Queen's note: Slightly less chaos after all the drama lol poor lily has no idea where or what is going on. To be fair I would be even more lost

Garnets

Chapter Seventy Four:

PUPPIES! Wait-wut?

"Um… help?"

Haco lifted his head at the muffled voice, reflexively scanning around before placing the accent a second later. He was getting up and moving to the Slayer's old room before anyone else placed where the call had come from. He paused by the door he was partly guarding, Haco finding it open somewhat and tried to think who went in last.

"Lady Lily?" Haco asked, pretty sure the human would not be indecent, but waved at Jade for attention.

"Help! I need some towels or something here! …and a vet- this is not like guinea pigs giving birth!" Lily sounded stressed and when Haco pushed his way in he saw a very frazzled human sitting in the big bed by…

A wolf in mid labor.

"Halp," Lily looked up and over at Haco, hazel eyes wide as she looked over. Looking so completely lost that Jade was dodging around Haco to go right over to the smaller young woman.

"It's okay love, she felt safe in here, take a deep breath so the wolf does not stress." Jade soothed, hesitating only a moment before climbing up into the large bed with the human. Checking the animal over as she was having a contraction, "Looks like the pups are right side up and coming out. Here, gently move the first pup up closer to the momma's forelegs."

Lily squeaked as a wet, wiggly puppy was put in her hands and she gently, gingerly moved it. And then a big paw reached out to pull the human, and the held puppy closer to the momma wolf's front. Trying to start to groom her puppy as she was pushing another out. "Oh my gods, your multitasking is amazing momma."

Haco chuckled, lingering just a moment to get the supplies offered by Lyka. As the Shadowed Sentinels had been expecting this wolf to give birth soon after all. The man walked over, humming reflexively as Lily looked up at him. Then the girl seemed to recognize him and Haco was surprised as Lily looked relieved once doing so.

"Haco?" Lily asked, hesitantly, but her voice was not nearly strong as the man had heard her before. She sounded so lost that he moved around the bed to lean over and reached for her.

"Right here little Lady," Haco tried to be reassuring, as he watched Lyka climbing up on the bed with Jade. Both women were well able to help the wolf so Haco pulled the damp Lily over closer to him and out of the way. Smiling as a small hand grasped his, and latched onto as tight as the human could. Betraying how nervous she was.

Lily tugged the Argenta man's hand for attention, staring at the strangers. Then around the new stone chambers with much higher ceilings and just… not the same as where she last remembered being. Her voice definitely betrayed the confusion and lost feelings she had while asking, "Where am I?"

Lily blinked and looked around, "Where's Heather? Haco, what happened? I was… I was in the Fortress, right? How did I get here?"

Who were these people? Why was there a giant dog thing giving birth beside her?!

Lily squeaked, startled as Haco gently put his hand over the human's eyes. And though she grabbed and tugged his wrist and thumb she could not pull his hand away. The Sentinel kept her eyes covered and then pulled Lily against his side. "First, breathe girl. I can hear you starting to gasp. Deep breaths, calm down, because you're safe. You're protected here, and your sire isn't far away."

Lily grasped the hand over her head with both of her own. Holding tight to Haco's hand as he was breathing steady and calm behind her. That was an unexpected way to help her calm down, not being able to see all that had changed and then just being held by one of the people John trusted. Haco shifted, reached to grab the girl's mask and then slowly started to let go, letting Lily see her mask first before lowering his hand.

The man hummed again, but Haco just let the human hide against his side for a few minutes as she pressed the mask to her face to get the medication. Lily was calming down but as Jade shifted to come closer, it seemed like she reflexively pressed in against Haco's side at seeing the strange woman.

Jade was about the same height of Captian Milla, so Lily would just barely come up to her ribs. The white haired woman reached out, but her touch was gentle as she checked a scrape on Lily's foot. Fresh and likely from the wolf's paws on accident. She had black eyes like Valen's good one, maybe a bit richer in color in comparison. "It's okay little love, the Lord Sentinel is right, you are safe in here. We're in the Slayer's Vault."

