Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cellbit simply wanted to take a walk before he returned home. Luckily, when you live in the middle of a beautiful red forest, it's easy to find a nice place to have a walk. He had been under quite a bit of stress, and he wanted to wane of some of it before returning home and letting Roier rid the rest. With whispers from the federation about how everything was falling into place, Cellbit had been on edge for a while, and today he just kept hearing everything and he pushed his brain a little too far. He had seen several people on his walk, had waved and said a few words to most, so seeing Tallulah shouldn’t have been so strange. Except for the fact she was curled up, alone and sitting on the grass, close to the castle and up against a tree.

Cellbit immediately knew something was wrong. The kids each had their own sense of independence, Richas, his own kid, was known for disappearing and reappearing as they so wished, but Cellbit couldn’t remember a single point where he had seen Tallulah all alone.

He carefully stepped towards her, and he noticed how she didn’t realise that anyone was around her, stuck in her own world. “What are you doing out here?” he asked her, kneeling down to her height and placing a hand on he’d shoulder. He could only know what was wrong if he tried.

Tallulah finally understood she wasn’t alone, and slowly lifted her head, dislodging a red leaf that had stuck into her hair. Cellbit was immediately shocked at the sight. Her mouth was twisted in a frown, and her eyes were red and wet. Her face was in a similar sight, both tears and snot staining it.

“Tallulah, what happened?” he urged, scared that something bad had happened. He couldn’t even begin to think about what could have caused Tallulah to fall into such a state.

She looked down again, sniffing to try and stop more snot from falling down her face before giving up and simply using her sleeve. “Nothing happened,” Tallulah stated as her voice raised beyond what it normally was. “And nothing ever will happen.” Despite her attempts to make herself look more presentable, tears still raced down her cheeks, and the snot she had ridden herself of was renewing itself and threatening to pass her lips. Luckily Cellbit knew to bring tissues with him, so he got some and passed them to the girl. She immediately blew her nose and used another to wipe away her tears before dropping them in her lap.

Cellbit sat down next to her. Her face was much better, but he still had the issue of what caused her to be like that. “What do you mean nothing will ever happen?”

Tallulah continued to wipe her tears away with a new tissue, but they just kept coming. “Papi will never come back, I’ll never see him again.”

Cellbit felt his heart clench at the words. Suddenly his normal response to the topic of Payne felt like something in the distant past. There would be no words of Phil being her father, and Payne was just someone she made up, because he wasn’t. Payne was a real person, and he was one he suddenly had a far worse opinion on for making Tallulah cry. His rage at the moment didn’t matter though, as there was a crying girl in front of him, and she needed help.

“He’ll come back; he couldn’t straight up abandon such a perfect girl such as you.” He tried his best to give her happy words, ones that would make her feel confident.

Tallulah just sniffled again, and Cellbit passed her another tissue to clean up the mess running down her face. “But it’s been so long,” she started. “It’s making me so scared, what if he does come back, but he hates me? That’s worse than him never coming back.” Cellbit hated Tallulah’s words. She doesn’t deserve to worry like this. “He hasn’t sent a letter in so long,” she continued. Tears continued to fall from her eyes, sobs being ripped from her throat. How long had this been bundled up inside her?

“Let it out, you can do it,” Cellbit tried to comfort. She needed to let out her misery, and if crying was how she’d do it, he’d encourage her. Tallulah continued to cry, but got up on her knees slightly and all but tossed herself into Cellbit’s lap. Cellbit didn’t know what to do in the moment, the situation just kept pushing, but he started rubbing at her back as she cried into his chest. “I promise you; we will make sure you get to see him again, I’ll make sure you see him again.” His words seemed to help a little, but something about her still dripped misery.

“I just feel like a big crybaby,” she explained, sniffing a bit. “For being scared, Abuelito and Chayanne says everything will be fine, that I’ll see him again, and I might get to, but my brain tells me he’ll never come back, or if he does come back, he won’t love me anymore.” She reached for another tissue and blew her nose again.

Cellbit finally understood the situation. Everyone around her told her that her fear surrounding Payne and if she’ll ever see him again doesn’t make any sense, that it isn’t rational, but she just wants someone to understand her fear and tell her that it is rational, even if it won’t help with the ending.

“You’re not a crybaby, tears are normal,” he explained. He needed a better view of her, so he gently guided her face to be looking at him. “Fear just does that, it makes you worry about the worst, so that if it happens, you’ll be prepared, but what happens isn’t always the worst, and the fear you’re currently experiencing isn’t nice, is it? It’s making you cry, and you don’t like that, do you?"

Tallulah shook her head and sniffled. “No, I don’t.”
“So, even if fear can be helpful, you don’t want to be scared, you want to be happy, right?”

Tallulah nodded again. “Yes.”

“So, can you give me a smile? A real one?” Cellbit wasn’t sure if he’d get one, but after a few moments of hesitation from Tallulah, she smiled. A soft, real smile. Cellbit smiled back and wiped some tears away from her eyes using his thumb. “That’s a sight I like to see.”

Tallulah leaned her head on Cellbit’s shoulder, much calmer than she had been before. Cellbit was happy he was able to bring her this comfort. He expected her to stay still for a few minutes before getting off his lap, but instead she began to speak. “Are you scared of anything, Tio?” she asked.

Cellbit was very shocked at the question. He hadn’t gone out expecting to have to answer such a question. Still, before his mind could even begin to wrap itself around the question, he was answering. “Yes, terrified even, all the time.”

Tallulah pulled her head away from his shoulder and tilted her head. “But you don’t look scared.”

The innocence of the words was adorable. “That’s because I’ve gotten good at hiding how scared I am, but I’m scared of so many things,” he explained.

“Like what?” she asked, her questions curious and never-ending.

Cellbit was cautious in saying his fears typically, he knows how easily it would be to use them against him, but when Tallulah was looking at him with such curiosity and genuine worry for the man, it was easy to understand that this little girl was someone to trust.
“Well,” he started. “There’s obviously Cucurucho and the federation, I’ve worried about them for so long, they have so much power over us, they’ve shown their power, and we can never truly know what the extent of their power is. If they’ve already done so much, what will their next move be? I have my own suspicions, but with how little they’ve been giving me, I feel so on edge.” Tallulah nodded through his explanation, caring about what he feared in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. Due to this, it was easier to let one of his more personal fears slip out. “And there’s also Richas’ issue, when they look like they’re fine, but they also don’t look like itself. I’m always worried about them, and I want to find the answer, but at this point I don’t even know where I would start looking.”

Tallulah manoeuvred in his lap, confusing Cellbit a bit. She then wrapped her arms around him. “Everything will be okay,” she whispered. In that moment, he did believe everything would be okay.

He wrapped his arms around her as well. In this moment, they trusted each other more than anything. They were scared, but they had each other, so maybe everything would turn out right. It was so strange finding comfort in Tallulah, a mere seven year old compared to any of the adults on the island, but he didn’t mind, because he was also giving Tallulah this comfort.

He heard a small yawn from Tallulah, and looked up at the sky and saw it was getting dark. He hadn’t meant to stay out this late, but Tallulah needed it, so he didn’t care. He looked back to her. “Finally ready to go back home to Phil?”

He expected her to say yes, or say she wanted to stay with him for just a bit longer, but instead she shook her head and said, “Can I stay at the castle tonight with you? I don’t want you to be scared, I’ll protect you.”

Cellbit was certainly surprised, but he felt his heart melt slightly at how she wanted to protect him, so how could he possibly ever say no? “I’ll ask Phil, and if he says yes, you can, alright?” Tallulah’s face lit up, and Cellbit got busy asking. He was immediately sent back a message saying it was fine and he showed her the message, causing her to be even happier.

They warped to the castle and found a spare room for her to spend the night in, one that hadn’t been touched much. Cellbit put Tallulah in the bath and went to get her some clothes, as he knew Leo kept some around the castle.

“Gatinho?” he heard from behind him. He shut the draw that held Leo’s clothes and turned around, noticing Roier. “I heard water running, I thought it was you, good thing I didn’t slip in to come bathe with you like I wanted,” Roier teased. Roier was more than accepting and supportive of Cellbit’s asexuality, but you could never remove the sexuality from Roier. Still, Cellbit didn’t mind the teasing, he loved who Roier was.

“Tallulah is spending the night, I found her in the forest and she wasn’t in the best place mentally, so I got permission from Phil and she’s gonna spend a night here,” he explained.

Roier’s expression immediately dropped. “Is she okay?” he asked.

Cellbit nodded. “I did my best to calm her down, and she should be fine for at least tonight.” He’d much rather have confirmation that she would be fine for the foreseeable future, but Tallulah had been dealing with this for a long time, it wasn’t going to disappear over night after a single conversation.

“I’ll help you tuck her into bed,” Roier spoke. Cellbit found no reason not to let him, so they went back to the bathroom and handed Tallulah the clothes he had found.

Tallulah didn’t mind that Roier was around, enjoying having the attention of both the adults. Roier braided her hair and Cellbit decided to tell her a story, one about the time Pac and Mike had accidently bought an amusement park. Tallulah listened with intrigue and found herself giggling at several points. One of the best bedtime stories of her life.

“Goodnight,” he told her once the story was done.

“Buenas noches,” Roier followed. They stood up from her bed and moved to leave when they heard her voice.

“Can I have a goodnight kiss?” she asked. It was a strange request, but the two adults looked at eachother and nodded. Roier kneeled down next to her and kissed her forehead before getting up again. “Thank you.”

Roier smiled softly at her. “Buenas noches, Tallulah.”

He turned around to join his husband’s side again, and from behind him, he heard Tallulah speak again. “Wait.”

He turned around to face her again. “Is there something else you need?” Cellbit asked as the two kneeled down beside her yet again.

Tallulah was silent for a few moments, confusing the both of them.

“Take your time,” Cellbit encouraged.

Tallulah nodded, but hesitated for a few moments yet again, but spoke. “I love you both, a lot.”

The words shocked the two of them, but they recovered quickly. “We love you too,” Cellbit told her.

“You are very nice to me, and the way Tio Cellbit treated me today made me so happy, more happy than I’ve been in a long time,” she continued explaining. “And then when Tio Roier braided my hair and kissed my forehead, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

“I’m glad you’ve been so happy,” Roier spoke. He didn’t realise his actions were so loved.

Tallulah nodded. “I’ve been so stressed about Papi that I forgot there are other people who love me, and even though Abuelito loves me, it’s not the same, I felt like a daughter for the first time in a long time today, and I want to keep feeling like that.” She stopped her words, but they both knew where she was going. Still, they let her finish. “So, can I be your daughter? Even if it’s just temporary?”

Cellbit looked over at Roier. He knew what his answer was, but even if he was fine having Richarlyson as his child, he still wasn’t sure if Bobby would stop him from wanting to expand their family.

“I would love to have you as my daughter.” Luckily, Roier was ready to welcome Tallulah into the family.

Cellbit turned back to her. “And so would I.”

Tallulah smiled wide. “Thank you Papa, thank you Papi.”

The two smiled at their titles. “We’ll get the adoption papers tomorrow, okay?” Cellbit stated.

Tallulah nodded. “Okay.”

“Is that all for the night?” Roier asked. She nodded again. “Alright,” he leaned over to kiss her forehead again. “I love you, goodnight.”

Cellbit leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I also love you, sleep tight.”

Tallulah smiled sleepily. “Goodnight, I love you.”

As they left the room, they were sure she was already asleep. Things had changed that day. Even if there were still things that needed to be changed, they were on the route to something new, something big. Tomorrow they would get the adoption papers, and they’d figure out the rest on the way.

Chapter Text

Waking up to the sound of birds and bugs and leaves was something she would have to get used to. She blinked away the rest of her exhaustion and thought back on the recent events in her life, specifically the previous night. She had asked Cellbit and Roier to adopt her, and they had happily done so.

There was a large part of her that was over the moon, but there was also a small part of her that feared the future. It was supposed to be temporary, so what if Payne took too long and they decided they didn’t want to be her parents anymore, and she’d be left without them or Payne? What would Abuelito say? Would he be more than happy to hand her over, never wanting her in the first place, or would he get upset at her for abandoning him? He had agreed to care for her knowing Payne knew Missa, but he had never shown much care for the man himself, and it was difficult to know if he truly cared for Tallulah or only saw her care as a chore. Would Chayanne be upset? There were so many questions, and she didn’t know the answer to any of them. She felt scared of the answers.

She heard the door creak open, and Cellbit appeared from beyond it, holding a cup of coffee. “I always forget how early you wake up, but it is nice to have someone who doesn’t wake up near noon in this house,” he stated with a small tilt of his head. “But good morning, Tallulah, I hope you had a good sleep,” he spoke as he leaned against the dark stone wall.

“Morning Papa! What are we having for breakfast?” she asked. Papa. The word already felt natural. More natural than she could have ever expected. Warmth spread through her chest in a way that had only happened with Payne, back when she happily called him Papi as he played with her.

Cellbit’s expression twisted into a soft but overwhelming happiness, although it wasn’t hard to see the shock that mixed with it. Tallulah couldn’t help but giggle. “One day we will get you to start calling me pai, but I’m not sure if my heart will be able to take that,” Cellbit half joked.

Tallulah nodded with another giggle. “Okay Pai!” She delighted in Cellbit’s expression. She did prefer Papa for now, but the way Cellbit acted was too great. Payne was more of a stone-faced man, so Tallulah loved how she was finally able to tease a parent. “So, what’s for breakfast?” she asked again.

“It’s this kind of bread called pão de queijo, it’s delicious, come downstairs and you can have some if you want,” he explained, having moved on slightly from his emotions. He then pointed over to the closet. “There are some clothes in there, Leo leaves a lot here, so get dressed, little princess.”

Tallulah felt glee rise in her chest. She liked being called that. Little princess. Payne had never been one for pet names, so people called a pet name as if it was something Cellbit genuinely liked to do made her want to squeal in delight. She didn’t, but it felt like it took all of her willpower. Tallulah nodded. “Okay, I will.”

Cellbit stepped out of the room, and Tallulah got to getting dressed. She chose out some of Leo’s clothes and tossed her pyjamas onto the bed, saying she’ll put them somewhere to get washed later. Once she left the room, Cellbit was waiting outside her door, and they went to the dining room together.

Mousey was already there, stuffing one last piece of bread into her mouth as she stood up. She noticed the two enter and waved as she covered her mouth and tried to get the bread down her throat.

"Hi Mousey," Tallulah waved. It was always difficult to remember that Mousey lived in the attic, no matter how many times Tallulah had seen the space through Mousey's camera, and it would likely take a long time to get used to, as people don't tend to think of their attics as living places.

"Hi Tallulah, great to see you here," Mousey spoke as she finally swallowed. "Saw you have a room now, if you ever want an easy way into the attic, let me know and I'll get it set up."

Tallulah giggled and Cellbit sighed. "Please don't put holes in the ceiling."

"Can't promise anything," Mousey said, leaving towards the door. "Anyways, great to see the both of you, I'll be off!" she said with a wave.

The two sat down, Roier still not awake, and Mousey now gone from the house, and Cellbit had already put breakfast out for them. Tallulah happily got to eating, enjoying the first meal of hopefully many together.

“Will Papi show up soon?” she asked after swallowing a bite.

“It might take a bit, you’ve come into a family where half the people like to sleep in,” Cellbit explained. Tallulah giggled. Good thing she’s here now, Cellbit must have been so lonely in the mornings.

They eventually finished with breakfast, and the two talked to each other while Cellbit washed up the dishes. After some time, Cellbit finished up and Roier came into the room, looking as though he hadn’t been awake for more than a few minutes.
Roier leaned over and kissed Cellbit on the cheek. “Buenos dia Gatinho,” he whispered.

“Bom dia Guapito,” Cellbit whispered back with a smile.
Roier then leaned down to Tallulah’s height and kissed her on her forehead. “Buenos dia Mija.”

The words and action made Tallulah giddy, and she didn’t even try to hide her grand smile. “Buenos dia Papi!”

Roier smiled at her reaction. “Here’s your breakfast,” Cellbit stated as he handed him a plate, using some simple fire magic to heat it back up to a preferable temperature. “Speak with Tallulah a little bit while you eat, I have to go get something real quick.”

Tallulah tilted her head at the words. What could he be doing? Still, she didn’t question it too much, and went to sit down again while Roier ate. They carried a conversation for a while, a little after Roier finished even.

Eventually, Cellbit came back to them and sat back down at the table. Roier gave a knowing smile at the two of them. Tallulah was very confused, but also quite excited.

“We got these for you last night and thought it would be best to give them to you now,” Cellbit explained. Before Tallulah could ask any questions, a stack of documents was put in front of her. She kneeled on the chair to be able to see them fully, and she let out an excited noise once she read the words at the top. ‘Adoption Papers’.

“We’ve signed already, so has Missa, Cellbit saw her last night and got it, so we just need your signature as well as Phil’s, since he’s one of your current legal guardians,” Roier explained the process.

Tallulah saw Cellbit holding out a pen, so she took it with hard to contain hands and stared at the line she had to sign on. She thought for a few moments about what she wanted her signature to look like before writing it down. She flipped through the documents, writing it down wherever needed, before flipping through them all and proudly turning the pages around to show her parents.

Cellbit collected them and smiled at the signature. “Now we just have to go to Phil’s and get him to sign, and then it’s all official.”
Tallulah grinned widely and pushed off of the chair, rounding the table to pull Roier out. “Let’s go!”

Roier smiled down at her but shook his head. “I have to wash the dishes quickly.” Tallulah frowned but let go of him. She impatiently watched him do the dishes, annoyed he was using the tap instead of magic, before he finally finished up.

This time, she grabbed Cellbit's hand. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” They actually did go this time. They warped to Phil’s place, and Cellbit knocked on his door. Phil opened it and smiled at the group.

“Here to drop off Tallulah?” he asked before kneeling down slightly to meet Tallulah’s height. “Have fun at the castle?”

Tallulah nodded before Cellbit spoke. “Not quite, we have something we want to ask, can we come in?”

Phil looked at them, confused, before nodding. “Yeah, sure, come on in.” He moved out of the way, and the four sat down. Tallulah sat down between Phil and Roier. “So, what do you mean by ‘not quite’ when talking about dropping Tallulah off?” Phil asked, eyebrow raised.

Cellbit wasted no time explaining. “I found Tallulah last night, and she was stressing quite a bit, and after some talking once we got back to the castle, we’ve decided we want Tallulah to be part of our family.”

Phil had a weary expression on his face. “And what does that mean?” There was a disturbance in the air, and the two understood that this was going to be a difficult conversation.

“It means we would like to adopt her,” Roier admitted.

It took less than a second for Phil to start yelling. “What the fuck do you mean by that!? Do you not think I’m a good enough guardian for her!?” The whole screaming thing felt like way too much of an overreaction, and it made Tallulah want to hide away. Especially with the way the air of the room was seemingly thinner and there was a constant pressing pressure.

Cellbit shook his head, and spoke carefully, not wanting the situation to escalate. “No, you’re a great guardian, but Tallulah doesn’t just need a guardian, she needs a parent, and you’ll still get to be part of her family when Payne comes back, but right now we want to give her what she needs.”

This was not the correct thing to say, as it did escalate the situation, and Phil kept yelling. “I can be her dad! I don’t need some cads coming in here and trying to steal my daughter from me!”

Tallulah felt tears welling in her eyes. They continued to argue back and forth. Why was Abuelito so upset that she wanted a parent? He was a great abuelo, even if he wasn’t really related to her, but she wanted him to stay her abuelo, not become her dad. The shouting became louder, the room harder to remain in, and her body moved in panic. Fear. She jumped out of her chair and ran, just wanting to get away from it all.

The shouting continued from Phil, and Roier and Cellbit quickly found themselves loudening to defend themselves. Phil was the first one to attempt to make things worse than they already are, a ball of shadow surrounding his hand. The other two weren’t going to just let him get away with it, so they planned to pull out magic just as quickly.

“Philza! What are you doing!?” they heard a voice. They twisted to see Missa, and despite the mask blocking her face, there was no way she wasn’t either terrified at the sight or beyond rage.

“Missa,” Phil said softly, the magic around him disappearing and the room returning to normal.

“I could hear you from so far away, what were you thinking?” she pushed.

Phil opened his mouth to speak before shutting it, unable to defend himself. He looked over to the two he had just been arguing with. “I think you should leave,” he said harshly.
The two were exhausted, so they just nodded and left out the door. They were about to speak to each other when they saw Missa follow them out.

“Shouldn’t you be speaking to Phil?” Roier asked.

“I will, I just thought it would be good for you to know that I saw Tallulah run off, before I could think to stop her, she was gone, so I think finding her should be your next mission, I’ll make sure Phil gets calmed down before he helps look as well,” Missa explained.

Twin gasps came from the couple and they looked around. They were horrible parents; it wasn’t even legal yet and they had already lost their daughter. They were supposed to keep an eye on her, not cause her to run away.

“Thank you for telling us, and we’re sorry for the mishap that happened with you husband, we will be on our way and if you see Tallulah, please inform us,” Cellbit quickly spoke, almost tripping over his words.

Missa nodded and watched the two scurry away, turning around to go back inside to talk to her husband.

As usual, news on the island never took long to spread, especially if the islanders were making sure it spread. Within just a handful of hours, Tallulah’s missing status was all anyone could focus on. Everyone was searching and speaking, so even when they didn’t want the kids to know, they knew.

“What’s wrong?” Leo asked as their dad walked in, a worried expression lining his face.

“Tallulah is missing,” he stated quickly. “I’m going to look for her, make sure you keep Chayanne company.” Without another word, he left.

Chayanne, who was sitting across from Leo, looked over at them with wide eyes. “Is this the first you’re hearing about it?” Leo asked.

Chayanne slowly nodded. Tallulah was missing? He had heard vaguely that she had been staying at the castle, did that have anything to do with this?

“Do you think they’ll find her?” Leo asked, their voice slightly wavering.

“No, because we’ll find her,” Chayanne stated as he got up on his feet, all but pulling Leo behind him.

“Do you know where she is?” Leo asked, slightly tripping over their own feet as Chayanne pulled them outside.

“I have an idea of where she may be, and I’m sure she’s there.” Right now, Chayanne’s guess was the best they were getting, so Leo managed to find some balance and was pulled along to wherever Chayanne was taking them.

Chayanne ended up pulling them to a little house in the woods.
“Why would she come here?” Leo asked.

“It means a lot to her, if she thought she was so unsafe she needed to run away, it would make sense that she would be here,” Chayanne explained.

Before Leo could speak, they saw someone move from the back of the house to the front. “Pomme?” they asked.

Pomme looked up at the two, moving her hand away from its place near the door knob. “If you’re looking for Lullah, she’s inside, I checked the back window,” she explained. Chayanne was happy he was right. Now they just needed to make sure she was okay.

“How is she?” he asked.

Pomme’s expression fell. “She doesn’t look all that great, she was crying.” The other two’s expression immediately matched Pomme’s.

Pomme finally opened the door, and they entered. Near the middle of the room, they saw Tallulah curled up in a ball, sobs escaping her.

Chayanne stepped up to her, before kneeling down. The other two were close by, but made sure not to get too close. “Leave me alone,” they heard her mumble past her arms.

“It’s safe, you can leave now,” Chayanne tried to convince. Without any actual idea of why she ran, it would be difficult, but he needed to try.

“I don’t care if it’s safe, I’m not leaving,” Tallulah pushed.

“We’ll be by your side the whole time, we’ll protect you, you don’t have to worry in the slightest,” Pomme gave her best shot. This time, Pomme wasn’t even rewarded with words, just a difficult to see shake of the head.

“We just want to help you, we’ll figure everything out and you won’t have to worry,” Leo gave their own try.

“Nothing will help, I’m ruining everything.” Tallulah’s words only made them worry more. They needed to help her, but how could they when they didn’t even know what started this? They could ask around, but Tallulah needed this solved as quickly as possible. They wouldn’t leave her.

After a few moments of thought from the three of them, Pomme had an idea. Slowly, she began to hum. The first song that came to mind was Starlight, a song Tallulah had talked about before, and she hoped it would help. Leo and Chayanne recognized the song and hummed along. Slowly, the sobs died down, and after a few moments of silence, Tallulah began to hum as well.

Chayanne smiled at the sight, and slowly they finished up the song. “Are you feeling better?” he asked. This would make things easier.

Tallulah looked up from her arms, her eyes were so red. “A bit.”
Pomme and Leo finally sat down, and Chayanne wrapped his arms around Tallulah. Tallulah quickly hugged back, and the other two joined the hug. It was so clear how much Tallulah needed this.

“Want to tell us what happened?” Chayanne asked.

Tallulah shyly nodded and the group backed off a bit, but still stuck close. “I asked Papa Cellbit and Papi Roier to adopt me since Daddy has been away for so long, and they said yes, but Abuelito got all upset and started shouting, and then magic started to happen and I got scared, and I don’t like that I made him so mad at me.”

Chayanne and Leo immediately felt anger towards the man. Chayanne was sad that Tallulah wouldn’t be constantly by his side anymore, but shouting was too much. Leo simply hated the idea of him making her so upset.

“I’ll go give him a piece of my mind,” Chayanne mumbled to himself, not taking into consideration his proximity to Tallulah.
“When I get my hands on him, he’ll regret making you cry,” Leo said harshly, less careful than Chayanne.

Tallulah shook her head. “Please don’t, I don’t want him to get angry again.” They wanted to go against her wishes and let Phil know that she could do whatever she wanted, but they didn’t want to make her upset.

“Tio Phil must be feeling really worried right now, so maybe you should go and see him and try again? If you don’t try, I don’t think you’ll ever get what you want,” Pomme suggested. She could be more childish than the others, but she could be as mature as them as well.

Tallulah knew that, and that was likely why she was willing to take the advice. “You think it’s a good idea?”

Leo nodded. “It’s worth a shot.”

Tallulah nodded back. “Okay.” She looked up to the other two. “Do you think I should as well?”

They nodded. “Fight for what you want,” Pomme responded.
“I’ll be there every step of the way,” Chayanne stated.

Tallulah smiled at her friends. They all meant so much to her. She dragged them in for another hug.

“Do you want to go home now?” Chayanne asked.

Tallulah thought for a few moments before shaking her head. “No, I want to stay here for a bit more, just to calm down.”

Chayanne nodded. “If that’s what you want.”

“Want us to hum again? That worked well,” Pomme teasingly suggested.

Tallulah giggled. “No, I’ll be fine.” She thought for several moments. “It was fun though, I’d like to do it again sometime.”
“We should do it a lot more often, I also really liked it,” Leo mentioned.

“You guys want to start a band or something?” Pomme suggested jokingly.

Tallulah immediately latched onto the idea. She grabbed at Chayanne’s arms. “Can we? Can we? Oh, can we please?”
Chayanne smiled down at her. “Maybe, it’s a lot of work, but if you still want to do this after today, we can think about it.”

That was a good enough answer for Tallulah. They continued to speak, even if Tallulah was a little preoccupied by the idea of a band and the drama that was in her family. After a while, she decided she was ready to face Phil again.

“We’ll wait here while you go talk to him, this is a private matter, so we shouldn’t be there,” Pomme told Tallulah and Chayanne. The two nodded and went back to the wall.

When they were there, Phil immediately spotted them and ran up to them.

“Oh Tallulah! You’re safe!” Phil screamed as he took her into a hug.

“I am,” she muttered weakly.

Phil pulled away and looked at her with guilt in his eyes. “I’m sorry I got so upset, this isn’t my choice to make, it’s always been yours, and I’m sorry that I made you believe that it wasn't one you were allowed to make, I was selfish, I couldn’t give you what you needed and only went off of what I wanted, I’ll be better, go be with your parents.”

Tallulah’s eyes widened. This was such a different view from what she had seen from him earlier today. He wanted what was best for her, and it just took a bit to realise that the best was for her to decide. “It’s okay, you didn’t want to lose me.”

“That doesn’t make what I did okay, so I need to apologize.”

Tallulah smiled. “I accept your apology.”

Phil smiled back before letting go and sending a message on his comm. “I’ll make all of this right, to make sure I deserve that apology.”

While Phil was messaging, Tallulah looked over at Chayanne, who smiled back at her. His presence wasn’t needed, but she was glad she had him at her side. She would miss having him constantly by her side, but neither would be getting rid of each other any time soon.

A few moments later, they heard the familiar sound of warping. Tallulah was immediately met with two more pairs of arms. She immediately heard her parents babbling about her safety. She smiled and hugged back as best as she could.

Eventually, they pulled away, looking far worse for wear than she had seen them be this morning. “We’re so glad you’re safe,” Roier told her.

“We were scared we had lost you,” Cellbit added.

“I’m sorry, I got scared and I didn’t know what else to do but run,” Tallulah explained.

“It’s okay, you’re safe and that’s what matters.” Cellbit softly played with her hair.

“Now that’s she’s here, I think it’s important to continue on with our conversation, just, I’ll be more polite,” Phil stated.

Cellbit stood up. “So, about officially adopting her,” he began.

“I’ll sign the paperwork,” Phil answered, not needing him to continue on anymore.

The couple was shocked. “You’re letting us?” Roier started. “I thought you were against it?”

“I was, but if this is something Tallulah really wants, I’ll do anything for her,” he explained. Tallulah wrapped her arms around his hips, happy about the situation. She’d finally have her parents be her actual parents.

The two smiled at Phil. “Thank you for letting us make our family a bit bigger,” Roier spoke.

“Let’s get inside and sign the papers,” Cellbit stated.

And so, they went inside, and Tallulah watched Phil sign on each line needed. Eventually, he flipped the papers over to the beginning, and Tallulah knew it was official. She jumped into her parents’ arms and squealed. Her parents hugged her tightly and began blabbering again. This was how things were supposed to be.

Once she had her fill of cuddles, she looked over at Phil and moved to give him a hug. “Thank you.”

Phil hugged back. “Anything for you,” he started. He looked into her eyes. “Now don’t forget to still visit me, and make sure you’re good for them, okay? I don’t want to get any calls saying you’re being disobedient.”

Tallulah giggled. “I’ll be the best daughter they could ask for, and I’ll try and visit as much as I can.”

Phil smiled down at her gently. “That’s my girl.”

It was getting late, considering all the things that happened that day. Leo and Pomme came over, deciding to continue Leo and Chayanne’s hang out into a sleepover and invite Pomme, and Tallulah gave a hug to each person that would be staying at Phil's that night. With the promise that they would sort out her stuff tomorrow, Tallulah left for home with her parents.

Despite how Phil acted, he just wanted the best for Tallulah, and she was sure that whatever this adoption led to would be the best for her.

Phil watched as they left and heard the sound of warping once again. He looked behind him to see Missa. “A bit late, aren’t you? Tore into me and then you disappeared.”

“You had to apologise yourself,” Missa spoke.

“Still, you knew where Tallulah was the entire time, why did you let everything go on for so long?” Phil asked.

“Nothing would be learnt if I fixed everything, this was for Tallulah to deal with, and currently, you needed to deal with some stuff as well.”

“I know you’re looking out for us, but it would be nice to have things be a bit easier.” He stepped towards and leaned in. “Still, thank you for letting me realize what she needs on her own, this is why I love you,” he leaned in a little closer. “Kristin.”

Chapter Text

Time dragged on. The clock ticked past midnight and then ticked further into the night, and Tallulah was there to watch it. Usually, she would be in bed by now, dreaming away and waiting to wake up and spend time with her family. Yet she couldn’t sleep due to all of the thoughts crawling around in her head.

She used to stay up late when she lived with Phil, but now that she’s with her new family, she hasn’t. That was something she was glad she left behind with them, and it makes her feel a little guilty that she wants to leave behind even more of who she was with them. She almost wants to leave them behind.

She loves Chayanne and Phil and Missa, but being Cellbit and Roier’s daughter has made her feel so happy. The pain that Payne left her with feels like a distant memory when she’s with them.

But in the end, she knows she can’t choose them. Payne will be coming back, and she will be his daughter again. With how she disappeared a few weeks ago, she couldn’t bring more trouble to her family. They’d get to be whole again once Payne returned, and she needed to be there for that.

A part of her whispered that Payne may never return, and that maybe she’ll never be given the opportunity to abandon her new family. She felt both happy that she’d be able to stay, and pain that her father would continue to abandon her. Wanted by some and unimportant for others, she’s not sure where she stands when it comes to happiness.
These thoughts had plagued her mind all night, just as they had been for the day. Usually, she’d ask her parents what to do when she dealt with this kind of stuff, but she couldn’t this time. Not with this.

This was always meant to be temporary. They all knew this; they all knew that their family had a deadline. She couldn’t just say she wanted it to be permanent. She didn’t know if the wanted it to be permanent. It was easier to stay silent and pretend that there were no issues brewing in her head.

She couldn’t ignore her own issues though. They were stuck, and she knew she wouldn’t be getting sleep any time soon. With a sigh, she crawled out of bed. Maybe some fresh air would do her well.

She opened the doors that lead to the balcony that her new room had and leaned her chin on the half wall surrounding the balcony. She wonders if she’ll be around long enough where she’ll be able to lean on it normally.

She wished she had her flute to play, but she feared it would be too loud. It was best if she could let her parents sleep and never know of her turmoil. Instead, she hummed. Ever since she was found, she found herself humming a lot more.

As she was reaching her favourite part of the song she was humming, she heard a voice behind her. At first, small pieces of fear struck her, as she thought her parents had caught her. Then she realised it was a feminine voice. It was deeper than Mousey's, so it had to be an intruder.

Without thinking, she twisted around and reached for her dagger, feeling even more fear as she realised that she didn’t bring it with her to the balcony, and that it was still beside her bed. If she wanted it, she’d have to move past the woman in the entrance.
She let herself look at the woman, trying to figure out a weak point. The woman looked eerily familiar, despite Tallulah not being able to figure out from where. It wasn’t the face, and it wasn’t the flowing dress. Maybe it was the hair? Surely, she’s seen that hair before.

Despite showing up out of nowhere, the woman didn’t feel like a threat. “Who are you?” she asked, unsure of what she should be doing. Even if she wasn’t dangerous, she was still an intruder.

The woman showed no fear, perhaps because she knew Tallulah didn’t have a weapon, or perhaps she was just fearless. “I am Kristin, although most would know me as the Lady of the Night,” she explained, her voice feeling odd, as though Tallulah expected to hear a different voice.

Tallulah couldn’t help but fiddle with her shirt hem. Had she really thought about attacking such a woman? Especially one so worshipped in her family? Sure, she didn’t know who she was, but still.

“I’m sorry,” she apologised. There was a high chance she didn’t know that she wanted to attack, but Tallulah wanted to apologise anyways.

“It’s okay,” Kristin answered. Tallulah couldn’t help but smile. Now that she wasn’t scared, she felt safe, comforted, in the presence of this woman. Maybe that’s how she worked. “Now, what’s got you up so late?” she asked.

Tallulah didn’t know if she should answer. It was easy to keep it to herself. Well, it was easy to not tell anyone, keeping it all bottled up was hard.

Kristin noticed her hesitation. “It’ll just be between us and the stars, okay?”

“But not Etoiles, right?” Tallulah found herself panicking slightly and making a joke.

Kristin looked a bit confused, possibly unaware of the translation of his name, but spoke anyways. “Not even Etoiles will know what we talk about tonight, so tell me what’s troubling you.”

With a deep breath, Tallulah began. “I have two families.” It would be a difficult situation to explain, but the basics were the best starting point. “And I love one a lot more than I love the other, I do love the other, but they don’t provide the support I need.”

Kristin hummed and nodded, wordlessly asking Tallulah to continue.

“My new family is amazing, it’s been so long since I’ve felt like I can just be someone’s daughter, and I like being a granddaughter, but I’ve had so much more of being a granddaughter than being a daughter that it’s nice to finally just get to indulge.”

“And how does this cause an issue?” Kristin asked. Tallulah was doing a whole lot of explaining the backstory than she was explaining the problem.

Tallulah hesitated once again before slowly speaking. “Would I be a bad person if I went against our deal and said that I wanted to be a part of Cellbit and Roier’s family forever?”

Kristin tilted her head. “Why would it make you a bad person?”

“Because they agreed for it to only be temporary, and I’m still Payne’s daughter, it’s not up to me to go against everything and make that choice, even if I really want to.” Tallulah wanted to curl up into herself. This was all too much thinking.

“But it is up to you,” Kristin explained.

“What do you mean?"

“You made the choice already, haven’t you? You chose to ask them to adopt you temporarily, you’ve already made such a big choice,” Kristin explained.

“But this will be permanent,” Tallulah explained back. Being someone’s daughter temporarily is different than being their daughter forever.

“Even if it’s temporary now, are you saying that this time won’t forever be with you? Will you not go back to your dad if you don’t make the choice and wonder what could have been?” Kristin pushed.

The words did make Tallulah think. Was she passing up an opportunity here? Was she able to say she wanted this to be her permanent family? She had made so many decisions lately. Asking them to be her parents, running off, letting Phil sign the papers. Was this just the next decision she was bound to make?

“So, if I ask, do you think they’d fully adopt me?” she asked.

“I can’t know anything, but with how much they love you, I’m sure they’d happily have you forever,” Kristin responded.

Tallulah couldn’t help but smile. This was a choice she was able to make, and she was going to make it before it was too late.

“That’s my girl, doing what makes you happy,” Kristin praised. Tallulah felt wings wrap around her in a hug, which she eagerly let herself get surrounded by.

Tallulah was suddenly hit by a looming question now that she wasn’t worrying. “Why did you come her to help me? Don’t you have death to worry about?”

“I can take a small break from my job; besides, I’ll always choose to help family if I can.”

Perhaps she was talking about the fact that Tallulah had family issues that needed resolving, but she felt like there was more to it. “What do you mean by family?”

Kristin chuckled. “I’ll tell you one day; we both have places we have to be.” She let go, and with a small goodbye, she was in the night sky, flying away to who knows where.

“Bye Ms Kristin.”

“Who are you talking to?” she heard another voice behind her, yet this time, it was familiar.

She turned around. “Papa!” Cellbit entered her doorway, holding up a small ball of light.

“It’s late, and you were talking to someone, who?” he urged.

“I was having trouble sleeping, so I went out here, and I wanted to see if Etoiles could hear me if I talked to the stars, Pomme said he could.” She had heard no such thing from Pomme, but she felt as though saying she talked to the Lady of the Night who was likely much more than she was saying wasn’t a very good idea.

Cellbit looked convinced. “Alright, just go to bed now, you’ll be tired in the morning if you don’t get rest.”

Tallulah reached for his hand as he led her inside. “Okay Papa.” She could finally sleep now.

Cellbit tucked her back into bed and looked out onto the balcony, seeing Kristin sitting on the ledge. He gave a nod to her, and she nodded back. Such a strange woman the Lady of the Night was, but he wasn’t one to complain if she seemed to care for Tallulah as much as he and Roier did.

Phil was awoken by movement in his nest. “Missa?” He asked, too used to saying the name in public.

“Yeah, sorry I woke you.” It wasn’t the Missa voice that spoke to him, but rather Kristin’s.

“Where were you off to?” he asked, letting his spouse cuddle up to him.

“I was giving Tallulah some advice, she needs it. Phil nodded against her head. “Did I make the right choice by letting Tallulah go?” The thought had been troubling him recently.

“Yes, you did, and even if Tallulah chooses Roier and Cellbit time and time over again, she’ll always love you for letting her make her choice.”

Phil knew from her words that Tallulah wanted to stay with Cellbit and Roier longer than originally planned, and despite how much he loved her, he was glad she found a way to choose happiness.

“And I’ll love her for every choice she makes.”

Chapter Text

The island was always happening, conversations and interactions and ideas were a constant, and it was nice to check up on everything occasionally. This is what lead Dwayne to decide to check up on Fit and Ramon before his plans for the day got in the way. After all, he was bored, and waiting around doing nothing wasn’t his favourite past time. Fit, being a single parent, was a good choice on who to check up on, once upon a time he was also dealing with that fate. Dwayne may even be able to borrow Ramon for a bit before he had to leave. Spending time with the kids was a fun little thing.

“Hey! What’s going on here?” Dwayne spoke as he walked up to them.

“Not much, just got back from doing some fighting,” Fit explained, showing off a small bruise he had gained. Dwayne let his gaze fall onto Ramon, who was quiet, as he usually was with Fit. Despite being the better parent out of him and Spreen, it wasn’t like Fit was a good parent, but at least Ramon was still alive, and he cared in his own way. Even if that was wasn’t the best.

“Have much fun?” Dwayne asked, trying to make polite conversation.

“Yeah, but it would be nice to be able to take a break from parenting one of these days,” Fit complained. Dwayne couldn’t say much in support, it had been so long since he had a child to take care of.

“Hey, if you ever need a babysitter, feel free to drop Ramon off to me, I’d be happy to take him for the day.” He had plans for if he could care for a child again.

“Maybe another day, Ramon is happy with me, aren’t you, my boy?” he asked, although didn’t look at his son, who didn’t look happy in the slightest.

“Yes.” Ramon wasn’t the most convincing, but his voice was strong, so there wasn’t much Dwayne could do. Fit was a scary man, and trying to take a kid from him right in front of him was a bad idea. He didn’t want to deal with the consequences.

“Just know that my offer is always there,” Dwayne reminded.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” Dwayne wasn’t able to spend any one-on-one time with Ramon like he had hoped, but talking with Fit was a good enough time killer.

“Things must be hard with Spreen gone for so long.” Fit was always down to complain about Spreen.

“A bit, but I prefer him gone he was an asshole anyways,” Fit spoke.

“That’s one way to talk about him,” Dwayne responded.

“It’s the correct way to speak about him, he doesn’t get to have good things being said about him,” Fit pushed.

Dwayne nodded. “I hope you and Ramon are doing well without him.”

“We’re thriving without him, we’re happy all alone together, aren’t we?” he asked Ramon.

“We are.” Another planned out response from Ramon. Poor kid.

“If you two are happy, then there’s nothing to worry about.” At least one of them was happy. As long as Spreen didn’t go and show up again, they’d at least get to keep that one happy family member number.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine even without him, just like always.” It was clear at this point that Fit wanted no help with taking care of Ramon. Shame, it would be nice to have another kid entrusted to him.

The conversation certainly wasn’t going anywhere after this, so Dwayne was quite lucky that he didn’t have to force it to continue, as his comm pinged moments later. “It’s been nice catching up, but I have places to be.”

“Enjoy the rest of your day,” spoke Fit.

Dwayne left, heading towards the planned spot so that he could have the chat he had been waiting on.

“You’ll be good for Phil, won’t you?” Roier asked as he dropped off Tallulah.

“I will, you know that,” she replied.

Roier laughed. “I don’t think I do; you can be a little brat sometimes.”

Tallulah puffed up her cheeks. “I am not, I will be the goodest kid ever!”

Roier smiled and kissed her forehead. “I was just joking around, I know you will be.” Tallulah smiled at his words. He stood up and spoke again. “I’ll pick you up later, have fun.”

“I love you Papi!” she spoke with a wave.

“I love you too mija,” he spoke before leaving.

Tallulah rushed to Chayanne’s bedroom immediately. After all, she had asked to come over specifically so she could talk to Chayanne about what had happened the previous night.

“You’re here!” Chayanne shouted as soon as Tallulah was in his vision. He rushed up to her and took her into a hug, which Tallulah immediately returned.

“Yep, and I have something that we need to figure out.”
Chayanne tilted his head in confusion, but nodded. “Is this a serious thing?” he asked.

Tallulah nodded. “Yes, very serious.”

Chayanne pulled Tallulah over to his bed, now pushed right onto the side of the room. It was strange to see how much space there was now that Tallulah had moved out. “What do we have to figure out?” Chayanne asked, excited and determined, even though he knew nothing of the situation.

“I met the Lady of the Night last night,” she admitted. Chayanne’s response was what she thought it would be. An agape mouth, and stunned silence.

“Really? Like actually meeting her? In the flesh?” Chayanne pushed.

“Yeah, she arrived on my balcony and she talked with me, she was as pretty as I imagined her being.” The whole scenario still felt like a dream, but the feeling of wings on her arms felt far too real to just be a dream.

“What did you two talk about?” Chayanne asked.

“Family,” Tallulah said simply. Being too descriptive would give away her dilemma, and while she was certain she knew what she wanted, she still wanted a bit of time to think about it before she told anyone, likely her parents. “And when I asked why she was talking to me, she said that she always wanted to help family when she could.”

Chayanne tilted his head. “You mean help out families, right?” He picked up on her wording, just as Tallulah had when it was being said to her.

“That’s what I thought, but then when I asked her, she told me she’d tell me another day, so I think that she means her family,” Tallulah explained. “I mean, why else would she be so secretive? If it was just families, wouldn’t it just be easier to say what we thought?”

Chayanne nodded. “You really think she’s part of your family?” he asked, somewhat jealous.

“I think she’s a part of your family, I was a part of your family for so long, it makes sense that she’d consider me family because of that.” No matter how much she tried to think of the Lady of the Night being related to Payne, she simply couldn’t.

“Hmm,” Chayanne made a sound. “Dad is very devoted to her, so, maybe she sees him as like, her child?” he suggested.

“No, that sounds weird,” Tallulah spoke. “Abuelito is old, being someone’s child figure sounds wrong.”

“And the Lady of the Night is even older, so it makes sense,” Chayanne paused for a moment. “But yeah, I don’t like that idea now that I’ve said it out loud.”

The two continued to discuss their theories, never really coming to one they liked. Who knew figuring out how you’re related to a higher being was so confusing.

They heard a knock on the door and the two turned their heads at the noise. Chayanne gave a quick glance back at Tallulah and she nodded. “Come in!” he shouted.

Missa entered and saw the two kids frustrated and curious. “I heard you were here, but you never came to see us, what’s wrong?” Missa asked, immediately sensing there was something up. She even removed her mask for this.

“I wanted to talk to Chay first, I didn’t expect our conversation to take this long.” She just wanted an answer already.

“That doesn’t explain what’s wrong.” Missa sat down next to the two on the bed, believing the situation to just be much worse.

“We’re talking about the Lady of the Night, she talked to Tallulah last night,” Chayanne explained.

“Oh really?” Missa pushed, wanting to know what the kids were exactly talking about.

“Yeah, she said something that really confused me, and we’re trying to figure it out.” Tallulah looked up at Missa’s eyes. It was weird seeing her without her mask, but for some reason she must have gone without.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually, you two are smart,” Missa praised.

Chayanne and Missa started talking, and they surely thought Tallulah would join in eventually. Except she didn’t. She couldn’t stop staring at Missa. Surely this wasn’t the first time she’s seen her without her mask, right? No, she definitely has, so why is she so obsessed with her face at the current moment?

She scanned her face, taking in its features. From her eyes to her nose, it was all like there was something Tallulah should be seeing, seeing something further than just what she was seeing in the moment.

“The Lady of the Night could be anyone! We might have even seen her before!” Chayanne responded to something Missa had said. The words seemed to flicker into her mind despite the immense focus on her Abuelita’s face.

She had seen the Lady of the Night before, so she was more than able to point her out. She remembered back to the image of her. She had looked so regal that night, with her gorgeous gown and wings. She vaguely wondered if she looked as gorgeous when she wasn’t dressed up, and the night didn’t seemingly illuminate her wings.

As she was imagining Kristin, staring at Missa, it was as though the two images overlapped. Missa was beautiful without her mask, and so was Kristin. The exact same type of beauty. The exact same beauty. Their face shape and hair, their body, although Missa’s was more difficult to see, it was all beautiful, all the same. “Kristin,” she muttered.

Missa slightly froze at the name. Chayanne tilted his head. “Yeah, Kristin, that’s who we’ve been talking about all day.”

Tallulah shook her head. “No,” she pointed at Missa. “Kristin.”

Chayanne’s eyes squinted. “Mama isn’t Kristin, that’d make no sense,” he argued. “Kristin is a higher being, Mama is awesome, but not to that level.”

Tallulah briefly wondered if she was making up the similarities. Was her brain playing tricks on her? Did she truly remember what Kristin looked like? As she was questioning herself, Missa chuckled. “I knew you’d get it, still, being called my name gave me a bit of a shock, I was expecting having to give at least a few more clues.” Her voice had changed to what Tallulah had heard the previous night. Her Abuelita’s voice had always been comforting, but now it felt even more so.

Chayanne’s eyes widened. “You’re the Lady of the Night?” he asked, just wanting to make absolute sure.

Missa nodded. “I wanted to look after Phil more, but with my duties it was difficult, so, I found out that a newly dead soul, and we made a deal, Missa got brought back to life, but I would be the one controlling the body,” she explained. Tallulah made a mental note to ask more about the deal later. Right now, both her and Chayanne were still shocked at the information.

“My Mama is the Lady of the Night,” Chayanne whispered to himself, although the other two heard him.

Missa nodded. “I am.”

“My Mama is the Lady of the Night!” he shouted excitedly. Missa laughed at her son’s excitement and brought him closer to her side. Tallulah also decided to cuddle up to her side.

“Does Abuelito know?” Tallulah asked.

“He does, he’s known for a long time, so you don’t have to worry about keeping this from him,” Missa explained.

“And you didn’t tell us?” Chayanne asked.

“I thought it would be better if you two got to have a bit more of a normal life for a bit, having a higher being in your family isn’t the most normal thing, even if Tallulah isn’t really part of the family anymore.”

“True,” Chayanne nodded.

The three chatted about Missa secretly being Kristin for a while until Chayanne had to leave to go find something to eat. Once he was gone, Tallulah shyly asked, “Have you told Abuelito about what we talked about last night?” If she had, that would complicate things.

Missa shook her head. “I didn’t, he likely has his own suspicions, but I think he’s always had those suspicions since this deal happened, but no, I didn’t say anything about who you want your family to be to him.”

Tallulah nodded. If he had his own guesses, there was nothing she could do, but she wanted to be able to say it to him first. This was her choice to make. No one else’s.

“Plan to tell him soon?” Missa asked.

“I don’t know.” She wants to tell her parents first, and that’s all she really has for this plan.

“He’ll be able to wait, and he’ll accept as soon as you ask,” she reassured.

Tallulah nodded. She couldn’t say anything. This whole situation still felt unreal to her. Before Missa could say anything else, Chayanne came back, and they continued to speak as if Tallulah wasn’t holding a choice that would forever change her.

Dwayne arrived at the planned meeting point. At his words, the federation had a room prepared for him.

“Your business partner is already inside, Sir” a shy girl whispered, having been assigned as the leader of getting the room prepared.

“Thank you,” Dwayne thanked before entering.

He sat down at the table in the middle of the room, across from his meeting partner. “She has a name, you know,” his partner spoke.

Dwayne sighed. “I know, Phoebe is a lovely name, but is it really important to say it? How important is she really in the grand scheme of things?”

“Every word counts.” Dwayne could never stop bickering with this man.

“Whatever you say,” Dwayne replied. “Anyways, Payne, it’s lovely to see you again,” he said with a smile.

Payne's face remained blank. “It’s lovely to see you as well,” he said despite it.

“Was the trip back a hassle?” Dwayne asked. The train wasn’t the most fun transportation, and riding it alone was certainly even less fun.

“Not really, although being snuck over here without anyone noticing was annoying,” Payne complained. “Am I going to get to stay out of hiding for now? Or will this be my life for a little bit longer?”

“Just a little bit longer, the planning stage is mostly done, we just needed you here so that we could finish it up,” Dwayne explained. Finally, everything would be able to fall into place.
“Why do I need to be here to finish up planning?” Payne asked.

“We need to make sure your skills are what you say they are, we can’t have you failing us.” They’ve put in too much effort to have Payne ruin it.

“What part of this plan could I possibly ruin?” Payne pushed, his voice dangerous.

“Don’t be a smartass, you know what you need to do, so you will do it right.”

Payne squinted his eyes into a gate. “Of course I will.”

They discussed matters a little longer before leaving. When Dwayne left the room he heard a scared squeak from his side and turned his head just in time to see Phoebe turning a corner. The federation really doesn’t know how to hire its workers.

He sighed. It didn’t matter. Their goal was in their reach, and they wouldn’t fail. The island would have no choice but to fall into their hands entirely, and they’d have no idea what was going to happen.

Chapter Text

Tallulah skipped alongside Chayanne. They were heading over to where their paranormal club had decided to meet. It had happened quite suddenly, the club’s creation, but it was a fun, although small, part of their lives.

They wanted to discover the paranormal mysteries of the island, and didn’t want to wait around for the adults to get to it, so they made their own thing. It was somewhat like a mini-Order, but they kept the name of it simply being a club. It was easier that way. No one would question if they said they were going to meet up with their club. Or at least they wouldn’t care as much as if they proudly proclaimed they were messing around doing detective work with the paranormal.

They liked the vagueness of it.

“Any idea what we’re doing for today’s meeting? Did Dappy say anything?” Tallulah asked. Dapper, being the most interested in these things, naturally took on the leader role for their little club. Chayanne was the oldest, and had a newfound connection with the paranormal, so it made sense that he was the second in command, and tended to be the first one Dapper told anything to do with the club to.

“No, he’s not told me anything, I don’t even know if he’ll be leading the meeting today.” Dapper usually lead them, but if asked, he’d happily allow someone else to lead them for a day.

“I want to lead one of the meetings soon, it’ll be the best meeting ever!” It would go down in history.

“Do you have a topic you want to talk about?” Chayanne asked.

“No,” Tallulah dragged out the last syllable. “But I can get one!”

Chayanne laughed. “When you plan a topic out, I’ll talk to Dapper about it, and I’ll make sure you get to lead a meeting, anything for you.”

Tallulah smiled at Chayanne. Tallulah cared so deeply for Chayanne, and she loved how obvious it was that Chayanne cared for her back just as much, if not more.

Finally, they saw their group. “Come on! Dapper wants to start the meeting already!” Richarlyson shouted. The two rushed over and sat down in the little circle that had formed. Tallulah next to Pomme, and Chayanne between her and Richarlyson. Eventually, they’d create a proper club house, but for now, the ground will remain their spot. Sitting together like this can be really fun.

“Alright!” Dapper spoke with a clap of his hands. “Is everyone ready for our meeting?” He was met with positive sounds. “So, today’s topic will be none of than my father!”
Tallulah tilted her head. “Why your dad?” She signed up to this for new and exciting mysteries, Bad was an old mystery.

“Well, I was talking to him the other day and then he passed by a mirror, he must have never passed a mirror on front of me before, because I was shocked to see that he didn’t have a reflection! I was in the mirror, and everything else was in the mirror, just not him,” Dapper explained.

Pomme gasped. “He must be a vampire!”

Dapper shook his head. “No, vampires drink blood, and I’ve never seen my dad drink blood.”

“Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen,” Pomme argued.
“Or maybe he’s a vegan vampire!” Richarlyson offered it's own thoughts.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dapper started. “My dad’s not a vegan, he’s eaten animal products before, I’ve seen him do so.”

“But he could be a vegan only when it comes to blood,” Richarlyson pushed.

“That’s not being a vegan, that’s called being normal and not drinking blood.”

The argument over whether or not Bad was a vegan vampire, or even a vampire, picked up. Chayanne and Tallulah stayed out of it, they didn’t join the club for arguing, and Tallulah didn't care for the topic, although Chayanne was still looking in their direction, so his opinion on the matter was unknown. Chayanne butt scooted backwards, away from the argument, and Tallulah followed him in doing so.

They managed to get to a distance where the argument was muffled, and they sat in silence for a few moments. Silence was easy with Chayanne, things were always easy with him. Despite how hectic Tallulah’s life had become, with her new family and new choices, Chayanne was by her side throughout it all. Tallulah needed to make sure he knew she was always by his side as well.

“Speaking of the paranormal, how are you doing with that secret that was revealed?” Tallulah wasn’t sure how public it was, so she was vague with her words.

“Things are going well, Mama is being very open now, she answers all my questions, and it’s nice, it’s kinda like having two mums. There’s Kristin, but there’s also this version of her that she becomes when she gets into being Missa,” Chayanne explained. Tallulah nodded, happy. It was nice to know that her family situation wasn’t the only one that was confusing, and that figuring out family was something even her closest friend was dealing with.

“If you ever want to talk about it more, you can tell me, and I’ll be happy to listen.” Chayanne deserved to know that he could trust her.

Chayanne smiled back at her. “That goes to you too, if your new family has any issues, I’ll listen, and maybe beat some sense into them if it’s really bad.” One day. One day she’d tell him her thoughts.

Before the conversation could continue, Dapper walked up to them. “We’re going to meet up with my dad, we’re gonna ask if he’s a vegan vampire and Richas is going to throw garlic at him,” he explained.

“What made you believe them?” Chayanne asked. His voice was eager, and Tallulah suspected he actually believed the younger two slightly. “They didn’t, I’m just tired of arguing, so I’m gonna make them realise how stupid they are.”

“That’s fair,” Chayanne spoke. He got up from the ground and offered Tallulah his hand, which she took. The paranormal club then started their trek over to Bad’s place.
The situation was still boring to Tallulah, and she found herself looking around the island as they walked, trying to find something that interested her. While Richarlyson was talking about how the garlic would be their best bet, her eyes caught a little fenced in area.

She was vaguely aware that it was a graveyard. Although not quite a yard, there was only a single grave in it. She had been there once before; Phil had taken her. He spoke tales of Tilin, the kid the grave belonged to. She often wondered about Tilin, apparently, she was just found dead one day.

It had been so long since she visited, maybe it was time to pay her respects again, even if she had never officially met the long dead kid.

She let go of Chayanne's hand and stopped, causing him to look back at her. “I’m going to look at the graveyard, go on ahead without me.”

“Should I come with you?” he asked. It wasn’t everyday a seven-year-old wanted to visit a graveyard alone.

Tallulah shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine, tell me what you find out later.”

Chayanne stared for a few more moments before nodding. “I will, be safe.”

Tallulah nodded back and Chayanne jogged to meet up with the rest of the group.

Tallulah turned back to the graveyard and walked up to it. Knowing there was a dead body under its soil creeped her out, but she wanted to pay respects, so she pushed past the fear and stepped inside. It only took a few steps to meet the grave, the place was a small thing.

In front of her was a tomb stone, carved out by someone she wasn’t aware of. In front of the tomb stone was a patch of dirt, higher than the ground around it. It had been mixed with something that made the spreading of seeds difficult, but patches of grass and a pink carnation still made its way onto the raised land. Tallulah couldn't ignore the ribbon on the grave, tied through a hole in the stole.

Tallulah kneeled before the grave and read the stone.

‘Tilin,

All the love,

None of the chances.’

From what Tallulah knew, Tilin was around her age when she died. It was horrifying, to know someone her age could die. She knew death was always a possibility, but hearing people speak of it was another thing.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to live long,” she whispered to the grave. Speaking to dead people wasn’t something she had ever done, and she had never met Tilin to begin with, so she wasn’t sure what to do. Sure, she had seen others do it, usually Chayanne, Phil and Missa, but she never thought it would be something she did, so she didn’t exactly take notes. Still, she tried her best. “Was it scary? Dying? It sounds scary. Is dying better than living? I think some people think that, do you think that?”

A gust of wind blew from her side, making it so her hair flew and got in her mouth. She had to pull it out. She looked around and tried to feel for more wind, but there was none. Weird. She looked back to the grave. “I hope you don’t feel sad about your death anymore, I hope you’re happy in whatever way dead people can be happy.”

Tallulah looked around again and got up, walking to the entrance to pick a flower before walking back to the grave and placing it down. “For you, dead people deserve nice things as well.”

Another gust of wind blew, confusing her again. She didn’t mind windy days, but why was there no warning? She stared down at the grave again. “I should go now, the wind is annoying, have a good day.” She waved down at it. More wind. This was going to be difficult.

When she left the graveyard, the kind kept going, becoming stronger at points. It’s a shame the wind tried to sabotage her meeting with Tilin. She walked around a bit, trying to find a good place to stay for a bit, in case a storm approached. She hoped the paranormal club was doing okay.

Since her adoption, she had gotten more used to being alone. Although being alone was once an idea corrupted by fear of abandonment, she’s learnt to feel happy with the silence and herself. Still, she loves talking to people, so when she sees Ramon in StarBobby she happily runs up to him.

“Ramon!” She shouted as she got closer. How great, she gets to stay sheltered, and she gets to talk to her friend.

“Tallulah!” he spoke in the regular quiet tone he had. “Weren’t you supposed to be with your club?” he asked.

“Yeah, but I don’t have interest in figuring out if Bad is a vampire, so I left,” she explained. “What are you doing all alone?” She looked around to make sure Fit wasn’t just in the distance. “Weren’t you supposed to be with your dad today?” It wasn’t exactly safe to be out in this kind of weather alone, but it’s not like she could say much without becoming a hypocrite.

Ramon’s face twisted into a slight frown. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Ramon and his dad weren’t close, but Ramon was always much more agreeable in talking about it when talking to Tallulah. He trusted her. “Yeah, but I snuck away when he wasn’t looking.”

Tallulah sat next to Ramon. “Is he looking for you?”

Ramon shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe? I’ve never snuck away before.”

Tallulah had snuck away before. Her memory of it was still strong. She knows everyone had become so worried about her and hadn’t stopped their search. Was Fit like that? She knew that Fit was a much different parent than Roier and Cellbit, but he was still a parent. Then again, Payne had left her, and she knows that Spreen hasn’t been seen in a long time. Parents are very capable of not caring for their kids.

“I’m sure he’s looking for you,” she tried to comfort.

Ramon wrapped his arms around his knees. “I hope he isn’t,” he hissed. Right. Ramon snuck away for a reason.

“Is Fit that bad of a parent?” Tallulah was curious. She knew what she saw of their relationship wasn’t all that was there.

“I mean, kinda?” Ramon answered, looking at her. “It’s just...” Ramon hesitated.
“Take your time,” Tallulah spoke. Talking about family was hard. She knew she had avoided many topics due to it.

“I know my dad loves me, he loves me so much, even more than Spreen ever did, even if that’s not hard to beat, but it’s not enough,” Ramon ranted.

“Not enough?” Tallulah repeated. Tallulah felt as though she understood what he was talking about, but she wanted to make sure.

“Just because he loves me doesn’t mean I feel loved, I feel like I’m always having to pretend to be someone I’m not around him,” Ramon continued to rant. Tallulah was right, she does understand what he was implying. “I feel like I have to just deal with it since he’s been through a lot, but I don’t like it, I just feel stressed all the time.”
Everyone knew some level of what happened to Fit in 2B2T, Ramon was just the one who had to deal with the way Fit acted due to those troubles the most.

“It must be really hard to live like that,” Tallulah spoke. She didn’t know how to speak of these things. Roier being a therapist helped her with knowing how to listen, but in the end, she was still seven. Helping her friends deal with their issues was something they needed a therapist for, or at least a friend who knew more about the world.

“It is,” Ramon spoke, nodding slightly. “Do you ever feel like your parents aren’t doing what they need to do?” The question caused Tallulah to pause for a moment. Her parents never made her feel less loved than how they felt about her. However, her mind couldn’t help but stop on Payne.

“No, but I used to a lot, back when I was Payne’s daughter,” she spoke softly. “I felt loved back when he first got me, even if he was more reserved than the other parents, but then he disappeared. He’s been gone for so long; I worry if he remembers I exist.”

“That’s why you asked your parents to adopt you, right?” Ramon asked.

“Yes,” she stated with a nod. “I know he loves me, Abuelito says he does, but I’m still scared. What if he doesn’t?”

“Do you want him to love you?” Ramon asked. Ramon was full of strange questions today. When you’re this young, it makes sense that you cling to every question you can think of about topics that confuse you and leave you hurt.

“I don’t know,” she muttered. “I have enough love, my parents love me, Abuelito and Abuelita love me, Chayanne loves me, I don’t need love, but there’s a part of me that just wants to see him again and have him say he loves me, and to show he loves me.” She knows she can’t have that, even if it sounds perfect. Him saying he loves her and showing it means being a dad to her, and that’s not something she wants anymore.

“I wish things were easier,” Ramon started. “Things are so complicated for my dad and Payne; I wish they had it easy so they could show they love us.”

Ramon’s wish would be a nice world. “Yeah, same.” She signed. “Shame we were stuck here, with people who can’t show they love us.”

“That statement is a bit broad, isn’t it?” They heard a French voice in front of them, and they looked up to see Pierre. He was holding Triumph’s hand. “People do show they love you, it’s just Fit and Payne struggle, although they are the ones you want it most from.”

Ramon nodded at Pierre’s words. “Yeah, I’m happy people can show they love me at least, even if my dad can’t.” Ramon was one to take Pierre’s words to heart. Pierre was a help when Ramon was working on technology and when he was struggling with who his parents were.

“Hi Mr. Pierre, what are you and Tri doing here?” Tallulah asked. Pierre and Triumph could be seen together more and more as time went on, but that didn’t explain why they were here, with them.

“Triumph wanted to go for a walk, and Max didn’t trust her to be alone, so I was asked to bring her around for a bit,” Pierre explained.

“Then it got all windy, and we were going to go back to my dad’s, and then I heard what you two were talking about, and I wanted to join the conversation,” Triumph added.

Tallulah tilted her head. “We were just talking about our dads, what would you want to talk about?”

“Just wanted to say that I understand, I feel like I’m kinda in the middle of your situations. I know my dad loves me, but with how much he distances himself from me, it’s hard to feel loved.” The two other kids couldn’t help but let out sorry noises. Triumph wasn’t as close to them as they were to each other, so it was hard to put two and two together for her situation.

Maxo liked to pull away from the rest. He had issues, while not diagnosable as Fit’s PTSD, they still weren’t healthy for himself, or his kid.

“I’m sorry you feel like that, and I’m sorry I didn’t think you could relate,” Tallulah spoke.

“We thought Max would make an exception for you, but I guess not,” Ramon added.

“It’s okay,” Triumph responded. “I don’t talk about it much, and I don’t mind as much as I used to, it still really, really hurts, but Pierre takes care of me, so it’s easier.”

“I would love to let you three continue talking, but me and Tri better get going before it starts to rain,” Pierre explained. “If you two need to talk to an adult about your issues, I’ll listen if I have the time.”

“Thank you,” their voices overlapped.

Pierre and Triumph left, and the two were alone once again. Tallulah turned to Ramon. “Maybe you need another trusted adult to be able to show you love.

Ramon tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I have my parents, and Tri has Pierre, maybe you need someone to show you the love you needed from Fit.”

Ramon made a thoughtful noise. “Maybe you’re right, but it sounds scary, trying to find love when my dad has been trying to give it to me.”

“Yeah, it can be scary,” Tallulah spoke. She knows how scary it can be. She still hasn’t brought up her wishes for permanence to her parents yet. “But sometimes you need to do scary things, because they make you feel happy later on.”

Ramon smiled at her. “Maybe you’re right, I don’t know when I’ll be able to try, but I will try, thank you.”

Tallulah smiled back. “You're welcome.”

Ramon and Tallulah noted that it would likely be a bit linger until the rain showed up, so they decided that it would be best for Tallulah to go home. Ramon wanted to stay in StarBobby for a bit. Tallulah said her goodbyes and headed home. She was immediately met by people moving around the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Guapito wants to celebrate Tilin’s birthday, so we’re making a cake,” Cellbit explained, guiding her into the kitchen. How coincidental that she ended up visiting Tilin's grave on her birthday. She wished she had said happy birthday now.

“You know how to bake?” she asked. She had never seen him do so before.

Cellbit looked rather embarrassed. “No, that’s why we asked for Foolish to come over, and he brought Leo with him.” Tallulah looked to where the two were. Leo was holding a large bag of flour while Foolish was telling them instructions.

“I didn’t know grandma could bake,” Tallulah spoke.

“Neither did I, but that’s apparently one of his skills.”

