Queen's note: if you missed it, I posted a slow side story "Before the End" that takes place before Garnets. It's Frederick's story when Hell invaded Earth before the Slayer, and Vega, found their way there.

Also good luck with the feels and easter eggs, because the last chapter has now turned into three separate chapters now! Also this is 17 pages long so…yeah!

Garnets

Chapter Eighty:

Their Paths lead back

"Valen?"

The Argenta man turned away from where Asin was making an effort to save Haco from the Wraith's attention. Reaching out and finding his charge had come into his reach, and retreated against his side now that the Slayer was gone. "What is it, my lake lily?"

"Um," The human hesitated a moment, her voice soft as she looked around, then lowered her voice a bit more. Flushing a bit as she did when embarrassed, "At the risk of sounding stupid… I think I'm not understanding an accent, or an Argenta word."

"What word?" Valen asked, he seemed far more relaxed now despite whatever questionable things that had happened before with Bastet.

Lily looked up as she watched Jade finally starting to move around, then hazel eyes met Valen's black. Her voice lowered a bit as she had the idea the word she did not know was something important. "What does 'jak-kad' mean?"

Valen blinked, but though he was surprised the man realized that Lily would not have all the finer details of the Argenta language. Or know older and odd terms. Valen kept his voice low and reassuring, "It's another way to call Hell. Or it was an old term for that realm."

Valen looked over at Bastet, as the thought occurred to him.

"Jakkad is the original name of that realm," the Wraith supplied as she had been listening for the Slayer's daughter to speak again. Bastet was completely unphased at Zanin, Asin and one of the Shadowed Sentinels trying to pry her jaws open to save Haco. "It was a beautiful place once. Long before even the Argenta were made… I did not know it fell so far before I slept."

Bastet regretted not waking up sooner now with the new knowledge of… 'Argent' energy.

Both of Lily's hands found Valen's prosthetic one, holding onto him to hopefully stay away from getting inspected again as Haco was spat out onto the ground. Lily looked back up at the taller Valen, asking in a small voice as everyone seemed distracted by the Wraith. Glancing at where John was using his elbow to crack the crystal growth over the forge. Prying other chunks of to make a usable workspace.

"Why did…Bastet call John her… 'Hell-born son?'" Lily asked softly, puzzled.

"The Slayer, John, he originally came out of a rift from hell to Argent D'nur." Valen chuckled as he smiled, not that bothered by the phrase. "I'm pretty sure it was Hell's attempt to banish him out of it."

Lily thought about that, watching John work to get the Forge warmed up again. He had told her some details of his history but clearly not everything. Just some of his time on Argent D'nur, not how he got there or the fighting. She shifted, wanting to go over but stopped herself and looked back up at Valen as John was starting to feed the broken crystals into the forge itself as he took a larger crucible hilt off his back.

"So, I guess… I'm staying here until it's safe?" Lily asked her other guardian. She eyes the Wraith as Bastet was openly, playfully licking the air at the Sentinels. It was strange to see most grinning or laughing in the moment with the Wraith, when in the armor they seemed far more stern and serious not long ago.

"If not here, though it's safer near Bastet," Valen looked over at the wraith as well, noting to himself that she was keeping the purple shades. Her anger kept in check, not gone. "Maybe down to the next level where it's not as cold."

"It's colder in here then on the Fortress," Lily whispered, not wanting to be rude. She looked back and paused. Then looked baffled, "Did… did John just eat some of the crystals like ice cubes?"

"I would not be surprised," Valen snorted as he looked over as well, catching that, yes the War King just broke off another smaller chunk of the crystallized wraith energy and just shoved it in his mouth in-between putting the bigger chunks into the forge itself. "Yes. Yes he did just do that."

"...why?"

"Because he's a bottomless pit most likely." Valen sighed, at least it was not hell growth the Demigod was trying to eat.

Lily made an interesting face, looking very confused between John and Valen. She was trying to think of something but could only end up lifting her hands. Tapping her right fist into the left. Rock?

