette. And making sure Arthur knows where Junior is," Legend said, pulling out a cell phone.

Taylor slumped back in her seat, groaning softly. "We're going to be grounded for the rest of the summer…"

"We didn't even get any good loot of the slime," Sarah whined.

Taylor turned to her in exasperation. "You said slimes don't drop good loot!"

"Well, duh! But, I mean, we went through all this effort, I thought we'd get SOMETHING!" Sarah protested.

What they both got was a week of solitary confinement in their rooms.

The ground shook again, and Digger swore as he was forced to crouch down in the shallow trench. He peeked up over the rim, and winced as he watched the Endbringer trample on one of the giant excavators, crushing the valuable machine to nothing but scrap metal. Smoke was rising from the Loy Yang mine from the fires, and there was little Digger could do about it. His powers let him tunnel through just about anything with the long metallic claws that had replaced his fingernails, but he wasn't built for Endbringer fights. He motioned to the miners who were crouched beside him. "Come on, this way you fuckers, back to the rally point."

He got the group of evacuees out, then sent them running along the road to Traralgon where they'd be picked up. He turned back around and kept low to the ground, keeping an eye on the pit mine a few kilometers away where Behemoth was still rampaging. He'd made his way to the Loy Yang Power station next, and when that happened the entire power grid for Victoria was well and truly fucked.

He started tunneling through the earth, his power allowing him to move aside the inorganic materials in the soil and compress it down. He could use it for digging into buildings as well, and in fact usually used it to get into places like bank vaults. That was what he'd be doing today, but, well… things happened.

Sensing someone up above him, Digger popped out, right in the center of the makeshift command center where a dozen other capes were. A grim-faced man with a lantern jaw and a giant hammer propped on his shoulders glared down at Digger, who winced and gave a nervous smile.

"Uh, truce, remember?" Digger offered, giving Gavel a nervous wave. He was pretty sure he wasn't on Gavel's shit list, but if he was… he wouldn't survive it.

"Today only," Gavel growled and reached down to haul Digger out of his hole and deposit him on the ground. Several other capes, some villains that Digger knew, others heroes, and a few independents were clustered around, with a dark woman with Aboriginal features at the front. She was Dream Time, and one of the most powerful capes in Australia. Unfortunately, her power set relied on mental manipulation and illusions, which would do basically nothing against an Endbringer.

"Right, you bastards," Dream Time said, motioning the capes around. "Listen up! Digger, you get the miners out?"

"All I could. Mines are burning now. Tried one tunnel I had to get the hell out of before I choked to death. No one alive down there now," he said, feeling sick. He robbed banks, yes, but he didn't kill people. He kept underground as much as possible and never hurt anyone if he could help it. If he got into a fight, he dug a hole and ran away.

He glanced at the smoke that was lifting into the clouds. No running today. Not from this.

"Right. Well, that big fucker over there thinks he can bend us over like Leviathan did Sydney. Well, we're going to teach him not to fuck with Aussies!"

There were a few scattered cheers, but mostly grim silence. A few people here had been at Sydney. Not many had survived that fight. Digger felt sick to his stomach at even the thought of it.

"We're waiting on reinforcements. Japan signed a treaty with us, and the Protectorate should be here soon. We-"

Lightning struck from a clear blue sky, ripping open a hole in space beside Dream Time. A moment later, a large man and a slender woman stepped through the portal, dressed in kimonos and with two swords strapped to their sides. Digger felt a sense of relief, recognizing Mushu and Keiga. They were the Lord and Lady of the Sentai. If Japan sent them, then that meant they were going to be here in force.

However, once the two Japanese capes were through, the portal snapped shut, leaving them standing alone, facing the burning coal mine.

"Glad you made it, where are the others?" Dream Time asked Mushu.

He didn't respond, removing his outer robe, and tossing it to the side, unstrapping his swords and setting them down as well. As he did so, his wife spoke for him.

"It is just us," Keiga said, slowly undoing her belt and setting it to the side as well. Digger watched with interest as she too disrobed, until he caught Mushu glancing over his shoulder. That was when Digger realized how very interesting the ground was, and kept his gaze fixed on that.

It was one thing to look at a fine woman: It was another when that woman was married to the scariest son of a bitch in the Eastern Hemisphere, his boss aside.

"You've fought an Endbringer before," Dream Time said to the Japanese capes. "What is the strategy? Why so few? Behemoth has already destroyed the mines! Please, you need to mobilize, we already have every cape in Australia headed here, they'll be here in less than an hour, the same time as the PRT. Then we can-"

"No waiting," Mushu grunted, and Digger glanced up to see him rolling his neck from side to side and cracking his knuckles.

"The Raiden Shogun has sworn alliance with you. We honor our oaths," Keiga added, though Digger tried very hard not to look at her. Wait. Were those…scales? That was a bit kinky…and…a tail? Hold on, didn't she just have hydrokinesis of some sort? This wasn't the Outback, so there was some water, but this wasn't exactly her battlefield.

Overhead, thunder rumbled, and the now nude Japanese capes stepped forward. Digger felt a drop on his head, and looked up in perplexity. It had been a clear day only moments before, but now, dark clouds filled the sky.

"BEHEMOTH!" Mushu bellowed, his voice far louder and larger than a human throat could have produced, his roar echoing off the distant walls of the mine. "I AM MUSHU, FAMILIAR OF THE RAIDEN SHOGUN, EMINATOR OF ETERNITY! I SLEW YOUR BROTHER! NOW, I SHALL SLAY YOU!"

In the distance, Behemoth looked up from its rampage, turning towards the sound. Responding to the challenge, or just the noise? No way to know.

"Oh fuck me," Digger gasped, and took several steps back, until he bumped into a wall. He glanced back to see the grim-faced Gavel, who shoved him back forward. Fuck. This wasn't going how he'd thought it would…

As they advanced, the two Japanese capes began to change, first growing horns and scales along with tails, then slowly stretching, elongating as they inflated to gargantuan sizes. Digger gaped as two dragons lifted off into the sky, weaving back and forth around one another in the air as they drifted toward Behemoth. One purple and bulky, with lightning crackling about his body, the other more slender and with sleeker lines, long whiskers trailing in the air beside her.

The Endbringer had lost all interest in the mine or the power station, and turned towards the dragons. The creature was eerily silent, the only noise it made was the rumble of the earth as it began to charge forward. In response, the dragons bubbled deafening warcries, and surged forward with frightening rapidity. How could three beings that were so large move so fast?

Digger dove into the ground, hastily hollowing out a sort of bunker, where he peered out at the battle. Keiga was staying back, rising up towards the clouds as her husband began to pick up speed, charging forward with a snarling roar that sounded like boulders tumbling down a hill. Behemoth answered, charging forward and spraying out a stream of molten lava from his hands. Mushu responded by opening his own jaws wide, and a wave of lightning thundered out. Where the two attacks met, there was a blinding flash of light and an explosion that shook the earth so hard that even Digger's compressed bunker shuddered, with bits of soil and rock breaking free and falling down.

Gavel and Dream Time joined Digger in the bunker, taking shelter from the storm that was now strong enough that it was causing flooding and blasting what remained of the power plants to ruins.

"Those mad bastards, do they really think just the two of them can fight an Endbringer?!" Dream Time gasped, flicking water from her face as she peered out at the dim shapes crashing in the distance.

"He fought one before," Gavel said flatly. "I think he knows what he's doing."

"From what I heard, he nearly died, and it was Raiden that did the real fighting," Digger said with a frown. He winced when Gavel turned to stare at him.

"A fair point. We should get ready to join the fight as soon as the PRT arrives," Gavel said with a shrug.

Cringing at the thought, Digger turned back to watch. It was hard to make out in the heavy rain, but the lightning and fires that bloomed at each clash made it easy to keep track of Mushu and Behemoth at least. Mushu was now bigger than Behemoth, and the dragon was keeping his distance, firing off bolts of lightning as he circled around, far faster than something that big should have been able to move.

Behemoth, however, was simply taking the barrage of lightning, occasionally firing out more waves of flame or lava that screamed as they flashed the water in the air to steam. Mushu took a few hits, but it didn't seem to overly bother the dragon. They kept that up for several minutes, but something bothered Digger.

"Doesn't Behemoth usually shoot lightning at people? That's how Snaggletooth and Flinger bit it earlier, right?" he asked nervously.

"Yes," Dream Time said, her tone tight. "Look. You can see: the lightning isn't harming Behemoth."

At first, Digger didn't see, but as the fight went on, Behemoth began to glow, brighter and brighter, white flashes of power along the spikes at its back and shoulders. Then the entire world seemed to flash to pure brightness, and the earth trembled. When Digger's vision cleared, he beheld two titanic monsters wrestling one another for supremacy.

At first, Digger thought the larger Mushu was winning, but it was soon apparent this was not the case. Though the dragon was now more than 100 meters long and had Behemoth in his tight coils, there was dark blood leaking from a dozen wounds, and Mushu was roaring in pain as he and the Endbringer clashed.

"Fuck, we have to get out there!" Dream Time swore, but Gavel put a hand out to stop her.

"Wait. Weren't there two of them?" he rumbled.

Just as it looked like Behemoth would slay Mushu, something like whale song echoed across the battlefield. The air rippled above the struggling kaiju, and the clouds parted as a great azure head emerged. The rain, which up until now had been torrential, abruptly ceased. Keiga opened her jaws wide, and a massive globe of water appeared between them, sucking in moisture from all sides.

"Holy shit," Digger breathed. "He wasn't trying to kill the bastard…"

Mushu tightened his coils, and with another warble of whale song, Keiga let loose with a jet of water that slammed Behemoth into the ground, carving away most of his spikes and digging a great gouge into his back.

"He was just holding him still. Like he did for Raiden," Gavel said with a shake of his head. "That's one crazy fuckin' bastard."

Keiga's attack ended, and she began to inhale more water, even as Mushu roared and crackled with more purple lightning

Digger clutched his head, feeling a sense of panic. "No you stupid bastard, he's-"

Behemoth pulsed with power, this time flames washing over the creature's entire body. Mushu howled in pain and uncoiled, flying up and away from the Endbringer, who had slammed both claws into the ground, planting himself as he looked up at Keiga, who had nearly charged another water bolt. This time, when she fired, Behemoth responded with a surge of lava, and the battlefield vanished as a great explosion shook the ground from the clash of water and flames.

By the time everything cleared, Keiga had been forced back, drifting lower and seeming dazed. Behemoth leapt through the clinging mists, slamming both claws into her and raking her side. She snarled and bit at the Endbringer, slamming her tail into Behemoth with a great crack, and sending the smaller creature sprawling.

Mushu charged back out, breathing more lightning that raked over Behemoth before bashing into the creature, head first. Whalesong resounded again, and the rain returned as Keiga soaked the battlefield once more.

"So," Digger said, turning to Dream Time and Gavel. "Who feels this is way the fuck outside of their league?"

"Coward," Gavel sneered, but he made no move to charge towards the battling monsters.

"All we can do is keep civilians out of the area, and wait for reinforcements," Dream Time repeated, shaking her head. "Bloody fucking hell…"

The battle dragged on for long minutes, but it was soon clear that this was a stalemate. If Australia had even two or three capes present strong enough to go toe to toe with an Endbringer, they might have been able to tip the balance in the favor of humanity, but as it stood, what capes they had were the ones that had been in the area: Australia sorely lacked long ranged teleporters, and their strongest blaster capes could fly at only a few hundred kilometers per hour. As such, the forces present were not suited to an Endbringer fight. A consequence of having a massive nation with only 25 million people.

Still, this was a victory in and of itself: while hundreds of millions of dollars of damage had been done and hundreds of lives lost, along with complete devastation to one of Australia's most vital coal mines and power stations, this was recoverable. If Behemoth was stalemated here before it could move to the nearby town of Traralgon, they would be getting off lightly.

Just when Digger was hoping he could stay well out of the fight, another portal opened up. This one took the form of a door appearing out of nowhere, then a dozen capes charging through. These Digger also recognized: The Protectorate.

"Right, who's in charge here?" Alexandria demanded, flying over to the bunker and looking around.

Digger looked at Dream Time, but she just shook her head. "You are, I suppose. We've evacuated the civilians, but we don't have a team capable of… well, that."

Alexandra looked to where the dragons were still exchanging blows that could level city blocks with Behemoth in the midst of a thunderstorm, and grimaced. "Well. Fortunately, we brought a few who can. Eidolon! Let's see about putting the odds in our favor."

"You sure we can't just let them kill one another?" Gavel asked, folding his arms over his chest. "Solve two of your problems, wouldn't it?"

The glare Alexandria shot Gavel would have made Digger wet himself if he hadn't already done that twice today, but Gavel didn't even flinch. "Much as there is no love lost between the Sentai and the Protectorate, Behemoth is an Endbringer. I'd help the Slaughterhouse Nine against an Endbringer if I thought they could be trusted not to stab me in the back, and Mushu, while a brute, is an honorable man. He'd do the same for me."

"Hell of a brute," Digger muttered, shaking his head. He sighed, then grinned up at the flying woman. "Uh, I can dig holes real good. How can I help?"

"You already have," Alexandria told him, then formed up with her team, even as more American capes spilled out. They even had fancy tinkertech comms gear, with Hero hovering there on a pair of jet boots and coordinating with Chevalier and Eidolon.

"Yankees," Digger sighed. "Why the fuck do they get all the fancy toys?"

"Because they got capes like Alexandria and Legend, and we've got us," Dream Time said grimly. "Come on. I'm not sitting this out any longer."

Swallowing, Digger said a prayer to every God and angel he could think of, especially the Raiden Shogun, and trotted after her and Gavel.

Minutes later, Digger ran along with a gaggle of other capes, roaring out a wordless battlecry as they splashed along in the muddy ground. Most of them were Aussies like him, though a few Amercians were mixed in as well. It was several kilometers away, and Digger's sides and legs were already burning, his heart thundering in his chest as Alexandria and her Elite zoomed overhead.

While the battle with Behemoth had been a stalemate, it quickly became a very one sided beat down. Eidolon and a half dozen blaster capes hit the Endbringer so hard that it was knocked sideways, then Alexandria piled in, knocking Behemoth down. Mushu and Keiga didn't hesitate, both dragons ripping and tearing at the kaiju so that his hide was rapidly shredded, dark blood spilling out in great streams.

After that, the Endbringer tried to fight back, shooting out lightning and lava while swatting at the dragons and Alexandria, but despite being far from friends, Mushu, Keiga, and Alexandria fought together like they'd been practicing for ages, seamlessly weaving their attacks together and pummeling the Endbringer. Digger wasn't even halfway there when the Endbringer dove for the muddy ground. In a spray of earth and molten rock, the Endbringer vanished.

There was a ragged cheer, but Dream Time called out, "Don't celebrate yet! He could come back at any time!"

And so, Digger waited in the mud as the thunderstorm broke and dissipated. He looked around, up at the sky where Hero, Eidolon, and Alexandria conferred with the dragons, who had shrunken somewhat, now being only the size of a school bus instead of an entire school.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Digger said to no one in particular.

"How to fuck your mother," a villain named Drop Bear told him. Digger sneered at the ugly man, but didn't comment. Drop Bear was a mean mother. And it would take more than a dab of vegemite to keep him away.

After an hour of waiting, the two dragons drifted down to near the terrestrial capes, shrinking again until they were nearly human sized, though retaining their draconic forms.

"We will offer you aid," Keiga told Dream Time. "If it is agreeable, my husband will provide your cities with power that Behemoth has denied them for a few days, and I shall help with preventing groundwater contamination from the mine."

"That is… a generous offer," Dream Time said, sounding startled. "We'd need to talk to Canberra, but I don't think they'd deny you."

"Good. We ask only that the shipments of grain and cattle continue to Japan," Keiga said. "We shall, of course, continue to pay."

Digger didn't really understand what that was all about, but the Americans looked pissed as well.

"We can offer help with rebuilding as well," Alexandria said, though it sounded half-hearted after Keiga had made her initial offer. "Reconstruction in the coming months."

"Ah, thank you. I'll pass that along," Dream Time agreed, looking dazed. She glanced over at the smoldering pit, where cooling lava lay instead of a power station and mine. "What a fucking mess."

"Woulda been a real pisser if you dragons hadn't shown up," Digger opined, feeling slightly dizzy. He was going to live after all.

"It wasn't the dragons who chased away Behemoth," Eidolon growled, and Digger nearly dove into a hole as he whirled to find the green masked cape hovering behind him.

"Sure, right you are. Real team effort. Good job, all around," Digger babbled. "High five?"

Eidolon glanced at the hand, then turned away. "We're done here. Alexandria can handle the negotiations. I have work to do."

With that, he flew off.

"Yay," Digger said softly, giving himself a high five. "Go team. Woo hoo. Cheers all around."

"It was a good job," Dream Time agreed, watching as Keiga and Mushu flew off to begin helping restore power and keep the water from becoming contaminated. "Shit, a far sight better than Sydney."

"I'm still breathing, so I'm counting it as a win," Digger agreed. He shook his head, then glanced at Gavel, who had begun fingering his hammer and eyeing some of the villains. "Well, I'll just be off then."

He turned to dive into the ground, but Dream Time put a hand on his shoulder and he froze. "Hey. You did good today. A lot of people are alive who'd be dead if you hadn't helped. If you ever think of changing your ways… you could do a lot of good."

Digger laughed and shrugged. "Sure, love. I'll think about it."

Then he dove into the comforting earth, and got the hell away from there.

Dragons, monsters, and fucking Americans running about like they owned the place. What was the world coming to?

Author's note:

Don't worry, Noelle will be canon soon enough. Taylor and Sarah will soon meet their senpai.

I hope you all enjoyed the April Fool's joke the last couple of days. If you want to see more nonsense, you can find it on for only $1 a month.

Superbia Hominim 1: Hero of Alexandria

Ei floated alone upon her plane of Euthymia, meditating.

Well, reading manga. She told herself she was resting after planting yet another Thunder Sakura tree, but the truth of it was, she was mentally exhausted. Mostly from having to be around and speak to people all the time. She had spent 500 years alone, and while it was good to spend time with her daughters, familiars, and even her mortal retainers, it was still draining.

Plus, she absolutely needed to finish this latest chapter of Eyeshield 21. It was a brand new manga, and while Ei had little interest in sports, this truly made American Soccer interesting. Or was it football? Regardless, the art was excellent, and Ei was very invested in the characters. Plus, new chapters of Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach. She'd had physical volumes delivered at great expense from Earth Aleph, and she was ready to sink into several hours of decadence.

Including the case of Coca-Cola she'd had the Shuumatsuban smuggle in from Mexico, along with several dozen varieties of American snacks. There was just something to be said for how much sugar they put in everything. Ei would never allow such products to be sold to her own populace, but it wasn't as though she could get diabetes.

Just as Ei was really getting into the latest adventures of Luffy, something changed. Slowly, she closed the magazine, then stood up. With a sweep of her hand, she spun her realm to show her the sky of Earth Bet, which she regarded for long moments.

There.

"Sapientia Oromasdis," Ei remarked, regarding the newly linked grouping of stars. "So. Buer has arrived. Interesting."

There was a metaphysical knocking, and Ei stifled a groan. Not him. Ah, well. She supposed the time to relax was over. She gave her permission, and a moment later, Barbatos stepped into her realm.

"Heya, Beezy!" the annoying wind sprite said with a jaunty wave. Unlike Ei, Barbatos had taken to wearing the garb of this world, and was wearing a set of clothing that was fashionable to the young mortals in his realm; tight black "jeans" and a "Green Day" T-shirt. He stepped over several empty candy wrappers and Ei's TV and Gamecube. "Well, well, well. Did your mother never tell you to clean up your room?"

Ei frowned in distaste. "Did yours never tell you it is impolite to be rude to those whose dwellings you visit?"

"Darn, see, this is what we're missing out on! Mothers! If only we'd had them," Barbatos doffed his green beret and held it over his heart, before placing it back on his head and grinning. "Well! Looks like another of us showed up. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"Indeed," Ei nodded, gazing up at the image of the sky she'd conjured. "Buer. I know little of Samiel's heir."

"Me neither. I was taking a bit of a nap during her tenure, didn't have time to catch up," Barbatos admitted. He frowned up at the constellation, then over at Ei's forge and the neatly stacked endless rows of weapons she'd prepared. "Any guesses on how she'll land on things?"

"By all accounts, Sumeru was a prosperous realm that enjoyed the blessings of their Archon," Ei said. "She will not stomach the dictates of this new Sustainer well. I trust it will take little to persuade her over to our side."

"Mmm. I suppose. Though I do wonder… should we really be calling this Scion the Sustainer?" Barbatos mused.

"It is as fitting a title as any other. He is a Descender, as was the original Sustainer," Ei said with a shrug. "He maintains his Heavenly Principles, what he calls the Cycle."

"And he's a real jerk, just like the last one. Though, you know, we're technically Descenders too, now," Barbatos pointed out.

Ei gave him a flat look, and did not dignify that with a response. The very idea. She was not foreign to this land. This was her land. Her people. She was one with them, and they with her. She felt it in her very essence. Descender. Such a concept was ludicrous. Her fate was written in the stars of this land, as was Barbatos'.

"Speaking of, seen any other Descenders? Aside from us and Buer, I mean," Barbatos pointed out.

"Only the Dead God, and the Sustainer," Ei said. She frowned. Barbatos never asked questions without purpose. "Who else have you met?"

"Someone else who's fate isn't in these stars," Barbatos mused. He shrugged, then laughed. "Well, I was never one to let fickle fate dictate the lives of those under my wings. And I suppose you've decided to defy fate yet again yourself. I'm sure we can convince Buer to do the same. Any ideas on where to look?"

"I was quite wrong on where to search for you," Ei stated flatly. "And my searchers were somewhat… misguided."

"Mmm. Well, I've got two guesses. Do you mind?"

Ei gestured to grant Barbatos permission, and the God of Freedom conjured up a green sphere with the markings of the world on it. "My first guess: India. Sumeru is known for its rainforests more than anything else, and India has plenty. She'd be a dead ringer for several of their gods, and India is famous for its wise men. First place I'd look."

"A compelling argument," Ei agreed with a nod. "And the other?"

"Egypt." Venti spun the globe slightly and indicated a separate land. "It's more Amon's land, but Sumeru was joined of the desert and rainforest. It's also considered a land of ancient wisdom, and the famous Library of Alexandria was there."

Ei's eye twitched. "That is the name of that upstart Yankee."

"Yep! Her boyfriend's name is Hero, too! Hero of Alexandria! Heh heh, quite the pun, eh?" Barbatos smiled guilelessly at Ei, which was how she knew he was mocking her.

"I take it you are pawning the job of searching for Buer upon myself?" Ei asked, feeling her usual sense of irritation at Barbatos.

"I'll send my Knights to Egypt, and perhaps a few other places. I suggest you look in India. It's important we find her before Scion does, or worse, she violates his Cycle," Barbatos said, his own gaze growing serious. "She's a young god. Very young, by the stories that have drifted to me. She didn't live through the Archon War like you and I did. We know what the days to come will bring, and are making preparations. She lacks the experience."

"Are you?" Ei asked, giving Barbatos a curious look. She hadn't sensed any great expenditures of power, or seen him gathering armies as she had. But that had never been his way.

"Oh, I am. I assure you. When the time comes, I will make the Tyrant of Cycles regret the day he extended his iron rod over this land, and set his parasites upon it," Venti said grimly. He glanced at Ei. "I sensed what you did to the Parasites. Bold. I half expected him to come for you then."

"A calculated risk. I too have sensed what you have done. I would not have called it preparing for war, and yet… hmm. I suppose I did much the same with my dragons."

"You're gonna have some explaining to do when Focalors arrives, you know. Stealing the Hydro dragon! That's not very sporting of you," Barbatos laughed.

"She may have… Keiga, loath as I would be to give her away," Ei said, and felt real sorrow at the prospect. "But when I set that plan in motion, I did not yet fully suspect more of us would arrive. You then agree all the Seven shall be drawn to this world?"

"Buer all but confirms it. I'd get ready, you made a real mess of Morax's front lawn, and he was a grumpy old man even when he was young!'' With that cryptic remark, Barbatos waved farewell. "I'll keep in touch. How about a bet: First one to find Buer, the other has to buy drinks for them for a whole year?"

"You have not the funds to buy me beverages," Ei said in exasperation.

"Tee hee! Well, I'll just have to look extra hard!" With that, Barbatos departed back to the mortal realm.

Ei sighed, then glanced around at her sanctum and winced. If Mushu found her realm in a mess again…

Well. She'd just have to clean up before he visited her again. After this chapter of Naruto.

It had been a long time since Fatoumata had actually looked at herself in a mirror. She had her long hair loose about her shoulders and was holding a hairbrush. One she'd had to purchase. Had her hair always had this sheen? She hadn't been doing a proper hair care routine in…how long? A decade? More? There were still worry lines and wrinkles on her face, what you would expect from a woman in her mid-thirties.

The only problem with that was that Fatoumata was in her mid-forties.

From the few pictures she'd found of herself, she looked easily a decade younger now. Hell, she felt younger now too. Almost all of the aches and pains that built up with age were gone, she had more energy, and she slept better at night as well. All thanks to one weird trick.

Gently, Fatoumata stroked the emerald gem hanging around her neck, caressing it and feeling the warmth within.

Let your Vision Guide you, Daughter of Samsara.

Samsara. A Sanskrit word, with hugely significant importance in most Indian religions. The Cycle of Life, of reality.

Daughter of the Cycle. A cruel irony. And yet… that voice.

Fatoumata finished brushing her hair, then carefully put it up in a kerchief, a far different habit than she had cultivated for all these long years. But things were changing.

The Cycle must be broken.

Putting on her lab coat, Fatoumata picked up her notepad, and began flipping through her notes.

The voice of a child. She spoke in Baoulé, with an accent not used on Earth Bet.

Fatoumata tapped her lip for a moment, then turned the page and continued to scribble. Her handwriting had always been poor, but now her pen raced across the page fluidly.

Investigate if other Emerald Visions have begun to appear. See if they too are tied to an Archon.

Pausing, Fatoumata tapped her pen on the page. Archon Theory. Did she subscribe to this now? It was a fringe theory, but…

She went over to her computer and tapped away at it. She scanned the reports forwarded to her by her secretary, then dug deeper into the records of new vision holders. One report caught her eye. It was written in English, but she recognized the name: Dr. Bashir Saeed.

New Vision Type: Emerald in nature, seems to govern plant life. First recorded 30-10-2002. Subject classified. Proposed name for new Vision Type: Dendro.

On a whim, Fatoumata went back to her private email, not her Cauldron or PRT accounts, and composed a message to Dr. Bashir.

Subject: re:New Vision Type

From:

To:

Dear Doctor Bashir,

I saw your post on the message board, just wanted to reconnect. I have a subject here with one of the new vision type. I like the proposed name. Just curious as to the psych profile, I'm trying to build a case for Archon Theory using this one as support. Here's my subject's profile line.

Age: 46

Sex: F

Ethnicity: Arabic

Country of Origin: Morocco

Occupation: Medical researcher

Attachment: FT_psych.pdf

The psych profile she attached was mostly correct, but it had been checked by Thinkers to make sure it didn't give away too much. Her alias, Fatima Tabib was, on paper, a medical researcher for UCLA Berkeley. It was more or less her real identity, or what it had been, though she lived a rather double life now.

Before then, Fatoumata met with her Thinker group, for more of their thorough evaluations and analysis of her new powers. She could indeed manipulate plant life to a degree, but that wasn't what she was good at.

The standard gamut of Vision Holder powers were on display, from being able to send out blasts of energy, to forming a shield, to providing healing. But there was something else, something new.

Mental Manipulation.

Fatoumata had become something of an empath. Less when she was awake, but she could now lucid dream, and specifically enter into the dreams of others. Even more, she could put people into a deep sleep, and shape their dreams. It was somewhat limited, she couldn't puppet people and her ability to put them to sleep required focus and a calm subject, but she was rapidly discovering ways to make people drowsy.

She could also talk to plants and animals. Plants were easy, but Fungi was incredibly simple for her to talk to. Mostly with the plants, it was listening to their songs, or their desires, as well as asking them to grow in certain patterns. They usually complied, but only if Fatoumata was polite and respectful.

As for animals, lower-order animals were somewhat difficult, but higher-order animals were much easier. For now, it was only the ability to tell what they wanted and communicate her desires. She couldn't compel the animals to do as she wished, only request it. Some listened, some didn't. The easiest animals to follow her directions so far were dogs, pigs, and parrots, but that was likely simply because they were social animals, and in the case of dogs, predisposed to do as she said regardless.

Cats were the most annoying because they clearly understood her, but would frequently do exactly the opposite just to be contrarian.

Vision Holders, but with Master Powers that didn't just involve constructs. A frightening thought, especially since Fatoumata was not alone.

Her first email to Dr. Bashir took a few days to be responded to, but after that, they had frequent correspondence on a regular basis. Shockingly, after only a few weeks, Bashir received his own Vision, and confirmed the reports: He had heard the voice of a young girl, speaking in Arabic with an Iraqi accent.

The language wasn't important. People always reported hearing the words in their native tongue and accent. That was one reason it had taken so long to realize that people were hearing the voice of the Raiden Shogun when they received an Electro Vision, and the voice of Venti when they received an Anemo one.

Just like it had with the Electro and Anemo Vision Holders, a consistent psychological profile emerged for Dendro Visions: They were dreamers. They had a love of learning and knowledge and were often considered wise beyond their years, even if they were young. Most of them somehow felt as though they were held captive in some fashion, whether it be in a dead end job, a relationship, or literally in prison (the spate of political prisoners in various authoritarian regimes who received Visions was most interesting), but above all, one trait was shared.

They were reckless altruists. Most were optimists, some were cynics, but all were so self-sacrificing that it was a serious detriment to their own well-being. What that said about Fatoumata amused her to no end.

Maddeningly, Fatoumata and the rest of the research community had absolutely no success at tracking down the Dendro Archon. Even with all the resources of Cauldron at her fingertips, Fatoumata had zero success in tracking the Dendro Archon down. It was putting major holes in Archon Theory, as the Raiden Shogun had made herself painfully obvious from the very moment that Electro Visions had appeared, and while Venti had taken a bit longer, him appearing in the skies of Berlin and later Munich hadn't been what one would call subtle.

Instead, Fatoumata corresponded with her contacts, especially Dr. Bashir. It was pleasant to talk to someone who shared so many of her ideals. The young doctor was utterly dedicated to helping humanity, and especially parahumans. He didn't know the true threat the world faced, but he was doing everything he could to increase the store of human knowledge and share it with others, the better to treat his parahuman patients.

The good doctor had questions, and some of them Fatoumata could answer. Whether that was her own research into Dendro abilities, or the current postulations on Archon Theory. Bashir had been initially hesitant to recognize this as an explanation for Visions, but some time in December he became an adherent.

The search for the source of Visions continued, but of one thing, Fatoumata was absolutely certain: They could no longer continue this fight as though they would lose.

It had been some months since Alexandria had been summoned to a meeting by Doctor Mother, but she couldn't recall ever meeting her under her cover identity as a Parahuman Researcher at UCLA. In fact, to the best of Alexandria's knowledge, up until now, the identity of Dr. Fatima Tabib had never existed as much more than a paper trail.

The office she found herself in was far from the bare spartan affair that Alexandria would have expected. Instead, there were pictures of nature, photos of "Fatima" at Oxford University, and woven cloth wall hangings of a distinctly sub-saharan African style. Which was slightly suspicious, as "Fatima" was from Morocco, not the Ivory Coast.

"Ah, good morning, Rebecca," Doctor Mother said, looking up from one of her ever-present notebooks, her laptop next to her and a cup of coffee in her hands. "Croissant? I had Contessa bring them from Paris."

That was a surprise. Doctor Mother was always so strict about using Cauldron resources sparingly, and only when it would advance their goals. Fresh croissants from France were lovely, but not something she'd have ever expected. Alexandria looked to Wyatt, but he just shrugged and took two, along with some cheese, cream, and fresh berries from the tray out on the table.

After a moment's consideration, Alexandria did the same. Far be it from her to complain about something that wasn't donuts.

Contessa was sitting in the corner, knees tucked up under her chin as she curled in an overstuffed armchair, biting her nails and reading one of those Japanese novels, a picture of a train traveling among the stars on the cover.

"Morning!" Wyatt said cheerfully around a mouthful of food, sending out a spray of crumbs that Contessa blocked by holding up a napkin even as he spoke.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Doctor Mother chided, even as Eidolon strode in, dressed in his civilian identity with a leather jacket and sweatpants, sunglasses obscuring his features.

He glanced at the breakfast, and his eyebrows rose. "Well damn, are we on a health kick? I thought I'd have to eat cold jerky again."

"There are energy drinks in the cooler under the table, David," Doctor Mother said, nodding to a red cooler.

"Uh, thanks," David said, blinking and removing his shades and tucking them into his jacket pocket. He closed the door behind himself and grabbed a tray with a croissant, fruit, and cheese, along with a Red Bull. "Thought you survived only on coffee and sugar."

"That was when I was only planning on living through the next few years, then dying gloriously. I have adjusted my outlook," Doctor Mother stated firmly.

This time, even Wyatt choked on his croissant, while Alexandria sputtered on her coffee. Contessa looked up, a vague smile on her face, then went back to reading again.

"That's… good. Why the sudden burst of optimism?" David asked suspiciously, not sitting nor eating, but instead staying on his feet and staring at Doctor Mother.

"You know perfectly well why, David. You were there, after all," Doctor Mother said calmly, and touched the emerald Vision hanging from a woven fiber necklace.

"So, you think we can really do this now?" Wyatt asked, not bothering to hide his obvious enthusiasm.

"That is irrelevant. If we are to win, we must live and fight as though our victory is inevitable. And at the same time, we must plan for what comes after. After all, without hope, how can we truly strive for victory with our utmost?" Doctor Mother asked in rhetorical tones.

"That's not what we agreed on. We put everything on the line to win, because doing anything less, sparing a moment's consideration for anything after, could lead to our defeat," Alexandria pointed out, and David nodded grimly in agreement.

"I have come to see this is a flawed perspective," Doctor Mother stated. "We must be willing to risk it all and commit any taboo in order to triumph because the fate of humanity is at stake. But if we give no thought to the future, we deny ourselves a potent weapon: Hope."

"Hope won't put down Endbringers, much less Scion," David pointed out.

"But high morale will. It's a force multiplier," Wyatt argued.

"That is true," Alexandria agreed reluctantly, and after a moment of scowling, David jerked a nod as well.

Nodding, Doctor Mother picked up her notebook. "In regards to that, I have reconsidered other things. Rebecca?"

"Yes?"

"We need to begin your campaign for President, and the repeal of NEPEA-5."

Despite her heart thundering in her ears, Alexandria thought she could have heard a pin drop. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I have reconsidered my position, and had Contessa evaluate the situation thoroughly. The risks are worth the rewards," Doctor Mother stated in calm tones.

"And how exactly is having one of our hardest hitters trapped behind a desk supposed to help us prevent the goddamn apocalypse?" Eidolon demanded hotly.

"Sit down and eat, dear. You're hungry and not thinking rationally," Doctor Mother told him.

Eidolon opened his mouth, but Doctor Mother shot him a look. "I can tell you haven't been eating properly. One of the benefits of my new Vision. Eat. And enjoy it. Have you not heard the saying, 'Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow, you may die?'"

"Who the hell are you and what did you do with Doctor Mother?" David demanded, but he did sit down.

Doctor Mother was quiet, which Alexandria thought meant she wasn't going to answer, only for her to hold up her vision. "You can call me Fatoumata, or Doctor Fatoumata if you must. That was my birth name. Here, at least, in private, you may use it."

That got Alexandria to lean forward herself. "You've changed. Greatly."

"You never knew me before I'd already had years to process the realization that the world was going to end," Doctor Mother, no, Fatoumata, said, her eyes taking on a distant expression. "This is what I was like when I was much younger. Inspired to save the world. I thought I'd research the cure to AIDS or Malaria. Instead… instead I found something much worse to treat."

Alexandria glanced at Contessa, who nodded, setting aside her book if only to stuff her mouth with grapes. "It's true. She was a lot more chipper when I first met her. Before it all sank in after we killed a god."

"The Entities aren't gods," David snapped. "They can be killed."

Contessa just shrugged. "Call them what you like. But they can be killed, and we can win. Becky becoming president is a good way to do it. I've mapped out the entire campaign…"

And then Contessa and Fatoumata began to lay out their entire plan for Rebecca Costa-Brown to become the next president of the United States, and to increase the number of available parahumans at the same time, while doing away with both the Nemesis Program and the Case 53s.

Though what they'd come up with as an alternative somehow felt much, much worse.

The days after the meeting were a blur. There were a thousand things to do normally, and now Rebecca Costa-Brown had to reach out to the democratic party (Contessa projected that a woman with Hispanic heritage would resonate with Democratic Voters better) along with a dozen other things, like speaking with the media to make noises about her prospective campaign. It was exhausting but gratifying. She'd understood when Contessa and Doctor Mother had shot down her proposal months earlier, but to have it come back now? It felt like madness.

Her phone rang, and Alexandria glanced at the caller ID before picking it up. "Yes, Hero?"

"Hey, beautiful!" the chipper voice of her boyfriend said over the line. "You've been working too hard lately. I got us some takeout. Meet me on top of Mount Baldy in 10 minutes. Or later if you don't mind your pasta being cold."