“Pa can make awesome cakes, so I thought he was the best person to ask, if Tilin had been around for just a bit longer, she would have been a part of this family after all.” Tallulah knew that Roier had always been the caring type. Just as he had accepted her into the family, knowing the struggles that Tilin had gone through, he had wanted her to have a better life and family as well.

“Can I help?” Tallulah asked.

“Of course,” she heard Foolish say. “I’ll teach you to crack some eggs.”

Tallulah joined Foolish and Leo’s side. “What part of the cake are we doing?” she asked.

“You and Leo can do the bottom layer, Roier and Cellbit are doing the top, and I’m going to try and switch between them so you don’t fuck them up,” Foolish explained. Tallulah felt a little upset he didn’t have too much faith in them, but then again, this would be her first time ever baking a cake. She liked to leave these kinds of things to other people usually, but for a special occasion, she’d happily do so.

“We’ll make the best cake ever!” Leo determined. It was easy to feel her own confidence match Leo’s.

“Yeah!” she repeated.

Foolish chuckled at their confidence. Hopefully they had the skills to back it up. Foolish taught them a few skills and then went to help the adults.

Tallulah carefully hit an egg against the counter before pulling it apart and letting the innards fall into the bowl. Leo poured some flour inside from their measuring cup, getting some of it onto themselves. They didn’t mind.

“I’m really happy you’re a part of this family now,” Leo spoke. The words were a bit unexpected, but Tallulah couldn’t help but feel her heart swell at them.

“I’m happy to be a part of it as well, I feel like I’ve always been a part of it, and I like waking up every day knowing that I get to be closer to all of these people.”

Leo’s attitude dropped slightly. “Too bad you can’t stay forever.” Tallulah felt herself shiver. Another kick. She really needs to learn how to just say what she wants. This is what multiple people want, and she wishes that fear didn’t sneak up on her every time she wanted to talk about it. One day, she’d make people happy, and she’d be a part of this family forever.

“Yeah,” was all she managed to say. She couldn’t just say she wanted to make great choice, because she couldn’t make the choice yet, and as soon as she said what she wanted, she felt as though everything would unravel.

Leo looked towards her. “So, we’ll make the most of the time we have as family, right?”

Tallulah smiled at her. “Yes, we will.” And she’ll make sure that the time they have is as long as they live. That was a promise she needed to keep making to herself, or else she may not be able to keep it.

Foolish joined their side again, and was surprised at how well they were doing. They kept going with their cake making, and their cake ended up being better than Roier and Cellbit’s, which they readily teased about.

Roier and Tallulah took the job of icing it, and the cake ended up a sloppy blue with ‘Happy Birthday Tilin’ written on in red icing, slightly unreadable at the beginning. They were more than proud of themselves for making this cake.

They sat down and ate the cake as a family, happily speaking of whatever came to mind. Despite having become more talkative over the time spent with her family, Tallulah couldn’t help but struggle keeping social today. The constant words about family had kept her thinking about her choice she had to make, but what Roier said about Tilin was stuck in her head.

Roier had made a mistake of not asking Tilin to be his kid, and now it was too late. Tallulah didn’t like the idea that her death may be in the future, or even Roier and Cellbit’s deaths, but there was evidence that it was possible to be too late with these things. She needed to act.

Conversation continued on, and dishes were washed up. Eventually they were waving Foolish and Leo out of their home, and they were sat in the kitchen again. Now had to be the time.

“Pa, Papa, can I ask you something?” she asked, keeping her words slow so she wouldn’t mess them up.

The two went silent, and had their attention solely on her. “Of course, say whatever you need,” Cellbit spoke.

“Can, can you,” she began to stutter. The words were on the tip of her tongue, surrounding her every thought. The issue was that there were thoughts surrounding her thoughts.

“This wasn’t supposed to be permanent.”

“We were pitying you, once we done have to, we’ll give you away.”

“We never loved you.”

Tallulah thought her worries were behind her, but now, with these thoughts, she wondered if she was lovable again. Was she bound to just be abandoned time and time again?

“Tallulah, are you okay?” Roier asked. She realised that she hadn’t spoken in several moments.

“Yeah,” she lied. She needed to speak. “Can you,” she needed to ask to rid the fears. She needed to stop thinking she was unlovable when they had shown her nothing but love. But she couldn’t. “Can you get some plants for my room?” she ended up saying, unable to admit her true thoughts.

The two looked confused. “Is that all?” Cellbit asked.

No. “Yes.”

Roier smiled. “We thought it would be a much bigger thing.”

“No, just that.” And everything she didn’t say.

“We can get you some plants, we can go and find some tomorrow, how does that sound?”

Tallulah nodded. She did want some plants anyways.

Tallulah hated how she tried her best and failed. She couldn’t even grasp what she wanted. But she had to. She just hoped that things would become easier, because otherwise, she doesn’t want what the future could hold.

Chapter Text

The garden had become her quiet place. Her place for when her thoughts became too much and she needed an escape. Sitting outside and just letting nature consume her was what she needed now, anything to get her mind away from the choice that had plagued her for far too long, and one that would continue to plague her.

She swung her legs off a large rock, letting the sunlight calm her, when she heard a ruffling noise from some bushes. She turned her head towards the noise, expecting to see one of the inhabitants of the castle trimming or something. Instead, she simply saw rustling.

She got onto her knees, planning to hop off the rock and check closer, when an animal quickly jumped out of the bush. With a scream, she had sent herself flying off the rock and behind it. She hastily got on her knees again and peered over the rock, trying to carefully see what it was.

It was a little striped animal, although quite long. A ferret, her mind supplied. She had heard of ferrets, but hadn’t seen one in the flesh before. It was a strange little thing, and Tallulah didn’t trust it in the slightest. She carefully moved backwards and got onto her feet again. She’d rush inside and tell her parents that there was a ferret outside, and they’d comfort her and maybe move it outside of the garden.

She took her first step towards the castle when she heard a strange, pained squeal. She looked back and saw that the ferret was making the noise. She stopped and took in a deep breath, moving towards that animal slightly. She didn’t know what ferrets were like, but pained noises were never a good sign.

She got closer, and noticed that part if it’s fur was blood covered. Someone had wounded the poor thing. Fear struck again, but this time it was a different type if fear. Empathy. She rushed over to the small creature and got on her knees once again, reaching out her hands to try and scoop it up. The ferret backed away, making more pained noises. Tallulah was patient, and kept her hands held out, trying to appear non-threatening. She wouldn't hurt it. Slowly, it crept towards her hand, understanding, and she was able to scoop it up. It made more pained noises and Tallulah feared she was creating some of them. She got up again and ran back inside, screaming for her parents.

Near the tree tops, a person looked down at the display. Ever the caring being. On one hand, it would be interesting to see if they could break her and have her become as apathetic as them, but on the other, kindness is such a dying skill nowadays. They began to climb down the tree, they really only needed to be up there to throw the rock at the ferret and see
Tallulah’s reaction, time to go back to the Federation.

“Papa! Papi! Help!” Tallulah shouted as she ran up to them.

“What’s wro- Holy shit!” Roier began to ask before his exclamation.

“Is-Is that a ferret?” Cellbit stumbled, getting out of his seat to kneel by Tallulah’s side. He held out his hands to hold the ferret, but Tallulah was on edge about handing it to him, so she simply continued to hold it in her hands.

“Yes, I was out in the garden when I heard noises, and this came out of the bushes,” she began to explain. “I was going to come inside but then it started making all these noises, and then I noticed it was injured.” Roier joined their side and they both noticed the bleeding leg on the animal.

“That’s not good at all,” Roier whispered.

Tallulah shook her head. “Is there anything we can do to help it? I don’t want it to stay in pain.” If there was anything she could do, she wanted it done now.
Roier held his own hands out to Tallulah, and as she hesitated to give him the ferret just as she had done with Cellbit, she spoke. “I can help it; you just have to trust me with this.”

Tallulah looked up at her dad and then back down at the ferret. She had been so scared to go near it, but she had picked it up despite it all, so surely, she can pass it over. She nodded and gently held out her hands, letting Roier pick up the ferret and hold it close to him. Roier smiled down at her. “Give me some time, and it will be okay.”

She nodded again and watched as Roier walked away, careful to not rustle the creature. Cellbit held her close. “It will be okay, Guapito knows what he’s doing.”
He was right, she was trusting him, and he would deliver.

Cellbit lifted her into his lap and they watched some TV together, attempting to let Tallulah get her mind off of the poor, injured ferret.

After some time, they heard a door open behind them, and they looked over to see Roier holding the ferret again, although now it was patched up and looked considerably happier.

“You did it!” Tallulah exclaimed, rushing to Roier’s side a bit.

“Yep, just had to patch her up a bit and she’s as good as new,” Roier started. “Well, not entirely new, we can’t put her out into the wild yet, but we can keep her for a week and then let her go out into the wild again.”
The idea of the ferret being good enough to go out into the wild again should have been amazing, but Tallulah found herself upset. She had been so brave, had gone against her fear and picked up the ferret so it could be saved. It felt strange to have it leave her life.

Did the ferret feel strange about this situation? She was saved and she would be cared for, but soon she would be gone, chucked out as a charity case. She would be taken in for a small amount of time and then she’d have to move on with her life like this had never happened. Tallulah had seen this situation before, even if she had never seen the end of it. She didn’t want to see the end of it.

“I want to keep her,” Tallulah admitted.

Her parents stared down at her. “Are you sure?” Cellbit started. “It’ll be a lot of responsibility, and you did just get those plants.”

“I am sure, I’ll look at all the ways to care for a ferret and I’ll make sure she’s the most loved thing on this island,” Tallulah stated, making sure her voice was strong.

The two adults looked at each other, doing that strange little thing they tended to do where they seemingly communicated with their minds, before looking back at her. “Okay, you can keep her,” Roier stated. “You have this week to prove you can care for her, and if you prove yourself, you can keep her.”

Tallulah made a delighted squeal and held out her hands to hold the ferret again. She was placed in her arms and she lovingly looked down at the creature. She had a pet, an adorable little ferret. They’d have so many fun adventures together.

“It’s you and me against the world, Delilah, together.”

It was easy to let worries melt away after such a day. Tallulah and her parents had gotten Delilah a cage and anything else she would need for optimal living. After just a few days, Delilah was a regular part of Tallulah’s life, and Tallulah felt like life was just getting better, and would keep getting better.

“Boa noite, Princess,” Cellbit said with a kiss to the forehead.

“Buenas noches, Mija,” Roier copied.

“Boa noite Papa, Buenas noches Papi,” Tallulah whispered. As they left her room, Tallulah felt herself begin to drift off. Nothing could be better than this, and although she had her choice to make still, she had confidence now, and she knew she’d be able to make it when she was ready.

A pained noise woke her up. She immediately feared it was Delilah, until she heard the grunts that came along with it. Delilah was making noises as well, certainly not at the octave she was hearing pain from. She peaked beyond her covers and saw a moving figure, clutching it’s hand and hissing. It wasn’t looking at her, but she knew it wouldn’t be long until it did look at her.

She looked over at Delilah, who had somehow gotten out of her cage. She carefully slid out of bed and grabbed Delilah, who was still making the noises. Maybe it was for the best, a sudden silence might alert the figure.

Carefully, she snuck out the door and shut it, waiting a few moments before she ran down the halls, making sure not to injure the still healing Delilah in her arms.

She made it to her parents’ room before she began kicking the door, unable to knock due to full arms. She kept kicking for several moments before it opened. “Tallulah, what’s going on?” Cellbit asked sleepily.
Tallulah was out of breath and scared, so she stumbled over her words several times.

Roier met them at the door and kneeled down. “It’s okay, slow down, just try to explain.”

Tallulah took a deep breath before starting again. “There was something in my room.”

Her parents looked at her silently, worriedly. “Is it still there? What was it?” Cellbit asked.

“I-I don’t know, I just ran here,” Tallulah answered the first question. “And, and I think it was a person, it looked like a person.” If it wasn’t a person, that would be even more terrifying.

“We’ll go check, okay?” Roier spoke.

“Please don’t leave me alone,” Tallulah begged. She had Delilah, but she was far too terrified to be left alone at a time like this.

“The castle is a bit big for only one of us to check,” Cellbit tried to reason. They couldn’t leave her alone now, but they needed to make sure the castle was safe.

“I’ll keep watch on her,” They heard a voice close by. They looked over to see Mousey walking towards them. “I was just finishing up a pyjama party stream when I heard a scream, I thought it was one of you, but then I went to check if you were okay, I overheard your conversation,” she explained.

The two men ushered Tallulah to Mousey’s side. “Please, make sure she’s safe while we’re checking the castle, go stay in our room for a bit,” Cellbit asked.

Mousey slowly collected Delilah from Tallulah’s arms and held Tallulah’s hand, guiding her into her parents’ room. She guided her onto the bed and sat down, letting Tallulah rest her head in her lap. “Everything will be okay,” Mousey spoke.

Tallulah nodded as Delilah snuggled up near her chest. She didn’t entirely believe it, but having Mousey near her was helping.

“Know that even if something wants to hurt you, we’ll protect you,” Mousey went on.

“Every time?” Tallulah asked.

“Every time,” Mousey repeated. “You’re so important to us, and especially important to Roier and Cellbit, you’re their darling daughter.”

Tallulah found herself nodding along, although she was feeling quite melodramatic. “But one day it will end, Payne will come back.”

“And then they’ll fight for you to stay,” Mousey answered.

Tallulah looked up at Mousey. “What do you mean?” They’d fight for her?

“You are part of their family, and they won’t want to give you up, they try to hide what they feel around you, but they don’t believe Payne should have ever been allowed to be a father, so, if you want, they’ll keep you, although they will always respect if you’d rather go back to Payne.”

Tallulah found herself falling silent. This was always her choice, Kristin had told her that, but hearing that her parents had already made their choice was strange. Scary. They had completely opened themselves up to the idea that she was theirs, while Tallulah still had issues believing she was theirs. There was still a part of her that knew she was Payne’s blood, and it was hard to push past it.

“You don’t have to think about it now, you’re tired, so get some sleep and you can think about it in the morning, okay?” Mousey reasoned.

Tallulah found herself nodding again and shutting her eyes. She was right, she had time to think about this. It didn’t take long for exhaustion to creep back up to her and put her to sleep.

Mousey waited a little while longer, petting Tallulah’s hair and watching as Delilah fell asleep.

They stayed like that for several moments before Mousey heard panicked footsteps coming closer. She looked between the door and Tallulah a few times before scooting Tallulah off of her lap gently and moving towards the door, peaking her head out. Cellbit and Roier were rushing back and she put her finger to her lips to tell them to be quiet.

They made their way close to the door, and Cellbit worriedly whispered. “Step out for a moment, Roier will look after Tallulah for a moment, but you need to know this.”

Mousey nodded and slipped out of the room, watching Roier enter before she and Cellbit walked down the hall slightly so they conversation wouldn’t risk waking up Tallulah.

They rounded a corner and stopped. “What’s got the two of you so worried?” she asked.

“Richas wasn’t in bed,” Cellbit blurted out.

Mousey felt worry fill her being, but she attempted to try and think rationally. “Maybe they just went for a walk?”

Cellbit shook his head. “No, they didn’t, their prosthetic was still beside it’s bed.”

Mousey felt her stomach drop. “Did-Did the thing that Tallulah saw take them?” she feared.

Cellbit looked at the floor, eyes terror filled. “I fear so.”

“Well, what do we do?” Mousey asked.

“I think the only thing we can do is keep Tallulah safe, they tried to get her, who’s to say they can’t try again?”

Mousey nodded. They couldn’t lose two kids. “We'll check around the island in the morning, right?”

He nodded. “Of course we will, but we need to make sure Tallulah can’t be taken first, I can’t lose both of them.”

Mousey nodded again before speaking slowly. “I’ll stay here, but I’m going to send some of my hellhounds out to look for them.”

“That would be a smart idea, please do that.”

Mousey went to inform the hellhounds of what they were doing and Cellbit retreated back into his and Roier’s room, and saw Roier gently caressing Tallulah’s face. Roier still looked shocked and terrified. This was going to be a long night.

Tallulah blinked away the remains of her sleep and sat up. She immediately noticed she was in her parents’ room and that Delilah was by her side. She remembered last night, with the person in her room and her fear. She looked over at her sides and saw the three older awake, although they looked exhausted. Had they stayed up all night?

“Good morning,” Tallulah spoke. The three smiled at her gently and gave their own good mornings.

“You two should go down and make breakfast, I will tell Tallulah,” Roier asked the two. They nodded and left, although Mousey picked up Delilah and mentioned brining her back to Tallulah’s room. Meanwhile, Tallulah was left confused.

“Tell me what?” she asked.

Roier tried to keep a comforting smile, and it faltered several times until it fell and he took a deep breath.
“Whatever was in your room last night, it wasn’t just after you, when we went to look around to see if it was still there, we checked Richas’ room and,” he hesitated for a few moments. “And they were gone, we think it kidnapped them.”

Tallulah felt her stomach drop. Richas? Gone? It couldn’t be, there was no way.

“I know you don’t want to believe it, neither do we, but it’s the only option that makes sense.” Tallulah just stared at the sheets. Her sibling was gone. She had tried to run, she managed to protect Delilah, but she had failed to protect her sibling. She vaguely felt herself get guided closer to Roier, and her head met his chest. “We’ll make it through this, we’ll save them, and everything will be okay.”

She hoped he was right.

After several minutes of silence, Roier guided her to the kitchen again, where they sat down with Cellbit and Mousey, who were slowly picking at their breakfast. The meal was silent, and barely a meal, as not much was consumed. None of them had an appetite. Finally, the silence was broken by the radio, and they heard Max’s voice.

“For today’s news, we will be having it in person. Federation employees have asked us to meet them outside of town hall for some very important news, news that I’m sure all of you have been affected by in some way.”

There was a pain to his voice that showed that this certainly wasn’t a happy day for anyone. They ditched their breakfast without a word and went to their respective rooms to get dressed. Tallulah found herself stumbling through the steps. Her life felt like it had all but ended. She had many ups and downs over her time staying with her parents, but this was the nail in the coffin. She wasn’t sure she’d ever recover from her sibling being taken.

She pulled on her beanie and took a deep breath. She needed to stop, everything would be okay, it had to be. They would find Richarlyson, and she could continue on with the life she had begun to build by her parents’ side.

She joined the rest of the castle’s inhabitants again and they made their way to town hall. Both Cellbit and Roier held her hand the entire way there, and Mousey stuck close by. Whatever was being talked about today would hopefully end early, as it was clear they didn’t trust the world with Tallulah after last night.

They gathered outside of the hall, watching the others slightly while waiting for some Federation workers to tell them what was going on. Tallulah’s eyes found Max, and he looked as horrible as he sounded. His hair wasn’t in its usual bun, and he was slouching and fidgeting. If she weren’t in a similar state to him, she’d ask what was wrong.

She let her eyes drag across the crowd some more, and noticed that everyone was in a similar state. Slouching and fidgeting and scared eyes. What was happening? She searched for Phil, Missa and Chayanne in the crowd. Maybe they’d have some idea. She found Phil and Missa, who were looking as horrible as everyone else, although Missa’s eyes were covered by her mask. Strangely, she couldn’t see Chayanne. Was he sick?

Tallulah’s next bet was Pomme, but when she found the French, she wasn’t with them either. Another glance around the crowd showed that she was the only kid around. Strange. She tried to think back to the radio announcement, wondering if she had somehow missed Max saying that the kids should stay home, but there was no way all four of them missed it. She let her mind linger on the fact a little longer, and she felt a layer of tingling dread spread through her body. It couldn’t be, could it?

Her thoughts were somewhat interrupted by a booming voice from the town hall.

“Alright, listen up! We’ve got shit to address and I don’t want to waste more time than necessary!” shouted a woman with a high ponytail.

“Please, listen to Erin, she has the answers you are looking for, at least, she has some of them,” a much quieter voice spoke.

“Thanks Phoebe, but I can handle it,” Erin spoke with confidence. Phoebe looked at her with worry, but pressed her lips into a fine line. Erin looked back at the crowd. “As I’m sure a large majority of you know, your kids were taken from you last night,” she looked at Tallulah. “Except that one brat for some reason.”

The words that Erin probably thought would lighten the mood did nothing to lighten the mood. The dread that crept across Tallulah’s skin consumed her. They were gone. They were all gone. She was the only one left. She vaguely felt Cellbit hold her closer to his side. Erin was talking again, and she wished she was so far gone she couldn’t hear her words.

“But don’t worry, we will fix everything, the Federation is on the case, and we will bring your children back home,” she claimed. “And moving on from this news, it isn’t all loss today, the Federation has already been working hard, and a familiar face has been found and brought back home.”

Tallulah looked up, her head shaking and her vision slightly blurry. Just when she thought her day couldn’t get worse, she saw him.

“It’s lovely to be back,” Payne stated to Erin.

“Yeah, yeah, keep your sweet talking to someone else,” Erin responded. She turned back to the crowd. “Payne here is back home, hurray to all of you who missed him, now, if we are done here, I’ve got better things to do.” Without a proper goodbye, Erin left and Phoebe trailed behind her, although Phoebe looked back and gave a small smile to the crowd. Through a hazy mind it felt like she was smiling straight at Tallulah.

Tallulah struggled to keep her balance. Too much was happening. This was never meant to happen. She was supposed to have more time. Her thoughts mixed into one and Tallulah struggled to understand even what she knew.

Her thoughts were only interrupted when she felt the rhythm of footsteps. She looked down and saw she was being carried by Cellbit. She looked over his shoulder and saw Payne talking to Missa and Phil. Was he looking for her?

“But Payne-,” she attempted to speak.

“He can come and find you when he wants, people will tell him you’re still here,” Cellbit spoke. “Right now, we’re going home.”

Home. The castle was still home. She thought back to Mousey’s words the previous night. Was this when she had to make her choice? Payne was back, everything was falling apart, who knew when her deadline was. She never knew, but now it was closer than ever, and she knew the fate she would have if she didn’t make her choice would be one she didn’t want. Tallulah nodded against his shoulder and let him carry her back to the castle.

They made it back and Mousey departed from the two, saying she needed a nap after everything.
Tallulah got put down onto the floor, and she asked a question. “Can I ask you something very important?”

The two nodded, tired, but willing to listen to whatever she said. “Ask whatever you like,” Roier spoke.

Tallulah nodded and lead them over to the couch. She needed to be sitting down for this. They hopped on, and the two adults stared at her for several moments as she thought. She couldn’t stop this time, she had to do it.

“I love you both a lot,” she started.

“We love you too,” Cellbit and Roier responded, words slightly overlapping.

“You two make me so happy, this time I’ve spent as your daughter made me feel complete, like I was worth so much more than I ever thought I was worth, and, and,” she struggled with her next words.

And I think you’re going to abandon me.

And I’m not good enough.

And I know you actually hate me.

There would be no getting rid of her negative thoughts. She was stuck with them, but that didn’t mean that she had to say what they said. She’d always end up listening to them, but she was worthy of making her own choices despite them, and she was going to.

“And I want to feel this way forever, so please, can, can you permanently adopt me?” She had done it. The words had left her mouth, and there is no going back. A weight dropped from her mind. Still, as her parents looked at her silently, it felt like the weight had simply dropped onto the other end of a see-saw, and she had gone flying. Everything felt far too light, too floaty, to horrifying. Had she made a mistake? Will she simply fall and never recover.

Before she could let a tear escape her eyes, two sets of arms wrapped around her. “Of course, you will always be our daughter,” Cellbit spoke, emotions packed into his voice and threatening to spill.

“We would never want to give you up, we want you to be ours,” Roier joined.

Of course she wouldn’t fall. Her parents would always catch her. She pulled her parents closer and let tears fall, but not from fear. She had pushed her way into their lives, and she was officially here to stay. She’d no longer be temporary, nor would her happiness be. She was a part of their family forever, and even if it was currently in shambles, it was hers, and she’d do whatever it took to bring it back to perfection.

“Thank you, thank you for letting me be your daughter,” she spoke through tears.

“We’ll always love you,” Cellbit spoke.

“Forever and always,” Roier finished.

She liked the sound of that.

Chapter Text

Tallulah could never find herself short of surprises. She headed to bed, exhausted and in need of a nap. She just wanted to go to sleep and have everything change again. Of course, she wanted everything to change and go back to normal, not whatever this was.
She slowly opened her eyes, and became confused at the hair she saw in front of her eyes. Usually when she went to sleep, she’d awake with an eyeful of the dark brown hair that Payne had passed down, but instead her vision was filled with a more middle shade of brown. Not dark, but not light. The next thing she noticed was her hands when she went to pull herself up. Her skin tone now matched something closer to Roier’s. She couldn’t help the loud scream that erupted from her throat.

How was she not supposed to panic? Had the kidnappings not been enough? Did she have to swap bodies with Roier as well? If she swapped bodies with him than how did she still feel so tiny?

She heard the door slam against the wall. “What’s wrong-! What’s wrong!?” she heard in repetition. She looked over at her door and saw Cellbit looking at her with wide eyes, while Roier was beside him looking adoring. Okay, so she didn’t swap with Roier. Then how do you explain her appearance?

“Look at me!” she shouted, holding out one hand and grabbing her hair with the other.

“We’re looking,” Roier answered, his voice slow. “And we think you should too.”

Tallulah wanted to shout, she knew something was wrong, but she nodded and hopped off her bed, going in front of her mirror. She didn’t know how to react at her appearance. Her hair was lighter and her skin was darker, but her eyes were green now. Other than those changes, no matter how big they seemed, there was no denying that this was still her.

She looked at her parents on either side of her. Roier’s skin and complexion and Cellbit’s eyes. She looked like them now.

“I look like I really am your daughter now,” Tallulah whispered, just audible enough for her parents to hear.

Her parents kneeled beside her and brought her close. “You do, but you’d be our daughter even if you didn’t look like us,” Cellbit whispered back.

During a time like this, even through shock, she’d take her small victories. Looking like her parents was her greatest small victory.

Even when it was easy to get caught up in being Cellbit and Roier’s daughter, there was no escaping that she was the islands only child now. And the fact Payne was back. It really did seem like small victories was all she was going to be getting for a while. Maybe she’d only ever get small victories from now on.

A wet nose nuzzled at her cheek. She looked over and saw Delilah by her side. She pulled herself up and brought Delilah onto her lap. Delilah had been spending a lot more time out of her cage now, now fully healed.

“I miss them,” Tallulah whispered, sorrow touching the ends of her words. “I miss my friends, and I’m scared, I just want to know they’re safe, even if I won’t get to know where they are.” The island was relying on her to be their hope, their final child, but it was a tough job. She just wanted to be able to grieve her friends’ disappearances in peace.

Delilah snuggled into her chest. Delilah was her saviour during these times, she was likely the reason she was able to escape, and she kept her mental health as just together as it could get, but in the end, she was just an animal. She had never met her friends, and now she’d never get to meet them. She’d never understand what Tallulah was truly going through.

“We’ll find them, I promise,” Tallulah heard from her side. She didn’t need to look to know it was Mousey. She just kept looking at Delilah in her lap. A weight joined the bed and Tallulah was pulled towards Mousey, her head resting on her chest. “What’s got you thinking so much today?”

Tallulah knew her thoughts were too frazzled to be turned into anything, so she started a new thought process. “Why did it have to be me? Why couldn’t someone else have to deal with all of this pain,” she hissed out, her voice shaky.

Mousey sighed and held Tallulah a little closer. “You don’t mean that, you wouldn’t want your friends to be in pain like this, do you?” she pushed.

Tallulah shook her head. “No, but I don’t want to be in this pain either.”

“I know, no one wants to be in pain, but it happens, and all we can do is get out of pain,” Mousey explained.

“How do I do that?” Tallulah asked. Mousey’s hesitation to answer gave Tallulah her answer. “I just want things to go back to normal.” Tallulah found herself curling up in Mousey’s arms, being careful not to hurt Delilah, who now settled on top of her knees.

“We all want things back to normal, and for now, the only semblance of normal we can get is our dreams.”

Tallulah thought back to her days with her friends, hazy like they were an eternity ago, and not a little over a week. When they came back, she’d give them hugs, and she’d invite Pomme and Chayanne over for a sleepover. She’d like to invite them all over, but she dreamed of her closest. She missed them the most, and she wasn’t quite sure how she was surviving without them.

“There we go, happy thoughts,” Mousey spoke. They weren’t quite happy thoughts, but they were hopeful thoughts, and that was good enough.

As always, life kept moving. It was moving stranger than what she was used to, but it was movement. Cellbit was always in his office, trying to get a lead on the kidnappings, while the other castle residents worried about him.

“Missa visited earlier, she wanted to make sure he was okay, he said he was, but we all know he’s lying,” Roier mentioned as they washed the dishes together. “I’m surprised she gave up so easily, but I’m sure she realised that if I can’t get him to take care of himself, no one can.”

Tallulah kept her head down and attempted to use some water magic to wash the dishes. She hadn’t really seen Missa since the kidnappings happened. Payne was friendly with her, and the risks of running into him just felt like far too much. Still, it was something long overdue. Kristin had helped her so long ago, and now that she had put her advice to good use, she needed more.

Tallulah gave up on the water magic attempt and started scrubbing the dishes quickly, getting done with the ordeal in record time. She hopped off of her stool and got ready to leave. “I’m gonna visit Missa,” she stated.

“Alright, have fun,” Roier spoke before kneeling down to her level and looking at her with a serious look. “And please, be safe.”

Tallulah nodded. “I will, I know how windy it is out there,” Tallulah added. With the disappearances came an odd amount of wind.

Roier’s face fell. “That’s not what I was talking about.” Tallulah tilted her head. “We don’t know if the kidnapper is still out there, and I can’t bare the idea of losing you too, so please, make sure you’re safe.”

Tallulah hadn’t even thought of that. She nodded slowly, and stepped closer to hug Roier. “I promise, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Roier gave her a soft smile. “I hope you’re right.”

She headed out the castle after being given a kiss on the forehead and made her way through town.

Tallulah walked through town, making her way to Kristin and Phil’s place. She pulled her sweater closer to her body, the wind picking up. She rushed down the path, not wanting to have to stay outside for any longer than she had to. The wind was bad enough, knowing that she could meet the fate of her friends at any moment wasn't making it any easier to want to be outside.

“Where are you off to?” she heard from her side. She turned to where the voice was coming from and saw Nikki sticking her head out of the door of her bakery.
“I’m off to Missa’s,” she explained.

Nikki tilted her head and brushed a piece of hair from her face. “In this weather? Don’t you think it would be best to see if you can wait it out just a little?” she asked.

Tallulah opened her mouth to speak but a strand of hair flew into her mouth. She pulled it out and held her hair with her hands. “I mean, yeah, you’re right, but it’s closer to Missa’s than the castle at this point, I can’t just go home.”

“So, how about you stay here for a little bit? Just until everything starts looking a bit less windy,” Nikki offered.

With the wind growing around them, Tallulah could see no reason to refuse. “Thank you for letting me stay,” she thanked as she ran up to the door and moved inside.

“Anytime,” Nikki spoke as she closed the door. “I’m always happy to help, especially with how things have been lately.”

Tallulah nodded and sat at one of the seats in the bakery, watching as Nikki sat down with her. It seemed that no matter where she went, she could never escape the trouble that had seeped into the island’s days. “It is very hard,” she muttered.

Nikki reached out and held one of Tallulah’s hands. “I know, but you’re getting through it, and that’s just what we have to consider as our best right now.”

Tallulah clenched her hands, digging her nails into the wood of the table. “But I don’t want this to be my best, I want to save my friends, I miss them,” her voice cracked at the final word. Why couldn’t Nikki see how hurt she was?

Nikki sighed. “I know you do, but your best gets better as time goes on, it’s hard when every piece of pain is new, but it gets better, you get more used to it, and only when you’re used to the pain can you begin to move on from the pain.”

Is that true? Would Nikki lie like that? At this point, Tallulah didn’t know how to feel about anything. “But what if I want the pain gone now?”

Nikki gave a soft smile and squeezed her hand. “There’s nothing you can do except wait, but one day you’ll have waited long enough, and the pain will be easy to overcome, whether it means moving forward with your life, or fighting the pain.”

Tallulah nodded. She had to trust Nikki. “Thank you for the advice.”

Nikki gave another smile. “I’m always here if you need more.” She looked out the window. “It looks like there’s less wind now, are you going to head to Missa’s?”

Tallulah nodded and hopped out of her seat. “Yes, thank you for letting me stay here.”

“Visit again sometime soon, I’ll make you something sweet.” Tallulah couldn’t say no to that.

She headed out the door and started her journey to Kristin’s house again. Nikki had given interesting advice. Kristin believed Tallulah should just take everything into her own hands as soon as she got the chance, but Nikki believed waiting for the right moment was the best idea.

Kristin hadn’t given her opinion on this yet, so maybe it was just a bit of advice for that problem. But what would she do if she gave conflicting advice to Nikki’s?
Tallulah stopped. She wanted her troubles to be over now that she was her parents’ permanent daughter, but troubles seemed to just pile and pile on. She just wanted everything to be easy. She just wanted someone to talk to that won’t make the problems seem bigger.

She looked in the direction of the graveyard. Tilin. Tilin would listen. She headed towards the grave and sat down in front of it.

“Hi, it’s me again,” she began. “Everything sucks.” She found herself using simple words, just wanting to focus on being with Tilin. “Being dead must suck too, how does it feel to be dead?”

Strange. Lonely. Uncomfortable. Those were all words Tilin would use to describe being dead. How interesting that Tallulah was experiencing that as well.
Watching Tallulah was one of her favourite pass times. She tended to stick by her grave, scared of the world, but then came Tallulah. There was something about her that made her want to watch, to push past her fear. Maybe she related to her in some way. Watching Tallulah in pain made her unbeating heart clench. She had gone through so much, and she didn’t want her to go through more. She wanted to help.

Tilin stood up in the tree she had been pretending to sit on and began floating, allowing the wind around her to get stronger. She had never done this before, but hopefully it would work first try.

She flung herself straight towards Tallulah and felt herself hit her. A scream came from Tallulah before it completely stopped and Tilin felt a pain on her chest. She had rammed straight into the gravestone.

She stared down at herself. She was Tallulah. She had done what she wanted. She pulled herself up and looked at her grave. She tugged the ribbon from it and pulled off her beanie, tossing it into a nearby bush. The ribbon was tied into her hair and she left the graveyard.

The town had changed a lot since she died, but she knew her way around decently enough from following Tallulah. She followed the path Tallulah had taken and eventually made it back to Nikki’s bakery. It had been so long since she had eaten, and the idea of getting to eat the delicious sweets that Nikki made was too good to pass up.

She let herself into the bakery and saw Nikki holding some sweets. “You’re back already? I thought you were going to visit Missa?” she inquired.

“I realised your advice was good enough for me!” Tilin spoke, hoping that she sounded enough like Tallulah.
Nikki gave a smile to the girl. “Really? I didn’t realise I was that good at advice.”

Tilin nodded, trying to remember what she had heard them talking about. “Payne is horrible, but if I wait, I’ll feel like my best is better than I can ever imagine now, and I’ll get rid of him!”

Nikki tilted her head. “Him?”

Tilin looked away, embarrassed she had remembered them talking about the wrong pain. “It, I meant it. Sorry, I’ve been thinking about so many things lately, my mind got all confused,” she lied.

Nikki chuckled as she put the sweets in her pocket. “It’s alright, it happens to the best of us.”

Tilin stared at the pocket the sweets were put into and wrapped Nikki in a hug. “You’re the best, I love you,” she spoke.

“Aww,” Nikki cooed. She wrapped her arms around Tallulah’s body. “I love you too.”

While Nikki was speaking, Tilin dipped her hand into Nikki’s pocket and took a couple of sweets from inside. She pulled back and quickly hid them behind her. “I should be going now.”

Nikki nodded, none the wiser. “You should, the wind lied a bit, it looks like it’s going to storm,” Nikki explained. Good thing there was a reason for Tilin to leave so soon.

“Again, thank you for the advice, I really did need it,” Tilin thanked again before leaving. She had places to be, and as sweet as Nikki seemed, she didn’t know how long she’d be able to stay in Tallulah’s body.

She followed the path that Tallulah had gone down that day. Tilin was still getting used to the feeling of dirt beneath her feet as she ran. Soon, rain began to fall and Tilin began to get used to her feet in the mud, jumping around in a few puddles as she got closer to the castle.

“Mr. Ro- Papi! I’m home!” Tilin shouted as she entered the castle. She had to remember that Roier was Tallulah’s dad.

“Back already- Oh, you’re filthy,” Roier noticed as he rounded the corner.

Tilin looked down at herself and noticed that not only was she soaking wet, but she was also covered in drying mud from the knees down. “Oops,” she muttered.

Roier picked her up and began to carry her somewhere, not caring that she was dirty. Tilin clung to the man, having missed the way he would hold her. Tallulah sure was a lucky girl, getting Roier as her dad.
Tilin was brought to the bathtub and was asked to scrub herself clean. She did, wanting to make Roier happy. While in the tub, she thought about what she wanted to do. She needed to help Tallulah, but she also wanted to tell her thoughts to Roier. She couldn’t say them all, but she can be a little selfish.

She left the bathroom, clean and in new clothes, and sat down next to Roier on the couch.

“Did you have fun at Missa’s?” he asked.

“No, I didn’t go,” Tilin confessed.

A look of confusion crossed Roier’s face. “What do you mean?”

Tilin got closer to Roier and leaned into his side. “I missed you; I love you and I don’t want to waste my time on things when I can be spending that time with you, I don’t have enough time to waste.” She wasted far too much time with Dwayne when she was alive.

Roier wrapped an arm around Tilin. “It’s not wasting time, you love Missa as well, she was practically your family for a while.”

“But you are my family.” Just as Tallulah had chosen for Roier to be her family, Roier was Tilin’s chosen family as well.

Roier lifted Tilin into his lap, and she happily snuggled into his chest. “Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you.”

“You were kind,” was Tilin’s answer.

Roier chuckled. “That sounds like a very small thing to be deserving of you.”

“You deserve the world for being kind, so kind to me, your friends... Tilin.” She had to remind herself that she was not Tilin here.

She felt Roier freeze beneath her. “I don’t think I deserve the world, I failed Tilin, she needed me but I wasn’t there, and now I can never have her back.”

“Tilin loves you, it’s not your fault you didn’t know how little time she had left.” Tilin herself didn’t even know how short her life would be, she could never hold it against him.

Roier held her a little closer to his chest. “I loved her too, she was like a daughter to me, that’s why I feel so guilty.”

Tilin held Roier’s face in a small hand. “And I’m sure Tilin saw you like a father, which is why she would be sad if she saw you blaming yourself like you are.” She hoped her words could get through, saying her feelings as if they were only guesses.

Roier smiled slightly down at her before placing a kiss on her forehead. “I guess you’re right,” Roier muttered. “I can’t change the past, losing my son and someone I saw as a daughter is something I still hate myself for, but I’m getting better, you and Richas are making everything better, and even if Richas isn’t here, they’ll be back soon, I know it.”

Tilin admired Roier so much. He had lost so much, had gone through so much pain, but he was always so full of love, and he wasn’t scared to share it with the world. Now it was her turn, to show that even after death, Tilin cared for Tallulah so much. She’d help her, she’d make sure she got the family back that Tilin had wanted so badly for herself.

Roier stood up and took Tilin with him. “I think we’ve had enough emotions for one day, don’t you think?” he asked. Tilin nodded. “How about we have some cake then, I think we have some in the fridge.”

Tilin beamed. She needed to help Tallulah, but a small cake break wouldn't hurt. She paused slightly, knowing that she had to at least make some progress before having a break. “Did you get anything from Tilin after she died?” she asked.

Roier slowly nodded. “Yes, I found her camera.”
“Can I see it?”

Roier hesitated and looked away for a moment before looking back. “Okay, you can, but please, be careful with it.”

“I will, I promise.” Now it was time for cake.

Tilin was on Tallulah’s bed, writing a letter and eating cake. She was enjoying life in Tallulah’s body, but she knew the time was coming to an end. She ate her last piece of cake and placed the plate on her bedside table. She then moved one of the photos she got onto the letter and placed it beside it.

She laid down on the bed, closing her eyes. It was time. With a deep breath, she shoved her body upwards and she was left floating above Tallulah's body. She turned around to look at her, watching her unconscious, wearing her bow. She could have the bow now; she wasn’t using it anymore.

Tallulah groaned as she opened her eyes. What happened? She pulled herself up and noticed she was in her bedroom. Wasn’t she at Tilin’s grave? She lifted her hand up to her head, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

She panicked. Where was her beanie!? She reached around on her head before she felt a ribbon. She pulled it out of her hair and examined it. It was Tilin’s. She looked over at her bedside table and saw signs that life had been there before. Was this Tilin’s doing? She picked up the letter and read it through. She had been possessed by Tilin for some reason, and she was going to figure it out. She didn’t know what was happening, but she believed it was happening for a reason, so it was up to her to learn what was happening.

“You can’t be serious!” Stanley shouted at his two employees. “Missing a child?!”

Payne and Dwayne sat and let their employer berate them. There wasn’t much else they could do or risk losing their job. “It is difficult, there are so many, and we had to do it all in one night,” Dwayne attempted to explain.

“Yes, you can’t have really expected this to go without mishap,” Payne added on.

“I expect a mishap, but not two!” Stanley shouted. He turned towards the injured employee. “You have put us in danger, they know you are hurt!” he took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. “There is no getting out of this, but I refuse to let my plan suffer,” he explained. He turned to his non-injured employee. “You are hurt now, make it confusing, there should be no reason why both of you got injured, so even if they realise both of you are traitors, we’ll get some extra time while they are figuring out who of you is most likely to be the one that got bit, understood?”

The two nodded, understanding that there was no escaping their fate. They just hoped it would be the other taking the most of the damage.

The federation wasn’t only upset, after all, they had still gotten a lot of their mission done. The head scientist entered the room, an obnoxious chuckle leaving her lips. They were so close. Tallulah might have gotten away, but she is only one child, how could she go against the entire federation? It would only be a matter of time until their plan fully unfolded.

She placed her hand on the freezing capsule, looking at the closed eyes inside, and she couldn’t help but feel like all her time was worth it. Nothing could get in her way.

Chapter Text

Tallulah read through the letter several times, her eyes dragging along every word.

‘Dear Tallulah,

Thank you for letting me use your body, it was great to be able to eat sweet treats and tell Roier how much I loved him, but I’m not selfish, I did it for a reason.
I want to help, before I died, I learnt some information that I think will be helpful to you, so please, use what you see as useful. I have included a picture to help.’

Tallulah stared at the picture beside her, it wasn’t much, but it left a dreadful feeling clawing up her heart and into her throat, threatening to suffocate her.
The picture was a simple one, unskilled and very slightly blurry. It was taken from behind a tree, and Dwayne was the main subject of it. He had his hands held out as if he was in an animated conversation, but no other person could be seen from the angle. The whole image was wonky and low, lower than most photos Tallulah had seen, and it confused her. She looked back at the letter, knowing its next words and why Tilin supplied this picture.

‘Dwayne is no good, please be careful around him. From the day I was born, I knew something was off about him. He was a horrible father and a horrible person, likely still is. I don’t know it he’s the reason our friends are gone, but even if he isn’t, he’s connected. Evil bonds with evil.

I know you’ll save everyone, and I want to do my part to help you, no matter how long I’ve been gone, the island is my home, and I don’t want to see it miserable.

Be safe, do your best, and figure things out.
From, Tilin.’

No matter how many times Tallulah read through the letter, it never got any less surprising.

She had been possessed by Tilin. Tilin had a photo that was supposedly supposed to help her. She was being told that Dwayne was a key suspect. She was supposed to figure everything out.

This was all so much information and Tallulah wasn’t even sure if Tilin was to be trusted. Sure, she wanted to trust her, but other than a photo that didn’t mean much and the word of a dead person, she didn’t have any evidence on him. She and Dwayne were never close, he certainly wasn’t the nicest person on the island, but being accused of being a kidnapper? That was something she wasn’t sure if she could trust.
Tallulah took a deep breath and put the bow back into her hair. It was Tilin’s, she didn’t want to lose it. She gathered the letter and the photo and left her room. She went down the halls and found her way to Cellbit’s office. She knew she should knock, but instead she slowly opened the door and peaked inside.

Cellbit was there, but he was fast asleep. He was face down in some documents, his hand off the desk with a pen on the floor beneath it. When was the last time he rested? She shut the door.

She stared down at the items in her hands. Cellbit was smart, he knew how to solve mysteries, but he needed sleep so desperately, it wouldn’t be right to wake him, so she walked away from her dad's office.

She went down a staircase and saw Roier. He was flipping through a photo album. The cover was two photos, one of Tilin and Bobby, the other of Leo and Richarlyson. He was looking down at the photos, a smile on his lips, but his eyes were watery.

Tallulah retreated up the stairs. She couldn’t go to Cellbit for help solving the case, as he was already trying to do the best he could, and she couldn’t go to Roier for emotional help, as he was dealing with his own emotions. She made her way back up to her room and face planted on the bed.

“Tilin, did you really have to leave now?” she asked. Tilin had done the best she could, she knew that, she knew that Tilin could only make guesses, but she wished she had someone to help her. She lifted her head and looked out onto the balcony, hoping watching a cloud or two may help her mental state.

Quickly, she scrambled off her bed and went onto the balcony. Kristin. She never visited Kristin for her advice. Kristin could help her, she always did. Tallulah looked back at her bedroom door, wondering how to ask her parents to leave. She had already left once, and in the state both of them were in, they wouldn’t let her leave a second time. She looked out her balcony again and tried to figure out a way down. Just jumping would be certain death, and the walls weren’t textured enough to climb down.

She looked and looked, and her sights settled on a hanging branch. It was one of those floppy but surprisingly strong kinds that had started to grow before drooping down to a height that would cause minimal pain if dropped from.

She gathered some mana in her hands and used it to direct the breeze upwards, hitting the branch and forcing it up. She tried her best to push it up while keeping it quiet, and eventually, she managed to get it close enough that she could get a hold of it. She held on and climbed on top of the railing of her balcony. She took one last deep breath before jumping and praying the branch held its weight.

She swung around several times and she barely dodged hitting the tree, but she managed to weigh down the branch to a stop, and she let go. She landed on her feet and a slight ringing pain spread into her knees. Worth it. She began her journey to Kristin’s once again.

This time, town was quiet, and she didn’t see anyone around. Good, she needed to get to Kristin’s this time. What she assumed meant she was looking at the houses and store fronts, and completely missed the person in front of her. She hit them and looked up to apologise, but stood silent in shock. In fear.

“Tallulah.” A voice she hadn’t heard in weeks. One she had blindly hoped she would never have to hear again. Payne looked down at her, his normal smile being directed at her. Once upon a time she thought it shone with its own light, but it felt so empty now that she had experienced being the reason for so many of her parents smiles.

“Daddy,” she muttered. He wasn’t her dad anymore, she wanted to scream it at him. Tell him she was better off without him, but now wasn’t the time. It was better to lie.

“It’s been a while, I hear Roier and Cellbit are taking care of you, are they nice babysitters?” he asked. Tallulah wanted to scream and shout. He met up with who he still knew as his daughter and this is the conversation he made? No telling her he missed her? Asking her when she was coming ‘home’? She knew he was a distant man, someone who wasn’t fit to be a father, but couldn’t he at least try?

“Yes,” she muttered.

“So, where are you off to?” Payne asked, as if the much more silent Tallulah he was seeing was normal.

“I’m going to see Missa, I want to ask her some things,” Tallulah managed to explain. She just wanted to run, but she couldn’t cause trouble.

“How ironic, I was just at Missa’s.” So, she could have missed him if she had just been a little later. “I broke a cup she gave me once and she was giving me a new one.”

Tallulah’s gaze caught his hand. It was bandaged. “Did you cut yourself on it?” she asked. Despite not wanting to talk to him, curiosity got the better of her.

Payne lifted his hand and looked at the bandages. “Yeah, it was a mess, took a bit to bandage all by myself, but I did it eventually, I’m not used to living alone.”

“Oh,” was all she managed to get out. What was she supposed to say in this situation?

“You know, I've missed you,” Payne spoke suddenly, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. Now Tallulah really didn’t know how to respond.

“I missed you too,” she spoke slowly. She wished her words were a lie. She may not miss him anymore, but once upon a time she really did miss him. She missed him and wanted him back, and she couldn’t help the fact that she had truly wanted to hear those words.

Payne kneeled down in front of her. “How about we go home? I made a mistake leaving, and I want to rebuild what we once had, you’re my daughter, but I haven’t been much of a dad, have I?”

Tallulah felt the world drop around her. Payne was saying everything she had once dreamed of him hearing. And how was she going to respond?

Before Cellbit and Roier, she wanted to jump into his arms and let him be her father, let him love her like she desired. It was a simple response; one she didn’t have to think about.

And then there was what she planned to say. Tell him no, tell him he wasted his chance and she knew love that he could never provide. It was also a simple response. It was easy to think it would all be easy.

But here she was. Her response was silence. She was staring at him and was unable to say a word, even as she opened her mouth for it.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything,” Payne spoke. Tallulah panicked as his hand got closer to her. Was he going to take her away?

“What are you two doing together?” Tallulah looked behind Payne and saw Missa.

“I was asking if she wanted to come home, we haven’t seen each other since I came back,” Payne explained, standing up.

Missa looked at Tallulah, taking in her fidgety stance. “I think Tallulah is fine with her babysitters right now, she’s going through a lot, I don’t think now is the time to change her life up,” Missa suggested. Tallulah thanked her in her head.

Payne looked down at Tallulah again, his face unreadable. “Yeah, you’re right.” He reached down and ruffled Tallulah’s hair, not caring how she flinched. “Well, it was lovely to see you again, I can’t wait until we can be family again.” Payne didn’t wait for any sort of response before he walked away from her.

“Have a nice talk with him?” Missa asked, although it didn’t sound much like a question.

“No, I didn’t like it,” Tallulah admitted.

“I don’t blame you; Payne is hard to get along with.” Tallulah thought it was an odd way to talk about a friend, but she didn’t ask about it.

“Can we go to yours?” she asked instead.

Missa reached out her hand. “Of course, I’d love to have you over.” Tallulah took her hand and they walked together to Missa’s place. Tallulah felt her muscles relax. She hadn’t planned to talk to Payne, hadn’t wanted to. She knew she couldn’t avoid it forever, but when she had a million other issues going on, it helped to pretend she could.

Missa lead her inside and they sat down on the couch together. “Now, are you here for Phil, or here for me?” Kristin asked. Tallulah can’t tell when she got so good at telling when Kristin stopped pretending to be Missa, but there were always signs.

“You,” Tallulah answered plainly.

“What advice do you need today?” she asked, knowing why Tallulah would want her.

Tallulah fiddled with her hands in her lap. “I don’t know.” She hadn’t thought that far ahead. It was easy to see Kristin as some all-knowing being that could help her out of anything. Tallulah didn’t want to have to think right now, she just wanted everything to be solved.

Kristin wrapped an arm around Tallulah’s shoulder. “What’s bothering you?”

“Everything.” She thought again. “I feel so alone, all my friends are gone, and I want to help them.”

“That does sound very difficult,” Kristin responded. “How do you think you can help them?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” she hissed. If she knew she’d be helping.

“Well, how about finding clues? You saw the kidnapper, didn’t you?” Kristin pushed.

“I mean, kinda? I didn’t see their face.” Some help that would be.

“But I heard something else happened that night, didn’t you get woken up by something?” Kristin pushed.

“Yeah, they sounded in pain,” Tallulah recalled.

“Do you know what hurt them?” Kristin continued.

Why would she? It could be anything. All she knows is that Delilah was out of her cage, and they were... “They hurt their hand,” Tallulah pieced together. Why else would they be holding their hand like they were?

Kristin smiled down at her. “That’s my girl,” she said fondly. “Now, I believe you have what you need, go be a little detective, make the paranormal club and Cellbit proud.” Kristin ruffled her hair, and she liked it a lot more this time.

Tallulah didn’t question what she said about the paranormal club and rushed out the door with an almost forgotten goodbye. She had something now. Going around the island learning who had an injured hand wasn’t a quick thing, and would likely allow the injury to heal before they got to them, but she had a suspect.

She ran to town, where she vaguely remembered Dwayne having an apartment. It was the same building Payne lived in, so she had vague memories of where he lived. She ran up the stairs, almost tripping up them a few times and made her way to one of the highest floors, where Dwayne lived.

She perused the halls, trying to find a door that looked used. She was running off of guesses. Eventually, she found one that had the welcome mat slightly kicked to the side. Bingo. She reached up and tugged at the handle, but was met with locked resistance. She hadn’t thought about that. She tugged a few more times before giving up. She couldn’t do it. She had to give up.

She felt tears well in her eyes. She just wanted her friends back but a stupid locked door was ruining everything.

“Ms. Tallulah, are you okay?” she heard from beside her. She wiped her tears and saw a girl rushing down the hall to her side. She saw her when the kidnappings were being announced. Wasn’t her name Phoebe?

“I can’t get in,” she admitted.

“Don’t you live at the castle?” Phoebe asked.

“I do, but I need to get in here,” Tallulah explained. She doesn’t think she’s needed anything more in her life.

Phoebe looked down at her in pity. She then looked around her and out a window before looking at one of the security cameras on the wall. “There is a malfunction on the camera, give me a moment,” she stated. She walked towards it and pressed a button on the back.

“I don’t care about a camera,” Tallulah complained.

“I know you don’t,” Phoebe spoke, “I lied.” Her words confused Tallulah, but Phoebe spoke again quickly. “I can’t let anyone know what I am about to do,” she explained before raising a flower pot near the door and pulling a key from beneath.

“Is that,” she began, pointing to it. It felt unreal, so much so that she couldn’t think to continue her sentence.

“Yes,” Phoebe spoke with a nod. “It’s the spare key, it’ll let us inside.” She stuck her key inside the door and twisted. A noise reverberated through the hall and sent delight through Tallulah. Phoebe looked back at her. “Please don’t tell anyone this, I’m not supposed to be so selfish with it.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Tallulah spoke. She wouldn’t want to hurt someone who helped her so greatly.

She opened up the door and took Phoebe’s hand, pulling her inside. “Wait! Why am I coming with you?” Phoebe shouted as she stumbled.

“I need emotional support,” Tallulah explained. Phoebe was already so much support, why not be more?

Phoebe eyed the door again before nodding. “Alright, what do you need from this apartment?”

“Evidence that Dwayne was injured,” Tallulah answered as she started looking under furniture.
Phoebe slowly nodded and watched as Tallulah did her stuff, seeing what she was doing before joining in and helping, although she tried to keep an eye on the door. Tallulah checked around and eventually looked inside the trash can, causing her to pause.

“Is something wrong?” Phoebe asked.

“I don’t know,” Tallulah gently reached into the trash can and pulled out a shard of bloody ceramic. A cup handle. “Payne said he hurt himself on a cup, and now Dwayne has too?”

“Maybe it’s Payne’s cup,” Phoebe suggested.

“Why would Payne’s trash be in Dwayne’s apartment?” Tallulah asked.

“Well, it’s Payne’s apartment as well,” Phoebe dropped.

“What?” Tallulah said almost immediately. Payne had moved in with Dwayne?

“Yeah, were you not aware?” Phoebe asked. Tallulah shook her head. “Oh,” Phoebe spoke awkwardly. “I thought your father would have told you.”

This means that all of her clues were tainted. She had no chance.

No. She couldn’t give up. She knew something was here. She held the shard up to Phoebe. “Can you absolutely make sure this is Payne’s cup? Fingerprints maybe?” Maybe she only thought they lived together. She had to cling to any hope.

Phoebe took the glass and put it in her pocket. “Okay, I can do that.” Phoebe was going along with so many things, Tallulah decided that she was her favourite federation worker.

“What the fuck are you doing in here!?” They heard in the door way. Phoebe’s head swivelled around and Tallulah looked past her.

“Dwayne,” Phoebe spoke. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“What am I doing here? This is my apartment!” Dwayne’s voice rose. “What are you doing here!”

“I was taking Tallulah home,” she placed a hand on her head. “Her father lives here.” Tallulah nodded, wanting to get out of this situation.

Dwayne scowled at the little girl. “From what I heard, she didn’t want to come here, Payne told me himself about how Missa stopped him from taking her home.” Tallulah had forgotten about that interaction already.

“Oh, my mistake, we’ll be leaving now,” Phoebe grabbed Tallulah’s hand and tried to round Dwayne. They were stopped by a blast of fire at their feet. Tallulah squealed and tripped backwards while Phoebe tried to get in between Dwayne and Tallulah.

“Oh no, you two aren’t fucking getting away after pulling this little stunt.” Dwayne took a tense stance and looked at them with shaking pupils. “Should have never trusted you,” he spoke towards Phoebe. “Eavesdropping on shit you know you shouldn’t be hearing, and you,” he looked towards Tallulah, who hid behind Phoebe more. “Should have been taken with the rest of the brats, you always just have to ruin our plans, don’t you?”

Tallulah felt herself shiver. She was right. Tilin was right. Dwayne had come out and said that he was the one who ruined everything.

“You’re a monster,” Phoebe hissed. If Tallulah could get enough air into her throat, she’d have parroted Phoebe’s words.

“Fucking rich coming from you, we work at the same federation,” Dwayne sneered.

‘She’ll always be better than you,’ Tallulah wanted to supply. She finally stood up and tried to take a step forward, but flames almost caught her foot again.

“Don’t try a goddamn thing,” Dwayne hissed again. Tallulah felt tears well in her eyes. She just wanted to tell this information to someone, save her friends, that’s all she wants but instead she’s stuck in an apartment with a man who had murder in his eyes and kidnapping in his criminal record.

“You’ve lost yourself,” Phoebe still tried to argue while keeping a crying child safe.

“I know exactly what I am doing,” Dwayne stated. “But if you think I’ve lost myself, I’ll do what I think needs to be done.” The two girls barely got a chance to think before fire was coming at them once again and Phoebe was pulling Tallulah out of the way. “You two need to be gone.”

More fire came their way and this time Tallulah dodged herself. Her vision was blurry and he’d heart was racing but all she could do was rely on her survival instincts to drive her. But what could she do in this situation? How many of her survival instincts were built from a mad man shooting fire at her?
Tallulah dodged behind the couch and smelt burnt fabric quick enough that she barely stayed there a second. Phoebe was in a similar situation after being torn away from a burning table. They had no hope. They were going to die in a shitty little apartment.

“You can’t escape,” Dwayne spoke the obvious. “You won’t be able to tell a soul from now on.” Fire burned in his hand, and Tallulah shut her eyes tight. Gods, please give her a quick death.

As Tallulah was praying to go out easy, she felt the world around her heat up, but not as much as she expected from a fireball to the face. Tallulah couldn’t help but open her eyes at feeling, to which she saw the apartment burning more than ever, but she and Phoebe were safe. Tallulah looked to Phoebe to see if she knew what was going on, but she looked as confused and Tallulah felt. This glance at Phoebe made her almost miss the footsteps barging into the room and how a fist flung itself towards Dwayne's face before a last second block. Dwayne's arm came up and blocked the punch, instead causing the fist to collide with his wrist, hitting his wristwatch and causing the sound of shattered glass to be heard. Steam filled the room as water magic filled the space.

“What were you doing to my daughter!” Cellbit shouted as he pushed his foot into Dwayne’s stomach, a crunch following the pressure and almost knocking him down.

“Papa!” Tallulah shouted. He saved her.

He wasn’t able to respond to her, Dwayne pushing through pain and attacking back, managing to get off of his back. Tallulah wanted to scurry to her feet and help him but she felt herself get picked up. “Cellbit is fine, let’s get you out of here,” Baghera spoke. Tallulah tried to fight back but it was hard enough to breath, let alone speak. Baghera gestured for Phoebe to follow her and they left the apartment, and eventually the building.

Tallulah was put on the ground and Baghera and Phoebe engaged in conversation. Tallulah couldn’t help but look up at one of the windows. Fire was burning, she could tell from the light. She felt her breathing speed up. Was her dad going to make it? Was he going to sacrifice himself for her? Was all of this just a big mistake? She couldn’t do anything right, something always had to go wrong.

Through blurry vision and distant ears, she heard glass shatter and a body fall to the ground. Finally, she made a noise. A horrid, loud scream as she rushed over. This was truly it. The family had spent so long trying to cling to was going to be missing yet another member.

She pushed through a bush, scratching her skin slightly, and came across a slightly twitching body. They were alive still. That realisation wasn’t what calmed her body, causing her to finally think clearly for the first time in what felt like hours. What actually made her feel better was the fact that it was Dwayne. Cellbit was still okay.

The bush ruffled behind her and she felt two presences. “Is he okay?” Baghera asked.

Phoebe knelt down beside him. “He should be, I can treat these wounds, although he’ll be out of commission for a long time, who knows what kind of paralysis will be caused by this either.”

“Can’t we leave him to just die?” A voice joined.

“Papa!” Tallulah shouted as she jumped into his arms, getting picked up and kissed on the forehead.

“Listen, after what he did to me, he deserves to be left here, but I have a job to do,” Phoebe explained and looked up to them. “I will have to ask you to leave the area please, this is a crime scene now.”

The three nodded and moved away from her and Dwayne’s twitching body. The group walked in silence for a while but ended up at StarBobby’s. No one made an effort to speak, even sat down, until Cellbit got the group some drinks.

“What were you doing in there?” Cellbit queried.

Tallulah swirled her straw around in her milkshake for a few moments before slowly answering. “Dwayne was the one that tried to kidnap me.”

Silence filled the Cafe again for a few moments. “What do you mean?” Baghera pushed.

“He pretty much said it himself; he said I got in the way and that I should have been taken with everyone else, that I ruin his plans,” Tallulah explained.

“And,” Cellbit slowly spoke. “Why were you going to him?”

Tallulah stared down at the swirling milk. “I wanted to help, I thought he was a bad person, and he was.”

Cellbit held Tallulah’s hand. “Listen, I’m proud of you, but you could have gotten hurt.”

Tallulah couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “I’m fine, you found me.”

Cellbit let out a sigh. “If Roier hadn’t thought to check on you, I wouldn’t have known until it was too late.”

“And you’re lucky I saw you go inside,” Baghera finally contributed to the conversation. “There were so many things that could have gone wrong.”

Tallulah knew that, but she just wanted to help. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

Cellbit pulled Tallulah to his side, leading her into a hug. “Please, next time give us some warning, I want you going out and helping and being independent, but that’s something we need to slowly guide you into, I want you to be able to protect yourself first.”

Tallulah found herself nodding. She didn’t want to talk anymore, and the two adults understood that and let her go back to her milkshake.

“So, if Dwayne was the kidnapper, that means he knows where the kids are, correct?” Baghera realised.

“Yeah,” Cellbit spoke with a rising tone. “As soon as he’s out of critical state, he’ll be able to tell us, we'll get our kids back.”

“I can’t believe he was under our noses the whole time; I’ve had so many conversations with him since the kids have been missing,” Baghera supplied. “I mean, he wasn’t my last guess, but he certainly wasn’t my first.”

“I know, I guess he was outside our circles just enough that we never thought about it,” Cellbit reasoned.

“But Tallulah figured it out, we can almost put this all behind us,” Baghera spoke, her voice getting softer. Tallulah couldn’t wait for it all to be over.

A few days later, Phoebe appeared. “My parents are out right now,” Tallulah supplied. Chances are they’d like to hear what she had to say.

Phoebe shook her head. “I’m here just for you today, this isn’t about Dwayne, he’s still in critical condition and won’t be waking up for several more days at the least.”

Tallulah felt her limbs become heavy. She wanted the information of where her friends were already. “What do you need to talk to me about?” Tallulah asked, trying not to show her disappointment.

“Well, first, I wanted to make sure you were okay, I can’t imagine it was easy to go through,” Phoebe spoke, looking at Tallulah with curious and caring eyes.

Tallulah felt a little lighter. “I’m fine, tired, but fine, Papa took the most of it, but even he’s fine,” Tallulah explained. “What about you? You didn’t even get a chance to calm down.” Having to work straight after all of that. “You didn’t get in trouble at work for helping me, did you?” she also asked.

Phoebe smiled softly. “Thank you for worrying, but I am fine, work is no issue for me,” Phoebe explained. “And I’m still in the federations good book, I did the lying I needed to do, I’m keeping everyone safe, and that means keeping them in the dark a little.”

“That’s good, I don’t want you to get in trouble, especially since you came all this way just to check up on me.” Phoebe was a sweetheart.

Phoebe let out a deep breath. “That’s not the only thing I came to talk to you about, I analysed the glass like you asked me to,” Phoebe answered.

Tallulah tilted her head. “Oh, I’m sorry, I should have said we don’t need to anymore, we already know Dwayne was the kidnapper.” Tallulah was so terrified she had completely forgotten about the request.

“I just wanted to make sure I did what was asked of me, and it’s a good thing I did, as I found out something that may be of importance,” Phoebe spoke, looking away slightly.

Tallulah’s interest and confusion was peaking. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“I analysed the fingerprints, and a large majority of them were Payne’s, and there was also yours and mine, and then there was Dwayne’s, which made sense they were room-mates, but then I decided to analyse the blood, and it wasn’t Payne’s, it was Dwayne’s,” she explained.

Tallulah’s mind paused. What did that mean? “So, it was another cup?” Were they both just incredibly clumsy?

Phoebe shook her head. “I doubt that, I checked every piece of glass that contained blood and it was all Dwayne’s, and when I checked his hand, there was a very convincing glass cut, I don’t think Payne was injured.”

“But, but his hand was damaged,” Tallulah supplied. She tried to wrack her brain for answers, and she ended up falling on what she knew. “Didn’t Dwayne have a bite mark on his hand?”

Phoebe’s eyebrows furrowed. “No? Why would he?”

Tallulah went silent again. He was the kidnapper; how did he not have the bite mark? And then there was Payne, who was hurt but hadn’t had any blood on the glass. Could it be...

Tallulah pushed past Phoebe and ran out the door. “I have to go!” she shouted. She didn’t hear Phoebe answer back.

She ran through town, not caring about the people looking at her. She made her way to the apartments and dashed inside. She made her way up to where Dwayne and Payne lived and twisted the door handle. It was unlocked.

She pushed it open and inside was Payne. “Tallulah, what are you doing here?” Payne asked in that same sweet tone he used the last time she saw him.

“Why!” was all she was able to shout.

Why was he so cruel?

Why did he take them?

Why did he try and hurt her?

Why did he leave her?

Why did he come back into her life?

Why did he have to pick apart the life she fought to make?

Why?

Why?

Why?

“Why are you such a monster?!”

She looked at him though a blur. She couldn’t see his face, she didn’t want to, but she saw how he changed. His stance became less forced, and he turned to face her more. “You know, don’t you?” His voice changed. It was blank, apathetic, the voice she never wanted to hear again.

“Answer me!” she screamed.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m no monster, I’m simply me,” he answered, his voice not wavering. “Let’s be honest here, the world is full of monsters, why classify myself as the majority?”

Tallulah felt her muscles clench and her face heat up. She was confronting him and all he could do was give a monologue? Her body shook and she let a scream as mana forced itself out of her body.

Payne cursed as shadows clawed up his legs before he kicked them off. Blood dripped down his legs and Payne’s face twisted in anger before pausing slightly. Tallulah took this opportunity to lunge at him, grabbing at his arm and ripping his sleeve, dragging nails into his skin and drawing blood. Payne screamed, pain and fear mixing into one horrid noise and tossed her off. He made a run for it, but despite pain, she followed.

He ran too much and now was a time she couldn’t let him run. She dashed after him. Tallulah was lucky she was so fast, as Payne was too, she couldn’t have a single second to think. She just had to make sure he didn’t get away.