"It's not just crystal," Valen explained once he recognized the human sign after a moment, speaking in a low voice as he picked a shard sitting on Lily's sleeve. Showing her it as he moved to make her rest her hand in his mental one, palm up. The white haired man's eyes flashed silver for a moment as he pulsed his Wraith gift, smiling as the thin shard melted like ice. Dripping from his fingers into Lily's palm. "Not a mineral crystal at least. It's solidified energy that forms around the areas Wraiths are. Or any primordial being that's old enough, one might say."

Lily stared at the little puddle of coolness in her palm. Something about it seemed... familiar? It did not smell or feel wet, maybe slightly sticky as she tilted her hand a tiny bit and watched it slide slowly. It was almost like jello, only the puddle was a gray color and had a faint rainbow shine. The young woman startled as the stuff suddenly vanished after a few seconds, soaking into Lily's hand and leaving her palm feeling cold.

"...wut?" Lily demanded as she picked her hand up, looking it over then up at Valen, mildly concerned as there were still some small flakes of crystal clinging to her as well as him.

"It won't hurt you, my lake lily," Valen reassured, but helped brush off some of the clinging flakes when Lily did. "Not this small amount even if you could get them to liquify. Not alone, or with the gift Bastet reinforced being fresh."

"Nothing…weird is going to happen to me right?" Lily asked softly, looking up at Valen.

"No, as I said, that's not enough to affect you," Valen assured, "You'd need a battery's worth of concentrated energy to do something to you."

Even then, Valen was sure it would comatose Lily long before that could alter her. The man looked up at a deep cuff attempt from the walkway, the Slayer was staring at Lily and chuffed again as it was likely an easier sound for him to make. Lily shifted beside Valen and once realizing the hand motioning was meant for her started to walk towards the Demigod with a sort of trust Valen admired.

He followed after Lily though, and before she stepped off the walkway and onto the forge platform Valen reached out. Catching the smaller human by the shoulder, "No closer, Lily. He needs to finish reforging the crucible, and make sure it's still bonded to him."

The human looked back up at him, blinked and then over to her guardian. She hid her smile at the expression on John in her mask by pressing it to her face as if to take some of the medicine. Even though there was no hiss of it dispensing. John looked so put out as he twitched and looked between the massive looking hilt in his right hand, squinting at it as if the crucible dared not behave. Then realizing it was still dormant, and he was the reason for it being in that state by breaking a part of reality.

John turned back, feeling the heat rolling off the now active forage and almost pouted as he looked at his human. His adopted daughter that he wanted to show his new crucible to.

Almost.

The Slayer gave a groan-like sound, because he knew Valen was right. Turning his attention to the hilt in his right hand, tilting it back and forth. It was a much larger hilt then he was recently used to. The Last Gift had shifted a little bit, just big enough to fit both hands, but was more comfortable being held one handed. The Sunwalker was meant to be a two handed weapon for the bigger Argenta Night Sentinels.

Gods, the Sunwalker's phantom was just that little bit bigger than Haco and Asin. A reflection of what it, he, was like ages ago in life. Possibly altered or influenced somewhat by the crucible hilt.

At least it was not covered in the horrible bone motif anymore. The slayer regretted not being able to get the encrusting bones off the hell crucible before it was stolen by Hayden.

John made a face as he looked back at the forge's surface. Suddenly feeling annoyance and remembering the anger when that robotic prick took that Crucible from his side. After all that work to get it from its starved state to something workable again. Not to mention how he was able to, if temporarily, restrain him- the Slayer snorted and loosened his grip on the hilt, flipping it around and triggered it.

No more human made tether was forced into his revived armor. The last dozen or so years in hell after Mars was not time wasted, or spent in a blind rage. More so when he had Vega so fully integrated into the armor before finding the Fortress of Doom.

Taking a deep breath, John felt that annoyance settle. Not gone, he was still going to take Haydan out at the knees or thighs next time they met. As well as drag that asshole to the nearest gorenest to shove his face in it. If that did not work to get his point across the Slayer would just… What was it Lily said? Yeet. He was going to yeet Hayden into Hell through an unprotected portal like The Slayer was forced to go through so many times back on Mars, so that current robotic ass can have a taste of how much that hurt.