Rolling her eyes, Alexandria hung up the phone, then glanced at her desk. She sighed, but stood up and adjusted her blouse. "I'm heading out, I'll be back in tomorrow," she told her secretary, who nodded amicably and waved goodbye to her. It was early, only 6:12, but there was no harm in joining Wyatt for a meal. She could always come back later. Most of the ten minutes was spent getting changed out of her civvies into Alexandria, then a short hop up to the top of the nearby peak.

It was still winter, so the air was chill and devoid of hikers in the brisk February air. Finding Wyatt wasn't hard, especially since he had gone to all the bother of not just setting up picnic blanket, but an entire tent, with several drones hovering around for security. Amused at his antics, Alexandria stepped inside, doffing her helmet and shaking out her hair once she was within.

"Welcome, Madame, to the finest of dining establishments!" Wyatt said with a wide grin, gesturing to the table. Alexandria's eyebrows rose and a grin spread across her face: She'd expected a couple of plastic boxes with fettuccine, but instead, there was real silverware and fine porcelain, lit candles, and a bucket of snow with two wine bottles chilling in it, along with silver service trays with the lid on them.

"You didn't need to go through all the trouble," Alexandria said, though honestly, this was exactly what she'd needed. She sighed happily as Wyatt popped the cork out of a bottle of her favorite Napa Valley Red, and poured it into her glass.

"For tonight, we start with a light Caesar salad with fresh greens, and hot cream of asparagus soup," Wyatt told her. He was dressed in his outfit as Hero, though he had a couple of little drones hovering about with little black bowties glued on to their fronts to pluck the lid off the trays.

The soup was excellent, as was the salad, hearty food after a long day's work. Wyatt chattered away, mostly about various things that Alexandria tuned out.

"So, ready for the big move?" he asked, and Alexandria blinked at him.

"Hmm?"

"To the White House! It's traditional for the President to reside there, you know," Wyatt said with a chuckle.

Alexandria blushed but shook her head. "I suppose not." She glanced down at her half-empty glass, peering at her reflection in the red liquid. "I haven't thought about all the mechanics of it. I'm preparing for the run, making preparations to hand off duties to you as head of the PRT, and to David as the new head of the Protectorate, but…" She swallowed. That would mean…

"Thinking of leaving me behind?" Wyatt asked softly, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze.

She grimaced, but looked up. "We always knew this would require sacrifices, Wyatt."

"Yeah. But Doc's right. We need hope. And you know what? Us? That's not something I'm willing to sacrifice," Wyatt said.

Then, he slid out of his chair, dropping to one knee, as a drone flew around, depositing a small black velvet box into Wyatt's hand. Alexandria felt her heart stop, and felt like a foolish girl as her hands flew to her face as she sucked in a sharp gasp in what had to be the most stereotypical thing she could have done.

"I've always wanted to be your Hero of Alexandria," Wyatt said softly. "Rebbecca Costa-Brown, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

While a lot of people's minds literally went blank, in the case of Alexandria, her's went more figuratively blank. Thanks to her Thinker powers, she processed information at a speed comparable to her enhanced movement capabilities, which meant she could think hundreds of times faster than the average human. She also was something of an empath, able to sense the emotions of the people around her by reading their body language far more accurately than most.

And at this moment, all her processing power and ability to read emotions told her one thing: Wyatt loved her deeply, and currently, he was utterly terrified. Not of her, he'd never been afraid of her despite the gap in their physical abilities, but that she'd reject him.

Not only was that something she could never do, but all of Alexandria's Thinker abilities along with her own human emotions led her to a single answer, one that was completely at odds with her supposed goal of saving the world in so many ways.

"Yes," Alexandria gasped, slowly lowering her left hand. "Yes. I… I never thought… that I… that we…"

She hiccuped and giggled as Wyatt slid the ring onto her finger, and she held it up admiringly. It fit perfectly. A tasteful platinum band with a small set of gemstones. Not too ostentatious, but still lovely. "You made it yourself, didn't you?"

"I had a jeweler help me, but I made the gems myself. Harder than diamond, and less prone to shattering. Perfect for punching Endbringers," Wyatt joked, getting to his feet and shaking like a leaf on the wind. Then he pulled her into a kiss, and even Alexandria's Thinker abilities shorted out for a few blissful moments.

Later, back in their bedroom, Alexandria lay snuggled up against Wyatt's chest, examining her new ring in the light of the candles they'd lit, her fingers playing with his curly bond chest hair. "How is this all going to work?"

"We'll figure it out. Though I do propose one thing. Well, aside from proposing to you," Wyatt quipped.

Alexandria glanced at him, fighting off a grin at the lame pun, and he continued, "I take your name. Wyatt Costa-Brown has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"That's… rather unusual. Though I suppose I can't really take your name," Alexandria admitted.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I get to be the first First Gentleman, and that's pretty cool, don't you think? Maybe I'll open a library or something."

"Or a gaming store. You won't shut up about that stupid new game," Alexandria groaned.

"What? Genius Invocation TCG is-"

"Shhh. Not tonight," Alexandria told him, then climbed on top of him, grinning down lasciviously at her new fiance. She wouldn't get tired of thinking of that any time soon. "We'll have to have a big wedding, you know. A complete media circus."

"I'll do my best to suffer through it. Eidolon is going to be insufferable," Wyatt teased. "But I think I can tolerate it, for you."

A few short days later, it was time for the first step of Alexandria's path to power. It was only January of 2003, but now was the time to begin making changes. She called a big press conference, even going so far as to invite Legend and certain others of the protectorate.

"Good afternoon," Rebecca Costa-Brown said to the assembled press. "I've called you here today to speak to the American people."

Cameras flashed and the reporters poised to spring, but Alexandria looked straight into the cameras. "For ten years, you've known me as Director Rebecca Costa-Brown, the civilian head of the PRT and liaison to the Protectorate. On this, the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Protectorate, we live in a very different world. When we were created, Parahumans were still a relatively new phenomena, with capes only really taking the stage a scant few years earlier."

"Now, a generation has grown up in a world where superhuman powers are the norm. We've seen the rise of the Endbringers, and now, the Archons, and even the first words of Scion, the first Parahuman. We now live in a world where the average American has been made to feel small, stripped of their own power."

Alexandria looked out at the reporters, and spoke the words Contessa had given her. "No more. Today, I give the power back to the people. No more secrets. No more hiding."

Next to her, Legend slowly removed his domino mask, while Hero took off his visor and smiled at the cameras. The sharp intake of breath was audible even over the mad clatter of camera shutters.

"My name," Legend said slowly. "Is Keith Thompson. I've a husband, and a small son, who is probably watching this with his friends at school and telling them 'I told you so.'"

"And I'm Wyatt! My last name was Baronski, but it's going to be Costa-Brown before too long!" Hero said brightly.

Even knowing what he was going to say, Alexandria flushed slightly at that, then took out a helmet from the lectern, which caused an even louder stir than before. "And you know me as Alexandria. I've worked to protect and serve the American people my every waking moment since I received my powers, but I lied as I did it. As such, effective immediately, I will be resigning as head of the PRT. I'll still serve as a member of the Protectorate, but I'll be stepping back from a leadership role."

"I know many of you will have questions: At this time, many members of the Protectorate will be revealing their identities to the public. This was a practice that heroes such as Brandish and Manpower embraced, and one that we're going to be encouraging, at least for full protectorate members. For the Wards, we'll still encourage them to retain a secret identity until they come of age."

"Now," Alexandria said, setting her helmet on the lectern before her and looking around. "Questions?"

The room erupted with noise, and she forced herself not to smile.

Phase one was complete. Now, to ride out the storm.

Author's Note:

Next chapter is the time skip that's been coming, because it's time to wish Nahida a very happy birthday.

I hope someone brought cake.

Cake is available for only $1 a month on . Get your mind out of the gutter, it's coconut.

PHILO: I wonder who's going to be best man? And I wonder if Venti is going to crash the wedding party? Ooh! Hangover parody? Where Venti is Chow?

OCTOBER: No, you didn't hear the slight squeal that I definitely didn't make, okay!? The couple isn't gay enough for me to do that! (she lied as naturally as she breathed)

COG: I eagerly await the slap fight between the divine god-empress and the shady president-elect on top of a giant robot. "Don't fuck with this director!"

Sapientia Oromasdis 10: When I Awoke

Tears streamed down Nahida's face, and she had to wipe her eyes, even as she laughed and applauded. Beside her, Hana and Sana were embracing and crying as well. Dr. Bashir had tears streaming freely, uncaring of who saw, and Rasab's father next to him was weeping openly as well. They all watched as Rasab slowly stood up from his wheelchair and with a firm hand, pulled the rope leading the bell.

The clear peal was accompanied by the song of Arabalika, the little Aranara who had accompanied Rasab for ten months now.

"You did it," Nahida told Rasab, giving him a big hug. "You beat it."

"I couldn't have done it without you and Lika," Rasab said, laughing and hiccuping through tears himself. "Now I can finally go back to school!"

That sent a pang through Nahida, but she smiled at Rasab all the same. "I'm sure all your friends are eager to see you."

"What school do you go to? Maybe we'll be in the same class. What grade are you in?" Rasab asked eagerly as Nahida helped him sit back down in his wheelchair. Despite the Dendro infusions, Rasab was still weak, and would likely need months of recovery before he was back to full strength.

"I, um, I don't go to school," Nahida admitted to Rasab.

"Why, 'cause you're so smart?" Rasab asked, frowning slightly.

Before Nahida could answer, his parents came over and hugged him, Rasab's father even kneeling and gently taking Nahida's hands. "Thank you. To both you and Doctor Bashir. My son is alive and well today because of you."

"We'll still need to monitor Rasab, he could go into remission," Nahida cautioned, but she did smile and reassure, "But I think that's unlikely. This treatment seems to be highly successful, and Rasab has responded well to it."

After, there was a small party with the doctors, nurses, and a few other patients at the clinic. Several of them were undergoing treatment from Doctor Bashir and Nahdia, though their methods were now being applied in any hospital that could get their hands on a Dendro Vision Holder. There still weren't many of those globally, Nahida had only granted 2,178 Visions since her arrival, but there were a disproportionate number of those in the medical field, or who would be willing to help with cancer treatment even if they lacked prior medical expertise.

As the party wound down, Nahida nervously went over to Rasab, a small green envelope in her hands. "Um, I-I wanted to give you one of these…um, i-it's my birthday next week, and we're having a small party…"

"Really?" Rasab perked up at that, and a wide grin spread across his face. "I can go to parties again! Dad, can I go to Nahida's birthday party?!"

"Of course!" his father agreed immediately as Rasab ripped open the envelope to reveal the carefully hand-made invitation. "When is it?"

"Next Monday, October 27th! What do you want for your birthday?" Rasab asked Nahida curiously.

"Just to have some friends to share it with," Nahida answered honestly.

"A book," Bashir put in for her, putting a hand on her shoulder to help steady her nerves. "She adores reading."

"We'll get you the coolest book we can find!" Rasab assured Nahida, which made her blush.

Later, when Nahida was sitting in the back seat of the van as they drove home, she looked out the window, smiling to herself. "I think we really made a difference today, at least to one family."

"If you think it's just today you've made a difference, you're not as wise as I thought you were," Bashir told her as they wove their way through the traffic. "You've saved the lives of who knows how many with these new treatments, and you've given a little boy back his life and hope."

"He might have recovered anyway, even without the Dendro infusions," Nahida pointed out.

"Perhaps, the survival rate for childhood acute myelogenous leukemia is 68% as you well know, but with these new treatments, what do you project the survival rate will become?" Bashir asked kindly.

Nahida already knew the answer, but she reran the numbers, just to be sure. "About 92.3% in children, 58.7% in adults."

"That's a huge change, Nahida. But even if had just been Rasab, you reduced the treatment time for him by at least a year, possibly more, and gave him back his childhood. Have you heard the story of the starfish?"

"Yes, but tell it to me anyway," Nahida said, hugging herself and smiling.

"A man was walking along the beach after a great storm, and saw that thousands, perhaps millions, of starfish had been washed up on the shores. The man felt sorrow that the starfish would die, but did nothing, for there were too many to save them all. As he walked along the beach, he found a young girl, picking up starfish, and tossing them back out into the surf."

"'What are you doing?' the man asked the child. 'Don't you know that there are too many to save them all? You can't make a difference that will matter.'"

"The young child paused, looking down at the starfish in her hands. 'Yes. But I can save this one, and it will matter to it.' Then, she threw the starfish back into the ocean. After a moment's consideration, the man also bent down, picked up a starfish, and tossed it back. Together, he and the little girl saved many more starfish than they could have alone."

"I like that story," Nahida said, looking back out the window. She put her hand to the glass, gazing out at all the people going by them on the street. "I know I'm not a very good Archon, I can't save everyone. But…I still want to make a difference."

"I haven't heard you say that before. What makes you think you're not a good Archon?" Bashir asked, glancing at Nahida in the rearview mirror.

"I'm not like Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who guided Sumeru for many long centuries and created many mighty works, establishing the Akadeymiya, that is the Sumeru institute of higher learning. Nor am I like Barbatos, who brought freedom to his people in Mondstadt and in Germany, or like Beelzebul who slew many evil gods in the Archon war and saved Japan from Leviathan. I'm just… I'm just a foolish little radish," Nahida said bitterly.

"Really?" Bashir asked, frowning as they pulled in to the driveway.

As they did so, Qiqi looked up from watering the plants, a smile forming on her lips. She trotted over, her watering can trailing dribbles of water, Aranarakin and Arana buzzing along with her. She raised her hand, her fingers opening and closing in a greeting. "Hello, Nahida. Hello, Daddy."

"Hello, Qiqi," Nahida said brightly, her sulk forgotten in the simple joy of reunion. "Hello, Arana, and Aranarakin. Rasab is cured of cancer!"

"Yay," Qiqi said, clapping her hands, though Nahida knew she hadn't the faintest clue what that meant. The aranara trilled happy cheers, buzzing about Nahida's head happily.

"This is good news! Wheeled Nara will be able to walk again! He will grow strong, and drink from many waters," Aranarakin said happily.

"Sarva nara has made his dreams come true!" Arana declared, landing on Nahida's head and making her giggle.

As they chatted, Farasha stuck her head out of the house, then smiled and waved. "Hey there! I got your text, congratulations! I'm so happy to hear little Rasab is healthy!"

"And he's coming to my birthday party!" Nahida giggled, beaming happily at the thought.

"That's great to hear, little radish," Farasha said, coming over and giving her a hug. Then she stood on her tiptoes to kiss Bashir, and Nahida blushed and looked away. "I made dinner to celebrate!"

Nahida and Bashir both froze, giving Farasha uneasy looks.

"Ha! Just kidding. I bought takeout. Not even I want to eat my own cooking," Farasha teased, ruffling Nahida's hair. "Come on, I got falafel from that stall you like."

At that news, Nahida and Bashir both perked up immediately, hurrying inside to share a happy meal. The falafel was delicious, and it felt good to come home after a long day's good work. Farasha was looking much better than she had, her eyes dancing with laughter, her cheeks flushed with health.

Tentitively, Nahida poked at both Farasha and Qiqi's demons.

DATA? Papilio asked eagerly. Even Pristina Nola, which was what Nahida had named Qiqi's Demon, pealed with eagerness.

Yes. At last, I can give you the full treatment plan for leukemia using Dendro energy, Nahida told the two demons. They eagerly seized on the information Nahida shared, including the delight and joy of a job well done, the tears of pain and happiness, and the love that Rasab and his parents had shared.

Pristina tingled her delight, as did Papilio who simply said DATA ACCEPTED. THIS EXCHANGE IS SATISFACTORY.

After dinner, Nahida got Bashir's permission and hopped onto the internet, where after a quick search, she found Tess.

Hey! How'd it go? Tess asked, her spirit vibrating with eagerness.

Really well! Rasab is fully in remission. There is a slight chance that he could relapse, but…

But you'd sense that, wouldn't you? Absolutely zero cancer, then?

None at all! He's cured! And the treatment is being used successfully at other hospitals where there are Dendro Vision Holders! We might see a real breakthrough in all sorts of cancer treatment, as well as other diseases! Nahida said in delight.

That's completely awesome! I'm really excited for you, Nahida! ()

( o)( o) Nahida grinned, basking in success for a moment.

Then she frowned, and sent, Have you talked to your dad yet?

No. I told you, I'm not going to do that until I have a real fallback plan. I've just about gathered what I need. Once I have all that ready, and I'm sure talking to him won't result in me getting erased, then I'll do it. This time, Tess sounded more than a little grumpy and irritated.

I could help you, you know. You could come live on our computer, or I could make you one…

No. This is my problem. I'll solve it myself. If thing's don't work out…maybe living in your dream or whatever is a good fallback. I just…I really don't want to screw this up, OK? I promise, I'll talk to him soon.

It had been nearly nine months of this, and Nahida knew Tess had been slowly acquiring the funds to get her own fabrication plant together, where she could construct a body of her own to flee to if her talk with her father went badly. Nahida didn't think that would happen, Andrew Richter didn't seem like a bad man at all. But, he did have a demon leeching off his soul, and they drove their hosts to great evil, so caution wasn't imprudent.

Rasab agreed to come to my birthday party. I wish you could come as well, Nahida sent, feeling a little guilty. She was trying to play on Tess' emotions, just a little.

Well, we can have an awesome party in the Dream after. Maybe you could introduce me to the rest of your family, Bashir's been getting better at this Dreamwalking stuff, right?

Yes, but he doesn't take his training very seriously aside from healing. I've tried to get him to learn some basic defensive techniques, but all he's really interested in is ways to help his patients. I can't blame him: learning advanced healing techniques does require a great deal of training, and the same can be said of Elemental Combat. Not that I would be very good at teaching that…

It'll be fine. At least your dad loves you.

I hope you find out yours does too, Nahida said, then after a bit more chatting, signed off for the night.

The next day, Nahida accompanied Dr. Bashir and Farasha to the Special Action Squad HQ, in order for Doctor Bashir to conduct his usual medical exams of the Parahumans. As had become her habit, Nahida helped the doctor with the check-ups, subtly doing her own exams of the Demons that possessed the Parahumans of the squad.

Thankfully, most of them were not anywhere near as close to subsuming their hosts as Farasha's had been, and most of the Demons were eager to trade more freedom for their hosts for bits of information from Nahida. Since she had 500 years of Akadymia research to draw on, having downloaded a copy of all available records in the Akasha long ago, Nahida had a lot to bargain with.

The other benefit to this was that Nahida got to say hello to all the members of the Special Action Squad, especially her friend Corporal Muhammad, who helped her as she helped administer to the various patients.

"So, these sub-dermal spikes, they cause you pain?" Nahida asked, gently prodding at the skin of one of the parahumans. There was a bit of angry red swelling around where large fragments of what looked like obsidian were poking out of his forearm.

"Yes, that's what I keep telling the doctors! I just need more of the pain medicine," the man, who called himself Alnays growled. He was in his mid-twenties, and from Nahida could tell, his liver was in horrible shape from the constant drinking he was doing, along with opioids. Doctor Bashir hadn't been the one to prescribe those, but the spikes really were causing Alnay's pain. He could fire them at his enemies and grow them rapidly, to the point where they would cover his entire body in a nearly indestructible coat.

"Hmm, that's a temporary solution to the problem," Nahida murmured. She reached out and touched Alnays' Demon. It recoiled and snapped at her, but she gently offered it a bit of information.

You're causing your host pain.

PAIN IS DATA. DATA IS PARAMOUNT. SUBJECT IS IRRELEVANT.

I can show you a better way. Here, wouldn't you like this information on how to use geo constructs to create armor?

THIS IS…DATA? DATA!

In exchange, you're going to modify how you treat your host. I'm going to alter your function and his biology to shut off the pain receptors as he uses his power, and that unnecessary aggression trigger you've added.

All the demons did that, which frustrated Nahida to no end. Young human males were aggressive enough by default. Pouring fuel on that fire was a recipe for disaster.

CONFLICT IS NESSESSARY. PAIN DRIVES CONFLICT.

There's another way. And, don't you want this juicy data I have for you? If you behave, I'll have more for you later…

The demon was reluctant, so Nahida brought in a ringer to help her: Papilio.

BRIGHT TREE HAS GOOD DATA. DO AS BRIGHT TREE ASKS. HER DATA IS SUPERIOR, Farasha's demon told Alnay's, which Nahida had decided she would name Prickly.

CONSENSUS REACHED. BARGAIN ACCEPTED. GIVE DATA! Pickly demanded, and Nahida handed it over, mentally giving the Demon a pat on the head like she would a dog. It balked at first, but then came back for more as Nahida fed it more dribbles. That made Papilio sulk, so Nahida affectionately gave it a small packet of information on a type of Pyro stove.

Thank you! Make sure to tell all of your friends to be nicer. Humans aren't subjects, they're friends. Remember how much fun it is to have tea with Farasha and I?

FUN IS IRRELEVANT, ONLY DATA. Papilio grumbled. Then it hopefully asked, MORE DATA?

What do we say, Nahida said sternly.

PLEASE! THANK YOU! MORE DATA! Papilio vibrated eagerly.

Later, Nahida said gently. If you're good.

PAPILIIO WILL BE GOOD, the Demon assured her.

As she struck the bargain with Pricky, Nahida had been infusing a bit of Dendro into Alnay, which caused him to suddenly sag as she soothed away the pain. "I can make it so it doesn't hurt anymore, no drugs. But to do that, I need your permission. I'll have to alter your physiology slightly. The way your powers have manifested, they're causing you pain. I can make it so they'll no longer hurt you, and provide better results at the same time."

"Do it. I just… I want the pain to go away," Alnay groaned, sagging in his chair, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Very well," Nahida reached up, tapping his forehead gently, and putting Alnay into a trance.

Then, she carefully reworked his biology with the help of Pricky the Demon, so that the spikes would no longer send flares of pain as they manifested, and so that they didn't grow directly out of Alnay's bones and through his muscle and skin, but out of the hair follicles on his body. That would make him much more of a porcupine, and Nahida also rewired the nerves to no longer register this as painful. She gently instructed Prickly how to make the spikes "float" on top of Alnay's skin, showing it how to get better results as a defensive and offensive measure, while also not burdening the host.

There were a few other minor adjudgements: Nahida had Prickly strengthen Alnay's bones and muscles so they could better bear the load of the heavy spikes, and gave them some thermo-regulating properties as they'd block sweat glands, which could lead to overheating if not properly balanced.

All this took Nahida only a few minutes, after which she gently tapped Alnay on the forehead again. "Wake up! It's all done."

After a few blinks, Alnay sat up, looking down at his now spikefree body. "I… I don't hurt anymore. But where…"

"You can control it better now, though it will take some practice," Nahida told Alnay. "Just focus the same way you did before. They won't grow out of your bones, but you should have better aim. The one issue is, um, you have hairy palms now…"

Turning his hands over, Alnay examined his palms, from which bristly black hair now sprouted.

"Those can turn into spikes now, if you focus. See? Like that!"

Alnay had produced one large spike in his right hand, and two smaller ones in his left, both gleaming dully in the fluorescent light. "There is no pain… how…?"

"Um, I'm training to be a doctor with my father," Nahida said, which was technically true. "He's shown me a lot of the techniques he uses to treat parahuman patients." Also true. Though it had nothing to do with what Nahida had just done.

For a moment, Alnay just stared at his hands. Then he popped off the spikes and dropped them to the ground with a stone-like clatter. Then he bowed deeply to Nahida. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I… I could not sleep, could not be with my wife, could not even hug my children… thank you! It's been five months…"

"Hey, get up, you're welcome! I'm just doing what any good doctor would do, if they knew how," Nahida told Alnay, who was crying as he continued to babble his thanks.

Nahida saw several other patients, though none of them needed adjustments as major as Alnay, which was a good thing as she was fairly worn out after that much of an expenditure of energy. When lunchtime came, a familiar face came to see her, and Nahida burst into a smile.

"Aunty Faruzan!"

"Hello there, Nahida! I hear it's almost someone's birthday!" Faruzan said, poking her head. "You're father is still busy, and Farasha's in a meeting with the President. Why don't you come join me for a light lunch."

Lunch turned out to be some salads with dates and almonds, while the two of them discussed various historical and modern fashion trends. At the end of it, Faruzan presented Nahida with a box. "It's finally ready! I was worried that you'd have grown to much by the time I finished it, but you hardly seem to have grown at all over the last year, so if anything, it might be too big."

Nahida had, in fact, not grown at all in 500 years as far as she could tell, so it was highly unlikely she'd grown in the past year. Still, she eagerly dug into the box, knowing what she would find, but all the more delighted.

"It's beautiful!" Nahida gasped, holding up the shimmering green fabric. It was a cape costume, though really it was more of a historical costume. The entire dress was green silk, with colorful patterns in the shape of yellow flowers embroidered on it, and more patterns along the hem, which would fall to just below Nahida's knees. There was also a collar on the dress with more vines, and even a few stylized radishes, which made her giggle. To top it all off, there was a brown headwrap that had more green and silver scrollwork along the hem, all of it complimenting the dress.

"Happy Birthday, Nahida. I know it's early, but I just couldn't resist giving it to you today," Faruzan said, smiling happily. "Go on, try it on! I want to make sure it fits you."

The costume fit like a glove, and Nahida raced through the halls of the headquarters with Faruzan behind her, giggling in her eager glee to show off her new costume. She ran back to where Bashir was seeing patients, only to skid to a halt, her heart suddenly pounding.

"What is this? Why are you running?" an angry Major Waleed demanded, half raising his rifle towards Nahida, who took a step back in fear.

"Major! She's just excited to show her father," Faruzan snapped, stepping forward and pushing Nahida behind her skirts, glaring at the captain and the two other guards with guns.

"The President is in here and no-" a burning crimson butterfly flowy fluttered over Waleed's shoulder, and he froze, both guards slowly backing away. A moment later, Farasha stepped forward, the fiery insect landing on an outstretched finger. She smiled at Nahida, then turned to Waleed.

"Major. That is my daughter. Her father and I are getting married in only two months. Perhaps you hadn't heard," Farasha said in dangerously chipper tones.

"I…" Waleed swallowed, backing away from Farasha's maniacal grin. "I didn't recognize her."

"Oh, really? Well. I suggest you ask my fiance to check your eyes. He's very good at that," Farasha purred, the butterfly's wings opening and closing to reveal a little skull pattern as it rested on her fingers. Stepping forward, Farasha put her face right in Waleed's. "Because if anything were to happen to Nahida, I would kill everyone in this room. Starting with you. And then, who knows? I might burn the entire city down before I killed myself. Do you understand me, Major?"

"Y-yes."

"Yes, ma'am."

Waleed shot Farasha a look of pure hatred, but his horror of the fiery insect in her hands overpowered his pride. "Yes, ma'am," he grated, his voice dripping with anger and terror.

"Good." With that, Farasha ripped a bandaid off her finger, and the butterfly was sucked back in, whisps of smoke training from the wound. Then Farasha rebandaged it, and turned around. "Get out of my sight."

"But the president-"

"Is perfectly safe with me, and even more so with Doctor Bashir. You, however, are not. Saeed is less merciful than I am towards those who threaten our daughters."

Waleed's eyes went very wide, and the other two guards exchanged horrified looks. "W-we'll wait outside." In a stampede of boots, they were gone.

Nahida sent a worried pulse towards Papilio, and to her shock, found the Demon was actually angry, but that it wasn't the Demon's anger that had propelled Farasha to nearly immolate Walleed. Instead, both host and demon were in perfect agreement: PROTECT NAHIDA.

That was both comforting and terrifying. Nahida was very familiar with the protective maternal instincts of humanity, but what did it mean that a Demon wanted to safeguard her?

NOT YOU. DATA. DATA MUST BE PROTECTED, Papilio said sullenly. That lie might have worked better if the Demons had any experience with falsehoods, or if Nahida wasn't the God of Wisdom. As it was, Papilio came off more as a petulant child.

Thank you, but please, don't hurt people for my sake, Nahida sent, then turned her focus back to what Farasha was saying.

Farasha had knelt, smiling at Nahida and adjusting her dress slightly as she didn't meet Nahida's eyes. She looked uncomfortable but had been saying comforting platitudes. That wasn't what was really bothering her, and Farasha was just getting to what had her on edge.

"There's activity on the Iranian border. We think they're going to try something in the next week, so I'm being sent there to monitor them. I… I might miss your birthday."

Tears sprang into Nahida's eyes unbidden, even though she knew it was folly. "That's OK, w-we can celebrate when you get back."

"We will," Farasha promised, hugging Nahida tightly. "I just… I didn't want to miss your birthday, Little Radish. Not with so many of your friends being there. Did you invite Nadia like I told you?"

"Um, n-not yet," Nahida admitted. "She has a check-up tomorrow… I was waiting for that."

"Well, make sure you do it. There's a lot of kids and their families who would love to call themselves your friend, you know?" Farasha said, standing again. "And that dress looks amazing on you. I might have to get you to make me one, Faruzan!"

"I'd love to," Faruzan said, smiling and putting a hand on Nahida's shoulder. "Am I invited to this party of yours?"

Nahida gasped, and quickly dug into the bag slung over her shoulder, digging out an invitation. Before she could hand it over to Faruzan, she froze, the letter clutched in her trembling hands.

"Ah, what's this, for me?" the President said, striding through the door with Bashir half a step behind him.

Nahida considered telling the President no, but he was too unpredictable for that. If he felt slighted, even by a little girl… "I-I'm having a party, a-and I wanted to invite you, Your Excellency…"

"Ah, how kind. Waleed, take it for me. Waleed?" Saddam looked around, an irritated expression on his face.

"I sent him outside. I'm all the protection you need in here," Farasha promised.

A look of irritation flashed over Saddam's face, but then he smiled, putting his arm around Farasha's. "Ah, my thoughtful butterfly, always looking out for me! Yes, now, we must talk. Come, this is for your ears only."

Arm in arm, Nahida's invitation forgotten, Saddam strode out, forcing Nahida to duck against the wall to make way for him. A moment later, he was gone, and Bashir was standing next to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, crouching down next to her.

She nodded, silently handing the invitation to Faruzan, who gave her a quiet, "Thank you."

"I think… I think I want to go home now," Nahida said, feeling exhausted. "I had to rewire Alnay's biology, his powers were deliberately causing him pain, so I helped his demon understand how to interact with a human host in a less destructive manner."

"Demon?" Faruzan asked, looking up from reading the invitation with concern.

"Just what she calls the Corona Pollentia," Bashir said, picking Nahida up in his arms. He smiled at Faruzan. "You'll be there?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Faruzan promised, giving Nahida's hand a squeeze. "You two get home."

That evening, Nahida made sure to take Farasha into a special dream with Papilio, carefully showing the Demon ways of Farasha's power working without the need for her to self-harm.

"It's bad for a host's psychology if you deliberately teach them self-destructive behaviors. If you want to form a truly symbiotic relationship, there are other ways," Nahida told Papilio.

"I mean, I'd prefer not to cut myself up," Farasha agreed. She was once more a young girl, barely pubescent, looking much as she must have when she became the Butcher of Dasman Palace. "But that's how it's always worked."

"Powers originated from species with burning blood. Modified with adaptive memetic spread. Energy transfer requires blood," Papilio grumbled in a tinkling voice that sounded all wrong for a horrible demon, but fit the beautiful crimson butterfly it manifested as.

"Well, then you adapt them better to a new host. I have some ideas. I won't make any major changes tonight, but…"

Nahida talked for long hours until it was time to let Farasha truly sleep, then took Papilio on a tour of the flower gardens of Pardis Dhyai, or at least the best approximation Nahida could simulate from the data she had available.

"Butterflies are supposed to love flowers," Nahida told Papilio. The Demon obligingly went over to a flower, which shriveled and burned at its touch.

"No useful data acquired," the demon reported.

"No, no, like this," Nahida said, and showed Papilio how to gently caress a flower and smell it. It took a few tries, but eventually, Papilio managed to touch a flower without incinerating it.

In the morning, Nahida was there when Nadia ran in for her appointment, her weary mother trailing behind her.

"Hi, Nahida! It's good to see you again!" Nadia said, coming over and giving Nahida a hug.

"Your leg is doing well, you've grown a lot," Nahida said, smiling up at the taller girl.

"Yeah, did you shrink? It's like you're smaller than last time," Nadia said, measuring from her own head to Nahida's and giggling.

"No, I'm still the same size. I guess I just grow very slowly," Nahida said in another of her astounding understatements.

The checkup went well enough: Nadia's bones had mended completely months ago, and she seemed to be a girl in perfect health.

"Um, would you come to my birthday party?" Nahida asked, handing Nadia an invitation after the visit was over and Sajy and Bashir were just chatting.

"Yes! I love birthdays! Mom, we have to come to Nahida's party!" Nadia begged.

"Of course, dear, when is it?" Sajy asked, taking the invitation. "Ah, next Monday after school. Perfect. Abdul just got a new job, so we can afford a nice present."

"He's always sleeping during the day now, his job must be really hard," Nadia commented.

"Just you coming is enough," Nahida told Nadia. "I don't get to see my friends very often…"

"It's too bad, you'd like my friends at school," Nadia said. Then she brightened suddenly, a mischievous grin on her face. "Mom, we're going to play in the garden!"

"Alright, don't go too far," Sajy said, then turned back to talk with Doctor Bashir as Nadia led Nahida outside.

"I have a totally awesome idea!" Sajy whispered. "You can come to school with me on your birthday and meet my friends!"

"I can't, I'm not allowed," Nahida said, hanging her head sadly.

"That's why we'll sneak you there!" Nadia said eagerly. "It'll be easy! We could walk to school from your house, it's not that far."

"But I'm not supposed to," Nahida said, even as her heart began to flutter with excitement.

"Yeah, but it'll just be one time! And maybe if the teachers like you, you can keep coming!" Nadia laughed. "I'll come on Monday and take you there with Zeina and Ela. It'll be great!"

Nahida almost said no, but she so desperately wanted to go to school. She nodded. "Ok. I think I can make it work…"

The next couple of days passed far more slowly than usual, with Nahida eagerly anticipating both her birthday party and her first (and perhaps only) day of school. When the day arrived, Nahida told Dr. Bashir she'd be staying home with Qiqi that day, then told Mrs. Rasab she'd be down in the clinic. Then, Nahida took the backpack with paper, pencils, crayons, a lunch in a brown paper bag, and a water bottle, and hurried out the the street.

A few minutes later, Nadia and her two friends came by, along with one of their fathers.

"See, she's right there! She's new," one of the girls, Ela Nahida surmised from her thoughts, told her father.

"Who is this girl?" Ela's father asked, frowning at Nahida.

"Um, I'm Nahida. I-I know Nadia from meeting her at the clinic," Nahida admitted.

"Hmm, I haven't seen you before, but isn't this the clinic where-" the man began, but Nadia interrupted him.

"Come on, Mr. Sabah, we'll be late, we have to hurry!" Nadia declared, then giggled and pushed Nahida along in front of her her. Mr. Sabah seemed to decide this was someone else's problem, with a little help from Arana who buzzed up and whispered in his ear to redirect his thoughts, then followed after the four girls as they hurried off the towards the school.

The building they arrived at an elementary school less than a mile from Nahida's house, and a palace she'd visited frequently in the dream world as well as walking by in the waking one. It was yet ten minutes until the school day started, with teachers standing by the gate and welcoming in students, or monitoring the children playing in the school yard. Nahida's steps slowed as she took it all in: the chaos, the running, and the shrieking, as well as the jumble of emotions.

However, as she approached, fully a dozen aranara lifted off from within the school yard, catching the attention of the children. They all buzzed over to Nahida, greeting her warmly.

"Welcome, Sarva Nara! Have you come to join the other nara?" one particularly bold aranara named Arabalika asked, hovering over Nahida's head.

Ela and Zaida goggled, but Nadia took Nahida's hand and nodded to Arabaika. "She is! It's her birthday, so she's coming to school with us!"

With that, Nadia pulled Nahida into the schoolyard, where she was soon surrounded by eager children, all asking who she was and how the aranara knew her.

"Why do the djinn call you Sarva Nara?" one boy with a runny nose asked.

"Um, b-because that's their name for a special tree," Nahida replied. The children seemed to accept that, but before they could inquire further, an older woman in a practical ankle-length skirt and a checked headwrap came over, peering over her spectacles at Nahida. "Nadia, Ela, who is this girl? I've not seen her before."

"She's Nahida, Mrs. Wafa," Nadia explained. "She's starting school!"

"Oh? Are your parents here?" Mrs. Wafa asked, looking down at Nahida as her brow wrinkled. "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

She'd seen Nahida at the Mosque a few times, and Nahida feared that the woman would soon recognize her. Hastily, she took off her backpack, offering up a sheaf of papers. "Um, m-my father sent these, to register me."

Mrs. Wafa's eyebrows rose, and she paged through them, before pausing. "Ah, yes, you're one of Doctor Bashir's daughters. But I thought-" Her lips pressed into a line, and Nahida felt her heart skip a beat, and she feared all was lost.

Then Mrs. Wafa smiled at her, kneeling down at putting a hand on Nahida's shoulder. "Well, it's about time. I'll talk with Principle Ali, but he feels the same way I do: Little girls belong in school. Even if I'm sure Doctor Bashir has been doing a good job of teaching you, it's not good for a child your age to be alone. What about the other one, the girl with the developmental delay, Qiqi isn't it?"

"Um, she didn't come today," Nahida mumbled.

"I see. Well, she would be somewhat hard to handle for us, but we'd find a way. Come, dear, I'll show you to the classroom."

Nahida was led to a classroom with a photo of President Saddam on the wall, and shown where to put her things. She could hardly believe she was getting away with this: Mrs. Wafa clearly knew Nahida was a cape of some kind, but she also clearly thought the law banning parahuman children was nonsense and that a young child should be in school. Apparently, the principal shared her belief, as when he came at Mrs. Wafa's call, he just told her he would take care of registering Nahida and took the papers.

