Chapter 18: Dreams, reveal, and the clash of wind and flame.
Neptune POV
(Huh!? What the Nep?)
"Huh, wha-ZEDDY?" I shouted, confused on where the heck I was. Just a second ago I was with Compa and Iffy. Then Iffy gets taken by the weird old man, and I somehow end up wherever the flip this place is, and Zeddy was on the floor! "Hey...can you stay with me? I kinda' want to get some actual rest. Ya don't mind, do you?" I was incredibly confused, why was he here? Where was here? Why was Zeddy exhausted? (No, focus.)
Zeddy was tired, and was asking me to stay with him, that's what mattered. Our talk could wait until he was awake enough to answer my questions. "Sure, I don't know what the heck I'm doing here, but sure. Mind if I lay on you?" it looked as if he tried to shake his head, before giving up, and instead putting up his left thumb. "Sweet!" Hey, he was a surprisingly good pillow, okay! Don't judge!
Laying my right arm across his midsection, I then laid my head on his chest and snuggled into him. (Ahhh, just as nice as the last time...Ignoring the location, that is.) my eyes then began to feel heavy. Within what felt like moments, I began to fall asleep.
[Neptune and Noah's dream- Neptune POV]
I felt a hand gently stroke my face.
"Wake up dear, it's time for breakfast. Compa and IF made pudding." a soothing voice spoke out, a voice I recognised, Zeddy's.
"Pudding? AWESOME, nothing is better than pudding in the morning!" I spoke, causing Zeddy to laugh. "Hmm, even better than our wedding day?" I blinked in confusion for a moment, before remembering. (Oh yeah, our wedding...) Removing it from under the blanket, I looked at my left hand, taking notice of a thin silver band that had a small purple gem in the middle. "Anyway, are you coming?" My Husband asked. I could only smile mischievously.
"Carry me."
"Of course dear."
He brought us downstairs, and into a dining room, placing me down gently on a chair that was next to a table, before sitting on a chair beside me. "Heya Nep-Nep, good morning!" Compa spoke, exiting out of the kitchen with a platter full of pudding, and Iffy in-tow. "Hope you're hungry, me and Compa worked extra hard on this batch." Iffy spoke, smiling. Compa then set the platter down before she and Iffy sat opposite Zeddy and I.
I was quick to dig in.
"So Iffy, Compa, how have things been?" I asked, curious on what they had be doing recently. The both of them smiled. "Well Nep-Nep, I recently got a promotion, all my hard work is paying off. The children in the hospital even made me a card to celebrate the occasion!" the nurse spoke with a wide smile. "Congrats!" "Indeed, congratulations." "You deserve it!" the rest of us cheered. Ever since she became a nurse, Compa had been rising through the ranks. It helped that the children loved her.
"What about you, Iffy?" I asked the brown-haired girl. Said girl smiled as widely as Compa did. "Well, not to brag or anything, but I got asked to be the deputy head of the entire guild. The current head was apparently impressed with all my accomplishments."
There was another wave of congratulations. Then Iffy spoke again. "How about you two? How's married life been treating you?" She asked. Zeddy answered before I could. "I don't know about Mrs Ordinarius, but things have been great. Neptune is as lazy as usual, but I take my job as her second-in-command very seriously, so she does her job, even if she complains constantly." A sneaky grin appeared on his face, before he gave me a peck on the cheek.
"We've even been thinking of having a child." (Huh?...wait, ah, that's right, we were.) "Yeah, sleeping in every day is awesome, even if Zeddy tries to wake me up all the time. I may be lazy, but I'll have you know I'll be a great mother! I really hope we get a son, how about you, huzzy?" My husband smiled. "Hmm, well I would have preferred a daughter, but if you want a son, then I'll hope for a son too."
Iffy made a whipcrack sound effect, while Compa laughed at the brown-haired girl's action. "She really does have you wrapped around her fingers, eh?" Zeddy smiled slyly. "I suppose, though It would be more accurate to say she has her fingers around my-" I poked his face, interrupting him. "Bad Zeddy, no dirty talk." "And that doesn't include the times I use my fingers to-" I shut him up with a kiss on the lips.
"Fine, I'll keep quiet. Love you dear~" He spoke. I pouted, before replying. "I love you too."
"Geez, can you two quit it with the lovey-dovey stuff? You make singles like me and Compa feel bad." Iffy spoke, Compa nodding in agreement. "Yup, no lovey-dovey stuff at the breakfast table!" Zeddy and I laughed. "Very well." "Fiiine."