She heard voices around her as she chased him through town before he led them through the alleyways. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. He was having to squeeze through spaces and duck while Tallulah gained an advantage due to her small size. He seemed to finally realise how bad of an idea it was as he left the alleyway, and of course, she followed him.

Before Tallulah knew it, she was chasing him into the museum. It’s a confined space, so once again, Payne left her nothing but confused. Payne made her chase him around the artifacts, putting an uncomfortable amount of space between them as Tallulah refused to damage anything. Still, she managed to get him into a hallway.

She chased and chased, she didn’t know what she was supposed to do when she caught him, but she had to. She saw Payne stop at the end of the hallway and her hopes rose before immediately crashing. There was a door. She pushed her legs faster, straining her muscles as she saw him unlock it and open it.

He slipped inside and Tallulah slammed into the door as a click of the lock sang through the hallway. Tallulah pushed past the pounding pain consuming her and hit at the door, twisting the handle, hoping, wishing, praying that she had a chance.

“No, no, no,” she cried. She had lost. Payne once again did what he did best and ruined her life. Why, her mind cried again. Why did this happen? She let her fist slide down the door and she sat with her back against it, not caring at how it dug into her back. She was tired, she was in pain. She sobbed; it was all she could do. She lost her chance, and now she could do nothing else.

Chapter Text

Tallulah sobbed at the door. How could she not when she had failed everyone. She had Payne in her grasp, and yet she couldn’t stop him. She didn’t know what was beyond the door, but it could be anything. It could be something that could ruin her life even more.

After a long time, her eyes were out if tears. She still sobbed, but she it was painful. She attempted to stop her sobbing, holding her breath and trying to not let the noises escape. As she tried to focus on her breathing, she heard footsteps. They weren’t behind her, she still had no chance of being let into the room, but they were coming from the museum. Had Phoebe told her parents what went on?

Tallulah pulled herself up, and walked towards the museum. She really wanted her parents. She peaked beyond the hall and saw several people. Off to the sides Tina was looking at a painting of multi-coloured flowers and Pol was looking at an old looking film camera. In the middle of the room was Pierre, who was looking around, inspecting the contents of the museum and making sure they were in acceptable condition.

Not her parents. Still, she needed someone, and she had seen how Pierre wanted to help the kids before. She shouldn’t bother Tina and Pol, even if she wants the islands attention in helping her through her sadness.

“Pierre,” she called out, stepping out from the hallway. Her voice was scratchy, but she tried to be loud.

Pierre paused slightly, not expecting a noise before turning around to see her. “Tallu- Holy shit!” he cursed, stumbling back and almost knocking a vase of a pedestal.

Tallulah pulled her limbs closer to herself. What had she done? “I’m sorry,” she spoke. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” She found herself looking at the floor.

She heard some movement and Pierre kneeled in front of her, lifting her face and looking around her. “Can you turn around please?” he asked, his voice purposefully softer than his normal tone.

It was an odd request, but she did so. She trusted him, and she knows he was changing his tone for a reason. She was turned around for only a few seconds before she felt a hand touching her back. Or at least something on her back. The nerves on her back didn’t feel anything, but that didn’t explain the fact that she was definitely feeling something on her back.

“Where did the wings and tail come from?” Pierre asked, curiosity taking over his voice.

“What do you mean?” she asked. Did she accidently knock into something with wings and a tail and it got attached to her clothing? Surely, she would have realised if that had happened, right?

She heard the snap of a phone camera and Pierre reached over to show Tallulah the picture he had taken. Tallulah felt her breath stop in her throat. Sticking from her back were two white and pink wings, and from the bottom of her back stuck out a tail. Were they connected to her? How had she not noticed? “I, I don’t know,” she answered.

Pierre spun her around again. “Must be pretty new then,” he spoke.

“I don’t know,” she repeated, unsure of anything. “I only just realised I had them.” Had they been there when Payne saw her? Is that why she was able to attack so strongly? Did he really have nothing to say about it?

“Did you feel them at all? They must feel pretty weird, I hope you’re not too uncomfortable.”

She did feel them. At least now she did. “I couldn’t think earlier, I was busy,” she attempted to explain.

“Wanna talk about it?” Pierre asked. “It must have really been something to miss this,” he ran a finger across her wings. The new nerves were sensitive and she felt them flicker away from his touch.

“Busy chasing Payne,” she answered. Busy failing.

Pierre tilted his head. “Payne? That’s new behaviour from you. Not avoiding him anymore?”

“I can’t avoid him anymore.” The roles had switched now. There was no going back to the ignorance she once found shreds of comfort in.

Pierre stared her deep in the eyes. “Can you please tell me what’s going on? There’s more to this than you’re telling me, so please, tell me.”

Tallulah took in a deep breath before letting it out. She needed to remember she couldn’t just keep everything to herself. “Payne was one of the kidnappers.”

Pierre’s expression paused. “There were multiple? Are you okay? Did he try and take you again?” he asked repeatedly, wanting to make sure she wasn’t hurt, emotionally or physically.

“They basically gave it away, but while Papa could get Dwayne, I tried to get Payne myself, and, and I failed,” tears welled in her eyes, “I’m useless.”

Tallulah felt herself being pulled into a hug. “You’re not useless, you’re seven, you can’t expect yourself to be able to do all of these things alone,” he comforted.

“But Payne needs to be stopped,” Tallulah argued.

“Then we’ll stop him, and anyone else who’s willing to help, which I assure you, is most people, you’re not alone.”

Tallulah wiped at her tears. “Really?” she asked.

Pierre nodded. “Really,” he repeated. “Now, can you tell me where you saw Payne run off to?”

Tallulah looked back to the hallway she had been crying in. “There was a door, he ran off into it and locked it again.”

Pierre’s eyebrows furrowed. “How did he get into the storage room?

Tallulah nodded. “He had a key or something, keycard maybe, I don’t know what the way to get in is.”

Pierre stood up and hooked his hands under her knees, pulling her to his chest. “We need back up, come on.”

Tallulah felt herself be carried out of the museum, despite the few moments it took to get used to the new sudden height. She heard his words, she knew he was right in saying that others would help, “But why do we need to? Do you not have a key?” she asked.

“No, I don’t, I didn’t know anyone had a keycard, so we don’t know what’s actually in the storage room, so we need to be careful,” he explained. So it was a keycard that Payne had. Keycards were so fancy looking, what could Payne have been doing to get something like that?

Tallulah nodded along to his words. Even in his not knowing, Pierre must know what’ll make everything safer, so she hurried after him.

Pierre took them to the town hall, and slipped inside. They went through hallways and up stairs, and eventually they made it to the main office, which Pierre went into without a second thought.
Tallulah had never been in the main office before, she had never had an issue so large that it required it, and it made her want to look around. Still, she focused on what Pierre was focused on.

“What’s wrong?” Etoiles asked, standing from the mayoral desk, looking over at Tallulah’s new form briefly before returning his gaze to Pierre. There were more important things than a new look.

“Tallulah identified another kidnapper, Payne,” Pierre explained, placing her down on the ground.

Etoiles’ eyes widened. “Another? Where is he?”

“In the storage room in the museum, he had a keycard.”

Etoiles’ face filled with more worry. “What do you think we should do?”

“Get more people, I don’t know what’s beyond that door, but the chance that it’s our kids behind there with a threat means we need more people.”

Etoiles nodded. “I’ll get the call out, you two need to go and wait so we can explain, the Ordo can come help.”

Pierre nodded back and pulled Tallulah along with him. Tallulah felt like all she could do was wait for something to happen. They arrived outside, and shortly after, people began to arrive. More people than just the Ordo. How many people had they told to come with them? They were confused and fidgeting. It looked like they didn’t know what they were being asked of yet. Would they truly join once they knew? Or were Pierre’s words just those that adults used to make children happy? Tallulah wanted and didn’t want to know.

Eventually a large crowd had formed, and Etoiles joined their side. It was odd, standing at the mayor’s side for a speech like this. She was used to standing with the people, but now the people were watching her. She should be used to the eyes by now. They’ve been watching for so long, but this was different. She wasn’t just a child; she was someone who held knowledge and power.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Etoiles began. “It is now more than ever that I need your help.” The crowd whispered. “We thought that when Dwayne outed himself as a criminal, we would be fine, that we’d get our kids back, but today I have learnt that it wasn’t a one-man job, Payne was also at fault for our misery and the disruption of our families.” Shouting and mumbles mixed into one noise. Tallulah didn’t know how Etoiles and Pierre handled this.

“How did you know this?” Phil shouted.

Etoiles gestured to Tallulah. “Just as she did last time, Tallulah has found it out again, and she found that he is behind the museum’s locked door.” Tallulah felt even more eyes on her. Some were in interest, others were in shock. Some were focused on what she’d done, some were focused on her appearance. She didn’t like how confusing this all was.

“So, what is this meeting about?” Foolish asked, understanding that they were running out of time if Payne was still around.

“We need people,” Pierre stated. “We don’t know what’s behind that door, so we need to make sure we have enough people to face whatever is behind it, for the children.” The group talked over each other again, although this time it sounded a lot more positive. “We’re not asking for everyone, just enough of you, please, let us take back our kids.”

That was enough to get a lot of people to agree. Those who didn’t left after giving words to those who stayed, and the air became less of a meeting and more of those who were scared and wanted to help. Etoiles and Pierre left the stage, and Tallulah stepped off as well. She didn’t want to be there alone.

Footsteps were heard beside her and suddenly Roier, Cellbit and Mousey were at her side, kneeling and looking over her changes. “Are you okay?” Roier asked.

Tallulah nodded. “Yeah, I think,” Tallulah didn’t know what to think anymore. “I’m a little tired though.”

The three nodded at her words. “Did Payne hurt you at all?” Mousey asked.

“Yeah, he chucked me when I attacked him, but I’m fine now, I don’t feel it much.” The pain left her surprisingly quick.

“That bastard,” Tallulah heard Cellbit mutter under his breath. “I swear, when I get my hands on him.” Cellbit didn’t need to continue the sentence for Tallulah to know exactly what he wanted to do to Payne.

Roier tilted her face over to his side. “Are your wings hurting? Your tail?” Tallulah wouldn’t be able to forget her new features for a while.

“They feel weird, but they don’t hurt,” she answered. “My eyes hurt a little, and my body feels funky, but I don’t think it’s bad.” It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.

The three grasped her new limbs slightly. Tallulah didn’t know when she’d start getting used to all these new nerves. They asked a few more questions about them, and she answered like she did for Pierre. She didn’t like how many questions were being asked today. She didn’t like how many answers she knew, both too many and not enough.

The questions slowed, and Tallulah thought she’d finally get a break. That was when one more question was asked. “How are you feeling about Payne?” She looked over to Roier. “I know you haven’t seen him as a father in a long time, but it must still really hurt to know he’s behind all of this, right?”

Tallulah looked down at her feet. Parts of her knees were visible to her and her hair fell in front of her eyes. She didn’t even look like him anymore, she wasn’t his daughter. He had failed her. Yet this hurt, as though a father truly had hurt her. Maybe some childish part of her just wanted an apology, to know that it was never his intention to hurt her, but now the reality that he would never regret hurting her was setting in. She didn’t want him to be a father to her, she just wanted some kind of sign that there was a part of him that wanted her to be his daughter.

“I hate him,” she cried. “I hate him so much! He ruined my life!” Why did he ever have to be a part of her life? What did she do in a previous life that made her so unforgivable that she deserved to have him in her life? Why couldn’t she have just been born to Cellbit and Roier? Why couldn’t she just have good things?

She felt arms wrap around her and she clung to them. “We hate him too, and we’re not going to let him get away with what he did, he’ll pay,” Mousey spoke. She doesn’t know what she did to deserve them. She didn’t know what she did to deserve anything in her life, good and bad. How can so much good and so much bad be distributed to a seven-year-old?

More footsteps were heard and Tallulah looked up towards the noise. “Hey, you doing alright?” Phil asked.

“I don’t know.” She also didn’t know how many times she’d say that today.

Phil gave a forced chuckle. “I know how you feel there.”

Tallulah tilted her head. “What’s going on?”

Phil shook his head. “It’s fine, this isn’t the time to focus on this.”

Tallulah pulled herself from the family hug and went to wrap her arms around Phil. “But I want to focus on this, please? I want to help you.”

Phil smiled down at her and placed a hand on her head. “You really are just too sweet,” he whispered before sighing. “I’m just a little stressed, Missa isn’t anywhere to be found, and she’s been running into a lot of trouble lately, and I’m worried for her.”

Tallulah held onto him a little tighter. “You’ll find her, she’s somewhere, and she’s safe, I know it.”

Phil hugged her back. “Thanks for believing in her, I hope you’re right.”

Voices rose around them, and they looked up to Etoiles and Pierre once again. “Whoever has decided to come, thank you, we will get our kids back and put a stop to whatever is behind their disappearance, whether it is just Payne or something much bigger,” Etoiles announced. The crowd rejoiced. “Now, we must go, before it’s too late.”

“But how will we get inside the storage room?” Pac asked.

Etoiles opened his mouth as if to say something, but footsteps were heard to their side. They looked to where they were coming from and saw Phoebe stepping up to beside Pierre and Etoiles. “I, I know how to get you inside, I have a key card, the keycard, that, is for that door,” she stumbled through her words, not looking anyone in the eye.

Tallulah vaguely wondered if she just had a key for everywhere. “How do you have a keycard? Why do you have a keycard?” Pierre asked. “We weren’t aware there was a keycard before today, and now we know there is two? Are you to be trusted?”

Phoebe froze up. “Yes, I promise, I just want to help,” she rushed her words. “I can help, please?”

“We can’t know that,” Pierre stated. “You could be leading us astray.”

Phoebe fumbled over her words, trying to explain herself. Tallulah didn’t like what she was seeing, Phoebe was so sweet. Tallulah left her parents’ side and stood in front of Phoebe. “She will help, she helped me figure out Dwayne before,” she explained.

Pierre looked down at Tallulah before slowly looking up at Phoebe again. “Is this true?”

Phoebe vigorously nodded. “She did, she was with Tallulah when we found them getting attacked by him,” they heard Baghera speak from the crowd.

“She helped keep my daughter safe, if you don’t trust her, I at least trust her,” Cellbit backed her up.

Pierre finally backed off. “Okay, we trust you, but know that you can lose it.” Phoebe physically relaxed.

“Thank you,” she uttered.

Etoiles looked towards the crowd again. “We must leave now, who knows how much time we’re wasting.” Etoiles stepped forward and the crowd followed him.

It was odd moving in such a group, all with the goal of getting the kids back. Tallulah couldn’t stop the anxiety growing in her chest, but she’d help. She’d mostly just sat by and let people solve the problems she figured out, but now she’d take an active role in it. She’d get back her friends, and she’d make Payne regret hurting anyone.

They made it into the museum, and up the hallway, where Phoebe took to the front and pulled out a keycard. “Understand there will be many people in there, but since I’m with you, people won’t question it, until we get to the guarded areas of course, then you’ll have to try your hardest,” she explained. Mumbles filled the space. What was behind the door? Their answers were quickly answered when the lock clicked open and Phoebe guided them through and down some stairs.

Beyond the stairs were people working in a blindingly white space. Many had lab coats on and badges.

“The Federation was behind here the whole time?” Cellbit muttered. It would make sense why Phoebe had a key to it. But then there was the question as to why Payne had a keycard... Tallulah hoped the obvious answer wasn’t the right answer.

Phoebe lead them through some more halls. Luckily, she was right and no one questioned them. A few people looked up at their passing, but quickly returned back to their work. Phoebe stopped them outside a door and turned around to face them. “Those beyond this door won’t be so accepting of you being here, they will fight, good luck.” She opened the door, and let them slide inside. Tallulah was the last one to go through.

She looked up at Phoebe. “Thank you for being so nice, we wouldn’t be here without you,” she spoke.

Phoebe smiled down at her. “You’re welcome, anytime.”

Tallulah continued looking at her. “Do you think my wings are pretty?” she asked, almost randomly.

“The prettiest,” she replied. Tallulah gave her a big grin before slipping in with the rest of them. Phoebe shut the door behind her. This wasn’t something she’d be able to fight.

She turned to return to her work before being stopped by people walking closer to her. “Phoebe! What the fuck was that?!” a masculine voice shouted.

Phoebe found herself pressed against the wall. “Apollo! Erin! I, I uh, I don’t know?” she attempted to speak. The hand around her neck made the words a struggle to get out.

Apollo pinched at the bridge of his nose. “My sister, the fucking prodigy of the Federation, yet can’t even tell a half decent lie.”

Phoebe pressed her hand against the door behind her. She hoped the risks she took were good enough for the islanders, and that they’d be able to continue on without her help.

Phoebe was right, guards were on them almost immediately. Etoiles knocked one out with a well-timed punch, and Cellbit took out the next with fire magic. It became a brawl. Punches and magic and blood filled the room. All Tallulah could do was watch. She stood still, as though she were a baby deer. She didn’t expect this. She just wanted to catch Payne and save her friends.

Cellbit hit one of the guards with a slice of blood from a wound, and Tallulah screamed as they landed at her feet. It didn’t take long to realise they weren’t breathing. Tallulah backed away slightly. She knew what her father was capable of, had heard the stories of his youth, but seeing it was different. Seeing someone you loved kill someone was always bound to be shocking, seeing someone be killed was bound to be shocking, seeing a dead body for the first time was bound to be shocking.

It was so shocking that she ran. She ran back to where they all came from, pushing through the door and slamming it behind her. She hoped everyone was too caught up in the fight to notice her.

“You’re always trying to go against me? Why can’t you just love me? I’m your brother, I just want what’s best for you,” Apollo spoke. Phoebe had seen this before. She had seen it so many times, and while she was used to giving in to the words, she refused to this time. Even if it was hard to think with Erin's hand around her throat.

“I do love you, but I am my own person, I can make my own decisions,” Phoebe attempted to fight with croaky words. She would always love her brother, but she couldn’t deny that who he had become was too controlling, too hurtful. For fucks sake, he was just watching as her oxygen got cut off. She was young, but she knew what she was doing. She dare say she knew what she was doing more than Apollo.

“No, you can’t,” he fought back, his voice soft but angry. “I need to keep you safe; you can’t keep going against me, or you’re going to get hurt.” His voice lowered and slowed at the final words. Phoebe felt a shiver run up her spine. Those words weren’t a warning, they were a threat. A threat he was currently making sure Erin was fulfilling. He wasn’t just watching as it happened, he was part of this as much as Erin was. It wouldn’t be the first time she had put her hands on her, probably wasn’t even the first time he had asked her to, and while it was a terrifying situation, she needed to stay strong so that the others could rescue the children.

“I won’t get hurt, I can defend myself, you’re the ones hurting me,” she stated. Her entire body was shivering and her muscles hurt, but she needed to maintain the deceit of confidence.

“Pheebs, you’re a twig, and you’re magic ain’t anything special, fucking look at what I’m able to do without you even trying to fight me,” she pressed down harder and completely cut off oxygen for a few moments before letting her have some space and finally breath, even with her hand around her throat. “let your brother do his job.”

“Erin, I appreciate your worries, but you’re really hurting me, please just let go so me and Apollo can talk this out,” Phoebe tried to explain calmly.

Erin snickered. “Worried? In what world would I be worried? Apollo will be up shits creek without me here making sure you can’t escape, believe me, me being here is a good thing for you.” Phoebe had never doubted her words more.

Apollo rolled his eyes. “I know what I am doing.”

“Sure you do,” Erin replied.

Phoebe felt her hands move towards Erin’s, grasping then and pulling. “I know what I’m doing, I don’t need anyone to look out for me,” Phoebe announced. She knew she needed to get her point across. It gave her a better chance of not ending up unconscious on the floor.

Erin held her neck just a fraction tighter, and stared down at her. She’d never quite get used to how she towered over her. “Listen, your brother is nice enough to look out for you, it’s up to you to stop being a shithead and to listen to him, anyone in this place could smash you to bits, me included, so stop being a little prissy princess and do as you’re told, or I fucking swear, I’ll make you wish you did.” Erin’s voice was low and quiet. Erin was in every way a terrifying woman, there was a reason she managed to become a security guard and climb the ladder to being second in command for security.

Phoebe squeaked and scratched at her hands more. “I’m not doing anything wrong!” she stated, struggling to breath again. They couldn’t blame her for wanting to help a small child. Especially one that was going through what Tallulah was going through.

“Nothing wrong? You invited people into the Federation and now they’re gonna ruin everything!” Apollo shouted, throwing his hands into the air.

Erin looked over at Apollo before slowly turning back to Phoebe. “Pheebs, you’re out here playing a dangerous game,” Erin’s voice went even lower. “If the ranga finds out about this, she’ll have your head.”

“So, you won’t tell her, right?” Phoebe asked. They wouldn’t tell on her. She was needed.

Apollo’s face twisted into a grimace. “If we hide this from Stein, she’ll see us as accomplices.” He joined Erin’s side. “And you better not say that we were part of this, you’re a convincing girl.”

Phoebe froze on the spot. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re a disrespectful little girl who doesn’t understand anything.”

Tallulah pushed her way past the door she entered through. She wanted to leave. She wanted to go back home. She wanted to convince Phoebe to take her home. Still, she never seemed to be able to get a break. From beyond the door she heard horrors. She looked down the hallway and saw Phoebe, pinned to the door by a much larger woman. Erin. Next to the woman was a man who looked like Phoebe. Apollo.

“I won’t, I promise, she’ll never even know I was behind it, I won’t bring the two of you in,” Phoebe pushed out, her voice shaky and quick.

“Oh, she will, and we can’t trust you, ruining everything, we need to make sure you know how to keep your mouth shut,” the woman growled.

She clenched her hand tighter around her throat. Phoebe’s eyes were wide and shaky behind her glasses. Tallulah hated to see her like that.

It was odd. Tallulah had seen the girl for an hour at most in her life, but she felt this immense need to protect the older girl. Tallulah always knew she was a kind soul, but the way she felt far less than kind towards the woman who was approaching Phoebe felt kind to Phoebe. Right now, kindness wasn’t needed. Justice was needed.

As Phoebe’s face turned a slight shade of purple, Tallulah panicked. Mana grew in her hands and the air got colder. She hoped she was the only one feeling that. Tallulah’s hands shook as tiny icicles formed between her hands. She almost dropped them, and she feared the kind of noise that would make.

“Shit, you may make her unconscious,” Apollo staged as though the actions of Erin were of the norm.

“She deserves it, she’ll be lucky if I let go,” Erin spoke over panicked sputters from Phoebe.

Tallulah couldn’t wait anymore. She’d either drop her magic or she’d be too late. With a loud scream she pushed the magic forward and two heads turned towards her.

The sound of Phoebe hitting the floor was first, and then there was the sound of a grunt. And then there was the scream. Tallulah watched over the scene. Phoebe was breathing heavily and holding her neck. Apollo was rubbing away blood from a cut on his throat, barely too shallow to not cause any damage, while he rushed towards Erin’s side. Erin was clutching her eye and screaming, and as she pulled her hand away to show Apollo, Tallulah gasped as she saw that she had hit her square in the eye with the biggest icicle.

“You fucking cunt!” she screamed, murder in her remaining eye. If Tallulah hadn’t damaged her, surely she would have been doing the same thing to her that she was doing to Phoebe moments ago.

Phoebe got up and rushed towards Tallulah and began to pull her away. “Let’s get you out of here,” she whispered hurriedly, her voice croaky from Erin’s actions.

They began to move but Apollo spoke up, but refused to leave Erin’s side. “Phoebe, you can’t do this, we need to complete our mission.”

Tallulah looked up at Phoebe’s face. Her stare was cold. “I don’t care about the mission.”

Apollo’s eyes shook. “But Stein does, if she finds out you ruined it all, she’ll hunt you down, just give us Tallulah and I’ll make sure no one hears about this.”

Tallulah clung closer to Phoebe’s side. Phoebe took a deep breath. “I don’t care what Stein thinks, I’m resigning, I don’t have to listen to what she says anymore.”

Apollo’s expression dropped. “What are you saying? You won’t be allowed back home if you don’t work here anymore.”

Phoebe pulled Tallulah along. “We both know that house was no home.” She fully turned around and began to walk about. “Goodbye.” Tallulah turned as well and ran with Phoebe to somewhere that they’ll be safer.

Phoebe tugged her into a room, which looked like some kind of lab, although they were the only ones in there. “Are you okay?” Phoebe asked.

Tallulah nodded slowly. “Yeah, I am, I didn’t know I could do that,” she whispered. She had hurt that woman so badly. She looked up to face Phoebe again. “But are you okay? They looked so scary.”

Phoebe smiled, although her face muscles shook. “I’m fine, it’s nothing new, I’ve been dealing with my brother and Erin for years. I know they just really care about the project, but, but I couldn’t just stand to the side and watch it happen anymore.” Phoebe’s voice became teary towards the ends of her words.

Tallulah wanted to just continue caring for Phoebe, but there was a question that was stuck on her mind. “Did you know everything that was happening?”

Phoebe refused to meet her eyes. “I knew of some of it,” she finally spoke. “I knew of the kidnappings, but I didn’t know who did it, why we had them, or where they are being kept.”

Tallulah felt tears well in her eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Phoebe was a good person, why couldn’t she have said anything to help them out sooner?

“Because I was scared,” she answered.
“Everything I’ve ever had is here in this Federation, all except my loyalty, and I thought my loyalty was what was wrong, so I thought if I went against that and just said nothing, I’d be doing something right, but I realised when I processed that blood that I can’t escape my loyalty, because my loyalty was the one thing that knew what I wanted, my loyalty was always for good, and now, after seeing how much you and the rest of the islanders fight to keep good, I want to do what is right, even if it means leaving behind everything I know.” She looked Tallulah in the eyes. “I know I’ve just broken your trust, but please, think about how I want to help you, I’m ashamed of what I’ve done, but I don’t regret helping you.”

Tallulah was the one who looked away this time. This was a lot. She always knew Phoebe was a part of the Federation, and she knew the Federation did shady things, but openly hearing that Phoebe knew at least a little bit of what was going on and stood by as it happened hurt. But then again, she had shown she wanted to help. If she didn’t truly want to change, why would she have done as much as she did? There were so many things that she could have done to not let it get this far, possibly even make things harder.

“You’re so kind, you know that?” Tallulah spoke. She didn’t know what else to say. ‘I forgive you’ felt too personal for something that Phoebe would have to get from the island, but she did forgive her.

Phoebe smiled down at the girl. “Thank you, it’s nice to hear you say that.” She continued staring down, a soft smile on her face, but her eyes landed slightly to the side of Tallulah. “Can... Can I have a hug right now? I really think I need it.”

Tallulah opened her arms for the girl and Phoebe kneeled down and wrapped her own arms around her. She held on tightly, as if Tallulah was sand that could slip through her fingers if she didn’t hold on tight enough. Tallulah couldn’t blame her of course, as she was doing the same.

“Your wings are even prettier up close,” Phoebe whispered into her ear. Tallulah felt her wings flap at the compliment. Maybe she would get used to the wings in time.

“You’re even prettier up close,” Tallulah whispered back.

“You are just too sweet.” Tallulah liked being too sweet.

Eventually they pulled away and Phoebe stood back up and brushed off her knees. “So, what are your plans for being in the Federation now?”

Tallulah looked back at the door. Everyone else was fighting the guards and looking for their kids, so that left one task for her. “I’m going to find Payne, and I’m going to make him regret everything.”

Phoebe nodded. “Be safe, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt, and Payne’s a tricky guy as you’ve probably seen, I don’t think he’ll fall apart like Dwayne did.”

“I will be, I’m ready to face him, but I’ll be careful,” Tallulah responded. Despite her rage, there were people she had to come home to. And Phoebe was joining that group. “What are you going to do?”

Phoebe looked away for a moment. “I’ve got to tie up a few loose ends here, collect some stuff, get rid of my documents, put in my formal resignation letter, the sorts, if I’m lucky, I’ll never have to come back here.”

Tallulah nodded. Phoebe must be going through a lot right now, uprooting her life, and she could offer her support but it was something Phoebe had to be okay with doing. “I’ll see you later, right? Once everything is over, I want to make sure you’re okay.”

Phoebe leaned down and ruffled her hair. “You will, and I want to make sure you’re also okay.”

Tallulah gave her a wide smile. “Okay,” she answered. “So, you have any idea where Payne might be?”

“I’ve seen him in the infirmary, he talks to Dwayne a lot, although Dwayne is still out cold.” She pointed to a door. “It’s through there.”

Tallulah nodded and took a step towards the door. “Thank you! I can’t wait to see you again after I’ve kicked his butt!” She rushed towards the door as she heard Phoebe laugh.

Slime was doing his best against the guards that had ganged up on him. He was using water magic to defend himself the best he could. Still, they were more experienced, and it was a two against one. While he was attempting to attack one of them, the other took a punch at his face. He felt glass barely slice at his skin and imbed itself into his slimy innards. Shit. He used his water to push them back before reaching towards the nearest doorknob he could see. He twisted it and all but fell into the room. He took a chair and set it up against the door, making sure they couldn’t follow him in.

“Of course, this is where I end up, all alone in a room I can barely see in.” Whether it was mostly due to his broken glasses or the darkness in the room, he couldn’t tell. Both the issues simply made everything worse.

There was at least a little light in the room, glowing blue light. He turned around to look at the source. Even with his horrible eyesight, he knew what he saw. It was his daughter. His JuanaFlippa. She was seemingly floating in the light, and she looked so, so cold.

Slime stumbled up to the pod she was being held in. He rested his hands against it. It was cold. His poor little girl. “It’s okay, I’ll get you out of there,” he spoke.

He looked around slightly for something to get her out, and his eyes eventually landed on a keypad near the wall. He walked over to it and attempted to read it. He squinted his eyes to make sense of the tiny lettering a bit more, and found Juana’s name. Bingo.

He reached up and went to tap the word next to it when he heard a loud bang at the door, he was behind. He twisted around and ended up slamming his hand into the interface. He looked down and saw binary slipping down the screen. Shit, shit, shit. Leave it up to him to misclick at this moment.

He desperately tried to tap the screen, seeing if he could maybe get it all to stop, as if the controls still existed under the code. His finger slammed down on the screen several times, his focus completely on the desperate act. He was trying so hard that he didn’t realise he was no longer alone until it was too late. A heavy weight slammed into his side.

Slime pulled himself up from the floor and leaned against the wall. He looked up through the blur and saw a mixture of green and black swirling in the air. The code on the screen had duplicated into a mess in the sky.

“Hey, hey code buddy, no need to be so rash,” he tried to talk to the code. “I’m just here for my daughter, if you could just let me get her and leave, I’ll be out of your hair, or your numbers, or whatever.” He did his best to press himself back against the wall as much as he could.

The code lowered itself to the ground more, and Slime pulled his legs in. The code floated slowly towards Slime before stopping slightly in front of him. Slime shook as he watched the code compress. He didn’t know what it was doing, but he didn’t like it one bit.

The code sprung out parts of itself, four lines and a blob on top. Eventually, they twisted into more of a recognisable shape, a more human shape. Legs and arms and a head formed. It felt eerily familiar. Then it stopped looking like code. Colour seemed into itself, and now, instead of a code, he saw a little girl.

“Flippa,” he whispered. That was without a doubt JuanaFlippa. Not his of course, he could still see her in the pod, but the code certainly looked like her. Her hair and clothing a little darker, and her sclera black, sure, but other than that it was easy to see this code as his daughter.

“Papa? Home time?” the code spoke. It’s voice was shaky, and inhuman sounding, but there was part of it that still had him hooked.

“I need my daughter,” he remembered to say. This wasn’t his daughter.

The code looked down. “I am your daughter.”

“I need Juana, not you,” Slime answered. What was this code on about? Why did it want to go home with him?

“Don’t you want me?” the code asked, turning the situation from needs to wants.

Slime didn’t like the question. The code looked so sad, so human, so childlike. It would be easy to take her home and treat her like his own. But he also had to do the hard thing of getting his daughter back. “I do, and I want Juana too.”

The code tilted it’s head. “You want us both?” it asked. Slime nodded his head. The code grinned. “That’s good enough for me.”

The code walked over to the keypad and touched the screen. Blurs of green and black pulled into its arm and as they stopped it looked towards Slime. Slime pulled himself up and stumbled over to the keypad again. The screen was back to normal. He could save his daughter.

Slime lifted his finger again, and with much more precision than last time, he tapped beside her name. The room went dark, the pod no longer emailing a light and strange, technological sounds filled the room. The room didn’t remain dark for long, as the code let it’s form slip slightly and a green glow surrounded it. It walked towards the pod, and it illuminated the inside of it.

Instead of Juana floating like before, she was now sat inside it. Slime hurried over and tugged at the pod’s sides. He tugged and tugged and groaned as nothing happened. He just wanted to get this open and to save his daughter.

The code nudged him over slightly, and he let go. It pushed him back further before somewhat taking his place in front of the pod, just a little further back. It’s arm disintegrated into code once again and formed a large clawed arm. It lifted it’s arm and sliced at the side of the pod, cracking glass and tearing ice and metal. The door opened. It moved out of the way and Slime all but tossed himself at the now open pod. He reached inside and placed Juana on his lap.

He rocked her freezing body back and forth. “You’re safe, I have you back, I'm not alone anymore,” he whispered partly to her and partly to himself. “I promise I’ll never let you get taken again, I’ll protect you, and your sister.” There was a slight part of him that already regretted taking in another child. He could barely take care of one. Still, he’d be a better father, for the both of them. He’d prove to himself that he could give these girls everything he had.

Mumbling was heard and movement happened in his arms. “Pa...pa?” she whispered weakly.

“Take your time, I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered back to her.

Juana nodded against his chest and they sat in silence for a few minutes. The code sat down next to them after a while, joining the family but not the moment. Eventually Juana spoke again. “What happened?”

Slime tried to answer the best he could. “You were kidnapped during the night a while ago, you’ve been missing for a long time, but we’ve figured out who the kidnappers were, and one of the Federation workers lead us in here, and then I found you.” Slime didn’t have nearly as many answers as he wanted to have so he could give them to Juana, but the ones he did have would have to do.
Juana stared down at her lap. “But I only remember going to sleep, I don’t have any memory of being in here before now.”
Slime hugged his daughter tighter. “You mustn’t have been awake for memories then, but it’s okay, you don’t have to worry about being in here anymore, I’ll get you out.”
Juana nodded against his chest once more, tears flooding her eyes. It was a lot, Slime knew that, and he didn’t fault her for wanting to get her emotions out. The code finally decided to join the moment, wrapping her arms around Juana as tears poured from her eyes. Slime wrapped his arms around both of them. Silence dragged on between the three for several moments before Juana’s tears stopped. She looked up at the new person hugging her and asked, “Who are you?”

The code smiled. “I’m Flippa, Slime’s new daughter and your new sister,” she tilted her head. “Pretty cool not having to have two names now, right?” Slime hadn’t thought about how he’d have to name her eventually, fine with referring to her as a code, but she seemed to decide to split Juana’s name in half and take the rest for herself.

Juana nodded and giggled. “It’s nice to meet you Flippa, I’m Juana.” The girls giggled together. Slime was glad that Juana didn’t seem to mind their growing family.

He looked over at the door again and decided it had been long enough. He didn’t hear anything nor see shadows from beneath the door. They would be safe to leave. He put Juana down, nudged Flippa to the side, and stood up, moving over to remove the chair and open the door, peaking despite his confidence. No one. He turned back to his daughters. “Come on, let’s go.”

Tallulah went through the twists and turns of the hallways. She knew Payne was in the infirmary, but where exactly that was? It was a mystery to her. She was hoping it was close by, beyond every corner, her legs were aching at this point. Running and chasing and standing, it was finally catching up to her. Still, she knew she couldn’t stop, she knew she had to keep going. For Phoebe, for her friends, for her lost childhood.

There were so many things that she wanted to face him for, and while the current events were the most pressing matters, she couldn’t stop thinking about past matters. How much of her childhood had been a lie? Did it hurt more to know it was a lie or for it to have been full of half truths? Tallulah didn’t know it was possible to both want something and to want for something to never grace her.

Tallulah turned a corner once again and almost squealed when she saw the bright red cross of a medical centre. She barely stopped herself and tip toed forward. As much as she wanted to barge in and face Payne like a hero in a story, she didn’t want to cause trouble for herself if there was more for her to face on than she originally expected. She looked into the room and saw Payne, now bandaged up, sitting beside an unconscious man. Dwayne. His hands were waving in an exaggerated manner to match his words.

“Of course you had to give yourself away, you’re always on about how I am reckless, and that I was going to be the one to ruin everything, but no, you just had to get pissed at them being in your apartment!” he ranted on to the unconscious man. Tallulah had heard about people in comas hearing what was said to them beyond the consciousness, so she vaguely wondered how much negativity the man would awake with if he ever awoke. That was a grim thought she would rather not dwell on. “And now look at where we are! Are you happy that all our work has gone into the trash? Because I’m not! And now we’re losing all our progress and that brat Tallulah is thinking she’s won!”

The word echoed in her head. Brat. Brat. Brat. Payne had called her a brat without even thinking. It felt like such a cruel word for him to use for her. Void of any love, like she was a nuisance. She was to him, but it felt more like he was saying it for the world. She had enough.

She stepped into the infirmary. “It’s because I have won.”

Payne’s eyes widened and he slowly got up, getting himself more into the open rather than staying backed into a corner. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice lacking any of his usual lies.

“I’m here to confront you.” Simple words, but they worked.

Payne stared blankly for a few moments before his face relaxed and a smile graced his lips. This again. How many times had she fallen for this when she was younger? Although it’s not like she remembered it ever happening. Once upon a time, the idea of a father's smile was an anomaly to her. “Why don’t we sit down and talk about this? I’m sorry I was so harsh before, but I’ve realised my wrongs, and I want to show you that I just want what’s best for you.”

“Best for me?!” she shouted. “You left me for years! I don’t think you ever showed me love once when I was your daughter! You left me with two people I barely knew and didn’t ever give me any idea of when you were coming back! I questioned my worth every day while you were gone, wondering what I did to deserve having a father run away on me, wondering why I deserved this punishment, all while having it turn out I didn’t deserve it at all!” Her voice raised and her wings outstretched. The words fell out of her mouth as if they were trying to escape after being trapped in her mind for so long. “I had to find a whole new family just to get to bare minimum I deserved! The bare minimum you never gave to me! Do you realise how hopeless I was!? I barely knew Papa and Papi before I was adopted, and yet I still felt more secure with them then I ever did with you!” So much pain dribbled out into her words. She’d never wish for anything other than the family she chose, but the circumstances that drove her to that point were difficult to ignore now.

“Tallulah...” Payne spoke with practiced pain.

“No!” she shouted. “You can’t come back and pretend to be my dad! Especially after what you did! You think some lies are going to win me over now that I know the truth!? No! I know who my family is now, and you will never be a part of it! You were never a part of it!” He never saw her as his family, and now she was thinking the same. He didn’t get the right to be upset.

Payne’s face fell once again. He was himself again. Although being a liar was himself as well, just less of him. “I don’t want you,” he spoke in a levelled voice. “Never did.”

“What?” It was her turn to be bewildered. The words and their meanings didn’t surprise her as much as the fact he was saying them at all did. She knew what he was capable of, knew he knew how to use his words to win favour. Did she win against him?

“You’re lucky I took your egg as my own, I could have thrown you into a lake and let you never be an issue, but no, I was kind enough to let you live, I provided for you, gave you food and shelter, a place to go when I had better things to attend to, you should worship the ground I walk on for letting you have your life, fuck knows you don’t deserve it.” His words were sharp in a way she had never heard before. He was also letting out his true feelings for once. Truth for truth. Or at least truth for a liars idea of what truth was.

“You couldn’t even give me the bare minimum, you couldn’t even give me love, what makes you think I should give you respect?” Tallulah rebutted.

“Why would I give something so useless for its effort to some girl who was so willing to throw me away? Look at you, what part of you is my daughter?” he sneered, gesturing her changes appearance. “I had my suspicions that Roier and Cellbit were more than just babysitters, but then I saw you the day that Missa interjected, and I knew, I knew that you didn’t see me as you should have, running off to be with some idiots who believe you are worth their time and effort.”

Bringing Cellbit and Roier into this struck a pain into her heart. It brought up insecurities she thought she had lost long ago. Was she worth it? Did they love her? Was the right? Yes. They had shown her that, and she wasn’t going to let an insecure, miserable man like Payne convince her otherwise anymore. “You’re just upset that you can’t control me anymore,” she spoke clearly, her voice stronger than it had felt in ages.

The widening of Payne’s eyes was a surprise. Such simple words were unexpected from her. “I’ve controlled you from the moment you were born, you can deny my blood as much as you want, but you can never forget me,” he began, his voice turning sour. “You can never forget the fear, the sadness, the anger I made you fear, you can never forget how I taught you the truth of how insignificant you are, and you can never forget how that controls you.”

Tallulah felt a shiver run up her spine. She was used to seeing him through the lenses of fear that came with being a child not understanding why a parent can’t be the person they need, but it was as though she could physically feel her fear change. Payne wasn’t just someone uncaring to her, uncaring to care, he wanted her hurt. Wanted the world hurt. Consequences and love didn’t matter to him. No matter how much she said to him, how well she worded her words and tried to get him to realise the pain he caused, he didn’t care. That’s why he did it. She couldn’t save him. Tallulah could make all the right choices when it came to him, but it would never stop the fact that he made a choice to be this way.

“You’re right,” she started. “I can never forget what you’ve done to me, how you’ve made me question the world around me and who I am, making me feel as useless as you did, but that’s not something that’ll have a hold on me forever, your hold is already weakening.”

Payne sneered once again. “What are you on about now?”

“I can heal,” Tallulah stated. “I can learn my worth, I can get better, I’m surrounded by people who love me and want the best for me, no matter how deep your words have gotten into my brain, time will dislodge them.” As long as she tried to understand her worth, she’d make it. “But you can’t be fixed, I bet you don’t want to get better, you just want to stay wallowing in your misery and apathy and spreading it to the world.” He couldn’t do that with her anymore. He lost to a child.

Payne’s world crashed around him. The power he was obsessed with holding over Tallulah broke, and the flimsy life he had been trying to uphold in terror had broke.

Tallulah screamed as she barely dodged the shadow magic threatening to bite at her. “You fucking brat! Who do you think you are!” he shouted. Tallulah really didn’t expect her words to affect him so hard, but he was a lot more unstable than he showed to be. Him and Dwayne were similar like that.

Payne gave up on magic for a moment and attempted to punch her, which she once again barely dodged. “Not so brave now, are you?!” he shouted. “Show me how you’ve grown! Fight me! Kill me! Or fucking die as the weak little bitch you are!” He went to punch her once again and unstable air magic pushed him away.

Tallulah didn’t know what else to do, so she could only think to get more space between them. She didn’t want to kill, but she knew she had to hurt. Bug did she know if she’d be able to stop once she started hurting? She had seen so much hurt today, saw the way violence became lethality. She had heard and experienced hurt. The way Payne’s hurt of her became an endless pursuit of power and control. The way Apollo and Erin treated Phoebe and how it turned into a sick game where they would be the winners, but they were the only players with Phoebe as the piece. Would she become like that?

There was a tingling in her brain that spoke No a hundred times. Back in the hallway, they knew what they were doing. They weren’t choosing lethality, they were choosing their children. Payne chose power, and hurting others, hurting her, was just the way he got it. Erin and Apollo chose the feeling of winning, and if that meant they had to go for the easiest way to win, beating a little girl, that wasn’t an issue.

When it came to hurting people, it was always a choice. Choices, to be more specific. How you hurt, why you hurt, who you hurt. It was a bundle of choices, most others would never know. Just as Tallulah had seen everyone make their choices on hurting others, it was time for her to make her own. She could choose to hurt, and so she could choose to not hurt. She wouldn’t take it too far, she’d take it just far enough to make her feel like she was in control as she said she was.

She wasn’t choosing violence because she wanted power, or to win, or even to protect. She was choosing herself.

As Payne took a step forward to attack once again, Tallulah summoned water around her. She wasn’t skilled, but even inexperience could be painful. She sliced the water ahead of her and it landed straight on his gut, forcing him back with a loud grunt. “Shit, you can actually fight,” he grumbled as he pulled himself from the wall he was forced into. She couldn’t tell whether he was more impressed or angry at her fighting prowess.

Tallulah tried to move the water around her again but felt it being ripped out of her grasp. The water drove straight at her, now under Payne’s control, and knocked her off her feet and halfway across the room. The attack and the way her body hit the floor tore a scream out of her, and she could hear the way Payne laughed.

She got up on shaking knees and rolled out of the way of another blast. The water he was holding splashed against the ground and he lost his grip on it. She finally got up onto her feet again.

Gathering more mana felt like too much tine wasted for Payne, so he began to run up to Tallulah, raising his fist and would have almost hit her if she hadn’t gathered wind at his feet to trip him up. She used the water that was seeping into the tile to slam against his face, causing a large bruise to form.

Tallulah tried to move the water again but while she was doing so, Payne lifted his foot and jammed it into her stomach, causing her to drop the water and fall back into the wall.

“Can’t do anything with you, always have to think you’re the shit, well you’re not, you’re a little brat who I should have killed the moment you were born!” Payne screamed as he got up on shaky legs and brought pulverising shadows out the floor, which she had enough energy to dodge. She got up and found herself stumbling across the room, trying to find a moment where she didn’t have to dodge to try and get her own hit in on Payne. She found herself jumping over another attack, and as she went to take another step, she realised she couldn’t. Her feet were stuck.

She looked down and saw that ice was creeping up. When the ice passed her feet and touched her skin, she shivered. Whether it was from the cold or the fear, it all blended into one terrifying experience.

She looked up at the man who had to have caused it. There was a wide grin on his face, and his eyes were wide in a sick delight. “Can’t get away now,” he spoke with a chuckle breaking his words.

Tallulah continued to yank her legs up, desperate for some kind of miracle to break her free. Newfound strength or skin hot enough to weaken the ice. Yet she was stuck watching as the ice crawled further up her legs, cementing her onto the floor. Cementing her fate.

“Now I’ll finally be able to get rid of you, but what way?” Payne monologued. “Kill you now? Kill you later? Stab you? Kill you with shadow magic? Encase you in ice and wait for you to freeze to death?” he rattled off. “I like that option, aren’t you a lucky girl? Able to die in such a horrific way.”

The ice had reached her hips now, and fear struck into every part of her brain. She should have known he’d do something like this. He delved further into his violence with every second, and she knew she had pushed him to the edge. The ice rose more, and she was colder than ever before. It felt like her brain was turning to mush with every centimetre of ice that crept up her body. It was at her ribs, and she was lucky she had enough brain to raise her arms to spare them a few moments.

Payne leaned against the wall, watching as Tallulah’s fate sealed more with every second. She hated it. She hated him. This was supposed to be when she’d get everything she wanted. She was supposed to beat him and feel at peace for once.

“It’s nice to see you give up,” Payne taunted.

No. He sealed his fate with those words. She refused to make him any happier than he already was. She moved her arms, which she would have only a few seconds more to move, and let mana run up them. She felt her shoulders be enveloped, and she knew whatever magic she would do had to something that wouldn’t require movement.

With one last push of her freezing body, she flattened her hands and let magic flow out of them. Light magic. Beams of otherworldly light pushed from her hands, and before she knew it, light was streaming right into Payne’s eyes. A terrifying scream erupted from his throat and he fell to his knees, a loud thunk accentuating his fall.

“I can’t see!” he shouted, rubbing his eyes frantically. The ice stopped rising, and Payne wasn’t giving any idea that the light blindness had left yet. Despite the freezing situation she was in, the fear and the uncertainty, she felt good. She could likely do more harm, but she felt satisfied.
Her violence would end here for him, and she’d leave feeling like a better person. She could leave him in her past, knowing she did what she wanted. She harmed him enough to make her feel better, and that’s all she wanted.

She heard footsteps and suddenly two people were by her side.

“What got you in this mess?” Mousey asked as she gathered mana in her hands and began to melt the ice around her carefully.

“Looks like it was Payne,” Phoebe suggested, looking over at the man who was still in pain.

“Did you do that?” Mousey asked Tallulah after a glance at him. Tallulah nodded, finding a clog in her throat. “That’s my girl,” she whispered.

Tallulah was free at last, and her shivering was much more obvious. Phoebe pulled a blanket from an unused bed and handed it to her. She graciously took it and wrapped it around herself. “Thank you,” she muttered. “What are you two doing together?”

“I finished up my work when I ran into your sister, she had noticed you had run off, so I offered to bring her to you, although this sight was far from what we were expecting,” Phoebe explained. The assumption that Mousey and Tallulah were sisters made the both of them smile and look away.

“I didn’t expect it to end up like this either, but, but I like how it ended up.” She got out her feelings, and now she could move on with her life.

The two older girls looked at her for a few moments. “Are you sure?” Mousey asked.

Tallulah tilted her head. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I mean,” Phoebe started. “It’s a lot, you’ve gone through a lot, and I expected that if I did see Payne beat, he would be in a much worse position than just temporarily blinded.” Payne was still leaning against the wall. He hadn’t tried to escape, but Tallulah knew he would try eventually. Still, she didn’t want to hurt him anymore, she dealt with her emotions.

“I did what I wanted, Payne can get the rest of his karma from someone else, just not me.” She didn’t want to be the one who gave him his entire karma, just the one from her own pain.

They nodded at her words. “I think the others are almost done saving the other kids, why don’t you catch up with them?” Mousey suggested. “Me and Phoebe will stay back to deal with him,” she said with a cock of her head over in Payne’s direction.

Tallulah looked at the man who was still writhing in pain. He truly looked pathetic at this moment, curled up with his hands covering his eyes. She really didn’t want to be in his presence any longer. She nodded and ran off to go find the rest of her family.

Mousey and Phoebe watched her for a few moments before turning to Payne once again. Tallulah may have been okay with just blinding him for a few hours, but there was more that they believed had to be done.

The crowded hallway became less and less crowded with every hit of a fist, swish of magic, and every guard that fell. The group went further into the hallway, and more guards continued to come, but the amount slowed, until they were left perusing the halls, searching for their kids.

Doors were opened and branching hallways were checked, but they couldn’t seem to find anything. “Do you think they’re not actually here?” Pac asked as she met up by Fit’s side.

Fit glanced sideways to the younger woman. “They better be, or else I’m going to show them just how scary I can be when you take what’s mine.” Fit could kill every guard if he wanted to, and then he could go further up the chain.

Pac nodded. “I really hope they’re here, I’m so worried, and I know you’re worried about your son as well.”

Fit nodded in return. He wanted Ramon safe. “I’m so worried for him, I just hope I’m not too late.”

Pac smiled at him. Not a true smile, but it was reassurance. “You will be, I know he won’t be hurt, with you as a dad, he’s strong and can handle himself just fine.”

Ramon would be the one to handle himself the best. He’s been dealing with emotional pain his whole life, all because Fit wasn’t a good enough dad. He would be fine in most situations the Federation put him in, it would be normal, the possible hurt and sadness, and that was almost what scared Fit the most. No child deserves to have pain be normal for them.

“Yeah,” Fit muttered. “You’re right, he’ll be fine, I’ll make sure of it.” Ramon would never have to worry again.

“This door won’t budge!” Phil exclaimed as he tugged on a handle.

“It must be locked,” mentioned Baghera.

“Of course it’s locked, it’s not opening!” Phil shouted. People wanted their kids, and they were beginning to get tired from the fighting. Moods were lowering, and no one wanted to deal with any more blockages, literal and metaphorical.

Fit shoved his way to the front, Pac following him. Loneliness seemed to have taken her fully as she decided that she was going to stay by Fit’s side, a horrible decision if Fit were to say anything, but he was preoccupied.

He waved Phil out of the way, and then motioned for the whole group to stand back. They did so, although rather confused. Pac nodded from the front of the crowd. Fit stood a little bit back from the door and stared it down, focusing on the lock. There was a moment where he understood where the lock was entirely, and then he was ramming his foot straight into the point where the lock was, breaking the lock and opening the door with a thunk and a click. He all but tore the rest of the door off and entered, the group following close behind.

Scientists and guards stared at them in shock, their gaze focused on the intruders. The intruders however, had their focus elsewhere. A line of alienistic cryopods lined the wall, and in each and every one of them, was a kid. Their kids.

The guards stormed towards them, as well as a few scientists. The remainder of scientists fled, not believing in themselves to fight for their job. The group got back to fighting again, and magic and punches flew across the room.

Fit’s sight never left the kids, never left the one all the way on the left. There was Ramon. There was his baby. A guard blocked his view, attempting a right hook into his face, but Fit dodged and punched them in the eye. The cracking of bones could be heard and the guard fell to the floor.

Now having a good view again, he saw Pac running up to the pod that held Ramon. She began tugging on the side, trying to find some way to open it. She was so caught up in trying to be a saviour that she didn’t notice a guard running up to her. Luckily, Fit did.

He ran up to the guard and hit them straight in the back of the head as the readied to attack Pac. Pac heard their body hit the floor and looked back quickly to see what was happening.

“Thanks,” she muttered with a worried smile before going back to tugging at the pod.

‘Why Ramon’s?’ he wanted to ask. He wanted to know why she’d go for Ramon’s when her child’s pod wasn’t too far away. Instead, a selfishness grew. His baby was just out of reach. He grabbed onto Pac’s shoulder gently and pulled her away. He took her place, and as he had done many times before that day, he pulled his fist back and slammed it straight into the pod, causing glass to fly and a freezing liquid to pool out of the surprisingly large hole. As the liquid that was keeping Ramon up quickly left the pod, Fit reached in and pulled Ramon through, careful not to nick him with any of the glass embedded in his hand.

He held him tight to his chest, borrowing his face into Ramon’s hair. “I’m sorry, I should have been quicker, should have been better.” If he were a better father, maybe he wouldn’t have lost Ramon temporarily. Maybe if he was better, Ramon would have been lucky enough that night to decide he wanted to share a bed with him, and those kidnappers would have never had a chance. Maybe if he was a better father, he wouldn’t feel so guilty about how everything ended up with Ramon.

“Ramon, my baby girl, I’m so sorry, I should have loved you and made sure you’d never have to face a struggle in your life, please forgive me,” Fit begged to his unconscious daughter.

Pac had been silent since Fit broke the pod, but now she finally decided to speak. “Your... daughter... is really lucky to have such an amazing dad like you,” she spoke, the concept of Ramon being his daughter still foreign.

Fit shook his head. “No, I can never make up my mistakes to her, I should have been better, she needs more than I will ever be able to give her, she deserves a parent that can love her without worrying that the love they hold is conditional.”

Pac placed a hand on Fit’s shoulder. “That parent can be you,” she encouraged.

Fit faced her fully, still holding Ramon to his chest. “No, I can’t be, maybe one day, but not now,” he began. “She needs someone like that now, not when I can be that person.”

Pac frowned. “So, what are you going to do? You can’t just leave her alone.”

Fit slowly nodded. “I can’t, which is why I’m going to ask you, please, can you take care of her for me?”

Pac gasped at the question. “Why me?” she asked quickly.

“Because, you’re just so kind, Ramon needs someone like that in her life, not someone traumatised and bitter.” It would be better this way.

“I’m not as perfect as you think, I have issues just like you, sure, my PTSD is different, but it’s still there,” Pac tried to reason.

“I know you’re not perfect, but I also know that you haven’t let your issues make you into a bad person,” Fit explained.

“You’re not a bad person, just, troubled,” she spoke.

“And I could do better for Ramon, and you are that better she can have, so please, will you take her in?” He silently begged for her answer to be yes.

Pac stared down at the girl in his arms before nodded. “Of course I will, I want the best for her.”

Fit felt his muscles weaken and he passed Ramon over to her. Pac stared down at the unconscious girl as she wiggled her into a more comfortable position in her arms. “I promise, I’ll raise her like she’s my own, I’ll be the parent you want her to have,” Pac said as she stared up at the older man.

“She deserves the best,” she deserves better than him. “And I know you can give it to her.”

Pac nodded as she stared down at the floor. “So, what’s gonna happen with you now? Are you just going to, I don’t know, be around?”

Fit shook his head. “No, I need to get better, being around people isn’t helping me, and if I ever want to be good enough to be a father again, I need to learn to be a person again, and I can’t do that here.”

Pac’s face held a small frown. “Ramon will miss you.”

“I’ll miss her too, but she’s better off this way.” If Fit were a braver man, he’d be crying. He wanted her to be by his side, but it was time he made the best choice for her.

“I’ll make sure she never forgets you, and, and I hope when you’re ready you come see her again, even if it’s not as a father, just, as a friend of mine,” she urged gently.

“I will.” He couldn’t say if that was a truth or a lie, just something he wanted to be true.

He heard a noise behind him and twisted around, slamming his fist into a guards nose. No time to put down their defences, there were still fights to be had.

Mousey smirked down at the man in front of them. He had given up, no longer rubbing at his eyes, and instead sitting there in silence. Fearful silence.

“Lullah really kicked his ass for us, I’m proud of her,” she spoke. To think she had done all this.

“Yeah, facing against her father and blinding him like this, who knows how long it will last, but I know that even after it passes his eyesight won’t be the same,” Phoebe explained. Tallulah had gone up against her fear and came out victorious. What a strong little girl.

“Since we don’t know how long it will last, may as well take advantage of how he isn’t fighting,” Mousey stated before grabbing his arm and chucking him at the metal framing of one of the beds. The cracking of skull filled the room. Phoebe couldn’t help but flinch.

Mousey cackled at the way Payne groaned and sobbed, and made her way over to him once again. She used her foot to push him over on his back before pulling her leg back and pushing her foot right into his groin, pulling a loud scream out of him. “May as well get rid of the chance to have any other kids, God knows he doesn’t deserve to.”

“Yeah,” Phoebe muttered as she nodded.

Mousey gathered fire in her hands and danced it around the writhing man. She never got it close enough to lethally damage him, but she got it close enough that the fire would knick his skin and burn him slightly, like a cigarette burn.

Phoebe knew Mousey was doing most of the work, so she attempted to gather water in her hands. Her hands were shaky, the few droplets she made falling to the floor almost immediately. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from Payne.

Her mind was racing, and every time she felt her vision falter, it was like she was seeing Apollo in his place. Instead of the man Tallulah had used to show what she was destined for, Phoebe couldn’t help but imagine a thought that had plagued her nights for years.

Mousey looked back at Phoebe, and stopped the fire as she saw Phoebe’s dazed expression. She gave another kick to him and took a few steps over in her direction.

“Is everything okay?” Mousey asked, placing a hand on Phoebe’s shoulder.

“I, I don’t know,” Phoebe stuttered. “I feel like everything has been torn from beneath me, but I was the one who did it.”

Mousey tilted her head and gently pulled her over to an empty bed, making her sit on it before joining her side again. “Want to talk about it?”

Phoebe nodded. Slowly, she began to explain the events that had gone down earlier that day, ending with her emancipation. “It’s a lot, you know, I felt so confident in the moment, but now I’m wondering where I go from here.”

Mousey reached down to squeeze her hand. “You did a good thing, you did something for yourself.”

Phoebe nodded at her words. “I feel like I will just be lost forever though, how do I find where to go from here?” she asked, looking in Mousey’s eyes.

“I can’t say exactly where to go, but I can tell you your heart will get you there, even if it takes a while,” Mousey explained, her voice soft.

“You really think so?” Phoebe spoke with a shake in her voice.

“I know so,” Mousey answered.

“How?” Phoebe’s voice was a little harsher than she had meant for it to be. “How can you know I’ll be okay?”

“Because I was okay, and if I could be okay, you will be okay.” Mousey believed in the girl she had met so recently.

Phoebe looked away from Mousey. “But you’re so much more confident than me, braver and stronger, all I have is my brain, and outside of science I’ve never really felt like I could trust it.”

“You think I was born like that?” Mousey asked. “That was a long journey to learn how to be like this, when I left the Nether I was left with nothing but what people told me I had to be, and then I learned how to be myself.”

Phoebe looked back at her. “But how do I learn how to be myself?”

“You try things out, and eventually you feel happy,” Mousey explained.

Phoebe was silent for a few moments. “I only really feel happy when I’m with Tallulah, she makes me feel more like I have a sibling than Apollo ever did.”

Mousey giggled. “Lulah has a way of worming her way into people’s hearts,” she looked in front of her. “She’s been a nice addition to my life, I thought moving in with Cellbit and Roier was already amazing, but the way their family keeps growing, it’s hard not to feel a part of it all.” She looked back at Phoebe once again. “Say, why don’t I smuggle you into our home? You can stay in my attic with me and we can help you find where you need to go next.”

Phoebe felt her brain stop. A home. A proper home. Not just a house, not just a place she slept and ate. A home. A girl she had just met was offering her something Apollo nor Erin had ever done for her. She leaped into Mousey’s arms. “Yes, yes, yes! I want to go home!”

Mousey was confused at the new lapful of excited girl, but she wrapped her arms around her. “Then we better get going.” She looked at Payne. “He’ll be fine, he won’t be causing trouble again.”

Phoebe nodded. “Not for a long time.” The two stood up and began walking to the place where they left the others.

Pods smashed and popped open, kids were taken into arms and the room switched from noises of pain to relief.

Max stared down at Triumph, who was laying in his lap. He didn’t know when he’d be able to stand again, the world felt fuzzy and he could barely feel the girl in his arms.

She was here, with him. How long had it been since he held her for this long? Since she went missing? Far longer? He never had time, or strength. She spent more time with Pierre than him. How much time did they have left?

“Are you okay?” He looked up and saw Pierre. He sat down in front of him.

“Shouldn’t you be with Pomme?” he asked, knowing how he didn’t answer the question.

“I should be with my daughter, and I think I’ve spent enough time with Triumph to see her as my own as well,” Pierre rebutted. His words didn’t make Max feel any better.

“I feel like I haven’t spent enough time to ever call her my own, I don’t know why I’m here.” It had been hard enough to drag himself to the town hall, he had never expected to fight. He didn’t expect to be able to move again for hours.

“You’re her dad, of course you would be here,” Pierre spoke. Pierre wasn’t really getting what Max was talking about, but then again, he doesn’t know how anyone could understand his situation.

“Just because I’m her dad doesn’t mean I’ll be there for her, believe me, I want to be there for her for the rest of her life, but that isn’t possible for me.” He’d give anything for the fates to change, but some things you can never fight.

Pierre’s expression furrowed. “I’m confused, why can’t you be there for her?”

Max almost wanted to laugh. He gave her away to him so many times to raise her instead of him, and yet he was still asking? He just thought it was all because he could? Or just wanted to? “How much longer do you think I have? I can’t move right now, I’m sick every day, and even if I did last long, do you really think within a few months I’ll be in any sort of state to raise a child?” His voice came out harsh, but he was tired of hiding his feelings.

A frown found its way onto his lips. “Oh,” he started. The noise was quiet and dreading. Finally, he was beginning to understand. “I never really thought about it like that.”

“I wish I could think the way you do.” Unaware of the worry, the guilt, the looming sense of knowing you will never get to live the fulfilling life you dreamed of.

“What does Tri think of all of this?” Pierre asked, looking away from Max. It was difficult to stare when you finally understood you were looking at a dying man.

Max stared down at Triumph once again. She was making odd little mumbles now, better than she was minutes ago, but still far from waking. “She doesn’t think anything of it, as far as she knows, I just want nothing to do with her.”

Pierre winced at his words. “Aren’t you upset that she thinks that?”

Max nodded. “Of course I am, she’ll never forgive me, but she doesn’t have to, it’s better to let her mourn a bond than for her to mourn me.” His voice cracked at the ends of his words. He never wanted to see her mourn him, but that was the one good thing about his fate. He didn’t have to see how he’d leave her behind.

“She’ll mourn, I know it,” Pierre stated. “You can’t just leave her alone in the world and not expect her to mourn, she’s a child.”

“She won’t be alone,” Max tried to argue. “She’ll have you, and her friends, she just won’t have me.”

“She won’t have her father,” Pierre corrected.

Max refused to look at him. “Okay, maybe you’re right.” Max didn’t like the fact he was right, but Triumph had already felt so upset at not having him while he was around, losing a father completely would break her far more than he had meant to. “But I can change that.”

Pierre tilted his head. “What? How do you plan to change it, you said yourself that you’re not gonna last long.”

Max nodded, playing with Triumph’s hair as he thought about how he’d get his suggestion across. “I won’t, that’s something I can’t change, but I can change who she is leaving behind.”

“You’re still confusing me.” He knew, just give him time.

“I don’t want her to mourn a father, so I won’t let her leave behind a father.” Max looked up to face him again. “So please, continue to raise her like I never could, be the father she was meant to have.”

Pierre’s eyes widened and his mouth went agape. “What?” he repeated once again.

“We both know you were more of a father than I ever was, so please, make it official, make it easier for her,” Max all but begged. He moved Triumph around in his arms and held her out to him.

Without a second thought, Pierre took her. “It still won’t be easy for her.”

“But you’ll help her, won’t you?” Max pushed.

“I will,” Pierre spoke quickly. “She’ll be raised as my daughter.” He stared at him. “But are you sure there’s no other way?” he asked.

“Maybe, but I’m tired, I’ve been dealing with this stupid illness for long enough, I don’t want to fight anymore, I just want to be able to know its over.” Triumph had somewhere to go now, there was no reason for him to keep hurting himself anymore. He’d been selfish enough, let him be selfish one last time.

Pierre looked down again. There was no changing his mind. There was no changing his fate. Max was at the end of his life, and he was choosing to let it end on his own terms. “Triumph loves you, I’ll make sure she never stops loving you.”

The words both hurt and numbed Max. “I love her too, don’t let her forget that.”

“I won’t.” Max was all but dying in front of him, and he had a new daughter. When this day started, he could never have expected this. Still, he had a new motivation in life, raise Triumph and make sure she could heal.

“Guapito, are you okay?” Cellbit asked after handing Richas off to Felps.

“Yes, no, maybe, I will be, soon,” Roier spoke in short bursts. He was rummaging through the space he managed to squeeze into behind the pods. Being one of the smaller members of the island helped. Cellbit watched between the gaps, staring as Roier pulled apart metallic boxes and peered through glass tube.

“What are you looking for?” he asked, worried for his husband. He briefly looked at the metal the pods were surrounded with. Maybe if he could break or bend it he could help.

“I don’t know,” Roier stated, closing another metallic lid. “I just feel like I should be looking for something.”

Cellbit peaked through the area he could see from a little more. Right in front of it was a stack of boxes, metallic like the rest. There wasn’t any way to see beyond them, but maybe there was something beyond them. “Step back,” he ordered his husband. Roier stared at him with a tilted head but did as he was told.

Cellbit gathered some water and pulled it through the crack. He moved his arms, and with a harsh tug he slammed it into the top box, knocking it halfway across the box beneath it and letting gravity pull it to the ground with a loud ‘Clank’.

The group behind him made annoyed noises, mixed with their own confusion. He apologised and said it would be over soon. He used the water again and copied what he did with the top box with the next one down. As this one fell, he could see a familiar sight. Glowing blue coming from a metallic pod.

Roier saw it too, as he declared, “Again.” Cellbit had no reason not to follow his husbands orders. The next box was shoved down, and gasps were heard from the both of them. A little boy was in the pod. Cellbit maybe wouldn’t have recognised him if it weren’t for the fact he had seen that face in pictures every day.

Bobby floated in the freezing liquid, his skin tainted more blue than the rest of the kids. They had taken him. They had lead them to believe he was dead, and locked him away to freeze. It felt like every day the Federation was proven to be monsters evermore.