There was a stirring from within the Sunwalker, it had only been a few moments of John thinking. It had the Slayer's attention again and he smiled, feeling the scars on his face pulling. He did like this living weapon, and it was nice not to have Sunwalker go through a full near death and revival.

He really should get that other crucible. Having three would be fun next time he stepped into Hell, as Sunwalker could be used for the bigger things, and getting to alternate between the other two? Last Gift got full so fast compared to the older living weapons even when overfed.

There was a sense of, 'Oh no, you. What now?' from Sunwaker as it woke up for the first time. It had John chuckling as he flipped the hilt, sinking it almost half way into the forge. Feeling the startled sense, then Last Gift doing its impression of cackling in return at the other blade. Then the draw of power away from the forge came the liquid like wraith energy. A plasma like substance but also physically more like cooling lava.

The Slayer knew too well what the blade should look like, and reforging with willpower alone was tricky. Keeping the image he wanted in mind and trying to use that other, demigod side as he had learned by himself… god side?

"Extend your power after your will, my son," Bastet's voice pressed past the building, background static sound, "Take your time making the new blade. You have all of the time to make it fit for you."

Taking a slower, deeper breath, the Slayer could catch the scent of souls nearest him. That seasalt like shimmer that reminded him of opals that was his human, the darker edge of Valen's own, but the loyalty to him. The smell that reminded him of opals reminded John of how he was liking the hocked fangs on the Last Gift. Then how he was favoring fighting recently, feeling Sunwalker's attention caught and lost in the memories of recent fighting.

The Sunwalker liked fighting, loved to really, though it kept that thirst in a strict way to only defend those that could not. It was very picky about its chosen, wanting and needing a welder that would stand for those that could not, but be strong enough to stop it-

Getting broken in half was not really what it had wanted thinking about it. Though that had been effective and unorthodox to stop the old living weapon's thirst for titan blood now.

John smiled at the gasp of awe and wonder from behind that slipped out of Lily. The level of thick liquid like energy in the forge dropped as he drew the wide blade was taking a physical form again. Drawing the reforging crucible and focusing his power as the Wraith said, feeling it crackle over his frame in a visible rusty, burnt orange color. The blade had back curved hooks instead of studded edges at the base.

It took a solid minute and a half to draw the rest of the new blade out. Turning it back and forth to admire the healthy, labradorite like shine and flashes of color. Not the same duller tones before, crimson turned to ruby like and semi transparent, the flashes of pewter becoming a wraith like bright metallic almost silver in the glowing blade. The glyphs in the blade finished flaring back to life as the Slayer held the long blade up and reached to grab the other end.

The smile that John had flashed a bit darker as he admired the energy blade. Feeling the heat and danger that rolled off it, even as his right hand closed over the now slightly curved back edge. Gripping tight over the edge of the blade to test that the crucible was still loyal. That despite the burning heat Sunwalker would not hurt him, as his own strength rippled to be sure he could not 'easily' break it back.

The Slayer all but purred as he saw his glyph form in the hilt of the Sonwalker. Glowing brightly and visibly on the exposed hilt with almost the same burnt orange of his energy. A shadow passed over him, and the young primordial looked up at the blind Wraith tilted her head as if to look at what he did.

John hefted the completed blade up over his head with a happy grumble. As if he was wanting to show off his work, as well as maybe a little bit wanting the approval of the one Wraith he liked. Watching as the glow under the scarring lit up again, mostly the larger main dark purple 'eyes.' The massive head tilted slowly until one scarred-over eye area that was tilted down and to the side for Bastet to really look at the flow of energy.

The Wraith's large muzzle parted and she showed her fags fully in a smile, "Impressive. You might have the potential for creation as well as death, my crazy feral son."

The Slayer felt himself shifting and feeling the swell of pride. He was not sure why, but it was so satisfying to hear the praise. John tilted his head as Bastet shifted to offer him her open jaw, making use of her long neck to turn her head at an angle that her maw was aimed away from everyone. It took a second and then the Slayer lit up as he realized it was an offer to give him something interesting. Walking the few feet to the edges of the platform. Rotating the blade around to switch hands and then thrust it between the open jaws, angled so as much of the blade was inside.