The rest of breakfast went by quickly, as did the rest of the day. Night was quick to arrive, and I soon found myself, as well as Zeddy, lying in the same bed. As I felt my eyes close, a single thought entered my mind, alongside a revelation.
(A dream huh, let's hope it becomes a reality soon.)
Noah/Zed POV
Feeling the comforting weight of Neptune on my chest as I woke up, I began to open my eyes. Taking quick notice of where the two of us were, before suddenly remembering everything that had transpired. (Fuck.) I thought simply. I had undergone the trial not only for power, but to also keep a distance from the others. But it seemed that in my tired state I ignored all that, instead giving in to my desire to be with Neptune. Then came the memory of just how the purple-haired girl got here.
Wait...
(How in the hell did I have access to the ability of a God? Why am I not in pain?) I thought. It made no sense, when I had used the power of Gods using Terminus, I was in immense pain, so why was I not in any similar pain now? (That light...but, how can I use it?) the light, as well as the power and knowledge I gained, they were connected. (Perhaps the light was the divinity manifested?)
I felt a light breeze.
"You have a question, do you not?" The same figure from earlier asked, somehow appearing from nowhere. Putting my index finger to my lips in the universal sign of 'please be quiet' I answered. "Yes. How was I able to use the power of a God when using Terminus almost killed me?" I spoke in a whisper, hoping not to wake the girl that lied on my chest.
"Terminus, the Blade Of The End. Is a weapon that holds all the power I bestowed upon my son. It was not rightfully taken from him. The sheer amount of power that lied within, as well as your method of obtaining it, lead to it resisting you, even when it allowed you to use it." the figure began. (I suppose that explains the pain, as well as why the hell I felt no stronger after...that.
"The power I bestowed upon you, however, was fairly earned. You fought tooth and nail for it, and proved victorious." I half-smiled at the figure's words. Feeling a sense of pride after fighting so hard. "The exit door lies just behind you, leave when you feel ready. If you have any more questions, seek out the other trials." Lifting my head and looking behind me, I noticed the figures' words were true, not too far away from me lied a door. Looking back, I noticed the figure was gone. (Dammit.) As one could imagine, I still had questions.
Ignoring my slight irritation, I looked down, and towards my favourite purple-haired companion. I smile graced my features as I looked at her form lovingly, before a harrowing thought quickly came to mind.
Her embrace of me, her care for me. Would she still do it, still feel the same, if she knew of my deceit? Knew that I had lied, that I killed someone? (Of course not!) But then another thought came to mind. Would a future like the one I dreamed of be the same, be worth it, if it was built on lies and deceit? Did Neptune, IF, and especially Compa, deserve to live their lives never knowing the truth? My answer was the same. (Of course not...)
Did Neptune deserve to be wed to a murderer, and IF and Compa, friends to a killer?
Did they deserve a life like that? A falsehood built on the selfishness of one man?
(Of...of course not...)
My mind was a mess, my heart writhed in turmoil.
But I knew what must be done.
"Neptune, my love, get up. We need to leave." the girl sluggishly began to get up. "Huh?Whah?" She spoke. "We must leave now. There's...there's something I have to tell you and the others." We both stood up, hands interlinked, and walked towards the exit door. I for one, savouring the feeling of her hand in mine.
"Huh? Where the heck is this place?" Neptune asked. Of course, when we travelled through the exit door, we ended up back in the main chamber, hence her confusion. "Woden, you prick. It's done. Now send us back."
"Wait, who is Wo-"
And we were back, or at least Neptune and I were. Compa and IF were nowhere to be seen. "Okay, so ignoring all of... whatever the heck that was, though I still want answers by the way, what was it you wanted to tell me?" My purple-haired loved interest spoke curiously. "What I need to say will need to be said in front of everyone. Sorry my love, but you might have to wait a bit longer." I spoke, taking note of both the disappointment and redness on her face.
'Live like it's your last' I told myself. Because in a way, it was.
It took the two of us a while to locate Compa, we were lucky enough to encounter a passerby that just so happened to see her go towards Blanc's room. We were extra fortunate to also come across the nurse-in-training seemingly just after she was finished with whatever business she had with the Goddess of Lowee.
"Nep-Nep! Zeddy!" the girl shouted, running over to Neptune and I, giving the both of us a massive hug.
'Endure it' I told myself. It would be over soon enough.
