Sorry in advance but there will be further delays with updates as I will have limited internet access next week. I hope to have the next chapter done by Saturday, but if not check the Investigations page as I want to try getting caught up on that too.

Trigger warning for dark content in this chapter.

Chapter Eleven: Part One

My hands were bound behind my back and my teeth were locked tight as I knelt on the ground. The hatred was bubbling inside of me but it intermingled with fear. Where are my boys? Did Phoebe get away?

Someone emerged from the main building, and my hatred heightened when I recognized Takefute. I couldn't see his expression but his posture was confident. He walked into the courtyard and was shortly followed by two pairs of Holy Army soldiers. The surviving members of the Liberation Army made exclamations of horror. One pair had Daunte in custody, and the other had Arin in custody. Both of the boys were shackled.

The anger and hate surge inside of me and boiled. "Get those chains off of my sons!" I roared. I tried to climb to my feet but I was shoved back onto my knees.

"Dad!" Daunte shouted, and he tried to race towards me. The Holy Army soldiers however held him fast and dragged him away. "Daddy! Daddy!" Arin wailed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

A group of Holy Army soldiers came out of the main building then, and I saw Phoebe in the center. The Liberation Army screamed when they saw their leader in custody. Her hood had been pulled off and her black hair was disheveled, but her expression was calm and serene. She was giving them nothing.

But I couldn't stay calm and serene. "Get your FILTHY hands off of her!" I hollered.

"Mom!" Daunte cried out.

Phoebe was escorted to my position, but when they got close enough to me she broke from the soldiers and raced towards me. Her hands were shackled in the front and she was able to get her arms around my shoulders and she slammed her mouth over mine. I savored the feeling of her lips against mine and I felt tears sting my eyes and I squeezed them shut. I wasn't a fool. I knew that it would be the last time I would ever kiss her.

"I love you, Nakula," she whispered quickly.

"I love you, too," I responded before she was dragged off of me. "Let her go!" I shouted.

They did not take Phoebe far away from her, but instead forced her to kneel before me face to face. "Daunte, Arin!" Phoebe called over her shoulder, unable to turn around. "Boys, Mother loves you both!"

"I love you too, Mom!" Daunte wailed.

"Mommy!" Arin cried out.

"Boys, close your eyes!" Phoebe shouted. "It will be over shortly!"

I looked towards our sons. To my horror their eyes were being held open by the soldiers who held them. I gasped in alarm and Phoebe looked at me. "I-I can't see them. Did they close their eyes, Nakula?"

"No, we're forcing them to watch," a Holy Army soldier said snidely.

"Don't listen to him," I quickly told her. "Their eyes are closed. They aren't watching this."

Phoebe closed her eyes and her face crumbled briefly. "Good," she said quietly.

Takefute approached and stood to my right and Phoebe's left. He didn't acknowledge me but kept his slimy eyes on Phoebe. "So," he said quietly. "After the inevitable was delayed for an extended period of time, here we are."

Phoebe didn't respond. She held my gaze unflinchingly. Even now I could see the strength of her spirit and will. Her inner strength was what drew me to her in the first place.

"Phoebe Amirmoez," Takefute announced loudly, his voice resonating throughout the courtyard. "As the Supreme Cleric from the Cabinet of High Clerics, I hereby find you guilty of hundreds of offenses against Nagar and against Nagarea. You are a traitor, blasphemer, and murderer. I hereby sentence you to death."

"NO!" Daunte shrieked.

"MOMMY, NO!" Arin wailed.

The surviving Liberation Army soldiers screamed and struggled, trying to move forward to save their leader, but they were overwhelmed by the greater numbers of the Holy Army.

"Who did this?" I whispered, breaking eyecontact with Phoebe as tears flooded my eyes. "Someone betrayed us…didn't they?"

"I know who," Phoeobe said softly, expression still calm. "But it makes no difference now."

It wasn't a betrayal! It was a misguided wish!

"Huh?" I looked up in confusion. That voice…it sounded familiar to me…

"As your offenses are so grave," Takefute said. "It is my duty to personally carry out your execution."

"NO!" I hollered, struggling to climb back to my feet. But I was held still and a hand gripped my hair, forcing me to remain facing her. A snarl of rage and anguish rumbled in my throat as I saw a Holy Army soldier approach with a moplah. "You will not—you will NOT bring that near my wife!" I shouted.

Takefute ignored me and grabbed the hilt of the moplah. He held the blade directly in front of Phoebe's face, blocking it from my view. "You should be honored," Takefute said softly. "I haven't personally killed anyone in years. I prefer to have others get their hands dirty for me, but you…you Phoebe Amirmoez, I will make an exception for."

He drew the blade back and I saw that Phoebe was looking up at him. Her expression was still calm, even while her soldiers and her children screamed and cried. "This isn't over, Takefute," she said defiantly.

Takefute raised the moplah. "For you it is."

Then he brought the blade down, the world exploded in red. I did not see the blow fall, but blood filled my vision and screams rattled in my ears.

—

…

…

…Huh?