“Bobby!” Roier shouted as soon as the situation clicked for him. He ran towards the pod and began bashing on the glass. Cellbit was about to help him break it open but the sound of it already breaking stopped him. Roier pulled Bobby from the pod and spun his unconscious body around. “My boy, my chingon, my Bobby, you’re safe, you’re alive, I’m never letting you get hurt again.” Tears streamed down his face as he held him close. Cellbit found the situation so emotional, he had barely gotten to know Bobby and even he was tearing up.

Roier slipped through the crack again and pulled Cellbit into a hug, Bobby in the middle. “He’s back, he’s not dead.” His voice was cracking and quiet.

“Here’s here, you have each other again.” Bobby’s death had all but ruined Roier. Cellbit hoped Roier could learn to heal again now that it had all turned out to be fake.

“But, but why? Why would they pretend to kill him, just, to take him from me?” Roier questioned, voice laced with venom.

“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out, and they’ll regret hurting either of you.” Cellbit would do anything to make Roier happy, to keep him safe, and the Federation had already pulled too many stunts.

Tallulah ran through the halls, following the trail of destruction. She tried to look up as much as possible. She couldn’t tell who was dead or just unconscious. She didn’t even know if any were just unconscious.

Jumping over limbs and avoiding blood spills, eventually she made her way to a busted open door, where she was greeted by the sight of the group, and the addition that made her squeal.

“You got them back!” she screamed as she ran into the room. Many of the kids looked sleepy, as though they had just woken up, but they greeted her with a smile.

“We’re back!” Chayanne answered from Phil’s arms. “Don’t know what we’re back from exactly, but we’re back.”

Tallulah joined them to get a little run down from Phil about what happened while she was gone, and she gave her own explanation.

“I knew Payne was good for nothing,” Chayanne answered with a scowl. “I hope he died while you were coming back.”

“I’m sure he’s not dead,” Phil answered. He knew what would make Tallulah feel better. “But I don’t think he’ll hurt anyone again for a long time.”

“Yeah,” Tallulah spoke, nodding her head. “I hope so too.” Tallulah looked around at the rest of the kids. They were so happy, even through their confusion. Being reunited with their parents must be a really good moment for them. Eventually her eyes landed on Foolish and Leo, who were sat by the door. Leo was staring at the floor while Foolish tried to communicate with him.

“Doesn’t look like Leo’s doing too well,” Phil stated as his gaze followed Tallulah’s. “I should go help, honestly surprised it’s not worse with these kids, they went through so much.”

Tallulah watched Leo’s expression. It wasn’t something she was used to, seeing him in a bad state. It made her heart clench. She didn't want her friend to be sad. She stood up. “I’ll talk to them, you catch up with Chayanne.”

Phil gave a soft smile. “Ever the sweetheart, aren’t you?”

Tallulah smiled back before moving over to where Foolish and Leo were sitting. Foolish noticed her approaching and spoke, “Hi, sorry we weren’t able to come say so when you first arrived, Leo isn’t doing the best.”

Leo looked away. “I told you, I’m fine, just cold, they call me chill, now it’s just really true,” he tried to answer with a dry chuckle.

Tallulah opened her arms. “Do you want a hug?” she asked.

Leo looked at her arms. “I don’t need it, I promise.”

“But do you want it?” Leo couldn’t argue with that, and within a moment, he was in her arms. “That’s better.”

“Thank you,” he muttered against her shoulder.

“Anytime.” She hugged him a little tighter. “You’re allowed to tell me how you feel you know, I don’t like seeing you sad, but I’d rather know you’re sad so I can help you through it.”

Leo was silent for a few moments before speaking. “I will, I won’t let you worry again, just make sure you tell me when you’re sad as well, okay?”

“Okay,” she said with a nod. “I will.” She hugged a little tighter. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he replied. “I want to spend more time with you, we don’t do it often, but I want to get closer with you,” he said his true feelings.

“I’d love to spend more time with you.” What a nice plan.

Eventually they pulled away and Leo was pulled back into Foolish’s lap. “Thanks for helping me with him, you know how he is, he tries to handle so much alone.”

Leo stuck out his tongue. “I can handle it on my own, Tallulah just helps.”

Foolish smiled down at the kid. “Whatever you say.”

“You’re welcome, I’ll help anytime I can,” Tallulah answered.

Foolish looked over her head. “Maybe you should go back to your parents again, I’m sure they’re wanting to see you.

“Okay, I should, I’ll talk to you again if you ever need me,” Tallulah offered before moving to where her parents were.

Tallulah tilted her head as she approached, wondering what they were holding. Eventually she got close enough that they noticed her, and as Roier spun around slightly, she finally got a better idea of what he was holding.

“Bobby!? How!?” she shouted.

Roier smiled down at the barely awake boy in his arms. “I don’t know, and I don’t care, I have him now.”

Cellbit placed a hand on Tallulah’s shoulder. “Best to just let him enjoy the moment, he’s really missed him.” Tallulah nodded. It was nice to see her papi so happy again. It was nice to see everyone so happy again. The island was healing.

Whatever happy feelings that were spreading through the room ceased when crowds of footsteps were heard from the corridor. Those residing near it retreated to the middle of the room, protecting their kids desperately. It took only a moment for a scarred, red-headed woman to step in.

She stared at them with an expression that Tallulah recognised as similar to Payne’s pretend. “I’m sorry you couldn’t meet with the man in charge, but he’s quite busy at the moment, so you’ll have to meet with me.” Heavily guarded soldiers stepped into the room behind her. So that’s why they weren’t sending reinforcements. “Now, I am Amelia Stein, Head Scientist of the Federation, and don’t worry about introductions, there are far too many of you and not nearly enough time, and I already know all about you,” she spoke as though this situation was calm.

“What are you here for?” Etoiles growled.

Stein straightened herself. “Now, do excuse me for my rudeness, but I’m trying to be professional here. You have made months of research useless with your heroics, and while we’d rather do more productive things than fighting, we can not let you take our research, so we will be taking them back,” she pointed to Tallulah. “And that one for compensation for our lost time.” Tallulah hid behind Cellbit, although that action was near useless by how Cellbit pushed himself in front of her.

“You aren’t taking our kids again! You’re sick in the head!” Phil shouted.

Stein placed a hand on her chest. “You act as if we don’t know,” she taunted.

Fit wasn’t ready to sit down and just take her nonsense, so he pulled up his arm and went to slam it into one of the guards, but as it collided, it made barely a dent in the plated clothing they were wearing. The person wearing it barely even flinched.

His eyes widened and he stepped back in a stumble, causing a chuckle to erupt from Stein. “Impressive, isn’t it? Using technology, we have made extra strong protection, so we don’t run into any more incidents like the lives you took from us.” Stein peered over her glasses as she lowered her head. “Now, let’s see how you do against the rest.”

All out chaos filled the room as the guards stormed. Fists were tried several times, and magic joined the mix. Magic was doing something, water magic specifically a little more, but even with the best users, they overpowered the intruders and harmed the group far more than they were harming the soldiers.

Tallulah pushed back on a soldier with water magic and dodged the fist that came down on the spot that she was standing. She felt tears well in her eyes. She could beat Payne, but this was too much. She wanted to help people like she had claimed she would, but how could she possibly fight something she couldn’t grasp? She spared a glance around the room before having to dodge yet again. Hopefully someone else could do what she couldn’t do.

Mousey and Phoebe rushed towards where they assumed the group was, and as they turned a corner Phoebe found herself tripping onto the ground.

“Ow!” she heard a voice say, mixing with her own.

She looked over and saw two little girls, one standing where she tripped. “Oh my God! I am so sorry!” She got on her knees and held the girls’ arms. “Are you okay?”

The girl scowled but answered, “I’m okay, just a bit achy.”

“We should have been looking where we were going, sorry,” a man, who she was sure was named Slime, spoke.

“No, no, I’m sorry, I’m the one who tripped over your daughter,” she spoke as she got up. “I didn’t even know you had twins, I always just assumed it was one big name.” How embarrassing for her.

Slime gave an awkward smile. “Oh no, it was, but Flippa decided she wanted to be part of this family, so our family has a code in it now.”

Phoebe looked down at Flippa. “A code? Are you sure that’s safe?”

Flippa stuck her tongue out at her as Slime spoke. “She saved us, and I trust her, so if she needs a father, I’ll be that father.”

Phoebe would be a hypocrite if she said it was dangerous to trust someone from the Federation, so she shut her mouth. Hopefully Flippa truly was just a child in need of a parent.

“So that’s where you ran off to, adopting a kid, knew it would be something strange like that when I saw you were missing,” Mousey piped into the conversation.

“Yeah, it all happened so quickly, but now it’s time to get back to everyone, what got you running around with Phoebe?” he asked in turn.

“I was trying to find Lulah but ran into her instead, she took me to her and we had some business to finish up, so now we’re trying to meet up with everyone as well, wanna follow us? I probably have a better idea of where they are than you,” Mousey explained.

Slime nodded and held his daughters hands. “We would like that, thank you.” And so, the group tried to find the larger again, and after a few minutes of stumbling through hallways, they heard the sound of fighting.

“Still having a hard time, huh?” Slime brought up.

“Odd, by the time I went searching no one was fighting us, must have just all been here,” Mousey pondered. “Come on, let’s go see how we can help.”

They followed the sound of the noise, and as they moved to stand outside the doorway, they were barely able to stop themselves from gasping at the mess that was happening. Magic and fists flew as had happened many times that day, but they couldn’t believe their eyes as they saw that their friends were getting their ass kicked.

“How? I thought we were so strong, how are we not winning?” Mousey whispered, her voice strained.

“And what’s with all that armour those guards are wearing? Can’t they just melt it and win?” Slime brought up.

Phoebe’s gaze whipped between the armour and those losing. “I thought we weren’t going to debut it yet,” she muttered.

The group looked at her. “You know what it is?” Slime asked.

“Yeah, we were trying to push metal to its limits, see if we could make something stronger than ever seen before, we were really close to our goal, but I thought we had at least a few more weeks,” Phoebe explained. She hadn’t been on the creation team herself, but she heard enough about it. It was supposed to be a giant project.

“So, it’ll be faulty? If this is it when it’s faulty, I don’t want to imagine what it would he not faulty,” Mousey worried.

Phoebe shook her head. “No, it’s not faulty, we just use electronics to buff it, the final step of the process was to move it into its own independent server. It was supposed to be our new main defence, so they decided having it stay on the main servers would make it too easy to hack into.”

While Phoebe’s explanation went on, Flippa feared for the people inside. These were her dad’s friends, would she never get to meet them properly? The words Phoebe was saying simply whirled around her, much like the code she broke into. Before she knew it, she was inside a camera and was travelling through the wires. She tried to stay in one piece as she travelled at light speed pace until she met where every wire net. The main computer.

She transferred her code into try form of a mouse and began clicking through the files she found, mostly ignoring the shouting she heard from beyond the screen.

Projects.

Unreleased.

90%.

Soldier.

Enderium Armour.

There she was, in the code. She transferred herself fully into the code and revelled in the feeling of familiarity. She wanted to stay here forever, but she had a job to do.

She reached forward and tugged away a code. Following with the one next to it. She chucked each in separate directions and made her way through the code even more. She would help.

Tallulah was backed into a corner, and she was shivering from the way the guard looked down on her. Their fist lifted up, and she shut her eyes, tears welling in them from how desperately she wanted everything to be over.

She opened her eyes without a second thought as she heard a scream. In front of her, the guard had electricity bounding out of their armour. She glanced around the room and saw that the rest of the soldiers were in a similar state. She ducked beside the soldier and ran towards her parents, who immediately took her into their arms.

“We have to go,” Cellbit demanded as he lightly tugged her along. The others all seemed to have the same idea.

Stein still stood by the doorway. “Don’t think this is over, no matter how many times you win, it is improbable that your streak will go on forever.” She spoke her words calmly, confident in every syllable.

The group was already making their way through the door, but Tallulah stood strong and shouted, “Fuck off!” There was a small part of her that had wanted to say something like that for a while, and now felt like a time her parents could barely reprimand her for.

As expected, beyond a gasp, nothing happened from those two. Bobby seemed the most upset at what she said, trying to struggle free from Roier’s arms. Roier obviously didn’t let him.

Tallulah was finally tugged through the door and she was just in time to see a code version of Juana form in front of her.

“Did you do that?” Slime asked the girl.

She gave a wide smile and a nod. “Did I do good?”

Slime took her in his arms. “The best.” He looked over at the group. “Everyone, this is Flippa, my second daughter.”

“Nice to meet you!” Tallulah spoke.

Flippa looked her over. “Nice to meet you too, we gonna get out of here?” No one could argue with that decision.

Rushing through the halls, their group much bigger than when they started, it felt like life was finally falling into place. Tallulah had lost, and gained. She could never have Payne be a part of her life again, but she had her friends, and the family she chose.

Slipping through the door once again, Phoebe locked it, and it felt like the day’s activities were mostly locked behind as well.

“Can I go have a nap?” Tallulah asked.

Cellbit picked her up. “Of course, let’s go.”

The feeling of Cellbit’s steps soothed her into a sleep. Whatever happened next would be something she wouldn’t be able to guess, but she had a new life, and it was about time she fully left that old life behind, behind the door that held the Federation.

“What are we supposed to do?! Our project is over!” Apollo shouted.

“Shut the fuck up,” Erin hissed, staring at him from behind the bandage around her eye.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Stein stated, not looking at them.

“Of course you can say that, you probably won’t be punished,” Erin complained.

“Punishment or not, this is a small setback is nothing, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, who cares? Everything will be fine in the end,” she looked behind her. “As long as we get rid of the draconian.”

Chapter Text

Warmth surrounded Tallulah entirely as her as she realised she was awake. She moved over to her side and got a face full of Richarlyson’s hair.

“Bleh!” she went, lifting her face to spit out a few strands.

“Did they forget to brush their hair again? I keep telling them to, how will they handle me not being around?” She heard Cellbit speak from behind her.

“Their hair is yucky, why did I agree to this,” she complained. She loved getting to sleep in her parents’ bed, but she never agreed to eating hair.

“Because you love them, and they requested this,” Cellbit answered.

Tallulah laid on her back again and stared over at Cellbit, looking past Bobby on her other side. “I know, I know.”

Things certainly had changed since the other kids came back. Life was settling once again, even with its changes. Their family had grown, she was happy to have Bobby back, and Phoebe was fun to have around even if she was still a little awkward around her family. Along with gain for her family, there was loss.

“Richas wanted one night as a family before they and Felps head off on their adventure, would you really deny them that?”

“Of course I wouldn’t, I’ll miss them, I’ll take all the time with them I can!” she whispered-shouted.

Cellbit reached over and ruffled her hair. She giggled and saw Bobby reach up to push at Cellbit's arm. “I was sleeping!”

“Sorry, how about we go get breakfast?” he offered.

“Fiiiine,” he dragged on and pulled himself up. Cellbit got up and the two awake kids followed. Tallulah gave a look back to her family and tried to find Delilah before remembering Delilah had gone with Phoebe last night. She smiled as she remembered how close those two had gotten. Tallulah tried her best to follow alongside Bobby. It was still strange recognising him as alive after so long of seeing him as someone long gone. When she first woke up after everyone was saved, she was half expecting Bobby to have turned out to be some kind of ghost and the other half of her was expecting Tilin to be alive as well. After about a week she realised that their circumstances were completely different. She could see and feel Bobby, and she had been actively possessed by Tilin.

She lightly felt the ribbon behind her head. “How does it feel to be back?” she asked the boy next to her.

Bobby looked back over at her with a tilted of his head. “It’s weird, so much changed, I was used to being an only child,” he begun. “Plus Papa and Cellbit got married, and everything else, there are so many more people, I’m still getting used to it.”

Tallulah lifted her hand to place it on his shoulder. “You’ll get used to it, we’re all still getting used to the constant changes.”

Bobby smiled at her softly. “Thanks.” Tallulah smiled back.

They got to the kitchen and spoke with Cellbit as he cooked them all breakfast. More chairs had been brought up to the table, and the amount always managed to make her smile. “How long until Roier and Richas wake up?” Cellbit asked teasingly.

“They better not keep us waiting, but they probably will,” Bobby answered, holding his utensils in his fists.

“Hope we aren’t keeping you waiting,” they heard from the doorway. They looked over and saw Mousey with Phoebe shortly behind her.

“You aren’t, don’t worry,” Cellbit spoke as the two girls sat at the table. He turned around. “Pho
ebe, you look tired, is everything okay?”
Phoebe lazily nodded. “Yeah, just Mousey streaming late at night, it’s a bit hard to get enough sleep sometimes, but I guess that’s the downside of having a roommate.”

Mousey playfully rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, you know you’d be bored without me.”

“Bored? Yes. Tired? No,” Phoebe responded.

Mousey leaned back in her chair. “Eh, you win some, you lose some.”

Cellbit placed the filled plates in front of everyone. “If you want your own room, remember, we can always give you one,” he offered.

“Thanks, but I do enjoy living with Mousey currently, maybe I’ll take that offer one day, but not today,” Phoebe responded with a smile.

As Cellbit sat down, Roier and Richarlyson entered the room. “I know, I know, save your applause, we are here bright and early,” Roier played.

Cellbit moved to give Roier a kiss on the cheek. “Awake already? Must be earlier than I thought, am I dreaming?”

“Every day married to me better be a dream,” Roier teased. “But Richas is so excited, spending their last day with their friends for a while before going off with their dad, especially with Tallulah’s concert tonight.” Tallulah froze in her chair.

“You good there? You look so worried,” Richas mentioned as they got closer to her.

Tallulah nodded with a wobbly smile. “I’m great, just remembered that I am supposed to meet up with RadioEgg early to rehearse,” she spoke, shoving her breakfast into her mouth as quick as she could.

“Hey, slow down,” Roier spoke as he placed his hands on Tallulah’s shoulders. “I don’t want you to choke.”

Tallulah slowed down and forced herself to swallow, stuffing food into her mouth still, but slower. “I will, sorry,” she spoke between swallows. She finished and got out of her chair. “Sorry, I need to rehearse! I’ll see you tonight, love you all!” she shouted as she dashed out the castle.

She heard shouts of love behind her, and as soon as she was away from their sights, she stopped and tugged at her curls.

She had gotten so caught up in everything, she had completely forgotten that her wish of a band had finally come true. RadioEgg was born, and so was the stress that had come with it. When Richarlyson had expressed what was happening, going off and disappearing with Felps for adventures, it was hard to say no when they asked to be able to watch her first concert. The only issue was that RadioEgg had yet to write a song. It was her job, and she had been putting it off for far too long. This was something she was supposed to do ages ago so they’d have time to rehearse, but now she had less than a day to write the song and get everyone to learn it.

She tried to breath in deeply. She’d be fine. Today was a big day. She’d get her inspiration before she knew it, and she’d just have to make sure they work double time to learn it well enough to at least play it once.

She stopped herself from shaking, and she got going again. She’d meet with her friends, and they would help her catch that inspiration she needed.

She made her way through the forest before finding herself at Phil’s house. She’ll never stop coming her when she was in need, and she doesn’t want to. Just because they aren’t her current family doesn’t dismiss the actions of love they gave her, ready to have her be part of theirs. They’ll always have a spot in her heart for then due to that.

She knocked on the door, and after a few moments, it opened to reveal a woman.

“Kristin!” she shouted, running into her arms and taking her into a hug. “Where were you?”

Kristin smiled down at the girl. “I was doing important Ruler things, you know how things are, we’ve got to work together, but that can be very hard when we have different views of what is right and wrong.” Tallulah tilted her head. Kristin’s role confused her when she actually heard what she did. It was easier to just view her as an untouchable lady of the night whose role was being pretty. Kristin laughed. “It’s okay, you’ll understand when you’re older.”

Tallulah nodded and entered, running up to hug Phil. “It’s lovely to see you again, we haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry for that, so much has been happening.” So much has also not been happening, but she had been actually busy with her family growing.

Phil picked her up and placed her in a chair, while Kristin sat down beside the two of them. “So, is this just a normal visit, or yet another advice visit?” Kristin asked, understanding the role she had picked up in Tallulah’s life. Tallulah felt slightly bad. Next time she came over, she wouldn’t ask for a bit of advice. They were people she cared about beyond their advice.

“Advice please,” she stated. “I still need a song for our concert, but I have no idea where to start.”

Phil and Kristin nodded at her words. “Have you tried asking the others for help?” Phil suggested.

Tallulah looked down at her lap. “I want to do it on my own, I want to show that I can do it.”

Kristin placed a hand on her shoulder. “I understand, maybe all you need is to go around, think a bit, take in all the emotions you’ve felt over the years living here, a high amount of emotions can be very helpful with these things.” She gave a squeeze. “But please, if you do really need it, you have people you can rely on.”

Tallulah was the one nodding now. “Thanks, it was something I was planning on, but now I know what I need to do, not only go around, but feel, thank you.”

“You should go see Chayanne, maybe he’ll inspire a few lyrics,” Phil suggested.

Tallulah got off the chair. “You’re right! Where is he?”

“He’s out the back, be careful, he’s been training a lot and is probably pretty in the zone,” Kristin explained while pointing to the door.

Tallulah nodded in thanks before rushing out to see Chayanne. No amount of time apart would destroy the close bond they had created during their time being practically siblings. She pushed open the door and saw Chayanne immediately. He was surrounded by sliced open training dummies while slicing at one that was staying up, but was in horrible condition. Kristin wasn’t kidding when she said he was in the zone. His eyes wouldn’t leave his attacks, and she could see the way his adolescent muscles shook from the work. She scanned the area a little more, seeing magic marks on a few of the dummies. Her eyes eventually landed on one that was soggy. She’d think it was water, if she didn’t find herself staring at the slowly melting shards of ice.

She wanted to look away, she truly did for reasons she couldn’t find, but she stared and stared and felt a deep feeling of fear rise up her guts. She was stuck still. Why was she always stuck still? The world became fuzzy and her body burned. That isn’t right. It should freeze. She is freezing.

“Tallulah! Listen to me! Please!” she finally tore her eyes away and saw Chayanne in front of her. He was shaking at her shoulders and she realised she could move now. She could always move. “Oh, thank god,” he spoke as he placed his forehead on her shoulder. “You’re okay.”

Tallulah wrapped her arms around Chayanne and felt him hug her tightly back. “Yeah, sorry about that, I just wanted to check up on you.” She didn’t know what was happened, or why.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he spoke as he gazed at her softly. “I should have noticed sooner, I’m sorry for getting so caught up in my training.”

“What made you get so caught up in it?” she asked, wanting to move on from her fright.

Chayanne sighed. “It’s just, you know, I feel like I was taken so easily, I wish I had put up a fight.”

Tallulah didn’t think twice before answering. “You were asleep, you weren’t able to do anything, sometimes people are just so cruel that they hurt while you’re defenceless,” she explained. She had gotten used to the words, using them to help break away the shadows of pain that would sometimes cloak the island’s children.

Chayanne's hug became a little harder to get out of. “I know, but sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I was awake, it made me realise that I’m not as strong as I want to be, so it’s up to me to get stronger so if I need to fight, I can fight, and protect,” he explained slowly.

Tallulah squeezed a little harder. “You are so admirable.”

Chayanne chuckled. “Thanks.” He yawned into her ear and pulled away. “I’ve been training for like three hours, I think I should take a nap.”

Tallulah had wanted some more inspiration out of him, but he really needed a nap. “Go have one then, remember our concert tonight.”

“I will, have a good day,” he spoke as he walked away. He may not have been able to help with the lyrics, but she’s glad she got to see him today. It certainly made it better.

She said her goodbyes to Phil and Kristin before making her way outside. Maybe someone in town can help? Her mind landed on Nikki. She helped once before; she can definitely help again.

She rushed down the path, ready to see Nikki once again. She knew the path to her shop, so she shouldn’t have taken long to get there, but as she passed StarBobby, she was captivated by what was happening there.

Fit, Pierre, Pac, Triumph, Pomme and Ramon were there. Milla, she quickly corrected her thoughts. One of the many changes of the past few weeks was that Milla was a girl, apparently always had been, but she had just been pretending to be a boy for Fit. What had brought her attention over to the group was that Fit was there. She hadn’t seen him in several weeks, she had heard that he was leaving, so she assumed his departure had already happened.

She glanced down the path again, deciding that since Nikki didn’t know she’d be coming around, it didn’t matter if she took a small detour. She approached their table.

“Hi! What’s going on?” she asked.

Milla, who was smiling small, had her grin widen. “Hi, it’s Fit’s last day before he leaves, so he’s giving me a princess day.”

“Princess day?” Tallulah asked.

“I’m treating her like the princess she deserved to be treated like,” Fit answered, his face sorrowed. “She invited them,” he gestured to the other three. Pac smiled at her, Pomme gave a little wave, and Pierre smiled at her, but didn’t move his hands from being wrapped around Triumph. Milla always had a pained look in her eyes these days, but Triumph’s entire being seemed to leak her misery. She never spoke, and rarely smiled. Tallulah gave a smile to her anyways. She may not have lost what Triumph had, but in a sense, she too lost a father that day.

“Do you want to have a seat?” Pac asked.

Tallulah nodded. She could spare a little longer. She pulled a chair to their table and sat down. “So, how are you guys doing?” she asked. It was about time she asked this question.

Pomme shrugged. “I’m alright, getting used to not being frozen anymore, but I have a new sister, that’s always fun.”

“Tri is struggling, but she’s getting better,” Pierre spoke as he leaned over slightly to ruffle Pomme’s hair. “Luckily Pomme here is being a sweetheart, they’re getting along well.” Pomme giggled at the touch. How cute.

“With Richas leaving soon it’s been tough, but Milla makes it easier,” Pac answered.

Tallulah turned to Milla once again. “What about you? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, better than it could be, everything is changing and I’m a bit scared, but what else am I supposed to do? I’ll make it through,” Milla answered, no sugar coating to her words. Tallulah quickly glanced at Fit. She doesn’t think she has ever seen him looking so destroyed.

Tallulah was about to offer her own words when she saw Pomme’s hand lift and rest on top of Milla’s. “It’ll get better, you’re amazing, you won’t even realise the change that’s happening soon, because you’ll be able to face it without care.”

Milla smiled and giggled. “You really are like Etoiles sometimes.”

Pomme gave a large grin. “I’m his daughter after all.” She leaned in a little, and Tallulah could barely hear the words being said. “And you’re Fit’s daughter, you’re strong, you can do this.” Milla’s face fell for a split second before turning into a relieved smile.

“Thank you,” she whispered back.

Tallulah looked at the path once again. “I should really get going, it was fun to catch up with you all again!” She spoke as she hopped off her chair. She waved and continued her journey to Nikki’s. Again, no help for the lyrics, but she’s sure the inspiration will come soon. At least she really hoped she was right and that she wouldn’t leave everyone disappointed.

“Should I get us our food now?” Pierre asked.

“I’ll come with you if you are,” Pac spoke, standing slightly.

“Yes, why don’t you take Pomme and Tri with you?” Fit suggested.

Pierre tilted his head slightly before nodding. “Sure, you two have fun, we’ll be back soon,” he spoke before taking his kids and Pac over to the counter to get their food.

Fit faced his daughter again. “I’m sorry,” he admitted.

“I know.” It was shocking the first time she heard it, but it lost it’s effectiveness over time. At first it made her happy, knowing that he regretted what he did, but now she’s just sad that he hadn’t made it obvious before she was Pac’s, and that they no longer had the time to make something of the apology.

“I hope you’re having fun today,” he spoke.

“I am, it’s nice to have a day like this,” she answered. Silence took over them for a few moments, before she spoke up again. “Why are you leaving?”

Fit’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Why are you asking?”

Milla felt tears well in her eyes. “It’s just, you’ve shown you can change, shown you can love me, why are you leaving me after showing me that?” Her voice cracked and she sniffed.

Fit struggled to meet her eyes. “Because I know I can’t be the father you need.”

“So, you’re just taking the easy way out and leaving me?” she accused.

Fit's expression softened. “I wish it was the easy option,” he answered. “I wish I could say it was easy to leave you and that it won’t be what ruins me for years, but I can’t, the easy option would be staying here and never growing.”

“I don’t understand,” she whispered. Why did she never understand with him?

“I love you more than anything, but I can’t show that to you, and I know I will fall back into my old habits if I try to fix things by being here,” he explained. “So, I think it’s best if I fix things by leaving, making it so we can both turn into better people than we could be together.”

Milla blinked away her tears. It hurt. It hurt so much. But she understood now. “I love you too,” she said with a shaky voice. “Please don’t forget me.”

Fit leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I won’t, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

Pierre returned with his kids shortly after, and Milla knew she’d have to get used to change sooner or later.

Tallulah rushed down the path, determined to make it to Nikki’s this time. She had to, or else she was going to get really annoyed at herself. Despite this constant self harassment, she found herself focusing on the noise she found beside the a batch of trees. She stopped in her tracks and looked between two buildings at where the noise was coming from. She stepped closer, between them, and finally got a glimpse at Slime, Juana and Flippa.

“But why?” she heard Flippa ask. She shouldn’t be listening, but her curiosity over Flippa made her listen in. She couldn’t help it, the code turned girl made her intrigued. She hadn’t gotten much of a chance to talk to her yet, so maybe this was her chance.

“It’s just how it is, the fish swim and the birds fly, they evolved to do that,” Slime answered.

“But why did they evolve to do that?” she asked again. Slime loomed like he was having trouble.

“I don’t really know, I’ve never thought about it,” he admitted.

Tallulah decided she was done looking at their conversation and got closer to the trees to join the conversation. “Papa probably knows, he’s really smart,” she spoke.

“Yeah, I’ll have to ask him,” Slime responded. “What brought you over here?”

“Was just curious what was going on, nothing much.” And maybe a bit of procrastination, but that was nobodies business but her own.

“Papa was teaching us things about life,” Juana answered. “Flippa was curious about the birds and why they fly and I want to know why fish swim.”

“There are so many things about people and animals that I don’t understand, I want to know all of it,” Flippa explained. “Like why does evolution exist and why do things die and why do things live longer than other things,” she listed off in an excited tone. “And there’s a question I saw in a book that I really want answered, like, what is the meaning of life?”

Slime’s expression went worrisome at the words. That’s certainly not the question that you’re ever ready to explain to your child, or anyone. Juana looked up at her dad. “I like that question, what is the meaning of life?”

“Well,” he started, struggling to look anywhere for more than a few moments. Tallulah waited. She herself had wondered the question once, but had never gotten around to asking her parents what it was. So, she waited for Slime to explain it to her. “That’s a really difficult question.”

“So you don’t know?” Flippa asked, a pout on her face. Juana had the same gloomy expression.

“No one knows,” he managed to answer. “Or, some people do know,” he corrected. “Maybe? Ever since I was young, I asked that same question, and after many answers from so many people from so many situations, I realised there is no one meaning of life,” he managed to get out. The three girls looked at him with curious expressions. “Some people think it’s money, some people think it’s knowledge, some people think it’s because we have no other choice, and I don’t think anyone is wrong as long as they believe so strong enough.”

The girls nodded. Tallulah had another question. “What do you think the meaning of life is then?”

This answer came after a long pause. “I think that is my definition of the meaning of life,” he began. “To live by what you believe you should live by, and figure out what matters to you, if you do that, I think that’s a good life.”

His daughters giggled at the statement. “I think the meaning of life is to learn everything! I want to be the most knowledgeable in the world!” Flippa exclaimed, chucking her arms in the air.

“I think the meaning of life is to have fun, I don’t want to live my life by what other people say, I just want to have fun while I live,” Juana answered, her hands in her lap.

Slime smiled down at the two and ruffled their hair. “Those meanings are perfect for the both of you, you’ll live life exactly how you think it should be lived.” He looked forward at Tallulah. “Any idea of what you think your meaning of life is?”

Tallulah looked down in thought. This wasn’t a question she thought she would be answering today, but her mind fell on an idea surprisingly quick. “I think the meaning of life is to be happy with your choices, to make them and seize them and be proud that you got to make them.”

Slime smiled at her as well and gave her hair a ruffle as well. “Good to see my daughters have such a mature girl to be a role model for them.” Tallulah giggled at the praise.

“Thank you,” she spoke.

The moment didn’t last long as Flippa soon had a new question. “Ooh, ooh, why do people die?”

Slime’s expression turned grim. He looked over at Tallulah once again. “Want to stick around for this question as well?” he asked, almost begging.

Tallulah shook her head. “No thank you, I was only supposed to be here for a bit, I really should go to Nikki’s now.”

Slime nodded, fine with what she was doing, but thinking over how he was going to answer Flippa’s question. “Have fun.”

“I will!” she exclaimed, going back to the path and rushing to Nikki’s. This was a nice stop, let her put her thoughts into words a little more and answer a pressing question, but she needed help with her lyrics! And she wanted to see Nikki of course.

Tallulah finally made it to Nikki’s shop and pushed open the door. Nikki turned around at the sound of the bell ringing. “Tallulah! It’s been too long!” she exclaimed as she rushed around the side of the counter, tossing her apron off and taking her into a hug. “I haven’t seen you since you came here for advice that one day, what’s brought you here again?”

Tallulah pulled back and sat at a booth near the door, Nikki sitting down opposite her. “I really wanted to talk to you,” she stated. Not exactly why she came here, but it was something she wanted to do. It was probably best not to open the conversation on a problem.

Nikki smiled down at her. “I’d love to talk to you.” Tallulah couldn’t help but smile back. “These past few weeks really have been a lot, huh?” she opened the conversation.

Tallulah nodded. “They really have been, they’ve been nice, but I can’t wait until today is over so I can have a bit of rest.” And so she wouldn’t have time deal with the stress of the song anymore.

“You really have been dealing with the most of it,” Nikki noticed. “Bringing down two of the Federation employees and being the reason everyone’s kids got saved? That’s a lot, and then there’s your family growing, I wouldn’t be able to handle it nearly as well,” Nikki teased.

“Yeah, I’ve also got this to deal with,” she spoke as she tugged on her wings. “I’m getting used to it slowly, but there’s so much to think about, I don’t think I’ll ever get fully used to it.”

“Don’t say that, things get easier to get used to the longer they exist most of the time, it’s only been a few weeks, give it time.” She couldn’t help but nod. Nikki then looked away for a moment before looking back. “So, how are you feeling about Payne?”

Tallulah thought about Payne a lot nowadays, even if she didn’t want to. She thought it would pass, but it was taking longer than she expected. “I don’t really know,” she answered, looking at her lap. “I’m just kinda over him.” She thought more about her feelings. “I feel betrayed and angry and sad, but I think deep down all the anxiety and pain he caused me growing up ending up softening the final blow.”

“That’s quite mature of you,” Nikki stated.

“I guess, I wish it was different still, but there’s nothing I can do now, there’s nothing I could ever do, he was always like that and there was no saving him.” For someone who held the idea of choice so close to her heart, it was odd to admit there was no choice that could have saved him.

Nikki reached over and held Tallulah’s hand. “You’re allowed to wish, if things were better, we’d all have wanted you to be able to be happy with your first father, but you’re doing so well with what you were given.”

Tallulah felt a wave of comfort wash over her as Nikki held her hand. “Thank you,” she whispered. “It really feels like I have so many issues lately, it’s nice to have you on my side.”

Nikki tilted her head. “Want to talk about another issue? I want to help.”

Tallulah nodded. This was a good time to bring up the lyrics. “I’ve been trying to write a song for tonight but I don’t have any inspiration, it feels like there’s just a wall in my brain that blocks all the thoughts.”

Nikki nodded at her worries. “Have you tried writing down what you can get?”

Now Tallulah was the one who was tilting her head. “What do you mean?”

“I hear that’s helpful at times,” she began explaining. “It can help to just get ideas down, even if they’re not good ideas, and you can work off of that.”

“You sure that could work?” she questioned. The idea didn’t make all that much sense. Putting down bad ideas felt worse than no ideas.

“It might, I’ve used the trick a few times for my recipes before, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” she gave an example. “One that didn’t work was these honey cookies, they just fell apart immediately, but one that did work was this nut cake, I wanted to make it vegan but I couldn’t figure out what to do to make it more than just a vegan cake, so I tried just writing things down and as soon as I chose almond milk it hit me.”

Tallulah knew she should continue focusing on the lyrics issue, but a nut cake was sounding like heaven to her at the moment. Even if Nikki’s advice didn’t work, maybe getting something sweet in her stomach will help a bit. “Can I try that cake?” she asked.

Nikki gave a smile as sweet as her pastries. “Of course, let me go get a slice for you.” She stood up and went behind the counter again. Tallulah thought about the lyrics again. Was her advice really something that would work? If it worked for her, it should work for Tallulah, right? Maybe she should go around a bit more, try to figure something out, but she truly was running out of time.

Nikki came back and placed a slice of cake in front of her, along with a fork. “Eat up and enjoy.”

Tallulah stabbed a piece of cake off the slice and ate it. The texture was rougher than what she was used to for cake but the taste was something she preferred heavily. Despite the nuts mostly being in the almond milk cream, the almond milk in the cake itself brought through a nutty taste that made her keep shovelling the cake into her mouth. “It’s so good!” she exclaimed between her bites.

“I’m glad you like it, I’ve recently started selling it, so no need to go around stealing anymore,” Nikki teased, confusing Tallulah.

“When did I steal? I don’t think I’ve ever done that.” Or maybe she did? How much could she trust her memories when it came to all the stress she’s been feeling?

Nikki tilted her head. “When you came for advice, you came back after a bit and you stole some sweets from me.”

The situation hit her. “I know it sounds crazy, but it wasn’t me,” she started. “Tilin possessed me after I visited her grave.” Nikki listened as she explained herself. “She was a big help to me, but looks like she was a bit of a troublemaker as well.”

“Well, I didn’t really care, I would have given her one if she asked,” Nikki cleared up. “But it must have been nice meeting her again, now that I know, I can see it, and I’m glad I got a chance to meet her.”

Tallulah nodded. “Yeah, it was nice, and she is the reason we were able to get everyone back.” She wished she could properly thank her. “So, I’ll wear her bow to make sure she gets to live in some way.”

Nikki smiled yet again, reaching over to ruffle her hair. “You are such a sweetheart.” Tallulah giggled and ate her final bite of cake. Nikki picked up the plate and placed it on the counter to clean later. “Well, hope I’ve been a help, I’d love to talk longer, but I promised a friend of mine I’d bake him and his sister a cake, and I have to figure out a recipe for them.”

Tallulah nodded and hopped off her seat. “You were a big help, make sure you come by the concert later, okay?”

Nikki nodded back. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” With that, Tallulah was out the door and trying to figure out where to go next for her inspiration.

As the day shifted further, many people were out and about, getting ready for whatever their plans were.

“Why can’t Papi be here?” Despite the fact that Bobby was a brat to his dad on the best of days, being alone with Cellbit was something he was still trying to get used to.

“He’s talking to Jaiden, they’re trying to figure out a schedule for you, and you don’t want to be around those adult conversations, do you?” Cellbit explained. Bobby shook his head. He loved his Mama and was excited to see her more, but adult conversations were boring. “That’s right, so I’m responsible for looking after you until he gets back, okay? It won’t be long.”

Bobby silently wished for something that would make his time with Cellbit a little less awkward, and that wish came true in the form of Dapper flinging himself into the younger boy’s arms.

“Bobby! We barely see each other anymore! I missed you!” Dapper exclaimed and Bobby wrapped his arms around him to return the hug and keep himself from falling.

“I missed you too,” he spoke. His memories from before the federation were fuzzy at best. While everyone else remembered things quite clearly, he was still catching up. One thing he knows though, is that Dapper was a good friend of his, and he really did miss him. The time apart was far shorter for him than it was for Dapper, but it really did feel like it was a lifetime since he’s last seen him.

“Good to see you two getting along again, Bobby hasn’t been getting out much, we should arrange for a play date for the two of you some day soon,” Cellbit noted. “By the way, where’s your dad?”

Dapper pointed over at Bad, who was talking with Foolish. “He’s busy over there, so I came over here.”

Cellbit and Dapper fell into conversation and Bobby stood by them. He didn’t mind not including himself into conversation, alone time for his thoughts was nice even by others sides.

“Hey, over here,” he heard. He looked at the two in front of him but neither were talking to him. “Behind you,” the voice whispered again. He turned around and scouted the area before his eyes landed on red hair peaking out of a bush. Pierre?

“I’m gonna go smell the roses over there,” he told Cellbit, pointing vaguely to the bush. Not too much pointing though, he didn’t want Pierre or whoever recently died their hair red to be caught by him trying to sneak over.

Cellbit nodded. “Okay, don’t wander too far.” He nodded back and went to the bush.

He looked behind him to see if anyone was watching before getting on his knees and crawling into the bush. After a few moments of leaves tickling his face, he got to the hollowed sticks of the bush and was finally able to see who was calling him over.

It wasn’t Pierre, or anyone who had recently dyed their hair red. Instead it was a girl with a large purple bow. She looked about the same age as him and stated at him as if they had met before.

He continued to stare at her. Had they met before? That shade of red hair and those green eyes were familiar to him. The purple she wore felt like a fuzzy memory. Was this their first meeting or was he just suffering the consequences of his memory not being caught up yet?

“Are you okay?” she asked, her head tilted slightly. He hadn’t realised he was staring that long. He needed to get an answer out for her.

“Stein?” was his first thought. The hair and the eyes felt right. He remembers her wearing a blue and red dress, so with how fuzzy his memory of the purple was, maybe they just melded together or apart? There was the issue of her being young, but that lady creeped him out so much, there was no way she didn’t have some kind of way to look different.

The girl gave a quiet giggle. “Depends which one you’re talking about.”

“Huh?” What did she mean.

She gave answers quickly. “You met my sister, Amelia, a while ago, but I’m Evie, I doubt you remember me.”

Bobby was having a hard time wrapping his head around her words, but tried to push forward. “Have we met before?” It was the question he should have started with.

Evie’s expression faltered. “Maybe? I don’t know if it could really count though.” Bobby was going to ask what she was on about but she continued quickly. “When you were in the cryo pod, I would sometimes come visit you. I felt really bad for you being in there, and I don’t really have anything else to do, so I’d come and talk to you like you were still conscious.” Her face was unsure and her voice was shaky.

Bobby’s memories became a little clearer. He remembers her sat in front of him and rambling on, about her sister and her dolls and anything that came to mind. It was pieces in random orders, never connected, like he was only awake for seconds at a time. “You really came to check up on me, huh? Thank you.” It was nice to know he was being taken care of.

Evie became flustered at his words. “It doesn’t freak you out?” she asked.

Bobby shook his head. “Nope.”

Evie nodded and looked away for a few moments. She took a deep breath before speaking again. “So,” she started, hesitating. “Would you mind if I got to talk to you more? Like, together? Not just a one sided conversation.”

“You want to be my friend?” Bobby asked. Evie nodded quickly, not meeting his eyes. Bobby thought for a moment. She had been making sure he was okay all that time, and she returned to his memory so quickly. “I’d love to be friends.”

Her face lit up at the words. “Okay! Okay! Can I stand with you at the concert?” she asked.

Bobby gave a wide smile. “Yeah, that would be fun.”

Evie smiled even wider than him. “Okay! I’ll see you then.” She turned around and waved before leaving the bushes. Bobby didn’t really know what happened, but he left the bush with a new friend.

Dapper watched for a moment as Bobby got closer to the bush before turning back to Cellbit. “Is it weird having Bobby around after so long?” Dapper was happy to have another friend around, but Cellbit was much older and he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to suddenly have another family member like that.

“It’s a little odd, but I’m getting used to it, it’s nice to have another kid who looks up to me,” Cellbit spoke, a soft look in his eyes.

“You like it when people look up to you?” Dapper asked. Cellbit was someone he looked up to deeply, so the idea that the kind of attention of it all was something he wanted to know.

Cellbit found himself nodding. “Yeah, I guess you could say that, I guess I just like getting people to become better versions of themselves, whether that be being someone to look up to or taking more of a hands on approach.”

Dapper tilted his head. “What’s a hands on approach?”

“Well, like teaching,” Cellbit began. “I teach Richas and Bobby things like morals and magic, how to cook and clean, and I like to think I teach everyone things, even if I don’t dedicate my time to it.”

Dapper nodded as he took in Cellbit’s every words. Well... there was no better time than now. “Can you teach me?” he asked, his words quick, as if he could ditch his question halfway through.

Cellbit’s expression was unreadable. “Teach you what?” he asked. Not a rejection.

“You know, magic, things that could help with that,” Dapper spoke, unable to meet his eyes. “I want to make sure I can protect people, and you protect people so well, so... I was hoping you would teach me more magic so I can protect people like you do.”

Cellbit kneeled down to his height and placed a hand on his shoulder. Dapper froze slightly at the touch. “I’ll help any way I can, but I’m surprised you came to me, wouldn’t your dad be the first choice?”

Dapper was overjoyed at the idea that Cellbit would take him on as a student, but his brain faltered on his question. True, most of the time parents are the ones who teach kids the basics, but, it would be a miracle if Dapper ever managed to learn the basics. “Hey, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Cellbit whispered.

Dapper looked up at Cellbit. No. This was a choice he was making. “Sorry if I’m a bad student, I want to learn magic so badly, dad tried a lot, but... I can’t even see magic, I have a really hard time knowing what I’m doing.” He heard the others talk about the spectacles that magic held, but to him it was as if he was looking at a movie that had yet to have its CGI added.

“I see,” Cellbit spoke slowly. He smiled and gave a squeeze to Dapper’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out and I’ll turn you into the best magic user I can, okay?” Dapper couldn’t help but smile at his words.

“Thank you,” Dapper whispered.

“What did you two talk about?” Bobby asked as he joined the two of them.

Cellbit stood up. “I’ll be teaching Dapper magic from now on.”

“Cool,” Bobby spoke.

“Were the flowers nice?” Dapper asked.

Bobby nodded. “Yep, very nice,” he hesitated for a moment. “Is it okay if my friend sits next to us for the concert?”

“Of course, they’re welcome to join.” Things were starting, and the day was going well.

Tallulah was freaking out. The day was getting further and further along yet she couldn’t get any closer to having an idea for her song. She was pacing back and forth with her hands tugging at her hair. She was completely lost and was having a hard time even controlling her breathing. She had been across the island and gotten so much advice yet she couldn’t put any together.

She was going to ruin everything. She’d have to tell her band mates that she had nothing and they’d be disappointed and they’d have to shut off the concert and everyone would be upset at her and-!

“Tallulah! Are you okay?” she heard a voice ask. She broke out of her thoughts and looked in front of her to see Leo. “You were really out of it, are you okay?”

Leo. What was she supposed to do? She didn’t want to admit that she had procrastinated for so long. “I’m, I’m just really stressed you know? It’s a lot.”

Leo’s eyes softened and before she knew it, Tallulah was being enveloped in a hug. “I’m sorry, I should have noticed how you were feeling,” Leo whispered.

Tallulah wrapped her arms around Leo. “It’s not your job to keep track of my emotions, it’s hard to keep track of my own,” Tallulah explained.

Leo pulled back slightly. “I know it’s not my job, but that doesn’t mean I should ignore my wants as your friend,” Leo argued. “I want you to be happy, and if I can help you feel happy, I want to take that chance.”

Tallulah clung to her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Leo pulled her hands from himself and grabbed one of her hands. “Since the weather is getting colder, the sun is setting earlier, so how about we go watch the sun set?” Leo offered.

Tallulah smiled and nodded. “I’d love that.” Her age gave her an earlier bed time, so in the hot months it was hard to find a chance to watch the sun set. That made sunsets a rare sight for a warm island. Such a rare sight would probably help her stress at least a little, especially sharing a moment such as that with her friend.

Leo dragged her through the town until they reached a heightened clearing. Their view of the sun was unrestricted and there was a blanket laid out already. “Were you planning on asking me anyways?” Tallulah asked.

Leo gave an awkward chuckle. “As much as I’d like to say yes, this is here cause Foolish takes me here a lot, he says watching the sunset can help reset negative emotions, don’t know if it’s true, but I think it’s nice even if it’s not.”

The two sat down on the blanket and watched as the sun fell. It was a slow act at first, so Tallulah decided to talk to Leo a little more. “How have you been lately?”

Leo looked over to her, face unreadable, before giving a small smile. “Well, let’s just say you’re not the only stressed one.”

Tallulah edged a little closer to him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Leo looked at the sun for a moment before looking back. “I guess? I don’t really know what to say about it,” she admitted.

“Just say what you can, I can wait.” Always for Leo.

Leo nodded and took a deep breath. “I feel like I’m failing my dad.”

Tallulah had never heard him call Foolish dad, so she hesitated for a moment in confusion, before remembering a man she had only heard of. “I’m sure Vegetta is proud of you.”

Leo couldn’t meet her gaze. “I appreciate your words, but I know what would make him proud, and I’m not doing that.”

“What aren’t you doing?” Tallulah just wanted to prod to make sure she could help him the best she could. She really cared for her friend.

“Godhood and the sorts, I don’t want to be worshipped as a Ruler, I just want to be Leo,” he explained.

Tallulah had heard the tales of Vegetta, being the Ruler of the Skies. There were stories of terror and worship, but even with that, she often forgot the known idea of him and instead simply saw him as Leo’s dad that no longer came around.

“Wouldn’t he be happy that you’re just Leo? You’re taking destiny into your own hands, I’d be proud of you, I am proud of you,” she answered as she reached out to hold Leo’s hand.

Leo wrapped her fingers around Tallulah’s own and sighed. “Not everyone is as lucky as you, I wish he would be proud of me for who I am, but that’s just not who he is.”

“I’m sorry.” Tallulah regretted her words. She knew herself how horrible parents could be. If she had heard someone say that about Payne after she knew how horrible he could be, she would react the same.

“It’s okay,” Leo answered. “I mean, like you have your parents, at least I have Foolish.” Leo opened his mouth before shutting it and hesitating. He opened his mouth again. “Although it’s getting harder to pretend he makes up for a parent.”

That was the lie everyone tried to keep up. At some point in time, everyone would ask the question, ‘Why don’t you call Foolish dad?’ to which Leo would answer, ‘Because he’s not my dad.’ Everyone would awkwardly over past that point and the story would fill out eventually. Foolish would love him like he hung the stars and he would adore the love and care given to him, but they would never be father and son.

Everyone pretended this was something that half didn’t exist and was half normal. They were family to make things easier, but it was clear that neither of them really saw it that way. They’d sometimes play along to it, pretend Leo was just as much part of the family as the rest, but it was no true feelings, just trying to make things sound normal to people who would never really understand their situation.

Tallulah was trying to understand, but even she struggled to understand at times. Before her parents, she was like the rest in trying to understand but not quite grasping it, but after her parents took her in, she simultaneously understood more and less. She understood the idea of wanting to choose your family, wanting to choose who your family would be without others having any say in what you got to have. Yet she also struggled to understand how Leo could have Foolish and not want something more, not wanting to become family and get the love he had wanted since he was young. Still, she understood it was not up to her to decide what he wanted, and she would continue to try and understand Leo’s situation until it too was something that could be normal.

“If Vegetta isn’t proud of you, I’m sure there’s someone out there who would be proud to have you as a son,” Tallulah tried to answer.

“I mean, yeah, I have to have another parent out there somewhere, but... you’d think they’d have come to find me by now,” Leo spoke. “Dad tried even after I was put in Foolish’s care, so why couldn’t they?”

Tallulah nudged a little closer and took Leo into a hug. It didn’t take long for Leo to remove their clasped hands and let the hug turn true. “Whoever your parent is, whether it be your first parent or one that finds you, they’ll love you, they’ll love you so much and you’ll feel at peace and happy that you are you.”

Leo placed her face in Tallulah’s shoulder. “You’re really good at understanding people, I see why your family continues to grow,” Leo muttered.

“Well, you’re part of that family, aren’t you?” Tallulah asked, falling into that pretend that always came up with Leo.

Leo hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “No,” he said simply. There was a twitch in Tallulah’s muscles and he spoke again. “I’m gonna hold out for my family, whether that’s my parents with changed hearts or someone new, I want a family of my own, I don’t want to try and find a place where I know I’ll never let myself fit in.”

Tallulah relaxed her muscles. “I’m proud of you.” It wasn’t what Leo wanted, but it was the truth.

“I’m proud of you too,” Leo muttered. She couldn’t see his face, but there was a smile in his voice.

After a few moments they pulled away and looked at the setting sun. It was every bit as beautiful as their moment.

“I’m sorry for making this about me, this was supposed to be about you,” Leo apologised, not looking away from the sunset.

“You don’t have to apologise,” Tallulah stated. “I want to help, I’ll always want to help, it isn’t fair that everyone hold their issues just because I’ve had it hard.”

“Well, I want to help you too, any way you need,” Leo answered, a smile on his face. Tallulah watched as the sun had its last moments of life for the day as she thought. She could tell him. She wanted his help.

“I don’t know how to write this song, can you give me some help?” she finally admitted to her bandmate.

Leo looked over at her as the sun left. “Of course, I’ll help in any way I can.” He turned to properly face her. “So, what should this song be about?”

Tallulah felt her mind go blank as it had many times as she attempted to write this song. This time, however, it was different, as a single thought shone through the darkness.

“Love, love for family and friends and bonds, I want to write about the love the island is full of,” the words came easy for the first time that day.

Leo smiled at her. “I love it, this will be perfect.” Tallulah trusted his words.

Dapper paced back and forth. People were gathering around the stage, ready to see his friends perform. He would be gathering as well, if he hadn’t run into Leo and Tallulah rushing off.

“Are you going on stage?” he had asked. It felt a little early, but he didn’t know how music preparation worked, so it wasn’t his place to say.

Tallulah shook her head, confusing him. “Give us time, please, make sure no one gets worried.”

“We’ll be out soon, we just need to practice,” Leo had spoken before grabbing Tallulah’s hand and they had run off.

Dapper had no choice but to acknowledge their request. The issue was he had no idea how to acknowledge it. He was just watching as worry and agitation grew. The first little while after their request was made, it was easy, there was barely anyone around, and they weren’t waiting, but were rather just residing in the area it would make sense to wait. However, as an hour and a half passed, it was clear that people were waiting, and the emotions coming from waiting were nothing good.

Dapper wished he knew where they had run off to, but he was just left watching around a corner as people began to get louder and louder. He stepped out from the corner he had been watching from and knew he had to do something, and fast.

He climbed onto the stage and brought the microphone Tallulah would have used a little higher so it reached his own face. “Hello everyone, you will know me as Dapper Halo, and I will be opening today’s concert,” he spoke without a thought. He had no idea what to do, but if entertainment was what people came here for, entertainment was what they’d get.

People whispered and stared, but he quickly devised a plan on stage. “Before the music can begin, I’d like to start you off with a magic show.” That shouldn’t be too hard. As he looked over the crowds expressions again he saw intrigue and worry from Cellbit and Bad. There were whispers of how it would be exciting to see Dapper finally do magic, and he realised that having two sorts of shows with overlapping titles was confusing. “A fake magic show, one that uses normal skills, not actual magic, sorry about that confusion,” he cleared up.

There were noises of disappointment, but he didn’t let that put him down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. He placed it in his palm and showed the audience. “With a simple switch of my hand, I will make this coin disappear!” he shouted.

He moved his hands in the way that would show that the coin should have moved between hands, but kept them close enough that they could not see the place where his fingers turned to palm grasped at the small coin and kept it in the top hand.

He showed the audience his other hand, empty as he had planned, and kept the hand with the coin as straight as he could without showing off the coin that was wedged into his hand crease.
There were several wows and hows, to which he just chuckled and bowed, still trying to keep the coin hidden in his hand as to not break the illusion. “A magician never reveals his tricks.” He’s always wanted to be able to say that line.

He reached into his pocket again, finally being able to ditch the coin, and grabbed a pencil that was inside his pocket. It was unsharpened, only kept around because of how faulty his main one had started to get, but he carefully slipped it inside the tight sleeve of his hoodie. The dullest end sat right against his palm, and as carefully as he could, he slipped his main pencil between the tight slot, and wrapped his hand around it.

He finally pulled out his pencil, and held it up so the back of his hand was facing the audience. “Now, here, I will show you my infamous floating pencil trick!” He saw Bad cock his head at him, but he didn’t say anything about how he had never done this trick before.

He slowly loosened his grip to make sure that the pencil pressed against his wrist didn’t move out of place and drop the pencil, and eventually he managed to get his hand completely open. Due to the pencils and his open palm, it appeared as though the pencil was simply floating, as the audience had no idea about the pressure pressing it against his palm. He closed his fist and opened it again a few times, showing off his skill. The audience loved it. Cheers and excited noises came from them, and it made him excited at the attention some simple illusions were causing.

He stared at the side of the stage, trying to see if RadioEgg was approaching. No. No they weren’t. He took in a deep breath and finished the trick. He didn’t have much else in his pocket, so he had to think of something fast.

“Now, for my next trick,” he hesitated and hoped no one noticed, “It is time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for!” he shouted. He had no idea, he just had to do something.

He held his arms out, and tried to imagine mana running through them. Just because he couldn’t see anything, didn’t mean magic didn’t exist inside him. Sure, it would be far less than someone who was aware of how to grow it, but it had to be at least something. Plus, anything he could do would be something, he had never done magic before, and he said so at the beginning this wouldn’t involve magic. People would be impressed at what he managed to do if they believed it all happened from outside skills.

With a deep breath, he tossed his hands in the air and shouted, “Tada!” He really hoped something happened.

By people’s immediate reactions, he knew something did happen. Faces were shocked and there were scared and excited screams. He couldn’t hear or see anything, so he hoped desperately that someone would say something. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long.

“It’s a shadow being!” Foolish shouted as he pointed behind Dapper.

Dapper immediately turned around, shocked at what he managed to do, but as he should have expected, he couldn’t see a thing. He really hoped he’d be able to send it back. He looked back at the crowd. “Amazing, right?”

“I had no idea you could get shadow beings without magic, this is amazing!” Phoebe fawned.

“Yep, I’m pretty awesome,” Dapper stated. His arms began to tire, so he finally put them down, and as he did so, people began to make disappointed noises. He must have put the shadow being away. “Thank you for coming to my magic show,” he spoke. He was done, he couldn’t do this anymore. Please, RadioEgg, come quick.

“Okay, everyone knows what they’re doing?” Tallulah asked her band. They nodded back. Tallulah couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. She had spent so long trying to write the song, it was a miracle they even had time to practice it. Still, even when they went over the time they should have, they still barely had two hours of practice.

Pomme walked around the spare keyboard she had been using to practice and wrapped her arms around Tallulah. “It’ll be okay, we’ll do great, this song you and Leo came up with will wow their pants off.”

Tallulah smiled at the girl and wrapped her arms around her as well. “Thanks Pomme, but I’d rather their pants stay on.”

“I hear imagining people without pants on helps with embarrassment,” Leo stated from Tallulah’s side. When did she get there?

“Does it really?” Tallulah asked. If worse came to worse, she could maybe try that. Although she didn’t think imagining her family naked would do any good to her embarrassment.

“Only if you don’t find other people being naked embarrassing, if you get embarrassed by seeing people naked, that tip is not for you,” Chayanne stated, wanting to make sure Tallulah didn’t get any bad ideas in her head. “You’ll do great at managing your anxiety without imagining people naked, I know it.”

Tallulah smiled at the two by her side. “Thank you, I couldn’t do this without you three.”

Leo joined the hug she and Pomme had been having. “We wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you!” Leo stated.

Chayanne also wrapped his arms around the group. “You mean so much to all of us, don’t forget how much we love you.”

Tallulah couldn’t help the tears that sprung to her eyes. “Thank you, I love you all so much,” she spoke with a shaky voice. She must have done something amazing in a past life to deserve all this, to deserve such amazing friends and such an amazing life on this island.

She was being squeezed by her friends when Chayanne pulled away first. “We should really get going, we’ve already let them wait for so long, who knows how much longer they’ll be willing to wait.”

Pomme nodded and pulled away from the hug, running around to make sure their practice room was cleaned up enough.

“True, we left Dapper to make sure they don’t get restless, but who knows how much longer he can handle them,” Leo spoke, still wrapping his arms around Tallulah.

Tallulah didn’t want to let go either, but as Pomme finished her cleaning, she had to remove herself from Leo’s arms. “Come on, we have a performance to put on!”

The group rushed out and tried to get to the stage as soon as they could. Running, they made it there in a few minutes, and tried their best to get a hold of their breathing as they reached the stairs.

“There you are!” Dapper shouted as he ran down the stairs. “I’m never doing this for you again on such short notice, that was scary,” he complained, going to meet the crowd. He’d help them again one day, but maybe they should give him something easier to do, with more tine. Tallulah wanted to thank him, but he was already weaving through the crowd to meet his dads side. She’d have to do so later.

RadioEgg got up the stairs and her friends found their spots at their instruments as the crowd cheered. Tallulah got in front of the microphone and lowered it down to her mouth.

“Hello everyone,” she spoke, trying to keep her voice calm. Watching the island like this was reminding her of just a few weeks ago when she was last in front of them. It was odd, this whole situation. The sight she once associated with terror and sadness and the confusion that had coated her life that day was now mixing with feelings of excitement. That day really was something that would be left in the past. She was moving past it, time would keep going and she’d be able to forget it.

No. She couldn’t, the feelings she felt that day concerning her friends and family were feelings she’d never be able to let go. She’d heal from the terror, but she refused to let go of that day. That day was full of pain, but it was also full of love, love that she’d keep forever with her. Love she put into this very song.

“We are RadioEgg, and we are here to perform today.” The crowd continued to cheer. “We have lived our lives on this island, and on this island, we’ve experienced many things. Happiness, sadness, fear and anger, but when I think about what I’ve experienced the most on this island, I think of the love I’ve experienced.” Her words were greeted by more cheering along with ‘aww’s. “From family and friends, they have loved me with their whole hearts, and I love them with my whole hearts, so, I wrote this song about the love I have experienced and felt, and I hope it makes your heart fill with love just as it does to mine.”

As she gave a glance back, the band members began to play away. Leo’s drums, Chayanne’s guitar, and Pomme’s keyboard mixed together in a harmony. Everything about this concert would spark love, because every aspect was made with love.

She grasped her microphone, and as it hit the note she memorised, she let her voice go.

“The gentle undefining breeze,

Puts all my worries at ease,

No natural disaster could separate,

The bond we share,

Our destined fate,

Traverse the woods,

Set sail through sea,

Enchant my nightmares into a dream,

Tell your tales of victory,

I’ll work on mine for you to see.”

As her voice molded around the words, she thought about what brought her to write the lyrics. It was that day, with the gentle wind, where Cellbit found her. That day changed her forever. He traversed the nightmare her life was at the time into a dream she never wanted to wake up from. And she wouldn’t have to anymore, it was her reality. He did so much for her, showed her what winning at life truly was, and she’d work hard to show that she could succeed with the life he gave her.

“What do I do,

If there’s ever a day where I’m not there,

Just know that I care,

I’ll be with you anywhere.”

Being separated from people she loved was heartbreaking to her. If she were in their position, she’d want them all to know that she’d be by their side even if it wasn’t physically.

“Fending through the endless night,

When I’m with you,

I’ll be alright,

Always standing by your side,

Together we’ll venture through the night,

Please don’t cry when I’m away,

We’ll both get out of here someday,

I just hope you’re proud of me,

Wish you were forever next to me.”

Love fades and people leave, either by choice or because they have no choice. She has seen it happen, knows the pain her friends have experienced. But still, the love existed once, and if you want it to exist, it’ll continue to exist. One day everything will have passed, and love will grow once again, with that person or with someone who will value that love.

“Never broken when I have you next time me,

Cause I have you next to me.”

And Tallulah would never forget that.

“The scent of a rose could never compare,

To the heart of a father who cares for their heir,

And though that final day is near,

Our memories live on forever here,

In a burning fire,

I know that you’d risk it all,

Just to save me from my death,

And when you’re not here,

I’ll fight my way through it all,

Just like the legends did.”

Her parents were the ones she loved the most. She’d never stop loving them for all they’d done for her, they saved her from her darkest moments. She feared the day she’d one day lose them, being a draconian with a far longer life span than them, but it would be okay, their love would never falter as long as their memories existed in her brain. They’d gone through such lengths to keep her safe and happy, Cellbit even went into a burning apartment for her. She’d never let go of her memories of them. She’d fight to be able to protect herself and them, and she’d create her own history where she could love her family with her entire heart and never falter.

“What do I do,

If there’s ever a day where I’m not there,

Just know that I care,

I’ll be with you anywhere.”

Tallulah looked out at the crowd. They were smiling for them, for her. They came here to support her. She hoped they love the song she had created for them. Because of them.

“Fending through the endless night,

When I’m with you,

I’ll be alright,

Always standing by your side,

Together we’ll venture through the night,

Please don’t cry when I’m away,

We’ll both get out of here someday,

I just hope you’re proud of me,

Wish you were forever next to me.”

She couldn’t thank the islanders enough for helping her get to where she was today. She experienced so much pain, sadness, fear and anger, but she had also experienced so much happiness and love. Everything turned her into who she was, and she’d forever thank her friends and family for being a part of her life.

“Never broken when you’re right next to me,

Cause you’re right next to me.”

The song fizzled out soon after her voice ended, and as the first moment of silence bloomed, it immediately ended into the loudest cheering she had heard yet. Tallulah felt tears well in her eyes again. They had loved it. The piece of art she had put her heart and soul into with Leo had gotten such an amazing reaction.

Through her tears, she grasped the microphone again to speak. “Thank you for supporting us in having our first ever performance, we’ve been RadioEgg, we’ll see you again soon.” Before they could properly see her tears, she and her band mates left the stage.

She felt a weight on her back as soon as she reached the bottom as Pomme jumped on her to hug her from behind. “Did you see that! They loved us!” she shouted.

“I did!” Tallulah shouted back, turning around to properly hug Pomme and wiping her tears. “I was so scared, but it was all worth it.”

“I knew you’d be able to do it, your song was a hit!” Leo spoke as she wrapped an arm around Tallulah’s shoulders.

“Leo, you did half the writing, it wasn’t just me who did the work.” She couldn’t thank Leo enough for saving the concert.

“I just helped where I could, you did most of the work, and I’m ready to say what needs to be said,” Leo responded.

“We all worked together, we were an amazing team,” Chayanne brought up, nipping the disagreement in the bud.

“Yeah, I can’t wait for our next performance, maybe we can all write the next one together?” Tallulah asked.

The group nodded. “I’d really like that,” Pomme spoke for the group.

Chayanne looked at the dispersing crowd and noticed his parents. “I should probably go see my parents again, they’ll want to talk to me about the concert no doubt.”

“Smart idea, I should try to find Foolish and see what his thoughts were,” Leo agreed.

Tallulah turned to Pomme. “Think you’ll go see your family?”

Pomme nodded. “Yeah, I want to know what they thought, this is something really big, I want to see how proud they are of me.”

Tallulah stared at her own family, who were staring over at her but were waiting for her to join them rather than the other way around. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that too.” She turned to the group again. “I’ll see you guys later, this was so fun, I can’t wait for the next.”

The group dispersed and she ran up to her family, running into her parents’ arms.

“You did so well, the song was so perfect,” Roier spoke against her hair.

“We can see why you wanted to put so much practice into it,” Cellbit added. It wouldn’t hurt anyone if they continued to believe she had been practising all day.

Richarlyson joined the hug quickly. “This was the best going away present ever!” it exclaimed. Tallulah found herself moving her arms to hug them in their entirety. It truly was hitting her that within a few minutes, they’d be leaving.

“I’ll miss you,” Tallulah whispered into their ear, hugging them tighter.

“I’ll miss you too,” Richarlyson answered back. “Don’t worry, I’ll send letters, it’ll be like I never left.” They pulled back slightly to look Tallulah in the eyes. “You’re the best sister I could ask for.”