"Compa, there is something important I need to tell you. I'll explain everything once we find IF. Whatever questions you have, I'll answer afterwards." I spoke simply. Trying my best to keep myself together, as well as stop myself from running away.
No
I was done with running, done dancing around the subject, of pretending nothing happened.
(The people I care about, my family, and the woman I loved more than anything. They all deserved the truth.) I told myself. The group wasn't even gathered completely, yet my stomach felt as if it bore a void, my heart beat erratically, and my head was going at a mile a minute. But I had to endure it.
I turned to look at Neptune. If I was being honest now, then I would be completely honest. "You know I love you, right?" I brought my face close to hers and did something I've been wanting to do for a long time. A warm feeling encompassed my entire body as our lips met for the first time. What felt completely was indescribable, the sheer joy and feeling of satisfaction I felt, having no description.
I quickly removed my lips from hers, wanting to not lose myself in the bliss, as well as remembering what I had yet to do. I turned away from Neptune's gaze and kept walking, though still holding her hand in mine.
Eventually as we walked, seemingly at random. IF and Woden appeared out of nowhere. The brown-haired girl glaring at me in both resolve, and seemingly anger. "Have fun kids. Try not to kill each other, yeah?" the man(?), who's name I was seriously considering changing to 'prick', left. Leaving us four together at last. I took a deep breath.
"Now that we're all together, there something I need to sa-" "What did you do to Ban!?" Before I could finish, I was interrupted by IF, who had somehow already known I had something to do with the old man's disappearance. "That's what I was going to explai-" A bladed weapon wreathed in verdant wind was pointed at my throat. "Talk!" I placed both hands up. "I will...just put down your weapon." I spoke as calmly as I could. Though I was sure I knew where the situation would inevitably go.
Thankfully, IF did eventually put her weapon down, though the winds surrounding it didn't stop. Ignoring the shocked faces of Neptune and Compa, and before they had a chance to speak, I started talking. "Ban has disappeared, and you're wondering where he went, right?" I began, taking note of how all three of them nodded their heads. Ignoring my confusion, I continued. "It's not that he's disappeared. He's..." I struggled to finish my sentence.
I started having second thoughts. Could I really go through with this? Could I really tell Compa that not only was her last living relative dead, but that I had killed him?
(No...I have to do this.)
My heart was screaming at me not to tell, but my head knew it would be the right thing to do. The looks of disappointment, shock and hatred that would follow, I'd just have to deal with.
"Ban did not disappear, he was murdered, and the one that killed him...Was me."
A long silence permeated the area, my three companions shocked still by my reveal. "No." Compa began. "You wouldn't...there's no way you would!" "Don't joke around like that Zeddy, this isn't funny." her and Neptune were in denial, refusing to believe the truth. The both of them looked a moment away from hysteria.
"So you did it then. It all makes sense now." IF began, sounding eerily calm.
(Look out!)
Heeding Rex's warning, I swiftly summoned a sword just in time to prevent a blade from cutting through me. "Why!?" IF shouted angrily, a peculiar feeling of anguish showing in her eyes. "Do you have any idea who he was, any idea of what he meant!?" She knew the truth, as did the others, and reacted accordingly...somewhat, yet even so I felt frustrated at her response. (It wasn't like I wanted to do it) "Of course I do! He was Compa's Grandad, her last living relative! He was the one to bloody tell me!" I pushed aside her weapon, only for the brown-haired girl to jump back, creating distance between us. "Do you think I wanted to do it!? I love Compa, I love you! We're basically family dammit!"
I swung my blade forward, cutting through a wave of violent wind that was about to hit. "Then why the fuck did you do it!?" Fuck keeping it a secret, the old bastards were pricks anyway. "To keep you all safe! That's why!" In the blink of an eye, IF was standing right in front of me. Before I could comprehend how exactly she closed the distance so quickly. Her fist met my face. "Kh!" "How was killing him keeping us safe!?" Thankfully, I recovered quick enough to counter her next attack, grabbing her other, outstretched, hand by the wrist, and narrowly avoiding being cut.
"He was dying. Had he died of natural causes, all the souls of Gods he carried with him would be released. Then the Old Ones would come back and slaughter us all!" She stood there for a moment, silently, before something appeared to change. Her eyes, ones that were always a bright green, began to glow even brighter.
!