Daunte opened his eyes, and tears slipped down his cheeks. His throat hurt so badly that he thought he would throw up. He was dimly aware that people were screaming, and he was pressed against a hard surface. He was clinging to a hard surface. He drew back slightly, and the surface exhaled sharply.

He was clinging to someone.

Realization dawned on him and Daunte croaked out a yelp, scrambling backwards away from the person. His breaths came out short and sharp. The person…they were kneeling beside the dead body of Imbuka Liger, their head ducked low and their matted silver hair obscuring their face.

"Lord Daunte." A hand caught his shoulder and he looked up to see Georg. "Lord Daunte, are you all right? What happened?"

Daunte couldn't speak. He turned to look back at the man sitting in front of him. His hood was off his head. He exhaled and finally turned. He brushed the hair out of his face, revealing a broad chin but sunken features. Five dots were tattooed horizontally across his nose, and on his brow there was a tattoo resembling a red gem. Across his forehead was a 'X' shaped scar. His eyes were naturally narrow, but they widened ever so slightly when they stared at Daunte.

Daunte felt Georg's hand tense on his shoulder and somewhere behind him he heard Oboro make a strangled noise of shock.

"So…what's going on?" Virgil asked softly. "La'Ahad, why did you act in such a way?"

Daunte shook his head, grinding his teeth tight. He still didn't say anything.

The man—La'Ahad(?)—was still staring at Daunte. He was hugging his arms but he reached out with his right hand. "…Daunte," he said softly. "It's really you…"

Daunte yanked his tekko off and pulled away from Georg. He rushed towards La'Ahad(?) and drew his arm back, punching the older man in the face as hard as he could. The group exclaimed in shock at his actions, except for Shou.

La'Ahad(?) pressed a hand to his own cheek as Daunte stood over him breathing harshly. A trickle of blood slipped out of the corner of his mouth, and he wiped it away absently before he looked up at Daunte. "…I deserve that," he said quietly.

"Wait," Shou said. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait—"

There was a sudden burst of light beside Daunte and something seized his right arm. "Striking your father like that? What a devilish little boy you are."

"RELEASE HIM!" La'Ahad(?) hollered, scrambling to his feet.

The group shouted in shock again but Daunte turned his anger upon Windy. "Y-You KNEW?!" He shrieked.

"I assumed as such, given your reaction to this man," Windy said. "Takefute wasn't sure that he had killed him, though he didn't really care. But that's not important." Windy raised Daunte's arm. "I'll be taking the Rune of Restoration now."

Before she could do anything though, there was another burst of light and Daunte flew backwards away from Windy. La'Ahad(?) surged forward and caught Daunte.

"Stay away."

Daunte gaped at Yuber, who was standing there hold his twin swords. Yuber however was in a sorry state; though Daunte couldn't see his face he wasn't wearing any of his Black Armor, and his hair was in disarray. His tone was cold but raw.

"Yuber," Windy said softly. She was nearly standing toe-to-toe with him. "That wasn't very nice of you."

"Lady Windy," Yuber said harshly. "I have no contract to you anymore, so I will kill you if you try to hurt the person I do have a contract with."

"You look absolutely terrible," Windy said. She sounded genuinely shocked to Daunte. "What has that boy been putting you through?"

"You don't want to know," Yuber said harshly, raising his swords. "But I am bound to him and I must and will protect him!" he lunged forward with his swords raised. Windy however raised her hand and another burst of light struck Yuber. The Black Knight cried out and flew backwards.

"Yuber!" Daunte shouted, pulling away from La'Ahad (?) and surging forward.

"Stay back!" Yuber hollered.

"Lord Daunte!" Keiran shouted. Daunte looked to his left and saw the four units racing towards him. A ball of white light appeared between Windy and Yuber and Leknaat appeared. "Sister," Leknaat said quietly. "Please stop this."

"Damn it!" Windy shouted, her uncharacteristic shriek of rage startling Daunte. She glared murderously at Daunte. "I'll give you this victory, but I will get that Rune! You better believe I will!" just as quickly, she teleported away.

Sloan dismounted his horse and hurried over to the group, Adalgiso hot on his tail. "That witch," he spat. "She slew the Djinn."

Daunte raised his right hand. "W—"

"That is not necessary." Nian appeared beside him. "The sorceress was more powerful than I. She dealt a deathblow to my body, but as a Djinn I cannot die. It was interesting." not once did her expression change.

"Almost everyone surrendered," Keiran said as he approached. "We only slew a few who refused to stand down, but once word had reached that the Sheikh was slain the fight stopped. Except between…" he gestured to Nian.

"Imbuka," Tamara said, kneeling beside her body. "She tried to kill me and now she lies here dead. Who—"

"Shou, STOP!" Oboro suddenly hollered. There was a loud "THUD" and Daunte turned to see Oboro and Shou skidding across the dirt, Oboro on top of Shou and holding him down. "Lord Daunte, we need to go," Oboro said quickly.

"I'm okay, I'm okay!" Shou hollered. "Get off me!"

"W-We need to get back," Daunte said shakily, turning to the rest of the party. "We took care of the Sheikh, and…" his voice trailed off and he swallowed thickly.