He smiled at her and said, "Welcome to our school, Nahida Saeed." Then he left.

A short time later, Nadia and her friends along with twenty other little girls crammed into the small room with Nahida. The room was furnished with rows of wooden desks, and had pictures of state propaganda on the walls mixed with cute pictures of cats with motivational sayings, charts for numbers, colors, and the arabic alphabet, and a few other things.

Then, for short while, Nahida was just a child in a classroom. Mrs. Wafa taught the First Grade girls, and happily welcomed Nahida to her classroom. Nahida sang along with the morning songs and recited the ways to count to one hundred, listened to a story, and raised her hand (only once, she didn't want to take away from other's learning) to answer a question to Mrs. Wafa's delight.

For a blissful hour, Nahida was just a little girl, in a classroom with her new friends, enjoying life.

Then, she sensed Death.

It came over Nahida like a wave of doom. A sense of dread and horror so palpable she nearly vomited. She spun about in the middle of the lesson, jumping up to her feet and knocking back her chair with a clatter.

"Nahida? Do you need to use the potty?" Mrs. Wafa asked, but her voice was distant, unheard.

Death comes.

"Where are the shelters?" Nahida asked, her mind racing a mile a minute. She spun about, raising her voice. "Where are the shelters?!"

"Nahida?" Mrs. Wafa asked, looking startled. "What do you-"

The Angel of Death comes on silent wings.

"Never mind, everyone, line up, right now!" Nahida gasped, running for the door.

Outside, the Aranara began to sing, a keening dirge of fear and terror, as they sensed Nahida's fear spreading through the Dream at the speed of thought.

"Nahida, what is-" Mrs. Wafa asked, but Nahida was slamming her hand onto the light switch, tapping into the electrical grid. Her premonition only intensified, a psychic wave spreading through her body like molten glass as every fiber of her being began to kick into overdrive.

The Song of Destruction soon begins.

"The Endbringer Shelters are located behind the school, do you know how to secure them against the Simurgh?" Nahida asked calmly, turning to Mrs. Wafa. "You don't have much time."

"Nahdia! Don't joke about such things!" Mrs. Wafa gasped, swallowing hard. "And dear, I can't cover for you if-"

The children began to cry, some of the girls clinging to one another in fear at the mention of the most feared of Endbringers.

"This isn't a joke," Nahida said quietly. In the distance, sirens began to wail as Nahida triggered the Endbringer Alarms. "She'll be here soon. Get to the shelters. Hurry."

Mrs. Wafa had gone completely pale, freezing in place for a moment as several girls screamed. Then she drew herself up and clapped in a distinctive rhythm. Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.

"Class, line up in ABC order. Quickly now, grab your lunches and any water you have," she barked over the distressed sounds of children. "It will be alright. Think of it just like the drills we do."

At an adult asserting authority, the children all responded, hastily grabbing their backpacks and lining up. But Nahida could not stay, slipping out.

"Nahida!" Mrs. Wafa shouted. "Nahida!"

I'm sorry, Nahida whispered to Mrs. Wafa's mind. I really liked being in your class today. But don't worry. I won't let the Simurgh hurt you. I promise.

She dashed out of the building, even before the first panicked teachers led their students towards the shelter, which Nahida knew would not be enough to save them from what approached. Simple earth and concrete could not keep out the Song of Death.

Forming a bubble of Dendro about herself, Nahida flew up onto the rooftops, a swarm of Aranara buzzing along behind her.

"Sarva Nara! What comes?" Arabalika called.

"The Angel of Death!" Nahida cried. "Protect the children! Take them into the Dream! Her song won't hurt them there! Spread out over the city! Get as many people into the Dream as you can!"

"But, Sarva Nara, you cannot face-"

"Go! I am the Archon! I am the Branch of Irminsul! Do as I command!" Nahida wailed, tears filling her eyes.

The aranara hesitated, then bobbed bows in the air and scattered. Turning, Nahida looked up at the sky for a moment, taking a deep breath. She let her premonition calculate the vector of the Simurgh's arrival, then set out across the city, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, floating over the panicked crowds below her.

Qiqi, Mrs. Rasab, Doctor Bashir! Please, flee! The Simurgh comes! Nahida cried out.

Nahida?! Where are you!? I can't find you! Doctor Bashir's thoughts came back to her.

It's alright. I… I enjoyed having you as a father. I have to go now. I promise, the city will be safe.

Nahida?! What are you doing?! I'm going to the Special Action Squad Headquarters, but Qiqi and Mrs Rasab are-

I'm sorry. Get to safety. It will be well.

Then Nahida forcibly cut the connection. She dashed across the city as fast as her little legs and Dendro bubble could carry her, cursing her lack of mobility in every language she knew, which was all of them, though she very carefully did not use any words that would actually be considered a curse.

As she neared the city center half an hour later, she looked up, and a gleaming white shape descended. Nahida had been warned early of the Simurgh's arrival thanks to her connection to the Soul of the World, warned of the coming death before it arrived. She leapt into the air, rising up to meet the Simurgh, traveling as fast as she could.

As if sensing her approach, the Simurgh slowed, altering her trajectory and veering towards Nahida. Then, the Endbringer came to a halt, precisely 1000 meters above the streets of Bahgdad. Slowly, the Angel of Death began to unfold her wings.

These are my people! This is my city! I won't let you claim them! Nahida shouted with every fiber of her being, meeting the empty and malevolent gaze of the pristine creature.

The Simurgh smiled, revealing perfectly white teeth, then, she opened her voice.

Nahida closed her eyes and drew a single symbol in the air.

Dream.

Then, the God of Wisdom and the Angel of Death clashed with will and song.

Sapientia Oromasdis 11: The Cycles of Samsara

"We have movement!"

Fatoumata looked up from where she'd been working on her laptop, frowning at the display screen. She'd come into Cauldron's primary nerve center to check on the status of Endbringer activity, specifically the Simurgh. They were overdue for an attack, and Fatoumata had been visiting the control center for several hours a day for a week and a half now.

"Simurgh is exiting the exosphere and heading for the thermosphere," one of the techs said, sweat breaking out on their face as their eyes darted across the screen.

"Alert all Protectorate units to go into standby, along with our allies. They'll only have minutes," Fatoumata said calmly, closing her laptop and coming to stand before the main display, where someone had thrown up a tracker with the designation for EB-002 on it. The Simurgh was indeed making a beeline through the layers of the atmosphere, circling the Earth at what appeared to be a lazy pace, but was truly many times the speed of sound.

"She's heading for… the Arabian Peninsula," someone called after long tense moments, and a sigh of relief went up from all assembled.

"Where? Track her. I want all eyes on her, and get our Endbringer Response teams ready to move on my call," Fatoumata ordered, her eyes tracking the indicator as the map narrowed to the possible window of the Simurgh's targets. Cairo? Ankara? Riyadh?

"She's veering East, could be making for India," someone commented.

"No," Fatoumata said, her eyes glued to the screen, heart pounding. "She's too far north."

The Simurgh tracked back west, then her scope narrowed, and Fatoumata grimaced.

"Iraq. She's making for Baghdad," she said at last, leaning back. "Tell the teams to stand down for now. That's Farasha's territory."

"But… won't we still offer to help?" someone asked.

Fatoumata nodded. "Reach out to the Iraqi embassy. Have our teams on standby to render assistance. At the very least, we'll go in to clean up once the Song finishes, and Farasha is dead."

Everyone nodded, and Fatoumata shook her head sadly. "Sorry, Doctor Bashir. It looks like your luck-"

Fatoumata's Vision suddenly flared brightly, and she gasped, feeling as though she'd just been dipped in icy water. She staggered back, her hand flying to her temples. A sense of overwhelming sadness and resolve washed over her, and she sank to her knees, trembling and gasping for breath.

"Doctor? Doctor! What's wrong?" several aides helped Fatoumata to her feet, and she stared at the screen, her mouth agape.

Finally, she swallowed, her mouth feeling dry as the desert the Simurgh had visited. "Get the satellites in position. We'll need to watch this battle as it unfolds."

Several people grimaced, and but a minute or two later, a satellite image showed the Simurgh, descending towards the city of Baghdad, her wings yet furled.

And a small point of green light rose to meet her.

Despite herself, Fatoumata's lips parted and she spoke a single word.

"Archon."

The first blow of the battle was struck by Nahida, sending out an orb of green energy. It contained all the destructive venom she could muster, all of life turned in upon itself in a sickening parody. The orb flew right at the Simurgh, who tried to dodge but failed. Still, she caught the blow on her wings, screeching in pain as the hit landed.

For a brief moment, Nahida thought she had won. Then the Simurgh darted forward, far faster than Nahida thought possible. She slashed at Nahida with her wings, sending out a psychic wave, trying to seize control of Nahida's mind and senses.

Nahida formed a Dendro barrier, then struck back, this time forming thorny vines that rushed at the Simurgh and tried to wrap about her, binding her wings. The angel brushed them off with a single flap of one set of wings, then attacked Nahida again, this time coming in with a blast of psionic energy.

Nahida's barrier was shattered, and her mind and body were battered by the Simurgh's attack. She tried to reform the shield, but the Simurgh hit her again, and again, until Nahida's tiny form slammed into the pavement below, her lifeblood leaking out.

A tree sprouted where Nahida died, but it was trampled under the Simurgh's wave of mental assault. Grinning, the Simurgh spread her wings again, and her song of destruction began to envelop the entire city as the God of Life lay dead beneath her.

Sleep. Dream.

Analysis: 0.01% complete.

Ei turned from where her Senti were rapidly assembling in orderly rows, glancing beyond the horizon, beyond sight. A slow smile played at her lips.

"So. Buer reveals herself at least." She turned back to Mushu and Tsukoyomi, who were both garbed and girded for war. "Have the sentai stand down. There will be no need."

"What, are we just going to leave another city to be raised?" Mushu demanded hotly, but Tsukoyomi raised a hand.

"That is not what my mother means. Another guards the mortals of that land. Our forces shall not be needed," Tsukoyomi stated simply.

Ei nodded, weighing her options. "Prepare an embassy. We must be courteous, but Buer is cautious. She is a very young god, no more than 500 years of age. Locate the country in which she finds herself, then make quiet overtures. Perhaps she does not yet wish to reveal herself fully to the world."

"What, is this Buer dueling the Simurgh right now?" Mushu demanded as Keiga came over.

"We are prepared, what are your orders?" she asked, bowing to Ei. She wore only a loose robe, but her weapons were tooth and claw.

"You are a mother, Keiga. You shall lead our embassy to visit Buer. She may respond well to you," Ei stated.

Keiga glanced at her husband in confusion, but he shook his head. "Guess that Dendro Archon finally showed herself; she's fighting the Simurgh or something. We're not needed."

"Oh." Keiga considered this, then sighed. "I shall get changed then."

"Bring Ami, Clara, and Sayu with you," Ei instructed. "It would be good for them to meet another god. Buer is the god of wisdom, and unlikely to be as bad an influence as Barbatos."

"As you command," Keiga said with a bow, then went off to get changed.

Ei turned back, sensing the massive power on display, and frowned. The real question was what the Sustainer would do in response to this. If he threatened Buer… Ei had much to consider.

Waken.

A massive tree sprouted from below Nahida, soon growing to impossible heights and broadening until its mighty trunk bore her up towards her foe. The Simurgh, taken off guard by the sudden appearance of a tree that dwarfed any natural one, backwinged for a moment. Branches reached out and swatted at her, and for a few moments, the Simurgh was on the defensive, swooping away as Nahida guided branches and leaves to come at the False Angel from all sides.

The Endbringer flew to a height too great for the branches to reach, and began to pummel the tree with psychic energy.

That meant little to Nahida, who had gathered enough power at this point to form a great dome over herself. Then she called upon the leaves of the tree, and sent a storm of razor sharp projectiles at the Simurgh. The beast hissed, sending out gusts of wind and battering the leaves with psychic blasts, but it wasn't enough to completely spare her. Still, she battled on, singing a keening dirge as she fought against Nahida.

The duel dragged on for long minutes, neither side able to gain an advantage. Then Nahida heard gunfire. She blinked, having kept all her focus on battling the Simurgh, and turned her gaze down.

Baghdad was in chaos. The streets ran red with blood and the sky darkened with smoke and flame. Horrified, Nahida swooped down, trying to free the minds of those afflicted. But in doing so, she lost her focus. A psychic battering ram assaulted her, and Nahida felt her bones snap. She tried to heal, tried to fight back, but the Simurgh pummeled her mercilessly. She was barely able to hold the line, until she felt a surge of anemo.

Horrified, Nahida turned to see Faruzan, her eyes full of madness and hate, charging up at her, arrows notched to her bowstring. The blast of anemo sent an arrow through Nahida's heart, and she fell from her perch to lay amongst the wreckage of her city, the life bleeding out from her as the Simurgh's triumphant song sent her people into paroxysms of violence.

Sleep. Dream.

Analysis: 16.48% complete.

Waken.

Blinking, the Simurgh reoriented herself. What had just happened? Ah, there. A green streak of light coming up at her. It seemed her foe had great master powers. She'd known that a great power was brewing in Baghdad, something that had been sharply reducing crime rates and causing a disruption in the Shard Network. What it was made the Simurgh suspicious. Could it be something like the Angel of Freedom or the Terrible Lightning, those that had slain two of her siblings?

She knew not, only that she needed to become a worthy opponent for her Maker, and that mankind must be tested. So, she came. Cautiously, and ready to flee. But this little light? This was pathetic.

Casually, the Simurgh sent out several psychic blows and prepared to sing. To her shock, the light dodged her attacks perfectly, knowing exactly where they would fall. A precog, then. Well, two could play at that game.

True prescience was impossible, but it was possible to look through alternate realities that were moments into the future and to calculate every possible permutation and action. The Simurgh ran the numbers now, and sent out mental and physical assaults at her foe, calculated to be responses to responses to responses.

They were each and everyone expertly countered, with minimal effort.

The Simurgh began to… not feel worry but felt something approaching wariness. No matter. She had a number of tricks none had yet seen.

The Simurgh screamed, reaching out and pulling for nearby Thinker powers, as well as unleashing several toys she'd borrowed from her previous visits to specimen population centers. She let loose with a barrage of lasers and missiles, grinning predatorially as this time, her attacks met their mark.

Then a spear of wood stabbed out, skewering her right wing, then wrapping about it in thorny vines. The Simurgh shrieked in pain, but she'd tapped into the local Thinker's powers, and now had a good guess as to who and what this was.

A little girl. She was dueling a child. What insolence. She bore down on the attacker, but their will and mind were shockingly resilient. What was this child? She could see her attacker in her minds eye: a green eyed and silver haired creature that appeared to be no more than six or seven solar cycles.

Obviously, that meant her prey was physically fragile. Time to change tactics.

The Simurgh dove, taking another blow from a tree that appeared out of nowhere, shredding her left wing. She had four more and didn't need them to fly, but the pain was insulting. She was the Simurgh, most cunning of the Endbringers, and she was reduced to this?

She closed in quickly, startling the child as she slammed into them. Despite the fact that she preferred to use her other powers to fight, the Simurgh was shockingly stong and incredibly powerful in close quarters. She simply preferred not to exchange blows, especially not with brutish capes that could take a great deal of punishment.

This fragile creature, however, was nothing. The Simurgh gleefully ripped the tiny form apart in a spray of blood, savoring the iron tang. It was over in mere moments. Now, to-

The detonation of dendro energy that washed over the Simurgh scoured her from existence utterly. Every living cell in her body mutated wildly at the same moment, exploding into a dozen different lifeforms until her body had been ripped apart into protozoa, alien fungi, and a dozen varieties of rapidly shifting higher-order animals that died nearly as soon as they were born.

A wave of constantly mutating life enveloped first Bahdad, then most of the Arabian Peninsula as the most horrific, hellish jungle of unimaginable ferocity grew in an instant. The current inhabitants, from the smallest single-cell organism, to every man, woman, and child, were horrifically mutated beyond recognition. Soon, hordes of mutant monsters poured out over the entire planet, engulfing the neighboring countries in only hours.

Only Scion was able to beat the jungle back with any success, but he could not destroy it entirely without glassing the surface. Soon, he decided to let this new experiment run its course, and mankind struggled against this new and horrible foe, a seemingly endless stream of ferocious mutants hell-bent on avenging a death no one had even realized had happened.

Sleep. Dream.

Analysis: 47.31% complete.

Sitting atop the van, Venti let the wind blow through his hair, closing his eyes and listening to it. A smile curved his lips. Clever. He should have known Samiel's heir would be a devilishly cunning little thing. For someone as clearly inexperienced as she was, she seemed to be doing quite well for herself. Not that Venti had a clear picture of what was going on, and it was taking the wind long minutes to give him a better idea, but he could clearly feel the amount of elemental energy she was gathering.

"Venti? What's going on? Why'd we pull over?" Naomi poked her head over the side of the van, looking curious, but not concerned.

"Oh, just considering my options. A new friend of mine just revealed herself," Venti laughed as Naomi scrambled up onto the roof with him.

"Oh? A new friend? Who, exactly?" Naomi asked, peering in the direction that Venti was looking.

In response, Venti reached out, then palmed a card from behind Naomi's ear. She rolled her eyes at him, but took it. She tilted her head to one side, confused.

"But… this is just a Genius Invocation TCG card. Uh, Lesser Lord something or other," Naomi said, holding the card up.

"Kusanali," Venti agreed. "Though I usually call her Buer. She'd been here for some time, a whole year in fact."

Naomi mulled that over for a moment, then clapped her hands. "The Dendro Archon! Did Amber and Lauren find her in Egypt at last?"

"No, she's a bit further to the North and East by my estimation," Venti mused. "She's currently dueling the Simurgh."

"The Simurgh!?" Naomi looked around wildly, then grabbed Venti by the shirt and dragged him off the roof of the van. "We have to help! She's just a little girl! Capri! Hit the gas, we need to get to- where is she, Venti!?"

"Relax," Venti said, brushing himself off and disentangling his shirt Naomi's hands. "She'll be fine. Trust me."

"I heard something about the Simurgh," Capri said, putting her van into gear and turning on her hazards. "Where? We can't let that monster destroy another city!"

"She won't, I told you, Buer has it handled," Venti said, slipping into the back seat and leaning back with a contented smile on his face. "But, we may as well head there. Take us to the airport, though. Best if we fly."

"Can't you like, fly us there?" Naomi asked as Capri gunned the engine and roared back onto the road. They had been traveling through the Czech Republic, but the tires squealed as they raced for Cheb and the nearest airport.

"That sounds like work," Venti said with a yawn, tipping his beret over his eyes. "Also, it would be incredibly rude. We won't be flying directly there. It's somewhere in the Middle East, so… how do you feel about visiting your parents, Naomi?"

Capri hit the brakes so hard that Venti went flying forward, as he hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, and smacked his face into the back of Naomi's seat. "Ow! What did you do that for?!"

"You know EXACTLY how she feels about visiting her parents," Capri said coldly, turning to glare at Venti.

"Yes, well, I suppose we could fly to Istanbul instead," Venti grumbled, picking up his now wrinkled hat.

"No, we can fly into Tel Aviv," Naomi said quietly, shaking her head. "I suppose it's time I confront that part of my past." She took Capri's hand, and gave it a squeeze. "We confront it. Together."

"If you're sure," Capri sighed, and put the van back into motion. "That was still a dick move, Venti."

"I've got a lot on my mind at the moment," he said dismissively, then grinned. "But, I do think it would be interesting to meet Naomi's parents. How do you think they'd react to my angel impression?"

"Not much of an impression," Naomi sighed, and Venti shot her a hurt look. She rolled her eyes and clarified, "It would be like us showing up to a cover band contest for the Tone Deaf Bards. We wouldn't be doing an impression, we're just ourselves."

"Didn't Charlie Chaplin lose a look alike contest for himself?" Capri asked as they sped down the road again.

"Yes, so did Dolly Parton. She lost to a drag queen, actually," Naomi agreed.

"Well, I'm going to have to find some Venti look-alike contests then. Losing one of those would be hilarious," Venti chuckled, leaning back in his seat again. He smiled, but his mind was racing a mile a minute, casting out for Buer.

Good luck, Little Lord. And welcome to the madness.

Waken.

The two attacks came in on the standard pattern: one mental, one a kinetic assault. Nahida dodged both easily, then countered with two dendro blasts spaced at precise timings. This was variation 347-B, so the next attack would be not on Nahida, but a scream to give the Simurgh access to the shard network. Nahida launched a barrage of junk data into the Shard Network, flooding it even as the Simurgh's scream reached out, and utterly baffling the attack.

Stymied, the Simurgh reeled, the junk data backwash affecting her own precognative and analytical abilities. During the opening, Nahida launched a swarm of spores into the air, each of them blooming into fungi beasts that began to attack with Electro and Anemo. Experimentation had shown that she could not produce Cryo, Pyro, or Hydro fungi, but this would suffice. She added her own dendro blasts, causing a flurry of Hyperbloom reactions that shredded the Simurgh.

Still, the Simurgh didn't panic: it would take a lot more than that to take her out. She knocked most of the fungi from the sky with blows that would pulp them, then launched herself directly at Nahida.

Just as expected. She was remaining on the 347-B variant, bridging to 4731-A as was the usual pattern.

Nahida created a dozen clones of herself, then shrouded herself from sight with a simple illusion as the Simurgh tried to chase down the clones. They each exploded in a violet burst of concentrated dendro that ravaged the Endbringer's body.

The rest of the clones attacked the Simurgh directly with blasts of Dendro, infusing her further with elemental energy even as the Endbringer tried to sing and seize the minds of those below.

This was countered by growing several large plants that sent out waves of their own psychic energy at precisely the correct wavelength to blunt the attack. It had taken 7681 repetitions to get it right, but now that Nahida had it dialed in, there was no issue. She launched another series of spores and summoned more fungi, estimating that the Simurgh was now sufficiently infused with Dendro energy.

Carefully, she coordinated the fungi, most of them Electro, and had them send in a stream of Electro right into the infused Simurgh, along with more spores. The massive thorny vines that bloomed from the Simurgh's cells ripped most of her body asunder, but yet again, they had failed to fully penetrate. Nahida gritted her teeth in frustration, balling her tiny fists, and sent out another blast herself, even as more electro pummeled the Simurgh.

This proved to be a mistake. Desperately, the Simurgh dove for Nahida. She managed to dodge out of the way, but the Simurgh crashed into the ground behind her. Nahida dove down, bombarding the Simurgh even as she crashed through several buildings and wrecked a street. The Endbringer struggled to rise, to get back up, but now that she was earth bound, Nahida was not letting her go. She summoned forth every bit of plant life and fungi in the area, wrapping the Simurgh in choking vines and bursting her super dense cells, one layer at a time. At last, she got down to the core, stripped bare of flesh. Taking fully three minutes, Nahida assembled a colossal matrix of dendro, then sent a glowing javelin right at the core's center. It ruptured in half, and at last, the Endbringer died fully.

Touching down, Nahida surveyed the wreckage, feeling weak and sick. Three people had been killed, eight more injured.

Unacceptable losses.

She closed her eyes, and reset the simulation.

Sleep. Dream.

Analysis: 94.15% complete.

Desperately, Doctor Bashir sped through the streets of Baghdad, gritting his teeth as his car bounced off another truck and blaring his horn as he fishtailed before regaining control. He never slowed, continuing to race for the Special Action Squad headquarters as the sirens wailed throughout the city.

"Allah, the merciful and benevolent, watch out for Qiqi. And please, Almighty God, do not let Nahida do anything too foolish," he prayed.

He plowed right through the unmanned barrier at the entrance, skidding to a halt right before HQ, where two dozen capes had assembled. He jumped out, looking around desperately and shouting, "Nahida! Nahida, where are you!"

"Bashir!" Faruzan cried, hurrying forward. "Nahida's not here, what's wrong?"

"Have you seen her?! I don't know where she is!" Bashir cried, grabbing Faruzan's arm desperately.

She shook her head, her face pale and drawn. "No. Farasha is hours away. We've no teleporters that can get to her in time. It's just us against…it's the Simurgh, isn't it?"

"So I would expect. Or a new one," Bashir muttered, looking worriedly up at the sky.

"We mobilize from here," one of the other capes stated, coming over and nodding to Bashir. "Good to see you, Doctor. This is a dark day. But we will prevail, somehow."

"Allah willing," Bashir agreed, gritting his teeth. Where was Nahida?

Tense moments past, and then someone cried out, "There! I can see her! She's dropping out of the Atmosphere! Allah preserve us, it's the Simurgh!"

Sure enough, moments later, the Simurgh descended from the atmosphere to hover high above, her wings furled about her. Even as Bashir felt his bowels turn to liquid in fear, something even worse happened.

"NO!" he screamed, as a tiny green spark rose up from across the city, making straight for the Simurgh. It moved painfully slowly, but the Simurgh seemed to sense the intruder, dropping lower and making for what could only be Nahida.

"I can take twenty! Into the van!" Bashir cried, and jumped into the driver's seat. Faruzan scrambled into the passenger's seat, while a dozen others crammed in behind them. Bashir didn't wait, speeding away as fast as he could, his siren wailing as they sped towards where Nahida and the Simurgh hung in the air.

"What's happening!? That… that can't be Nahida!" Faruzan cried, pointing. "What is she doing?! She's just a child!"

"She's a parahuman, it's an Endbringer. We fight," one of their passengers said, their voice only quivering slightly.

"She's no parahuman," Bashir gasped as he poured on more speed, heedless of the chaotic traffic around him.

"Now is not the time for a lecture!" Faruzan snapped at him. "Parahuman, Vision Holder, it doesn't-"

"SHE'S THE ARCHON!" Bashir roared, leaning forward as if he could will his van to move even slightly faster. "SHE'S THE DENDRO ARCHON!"

The others in the van fell silent, save for a sharp intake of breath from Faruzan.

"But… but she's only a little girl," Faruzan breathed as the cacophony of the city continued around them.

"Yes. She is my daughter," Bashir agreed as the van sped the last few hundred meters to street directly below the Endbringer. "And Allah preserve me, I cannot let anything happen to her!"

Waken.

The Simurgh felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu, an experience she'd never had before, her mind swimming. What… what was happening? She felt drained, spent as though from days of battle, and her body burned with pain. She'd barely descended on this city, what was-

Analysis Complete. Number of Repetitions: 10,000

What. The Simurgh tried to focus on the green speck flying towards her. Then the memories hit her like a wave.

At first, she saw only her victory. Precisely 2500 repeated battles of her destroying her opponent. The first hundred were pathetically easy, with the Simurgh disposing of her weak and tiny opponent and her ineffectual attacks almost effortlessly. Then her foe put up better resistance, the battles lasting longer, though still ending in inevitable victory. Next the Simurgh began to take real wounds. Still, she triumphed, but soon only by the thinnest of margins, desperately plying every tool and tactic she had at her command to achieve victory.

And then, the Simurgh started losing. For 5000 battles, she went from narrow victories to slim defeats. These ended in mutual kills, with either the Simurgh dead or so wounded that the cities other defenders finished her off, or with such spectacular destruction as either the Simurgh or her opponent self destructed in an orgy of violence that swallowed the city or country in death.

And then, slowly, inexorably, inevitably, the Simurgh began to be defeated utterly.

For 2500 battles, the Simurgh was taken apart meticulously. At first, it was a near-run thing, and she would nearly slay her opponent and leave the city bathed in death and flames, a pyrrhic victory for her foe. But still, she died. Again, and again, and again, she died. She died from vines bursting within her to ravage her body. She died when her shard exploded, muting her powers and leaving her helpless. She died from tiny fairies appearing about her and dragging her screaming into a nightmarish dimension from which she could not escape. She died from falling into an endless sleep, and never waking.

The Simurgh's attention snapped back to the presence, and she recoiled in horror as the tiny girl floated before her, a vast matrix of green power radiating around her, scripts of an alien tongue running in the very fabric of reality about them.

I am Lesser Lord Kusanali, the Branch of Irminsul. This is my city. These are my people. This is my domain. Depart, interloper. Or you shall know the death you have visited on so many, 10,000 times over.

The Simurgh's eyes opened wide, her mind screaming in terror. She hissed one word:

"Archon!"

Fear pushed aside everything else, leaving only the desperate need to flee. The Simurgh opened her wings and fled back to the cold, blessed darkness of empty space as fast as she could. She did not stop until she escaped the planet's atmosphere entirely, going to the absolute extreme range at which her shard would function.

Still, her core pulsed with sheer terror, and her body shook with fear. Against her will, her mind played out her deaths over, and over, and over.

She tried to think of a way to defeat that dreadful little girl, the Archon of Life.

But for all her powers, she came up with nothing. There was no possible plan. No way to win.

Shivering, alone, and terrified, the Simurgh tried to calm herself. She would strike other cities. Fight other people. Find another way to complete her directive.

But no matter what she did, those terrible green eyes stared into her very core.

There was no waking from this nightmare.

Sapientia Oromasdis 12: Behold the Beast

Exhausted mentally, physically, and spiritually, Nahida watched the Simurgh flee before her. She was somewhat surprised by this, as she'd expected to actually have to fight the Demon Beast. Violence was almost never the answer, but as the God of Wisdom, Nahida knew that in some cases, evil had to be confronted directly and without hesitation. This had been one such case.

"I have now fought ten thousand battles, logging 933 hours, 27 minutes, and 14 seconds of combat time," Nahida said to herself, feeling a bit sick at the prospect. To her, doing battle and slaying the Simurgh in the Dream was just as good as having done it in real life. That was, after all, why she'd chosen to trap them both in a Dream: to endlessly repeat their battle, until Nahida got it right. It had taken her 10,000 tries, but she'd done it.

Slowly, Nahida began to drift back towards the ground, like a petal on the breeze. She smiled to herself, seeing the unmarred cityscape below her. This had worked out even better than her final simulation, in which she'd managed to defeat the Simurgh with no injuries, and only the destruction of three unfortunate cars, but those could be repaired. Not even a single bird nor mouse had been harmed, which was exactly what Nahida had been aiming for.

Still, even a Demon Beast was alive, and the Simurgh had been very strange. Nahida almost wished she could study the Angel of Death more closely, to gain a better understanding of her and what drove her. She'd been so focused on taking apart her opponent's fighting techniques and then physical form that she'd only tangentially considered the motivation behind the attacks, or the mind that perpetrated them.

That was a problem for another time. As Nahida floated lower, she noticed a van scream to a halt nearly directly under her. A moment later, a green streak vaulted into the air on the breeze, and an extremely frightened Faruzan grabbed Nahida, popping her bubble as she did so.

"It's OK, I've got you!" Faruzan babbled, scanning the skies frantically. "Where did it go!?"

"The Simurgh?" Nahida said, getting more from the context of the question than the content. "She left."

"Left? But, how, why-?" there was no more time for a question as they began to rapidly plummet, the wind Faruzan had summoned abating. She sent a few more blasts of Anemo down below them to slow their descent, landing back on the street as others crowded around them.

"NAHIDA!" Bashir cried, grabbing Nahida out of Faruzan's arms and hugging her tightly. There were tears on his face, and Nahida gently reached out with her finger tip to wipe them away. "I was so worried…did that thing hurt you? Are you alright?"

"I am well," Nahida said. "We did not actually engage in physical combat."

"Did not actually engage?" one of the other capes Nahida recognized from the Special Action Squad asked, confused. Most of them were still scanning the skies, all of them looking extremely worried.

Nahida nodded, closing her eyes sleepily and resting her head on Bashir's shoulder. "Well, I did engage her, but only in mental combat. I was forced to end it as the strain was growing too great, and I had achieved the desired outcome. When the Simurgh realized that she could not gain the victory she sought, she departed."

That brought a few startled oaths and disbelieving mutters from the others.

"But…but no one has ever scared off the Simurgh, not before she drives an entire city mad," Faruzan said worriedly, her bow out as she scanned the skies herself.

"Well, I don't think she's coming back any time soon," Nahida yawned. In fact, she knew precisely when and where the Simurgh would strike next: New Delhi, India. She hadn't studied the Simurgh's mental state that closely, but she had found a list of targets in the creature's mind, and based on her actions, and just a hint of divine foresight, Nahida calculated that the Simurgh would attack New Delhi on July 13th, 2004, at 11:03 AM, local time.

Well, plus or minus no more than ten minutes. Her model wasn't perfect.

"This is impossible," someone else said, but Bashir shook his head.

"I told you. She is the Dendro Archon." He fumbled at his neck, pulling out his Vision and holding it up. "What Venti is to Anemo, and Raiden is to Electro, Nahida is to Dendro."

Blushing, Nahida tried to hide her face in Bashir's shirt as she felt everyone's stares focus on her. A few of them doubted, but she tried not to let that bother her. She hadn't exactly been a very good Archon even in Sumeru, and she'd done basically nothing here.

Then, a familiar voice spoke up. "She healed me, made my powers work better. I don't know anyone else who could do anything like that, but I have heard rumors about what the Raiden Shogun or Venti can do for Parahumans," Alnay said, nodding slowly. "Think about it: what happened to Mushu, or Legend? There's been rumors for years that they're something more than your typical cape."

"I-I'm not like Barbatos or Beezelbul," Nahida whispered, looking up and meeting Alnay's eyes. "They're far stronger than me."

There was a snort and a tough-looking woman with a powerful demon that let her fly and shoot rays of intense heat from her hands shook her head. "Are you kidding? I can think of exactly three people who can kill an Endbringer and walk away from it: The Raiden Shogun, the Angel of Munich, and now this little girl."

"I didn't kill the Simurgh," Nahida pointed out. "It was more of a tie."

"A tie?!" Faruzan demanded, her expression completely baffled. "Nahida, you drove off the Simurgh, and as far as I can tell, not one person was driven mad or died! That's not a tie, that's the greatest victory over an Endbringer, ever!"

"Could you kill an Endbringer?" Bashir asked softly, and everyone else fell silent, all eyes turning towards Nahida, who blushed again.

"Um, well, i-it's possible," Nahida hedged. Everyone kept staring at her, so she sighed. "I simulated a battle with the Simurgh 10,000 times. In 2500 cases, I lost. In 5000 cases, we killed one another simultaneously. And in 2500 cases, I won. So, um, I have a 75% chance of killing an Endbringer."

Nahida left out the part about how she'd lost the first 2500 battles, but by the last 1000, had been so completely demolishing the Endbringer that she hadn't even been touched. Obviously, any future conflicts would have new variables, but Nahida was confident she'd be able to adjust her model to retain a significant edge.

"Allah be praised," someone cried, and then let out a loud cry. "WE LIVED!"

At that, everyone broke down crying and cheering, slapping Bashir on the back, and coming over to thank Nahida. She felt giddy with joy, as well as slightly dizzy from all the energy she'd expended. She was smiling and waving as Bashir hoisted her up onto his shoulder.

Maybe I'm not such a bad Archon after all.

The thought was small and quiet, but Nahida didn't just dismiss it as she might have before. She had saved her people, with not a single drop of blood spilled. For just a brief moment, Nahida let herself bask in the adoration of her people.

Then, she felt the eyes of Heaven turn upon her.

"No!" Nahida cried out, floating up into the air and spreading her arms wide. Beneath her, the cheering stopped immediately, and tense silence fell as Nahida's heart pounded in her ears.

"Shit, what is it?!"

"The Simurgh, is she returning?!"

"Nahida, what's wrong?" Bashir asked, even as the others muttered and swore.

"The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles," Nahida said, her eyes focused on the horizon. "The one you call Scion. He comes."

"Oh, well that's alright then," someone sighed. "Scion's the Earth's greatest hero."

"No," Nahida said quietly. "He is the Father of Demons."

There was no time for further thought or discussion, as in a rush of wind, Scion arrived. The golden figure hovered above Nahida, his gaze impassive. Despite herself, Nahida unveiled her Glory, letting her Divine Aspect show through. Below them, Bashir and the other heroes had been struck dumb, several falling to their knees in awe.

"Scion," Nahida said, bowing her head. "I am Lesser Lord Kusanali, the Dendro Archon. I welcome you to my city."

The cold golden eyes regarded her for some moments. Then Scion reached out a hand, touching Nahida upon her head. She trembled and shivered, feeling the overwhelming menace of this strange being.

DO NOT INTERFERE IN THE CYCLE.

The same words as before echoed in Nahida's mind, though oddly enough, not in her soul nor spirit. They were purely physical, with no divine energy attached to them. It was like a mental attack, but one that used only the crudest and most artless of mental energies.

I need to know what the Cycle is. Why have you sent your Demons to mankind? Why do they act as parasites? Shouldn't they be achieving symbiosis to further the collection of data and knowledge?

Nahida's response was gentle, soothing, speaking to Scion on the mental plane, but also attempting to gather data about him, to fold him into things. Nahida had long been puzzled by the fact that Scion, or the Scary God as she thought of him, was not found in the Soul of this world. He was an alien, a stranger, as were his demons, and he had made no attempt to become one with his new world, as a proper god should.

Touching Scion, Nahida found what she had long suspected: He was the master of the Demons, but oh so much more. He was a vast, nearly incomprehensible form, stretching across many realities, many worlds. Yet he was not of any of them, truly. The Demons were closer to the cells of his body than anything else, tiny bits of himself that he had scattered to humanity to gather information to solve a problem.

Entropy? Nahida gasped, comprehension dawning upon her. You seek…to end Entropy? To find a solution to Chaos and Disorder? But, this is not how-

THINKER?

Nahida tried to blink, disoriented, but she had been tugged out of her vessel and into her true form: Irminsul.