"Vault… but, that's," Lily paused, hazel eyes going even wider as she finished that thought internally. Lily remembered John and Valen talking about the his old vault back in Taras Nabad…on….on-

"You're on Argent D'nur, little Lady." Haco said, trying to be reassuring, and the big man winced as Lily just curled up into a ball instead of being reassured. He looked at Jade with a confused sound and hand motion. Trying to ask for help.

Jade slid over, gently but firmly pulling the small, if damp girl off Haco's side and into her own lap. Warm hands rubbing over the slim seemingly shoulders, down the back and up. Jade hummed softly as she felt the frightened shiver that worked through the little human. "Shh, it's alright. You really are safe, I promise…Lily?"

The older woman hummed still, just treating the Great Slayer's daughter like she was one of Jade's own children. Letting Lily calm back down at her own pace, hide against her front as Jade gently ran her fingers through the short blond hair. Admiring the color of both the girl's hair and the lighter tan of her skin. Not as dark as most Argenta, but had a pink tint to her?

It was oddly…cute.

It took a bit before Lily could lift her head. She felt confused and disorientated, and Lily had to open her eyes, confirm this was not her mom. Reality seeped in again as she looked around, calmer and stared at the curious, dark haired Lyka.

…was that stranger's eyes glowing too?

Lily missed her mom suddenly, and intensely, as she looked up at the taller woman that was holding her. Not the same features she wanted to see, but the Argenta woman seemed kind. Enough that Lily finally leaned against her, focusing on breathing once more. "I'm…on another planet."

"Yes love," Jade nodded.

"...why?" Lily looked over and up at Haco, still lost.

"You and a few other humans back on the Fortress had a…" Haco thought how to explain it, "Side effect? You were in a coma-like state to survive the bleed over energy from the Slayer. He was… hurt, and then very angry."

The man ran a hand over his head, and then said honestly. "We thought it would be easier to bring you here Lily, as the Slayer needed you as much as you needed him to wake up."

"...is this tied to the…the… this is crazy energy or demigod-bullshite isn't it?" Lily demanded after a moment to think about what was said.

Haco laughed, "Yes, yes it is my little Lady. I don't understand it much and I was knocked unconscious as well, just not as long."

"How long was I out?" Lily asked, leery as she remembered the last time something with 'high amounts of energy' happened.

"Almost two days," Haco guessed as he thought about what had been said.

"...like when Gaia did that gift thing?"

"I suppose, yes."

Lily made a face, really, was she just going to loose days whenever something Weird happened? The young woman blinked and then looked up at who still held her. Blinked again and then looked awkward, "Um…thank you… who are you?"

The silver haired woman smiled, "My name is Jade little one."

"...Amber's mom?" Lily asked, relaxing a bit more.

Jade's smile brightened a bit more, "You've met my daughter? I hope she's been good."

"Yeah, we kept arguing about my age." Lily snorted, rolling her eyes but it was not unkind, "I'm shorter than her but older."

"How old are you?" Lyka asked as there was a pause between puppies, the mother wolf resting and trying to clean the offered pups until ready again.

"Twenty-two," Lily explained.

"You jest," Lyka demanded, eyeing the girl again as Jade sat up in surprise.

Lily sighed, looking defeated as she had been over her age many times with the new Argenta on the Fortress already. "No, I'm… just small apparently. And everyone else is massive."

She helplessly motioned up at Haco's hulking form. Getting a chuckle from Jade at least.

"...where is John?" Lily asked softly, confused as she looked around the strange room, realizing she could smell petrichor but did not see her guardian.

"Your father is just outside the vault with Lord Valen." Haco explained, looking over and was impressed with the four large puppies born so far. "Do you want to go see him?"

Lily frowned for a moment, was about to ask if he meant her dad's crucible. But no that seemed to be in reference to John. Lily looked up at Jade, blinked slowly before she wondered why Haco would say that. The human was awake now and though could not hide the confusion on her face, she kept herself from correcting or asking about that aloud.

"My whole unit is here, Lady," Lyka's voice spoke up as she watched the expressive girl. Still not fully sure that she believed Lily was as old as she said. The girl looked…young. "You are and will be protected, you have my word as one of wolves of the Great Slayer."