Acting on instinct, I leaped back just in time to avoid getting caught up in an explosion of razor-sharp wind. (What the hell?) When the winds calmed down, IF had changed. Her brown hair was now a dark green, and around her now glowing eyes, were what appeared to be bright scales of the same colour.
"You. Son of man who usurped the sacred power of the God Eater. For the blood of the innocent that stains your hands, you will be judged. I, Garuda, embodiment of the skies and judgement, shall strike you down!" The now-named 'Garuda' spoke, bright eyes baring into my own with pure hatred. {So the little birdy has come to play hmm? Why don't you show them your strength, vessel of mine?} The voice that spoke within me was foreign, new, not one I had ever heard before.
Yet I knew who it belonged to, as if by some strange instinct. (Piss off Loki, that's IF's body, there is no way I'm going to do her harm.) Considering Loki appeared to know who they were, I could have asked questions. But I would think getting answers from a trickster God would be a fool's errand. It didn't matter who or what 'Garuda' was. All that mattered is that they were using the body of one of my own.
Would they all hate me after this anyway? Maybe. But they were family dammit! Even if I was nothing but a monster to them for what I did, to me at least, they were still worth everything. (For fuck's sake...) I couldn't help but think, why couldn't this have gone simpler? What the hell did Woden even do to IF?
(Why in the fuck does everything have to be some convoluted bullshit!)
"Neptune, Compa. I don't care if you hate me right now, but I need you to listen. Get, the fuck, out of here. I don't know what's happened to IF, but I don't know if you both could handle her. She'll come back to us; I promise." I heard footsteps. Good, they must have listened. (Now to deal with whatever the hell this is.) "I don't care who you are, just get out of my sister!" I shouted at the creature(?), who apparently ignored me.
"Ventus!"
As soon as Garuda spoke, a massive torrent of wind flew in my direction. Being more than a little frustrated, I didn't step to the side or dodge the attack. Instead, I cut the gale in half, causing both halves to shoot at either side of me, nicking my flesh in the process. I ignored the pain however; it paled in comparison to the countless times I had been stabbed before.
"What the fuck do you want!?" I shouted in frustration. Before quickly bringing up my sword to block a strike from IF's weapons. (Stronger, but not enough...) I though, recognising IF's increase in strength, as well as my own. From the looks of things, it wasn't that I couldn't overpower Garuda, it was just that I couldn't without hurting IF. "You have slain an innocent man in cold blood. For that you must perish." they spoke.
"Who the hell are you to judge me!? You don't have that right, only my family does! Now give IF back!" I shouted, swing my blade, knocking IF's weapons from the hands of the being who was possessing her. Letting go of my own weapon, I grasped IF's shoulder with my left hand, and pushed. Making it so that she was on the floor. "What the hell are you!?" I shouted. Perhaps If I knew what I was dealing with, then maybe I could get rid of Garuda without harming my sister.
"I am a God, boy." Suddenly,I was knocked flat on my arse by an unexpected gust of wind, mine and Garuda's positions switching. The creature had the fingers of IF's right hand pointed straight at my throat, nails that I now noticed to be greatly extended, pricking my skin. "You are under the assumption that my host is being held captive." "Khh!" suddenly those very same fingers were now wrapped around my throat, my entire body being lifted from the ground, and into the air.
"She is not. You have killed her father, so now she wishes for your death."
...what?
(No, no that can't be! Are you fucking joking!?) Why did life seem to fucking hate me!?
But, If they were speaking the truth, then, maybe IF did want me dead.
...fine, fuck it.
"If IF wants me dead...She can do it herself...I can...accept that. You though? Some...random arrogant God? No...I won't...let you." Gripping the wrist of the hand that held me with considerable strength, I was let go. "IF if you're in there, snap out of it." I saw the glow in her eyes disappear for a moment. "Z-Zed?" The glow came back.
(What are you doing!?)
(Shut up.)
I grabbed my sword by the blade, and pressed its' handle into IF's hands, willing it to let her hold it. "If you want me dead for what I did to you, that's fine. My life is yours. However, you have to be the one to do it. Not this arrogant piece of shit." As I spoke, IF's eyes continued to switch from glowing to how they were normally, then back again. "It's okay IF, you're doing great." I spoke encouragingly, speaking as softly and calmly as I could, bringing the point of my blade to my chest.