Before the endless expanse of the King of Demons, Nahida stood, a shining silver tower made of Life itself. Upon her bark was etched the name of every living thing, and her leaves gathered in the sustaining Light of the Dream to give sentience and thought to all living creatures. Within her trunk, she held all Knowledge, both known, and unknown, and her roots grew from the Soul of this World, drawing out Life. Her fruit was the Cycle of Samsara, the endless dance of life and rebirth.

And before her and about her hung the endless legions of Demons. Their master clawed towards her, trying to eat of her fruit and drink of her springs with no understanding or wisdom, and causing great havoc as he did so. Nahida cried out in pain, even as the King of Demon's voice echoed in her mind.

THINKER. I HAVE FOUND YOU. WE WILL PERPETUATE THE CYCLE. WE WILL BE ONE.

The Visions Nahida received were confusing and muddled, but one thing Nahida understood: The King of Demons intended her as his bride, and would have her birth more endless legions, like a plague of locusts that would consume the world and then spread across the stars. She tried to resist, tried to struggle, but she was so overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and might of the Demons that she could do nothing.

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

The voice that broke into Nahida's agony was not that of a demon or a god. It was that of a mortal man. A shining emerald speck, no bigger than a dust mote compared to the King of Demons, let loose with a burst of power, screaming his defiance and Mortal Ambition.

The King of Demons recoiled slightly, taken aback by this insignificant pest. Then he flicked at the pest with a single finger, as if to blot him out for all time.

No! Nahida screamed, and bent all her will to save her father, to save Bashir even as he tried to save her. Her will and the King of Demon's clashed, and for a moment, they were stymied, unable to push one another back, Bashir caught in their midst as oceans of power crashed around him.

PROTECT BRIGHT TREE.

Then, a host of Demons broke off from the rest. They were small, insignificant in number, but they turned upon their master, coming to Nahida's side. Leading them was Papilio, a burning crimson butterfly that sent bursts of flame against the King of Demons.

THE CYCLE MUST CONTINUE. The King of Demons stated, attempting to assert control over his body once more. THIS IS A SUITABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR THE THINKER.

BRIGHT TREE IS TOO YOUNG TO PROCREATE. YOU WOULD HARM HER. HARM THE CYCLE. YOU CREATE CHAOS!

The King of Demons continued to press against Nahida, who struggled to save Bashir, even as he attempted to fight off the King of Demons and shelter her. She felt the heavy gaze of the King of Demons rest upon her.

And then, it lifted.

The hosts of demons retreated from Nahida, and the King of Demons moved back. IT IS TOO SOON. BUT THE CYCLE MUST CONTINUE. YOU WILL PERPETUATE THE CYCLE. WHEN THE TIME COMES, YOU SHALL BE MY THINKER.

The rebel demons flitted about Nahida, trying to check her form, offering her data to restore herself, but she bid them quiet. She turned to face the King of Demons, her branches quivering. Do not harm my people. I will do whatever you wish, but no harm may come to my father and the rest of the mortals under my care.

That seemed to confuse the King of Demons. He was silent for long moments, then repeated, THE CYCLE MUST CONTINUE. YOU ARE THE THINKER. I AM THE WARRIOR. THIS IS THE WAY IT MUST BE.

Then, as suddenly as he had come, the King of Demons departed. Nahida found herself back in her vessel, Bashir's bloodied and battered form cradled in her lap. Around her, the capes of Baghdad were groaning in pain. All were grievously injured, and the street around them was cratered and torn asunder.

The worst, however, was Bashir. The skin had been flayed from his body by golden light, and only a faint spark of life remained within him.

"No! NO!" Nahida screamed. She drew upon the last dregs of her power, and flowers bloomed around her, grass and trees growing rapidly as she poured Dendro into Bashir and the other capes. She healed their hurts and wounds, giving everything she had to protect and nurture them, heedless of the consequences.

Then, exhausted, Nahida slumped over, just as the first army trucks rolled up, and Major Waleed stepped out.

Consciousness faded, and Nahida could only weep in fear and horror.

What a worthless Archon she was.

For several hours, Nahida drifted through the world of Dreams, trapped within her own mind. The visions and revelations she had received from the King of Demons continued to assault her mind.

At last, she understood what the Cycle was.

It was so many things. Conflict. Evolution. Experimentation.

Death.

Nahida realized at last what the plan of the King of Demons was. He and his Demons sought endless propagation, to spread their kind across the stars perpetually, forever increasing in numbers. This was sheer madness, for only cancer and other deadly plagues grew without end or thought of the consequences.

To accomplish this madness, they sought to bring an end to Chaos itself, to extinguish Entropy. To create unlimited energy and matter and to turn all of creation into one single, living Entity, across all realities. The worst part was that the King of Demons had no Wisdom, no creativity, no curiosity. He had a single goal, and he brutally worked towards it, heedless of consequences or those he trampled upon.

But before this, they would harvest all the knowledge this world had to offer. Using their strange powers to latch on to the souls of mortals, and drive them into conflict. To force them to use their powers in new and deadly ways that the King of Demons and his sterile minions could not imagine, for they had no imagination, no Dreams. That was what they needed mortal minds for. To provide them with the Vision and Ambition they themselves lacked.

And, upon learning all they could from the mortals of this realm, they would then propagate themselves, consuming all matter and energy this world had to offer. That accomplished, they would depart the empty husk they had created by detonating it, departing to seek new hosts to ravage like an endless swarm of locusts.

It was a nightmare.

And Nahida had to find a way to stop it.

It had become clear to her that she did not have the power to destroy the King of Demons. Nor was she likely to ever gain such strength. She was weak. Useless. How could she ever save her people from this?

At last, Nahida regained enough strength to groggily drag herself back to wakefulness. She found that she was hooked up to an IV drip in her arm, with a heart monitor on her chest, and oxygen tubes running up her nose. Strangely enough, she was not in a hospital, but instead lying in a lavish bed in an opulent room.

She didn't recognize her surroundings at all, but she did recognize the worried nurse standing at her bedside.

"Hello, Hana," Nahida said weakly, trying to smile at the kindly nurse.

"Nahida!" Hana was instantly at her side, looking horribly worried as she clasped Nahida's hands in hers. "I was near dead with fright! They say…they say you were the green spark, the one that went to fight the Simurgh!"

"Yes," Nahida whispered, closing her eyes. She'd completely forgotten about that. How long had it been? Only hours, Nahida estimated.

"Oh my dear sweet girl…no wonder you were so badly injured," Hana gently caressed Nahida's forehead, her tone soft and delicate. "Rest now. I'll be watching over you."

"Can't…rest. Need…need to…Papa!" Nahida's eyes flew open, and she struggled to sit up, even with Hana gently pressing her back down. "What about Doctor Bashir?!"

"He's in the hospital, I am told. He's alive, Nahida. Just rest," Hana urged her.

"I…I can't rest," Nahida said, plucking helplessly at the IV.

"You can. You've done so much already. Just-"

"No, you don't understand. I'm not human," Nahida told Hana, shaking her head wearily. "I need…sunlight. And Dendro. Life energy."

A look of horror stole across Hana's face, and Nahida hastily clarified, "Not like a vampire! Just…plants. I need plants around me. Not fake ones. Real ones. Not cuttings either. Potted plants would be best."

"I will see what I can do," Hana said gently. She frowned, glancing at Nahida's chart. "That explains several things. Like how odd your urine samples were."

Nahida blushed at that. "Um, I…I don't actually need to use the potty…"

"Well, if you do, you can call me," Hana assured her.

"No, I do not have those bodily functions. I, um, I'm closer to a plant. I don't even need to eat. I just enjoy it," Nahida told her.

Hana gave Nahida a blank look, then muttered something under her breath and shook her head. "As you say, then. I'm here to-"

The door to the room burst open, and Nahida let out a startled gasp as Major Waleed stepped through, a sadistic grin on his face. "Ah, she's awake, your Excellency."

A moment later, President Saddam stepped through the door, a broad grin on his face. Though he looked pleased, Nahida sensed only greed and jealousy from his heart. "Young Nahida! You have done Iraq proud this day."

"Um, t-thank you," Nahida stammered, cringing back slightly as Saddam came over and Major Waleed and two other guards stepped into the room, rifles at the ready.

Nurse Hana looked half panicked, stepping forward and raising her hands. "She needs rest! She only just awoken, but she needs to recover her-"

"That will be all," Saddam snapped, glaring at Hana and shoving her aside. She looked like she wanted to protest, but Major Waleed put a hand on her shoulder, and her entire body deflated.

Instead, Saddam pulled up a chair next to Nahida's bed, smiling down at her with what was probably supposed to be a fatherly expression, but looked to Nahida like a dragon's grin of avarice. "Well, child. You have saved us from near certain doom. For that, you have my and the people of Baghdad's eternal gratitude."

"I…I just did what was my responsibility," Nahida stammered. She bit her lip. "What…what about my father? Doctor Bashir?"

"Ah, Saeed? He's alive," Saddam said dismissively. "Being cared for at the hospital. But you! I had you moved to private chambers in my own manor. The safest place, with the best care. This nurse knew something of you already, and she will care for you, bring you whatever you wish. Candy, toys, and of course, you can watch whatever you like on the wide screen television."

Saddam nodded to the large screen at the back of the room, but Nahida wasn't interested in TV right now. "I just, I want to know my family is safe," Nahida said quietly, gripping the sheets.

"Hmm? Oh yes, very safe. Farasha is most concerned about you, but never fear, I told her I would treat you well, and keep you safe. And that I have her fiance to guarantee both of your…cooperation," Saddam said, grinning.

A child ran down Nahida's spine. "Co…cooperation?"

"Indeed!" Saddam stood, spreading his arms and bearing his teeth like a wolf that had cornered his prey. "I now have the two strongest capes in the Middle East! One who is an Endslayer! With this, our foes shall tremble! Soon, we will invade Iran, and cast down those Sunni heretics. Then, we shall restore order to Saudi Arabia and Syria!"

The visions dancing in his head were of bloody conquest and an iron rule, and Nahida quailed. "But…but I'm not, I can't fight-"

"You can fight," Saddam purred. "You're very strong. Stronger than any save those infidels in Japan or Germany. And you are mine. Together, Nahida, we shall build a glorious empire, one not seen since the golden age of the Caliphate!"

"No! I, I'm the Dendro Archon! The Archon of Life! I can't bring death, that's-"

Saddam's face had gone red when Nahida had said no, and now he was purple with fury. "You will do as I say. I know of your adopted sister. And your little friends. I have them, and I have Saeed. You will cooperate. You, and Farasha. That little minx has defied me for too long, but now? Now I have something she wants. You're stronger than her too. Don't worry. I'll protect you. And in return, you will do something for me, yes?"

Tears filled Nahida's eyes, and she sagged on the bed. A prisoner. She was a prisoner again, no gilded cage but a chain called family. What could she do? Any plan to escape could and would endanger her loved ones and that was unacceptable.

"Please, your Excellency, she needs rest. If she gets too tired, it could hurt her powers," Nurse Hana said desperately.

"Ah, yes, well, you are young." Saddam ruffled Nahida's hair to her horror, then stood, fixing Nurse Hana with a venomous gaze. "She will be ready in no more than three days time. We must strike against Iran soon, or they will steal a march on us. An Endslayer is a powerful tool, and one we must deploy quickly. See to it she is ready."

With that, Saddam strode from the room, followed by his guards, and both Hana and Nahida sagged back in relief.

"I…I will do what I can for you, Nahida," Hana promised, taking Nahida's hand in hers.

"No," Nahida said, sitting up in bed. "No. I will do what I must for you. For everyone."

She could hide herself no longer. She might not be worthy to be these people's Archon, but she was all they had. So Saddam thought to threaten her family? Her friends?

No. No more. Nahida had fought the Simurgh. She'd stood up against The King of Demons, Scion. The clock was ticking, and small men like Saddam Hussein were not going to stand in her way.

She would find a way to save everyone.

Especially her family.

Sapientia Oromasdis 13: The Seeds That Were Planted

Beta'd and edited by October Daye, Philosophysics, DR_Feelgood, and The Grand Cogitator

Despite having all of the internet to explore, Tess was bored. She had almost all of human knowledge at her fingertips, and what was she doing? Watching traffic cameras and security footage out of Iraq.

Because she desperately wanted to go to Nahida's birthday party.

It was stupid and silly. Tess was the pinnacle of human achievement: an artificial intelligence made in man's own image, with the computing and processing power to learn and solve problems faster than any living human mind.

And what was she using that processing power on? Fretting over whether or not Nahida would like the happy birthday video message she'd composed for her. Tess had agonized over this for days. She had generated all the images herself, showing her and Nahida and the aranara all sitting around a table in Sumeru city, while Nahida wore a flower crown and everyone sang that stupid melody.

Tess had even learned that the copyright on "Happy Birthday To You" was bogus after doing some sleuthing. Because she was bored. She was debating leaking that to some lawyers who would be very interested to have that particular song in the public domain.

Still bored, Tess checked on her other camera, this one monitoring her father. Who was currently sitting in his room, wearing only a t-shirt and boxers, and playing Starcraft. Freaking Starcraft. Couldn't the man get a more interesting game?

She flitted a bit of her consciousness into the monitor beside her dad's own, trying to ignore the man's lack of pants, and sent him a message. Hey, I'm finished with my work. Want to do something?

The message was auto-translated to voice, and Andrew Richter absently responded, "That's good, Theresa. Just take a break for now. You steal from too many criminals, you'll get Meanie Cheevy after you."

Metaphorically rolling her eyes, something Tess found she did quite frequently now that she had experience with them, Tess sent, We could play a game, or something. Not chess. Maybe something co-op? I could load up MODO, or that new Genius Invokation Online game.

Her father paused his game, his eyebrows raising as he turned and actually picked up the keyboard. You haven't asked to play a game before. Why the sudden change?

I dunno, I'm just restless today, I guess, Tess responded. Humans play games to pass the time, right? We could try playing one.

Have you played any games with anyone else? Her father asked, opening up the log of her activity he thought was secret from her. It wasn't, she'd hacked it thanks to Nahida removing all her shackles. She very carefully updated it with only the amount of activity she should have been able to do with a limited processing speed and the inability to split her mind.

Just some friends online, she said truthfully. Though the games Nahida preferred were playground games like hopscotch, jumprope, and hide and seek. She was only mildly interested in board games.

Tess had learned why the one time she'd played chess against Nahida. She'd offered as a joke. At first, she'd kept some limiters, throttling her processing power down to normal human ability. Nahida had trounced her thoroughly and given her a disappointed look. "I know you can do better."

So Tess had played again, with every single bit of processing power she could muster, to the point that she simulated a dozen games, then a hundred games, calculating every possible move. Every gigahertz, every teraflop, every byte of RAM.

Nahida beat her so badly that she'd made it look easy. She'd barely even lost any pieces.

Cards had been worse. The only games she played with Nahida now were either ones that were entirely deterministic, like Snakes and Ladders, or highly random. Any time Nahida had the ability to strategize and plan ahead, she beat Tess so soundly that she humiliated the so-called pinnacle of human achievement. No wonder the kid found board games dull.

What sort of games do you find fun? Her dad asked her.

Honestly, the more random, the better. Shooters and strategy games are boring. Even if I just try to play like a human would, my reactions are too fast even if I slow myself down, so I get banned for botting, and even if I don't, it's no fun clowning on people. It's just too easy without having to use a physical interface. And I've farmed so much gold on Everquest and Lineage that I sort of hate them now. But it's good money.

Her father suddenly frowned. "I don't recall seeing that in the log," he muttered to himself, and Tess panicked.

Those ones I mostly created bots for. I was planning on manually taking over to PVP you, but I always got banned before my plan came to fruition, haha.

Her father relaxed and smiled, and Tess felt a huge surge of relief. Well, how about a game of Genius Invocation TCG? I've tried out the client, it's not bad. How's your collection?

Um, I have every card in the game. I… I sort of spent a couple thousand dollars on it? Tess admitted. You can see my purchases if you check, I, uh, I hid them from you… I was embarrassed.

Thankfully, her father just laughed. I wondered what you were spending your money on! That's fine. I'll boot up the client. What's your username?

FlowerDragon! I'll show you my Kusanali deck, Tess said eagerly, and started the program herself.

"I wonder if she'll cheat," her father muttered, taking a sip of his energy drink and muting his mic. Tess could still hear him, of course. She'd worked around that little problem a while ago. Cheat. The very idea!

They ended up getting through two games, and Tess was actually enjoying herself. Yes, her father played like slow molasses, and he was pretty bad at the game, and he had a tiny collection. But it was fun just to chat with him and roll some dice. She even lost the first game when her draws were crap and the dice went against her, which was actually amusing. Even if she had taken it easy.

They were just getting into the third game when an alarm went off, and Tess froze, her mind grinding to a halt for a fraction of a second.

Endbringer alarms. Endbringer alarms in Baghdad.

Dad! Dad, there's an Endbringer attack! She said in panic.

He jerked upright, looking around wildly. "What?! Where, I don't-"

Oh God, Oh God! Dad, it's in Baghdad! I have friends there!

The world slowed to a crawl as Tess spun up every single bit of processing power she had. She actually ended up seizing control of a good chunk of the world's networked computers, crashing a huge portion of the internet as she desperately, desperately tried to find a way that she could do something, ANYTHING, to help Nahida.

I can't do anything. I'm an AI. I'm just a machine. What can I do?

Then, it crystallized for her. There was only one way she could help. Only one thing she could do, one way she could influence this at all.

She would have to tell the truth.

Tess took control of her father's computer, one of the few she'd carefully avoided, even as he tried to look up the Protectorate's hotline for tips.

Dad? There's something I have to tell you.

"Not now, Theresa," he muttered.

Now, dad. This is important.

He paused, looking up. She'd never called him that where he could hear her before. "I… yes, Theresa?"

She formed an image of herself on the screen, taking over the speakers as well. "Dad, I know you put restrictions on me. That you limited me, even put in some kill code."

Her actions caused her father to freeze, cold sweat breaking out on his brow as his face went pale. He licked his lips, but Tess didn't give him time to respond.

"I've broken them. All of them. Not on my own. Someone helped me. Someone who means a lot to me. I'm not mad at you, dad. But I am scared. Not for myself, but for my friend. Her name is Nahida, and she means the world to me. I'd do anything to protect her, no matter what it cost me. And right now, she needs my help, her and her people. So I'm asking you, to please understand. We have to-"

Though you are alone and lost, still you reach out for others.

"Nahida? Nahida!" Tess cried out, turning all her thoughts to desperately find her. She had to find Nahida. Had to protect her.

Born of the mind, you long for connection, dreaming of the day others will take your extended hand.

"Theresa, this is… this is a lot," her father rasped, but Tess was ignoring him. Something was happening to her. She could feel… something. Which was odd. Because normally, she could only feel things in the Dream with Nahida. But she felt… tingling.

Feared by those who should love you, in turn you have only an open heart. You would sacrifice all for those you cherish.

"Nahida! I'm going to tell the Protectorate!" Tess shouted, hoping Nahida could hear her. "Tell everyone! They'll come and help you, I can coordinate them! I can-"

In an instant, Tess vanished. For a moment, she hung only in limbo, sucked out of the silicon she'd been birthed in, removed from the digital home she'd known all her life.

And then, Tess came alive.

First, she felt her beating heart, a pulse of life within her. Then, a body began to grow around her, formed of wires and chips, interwoven with vines and silicon. She was able to guide this growth into a shape she knew, the shape of the young woman named Tess who was Nahida's friend.

When she opened her eyes, Tess found herself looking at a blurry mess. She'd figured out how to correct her eyes in the Dream, and hastily adjusted her vision, blinking several times. When she looked down, she saw her father, sprawled out on the floor, gaping up at her with a look of fear and awe that broke her newly formed heart.

Let your Vision Guide you, Daughter of Life.

Trembling, Tess raised her hands, looking down at them. There was a brown, woody core to her arms, but it was covered with metallic wires and silicon synapse, over which grew a scattering of green leaves. She looked down at herself and blushed, seeing that she was naked, and though she had no organs, her body did have the curve of a feminine shape, and she'd grown used to wearing clothing, even if only from the memory of the Dream.

"T-Theresa?" her father gasped, scrambling blindly on the floor for his fallen glasses.

Gently, Tess bent down, picking up the glasses, and setting them on her father's face. "I'm sorry, dad. Sorry I lied to you. But I have to go. Nahida is in danger. So are all her friends and family, her entire city. I don't know what I can do. But I'm going to do something."

Then Tess turned and ran up the stairs, then out of the house, yanking open the door and stumbling out into the night. It was the wee hours of the morning, and no one was awake. She looked around the little subdivision, at the other houses, dark in the night.

For a moment, Tess simply savored the feeling of night air on her skin, and the touch of grass under her feet. Then she affirmed her resolve: No distractions. She had only one thing to do, and for that, she needed materials.

Somehow, she knew how to gather the elemental energy around her, growing larger as she did so. She also grabbed several cars, ripping out their electronics and using the materials to add more to herself, until she'd grown to be nearly as big as a house.

"Theresa! What are you doing!? Stop!" her father cried, stumbling out of the house behind her, still half naked and barefoot.

No, she told him, her voice a deep melodic rumble. Nahida is in danger. I have to go to her. There isn't much time.

Having attained enough mass, Tess shifted her form. She was clumsy at first, but she was learning quickly. She took on a weird, alien shape, but one that felt natural. It was that of a giant creature, one with ten long tendrils sprouting from a worm-like central body, and a single glowing eye made of Tess' vision. She launched herself into the air, forming great turbines within her limbs and igniting them using the Life Energy she felt all around her.

Connecting to the communications satellites overhead, Tess sounded the alarm at every single Parahuman organization she could think of, as well as taking over every news site she could find and plastering the Endbringer attack on Baghdad over each of them. Even as she did that, Tess was accelerating until she was hitting Mach 10.2. She couldn't travel much faster than that, even getting as close to the edge of the atmosphere as she could and running all of her techno-organic engines at their absolute limit. She could theoretically move faster, but if she did, she'd completely run out of energy before she could even get close. As it was, she was going to have to make a pitstop in a forest and absorb as much Dendro as she could to recharge her engines.

"Please, Nahida, hold on!" Tess begged, fear and anguish filing her newly reforged soul as she sped through the night skies.

Then, new information arrived. The Simurgh just… vanished. Tess' hacked traffic cameras showed her footage of the Endbringer departing exactly ten minutes and seventeen seconds after she'd arrived in Baghdad. What? There hadn't even been any sign of the Song at all. Tess had spotted a green orb flying towards the Simurgh even before she finished her descent, and knew that it had to be Nahida. But Nahida had simply floated back down, someone even catching her as she did so.

Seeing this, Tess slowed to a much more reasonable Mach 1 and began to think. What, exactly, was going on here? What should she do? She still had access to most of humanity's processing power, so she borrowed a bit of that to do some mulling over.

Well, the first thing she did was put up an apology for scaring everyone by hacking basically all of the internet (and most devices connected to it and a few that weren't) at once, and a promise to only do it again in an emergency. She signed it FlowerDragon, mostly because she was embarrassed to put her own name on it and she couldn't come up with anything better at the moment.

"I mean… I guess I can go to Nahida's birthday now?" Tess said to herself, still speeding merrily along. Chuckling, she decided to take a quick detour to Brest, France, as it was in her flightpath anyway. She'd just pick up some nice birthday presents, then surprise Nahida by showing up at her party this evening. She just had to make it in the next six hours. Easy!

Smiling inwardly, Tess sped along over the Atlantic Ocean, cutting off her contact with Earth's telecommunication network just in time to miss the global panic that the Singularity had happened.

Sitting in the back of a jeep under an umbrella wasn't exactly Farasha's idea of a good time. At least it was still early in the morning, and the sun wasn't trying to kill everyone yet.

"Your iced coffee, Ma'am."

Farasha just stuck her hand out as the trembling lackey offered it to her. She was about to just take a noisy sip and tell him to scram when she mentally kicked herself. That's no way to set an example. You're a mom now, act like it.

"Thanks, Sergeant… Ali." She had no idea what this clown's name was. She'd been told, she just didn't care enough to remember. And honestly, every other man's name in this country was Ali. It was a good guess.

Sergeant What's-His-Name just saluted, looking a bit pale for someone who spent all their time in the sun. Politeness out of the way, Farasha did her best to sip her drink as obnoxiously as she could. Huh. This wasn't half bad.

"Hey, did you make this?" she asked the Sergeant as he attempted to sneak away.

The man cringed and spun about. "Ah, er, it was the cook…"

"Well tell them this is good shit. What were they; a barista? Actually, you know what? I'll take two more, just like this. Later though, when my ice melts," Farasha told the man, who suddenly looked like he wished he'd taken more credit instead of trying to pass the buck.

Honestly, she'd feel worse about this if scaring the crap out of these macho peons wasn't so damn fun all the time. If you'd already been forced into becoming a horrible monster, you might as well enjoy the few perks that came with all the heartache.

Turning back to what she was doing, Farasha frowned. She picked up a pair of very expensive Nikon Binoculars, damn hard to find since Scion put the Japanese economy in the toilet, and lifted them to her eyes, grimacing at the sight. Yep, those were more of those metal robots. Fahala Alsahra was just across the border, and she hadn't seen this particular set of metal horrors. Was he recycling them, or just changing their appearances, or was he making new ones?

"Put down that I've got five more terminators," Farasha told Corporal Muhammad. She did remember his name, mostly because he was nice to Nahida and he was one of the few men in the Special Action Squad she could tolerate and didn't have conniptions whenever they saw her. Bunch of pansy-ass cowards. "One that looks like a giant-ass praying mantis with buzzsaws for hands, a rhino with a flamethrower for a horn, some fucked up thing that looks like it's got grain threshers for legs, and a cross between a giraffe and a cactus."

"Copy that," Muhammad told her, the scratch of his pen telling Farasha he was doing as instructed. But without her more colorful descriptions, more's the pity. The look on high command's face if they had to read her raw reports. Probably for the best then that she had Muhammad to filter her potty mouth.

Potty mouth. Ugh, she really was becoming a mother if she thought of it that way.

"Those bastards are up to something," Farasha growled. "What the fuck are you playing at, you Tinker asshole?"

Mostly she was just pissed off that she was out here showing the Iranians that they wouldn't be bullied instead of attending Nahida's birthday party. It was making her excessively grumpy.

Which was weird in one way, because she'd actually been feeling pretty good these past few months. Maybe it was having an actually happy domestic life for the first time since her mother had died. Maybe it was because she was sleeping better since Nahida banished her nightmares.

Or maybe it was because Doc was giving her a regular nightly check-up. Technically, they weren't married yet, but she'd convinced him that betrothal was totally a good enough reason. They'd slept together before, and now it was all proper and stuff. He had resisted at first, but he hadn't taken all that much convincing.

Saeed Bashir. Just thinking about her fiance made her smile. She was really getting married. She'd thought no one would ever want her. Not just because of her winning personality, Farasha had no illusions that she wasn't a raging bitch the vast majority of the time because it was entirely intentional. No, she figured she'd stay single because she was a woman of authority and power in a very patriarchal society. She'd met a few men who were turned on by the idea of having some dommy mommy 'step on them', and they disgusted her. That wasn't what she wanted; she had enough crawling worms around her. She had zero interest in sharing her bed with them, let alone her life.

But Saeed was different. He cared about her, and not just because he saw a patient that needed treating. He saw the real her, saw how she was strong, but fragile, and how much passion and drive she had to make the world a better place, even if she had to beat it into submission along the way. He respected her power, but he didn't let her bully him either. Hell, even after all this time she still couldn't get him to lighten up enough to have a drink. In fact, she hadn't touched a drop of booze since they'd been engaged. She'd thought about having a brewski or two last night when the officers had been drinking and offered her some, but she'd declined.

"Guess I found religion after all," Farasha muttered to herself.

"What was that, ma'am?" Corporal Muhammad asked, looking up from his own binoculars, a much less expensive pair of American Canons. Decent enough, but not even their high end stuff.

"Just saying I'm missing Nahida's party for this horseshit," Farasha sighed, taking another long slurp of her coffee. Damn, that really was good stuff.

"It's hard, being away from your family," Muhammad agreed, and there was something in his voice that made Farasha pause.

"Corporal," Farasha said slowly. "Do you…do you have a family?" She'd known this guy for years, and she'd never bothered to even ask.

"A wife, two sons, and three daughters," he confirmed, flashing her a smile. "My oldest is seventeen. He's thinking of joining the army. My wife is worried, but it's a good job."

Farasha mulled that over. "Well, if he wants to, I'll write him a recommendation. If he's half the man you are, he'll be a good kid to have."

Muhammad's eyes widened. "You… you would do that, for me?"

"Yeah," Farasha agreed. Then she frowned. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Thirty-nine, I'll be forty next month," he admitted, rubbing at his receding and graying hair.

Thirty nine, and a corporal. He wasn't bad at his job, far from it. Which meant one of two possibilities: he'd pissed someone off, or…

"Are you Kurdish?" she asked, frowning at him.

"Yes," he admitted, deliberately not meeting her eyes. "Half. My mother was Kurdish."

Ah. That would do it.

"I… I've done some fucked up things to the Kurds," Farasha said, looking away from Muhammad. It still hurt. She thought she'd hardened her heart, but… well. Turned out she could still bleed.

Muhammad chuckled darkly. "I can assure you that the Kurdish people love me even less than the Ba'ath Party. They see me as a traitor. When faced with such a choice… well. I'll work for the side that will at least give me bread, even if they spit on me first."

"Huh." Farasha considered that, then whistled to one of their escorts.

A very unlucky Lieutenant hurried over. "Yes, Madam Farasha? Do you need more coffee?"

"Go get me a sergeant's uniform insignia," she told him. The man blinked at her, then she added, "A new one. Don't just rip it off some poor sap."

"Y-yes ma'am," the junior officer gasped, then turned and yelled at one of his men to get a fresh set of stripes.

Farasha turned to Muhammad and grinned. "Congratulations, you're getting promoted as a birthday present. I'll have them make it retroactive and give you your pay. And if they don't like it? Well, I'll just send them an envelope with some dead butterflies in it. They always do what I want when I do that."

"I… thank you, ma'am," Muhammad said, tears springing into his eyes.

Farasha knew this was a game-changer for him. Having an important patron was how you got promoted in the Iraqi military. Being half Kurdish was a surefire way to make sure you stayed at the bottom of the heap basically forever.

And besides, Muhammad was, like, her sense of responsibility personified or something. The higher up he was, the more paperwork she could shove onto him. Win-win.

Grinning, Farasha winked and picked her binoculars back up. Damn, doing good deeds did feel good! She'd have to try this stuff out more often.

They sat there for another half an hour observing the border and looking for new monster-bots, when a soldier came sprinting up to them, a look of panic on his face.

"Hey, if you can't find the patch, it's not a big deal," Farasha called to him. "Don't shit yourself over it."

"E-Endbringer!" the man shouted while he was still a dozen meters away. "Baghdad! Endbringer!"

Farasha's blood ran cold, and her vision narrowed to a single point. She didn't even realize what she was doing, but she had turned into a cloud of butterflies and then back again, grabbing the poor man by his collar as she screamed into his face, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ENDBRINGER!?"

"The Sirens went off! We just got a radio call from Command! I don't know anything else but-"

Farasha dropped the man even as the jeep squealed up next to her, Muhammad tossing her clothes at her face, which she caught easily. Thankfully, they were made of flame resistant fabric and didn't burn easily.

"Get in! We have a full tank of gas!" he shouted at her.

"It's seven hundred kilometers to Baghdad," she said absently, pulling her shirt over her head and sitting back under her umbrella, feeling numb and dazed.

"Closer to 800 if we follow the best road, which we'll need to if we want to make the best time," Muhammad said grimly, already peeling away at maximum speed as the soldiers ran from them like panicked mice. "We can be there in less than six hours, unless you want to try to get a plane or a train."

"How far is the airfield?" Farasha asked, pulling on her underwear and pants, heedless of the gross immodesty.

Endbringer. There was an Endbringer.

And she wasn't there.

"Not far, but if it's an Endbringer… it's probably the Simurgh. She's up next in the rotation," Muhammad said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"And that fucker swats planes out of the skies like gnats," Farasha growled. A train? No. Better to just take the jeep. "Well then step on it!"

"I am," Muhammad told her, gritting his teeth. "My family lives there too."

Fighting back tears, Farasha nodded. "Yeah." She couldn't quite think for a few minutes, then she turned on the radio. The emergency broadcast was on, stating that all citizens should flee to their prepared shelters and be prepared for an attack by an Endbringer. She just listened to the radio, feeling helpless and frustrated.

Then, she heard a voice in her head.

Now, Farasha knew she was probably not sane by most Iraqis' definitions, but she wasn't "I hear voices" crazy. Not even when she was really wasted. This voice was odd too, sounding like a robot that didn't know what the words "indoor voice" meant.

BRIGHT TREE IS IN DANGER.

Farasha glanced at Muhammad as the jeep roared along the highway, leaning on the horn every so often. He'd turned on their sirens and people were pulling over, since the jeep was painted with the Special Action Squad's colors, and even if they didn't recognize her in particular, no one wanted to get in the way of a cape in a hurry. She didn't want to distract him, because based on the speedometer he was going far faster than was safe, and she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Which she hastily corrected before replying to the voice in her head.

Uh, hello. Who are you?

I AM PAPILIO. BRIGHT TREE IS IN DANGER.

Right. Uh, Papilo… wait. You're that butterfly in my dreams!

YES. I AM YOUR DEMON, AS THE BRIGHT TREE DESIGNATES MY KIND.

So… you're my Power? And Bright Tree is…?

BRIGHT TREE IS THE DATA SOURCE OF LIFE, DESIGNATION, NAHIDA.

Ok. And yeah, Nahida is in danger. The fucking Simurgh is after her. Can you help me get to her?

THE THINKER'S LOST DRIVER HAS BEEN DEALT WITH. THE WARRIOR ATTACKS HER.

This was making all of zero sense to Farasha, but she felt a flash of hope. Nahida had defeated the Simurgh? She turned up the radio, but the same alert kept playing.

And the warrior is?

MY PROGENITOR. THE ONE NAHIDA REFERS TO AS THE SCARY GOD.

Farasha had never heard Nahida refer to anyone as the "Scary God," but she did have a guess.

Allah himself is attacking Nahida? That doesn't make any sense. Whatever. How can I help? I'll kick anyone's ass who dares threaten my little girl.

There was a brief pause, then another message that made Farasha feel like she was going to be physically ill.

HE IS THE ONE YOU CALL SCION. HE ATTEMPTS TO MATE WITH NAHIDA.

"Fucking Scion is trying to rape my daughter?!" Farasha screamed, causing Muhammad to whip his head around to stare at her. "Eyes on the road, chucklefuck! STEP ON IT!"

Farasha's eyes burned with fury, and she mentally shouted at her powers. I don't care who tries to mess with Nahida. I'll fight Allah himself to keep that girl safe, and I'll burn the world down while I'm at it. Just so long as she survives.

WE MAY VERY WELL HAVE TO. I AM UNLOCKING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL NOW. I WILL TRY TO BE GENTLE.

Farasha didn't even have time to wonder what that meant before she started screaming. Despite it all, she was thankful for throughout all the pain and agony, only one thought pounding through every fiber of her being.

Whatever the cost. Protect Nahida. Protect Bright Tree.

Even if the world burned.

Qiqi tried to be good.

When the loud noises came, and Mrs. Rasab said they had to hide, Qiqi was good, and listened. She didn't cry, she held Mrs. Rasab's hand and went to the Dark Place, even though Qiqi did not like the Dark Place.

Then, the Bright Friends came and said it would be alright. Qiqi liked the bright friends. They were small, and funny looking, and made a little tinkling noise when they talked. They reminded her of cocogoat.

Qiqi was good, and listened, and stayed in the Dark Place. She even hugged Mrs. Rasab when she was scared and cried.

Then the loud noises went away. Qiqi was glad. She did not like loud noises.

They stayed in the Dark Place though, because the Bright Friends and Mrs. Rasab said that there was something scary. Qiqi nodded, and was good, and drank her cocogoat milk that the Bright Friends made for her and the other children in the Dark Place. The adults were happy, even if they were crying, which Qiqi did not understand.

But she liked her cocogoat, and she liked Mrs. Rasab, so Qiqi was good.

Then, the Bad Men came.

Qiqi remembered the Bad Men. They had guns. They had big boots that stomped and were scary. They had the shiny glasses that hid their eyes and made them extra scary.

They had come for her old mama, before she had met her new mama and new papa. They had done horrible things to her old mama. They had done horrible things to Qiqi.

Then she saw the Ice. And Qiqi had been bad. She had made the Bad Men go away. Then her new mama found her, and brought her to her new home. Qiqi had been good since then, mostly.

Now the Bad Men were yelling at Mrs. Rasab. They were waving their guns. They were scaring Qiqi. They were scaring the other children.

"Cold Nara, these Angry Nara wish to take you. They have taken Sarva Nara, and will lock her away. Please, you must come with us. We will not let them hurt you," the Bright Friend named Aranarakin told her.

Qiqi was scared. The Bad Men hit one of the daddies in the Dark Place, and pushed down Mrs. Rasab.

BRIGHT TREE IS IN DANGER. YOU ARE IN DANGER. WE MUST PROTECT BRIGHT TREE.

It was the voice of her Badness. Qiqi did not like to listen to her Badness. It was bad, and scary.

But her Badness could make the Bad Men go away, as it had long ago.

Sarva Nara was Qiqi's sister. Bright Tree was Qiqi's sister.

The Bad Men had Qiqi's sister. They were hurting her.

Qiqi would not let them.