Tallulah couldn’t contain her tears as she pulled it back into her tight hug. “You’re the best sibling I could ask for too.”

It took several minutes for them to pull away, and just in time, as Felps was making his way over to them. “Richarlyson! There you are, saying your goodbyes?” he asked.

Richarlyson nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got everything in order now, I’m ready to go.” They stepped up to Felps before tilting their body back slightly to be able to properly address the rest of its family. “I won’t forget you, and one day I’ll be back to see you again, and I hope you’ll love me like the day I left.”

Tallulah could only nod as tears ran down her cheek. Goodbyes were never easy, no matter how impermanent they were.

Her parents and Bobby stepped up to say their own goodbyes, and gave them a hug before Felps took their hand and they were leaving. Tallulah already couldn’t wait for the day they’d return, even though she could still see its figure. The shrinking of her view of them was making it all that more emotional.

She felt her feet lift the ground as arms wrapped around her, and she was placed against Roier’s hip. “How about we get home now? You’ve been out all day, I bet a bath will make you feel a whole lot better.” Tallulah found herself nodded. Taking a bath did sound really nice right now, she had been out and about and the grime of the day was beginning to crawl on her skin.

Time didn’t quite feel real as she was carried from the concert grounds back to the castle. She couldn’t quite tell if it was the large array of emotions that had become her life that day or if it was the aftermath of those emotions. The tiredness that was washing over her and making it harder to keep her eyes open.

She tried her best to stay awake as she entered the bathroom and went through the steps of starting her bath. The hot water certainly didn’t help at all. She splashed some water on her face as she washed it and reached over to the edge of the bath tub to grab the shampoo.

She squirted some in her hands, shaking it and groaning as barely any came out. Did shampoo become more solid when it went out of date? Was it out of date? She used it so much, and she didn’t think it was that old, so it shouldn’t have been. She lifted the clumps of translucent pink shampoo up to her nose and sniffed. It didn’t smell bad, still like the lotus it usually did. She placed the shampoo bottle on the edge again and decided to just try and use what she had before attempting to use both her hands to get the rest out. She could always pour it directly on her head.

She took a clump of hair on the side of her head that had been created as several curls curled in on eachother and pulled them apart as she massaged in the shampoo. Once she felt satisfied with how it felt she moved the curls into her sight to check if it looked as good as it felt. And then she paused. Where once locks of brown were, was now hair with a pink film on it. Her hand was covered in the same pink.

She bent over and washed the strand, pulling the slimy film off her hair. Maybe she shouldn’t use anymore, it may genuinely be out of date. She pulled her head back and examined her hair once again. She continued to pause. The film was gone, but now her hair was dyed pink. Pretty.

She stared at the door. Would her parents be mad at this? She should probably ask. “Can someone come help!?” she called.

The door burst open and Phoebe appeared from beyond it. She rushed to her side.

“What’s wrong? What’s this?” Phoebe fired her questions, touching her now pink hair. Phoebe had become protective of her, her normal fear towards the world moulding into a fear for Tallulah’s safety. She felt safe around Phoebe, so she never worried.

“I don’t know, I just wanted to put my shampoo in and then this happened,” She explained calmly. Even if it was odd, she wasn’t arguing against it.

“Okay, how about I bring you to your dads?”
Phoebe offered, her eyes shaking as they roamed the dyed strand. Tallulah nodded and got out of the bath, pulling on some pyjamas before Phoebe held her hand and pulled her into the hallway.

They found Cellbit quickly, and as soon as his eyes landed on the duo he was rushing to Tallulah’s side and collapsing onto his knees to touch her hair. Tallulah eyed the carpet that had pushed itself into a bump from his movement. “What happened?” he asked.

“Something was wrong with the shampoo, think you can do something about it?” Phoebe educated before asking.

He nodded. “Let’s go try the sink, we can hopefully get it out.” She liked the colour, but she trusted his worry as her parent. He picked her up and took her through the halls. As he carried her to the kitchen sink, Bobby appeared.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Just some hair issues, why don’t you try to take a bath while this happens? And don’t touch the shampoo,” Cellbit tried to de-escalate the situation. It would be easier to deal with Tallulah’s hair if Bobby wasn’t asking questions.

Bobby paused for a moment before nodding. “Okay,” he spoke before running off to the bathroom.

He got into the kitchen and placed her on the counter, her head hanging into the sink. He turned on the tap and began rubbing at her hair, attempting to get the pink off it.

After a few minutes, her thoughts were broken by Cellbit swearing. It was a shock to hear such a word from him. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s not getting out, I think someone put permanent dye in the shampoo.” That did make a lot of sense. Cellbit helped her sit up again.

As this was going on, Tallulah saw Roier enter the room with Bobby, wrapped in a towel. “Gatinho, bad news, there was an issue with the conditioner, do you know why-,” he spoke worriedly before his eyes landed on Tallulah. Tallulah was more focused on Bobby. Where her hair had turned a pink, Bobby’s was a blue.

Cellbit put Tallulah down on the floor with a sigh. “Sorry this is all so confusing, but I need you to go wash up again, but don’t use anything other than water, I’ll get you some more shampoo and conditioner in the morning.”

Cellbit was right. This was very confusing. “Okay, I will.” She left to the bathroom again as she heard Cellbit lift Bobby up to try again, no matter how little of a chance there was. The sound of the sink running and him explaining the situation to Roier lessened as she made her way to the bathroom again.

Later, Tallulah was out of the bath and almost properly washed, and she entered the kitchen again to see what happened with Bobby. As she peeked her head in, she saw Bobby still sitting in his towel. She thought his strand was really pretty, blue really does suit him.

She looked over at Cellbit who was talking on the phone. “Just because they’re fine with it doesn’t mean it was okay.” As he spoke to whoever was on the other end, his eyes caught her. “Perfect timing, you need to apologise.” He walked over to her and handed her his phone. “Richas has an apology for you.”

She really should have expected it was Richarlyson. She held the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hi,” Richas muttered on the other end. “I’m sorry, I thought it would be funny to put dye in them, but I didn’t think about the consequences, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she spoke. She really liked the pink.

“Really?” Richarlyson asked.

“Yeah, it’s nice to hear you apologise, but you don’t have to worry, I like it,” she answered.

She heard it giggle from the other end. “I picked pink for you, so I’m glad you like it,” they hesitated. “I already miss you.”

“I miss you too.” Less than an hour and it was already like this.

Cellbit kneeled down and held out his hand, silently asking for his phone. “Bye, I love you,” she spoke before handing it back. She could vaguely hear Richarlyson repeating the words.

Cellbit went back to talking to Richarlyson and Tallulah sat down at the table. Dinner would likely be something easy, and wouldn’t be for a while, but she wanted to be by her families side. Life truly was changing, but so was she, and she’d face those changes as she went on, taking what she had learnt and the choices she made with her.

“She’s still in a stable state, correct?” Stein asked the group of scientists in front of her.

“Yes, she was a little rocky after Phoebe left, but we’ve but in extra effort and she should be safe for the future,” one of the scientists answered.

Stein smiled and looked past the glass, viewing the little girl curled up. They may have lost a large amount of their power with the lost kids, but they’d always have this girl. As long as they had her, they had hope.

Chapter Text

Lullah looked towards Fit, who was walking several steps in front of her and scratching at his beard. There wasn’t a whole lot to do, so she just spent the journey looking at the back of his head, taking in his look and placing it back into her memory.

Six years. It was shocking how time flew, how she was almost double the age she once was when everything began to change. Change never stopped, the world, those she knew, time. And she changed as well.

She changed her sight over to Cellbit. She had gotten closer to his height as she grew up, and she believed she had become more like him mentally as well.

“How long will this take?” she asked her dad.

Cellbit reached over and ruffled her hair, tugging a few dyed strands out of one of her curls. “I don’t know, please be patient, Fit
came a long way back to come and get us to help him, so we can’t complain.”

Lullah knew what he was saying. This was the first time she had seen him since Milla’s Princess day, and she knew it was important. He hadn’t come back for Milla, so why did he come back just to invite them to journey through the forest to some destination neither were telling her about.

“Hey,” Cellbit drew her attention back to him. “Just remember that Richas is coming back soon, in a week in fact, if you think about that, it’ll go by faster, won’t it? And don’t you want stories to tell them?”

Lullah found herself nodding. “Yeah, you’re
right.”

She thought on what she’d talk to them about. They had kept up a constant communication since their adventure with Felps started, but they didn’t get much time, so there was so much she had to tell it about.

They definitely knew about how Bobby had mostly moved out of the castle, spending most days with Jaiden these days, but it felt right to discuss his life deeper. Like his latest friendship with one of the family members of the Federation.

Or perhaps something just about the island would be fun, this jungle certainly would make fun conversation.

They got into a clearing, and Fit guided them down a path that led to orange and red brick. “Is this what you brought us here to see?” Lullah asked.

Fit shook his head as he entered the jungle trees yet again. “No, there are so many instances of things like this, possibly something from the federation, and I forgot that you didn’t know this.”

On the other hand, she didn’t know how to begin to explain this jungle.

“I’m taking you to a building, but not one so tiny and broken like those ruins, I’ll tell you when it’s the one I planned to take you to,” Fit explained. It was odd to hear him so straightforward but with this kindness she wasn’t quite used to. Would she be by his side long enough to get used to it?

“I don’t know why the Federation put in so many buildings into this jungle, but it’s definitely something I should get the Ordo to look into,” Cellbit mumbled to himself before looking at Lullah. “Ready to take on this project?”

Despite her current confusion as to where she was going, remembering that she and the rest of the paranormal group had been accepted into the official Ordo was enough to replenish her motivation. Of course they still considered themselves a club of their own, they were also an official part of the islands problem solving.
“Yes!” she spoke excitedly.

“I think you should focus less on the why and more on the when, I’ve not seen that kind of brick anywhere on the island, but I have seen it in museums,” Fit spoke.

“You’re acting like them recreating an old brick style would be the strangest thing they’ve done,” Cellbit brought up. While it was likely the right answer, Lullah didn’t take the idea of one day meeting someone from the days when people created civilisations in the jungle off the table. Ghosts existed, would it really be that shocking?

Fit sighed. “Yeah, you’re right, we should be more focused on what I really brought you out here for.” Fit’s voice became just a bit stronger.

Lullah was about to open her mouth and question what was going on when the sound of thick vines being ripped from their trees resounded through her ears. She stared at the vines held tightly in Fit's robotic hand. Although it didn’t take long for her eyes to look past it and to the building the now ripped vines revealed.

Where the ‘buildings’ they had saw where barely buildings at all, more a pile of fallen, colourful rubble of bricks, this building was a white concrete, and looked considerably more new. Considerably more like it was built by the Federation.

“This is it,” Fit stated as he stepped into the small clearing around the building. Cellbit stepped in afterwards, and he motioned for Lullah to come in as well. She could definitely see why Fit wanted them to see it, it was creepy and suspicious, and Lullah simultaneously didn’t want to know why it existed while part of her brain begged to her learn it’s secrets and contents.

It had been so long since she saw what was contained in the Federation, but that didn’t matter, she could never forget what happened in there.

“So, we’re going in there?” Lullah asked Fit, holding onto her bow tightly.

“Yeah, think you’ll be alright in there?” he asked, concern true in his voice.

It felt odd that Fit was still seeing her as the far younger child he had last seen her as, but it made sense. Still, she had changed, she was more mature and had seen more. Even then, she wasn’t exactly perfectly together when he had last seen her.

“I’ve seen worse, I can deal with some Federation guards again,” she stated. Cellbit nodded. “Just remember, stay safe before anything.” Lullah smiled at him. He believed in her, but he loved her, and him wanting her protection was so sweet.

Fit stepped towards the lab, and pulled the door off its hinges with a rotten, metallic sound. It took a lot for Lullah to not cover her ears at the sound. Despite having long learned how to hide and display her draconian features, the less obvious ones were always there, such as slightly enhanced hearing. Even after six years, she hadn’t gotten used to every newly heightened sound. Fit tossed the door over to the sound with a thud and a clunk, and looked back at the two. “It’s now or never, we don’t know what will be beyond
here.”

Lullah could guess, and most were horrible, so that at least made her feel more confident she could handle whatever she would face. “We’re ready,” she stated. She walked towards the now forever opened door and stepped in. The lights were dim, far more than the blinding kind she remembers the Federation is fond of, but they felt purposeful. Deep in a jungle where all she had seen was abandoned creations, it was easy to imagine that this place could have simply been abandoned too, although much more recently than the others, but she could tell it was still inhabited. The question was simply by who, and why?

Cellbit stepped inside two and noticed that no one was around other than them. “Weird they’re all the way out there, you’d think that after they changed the key cards they’d stick to their usual lab.” Lullah remembers years ago when she was visiting the museum with Phoebe, and they got curious about Phoebe’s keycard and attempted to use it again. It didn’t work, and the two rushed away at the loud sound it caused.

“Yeah, maybe they moved their tech?” It would make sense after Flippa’s take over. Putting it somewhere where she couldn’t reach could help them.

“Whatever the reason, I don’t trust it,” Fit huffed, moving forwards through the halls.

Neither Lullah nor Cellbit could blame him for that.

The seconds dragged on forever. Why was no one around? They moved through the first floor before looking towards the stairs that lead down. “I mean, it’s not like there was anything on the first floor of the last one, right?” Cellbit mentioned, trying to bring familiarity to the situation.

Lullah nodded. She was more suspicious by the moment, but she couldn’t back out now. Whatever happened, she needed to help her Papa.

They descended down the stairs, and their fear spiked slightly. They could hear sounds. People. Movement. Machinery. This place really wasn’t abandoned, something was happening. It didn’t feel loud, or lonely, like the other lab. It felt smaller, and the sounds blended together in an easier way.

“There’s only one project going on here,” Cellbit stated after his silence.

“What makes you think that?” Fit asked.

“It’s small, but we don’t see much, that has to mean most people are in one spot, so likely only one project is going on,” he explained.

“But why have a lab for a single project? It just doesn’t make sense,” Lullah brought up.

“It does if it’s a big project,” Fit answered.
“Which means we can’t waste any time.” Without a moment to spare, Fit charged ahead in a stomping manner. The two rushed to catch up with him as he turned a corner. He was following the noise, and the other two knew they couldn’t do anything to stop him.

The noise got louder, and Lullah knew that whatever they were doing, they would have to face it soon. They approached a door at the end of the hallway. The noise must be coming from there, but Lullah couldn’t help but not that the voices still felt quiet. Fit didn’t seem to have these thoughts, and burst in.

As the door opened with a crack, Lullah stared at its contents, and couldn’t help her gasp as everything built up. It was a horribly blank room with only a bed. On one side was a large window, with many scientists behind it who started to scream and move around the space. Fit rushed over to the window and Cellbit followed, but Lullah was focused on what they must have been looking at.

The bed that was in the middle of the room was occupied by a little girl, who was clutching the sheets and looking at her with shaky eyes. Lullah couldn’t help but stare back. She looked so much like Tilin. She was paler, and more worn down, as well as looking like she hadn’t aged a day, but she couldn’t help but see Tilin in this girl.

“Hey, are you alright?” Lullah asked as she approached the bed slowly, putting her bow away as to make herself less threatening.

The Tilin lookalike pulled away from her, scooting so her back was against the headboard and she was risking falling off the other side.

“Hey, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m Lullah, who are you?” She didn’t respond.
Maybe she should have said her full name. Just as Milla did, as Lullah grew, she began to feel less connected to her full name and took on a nickname full time. It had been so long she sometimes forgot that her name was Tallulah and not just Lullah.

Lullah was wondering how to make the girl answer her, when stomping filled her ears. She looked back at the door, and she’s sure the adults did the same. She was expecting a lot of things, but she certainly wasn’t expecting this.

Two, very large robotic bears were standing in front of the door, blocking their exit. One was a clean white with black, beady eyes, and the other was a midnight black, but with bright red eyes.

“Interference denied,” the white one spoke in a robotic voice.

“Punishment prepared,” the black one added on. This certainly wasn’t good.

The girl beside her began to cry, and Lullah was torn between looking at her and looking at the robotic bears. What was she to do?

“Lullah!” she heard Cellbit shout. “Get her and get out of here! We need to protect her!”

“But what about you and Fit?” she asked quickly.

“We’ll deal with these two, we’ll be fine, I promise,” he spoke before he launched himself at the white one and attacked with a flaming punch.

She watched as Fit attacked as well, although his attention was the black one, and the sound of metal on metal resonated in the room.

She finally returned her gaze to the girl. She was still looking at the group fighting. She sat still, other than her shaking. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes dashed between magic and punches and metal. Lullah really needed to get her out of here.

Lullah hopped onto the bed beside her and gently held her shoulder, making her look over at her finally. “We need to go, I can make you safe, can you please trust me?”

Tears welled in her eyes. She gripped Lullah tightly. That was likely the best response she’d be getting from the girl. Lullah moved slightly to wrap her arms around her a little more.

She gathered mana around her, and it wasn’t long before they were sinking into the shadows, and Lullah pulled the girl through the two dimensional space, before shoving them both outside a shadow made from the white bear lifting its leg. Lullah looked behind and saw that Cellbit looked at them slightly before holding a fur covered fist in his hand. She also took in the way his leg was out. Did he make the bear lift it’s leg?

She had no time to wonderful as the girl also looked back, but Lullah knew she had to quickly pull her through the halls, or else they’d get caught, she tried her best to make sure she wasn’t going too fast for her smaller legs. They dashed up the stairs, and as Lullah pulled once again she almost tripped as too much force was needed to pull the girl along. She looked back at her.

The girl had silent tears running down her cheeks, and she was looking down, her fringe hiding her face. Lullah kneeled in front of her. “Please, let me take you to safety, whatever was back there, it wasn’t safe for you.”

She didn’t say anything, but instead nodded. Lullah held her face gently and guided her to look at Lullah. “How about I carry you? I bet you’re not used to moving this much, and I don’t want to hurt your legs.” She once again nodded.

Lullah got on her feet again and held out her arms, allowing the girl to go into her arms by her own choice. It took a few seconds, but she opened her arms as well and stepped towards her before wrapping her arms around Lullah’s neck. Lullah picked the girl up carefully, and she held on tightly. “You’ll be safe, I promise.” The girl nodded against her neck.

She turned back the way her and the adults had originally came, and let her wings manifest again. Growing up came with learning things, and a skill she had been proud to create was the ability of flight. It wasn’t often she got to use it, feeling quite out of place whenever she did, but when she got a chance to do so without worry she lit up with joy.

“Hold on tight,” she stated before bending her knees and taking to the skies, taking a few seconds to avoid the trees and branches before rising above any obstacles. The girl did hold on tight, and Lullah made sure she did so as well.

She soared through the sky at a much faster speed than she was able to move by walking, and it was only a matter of time before the castle came into view.

She slowed her wings movements and landed on the ground. The girl was clinging tightly to her neck, and her eyes were squeezed shut. “We’re on the ground, ready to walk yourself?” She opened her eyes, yet it took a few moments for her to lower her feet and allow herself to stand again. Even then, she clung tightly to Lullah’s arm. Lullah didn’t mind. She pulled the girl inside gently, allowing her to look around the entrance and know she was safe.

“Gatinho! Lullah! Did you come home already?” Roier called as he came to greet them, before seeing the state in front of him. “Who is this?” he asked, kneeling in front of them and making his voice soft. “Are you okay?”

She was quiet and Lullah spoke. “She doesn’t talk, or at least I haven’t heard her speak yet, I think should just assume she isn’t okay.”

Roier nodded. “I’m gonna get her into a bed, you found her in a jungle, right?” he asked. Lullah nodded. “so she may have some health issues, can you call Nikki for me?” This time Lullah was nodding.

Roier picked up the shaking girl as Lullah let go. She held out her hand gently, but did not fight against Roier’s grasp. Lullah wanted to go with them, but instead watched them ascend the stairs. She needed to call Nikki first. She dashed towards the home phone and dialled in Nikki’s number.

She put the phone to her ear and heard the ring rattle in her head before she heard Nikki pick up on the other side.

“Hello?” the older woman spoke.

“Hi Nikki!” Lullah responded.

“Lullah! It’s been so long! What made you call instead of just coming over? And why the house phone? I’m pretty sure you have my number,” Nikki asked. Lullah would have called on her own phone, but she had left it behind in case the journey in the jungle went south and she ended up losing it. There were too many memories on there.

“It’s a long story, but we need you to come over, there’s a little girl here and we don’t know what her health situation is like,” Lullah began to explain.

She heard a gasp on the other end of the line. “How stable is she?” Nikki spoke. Lullah could hear movement and ruffling at the other end of the line.

“She looks stable, so at least nothing visible, papi told me to call you straight away,” Lullah explained. She really hoped the girl was actually stable.

“Okay, I will be over as soon as I can be, please go make sure she is safe and call me if she looks any worse than she does,” Nikki informed. Lullah could still hear ruffling from the other line.

“I will,” Lullah replied. They said quick goodbyes and Lullah put the family phone back on the wall. She left the kitchen and dashed up the stairs, not wanting to waste a single moment where the unnamed girl could get hurt. She knew Roier was looking over her, and how great he was at caring for kids, but she was still worried, and she had every right to be. She took her home, she’d make sure she was safe.

She didn’t know where Roier had taken the girl, so she looked in every door, waiting to find the pair. Eventually she found a guest room that Nikki often used, the one closest to Roier and Cellbit’s room. There she saw Roier sitting on the bed, a troubled but smiling expression on his face, with the girl tucked in and looking down at her hands on top of the blanket.

“Papi?” she called, waiting at the door. Roier looked over at her and gave a tired but loving smile. Soft in all the ways. “Lullah, what did Nikki say?”

Lullah stepped inside and walked up to the bed, looking at the girl. She stared back. At least she didn’t look scared anymore. Lullah had feared that she had messed things up with her, even if she had somewhat welcomed the older girl. “She said she’d be over quickly, and that we have to make sure she is okay,” she answered to Roier.

Roier sighed. “I keep trying to talk to her, but she isn’t answering me, I don’t think she likes me.” Lullah somewhat understood what Roier was talking about. She had never faced someone who refused to talk to her before. She knew there was a first time for everything, but even in the tiny amount of time she had known the little girl, she didn’t believe that she would simply choose to not talk. She should have at least screamed.

“Give me a moment,” she spoke, backing away from the bed. Roier could make sure she stayed stable while she was away for a few minutes.

She dashed out of the room and made her way around the halls before finding her room again. She entered and went to her drawer, pulling it open and collecting a journal from inside. She hadn’t touched this one yet, as she was still going through her current one, so it was perfect. She stood up and got a pen from her desk before rushing back out of her room and returning to Roier and the girl’s side.

“Here,” she stated as she placed the journal in the girls lap. The girl sat up straight and stared at the book before slowly looking up at
Lullah. Lullah smiled and handed her the pen.
“Can you respond to us please?”

The girl took the pen from her hand and opened the book. The two older people looked as she pulled the lid off her pen and began to scribble slightly. ‘Yes’ appeared on the page in messy scripture.

Roier and Lullah couldn’t help but grin at the action. “There we go,” Roier began. “Are you okay?”

The girl put her pen to paper, but didn’t write anything. Lullah placed a hand on top of her’s. “Does anything hurt?” she asked. She seems to trust her, so she will take a larger role in her care until she realises that Roier can be trusted.

The pen began moving again, and ‘No’ was written in moments. That was good.

“Nikki will be over shortly, will you be okay if she has a look at you and makes sure you’re okay?” Lullah continued to ask. The girl hesitated for a moment, and Lullah was about to ask another, easier question when a ‘Yes’ was scribbled onto the page. Lullah smiled in praise at her.

Roier’s phone began to ring and the girl pushed herself against the headrest at the noise. He quickly stopped the ringing and answered.

“Hello?”

“That’s good, do you need me to come get you?”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

Roier put his phone back in his pocket. “Nikki is downstairs, I’ll be back with her shortly,” he spoke before standing up and leaving the room.

Lullah continued to look at the doorway before she heard the glide of a pen on paper and looked over at the girl once again. The girl had finished writing and tilted her page at her. ‘Is he sad?’ the text wrote.

Lullah’s brow furrowed. Roier was happy most of the time, and he was sad most of the time. Grieving is the term Cellbit had once used. He could never quite stop grieving. He had stopped grieving for Bobby, he was safe and at home and a cause for Roier’s endless happiness, but he always grieved for Tilin. He too had hoped that just like how Bobby and the rest had returned, that it would all end up as one big lie that her life was long over, and that she would show up at their door one day and everything would be okay. Lullah felt somewhat bad that the girl looked so much like Tilin. It must have been an awful shock. He saw Tilin, nearly just as she had left him, but it wasn’t her.

“Yes, but he’ll be okay one day,” Lullah explained. When she was younger, she had asked when Roier would get better, and Cellbit told her when he was ready to get better. She didn’t understand grief back then, but after everything that had happened, she began to understand it. If people let others go easily, without reminiscence, there would be no happiness when people were around.

The girl scribbled once again. ‘Is he sad because of me?’ she wrote.

Lullah thought about her answer for a moment. “No,” she answered. “He’s sad for other reasons, it’s just that today he has reason to think about that sadness.” The girl nodded at her answer, pleased.

Lullah watched her ruby eyes. She knew they were Tilin’s, but they reminded her of Pomme’s and Etoiles’. She thought back to many years ago, very shortly after the concert.

“What’s wrong?” Pomme asked.

Lullah tilted her head. “Why are you asking?” Sure, she wasn’t feeling good at all, she really missed Richas, but she hadn’t said anything.

“I can tell you’re sad, so I want to help,” she answered.

“How do you know?” She wondered if she was that obvious.

Pomme tilted her head back. “Did I never tell you? I can see people emotions through colours,” she explained as if it made all the sense in the world.

“Like synaesthesia?” She didn’t know much about it, she just knew colours came from colourless ideas.

Pomme pointed at her eyes. “Nope, my eyes tell me it, Papa Etoiles doesn’t tell me much about it, says I should be older, but what I do know is colours mean emotions, and it’s our eyes that let us know, he was excited when I came out with red eyes for a reason.”

Lullah accepted it, and now she was wondering if the girl had the same thing. “How did you know to ask if he was sad?”

She shrugged but wrote. ‘He looked odd, face was a bit blue.’

So it was the same. Maybe not as much as Pomme or Etoiles, but her eyes were similar. “You don’t have to worry, he’ll be fine eventually.” She smiled at her words.

They both looked at the door as footsteps were heard, and Nikki and Roier entered the room. Nikki’s eyes landed on the girl and she rushed towards the bed. “Hi, I’m Nikki, are you okay with me helping you here? I want to make sure you’re healthy,” she asked slowly with a kind smile. The girl looked at her and nodded. Lullah hopped off the bed and Nikki took her spot. Lullah went over to Roier’s side and watched as Nikki made her magic happen. She ran her hands along her limbs and put bandaids over a few scratches she had earned. She checked her heartbeat and took her temperature and made sure she was okay.

“Nikki really knows what she is doing,” Lullah mentioned. Nikki was doing everything so quickly and skilled, even with the girls hesitant movements.

“Yeah, she really is amazing,” Roier whispered.

“Well, your check up is all done, you’re good and healthy,” Nikki stated as she stood up. “Even if everything is alright, I’d like to come back in a week and make sure she stays okay, is that good with you?” she asked.

“Yes, that would be good, and feel free to show up before then if you wish, you don't have to show up just because we need you, you're allowed in our home whenever you want,” Roier answered, taking hold of Nikki's hand as he spoke. Nikki's face flushed at the action.

“Yeah! You're awesome, I want to get to see you more even when I don't have the time to come over to your bakery!” Lullah exclaimed. Having Nikki around more would be so fun.

Nikki smiled at the two. “I'll take up that offer, thank you.”

Shortly after the words were said, they heard a distant thump. Confusion spread through the three before an unpleasant thought hit Lullah. Papa.

She took Nikki's hand from Roier's and began to pull her out of the room. “Lullah? What's wrong?” Nikki asked as she moved her legs to keep up with the way Lullah dragged her through the halls.

“It might be Papa, he got into a fight, and he might be really hurt!” Lullah didn't want to wait any longer than they already had to reach him. Nikki had similar feelings, and she took control of her legs and moved alongside Lullah rather than just being dragged through the halls.

It didn't take them being far down the stairs to see Cellbit. He was on his knees on the ground. He was bloody and scraped up, swaying slightly with his hands on the floor trying to keep himself up. He looked like shit.

“Papa!” Lullah shouted as she ran down the stairs, skipping steps and almost tumbled down them.

Cellbit looked up at her with hazy eyes. “Lullah,” he spoke quietly as she fell to her knees beside him. “Those bears are strong, I got them pretty beat, but Fit and I knew we couldn't do anything else, so we got out of there, but it's a miracle we did,” he explained, his voice stopping every few words and breathing heavily.

Nikki met their side and kneeled down as well.
“Cellbit, I'm gonna move you okay? Let's get you on the couch and I can patch you up and look if there's any other damage,” she explained as she looped an arm under his own. She wrapped one of his arms around her neck and she pulled him up carefully.

Lullah stood up and stood close by them, not touching in case she ended up hurting him. Nikki guided the injured man over to the couch, and gently laid him down. She began removing his clothing in a professional manner before looking over at Lullah. “Go get Roier, he should know what's happening.”

True. They did ditch him with the jungle girl. Lullah nodded, looking at Cellbit, who was barely conscious, and running back up the stairs to go get her Papi. She really did do a lot of running today.

She looked into the room she had left the two in and saw Roier talking to the girl. She was writing small answers, and the sight softened the worry that Cellbit's condition had put in her heart slightly.

“Papi,” she called. He looked over at her and the girl frowned slightly at the loss of attention before a small smile graced her lips as her eyes landed on Lullah.

“Lullah, what was the noise?” Roier asked.

Lullah frowned. “It was Papa, he was really hurt, Nikki is patching him up.”

Roier's eyes widened and he stood up quickly. “I have to see him, make sure Hope is okay,” he spoke quickly, rushing out of the room without another word.

Lullah's brain took a small moment to catch up on what he said. Hope? She looked over at the girl and walked up to her before taking
Roier's spot and speaking. “Is your name
Hope?”

The girl shrugged, and then began scribbling down some words. ‘Maybe? He called me it.’

Lullah realised she hadn't asked the girl for a name. “If it's not your name, what is your name?”

She hesitated for a moment before scribbling down words. ‘Project Vessel’.

Lullah found herself grimacing at the words. That's no name. That's a title, and a horrible one for a little girl at that. “Do you like that name?” she asked. She had no place saying anything if the girl herself enjoyed it.

She shook her head before looking down and writing. ‘No, bad name, they gave it to me’. Lullah could guess who they were. She hoped they didn't end up getting away.

“Well, how about we make Hope your name?
Papi already thinks it's a good name for you, and so do I,” Lullah offered. She deserves a nice name.

She looked down before looking back at Lullah's face, smiling shyly. She nodded. Lullah smiled back. She knew that eventually she'd have to bring up the fact she had named her, but while things were busy, she could enjoy the feeling of giving Hope a beautiful name.

“Lullah! Do you know what the commotion is about- That's a child,” Mousey asked from the doorway, before switching to a shocked statement.

“Again? We sure do,” Phoebe stuck her head in as well but paused when she saw the girl. “We sure do save a lot of people and give them homes,” Phoebe spoke slowly, her eyes never leaving Hope.

Hope scooted beneath the blanket a little more, and Lullah reached forward to grab her hand and stabilise her. “She's not part of our family yet,” she wasn't sure if that yet would be true, but she could wish. “But we found her, so she'll be here to stay for a while,” she began to explain.

Mousey stepped in and giggled. “Aww,
Pheebs, we've got another stray kid, don't feel so lonely anymore?” she teased to her closest friend.

Phoebe hesitated for a moment before snapping back to reality. “You're a stray as well, don't act like she's not part of our little gang,” she teased back, putting emphasis on the word ‘our’. Still, even with her words, she acted off. What was going on?

Lullah kept her gaze on Hope, who shyly pushed herself up and our of the blankets slightly. She took her hand back and began writing again. ‘Hi’.

Mousey's expression lit up. “Aww, hi! You're so cute!” she cooed.

Phoebe waved at the girl. “Hi,” she spoke back.

“She's not much of a talker, is she?” Mousey asked.

Hope wrote again and switched the notebook around, showing what she wrote. ‘I can't speak’. This caused all three of them to become somewhat shocked. Sure, she hadn't spoken yet, but had no issue answering with her writing. It hadn't hit her that it wasn't possible for her to do so.

“That's a shame, I bet you'd have such a pretty voice,” Lullah tried to make the situation softer. “But don't worry, we'll make sure you always have a way to tell us things, you're safe and sound here.” Hope smiled and pushed the blankets down her legs, before she got onto her knees and launched herself into a hug. Lullah squealed at the surprise of it all before giggling and wrapping her arms around the girl. It really took no time for her to move from scared of her to loving. What had the Federation done to her?

Mousey continued to coo. “She's just the cutest, we're keeping her right?” Lullah wanted to, but that was Hope's decision.

Phoebe didn't let Lullah answer before she was asking a question. “So, she was what the commotion was about?”

Lullah let her mind wander to Cellbit. “She's a bit of it, but, but Papa is hurt, he was hurt really bad when we saved her from the
Federation.” Lullah's mind loosely hung onto the word Federation. Phoebe was once in the Federation, maybe she knew what was going on with Hope.

Mousey and Phoebe gasped. “Where is he?” Mousey asked quickly.

“He's on the couch,” she answered.

Mousey held out her hand to Hope. “Come on girlie, let's go make sure Cellbit is okay.” Hope looked at her hand and slowly pulled away from Lullah. She grabbed her notebook and carefully took Mousey's hand before hopping off the bed and looking up at her. Mousey held into her hand and lead her out the room.

“I hope she likes Cellbit, he did help save her after all, and she seems to like the rest of us,” Phoebe mentioned.

Lullah decided now was the time. “Phoebe, what do you know about her?”

Phoebe froze up at her words. “I,” she stuttered. “I know too much,” she whispered.

Lullah grabbed her hand and guided her over to sit on the bed beside her. “What do you know? I want to make sure she's safe, and you need help too,” she spoke.

Phoebe sighed and looked at her. “I was part of the team that looked after her, I did a lot of the work, Stein said I was the person for the job,” she began to explain, her voice shaky. Lullah nodded, silently asking her to continue. Phoebe hesitated, but did. “I didn't really want to, but Apollo accepted it for me, I couldn't just say no then, so I did.”

“It's okay, I know you didn't want to do anything so cruel,” Lullah sympathised. Phoebe did cruel things under the
Federation's roof, but Lullah knew that in that kind of environment with her previous family, she had no choice but to act cruel.

“They didn't tell me what I was doing, just that
I had to use,” she struggled with her words, “That I had to turn Tilin into a vessel.” So it really was Tilin. “I did something, I don't really remember how, it was after so many sleepless nights and far too many medicines that kept me awake, but I managed to do something.”

Lullah wondered how Tilin became that girl. “How-,” she began, but Phoebe cut her off.

“I failed, they wanted someone blank, they wanted all traces of the girl that was once there gone, but I couldn't do that, I tried, and she left, but I couldn't make the empty husk I wanted,” she went on and on. “I made it worse, she was a soft reminder of what once was before, but she was a stronger person, they accepted her, saying it was better, but I failed, I hurt. “Her voice was quick, quiet and shaky. Her eyes were wet behind her glasses. Had she really been keeping this inside for so many years?

Lullah scooted next to her more and wrapped her arms around Phoebe, who immediately did the same. She buried her face into Lullah's hair, and sobs could be heard. “I should have never done it, I should have let Tilin live, but, but I didn't, I brought someone else into a world of suffering, she was hurt, I caused that hurt, I'm a horrible person,” her voice came out in hurt bursts.

“You're not a horrible person,” Lullah began.
She could never think of Phoebe as a horrible person. “You were raised in a horrible environment, they took advantage of your shyness and your brain and made you do things you wouldn't normally do under a better situation, if you asked her, she wouldn't hold it against you, so please, don't hold it against yourself.” She let her words run on, hoping they got to Phoebe's heart and melted the pain away, even if it was only slightly.

Phoebe sniffed. “You think so?” she asked. Lullah nodded. “Maybe, maybe I should ask her, when she's better of course, maybe that way it'll be better for both of us, and we can both leave it in the past.”

Lullah smiled up at the older girl. “That would be good, Hope is sure to love you, and she won't hold what you couldn't control against you.” Phoebe held a lot of pain in her heart, but she was slowly letting it go, and this could be another step.

Phoebe tilted her head slightly. “Hope?”

Lullah felt herself freeze. She didn't mean to drop Hope's name so soon. She meant to drop it when they began to think about names. Roier liked it, so she could just agree with him, or if she had to, she'd let it out herself and let him agree. Maybe Phoebe would also like the name?

“It's, it's what I named her, it's pretty, isn't it? Roier said it first, but then I gave it to her, she likes it,” she explained slowly, with a small stutter.

Phoebe gave a soft yet sad smile. “She used to be called the Federation's greatest hope, but now she can have hope for herself, if she likes it, I think it's perfect for her.” It was like the name was destined from the beginning. There were hints of the past for her, but she had a future, she had the present, she had a new family to love her if she accepted them. “I think it's perfect too,” she looked at the door.
She was worried about Cellbit. “Should we go see what's happening downstairs? I want to see if Papa is okay.”

Phoebe nodded and pulled away from her. “That sounds like a good idea, I'd like that as
well.”

The two got up and once again, Lullah left back to the living room. She'd be exhausted by the end of the day, and her legs would certainly hurt tomorrow, but today was a fun, even if somewhat stressful, kind of busy.

They got to the bottom of the stairs and they looked towards the couch, where the rest of the family and Nikki (plus Hope, although Lullah considered her part of the family already) were. Most were standing while Cellbit dazily looked at the ceiling as Nikki placed a pin in a bandage before pulling away, still kneeling next to him.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Like shit,” Cellbit answered. Cellbit was really one to swear around the kids, but Lullah couldn't blame him for saying it how he felt.

“I can't do much else, but I'll get you some pain killers when I can,” she answered. “I could give you a kiss, but I think that only helps children,” she teased.

Roier leaned over the back of the couch.
“Trying to kiss my husband now are you?” Nikki blushed at the words. “Can't believe you two are leaving me out, don't I get to join in on the fun?” he teased back.

This interaction caused a small chuckle to escape from Cellbit. Lullah took this moment as an opportunity to move over to them and talk to her Papa. “Are you okay?” she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

Cellbit smiled small at her. “I'm as okay as I can be, it hurts, but I'll be fine.”

Lullah felt tears well in her eyes. “I don't like seeing you hurt, I love you.”

Cellbit lifted his hand up to cup her face. “I love you as well, that's why I fought, for you and her,” he looked over at Hope before looking back at you. “I'll always fight for you and anyone you decide is worthy fighting for.”

Lullah pushed her face into Cellbit's chest, although she did her best not to hurt Cellbit. He wrapped an arm around her and looked over at Hope. “It's good to see you're safe as well, it's good to see my efforts paid off.”

Hope stared at him for a few moments before stepping forward, right next to Lullah. She reached out and grabbed the hand that wasn't around Lullah and pulled it to her face, making him cup her cheek as he had done to Lullah.

Mousey and Co cooed at the sight. It will be okay. Things were changing again, but they'd always have their family, even if that was slowly changing. Right now, the focus was on Hope and Cellbit's recovery, and life could pick up after that.

Eventually Nikki left and came and left. She gave Cellbit some painkillers and stated she would be coming over every day to check on him, and Cellbit certainly didn't say no to seeing her more. Lullah was excited that she'd get to see Nikki more often.

Time crept into the night, and Lullah found herself in Hope's room. It was easy to consider it Hope's room already, although it was still a guest room.

“Think you'll be able to sleep tonight?” She asked. She knew it was hard to sleep after hardships, had seen it and experienced it. She wanted to make sure Hope was okay, and if she wasn't, she'd help.

Hope nodded and scribbled a word onto the page. ‘Yeah’.

Lullah smiled and laid down next to her. She had given Hope some of her old pyjamas, and she thought she was adorable in them. Even if they were a few years old, they were still a tad bit big on her. Seeing her in her pyjamas, it made her feel like she had a little sister.

Hope scribbled onto her journal again. ‘Why did you come help me?’

Lullah thought blankly after seeing the words. Right, she was lead there. Through a sequence of choices, she was brought to Hope, and she chose to help. “Because you deserved to have better.” It was the best way she could explain how it happened without making it seem like her saving was an accident.

Hope stared at her for a few moments. Lullah didn't know what to think of it, she couldn't read her thoughts. After a few moments, Hope write again. ‘Thank you’, she wrote.

Lullah smiled at him. “You're welcome.”

The door opened and the two looked over at it, and they saw that it was Phoebe who opened the door. She was in her pyjamas, and her glasses were off. There was no way she had planned to come here, this was a sudden choice.

“Hi, were you two about to sleep?” she asked, her eyes struggling to find them, either because of the fuzz filling her vision or a discomfort. It had been so long since she saw her like this, consumed by a guilt.

“No, we were just talking, were you going to sleep soon?” Lullah hit the question back at her.

“Yeah, I was in bed, but I couldn't stop thinking,” she spoke slowly, scratching at her nail. “So, I decided to take your advice.” She walked up to the two and sat on the bed, facing Hope full on. “Hope, I'm sorry that I caused you to come into this world, and for being part of the team that hurt you,” she began. “Please know that I hate myself for it, and that I never wished to hurt you, even if I did.” Her voice was shaky, but she pushed forward. “Please, give me a chance to show I regret it, and that I can be a good person to you,” she finally finished. She took a deep breath and stared at Hope, waiting for a response, and response.

Hope stared back, and Lullah could see the tension rise as Phoebe began to sweat slightly as the silence etched on. Finally, Hope pulled up her book again and began scribbling. The scribbling sound rung through the room, and the time it took for her to spin around the journal felt like an eternity. Finally, Phoebe could read it. ‘I forgive you’.

Tears welled Phoebe's eyes. “Thank you, I won't make you regret it.” Her voice was shaky, and she could barely contain her happiness.

Hope got up onto her knees and opened up her arms for Phoebe to hug her, which she happily did. She held her tight for a few moments before reluctantly letting go. “Thank you, I can sleep peacefully now, and I should do so before it gets too late.” She stood up and looked back at them. “Make sure you don't stay up too late, Cellbit's gonna want to spend some time with you both tomorrow.”

The two nodded and Lullah said her goodbyes while Hope waved. Soon, Phoebe left and the two were left alone. “I'm happy that Phoebe managed to say what she was feeling, she was so worked up over it, and I'm sure you two will end up being good friends.”

Hope wrote again. ‘Yeah, she left long ago, but she was very nice, I liked her.” Lullah smiled at the words. There was nothing to worry about after all.

Lullah yawned. It really was getting late. She got up. “I should go to bed now, and you should too.”

Hope frowned and began writing. ‘Can you sleep here tonight?’ was written on the page.

Lullah stared at the words. She wanted her to stay? Truly? Lullah laid back down and smiled at her. “Of course, I'll stay as long as you want me to.”

Hope smiled back and put her journal on the nightstand before laying down beside Lullah. Hope was by her side, and Lullah hoped she'd continue to stay by her side. She knew she would choose what her life would hold once she could, but Lullah couldn't help but hope that she would choose to be part of their family.

A few days passed, and Hope warmed up
more to them. She fit well into their life, and she seemed to enjoy it. As this happened, they watched as Cellbit healed. It wasn't nearly as bad as it looked, and he was able to move a small amount within a few days. He
still experienced pain, but the painkillers Nikki continued to bring helped.

They found out about the fact Lullah had gone and named Hope, and there was support and reprimanding. Roier found it sweet that Lullah and Hope both liked the name he had been thinking of and had accidently let slip, while Cellbit didn't like that Lullah went ahead and named her herself. It wasn't harsh, just enough to make her know that this is something she should ask about if it happens again. In the end, Hope liked the name, so it became her true name.

“Gatinho, are you sure you're good enough to sit at the table?” Roier asked.

“I'm fine, Nikki said so herself,” Cellbit spoke before looking at Nikki to fund his argument.

Nikki had begun to join them for dinner, so it wasn't odd for her to be here at all. Lullah liked how crowded the table began to be. “You can, I would like it if you still laid down for most of your meals, but as long as it's only once a day, it should be fine and you should continue to heal speedily,” she explained.

“See? As long as it's not too often, I'll be fine,” Cellbit explained.

While this was going on, Lullah watched Hope cut up her food and stick a piece of steak in her mouth. It was cute to see how fast Hope began to pick up on the things she had struggled with at first.

Lullah cut into her tofu once she finally looked away from Hope. Once she did so though, the conversation switched to Hope.

“So, Hope, how has your time here been?” Mousey asked.

Hope put down her utensils and wrote on the notebook she kept with her at all times. One of these days they'd need to get an easier way for her to communicate, but for now, the journal worked just fine. ‘I like it, better than with the mean people’. Phoebe had an odd look on her face. She'd get better eventually, but even after telling her feelings to Hope, she still felt guilty.

The family smiled at her. They also enjoyed having Hope with them. But they all knew what would eventually come, and Cellbit was the one to talk about it first. “So, once you're ready, what should we do?” Hope tilted her head. He continued. “Once you're ready to properly begin your life, where will you go?

The body you're in doesn't have a father anymore, but there are a lot of people who'd like kids, any type of person you'd want as a parent? Or should we make that decision ourselves?”

Hope looked at him with wide eyes. She once again scratched at the paper with her pen. The table was silent beyond that noise. Everyone wanted to know what she would say. This was what would change the life they had gotten used to over the past few days. Finally, she turned the page around. ‘What do you mean? I am staying with you, aren't I? You take care of me and you're not mean to me, so I will stay here.’

Lullah couldn't contain her excitement and immediately jumped out of her seat to hug the girl. “You want to stay? Yes, yes, yes! I'd love for you to stay!” She looked over at her parents. “She can stay right? She can be my sister?” Lullah was already thinking about all the fun she'd have with a new little sister. She loved that she'd get more time with the girl she had grown to adore. Still, she had to wait for her parents to approve.

Her parents looked at each other, communicating in that odd silent way that she had seen so many times over the years, before Cellbit turned back and gave Hope a soft smile. “Okay, we'll adopt you, and you can stay a part of our family.” This caused Lullah to hug her even tighter and for Hope to smile wide. The other girls at the table were happy about this decision as well.

“It's good that she's sticking around, I've been getting so used to her, even if my past with her wasn't great, it was always nice to see her, and that certainly hasn't stopped anytime soon,” Phoebe rambled on. Lullah hoped she could truly be comfortable with Hope in the future, now that they had the time to do so.

“I've also gotten used to her, she's such a cutie, I can't wait to teach her how to be a troublemaker,” Mousey teased. Roier gave a fake glare at her words, which caused her to burst out into giggles.

“I know I don't live here, but it's nice to know that whenever I visit I can see her, she has a charm, she's like Lullah, you can't help but love her,” Nikki went on.

Lullah wasn't thinking much about their words, just that she had a little sister now. She'd continue to protect Hope, even if she wasn't good at protecting people. She'd do whatever she could for the girl who pushed herself into the family as she had done many years ago.

Lullah continued to sleep by Hope's side. She knew one day she'd have to return back to her own room, but for now, she enjoyed spending time with her little sister. The words repeated. Little sister. She was a big sister to this adorable little thing. She couldn't be happier.
She slept easily when Hope was here, and she knew she'd always wake up to her. Although today, she woke up to a surprise.

Her eyes fluttered open and she saw brown skin. She almost screamed at the sight. She had fallen asleep at Hope's side, so she had no idea who this girl was. That was until she saw her nose. It looked like Roier's. It looked like hers. Hope. It was Hope. She had nothing to worry about. She had forgotten how Hope was a draconian due to Tilin's genes. She had freaked out when she had transformed, but it was far less terrifying the second time.

As Lullah stared, Hope woke up. She stared back, her eyes squinting as into say ‘Is there something on my face?’

Lullah got up and gestured for Hope to come with her. She moved to the mirror, and Hope followed. “Look, you look like me.”

Hope stared at her reflection with wide eyes and an open mouth. She was stuck still for several moments before she pointed at her reflection and then pointing back at herself. “Yes, that's you,” Lullah answered the silent question. Hope tilted her head. “You don't have to worry, it happened to me as well, we're both similar, our hearts chose Papa and Papi, and our bodies followed.” Hope had never had a family before, this was all new to her. She hoped she quickly got used to it and found as much joy in looking like her parents as Lullah herself had.

Hope smiled, and it seemed like that day would come soon. Lullah took Hope's hand into her own. “How about we go show them?” she offered. Hope nodded. She didn't have her notebook, and she made no move to go and get it, so this morning would be one of half sided conversations. Not that Lullah minded.

Lullah took Hope out of the room and through the halls. Down the stairs they went, and they saw that Roier and Cellbit were on the couch. “Papa! Papi! Look what Hope has done!” she called as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

The two looked over and their eyes lit up. “Look at you! You look like us!” Roier exclaimed. Lullah was slightly shocked at his reaction. She had somewhat expected him to be sad that the traces of Tilin were gone. But she was happy that he truly saw her as Hope, not just a new Tilin.

Cellbit ruffled Hope's hair. “I didn't realise it would happen this fast, took a while for Lullah to change,” he began to explain. “Must be since we all except it or something,” he added. Roier looked at him, and he pulled away and stood up. “That reminds me, I got some adoption papers, ready to make this
official?”

Hope nodded and Cellbit smiled back. He left towards the kitchen, leaving the three alone.
Lullah leaned forward and hugged the girl. “This is the best! Not only will you be my little sister in heart and looks, but you'll be my little sister in the eyes of the law!” Being a big sister was already so natural to her, a want she must have had for years but never recognised, had it really been that long since Bobby left? But now that the fact she was a big sister was right in front of her, she never wanted to let it go. She'd do her best to not let the past repeat, and she would do everything she can to protect her and show that she is a good big sister.

Hope smiled and snuggled into her arms a little more. “Our family is growing,” Roier whispered. “We'll be a big happy family, just like how it was always meant to be.”

Lullah moved the two to be closer to Roier so he could join in on the hug. “Yes, together, we'll be happy.” Things were different so many years ago. Six years ago, she was alone, hating the family she was given, but she found a better life, and better family, and she would welcome Hope into this Aether on Earth that she had found.

Cellbit returned with papers in his hands. His eyes landed on the group hug. “Without me?” he teased. Roier opened one arm and Cellbit took a place on the couch and joined the hug. They stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away and picking up Hope, placing her on the couch next to him. He took a book off the coffee table and placed the paper on the book to act as a surface before placing it on her lap. He handed her a pen. “Can you sign on the lines for me?” he asked.

Hope took the pen and nodded, scribbling on the paper. They stayed silent while the process happened, eagerly waiting for Hope to finish and for everything to become real. Finally, the last page was flipped and after a few moments, Hope looked up at Cellbit and put the pen down. Within moments she was picked up into a hug. It was official, she was a part of the family. The group hug resumed, and there was a peace that was found.
Everything would be okay as long as Hope was part of their family.

Life returned normally, but far better in Lullah's opinion. Hope was a part of the family, and it couldn't feel more natural. It was almost odd to think there was a time where she wasn't part of the family, but as time went on, Lullah knew she had to pick up her life from before Hope again.

She stared at Hope, who was playing with Delilah and holding a string for her to chase. She loved being a big sister, but she didn't know what being a big sibling was meant to be, if she was doing it right or if it was meant to feel like this. So, she decided to go see Leo and ask her about it. Sure, she had little siblings twice, but it’s not like either of them stayed. She wanted to make sure Hope stayed.

A little while ago, Leo's wish came true, and her other parent decided to get in contact with him. His name was Willy, and he was guilty at what he did, and wanted to try and reconnect.

Leo felt betrayed, and blew off many of the letters he had sent at first, but eventually curiosity and want got the better of her and she started answering back. Through this new connection, she learned she had a new little brother named Pepito. She rarely got anything from him, at most a sentence at the end of a letter occasionally.

But one day two years ago, Willy and Pepito moved to the island, along with a girl named Tina, who was coincidentally a friend of Foolish's, and family was something Leo now got to have. He still lived with Foolish, but that's because the rest of his family had moved in with her, rather than uprooting his life. And because Willy didn't have much money to be working with, it's not like he could get a house for them, plus Foolish's dragon was beautiful.

Leo would understand how Lullah was feeling, and could give her advice. Of course, this wasn't the only reason she wanted to go. Leo was someone very close to her heart, who she could never stop herself from thinking about. Her heart dragged her to him at all times, and the idea of going any longer without seeing him made misery etch into her brain. This was for her, but also her role as a big sister.

“Hope?” she called. Hope looked up at her and Delilah scrambled into her lap. “Want to come visit one of my friends? She has a little brother you can talk to,” she explained.

Hope leaned over to her book, trying her best not to disturb Delilah, who was happy on her lap. She scribbled an answer down. ‘Yes please’. Hope hadn't been out yet, so this would be good for her.

“Alright, let's go then,” Lullah stated. Hope placed Delilah back on the bed and got up, waving to the animal. Lullah couldn't help but do the same. “We'll be back soon, be good, okay?” she spoke to the ferret. Delilah made a happy squeal at the words. How adorable.

The two left for the dragon, Hope holding onto Lullah's and the entire way. The island interested her, and Lullah knew she should make sure to take Hope out a lot more so she could explore and find familiarity in the island.

Eventually they ended up at the dragon, and Lullah knocked at the door. After a few moments, the door opened, and Tina was greeting them. “Hi! It's been a while, hasn't it?” Tina asked. “And I see you brought Hope, I was wondering when I'd get to meet her, lovely to finally do so,” she spoke. Hope waved at her, still holding onto Lullah's hand.

“It has been a while, is it okay if Hope hangs out with Pepito while I talk to Leo?” Lullah asked.

Tina smiled. “Of course, why don't you two come inside? Leo is with Foolish and Willy, and I'll go get Pepito.” She moved out of the way for the two, and the two entered.

Lullah looked over at Leo, who was talking with Willy and Foolish as Tina had said. She was more comfortable with Foolish, but Lullah could see she was also much more comfortable talking to Willy than she had been at the start.

Leo looked over at Lullah and got up, ditching his conversation. “Lullah! You didn't show up for a week, I was worried!” he stated while taking Lullah into a hug. Lullah eagerly hugged back, her face finding a place on his shoulder. “I hear you've got a sister now, is this Hope?” he asked, looking down at the girl.

Lullah pulled away and gestured to Hope. “Yep, since a few days ago, she's now legally my sister, although I considered her my sister since day one.” How could she not? She was just so cute.

“Of course you did, you have always got attached to people fast,” Leo teased.

“Hey, you got attached to me fast, I've done nothing wrong,” Lullah teased back. Talking to Leo was easy. Perhaps that's why she considers him her closest person. Many years ago, it was Pomme and Chayanne, she had stated so, but here she is now. Leo means a lot to her, and just as she had promised to protect Hope, she would also protect Leo.

“I’ve got Pepito!” Tina called. They looked over to see a boy holding Tina’s hand. He was looking past them, right at Hope. “Guess he wants to be friends already, that makes things easier,” she stated as her eyes switched between the two kids.

Pepito lifted his hand and waved. “Hi,” he greeted. Hope scribbled down a greeting and turned her book. Pepito smiled and let go of Tina’s hand. He stepped up to her. “Do you want to go play?” he asked. She nodded enthusiastically and he pulled her away to go and play.

“It’s nice to know she is making her first friend,” Lullah spoke as she watched them leave.

“Pepito really was excited to make a friend,”
Leo mentioned. “So, what brought you and
Hope here?”

“Could you teach me what I should know on how to be a good big sister?” she asked with a cock of her head.

Leo smiled. “Of course,” he spoke. He took her hand, “Let’s go to my room,” he offered. She nodded and they too removed themselves from the adults.

Once in her room, Lullah sat on his bed, where he moved to sit beside her. There was barely any space between them, and Lullah could feel his very presence.

“So, what should I know?” Lullah asked.

Leo placed a hand on her chin. “I’d say the best thing to know would be that you’re not going to be their best friend forever.”

Lullah pouted. “Why not?” she asked.

“Just like we choose our best friends, they will too, and just because we’re always there doesn’t mean they’ll choose us, and once it happens, it’ll be easier to deal with than you think it will be,” Leo explained.

Lullah sighed. She would have to get used to that. It was easy to believe she could be Hope’s best friend forever, but she had her cooped up in a room for her entire time outside of the lab. She was meeting people now, and she’d have to accept what Hope chose. If she can’t be her best friend, she’ll just be the best big sister ever. “Okay, thank you, give me more advice.” She’d learn, even if it hurt.

Leo spent nearly an hour explaining everything to her. Lullah nodded and hummed with an occasional response. Luckily, none of the other advice was so cruel.

“And that’s all I can think of,” Leo spoke.

Lullah took Leo’s hands in her’s. “Thank you! You’re the best!” she exclaimed.

Leo blushed at her. “You’re welcome, anytime.”

There was a knock at the door, and they pulled away from each other. Leo moved to the door and opened it, and to their surprise, Mousey was there. “What brought you here?” Leo asked.

Mousey looked past him at Lullah. “Richas is home, I'm here to bring you home so you can see them again.”

Lullah felt excitement tear through her body. Richas was back! Their home would feel a little more full again! No matter how talking they did over the phone, it would never best talking to it face to face.

Lullah bounced on her toes. “Yes! I will come home!” she spoke before looking at Leo. She didn't get to spend as much time together as she had wanted, as she had completely forgot about the plan for Richas to return. “Leo, would you like to come see Richas again?”
Leo smiled at her. “Yes, I'd love to.”

“How about you stay for dinner as well?” Mousey offered. Leo immediately agreed to that as well. The castle would feel full again.

The three returned to the main room and saw Pepito and Hope already by the door. Pepito looked sad at Hope's departure, but as Hope turned her page around, he lit up. They must have found a friendship with each other already.

“We'll be taking Leo with us, is that an issue?” Mousey asked.

“No, he's not gotten out much lately, we know he won't cause any trouble,” Willy stated. He placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. “Be good, okay?” Leo nodded and smiled. They still weren't entirely used to each other, but they were getting better every day.

Hope pulled away from Pepito and walked up to them. She made an odd looking L with her hand and placed it near her face before pulling it away. Lullah tilted her head. Hope got her book again and wrote. ‘Pepito says that's how you say hi in sign language’.

Lullah had never thought about introducing sign language to Hope, mainly because she didn't know it. That would make communicating easier for her. Perhaps she can also learn. “Good job, you should use that more often,” she encouraged.

Hope smiled brightly at her. “Alright, we've got our crew?” Mousey asked. They nodded. “Alright, back home we go.”

They said their goodbyes to the residents of the dragon, and the four made their way back home. Lullah watched as Hope walked alongside Mousey, as she herself walked by Leo, their arms pressing against each other. She remembers the days where most of her time going out would be with a parent, or because they trusted her to go somewhere alone. Going places simply because she decided to wasn't something she had in her past. Well, she did, but it included lying. Funny how things change. Change isn't only something someone must work towards, but it's something that simply happens with the change of time as well.

They made it back to the castle, and it didn't take long before Lullah felt a heavy weight slam against her chest. “Lullah! I missed you!” She heard a voice speak. Richas. Richas was home. She wrapped her arms around the kid. They were bigger than she'd remember, but it was the same Richas nonetheless.

“I missed you too,” she spoke against their hair. They finally pulled away and she got a better look at it. They really had grown, they still looked like a kid, but it was definitely older than when it had left. Richas looked over at her side and tilted their head. “Is this Hope?” it asked.

Hope did the sign yet again. Richas didn't know sign language, but seemed to take it as an odd wave and waved back. “I'm so lucky, getting two sisters to bother.”

A hand ruffled at Richas’ hair. “Don't harass your sisters,” Cellbit warned. He was fully healed at this point. Or at least mostly, there may be a cut or two, but he could move around freely at this point. “Leo came with you?” he asked.

“Yes, I'll be staying for dinner if that's okay with you,” Leo answered.

Cellbit smiled. “Of course, you're always welcome here.”

“Is everyone welcome here?” Nikki asked from a doorway. When did she come over?

Lullah could hear Roier from in the room Nikki came from. “Our house is a meeting spot and we just have to accept that.”

There were many people here, and many who came and went. No matter what changed, her home was a comfort to many. You could stay for an hour, a day, or forever, as this home was much larger than just a family.

Richas spoke many of their stories as they waited for dinner, and it only continued as dinner started. Many people began sharing stories of their own, and the table felt alive. Chatter and love filled the room, and Lullah felt content. This was what life was meant to be. Her life was stuck on this island, but her life was also stuck in a loving community. She could wonder what was beyond what she knew, but for now, all she knew was love.

“Is it really time?”

“Of course, we don't have much more.”

“But can't we wait until they're older? They're children, the younger is only twelve, are we really shoving the worlds’ issues into children's hands?”

“Ren, believe me, if we had time, I would agree, but we don't have time, so it's now or never.”

“Miika…”

“Do you not trust them?”

“I do, but what if what we do is useless?”

“It won't be useless, we'll at least go down
fighting.”

“Okay, you're right, I'll send it down to Pomme.”

“And I'll send mine down to Lullah, and then we just have to pray to the gods above.”

“We are the gods above, there's only one to pray to now.”

“Then we'll pray to everything, and hope they can stop him.”

Chapter Text

Hope stepped up onto the stool, leaning over to grab her toothbrush. It was pink, kept beside Lullah's purple one. She smiled as she put toothpaste onto it. She had found a place in this castle, in this family, and she was never going to let it go. She began brushing her teeth as the calm of her situation washed over her. She hoped that sort of feeling would last forever, as she never wanted to go back to home she felt in that dingy, cramped lab. Always being watched, always being dehumanised. She didn't even get a proper name. But she didn't have to worry, it was all different now.

So much changed as these last few weeks etched on, and even as fears arose of how she may wake up and have it all be a dream, she held onto the hope she was named after. After all, she had her family, she had Lullah, who was always there to show that she will never be alone or scared again. That's why she was so eager to grab a hold of the mission that her Daddy had given her that day, which would all be for Lullah.

She felt bubbled toothpaste fall down her chin and quickly finished up her brushing, wetting her face and making sure she looked presentable for the day. After all, she would be spending the day with Bobby, a boy who had once lived in this very castle, and his close friend Evie, who she was quite fond of. She skipped out the bathroom and ran down the stairs, trying her best not to skip many of them and tumble down to the bottom, putting a stop to her plans. She met the bottom and moved to a sprint, tossing herself at Evie, who was having a conversation with Bobby.

The girl shrieked before turning around and realising who was gripping onto her waist. "Oh! Hope, what brings you down here? Coming to see us off?" Evie asked as she turned to hold the younger girl better. Hope really liked Evie. Having met her a few weeks ago, she became a staple part of Hope's social life. She was like a second big sister, the way she taught her things such as how to braid her hair and even some more simple sign language. She had only been learning for a few weeks, but she could hold a conversation now.

"Nah, dad asked me to take her along for a very secret mission." Bobby explained, bringing Hope out of her musings and pulling her away from the taller girl as he gently took her hand. He leaned down slightly to speak to her. "Are you up to the task, Agent Hope?" Hope adored how secretive it all sounded. But then again, this was the biggest secret she had ever held.

Her grin was the only answer he needed. He moved to pick her up, giving her a piggyback ride. She giggled silently against his throat. “Alright ladies, ready to go?” Evie gave two thumbs up, one for the both of them. They went off to complete their mission.

Soon they passed by the gardens, where she could see that daddy Cellbit was doing his weekly training with Dapper. Cellbit let out a burst of fire before gesturing to the same spot. Dapper followed suit with his own fire, and Hope's eyes dazzled as she noticed that the flame was as big as her daddy's. Dapper was so cool. Almost as cool as Cellbit, she couldn't say he was cooler, that felt like she was going against some unwritten rule about family.

“Lucky you, you get to watch this all the time, don't you Hope?” Evie asked as she watched with her own wonder as Dapper matched Cellbit's skill level. Hope nodded enthusiastically, her head almost hitting Bobby. They welcomed her to watch a while ago after catching her looking from a distance. She would cheer from the sidelines, tossing her arms up to make up for her lack of noise. She was often cheering for Dapper, especially after she was pulled into the training after Cellbit asked Dapper to teach what he was just taught to Hope. He stated it was so Dapper could properly absorb what he was being taught, but the way he smiled at the two of them let Hope know that he had seen how much she wanted to be taught herself. After Hope had succeeded, Dapper ruffled her hair. Dapper really was the coolest, and she couldn't wait for the next time she'd be able to be taught by the boy.

“Hope! What have I said about watching from the sidelines? Come over and talk to your father!” Cellbit shouted teasingly as he turned to them, having caught them red handed.

The two older kids flushed in embarrassment at being caught staring while Hope waved happily at her dad. They made their way over to Cellbit and Dapper, who were waiting for them to join them. “Hey dad,” Bobby answered. It was amusing how Bobby had so quickly taken Cellbit as his stepdad, especially considering he didn't spend many days around the castle anymore.

“Hello Mr. Cellbit,” Evie said with a cheerful wave. Her experience being raised around the lab was always showing, but not in the same way Hope often saw with Phoebe. Hope somewhat wondered who she would have ended up more like if she had simply been raised as ‘someone in the lab’ rather than ‘experiment’.

Cellbit leaned over and ruffled Hope's hair. “Never could get enough of magic could you? Always magic with you, I don't know what I'd do if magic didn't exist,” Cellbit teased his youngest.

Dapper chuckled from beside him. “Don't act like magic's all there is, she loves history too, doesn't she? I've seen her running around the bookstore carrying history books at least three times, unless you're getting her to run your errands for you.”

Evie stared up at Hope. “History huh? Never thought you'd be into that.” She loved Evie, but it's not like the word ‘History’ had come up in their sign language lessons yet.

“Yeah, she's obsessed, whenever I go to read her a bedtime story it's either a spellbook or a history book,” Cellbit leaned over and plucked Hope from Bobby's shoulder, holding her close to his face in feigned annoyance. “Had to get obsessed with non-fiction after I got all those fiction books for you, didn't you?” Hope leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He cooed at her and placed her down.

“Damn,” Bobby stated. “What is she reading before bedtime? 1776? An Army At Dawn? A Woman of No Importance?” she asked. “I can't really grasp what a kid could like about history books, she may be the only kid alive who likes that kind of stuff as a bedtime story.”

Hope was shaking in excitement. She truly wished she knew enough words to explain everything she loved about her books. She would need to start bringing her notebook around again, to make sure she could speak when she didn't know the words with her hands. Luckily, Cellbit was happy to explain. “There's two books she asks for all the time, ‘Magic and It's Creations’ and ‘Primordial Primes’, she can never get enough of those.”

‘Void to light and Shadow and then to fire, air, and water,’ she quickly signed. She wanted to say more, talk about how the Void was where it all began before Gaia and her children separated it, which soon became the other elements. Once her vocabulary grew, there was no way Bobby or Evie would escape her rambles of the primordials and their magic and worship. They had magic of their own after all, and heavily built history. She's sure Bobby would adore it, especially considering their curiosity and playing around with the magic created new ways of magic and using it, eventually leading down to the blue flames he had begun to adorn over the years.

“Hope's about to explode,” Bobby teased. “Fine, fine, how about once this is all done the three of us sit down and read those books together? Don't want you bursting in the meantime.” Hope bounced and repeatedly did the sign for ‘yes’, causing the group to chuckle. She made sure to calm herself. She had a job to do, sharing her loves could happen later, even though she almost wanted to ditch the mission for it. This was for Lullah, and she came first.