I supressed my Septima, making so its healing would be halted. "I love you all, remember that, oka-AGH!" The blade suddenly pierced my chest. I smiled through the pain. "Well...done." Her eyes returned to their usual shade, and stayed that way; my sister was back. To my surprise however, she was crying. "Nononono, Zed, stay with me!" I cupped her face with my right hand. "It's fine...better by your hand...than anyone els-"
*SLAP*
"No you idiot! Why would I want you dead!?"
...huh?
"Wha?" I was shocked, why wouldn't she want me dead? Didn't I kill her dad? "What would I tell Neptune, Huh? What about Compa? About me? Are you that stupid as to leave us behind?" If I was honest, I still couldn't understand why she wanted me to live, but... (If my little sister wants me to live, then I will.) Releasing my hold on my Septima, I allowed it to begin healing me. However, the blade sticking out of my body was getting in the way.
"Fine, step back a bit, I got to pull this thing out." (It's fine, this shouldn't hurt too much.) I gripped the handle with both hands, and began to pull
(ARGH! FUCKFUCKFUCK!)
Never mind, it did.
(AAAAAAAHHHH)
"AHHGH! Fucking hell...Never doing that again..." I spoke, eventually managing to pull the sword out completely. Within an instant, golden-orange flames burst forth from my wound, healing it within seconds. Then I felt a not-insignificant weight fall on me. "I'm...sorry." IF spoke, crying into my shoulder. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay, I'm okay. Everything is fine." I spoke as soothingly as I could, wrapping my arms around the petite girl, giving her a hug, and rubbing her back.
It was a while before she calmed down.
"...thank you..." IF quietly whispered. I couldn't help but smile. "What are family for?" I then quickly moved my hands to her sides and began tickling her.
"PFT! Zed, sto-stop it!"
"No, I don't wanna~"
Then she started tickling me.
"I-IF no. Stop it!"
"I don't wanna!"
Our tickle war lasted ages, though eventually, as all things do, it came to an end.
"Haaah...Haaaah...Truce?"
"Hahh...truce."
We both took a moment to catch our breath. "Y'know, if you want to go find Compa and catch up, as well as sort out your no doubt conflicting feelings about me, that's fine." I spoke. IF nodded, taking a moment to give me another hug, before leaving. A while after she left, as I stood still thinking about the future, I heard footsteps. Turning around, I noticed that it was Neptune, the girl looking at me with resolve.
"You-" "Shush for a second, I know what you're gonna say, just let me speak." I swiftly shut up. "Good. Anyway, I know you think we'll all just hate you, that we'll all just up an' leave just because you did something you didn't want to do. Well you're wrong mister!" She came up to me, and gave me a peck on the lips. "The man I know and love, the very same man who pledged to always be by my side, is not a cold-hearted murderer. My feelings haven't changed, Zeddy. Though..." Her eyes suddenly gained a mischievous glint.
"If you wanna show your appreciation with a lifetime supply of pudding and a wedding ring, that'd be appreciated." "PFT!" I couldn't help but laugh at her words. (She really is something else.) "Deal. As soon as we find someone who can smith a pair of rings, I'll get started on the wedding preparations." I for one, was not lying. If she wanted to get married, we would. "Er, you know I was kidding, right?" "Oh, I know."
...
"I'm too young to get married!"
"I know. I just wanted to make sure you knew it was a valid option if you wanted. Also, I will try my best to get you that pudding, even if I'm pretty sure my funds wouldn't be able to cover an eternity's worth." Her eyes lit up like a tree on christmas. "Sweet! I could kiss you right now." My smile widened. "Come here then, I've got a lot to make up for."
IF POV
(Dammit Garuda, I told you to stay out of it!) I spoke. I had told the God to leave Zed to me, but it appeared the birdy had a hate boner for the man. {You would not be able to do what must have been. You would have let him live. Look at how things are now. You let your father's murderer walk free.} He spoke, still stuck in his black and white view. (I didn't, I let a man who was forced to commit a great sin, go free.) Zed gave up any chance of getting his memories back to save us, someone like that was incapable of coldblooded murder.
I heard every word that came from his mouth, being forced to kill someone...No one would be able to handle that sort of guilt for long. I still felt conflicted however, Ban was still my dad, even if I didn't know that fact until a short while ago, but that was why I was going to Compa. She knew Ban for far longer than me, if anyone deserved the right to think bad of Zed, it would be her. Fortunately for me, finding Compa didn't take long, neither did finding Neptune.