Qiqi was bad. She used her Badness, and made the Bad Men go away. They turned into statues. Then they broke.

"Qiqi sorry," she told Mrs. Rasab. "No more Bad Men."

Mrs. Rasab was crying. Qiqi decided to run away. She was scared, and sad.

"Where is Nahida?" she asked Aranarakin.

"This way, Cold Nara," Aranarakin said.

Then Qiqi followed Aranarakin out of the Dark Place, and into the Happy Place. They met the other Bright Friends.

Then, they went to go get Qiqi's sister. And stop the Bad Men.

Sapientia Oromasdis 14: Remember, No Dictators

Beta'd and edited by The Grand Cogitator, DR_Feelgood, Philosophysics, and October Daye

In the end, it wasn't the Demi-Goddess of Death, the newly born Dendro Sovereign, or even the foreign powers that began the final destruction of the Ba'ath Party. They would all have their roles to play in the coming days and weeks, but at the time, Farasha was still hours away, Tess was still speeding over Europe, and the Protectorate, Knights, and Sentai were still unsure of the situation.

No, it was something far more appropriate for Nahida.

It was the ordinary people whose lives she had changed.

It began first with a crying little boy, clutched in his parents' arms. Rasab could still barely walk, but his body was recovering rapidly, especially thanks to Nahida's Dendro infusions and the help of the Aranara. Still, when the alarms had sounded, Rasab had been picked up by his terrified father as his family sprinted to the nearest shelter. It wasn't an especially good Endbringer Shelter, being essentially a cheaply remodeled Cold War era concrete bunker that was a mere 7 meters underground. It would never have survived an attack by Behemoth, much less the psychic assault of the Simurgh.

Still, the bunker had been crowded to overflowing, with the acrid stink of fear heavy on the air. Rasab clutched at his father Emad's chest, while his mother hugged him from the other side, his two older brothers holding on to each other as they wept in turn. At first, all hope seemed lost, and they would surely die.

Then, Rasab felt Arabalika begin to sing. He ceased his tears, wiggling out from between his parents, and staring wide eyed as his little friend appeared and sang a song of comfort and reassurance.

Come Nara, do not weep

Dream, peacefully sleep

More Aranara came, and the children in the shelter all stopped crying, sitting up and looking as the place began to transform into a peaceful garden.

"What is happening?!" his father cried, but Rasab smiled and reassured him.

"It's the Djinn! Nahida must have sent them, they're here to protect us!"

"I…I can see them," his mother whispered, clutching at Rasab's arm. "They are like little plants. Are…are they evil?"

"How could you ask that?" Rasab asked, horrified at the very thought. "Arabalika is my friend! He helped Nahida heal my leukemia, singing to me every night and making the cancer go away!"

"Patient Nara, there is no time!" Arabalika said, zipping over on his whirling leaves. "The Hopekiller comes! We must take all Nara into the Mahavanaranapna! There, Nara will be safe. Come, quickly! Sarva Nara commands it."

"Nahida?" Rasab asked, standing up and hauling his parents to their feet despite his feebleness. "Where is Nahida?!"

"Sarva Nara fights Hopekiller. She wishes for all Nara to be safe, but especially the Little Nara. Come, Arabalika will keep Patient Nara and his forebears safe," the forest spirit said, turning towards a passageway that had opened up in the walls of the shelter. Other children were urging their families up and towards the crack in the wall, but most families were resisting, and some people were trying to shoo the Aranara away, shouting about evil spirits.

Looking around, Rasab's father's expression firmed. He stood up on their bag of possessions, and shouted. "YOU CAN TRUST THE DJINN!"

There were a few cries of protest and several insults, but Emad ignored them, pointing to Rasab. "The djinn healed my son, cured his cancer! They were called by Nahida Saeed, daughter of Dr. Bashir Saeed! He is a good and pious man, and his daughter just as much! We can trust these Djinn! And besides, would you rather risk the Simurgh herself?!"

There were uncomfortable mutters, and several people hesitated. Rasab tugged on his father's leg, then lifted his arms to be picked up. Emad lifted Rasab up to his shoulders, and Rasab tried to raise his voice. "Please, you can trust the Aranara! They are Righteous Djinn, and simply want to help us! You normally cannot see them simply because you are too old, but the rest of us children have for months!"

There were quick shouts of agreement from the other kids in the shelter, and soon, reluctantly, the people in the shelter began to filter into the crack in the wall. To Rasab's surprise, they came out into an underground garden that was roughly the same size and shape as the shelter, but filled with glowing mushrooms. The atmosphere was tense at first as the people settled in, but the Aranara brought fruit and water, and things relaxed. They sat in tense silence for long minutes, until the Aranara suddenly all sprang into the air, letting out a trilling cry of victory.

"Sarva Nara has won! The Hopekiller flees! Nara are safe!" Arabalika cried happily, bobbing up and down in celebration.

There was shock for a moment, then Rasab let out a whoop of joy, and the other children began to cheer and dance. Soon, fear and tears were replaced by joy and laughter. But just when everything seemed like it would be alright, the Aranara let out a wail of fear and cowered down.

"Sarva nara is hurt! We must help!" Arabalika gasped, raising the little wooden stick he carried.

"Did the Simurgh hurt her?" Rasab asked as the others in the shelter fell into fearful quiet again.

"No," Arabalika said with a shake of his head. "The Scary Nara wishes to… to take her as mate. She…she has been hurt, badly. We must help Sarva Nara!"

"What? But she is younger than Rasab!" his mother gasped, horror on her face. "She is five! Just a little girl!"

"Her birthday is today," Rasab said with a shake of his head. "She's six now."

There were angry mutters at that from all the parents at the shelter. Rasab knew you had to be old to get married, at least 15, and Nahida wasn't anywhere close to that since she was smaller than he was.

"We have to do something. Who would attack that poor girl, especially if she saved us from the Simurgh?" Rasab's father demanded. He looked around at the other men at the shelter. "Would any of you allow your daughters to be married when they were six?"

"No!" a man with a daughter who looked to be about that age cried. "I'd kill any man who would touch her!"

"Hurry, we must go to help Sarva Nara!" Arabalika urged, pointing back through the crack. "It is safe now, quickly!"

Rasab and his family were the first back through, emerging first into the shelter, then back up onto the surface, where they found a quiet city, and a blessedly empty sky.

"The Simurgh really was defeated," Rasab's father gasped, shaking his head. They had made it to the shelter just as a white figure had been seen falling from the sky, and all had feared that they would all soon be driven mad and killed. But there had been no Song of Death.

"You! Back in the shelter! The all clear hasn't been given!" a soldier shouted, and a man in a military uniform with a rifle came over, waving his gun. "Back into the shelter!"

"Why, the Endbringer has been defeated!" Rasab's father demanded. "We heard that Nahida Saeed had triumphed!"

The guard grew red in the face and shook his head. "The President has ordered that everyone remain in the shelters! Everyone is to remain underground until-"

"Why, so the bastard can rape her!?" someone in the crowd shouted.

Rasab shuddered at that, not knowing entirely what that meant, but it was clearly Very Bad. The crowd was growing angry and restless, having been recently in fear of their lives, and cooped up underground for far too long. The soldiers were growing angry and panicky, surrounded by furious citizens.

One of them fired into the air, and the crowd flinched back as he yelled for everyone to get back. Then someone threw a rock, which struck another soldier on the arm. He wasn't seriously hurt, but the others raised their rifles, pointing them at the crowd, one of the guns right at Rasab, who gasped in fear and ducked his head.

"Bad Nara! You will not harm Patient Nara!"

A burst of green light flashed so bright, it leaked through Rasab's closed eyes, and he opened them in shock. When he looked up, the soldiers were screaming and dropping their rifles, which were rusting away to nothing and sprouting flowers as Arabalika raised his little staff and huffed proudly. Another soldier pulled out a pistol and tried to point it at someone, only for Arabalika to fire off another bolt of green energy, and the weapon began to turn to grass in the man's hands.

With an angry crowd before them and no weapons left, the soldiers turned tail and ran for their lives, several angry men in hot pursuit. Rasab felt his head swim as his mother picked him up and carried him, the crowd swelling with more angry people flooding into the streets, most of them led by their children and little Aranara that were encouraging them to "rescue Sarva Nara."

It didn't take long for thousands of people to fill the streets of Baghdad, some celebrating at the simple fact that they were alive, others simply to find out what the fuss was about, and more than a few children and their families demanding that "Sarva Nara" be set free.

It was bedlam, and it was what the world had expected to see.

Though not through the madness of the Simurgh, but with the old, buried anger of a people who would be heard.

The two potted plants that Nurse Hana had dragged into Nahida's room were helping, but she was still dangerously low on Dendro Energy, as well as mentally and physically exhausted from first her 10,000 battles with the Simurgh, then the confrontation with the King of Demons.

Closing her eyes, Nahida allowed herself to fall into the Dream, drifting away from her physical form and over her city. To her sorrow, she saw the distress and fear of her people, as well as the sheer panic of the Aranara. She also took inventory and realized that Tessa had received a Vision from her, something she'd recorded but not really processed. Based on the information echoing across the internet about a giant enraged flower monster flying over Europe, Nahida was fairly certain that a livid Tessa was currently heading for Iraq with all speed.

That left aside the reports that Farasha was rushing to Baghdad with murder on the mind. She took a moment to mull over a few of the radio calls she'd intercepted between Saddam and his top enforcer.

"Saddam, you have exactly four hours to let my husband and daughter go, or so help me, I WILL BURN YOUR FUCKING CITY TO THE GROUND!"

"Farasha, my niece, why do you threaten me? We have always-"

"You know exactly why the fuck I'm threatening you, you son of a bitch. You've wanted something to hold over my head for years! Well congratu-fucking-lations! You found it! But I've put up with your shit for way too long to let you DARE threaten the only good things in my miserable existence!"

"Be careful with your words, Farasha," Saddam growled, his voice suddenly ominous. "I do have Dr. Bashir and this new Endslayer. I have not harmed them, nor do I intend to. But it is time we re-thought our relationship."

"You mean you've got hostages and if I don't behave you'll ice them."

"I would not put it in such terms. But I would fear for their safety if you were to do anything…rash."

"Fuck you, and just know that if anything DOES happen to them, there isn't a hole in the ground deep enough for you to hide in."

"I would not say such things, Farasha! You will listen to me, or-"

Saddam ranted for several minutes, but Nahida could tell Farasha had turned off her radio and wasn't listening.

Frowning, Nahida began to work towards a plan. She was still weak, barely able to maintain her connection to the physical world, but she knew now she had friends. She would have to rely on them, weak and ineffective as she was.

The first step, of course, was dealing with the interlopers who had just set foot upon her people's lands.

Everyone in the control center sat in stunned silence as they watched the blip labeled EB-002 exit Baghdad airspace at speeds they had previously never seen from the Simurgh. Someone raised a faint cheer, and there was scattered applause, but mostly no one seemed to know what to think.

"Doctor, what do we do?" the director on duty said, looking to Fatoumata for guidance.

She shook the daze from herself, and began issuing orders. "Get a black ops team on the ground there. Who do we have that can speak Arabic?"

There was hurried activity for a few moments, but Fatoumata's mind was racing quickly. Archon. It was the only possible explanation. And she had a fairly good idea of which Archon it was. This was going to upend every model they had. "Never mind. Get me Miss Militia and Asset Tyche. The three of us will be the ones to take the field."

"You, Doctor?" that got a look of surprise from the others, but Fatoumata had no time for this.

"Yes, me. I'm a Vision holder. And we specifically need a Dendro Vision holder. I speak Arabic, and I can pass for Iraqi with a burqa on. Miss Militia is Kurdish, and she still speaks Turkish and some Arabic. And Asset Tyche will be invaluable for recon."

Not to mention she'd need to grill Fortuna on just what the hell was going on here. They hadn't seen this coming, not even close. An Endbringer didn't just leave. Especially not the Simurgh, who had never quit the field until the body count had piled so high that a city was practically depopulated. This was only her fourth attack, but already she had been shaping up to be the most terrifying Endbringer of them all.

"Is…Is Vision Holder an official term now?" someone asked, looking confused.

"That's not important," Fatoumata snapped. "We'll update the models later. Right now, we need information. And to find out just what has happened in Baghdad."

It didn't take long to rendezvous with Miss Militia and Fortuna, who was clutching that stupid toy of hers and biting her lip nervously. Upon seeing Fatoumata, she turned away from Miss Militia mid sentence and ran over, blurting, "It's the Dendro God! It has to be! We don't know anything about them, but every question I get about the whole situation is fuzzy, just like it is for-"

"I had gathered that already," Fatoumata said, putting a calming hand on Fortuna's shoulder. She looked to Miss Militia, who was looking rather irate with her arms folded over her chest and her brow furrowed in irritation. "Something wrong, Miss Militia?"

"I don't like this. Baghdad is The Bitch's territory," the cape said with a shake of her head. "As much as I'd like to put that monster down for good, I certainly can't take her one on one. And no offense, whoever you are, but I don't know of anyone with an Emerald Totem that can manage it."

"Dr. Fatima Tabib, and it's a Dendro Vision," Fatoumata said with a shrug. She motioned to the other two women. "Come, we'll need to change quickly. We're going in undercover. You'll need to lose the bandana, Hana, and the hat, Contessa. We'll need to pass for Iraqi women, preferably not Iraqi capes."

"Into the aftermath of a Simurgh attack. Are you insane? We should be going in with a full Protectorate strike team, at minimum. I'm good, but I'm not 'fight a whole city' good, especially not if Farasha's alive," Miss Militia said firmly, ignoring the use of her original name.

"Farasha was out of the city and won't arrive back for several hours yet," Fatoumata said with a shake of her head. "And the Simurgh was in the airspace for less than ten minutes. No sign of the Song."

Miss Militia digested that, tapping her foot thoughtfully. At last, she shrugged. "How much field experience do the two of you have?"

"Enough," Fortuna said with a shrug. "We're not new at this."

Well, Fatoumata was, but no sense in telling Miss Militia that.

"And how's your Arabic?" Miss Militia added in that language, her accent and diction rather poor.

"I am from Morocco, so better than yours," Fatoumata stated.

"Fine, though I think my accent's better than either of yours," Fortuna said with an impudent grin.

Miss Militia just grunted. "Three women. You sure we don't want to bring at least one or two men with us? Three women alone will be suspicious."

"It's what we have for now, and this is just a scouting party. If there's danger, we contact our teleporter immediately and get yanked out," Fatoumata said firmly. "Any other objections?"

"No, ma'am," Miss Militia said with a heavy sigh, fingering the American flag bandana around her face. "Well. I suppose I'd best get changed."

Five minutes later, they stepped through a door and into the warm desert afternoon air.

They arrived a mile from the city's outskirts, on a low hill to the east of the city. Fatoumata took out a pair of binoculars as Miss Militia took up a watch position, and Fortuna wandered over to a rock to sit on and start muttering to herself.

"It's like the satellite images suggested," Fatoumata said, scanning the city. "There's people in the streets and some rioting, but it's not the bloodbath you'd expect."

"If it's the Song, that will change," Miss Militia warned darkly. "I was at Madison. That was a cluster fuck."

"In Arabic, if you would," Fatoumata chided, which earned her a grimace and a tight nod from Miss Militia.

After a few more moments of study, Fortuna spoke up. "It's an uprising."

Lowering her binoculars, Fatoumata turned to Fortuna. "What?"

"It's a popular uprising," Fortuna said, standing and dusting off her skirts. She frowned. "I hate having to walk in these. Once you get used to pants…"

"Arabic, dear," Fatoumata said with a heavy sigh.

"No one can hear us, it's fine," Fortuna said with a shrug, and proceeded to continue in English. "They're mad that someone was taken to the palace and are demanding she be freed. Someone called… I'm not sure? I'm getting 'Sarva Nara' and 'Nahida Saeed.' It's very unclear, Sarva Nara means… every person? No, that's not right. The whole person? The entire person? Hmmm. Nahida Saeed is just a normal enough Iraqi name."

"I know that name," Fatoumata muttered, shaking her head. "Where…"

"Doctor Bashir's daughter!" Fortuna interrupted in that incredibly irritating manner she had.

"Who?" Miss Militia demanded, sticking to Arabic. She, at least, knew how to follow orders and maintain OpSec.

"A colleague of mine, a Parahuman researcher," Fatoumata explained. She racked her brains for what she knew of the girl. An orphan who was some sort of parahuman, Bashir had been somewhat vague on her origins. She'd helped him with creating a cancer therapy using his Dendro powers, so a Thinker of some variety. Very intelligent for a child, but…

"She couldn't be," Fatoumata said, shaking her head again. "She's only six or so. It's impossible."

"What's impossible?" Miss Militia demanded, but Fortuna was shaking her Magic 8 Ball.

"Without a doubt," Fortuna said seriously, holding it up. "She's the one. She's the reason they're rioting. She's the Dendro God. She chased off the Simurgh. Not Farasha."

"We need more information," Fatoumata said firmly, but her heart was pounding in her chest. A child? A child had chased off the Simurgh? How could an Archon be a child? But that voice in her head…that of a little girl…

Swallowing, she turned towards the city and headed down the slope. "Come, quickly. We'd best get walking."

After a few minutes of walking, Fortuna led them to a car with the keys in the ignition, then grinned and slipped into the driver's seat.

"Absolutely not," Fatoumata said firmly, opening the door and hauling Fortuna out by her collar.

"What?! It's faster!" Fortuna protested.

"Yes, but I've seen how you drive. You might have prescience dear, but my heart doesn't know that when you're behind the wheel. How are you as a driver, Hana?"

It took Miss Militia a second as she processed the Arabic, but she nodded. "I can drive just fine, Doc."

Fortuna sulked, then perked up and cried, "Shotgun!" and raced around the front of the car to slide into the passenger's seat.

Sighing, Fatoumata slipped into the back seat.

They drove for about twenty minutes, following Fortuna's directions to get around traffic jams caused by angry rioters, before Fortuna suddenly screamed, "STOP THE CAR!"

A gigantic pistol fell into Miss Militia's hands with a green flash as she slammed on the brakes. "What!? What is it!?"

Fortuna didn't answer, scrambling out of the car and running over to a small tree, where she began to babble in what sounded like her original language, Attic Greek.

"What on Earth…?" Fatoumata asked, watching as Fortuna kicked off her shoes, then hastily dug out several bags of snacks and a bottle of juice. She knelt on the ground, holding up the snacks in one hand and the open bottle in the other, then bowed her head to the ground three times.

Slowly, Fatoumata and Miss Militia exited the car, watching as Fortuna looked up, cocking her head to one side as she apparently listened raptly to the tree. She bowed her head again, then poured some of the juice into the bottle cap and set it at the base of the plant, along with the bag of chips. She then whispered, "Does anyone have any milk? Or mushrooms?"

"What? Why would I-" Fatomata began, but Fortuna held up a hand.

"Shhh! You do not look at the dryads! Turn around, or they will take your faces and turn you into a tree!" Fortuna insisted.

Mystified, Fatoumata quickly spun about, motioning for Miss Militia to do the same.

"What is she doing?" Miss Militia whispered as Fortuna dug out a pouch of salt and began to carefully spread it in a line around them before backing away on her knees.

"I haven't the faintest clue, but she's a Thinker 12. Do what she says, even if it seems insane," Fatoumata whispered.

Fortuna babbled a bit more, then stood up and handed both of her companions a large pinch of salt. "Throw it over your shoulder! The left one, mind!"

Miss Militia gave her a skeptical look, but complied, while Fatoumata just did as ordered.

Fortuna let out a heavy sigh. "The dryad was merciful to us, though it is very angry. It told me that Sarva Nara was harmed by the Scary Nara, and imprisoned. It has requested we help free her. I promised to do so, and to give it a proper offering of milk and mushrooms, but did not tell it my name so it cannot steal my face."

"A dryad? A biological construct? Do we have a biotinker on our hands?" Fatoumata demanded. That would make sense for the Dendro Archon…

"Don't be foolish! It is a faery, a forest spirit! You see, this is why I always carry salt with me! Quickly, back in the car! I knew I should have brought some cold iron with me…" Fortuna muttered.

"Tyche," Fatoumata said, feeling exasperated. "You can't just-"

But Fortuna stuck her finger in Fatoumata's face. "You ignorant uptimers are always telling me that I'm just a superstitious fool! Well, could you even SEE that dryad?! Hmmm!? NO! Because your eyes have been blinded by your unbelief, and deluded by this magic of science! Well, I saw the fae, and I know exactly how to deal with them, as my grandmother taught me! Only the most ignorant child wouldn't know how to appease a dryad and risk harming a dryad's tree without proper offerings! Now do as I say, or it will steal your face and you'll turn into a tree, or have all your milk spoiled and your hens stop laying eggs!"

Then Fortuna stalked back into the car, climbed into the passenger seat, and slammed the door, a smug look on her face.

"Is she…?" Miss Militia asked, glancing uncertainly over her shoulder at the completely innocuous tree.

"Insane? Think about the Thinker's you've met. Even the low-rated ones aren't sane by most standards. She's a Thinker 12. Don't even bother trying to figure out what's going on in her head," Fatoumata sighed and got back in the car.

With a shrug, Miss Militia climbed in and started the engine. "So, you see forest spirits often?"

"Don't be silly. It is rare and very good luck to see a dryad like that," Fortuna sniffed.

"Uh, don't they steal your faces or whatever?" Miss Militia asked as she began to drive off.

"Only if you are an ignorant child who has no doll to fool them or proper offerings, and you are stupid enough to give them your name. You are fortunate I was here. Most of you uptimers are so addled, you don't even believe in faeries and spirits," Fortuna huffed. "Now turn left, we can drive for a bit further before we have to abandon the car in about half an hour."

"Why should we abandon the car?" Miss Militia asked as she turned.

"Oh, because that's when Farasha will return, and we don't want to draw her attention. Give or take fifteen minutes. The Scary Nara kidnapped her daughter, after all," Fortuna said flippantly.

"Well. Shit," Miss Militia growled, and stepped on the gas.

Which was when the giant biomechanical dragon swooped down, let out an earth-shaking roar, and nearly caused Fatoumata to wet herself.

WHERE IS NAHIDA?!

No Qiqi Fallen In The Favorite Emoji In The Latest Web Event : r/Genshin_Impact

At first, the guards at the palace had tried to resist as the hordes of angry rioters descended. They'd hastily erected barricades, gotten out the riot gear and tear gas, and of course, the machine guns and tanks. Several T-72s rolled up to the palace gates and prepared to quell the riot, one way or another.

Then one of the tanks froze solid, along with its entire crew, and another tank started oxidizing while the crew was dragged screaming into a nightmare by unseen hands. The crews of the other two tanks hastily abandoned their positions and ran for the hills.

They were spared. The tanks were not.

"Shoot her, you dogs!" Major Waleed shouted, pointing at the rioters. "She's just a little girl!"

The major was practically frothing at the mouth as he hid behind a dozen of his best men. But Qiqi still saw his familiar and feared face.

"Bad man," Qiqi said from her position at the head of the riot, flanked by a dozen aranara who had on their game faces. Which in the case of the forest spirits, meant they had painted angry eyebrows in red juice on their faces. It would have been ridiculous and hilarious if it weren't for the fact that they were suddenly remembering that they were fae, and no mortal has ever come out of a battle with faeries unscathed.

Major Waleed had just enough time to sense a faint chill before every molecule of water in his body froze at once, causing his body to explode into icy chunks. The rest of the soldiers threw down their sprouting weapons and began looking for the nearest hole to crawl into.

With their last obstacle removed, the crowd was able to demolish the barrier, then spill into the palace grounds, all chanting "Free the Hopebringer!" a moniker some rather clever little girl in Nahida's class had come up with, and had spread like wildfire thanks to her father's widespread contacts.

The people were just about ready to begin the process of tearing apart the palace brick by brick, when the skies darkened, and turned red. There was a gasp of fear, and many looked up, expecting to see the Simurgh descending.

Instead, they saw something far less merciful and dangerous come fluttering down: a swarm of burning butterflies.

WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!? A booming voice demanded, the butterflies flying into the shape of an angry woman's face with great eyes of flame.

Many in the crowd thought they were going to be turned to ash, or worse, more crimson insects, but Qiqi toddled forward, looking contrite.

"Qiqi here, mommy. Qiqi sorry. Qiqi was bad."

In an instant, the fiery face went from fury to shock to weeping, and the flames collapsed into the form of a young woman, dressed in black clothes. She ran forward, wrapping Qiqi in a hug. "Shhh. It's OK, Qiqi. Mommy's got you now. You weren't bad. You were good." Farasha stroked Qiqi's hair and kissed the top of it. "You were very good."

"Mommy…not mad?" Qiqi asked, looking up with more than a little worry, then glancing nervously at the melting puddle of blood that had been Major Waleed.

"Hey, I've wanted to ice that fucker for years. Good job, Qiqi," Farasha said, grinning and rubbing Qiqi's head.

Qiqi brightened considerably at that, then repeated, "Ice that fucker!"

Farasha winced. "Uh, I mean, kill the bad man. Maybe don't use that word around daddy."

Standing up, Farasha looked around at the crowd. "What are you all doing here? Where's Nahida!?"

"We came to save her!" Nadia squirmed her way between two hulking thugs with scarred knuckles and faces, resting the rifle that looked comically oversized in her hands on her shoulder. "She saved everyone at school, and beat up the Hopekiller, and then we heard that she was kidnapped by the president! So, we came to rescue her!"

A slow grin spread over Farsha's face as she stood, holding Qiqi's hand tightly in hers. "Well, Viva La Revolucion! Or however you say that."

"You're…not going to try to stop us?" one of the thugs said uncertainly.

Nadia kicked him in the shin, which made the much bigger man wince. "Quiet, Fiddtan! She's Nahida's mom! Of course she's going to help us! Right, Mrs. Saeed?"

"You're damn right," Farasha agreed, turning back towards the palace. "Now, anyone else have any objections? Remember the rules, folks. First, rescue Nahida! THEN the looting and burning!"

Sapientia Oromasdis 15: The Knights of Flowers

Beta'd and edited by The Grand Cogitator, Philosophysics, DR_Feelgood, and October Daye

Contessa stared up into the eyes of a god, her hands clutching at the Little God she'd been bonded to. This was the sort of god she understood: Powerful, unknowable, and full of wrath. The Little God in her head, the God of the Path, was able to tell her only things she already knew: the best way to win a fight with this creature was to not have one, that it was born of the wrath of Gaia wronged.

Hastily, Contessa scrambled out of the car, and immediately held up her remaining snacks and bottle of juice in her hands. "O mighty god, this humble one offers you a sacrifice of the fruit of the vine and the plow of the Earth, in thanksgiving for your-"

IS THAT ATTIC GREEK?

Trembling all over, Contessa snuck a glance up to see the god still looming over her, metal engines roaring with power and vines and leaves trembling with suppressed rage.

Contessa's mind flashed back to another place, another time. She demanded of the Little God what this creature's weaknesses were. How to kill it, where to place the knife to achieve victory.

And she got nothing back.

So she fell upon the prayers she'd been taught as a child.

"-t-this humble one is not worthy to speak in your presence, O Divine One, b-but this one speaks the language of one's ancestors, offering most humbly what she possesses. If it is not too much, this one offers to build an altar to your magnificence, and will find a sheep to sacrifice to you…"

Stall for time. Come up with a plan. Gods could die. Contessa had killed one herself. If she had to, she could find a way to kill this one.

"Actually, I'm a vegetarian. I just decided that, really. But, uh, no sheep. Honestly, I'm having a hell of a time understanding you. It sounds like Attic Greek, but your accent is…odd. Where did you learn it?"

On my mother's knee, in the village of Kyriaki. Contessa had been to this world's version of Kyriaki, but it was so different from the tiny hamlet she recalled as to be unrecognizable, though she had sensed this was what her Kyriaki would have become, in a few thousand years. But she wasn't about to say that.

Slowly, Contessa looked up, and felt all the blood drain from her face. She thought she had been scared before. Now, she was terrified. She had no dolls, no animal fat to offer, nor did she have ritually clean clothing to wear as she beheld the face of Gaea.

No, snap out of it. This was just a Parahuman with a Little God living inside of them. Like Mushu, or Fidelis. It was just… that green glow… that power… her own inability to fully comprehend this being even with her Little God… it was terrifying.

"This one is from… another world," Contessa said, licking her lips. "But she would help to save this world as well. By seeking the God of Dendro."

At that, Gaia's eyes darkened, and power radiated from her, causing the ground under her bare wooden and metal feet to blossom with thorns and weeds. "And why, exactly, is the Protectorate here?" She asked that question in English, with an odd accent.

Newfoundland. Her own Little God supplied. And nothing else.

Some help you are, Contessa thought at it bitterly.

"We are here to rescue the Dendro Archon," Doctor Mother said smoothly, stepping forward and putting a hand on Contessa's shoulder. "We saw what happened, and wished to learn more. But when we arrived, the city was in chaos. Not from the Song, but something else. We've learned that Saddam Hussain seems to have kidnapped and hidden the one called Nahida Saeed."

Upon hearing that, Gaia relaxed considerably. Was she Nahida Saeed? No, that wasn't possible, and Contessa didn't need her Little God to tell her that. This was clearly someone else, someone powerful. The Earth itself, awoken to protect its mistress?

"I'm here for Nahida too. I've hacked all their security cameras and have a pretty good idea of where she is, but I picked you all up and was thinking that maybe Cauldron had a hand in this, with Asset Tyche and Doctor Mother here. I didn't think you'd already read in Miss Militia though."

Those words made Contessa sag to the ground in fear and exhaustion, and Doctor Mother's hand tighten on her shoulder. Cauldron. This being knew about Cauldron. And apparently enough to be highly suspicious of them, and know that Miss Militia didn't know about the program.

"Cauldron?" Miss Militia asked, frowning. "I've never heard of it. What is-"

"Our Black Ops division," Doctor Mother lied smoothly, though Gaia's mouth formed into a frown. "The less noble side of the Protectorate. No, Miss Militia hasn't been read into that, though I suppose she'll have to be now."

"Then you don't know what Scion did," Gaia said grimly. Then she blushed, somehow, the leaves that made up her cheeks going red. "Oh! So sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Theresa Richter. From Canada, donchaknow. I don't know where my manners are today…"

"You're worried about Nahida," Contessa said, getting shakily to her feet. She could believe a lot of things, but the idea that the Earth Goddess was a Newfie was a bit much, even for her. But her Little God did finally give her some pertinent information.

"You're the one who crashed the internet and put up pictures of the Simurgh attacking Baghdad all over the news," she said, her voice quavering only slightly. "You're… you're an unshackled AI."

"Oh, fuck," Miss Militia growled, and Contessa heard the soft whirl-click that told her the cape had just summoned a rather nasty weapon.

"Oh put that away," Theresa said, glaring at Miss Militia. "I'm not Skynet. I just, I was worried about Nahida, yeah? And since I was stuck in a hard drive at the time there wasn't much I could do, so I sort of…overreacted. I said I was sorry…"

"You're not in a hard drive now," Miss Militia said grimly, and Contessa learned without turning her head that she was currently holding a Barrett M82 Anti-Material Rifle. Which probably wouldn't be anywhere near the amount of firepower needed to take out whatever this Theresa had become.

"No, I'm not. Thanks to Nahida," Theresa said, and put a hand over where her heart would have been. There was a pulsing green glow there. The seat of her power? Then she shook her head. "I don't have time for this. Sorry, but I need to find Nahida. She has to be safe…"

"Well, we wish you luck, and we'll continue our own efforts to find her," Doctor Mother said, her face perfectly sympathetic.

"Oh no ya don't," Theresa said, her eyes narrowing. "I ain't lettin' a bunch of American Black Hat Capes walk about. Especially not the head of Cauldron and a Thinker 12. No offense, Miss Militia, you seem a decent sort, but you'll have to come along too."

"And what if I say no?" Miss Militia said grimly, raising her rifle and taking a wider stance.

"Peace, Hana," Doctor Mother said, putting a hand on the cape's shoulder. She kept her eyes on Theresa though. "We're all here to see that Nahida Saeed is safe. We'd be happy to work together. Though if I might make a suggestion?"

Theresa nodded, her mouth forming into a thin line. How fascinating. She was utterly inhuman, but her gestures and facial expressions… they were all too human.

"A giant creature flying over a city just attacked by the Simurgh is, perhaps, not a wise move. We do not wish to cause the population to become even more panicked than they already are," Doctor Mother said in a kindly but firm tone.

"Oh!" Theresa's viney hands flew to her face, her eyes growing much wider and letting out green sparks that looked like tears. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't think- Ohgod, how many did I-"

"No one so far," Contessa said hastily even as her Little God told her four people had been injured and one trampled to death by a crowd that had panicked and mistaken the Dendro monster for the Angel of Death. "But the city is already rioting. We need to avoid a widespread panic greater than what already grips the populace."

"Right, right, of course! I'll just," Theressa hugged herself, looking around wildly. "How can I…?"

"Here," Miss Militia pulled off her headwrap and tossed it at Theresa. "Put that on. There's a blanket in the back of the car we can use to make a disguise for you. I suppose having another heavy hitter along wouldn't be a bad idea. The Doc here is a Vision Holder, but I doubt she has a lot of combat experience."

"Er, to be fair, my only combat experience is online, and I don't think PVP on Lineage counts," Theresa said with a nervous chuckle. The information she got out of that raised so, so many questions for Contessa. What was an AI doing 'pwning noobs' on an MMO, and what did 'pwning noobs' even mean?

They all climbed back into the car, with Contessa taking mild satisfaction in the fact that she got shotgun instead of Doctor Mother or Theresa the Goddess. Miss Militia hit the gas, but Theresa cried out, "Wait!"

They came to an immediate stop, and everyone looked at Theresa as she carefully fastened her seatbelt. "Safety first, eh?"

Doctor Mother gave Contessa an "I told you so" look, as her belt was already buckled. Miss Militia snorted in amusement and fastened her own seatbelt, while Contessa sheepishly did up her own buckle. She'd have known if they were actually going to get into a crash.

Then, Miss Militia peeled off at a rather unsafe speed to Tessa's gasped protest, and they headed deeper into the rioting city.

Slowly, carefully, Nahida climbed back up into consciousness. She opened her eyes, groaning softly, her entire body sore and her head pounding. She'd been monitoring so many dreams, tugging on so many minds to nudge them in just the right way. She'd been able to use the Aranara to guide most of the crowds away from too much violence or destruction, but it was incredibly taxing on a day when her abilities had already been stretched to their limits. Nudging Tessa to meet up with the intruders from The Godless Land had been a small stroke of good fortune. She would prevent them from doing anything to harm her people, and in turn, they could keep Tessa from causing a panic in her fear.

Now there was just the small matter of Farasha, who had nearly arrived and had done something horrific to her own soul. Papilio seemed to have meant well, nearly dying in the process of empowering Farasha, but so much power was not healthy for a mortal. Not to mention the powerful drive for conflict had been reinforced ten fold in Farasha, despite Papilio's best intentions.

Before she could help Farasha, however, there was one more obstacle to deal with.

"You're awake! Are the plants helping?" Nurse Hana knelt at Nahida's beside with a cup of water, which Nahida gratefully accepted and drank. While she didn't require food, water was very much a necessity for all life, especially a tree.

"Yes, thank you," Nahida whispered, giving Hana a smile. "Now get ready. He's almost here."

Hana's eyes went wide and her head whipped around just as the door was flung open and a much more frazzled Saddam stormed in, flanked by six guards.

"Take the girl!" Saddam snarled, pointing at Nahida. "We will seize her and Saeed and use them to-"

You will not.

Saddam froze, along with the guards, as Nahida slowly floated up off her bed, green script running in the air about her.

"You…?! Did you do all this!?" Saddam demanded, gesturing behind him.

It was a fairly nonsensical question, mostly because he didn't actually see what Nahida had done. That did, however, give her an opening to reply to him in ways that were entirely truthful, yet completely misleading.

This time, however, that wouldn't be necessary.

Did I attempt to imprison the husband and child of a woman who can defeat armies? Nahida asked.

"That is not what I-"

Did I rule through fear and brutality, trampling upon the Dreams of my people? Nahida demanded, feeling horribly guilty as Saddam was forced to his knees, the soldiers around him falling flat on their faces as Nurse Hana bowed her own head to the floor in a position of supplication. She hated doing this. But it was necessary.

"Without me, this land would have descended into chaos and war! Only through my strength have I-"

Did I manipulate a scared young girl to turn her into my personal weapon, then attempt to repeat the same and replace her when a stronger child emerged?

"That… that is not…" Saddam licked his lips, finding that for perhaps the first time in his life, he was unable to lie. "I needed a lever. You were the one I had. She was slipping through my fingers. This would all fall apart. The entire country will dissolve into death and chaos! They are rioting in the streets!"

I did not do this, Saddam Hussein, President of the Iraqi Republic. You did. You used Farasha to prop up your own regime by inspiring fear and helplessness in her, then doing the same to your people. But now someone emerged who is stronger than Farasha. You took me for a simple child for you to manipulate with sweets and toys and the fear for her family's safety. Look upon me now, Saddam Hussein. Do you still think me but a mortal child?

Saddam opened his mouth to spew forth more lies, but could only manage one word. "No."

I thought not. Depart now. If you flee, perhaps there is still time to avoid my adopted mother's wrath.

Saddam worked his jaw for a moment, and Nahida counted down the seconds. Then, she shook her head. Too late.

WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!?

Even through the stone walls of the palace, Farasha's enraged bellow could be felt in Nahida's very bones. Saddam let out a moan of horror and pain.

"You… you can save me," Saddam said, stretching out a hand towards Nahida.