Cellbit nodded at the words. “Will you be going to Jaiden’s?” Cellbit asked. This was met with a tilt of the head from Bobby. “I remember you saying you were going to go see her today before the planning, or did your plans change to even later?”

Bobby’s face drained of colour, and he started saying several curse words but cut them all off before they could be completed. “Ugh, I forgot about that! I knew I should have spent the night there!” he complained vocally. He turned to the two girls. “I am so sorry, I have to go, I will be right back, just, please, for now keep yourselves occupied.” Without another word he was rushing away from the group, presumably to Jaiden’s house.

“That was unfortunate, forgetting to go see her, I hope she’s okay waiting,” Dapper added to the conversation.

Cellbit placed a hand on his shoulder. “She’ll be as fine as she can be.” The words were something Hope had heard many times. As good as she can be. She hadn’t been around to see the Jaiden many of her friends had seen, but even she knew that this version of Jaiden was something new. Hope thought she was sick by the way people talked about her, and while her parents had said it was somewhat true, they claimed it was closer to her brain being sick than her actual body. Cellbit turned to them again. “So, what will you two be doing in the meantime?”

Evie made an odd face. “I say we go get Chayanne already, that’s where we were planning to go anyways, and frankly we don’t have enough time today to be wasting time waiting for Bobby to come back,” she reasoned. “Chayanne’s is close enough that with a message telling him where we are, there won’t be any hiccups.” They did have to distract Lullah quickly.

Cellbit nodded at the pair. “Alright, if he comes back I’ll send him on his way, make sure to message me if anything goes wrong, alright?”

The two girls nodded and said their goodbyes, starting the small journey to Chayanne’s house. Hopefully Bobby isn’t too upset that they chose to do their own thing, although chances are he’ll accept it readily, thinking they had a much better idea than he did. The fact it was Hope and Evie making the decision over anyone else made it softer on their part.

Evie wrote in a quick message explaining the situation to Bobby as they walked down the forest path together. Hope took this time to take in the scenery. Despite coming through this path countless times before with her sister, Hope could never help but gaze at the striking red leaves that clung to the giant trees. They created the perfect canopy up above, although recently she had seen more and more fall to the ground, covering the grass and path. She stepped in a small pile of the crunchiest fallen leaves and thought about what Dapper had said once. The falling leaves and chill in their air spoke of the oncoming winter. They didn’t know much about what winter held, but she was excited to be going through her first one outside of the lab so quickly.

"It’s getting cold kinda late this year, wonder what that’s about,” Evie spoke offhandedly before looking down at Hope. “But luckily it got cold before Winterfest, do you know what that is?” she asked.

Hope nodded excitedly at Evie. She had certainly been told about that with how excited the whole family was for it. ‘Yes, give gifts to family and eat until daddy notices!’ She signed as high as her arms could reach, hoping for it to somehow come off as a shout.

Evie giggled at the words. “You’ve got a good idea as to what it is, but I better get a gift from you too, even if I’m not family.”

‘I see you as family,’ Hope signed at a normal altitude.

Evie placed a hand over her chest, roughly where her heart was and cooed. “You really are just the cutest, what did this island ever do to deserve you?” Hope smiled largely at her words. Evie always knew exactly what to say to raise Hope’s spirits from a 10 to an 11.

As they continued down the path, they couldn’t help but be caught off guard by the sound of someone humming. It sounded like it was relatively close by as well, although it certainly wasn’t Evie’s voice, or anyone else Hope would know to guess. Hope recognized the song quite quickly. She had heard it recently, no more than a few days ago from one of the many friends Mousey had brought into their home. Although the current voice was a tad too deep to be the girl Mousey had brought, and the melody was different to how she had hummed the rhythm.

Hope followed the tune, and Evie followed her without a second thought. They deterred off the path slightly and found the source of the music sitting on a large, flat rock. It was a very tall blonde guy, hunched over slightly and carving into some wood. He must have been doing so for quite some time, as the wood was taking the shape of a long snout. They watched him move onto pulling small pieces of wood off some of the more untouched wood as he continued to hum.

Evie was the one to bridge the remaining distance between them and the man. Boy? How old was he? Hope couldn’t really tell, especially with the way his face was contracted in concentration, causing significantly more wrinkles than would exist normally. "Hey there Chayanne." Chayanne? She had heard that name before, even if she hadn’t seen him before. She knew he was part of this plan that they were doing for Lullah, and that he was a close friend of Lullah’s. She had been walking by Lullah’s room many times in the night to get some midnight water when she’d hear his name being spoken with a slightly muffled laugh. At first she was scared she was sneaking her friends in without their parents permission, but Lullah had since explained what phone calls and facetimes were to her, while making Hope promise not to tell their parents how many nights she was staying up talking to her friends.

Chayanne’s concentration broke as soon as the words were spoken. His gaze was pulled away from the wood and he scanned their faces, his expression, which moments before had been pushed together, was now pulled out in surprise. "Oh!” he exclaimed as he realised what was going on. He pulled his shoulders up to get himself out of his hunch. This new position made him feel far more powerful than his smaller frame had done. “Hi Evie,” he looked down at Hope. “Nice to meet you, Hope.” Hope waved at Chayanne. Lullah was so good at making friends, they’re all so cool so far.

“You looked really lost in thought, didn’t even realise we were here until I spoke,” Evie teased the older boy.

Chayanne looked a little flustered at the words. “Yeah, sorry for not noticing you two,” he apologised. “Making a mask is harder than it looks, wish I had known that before I started this, or I would have learned more, or given myself more time,” he rambled as he held the mostly finished mask up. So that’s what it was. “Add mana into the mix and it’s exhausting, I already feel my mana reaching its end." As he finished explaining, the small, carved in lines of the mask began glowing.

Hope’s mouth opened in wonder as she watched the pretty sight. Evie was showing it her own wonder, but it looked more subdued. ‘Why does it,’ she began signing but got caught on the word glow. She instead just gestured to the mask.

“Glow,” Evie finished while signing the word. Hope tucked it away in her memory for later.

Chayanne smiled at the question. “It’s the mana, this isn’t just a regular mask, it’s one that shows my very devotion,” he began to explain, a happy glint in his eyes. Hope nodded in interest, and Chayanne continued "Making these masks is a tradition in my family, my dad did it and his family did it, and now it’s my turn to do so.”

‘Why?’ Hope signed, sitting down with her legs crossed. She was hoping this was a long conversation.

“It's the way of showing we are the heralds of the Ruler of Death,” Chayanne spoke, smiling at the way Hope’s eyes shone. She was bouncing at the mention of one of the rulers. Bobby was right when he said that her actions were similar to feeling like she was about to burst. Chayanne laughed and derailed the conversation a bit. “You know, that's my mum.” If Hope could scream, she would have at that moment. She had been talking to a descendant of one of the rulers? Her big sister was friends with a descendant of one of the rulers? Today just got better and better.

“Come on Chay, don’t kill her, we just got her,” Evie joked.

Chayanne rolled his eyes teasingly. “I won’t, I promise, Lullah would kill me.” It wasn’t entirely untrue, perhaps even more true than Hope realised. He turned his attention back to Hope and continued with the explanation. “My family has been devoted to her and the cycle of rebirth for centuries. Occasionally a person or two would go and devote themselves to one of the other five rulers, but most of the time my family has stuck to Kristin.” It all felt so fictional, the constant dedication. Hope was so happy she got to see it with her own eyes.

“Since I turned 17 recently,” so there was her answer, “she has finally offered to take me in as well, as a proper follower, just as she had done for all my ancestors before me.” As Chayanne spoke, there was the amazed and proud look on his face. Even if they didn’t have his words to say how happy he was about the situation, it was clear just from the look on his face that he believed he had made it just from the simple question of if he wanted to be taken in as a follower. Hope vaguely wondered if she’d ever feel that overwhelming sense of pride. “And so I got to making my mask to show it, I chose a kitsune to represent me, pretty cool huh?” He gazed at the mask again. “If I’m strict with myself, I’ll have it done by the end of the day, and then there’s just painting it and I’ve got a fully complete physical reminder of my devotion.”

Hope could only stare up at him with awe. ‘You’re so cool,’ she signed.

Chayanne grinned wider and leaned over to ruffle her hair under her beanie. “Thanks, you’re pretty cool as well, Lullah said a lot about you, but now I see she wasn’t just exaggerating like siblings do sometimes,” he leaned back. “Don’t tell her I said this, but she wasn’t as good at charades as I used to tell her, I was just being a good brother.” It was odd hearing the words from Chayanne. She knew that the family she was now a part of was bits and pieces of other families that pushed together into something new, but it would take a long time to remember that Lullah, like herself, once had a completely different life. Still, she wasn’t upset over it, Lullah would always choose her new family while keeping the close bonds of her previous.

“Speaking of Lullah,” Evie began. “Where is she, wasn’t she supposed to be with you?” Now that Chayanne had gotten the chance to rant about how great his life was and fill Hope’s curiosity, it was time to ask the important questions.

Chayanne became flustered again. “Okay, I get it, finding me alone on a day like this doesn’t look good, but I promise, I didn’t ditch her,” Chayanne explained. He was making himself sound incredibly guilty, as no one had accused him of ditching Lullah. “But Pomme had come around and wanted to spar with her, and well, I really wanted to finish this mask, so I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and let Lullah run off with her,” he explained fully.

“So she’s at the mansion?” Evie asked. Chayanne responded with a nod. “Well, guess we better go there next then, we need to make sure she is being distracted in the right way, and at least Pomme is time consuming.” Hope knew what Evie was saying was true. Pomme and Lullah could spend hours together doing anything. Still, they needed to make sure their anything didn’t interrupt their something special they had planned.

“I know a lot about time consuming,” they heard from behind them. They twisted around to see Bobby standing there. “Sorry that took so long, you know how mum is, she hasn’t left the house in weeks, and she needed someone to talk to,” he spoke with a tired drawl. Hope frowned at Bobby’s words. She knew she wasn’t sick, and yet every time someone spoke about her, it just sounded like more evidence towards her being sick. She didn’t like all this conflicting information, but stayed quiet about it. Bobby already had enough stress with his mum’s condition, he didn’t need to be questioned about the truth of it all.

“Good to see you back,” Evie responded, her voice softening at both the fact that Bobby was here and a way to match his energy. “Sorry we ran off, we just really needed to make sure Lullah was distracted.”

Bobby waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, it’s fine, smarter than what I was thinking.” He looked at the path he had come from. “But why are you here? I thought you said you were going to Phil’s?”

Evie gestured at Chayanne. “We were, but we found our target here, and without Lullah.”

Bobby gave Chayanne an odd look, which Chayanne immediately defended himself against. “She’s with Pomme, so you should go there, don’t think I would just brush her off, she’s my sister.”

Bobby nodded, accepting Chayanne’s answer, but his expression quickly fell. “Is this how today will go? Going from place to place?” he asked. It was likely how it was going to go. Sure, staying in one place would be useful, convenient, but everyone on this island knew how all over the place it was. Hope nodded. Bobby sighed and placed his hand on his face. “I’m sorry, mum has been so worried about me lately, and she was talking about how she wishes she knew where I was more often, and I know it wasn’t an actual request, but I can’t upset her, not when she’s in this state.” There was a stress that covered Bobby in a way that Hope understood no one else was seeing in the same way as her.

Evie placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry everything is the way it is right now, you deserve a chance to rest and be able to keep Jaiden happy.” Hope didn’t like this situation at all. She had an easy time with family, but now she was beginning to see the parts of family that are confusing, hurtful to all parties involved even if no one was doing the hurting. This day was for her sister, but the world didn't stop for that, family issues didn't stop to make her family happy.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Chayanne stood up, towering over both of the other older kids now. He also placed a hand on Bobby’s shoulder. “How about you and Evie go help back at the castle, that way you will get to stay in one spot and Jaiden can rest easy.” Before either could ask what would come of Hope, he continued. “In the meantime, I’ll do my job with Hope and make sure Lullah is distracted.”

Bobby was on board with this idea, but Evie had questions. “Are you sure? I thought you said you wanted to get your mask done?”

Chayanne waved his hands dismissively. “That doesn’t matter, I shouldn’t have brushed off my responsibility in the first place, the least I could do is go do what I was asked and make things easier for Bobby.” He turned to look at Hope. “And we’ll have fun together, won’t we?” Hope gave a big thumbs up.

Bobby smiled at Chayanne. “Thanks, I’ll make it up to you another day.” He turned towards Evie. “Come on, let’s go see what we can help with.” Evie gave a firm nod and they bid their goodbyes, finding the path again and making their way back to the castle.

Hope finally got up from her setting position and shook her legs to get rid of the tingly feeling. ‘Will we go see my sister now?’ she signed.

Chayanne nodded. “Yep, Lullah, here we come.” As he said those words, Hope was picked up and soon she was being given a piggyback ride down the path. She giggled silently against Chayanne’s neck. Despite having only just met him, she thought he was really cool. She couldn’t believe how awesome he was and how cool his life was. She was slightly jealous that Lullah once got to have this guy as a big brother. She wouldn’t swap Lullah for any other big sibling, but Chayanne certainly would make it onto the list of maybes.

After quite a long walk that Hope was glad she didn’t have to make with her own legs, they made it to a giant French mansion. It overlooked the town, and standing next to it, Hope couldn’t help but feel tiny next to it. She was used to the giant castle she lived in, but something about the mansion was different. It commanded something completely different. While her castle home commanded power, the mansion commanded regality. It was so shocking that Lullah’s best friend lived within these very walls.

The doors were open, so they just made their way inside. As she clung to Chayanne, she took in the surroundings. Hope was very glad that she had Chayanne, as these halls were practically a maze. She had only recently gotten used to the maze of halls that was the castle. She kept referencing the castle with this mansion, but it truly was something so detached from her own home that it simply felt confusing. Would she ever get used to it? She kinda hoped she didn’t. She was one to not like unanswered questions, but mazes were different. She liked that she didn’t know.

She didn’t have to think about it for long, and with almost practised skill, Chayanne had taken them to the back of the house where a courtyard lay. Hope got off of Chayanne’s back almost immediately, as her eyes immediately caught Lullah.

She was sparring with a girl that was barely taller than Hope if she had to make a guess, but she also guessed that she was several years older than her. She called it sparring like Chayanne had, but honestly it felt more like an all out battle. Spells were being cast and weapons were drawn, movement everywhere in the courtyard was happening so fast that Hope didn’t know how to keep up with any of it. All she knew was that this felt dangerous. Not dangerous to them, they were doing every action with mastered skill, but more dangerous for her as an onlooker. She stepped closer to Chayanne, hoping if anything did come their way, he would protect her from it.

He sensed her fear and shouted towards the battlefield. “Girls! You have company!”

Within moments, the battle was forgotten and they stood as they looked at who had been watching them. It felt like they had been broken from a trance at how quick the change had happened. She now got a chance to look at the state the two were in. Surprisingly, neither were even sporting a bruise despite what had been happening. However she did notice that the blonde girl was noticeably more tired than Lullah was. Hope smiled at the realisation. Lullah was always so strong, it only made sense that this fight was easier on her than it was on the other. The primordials could strike her down if feeling a little smug at the idea was bad.

After a few moments passed and Lullah caught her bearings, she was rushing over to Hope and enveloping her in a hug. “Aww, you came to see me? I haven’t seen you all day, this is so sweet,” she cooed, but quickly pulled back and took a slightly more serious tone. “But please, be careful, Pomme and I know what we’re doing, but we didn’t realise you were here, so we could have hurt you.”

Hope found herself nodding in apology, but pointed towards Chayanne. ‘He would protect me,’ she signed as she brought her hand back down from her point.

Lullah looked up at Chayanne and smiled. “Well, maybe I don’t have as much to worry about.”

Chayanne shook his head. “Not at all, I knew what I was doing.”

While this was going on, Lullah’s sparring partner walked up to Hope. “So, you’re Hope right?” she asked. She really was tiny, her guess was right. She nodded. The girl smiled warmly at her. “I should have known, your sister has told me so much about you, feels like I’ve known you as long as she had already, maybe even longer.” She held out her hand. “Name’s Pomme in case you were wondering, although you probably already knew.” She did. Hope took her hand and shook it. Pomme continued to speak. “That lilac is beautiful, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it,” she spoke as she pulled her hand away.

Hope looked down to check if she was wearing any lilac. She wasn’t. What was Pomme on about? Noticing Hope's confusion, Pomme chuckled. “Confused, aren’t you?” she asked with a strange tone. Hope nodded, wanting to know what she was talking about. “Should have thought about that before I spoke, sorry about this, I’m so used to people just knowing at this point.”

‘It’s okay,’ Hope signed. Pomme could just explain it to her and then it would be that people just know again.

Pomme leaned over slightly and pointed at her red eye. Hope had barely even noticed that she had heterochromia. Such a gorgeous red and such a vibrant blue worked so well together, so outlandishly cool looking it simply felt natural on the girl. "It’s my eye that lets me see things that most others can’t,” she began to explain before pulling back and standing up straight. “I inherited it from Papa Etoiles, he has two of them, but mine is no less strong.” Hope didn’t know exactly what would be diluted, but she was eager to learn more anyways. She didn’t have to wait long for her to continue. “Our red eyes allow us to take a glimpse into your soul and perceive the colour of it.”

Hope found herself shaking again, the same way she often did whenever she had questions with no answers. ‘Colours mean what?’ she managed to sign. She was awfully proud of how far her vocabulary had come, but she still did only have a few weeks of trying under her belt.

Pomme smiled brightly, eager to be able to talk of her powers to such a ready audience. Even if that audience was only one person. “It allows us to see what emotion you’re feeling, sometimes it is something that just encompasses who someone is, but most of the time it’s the small, temporary emotions people face.” The power felt so similar to how she felt. She remembers back when she first left the lab and how she could feel it in her very soul that Roier was sad, and earlier that day where it felt like Bobby’s stress radiated from his very being. It was her goal once she knew how to put her questions into words to ask Pomme more about it, but she had temporary questions for the meantime.

She pointed to herself before pulling away and signing, ‘Me?’ She gave a tilt of her head so it came across as a question.

“As I said, you’re lilac, and by far the strongest and best I’ve seen in a long time, maybe ever, so I’m to guess you’re one of the most curious people on this island, right?” Hope couldn’t help but nod with a large smile at the accusation. Curious was by far the best way to describe her. Here she was, asking questions and thinking of more questions to ask. She wouldn’t be surprised if what Pomme saw had turned even more lilac as the conversation progressed.

“She let me rant about my devotion to my mother for so long,” Chayanne added. “I bet she’ll be back for more before you know it, she’s a little information fiend,” he bent down to ruffle her hair beneath her beanie again, “Aren’t you?” Hope continued her nodding. Who could blame her after all? It was all true.

“Yep, that’s my sister, she’s the future, I know it,” Lullah agreed. “Makes sense her lilac aura can rival my own,” she added somewhat smugly.

Pomme snickered at her words as if she said something far too hilarious. “Rich coming from you, if you were anywhere near as bright as her own, I’d be seeing it right now, but I’m not." Pomme once again leans forward, further this time and squints her eyes, miming trying to see clearly. Hope found it quite funny, as she no doubt could see an aura clearly no matter how close she was. “Oh, would you look at that, pink! Bright pink as well,” she pulled back with a chuckle. “You’re not wondering about anything important like Hope is, you’re just wondering about when you get to kiss your boyfriend next!” the french girl teased with a big smirk plastering her small face.

Lullah muttered something sharply, and conversation was taken by the other three kids. Meanwhile, Hope felt her mind lull and fill with questions. Lullah had a boyfriend? Since when? Who was it? Why did Pomme know? Why did she not know? Her mind tried to rationalise that Pomme was her best friend, but even Chayanne seemed to know by the way he was joining in on the conversation. Sure, she had been around for only a couple of weeks, but Lullah talks to her everyday, how hadn’t this come up?

She tried to push it out of her mind, and try to fill it with memories of what happened the last time she felt like this, but she found herself feeling confused. How many times had she simply been left in the background having things not be explained to her? And how many times did she feel like she could do nothing but let them talk over her?

She clenched her hands into fists, trying to keep a hold on her emotions. Pomme had said so herself, that her very essence exuded curiosity, but how could she be any different when she didn’t know anything? She was barely used to what it meant to be outside that lab, and of course she wanted to know more about the world, she didn’t even know the bare minimum yet! And yet everyone acted like it was just a cute little quirk, not something that needed to be tended to.

Or maybe they did. Maybe they did see how it was a cry for help and just didn’t care. Maybe they just didn’t care about her. She briefly remembered a story Phoebe had told her about the day she had joined the island beyond the lab and how she had felt. The horrible thought of ‘maybe they don’t trust me?’ crossed her mind, and that was too much.

Feelings of betrayal and confusion quickly spread through her mind, making all the thoughts she was having feel far too real. She couldn’t stop her eyes from watering, and through blurry vision, she turned and ran. Her legs were shaky, and her mind was pacing, so she just ran into the house, not caring for the way the conversation behind her changed from teasing to worried. As she entered the mansion, she made her way through the maze of corridors once again, this time not caring for their intricacy or mystique, and rather only caring for where the labyrinth would lead her to.

The issue with running through an area you have never seen before is you don’t know where you’ll end up, so when the hallway she was running down ended, all she could do is grasp the doorknob of the door at the end of it, give it a twist, and toss herself inside with a too harsh slam of it behind her.

She stood still, shaking like she was prone to do, but with the reason of unfortunate answers rather than curious questions. She slowly pulled her head up and tried to take a look at the room, slowly blinking away the tears in her eyes as she steadied her breathing. It was filled with strange machines she didn’t know where to start her questioning on and drawings that were made up of too confusing shapes for her still watery eyes.

Despite the oddity of the room, it was quiet, solitude. It would be enough. Running was something, but a space to just let out her emotions was needed, and this could be that space. She stepped further into the room, ducking behind one of the largest machines and curling up into a ball, letting her emotions take over her as she sobbed into her knees.

She doesn’t know how long she had spent sobbing to herself, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours. All she knew was that she wanted to fall into the backdrop of the world and vent her frustrations and sorrows through her tears until the end of time, but for once it seemed as though luck wasn’t on her side. She held her breath, choking off a sob as she heard the thump of feet come closer to the room before stopping. Had she been found? She refused to look up from her knees, but listened intently for the sound of more footsteps. What was so odd was that she couldn’t hear any, getting closer or further away. Had she imagined them?

"You’re the new kid, aren’t you?” she heard in front of her. Right in front of her. She froze, gaze locked on her knees at the shock of someone joining her so suddenly. How had she not known she was in the room? “Everyone’s been looking for you, but I won’t tell them if you don’t want to be found.” The voice was feminine, soft, and young, but she didn’t recognise it.

Hope looked up ever so slightly until their jeans were in view, but couldn’t find it in herself to look up. ‘Couldn’t hear you, why?’ she signed in front of her.

The girl in front of her made a hum. “I come here all the time to cry like you are, I get overwhelmed easily, and I don’t like to be found, so I’ve learned how to be extra quiet while I’m here to make sure I’m not found.” Oh. She walked into another girl's safe space. That was a little awkward.

‘Sorry,’ she signed.

“It’s okay, I didn’t come here to cry anyways, as I said, they’re really worried for you out there, and when they said they were looking for you, my mind came here. It’s a good thing it did, it would be a shame if you were actually just lost.” She had said so before, but it hadn’t fully gotten into her mind. They were looking for her? Why?

‘How long?’ she signed.

“That they were looking for you?” the girl asked. Hope nodded. “About half an hour.” Ah, that was longer than expected. “Why did you run off to begin with? It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, but if you need someone to listen to you, I’m here for you.” This girl hadn’t even known her for ten minutes but she was already so sweet.

That was enough to convince Hope to lift her head and take a proper look at the sweet girl. She was immediately met with the softest green eyes she had ever seen, but she could only focus on her hair. It was pink. She had a head full of the prettiest pink hair she had ever seen and she couldn’t pull her eyes away.

Once, or so she heard, Lullah had a strip of pink in her own hair, but that had since been dyed over numerous times with purple. Bobby had his own blue, and she loved the look of both their hairs, but she truly adored this girls hair. She liked her already. Which reminded her she didn’t know her name yet. ‘Name?’ she signed.

She gave a soft smile, which accentuated the soft bags under her eyes. “My name is Triumph, my dad wanted great things from me.”

‘I love it.’ It was truly such an amazing name.

Triumph smiled at her. “Your name is Hope, right?” She nodded. “It’s nice to meet someone else that has a name in a similar vein as mine.” It was nice. “So, do you want to talk about what’s bothering you? Miss Nikki says it’s good to get your thoughts out to someone else,” Triumph brought the conversation back to the topic Hope had accidentally been avoided.

Hope pursed her lips. Did she want to talk about it? It felt like it would be so easy to just continue to stew in her misery forever and let it take over her. Being sad all the time didn’t sound nice, but it did sound easy. And yet when she looked into Triumph’s eyes, it felt worth it to choose the harder choice. She nodded and lifted her hands to try and find words with her limited vocabulary.

Triumph noticed the way she hesitated and stood up. “Give me a moment, I’ll be right back, I’ll help you.” She waited until Hope nodded before leaving the room, as silent as she was when she arrived.

Hope felt an odd buzz as she waited. Anxiety, her brain supplied. What if she realised she wasn’t worth it, and stopped caring so quickly after meeting her? She didn’t have time to delve into that thought, as Triumph truly was back before she knew it. She sat back down where she was sitting before and handed Hope a pen and a notebook. “That should make things easier.” Hope took the notebook and smiled at her. She wasn’t so easy to give up on.

Hope immediately got to scribbling down her thoughts. Triumph patiently waited for her to turn the notebook around. ‘People don’t tell me anything, they keep secrets from me and think I’m dumb for not knowing what they don’t tell me. They just laugh off my curiosity because they don’t actually care about me.’ Hope felt tears well in her eyes slightly, but pushed through to explain her troubles.

Triumph’s brows furrowed and she looked up at Hope’s face. “Have they told you that they think you’re dumb?” she asked. Hope paused for a moment and shook her head. They didn’t need to, she could make her guesses. “And have you asked why they don’t tell you certain things?” Another shake of her head. Triumph moved forward slightly and placed a hand on Hope’s shoulder. “Listen, I know it’s easy to think the worst, but I think first you should have a talk to them about how you feel before you jump to conclusions.”

Hope frowned at the words. She liked Triumph, trusted her already, but she didn’t know how much she wanted to go through with those words. ‘Why?’ she signed.

“What you think and what others think aren’t always the same, there is a tiny chance you’re right, but I think there’s a much bigger chance this is all just one big misunderstanding, and that communicating will help clear things up, and you can go back to being loved.” Hope almost didn’t like how much she was believing her words.

Triumph moved back and properly sat down. “How about I tell you a story, and you can choose how much you want to believe my words after?” Hope nodded. “Six years ago, my dad died,” she started abruptly. Hope found herself looking at the floor in discomfort. Poor girl, she didn’t know how to react. “I was miserable for so long, I’m still dealing with the aftermath of it, but it felt especially rough when it first happened, not only because it was so fresh, but because I felt like I was the only one who cared about it.”

Hope felt even worse for the girl now. How could no one care? Triumph continued. “Everyone avoided talking about him, and I hated it. Not only did he die, but he lived, and he deserved to be spoken about. Eventually I got so upset that I shouted about it to my adoptive father, and he explained why people did what they did.” Hope was confused as to how there was a reasonable excuse to that behaviour. “He said people wanted me to not feel so much grief, so they avoided talking about him in hopes it would make things easier, and they had no idea it was having the opposite effect. After it was explained, I talked about him to other people and they joined, and it made it a little easier to deal with the grief.”

Hope continued to stare at the floor. Did everyone think they were making it easier on her by not telling her things? It did make her upset, but maybe Triumph was right. Maybe she did just need to talk to her friends and family, and they would stop hiding secrets from her. “So,” Triumph said, leaning forward. “Want to go talk to them?” It didn’t take more than a few moments for Hope to nod.

She was brought to her feet and her hand was held firmly in Triumph’s. It was warm, consuming, and she liked it. She was guided out of the room and brought through the halls. They still felt mesmerising the third time through them.

Eventually, they made it to the courtyard again, and Lullah, Pomme and Chayanne were standing together, worry etched onto their faces. They must have heard footsteps, as they turned to face the duo soon after they entered the courtyard. Hope barely got a moment to think before Lullah’s arms enveloped her. “Hope! I was so worried when you ran off!” she cried. Hope swore she felt tears on her shirt. She was right, as when Lullah pulled away to look at her, her face was wet. “Why did you run off?”

She looked at Triumph, who just nodded at her. She pulled up the notebook again and began scribbling away, talking about the fears she had and how she felt about being left in the dark about things. Lullah read each word carefully, nodding occasionally, and as soon as she reached the end, she pulled Hope into another hug. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you felt that way, I didn’t want to overwhelm you, will you forgive me?”

Hope didn't have to think twice before nodding. Lullah pulled away again slightly and spoke again. “And about the boyfriend thing, I’m single, some people just like to be annoying,” Lullah slightly shouted the last word behind her at her friends with a smile on her face, “and tease me, I promise I’ll tell you first if I do get a partner.”

Hope just smiled at her sister. Being a functioning person was hard, especially communicating, but she would learn as she did everyday, and maybe one day it will be easy. Or at least easy between her and Lullah.

“Good that Hope's back and safe,” Chayanne stated. “Should we go see Leo now? Pretty sure he wants to meet up with the band today.”

Lullah fully pulled away and stood up. “Yes, we should do that,” she answered with a bright smile on her face. It was always so clear just how much she cared for Leo, and Hope could never help but smile at her reactions. She wondered if Lullah thought the same way about Hope and Pepito. That was a problem Hope always ran into, she was never without a question.

“Well, it’s been nice seeing you all, when will I see you next?” Triumph asked about those who she didn’t live with.

‘Come with us!’ Hope excitedly signed. She liked Triumph, and having their time cut short was something she’d rather not happen.

Triumph looked at her with wide eyes. Hope hadn’t thought her words would be so shocking, but then again, despite her attachment to the girl, she had only known her for a matter of minutes. Triumph silently looked over at Lullah, as though silently asking a question. Lullah smiled. “Of course, come with us, it’s not like we spend much time together, so how about we change that for today?”

Triumph’s face fell into a gentle relaxation as she smiled back. With this expression, it was even easier to see her tired eyes and the way her young face looked a little too old due to grief. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”

Hope clung onto Triumph’s hand yet again as Pomme and her led the group back into the mansion through a separate door and through the halls. Although it was more leading Hope through the halls, everyone else seemed to understand the layout of the mansion, while Hope only understood the whimsy.

Eventually, they were taken outside a back door, and Hope saw the dragon statue where Pepito and his family resided. Huh, she had been here many times before, had seen the mansion, but she had never connected the dots that it was the same mansion. Maybe next time she and Lullah visited their friends she could convince her sister to take them through the mansion again rather than the side path.

Lullah skipped up to the door and knocked. They didn’t wait for more than a moment before the door opened up and Tina appeared to let them inside.

“Are you here for Leo and Pepito?” she asked as they entered. “If you’re looking for Foolish, he left for the castle not too long ago, and Willy is off somewhere, he’s busy, but I don’t know what he’s doing,” Tina explained. It made sense that everyone was busy, it was a big day. Hope hadn’t been in society long, but she had learnt that with such a small population, even typically intimate events became island wide interests.

“We’re here for Leo,” Lullah glanced down at Hope. “And Pepito, where are they?”

Tina didn’t have time to respond before a shocked voice was heard beyond the room. “Lullah?” Leo was staring at the group, holding an odd stance as though he forgot how to have a body.

“Leo!” she shouted excitedly before tilting her head with a giggle. “Did we scare you?”

Leo fixed his position and walked towards the group. “A little, I forgot we had band practice today, thought it would be a little longer until I saw you.”

Lullah kept her head cocked. “But I usually come around without warning, is there something wrong?” Her voice was soft and she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Leo lifted his hand to place it on Lullah’s, just letting it rest there. “Just thinking a lot, it’s not anything bad.”

Lullah scanned Leo’s expression, trying to find something Hope wouldn’t be able to tell. “Should we postpone this? If you need time alone, we’ll give it to you.”

Leo’s hand gripped Lullah’s a little tighter. “No!” he shouted, causing Lullah to flinch slightly. He cleared his throat, “No,” he repeated, quieter. “I want you here, you make thinking easier.”

Lullah softly smiled at the words. “Want to talk about it?” she asked.

Leo’s expression faltered slightly. “You make it easier to think, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

Lullah nodded. “I’m here when you need to talk about it, always.”

Leo smiled back at her, but he didn’t have the time to talk before Pomme spoke. “We’re here too.” It was half an addition to their conversation, half a reminder that they had no privacy in this room. Both turned around looking quite flustered.

Hope was enjoying the sight of her sister and her friend, but her day was made when she saw Pepito approach. “Hope!” he shouted, running towards her and engulfing her into a hug. She hoped that the tightness of her return hug was enough to show that she too was excited to see him again.

Tina watched the kids interact with each other for a moment before making her presence known again. “So band practice you said? You will be fine alone, right?”

“Of course we will, we’re mature and know what we’re doing,” Chayanne answered, throwing in some brags.

Tina turned towards the other kids. “And what about you? Where will you be? I am a bit swamped at the moment, so I won’t be able to look after you.”

Hope frowned at this. She knew band practice was best done alone, but she didn’t want to be alone. Luckily, Pepito had wants. “Can we go to the castle to see Foolish again?” he asked. Hope immediately perked up. That’s right, home was an option now.

Tina smiled at the group. “Of course,” she answered before turning her focus completely on Triumph. “Will you be able to take them there? I know it's not the best way to spend the day and you must have other things you could do, but it would really help me out.

Triumph nodded in that stiff yet lazy way Hope had picked up on from her. “Yeah, I mean, I didn’t come to babysit, but they’re cool, so it’s not really babysitting, is it?” Hope smiled at the fact that Triumph thought she and Pepito were cool.

“I guess not, but please, remember that you’re responsible for them until they get there,” Tina responded with a laugh.

“Of course, I’m gonna be great at this,” Triumph spoke, well, triumphantly.

RadioEgg bid a farewell to their siblings, and the three left towards the castle. Hope tried to ask to go through the mansion again, but Pepito asked to go around, so she didn’t say anything and let Pepito’s wish be fulfilled.

“What were you doing before we came?” Triumph asked Pepito as he dashed around the path, barely not tripping over any feet.

“I was training!” he shouted, stopping a little bit down the path and pretending to swipe at the air with a sword. Hope smiled at how odd he looked, even as she imagined him with a sword. He smiled sheepishly at the girls as they caught up and walked alongside them. “I’m not very good yet, but soon I’ll be allowed to train with real swords, and then I’m sure I’ll be learning even quicker!” The way Pepito’s eyes shone as he talked about training was something Hope had become obsessed with, and she was glad she got to see it so often. Pepito had once said her eyes shone the same way whenever she asked questions, and she hoped he felt the same as she did when he saw the sight.

‘Why do you learn?’ Hope signed with a tilt of her head. Magic had its interests, but swordplay was never something that interested her unless it was Pepito’s. It had occurred to her that due to her uncaring nature towards swords, she had never asked his intentions.

Pepito grinned and shakily walked backwards so he could explain face to face, which caused Triumph to move forward to walk alongside him so he didn’t trip and hurt himself. “I want to become the strongest warrior ever so I can win against all evil!” he shouted happily. “Then I can protect my family and go on adventures with them.”

Hope found his dreams to be adorable and just so like him. She couldn’t help but feel like they also aligned with her own wants. Maybe they were always destined to be friends? To answer him, she moved back to her notebook. ‘Once you can protect me, can you take me with you? I want to learn everything, and I know you’ll protect me while I learn.’

Pepito’s face flushed as he grinned wider. “I’ll protect you from anything, tell me a place where you want to go and I’ll train to make sure I can defeat any threats there!”

Hope thought for a few moments on where she’d like to go. It could be on the island, but she knew there was a whole life outside the island she could explore, and she’d be lying if it didn’t get her mind and blood racing thinking about what the world could offer if she stepped foot off the island. ‘Athens’ she scribbled onto her page. It would lead her to many questions.

Pepito smiled, stumbling slightly as he tripped backwards before catching himself and moving to walk the right way. “I’ll take you there, and anywhere else you want to go.” Hope smiled at his answer. Pepito could be a little much, but Hope loved too much.

“So, do you want to be a historian?” Triumph asked after the younger two’s moment had passed.

Hope thought for a second again, but she answered quickly. ‘I don’t know,’ she signed before moving to her book to allow for a better explanation. ‘As I said, I want to know everything, but I don’t know much right now, so even if I love history more than anything right now, I want to wait until I know more to see what I want to focus my questions on.’

Pepito leaned over to read what she had written as she presented it to Triumph and gave his opinion. “And you can change your mind later, that’s the fun thing about learning.” Pepito understood.

With more talk of learning, Hope stared at Triumph. ‘You?’ she signed.

Triumph’s eyes widened. “You want to know what I want to do?” Hope nodded. “Well,” Triumph spoke hesitantly about herself, and her expression did wonders at showing the aftermath of years of sorrow and emotional exhaustion. “I want to be a doctor.”

Pepito perked up at this. “Why?” he asked, stealing Hope’s favourite question.

“My father was a very ill man, and for years all I could do was watch him deteriorate. It hurt, seeing someone I loved fade away, even if I was angry at him as well. Eventually death took him and he was allowed peace, but it never stopped haunting me. I always wished I could have saved him, or at least helped him, so now I want to make sure that I can help from now on. I’m not foolish enough to believe I can stop it, or save everyone, but I want to do everything in my power to lessen the pain of everyone involved.”

Hope couldn’t tell if her heart had dropped or warmed at the words. She had known her parents for so little time, and she couldn’t imagine them dying, let alone watching them die. Her mind flickered to Jaiden and Bobby. Was this how Bobby felt? She knew it wasn’t a physical sickness, but based on the way Jaiden acted, it had to feel at least somewhat like she was dying before his eyes.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, it must have been horrible,” Pepito spoke, saying what Hope didn’t know how to say.

Triumph forced a smile onto her face. “It’s okay, I can’t do anything to change the past, I’ve had my time to get through the worst of it, and since I know he’ll forever be a part of me, I want to honour him by helping.”

‘He’d be proud of you,’ Hope wrote. She couldn’t say much, barely understood her situation, but she knew enough about family for those words.

Triumph’s face subtly shifted into a more truthful expression. “Thank you.”

They eventually made it to the castle, and it was as hectic as they would imagine it to be. There were many people around, putting up decorations and cooking and hurriedly talking in several languages. Hope saw Cellbit leaving the kitchen and ran up to him, dragging her friends behind her.

Cellbit noticed her and gave her a tired but true smile. “Did you keep Lullah busy?” She excitedly nodded. “That’s good.” His eyes scanned the other two. “Are you two here to help prepare?”

While it hadn’t been the plan, Triumph answered, “Yes, what can we do?”

Cellbit thought for a moment, keeping his eyes on all the chaos, Hope could hear Foolish talking from inside the kitchen, so at least he didn’t have to worry about inside there, but there was still a large space to worry about. “Can you make sure some halls are blocked? But prettily? We want to make sure everything looks good, but we don’t want to have to decorate the entire castle.”

Pepito bounced. “Of course!” he didn’t spare another moment before pulling the two girls with him. Hope was excited to contribute more, and she hoped that when Lullah found out their plan, she was as overjoyed as Hope was.

Lullah’s voice faded out, and the music did so moments after. With every practice they were getting better and better, and soon they’ll be hosting another concert. “Alright, take five everyone,” she spoke as she turned around to face her bandmates. They gave agreeing noises, and Lullah headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water to sooth her throat. She could sing a hundred songs over the years, but at some point it always became an ache.

She ran the tap and lifted her glass of water to her mouth, watching as Leo approached over the rim. “Want some?” she asked, holding out the cup.

Leo waved his hand. “I’m alright, just wanted to check up on you.” With those words, he leaned against the counter next to her. “So, how has today treated you?”

“It’s good,” she answered before hesitating a bit. “It’s odd being a teenager, I kinda expected there to be a bigger change.” It was officially her thirteenth birthday today, and no one had mentioned it.

“It won’t happen immediately, but things will change slowly, your emotions will feel stronger and weaker, you’ll see the world differently, and it’ll be weird,” Leo explained.

“I dunno,” Lullah felt odd. “Maybe nothing will change, I mean, it’s not like I ever change, right?”

Leo looked at her with a frown. “What do you mean? You’ve changed so much over the years. You’re brave, and strong, and have such a deep love for family, I’d say the only thing that hasn’t changed about you is your kindness.”

Lullah couldn’t help but smile at his words. She didn’t entirely believe him, but it was nice to hear what he was saying. “Yeah, maybe you’re right, everything is changing, I’m probably a part of it.” Her smile quickly fell, and she placed her glass on the counter before turning to face Leo better. “What if things change for the worse?” she asked.

Leo’s eyes became soft. “They won’t, and if they do, I’ll be by your side through it all, I’ll help you,” he stared at the floor as though it had stolen from him. “You won’t be alone this time, you have me, and all of your friends.”

Lullah felt tears threaten her eyes. She liked to believe she had been amazing during those lonely times where she was the only kid, and even if people said she was amazing, it was hard to believe it to be the truth when she looked back on just how ruined she was.

She remembers too many sleepless nights, wearing Richarlyson’s clothing just to feel something. There was always an emptiness inside her, no matter who tried to cheer her up. She hated remembering how scared she was, how helpless she felt, so much so that she tried everything in her power to not feel helpless ever again, even if it never really worked.

Whenever she was alone for too long, went without seeing a face that spoke of youth, there would be a creeping unsteadiness that clawed into her heart and throat and made it difficult to breath. Even after they were safe, there was something that stuck with her. She still remembers the cryopods, even if she had never seen her friends inside them, and remembers them with fear. She could barely even look at ice nowadays without feeling dread and helplessness bubble up inside her.

Still, when she looked at Leo, heard his words, it was easy to believe that, yes, she didn’t have to be alone, she had someone to rely on now. She didn’t need to think to toss herself into his arms, and she relished in the way his arms immediately found their way around her. In his arms, her mind oddly found its way to a book of synonyms Hope had asked to read together, and she wondered if the author would be jealous to know she had found a new synonym for love, because she believed this was the truest form of it, Leo’s hugs. “Thank you, you mean so much to me,” she whispered.

“You mean the world to me as well,” Leo whispered back. Silence took for only a few moments before he whispered yet again. “Happy birthday.” And suddenly all was right in the world.

The two pulled back, and moments later, Chayanne and Pomme found them. “Knew you said we’d just take five, but dad said we’re needed at the castle, so how about we end it for today?” Chayanne spoke, unaware of the vulnerability the two had shown before. Pomme looked at them with a smirk on her face, knowing all too well. It’s hard to pretend you aren’t vulnerable when your best friend can straight up see your soul.

Lullah finished the rest of her water and nodded. “Yeah, if we’re needed, we’ll go, we did a lot today.” She wondered what was going on back at the castle, it seemed like everyone was going there today. Was she missing out on the fun? She had been out of the house all day, wanting to spend time with her friends for her birthday, but at least now she’d be able to see what she was missing out on.

Pomme and Chayanne made their way to the door, talking about swords, likely picking up a conversation they had been having before while Lullah and Leo had been having their heart to heart. Lullah was about to join their side when Leo placed a hand on Lullah’s shoulder. She turned around to see him staring at his hand, looking uncertain again. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he spoke, although his heart wasn’t in it. “I just wanted to ask,” he hesitated. “Can you come to the field tomorrow? The one where we wrote that song together?” he asked, finally meeting her eyes.

Lullah smiled. “Yeah, of course, what for?” Leo wasn’t usually like this, and she wanted to make sure everything was okay.

Leo gave her a shaky smile. “There’s something big I want to ask you, but today has already been a lot, and I need some time to think it over still, so tomorrow is the best time.”

Lullah was confused over what he was saying, but nodded. “Okay, I’ll meet up with you tomorrow, what time?” She trusted Leo.

“Does noon work for you?” he asked.

“Yes, it does.” Curiosity consumed her, but she understood that Leo wanted more time. She would get to know tomorrow anyways, so she knew she shouldn’t worry about it. “How about we catch up with the others before we get teased more?”

Leo chuckled, looking far more like himself. “Sounds like a good idea.” His hand left Lullah’s shoulder, and she missed the contact. They joined up with their friends and they made their way back to the castle, Lullah wondering what could possibly be going on there.

The group was at the castle entrance, and Lullah was just about to see what was inside when Chayanne came up behind her and covered her eyes. “Can’t have you peaking,” he claimed.

“Peaking at what?” she asked back, but she wasn’t met with an answer. She was guided by several hands closer to the entrance, and she almost tripped over feet several times. Turns out she was really clumsy when she couldn’t rely on her sight. Although the three bodies pushed up against her didn’t help with her situation at all.

She saw the shadows beyond Chayanne’s hands change, and she knew she was inside. Before she could question how much longer it would go on for, the hand was lifted, and she was gifted the gift of sight yet again.

And what a sight she had. Streamers and balloons made the usually dark castle look colourful and magical. Tables of food and juices of several kinds sat around, with a large table filled to the brim with gifts. Above that table, was a banner that said ‘Happy Birthday’ three times, in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Those words, along with a bit of French, were all she could hear for a few seconds as she looked across the crowd of her friends and family.

Lullah felt tears run down her face, and for a split second, she was scared it was all too much, but the aching of her mouth muscles as she grinned were enough to remind her how much she loved what she saw. She was loved. So many people came to her birthday, and she was sure only Leo had remembered.

Cellbit walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. “Happy birthday,” he repeated. “Do you like your surprise?”

“Yeah, I love it,” she spoke, hugging her dad back. This was the best way to enter teenagehood.

Cellbit let go, and she noticed that Nikki was approaching her, a bow-wrapped box in hand. “Happy birthday Lullah, what do you think?”

Lullah grinned. “It’s perfect in every way.” She looked down at what Nikki was holding. Why wasn’t it on the table with the rest?

Her question must have been rather obvious, as Nikki answered. “I thought this gift would do well to be opened now, is that alright?”

Lullah nodded. “Yes, I can open this now.” She took the box from Nikki’s hands and balanced it on her arm. With her other, she tugged at the ribbon until it came loose, and removed the lid to the box. Inside was a heap of fabric. Pink, purple and black. A dress, she recognised. She pulled it out and handed the box to Cellbit, using both hands to get a proper look at the dress. It was beautiful. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice showing her awe.

Nikki chuckled. “I knew you’d love it.” Nikki played with her hands. “I know I shouldn’t be making this request, but could you wear it for the party?”

Lullah looked over the dress once again. It truly was gorgeous, glamorous even, with the way the black was sectioned off from the purple with a pink belt looking ribbon. “I’d love to.” Truly.

Nikki grinned at her answer. Cellbit nudged Lullah over to the stairs. “Go on, be careful in the halls, I got the kids to make it hard to get through.”

Lullah snorted. “Thanks, I knew you loved me, making things hard for me.”

Cellbit just smiled. “You love challenges, and I didn’t know this was going to happen.”

Lullah smiled back and rushed up the stairs so she could get the dress on and begin her party. Cellbit really wasn’t lying when he said the kids had made it hard to get through, but she managed to squeeze past streamers and the sorts to reach her room, where she quickly replaced her clothing with the new dress.

She gave a twirl, watching the fabric lift. She felt like a princess, and she was ecstatic to continue on with her day. She truly loved Nikki. With another twirl, she made her way back to where everyone was waiting, yet again managing to get through the streamer mess. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked at everyone, who were now beginning to do their own things, and she felt her heart warm. Life couldn’t get better.

The party was a hit, Hope decided. She had run over to Lullah shortly after she had come down, and had quickly pulled her over to a table that had taco supplies waiting. Tacos at a birthday party was an amazing idea. Lullah watched and ate as Hope assembled her own taco (Although ‘lump of taco ingredients’ would be a better way to describe it), and Hope smiled brightly at her. All this work was worth it in the end, as she knew Lullah loved what had been done.

“I’ve never had a party this good before,” Lullah spoke as she looked at what everyone was doing. Some people were eating, others chatting, a few of the kids were chasing each other around.

‘I’ve never been to one before, but I love it,’ Hope wrote in her notebook after she placed her taco onto her plate, causing it to fall apart more.

Lullah was happy that Hope was enjoying herself. That everyone was enjoying themselves. She looked across the crowd once more, and her eyes caught onto Triumph. She was smiling and talking to Pepito. “It’s good to see Tri look happy, that’s a rare sight.”

Hope nodded and looked over at Triumph too. ‘She will be happy, she will save people,’ Hope wrote in her notebook. Lullah raised a brow at her, and Hope was hit with the realisation that Lullah may not know Triumph’s dream. ‘She wants to be a doctor,’ she wrote again.

Lullah had an interesting look on her face, a mix between shock and interest. “That career will suit her, she reminds me a little of Phoebe, and Phoebe was a doctor once, it’s been a while since she’s done anything though.”

Hope’s expression brightened. She was aware that Nikki had medical knowledge, she had cared for her after all, but she had yet to realise that Phoebe had been a doctor. Triumph could get some early knowledge. Hope quickly scanned the room and found Phoebe at the outskirts. She pointed at her and signed, ‘Get her,’ before rushing off to get Triumph, her taco forgotten. She was sure Lullah knew what she was asking.

Triumph heard her rushing over and stopped looking at Pepito’s miming of fighting stances. “Are you looking to talk to Triumph?” she asked.

Hope shook her head. ‘No, you,’ she signed. Triumph tilted her head. ‘Come,’ she signed before grabbing her hand and pulling her along. Pepito waved goodbye at the two and went to talk to someone else.

Hope pulled her back to the table she and Lullah had been eating at before, and was delighted to find that Lullah had brought Phoebe with her. Phoebe gave an awkward smile to Triumph. “Any idea what this is about?”

Triumph shook her head. “Nope, not at all.”

Hope picked up her notebook again and got to writing an explanation. ‘Triumph really wants to be a doctor, and when I heard Phoebe was a doctor, I knew it was fate. Phoebe should teach Triumph some things about being a doctor so that she can fulfil her dreams!’

Phoebe's eyes widened slightly. “You want to be a doctor?” She asked, as if the words hadn't been put right in front of her.

Triumph looked oddly embarrassed. “Yeah, I, I want to make sure people suffer as little as they can, and it just made the most sense with how I've seen people suffer.”

Phoebe placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. “Well, if you'd like, I can give you some of my old medical books, and you can ask me any questions you have,” it was now Phoebe's turn to look awkward. “I admit, I haven't touched medicine in a few years at this point, but I'm still well knowledgeable about the act, so I'll help in whatever way I can.”

Triumph gave a wide grin. “Really? You'd do that for me?” Without a moment to wait, Triumph tossed herself into a hug with the older girl. “Thank you!” she shouted.

Phoebe held her arms out awkwardly before wrapping them around the girl. “Anytime.”

“Huh, I'd never thought they'd be the type to be friends,” Lullah stated. Hope didn't know if this would lead to friendship, but Lullah seemed to believe there was no other choice for the pair.

‘Phoebe will be nice to Triumph and help her,’ Hope wrote down. Triumph was a new friend, but she already knew she'd be a great friend, and she should share that greatness with others.

Their attentions were torn from the rambling girls by the sound of a thunk and paper ripping. They stared at the corner where it was heard and were granted to the sight of Slime’s family. Slime was sitting in a pile of birthday decorations, his legs flailed out as though he had fallen. By the way he was gripping a now ripped streamer, his arm stretched a little too far to be human and tinged slightly green where it thinned, he definitely did.

“Dad? Are you okay?” Juana asked, leaning down to grab her dads hand.

“Told you so, knew you couldn’t get that star for me,” Flippa teased.

Slime took Juana’s hand and pulled himself up, trying to make the decorations look like they hadn’t been squashed, or slightly covered in a wet film. “I’d rather be wrong than deny my daughter something, so I regret nothing,” he proudly stated, shaking his arm and letting it mould back into a more human length.

Flippa beamed and took her father into a tight hug. Hope thought it was an adorable sight. She had only run into Slime once, and she thought he was funny. A little too inhuman and incredibly loving to his daughters. She had only heard of his daughters from word of mouth, but they seemed pretty close to what she had heard of them.

Juana was apparently the older one, they weren’t twins she had learned, and she was quieter. She was a gamer, and was once Slime’s son, although Hope didn’t understand what that meant.

Flippa was more mischievous, and not nearly as old as she portrayed herself. She was curious like Hope, and she often wondered if they could be friends, or if their curiosity wouldn’t answer enough questions.

Hope decided now was the perfect time to properly meet them, so she grasped Lullah’s hand and pulled her towards the three who were trying to make it look like Slime hadn’t fallen.

‘Hi!’ Hope signed as they got close enough, letting go of Lullah’s hand.

Slime almost tripped again, and this time he probably would have taken his daughters with him if he hadn’t caught himself before he did so. “Hi!” he shouted, caught off guard.]

Flippa looked at the mess behind them. “That’s not our fault,” she lied.

Juana smiled awkwardly. “It may be a little our fault,” she retconned. Flippa stuck out her tongue at her sister, not all that pleased that her lie had been written over, but Hope could tell there was no ill will in the action, just sisterly playfulness.

“It’s fine, something was bound to break,” Lullah spoke. “At least it was just some decorations and not something important.” Slime relaxed at her words.

“You know dad, so clumsy, this isn’t the first time he’s almost fallen here, just the first time he did fall,” Flippa explained, grinning at her dad as she spilled his misfortune.

“Oh come on, you know how hard it is to keep a human form,” Slime teased his daughter. Hope knew the children weren’t quite human, but she had been given a lesson on how Flippa was differently not human, technically not even alive, but rather code. She had also been briefed on Slime’s own inhuman nature, which wasn’t too hard to guess due to his name.

“Yeah, but it’s funny to see you fail,” Flippa snickered. Hope didn’t quite understand why her relationship with her father included so much teasing, especially since it seemed to edge on the meaner side, but her dads taught her that love came in many forms and that if it wasn’t hurting anyone she shouldn’t judge how people show it.

“It makes you feel better about your own mishaps, don’t lie,” Juana answered.

Flippa rolled her eyes but didn’t attempt to hide her smile from her sister. “Fine, maybe a little, but if I have the ability to float, why stop myself?”

“No one is asking you to stop?” Juana spoke with a tilt of her head. Hope was intrigued by the conversation. The usually hidden family had garnered a lot of assumptions, but they broke a lot of them. They weren’t scared, or mean, they just seemed to be fine with each other's company, not needing much else. Being surrounded by her family made it a little hard to believe some could truly be fine with such a small life, but she found it much easier to after seeing the Cicle family.

“Sorry for that, my daughters are a handful, Juana’s getting closer to adulthood every year, and Flippa’s still so young,” Slime apologised, but used the chance to talk about his daughters more.

‘It’s okay,’ Hope signed. She liked seeing how the family interacted without others.

“Yeah, I know you guys mean no harm, just try not to trip too much,” Lullah added.

Slime nodded. “Will do.”

In the end, Hope didn’t get to speak with Flippa one on one, but she did get to learn about her either way. She was a sweet girl who loved her family, especially teasing her family, and seemed to enjoy learning about humanity.

Lullah decided where they were going next, as she saw Richas wandering around. What better thing to do than to talk to their sibling?

“Richas!” she called as she and Hope moved towards it.

Richas gave them a wide grin. “Lullah! Hope! Good to see you didn’t forget about me with everything going on.”

“Oh come on, we couldn’t forget you, I spent six years waiting for you to come home,” Lullah answered, ruffling their hair.

Hope had arrived in their lives shortly before Richas came home, and while she had heard of their travels, she was still left wondering about them. Maybe this was the time to ask?

‘What did you do in those worlds?’ she wrote, showing Richas.

Lullah nodded as she bent over and read the words as well. “Yeah, I want to know too, you didn’t even tell me why you were world travelling.”

“Hey! You never asked!” Richas supplied. “But yeah, I’ll tell you about a few of my travels.” They placed a hand on their chin. “I guess I should tell you why dad and I went world travelling in the first place,” it began.

“I would like that,” Lullah stated.

“Well, from what dad told me, it was important I meet an old friend of his, apparently they met a few years back when they both ended up in a world together, and as fellow world travellers, they hit it off immediately, I think they may have been more than friends at some point but that doesn’t matter, what does matter is that he’s my god dad and dad decided I had to meet him,” Richas rambled. Hope was intrigued. There were more world travellers? And Richas had met one?

“So what caused you two to be searching for so long?” Lullah asked.

“Apparently they were mostly just relying on luck to run into each other before, so we had to search the multiverse for him and get an actual way to contact him,” Richas explained. “It took a lot longer than expected, but we eventually did run into him, and he was so cool, he had like, purple hair a bit, and he was funny.”

Hope wondered if she’d ever get to meet this guy, but she was more interested in the worlds they visited. ‘What kind of worlds did you visit before finding him?’ she wrote.

Richas grinned and got back to the original question. “So many, like, one of the first we ended up in took us to Japan, but a weird version of Japan, most people didn’t have magic.”

Lullah tilted her head. “Were they upset they didn’t have magic?” Lullah was oddly calm at the knowledge of people not having magic, especially not a large percentage. Hope thought that kind of premise was something straight out of a fantasy book.

Richas shook its head. “No, most people seemed to act like having magic was far-fetched, they didn’t know people even had magic in their world, me and dad didn’t either, until we met a friend of dad with some, called it jujutsu sorcery.”

‘Like the martial arts?’ Hope asked in her notebook.

“Yep,” Richas said with a nod. “It was definitely magic, though, stopped anyone from touching him,” Richas explained. “It wasn’t a very nice world, anyone with magic had to fight these monsters, I felt bad for anyone who was raised in that world with magic.” Hope felt her heart drop as it explained it to her. She felt bad too. “After searching around we left quickly, it wasn’t a fun world to stay in.”

“Was your next very fun?” Lullah asked, hoping to up the mood.

Richas scrunched their face up in thought. “I don’t know, I don’t remember it all too well, but the next one I remember was pretty fun,” they began. “It was really modern, but also had kingdoms, or Empires as they called them, dad ended up having to pretend to be a substitute at the highschool in one of them, turns out future empire leaders aren’t very easy to teach.”

Hope’s mood lit up at the mention of empires. ‘What were they like?’

“They texted in class a lot, and caused a lot of trouble, but you know dad, he just ignored as much as he could. Eventually we realised he wasn’t there and we left.”

Hope frowned slightly as she learned she wouldn’t learn anything about actual empire leaders, just students. Still, she had other places to look for that kind of knowledge.

"We also went through an world really similiar to this one, but there was all kinds of magical creatures around the island, my counterpart even explained that they were an specialist of ghosts or something like that, I wouldn't have minded if we stayed there a little more before going to the next world." Richas says with a big grin as they look back on one of the most pleasant stops on their journey.

“Any worlds where you got to have a more hands-on experience?” Lullah asked, wanting to learn more about the worlds her sibling had visited.

“Yep,” Richas spoke, its eyes lighting up like they were getting ready to tell a fun story. “I almost got kidnapped in one.”

“What!?” Lullah shouted, causing eyes to go their direction.

“Mmm, maybe kidnapping wasn’t the right word, but we got lost in one world and we ended up in a camp, they thought I was a demigod or something and tried to figure out who my mum was, they tried to get it from dad, but they thought he was lying when he said he was my godly parent, and despite that, I’m not a demigod,” Richas reminisced fondly. “They eventually decided my mum was some lady named Athena, but we were gone by that point, it was a lot.”

Lullah rubbed at her temples. “Richas, how do you get in these situations?” she asked.

Richas shrugged. “It just happens, travelling for six years gets you into a lot of weird situations.”

‘So,’ Hope began to write. ‘Where did you eventually find that guy?’

“It was a world where people could be part animal,” Richas explained before looking off to the side, its brow creasing. “It was scarily like our world, similar celebrities and pop culture. When we met the guy finally, he even talked of a Leo and a Foolish, or he was just insulting the guy, apparently he and that Leo’s dad aren’t very close.”

The words they were saying were quite interesting to both of the two. “Anything about a Lullah and a Hope?” Lullah asked.

“He mentioned a Tallulah,” Richas answered. “Demigod stuff though, so it could be his world, or it could have been that other world we visited.” Their eyes landed on Hope. “Never mentioned a Hope though, but that just means someone named Hope never came up, not that they don’t exist.”

“Wow,” Lullah spoke. “That is some really weird information, I mean, it makes sense, but you don’t really think about it, do you?”

Richas shook their head. “Nope, I’m still a little shocked and you’ve heard what I’ve been through.”

The three fell silent before Hope cut it with the scratch of her pen. ‘Thanks for telling us.’

Richas grinned. “Anytime.”

Hope wanted to get to know her sibling more, and she was glad she got this opportunity, even if it was a little odd and confusing.

The two separated from Richas, and it wasn’t long until they found their next conversation. Across the room as a young man and a girl. Hope had heard their names, Tubbo and Sunny. They had arrived shortly after the kidnapping fiasco from many years ago ended, and apparently the younger was quite odd.

‘We should talk to them,’ Hope wrote.

Lullah frowned. “I don't know, Sunny isn’t exactly the best person to talk to.” It was odd hearing Lullah talk like this. She was usually so cheerful, so ready for conversation, yet here she was, actively discouraging a conversation with Sunny.

‘It’ll be fine,’ she wrote, walking over to their pair. Lullah followed, although her expression didn’t change. ‘Hi!’ she signed.

Tubbo grinned at her. “Hi! I don’t think we’ve talked yet, have we?” Hope didn’t understand why Lullah was so worried, if Sunny was anything like Tubbo, this would be a great conversation. “I’m Tubbo, and this is my sister Sunny, but if the Federation asks, she’s my daughter.”

Hope grinned and silently laughed at the words. She liked this guy already. She turned to his sister. ‘You?’ she signed, asking for a proper introduction.

Sunny just stared at her hands, and for a split second, she could have sworn she saw fear in her eyes. “No,” she stated, her voice harsh.

Hope was shocked at the way she was being treated. ‘No?’ she signed. She could already tell Lullah was upset at the girl, and Tubbo looked quite apologetic at his sisters reaction.

“No,” she repeated, more harsh. “You’re her.” Hope had no idea what she was talking about. “You can’t fool me, people may be blind and unaware, but not me, I know what you’ll do, I know you’ll doom us all, and while everyone else is crying and wondering where the signs were, I’ll be trying to pick up the pieces.” Without another word, Sunny stormed off, leaving Hope to cry.

“Hope!” Lullah exclaimed as she fell to her knees next to her sister. “I’m sorry, I should have tried harder to pull you away.” Hope just didn’t understand why Sunny hated her.

Another presence kneeled before her. Tubbo. “I’m also sorry, my sister,” he hesitated. “She’s always been a bit like this, she was born being able to see the future, and she hasn’t exactly reacted well to it, like, ever.”

Hope still didn’t know how to feel. She saw the future and decided she was bad? “Any idea what she was on about just now?” Lullah asked, rubbing Hope’s back. It made her feel a lot better.

Tubbo shook his head. “Nope, it may be something she’s talked about before, but I rarely know what she’s on about.” Tubbo placed a hand on her shoulder. “Please, don’t take it too hard, she can be wrong, she isn’t told things straight up, she makes a lot of guesses, and she’s under a lot of stress about this.”

Hope blinked away her tears and nodded. It hurt, but she tried to understand Tubbo. He was just worried about his sister, Hope would feel the same way if Lullah was going through it. Lullah didn’t look quite convinced, but accepted Hope’s answer. “I hope we figure out what she was talking about soon, and that Hope isn’t at fault.”

Tubbo nodded and looked the direction that Sunny had run off in. “I should go find her, she doesn’t do well alone.”

That was by far the most upsetting and odd conversation Hope had been a part of that day.

Time ticked forward, and her mood lifted, and eventually Lullah was called to open her gifts. She sat at the table, and if it weren’t for Hope’s position right up against the table, she would have been hidden by just how many gifts there were. Hope wasn’t sure if this was a normal amount or just a testament to how much love was shared between Lullah and the rest of the islanders.

Lullah got to opening the gifts one by one. She started with a long box, which revealed a beautiful, white ornate bow, covered in amethyst, with arrows that shone in the slightest light. “It’s enchanted,” Missa spoke, likely as the giver of the gift. “It’ll always come back to you, and you’ll never run out of arrows.” Lullah’s expression shone at the words. First gift and she was already beaming, her mood could only get higher.

She placed the bow and arrows to the side, making sure they wouldn’t get scratched, and moved to the next box. This was larger, with small holes poked into the top. Lullah lifted the top off and pulled out a beautiful bouquet, designed with roses, lilacs, hyacinth and lilies. “Sorry we couldn’t give much,” Juana admitted, fumbling with her hands.

“No, don’t apologise, it’s beautiful,” Lullah stated. She was giving a loving smile to every petal. Even after such a gift as the now, it was clear she loved every gift as they came from the heart.

She placed the bouquet on the bow, careful not to nick a single petal, and moved to pick up the next box. It was a flat box, rather square in shape. She pulled off the lid and pulled fabric out of it, standing and holding it up to get a true look at it. After she got her fill, she spun it around so others could get a look at it. It was a purple velvet, with gold linings near the top and around the hood. A cloak, Hope decided, and a pretty one at that.

“Don’t ask where we got that,” Dapper spoke, causing a few snickers to spark around the room.

Lullah was one of the snickers. “I’ll make sure I won’t,” she spoke, folding the cloak and placing it next to her.

She pulled out one of the biggest boxes, and Hope was a little surprised Lullah could pick it up with such ease. She pulled the lid off and began pulling items, books, out of the box. She caught several titles such as ‘The Lightning Thief’, ‘The Lost Hero’, ‘The Hidden Oracle’, and ‘The Sun and The Stars’. They all looked to be of similar series, and Hope was already sneakily thinking of ways to borrow them once Lullah had read them. While looking around to see who had gotten her the books, Hope noticed Richas’ glaring expression. Did they not like the books?

Eventually, someone did pipe up. “You mentioned being interested in the series, so I got it for you, all of them, I’m sorry if twenty books is too much,” Leo explained. He had an awkward grin on his face as he mentioned just how many books he had gifted her.

Lullah just smiled. “I’ll get through them eventually, it’s nice that I’ll have another interest to share with you.” The two shared their soft smiles before Lullah placed the books back into the box and moved onto the next gift.

It was in a medium sized box, and Hope could have sworn it made noises. Lullah took off the lid, and her eyes widened at what she saw inside. She didn’t leave Hope’s curiosity long, as soon she was pulling out a robot, that turned its head all the way around as she put it on the table. It moved around on it’s own, and made little beeps, as well as said some things that must have come from a recording. “I love you!” was one that Hope was particularly fond of.

“I hope you like it, we weren’t sure if it was too much,” Pac spoke bashfully, a wide grin on her face.

Lullah watched as the robot spun and lifted it’s hands. “It’s perfect, thank you.” The robot seemed to understand its time in the spotlight was done, as it moved to sit down.

Lullah then picked up one of the smallest boxes, and opened it. She picked up a purple notebook with a lock on it, and as she spun it around, Hope was able to see that on its front was a lightning bolt. She opened it up and made a note of what was inside. “It’s a travel notebook.” She eyed Felps and Richas.

“Okay, I’m not the best at gifts,” Felps immediately began to defend, “So I may have outsourced it a bit.” The way it was a travel notebook made Hope wonder if it was the same friend they had been searching for. “But I said something simple would be best, so there’s that.”

Lullah laughed at how defensive he became. “Thank you, I love it, I’ll be sure to use it.”