"Was the witch speaking the truth?" River asked him. "Is that man your father?" he pointed toward La'Ahad(?).

The Army abruptly fell silent. Everyone looked at Daunte with wide eyes and then looked at La'Ahad. Daunte debated if he should answer, if he should stay silent, or if he should make La'Ahad(?) answer. After silently debating he looked at the other man. "You tell them," he said.

La'Ahad(?) cleared his throat and stared at the Army assembled before them. "He is right," he said. "My name is Nakula. And I am his father."

"…Well," Caesar said, his brow raised high. "This is quite the twist."

The soldiers who had surrendered were processed and then released to join the Army once they were determined to not be spies or a threat. "Thank you," one said. "I was forcibly conscripted, I didn't even want to be there."

But the gossip making the rounds around HQ had nothing to do with their new recruits and everything to do with the revelations that had come out in the aftermath of battle.

Daunte stood in the war room with Caesar, Chinmaya, Peader, Roen, Felicity, Arin, Oboro, Shou, Surya, Mokuren, Freyr, Soturi, Dr. Yulin, Leknaat and…La'Ahad. Now confirmed to be Nakula. There were muted conversations behind the closed doors of the war room, indicating that a large crowd had formed outside. Word had traveled fast and everyone wanted to witness the reunion of father and sons.

"Wait, I'm confused," Roen said. He didn't look happy to see Daunte and Arin's father. "If La'Ahad is really Nakula, then why did the Tablet of Stars say La'Ahad?"

"Because that is the name he knew himself to have," Leknaat said.

"Daunte said that Nakula's Star from the Falenan Civil War was occupied by someone else," Felicity said. "How is it that Nakula has a different Star this time?"

"Because he is under the power and rule of a different star," Leknaat said. "We are oftentimes guided by more than one Star in our lifetime."

Arin was hiding behind Daunte's back, watching Nakula with wide eyes. While he didn't react with violence towards their estranged father like Daunte did, he didn't immediately run to Nakula's side. He seemed…almost afraid of the man he had only known as the amnesiac La'Ahad.

"So when the previous Liberation Army was slaughtered, the deathblow that you were dealt nearly killed but did not kill you," Peader said.

"I don't know how I survived," Nakula said. His voice was rough but still quiet. "I remember…when Takefute killed Ph—" he shuddered and suck in a sharp breath. It was a long and painful moment before he spoke again. "I think—he didn't strike me with a sword, but the blow—"

"A warhammer," Daunte said quietly. He still felt like throwing up. "You were struck with a warhammer. Twice. I remember it."

Arin whimpered behind him.

"That…must have been it," Nakula said. "Two direct blows from a warhammer…"

"And it left a head injury so severe that it wiped all of your memories?" Chinmaya asked softly.

"Yes. I still…have lingering problems. Even now my head hurts me greatly. I-I couldn't remember anything, but then suddenly during the battle the images swam up and—I-I thought I was going mad."

"It happened," Oboro said softly. "When Shou said the name of his mother. Sagiri. The person who killed your father."

Nakula looked towards Shou, who was glaring back at him. Nakula swallowed hard. "…You look like her," he said quietly.

"So hearing my mom's name triggering your memories?!" Shou shot back. "The woman who you promised to kill?!"

Nakula shook his head, but then clutched at it with him hand. "Argh…" He pitched forward, almost collapsing to his knees.

"Dad!" Arin shouted, running towards him. Kibbeh jumped from his arms and hurried over to Nakula, frantically wagging his tail. "A-Are you okay?!"

"Do we have a chair for him to sit in?" Dr. Yulin asked.

"Here," Peader said, bringing a chair over. Nakula collapsed into it heavily, his breathing shaky. "I'm okay," he said. "It was…just my head."

Daunte stormed over to him and raised his hand. "Howl."

The healing spell washed over him. Nakula looked at him and lowered his hand. "…Thank you, Daunte."

"So…what have you been doing for the last three or four years?" Daunte asked quietly. "Wandering?"

"Honestly, it's all in patches," Nakula said. "I don't remember the first month or so I woke up with amnesia. Even memories of days or weeks are in patches for me. I don't even remember who saved me, or if he or she is still alive. But—yes. I wandered trying to survive. I was homeless and starving most of the time. I did what I could to survive, as I didn't even know who I was."

"You killed Imbuka Liger and desecrated her body," Daunte said coldly. "Is that something you regularly do with your enemies? As part of your survival?"

"Brother?" Arin looked at him with wide eyes. The rest of the room was silent.

"I…flew into an unstoppable rage," Nakula said. "The memories overwhelmed me and hearing—knowing—that the woman was the one who trained the girl who killed my father, I…"

"So you were swift to action for vengeance for yourself," Daunte said. "But you couldn't have moved so quickly for the three years Arin and I suffered in the Dark Chasm? Seeing my face, seeing Arin's face, spending time with us—seeing Mom's face in that yearbook—no, none of that was enough to bring anything back? But hearing the name of Shou's was enough?!"