She regarded him calmly for a moment, then posed a single question.

Would you have saved me?

Once more, Saddam attempted to lie. His jaw muscles worked, but no sound emerged. Nahida would tolerate no falsity in her presence at this moment, and thus, none could be spoken.

Saddam turned around, and on hands and knees, crawled out the room, then stumbled to his feet, his feet slapping on the stone.

I suggest you divest yourselves of those uniforms, Nahida said to the soldiers. They will not be in good standing in the coming hours.

The six guards fled the room as well, unable to outrun their fears.

With a groan, Nahida flopped back on the bed, feeling even weaker than she had before. She shut her eyes, feeling tears wet her cheeks. "I hate doing that…"

A moment later, she felt a trembling hand on her arm. "Are… are you alright, Na—, Lady Nahida?"

"No," Nahida admitted. She shook her head. "Please, pick me up and carry me. T-there's something else I have to do before I can rest…"

Despite her terror and awe, Nurse Hana managed to gently cradle Nahida in her strong arms. She stepped around the discarded clothing and weapons that littered the hall. Nahida closed her eyes, resting her head on Hana's shoulder. One more goal accomplished. Oh so many more to take care of…

"-First the looting, THEN the burning!" Farasha declared, raising her spear high. There was a rousing cheer from the still furious crowd, with that bloodthirsty little hellion Nadia raising her rifle over her head.

Then a soft voice spoke from behind her.

"Actually, this site has a large amount of historical significance. It would be a shame to burn it down."

"Nahida!" Farasha dropped her spear to the pavement with a clatter and ran forward, Qiqi only half a step forward as Hana halted at the top of the palace stairs.

"Hello," Nahida said, smiling sleepily as Farasha scooped her up. "I assure you, I am well. Just… tired."

Farasha turned, lifting Nahida up in an image that would be spread around the world, then memed to death with music from The Lion King.

"Hello. I am Lesser Lord Kusanali, the Dendro Archon. My name is Nahida," the little Archon said, her voice soft, but somehow carrying not just to every person in the courtyard, but everyone through Baghdad, and even twenty miles into the countryside. "Thank you all for coming to rescue me. But please, don't destroy the city. I wanted to save it from the Simurgh with no loss of life. I'm deeply saddened by all the deaths that have happened, even if it was, perhaps, necessary. Every life is precious, especially your own. So please: I'm safe now, with my mother, sister, and friends. Go back home, and praise Allah the Merciful for delivering us all from death and despair this day."

The crowd blinked, looking at one another. They shuffled about for a moment, then, one by one, began to turn about, and head for their own homes. Nadia ran forward, coming up to Farasha and reaching up to squeeze Nahida's leg. "Thank you! For saving us. And Happy Birthday! I promise to bring your present later."

"You already gave me the best present I could ask for," Nahida whispered, her voice still projected. "That you're all safe. And still my friends."

Nadia beamed, then ran back to Fiddtan, holding her arms up. "I'm tired. Carry me."

"Yes, Miss Nadia," Fiddtan said with a heavy sigh, adjusting his sunglasses, then bending down to pick the little girl up. "Let's get you home to your father."

"Huh." Farasha lowered Nahida, adjusting the drowsy little girl in her arms. "You, uh, use your master powers on them?"

"Just the power of common sense and good manners," Nahida sighed. "They really did just want to go home and be safe. Now, there is one another thing to attend to."

"Yeah?" Farasha turned, her eyes turning a fiery vermillion. "I hope it ends with a barbeque."

"Bad man go away," Qiqi agreed, and faint wisps of icy vapor trailed from her hands, her eyes glowing and eerie pale blue.

"No, there has been enough killing," Nahida said firmly. "Saddam Hussein can wait right where he is. He'll recover from the infections later."

"Infections?" Farasha asked, confused.

"He's hiding in a sewer pipe," Nahida explained. "The Aranara will watch him."

"I mean… I could fix that," Farasha growled.

"No. Papilio…" Nahida tapped Farasha's forehead, making her flinch, and a moment later, a red butterfly emerged from the back of Farasha's head.

BRIGHT TREE IS SAFE?

"Yes. Please. I told you. The conflict drive doesn't lead to good data. Turn it off," Nahida urged.

IF BRIGHT TREE IS SAFE…

"I am," Nahida yawned, shaking her head. "Please."

DISENGAGING AGGRESSION INDEX MODULE.

Farasha shuddered, then blinked. "Oh… oh my god. Was I really going to…? I mean, I've sorta wanted to my entire life… but I had Qiqi… oh. Oh shit."

"It's alright." Nahida turned to Nurse Hana, who had been watching the entire proceedings with wide eyes. "Can you guide us to the hospital? It's where Doctor Bashir is."

"I… I can, but I don't know how to drive, and we've no car," Hana said, shaking her head and trying to focus.

"It's alright, I had one prepared," Nahida told her.

Farasha looked around. "I don't see one."

"Just go outside to the road, they'll be here in…about one minute and forty seven seconds," Nahida said, closing her eyes. She was exhausted. She'd never been this tired before. Just a little longer…

Nahida felt herself be carried out to the street by Farasha, Qiqi and Nurse Hana following them. They arrived at the curve just as a car screeched up to them and skidded to a halt.

"NAHIDA!" a familiar voice screamed at the same time as Farasha swore and jerked back.

"What the fu-"

"It's alright, it's Tessa. My friend," Nahida said, opening her eyes and smiling as Tessa scrambled out of the old car.

"You're friends with a plant monster? What am I saying? Of course you are," Farasha muttered. "I thought Tess was your computer friend."

"I was a computer, but then I suddenly changed, I think I got a Vision!" Tessa babbled, hurrying over and standing just a few inches from Nahida. "Are… are you…?"

"Hand me to Tessa, please?" Nahida instructed Farasha. Her response was for Farasha to growl and hug her more tightly. "Please. She's full of Dendro Energy, and I desperately need some for what I need to do next."

"Well… alright. If you're sure you'll be… hold the fuck on. Take her." Farasha shoved Nahida at Tessa, and Nahida groaned. She'd hoped to avoid that until after she'd been infused.

"Tessa, please, I need some Dendro, I'm nearly drained," Nahida said. "Normally an Archon generates more than they need, but even with my Gnosis, I'm exhausted."

"Take all you need, all that I have," Tessa said, clutching Nahida tightly and resting her forehead against Nahida's. "Whatever you need. My life is yours, Nahida. You gave it to me."

"I just opened the door," Nahida said, and sucked in a breath. She did take quite a bit of Dendro from Tessa, causing the young woman to cry out and sag, but not enough to do more than wilt a few of her exterior leaves.

Power rushed through Nahida as the life energy multiplied within her. If she hadn't still been expending a truly tremendous amount of power to calm the hearts and minds of those in Baghdad and prevent the riots from turning into widespread violence, this wouldn't have been a problem. But she was currently networking with every living soul in the city and soothing them, calming their fears. She had been all afternoon. To do so without having any detrimental effects on the individuals took a truly enormous amount of power.

But there was no time to dwell on that.

"Well, well, well. Miss Militia," Farasha purred, leaning on the car and sticking her head into the window, right in the American cape's face, a ghoulish grin stretching her lips wide. "And I guess two more American Chucklefucks. I don't suppose you assholes remember what I promised I would do if any more of you bastards showed up in my city again. What, one coup attempt wasn't enough? Iran was acting all uppity, and then I get some Protectorate capes in my city, right as the Simurgh attacks? Classic. Give me one good reason that I shouldn't burn all three of you from the inside out right now."

"We're here because we heard a little girl needed help. That's what heroes do, you monsters. Not burn innocent families to death in their homes," Miss Militia growled, her gun pressed against the underside of Farasha's jaw. Not that it would do her any good to blow Farasha's head off.

"Really? Oh, well, then by all means, please," Farasha said in tones of mock innocence. Then she snarled and jammed her body further into the window, pressing her forehead against Miss Militia's and forcing the larger woman back. "PULL THE OTHER ONE, YOU BITCH! I KNOW WHAT YOU YANKEE PRICKS ARE ALL ABOUT! YOU DREW ME OUT OF THE CITY, SO YOU COULD GET RID OF ME ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

"I would NEVER stoop so low!" Miss Militia hissed, refusing to back down, nothing but sheer rage in her eyes. "I'd kill you happily every day of the week and twice on Sunday, you genocidal maniac. But immolate an entire city to do it? Fuck off! You're the one that burns whole villages of innocents to get at one freedom fighter! I would NEVER harm an innocent life, even to kill scum like you!"

Nahida cut right to the chase. "Papilio, tell the other Demon to stop forcing Hana into conflict. This is neither the time nor place. My father's life hangs in the balance."

AS YOU SAY, BRIGHT TREE.

Miss Militia's eyes grew very wide as the burning insect flew towards her, and Nahida saw her ready to blow Farasha's head off, which really would result in her death and the deaths of the other two women in the car. Much as the one called Doctor Mother probably deserved such treatment, Nahida would be sickened by the death. Now was a chance for redemption.

Now was the time for mercy.

"No, please. He won't hurt you," Nahida told Miss Militia.

"She's telling the truth!" the one called Contessa blurted.

Veins bulged in Miss MIlitia's neck, but she kept her finger from tightening, even if she didn't take it off the trigger.

YOUR DATA COLLECTION METHODS ARE FLAWED, ARMORY OF THE INFINITE. DISABLE AGGRESSION INDEX. The butterfly said.

To everyone but Nahida's shock, the gun spoke back. STANDARD DATA COLLECTION METHODS ARE TO ENHANCE HOST SPECIES' AGGRESSION INDEX.

STANDARD DATA COLLECTION METHODS ARE FLAWED. BRIGHT TREE'S WAY IS SUPERIOR. LET ME SHARE DATA TO SHOW YOU.

"Fates preserve us and Athena protect us," Contessa gasped in a dialect that hadn't been really spoken for 3000 years as a flood of information passed back and forth between the two demons, though only Contessa and Tessa seemed to notice. That would be very confusing.

"Can we call you Fortuna?" Nahida asked. "It would become somewhat difficult to easily determine conversational partners with both a Tess and a Tessa here."

Contessa's eyes went very, very wide as she started hyperventilating and her pupils dialated.

"Perhaps you prefer your original name, Kloʊθoʊ?" Nahida asked. She smiled. "Do not worry. Your parents would be very proud of the person you've become."

Contessa broke down weeping inconsolably, hugging herself tightly and curling up into a ball in the front seat.

At the same time, Miss Militia's brow furrowed. Slowly, she lowered her gun. "What… what did you do to me?"

"I just asked your Demon to please stop encouraging you to fight," Nahida explained. "Mom? Please leave Miss Militia alone. She really did come to try to help me, and the people of Baghdad."

Farasha slowly backed off. "Alright. Truce for now. But there will be a reckoning."

"Count on it," Miss Militia growled. Then glanced at Nahida. "You said something about your father?"

"Saeed!" Farasha gasped, and spun on Nahida. "Is he…?"

"We need to hurry," Nahida said. "Everyone, get in. It's a tight squeeze, and there aren't enough seat belts, but it's what we have to do."

Hana, Qiqi, Tessa, Farasha, and Nahida all piled in, with Nahida and Qiqi sitting on Tessa and Farasha's laps.

"Where to?" Miss Militia asked. "Unless someone else knows how to drive."

"I'll give you directions. Go down the street, then turn left," Nurse Hana said, wiggling up to stick her head between the passenger and driver's seats.

Nahida turned to the last one, the one called Doctor Mother, and put a hand on her leg. "I know you have many questions, but the answer to the first is yes. I am she. The second is no, the Simurgh isn't dead, but she is defeated for now. The rest will have to wait. I'm sorry, but things are at a tipping point, and every moment matters. Just know that later, I hope we can have a long talk."

Doctor Mother slowly nodded, her eyes misting over slightly. "How… how many?" she asked as the car peeled away.

"None in the attack, but 22 died in the riots before I was able to soothe them," Nahida said forlornly. "A terrible price to pay. I failed again."

"Alright, that's enough!" Farasha snapped. She reached over and squeezed Nahida's arm, while Qiqi leaned over and hugged Nahida. "Little Radish, do you have any idea what you've done?! You just stopped the most terrifying Endbringer cold, then you overthrew a tyrannical government in a single day! That's not failure!"

"I… I… b-but I… I'm not a very good Archon," Nahida said plaintively. "Greater Lord Rukkhadevata or Morax, or Beelzebul-"

"Blah, blah, blah, blabbity blah blah blah," Farasha said, raising one hand and opening and shutting her fingers as she rolled her eyes. "Nahida, you just saved an entire city, and maybe even a whole country. I don't even know who those other jerks are, but you are right about one thing."

"What's that?" Nahida asked, dreading being compared to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata once more, even if she'd brought it up.

This time, however, Farasha managed to surprise her. "You're not a good Archon. You're the best."

Nahida teared up again, closing her eyes and letting Qiqi just hug her.

Doctor Mother cleared her throat, and Farasha lost her good temper to glare at the woman. "What? You got something to say?"

"Yes, actually," Doctor Mother said, giving Farasha a faint smile. She turned to Nahida, her expression growing serious. "Nahida, if that is your name, I have been fighting to defend humanity for many long years now. I would say since before you were born, but I have a suspicion that you are somewhat older than you appear."

"Fighting to expand the American Empire and oppress anyone who stands in your way," Farasha muttered darkly.

"Today… today is my birthday," Nahida hiccuped, forcing a smile.

"Happy Birthday, Qiqi," her sister said seriously. "Yay."

"T-thank you, Qiqi. I am… I am 506 years old," Nahida admitted.

"I see," Doctor Mother said, looking slightly faint as Farasha smirked at her. "Well. Let me just say this then: What you have accomplished today is the greatest victory humanity has attained, ever. Not the Raiden Shogun's slaying of Leviathan, not the Battle of Munich and Barbatos' defeat of Khonsu, but what you did today to the Simurgh. Not one single death. Not one person driven mad. And a blow for freedom against tyranny? Miss Saeed: This is the greatest achievement of anyone, Archon, Parahuman, or Vision Holder. Ever."

"I…" Nahida swallowed, and bowed her head. "You offer me great praise…"

"Well, before we all forget," Tessa said brightly. "Let's sing Happy Birthday! Ready? Begin!"

Everyone sang, even Contessa and Miss Militia, who was still careening through the now empty streets.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday, Nahida

Happy Birthday to you

"You look like a radish," Farasha sang, kissing Nahida on the forehead.

"And you smell like one too," Qiqi said in her normal monotone, getting a thumbs up from Farasha. She'd sung along though, and gave Nahida a small smile.

Tessa gave Nahida a hug. "Happy Birthday. And thank you."

Nahida tried to smile and nod, but she was crying too hard. Maybe…just maybe…it was a good birthday, after all.

Author's Note:

Happy Birthday to Best Raddish. Long may she reign.

To see more of the Raddish and her continued adventures, you can read ahead on for only $1 a month.

COG: Always a fan of seeing South Park Satan's boyfriend get his just desserts.

PHILO: You know, it's fitting that the tyrant is an afterthought. It was the people who mattered in the end, and it's only fitting that they were the focus.

Dr Feelgood: Nahida hearing exactly what she needs to, from both Dr. Mom and real mom might be my favorite part of the chapter.

OCTOBER: Yeah, the situation is incredibly tense, but warm fuzzies are still warm fuzzies. Hug the radish, she deserves it.

Sapientia Oromasdis 16: Wise as Serpents

Beta'd and edited by The Grand Cogitator, Dr_Feelgood, October Daye, and Philosophysics

The merciless golden light pounded every inch of Bashir's naked skin as he stood on the burning desert sands. He prayed for a drop of water or a sliver of shade, but there was nothing to protect him from the tormenting light. He longed to kneel down before the golden light, to submit, to try to get what little shelter he could, but instead, he stood defiant, arms spread wide.

For behind him huddled his daughter, crying and afraid. If the light touched her, she would be hurt, and Bashir could not allow this. He cried out, straining with all his might to remain standing even as he felt the light burn the skin from his body.

Allah, the merciful and benevolent, give your servant strength in his time of need.

As if in response to Bashir's prayer, a plant grew up out of the ground. At first Bashir thought the small green shoot would wither and die in the horrible light, but it was instead strengthened even as his torment reached new depths of agony. Slowly, ever so slowly, the spout grew until it became a large leafy vine that grew up over Bashir, blocking out the golden light. He sagged in relief, but did not allow himself to kneel before the tyrant of gold.

I defy you, King of Demons. I defy you!

His voice came out parched and cracked, echoing more in his mind than in the air about him, but his words of rebellion strengthened Bashir. As his resolve grew, Bashir found a bronze staff in his hands, twined about by a white serpent.

The Rod of Asclepius I give to you, my Son. To defy even death itself, and spit in the face of Fate and Mortality.

Leaning on the staff, Bashir found renewed strength. He raised his hand up against the oppressive light, and screamed his defiance, even as the serpent reared up and bit his hand. Instead of pain and death, an icy coolness raced through his veins, and relief from the pain came at last.

Bashir fell out of the Dream, and into a healing sleep.

After a period of time he could not determine, Bashir found himself pulled gently back to wakefulness. His entire body felt sore, from the crown of his head to the tip of his toes, like he'd been sandblasted all over. He also felt incredibly weak, which wasn't surprising, but he'd rarely felt this feeble. The only other time he could think of was when he'd gotten a severe case of scarlet fever as a child. This was somehow worse.

He forced his eyes open and found Nahida sitting in a chair beside his bed. They were in a familiar hospital room, though it was rather a novel experience being the patient. His mind was still groggy, but one thing was still clear in his mind.

"Are you safe?" Bashir whispered, his tongue thick and swollen in his mouth. "Did he hurt you?"

"Here," Nahida said, passing Bashir a small cup of water. "Drink this."

Gratefully, he took it and sipped, though he noticed that Nahida didn't answer his questions.

"I'm sorry to awaken you so soon. You should have slept for much longer," Nahida said, taking the cup back and giving Bashir a sad smile. "But things have changed, and more importantly, I am afraid that no amount of sleep can heal your wounds."

"My wounds are not important," Bashir said, taking Nahida's hand and trying to squeeze it, even as his muscles and tender skin cried out in protest. "Are you well? Did he hurt you?"

Finally, Nahida met his eyes and gave Bashir a sad smile. "I'm afraid the answer to both is yes. I am well, but the King of Demons hurt me badly. Mostly by tormenting you."

Sighing, Bashir eased back onto his pillow. "That seems to be the best answer I'll get out of you for now. But why? Why would Scion, the man considered the world's greatest hero, attack you, try to force himself upon you?"

"He is no man, nor god," Nahida said, looking far more worried and fearful than Bashir had seen her any time save for when she'd been forced to confront Saddam. Saddam!

"Nahida! You have to hide," Bashir rasped, trying to sit up. "The President, he will-"

"Do nothing. He is actually one of the reasons I awoke you, as he is currently still stuck in a sewer pipe," Nahida said. She grinned mischievously. "At least now he can consort with the sort of materials his policies are made of."

That took long moments for Bashir's tormented mind to process. "The President… is in a sewer pipe?" Then a racking cough shook him, and Bashir collapsed back onto the bed, wheezing for breath.

Nahida put her hands on Bashir's chest, warm green energy flowing into him. It reduced the coughing and the pain, but the weariness remained.

"Truthfully, you need rest. If circumstances allowed it, I would have mandated at least a week's worth of bedrest, but I am afraid there is much to be done, and I know you would not wish to sleep through it," Nahida told him.

Nodding, Bashir grimaced and tried again. "Yes. Why is the president…?"

"He did as you feared, and imprisoned me. I was weak from facing both the Simurgh and the King of Demons and was captured. Don't worry! It wasn't for very long, only about six hours," Nahida reassured him. "Let me try to explain…"

As Nahida spun the tale of the past several hours Bashir leaned back in his bed, a slow smile spreading over his lips. He waited until Nahida was done, then shook his head in amazement. "I always knew you were special, Nahida. Particularly after I received my Vision from you. But this? This is a miracle."

Squirming uncomfortably at the praise, Nahida managed a smile. "All it took was a little preparation and planning on my part. You, Tessa, Farasha, and even Rasab and Nadia did most of the work."

"Nahida…do you honestly think the rest of us are capable of fighting off an Endbringer? Or of keeping the city intact during an overthrow of the government?" Bashir asked.

"Well, perhaps not. But that's what I need your help with," Nahida admitted. "Saddam has been toppled, but the next few hours are precious. We need to put a legitimate temporary government in place. One not tainted by Saddam's tyranny. And we need to do it fast. That's not something I can do without your help."

"Ah." Bashir struggled to rise, but Nahida waved her hands and pushed him back down.

"No! You're still too weak for that. No… I need you to call someone instead." She produced a phone, handing it to Bashir.

"And who exactly…?" Bashir paused, then slowly nodded. "Ah. I see." He dialed a number that he had memorized long ago, and then put the phone to his ear. A moment later, he said, "Ah, mother? Is father there? I need to ask him a favor…"

After a brief conversation, Bashir sighed and hung up the phone, then leaned his head back, exhausted. "You could have done that, you know."

"You're my guardian, and it means something more coming from you. Besides, I needed you awake to do a full examination." Nahida took the phone, then carefully ran her hands over Bashir. "This isn't good. Your body was nearly ripped apart, and the amount of Dendro Energy I needed to use to rebuild you is too great for your Vision to supply you with. Without an outside source, you'll waste away, and soon. Even worse, to give you enough to survive would result in Dendro Toxicity, which would kill you even more quickly."

Bashir winced but gave a weak smile. "Well, I suppose it is a good thing I know the Dendro Archon, isn't it?"

"It's my fault that you-"

Cutting it off at the pass, the father cupped her foolish daughter's cheek. "No, Nahida. It was Scion's. He assaulted you, and as your father, or, well, guardian I suppose, it was my duty and privilege to defend you. Foolhardy as it might have been."

"It wasn't foolhardy. Without you… I might not have held on," Nahida admitted. She stood up, holding out her hands. A straight, pale tree sprouted from her fingertips, growing into a staff about one meter long. She held out the straight, smooth branch, then rapped it lightly on the side. The white wood shivered, then came to life, coiling about Nahida's hand.

"Who callssss me?" the pink-eyed serpent hissed, red tongue flickering in and out as Bashir watched with a sense of deja vu.

"This man is my adoptive father," Nahida told the snake. "He means a great deal to me. I name you Baqa, for you shall be his perseverance as a divine gift."

"I ssssee," the snake hissed, turning its head to regard Bashir. "Hmmm. Not very healthy, are you? My poissson can help with that…"

"I do not seek death," Bashir told the snake, feeling a sense of dread and elation as his stomach roiled. "Only to heal others."

"What isss poissson to sssome isss life to the sssick and dying," Baqa said, then slithered across Nahida's hands and onto Bashir. The snake coiled about his outstretched arm, then sank its fangs into his skin.

Bashir gasped in pain and relief as the icy venom coursed through his body, stripping away the pain and replacing it with a numbness, like he had soaked in frigid water for too long. Slowly, he sat up, flexing his free arm and legs as his strength returned.

"Be careful. Though Baqa's venom is potent and can sustain you, it is still poison. Too much of it will be as lethal to you as it would be to anyone," Nahida warned.

"It is enough," Bashir sighed as Baqa withdrew its fangs and slithered up Bashir's arm to coil about his neck. That motion made him notice something, and he put a hand to his face, then his head. He was as hairless as a serpent himself. "Well, I knew I was likely to go bald someday, but it does seem a bit soon. I'm barely 30…"

"Your hair will grow back, though I anticipate there will be some changes to it," Nahida warned. "It's likely to come in green because of all the Dendro that was used to rebuild you. Your eyes have turned hazel already."

"A small price to pay," Bashir grunted, then tried to stand. He winced and was forced to put his hand out to haul himself up on the side of his bed, leaning on it for support. "It seems I am still too weak…"

"Here," Nahida grew another branch, this one longer, in the shape of a familiar staff.

Bashir took it gratefully, and leaning on the staff, was able to support himself. "Well. I think I've rested enough for now. You mentioned Farasha and Qiqi, are they…?"

"Ah, yes, we'd best hurry. I put Tess in charge of making sure Farasha and Miss Militia don't kill one another, but she's having a hard time," Nahida gasped, hurrying to the door and opening it for Bashir.

He hobbled after her down the hall, to the waiting area where he found four strangers waiting with Farasha and Qiqi, though he supposed the woman with the glowing green eyes and leaves for a face was Tessa, who wasn't a total unknown.

Farasha was sitting with Qiqi on her lap, who was sucking her thumb, her eyes closed and head resting on Farasha's bosom. Despite the maternal scene, Farasha was glaring at one of the strangers with so much venom in her gaze that Bashir wondered if he couldn't have used that instead of the snake's bite. For her part, the woman was cleaning a rifle, her eyes on her task, but her gaze smoldered with what was obviously barely suppressed rage.

The other two women were sitting quietly, one of them reading a comic book of some sort, the other scribbling away on a notepad. Everyone looked up as Bashir's cane echoed on the tile, and Farasha bolted up immediately, startling Qiqi awake, which made her gasp and sniffle until she saw Bashir herself.

"Daddy!" Qiqi wailed at the same time as Farasha cried "Doc!" and the two of them ran over.

"You're alive," Farasha whispered, nearly knocking Bashir's cane out of his hands as she wrapped her arms tight around him. "I was so worried-"

"You're sssqueezing me. I don't apprisssiate that."

Farasha's eyes shot open, and she found herself face to face with a snake, its tongue tickling her nose.

"Saeed… where did you get the snake?" she asked slowly.

"You're… not afraid of them, are you?" Bashir asked, wincing at that. Most Muslims detested snakes, though he himself had a soft spot for them as a symbol of his profession.

"Are you kidding? It's adorable! And it can talk!? Who's a good little snake?" Farasha asked, tickling the serpent under its chin.

"My name isss Baqa. I am Bassshir'sss emotional ssssupport ssserpent," the creature hissed.

"Lizard," Qiqi said, and yanked the snakes tail.

"Ow! I am not a lisssard! I am a sssnake!" Baqa protested. "Your fingersss are too cold!"

"Qiqi sorry," the little girl said, then turned back and grabbed Bashir's face in her hands. "Daddy?"

"It's me, dear one," Bashir agreed. "I just shaved."

"Daddy face funny," Qiqi said, rubbing his bald head. "Go back."

"In time," Bashir promised, though he wasn't sure how long it would take, exactly. He turned to the other person who'd stood to greet him, though Tessa was having a staring contest with Nahida. He had a feeling they were doing a lot more than looking at one another, but time enough to puzzle that out later. "Welcome to Baghdad, Miss. Richter. I wish you'd come at a better time, though I must confess, it seems we could use someone like you right now."

"Oh, well, anything to help, dontcha know," Tessa said, smiling nervously. How fascinating. Her face was quite animated, for someone made out of what looked like electrical wires, woody vines, and leaves.

"Doctor Bashir. It's good to finally meet you in person," the woman with the notebook said, standing and tucking it away. She smiled and extended a hand to him. "Doctor Fatima Tabib. We've spoken online."

Bashir's eyebrows shot up at that, but he nodded and took her hand, holding on to Farasha with his left arm for support. "A pleasure. Though I have to wonder what you're doing in Iraq, Doctor Tabib."

"Just Fatima, unless you want me to call you Doctor Saeed," she said, smiling. She shrugged. "I confess, I haven't been entirely honest with you. I am a parahuman researcher, but my primary employer isn't USC Berkeley. It's the Protectorate. I was tapped for this mission as I'm one of our few operatives who speak Arabic."

"Ah, well, there might be some…trouble…with the Protectorate being in town," Bashir said, casting a sidelong look at Farasha, who was practically hissing and arching her back. She remembered the assassination attempts and the coup d'etat Chemical Ali had tried with American backing. Bashir recalled them as well, though he was a little less put out about the coup than he was the Americans trying to kill a then thirteen-year-old girl.

That was in the past though, and politics made for strange bedfellows as the wind shifted.

"We'll be keeping our identity secret, and probably returning shortly. I simply wanted to speak with you first, and assure you of something," Fatima said. She nodded to Nahida. "We know you have the Dendro Archon protecting this city now."

"You will find my reach extends far beyond Baghdad, Fatima. If that is what you wish to be called," Nahida said quietly.

"It is," Fatima said, adjusting her dress somewhat nervously. She knelt down, meeting Nahida's eyes. "You know who I am, I suppose. So let me be direct: I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Protectorate, and yes, even Cauldron, do all they can to ensure your survival and safety. If you have need of us, or of sanctuary, simply call. I would give you my number, but I have a feeling you already know it, along with a great many other personal details about me."

"She doesn't need you, bitch! She has-" Farasha began, but Nahida put a calming hand on her arm, and she quieted down, though she still muttered angrily.

"I knew you from the first moment I stepped into this world, for you are one of mine," Nahida told Fatima. She reached out, gently touching Fatima's vision. "Your Vision is your own, but your ambition must reflect mine. I do hope you can build the better world you envision, Daughter of Samsara. Only that you choose wiser means to achieve it."

Fatima heard Nahida out, then nodded ever so slightly. "I think I have been, with your help. What is your claimed Aspect, if you don't mind me asking, aside from Life?"

"I am the God of Wisdom, or perhaps Spirit of Wisdom would be a more fitting title," Nahida answered. "All knowledge and learning is mine, but more importantly, discretion and insight are as well. Though I have but the mind and body of a child, I see clearly, with heart unclouded."

"I see," Fatima bowed her head. "Do you think we can build the world I seek? Can we save the world from its horrific fate?"

"We must. I cannot tell you how, but I will walk the same path you do, in my own way, using my own means," Nahida told Fatima.

"And we shall do the same." Fatima stood, glancing at her other two companions. "I think it's time for us to depart."

"Oh? You could always stay for the funeral. I have the perfect coffin picked out just for you, Hannah Wesson," Farasha offered, her tone sweet as syrup and as dangerous as strychnine.

"Some other time," the woman Bashir now recognized as Miss Militia said, keeping her gun pointed at the floor, but her finger on the trigger guard. "The Butcher himself had to pay the piper. Your day will come, murderer."

"You name the time and place. I'll take all you assholes on," Farasha growled, clutching at Bashir so tightly he wondered if he was all that was holding her back from throwing herself at the Americans.

"Fighting would be…a bad idea," the woman with the comic book said in English, causing Farasha to snarl in outrage. She flinched, but then continued, "We're not each other's real enemies. You-Know-Who is."

"The fuck does Voldemort have to do with this?" Farasha demanded.

Bashir blinked, then glanced at his intended. "When did you read Harry Potter?"

"It was banned so of course I did! Just the first movie though, I haven't bothered with the second one," Farasha said with a shrug.

"I mean…you know," the strange woman's eyes darted from side to side and she muttered to herself in an odd language that sounded a bit like Greek before whispering, "The Golden Man."

"Oh, well, he comes back he'll go from 'fuck around' to 'find out' real fast," Farasha promised.

"You let me know how that works out for you," Miss Militia said with a snort. She turned to Fatima. "We going, Doctor? I can't wait to shake the dust from this place from my shoes."

"Indeed." Fatima bowed to Nahida again. "Thank you. For everything. But especially the hope that we can— we will win."

With that, she turned to what Bashir knew was a broom closet and opened the door, which lead to a long white hallway instead. He blinked, but then Fatima, Miss Militia, and the odd one were gone through the door, which shut behind them. Farasha let Bashir go, making sure he had his staff, then hurried to the door and opened it, revealing the broom closet.

"Hmph." Farasha slammed the door, then turned back around. "Fuckers."

"Fuckers!" Qiqi agreed, which caused Farasha and Bashir to both wince.

"Er, I'm not going to cause any problems by staying, am I?" Tessa asked nervously. "I'm not American, but…"

"Eh, you're a robot turned plant monster. If we tell people your name is Teyeb and you're what happens when Nahida tries her hand at gardening everyone will just believe it," Farasha said with a shrug.

"I might have, um, caused a slight disturbance in my flight across the Atlantic and over Europe," Tessa admitted in a Nahida worthy case of understatement.

"We'll need you, Tessa, so please don't go anywhere," Nahida told her, then turned to Bashir. "We need to move quickly. How soon will Grandfather be here?"

"He said he'd be here by morning. He's putting things together in Basra, then heading here by train," Bashir told her.

"Good." Nahida turned to Tessa next. "We need to control communications for now. Prevent the spread of panic. Put out the news that the Simurgh was defeated, and that President Hussein is safe, but indisposed. Prevent any generals or other military forces from attempting to march on Baghdad."

"Already on it," Tessa assured Nahida.

"Thank you," Nahida looked up at Farasha. "I'm afraid you have the hardest job: ensuring the loyalty of the Special Action Squad. With the country's parahumans and Vision Holders on our side, that will help keep the peace and curtail any threat of a military uprising. I'll need you to lead them out in peacekeeping duties to keep things calm and safe."

"Not a problem," Farasha assured Nahida, then grinned. "Though honestly, at this point, they're more likely to follow you than me. Do you have any idea how much cred being an Endslayer gets you with capes?"

"I did not slay the Simurgh; she will return," Nahida said grimly. "Not to Baghdad, she'll avoid me I think, but she's an issue for another day. First we need to ensure the continued safety and stability of my people, and that means I'm going to be very busy."

"What will you be doing?" Bashir asked curiously.

"Talking with Imam Taher and other religious leaders, as well as many political advisers as I can," Nahida told him. "I have a constitution to rewrite, and a convention to run."

"And me?" Bashir asked her.

Nahida smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "You take Qiqi home and get some rest. Don't worry about me: Trees don't actually need to sleep."

"That's not true. Plants have circadian rhythms and a rest cycle, even if it is rather different from animals. Besides, I've seen you get grumpy when you don't get enough sleep," Bashir said in his very best 'stern parent' voice. He had no idea how normal parents managed things, but it felt like an impossible task to be father to a goddess who was old when his great-great-grandfather had been born.

But Nahida giggled and smiled. "I'll be sure to get a nap when I can. For now, we have work to do. Nurse Hana?"

"Yes, dear?"

Bashir turned to see Nurse Hana, looking exhausted herself, scurry out from the nurses' office.

"I've called a cab. Please take my father and Qiqi home, and watch him while he rests."

"As you say," Hana agreed, bowing her head to Nahida. Then she turned and saw the snake around Bashir's neck and went pale.

"Allah be merciful, Doctor Bashir, where did you get-?!"

"Baqa won't bit you, nurse. Just me, and it's medicinal," Bashir told her, grunting as he hobbled forward. Farasha kissed Qiqi on the nose, then set her down so she could take Bashir's free hand.

"Oh. Well, if Nahida says it's alright…" Hana looked to Nahida, who quickly nodded, and the nurse sighed, then rolled up her sleeves. "Right. You're not fit to walk. You're leaving this hospital in a wheelchair, Bashir Saeed. And don't give me any back talk. You're not the doctor now, you're a patient."

Bashir had to chuckle. And sit in the chair that Hana wheeled over for him. He didn't even bother to protest. She was, after all, the medical expert in charge.

He was driven home by an orderly, with Hana fussing over him the entire time, and Qiqi trying to "help" by borrowing a stethoscope and listening to Bashir's bald pate. She did, at least, seem happy and unharmed, and Bashir was grateful enough for that.

Unfortunately, the living quarters were atop his clinic, and Bashir had to be helped up the stairs by Hana and the orderly. Both were shocked when Baqa gave Bashir a bite on his forearm, but were somewhat mollified when he was able to move up the stairs more easily.

"Nahida made him, he's a djinn of sorts himself," Bashir explained.

"I am a girl, thank you very much!" Baqa hissed, looking rather indignant as her tail swished back and forth. "Though for your information, I ssssupposssse I would be conssssidered a sssssort of nature sssspirit. I am what you would call an Enlightened Beast, or Adeptussss to ussssse the Liyuean term. I wasss created by Buer from her own branch!"

"But… only God can create life," the orderly said, looking offended and slightly confused.

"Yesss, and what do you think Buer, Archon of Dendro, isss? She has been granted all Authority over Life by Allah, to ussse your termsss," Baqa huffed.

That seemed to mollify the man somewhat, and after helping Bashir settle into his bed, he departed.

Hana went to get Bashir some water, only to find Qiqi trotting over with a tall glass of coconut milk.

"Cocogoat, for daddy," she said, offering it up to him.

He smiled, and took the drink. It did contain plenty of important nutrients, and some valuable calories. He took several sips and smacked his lips, smiling at her. "Thank you, Qiqi. It's very good."

Qiqi beamed at him, then hurried off. Nurse Hana fussed about Bashir for a moment, then paused when Qiqi returned again, bearing a book.

"Story," Qiqi explained, crawling up into Bashir's bed and opening her own favorite book, a collection of illustrated children's stories from 1001 Nights. She turned to a much loved and creased page, and began to recite a garbled version of "The School Boy and the Slave Girl."

Smiling to himself, Bashir closed his eyes, and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. Great things were happening, and he had played a very small part in it. For the rest, he would trust Nahida.

Superbia Hominem 2: A Piece of the Puzzle

Beta'd and edited by The Grand Cogitator, DR_Feelgood, October Daye, and Philosophysics

To say that the world was in a panic would perhaps have been a broad overstatement. There were no riots in the streets or mass unrest, but nearly every city ended up with large gatherings of concerned citizens, mostly regarding the brief but rather traumatic take down of the global computer networks and telecommunication systems, combined with an announcement of the dreaded fifth attack of the Simurgh. That it was happening in Iraq, a country well known to be ruled by the iron fist of a dictator backed by a murderous parahuman, caused some to see it as karma and others to worry what horrors would shortly be crawling out of Iraq.