"Hey Compa, Neptune." I greeted the two, who looked like they had just finished a conversation. ""Iffy!?"" The two shouted, clearly surprised at my sudden presence. "Woah, easy there." I replied, narrowly dodging a double hug from the two. (Save that for later.) I thought. "Everything's fine now, Zed and I are both okay." I spoke, informing the girls. "Why don't you check up on your boyfriend, Neptune. I'm sure he could do with your support." The purple-haired girl's face went red, but she quickly nodded her head and left.
"Now, I think we have a lot to talk about Compa."
"Yeah..."
...
"So as it turns out, your grandfather is my dad...Surprise?" I awkwardly informed the girl, not knowing how else to bring the topic up. "EH!?" The girl shrieked in surprise. "Er, yeah. Apparently, he got drunk and slep-" "I think I understand Iffy!" The girl shouted, clearly understanding the implications the first-time round.
...
There was a long, awkward silence.
"I don't think this really changes things, other than the fact that we're related by blood now rather than just feeling like family." Compa eventually spoke. "I mean, I suppose you're right. Though it does feel strange to technically be your half-auntie. I always thought of you like a sister." I spoke. Compa nodded. "Yeah, sisters for life!" the nurse-in-training responded. I sighed. (Best get this over with.)
"You knew Ban far better than I did, so what do you think about Zed now? Knowing that he killed him, even if it was by force." I asked. Deciding to rip off the plaster in one go. The peach-haired girl kept quiet, though eventually, she started speaking. "Grandpa was always serious and strong. Not even Zeddy could harm him if he didn't want to be harmed. I think Zeddy was telling the truth. Ammie being inside me would make even more sense then."
Huh?
"Who's 'Ammie'?" I asked curiously. (Hmm, then again, If she's like me...) "Ah, that's my nickname for Amaterasu, the voice in my head. She's very nice." (Yup, she definitely is like me.) I thought, ignoring how easily the girl in front of me could be confused for a crazy person. "Ah, well, I have a voice in my head too. His name is Garuda, he, uh, he's not as nice as Ammie..." I spoke, finishing my sentence awkwardly.
"He saw Zed's forced murder of Ban as blatant murder and saw fit for Zed to die as well." I started. "I...I may have only recently learned all about this, that there existed Gods, that Ban was my dad, and that he died. Thanks to that, I wasn't exactly thinking straight. That's why I fought Zed, and why Garuda took over." I finished, and to my surprise, being quickly comforted by a hug and a pat on the back.
"I-it's okay Iffy, things are fine now." she spoke. Her shaky voice and the sudden wetness on my coat, telling me everything I needed to know.
...
"Thanks, s-sis." I replied, eyes just as teary.
Neptune POV
Best. Day. Ever! I got smooches from the man I loved, and the promise of pudding! (That dream can be a reality now!) I thought, feeling my face go red at the implications. (Heh, kids with Zeddy...Nah, we'll do that later, it's too early for the two protagonists to have children now.) "Are you feeling alright? You appear lost in thought." Zeddy's words snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hmm? Oh, right, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about the future is all. Speaking of which, you have to fight that 'Blade' dude again, right?" I asked my boyfriend.
"Yeah, this time I'll win." He spoke confidently. (Oh me likey~) "Then pudding?" I suggested. "Then pudding." Yes! "Oh, right, if you win, you get the last key fragment-thingy right? Then we can rescue Histy!" "Indeed. But then I'll have to face my brother..." His brothe-oh right. "He hates me and the other Goddesses, right?" I asked. "Yes, and apparently Histoire can tell me why." I felt a sudden sense of dread. "You won't end up hating me, right?" I asked nervously.
I lost my memories, so who knows what kind of person I was before. Maybe I was some kinda bad person or something. (For all I know, his hatred could be justified.) I felt a hand tussle up my hair. "Of course not, you're my beloved. I could never hate you." Oh he always knew just what to say to make me feel better.
"I love you, Zed."
"I love you too, Neptune."
END OF CHAPTER
An: A bit shorter than normal, but hopefully you all enjoy it regardless. I tried my best to play with the themes of family and companionship that I've been trying to set up since the beginning, but I'm still nervous that I've somehow messed up somewhere.
You might notice that Rex is speaking less and less. That is intentional. (Virtual cookies to anyone who figures out why.)
Also, the main character and Neptune are finally together! Shout out to 'Edison Estalla Cutipa', you were correct.
Also-also, if you wouldn't mind leaving a review, that'd be neat. Nothing gets the ol' muse going than viewer engagement.