Nakula looked stricken. "Daunte. I…I am so sorry—"

"We saw everyone die!" Daunte knew he was yelling but he couldn't control his anger. "We watch them kill Mom, we thought they killed you, and then they killed everyone in the original Liberation Army! They forced Arin and I to watch it! It was so bad that my own mind won't let me remember it all! Even now I can't make myself remember! But I was there, okay?! I was alive and there for Arin and you weren't!"

Daunte knew he wasn't being rational, but he was too angry to care. He ripped his gloves off and showed Nakula his hands. Nakula's eyes widened in horror. "Do you see this?! Do you see my hands, Father?! Every bone in my hands have been broken more than once! My fingers have been broken so many times that I drop everything I hold! I can't hold a sword! I can barely perform basic manual labor! And what about Arin?!" He pointed to his little brother. "He almost died multiple times, do you know that?! Do you truly understand what we have suffered and have gone through?!"

"Daunte…" Surya said softly.

Nakula said nothing, just staring back at him. Daunte felt tears burn his eyes but he blinked them away. He didn't want to cry. "We suffered," he hissed. "We thought you were dead! The only reason I knew that you were still alive was because Mom told me you were! And here you are, in the Liberation Army, so self-centered on your own misery that you only remembered ANYTHING when you were forced to confront the person who was responsible for hurting you!

"Do you know what this FEELS like?! You were here this whole time! We spent months with you, sitting with you, talking and eating with you, and we—your own sons—weren't enough to trigger ANY memories for you?! It—" Daunte gestured to him wildly. "Look—Look at me. Do you know my face?"

"Yes," Nakula said. His tone was sad and quiet.

"You know my face now," Daunte said harshly. "But you have looked at my face before—looked at Arin's face before—but you didn't recognize us. D—" Daunte looked away, his breathing harsh and painful. Tears stung his eyes again and he took a moment to get himself under control before he looked at Nakula. "Do…Have we ever mattered to you?"

"Of course!" Nakula shouted. He scrambled to his feet but steadied himself with a hand on the chair. "You are my sons, my family! I love you both!"

"Then WHY?!" Daunte shouted. "Why were we not enough for you to come back?! Why didn't we trigger ANY memories for you?! Why did it take facing down the monster who trained your dad's killer for you to regain any memories?! If we matter so much to you, WHERE WERE YOU?!"

"Daunte—" Nakula reached for him but Daunte pushed his hand away. he realized too late that he used his right hand to push his hand away, and the Rune of Restoration activated. No! He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to stop the vision from surfacing. He held his breath and counted to ten, but when he opened his eyes he wasn't in the war room. He was in an infirmary, and he gasped when he saw Phoebe sitting up in bed before him. She looked horrible; pale complexion, swollen eyes, sweaty, and disheveled hair. But she was smiling at the blue bundle she held in her arms.

"Nakula." Her tone was breathless as she looked up. "Say hello to your son."

The bed creaked, and Daunte glanced to his right and saw Nakula sitting down in front of her. He reached for the blue bundle and carefully took it from her. His hands were large, but trembling greatly. He looked afraid he would dropped the bundle. Nakula cradled the bundle in his arms and Daunte saw the face of a sleeping baby.

"I want to name him Daunte," Phoebe said, drawing both Nakula and Daunte's attention. "After my father."

Daunte's gaze snapped back to the baby and he gasped harshly. T—That's me! That baby is ME!

"Daunte is a good name," Nakula said, looking a her. "I know he'll make something great of himself."

"Yes, he will," Phoebe said. "Because he'll have a wonderful father to guide him."

Daunte sucked in a sharp breath and tears stung his eyes. In the memory Nakula shook his head. "No. He'll be great because of you. I came to this country driven by hate. The hate still lingers inside of me. I—"

"Do you feel hate when you look at your son?" Phoebe interrupted him.

"No," Nakula answered, shaking his head. "Far from it. I feel—I-I can't really describe it. When I look at him I feel…stronger, somehow. And afraid."

"Afraid?"

"The people who destroyed my life are out there," Nakula pointed out to her. "There will be a time when they strike and Nagarea will suffer because of it. A-And I don't want Daunte to have to endure that. I-I don't want him t—to have to go through what I went through."

"It will be okay," Phoebe said. She leaned forward and placed a hand on his forearm. "You'll be a great father to him."

Nakula was silent for another long moment. "I've been driven by hate for a long time," he said quietly. "I abandoned my surviving family in Armes because of the hate I felt—feel. But I won't abandon you. I won't abandon Daunte. You are my family now, and I…"

"Thank you for giving me my son," Phoebe said. "And I promise to continue to help you get justice for your father. He sounds like he was a good man."

"He was."

"Then we will name our next son after him," Phoebe promised him. "Just like how our firstborn is named after my father."

Nakula snorted. "Arin? Arin is a name that gives too much pressure on the person who has it."

Phoebe laughed. "And Daunte isn't?"

Daunte felt something grab his arm and he was tugged backwards. He blinked, and he was no longer in the memory. He was no longer seeing his parents holding a newborn him. He was back in the war room, and Nakula was sitting in front of him wearing a shocked expression.