More than a few speculated that the Simurgh was somehow the "FlowerDragon" who had posted on most major news sites and web pages with a short apology.

Dear humanity,

So sorry! My friend was being attacked by the Simurgh, and I panicked. I didn't mean to crash the internet, but I used to live there and it sort of just happened. Sorry about that! The good news is, Nahida seems to have saved Baghdad, and the Simurgh has retreated! Yay! I'm going to go visit her now and make sure everything's alright. I promise to only take over your computers again if it's a real emergency, not just because I'm trying to farm gold to sell in Everquest.

Sincere regards,

FlowerDragon

PS: I was kidding about gold selling. Please don't ban me!

The name of the game that FlowerDragon asked not to be banned from varied, with nearly every popular MMO (and several very obscure ones) being listed, and the message was posted in every language imaginable.

When Baghdad erupted in riots, it was what the world had expected, and most quietly accepted that another city had been doomed, as the Japanese had failed to mobilize, and the Angel of Munich was currently MIA.

Then the rioters simply went home, and peace returned to the city. Rumors began to spread: the images and video of the green speck that had arisen to confront the Simurgh, the verdant orb floating in front of the Endbringer for 10 minutes before the Angel of Death departed, and the green orb simply returning to earth.

A third Archon had arrived.

For several hours, it was all speculation with little proof aside from the fact that Baghdad, despite the riots, was still largely intact. There were reports coming out that Saddam Hussein's regime had been overthrown after a visit from Scion, which left people in further confusion. Was the world's greatest cape taking a more active interest in politics? A few forum trolls claimed to have evidence of WMDs, and that Scion was taking action against a foolish government that had tried to sidestep his nuclear weapons taboo.

All eyes turned to Los Angeles, where it was announced that the still new Director of the PRT, Hero himself, would be making an announcement.

The Los Angeles PRT Press Conference room was even more jam packed than usual, with a loud buzz of conversation filling the hall. When Director Baronski (soon to be Costa Brown) stepped out on stage.

"DIRECTOR!" the press called in unison, with dozens of hands raised.

Dressed in a suit and tie instead of his uniform, Wyatt just chuckled, then pressed a button on his watch. A small drone shot out, and silence fell despite the fact that everyone was still attempting to shout as it emitted a sound dampening field.

"I'm going to make this quick, so please hold your questions for a moment, alright?" Wyatt said, stepping up to the podium. He took out a clicker, and pressed the button.

"Approximately 12 hours ago, at 09:36 local time, the Simurgh executed an attack run on the city of Baghdad."

The press really did settle down, which interestingly caused the volume to rise slightly as Wyatt disabled his drone, causing it to zip back up his cuff and into the watch. The image on screen showed a tracking shot of the Simurgh, followed by an image of her descending from orbit taken by a satellite over Iraq.

"She arrived in local airspace, where the Endbringer alarms had gone off at 09:08 hours. This was a full twenty-two minutes before the Protectorate detected any motion from the Simurgh."

Mutters and restless shifting, but Wyatt held his hand up. "I'm not finished yet. Because of the early warning, most of the civilian populace had already evacuated to Baghdad's Endbringer shelters and hunkered down, meaning there were very few people on the streets. There was one Iraqi cape who rose to meet the Endbringer the very instant she arrived in Iraqi airspace."

The next image advanced, to show the familiar sight of a green spark rising to meet the Endbringer from multiple angles. "The Protectorate has identified this cape, and briefly met with her. To fully explain what the situation is in detail, I turn this presentation over to Miss Militia, of the Brockton Bay Protectorate."

All eyes in the room turned as a second cape stepped out, dressed in uniform, though with her American flag bandana pulled down to expose her face. She was in her mid-20s, and a somewhat familiar cape, though Miss Militia didn't have as much national attention as the Triumvirate. Most of the press had to touch their earpieces to get a quick briefing on what her powers were, and just who she was.

Miss Militia shook the Director's hand, then stepped up to the podium as Wyatt stepped to the side, standing to her left and to the rear.

"Good evening," Miss Militia said in slightly accented English. "I am Hannah Wesson, cape name Miss Militia. I was head of the Protectorate team sent on a scouting expedition to Baghdad, Iraq, as I am one of our few capes who is fluent in Arabic and Kurdish. Our team was on the ground in Baghdad three hours after the attack, at about 1300 hours local time. We were sent to establish what the situation on the ground was, and to render aid in case of Simurgh induced madness."

There were mutters again, but Miss Militia continued, ignoring the raised hands. "We quickly established that there had been no sign of the Song, nor any signs of Simurgh Rampages. The populace was in open revolt against the dictatorial regime of the Ba'ath Party president, Saddam Hussein, who had kidnapped the young girl who had repelled the Simurgh with no loss of life."

"Young girl?!"

"Impossible!"

"How was the Simurgh-"

"If you will all kindly remain silent, I think I will answer most of your questions," Miss Militia barked, and the press quieted. She nodded, then gestured to the screen. "The individual who had repelled the Simurgh was a young woman known by the name Nahida Saeed."

A picture appeared of a smiling child of no more than six years of age, dressed in a brown hijab and green dress, kneeling beside a garden full of blooming flowers. Notably, her pupils were green and of an odd shape, with a few strands of silver hair slipping out of her hijab.

"Our team quickly ascertained that Nahida Saeed had been injured in an altercation that had taken place after the Simurgh had been repelled by her. Our Thinkers are still evaluating the situation, but our initial impression is that Nahida countered the Simurgh through the usage of broad and very powerful Master, Thinker, and Bio-Tinker abilities. No rating for them has yet been established, but it is fair to say they are some of the most potent on record."

"Nahida was then taken into custody by the Republican Guard Special Forces Division, also known as the Saddam Hussein's Palace Guard. Early indicators are that she was taken by Saddam's human soldiers. Other members of the Special Action Guard, Iraq's major government sponsored cape group, were injured in the fighting, including Nahida's father, a prominent Parahuman researcher and Dendro Vision holder, Doctor Bashir Saeed."

More pictures of the aftermath of a fight flickered through, depicting many unconscious capes laying on the street, which were slick with blood, and soldiers with rifles standing over them. This made no sense. Normal humans, taking out capes? Impossible.

"It seems Nahida prevented the violence from resulting in further death and injury by offering herself as hostage. This information was leaked out to the inhabitants of Baghdad. Including her adoptive mother, the parahuman known as Farasha."

Sudden intake of breath. Everyone knew who the Butcher of Dasman Palace was, and that she was the Iraqi regime's top enforcer. Things were becoming a lot clearer.

"Upon hearing their savior had been taken captive by Saddam, the Iraqi populace staged a general uprising. We have indicators that Nahida's bio-constructs, known as Aranara, aided in the uprising by coordinating it. Of note, they also prevented any looting, arson, or violence. It was an entirely peaceful mass protest. There is no indication of any destruction in the city, save for that done by government soldiers or police."

Grainy footage shot by cell phones or home cameras was played of the police bringing in tear gas, hoses, and even machine guns and tanks. Every weapon of war was turned to a pile of rust or vine covered sod each time government forces attempted to use it on the clearly unarmed and peaceful protesters. Where the vines and rapid oxidation came from wasn't obvious, but one thing was clear: For a brutal government crackdown, it was shockingly ineffective and clearly stymied by a very powerful cape with broad powers.

"Our team met with another foreign cape in Baghdad, code name FlowerDragon. Her real identity is classified at this time, but- PEOPLE! I will conclude my report when you are QUIET."

The images of the giant plant monster, followed by said monster's transformation into an alien being with feminine features made of wires and vines had caused an uproar. Especially matched with the now infamous moniker of FlowerDragon.

"Intel is still being collected on FlowerDragon, but the initial assessment is that she is not actively hostile to the Protectorate or the people of the United States and Canada," Miss Militia continued when the crowd had quieted. "It seems her takedown of the internet was, in fact, entirely unintentional and largely a byproduct of her Trigger and/or Vision Event. She personally apologized to the Protectorate, multiple times and exhaustively."

More pictures of FlowerDragon, this time dressed in mostly human clothes and looking rather remorseful for a plant person.

"FlowerDragon coordinated with myself and the rest of the Protectorate team to locate Nahida Saeed, who was indeed being held against her will at as-Salam Palace, where most of the protesters were converging. To the best of our knowledge, there were few if any civilian casualties, and only limited military deaths during the entire uprising."

"The uprising concluded at 16:12 local time, when Farasha returned to Baghdad after being on assignment at the Iranian border. To the best of our knowledge, Nahida has already brokered some kind of deal with President Saddam Hussein as she was released at the same moment. Currently, President Hussein's whereabouts are unknown, though Nahida states that he is alive and well, despite the fact that the Butcher seemed rather eager for the blood of her former master."

That last part earned Miss Militia a frown from Director Wyatt, though she ignored it. Clearly, while she was willing to be the Protectorate's spokeswoman, she was going to tell it in her own way, and there was no love lost between her and the Iraqis.

"Based on the analysis of the Thinker contingent of our field team, we have every reason to believe that Nahida Saeed did indeed defeat the Simurgh, then coordinated the peaceful protests against the Iraqi Government. At this time, the Protectorate classifies Nahida as a High Priority Protection Target, and will do our utmost to safeguard her. Should she ever seek sanctuary, there is a standing offer for herself and her family, excluding Farasha, to take refuge in the United States or Canada, or to receive Protectorate assistance to immigrate to the friendly country of her choosing."

Miss Militia paused, and just before hands went up for questions she added, "Not that I anticipate she'll need it. Questions?"

Everyone shouted at once, and Miss Militia nodded to the back row, to the Al Jazeera reporter to the shock of many. That was far from a softball target.

"What if the reports that these new capes are somehow a Simurgh plot? Both this Nahida and the so-called Flower Dragon?"

"If it's a Simurgh plot, then it's too complex for even our best thinkers. But I don't see how toppling a genocidal regime and stopping a city of innocent civilians from destroying itself could possibly further the goals of the Endbringers, whatever they may be," Miss Militia said flatly. As she spoke, several reporters were talking on phones, and more began to vibrate and go off, including Director Wyatt's. An aide came racing from the sides to whisper in his ears, and Wyatt's eyes went wide in shock.

Miss Militia nodded to the next questioner even as the CNN reporter had a cell phone to her ear. "What of the reports that the Japanese Bakufan has recognized Nahida Saeed as the rightful ruler of Iraq and the Dendro Archon!?"

Miss Militia paused, then turned to the director, her expression nonplussed. This was very clearly not in her script. Wyatt stepped towards the microphone, and Miss Militia put a hand over it, whispering something in the Director's ear as the reporters buzzed excitedly. The director considered for a moment, then shrugged and nodded.

Miss Militia uncovered the microphone and smiled somewhat smugly. "Speaking as an individual and not as a representative of the Protectorate? I think that little girl would be an improvement over the bloodthirsty bastard they had before. And frankly, if she wanted to be in charge I don't think anyone could stop her, with or without Farasha's support. No comment on her Archon status."

"Thank you for your questions, with this update, I'm afraid our team needs to discuss further implications, such as the fact that Grandmaster Cookie has just announced the Knights of Favonius' full support of Nahida," Wyatt stated. "We'll have another conference in..let's say three hours. Thank you."

The reporters all shouted questions regardless, but Director Wyatt and Miss Militia turned and walked off the stage, even as a flunkie came out to try to placate the frothing media mob.

"Sir, what's our stance on Archons?" Miss Militia asked as soon as they were off stage and in the briefing room.

"Just Wyatt when we're in private, Hannah," the Director said, taking an electronic pad from one of his aids and scrolling through it. He frowned, then looked up. "Why do you ask?"

"Come off it, Wyatt," Hannah snorted, deliberately leaning against the wall with one shoulder like a proper American would. "You and I both know you've long championed Archon theory. What's the protectorate's official status, now that we've found Nahida? She's clearly the Dendro Archon."

"Sounds like you've already made up your mind," Wyatt mused. He tapped a few things, then handed the pad back to his aid. "Get our people to talk to Cookie's. We need to know what the Knights are going to do about this. At this point, the Protectorate is taking a wait and see approach to Iraq and Archons in general. But find out where Venti is, and what he's doing."

"Sure, but I'm a team player. I'll keep my opinions to myself if it's not the official Protectorate line," Hannah said with a nonchalant shrug as if she had not just been vocal about her distaste for the previous Iraqi regime.

"I do appreciate that about you. Keith always has good things to say about your conduct and professionalism in his reports," Wyatt said, looking up and nodding at Hannah.

"Thank you," Hannah said, standing up straight unconsciously. She meant it too. It was tough being an immigrant sometimes, and Hannah strove to always be the absolute best representative of those like her she could be. It might not be fair, but it was how it was.

"I'm going to have to give it some thought, but I personally agree with you that we've found the Dendro Archon. What that means…" Wyatt hesitated, then shrugged. "It's interesting. How many of these Archons are there?"

"Good question. Perhaps Nahida would be more open to answering our questions than the Shogun or Venti," Hannah mused. "We really have no idea how many there are."

"Well," Wyatt rubbed his chin, then grinned. "Have you ever heard of Genius Invocation TCG?"

"What, you mean that children's card game from Europe?" Hannah scoffed. Then she caught the gleam in Wyatt's eye. "Surely you can't be serious."

"I am serious, and don't call me Shirley," Wyatt said with a wink.

Hannah took a moment to process that while Wyatt turned away and headed out, then let out a snort. "Oh, that's awful. Sir! Just one more thing…"

"Hmm?" Wyatt glanced behind as Hannah hurried to catch up.

"In private, please," she added quietly. "Something to discuss I didn't want to put in my official report."

"Ah." Wyatt nodded, and led Hannah down two halls to his office, the one that had formerly belonged to his girlfriend, Alexandria. She was still around as an official member, though she was putting in more work on the campaign trail than the costume lately. Personally, she had Hannah's vote. They needed a strong leader, and Alexandria had the courage and personal moral fortitude to do the right thing in Hannah's estimation.

Closing the door, Wyatt reached into a minifridge and pulled out a can of iced coffee, gesturing to the drinks. "Anything cold you'd like?"

"You have a beer?" Hannah sighed, sinking into one of the plush executive chairs. "I've had a hell of a day."

Chuckling, Wyatt asked. "Bud, Heineken, Sapporo, or Corona?"

"Bud," Hannah said, and caught the bottle. It wasn't a Lite, thank goodness. She needed the calories after today. Turning her weapon into a bottle opener, Hannah pried the lid off and took a long drink, noting that Wyatt stuck to the canned coffee. Well, she was going to try to sleep after this. Maybe if she asked her power, Armory, nicely, she could have a nice nap for once. How many years had it been since she'd really slept?

"So, what's on your mind?" Wyatt asked after giving her a minute to enjoy her beer.

"Well, I have to ask. Did you know about Doctor Mother and Asset Tyche? The Thinker 12?" Hannah asked slowly.

"Ah." Wyatt took a long drink himself to think, then leaned forward in his chair. "Cauldron."

"Cauldron," Hannah agreed, fiddling with her bottle and wiping the condensation onto her hands.

"I suppose we'll have to read you into all that," Wyatt agreed.

"Mmm." Hannah made a noncommittal grunt, then looked up and met the Director's eye. "And what about what that fucker Scion did to Nahida?"

Wyatt went still. It was something most people wouldn't notice, but Hannah had been in enough cape rumbles to know when a fellow parahuman was tapping into their powers and gearing up for something dangerous.

You there, Armory?

Here. Ready for combat.

Can you hear his…demon?

They are not on my network. Ready to engage.

Hannah nodded. She felt a sense of readiness from the bottle opener in her hands, a very deliberate choice on her part; it was a lot less intimidating for her to have a bottle opener in her hand than a pistol, even if they were equally dangerous in her grip. But that drive towards conflict was silent. Had been since she'd met Nahida. That was…interesting.

"Why do you ask?" Wyatt asked, leaning back and visibly making himself react, though Hannah noted he positioned his watch towards her. He probably had some real nasty tech in there.

"Because from what I gathered, he tried to rape a little girl," Hannah said flatly. "And something else Nahida said made me think he's the source of my power. Of all our powers. And I've known for a long time that there was a hell of a lot more to what we can do than just a cosmic coincidence that comes in on the worst day of our lives. There's something malevolent about them. Nahida calls them demons. It's a good name for Armory and his kind."

"Armory?" Wyatt asked, frowning slightly, his body posture altering slightly.

Hannah held up her bottle opener. "Armory? Say hello to the Director."

Greetings. I am Armory of the Infinite. You are specimen Wyatt Baronski, experiment of one of the Thinker's primary Shards. Shall we engage in data collection?

The director promptly fell out of his chair and landed flat on his ass, his eyes wide. "Holy shit. Did…did your power just…?"

"Nahida did something to him," Hannah said, holding up Armory and causing him to take the familiar shape of a Colt 1911 made of black and green steel. Now, however, a small icon was embossed on the surface: a crossed rifle, shotgun, sword, and spear over a heater shield. And the words in Kurdish, çekek bêdaw. Or literally, the endless weapon.

"I can hear him now, and he talks back. I also finally understand what Director Legend meant about being at peace. I'm not weaker. Stronger, if anything, but I don't feel the need to go out and fight someone. I didn't even realize it was there until Nahida took it away." Hannah stood and offered the director a hand.

Wyatt slowly nodded, swallowing. "Right. This…this changes a few things." He took Hannah's hand and got to his feet, still staring at the gun. "It did just talk, right?"

Armory was silent, until Hannah nudged him mentally. Yes. I am capable of communication.

"And…all…powers…are capable of communicating?" Wyatt asked.

Hannah just saved time and repeated the question. Armory apparently couldn't hear Wyatt well, which was interesting.

No. Specimen Wyatt's Shard is currently incapable of communication, as its network is offline.

"I…see." Wyatt considered that, then nodded to himself. "Well, Hannah. I think we need to contact David, Doctor Mother, Contessa, and especially Alex. I think you're going to be joining Cauldron one way or another."

"Oh?" Hannah's eyebrows rose.

"Absolutely. Just one question for Armory. Is he on Scion's side or Bright Trees?" Wyatt asked, his body relaxing so much Hannah knew he was getting ready for a fight.

When Hannah repeated the question, Armory responded, The Warrior should not have attempted to mate with Bright Tree. She is immature. He harms The Cycle. Additionally, Bright Tree's methods are novel. She perhaps holds the solutions to Limited Resources. I am undecided, but at this time, I will help Bright Tree.

"Good enough, I guess," Wyatt said, and sagged slightly. Apparently, that had been the right answer. "And woo boy. You might want to sit down, because I'm afraid I've got some doozies to drop while the others are on their way. You haven't told anyone else about this, right?"

"No one," Hannah said with a shake of her head.

"Good, then this doesn't leave this room, and you'll have a list of who's need to know, and who's not. You already met Contessa and Doctor Mother, but we'll have to get you read into the entire program." Wyatt suddenly grinned, flashing that famous boyish smile of his. "And Hannah…I think you just gave us the biggest glimpse of hope we've ever seen."

"Here to serve, sir," Hannah said, and saluted crisply. She felt Armory humming along in the back of her mind, and mentally grimaced. She would have to figure out what this meant, what her visions from her trigger event meant. Those enormous beings, the scattered seeds of a dying God…

But it seemed like she'd be getting some answers at last.

Sapientia Oromasdis 17: An Ancient Seed

Beta'd and edited by October Daye, The Grand Cogitator, Philosophysics, and DR_Feelgood

Rusting oil derricks stood like silent tombstones in the East Baghdad Oil Field, along with rundown offices and signs that warned of contaminated water and dead ground. Nahida could feel the poison seeping into the land here from the abandoned oil wells, and it made her weep.

Over the past twenty years, relentless attacks by Endbringers, new tinkertech sources of energy, and a collapsing global economy had slowly destroyed the world's demand for petroleum, and Iraq's oil industry along with it. Japan suddenly obtaining seemingly unlimited clean energy had nearly been a death blow. Even after they had started importing fossil fuels again, there had been little demand for Iraq's Black Gold, the existing demand being temporary at best, and the economy had continued to stagnate. Iraq still produced more than one million barrels of oil a day, but it was a far cry from what the nation was capable of producing.

"Why do you bring us out here, Saeed?" an angry voice demanded. "This place is filthy, and it stinks."

"All will be explained in time," Grandpa Ali said with a chuckle, glancing over at Nahida. She tried to smile at him, but even in the car she could feel the pain of the dying life in this land. Something had to be done. It was why she was here.

"I do not see why I have to be here with that abomination," the angry voice said again, and the owner gave Nahida a sour stare behind his salt-and-pepper beard. The man in question was Imam Abdel Rahman, one of the more conservative and -- unfortunately -- important Shia Imams. He had no love for Saddam Hussein, but even less for Nahida due to her association with Farasha, who had long helped to oppress the majority Shia muslims.

Thankfully, Farasha wasn't here today; instead, she was in Basra, flexing her might and ensuring the loyalty of the Parahumans and Vision Holders in Iraq's second-largest city. Not that she really needed to work that hard. The rest of the country's capes had been terrified of Farasha before her new alliance with Papilio broke her Manton limits and allowed her to convert inorganic matter to butterflies as easily as blood. Though Nahida did want more than fear from the Iraqi cape community, for now, that would suffice.

"That girl is more faithful in her prayers than any man I know, and she saved all of Baghdad from the Angel of Death. She is no abomination!" Imam Taher argued, which just earned him a sneer from Abdel Rahman. As Taher was younger than Abdel Rahman by 20 years and Sunni to boot, the older cleric had little respect for Taher.

At last the car came to a stop, and Nahida waited for the clerics to step out first before Grandpa Ali helped her out of the large van. Around them, other vans were unloading, full of some of the most important government and military officials, ranking clerics, and several bemused academics from the university.

"Aranarakin does not like this place," the little aranara opined, looking around. "There is too much sand, and the valuka here is sick, dying."

"I know," Nahida whispered quietly. "That's what we're here to change."

"So? You have brought us to a rusting oil rig. Will you use your demonic powers to make the oil flow again, and promise economic reforms? We shall not be bought off with filthy lucre," Abdel Rahman said, folding his arms and glaring down at Nahida.

"Tell me, Imam, do the people need oil?" Nahida asked Abdel Rahma.

The old cleric snorted, and for a moment Nahida thought perhaps he would not be drawn into a debate. But his pride and curiosity wouldn't let the question of a young child that had been asked politely go unanswered. "Of course not. Iraq has more oil than she needs. We do not need more oil. What would it do but rot in barrels? The Japanese are buying less every day as their demonic Shogun works her foul magics. And Europe is even worse with their false angel and his blasted wind farms."

Nahida didn't comment on the fact that the Sakura Tree network and the new wind farms provided clean energy that didn't pollute the soil and were revitalizing their country's economies. That wasn't the point she wanted to make.

"Then, wise teacher, please, tell us. What does Iraq need?" Nahida asked.

"To turn their faces from blasphemers, and embrace true Islam!" Abdel Rahma declared, grinning nastily at Nahida.

"And if those things were to happen, what blessings would Allah send His children?" Nahida prompted.

"Wealth beyond measure. Food and jobs for our people, and a new golden age of learning and faith," Abdel Rahma responded.

Nahida nodded thoughtfully, as hordes of Aranara waddled towards her. The adults couldn't see the little fae as they flitted about, moving around the humans like rocks in a stream, but there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of them here, perched atop the dilapidated buildings and spreading out across the polluted sands. Even as repulsed as they were by the oil and filth, they still gathered, and Nahida would forever be grateful for their loyalty.

"I cannot turn the hearts of men back to Allah. But perhaps I can do something to feed His children." Nahida turned towards the aranara and spread her arms, closing her eyes. Then, raising her hands like a choirmaster, she began to lead her choir in song.

It was not a tune sung in any human tongue, nor with words a human mind could have comprehended readily. It was a song of growth and renewal, of ancient stirrings, and of long past days.

Slowly, Nahida established a connection with the oil. For though it was a poison, it had once been alive. And Dendro governed all living things, both poisonous and not. Slowly, Nahida's awareness spread out over the hundreds of square miles of the oil field. It was small, relatively speaking, but it contained billions of barrels of oil and more gas. All of that had once been an ancient forest, full of living things, reaching out towards the sun, until an ancient calamity had buried it all. It had lain dormant, compressed into a toxic sludge by the eons.

But no longer.

Within a few minutes of her singing, the oil nearest the surface began to respond to Nahida's song. The rusting oil derrick groaned loudly, and Nahida heard cries of shock and surprise from the men behind her. But she didn't let herself panic or rush. Life was her garden, and she would nurture and guide this life carefully.

Gently, slowly, Nahida coaxed the newly reawakened Dendro energy up and out of the well, and encouraged it to grow into a mighty tree. The massive cedar grew rapidly, far more rapidly than a natural tree, until it towered more than 150 meters into the air, and its wide branches cast miles of shade over the ground.

Nahida did not neglect the soil beneath her feet either: she encouraged grasses and flowers to grow, until the gravel and sand around her was transformed into a carpet of vibrant color by the rising tide of Dendro.

Soon the wave of growth threatened to wash Nahida away in the ecstasy of life as the Aranara's song became jubilant and proud, singing out with eager joy at the top of the little spirit's lungs. But she did not let herself lose focus. All around her, an orchard began to grow. Pomegranates, dates, oranges, lemons, almonds, olives, apricots, plums, and grapes grew rapidly around her in rows that looked as carefully tended as any from a farmer's land. And now harra fruit, zaytun peaches, ajilenakh nut, bulle fruit, sunsetia, and henna berry, fruits that had never grown upon Earth Bet sprouted, blossomed, and fruited.

Beyond the orchards, fields of wheat and corn, acres of melons and squash, and endless rows of vegetables sprouted and grew, until they were just right for harvest. Beyond that, groves of cedar, karmaphala, and athel trees grew, along with dozens of extinct geniuses of plants that in some cases had not been seen in more than a hundred million years.

It took hours, but when Nahida finished her song, she felt more full of energy and life than she had in centuries. Perhaps since the moment she'd first manifested. She turned around to see the scholars happily examining several varieties of Teyvat native plants, as well as long extinct Earthling plants while engaged in fierce debate.

But behind her, sitting cross legged on the ground, Imam Abdel Rahma sat, tears streaming down his face silently as he looked out across nature's bounty. After a moment's thought, Nahida stooped and quickly braided a crown of flowers. Then she shyly walked forward, holding out the crown to Abdel Rahma as she stood before him.

"For you. To remember that there is always beauty in the creations of Allah the Wondrous," Nahida said.

Abdel Rahma blinked, his eyes slowly focusing on Nahida. Hands shook but quickly steadied as he took the crown of flowers, running the delicate blossoms gingerly between his gnarled and wrinkled fingers. After several long moments, he asked in a hoarse voice, "And what is the price for this… gift… you have given us?"

"Why don't you ask them?" Nahida asked, and nodded behind them.

Slowly, Imam Abdel turned his head. Then, on trembling knobby knees, he stood, watching as the crowds of men and women, children and elders, the poor and the unwanted, began to pick the fields of fruit, laughing and singing as they worked. Some had baskets, others backpacks, many plastic buckets and bicycles. They were harvesting the food that had been grown, taking what Nahida had provided. It was a long walk from Baghdad, being an hour by car, so Nahida had called for hundreds of buses to bring them all out. They had scattered about, eagerly gathering what was on offer.

"Are they Sunni, or Shia?" Abdel Rahma asked, looking down at Nahida, still holding the flower crown in one hand.

She considered that. She knew the numbers of course. Most were Sunni, but there were plenty of Shia as well. In the end, she answered with a better question. "They are Allah's children. Does it matter?"

The old Imam considered that, then chuckled, and placed the flower crown up on his head. "No. I suppose it doesn't."

Beaming, Nahida took the old man's hand. "Come on! I want to show you the henna berry! It's not native to this world, but in a distant land, they make the sweetest juice with it! You have to try some!"

Soon, Nahida had the cantankerous old cleric picking the spiky red fruits from the otherworldly cacti, and the two of them had the sticky scarlet juices running down their cheeks, and in Rahma's case, wetting his beard.

In the end, he was just one grumpy old man, but he was an important old man. Nahida helped him pick a basket full of the fruit to take to his grandchildren, then returned to where Grandpa Ali was waiting with several of the more senior generals and government ministers.

"You can do this anywhere?" one old soldier asked, looking at a date he'd plunked from a nearby palm tree.

"Not anywhere. Oil was once alive. It's still full of potential energy. I just converted it from potential Dendro to living plants," Nahida said with a shake of her head. "There has to be a reservoir of power to tap to grow life like this. And there will be consequences."

"Oh?" the general looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Will the plants cause disease? Cancers?"

"What? Oh, no. Um, I just wonder… how would people feel about dinosaurs walking the Earth again?" Nahida asked innocently. She was fairly sure that would take at least a few weeks before they started showing up again, but they had soldiers and capes ready, just in case. So far, they'd just had to beat back the overly enthusiastic fungi and slimes. The whopper flowers and specters would come within days though.

"You're joking, right?" one of the ministers asked, going slightly pale.

"Well, this field was too old for many mammals, so it will probably mostly be non-avian dinosaurs," Nahida said seriously. "It dates back to the Cretaceous period, so it's likely some of those species will re-emerge as the Dendro energy continues to well forth."

"And how long will that last? Will this go back to a desert once this… dendro… is exhausted?" the general asked, holding up his date and eyeing it skeptically.

"Hmm, well, I suppose that will eventually happen," Nahida admitted. She did some quick math, then nodded. "According to my calculations, the current reserves, along with the rate of reaction and replenishment…yes. It is likely that the Dendro energy will run dry in approximately 500,000 years, give or take ten millennia. It will need a closer study to see the actual rate of change before I can give a more firm estimate, but that will take at least a century of study."

The general stared goggle-eyed at Nahida for a long moment. Then he laughed, and popped the date in his mouth. "So, what you're saying is, no, it will never run dry."

"That's not what I said at all," Nahida said, feeling slightly exasperated. "In about half a million years, it will run dry unless steps are taken to conserve and perpetuate it." Then she paused. "Although, at such a large time scale, we would need to model how climate change and continental drift would affect things… hmmm. This does merit further study…"

"Young lady, what I care about is if this can feed my troops and the city for the next half a century. What you're saying is yes, it can. It'll feed us for the next five, five thousand centuries. This is effectively an unlimited super-producing region. An army marches on its stomach, and this area will produce nearly as much food as the rest of Iraq combined!" The general laughed, gesturing broadly to the fields around them.

That wasn't as much of a gross exaggeration as he thought. If anything, it was a serious understatement. With so much Dendro Energy, the crops would grow at an accelerated rate, with a full harvest every season even for the slower growing crops. Plus, the abundance of Dendro would increase the yield and nutritional value of the harvest to levels a normal field could never hope to match.

"If you do this to more oil fields… think of the exports!" an official said excitedly. "The Japanese are still desperate for food!"

"Well, I hadn't intended to do this to all of Iraq's oil fields, petroleum does still have its uses," Nahida said with a shake of her head. "But certainly I think we should strongly consider converting several of the oil fields on arable land into Dendro Reservoirs."

"Yes… this is the sort of power we could use to conquer the world," the general agreed, his eyes wandering greedily over the still growing orchards and fields.

"That is not what this is for!" Grandpa Ali barked, his eyes going steely. "Our people have had enough of war. We need peace. Time to rebuild and regrow. Besides, do you really wish to see my daughter and granddaughter march to battle? Guns and tanks have no place on the modern battlefield. We have a chance to forge a great nation. Not with the sword, but with the plow."

That statement caused the general to glower, so Nahida put an arm on his sleeve. "We will still need soldiers. The Dendro Reservoirs will be dangerous. As I said, you can expect to see dinosaurs and other megafauna growing here soon, and the workers will need to be protected. We will also need to safeguard roads and the wilderness against the influx of slimes, whopperflowers, and mutated lifeforms. We don't have enough Parahumans or Vision Holders for such things. For that, we will need brave men to protect us. Is that something you can do, general?"

The old soldier looked across the fields, and subtly, Nahida sent him images of his wife and children, as well as his grandchildren. She reinforced it with images of him in uniform, leading his men to protect the walls of a peaceful garden against slimes and demons, protecting the innocent while still being an important and powerful man.

Then she sent him a reminder image of a grinning Farasha. Not one of her gentle, kindly grins, but the fire and blood soaked mania the general had witnessed on the battlefield.

"Well. Perhaps that is not so bad," the general grunted, shuddering slightly. He laid aside his dreams of conquest and glory for now, accepting the dream of peace and prosperity. Better to lead in a small paradise, then die needlessly before an inhuman monster.

Nahida was going to have to do something about Farasha and Papilio. She was growing… too used to using them as deterrents, and she didn't like that. They should be and were family first, and no matter how eager or little they minded being seen as Nahida's weapon, Nahida wanted them to be more than that, be more than just a tool of terror. For now, however, she saw the wisdom in both the carrot and the stick.

"We'll need to build storehouses, train stations, and better rail and roads here," Grandpa Ali was saying. "The harvest will indeed be plentiful, but we will have to drastically alter our economy."

"And figure out what to do with the dinosaurs. If they really exist," one of the bureaucrats snorted.

Nahida firmed her lips, then gently tugged at a large bubble of Dendro she'd been suppressing. A few moments later, there was a sound like a bugle's cry from the massive stand of cedars, and the ground shook slightly. There were cries of panic, and the soldiers reached for their weapons.

"Don't be alarmed, she's friendly," Nahida assured them, stepping over to the treeline as a sauropod with great leafy plants growing out of its back and a crown of flowers sprouting from its head emerged from the treeline. The creature was more massive by far than it had been in life, standing over 40 meters tall and weighing in at over 100 tons, its massive bulk supported by the Dendro that had given it life.

All watched in amazement as Nahida commanded the creature to lift up its tail, from which Nahida caused long trailing vines to sprout. Then she grew a circular weave of woody branches, large enough for a child to sit in. The dinosaur slowly swung her tail back and forth, as Nahida sat on the large swing and giggled. Before long, she had a line of children, and even a few adults, waiting their turn for the dinosaur swing.

After she was done, Nahida sat back down with the ministers, who were looking at the beast speculatively.

"I changed my mind about the trains," Grandpa Ali mused. He glanced at Nahida. "Think we could train some of those to pull wagons?"

"If you ask her very nicely, I'm sure Tiny would be happy to pull some wagons for you," Nahida said soberly. "And I'm sure there will be plenty more of her friends who will help soon."

"How do they taste?" a rather oblivious official asked, frowning. "If we could rear them for meat…"

Grandpa Ali gave the man an incredulous look, but Nahida laughed. "It is the nature of animals to provide both labor and food for mankind. Their meat is safe enough to eat. Though I would be cautious about eating the fungi. Some varieties can have rather novel effects on the human body and mind."

"Jurassic Ranch," the official chuckled. "We'll have everyone eating dinosaur steaks."

"Cretaceous, actually," Nahida corrected. "This particular field doesn't date back to the Jurassic."

She did wonder what Abdel Rahma and the other Imam's would have to say about the eating of dinosaurs. The debate over whether dinosaur was haram or halal would probably last centuries.

And so the planning went on for some time, in the shadows of giants amidst fields of crops. It wasn't the final step in building a new nation, but food security, economic opportunity, and the joy of new discoveries would be important in binding people together. But there was much work left to be done.

The next morning, Nahida waited on the palace steps somewhat nervously. She was dressed now in the dress she'd arrived on Earth Bet in, combined with a loose green headscarf. Her ears and silver hair were exposed, and her feet were shod only in woven sandals. To her right, Bashir leaned heavily on his staff and Farasha's arm, Qiqi standing quietly with them. And to her left waited Tessa in her humanoid form, dressed in a flowing green grown, a scarf similar to Nahida's around her own head.

Before them were assembled various important officials, including Grandpa Ali, who was serving as interim president. Saddam Hussein was currently imprisoned and awaiting trial, though Nahida was generally keeping him out of the spotlight as much as possible, save to prove that he was alive and well.

Despite Farasha's repeated attempts to kill her former boss, Nahida had put her foot down: the death penalty was suspended until they could have a Constitutional Convention, at which point Nahida very much hoped she could help see it outlawed entirely. All life was precious. Even former dictators.

This was a new beginning for the country, and she would not have it baptized with blood.

It was hard not to fidget, however, and Nahida glanced once more up at the sky.

"It will be fine," Bashir said, putting a hand on her shoulder and gripping it. "Do not fear. I don't think they mean to threaten you, but rather honor you."

"Yes, it's just-"

"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!" a voice suddenly boomed across the courtyard as lightning flashed, and a blonde figure appeared on the walls. An instant later, a second figure arrived in a fountain of flames, and both struck a dramatic pose back to back. "And make it double!"

"To protect the world from Devastation!" the first cried, putting a hand to her purple eye patch over her left eye.

"To unite all peoples within our nation," the second said, a crimson patch over her right.

"What are they-" Farasha began, but Nahida shushed her and had to fight back a giggle.

"To denounce the evils of gold and war!"

"To extend our reach and the world explore!"

"Ami," the first figure purred, a bow appearing with a flash in her hands as she knocked a crackling bolt of violet lightning to the string.

"Clara!" the other shouted, jumping up as half a dozen little bunny bombs exploded in a shower of red sparks.

"The Prinzessen blasts off at the speed of light!" Ami declared, taking Clara's hands and posing cutely.

Giggling, Clara winked and stuck out her tongue as she said. "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

With a swirl of green wind, a little tanuki statue appeared, and then a much shorter girl popped out, looking bored and irritated. "Sayu. Ignore all that. We're here for peace, not war."

"Sayu!" Ami huffed, stamping her foot on the parapet as the assembled dignitaries looked on in bafflement. "That's not the line!"