He felt the roll of raw power coming as Bastet took a deep breath and clamped her jaws on the blade. That black amethyst color flushed through her chest and up the long neck as a swirling pattern before something that was and was not like wintherin fire erupted. Not a full blast but Bastet was concentrating to focus most of the 'fire' in her jaws.

The Slayer grunted with the flash of pain over his arms as he was caught in the wash of flames. But it was ending and he was already starting to heal as the Crucible blade was let go. Bastet pulling back to do something like a last hiccup of power. John turned to look back at Valen, holding the two handed weapon and looked thrilled. Instead of the living blade's own glyphs being light orange they were a dark purple, and noticeably had a new row of glyphs with his own mixed in.

"It won't last forever," Bastet was saying as the Slayer bounded back to his human, "But that should help you destroy the bodies the Corps Lord has tied so tightly to the barrier. After you do, I can… assist. And then find my wayward Deag."

Want! Eager-Hunger? …share?

John looked back at the Wraith tilting his head, eyes shining green to match his excitement.

"Let me see something of them, before sinking that blade in…or through them my son." the Wraith snorted cool air.

The breeze startled Lily out of staring at the newly reforged Crucible. She pressed against Valen, more than a little confused at what happened as it seemed like something more on the weird god-ish side of things. Something she was still having trouble fully understanding. So far ever 'god' Lily had met was nothing like what it seemed like it should have with all the stories in earth.

Except for the power thing, that seemed to be in spades, though not unlimited?

Lily stared at the red blade that was longer than John's leg, almost if not as big as she was tall with the hilt. A not so small part of her thought her dad's crucible form looked prettier. She also had the feeling by looking at it that Lily should not touch that Crucible. It just felt… more aggressive maybe? Lily looked up at Valen, grasping his hand again for attention.

When he looked down Lily asked just to be sure, "I'm guessing touchies."

"Definitely don't touch," Valen agreed, nodding, "Try not to interact with Sunwalker's hilt, more so if the Slayer is not around. Though that should not happen much."

Considering the recovery time the Slayer did take he kept the Last Gift close, Valen was pretty sure he did not have to worry about it. His War King was deactivating the blade as he came the rest of the way over to the two. John grinning as he crouched on his heels to chuff at his adopted daughter. Showing off the large hilt to Lily as if waiting for her reaction.

Lily did not disappoint, though she did not have to fake anything as getting to admire an older crucible was rare. It did look darker or richer in the metal tone then her dad's. Lily put her hands in her sleeves and moved to one side, then the other, "It feels hot from here, almost but not the same as you John."

John gave a low, pleased rumble at that, then tilted his head as Lily signed instead of speaking aloud. Just in case the new-to-her crucible would hear.

I think dad is prettier. Lily admitted to her guardian, smiling at the rough laugh that settled into a chuffing sound.

Both are pretty. John signed back as he hooked the Sunwalker's hilt onto his back, behind his neck in easy reach for him. Dad is not… old man.

Lily giggled at that, because she could just imagine her dad calling out 'old maaaan' like he used to do to one of her uncles who used to be in the same unit as him. A sense of mass moving before seeing Bastet had Lily twitching, and in turn was pulled closer to the Slayer. Not that same possessive-overprotective like on earth but more like John was trying to be reassuring.

"Before I forgot. Child of my son," Bastet addressed the little human, chuckling at the squeaky sound back. "In case this brat is able to bring you back to your nest…aahh… home. That's the word. Before the inevitable confrontation with the Corpse Lord, do you have a wish, my small… granddaughter?"

Granddaughter was the right term. Both a child of her adopted hellborn son, and a child race of the Argenta.

"...wut?" The confusion blurted out, and Lily hid her face in her borrowed jacket sleeves. "Sorry! Um… wait what?"

"You're being offered a gift or a wish for something, my lake lily," Valen explained, coming to stand behind Lily. "What are some of the things you really want?"