"Y…" Daunte looked at Arin, who looked scared, and then looked back at Nakula. "You named after your fathers?" he asked.

Arin quickly looked at Nakula. Nakula nodded. "Daunte, you were named after your paternal grandfather; a man who was a scholar and who had a good temperament and conscience." Nakula then looked at Aria. "Arin, you were named after my father."

Arin gasped loudly, and Nakula continued. "My father was a good man, a reliable and fair chieftain. Incorruptible and frugal. He was everything that a chieftain should be…and that was why he was murdered."

Daunte pressed a hand to his mouth. The tears came again but this time he couldn't stop them. He was angry, but the raw sorrow he felt in his heart overwhelmed the anger. And more than the anger, the feelings of loss and abandonment began to bleed out of him, replacing them with thoughts that made his heart pound and the tears come quicker.

My father is alive. My father is back with us.

"Words mean nothing," Nakula said, looking at his sons. "But I will forever be sorry for everything you both have gone through."

Arin had started to cry, both as a response to seeing his older brother cry and from also being overwhelmed at seeing his dad. Before he could stop himself Daunte hurried forward and threw his arms around Nakula. He was careful to not touch him with his right hand but he still clung to his father tried as the tears began spilling out of control.

Arin rushed forward and clung to Nakula's side, digging his fingers into his shirt and sobbing loudly. Nakula embraced both his sons and closed his eyes, tears silently spilling down his cheeks. Roen and Felicity were also crying, and Mokuren and Chinmaya were wiping away tears. No words were said for a long time, but none needed to be said.

"You said words mean nothing."

Minutes after they had gotten their emotions under control, Shou made this statement. He was looking at Nakula with hard eyes. "You said that, but words do mean something. When you left Falena, you told my mom that you would kill her last. We're probably going to wipe out the rest of Nether Gate at the end of this war, so are you planning on going back to Falena to kill my mom?"

Nakula looked at him in shock. "Y…She told you that?"

"Of course not," Shou said harshly. "I overheard my parents mention it during an argument a few years ago. But answer my question. Are you planning on killing my mom after this war is over?"

"Shou…" Oboro said softly.

"Tell me right now, yes or no," Shou demanded. "Because if you say yes or don't answer me, then I'm going to kill you."

"No!" Arin cried out, clinging to Nakula. "Don't hurt my dad!"

"He is one of the 108 Stars of Destiny," Leknaat said softly. "If you kill him then this army will lose a Star."

"Then I'll him him AFTER the war!" Shou snapped.

"Let's all calm down—" Chinmaya said.

"She killed my father," Nakula said.

"I know," Shou quickly responded. "But she is my mom and I love her. I won't stay ANY threats against her and I will defend her with my life. You will tell me right now if you're a threat to her, or I will be forced to take action."

Daunte looked between Nakula and Shou. Nakula didn't look angry but he wasn't answering Shou. His prolonged silence was making the detective visibly angry. He sucked in a sharp breath and inserted himself between them. "That's enough," he said harshly. "We're not continuing the killing cycle any longer. We're getting this resolved right now."

"I agree," Caesar said. "We already have enough problems with animosity between Nash, Sierra, and Sanji. We're resolving this feud right now."

"If I may suggest," Surya spoke up. "Let's go back to Falena. We can meet up with the Oboro detectives in Sol-Falena and sit and talk this out."

"There's nothing to discuss," Shou said harshly. "He either agrees to not kill my mom or I kill him."

"NO!" Daunte snapped. Surya and Shou jumped at his sharp tone of voice. "There will NOT be killing amongst our allies! Isn't there enough of that going on during war battles?!" he looked between Shou and Nakula again. "We will be going to Falena and we're going to talk this out together. Got it?!"

There was another long period of silence before both Shou and Nakula nodded mutely.

"I would recommend that you all rest and leave early tomorrow morning," Peader said softly. "The Holy Army is now down to one Sheikh. We will need to move quickly to dispatch Keha Hale, but for now the Holy Army will need to do damage control in the southeastern provinces. That should keep them sufficiently occupied for now."

"What about Windy?" Felicity asked. "I-I heard she killed the Djinn—"

"Djinn cannot die," Daunte said. "But she was powerful enough to defeat Nian."

"My sister will not come here," Leknaat said. "You can spare a couple of days to travel. Balance needs to be restored amongst the 108 Stars of Destiny."

"That settles it then," Caesar said. "We will leave at dawn tomorrow and go to Falena. L—Nakula and Shou, keep to yourselves and do not cross paths before then."

"Understood," Nakula said.

"You—"

"I will keep an eye on Shou," Oboro said, taking him by the arm and pulling him towards the door. "And will also accompany you back to Falena.

"Hey, let me go!" Shou snapped.

"I will go as well," Surya said. "If for no other reason than to make sure things do not get out of control."

"So will I," Freyr said.

"I'll figure out who will be in the active party and support parties tomorrow," Daunte sighed, rubbing his face. He suddenly felt drained. "I'm…going to head to bed early."

"Daunte," Nakula said, standing up. "May I speak with you in your room?"