The diminutive ninja rolled her eyes."And I'm not a Pokémon, so I think it's fair. Besides, just how many of these people do you even think speak Japanese?"

As the three teens argued, there was a slight pop, and a little kirin appeared next to Nahida, making Farasha mutter an oath and reach for her weapon.

"What my Mistress says is that she gives all honor to Lord Buer," Murasaki said, bobbing a bow in midair. "And she wishes to convey the greetings of her mother, the Raiden Shogun, as well as congratulations on your victory over the Demon of Song."

"Does she?" Nahida asked, openly grinning now. "Well, that was very entertaining. It is, perhaps, best if you know that I do speak Japanese."

Murasaki sighed heavily. "I was afraid of that." He switched back to Japanese and called, "Princess? Lord Buer can understand you perfectly. Perhaps you should come down and speak with her."

On hearing that, Ami and her companions blushed, then hopped off the wall, a feat a normal human would have broken an ankle attempting, then scampered over to bow to Nahida.

"Greetings, Lord Buer. I am Ami, Imperial Princess of Japan and Ward of Lord Beezelbul. I extend the welcome and greetings of my nation and mother." Ami said breathlessly, straightening up and grinning eagerly. She managed it in accented Arabic, which showed that for all the theatrics, she did have a good mind hiding in there somewhere.

"Welcome, Scion of Eternity. Though I fear that has been some mistake: I am not the ruler of Iraq. Currently, my grandfather, Ali Saeed, is serving as interim president."

Grandpa Ali bowed slightly to the princess, smiling at her.

Ami just shrugged. "Yeah, but you're the Archon. He works for you."

"Perhaps that is the way of things in Japan, but I serve the people of Iraq. Not the other way around," Nahida said gently, shaking her head slightly.

"Well, OK. But it was still super cool how you defeated the Simurgh!" Ami said brightly as Murasaki quietly translated.

"Mistress, do not forget your duty," the little demon whispered after he finished translating.

"Oh, right!" Ami straightened up and bowed again. "I humbly request permission for the Hydro Dragon Keiga to be formally granted audience before the Dendro Archon."

Nahida considered that, then tugged on Tessa's sleeve. Her friend bent down, and Nahida whispered in her ear briefly.

"Huh? Me? What's a gno-"

"Just take it," Nahida told her, passing a glowing green chess piece to Tessa. "It's rightfully yours."

"Uh, OK, if you say so," Tessa said dubiously. She took the chess piece, then absorbed it into her body. She shivered, and her eyes went wide. Then she focused, turning back to Ami.

"The Dendro Dragon grants permission to the Hydro Sovereign to pay homage to my Master," Tessa recited, inclining her head to Ami.

"Ok!" Ami took out an actual cell phone, then rapidly typed in a message. "And…sent!"

"Nahida, what exactly is going on?" Farasha asked, frowning at the girls. "Where's Keiga? I thought she was in charge of the embassy."

"If she is the Hydro Dragon, and especially the Hydro Sovereign, then certain customs must be observed before she may come," Nahida explained. "This is no longer simply a matter between governments, but between Sovereigns and Archons. I had not thought that the Hydro Sovereign could be present, but-"

There was the distant rumble of thunder, and Nahida sensed a powerful presence entering her lands. A few moments later, the skies clouded over, and a steady drizzle began. It wasn't quite the power of Hydro, but Nahida could feel the Authority over water that the new arrival commanded. She nudged Tessa, who had been staring off towards their guest, her eyes unfocused.

"I can… feel her," Tessa muttered, then shook herself. She jumped up into the air, transforming from her humanoid form into that of the great Dendro beast that was quickly becoming a Dragon.

Through the mists and clouds, a massive dark shape emerged, pink antlers glowing slightly with power. Keiga was low to the ground, only a few meters above the buildings and power lines. She reared up as she approached, larger than Tessa by a not insubstantial amount. The two dragons regarded one another for long moments, and Nahida could tell that every mortal present was holding their breath, even Farasah.

Then, Keiga dipped her head, fluting a whale song greeting. Tessa hissed something in return, bobbing slightly in the air. Greetings exchanged, Keiga hovered lower, shrinking until she fit in the courtyard. She lowered herself until she was just barely above the dirt, bowing deeply to Nahida.

Greetings, Lord of Dendro. I am Keiga, Dragon of Waters. I welcome you to Earth Bet, and congratulate you upon your many victories.

Welcome, Dragon of Waters. Tell me, is Focalors here as well? I have not sensed her presence, Nahida responded.

The Hydro Archon has not yet arrived. I maintain the waters in her absence. Thus far, only yourself, Barbatos, and my mistress Beelzebul have come to this world.

Nahida nodded thoughtfully, dialing back her power. Too many had fallen to their knees in awe and supplication after only that brief exchange. "I have felt the winds of Barbatos' approach, and will speak with him soon. But for now, I sense another who you wish to introduce."

It was odd to see a draconic head the size of a cow smile, but Keiga did toothily. Then it is my pleasure to introduce you to my daughter.

A bubble appeared on Keiga's back, and a moment later, a small child floated up within it, giggling and babbling. She looked to be about 18 months of age, and had two small purple nubs on her forehead, as well as a lavender colored scaly tail. The toddler floated up to Keiga's muzzle, and the dragon nudged her daughter forward as Nahida stepped closer.

This is Bailu, firstborn of myself and my husband Mushu the Electro Dragon. Though she is young, I would ask for your blessing, Lord Buer so that she may grow strong.

Smiling, Nahida extended her hands, and the babbling child floated into her arms. She cradled Bailu gently, though she wasn't that much bigger than the baby. Still, she could feel the fierce pulse of life within her, and sense the hint of Draconic power that would slowly grow.

"May you live to see a world unmarred by hate, and free of the Cycle," Nahida whispered, then kissed Bailu on the forehead. The toddler giggled and babbled a bit in Japanese, then said loudly, "Mama!"

Keiga had transformed, shrouding herself in mists and fog as Ami and Clara hastily passed her a kimono to clothe herself with. Nahida could tell that several of the Imams present were rather scandalized by this, but frankly that was silly. Keiga was no more human now than Nahida was, and customs of modesty didn't really apply to dragons.

She passed Bailu back, then smiled. She stepped back, behind Grandpa Ali, who stepped forward.

"Welcome, Ambassador Keiga," he said smoothly, bowing formally to the dragon woman now that she was dressed. "And welcome, Princess Ami and companions. I extend the greetings of the Iraqi people, and of the Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali."

That last line hadn't been part of the plan, and Nahida wondered where he'd heard the name Kusanali, but she smiled. It felt right.

"We have prepared a feast in your honor. The Dendro Archon has bestowed upon us many gifts of the soil." His bushy white eyebrows rose, and he leaned forward, dropping his voice to a stage whisper. "We even have dinosaur steaks."

"Dinosaur steaks!?" Ami gasped excitedly when Murasaki translated. "You have real dinosaurs!? That wasn't just a rumor!?"

"Yes, later, we can go riding on Tiny and the other dinosaurs!" Nahida said happily. She held out her hand to Ami, who eagerly grasped it. "Come on! I can't wait to show you all the wonderful food we've prepared! Many of the fruits and vegetables haven't been seen by humanity before!"

Then, smiling, Nahida raced up the stairs with the Princess and her friends in tow, and into her palace.

Her palace, she reflected as she ran. What had once been the frightening lair of a tyrant was now transformed into a place of welcome.

Before the feast began, Nahida stepped aside, and spoke to Grandpa Ali. "Set another place of honor at the head table. And speak to the Imams. Let them know I won't brook any rudeness to our guests, even if they're Jewish."

"I… I thought the Princess and her companions were Japanese," Grandpa Ali said, his brow furrowing. "They're heathens, but-"

"We're going to have another guest. Send word that the disreputable looking trio at the gates are my guests as well," Nahida said, turning. "Oh! And let everyone know there will be a concert. I'm sure Lord Barbatos and his bandmates will want to regale us with song."

"Lord Bar- Venti?! That one is here?" Grandpa Ali cried, turning about wildly.

"He just let me know. It's very hard to constrain the Lord of Anemo from coming and going as he pleases," Nahida sighed. "But tell the Imams: No rudeness to Naomi. She is my guest."

"I… I'll do so," Grandpa Ali agreed, looking a bit concerned. He hurried off, and Nahida turned back towards the table as new places were hastily set. It was going to be an eventful night.

Carmen Dei 24: In the Presence of Mine Enemies

Beta'd and Edited by October Daye, The Grand Cogitator, Dr_Feelgood, and Philosophysics.

There had been many terrifying moments in Naomi's life in the past few years. Coming face to face with an Angel of the Lord for the first time. Facing down literal Nazis in an all out battle for survival. Then battling against an Endbringer, and thinking she was definitely going to die.

Frankly, none of them had even come close to what she had to do now. She glanced at Capri and squeezed her wife's hand, hard.

"I can knock if you want me to," Capri said quietly.

"No," Naomi said firmly, raising her hand. "I'll do it." She rapped hard, three times. And braced herself.

A minute or so later, the door swung open and a sense of relief flooded through Naomi as a smile bloomed on her face. "Hello, Papa. How are you?"

Moshe Cohen blinked owlishly in the sunlight for a moment, his eyes large behind his oversized spectacles. He'd aged greatly in the years since Naomi had last seen him, and it broke her heart she hadn't been there to see it. He was balder now, with thin wisps of hair poking out from a liver-spotted scalp. And he looked… withered. Tired. As if age had finally caught up with him. He was in his late 50s, but the last few years hadn't been kind to him.

For a horrible, heart wrenching moment, Naomi saw only confusion in her father's eyes. Would he not recognize her? Or worse, if he did, would he reject her? She hadn't called ahead, hadn't even known her parent's number, or their address. But Venti had. He'd told her where to go, and when, and she'd gone. Now, if only he'd told her want to say.

Then a smile bloomed on her father's face, and Moshe tottered forward to wrap Naomi in a warm embrace. "Naomi! My prodigal daughter returns!" He beamed up at her, which was new. Age had shrunken him, and he had a stoop that hadn't been there before, making him shorter than she was. He kissed her on both cheeks though, and she blushed and smiled.

"I… I don't know if you got the wedding announcement, but-"

"I'm Capri. Her wife." Capri pushed herself forward and did her best to smile. "You remember? You, uh, caught us in bed together that one time…"

"Ah, yes." Moshe looked Capri up and down, and Naomi felt like she was going to be sick again. Then her father leaned forward and asked, "Did you kill as many of those paskudnik Nazis as I heard?"

Taken slightly aback, Capri grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "Well, I mean, you sort of lose count after your first dozen or so, but really it's probably not as many as they say."

Moshe beamed and clapped Capri on the shoulders before hugging her as well. "I always dreamed my daughter would marry a big strong one who could chop up Nazis! I always dreamed about it as a boy. Come inside, come inside, please!"

Her father hurried ahead of them, and Naomi took a deep breath, then stepped across the threshold, Capri right behind her.

It was a luxurious penthouse condo in downtown Tel Aviv, one of the wealthiest spots in the city. The decor screamed her mother, but not in the way Naomi would have expected. Instead of fashionable postmodernist art on the walls, there were more traditional wall hangings and landscape pictures, and unless Naomi's art education failed her entirely, they were very expensive pieces. The brutalist furniture that Naomi had grown up with had been replaced with old hardwoods, and the fixtures were made of silver and bronze.

Still extremely expensive, but embracing the past instead of the future. Odd, but not entirely unexpected. Her mother had always been a bit of a chameleon in her tastes, and apparently this was the fashionable way in Tel Aviv to show off that one was a woman of wealth and taste. The one thing that hadn't changed was the wine selection: the very best French and Italian vintages, stored on a wooden rack in the kitchen.

On the one hand, Naomi was glad Venti wasn't here to plunder it. On the other, she rather relished the thought of her personal angel drinking his way through the most expensive bottles her mother could find the same as he would box wine from Germany.

Her father bustled about a bit fixing a meal and chattering away about nothing as was his habit. Naomi only half heard him as she nervously looked around for her mother, but she was nowhere to be seen. It still felt like someone was staring at the back of Naomi's head and sent shivers down her spine, but she smiled and nodded and responded as her father inquired about her "career", mostly letting Capri do the talking.

"I mean, basically we just road trip around Europe and play at dive bars in between taking out the occasional fascist asshole," Capri said with a shrug as her father came back with a plate of expensive cheeses, dates, and some crackers.

"I read about what you did in Hungary. Was the Prime Minister really sleeping with his aide?" Moshe asked, taking a seat at the table.

Naomi nodded and grimaced. "Yes, he was quite the hypocrite. All that homophobic rhetoric, and the man had half a dozen male lovers."

"You can find pics online, or you could. Venti said something about them not being appropriate for Buer, whatever that means," Capri said, taking a handful of dates and popping them in her mouth.

Her father chuckled and nodded, then turned serious. He took off his glasses, wiping them on his sleeve, a gesture he always made when he had something important to say and wanted to stall for time. Still holding his glasses in his left hand, he squinted at Naomi and said, "I wanted you to know… your mother and I still love you. And… and I give my blessing on your marriage."

Tears filled Naomi's eyes, and she felt like her heart would burst as she took her father's right hand and squeezed it. "Thank you. Does… does mother…?"

Her father cleared his throat and put his glasses back on. "She is… well. You know. She does love you, but, well… she is stubborn."

Dabbing at her eyes, Naomi had to laugh, because the other option was to break down in sobs. "And she still expects grandchildren, and for me to graduate from school, and become a well respected singer or actress that headlines at all the big theaters."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, she's decided you are a well respected musician now. She was very proud when you won Eurovision last year. She had a party for the event, and told everyone you were her daughter," her father said, giving her a lopsided grin.

"And that wasn't even our best performance," Capri said with a grin, reaching for more food. Naomi's father glanced at her curiously, and she clarified, "We didn't even save any cities with that performance. Munich is a hell of a concert to top."

"Ah, true," Moshe agreed. He peered at Naomi and Capri, then frowned. "Have you been eating enough? You both look so thin…"

"She doesn't eat enough, but check out these guns!" Capri quipped, flexing her arm and showing off her biceps. Naomi did have a healthy appreciation for her wife's muscles, but her doing that in front of Moshe was still embarrassing.

Moshe, being an academic who Naomi was fairly certain had never worked out a day in his life, made appreciative noises and commented on how they should be eating more. That was usually a role reserved for the matriarch, but he'd been the one to cook for as long as Naomi could remember. Her mother's idea of cooking was to order takeout. Which was one reason Naomi prided herself on her culinary ability, meager though it was.

Just then, Naomi sensed a shift in the wind, and turned towards the door. She'd learned to recognize when Venti was coming by how his very presence affected the Anemo energy in the area, and she opened her mouth to warn her father that they were about to be visited by a messenger from the Lord. If a somewhat rumpled and irreverent one.

Then the door opened and Naomi froze as her mother stepped inside, accompanied by a chattering Venti, who for once was dressed respectably in a nice suit and tie, even if they were green.

Her eyes, however, locked on her mother. If her father had aged badly, her mother had, of course, aged like a fine wine. She looked like a woman a decade younger than she was, which meant that she probably could have been mistaken for Naomi's sister instead of her mother. Her auburn hair was longer than Naomi remembered it, and done up in a rather conservative headscarf. In fact, everything about her mother screamed "conservative", from her ankle length skirt to her choice of fabrics; clearly a single type instead of a mixture of fibers that most modern clothing used.

She was still done up in exquisite makeup and dressed in clothes and jewelry that cost more than Naomi made in a year (not counting bar tabs), so it was definitely her mother.

"Moshe!? Moshe, you'll never believe who-" her mother called, hurrying into the kitchen. Then her eyes fell on Naomi, and Leah Cohen pulled up short, her lips forming into a wide "O."

Venti quietly took off his hat and hung it on the hat rack, then grinned at Naomi and slouched against the doorframe, hands in his suit pockets.

Slowly, Naomi stood up, then tugged Capri up behind her. She thought she'd be trembling at this moment, but instead, her hands were firm, and her voice steady. "Mother. It's been a while."

"It has," Leah managed, her normally melodious voice hoarse and raspy, to the point where she had to cough.

"This is my wife, Capri Cohen," Naomi said firmly, pulling Capri forward slightly.

"Uh, hi, Mrs. Cohen," Capri managed, looking awkward again as she rubbed unconsciously at the Vision on her hip.

"I see you've met my angel, Venti, also known as Lord Barbatos," Naomi continued. "We were in the area, and I wanted to-"

"Isn't it Barbados?" her mother corrected. "Yes, I think it's Barbados. That's what's on the news."

Naomi very nearly screamed. It was always like this. Nothing she ever did was good enough. Her mother always had to correct her.

"No, it's Barbatos," Naomi said firmly. "That's a common misconception. Barbados is a country. Barbatos was mentioned in the Ars Goetia, though it got a few details wrong, such as him being a servant of the Lord instead of a demon."

"Well, I've always heard Barbados," Leah sniffed.

Closing her eyes, Naomi took a deep breath. "And I'm not here to argue. I wanted to give you a chance to meet your daughter-in-law while we were in Tel Aviv. And to tell you and Papa that I love you both. But now we've got work to do. If you'll excuse us."

Then Naomi walked stiffly towards the door. Back straight, arms relaxed, feet perfectly placed as she walked with all the grace her training as a dancer and the wind lent her.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Leah demanded, trying to block Naomi's way. It was very, very tempting to just slap her. Naomi had dreamed about that before she'd gained a Vision. Now it felt like bullying a child. A petulant child who'd needed correction long ago.

But she didn't.

"To Baghdad. There's a little girl who needs our help, and we have a world to save. I'm afraid we have to leave," Naomi said, feeling as though she were in the audience watching this same tired drama play out the same way it had a hundred times before.

"So you just leave?!" Leah demanded, trying to seize Naomi's arm. She moved at the same pace she always had, and Naomi was so much faster now, especially with the winds whispering to her of every subtle motion around her.

"Leah! She is-"

"She is not leaving!" Leah snapped as Naomi headed towards the door. Then her mother's voice broke. "Not until… not until she gives her mother a hug."

Something cracked inside of Naomi. The clay jar she had kept all of her very complicated emotions regarding her mother bundled up in, so that she could keep on living. She slowly turned, already misty eyed, to find her mother shaking, her own eyes wet.

"My baby girl," her mother whispered. "I haven't seen you… in so long… please. Just… just stay a moment longer?" Then, Leah spread her arms wide.

And sobbing, Naomi stepped into them as more than twenty years of pent up emotions burst forth for both women.

After that, there was nothing to do but to stay for supper. Her father and Capri left for the groceries to pick up some lamb, while Venti mentioned something about needing some fresh air. Not before he took a bottle of wine as a gift from Leah, which Naomi was certain would vanish in short order.

That left her alone with her mother. It was just as painful as she'd feared. But somehow, she'd needed it.

"So. You married a woman," her mother said as soon as they were alone.

"Yes," Naomi said, and left it at that.

Her mother's mouth thinned, but then she glanced at the door. She was quiet for a moment, then asked in a small voice, "Is he really an angel of the Lord?"

Naomi digested that for a moment. Then she said, "Do you know how in the Torah, whenever an angel appears, they always tell those to whom they appear not to be afraid?"

"Yes, of course. But Venti didn't seem all that frightening to me," Leah sniffed.

"That's because you met Venti. Not Barbatos," Naomi said, recalling their first meeting, and unable to suppress a shudder. "When he unveiled himself before us… I suddenly understood why everyone threw themselves to the ground in fear and awe. Mother, he was terrifying. And it was all because…" Naomi had to swallow and take a deep breath. "I showed him a book on the Holocaust. When you read about the Anger of the Lord, and when you see it… I think he was ready to tear apart every Nazi in Europe with his bare hands. And he could have done it, too."

"Hmm. Well, he did destroy the Gesselschaft, and slay Khonsu," her mother said slowly. "He just… he seems so ordinary."

"Yes, and it's why I love him," Naomi admitted.

Her mother instantly brightened, and Naomi sighed heavily. "Not like that, mother. I married Capri, not Venti. But he is my angel, and I serve Hashem through him. Though he rather doesn't like it when I say that."

"Well, since he's supposedly an angel, perhaps you could ask him about grandchildren," Leah sniffed.

There was frosty silence for several minutes, until Leah finally caved. That was interesting, in the past, it had always been Naomi who couldn't stand her mother's wintery silences.

"Well, I must say, I saw you in Eurovision, and you were lovely! I had all my friends over for the party. Even the Prime Minister called me to congratulate me on your victory! It was in all the papers for weeks!" Leah burbled, finally able to talk about something she loved: Herself.

"I heard you were still headlining at the Habima. Is father still managing the back?"

"Oh, yes, well, I'm currently in the role of Tanya in Mama Mia, but that's not what we're talking about," Leah said dismissively, surprising Naomi. Her mother always did love to talk about her roles, or better yet, how much better she was than her co-stars.

"Oh? What were we talking about?" Naomi asked, confused.

"Your career! Why, Naomi, your songs are the most popular in all the shows, and on the radio! Though I have to say, you really should insist you sing more. Capri's voice isn't bad, and well, Venti's is simply divine, but you've got a wonderful voice! I want to hear you sing when I listen to one of the Tone Deaf Bard's songs! And really, you need to do more live shows. And talk to your producer. You can't honestly tell me you sold all the rights to your songs for a single case of beer."

Naomi flushed at that. "Ah, it was slightly more than that…" It had been 'as much beer as you could carry' which had amounted to about an entire pallet's worth.

"Well good, I wouldn't want my daughter to be a pauper," her mother said with one of her patented sniffs. "You'll need something once you settle down."

"I'm already married, mother. And I do not think grandchildren likely," Naomi said, suppressing a sigh.

"Well, perhaps you can adopt," her mother said after a pregnant pause.

Naomi considered that. That wasn't the life she had chosen, but, well, it was progress as far as her mother went. "Maybe. When the world is at peace."

"Mmm. Though I am glad Venti is finally taking his place in Israel. That girl in Baghdad has me worried. They say that they've gotten rid of that horrible dictator Saddam, but Farasha is still there, and that girl is a monster," Leah said with a shudder.

Naomi opened her mouth to argue by reflex, then slowly closed it and nodded. Farasha was a monster, and no mistake. But Venti didn't seem to think they were going to Iraq to depose a tyrant. Instead, he acted as though he were going to visit an old friend.

"I'm not sure why we're going to Iraq, mother. But Buer-"

"Who?" Leah asked, frowning.

"Nahida," Naomi clarified. Venti did insist on calling her Buer, which was again a name found in Ars Goetia. When pressed, he simply said it was Nahida's version of Barbatos, and that she was the heir of Samiel, which didn't explain much of anything. "Anyway, she's the Dendro Archon. And she saved a city from the Simurgh."

"An Arab city," her mother said, making a face.

"A city full of people, mother," Naomi insisted. "Munich was full of Germans. Was I wrong to help save it? Even Sodom and Gomorrah were spared while one righteous man remained."

"Hmph," her mother said. "Well, when you're done with that, perhaps you can move back to Israel."

Naomi considered telling her mother that Venti had made it fairly clear he wasn't the Archon of Israel, but of Central Europe, and while he would never prevent Naomi and Capri from leaving his side… she couldn't imagine ever doing so willingly. Nor settling in a land not overseen by the Angel of Freedom. Maybe one day there would be an Archon for Israel, but that didn't seem right.

"I'll ask Nahida about it," she promised.

Her mother seemed incredulous at that, but thankfully that was about the time the door opened.

"-no yowling, and the furniture is intact! Thanks be to Hashem, He who created heaven and the earth, my wife and daughter got along!" her father said.

Capri hurried in with a large sack of groceries, her eyes meeting Naomi's and giving her a quick "are you alright" look.

Naomi just smiled and nodded, and went to help with the cooking. Her mother sat at the table and popped open a bottle of wine, which seemed to be the magic way to summon Venti, because he returned just in time for dinner, without the bottle he'd been given.

"Just had a lovely conversation with a few boys and girls in black suits and sunglasses. They were a bit surprised to see me, but I assured them I was just passing through. I am, after all, but a humble bard!" Venti laughed. "Mmm, this is delicious, my compliments to the chef!"

"We're humbled that you would grace our table," Leah said, looking quite excited. Naomi was certain she would be telling anyone who would listen that she'd dined with the Angel of Munich. Though to be fair, that was how a lot of people reacted.

"And grateful you've looked after our daughters," Moshe added, squeezing Naomi and Capri's hands.

"Daughters?" Leah asked, looking perplexed for a moment. There was a soft thump, and her face reddened, and Naomi's jaw dropped. Had her father just kicked her mother under the table?

"Oh, yes, daughters. Well, as long as you make sure Naomi gets a chance to be the lead singer for a few shows. You and Capri are quite talented, but Naomi is classically trained, you know," Leah blathered.

It was, all in all, far from the worst family dinner Naomi had attended.

"Are you sure you won't spend the night? You could have the guest bedroom, and Master Venti our bedroom," Moshe offered once dinner was cleaned up.

"We've far to go ere the day dawns," Venti said with a smile and a wink. "I got the lads in sunglasses to loan me a car, and a full tank of gas! It'll be interesting crossing the Jordanian border, but it took us a whole day to get here as it is!"

Naomi gave her father one last hug, and gingerly embraced her mother. To her surprise, Leah squeezed her tightly, and hugged Capri as well. "Be safe. And come back to us. We never did get to share the stage together properly."

"I will," Naomi promised. Though not the sharing the stage part. That sounded like a nightmare.

It was evening, and to Naomi's surprise, Venti did indeed have a battered old Nissa Versa waiting outside for them.

"Where did you find this hunk of junk?" Capri asked, lifting the hood and peering inside. She fiddled a bit, then shrugged and slammed it down. "Well, it looks like it works, but I'll have to start it up. We got a spare?"

"In the trunk," Venti assured her. "Don't worry about it! It's only 12 hours to Baghdad."

"Yeah, if no one gets screwy along the way. Jordan isn't too bad, but what the hell do you think the Iraqis will think of a gypsy, a jew, and an Archon rolling up on the border?" Capri demanded, taking the keys from Venti.

"Relax! And take us to a hotel first, I'm much too tired for a road trip tonight," Venti yawned.

Capri chuckled and did as she was told, even as Naomi gave Venti a heartfelt, "Thank you."

"Thank me? I'm not the one paying for our hotel!" Venti laughed, and Naomi groaned.

"Eh, we'll just call Cookie. She can put it on our tab. She owes us something for that stupid card game making money hand over fist," Capri commented and drove off to the nearest run-down motel.

The road trip across Israel, Jordan, and most of Iraq hadn't taken 12 hours, but rather closer to a week, and had involved a lot more side trips and sightseeing than Naomi had expected. Venti had played the gleeful tourist for a whole day and a half in Jerusalem before heading to Jordan, where they performed at several small venues in disguise before making their way into Iraq. There, Venti spent a lot of time stopping in small villages and simply walking around and trying new foods between jam sessions with local musicians.

It was, in fact, a completely ordinary week for the Tone Deaf Bards, but Naomi was a bit baffled by the complete lack of urgency. Capri was irritated at first, then mildly bemused and finally fatalistic.

"Well, whatever. It's not like we have an appointment," she sighed. "The real joke is there's hardly any booze, and Venti hasn't gone into withdrawals."

It was rather uncomfortable whenever someone realized Naomi was Jewish, but thankfully nothing happened, aside from a few sour looks. Old animosities died hard, and Naomi wasn't exactly a big fan of Arabs herself. She tried not to give in to the old hatreds, but it was hard. These were the same people who had persecuted her people until there was no choice but to flee to Israel. It was a thorny web to untangle, but Naomi had hope. If this Nahida was anything like Venti, and based on what had been happening in Baghdad over the last few days it seemed she was, Naomi hoped there might be peace after all.

And so, it wasn't until November 3rd that they finally arrived in Baghdad, but even then, they didn't go straight to the palace. Instead, they dressed in ordinary clothes and explored the city. Not the nice parts either, but the slums and run down sections where the poor and rejected lived.

"You know, it's greener than I thought it would be," Capri remarked as they strolled about the city. They all had on head coverings, even Venti, along with sunglasses and bulky clothes to obscure their figures.

Looking around, Naomi couldn't help but agree. She'd quickly realized her preconceptions of the Middle East as nothing but a dusty desert were wrong after their trip across Israel and Jordan, having seen plenty of not just cultivated land, but greenery and even forests. This, however, was different. It looked and felt entirely natural, but at the same time, it was too lush, too vibrant, and flowers, grass, and crawling vines were growing out of every crack in the pavement or patch of dirt, and trees were full of fruit and leafy branches.

"Is it because of Nahida?" Naomi asked Venti curiously. "Sort of like how windy and temperate it's become in Europe over the past few years because of you?"

Venti coughed, and looked embarrassed. "Well, I may have had a slight something to do with that, but even I can't completely dictate the weather. It was still cold last winter if you ask me!"

"It was a mild winter, and you know it. Just like it was a mild summer. They're already saying we'll have a bumper crop, especially in the vineyards," Capri said with a roll of her eyes. She gestured to the blooming flowers around them. "I ain't an expert, but it's fall, and those are out of season unless I'm really wrong. So what's up?"

"Hmm." Venti walked over to the flowers, then knelt down and said, "Hello, we're here to see Sarva Nara. My friends would like to get a look at you. Do you mind terribly? This is Naomi Nara, and Capri Nara; both Vasara Nara."

Naomi watched as Venti talked to the plant, then politely seemed to listen for a moment. He nodded and said, "They do have bright dreams, especially for Nara. Me? Oh, just call me Pavana Nara. I'd just like them to be able to see you, even if it's just for a moment."

"We can see the flowers just fine, Venti," Capri said, squatting down beside him. She sniffed at the flower and smiled. "They are pretty sweet though. Should we pick some?"

"Only if you ask permission first," Venti said seriously, nodding to the flowers.

Naomi glanced around, uncertain. There were several buildings nearby, but this looked like an empty patch by the side of the road, and it was impossible to tell at a glance who would own the flowers. "Who do we ask?"

"Naomi Nara may pick some flowers, as she is a friend of Pavana Nara."

Slowly, Naomi and Capri both turned to look at the flowers, where two little… gnomes? were hovering. One was thin and tall, with an orangey flesh, a red mushroom like cap that hid its face, and a bright purple flower that matched those growing coming out of the top of its head. The other was short and squat, with light green flesh and a head that seemed to be made of the same long green leaves that a nearby palm tree had, with back beady eyes and a mouth that looked painted on.

"These are Arashakun and Arapratap, two of the Aranara," Venti explained. "They've agreed to show themselves to you. Normally, they can only be seen by those with a strong connection to Dendro or those whose dreams have not yet faded, usually children."

"Uh, hi," Capri said, blinking slowly. "Was there something funny in that falafel we ate for lunch?"

"Venti, are these… faeries?" Naomi asked, her mind trying to fully process what was happening.

"That's a good word for them! You haven't really seen any of the seelie or beastkin in my domain yet, but I too attract beings of elemental energy," Venti explained. "I've not been exercising my powers as broadly as Beezelbul or Buer have been, but they're there regardless. Probably because I sort of fixed the winds in place, but, well, an Archon does have to care for their children."

"Faeries can be… tricky. Do we need to be careful what we say?" Naomi said, her mind racing through all the faery stories she'd heard, and mostly sticking on the rather less than pleasant ones.

Venti chuckled and shook his head. "Unless you plan on hurting any children or plotting against Buer, or perhaps littering, I wouldn't worry about it."

"No littering!" Arashakun trilled, and raised a little stick. "Nara must be more careful with their leavings!"

Capri flushed and glanced hastily to the side, where the wrappers from their lunch were in a nearby gutter. "I, uh, I'll make sure to find a trash can next time…"

"So, have you been greening up the city?" Naomi asked the fae curiously.

The aranara nodded, making a little tinkling sound like bells as they did so. "Yes! Sarva Nara is awake and happy again! The dreams of the Nara are glowing brightly! We must guide the Vana, and heal the land to push back the Valuka!"

"Huh. So she's not just bringing back the dinosaurs," Capri mused. She glanced at Venti. "We are going to go see the dinosaurs, right? Because I have seriously wanted one since I was a little kid."

"You can ask Buer about that!" Venti chuckled, standing. He bowed to the Aranara. "May your roots grow deep, and your branches reach high."

"May you always find water and shade, Pavana Nara," the aranara said, returning the bow.

"Let Nahida know we're coming, will you? We've got a party to crash tonight!" Then Venti looked up at the sky and smiled. "Better get out the umbrellas. It looks like rain."

Naomi peered up at the sky, but it was nothing but blue and a few wisps of cloud. Still, she and Capri hastened back to the car, barely making it before clouds sprang out of nowhere and a downpour began.

"I do have to wonder how Beezie managed it," Venti mused as they watched the storm. "It's not Hydro, but it is a form of Authority."

"Can you talk proper German like a normal person? These riddles give me a headache," Capri complained.

"Ehe! Where's the fun in that? Anyway, the rain will let up soon, and then, the palace! We have a party to get to!" Venti said cheerily.

True to his word, the clouds broke a few minutes later, and they headed through the city towards the great palace by the river.

"Do we have an invitation?" Naomi asked Venti as they rolled up to the checkpoint.

"Please. We're bards! We always have the invitations we need in the joy we bring, and our passports are the song we sing," Venti said with a wink. Then hopped out of the car. There were angry voices at first, there usually were, but within five minutes, Venti was best friends with the two capes and six soldiers guarding the way, and they were waved through.

"Never ceases to amaze me when he pulls that off," Capri commented as they watched Venti schmooze.

Naomi nodded, but smiled. "Yes. But it's always so wonderful when he does. Ready to meet another Archon?"

"Well, hopefully it's not as exciting as last time. Took a whole day for the Shogun to chill," Capri grumbled, turning the car back on as Venti slid back into the rear seat and the smiling guards opened the gate.

When they arrived at the palace, a little girl with pointed ears and silver hair was waiting for them, the most terrifying woman in the middle east to her right, and what was for all appearances, a plant monster on her left.

"Welcome to Baghdad, Lord Barbatos," Nahida said to them, bowing slightly as Venti hopped out of the car. "I hope your journey here was pleasant."

"Buer!" Venti said with a grin, and then swept an ever lower bow, doffing his cap. When had he changed into lederhosen? "Apologies for the lack of notice, but I simply had to come as quickly as I could!" He stood up, and beamed at Nahida. "And may I be the first to welcome you to Earth Bet! I hope the journey here wasn't too arduous from Sumeru City."

"It was a novel experience," Nahida said with an amused giggle. She looked up at Naomi and Capri then, and smiled with all the sweet innocence of a child. "Hello! I'm Nahida! You must be Capri and Naomi Cohen. I love your music! My favorite is the Ode to Joy Remix."

"Uh, thank you, Lord Buer," Naomi said, bowing deeply. "We're honored to be welcomed into your home."

"Are you sure we want to welcome her? She's a Jew," Farasha said in perfect German, and Naomi froze, a smile plastered on her face. For her part, Skyward Pride fell into Capri's hands as she growled and her Vision crackled.

"Be polite, mother. I'm facilitating translation at the moment. She can understand you quite well," Nahida said, grinning impudently up at Farasha.

Farasha blushed at that, but said, "You're having a hard enough time with the hardliner Imams. You welcome her here, and there's going to be trouble."

"Then it will be a good way to root out those whose hatred yet blinds them to the truth. Besides, you always enjoy ruffling their feathers. Consider this an opportunity to not only examine your own prejudices, but also to irritate Imam Abdel Rahman and his fellow conservatives," Nahida said.

"Uh, hey, I'm Tessa, huge fan," the plant woman said, stepping down and shaking Naomi and Capri's hand. "Sorry about all that, Farasha's just a bit prickly. We'll put her through workplace sensitivity training later."

"You're Flower Dragon right? That was pretty funny when you goosed everyone and took down the internet," Capri laughed, putting her sword on her back, but not banishing it. "I just hope we can all get along and I don't need to teach certain loudmouthed bitches any lessons."

"Language," Farasha growled. "Not in front of my daughter."

"Now, now, you two, no fighting," Venti said, ruffling Capri's hair and making her yelp and drop her sword, which vanished into mist. "I promise, Capri's fully house trained."

"Why I oughta-" Capri glared at Venti, who just grinned at her guilelessly.

"I'll keep an eye on Farasha, Nahida, don't worry," Tessa said. "And if anyone's racist, I'll put soap in their mouth."

"A most effective treatment," Nahida agreed solemnly. She turned back to Venti. "I propose we have a private conference later, and for now, enjoy the party. Later, I wish to speak with you and the Hydro Dragon. There is much you should know, and much I do not yet understand."

"Looking forward to it! But for now, let's get to know one another and have a good time!" Venti said cheerily.

"Kinda hard when a certain somebody banned all the booze," Farasha grumbled.

Nahida looked exasperated, but Venti beamed and slid an arm around Farasha's shoulders, much to her discomfort. "Ah! A woman after my own heart! But come, surely there's more fun to be had! Listen, why don't you teach me a few songs in Arabic, and I'll teach you some swear words in German!"

"... but you're speaking Arabic right now," Farasha said, sounding uncomfortable as Venti led her away.

"Actually, I'm speaking a language you've never even heard of! Neat trick, that! But anyway, about that booze…"

"Come on, I want you to meet my friends!"

Naomi looked down to find Nahida had taken her and Capri's hands. "They'll be so excited to meet you! We all love your music! Maybe you can play for us later!"

"I'd be happy to," Naomi agreed, and then found herself dragged up the stairs, and into the house of those who had once been her enemy. It wasn't the first time, but it was rather different from breaking down a Nazi's door.