Lullah eyed another present, and Hope grinned as she noticed it was the one she helped pick out. If she could make sound, she’s sure a delighted one would have come from her mouth as Lullah picked up the box and placed it in front of her.

She opened it, and her eyes dazzled as she saw what was inside. She lifted it up, and Hope was overjoyed it was what she knew it was. A sleek sewing machine, something her family had chosen out after watching the way Lullah delighted in sewing up old clothes and touching them up into something greater.

“We knew you’d love it, now you can make whatever you want,” Cellbit stated as he took delight in Lullah’s smile.

Lullah immediately stood up and took her dad into a hug. “Thank you, I love you.”

The rest of the gift opening process was rather simple, with clothing, small knick knacks, and fabric being opened. It wasn’t until the final present, a small box, was ready to be opened that things got odd.

Lullah lifted the lid off, and reached inside the small box, pulling an amulet out. It was a small symbol, yang, attached to a chain. It looked like one of a set, but there was no other. Lullah looked at it quizzically. “Who got me this?” she asked. No one answered, no matter how much was asked. Everyone seemed just as confused.

In the end, they decided someone was just shy, so they let it go and went to eat the cake.

Nikki had made a gorgeous vegan cake, with pinks and purples and blacks, as well as some decorative flowers. Hope hoped it tasted as good as it looked. She had tried a few of Lullah’s vegan foods before, and sadly a lot were hit or miss.

They sung Lullah her song, and let Lullah cut into the cake. Milla exclaimed, “Don’t cut to the bottom or you’ll have green babies!” much to the confusion of everyone. She did cut to the bottom, and they were soon served a thankfully delicious cake.

The day was nearing it’s end, and a few people were talking of heading home when Milla began shouting for everyone to get ready for a picture. The far too large group got squished up against the wall, Lullah front and centre with Hope to her right, Milla included confusingly enough. Milla shouted “Say cheese!” and everyone followed suit, and a picture was taken. Hope later learned that Milla had rigged a button for the occasion.

With the way the day wound down, it was easy to forget about the last gift. For everyone but Lullah.

As she laid awake, in bed and ready to fall asleep after such an exciting and exhausting day, she couldn’t help but look at the amulet she left on her bedside table. She knew it was likely that someone was just shy, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Where was the other half? Why yang? She didn’t enter a peaceful sleep that night, her mind racing too much. Just enough that she couldn’t focus on the way the amulet lit up as she finally drifted off.

Chapter Text

You know when you take a nap that goes on for longer than you expected and you don’t know who or where you are? That’s what Lullah felt when she woke up. Except she didn’t get the chance to collect her surroundings and remember everything, as her surroundings had changed. Vaguely, she knew this was her room. All the furniture was there and Delilah was sleeping peacefully in her cage. Yet it wasn’t her room. Where there were once floors, walls and a ceiling, there were now galaxies and void. 

Had Lullah been in a less loopy mindset, she perhaps would have thought twice before swinging her pale (Pale? Her mind supplied past the haze, but it refused to elaborate) legs off the bed and standing. The floor was apparently still there, just beneath an illusion of the universe.

She wandered around the room, trying to take everything in. She got closer to Delilah and noticed she wasn’t breathing, but oddly, it didn’t worry her. She just moved on and went around touching everything in the room. She glanced at her mirror, and suddenly she had even less control, as she felt as though she had no choice but to walk up to the reflective surface.

Standing in front of the mirror, the hazy state she was in lifted, and she could only feel fear. When you look in the mirror, there are a lot of things you don’t want to see. A zit, something stuck in your teeth, an uneven wing of eyeliner, but what you never expect to see is someone else entirely standing where you stood.

Where her dark, tall, mature frame should be held an adolescent girl with skin so pale it could almost be paper. Is that healthy? Despite knowing she was shorter than Lullah, she could still look straight ahead and see the grey eyes, surrounded by eyeshadow and other makeup. It was slightly obscured by her hair, but not the familiar brown curls she was used to. No, this was pin straight platinum blonde. 

She dared look down at her body in the mirror. Replacing her pyjamas were a monochrome striped shirt, covered by an overall dress. Shorts peaked out the bottom of the skirt. 

It was as though she had been replaced by someone, someone whose existence was supposed to be the opposite of her own. Lullah felt sick and disoriented, and she was almost glad when she felt her consciousness cut. It was all a bad dream, and she’d wake up in her bed in her own body.

She woke up in a bush. Her body stung as though she had been dropped in it, and despite what media will tell you, bushes don’t break your fall all that much. She twisted in the bush and spat a flower out. How did a flower even get in her mouth? She began to crawl out of the bush and felt a sense of relief as she saw the dark skin of her hands. She didn’t think much about how her gloves, and presumably the rest, of her daytime outfit were on. She just wanted to get out of the bush.

She finally felt sunlight on her skin, not shadowed by leaves and foliage, when she heard a boy shout. “Who are you! What are you doing in my garden!?” The anger felt somewhat forced, so she lifted her head and hoped she would just be meeting with someone scared.

Instead she was met with a sword to the face. It was iron, looked considerably old, but it was still a sword to the face. Not a situation anyone wants to be in. She looked past the blade, determining if she could take the boy on the end of it, and immediately found herself in shock. He had six purple eyes. And when she let her gaze go a little lower, he had six arms. She swore she could see some wings as well. How many body parts did one guy need? “I’ll repeat myself, who are you?”

Lullah opened her mouth dumbly. This guy shouldn’t have been enough to stun her, but after everything, she could barely contain her thoughts. The boy clearly had enough of her, and threatened to shove the sword into her face. Suddenly Lullah felt her magic awaken, somehow before her brain, and a wave of heat shot out and she saw his sword bend slightly under the heat. Before the older boy could notice the change, and before Lullah melted it entirely, it dissolved into a black void and disappeared. That was enough to shut off Lullah’s magic again. “Bobby, you can’t go around threatening girls, there’s a reason it took so long for you to make friends.

Bobby? This wasn’t Bobby, her mind tried to supply. It wasn’t her Bobby, she argued with herself. Bobby was a common name, and it seemed like she wasn’t on the island anymore. She felt like she was going to cry. Sure, getting off the island was cool, but she was confused and her body hurt and she just wants her family.

Bobby looked behind him, and Lullah wasn’t able to tell if he was any more upset by his blank face. He faced a tall, inhumanely tall, boy. His skin was pitch black, and he had horns. Lullah tried not to focus on the fact his eyes were all sclera, so she focused instead on the fact that he was wearing a suit. It looked really out of place in a garden, especially when compared to Bobby’s worn overalls.

“Dapper,” Bobby whined, sending dread up Lullah’s spine. That couldn’t be Dapper, but Dapper was too uncommon a name, and he looked just close enough to her Dapper that she didn’t know what to do. “How often do random girls show up in my bushes? This is a very small community, she had to come from somewhere weird, and if she doesn’t say anything, I’m assuming she’s no good.”

Dapper nodded at his words, and for a split second Lullah worried he agreed. Lullah could take Bobby, easily, but if Dapper was the one who did, whatever that was, to that sword, Lullah wasn’t as confident in her odds of winning. Confusingly, Dapper just smiled at her. His mouth was oddly human. He placed a hand on Bobby’s shoulder and spoke. “I am very sorry about my boyfriend here,” somehow Dapper calling Bobby his boyfriend felt like the final straw of weirdness. Lullah doesn’t think Dapper was attracted to anyone, and it would take a fool to not see how Bobby looks at Evie. “But understand that his fears are warranted, it’s been years since someone new showed up on our island, and when that did happen, they came from another world,” Dapper explained.

So that was a possibility. Either that or there was another place out there where her friends and family had a bunch of mutated dopplegangers. 

“Come on, let her get up at least,” Lullah heard from behind them. A girl this time. She hadn’t realised that there had been another person in the garden. Lullah used this opportunity to finally stand up, although on shaky legs, and took in the appearance of the girl.

She was tall, but not inhumanely so like Dapper. She had dark skin and a boxy frame. She had wild, tight curls, with half of her head shaved and random flowers twisted inside the remaining. Lullah had a suspicion who she was, and it just made this whole situation weirder.

“Sorry Tallulah,” her suspicions were proven correct by Dapper. “But know that I just wanted to help her, I didn’t want to come off as overbearing.” He turned back to face her. “So, ready to tell us your name?”

“It’s Lullah,” she forced out. Lullah was raised in a world where fighting was just a part of life you had to accept, and yet just saying her name was enough to make her feel weak here. Either this world was considerably more dangerous, or there was some kind of poison in the air. Or she was just feeling sick after everything that had happened.

Tallulah’s eyes widened. “Is this what Hermes was on about? About there being other worlds with the same people?” Her eyes didn’t leave Lullah, and there was a certain darkness about her gaze that Lullah hoped she didn’t have herself.

“Hermes? Like the Greek god?” She hadn’t realised he was real. Or maybe he was only real in this world. This was definitely a new world she decided, she and her counterpart both believed that.

Tallulah tilted her head. “No, demigod, and he’s Cuban. And British, I think. Definitely Cuban, maybe British.” This was somehow more confusing than if they had just told her Greek gods existed.

Bobby crossed all six of his arms. “Come on, there has to be another explanation, I mean, Tallulah’s probably a fairly common name.” Despite how he had held a sword up to her face minutes ago, he was now playing the role of common sense. 

“But then again, she got some really simple facts wrong, someone from our world would know that,” Dapper brought up. Bobby nodded, likely thoughtfully. The idea of Bobby and Dapper dating was weird, but at least Bobby listened to Dapper. “So, Lullah, are you from another world?”

Lullah nodded. “I think so, but I have no idea how I ended up here. One moment I was in my bed, the next I was in this weird galaxy room where my reflection was wrong, and then I was in that bush.” Her mind finally felt like it was returning to her, and if she hadn’t been given so much to worry about, she would have relaxed.

Dapper placed his hands on his hips. “Well, that certainly makes things difficult,” he spoke as though it was a rather windy day. She certainly got to meet an odd trio to begin with. A monotone boy ready to kill, a guy who seems to see the world as something carefree, and her counterpart, who is rather normal besides the fact she’s Lullah. Dapper’s expression dropped and he turned to his friend and boyfriend. “Do you think this has something to do with Pomme’s disappearance?” he whispered just loud enough for Lullah to hear.

Her attention was fully grabbed at Pomme. Of course this world had a Pomme. There must be so many of her friends and family that existed here. 

While Lullah was thinking about her friend, Tallulah nodded. “It would make sense, it’s impossible for something to give without taking, and while it’s rare for something to be such a one to one trade, it works too well to not be the case.”

“So, what is your Pomme like?” Lullah decided to ask. It was a good idea to get some distinctions if she was going to be surrounded by her friends' counterparts.

“She is Dapper’s sister,” Bobby stated. Lullah was warming up to the boy surprisingly fast considering he had tried to kill her, but the way his expression rarely changed was off putting to her. “Strongest of a generation, and very childish.”

“Been crushing on Bobby for years now, so she’s certainly a dreamer,” Tallulah added, hitting her hip against Bobby teasingly. Bobby was only slightly shorter than Lullah, and Tallulah was so tall her hip hit his second pair of arms.

“She’s a sweetheart, and I’m worried sick about her,” Dapper finished. Even without true eyes, she could still see the sadness in them. The two main differences between the Pommes so far looks to be the fact she’s related to Dapper and is interested in men.

“I’m very sorry she’s gone missing, I hope you find her soon,” Lullah got out. Lullah didn’t know what was wrong with her. She was usually so talkative, but all of this is just making her confused and act as if she doesn’t know how to talk to people.

Dapper waved his hands dismissively, but the action felt strained, not entirely wanted. “It’ll be fine, we should worry about getting you home right now, we have you at least, even if that’s our problem.” Lullah felt bad that Dapper was pretending to not be so bothered by his sister's disappearance, but she didn’t know how to voice it.

“You’ll really help me?” she asked once the second part of his sentence registered in her brain. 

Bobby tilted his head, the only indication she’s gotten so far that he feels something besides nothing. Unless you count shoving a sword in her face, that probably indicates anger. Scratch what she said earlier, it’s the second indication. “Of course, why wouldn’t we? You want to go home, so we’ll get you home. We’re not as selfish as to keep you here.” Part of her believed he was going to say they didn’t want her here. It would have been fair, but still hurtful. This Bobby really isn’t all that great at first impressions, but at least he’s quickly making up for it.

“Okay, thank you,” she spoke, attempting to hide the giddiness from her voice and failing. “If I get back home and it does prove that it was connected and Pomme, your Pomme, is there, I’ll send her back your way.” She had no idea how she’d do that, but she had no idea how she’d get home either, so that was an issue she would be facing at a later date. Hopefully. She really didn’t want to think about the possibility that she may never get to go home.

Dapper’s happy expression became a little more true at her words. “We’ll get you home, no matter what.” Lullah really hoped it was possible.

Tallulah stood closer to Lullah now. “So, do we have any idea on how we could bring her home?” Ah, right. There was no real plan yet.

“Hermes,” Bobby stated simply. The Cuban-Maybe-British Demigod likely, unless this time they were actually talking about the Greek God. You never know when the multiverse is something you’ve interacted with now. This could be an entirely different Hermes for all she knew about. Bobby continued. “If we can talk to him, he can find her world and take her home.”

Okay, so probably the demigod. “How will he find my world?” Lullah inquired.

Bobby shrugged. Lullah had never wondered what shrugging with six shoulders would look like but she had the answer now. “I dunno, I don’t talk to him, all I know is that he travels worlds, Leo might know, but not me.” Lullah couldn’t help but perk up at Leo’s name. She knows it’s not her Leo, but she just can’t help herself. She already misses him.

“Will I get to meet Leo?” she asked, her voice hushed so she didn’t sound too excited. 

Dapper nodded. “Whenever Hermes visits he’s usually with her, he’s her uncle after all,” he stated.

“Step uncle, if we want to get into the specifics of it, there’s no God with two kids yet,” Bobby added, as though the distinction was something he decided was a need.

Lullah didn’t actually know if her own Leo had an uncle. He liked to ignore talking about Vegetta as much as he could, and Willy had never mentioned anything about a sibling as far as she knew. The family relations here sure are interesting.

“I can’t see Vegetta having a sibling, makes sense that he’d have to have a step sibling.” Did Vegetta even have parents? She does not know much about the Rulers at all. Not nearly as much as she should considering one used to be her foster parent.

This caused all three counterparts to cock their heads. “Vegetta? Why would he be Hermes’ brother? I know you don’t know much about this world, but wouldn’t it make the most sense to assume Hermes was Foolish’s brother considering they are both demigods?” Tallulah asked.

Lullah was hit with multiple questions at the same time. Foolish was actually Leo’s parent in this world? Was Vegetta not godly? Or just not a demigod? She started with the one that would likely lead to the least questions to her. “What is Vegetta? Like human, or…” her words droned off at the end. She knew this world must deal with a God system unlike her own, but she didn’t exactly know what that entailed.

“He’s an elf,” Dapper supplied. If Lullah had been experiencing any less, she would have questioned the existence of elves more, but honestly, she was ready to accept anything at this point.

“Any god… stuff at all?” She was tempted to say blood, but she didn’t know if gods have blood here. Media in her own world dictates they often have ichor, but this isn’t her world, as much fiction as the media she is referring to is. Didn’t matter much, she was as well off referencing media as she did her own world.

Tallulah shook her head. “No, there are only four cases of demigods, and he is certainly not God.” 

“Powerful, but that came from his own studies, not godhood,” Dapper added. This Vegetta was likely not as big of a threat as her own was, but she should still stand on guard about him then.

“So what is Leo?” Half demigod and half elf, she doesn’t know the maths to even try to decipher it on her own.

“Demigod, although she does have access to Elven locked magic,” Bobby supplied. Some magic is locked to specific species? And godhood doesn’t dilute any further? Her head simply hurts at this point.

“I’m done with my questions, can we go see Hermes now?” She wanted to give her brain at least a little time to rest before she’d likely have even more questions.

Tallulah nodded. “I will take you, it would make no sense for all three of us to go.”

Lullah hesitated. She wasn’t sure how to feel about being alone with her doppelganger. But she didn’t know if asking for Dapper to come along was the right bet. She wouldn’t blame him if he saw her as a replacement to his sister. Never in his heart, but to the world. The equal trade Tallulah mentioned earlier. And she couldn’t ask Bobby, Dapper would probably appreciate having him around. She didn’t know much about their relationship other than the fact it was romantic, but that was enough for her to nod at the idea of being alone with Tallulah. “Okay, lead the way.”

She was somewhat glad that the walk through the castle was a short one. There were so many cobwebs, that mixed with the dark halls and red furnishings, she was genuinely afraid. Have they never dusted this palace before?

The outside was better, but more confusing. Where she expected to see her usual town, a stupid expectation considering what she had learned so far, there was… not her town at all. Somewhat old architectured buildings were replaced by pretty much anything. There was no rule to it as it seemed. They worked together despite it all, but she was hoping she’d have at least some normalcy to fall back on in this world. 

“Is it a lot?” Tallulah asked.

“Yeah, “ Lullah responded. Almost too much, she wanted to respond. Lullah had imagined scenarios where she ended up in new worlds before, back when it seemed like life couldn't get better. Back with Payne. In those day dreams it was better, perfect even, and she’d acclimate to the world almost instantly. Yet when it’s true, it can’t feel further than fiction. She wasn’t perfectly at peace here. She felt wrong here, her existence wasn’t supposed to be true to this world.

“I get how you feel,” Tallulah spoke. “Well, not entirely, but I get the gist of it you know?” Tallulah’s voice was soft, and Lullah didn’t know if it was always like that or just created for Lullah.

“You feel like you don’t belong in the world?” Lullah asked. She liked her counterpart, truly, but she couldn’t believe her when she said she knew how she felt.

Tallulah nodded. “Somewhat, I mean, I was never supposed to be here.” This immediately intrigued Lullah. They had just met, but they were also the same person, so would it be wrong to ask more about what Tallulah was talking about? She didn’t have to ask, as Tallulah was already willing to give the information. “The egg that held me didn’t actually hold life, I was the final failed experiment before they succeeded with Chayanne.”

“So, how are you alive?” Lullah asked, all preconceived notions of politeness cast away in favour of curiosity.

“My mother, the Goddess of Death, she had come into possession of the soul of a very young child, and my dad had found the empty egg just a few days before, so,” she hesitated, “she tampered in the reincarnation process a little and created the life herself. I was born solely because my mother fiddled in a domain that she was never supposed to touch.” Her voice croaked a little as she spoke, not so much as to be an indication of crying, or wanting to do so, but rather just enough to show that this was a story Tallulah rarely told due to the emotional aspects of it. Was Tallulah really just so trusting of her, or was the fact that they were two versions of the same identity what pushed her over to being willing to tell her birth story?

“So Kristin… Your mother is Kristin, right?” She thought she’d at least have somewhere to stand on when it came to knowledge, but she feels as though nothing makes sense. In her head the Ruler of Death becoming the Goddess of Death made sense, but nothing here made sense.

Tallulah gave a soft smile. “Yes, she is.” Lullah felt a wave of relief. Something she knew, finally.

“So Kristin gave you life, how does that mean you shouldn’t be here?” It sounded rather straightforward to her.

Tallulah started playing with her hair, curls loosening and Lullah couldn’t deny that flowers were sprouting from the others as her hands ran by them, causing her hair to become somewhat crowded with the plants before they fell out. Lullah had never seen anything like it before and she made a mental note to ask her about it before she left. Because she would leave, she had to. “Death isn’t supposed to create life that way.” Lullah cocked her head. “Life influences death and death influences life, but they’re not supposed to cause each other, not naturally.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Lullah muttered. “But I don’t think you’re unnatural.”

“You don’t need to, I know I’m unnatural,” Tallulah replied.

“Well,” Lullah pondered. “Maybe unnatural is good, it’s nice to have surprises in life.” Lullah wasn’t sure on how to stop Tallulah believing she was unnatural, but she did know how to stop her from feeling bad about herself.

Tallulah raised an eyebrow before a smile crossed her face. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Lullah couldn’t help but smile back.

They reached the end of the island and were greeted with a giant staircase leading down. At the bottom was a familiar statue. It was a little different than her own, but it still granted a welcomed sense of familiarity. They trekked down and across the bridge leading to it, where Tallulah knocked on the door. Lullah wondered who would open it. She didn’t even know who lived here. Presumably Foolish, Leo and Hermes, but beyond that she had no clue.

Before long, the door opened, and there was no way the person who opened the door was anyone other than Leo. Not her Leo, but a Leo nonetheless. She was significantly shorter, and had skin several shades darker than her Leo, although from the way her bikini top strap was slightly askew, she could tell it was because of a tan. One key difference was that this Leo had purple eyes rather than green. It shouldn’t have been that shocking, where she had green eyes, Tallulah’s were instead a dark blue. Still, it was enough to break her free of the idea that this Leo could be like her own. “We’ve got another new resident?” she asked, her voice too high pitched.

Tallulah invited herself into the house, to which Leo, never her Leo, stepped aside and allowed her before looking at Lullah cocking her head in the direction of the couch. Lullah took that as a sign she was also allowed in. Once the door was closed, Tallulah answered. “Not exactly, in front of us we have another world's version of me.”

Lullah was ready to have to explain the whole story again, but Leo just sighed. “What did Hermes do this time?” Right, her uncle is a world traveller. Would she be that calm about this situation if she had known what Richas had been up to beforehand? Probably not, it’s different to see this happen than to experience it.

“We don’t think Hermes did anything, we actually think this may have something to do with Pomme’s disappearance,” Tallulah explained. 

Leo’s eyes widened. “You think so?” Her eyes drifted over to Lullah. “Well, hopefully we can fix this all soon, but in the meantime, let me introduce myself.” She outstretched a hand in her direction. “Leonardo De Luque-Brown at your service.”

Leonardo, it would do better for her heart to call her Leonardo, grinned at her and looked down at her hand. Lullah shook it. “Tallulah Sinfonia-Bit-Navarro, right back at you, although most people these days call me Lullah.”

Leonardo pulled away from her hand. “Got it Lullah.” Lullah vaguely wondered if being so swooning was a trait all Leo’s had or if she had just managed to meet the two that met that criteria. “I’m sorry if you wanted to get home now, Hermes won’t be here until tomorrow, he’s a busy man, but don’t worry, he’ll be on fixing everything as soon as he can.” Lullah felt her heart drop. She knew it would likely not be instant, but truly hearing that she’d be stuck in this world for at least a day more made her nauseous.

Tallulah seemed to recognise this and held onto her shoulders. “How about we get some food into you? You haven’t eaten today, and you really should,” she spoke in an attempt to change the subject.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Lullah muttered. If she didn’t eat soon she’d surely be worse. Her stomach was empty, hurting almost. At least this way if she threw up there’d be more than stomach acid. “I’m vegan by the way.” It would be a shame if she couldn’t eat the food given to her.

Leonardo nodded and disappeared upstairs, leaving the two Tallulah’s alone. Tallulah guided Lullah down to a couch. “Think you’ll be alright?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Lullah answered. She hasn’t felt this not in control since the kidnappings. She’s alone, again. Surrounded by people but a true other, perhaps even more than she was all those years ago. 

“You’ll be okay, I promise, you will get home.” Lullah wanted to believe Tallulah, so she hoped she actually would sooner rather than later. Silence stretched between the two, and Lullah was not a fan. She didn’t like the awkwardness. Tallulah seemed to also dislike it, as she began talking. “So, who are your parents? We only share one last name.”

Lullah was reminded that she wasn’t the only one being faced with different information. This world’s occupants were dealing with far less, but she brought new information with her, a timeline that they couldn’t imagine. “Roier and Cellbit, I was adopted by them a few years back, but Missa and Phil were my foster parents for a few years. They aren’t my parents, but they count as family I like to think.” They were too important, and loved her too much. Once upon a time she thought her last name Sinfonia came from Missa, until she learned that Roier simply had that as part of his last name too.

Tallulah nodded. “I see,” she said quietly. “Interesting, I thought maybe you had three parents like I do, but that makes sense.”

Lullah cocked her head. Three parents? “Kristin, Phil, and who else?” Lullah asked.

Tallulah gave an odd look, but Lullah didn’t know what was wrong with what she asked. “Missa, I said we shared a last name, and I thought you knew I was talking of Sinfonia.”

That was certainly new information. “Is she not just Kristin in your, this, world?” She corrected herself, and it didn’t make her feel any better. Every conversation makes her brain feel more split.

“Well, of course, Missa, my Pa, he is a grim reaper, my mother is a Goddess, completely different, even if they work with the same things.” The dead being the thing. Lullah was quite shocked, not only were Missa and Kristin separate, but apparently in this world Missa was a man. “They are the same in your world?”

Lullah nodded. “Yeah, it didn’t really hit me that in a world they could be seperate.”

Tallulah shrugged. “Makes sense, it never hit me they could be the same.”

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of two people going down the stairs. Lullah was expecting to see Leonardo coming down with Foolish, but instead she was coming down with-.

“Vegetta!” Tallulah exclaimed, but instead of shock or fear, she was rather happy. Lullah knew he wasn’t a God in this world, but he was still powerful, so why wasn’t she scared? Tallulah stood up and ran to hug him. Most shockingly, he hugged back with one arm, the other lifting a plate of food up so she didn’t tilt it. “I haven’t seen you in a while! How have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been okay, you know how it usually is when I have to go back to being a king, but now that I’m home with my family I’m great!” His voice was so cheerful, and as he said family, it was full of so much love. Lullah couldn’t remember if she had ever heard Vegetta speak, but she had always expected that he talked about family like Payne did. Was this Vegetta really different from her own? A look at the way Leo grinned up at her father said that it was more than likely.

Vegetta pulled away from Tallulah and moved closer to Lullah, handing her a plate of food. She didn’t know what it was, but it looked like some kind of pumpkin salad. “Here, try to get as much down as you can.” She wasn’t sure how to feel at how loving he was, but it felt nice, even if she felt like it was some kind of betrayal to Leo.

“Thank you,” she muttered, struggling to look him in the eyes before doing so as she realised that her other choice was his bare chest. He was in only pyjama pants, a sight she’d never believe she’d see of a Ruler. Or their counterpart. She dug into the salad, and the plate was empty far quicker than she thought she could leave a plate.

“So, Lullah,” Vegetta started as he sat down next to Lullah on the couch. “Leo has explained the situation to me, and don’t you worry, I’d trust no one more in getting you home than my boyfriend’s brother.”

“Okay, if you say so.” She actually couldn’t stop herself from smiling at his words. She much preferred this Vegetta than her own. She was half tempted to take him with her when she left, show Leo what an actually loving father he deserved of Vegetta, but she knew she’d just be putting him in her own position. No one deserves that.

“We’ll need to get you somewhere to stay, I’d offer for you to stay here, but I’m sure you don’t want to deal with my parents,” Leonardo hesitated, “Hobbies.”

Lullah tilted her head. “Hobbies?”

“Night hobbies, exercise you could say,” Leonardo answered slowly.

“Oh!” Lullah’s face flushed and the giggles of Leonardo and Tallulah followed quickly.

“Hey! That is not something you should be talking about!” Vegetta reprimanded. “And don’t embarrass our guest here.”

“What about our sex life is being talked about?” Foolish asked from the stairs, embarrassing Lullah further.

Vegetta sighed. “If I didn’t love you, I would at the very least be annoyed at you,” he spoke with a soft smile. 

“Good thing I snatched your heart up early then,” Foolish replied with a wide grin. Seeing the two interact was so odd. There was love, and respect, and an agreement between the two. Hearing words such as gods, and perhaps demigods, made Lullah feel as though there would be something in their relationship that showed that Foolish was godly, or that Vegetta’s power surged between worlds and he would hold it. But no, they were equal, so humanly equal.

“Dad,” Leonardo spoke, not to interrupt the two, but rather just to move the conversation. “This is Lullah, she needs somewhere to stay, can you give her that?”

Foolish blinked, and Lullah couldn’t help but wonder if eyes being entirely sclera was normal in this world. “Well, I can, but I’m not that quick at building. I can do it quicker than anyone, but a home doesn’t come quickly.”

“Foolish, she means to put Lullah with someone else's family, not make her a house,” Tallulah cleared up with an awkward smile.

“Oh!” Foolish exclaimed. “Yeah, that’s much easier to do.” He turned to Lullah. “So, wanna come with me so I can take you to your new home?”

“Yes.” Not like she had any other choice. Her true home was a world away, and Leonardo was right when she said she didn’t want to hear the two adults of the home. 

Foolish then turned to Leonardo. “Will you be coming with us?”

Leonardo just shook her head. “Nah, me and Triumph are going to spend the day at the beach, I’m going to surf and he’s probably just going to look at me and make his music.” Leonardo grinned at her words, as if doing completely separate things was the most magical idea in the world when, technically, doing it together.

Foolish nodded. “Alright, I’ll leave you and your fiance alone.” Fiance? Leonardo couldn’t have been older than her own Leo, and he was barely a teen. It took a few moments to brush away the shock and grasping feeling in her heart from the idea that Leonardo had a fiance, and she was greeted with Foolish responding to something Tallulah said. “Alright, guess it’s just me and Lullah.”

Lullah looked over at Tallulah. She wasn’t coming with her? “I’d love to, but I was in the middle of something when you appeared in that bush, and I should really get back to it before the boys do something they regret,” she spoke.

“Okay, yeah, that makes sense,” Lullah responded. It wasn’t much, but having her counterpart by her side made her feel better. Still, she’d need to persevere. She was going to be uncomfortable for a while, what was a little more discomfort?

They bid their farewells to the others and Lullah was left following Foolish. Luckily he was excited to talk about architecture. It was easy to just listen to what he was saying, about how he had contributed so much to the island, and forget her worries for just a moment. She could do this, she’d be fine.

Her solace was broken when her attention was brought over to a boy sitting by a frozen lake. That was odd. It was so warm, far warmer than her own world was at the moment, so the lake shouldn’t have been able to freeze. Unless this world had weird ice physics as well. She thought about the breathing techniques Cellbit had taught her for when she began to panic. If ice could appear in this kind of weather, who knows how bad it would be if she had to stay until the weather got cold..

Foolish noticed her confusion and looked at where her gaze was. “Oh! Pepito is out and about, not often do we see him anywhere other than the snow desert, Chun’s forge and his own home,” Foolish noticed. Lullah tried to wrack her mind for someone named Chun, but it was coming up empty. This place even had new people? And what was a snow desert? Certainly something she didn’t want to find out.

“Why not?” Lullah asked. He didn’t look sad, even from a distance. He had a small smile on his face as he looked down at the ice. She couldn’t imagine being that happy with ice.

“Oh, he’s always been one with the snow, very few people have befriended him before, I think his social circle is as small as Chun, me and his immediate family,” Foolish explained. “I do wonder what got him out here though, today seems like the perfect day for him to be off in the snow, not creating his own.”

Lullah was not known for her self preservation skills, far from it. Yet even she could tell the idiocy of leaving Foolish’s side, getting closer and closer to the ice, to the boy who could apparently make ice. Foolish didn’t stop her at least. She felt oddly right, more than she had been for hours, deciding to talk to someone on her own free will rather than being placed and expected to talk.

“Hi, what’s got you by the lake?” Lullah asked, trying to stay at a far enough distance from the ice yet close enough to Pepito.

The boy’s smile dropped. Not in a sad way, more in a way that spoke that his peace was disrupted. That was not a good sign. The boy lifted his hands, and Lullah quickly realised he was using sign language. ‘I’m waiting, and I want to see ice.’

So he wasn’t all alone, that’s good. “For Chun?” Lullah asked, and was greeted by a nod. “That’s good, I don’t like seeing people alone.”

‘I like being alone, I wouldn’t have been sad.’ Pepito was far more skilled at sign language than Hope was, and that was perhaps why she felt so strongly to his words. This was supposed to be where she thrived, talking to people was what she was good at, so why was she struggling to talk to Pepito?

“I didn’t mean it as an insult, more just… you know, like…” Her words trailed off. She truly didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want anyone from this world to dislike her, but she was just digging herself a bigger and bigger hole as each second of the conversation dragged on. Why wasn’t Foolish helping her here?

Pepito’s eyes widened slightly. Not shocked, more intrigued. ‘Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.’ He seemed to move on from what he was saying before completely.

“I’m Lullah, I am not from here, by here I mean this world, you know the multiverse?” She had no idea if the multiverse was common knowledge here, it certainly wasn’t in her own world.

‘Yes,’ he signed simply. He stared at her, and she felt cold. She really hoped it was just from discomfort and he didn’t know how to freeze people. She had been frozen once before, she didn’t know if her heart could handle a second time. ‘You will be fine, I promise you.’

Lullah blinked dumbly at him. What was he talking about? “How will I be fine?” she asked slowly.

‘You will find a place here, you’ll find people to talk to,’ he answered.

Lullah felt warmth spread through her heart. That wasn’t what she was worried about, but it was nice to have the boy worry for her. “Thanks, I’m sure I will.”

Pepito stared back at the lake, done with what they were saying. Lullah just stood there, looking back at Foolish, who was still staring at her, not moving. Was she supposed to push the conversation again? She looked back. “So, ice? You make it?” She knew she had to play into something he enjoyed, as he had shown he had no issue simply stopping a conversation if he didn’t like it, but still, it made her a little antsy. 

Pepito looked at her again. ‘Yes, I am an elf, I have ice magic.’ So, more of that locked magic talk. She was rather happy she had only seen two elves so far. 

Before she could make a response, he slammed his foot on the ground and beneath his foot froze, getting about a metre out from it, but it was enough to make her stumble backwards. For just a few seconds she was sure the ice would grow more, would touch and consume her. But it was fine, nothing came from it. It just existed, in front of her. Pepito furrowed his eyebrows, and within moments the ice was gone. 

“Thank you,” she whispered, her heart calming down. “I got a bit panicked.”

‘It’s okay,’ he signed, his gaze not leaving her. Lullah was left simply standing there, waiting as he looked at her. Was he upset that she didn’t like his ice? Foolish had mentioned snow about him a lot, was it truly that big a part of him? She tried to think if she would react the same way if someone acted the same about her magic, but that was another way they seemed to be quite different.

“Pepito, I don’t think she likes you staring,” a voice behind her said. It was an accent she had never heard before, and she turned around to see who it was. She was met with the sight of an asian boy. He was relatively normal looking, with long black hair and some kind of traditional garb, but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the large battle axe he had on his back.

She couldn’t imagine a single person from her own world that this could be, too much of one aspect and too little of another, not even touching on what he looked like, so she spoke her only thought. “Chun?”

The boy tilted his head and then nodded. “Heard about me?” he asked. His voice was slow, practised. She thought about how similar it was to Payne’s voice, back when he had cared about not seeming like the absolute monster he truly was, before she quickly shoved the thought into the back of her mind. That would do no good, she couldn’t go thinking about him like that.

“Yeah, Foolish over there,” she pointed behind her, and she could practically hear the way he waved at Chun from how fast it was. “And Pepito here told me he was waiting for you.”

Chun turned his head to Pepito, and his originally thoughtful expression turned to a thoughtless smile. Lullah really could never escape the fact that she was not meant to be a part of this. Everyone else had lives, friendships, relationships that she was never meant to see, she was intruding on something she would never understand.

“You actually talked to her? How is she?” Chun asked, ignoring Lullah’s presence. Lullah didn’t look over to see what Pepito was signing, rather looking at Chun. She could face the counterparts of her friends and family, but someone so completely new was something she couldn’t stop thinking about. Why did this world have him but not her own? And what was his deal? He looked to be the same age as her, but had this untrusting aura that surrounded him, one of someone much older.

She didn’t focus on the relationship between him and Pepito, the two both confused her. The way they looked over her and found other ways to entertain themselves the moment she stopped interesting her. Was everyone here like this? Or just these two? What would happen once she stopped interesting everyone else?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Chun speaking again. “Well, Pepito likes you, so I trust you.” Wait, what? Pepito liked her? He didn’t even seem interested in their conversation moments before.

“That’s good,” she responded before a new question dawned on her mind. “So, do you trust everyone Pepito likes? Shouldn’t that be something you choose for yourself?” She really hoped she wasn’t overstepping with Chun, but it was so hard to tell sometimes, especially with these two.

“I choose who to trust myself, after long periods of time typically,” Chun explained, not upset at how she spoke luckily. “But Pepito isn’t one to trust easily, somehow even worse than me, so if he trusts you, I will go against my best judgement and trust you as well.”

Lullah couldn’t help the grin that crossed her face. This was what she was good at, claiming hearts. “Well, I hope I don’t make you regret it.” 

“I hope so as well,” Chun said with a small smile. “So, where did you come from? Haven’t seen another kid pop up on this island in a while.”

Lullah explained her situation, less scared than she had been before. The multiverse was a lot more common knowledge here than it was in her world. “And that’s why I’m here.”

Chun nodded. “I guess it makes sense you’d be another Tallulah, you have that same kindness.” Lullah didn’t really know what he meant, but decided to not comment on it. “What’s the other ChunSik up to?”

Hearing his actual name didn’t make him sound like an actual person from her own world, so it just cemented the fact he was alone, at least when it came to their two worlds. “I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never met another version of you.”

Chun frowned at this. “Ah, that’s a shame.” His mood perked up again, as though he wasn’t truly upset. “Well, we should let you return to what you were doing, Pepito and I were off to the forest.”

Lullah nodded. “It’s been nice meeting you, if I stay long enough, feel free to say hi.” She turned to Pepito. “Either of you.”

She finally returned to Foolish. That was a rollercoaster of a conversation, but she left it feeling like she had done something right. 

“It’s nice to see those two get along with people, Chun is a bit better, but those two are a bit closed off to anyone but each other,” Foolish started as soon as they continued their journey to wherever Foolish was leading them.

“I’m glad I could get them to open up a bit then.” She didn’t understand either of them. This Pepito was so different from her own it was hard to think they were supposed to be the same person, and then Chun was completely new to her, which she wasn’t sure made it easier or harder to talk to him.

They moved on from the topic of the two boys and before Lullah knew it, a dark manor had come into view. It somewhat reminded her of the kinds of manors she’d see in those weird vampire romance movies she’d watch with Roier. At least vampires wouldn’t be too shocking for her, she just had to hope whoever the vampire was wasn’t too shocking.

The two approached more and were eventually in front of the door. Lullah expected Foolish to knock, but instead he just barged open the doors, walking inside and shouting. “Bad! I’ve got a kid for you!”

Ah, so this wasn’t a vampire's manor but rather Bad’s. Unless this was the universe where Bad was a vampire. Lullah awkwardly followed Foolish into the manor. It was as dark as the outside was, but still aired the kindness she expected from her own Bad.

Foolish led her through the halls until they eventually reached a lounge room, where she saw Bad, or at least she thought he was Bad. “Asshole, couldn’t even come find me when I called your name?” Foolish teased. 

“You were going to find me anyways, why waste the energy?” Bad’s eyes flicked towards Lullah, or at least she assumed they did, Bad also had a case of ‘Sclera only eyes’, and smiled at her. “I was wondering when I’d get to meet you, ended up in the wrong universe, didn’t you?”

Lullah found herself frozen. No, don’t think about being frozen, not after what happened earlier. She was used to explaining her situation already, so having it simply be known was a shock. “Uh, yes, yes I have.”

Bad placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, we’ll get you home, you and Pomme will be fine, and then things will go back to normal.”

Foolish groaned. “Do you always have to speak so creepily?” he asked. Good, she wasn’t the only one hearing that odd tone.

Bad glared at his friend. “I do not speak creepily, and even if I did, I wouldn’t stop.”

“Pfft, yeah, not creepy,” Foolish responded. “Just don’t creep her out too much, she needs a place to stay, and if Pomme’s not gonna be around may as well add back some life to this place.”

Replacement, her brain supplied. Trade, she attempted to argue with herself. Neither felt very good, but it made her feel a little better if she could believe she could be traded back.

Bad nodded, as if this was a normal situation. “I can take her in, don’t you worry.”

“Thank you,” she spoke. She didn’t want to think about what she’d do if he didn’t want her.

Foolish stepped back. “Well, I ought to go back home, Vegeta and I want some alone time with Leo out of the house.” Lullah didn’t know if she should focus on the fact he said his boyfriend’s name wrong or the sexual implications on what alone time meant, so she simply didn’t ask any questions.

Foolish bid his goodbyes with them and Bad was the first one to speak, practically as soon as Foolish was out the door. “That necklace, where did you get it?” His voice was slow and controlled.

Lullah tilted her head. “Necklace? What necklace-... Oh.” As she spoke, she looked down, expecting to find nothing, but instead she was graced with the sight of the amulet she had gotten last night. She could somewhat excuse the fact she had been wearing her everyday clothes when she ended up here, after all, she wore them almost every day, but the amulet hadn’t been worn yet, so what was the reason she was wearing it? “I don’t know, it was a birthday gift, I got it yesterday.”

Bad nodded. “You know, Pomme got a gift yesterday, we thought it was an early Christmas present, but no matter who we asked, no one would say who gave it to her.”

“That was how it was with my amulet as well,” Lullah hesitated before speaking again. “Was Pomme’s gift Yin?” It didn’t feel good to ask, the answer could answer questions she now didn’t want answered.

“It was,” Bad answered, his face solemn. “She’s wearing it now, although she hadn’t put it on. She just appeared in your world wearing it, just like you did here.”

Lullah didn’t want to touch on what was showing to be the truth yet, so she attempted to find time. “How do you know she’s wearing it?” she asked.

Bad just chuckled. “Are you aware that there are universal constants?” he asked back, his voice teasing.

Lullah shook her head. “No, I was only very recently aware there were other universes.”

“Well, I am a part of one of those universal constants, the constant being that every version of me can see what every other sees,” he explained. Lullah’s eyes widened. That’s why he knew she was from another world? He had seen her through her Bad’s eyes? But how didn’t she know that her Bad could do this? It must be hard to hide. Lullah vaguely wondered if he also had the gift of mind control when he spoke again. “We have agreed to hide it, too much power for other’s, we’re selfish, and like to keep it to ourselves.”

“But,” she tried to find the right words. “But why can you all do this?” she managed to ask.

Bad shrugged. “We don’t all have the same reason, some of us were born with it, some of us gained it accidentally, I personally traded for it.” Lullah cocked her head. “I never liked magic, or mana, so while all the other shadow demons were out practising, I was off reading about the multiverse.” As he said the final word, he outstretched his arms for emphasis. Lullah quickly looked away from his now bare breasts. She could ask a lot of questions, but why Bad had breasts was not one. “Eventually I got so curious that I traded my mana off to a higher powered demon and in turn I got the power.”

Bad had no mana. That was such an odd thought, someone who had no access to magic. She wondered just how powerful he could have been if he didn’t trade it. She had seen just a hint of Dapper’s magic, but she could all but see just how powerful he was. “And you are okay with that? You don’t miss it?”

Bad shook his head with a chuckle. “I’ve never regretted my decision for a second, I’d do it every time if I went back to before I made the decision.” Lullah couldn’t see herself ever making that trade, but she didn’t particularly want to see through every Tallulah’s eyes to begin with. “Especially since it lets me see that Pomme is safe, and that those necklaces of yours are definitely part of this situation.”

Lullah felt like she was going to be sick. She was in this situation because of a birthday gift? Who gave it to her? Who uprooted her life and sent her to this world that just caused more and more worry? Who could be that cruel?

She felt a clawed hand on her shoulder, and she was ripped out of her thinking. “It will be okay, we will get to the bottom of this,” Bad assured her. “Do you want to have a rest?”

Lullah nodded her head. A nap would do her well, probably. Bad nodded back and guided her through the dark halls once more. Everything felt far away as she was led to a room, and she was lying in bed before she truly took anything in. It was a rather barebones room. Simple red and black furniture, walls mostly bare. It lacked everything that made her own room hers. It was as though the situation finally crashed down on her, burying her in despair. 

Sobs wracked through her, and she pulled the blanket up to her in hope to muffle her noises. She wanted to go home, she wanted to burn this stupid amulet, she wanted her dads. She was soon out of tears, and the numbness drifted her off to sleep.

Pale hands gripped at Leo’s shoulder, muffled shouting filled the air. Leo looked down at the far shorter person, and there was a sense of loss in his eyes. The hands let go, and the view changed as the person they were attached to stormed away, leaving in the direction of the French Mansion.

Lullah was delirious when she woke up, and for a moment she thought it was all a dream. It didn’t last long, and as she saw this wasn’t her room she knew she would have cried if she had any tears left to cry.

What was that? Why was she yelling at Leo? No. It was Pomme, it had to be. The pale, short girl from her dream, that’s who the amulets swapped her with. So why was she yelling at Leo? What was she even shouting about? She tried to focus on the dream again, but the words felt muffled even before the details shifted into nothingness.

“Lullah? Are you awake?” Dapper asked beyond the door. He must have returned home when she was napping, and having that odd dream.

“Yeah, give me a moment!” she shouted back, her voice slightly croaky. She pulled her legs over the bed and stood up. She reached up to the amulet and felt it in her hands. This ruined her. She wanted to throw it out, get rid of it completely, but she needed it still. This could be her only way home. She let go and walked to the door, opening it.

“Hi- Oh.” Dapper smiled at her before taking in her tear stained appearance. “Tough sleep?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Lullah sighed. She hoped later sleeps would be easier. “When will dinner be ready?” she asked. She never knew sleeping could make her feel so hungry.

“It’s done now, that’s why I came to wake you,” Dapper explained. Even now that he was comfy at home, he was wearing his suit. It was so odd, especially with her own Dapper favouring the soft comfort of hoodies. Formality suited this one though.

Dapper led her back through the halls, and they were met with a giant dining room, although only two people were sat down there. There was bad, and a woman with yellow wings and short blonde hair. Dapper pulled out two chairs and they sat down. Lullah looked down to see that the meal was some sort of roast. It looked delicious, and someone must have informed them that she was vegan as instead of pork she had marinated tofu. Or perhaps this was one of those things that Bad simply knew from watching.

“I hope you like it,” the woman spoke, her french accent playing through her words. Baghera. “I know this is a hard situation, but I want to give you little pleasures.”

“Thank you, I couldn’t ask for more,” she spoke before digging in. She let the three carry conversation as she ate, just wanting food in her stomach, although soon her food was gone and Bad’s attention was brought to her.

“How is this world treating you? I know it will never be your own, but I want to make sure it’s at least adequate,” his voice soft. She had a lot of anger now, but she needed to make sure she didn’t take it out on anyone wrongly. Bad and Baghera lost a daughter, she’s not the only one going through something.

“It’s not the worst,” she answered. “The people here are nice, although Chun existing here is odd.”

Bad nodded. “I did wonder how you’d react to that, a new person is quite shocking. People such as Phoebe and Evie don’t exist here, and then we have more this world only people, like Lily and Lyla.” 

There were so many things she’d have to get used to, and yet she hoped she would be long gone before she could get used to it. “I’ll miss them, although I miss everyone, even with their counterparts.”

“If your world is anything like ours, even slightly, they miss you more than anything,” Dapper reassured. It made her feel better.

“Good to think they’re the same as me.” The conversation died out after that, at least on her end. They talked, but she just listened. She was just seeing how different they are from her own world. Baghera and Bad had apparently gotten a platonic marriage a few years back, Dapper was something called a grand wizard (Which they spoke of as if it was the most highly regarded profession, and if she knew anything more about it, she would have congratulated him on it), and so, so much about Pomme.

Losing Pomme really was losing a staple of their lives, and despite Lullah being much larger than her, she could not fully fill the hole she left behind. From what they said, Pomme was a warrior, stronger than anyone else in the world, and artist, able to create just the most emotional pieces, and a lover to the population, bringing a sense of communication and care wherever she went.

Lullah thanked them for her dinner and returned to her room. She just tried to bide her time until she found herself feeling sleepy again, and sleep came quickly as she thought about how much she wished to go home and help Pomme go home in turn.

Her dads were worried, but she knew she was Pomme again. Despite how people talked of Pomme, she seemed angry from what she was seeing. She didn’t know Pomme, so she wasn’t sure why she was imagining her in this way. Roier wrapped his arms around her, and she awkwardly held them. Angry, but she was scared as well. Lullah couldn’t blame her. She was scared, but she couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t angry as well.

She tried not to focus on her dream when she woke up, so she cooked breakfast for them. Cooking could take her mind off things, at least for a moment. She happily soaked up the praise when they sat down for breakfast. She could make this world work, she didn’t have to feel like a stranger.

Having had a great morning, she went for a walk, hoping to get a lay of the land a little more. She enjoyed the architecture when she separated it from her own. The randomness had a charm to it, showing that everyone played their part in making it their own. She saw a few people, but none made a bigger act than a wave. There was a woman with purple sclera and no pupil, she’s pretty sure she is Tina, a green man with a pacman shirt, definitely Etoiles despite the lacking of fancy clothes, and she was shocked to see Max alive and kicking in this world, with the addition of breasts so large Lullah felt embarrassed looking.

Overall, Lullah was having a good time. Yesterday was a mess, but it was a one time mess. She was doing great, and she’d continue to do great until she got home. 

“Lullah! I knew I’d find you!” she heard someone shout behind her. She turned to see Leonardo, running at her and wildly waving her arm, her other hand gripping onto a boy’s. The boy had vibrant blue hair, and clothes so colourful. They were oversized and his appearance was messy in a way she couldn’t help but imagine he was an emo boy that someone took the bucket tool and random hex codes to.

“Leonardo, what brought you to me, and who is this?” she asked, tilting her head at the boy.

Leonardo paused slightly at the use of her full name, but quickly caught herself again. “Ah, right, introductions.” She opened her arms and gestured largely at him. “Meet my amazing fiance, Triumph Agente-TDM.”

Triumph waved with a smile. “Lovely to meet you, Leo talked about you a lot.”

Lullah’s eyes widened. Triumph was a boy here? Despite the shock, Lullah couldn’t help but feel happy. This Triumph didn’t look to carry the same pain her own did. He looked a little tired, but happy. “It’s nice to meet you as well.” His attention fell back to Leonardo. Polite, but he was only here for his fiance. Lullah couldn’t blame him.

“Alright, second part of the question,” Leonardo began. “I’m here to tell you I got in contact with Hermes the other night, and he is now looking for your world.”

Lullah felt excitement rise inside of her. “Already? I thought it would take longer.” She could go home so soon?

“I know right? But his business finished pretty fast, and luckily knowing you and Pomme switched has cut down his work a lot.” They must be talking a lot without her knowing, does the whole island know her deal now?

“So, when do you think I can go home?” she asked. Her bed called to her, she wanted to see her friends and family already. She wanted to be done with this stupid amulet already.

Leonardo shook her palm. “A few days maybe? But it’ll be over before you know it.” She couldn’t wait. She would miss the people here, but she doubts it will take long before they disappear into her memory like an odd dream.

“Do you have to talk in the middle of the path? I get it, you are a prince, but that doesn’t mean you can be a bother.” There was a girl beside them, and Lullah knew who this was annoyingly quick.

“Sorry Sunny, we didn’t mean to,” Triumph apologised while Leonardo glared. This Sunny must be no good either. She was a little different from her own, a little older looking, with freckles that covered every piece of skin available.

“It’s okay Tri, I know you didn’t mean any harm.” She turned to Leo, her eyebrows furrowing and she could tell she was glaring behind her sunglasses. “But you must have done this just to annoy me.”

“Oh please, you know I live to piss you off, but I’m innocent here, the path is wide, go around, or do you just like to complain?” These two certainly didn’t get along, despite Triumph and Sunny at least being civil with each other.

“I shouldn’t have to do shit, why don’t you move off the path, you prissy bitch.” Leonardo didn’t seem any more annoyed at the language than she already was, but that was the final straw for Lullah.

“Hey!” she shouted at Sunny. “You can’t speak to my friend like that!”

Sunny turned her attention to Lullah and her face scrunched up. “Who are you? And what do you know to say he is your friend? Leo is and always has been an asshole, if you were smart, you’d be on my side.”

Lullah couldn’t even find words. Who was this girl to think she had any right to tell her to not be friends with Leonardo? Before Lullah could do anything rash, Triumph stood between the three. “All of you, now’s not the time,” he stated. He placed a hand on Sunny’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about my friends, but please, antagonising them does nothing.”

Sunny continued to glare at them. “I don’t get why you’re always on Leo’s side, I am antagonised too.” Lullah didn’t believe it. “But if you don’t want any problems, I’ll leave.” She didn’t say a goodbye, just rounded them and continued on her way.

“What’s her deal?” Lullah asked. Her own Sunny believed she was better than everyone because she could tell prophecies, but she didn’t know if this one was the same.

“She’s been like this since we were kids,” Leonardo explained. “She thinks since she’s the gods’ favourite, she gets to say whatever she wants and get away with it.”

“There’s also that whole thing about being part of a prophecy, which I know must be hard, but I do wish she wouldn’t take it out on everyone,” Triumph added. He seemed to care for Sunny despite Leonardo’s own opinion on her, but he didn’t excuse her behaviour.

“Prophecy, huh?” she muttered. A little different, but close enough.

“Same for your world?” Leonardo asked, hands on her hips. “Any idea what it could be? We never could get it from our own, although I do try to avoid her as much as I can.”

Lullah shook her head. “No, mine isn’t part of a prophecy, but she is a prophet, I just found it interesting how both have something to do with prophecies.” She touches her amulet again, wondering if Sunny knew about this. If she did, it made sense she wouldn’t tell her, they never liked each other.

“Your Sunny any better than ours?” Leonardo asked. Lullah shook her head. “Universal constants for Sunny, great, prophecy based and being an asshole.” 

“Maybe, or maybe we are just unlucky,” Lullah stated. She wanted to believe it, but she unfortunately found it hard to. What is her luck to meet two mean Sunnys? Is it a universal constant that they’re rude? How unfortunate if that is true.

“Yeah, I’m sure there is a good Sunny out there somewhere, she used to not be this bad,” Triumph added. “When we were younger, while she has always hated Leo, she used to be very sweet to me.” Like how she is with Tubbo in her own world.

“I still think she was trying to manipulate you,” Leonardo responded, her eyes worried.

Triumph didn’t seem worried. “She was a toddler, she can’t manipulate.” So this Sunny has been on the island for a long time. Sunny was relatively new to her own, but she grew up on the island here. She couldn’t have been more than a year or two younger than Leonardo and Triumph.

“Does she have any friends here?” Lullah asked. Her own Sunny was a loner, so she wanted to know if it was different here.

“There are her triplets, Em and Pepito,” Triumph spoke. Triplets? Pepito being her friend was shocking enough from what she knew, and she had no idea who Em was. Emily? Emma?

“And what about her brother, Tubbo?” she asked. He was a good brother, but three siblings must be a lot to care for.

Leonardo tilted her head. “Do you mean her dad? Of course he adores her, what good parent doesn’t?” Dad? Now that was a shocking piece of information. 

“Of all three of them?” Tubbo with a kid was hard enough to imagine, much less three of them.

“No, just Sunny, they’re like me and my own triplets, they were all adopted by different families. Sunny went to Tubbo, Pepito went to Roier, Cellbit and Jaiden, and Em went to Tina and Bagi,” Leonardo explained. Her mind immediately focused on the mention of her parents. They were here, in this world. She could meet her parents, and talk to them, that would offer a sense of familiarity.

“Think I can go see Roier and Cellbit?” she asked, her mind set on it. She had been so keen on going to see Hermes that she hadn’t thought to visit her parents while she was at the castle.

Leonardo frowned before changing her expression to a small smile. “Not today, sorry, for the last few days they’ve been off camping.” Oh, she wouldn’t have been able to in the first place. “But don’t worry, they’ll be home tomorrow, and you’ll be here still, so you can meet them then.”

That did make her feel better. “I’d love that, I will be doing that.”

Triumph nodded. “Well, I had fun talking to you, Mama said she saw you a little bit ago and then Leo dragged me after you, so I’m glad I got a chance to meet you before you left.”

Lullah couldn’t help but tilt her head. Mama? Her Triumph didn’t have a mum, and she doesn’t know who this one could be talking about. Tina maybe? But wouldn’t he have referred to Em as his sister? “Who?” she finally asked.

“Maxo,” Triumph answered. It only took a moment to realise Max and Maxo were the same person.

“Ohh, that makes sense, I just assumed she was a trans guy, since my own Max was a boy.” At least that was cleared up before she made the mistake.

“She’s genderfluid, reason I figured it out for myself, so you’re not completely wrong,” Leonardo corrected.

“She’s just always been Mama to me, and she prefers the feminine terms anyways,” Triumph added. “When you get home, tell your Maxo I say hi, it’s cool to know I have a dad out there.”

Lullah didn’t have the heart to tell him Max was no longer with them. “I will,” she lied. This was a good universe for Triumph, no need to sadden the mood. She wondered if her own Triumph would be happy to know this Max is happy and alive. She would have to think about telling her about her.  

It was an eventful day from the beginning, but the day settled down. As Lullah excused herself from dinner that night, entering her bed for the night, she found it odd how at peace she had felt that day. It was like when she was growing and suddenly she was allowed to be in a new space, it felt uncomfortable and wrong at first, but as time went on, it felt right despite how new it felt. She really hoped she wouldn’t come to miss this world, as she still greatly missed her own.

Bobby stood in front of her. Stood in front of Pomme that is. Pomme wasn’t angry for once. She was nodding at Bobby’s words, at peace. It was nice to see Pomme happy, or at least not angry. Was she also feeling like one in her world as Lullah was? Bobby ruffled Pomme’s hair, and Lullah had a peaceful sleep knowing everything was getting better.

Lullah got up with a smile, stretching. Today would be a good day, she knew it. She would make breakfast and see if her parents were back. Well, not her parents, but their counterparts. She missed her real parents truly, but these would have to do for now.

She got dressed for the day and went downstairs to cook breakfast, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a moustached boy sitting on the counter talking to Dapper.

“Leo likes her, so I like her,” Dapper spoke.

“You seem to miss the part where Leo likes everyone,” the other argued.

“She doesn’t like Sunny,” Dapper responded.

“Well no one likes Sunny,” the other groaned.

“I like Sunny.”

“Then you are the one that likes everyone. Listen, what I’m saying is I’m not going to blindly trust her until I meet her.”

“Well then, good news, she’s right here,” Dapper spoke, gesturing over to Lullah. She didn’t even know he had noticed her.

The boy looked up at her. He was surprisingly normal looking compared to most she had met. No coloured hair, or animal features, and probably no godly parents. “Hello,” he spoke.

“Hi,” she responded. “You were talking about me?”

The boy got off the counter and stepped closer to her. She couldn’t tell who this was. Maybe this was someone who didn’t exist in her world? “Of course, you have been the talk of the island as of late.”

“Ramon here isn’t the most trusting, and I was trying to get him to understand that both me and Leo think you’re trusting so he should give you a try,” Dapper explained, but Lullah got caught on the first word. Ramon? Like Milla’s old name? She looked over Ramon. He looked rather masculine, the years giving no chance to hide under androgyny.

“I trust who I want to trust,” Ramon said, looking at Dapper before looking at Lullah and cocking his head. “Is there something wrong? You look confused.”

Lullah was broken out of her stupor. “Oh, sorry, it’s just,” she hesitated as she tried to find the best word, “The Ramon I knew hasn’t been a Ramon in years, was Fit ever your father?”

Ramon nodded, looking even more sceptical. “Yes, always has been. I am assuming your Ramon is also trans?” Is gender change something that all Ramon/Milla’s have?

Lullah shook her head. “No, she was just raised as a boy, things were difficult for her.” Lullah moved to focus on Ramon being trans. “It would be funny if you two swapped names, Ramon became Milla and Milla became Ramon.”

“Ramon has always been my name,” he said bluntly, although his voice showed no malice. “Spreen didn’t really care for me, so he gave me a male name and my dad didn’t know better, so he just assumed it was a girl name.”

Lullah thought there would be more of a connection between the two, but she should know better than to keep making guesses here. “Huh, you learn something new every day.”

Ramon turned back to Dapper. “Well, if you’re busy here, I’ll be going back home, Pac doesn’t like it when I skip breakfast.”

“Wait, you’re leaving already? You don’t want me to give you a reason to trust me?” Had she done something wrong? She should be given a chance.

“No, not really,” Ramon spoke. “You’ll prove my trust eventually if you are trustworthy, and until then, I’m not all that willing to stick around you for too long.” Lullah wanted to argue that his words made no sense, but he was already leaving out the door.

“Don’t hold it against him,” Dapper spoke as he placed a hand on her shoulder as she looked at the door that Ramon just exited out of. “He isn’t the best with people, and never has been. By the time he’d be willing to warm up to you, you’ll be gone.”

Lullah pouted but nodded. She was hoping to get another friend, but it seems like Ramon wouldn’t be that friend. “He’s a bit like Bobby,” she stated. With his monotonous voice and his self assured nature, it was easy to think so. “Just not as willing to listen to you apparently.”

Dapper laughed at her words. “Hey now, don’t let him hear, he and Bobby do not get along at all, and if he hears you think they are similar he’ll never trust you.” Lullah found it so odd just how complex the relationships here were. On her own island most people liked most people, but here it was different. There were those shut off from everyone else, those with mortal enemies, and those who loved despite the hostility between their loved ones. Lullah would consider herself as part of that last group, but it was still odd.

“I’ll make sure not to say anything then, I don’t want to cause hostility.” She turned to Dapper. “Cellbit and Roier are back today, right?” she made sure.

Dapper nodded. “Yes, and they’ve already heard of you, I’m sure.”

Lullah smiled. She would be able to feel a little closer to her family, even if they were a world away. “I’ll make us breakfast and then I’ll go visit them.”

“You know you don’t have to, right? We are more than capable of making it ourselves,” Dapper noted as Lullah moved around the kitchen.

“I am aware,” she stated, pulling out pans and food. “But I want to, you housed me, and I want to pay you back for it.”

“We wouldn’t want you left outside, that would be more than cruel,” Dapper argued, although he leaned against the counter. Despite how tall both Dapper and Bad were, everything was a rather human height. Perhaps Baghera was the one that did most of the cooking? She would ask at some point.

“There is nothing you can do to stop me from cooking you breakfast, accept the inevitable,” she spoke, cracking an egg into a bowl.

Dapper sighed. “Alright, alright. We’ll let you spoil us, just don’t try and take on too much more or we will stop you, so I better not see you making us dinner at any point soon,” Dapper reasoned.

“I can agree to that.” For the time being at least.

Lullah finished up cooking breakfast, and during their time eating, she asked for directions to the castle. She hadn’t really been in any state of mind the first time she was there, so she had no idea where it was. “Are you sure you don’t need one of us to come?” Bad asked.

“I’m sure, I’d just like to see my parents today,” she answered. Plus it would do her good to learn her way around this island a bit more, she didn’t know how long she’d stay here after all. The majority of the grief was gone now, so it was becoming easier to see herself as part of this island. She would have to go home eventually, she knew that, but she could pretend she could be part of something here in the meantime.

They gave her the directions, and once she was done, she was off, following said directions. It felt rather thrilling, knowing she’d get to see counterparts of her parents. What would they be like? Are they similar or different? She had seen some people that were similar to her own, such as Foolish, but also those who were wildly different, such as Pepito. She guessed that the only way to figure it out was to meet them.

The castle came into view, and it felt odd to look at a home that wasn’t truly hers. She had so many memories of this place, but not a single one was about this castle. She stepped inside, as she had been told that entering people’s houses without knocking was a culture here, and heard voices. 

“Will she be safe? I trust your uncle, but other world’s travellers? Not so much,” a brazilian man, Cellbit, spoke.

“Apparently she doesn’t know how she got here, but Bad did say it was probably her necklace,” a mexican man, Roier, replied.

“I think we just have to hope for the best here, she’s a lost little kid, we need to make sure she is safe,” an… american woman spoke? Jaiden was here? Jaiden so rarely left her house, it was odd to hear her, even if it wasn’t her Jaiden, it had been so long.

“Hello?” she called out, hoping to alert them of her presence.

There was a moment of silence before Roier called out. “We’re in the kitchen!”

Lullah stepped around, finding the kitchen surprisingly quickly despite the change in layout. She stepped inside, and was greeted by three people.

…They were not what she was expecting. Perhaps she was expecting nothing to change, and for her parents to remain the exact same, but they certainly did not.

Cellbit was shorter, and certainly didn’t have the body of a fighter, rather being considerably more lithe. He was tired in a similar vein as her dad, weighed down by years of pain, but he seemed more weightless. He was also missing a lot of the scarring that her own dad had, the only scars she could see were on his chin, even with the bare arms his tank top showed. And of course, that said nothing about the cat ears on his head, and the cat tail behind his back. They added a softness to this already soft version of her dad that she didn’t know how to react to.

Then there was Roier. He was considerably taller, and had gained a healthy amount of weight that Lullah immediately noted as a dad bod. He was much paler than her own, being tan rather than brown. He had three scars on his bare chest, two beneath his nipples ( Top surgery scars, her brain supplied, a universal constant found ), and a diagonal one in the middle of his chest that crossed his right top surgery scar slightly. Then there was the biggest difference. Six eyes and six arms, just like Bobby. Well at least she knows where he got it now.

Her attention moved over to her non-parent, who was still just as shocking. This Jaiden had a massive burn scar that took up over half her face, and purple eyes. Her arms were covered in tattoos, shown off by her lack of a shirt, they must be in pyjamas still. She completed the trifecta of animal traits, with two slightly mangled wings, twitching with gray and blue feathers.

They definitely noticed her staring, as Jaiden cocked her head. “Is everything alright? I assume you must be Lullah, so I’m guessing we don’t look like your parents?” So they knew that Roier and Cellbit were her parents.

Lullah quickly took control of her shock. “Yes, sorry, I was just expecting you two,” she looked at the men in the room, “to look more like my dad and papi.” She turned to Jaiden. “You look far different as well, and I wasn’t expecting you to be here.”

Jaiden scrunched her face up, amused. “Not expecting me to be here? This is my house.”

“It’s my house, I built it,” Cellbit playfully argued. 

“And it became mine when you married me, should have thought about that before you did so,” Jaiden argued back, a teasing grin stretching across the side of her face with working muscles.

One would think Lullah would have been used to gaining barrels of new information by now in this world, but no, at least not in this situation. She was aware of the way her parents thought of Nikki, but Jaiden taking her role in this world, and to be far further, it was odd. Jaiden being interested in romance to begin with was odd. “You are in love with them?” she couldn’t help but ask.

The three were silent for a split second before breaking out into a laugh. Lullah immediately felt guilty about her question, but before she could apologise Jaiden waved her hand. “No, no, we’re sorry, that was a rude reaction,” she spoke as they stifled their laughter. “It was just a shocking one is all.” She repositioned herself in her chair. “But no, I’m not in love with them. I love them, but it’s a different love than the kind they have for each other. They are my life partners, my family, and despite the difference in my love, it’s equal to the love they share.”

Lullah found herself nodding. Her Jaiden and Roier used to be close, but as Jaiden became more and more ill, that friendship diminished. It was odd to see that this time Cellbit joined that friendship, and that it was so strong that it could lead to marriage. “Interesting,” she noted.

Cellbit pushed himself from the counter. “So, what brought you over here? We’re a gathering place, but it is rather early, we’re not even dressed yet.”

“I,” she found herself hesitating. She thought she was overcoming everything this world had to offer, but here, facing her parents who were not her parents, it was difficult. “I wanted to see you, I miss my parents.”

The three’s faces dropped in pity. She didn’t like that look, she saw it far too much when she was the only child around, it made her feel helpless, but she didn’t say anything, it would be too much. “It must be hard, you love your parents?” Roier asked.

“More than anything,” she responded. “I would do anything to get them back, but I know all I can do is wait.” She hated feeling so helpless, as she had done years before.