"...I don't suppose you can turn back time huh?"

"Unfortunately no one, not even Wraiths can do that. Not without helping to wipe out all of creation to start again."

"...yeah that doesn't sound like a good idea."

"No, I would not recommend it." Bastet sounded highly amused as she crossed her foremost legs. Losing some of the darker shades of purple to a lighter shade. Almost the same lavender that Lily seemed to end up in with Argenta clothes.

Lily looked around at those closest, not sure and feeling like she was on a test but John seemed so relaxed sitting on his heels. Valen too seemed more like her late maternal grandmother when waiting for a Christmas list. She turned to look at John, signing. You said before. That you are stronger than hell. You said, trust you. I do. That was a promise right?

I am stronger, I will. W-I-L-L save earth. Argent D'nur. John gave a firm nod, the confidence almost something solid coming off him. That is promise Flower.

I don't know what to ask for now. Lily admitted, able to sign much better now in that odd hybrid way John himself used that was a mixture of human and Argenta.

What would make my Flower happy? John asked, this was one of the few things he could not do for Lily. He was happy to take up the weight of the loss of earth, that need to fight back while his flower could only grieve. Let his other humans as well as his adopted daughters be as happy as possible in the Fortress of Doom as well as hopefully soon a fortress city. The young primordial watched Lily's face as she was thinking. He smiled at the feeling of faith that spread in his gut that came from the girl.

Lily pulled on her fingers for a few moments, she did trust that John would save them. Could not explain that trust, trusted him, and Valen too as she looked up at him. Lily turned to look back at Miss Jade, who was supposed to help with the Fortress. Repairs and making it safer right? Same with the other Argenta?

"Wraiths are… gods of creation and…healing right?" Lily asked, looking at her fingers, flexed them to stop herself and seemed startled at triggering her newly refined wraith gift.

Bastet's massive head tilted to one side, then shifted enough that she seemed to be looking at Valen. "The child really does not know much about us does she?"

The once Commander saw his king side eyeing the Mother Wraith as he took a breath. "No, the wraiths on her world left or were in hiding while hibernating I think."

"Gaia was the only Wraith I've met and that was just…one.. Two ish weeks ago? I'm sorry?"

Bastet softened at the stressed sound that came out of the human. Her voice lightened notably, "There's nothing to be sorry… yes. Yes, my granddaughter, I can heal."

"So you can heal a wintherin then?"

The blind Wraith pulled back and arched her neck into an 'S' curve, while her head tilted to the other way. Dipping a big further to the left as she was really not expecting that to come out of Lily. Considering the question about healing, Bastet had thought it was going to be a question about healing the thread crack in her crystal heart.

It took a moment before the Wraith dipped her head and 'looked' at the three on the walkway with the right side of her head as if peering through the scarring on her face. "I can… why would you ask that?"

"I overheard the Sentinels, erm, Shadowed Sentinels. They were talking about John's wintherin being severely hurt." Lily tried to explain as she was clearly being focused on by more than just the Wraith. Nervous, she tried not to look around, from what Lily understood her coma was tied to the demigod being in a rage state? Moral would improve with those here maybe as well as John and he would feel better if his wintherin was healed completely right?

If Bastet had a bipedal form she might have been pinching the bridge of her nose as she arched her neck again. "Child… I can do that, but I'm offering you a second gift, for you."

"Oh… erm… something we can grow fast for crops for those back home?"

"...Valen, this child."

"There's some rapid growing crops we have here on Argent D'nur Lily. If not already at the Fortress. Think of something bigger?"

"...help with getting our worlds stabilized after the extinction events?"

"She's not very good at being selfish, is she?" Bastet asked, shifting her attention to the Slayer. Who grinned wide back as Lily flapped her hands, not sure what to do.

"I don't know? Healing John's wintherin?"

The Wraith took a deep breath that pulled in the warm air from the hall outside the barrier and let it out in a long cool breeze. "By the Nova… I will heal my wintherin child. But not for your wish. You just… think about it for as long as you need."