"…Okay." Daunte took Arin's hand. "You can speak to the both of us there."

The group started to disperse, though Roen and Felicity quickly followed Daunte out. "So," Peader said softly. "That is the man Phoebe Amirmoez fell in love with."

"You almost sound jealous," Caesar said.

"No!" Chinmaya hissed, swatting at him.

"I was just surprised," Peader said, shrugging. "He did not seem like her type."

"Here, see?" Arin asked, holding open the yearbook for Nakula to see. "Here's Mom! Isn't she pretty?"

"Yes," Nakula said, taking the book from him. "This was before I met her. She was so smart, it's not surprising she accomplished so much so early…" he sucked in a painful breath.

"Hey," Felicity said. She was leaning against the door with her arms folded over her chest.

"Yes?" Nakula looked at her.

"So where have you been the last three years?"

Sadness flooded Nakula's face and he ducked his head again. "Wandering aimlessly," he murmured. "Homeless and half-starving. I could not find anyone who would want to help me. Daunte, y-you were the first to truly help me since the moment I woke with no memories. It's all in…patches. I can barely remember what my days were like even a year ago."

"Daunte asked you why seeing Arin and him didn't trigger your memories but hearing the name of the lady who killed your dad did," Roen added. "You didn't answer him then. Wanna answer him now?"

Nakula looked up again. There were tears in his eyes as he looked between Daunte and Arin for a long time in silence. He swallowed thickly before answering. "…I don't have an answer. I don't know why I didn't know either of you the moment I met you. Why I didn't know your faces or your voices. You are my sons. I've known you both since the moment you were born. Arin—I named you after my own father. But I—" he shook his head stiffly. "I wish…I wish with all of my heart that my memories could have been triggered by you, but they weren't. They were triggered instead because of the vengeance that had been instilled upon my heart. This shames me so greatly. I…"

"Do you still plan on killing Sagiri?" Daunte asked. "I met her, she seems like a good person. She has to have been a good person with the way Shou grew up."

"…I don't know the answer to that question," Nakula said solemnly.

"Well, that's why we're leaving tomorrow. So you both can sit down and talk this out."

"Can I come too?" Arin asked eagerly.

"Of course."

"I would like to come, but there's probably not going to be any room in the boat," Felicity said sheepishly.

"Yeah, no kidding," Roen said.

"I…I won't attack her," Nakula said. "When we see her."

"That's reassuring," Daunte said dully. "Maybe you'll find the answer to more than one question when we see her."

"I hope so." Nakula frowned deeply and met his gaze again. "Daunte, I—"

"If you're going to say sorry again, then don't. Apologies lose meaning when you repeat them over and over again." Daunte rubbed a hand over his face. "I—don't know how I feel about you," he confessed quietly. "I'm angry that you weren't there for us, but I understand that you couldn't be there for us because you were injured and amnesiac and didn't know you needed to be there for us. Plus Arin and I only just recently found out that you were even still alive.

"Th—This will be an adjustment for me," Daunte said. "For now N—Dad. For now, please give me some space. Please don't seek me out, wait for me to seek you out. Okay?"

Nakula nodded slowly. "I understand."

"C-Can you read me a bedtime story?" Arin asked, grabbing his hand.

"…I don't remember any," Nakula said.

"Hang on," Felicity said, turning towards the door. "I'll let you borrow The Looking Moon."

"The Looking Moon?"

"You'll see when you read it," Daunte said.

They were up before dawn. Daunte assembled a party and put Shou, Surya, Mokuren, Freyr, and Soturi in the active party and Caesar, Nakula, and Arin in the support party. "We'll try to be back in two days," Daunte told the Army as they assembled into a boat in the cavern. "Keiran, please take care of everything."

"I will, Lord Daunte," Keiran said.

"Take all the time you need," Sloan said. "This…matter is obviously something that needs to be resolved as soon as possible."

"So you really are Nakula," Georg said, looking at the man in question. "I recognized your figurine but didn't recognize you in person."

Nakula shrugged. "I didn't recognize you either, Georg Prime."

"Let's get this over with," Shou said harshly.

"Shou, don't speak to our Commander like that," Oboro admonished him softly.

Daunte didn't see Yuber around complaining about not being able to come. He had not seen Yuber since he showed up to the battle in a chaotic state without his armor. Pesmerga didn't say anything about it, either. I'll leave it for now, he decided.

The . trip to Falena still took a long time, and they traveled mostly in silence. Mokuren chatted nonstop as she always did, and no one stopped him. Shou sat with his arms folded over his chest glaring at Nakula, who sat on the opposite end of the boat. Daunte kept glancing between them from where he sat between them, and Arin was sketching in a book humming to himself.

With the royals in the boat they were not stopped once they entered Falena's borders, nor were they given an escort to Sol-Falena. Daunte was comforted when he saw the capital city on the horizon, and he remembered the festival that had attended the last time. This time would not be pleasant, but he held onto the memory for a little while.

I'll need to keep a cool head. I don't know what my…father will do when he sees Sagiri again.