The human looked baffled.

Then saw the wolf-like design of the armor. Was this a military thing? Like her dad's unit mascot thing was a badger?

"I think before we do anything," Jade's warm voice had Lily looking back up. The Argenta woman slipped her fingers under the thin shirt of Lily's tank top, "You should clean up, and get into dry, warmer clothes. We are in Taras Nabad's upper city. You'll freeze in the wind alone like this."

Haco snorted softly but smiled as he got up, "I'll see if there's anything out in the vault proper left."

Lyka waited a moment before turning to Jade and the human as the big wolf whined for comfort. "Eastern side of the room, there should be some smaller clothes that were once for the Lord Slayer's aids or his old fosters. They should fit you Lady Lily."

Jade looked over at the area and nodded, then down. "Ready?"

"...yeah," it still took Lily a moment to start moving away from the woman that just gave off… the air of a Mom. Even if it was not her mom. Then Lily really became aware of the sticky and wetness on the bed and her. "Ew…"

She climbed out of Jade's lap with belated guilt. Thankfully Lily noticed that Jade did not seem bothered at all as the woman followed after. Not nearly as damp either.

Lily noticed she just had warm socks on, and for the first time wondered if her boots were in John's room or had been moved. She was looking down, studying what Jade had on her feet, they seemed like low boots. Definitely some sort of shoe.

Jade gently pushed the girl ahead to where the cloths were supposed to be. While stepping to the main and only door as she heads steps. Taking the supplies from Haco and coming to set them on the dresser-like surface. A bowl, some cloth and a jug of warm water. Also a flask of still warm tea. "It's not a warm spring, but this will help."

"Thank you, Miss Jade." Lily said as she remembered that she should be polite. The human hesitated, then sighed before pulling her tank top off.

"Where did you get that scarring?" Jade asked once helping Lily clean up, then took a good look at the smaller girl.

"Mm?" Lily looked at her left arm, pausing before pulling on the new shirt she was offered. "Oh, ah… well, my dad did that by accident, before he became the crucible."

"You're dad?" Jade asked gently, remembering what Lord Valen had briefly said.

"Yeah, he adopted me when I was really little, after… after Hell invaded he got me, mom and others to safety before some sort of demonic infection happened to people. He's gone now…but not? He's inside John's crucible." Lily pulled on the lavender shirt, it was still just a bit too big, but it was not that bad. It was still warm and had long sleeves, and the pants too were a darker purple but with a found belt, and rolling up the hems of the legs, it could stay on.

"Inside the crucible, the blue one?" Jade started to echo, glancing at the foot of the bed, then remembered the blade the Slayer used actively before.

"Yeah," Lily smiled up at the taller woman, missing the intense look from Lyka. "He said the Crusible's name is Last Gift, but it is still my dad's soul…core? I don't understand it all to be honest. There's a lot of stuff I've been trying to learn since Hell invaded. It still feels like dad when John lets me hold the hilt."

"It took even us time to learn about Hell," Jade allowed, putting her hand on Lily's head, and then rubbing her back, "Let alone how to fight back. Shall we find your sire?"

"Yeah, oh, um…?" Lily started to agree and then turned, clearly worried about the wolf and the other woman.

"Go ahead," Lyka assured with a smile, she seemed thoughtful as well as making sure the wolf was still okay. "I'll stay with the momma here, go see your sire."

Lyka looked down, lifting a puppy as she considered everything she heard first hand. She gently set the pale pup down and then lifted a darker one, the dark haired woman smiled, "I think you would be a good wolf for the daughter of Slayer. His child of peace indeed... she will need all the protection she can get. Be a good wolf, little one."

That was no fighter, but Lyka could see and sense the good heart of the child. She was lost but willing to trust the Argenta, if only because Haco had been there.

Reviews!

RavenShichiyou:
Doomdad is just going to be holding his smol up for Viola soon XD also yeeaaaah... Lily is just... LOST, and that's a biiiiggg doggy...

XFireStoneX:
OOF! Hopefully the kittens all made it! XD I love adding small things like that! its fun!