The Slayer looked up, chuffing for Bastet's attention. He frowned and tried to be as clear as he could once the Wraith was looking at him. Needing to stand up to get a good breath to do so, while glancing down at Lily who was trying to stay in the oversized fur jacket as he spoke the rougher primordial slowly. His right hand dropped for his fingers to trace the edges of the Last Gift's hilt.

"Well, yes I can." Bastet tilted her head and used a wing to motion at her phase guards. "Normally, but what you are asking for would not be long. I don't think I have done that to a crucible in some time."

"What?" Lily blinked back up at John, watching as he smiled in a fond way. She made a soft sound as a large hand rested on her head. Trying to look around John's left hand as he ruffled her hair.

Affection.

John stepped back over to the edge of the walkway as the Wraith was shifting the angle of her head to 'watch' him. Bastet made a surprised sound when the Slayer did not reach for the Argenta crucible but pulled the hilt off his thigh and activated the opalescent blue blade. The Wraith snorted in startlement, and had to turn her head so the once two sets of blue eyes lit up under the scarring now. Taking a good look in her own way at the young living weapon.

Bastet rumbled wordlessly in primordial, seeming confused as she 'looked' between the blue blade and the Slayer. As if it seemed she was trying to sort out why the blade blended in so well against the demigod. The Wraith was almost like she did not know he had two live crucibles. "Where did you get that my son?"

The Slayer shrugged and then motioned to Lily as he tried to speak, rasped and rumbled before trying again. The Wraith listened to his attempt, as if listening to half words but was experienced to understand.

"Her…original father?"

"My dad, he's soul and… his crystal heart is inside of that Crucible." Lily tried to help explain, wondering if John wanted it to have that same sort of boost the other one did?

"...interesting." The Wraith hummed thoughtfully. This Crucible smelled and seemed to have been another part of the Slayer's own powerful soul at first, they were clearly bonded very tightly now. Enough that Bastet had to carefully sniff and lick the crucible when the Slayer planted the confused living blade into the edge of the walkway.

"It's alright," Valen said as he stooped, picking up Lily and backed up to give some room as Bastet delicately bit the hilt and flipped it up to catch the Last Gift in her jaws.

"Are you sure?" Lily asked, worried, as it seemed something so powerful like a Wraith could hurt a Crucible.

"Yes, I think I know what's going to happen." Valen nodded to the Slayer, John was smiling as he did not move out of the way and got some of the liquid energy dropped on him as the Wraith concentrated. Snorting and then backtracked himself as if he was just drooled on.

…it did look like that really as John was shaking his head while making a face and trying to shake the liquid out of his short hair. "Bleh."

Lily tried to muffle the giggle, mostly as she was still damp under the jacket. The human looked up at a sudden flash of…blue light from between Bastet's jaws as the Wraith swung her head over them and to where the sentinels were. Malum had sat back down on his knees, and his Sentinels were shifting well out of the way. Most had already been harassed-

Excuse me.

Most had already been 'cleaned' and groomed and just shy of molested to have their gifts revitalized as well.

Bastet opened her jaws, head tilted to try and make sure the phantom falling out of her jaws in a puddle of liquid energy did not drop too far. Like she had done with most of the Sentinels. The form still grunted as the phantom of the crucible hit the crystal encrusted ground between the startled Sentinels hard. He was solid as the phantom guards, and was frowning as if that had hurt somewhat but also not as it should be. Bright opalescent blue eyes looked up at the towering Asin and blinked slowly and then started seeing the size differences between them.

"Oh fuck, you're tall." The Last Gift said in a confused voice, then startled again, "Oh shit- I'm talking again-?"

"...dad?"

The phantom of Fredrick Hawkins, the soul of the Last Gift, spun around at the voice of his still living daughter being set down. Scrambling to sit up on his hands and knees, feeling the active blade as much as a part of his back as if resting on it. He froze, the emotion cracking his voice audible, "Babygirl?"

Reviews!

XFireStoneX: Ohhh she's V.E.R.Y. angery, but can hold it in until she can get free by way of Slayer

Added note: I do not regret that cliffhanger! mwahahah