Daunte saw the longboats of the Oboro Detective Agency lining the harbor of Sol-Falena. His brow rose and he looked at Oboro, who also looked surprised. "I…haven't contacted them," he said. "But they all came."

As they pulled up to the docks and were greeted by Cius, Daunte saw several men and women wearing the same uniforms that Shou wore standing around on the docks. He saw Sagiri and Shigure, but Shigure pushed Sagiri behind him as they disembarked their boat.

"Welcome back to—WAGH!" Cius cried out when he saw Nakula. "It—It's you!" he pointed a finger at him.

Nakula looked at him for a long moment. "…Who are you?" He asked finally. He sounded confused and not spiteful.

Cius looked hurt and offended by the question. "W-What?!"

"He fought in my father's Army with you during the Civil War," Surya pointed out.

"…Ah," Nakula said.

"Hello, everyone!" Oboro called out to the detectives as he approached them. "We are here for just a short visit!"

"How lovely to see you again!" Fuyo shouted, hurrying over to him.

"You brought HIM here?!" Shigure shouted, jabbing a finger in Nakula's direction. "Shou, do you know who that man is?!"

"I do!" Shou called back. "But he's a Star of Destiny, so Lord Daunte is insisting we all sit and talk!"

Nakula looked in Shigure and Sagiri's direction and he gasped harshly. Daunte quickly grabbed his arm. "Don't," he said sharply.

"I wasn't going to attack her," Nakula said quickly. "I'm…just surprised to see her."

"Let's not waste anymore time," Caesar said, looking at Daunte and Nakula. "Let's go and talk this out."

"This is a very…unique reunion," Fuyo said.

They were inside the flagship boat for the Agency. The main room was a table alongside the window, with four chairs in front of it, and a desk and with a chair. Oboro took a seat at the desk while Shou and Sagiri sat on one side of the table and Nakula and Daunte sat on the other side. More chairs had been brought out so that everyone could sit around the room. Shigure remained standing behind the seats where his wife and son sat. Daunte couldn't see his eyes but he knew that he was watching Nakula and he was frowning deeply.

"You are alive," Sagiri said, looking at Nakula. Her smile dipped. "When I had heard that you had died, I—I was deeply saddened."

"…Your smile," Nakula said. "It's different than it was before."

Both Shou and Shigure looked tense, as though ready to lunge at Nakula if he tried anything. "We are here," Caesar said. "Because Nakula had joined our Army with no memories and the name of La'Ahad. But many of his memories were triggered yesterday when he faced down Imbuka Liger."

"We do not know that name," Shigure said.

"Her real name was Azamuku," Oboro said softly.

Sagiri flinched, and her eyes widened in shock. She began to tremble where she sat. "…Azamuku?" she whispered.

"She's dead," Daunte quickly told her. "H…my father killed her. I saw her die."

Sagiri relaxed only a little bit. She let out a shaky breath and looked down towards her hands clasped on the table. "…My earliest memories were of her," she said. "I t-thought she was my mother, but she…the things she did…"

"Mom," Shou said. There were tears in his voice.

"So laying your eyes on your sons didn't trigger your memories, but seeing the monster who trained Sagiri did?" Shigure asked harshly.

"It is not something that I'm proud of," Nakula said. "I wished that reuniting with my children had brought back my memories, but—"

"But it didn't," Shigure interjected. "Because your vengeance matters more to you than your children. Because killing Sagiri matters more to you than your children."

"Don't talk to him like that!" Arin protested.

"Am I wrong?!" Shigure snapped at Nakula. "I was there when you promised Sagiri that you would come back to kill her once your work in Nagarea was done. The only reason I didn't slay you then was because Sagiri stopped me. Is that why you're here now?!"

Nakula was silent for a long time. Then he finally lifted his head and looked at Daunte. "Please take your brother and step out."

Daunte shook his head. "I'm not leaving. I'm the leader of the Liberation Army, I can handle what you say."

"So can I!" Arin chimed in.

Nakula shook his head. "Okay," he said. "You can stay Daunte, but Arin needs to leave."

"No!" Arin protested.

"Say!" Fuyo said suddenly, kneeling beside Arin's chair. "We made cookies on the other boat. Would you like some?"

"Cookies?!" Arin was distracted by the promise of sweets. "I will bring him back in a little bit," Fuyo promised.

"Thank you," Daunte said.

Nakula looked towards Freyr. "This may be difficult for—"

"I'm a Queen's Knights trainee," Freyr said. "I think I can handle a bad story."

Nakula waited until Fuyo had left the boat with Arin before finally looking at Sagiri. "I was there when you killed my father."

Daunte felt his stomach tighten and he stared at Nakula in silent shock. His eyes however remained on Sagiri. "You were smiling and holding a bouquet of white lilies," Nakula continued. "A cute little girl that made the people around her go "awwww". You offered the bouquet to my father and he knelt down to accept it. My father wore a kind smile—he was flattered by your gift. But you—you hid a knife in the bouquet."

Nakula scoffed and shook his head. "White lilies—we should have known your intentions. White lilies are what you give to people in mourning. But when reached for your bouquet you slid the knife up through the bouquet and slit his throat. I was standing beside him, and his blood splattered onto me. It splattered onto the both of us."

Shou let out a shaky breath. "I remember—pressing my hands to my father's throat," Nakula said, pressing his large hands to his own throat for emphasis. His eyes were glaze over and looked lost. "I was just a child myself, but I tried to stop the bleeding but he wouldn't stop bleeding. The noises he made…the look in his eyes while he struggled to breathe…and you standing there covered in his blood still smiling…it gave me nightmares for years. Even now I can clearly remember the moment my father died. The way the light of his life faded from his eyes."

Nakula trembled slightly. "I have—hated you," he hissed. "For my entire adult life. I used to dream about the way I would kill you. I've wanted you to suffer for the way you made me suffer. And the way y—" his eyes darted around the room. "The way you all," he rasped. "Dismissed my grief and trauma just because she was brainwashed. The way my grief was invalidated. The anger…the anger has never left me. It will never truly leave me. You need to understand that, what you have done to me. You may have suffered, but YOU caused MY suffering?!" he didn't raise his voice, but the venom that spilled from his mouth was terrifying.

"I will not make excuses for what I did," Sagiri said. "And I will not invalidate your grief. My feelings now are the same as they were then. I am okay with you killing me—"

"Sagiri, no!" Shigure shouted.

"I have hurt many people," Sagiri whispered. Tears had filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "And I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you. I deserve to face justice for what I have done, even though the royal family do not think I need to face justice. If killing me will make things better, I accept it."

"Mom—" Shou said, but Sagiri shook her head. "It is what I deserve. I killed the grandfather of the young man who saved the royal family. The royal family owes Lord Daunte and Nagarea's Liberation Army a great debt. If my death will assuage everything, then I accept it."

Shou quickly looked at Daunte. "Please don't kill her," he pleaded. "It wasn't her fault, PLEASE don't kill my mom!"

"I won't let it happen," Shigure snapped. "I don't care what debt Queen Lymsleia and Commander Freyjadour owe you, I don't owe you any debts! No one is killing Sagiri! You'll have to kill me first!"

Daunte felt tears stinging his own eyes. He looked at Nakula and swallowed thickly. "…Dad…"

Nakula pressed his hands against the table. He was silent once again. He gulped audibly and his hands curled into fists against the table. Finally he let out a shaky breath. "…My sons witnessed their mother's murder."

The room gasped loudly. "They were held back and their eyes were held open while Takefute decapitated her. Then they were forced to watch Takefute strike me twice with a warhammer. My sons were just children but they were forced to watch the executions of their parents. Then they were forced to work in a labor mine for three years. I did not help them during this time. I could not have helped them, but there is no changing the fact that I failed them terribly.

"You hurt me," Nakula said. "Gave me scars on my soul that will never heal. But the wounds you inflicted upon me are nothing compared to the wounds I inflicted upon my children. My suffering was caused because you were brainwashed into being a killer. But Daunte and Arin—I caused their suffering. I was a man of sound mind who exposed my young children to warfare. Both my wife and I did that. I was a man of sound mind who wasn't careful with the lives of his children, and because of that they suffered worse than I ever suffered. Because I failed as a father and as a man, my own teenage son is leading an Army. He has responsibilities that he should never have had to worry about.

"I—Daunte." Tears were spilling down his cheeks as he looked at Daunte. "Daunte, you should be attending school right now. You should be having fun like a teenager would. You shouldn't be a survivor of a labor camp. You shouldn't be the leader of a damn Army! Y—You should BE A KID!" he finally raised his voice and it was almost a howl of anguish. "Both Arin and you! But you aren't! You aren't because of me!"

Daunte quickly hugged him, again careful to not touch him with his right hand. "It's okay," he said. "I understand. I…I'm angry but I don't blame you. This was going to happen no matter what. I'm the Tenkai Star, the leader of the 108 Stars of Destiny. It was fate that brought us here."

Nakula clung to him and sobbed. The room sat in silence watching them. Shou gave his mother a handkerchief to dry her tears.

"Nether Gate," Oboro said softly. "They cause nothing but misery. They are responsible for the misery of everyone in this room."

"Yeah," Daunte agreed just as softly.

It was a long while before Nakula could get himself under control. Caesar passed Daunte a handkerchief to give to him. Nakula took a moment to clean his face before he looked at Sagiri again through swollen eyes. "I…don't think I will ever be able to truly forgive you," Nakula said finally. "But I—need to release the hate in my heart for you. For my sake and for the sake of my family." he let out a shaky breath and nodded stiffly. "Your life is safe, Sagiri. After this moment I will leave and you will never see me again. You have worked hard to build a family and to live in peace, and I will respect your peace and give it my blessing. I hope you continue to find peace with yourself."

Shou quickly threw his arms around his mom and Shigure almost looked ready to collapse in relief. Sagiri closed her eyes and her mouth fell, finally forming a firm frown. "Thank you," she whispered.

Daunte let out shaky breath too. "Please live in peace," he said to Sagiri. "I'm sure that's what my grandfather would want, too."

"Yeah," Nakula agreed quietly.