Jaiden stood up and wrapped an arm around Lullah. “You’ll get home, you just need to fill your days. It’s best if you pick up a new hobby or something, that helped me when I was dealing with some major life changing stuff,” she explained, trying her best to bring Lullah’s mind away from her parents.

Cellbit nodded. “She’s right, maybe our youngest daughter, Hope, can help, she’s a writer, she can definitely give you some tips if you want to pick that up as a hobby.”

As easy as it was to just fall into self loathing again, getting to spend some time with this world’s Hope sounded amazing. “Yes, I would like that,” she muttered with a smile.

Roier smiled back at her. “Her room is on the second floor, 3rd room, it says ‘Hope’s room’, can’t miss it.” She sure hopes she doesn’t if it’s labelled that straightforwardly.

“Thank you,” she spoke before moving out the kitchen. She felt lighter as she left. She knew she wouldn’t have been seeing her parents, but perhaps she still put too much faith in the idea that they would be like her parents. In a perfect world, they would look exactly like them, and act exactly like them, and immediately offer for her to be their daughter.

But they weren’t like her parents. Cellbit felt just a little too soft, Roier a little too happy, and despite not being her parent, Jaiden a little too free.

She went up the stairs, trying to separate the two worlds in her mind again. She needed to make sure she wasn’t expecting this Hope to be her own. This Hope was not her sister. She could do this. She went down the hall and was met with the door that said ‘Hope’s room’. She lifted her hand to knock. This was not her Hope, this was not her Hope, she chanted to make sure she wouldn’t get her hopes up.

Before she could bring her fist down, she heard a scream beyond the door. Hope was in trouble, was her first thought, and even if this wasn’t her Hope, she still felt a need to protect her. Without a thought, she opened the door and gathered mana around her, preparing to fight whatever was hurting Hope. She scanned the room, seeing piles of clothes and garbage and rot. Gross. But no danger. She saw a girl with brown skin and half done up white hair breathing heavily on her bed, as though she just woke up. That must be Hope.

Hope calmed her breathing as Lullah put her mana on hold, and she looked up, immediately meeting Lullah’s gaze. Lullah was expecting her to maybe be scared, especially with her scream, but anger filled her eyes immediately. “Get out!” she screamed. 

Lullah jumped. “I’m sorry! I-,” she tried to defend herself.

“I don’t care!” Hope interrupted. “No one comes in my room! I don’t want you here! Out!”

Not wanting to anger her any further, Lullah quickly left, shutting the door behind her. She felt tears well in her eyes. She didn’t want to hurt her, she just wanted to keep her safe. She screamed, what else was she supposed to do?

“Hey, who are-? Oh! You’re crying!” she heard from beside her. She looked up at saw a short, tan person with short black hair and pigeon wings. On top of his head was a red ribbon. 

“Tilin?” she asked, so shocked her tears had stopped. Surely this couldn’t be Tilin, unless that was something that had changed.

Tilin tilted his head. “You know my name?” Tilin narrowed his gaze. “You must be Lullah, correct?” She nodded. She really was well known already. This island gossips. “Well, lovely to meet you, want to tell me why you were crying?” Tilin was so different from her own. Being allowed to grow turned him beautiful, and perhaps she would use the term otherworldly beautiful if it weren’t ironically true. She felt the need to explain everything due to how his beauty slipped him into almost a trance.

“Hope,” she started. “She screamed, so I went in to see what she screamed at, and then she screamed at me.” She tried her best to not start crying again.

Tilin’s expression fell. “Oh shit,” he hissed. “That would do it.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I wish I had gotten to talk to you beforehand, then I could have stopped this. You see, Hope has really, really bad nightmares, has ever since she was young.”

“So that is why she screamed?” That made a lot of sense since she was in bed and there was no danger around.

Tilin nodded. “And she also hates when people enter her room, I don’t think I’ve even been in there since she first moved in. She lets no one in, and you just going in there definitely pissed her off.” Lullah’s heart dropped more. She really, really messed up. Coming here was a horrible choice. “Hey! Hey! Don’t cry, please!” Tilin asked, realising his words weren’t all that great. “How about you go to the garden? It’s hard to be sad in a garden, probably.”

Lullah just nodded. She felt horrible and didn’t want to think anymore. She felt herself be dragged off into the garden, where she was sat down by a lake. Tilin, realising he wasn’t good at cheering people up, told her that he would be in the kitchen if she needed him before leaving her alone to her tears.

She doesn’t know how long she was out there, time blurred together when you felt like you had hurt someone who didn’t deserve it. Eventually her crying was stopped by a soft stomping next to her. Who gets someone’s attention by stomping? She looked up, and turns out it was Pepito. He was holding a bunch of flavoured syrups by the looks of it, and cups, which she found odd.

Now that he had her attention, he sat down next to her and placed the syrups down. ‘You look sad, so I thought I would cheer you up. It’s not good to look out my window and see someone crying,’ he signed. The words should have been seen as selfish, but Lullah smiled at them. Pepito intrigued her, and she knew that was just his way of showing he cared despite having only one conversation with him.

“You live here? I think I remember hearing about that, but it should have clocked me sooner, you and Bobby are quite similar, it makes sense you two are siblings.” If her earlier statement of Ramon and Bobby being similar was true, this one was a fact. 

Pepito awkwardly smiled. ‘I get that a lot,’ he signed. He looked down at the syrups and cups. ‘I had a plan to cheer you up, but I remembered that it might not be a very good idea.’

Lullah tilted her head. She wasn’t crying anymore, but her heart still felt in the dumps. “I won’t mind, I want to be cheered up.”

Pepito looked at her for a few moments before nodding. He placed a cup in front of himself and gestured at it, and the air went cold. Lullah tossed herself backwards as flakes of snow (Or crushed ice?) fell into the cup quickly. ‘Sorry,’ Pepito signed.

“No, no, it’s fine, I said it was okay.” She should have known that the guy who found snow and ice calming would know snow methods to calm people down. “What is this for?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from squeaking.

‘Snow cone,’ he signed. She had never had one before, were they really just syrup and ice? ‘What flavour do you want?’ he asked.

She looked at the syrups. She had no idea what flavours they were so she just said a colour. “I want the purple one.”

‘Grape,’ he signed before he grabbed the syrup. He stopped the snow and squirted some syrup over the pile before placing it down. He picked up the cup and handed it to her.

She held out her hand, hesitating for a few moments before grasping it. Cold, so cold. She had half the mind to just drop it, but she couldn’t when Pepito went out of his way to try and help her. She still held it out, unable to bring it any closer to her. Pepito frowned, and she slowly brought it in. She didn’t want to make anyone else upset today.

When was the last time she had let snow or ice this close to her? It was terrifying. She watched as Pepito stared at her, waiting for her to take a bite. She slowly lifted the cup to her mouth and let some inside. It was cold and flavourful and she shook as she felt the texture melt in her mouth. She swallowed the grape mixture before placing the cup down. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can eat it.”

Pepito frowned. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have made you do that.’

Lullah shook her head, half trying to dispel the cold and shaking from her body. “You didn’t make me do anything, I chose to, and… It did make me feel a bit better, knowing you tried.” Perhaps that feeling of being better was immediately overrun by her fear of ice, but it was something.

Pepito’s lips slightly upturned. ‘I’m glad I could help.’

Pepito soon left, and she spent some more time in the garden before her own departure. She felt guilty that she hurt Hope, and likely would for a while, but she was feeling better thanks to Pepito’s help. Plus Tilin tried to help, so that was something.

Her day continued on like normal, and she went down to rest that night, and encountered her strange dreams yet again.

Her face was pressed against Etoiles’ chest, and it felt wet. Pomme was crying? She was either angry or happy, so crying was shocking. She pulled away and grasped at her amulet, before turning to a man she had never seen before. This was certainly her world, but who this man was, she didn’t get the chance to learn. 

She woke up feeling energised in a way she had never experienced before. She was asleep, and then suddenly awake, ready to take on a task without needing to wake herself up. How odd. She got dressed again and left her room, thinking about what she would cook for breakfast when she saw Bad, Baghera and Dapper in the hall.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, curious as to why everyone was in one spot. 

Baghera looked at her with a grin. “Hermes gave us a message, he can get Pomme home.” 

Lullah’s eyes widened. “Truly?” she asked. If Pomme could get home, so could she. “When?”

“Very soon, we were just about to fetch you actually,” Dapper stated. “Good to see you are up and running already. Join us in the dining room? Hermes will likely show up there, he likes the art in there.”

Lullah nodded, her head dizzy. She could get home, Pomme could get home, everything could be fixed. She stared down at her amulet. This caused so many issues, but soon they would all be fixed, she could go home and never have to worry about this world again. She paused. Did she want that? She wanted to go home, but she thought about the days she spent with Dapper, and the conversations with Leo, and the abandoned snow cone with Pepito. She had spent just a handful of days in this world, but it was so full of people who interested her.

She didn’t get much time to think on it, as the family had begun moving, and she had to follow them. She was quickly brought to the dining room, and before she could ask what they were supposed to do now, a sharp energy filled the room. Lullah didn’t even have time to question it before it exploded and a girl was falling from the air with a scream. 

“Shit,” she hissed, getting on her knees. “Happened the first time, but I wasn’t expecting it the second time.” Her voice was surprisingly deep for someone of such childish stature. She had forgotten what she looked like, what Pomme looked like, since she had only seen her in that mirror, yet here she was, in front of her.

“Pomme!” Baghera cried, falling to her knees and scooping her daughter up.

“Maman!” Pomme cried back. She looked up at the others. “Bad! Dapper!” she exclaimed, standing up and giving them both hugs. She then turned to Lullah, and with wide eyes, pointed at her and shouted, “You! Lullah! From my dreams!”

The three others tilted their heads, but Lullah just spoke. “Yes, that would be me.” She had many dreams of Pomme, but she had never considered that Pomme would be having the opposite. “It’s nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much about you.”

Pomme slowly lowered her hand and smiled at Lullah. “So have I, your family and friends miss you dearly.” Those words sent a wave of love down her spine. Her family. Her friends. She gets to see them again!

Before the conversation could continue, there was a rip in the universe, and the man Lullah had seen in her dream stepped out before closing the rip. “I’ve not had that much trouble locating a universe since I was being taught how to by my Pa,” he complained before gesturing to Pomme. “Your daughter, in one piece, and luckily everyone else in that universe is in one piece as well knowing her sadistic streak.” Pomme just grinned. She must have thought people on the other end of her streak deserved it.

Baghera smiled at the man. “Thank you Hermes, we knew we could count on you.” Ah, this man being Hermes made a lot of sense.

Hermes smiled. “I’d say anytime, but I am a busy man, so maybe next time.” He turned to the two girls. “Now, Lullah, I will get you back home shortly, but first I must talk to these three. How about you and Pomme run along to the training grounds and let out some aggression from these past days, it will do you well.” He didn’t give her time to respond, and went to talking to the others.

Pomme was already adjusted to being in her world again, so she grabbed Lullah by the arm and lead her outside. “Come on, they’ll be there for a while, and it has been some time since I fought, so I would love to get the chance to fight you.”

Lullah was a little shocked. Pomme was tiny, and she had just met her. “I might hurt you,” she argued, but let Pomme drag her to a training ground.

Pomme rolled her eyes. “I’d like to see you try,” she stated, moving over to the edge and picking up a giant broadsword. It was bigger than her! “Take your pick,” she spoke, gesturing to the weapons.

Lullah scanned the weapons and moved to where a rapier was lying, trying to not think about how dangerous it was to just keep weapons out, especially since she doesn’t think anyone but Pomme uses them, so they were just here for several days.

“Oooh, good choice, less brute power, but more precision,” Pomme explained and cooed.

“You’ve used this much?” Lullah asked, moving to the court.

Pomme nodded. “Yep, I’m great at all these weapons, been training since I was a toddler,” she heaved the broadsword up, proving just how easily she wielded the weapon. “But this one has always been my favourite.”

“Well, rapiers have always been my favourite melee, so let’s see how this goes.” She had faith, this world seemed to be incredibly safe compared to her own, so she had faith she would win. She charged at Pomme, her speed she has built up over the years getting her to her in a time that would throw off most.

Turns out Pomme wasn’t most. As she went to attack her, Pomme moved out of the way, moving behind her and swinging at Lullah. Lullah barely ducked, thankful that broadswords weren’t very aerodynamic. She barely had time to move out of the way before it was being swung at her position yet again.

She’s good. It’s been a while since I’ve had to try this hard. Lullah moved yet again, dodging a swing, and almost hit Pomme in the hip, but she quickly moved away, stopping her attempt at a hit. Lullah managed to get a few attempts in, pausing Pomme’s attacks, yet she couldn’t hit Pomme. She was too fast, even for Lullah.

“Are you able to use magic?” Lullah asked, still trying to get a hit in and failing.

“No, never been able to, never will be,” Pomme responded, still not allowing Lullah to get a hit in even with the distraction.

“Okay, just needed to make sure if I was able to use it against you, but I’ll keep it even.” Would have been a lot easier if she was allowed to use magic, but she preferred an even fight with Pomme.

Pomme laughed at her response, pushing back to a distance where Lullah couldn’t attack her as easily. “If you want to dig your own grave, I’ll let you choose to do that, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Lullah didn’t get a chance to wonder before the broadsword was being swung at her again, knocking her off her rhythm. She didn’t get a chance to rest after that, being swung at time and time again, and soon she was breathing heavily and sweating. 

She tried to parry and attack back, but Pomme was too strong, and her weapon was too big, and soon she wasn’t able to dodge, and the flat side of the broadsword slammed into her waist, sending her onto the floor. Before she could breath, the broadsword was stabbed into the ground beside her head. “Do you yield?” Pomme said above her, her feet on either side of Lullah’s hips.

“ Yes, ” she wheezed, still not having enough air in her lungs. Pomme moved and gave her a hand up, which Lullah took. She shook as air slowly entered her lungs. Once she finally felt she had enough, she spoke. “You are really strong, I’ve never had such a battle before.”

Pomme grinned. “Me either! I’ve not had to try in such a long time, maybe one day you will be able to beat me.”

Lullah couldn’t help but grin back. “Maybe.”

Before they could speak more, Baghera showed up. “Girls? Hermes is done and he is ready to show Lullah how to get home.”

Pomme frowned. “Oh, yeah, home.” She quickly fixed her face into a smile, but her eyes spoke that she was still sad. “Your home is wonderful, I am happy you get to return.”

Lullah smiled back, although her heart wasn’t truly in it. She liked this world, but she would always love her own. “It was nice meeting you and getting to fight, I’ll certainly remember it.”

Pomme nodded. “As will I.”

Lullah walked back into the mansion, where Hermes was waiting. “Ah, great, much easier than Pomme was to get home.” He walked over to her.

“So, will you just send me through that rip thing?” It wasn’t how Pomme got here, but she doesn’t know how else she would be sent home.

Hermes shook his head. “Nope, you’ve got everything you need to go home right here,” he leaned over slightly picked grasped her amulet. Right, that got her here, it could send her home.

“How do I get it to send me home?” She didn’t even use it the first time, so she has no idea how to purposefully use it. 

Hermes leaned back. “Hold it,” he stated. She did. “Now, I need you to imagine that you are home, that there is no way you are here, in a world that was never yours.” She tried her hardest, imagined her bed and her family, her friends and everything she left behind. That is where she was supposed to be. “Now, I need you to close your eyes, and let go of yourself. Fall. Your world will catch you, and you need to trust that it will.”

Lullah nodded, and as she closed her eyes, she saw Hermes smiling at her. The people from this world continued to confuse and shock her, some she didn’t get along with, but every one was so intriguing. To live in this world forever, Pomme sure is lucky. She took a deep breath, focused her entire might on her world, and she let her limbs fall limp. And she fell.

Her head hit carpet, barely cushioning it from the stone underneath. She was pretty sure she wasn’t standing on carpet before, which means…

“Lullah!” her dad cried, wrapping strong arms around her. 

“You’re back!” her pa added, wrapping his own around her. It was weird to see him with only two arms now.

“I, I am!” she exclaimed. After days away in a world that was just too different from her own, she was here, in her world, in her home, and in her parents’ arms. “You would not believe the days I’ve had.”

Cellbit chuckled. “We can imagine, Pomme, a different Pomme, showed up before, so I imagine you were there in her world.”

Lullah nodded. “I’ll tell you all about it, but can I have breakfast first? I’m hungry.”

Roier got up and pulled her up. “Of course, anything you want.”

She spent the day relaying her experiences to the others, and by the time the day ended she was ready to sleep in her own bed. She found herself happy, in her room, and as she went to get dressed for bed she remembered the amulet. She should destroy it. That was supposed to be the plan, yet she thought about the other world. She missed it, even if she knew she shouldn’t. What if she wanted to go there again? She took it off, and placed it in a box. She could make a decision later, she was tired.

So, she got dressed, and slipped into her bed, welcoming the familiar sheets, and for the first time in days, she drifted off without a dream, wondering when things would feel normal again.

Chapter Text

Sleep never found Pomme easily, and she often wondered if it was some sort of punishment for her sadism, even if it had gone on far too long to truly make sense. She had been a rowdy child with far too much energy and a wild imagination that never ceased, and even now, a year into teenagehood, suffering from nights of horrible sleep in a world she did not understand, she could not sleep. Even now that she was in her own bed, comfier and more well loved than the unused bed the other world had offered her. Why? Her wild imagination of course. And possibly that punishment of sadism if the gods truly despised her.

She just wanted to slip off into easy dreams, yet nothing was easy this night. Nothing was easy ever for her. She had thought she was stuck in a dream when she first appeared in Lullah’s world, although it edged closer to a nightmare in her eyes. Where others fled in terror, she only knew how to fight, and that brought regret into her mind. If only she could change the past.

She fell from the sky, not entirely understanding what was happening for a few moments before screaming. She immediately regretted it, as salty water filled her mouth the moment she hit the water. She pulled herself up, soaking and spluttering, trying to get the taste of salt out of her mouth.

She pulled herself up slightly, and looked up to get a better idea of what was going on. She saw a boy wearing a red hat and jacket standing at the shore, and it took a few blinks to realise she wasn’t just seeing Leo wrong, but she looked all wrong. She would later learn this wasn’t her Leo, but she panicked and didn’t know any better. Leo waded into the water and held his arm out, offering his hand to help her in pure kindness, but hazy and out of mind, she struck. Having no weapon didn’t stop her, she was raised a fighter after all. She grasped at him, hooking her arms around his waist, and kicked his legs from beneath him, pinning him in the water with a shout.

“Who are you!” she demanded, pinning him to the sand and soaking him. Even after he explained he was Leo through a few too many mouthfuls of ocean, it took a while for the situation to actually become believable to her.

She stopped being so wary of the world eventually, finding a solace in it and its people, yet she knew it didn’t take back her actions. She had been cruel and threw many tantrums, even when they were trying their best, a best she didn’t deserve. And then there was Lullah, who, from what people had explained, treated her world with kindness from the beginning, and didn’t freak out and become a monster like Pomme had done. Even when there were no more consequences to being cruel, she was still sweet. 

Why were they swapped out of everyone? Lullah seemed like the perfect choice, kind and strong, resilient to the terrors that came with the unknown, but Pomme felt so out of it. Where Lullah treated the world with kindness, Pomme’s first instinct was to fight, to hurt. There should have been two who were more alike to swap, or at least two who would both react well under the fear, or maybe even the opposite. Why not someone angry in Lullah’s stead, or kind in Pomme’s? What did they share that made them be the ones that were given the necklaces and switched? The worlds are cruel, and this is just one of their many cruelties, Pomme had long decided.

With a sigh she pulled herself out of bed, her hair hanging across her face without her hat to keep it in place. She reached over and grabbed a hairband she had scarcely used and messily tied her hair into a ponytail halfway up her head. There would be no sleeping tonight, only wondering and self loathing and maybe wandering.

She slid through the halls of the quiet mansion, not putting on any shoes. Bobby had once told her the world was easier to feel a part of when you didn’t wear shoes, and she came to agree with him. The leaves rustled outside, calming her steps and almost distracting her through the turns, but she didn’t run into anything. Every twist and turn was known to her, part of the home, the world, she had been raised in since toddlerhood, when she had entered the world after years of forming inside her egg. She liked the known. 

She exited into the cool, night air, which calmed her jumpy limbs. She breathed it in deeply, feeling everything familiar settle into her bones and heart. She was home, she knew that. There should be no more worrying about Lullah or that other world she almost called a home, and yet she couldn’t stop thinking about it, the little wriggling thought in the back of her mind. It was a parasite in her thoughts. There was something wrong with her, she always knew something was wrong with her, yet now it was more obvious than ever, yearning for a world she had no right to have ever been a part of. Especially when once upon a time she had wanted so desperately to be rid of the ever confusing world.

She didn’t know where she wanted to be, just that she needed to be far away from her bed, where she couldn’t find the mercy to allow her thoughts to stop. She just let her feet carry her across the island, she didn’t need a destination in mind. She had briefly wondered if searching for a fight would make her feel any better before she quickly dispelled the thought. Her fight with Lullah earlier had made her feel better, a way to get any remaining anger out of her system and remind herself it could be fun, but any more would likely just make her feel antsy and guilty again. She caused enough damage in the other world, she didn’t want to hurt anyone else, especially when she was leagues above anyone else in strength, even without magic.

The rustling of leaves and crunch of dirt were all that could be heard for a while. The noises were helpful, but there was still a part of her heart that ached in guilt. The wind blew, and with it came a new sound. 

“Pomme!” a voice cried. “So you are home!” She was tackled before she could break out of her thoughts, her strength the only thing keeping her up as Em tossed her weight at her, happily making Pomme hold most of her weight as she stood on one leg, her other in the air. A cutesy, girly pose that fitted the younger girl well. Em, for as long as Pomme could remember, loved everything cutesy and girly, and it made her into someone quite cutesy and girly too.

She couldn’t help but envelop her, the familiarity addicting. Oh Empanada, ever so sweet. Pomme believed that if she were any more cruel she would have said that Em was the one that should have gone in her place, with her endless kindness and curiosity for anything new. But Em would have been eaten alive in such a world, where evil lurked far more than their own world. At least she could have made a friend in the other world’s Hope, with a curiosity that reminded her more of Em than the other Hope. Pomme wondered what made the differences in each person. Her own Hope had never been all that cheerful, but the other was all sunshine.

Hope signed to her, patching together words that didn’t quite go together. She didn’t say anything, just allowed her to continue on without the embarrassment of failure. Pomme had taken a long time to get used to the sign language Pepito used, she found that she was horrible at learning languages, and Hope was at least doing better than she had done. 

She enjoyed Hope’s company, found her curiosity and questions endearing in a way that made her want to care for the young girl. They reminded her so much of Dapper’s when they were younger and his autism let him see so much more to question in the world. Despite this, she missed her Hope. It’s not like they even spoke much, but it was the fact that she was so different that made everything so jarring. Was Pomme really that bad for wanting to go back home? To where she knew everything?

“No, I don’t have magic,” she replied to Hope’s question. At least she knew herself. She thinks.

“Hey Em, It’s great to be back,” she spoke, her words a little slow in the way she and everyone else was used to her being occasionally. The known nightowl of the island led to people learning a lot about the effects of sleep deprivation. Even she wasn’t above the natural effects of exhaustion, no matter how often she experienced it.

Em pulled away, slipped between tables, and moved to sit on top of the counter, her slippers not making the best footwear to just be standing around in, as cute as the blushing brown bears were. When had she made her way to StarBobby? She needs to pay attention to where she’s going more, she could have walked into a pit and not noticed. “So, what brought you here at this time of the night?” she asked, fiddling with the stems of the fruit in the bowl of the main counter, trying to make it look pretty despite the fact they would soon be eaten. Tallulah and Chayanne were usually the first to empty the fruit bowl, but they provided the food for it, so no one really cared. It was still Em who made the fruit look good, of course.

Em was always the one making StarBobby look good actually. It was always a delight to see. Streamers and cutely cut tablecloths mixing with flora she might have stolen from Tallulah that no one asked her on, all in pretty light pinks and purples, long covering up stained paint from when Richarlyson took more initiative here. She deserved all the thanks she could get for making the cafe/diner a spectacle, even when she said she did it simply because she wanted to and needed no thanks. It would have gone to ruin if Em didn’t have such an eye for pretty things.

Pomme chuckled. “I could ask you the same thing, I didn’t take you for a night owl.” It was far later than she had seen Em awake before. Was Em just a secret night owl? She should check the library more often on her nighttime strolls to make sure Em gets her sleep.

Em rolled her eyes yet smiled. “I’m not, but this island is full of night owls such as yourself, which means sometimes someone has to restock this place when it runs low in the middle of the night,” she explained, slowly pulling her hand away from the fruit, as though she could frighten it. She was finally satisfied with the placement of the fruit. “Can you believe it, Richas called me to stock it when his brother also works here, unbelievable,” she spoke, kicking her legs in emphasis. She complained, but her ‘work’ here was entirely her choice, no one would criticise her if one day she simply chose not to do it anymore. Em was just kind like that. A much better mirror to Lullah.

Bobby and Em were known as the workers of StarBobby, having done what they could to stock and keep the place since they were old enough to be left alone, but technically anyone could restock it. There were a number of times Chayanne had made far too much food, either on purpose or by accident, and dropped off the leftovers here, which anyone could heat up at any time. Yet no one really considered him a worker, just regular old caring Chayanne. Partly because he refuses to have people believe he does it on purpose.

She watched as Em watched the fruit bowl again, making sure the fruit didn’t wander off or whatever she was so worried about. She had missed Em, off in a world she didn’t exist in. It was quite a shocking discovery, although mist things were. There, in that other world, she didn’t have Em’s kindness, the years she had spent as Bobby’s best friend, or the long forgotten rivalry between her and Chayanne. It had been a blank slate, one she almost decorated in blood. She didn’t like blank slates, much like she didn’t like blank canvas’. Blank canvas’ could become something beautiful, but they also allow that little idea of not doing anything with it in fear that you won’t make something good.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted, holding out her knife in front of her with shaky arms. Her vision was hazy, either with rage or with tears. “I’m not afraid to hurt you!” Her voice had been full of fear at the time, as much as she wished it wasn’t.

Pierre stood at the other side of the kitchen island, eyes pained. “I won’t come closer, just please, put the knife down, I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he asked, his voice soft.

“You don’t get to tell me to do anything!” she shouted, her voice shrill. She later regretted her words and apologised, over and over again, but she refused to believe he actually forgave her, no matter how many times he repeated it. Holding a knife to someone shouldn’t be forgivable, and it’s not like she did it in self defense. Pierre had done nothing wrong, unlike her.

“Sorry about that,” she apologised for her habit of coming to get food late at night. “But I’ve just never been able to sleep very well, and sometimes a nice meal or sweet dessert is all I need to be able to sleep well,” Pomme explained. Her stomach growled and she remembered just how many hours it had been since dinner. Maybe that’s why she wandered here, for some much needed food. Em was always an amazing cook, even if she wasn’t as great as Chayanne. She at least had him beat in the sweet treat department, which he happily let her have.

Em tilted her head. “Is that why you’re here?” she came to the same conclusion.  “I can get you something. Just got done cooking some chocolate cake, and I think I’ve perfected the recipe.” She didn’t wait for an answer before jumping over the counter and cutting two slices of chocolate cake she had sitting out. It still looked warm and gooey. Pomme was so lucky tonight despite the lack of sleep. Maybe miracles do happen in equal measure to punishment.

“No, I just wanted to walk, but my soul must have known you were cooking and made sure I’d get a taste.” She doesn’t deserve a soul that knows when chocolate cake is around, but she wants it. She sat down at one of the tables, near the rightmost side, eager to eat. Em brought the cake over to her, placing it in front of her with a fork. She moved it slightly, trying to make it look good as though it wasn’t going to be in Pomme’s stomach soon. She placed her own slice on the other end of the small table, did the same to her own cake, and sat down with her. “And enough about perfecting it, you said that last time.” And several times before, but she didn’t add that. It did get better each time though, so while lying, Pomme sees no reason for her to stop. If it meant she got a better cake everytime, she can continue ‘perfecting it’ for all eternity and then some. The gods would enjoy her cake in the afterlife. She took a bite and moaned. It was so good, Pomme half wondered if Em made a deal with a god to get the ability to bake to begin with.

Em giggled, stabbing into her cake and bringing it to her mouth. “I’m allowed to be wrong, we can only know things and make our guesses based on our own understanding, as more information comes to light we often change what we think is correct,” she spoke professionally before placing the cake in her mouth.

“Did you just make baking sound like historian work?” Pomme missed her friends and family so dearly, where a historian baker made just as much sense as herself being a warrior artist. Why lock yourself down into one hobby? Even if hobbies were practically careers here, most still called them hobbies. Why have a career in a system that doesn’t require one?

Em pointed her fork at Pomme. “Hey, that way of thinking is applied to life in general, don’t say it’s only history, it’s a very important life view,” she argued. Em wasn’t just sweet and girly, she was one of the smartest on the island. Pomme was glad she wasn’t in her class, she would be embarrassed to see her own poor grades next to Em’s perfect scores. Those glasses she has fit the stereotype well.

“Sorry-.”

“But yes, I was thinking about history when I said it,” she interrupted, looking elsewhere with a grin on her face. That little shit. She is lucky she cares about her so much.

Pomme snickered at the response. “I knew it,” she stated as though she had been deceived on something big, her voice more wispy and shocked than it should have been, before continuing eating her cake. Em laughed at her faux shock. “I don’t know how you’ll possibly make this better, you may have finally found perfection.” She spun the fork around a bit, examining the cake as though that could tell her the secrets.

“Well now I have to make sure I make it even better,” Em spoke, accepting the challenge never challenged.

“I’d love to eat the result of that.” Pomme really didn’t deserve all the happiness and good this island had to offer. Maybe Lullah deserved to have stayed, while Pomme was tossed off into nothingness, which she deserved.

Em leaned back, placing her fork down now that she was done. “It’s good to have you back,” she whispered, a soft smile on her face. “I was horrified when I found out you were gone, refused to even meet Lullah” Shame, Em would have loved Lullah.

Pomme couldn’t help but return the smile, although guiltier. “It’s good to be back.” After everything that transpired, a world that she never let her flaws be known in was heaven. She knew it was only a matter of time now that she knew she was capable of showing them to such a level, but she had at least a little bit of time.

“What exactly happened in the other world? What’s it like? As said before, I never got to meet Lullah, so you’re my only source of knowledge now,” Em rambled, her face twitching slightly as she tried to hide her excitement. Ah, so that’s why she got her fed. It was in exchange for information. Leave it up to Em to feed someone to get what she wanted.

“It was… Different,” was all she managed to say at first. It felt odd to think back on those days she spent in the other world and ignore her own actions. How does she describe something like that? “There were so many people I already knew from here, and then people I didn’t, but every single one was a stranger. I was scared.” 

Em tilted her head. “You? Scared?” her voice was unbelieving. It was only just hitting Pomme that Em had never seen her scared before. She hadn’t seen the aftermath of when Kameto left, when she would sit near the plane crash for hours and hope he came back. 

Pomme was brave in everyone’s eyes, some unbeatable force. She had made sure she would be seen that way, did so much that people would no longer remember just how badly she reacted to misery and emotional pain. How many people still believed she could still be a scared little girl? Did she want to be seen as one?

“Terrified even,” she spoke, deciding she could give away that much at least. “I thought I had trained myself to be able to face any foe, but it seems like not knowing anything is something I am yet to be able to face.” She knew how to do this. Every foe she has faced up until this point is one she was able to overcome. She could do this, and Em would have no reason to feel pity for her.

“But you did, didn’t you?” Em pushed, still not believing Pomme wasn’t as perfect as she portrayed herself. “You made it back here, so you faced the foe and made it back in one piece.” Em said the words with a large enough smile that it made Pomme want to rid herself of how she actually felt. She didn’t feel in one piece. She felt like she was in pieces, crumbled up into so many there was no use saving her. She had most of herself here, but she couldn’t help but feel as though she left some of herself in the other world. Parts of her desperately needed.

Pomme forced a laugh. “Yeah, you’re right, there is no fight I could lose to.” She may not have lost, but it’s not like she won either. Life is cruel like that.

Em nodded. She then stood up and stretched as a yawn left her mouth, her oversized shirt scrunching up. “Think you can wash up for me? I should really get to bed now, I don’t know how you stay up like this.”

Pomme nodded, taking one last bite of her own cake before it was completely gone. “Of course, go get your sleep. It takes practice, and I wouldn’t recommend depriving yourself of so much sleep so early on.” Pomme suffered from insomnia as a child, this is a lifetime worth of struggle she was seeing.

Em waved her goodbye, and Pomme got up to wash the dishes she had left behind. She breathed in the night air and let herself fall into a rhythm for a few minutes while she prepared the dishes for the next person who would need them. She liked being useful.

“Oh? Em got here already?” she heard Bobby say from behind her. The voice was far different from the other Bobby’s, and she couldn’t help but feel pure joy the moment she heard it. She quickly put away the fork she was washing and spun around to see Bobby’s familiar face. Bobby was known to be quite pretty, if not handsome, and attached to her greatest friend, she couldn’t see a reason to not be ecstatic to see that face.

“Bobby!” she exclaimed, climbing over the counter and tossing herself into his six arms. “I missed you! I missed you so much!” Bobby, the one she could rely on more than anyone, the one who made her heart race, even if he was dating her brother. She paused momentarily, still clinging to him. It felt so odd to see him for some reason. Her heart wasn’t racing as she was used to it being. The boy she had seen every day for years, had clung to the idea of, felt so very different from what she had thought of him.

This was her Bobby, and she knew it, she knew he hadn’t changed. So why did it feel as though there was a change? Had she changed? She didn’t want to think about it, she already had too much to think about.

Despite all, she had missed him so dearly, more than anyone besides her own parents. She almost thought she would be stuck wanting that other Bobby to be her own forever. He was cool, but not her Bobby.

For once her heart felt a little calmer, her head not consumed by anger. This wasn’t her Bobby, and she knew it, but what else did she have? Nothing was her own, she couldn’t go around picking and choosing what to be upset about. It was all or nothing, and she preferred the nothing.

“I do wonder why people have been saying you’ve been a menace, you seem so calm now,” Bobby spoke, a little tense as though he was expecting her to show him exactly how she got this new reputation of hers. She wouldn’t, of course, but he didn’t know she had a needed change of heart.

“It’s because I am,” Pomme muttered, refusing to look at Bobby and how wrong everything about him looked. Eyes blue and hair too short, that adolescent clothing style having been grown out of. She doesn’t know why she got so attached to those overalls of his, but she just was. “A menace that is.” It was safer for him to believe she was a monster.

“Well, you haven’t given me a reason to think that, so you’ll have to be more convincing than that.” She wanted to hate this Bobby for reminding her of what she had lost, but how could she ever hate someone who gave her such unconditional trust? He was like her own Bobby in that way.

Maybe that is why she feels different about Bobby. The two are blurring in her mind. She feels guilty over it. Her Bobby had been with her for her entire life, he didn’t deserve to have his memory muddled with someone she knew for only days.

“I missed you too,” Bobby replied as he wrapped his arms around Pomme tighter. He didn’t have to know about her inner turmoil, she would rather just enjoy his company for now. “What’s got you washing dishes at such an hour?”

“Em gave me some cake and then wanted to go to sleep, so I washed up for her,” she spoke, pointing to the cut cake. Again, there was no job that stated she had to, but she still did so most of the time when she was around. If anyone on this island had an actual job, it would be Em.

Bobby hummed. “It’s a shame she was up so late.” That’s what Pomme was saying. “She’s never been good at staying up. I could have set everything up while she got her sleep. Richas was complaining enough that I came here to do that.” Leave it up to Richarlyson to get multiple people to do the work. 

“Think you’ll be going back home now that your journey has been made moot?” Pomme asked, wondering if she could convince him to stay. Bobby was still familiar enough that he gave her constant comfort.

Bobby shook his head above her, tensing slightly. “No, while I’m here, I should ask,” he looked down at her, “You feeling okay? I can’t imagine it was easy being off in Lullah’s world.” All six eyes were worried.

Pomme pulled herself away from Bobby slightly, just enough to comfortably look at him. “I’m,” she hesitated. “I’m as well as I think I can be.” Which wasn’t very good, but oh well. Consequences of her own actions and shit.

Bobby frowned, a rare sight. “You know you can tell me if it gets worse, right? I want to help you here.” Bobby, having issues showing his emotions, was always the first to understand when Pomme struggled to show hers. They understood each other, it was why their friendship worked so well over all these years.

Pomme smiled, a soft feeling spreading through her chest. She could always trust Bobby, and one day she may be able to tell him what troubles and ails her. But not today, not when the night is at its deepest and regret is at its worst. As amazing as Bobby was, nothing could beat Pomme’s own stubbornness. “Of course I know that, and you know the same goes for you as well, alright?” Bobby deserved to know that, and have the same kindness given back to him, even if it was from someone far less kind than himself.

Bobby’s face became blank again, a face hard for anyone to read. Pomme knew better though. “Is it too late to talk about my issues tonight?” His voice was soft, a little less monotone than his usual tone.

Pomme tilted her head. “No, of course not, speak away.” She gestured to a chair, away from where she had sat before, and sat down herself across it.

Pomme wondered just what he could be worrying about. Bobby had a myriad of issues when he was younger, so it was hard to not wonder just what could be ailing him tonight. “Is it the federation again?” The federation had been near constantly abusing the members of Bobby’s family for years, so it wasn’t a hard guess. A vague one that could account for most of his issues.

Bobby sat down slowly and shook his head. “No, not tonight, they haven’t bothered us in a few weeks actually.” He leaned his weight on the top two of his arms, the other four resting in his lap. “It’s about Dapper.” His gaze was empty, and this had clearly been an issue for a while, whatever it was.

Pomme felt worry strike her chest. “Are you falling out of love?” She had loved Bobby in a similar way Dapper did, but she was fine with putting her feelings aside for Dapper’s happiness, and the idea of something going wrong in their relationship destroyed her. Her own feelings changing didn’t change anything, she cared for the both of them enough either way. “Is he cheating on you?” she spoke, lowering her voice. She loved her brother, but she would deck him if that happened. She didn’t know who he’d be cheating on him with considering how small the island is, but it was still possible. She had been sent to a new world by a necklace.

“Oh fuck no,” Bobby answered without a second thought, all six eyes confused and voice sickened. “He’s not, and I would know if he is, he couldn’t lie his way out of a box.” Bobby frowned again and looked down, his fangs poking into his lip as he played with it with them. “He’s just been off is all, distant in a way that I’ve never seen from him before.”

It was Pomme’s turn to be surprised. Dapper? Distant? The same guy who loved the whole world with his entire heart and wanted the best for even the most annoying people on the island? If she trusted Bobby any less, she would have called him a liar at such a wild accusation. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s like, ever since you and Lullah switched he has been obsessing over this multiverse stuff.” His voice was pained, worried. It had been such a long time since he had exhibited such emotion so easily. He really wasn’t lying. “He barely comes by the castle anymore, and is just always in his room when I come by. I’m worried that he is going to hurt himself trying to learn more about this, or trying to get into the other world,” Bobby explained, never once looking up from the table. He had been grabbing at his hair with one of his middle arms and tugging.

That does explain why Dapper had been stuck to her side that day, asking question and question about what she had seen, what she had done. She had thought it was worry, but curiosity had always been his driving motivation. It was a good trait for someone like Dapper to have, someone who found happiness in the new, but it could also be dangerous. “Dapper has been interested in a lot of weird things.” His interest in horses came to mind. “But I agree, this one could be the one that gets him hurt.” Too much at least. This would be far from the first time he had gotten hurt in the name of magic or science or whatever world travel landed itself under. There had been many times in her childhood where she watched someone wrap up a broken limb or applied a treatment to a burn. It had scared her then, and this scared her now.

“Is it dangerous? From your experience?” Bobby finally looked up, all six eyes pleading. His lips were just about bloody from how his fangs almost pierced the worried skin. Another day, she would have to help Bobby end this habit of his.

Pomme frowned and looked down at her lap, where she was gripping her clothing enough that her already pale skin paled more. She knew the way she had gotten there wasn’t dangerous, but a pursuit of a new method could be dangerous. The way she interacted with the world, and how she first tried to leave however, were so dangerous she didn’t even want to think about Dapper attempting the same.

“Pomme! Get down from there!” Tina had called for her. She tried to block it out, she didn’t like that someone she barely knew was trying to tell her what to do. Her voice was so insignificant all the way down at the beach, when Pomme was standing on the statue, so high up she felt a little dizzy. She wasn’t even scared of heights. She had gotten into this world by falling into the ocean, maybe she could get back to her own if she fell again. The thought process couldn’t be argued with when she was in such a frenzied state.

“I need to go home!” she shouted back, trying to keep the fear at bay as she stood at the very edge. She wasn’t sure if they could hear her, her voice was lower than Tina’s after all. She stared down at the ocean she had decided to jump in, the same place she fell the first time. They say after a fall of 8 metres it can become dangerous to fall in the water, even if you go headfirst. She was far higher than 8 metres, and didn’t know how to go headfirst. She just had to trust that this would work, and she could go home. The only other option was death or horrible injury. Death would be kinder to her at least.

Would she even go to her own afterlife if she died in another world? It was such a morbid thought, not being allowed her own death rights, that she refused to think on it any longer.

She stepped off and closed her eyes. She was only in the air for a few seconds, although that could have stretched on for all eternity. They say your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die. She had expected it to be more literal, but it was more that she was thinking about everything she would be leaving behind when she died. She would have preferred the movie-esque version. As she thought about everything she had been through, she felt arms wrap around her. “You could have killed yourself!” Mousey cried, flying them both down as Pomme struggled in her grip. She barely even knew Mousey, so why was she so adamant on keeping her here? She could have gotten out if she tried, but her subconscious knew it wouldn’t have worked, and that she didn’t want to die. She at least wanted to know what her afterlife would be.

“Yes,” she finally answered. “Not the world, but how it makes you act, the newness of it all.” She reacted with anger, and Dapper would react with curiosity. Dapper could have handled the danger of the other world, but he has never been good at thinking clearly when it came to something he wanted to know. 

Bobby bit through his lip finally with a hiss. He licked up the blood in a hope that Pomme wouldn’t notice. “I’m just so worried for him, and I miss him dearly.” Bobby and Dapper had always had a strange, even if close relationship. relationship. One built off of just how attached to the hip they had always been since childhood, even if neither really understood friendship when they were younger, just simply knowing that people were there or not there. She couldn’t imagine how Bobby must feel now, not having Dapper at his side readily. This would be the first time this has happened since they were toddlers. 

“I’ll talk to him,” she decided. “I can’t promise a result, but I can promise that I’ll try.” She didn’t want her brother hurting himself either, and he should listen to her having seen that she had gone through what she had. Pomme was a lot more mentally stable than Dapper. If she couldn’t handle it, neither could he.

Bobby gave a small smile. Rare, but genuine. “Thank you, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” His voice was tired. Pomme wasn’t the only one needing sleep apparently.

Pomme couldn’t help but mimic the smile. “You’d make do, you wouldn’t be in this situation if I hadn’t gone and been abducted into a different world.” Life would be better for everyone if they could continue to pretend that it was smaller than it was.

“Ever the pessimist,” Bobby joked, his face returning to his usual blank expression. It was still so odd to look at Bobby and not feel butterflies. What had changed?

Pomme snorted. “You can’t say that about me, how you looked at yourself?”

“Yes, I love the way I look.” Even through Bobby’s monotony, she could see he had relaxed, he was no longer biting at his lip and his hand had left his hair, leaving the look that was usually in a ponytail, a rumpled mess. Now she just needed to make sure he would stay relaxed. Bobby stood up from the table, stretching his joints with a pop. “Well, now that all that’s done, I should probably go back home and tell Richas that StarBobby is stocked. Will you be here when he gets here?” Oh right, she was still here because of Richarlyson technically.

Pomme thought about it before shaking her head. “No, I think I’m going to continue my walk, I’m still not tired.” Richarlyson was a little much this late at night.

“Alright,” he spoke, slapping her shoulder playfully. “Hope you get some sleep at some point tonight.” If Dapper was the first to worry about her sleep schedule, Bobby was the second.

Pomme nodded. “I do as well.”

The two left in separate directions, Bobby to his home, and Pomme, after a few moments of deciding, to the wall. The wall was always overgrown due to Tallulah’s magic, which forever leaked all over the place, and the long grass just made her feel so at peace. That should be enough to tire her. She remembers younger years, where the kids were short enough to hide in the grass. She missed those simpler days.

She decided to just lay in the grass when she arrived, taking in how it hid her and fell over her. When the grass hid you, it was easy to trick yourself into believing the world couldn’t find you. This could be the life. No more sadism, no more guilt, just calmness and tranquility that should only exist in the youngest of youths. Except nothing is ever really calm on the island, had never been. The islanders had never known calmness or tranquility.

She heard the flapping of wings, heavy and strong, and a thump on the ground as the weight landed. A loud voice was heard. “Who goes there!? If you are my sister’s doppelganger I will make you leave!”

Pomme pulled her body so she was sitting upright in the grass, a small strand tickling her nose before she ripped it, and stared at Chayanne. “Nope, just me,” she spoke boredly. He was holding a sword to her, barely missing her face, but she had no reason to worry. He had no reason to hurt her, and if he decided he did, he was smart enough to know he couldn’t either way. She had long surpassed him in skill and reflex.

Chayanne’s mouth twisted into a guilty line as he backed off. It was hard to see his expression with the skull mask he had owned since childhood covering half his face, but luckily he had grown to be quite expressive with the bottom half of his face. She is sure she would have a harder time figuring out his emotions with his full face at this point. “Oh, um, sorry about that.” He lowered his sword and offered his other hand to pull Pomme up, which she took. 

She placed her hands on her hips once she could handle her own weight again. “Why would you threaten Lullah?” It had to be Lullah. She can’t imagine who else Chayanne could possibly imagine Tallulah’s doppelganger to be. “From what I’ve heard, she did nothing wrong.” Chayanne was one to act on impulse, so it wasn’t shocking, just confusing. Add in being devoted to his sister’s happiness and you’ve got one odd guy.

Chayanne crossed his arms and huffed. “Tallulah thinks she can come into our world and try to take Lullah’s place!” Pomme took a few moments to realise he was swapping the names people used for them. Makes sense, Chayanne did always call Tallulah Lullah. Still, when she had only ever heard the other world’s Tallulah be referred to as Lullah, it was easy to separate them by name in her mind.

“And you are sure that this is the truth?” she pushed. Surely she would have heard that by now. Lullah was all anyone could talk about as of late.

“Of course!” he shouted into the night, startling a nearby crow. “She is trying to hurt Lullah, I know it, and I won’t let it happen.” His voice was gravely and panicked to an extent. Pomme rolled her eyes. “Are you seriously on her side?” he whined in accusation.

“I’m not on your side if that’s what you’re asking.” Pomme loved Chayanne, really. He has been by her side for a long time and they used to be sparring partners, they understood each other better than most, but that means she knows not to indulge him when he’s being stupid. Chayanne needed someone to keep him in line, and if Tallulah wasn’t at the ready, that meant that Pomme had to take a firm hand.

Chayanne scoffed, his lip in a pouting position. “Fine, don’t come crawling to me when I’m right then.” Chayanne put his sword in its holster, looking away from her. He left her side and moved to lean up against the wall he lived atop of. “She’s a sadist, I’m sure of it. No matter how scared she pretended to be, I know what was going on behind her facade,” he explained proudly, believing this opinion to be fact.

Pomme frowned. Is that what people thought of her? She had done far worse than Lullah after all. If Lullah could be labeled as a sadist, she could only be labeled as a sadist.

Tears ran down her face as she curled up into a ball, squeezing herself so tightly it was hard to breathe. She just wanted to go home, ditch this world that was causing far too many emotions. Yet at the same time, going home scared her. This sort of scenario was supposed to be beyond her, something she could never reach, yet now it was her unfortunate reality.

“Hey, it’s okay! You will be okay!” Leo spoke as he kneeled before her, reaching his hand out as though he was thinking about touching her. She had caused him nothing but trouble and she wished he would just leave, let her soak in the misery she deserved. He shouldn’t have to put up with her just to be kind. Some people didn’t deserve kindness.

“No! It won’t be!” she shouted, sniffling. Her voice was broken, scratchy from crying and shouting. She looked up at him through teary eyes, and he had a soft, worried expression on his face. Was it all fake? Was he just trying to calm her down in case sadism striked her again? She hoped not. She didn’t deserve the love, but why should that stop her from wanting it?

“Well, I met her, and she’s pretty cool,” she spoke, trying to brush the memories away. The more she thought about them, the worse she would feel. In fact, Lullah was more than cool, too cool to have been swapped with her. “She’s strong too, I had to actually try to beat her.” Maybe that could stop him from acting so weird. She was close to Pomme’s level of skill and hadn’t done anything.

“Shit,” he hissed. “I have to stop her if she comes back, I have to figure out how to do it, she could hurt so many of us.” He paced through the tall grass, talking to himself. Fuck. That did not go as planned.

“Why are you even so caught up on this? She’s gone now, she’s not coming back. It’s not a big deal anymore.” Pomme had to remind herself of that. She rather liked Lullah, and it all certainly felt like a big deal.

“Because she poses a threat to my sister! She is trying to replace her!” he screamed his hoax, tossing his hands into the air. “My one role in life is to protect my sister, and I can’t let my guard down around some stupid doppelganger,” he turned to face her, “You care of protection, don’t you?” he demanded.

Pomme nodded slowly. “Yes, of course I do,” she defended. She would know better than anyone just how much she cared for protection. She gave her childhood up so she could protect others, immersed herself completely into fighting, hoping to get joy from always being able to protect someone. She achieved that for a while, but as she yearned to protect more and more people, she was left feeling isolated due to her inability to ever be on the same level as someone. She had surpassed everyone, but it came with a price. “But I trusted the other Pomme, it never felt like we were trying to get each other’s roles.” 

“You’re me?” The other Pomme had asked, looking at her with wide and intrigued eyes. Pomme had expected that if she had ever met another version of herself it would be like looking in a mirror, but it wasn’t. She looked kind of like Pomme, but not enough. Looking into her mismatched eyes made her feel weary, as if there was something wrong. When she had seen the mirror the first time in her dream before she ended up here, it felt all wrong. She knew what she should be seeing, but it wasn’t there. Like looking at the other Pomme.

“Yep, looks like it.” After coming down from her pile of emotions, she felt awkward, like everyone was staring at her and judging her. They probably were. Her speech and limbs felt too awkward, and it was like someone had put her together all wrong.

“Tell me about yourself!” she demanded excitedly. “It’s not everyday this happens!” She was buzzing with excitement, and Pomme felt guilty she couldn’t feel the same.

Pomme ended up telling her everything she was willing to give, and the other did the same. She missed her other self, she was a much better person than she was. The other world had so many amazing people, an amazing Pomme, and yet her world was stuck with her. Some cruel joke.

“Well you’ve always had a strong confidence,” Chayanne argued, not giving up on this stupid argument. “Lullah hasn’t, it would be much easier for another version of her to be evil, a threat, and that is why I need to make sure she doesn’t cause any problems in the future. You’ll understand one day, when you are older.” Pomme wished she had confidence, but as of late, it just feels like everything about her is falling apart, and that it’s all her fault. Maybe once in the past she was as confident as people say, but not anymore.

Chayanne continued rambling on, but Pomme attempted to block it out. She was certainly more tired than she was when she began. She sighed. Chayanne could just be impossible at times, and now, when he emotions are all over the place, she does not want to deal with him. Couldn’t he just be calm when she is in this state, or perhaps asleep, as he should be? “Why are you even awake to begin with?” she asked, tired as ever. Chayanne was typically early to bed and early to rise, but it wasn’t that early yet. She wasn’t usually up that early either, although it was either way round usually.

Chayanne frowned, pausing his pacing and moving back to the wall where he resided before. “Lullah had a nightmare,” he explained slowly.

“Oh,” was all Pomme was able to say. “Is she still awake?” Tallulah wasn’t usually awake late either.

Chayanne shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t be out here if she was still awake. She fell asleep a bit ago and I struggled to go back to bed. I wanted to make sure that if she had another, I would be there for her.” He looked down to the ground and began to fiddle with his sword handle, pulling it out a few centimetres before pushing it back in. “She was freaking out for a few minutes before I woke up and I didn’t want that to happen again. She doesn’t deserve to face her nightmares alone.”

Pomme moved to lean against the wall with him, staring over at the staircase that led to the Cicle family home. The stone was cold against her back, and it gave her enough clarity to continue this conversation. “Was the nightmare worse than normal?”

Most islanders had a nightmare problem, some far worse than others. Her’s were rare, but she could never forget the mutilated corpses of her friends and family, no matter how many times she reminded herself that they weren’t real. She knew Hope’s were the worst, and frequent at that. She wasn’t jealous of her, that’s for certain.

Chayanne shook his head, his shaggy hair flopping about. “No, just the usual. The one where everything she touches dies.” 

Pomme nodded. A classic. She has heard about that one a lot, and had seen the aftermath a few times when they were younger. The nightmares that persisted through so many years were horrible. “She’ll be fine, won’t she? She doesn’t usually have multiple a night when that one happens.” That was at least a bright side to look at.

Chayanne’s lips pressed into a fine line. “I know that,” he defended harshly, as though it was an insult to him. “But I want to protect her, so… I always stay awake when she has nightmares.” As he spoke, his voice became quieter. The confession would have been more shocking if it didn’t make so much sense. With Chayanne’s general behaviour and the fact they hadn’t gotten their own rooms even after they reached teenagehood just made the confession feel like a known statement. Like the sky is blue, or how life is cruel.

“She’s getting older, Chayanne,” Pomme stated, pulling herself away from the wall and bringing herself in front of him to look him in the eye. At least eye to eye with the mask. “Tallulah isn’t a little girl anymore, she doesn’t need you to protect her from every little thing like when she was younger.” Tallulah was older than Pomme. Barely, but still older. She had to be at least a little over how protective her brother was. Had Dapper acted this way, she would have smacked him long ago.

Chayanne frowned. “But I want to keep her safe and happy.” He sounded so genuine.

“That doesn’t mean she wants you to treat her like a little kid,” she argued softly. She tried to keep her tone soft. She wanted to say no one liked being treated like a little kid, as it had certainly been true for her for most of her life, and she had seen no reason why anyone would want to be treated like a kid. She had always been tiny, and she wasn’t entirely sure puberty had ever gotten to her as she still failed to look like a teenager. Yet her thoughts on that had changed, off in that other world, where everything changed too much.

Etoiles hugged her to his chest, petting her hair as she cried. “I don’t like this, I don’t know anything,” she had sobbed. Her body shook, and everything hurt. Her arms, her face, her throat. So much cry and screaming and holding her knees to her chest.

“It will be okay, you can trust me. You don’t have to be strong,” he whispered to her, holding her tight in his lap. “If you want me to help, ask, and I will.”

She felt like a toddler again, before they had stolen the power from the federation and were weak to it. She had decided to be strong after that, and refused to let anyone help. Others needed help, not her. Yet here her Papa was, or at least a version of him, not scared to tell her to ask for help.

“Please, help me, I need it,” she muttered, her voice almost unintelligible. 

“Then I will, I won’t let you get hurt,” Etoiles had muttered back, holding her a little closer to his chest.

“She’s my little sister, I have to keep her safe,” he muttered again, but she could tell he was having a hard time defending himself. He was just repeating the same thing over and over like a broken record.

Pomme placed a hand on Chayanne’s shoulder, a little hard with their height difference. “Then you should talk to her about this. If she wants you to continue, you can, and if she doesn’t, you can learn to stop worrying about it.” She wondered if this is how Dapper would have been if Pomme hadn’t been so independent at such a young age or if this was a uniquely Chayanne trait. They were both fiercely loyal and protective, so she wouldn’t be surprised if the answer was yes. Maybe she saved herself from something, or maybe she made the wrong decision. She was realising she had made a lot of wrong decisions as of late.

Chayanne sighed, wrapping his arms around his midsection. “Maybe you’re right.”

Pomme grinned. “I always am.”

Chayanne ignored her words. “I guess I’m just scared of losing her. She’s my greatest joy in this world, but she’s growing up, and I’m scared that if she doesn’t need me, she won’t want me.” The words of a protector.

“Chayanne,” she began, her voice soft, making him look at her. “I adore you, and so does Tallulah. She wants you in her life, and she won’t want to get rid of you any time soon. Just let her grow up and expand her world, and once you loosen your grip on her, I’m sure you’ll realise there is more to life than being her big brother.” Chayanne and Tallulah both deserved that, both deserved to have a larger world. Hopefully they never realise just how truly large life is.

“But what if there isn’t?” he asked. “More than being her big brother I mean.”

“There is friendship. You’re my friend,aren’t you?” She can never take Tallulah’s place, and she doesn’t want to, but Chayanne is her friend and she is going to make him realise the importance of it. She has been by his side almost as long as Tallulah has, and all his other friends have as well.

Chayanne’s expression flickered before a tiny smile graced his lips. “Yeah, you’re right.” He turned to face her completely. “Sorry for being so caught up in Lullah, I did undermine our friendship. I shouldn’t have done that, you mean a lot to me.”

Pomme shrugged. “Eh, it happens, you just know not to do it again, right?” She wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. Giving the advice felt easier than dealing with the aftermath of it.

Chayanne nodded. “Yeah, I know it now.” His gaze rose up to his home atop the wall. “I feel bad for still worrying about Lullah having another nightmare.” His voice was solemn.

“Then go check,” she advised. “You’re not gonna be able to change completely overnight, it’ll be a slow process, like training.” She tended to use the ‘like training’ line on herself, and Chayanne was similar enough to her, better of course, that it might work on him too.

Chayanne’s smile became larger, friendly rather than one of slow growth. “I’m good at training, I’ll figure out how to make a training regiment if that’s what it takes to make my sister happy.” A training measurement for independence, what an idea. Although isn’t that what yours was? A cruel voice in her head asked. A training regiment to allow no one to be near your level, so you were forever alone, as independent as can be. Chayanne’s wings began to flap and she was snapped out of her thoughts. he was now in the air, his feet almost level with her head. “Thank you for your help, I hope you settle back home easily enough.”

Pomme forced a smile. “I will.” She wouldn’t, she was already struggling and it had only been a day.

With that, Chayanne flew to the top of the wall and Pomme looked back at where she had originally come from, the grass still trampled as Tallulah had yet to come down and rejuvenate it all. Maybe it was time to go home. She had run into three people so far, each an exhausting conversation, and sleep was probably needed at this time.

With a sigh she began the long walk back home. It was times like these that she became annoyed at the fact she was simply human, and magically disabled at that. Wings or webs could get her home so much faster, and if she were someone who was able to access magic she could just teleport home, or whatever spells there were for transportation. She didn’t know any, as she was long accepting of the fact that magic was a part of life she wouldn’t get to experience even if she wanted it. But no, she was just Pomme. She could kill anyone she wanted to without breaking a sweat, but gods forbid she had a useful skill or extra trait.

She kicked a large stone into a tree. At least she had her strength, greater than anyone else on the island. It caused a loud thunk on the bark, as well as a shrill scream. Trees weren’t supposed to scream. “Oh! Pomme… It’s just you,” she heard above her in a breathy voice. 

Pomme looked above her to see Hope sitting on a structured branch of the tree she hit with the stone. Her legs were either side of the branch and she had her laptop perched half on her lap with a notepad beside it. That could not be a good set up. “What are you doing in a tree?” Pomme asked as she continued to survey Hope’s predicament. And with a laptop of all things. If Pomme owned a laptop, a tree would be the last place she would think to take it. Aren’t they delicate or something? She had enough trouble dropping her comm and breaking it.

Hope frowned and looked down at her things. “Oh you know, writing things. Thought it might be a good place to do it.” She gripped her laptop as she tried to get a better position to sit in, but it mostly entailed scuffling back and forth uselessly. “I thought it would be more comfortable, I saw it in a movie once, but the bark is not being kind to my ass.”

Pomme sighed and held out her arms. “Drop your stuff down. Climbing down with them sounds like a broken bone waiting to happen.” She would never understand Hope, but she could support and help her.

Hope tilted her head at the demand, but nodded soon after. She tapped a few keys and shut her laptop, lifting it up off her lap. She bent over, balancing the notepad on her knees, and dropped her laptop down to her. Pomme grasped the laptop as it fell into her hands, and the notepad fell down on top of it moments after. Hope really does have a lot of trust in Pomme, she can’t remember the last time they actually spoke. It always felt odd, and a little floaty. Hope, being as recluse as she was, always brought more conversation at once when she finally left her room, and for some reason she always sought out Pomme for those conversations.

Pomme moved the laptop around in her arms. It was quite heavy, showing the quality, and Pomme looked up to see Hope’s thin arms. “How did you even manage to bring this up there with you?” Hope was human as well, and Pomme is pretty sure she never learned any magic.

Hope moved to the trunk and moved down carefully, using the grooves in the tree to place her feet. It required both hands, which just made it a more perplexing issue. She got to the bottom and began to answer. “Slowly,” she spoke succinctly. “The things I do for privacy these days,” she groaned. She took her writing equipment from Pomme’s hands and held them against her chest. “Not even my own room is safe now, that creepy new girl just barged in the other day.”

Creepy new girl. That could only be one person. “Was it Lullah?” she asked. She had only heard good things so far, and she felt guilty at how excited she felt to know that Lullah had done something wrong. She didn’t want Lullah to be perfect.

“Lullah was an angel,” Nikki spoke as Pomme sipped some tea, sweet and tart. It was supposed to make her feel tired so she could hopefully beat the bout of insomnia she had been suffering from, yet it just made her feel on edge, begging her mind to be on the lookout.

“So I’ve heard,” Pomme grumbled, looking at the half empty cup. She felt annoyed whenever anyone spoke of her. It felt as if they were comparing them, believing Pomme was in no way a suitable swap for the two of them. She knew she was being unreasonable, that they just missed her, but it was easier to be angry.

Nikki smiled at Pomme, her own tea cup to her side. “You would like her if you got to meet her, I just know it.” Yeah right, if she meets her it’s on sight.

Annoyingly, she did like Lullah, she really liked her. She was as amazing as they said she was, not an exaggeration in sight. It was a hit to Pomme’s ego and guilt. On one hand, she knew she could never match Lullah, but on the other, she didn’t want to compare either of them when Lullah was just so sweet. Something she just simply wasn’t.

Hope’s face twisted into anger, scaring Pomme as she had been lost in memory. Had she done something to anger Hope? Her worries were brushed away when she nodded quickly. “Yes! Her! She just barged into my room without a word, and she looked like she was ready to attack me!” She complained as she gripped her laptop tight to her chest. Ah, right. Lullah.

Pomme’s eyes widened. Lullah had wanted to attack Hope? Tried it even? She knew she likely didn’t have all the information needed, but correct or not, that is certainly a first impression. She knew there was at least a small chance of this being true based on her own experience. She did attack someone, multiple someone’s, when she first met them, so it was odd to see where they could almost overlap. Lullah was still better than her though, at least she didn’t succeed.

“How did you get her to leave?” Pomme scanned Hope for any injuries. Lullah was strong, stronger than most Pomme had faced. Even if she didn’t let her get a hit in on her, Pomme knew that just by seeing her fight. Hope would have been bruised hard if she had attacked her. She likely wouldn’t have even been able to leave her room.

Hope frowned, her white hair falling in front of her face slightly, obscuring brown skin. “I got angry and screamed at her. She looked scared and left.” Hope was a scrawny thing, not a muscle in sight. It was hard to think of Hope as scary in any way, but then again, she had never seen Hope angry. Her mother was Jaiden, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if she had gotten the famous rage of her, rarely seen but ever growing.

Even then, she couldn’t really talk. Most people who met Pomme weren’t scared of her until they saw her fighting skill. At 142 cm and as pale as the moon due to her albino genetics, it was a lucky day if someone looked at her for the first time and didn’t think she was helpless. 

“Well, she is gone now, you don’t have to worry about her coming into your room again,” Pomme attempted to reason. She didn’t want her to feel afraid. Hope should feel safe in her room again, where she had only ever felt safe before. Not only has it always been her one safe space away from the world that broke her, it probably wasn’t safe to be writing in trees. Definitely not comfortable, as Hope had mentioned earlier.

Hope looked away, sitting down at the thick trunk of the tree where the roots met the earth. “No. My rule was violated, what if it happens again? She doesn’t need to be the one to do it, now that people know I can’t stop it, they simply will.” Her voice was cracking. She had long run out of tears, but it sounded like she was going to cry, feeling so robbed from.

Pomme sat next to Hope on the soft dirt, her back also against the tree trunk. Yeah, not comfortable at all, Hope really isn’t feeling good right now if she thinks this is better than being in her room. Still, this had to be better than being in the tree. “It’s not that we don’t do it because we thought you could stop us, we don’t because you asked us not to.” She couldn’t believe Hope thought that way.

Hope looked down at Pomme, her eyes wet but her face shocked. “Really?”

Pomme smiled softly at her. “Of course, we love you. We want to keep you happy and safe, and you have told us what makes you happy and safe.” Sure, she didn’t get much opportunity to talk to Hope, but there was always an air of comfort around the older, more recluse girl.

Hope looked so gleeful for a few moments before her face fell. “So why didn’t Lullah follow what I asked?”

Pomme thought for a few moments on how to answer Hope’s question. She hadn’t talked to Lullah for very long, really just a single conversation before and during a fight, but she seemed sweet. And besides Chayanne’s not at all true tirade about her, she had heard only good of Lullah. She wanted to believe Lullah was a good person, unlike Pomme. She was a good person when compared to Pomme, and Pomme would never purposefully hurt Hope. “Did you ask her to not come into your room directly?”

Hope looked down. “No,” she answered simply. “Her in my room was the first time I had met her.”

“Well, chances are no one else told her either.” There was still the issue of her coming in ready to attack, but Hope wasn’t as caught up about that nonsense as she was about Lullah entering her room. Hope must be a little brave if someone looking like they wanted to attack her wasn’t near the top of her list of problems. 

Hope frowned deeper. Pomme wanted to ask what was wrong, but she knew Hope well enough that she would speak in her own time and not a moment before, so she waited. There were a few silent moments before Hope took in a large breath and began to speak. “Am I a bad person for still wanting to be mad at her?” She stared at Pomme with large, pleading eyes. Her asking was so genuine, so scared.

Pomme shook her head. “No, you should work through your emotions in your own time.” Pomme had spent a lot of time working through emotions on her own. “Just keep what she knew in mind, which was nothing, and once you are done with your anger you can decide if you want to forgive her.” Pomme knew she had been angry enough in the other world, and had caused anger even if no one wanted to mention it. 

Pomme stood before Leo, holding her skirt in her hands. “I’m sorry for attacking you, I was upset at everything.” She was in the wrong, but Pomme’s mind had only recently cleared up. She felt so guilty now that the anger had passed.

Leo stepped closer, and Pomme froze slightly. Was he going to attack her back? She got ready to defend herself, but he reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder, not hurting her. It was gentle. “It’s okay, I’d react the same if I were you, maybe worse,” he answered with a small laugh. She doubted it, but it did make her feel better.

“I’m glad you accept my apology, even if I don’t deserve it.” Pomme didn’t feel like she deserved any of the kindness she was receiving in this world.

“But you do deserve it.” She never wanted to leave this world, but it truly acted like she was supposed to be a part of it. The world deserved better.

“And if I don’t want to forgive her?” Hope asked, hugging her laptop even tighter to her chest.

“Then you don’t have to, simple as that.” Lullah would likely be upset, but even she would understand that Hope is just a troubled girl who wants control in her life. If that control is not forgiving her, then so be it. Pomme certainly forgave her.

Hope leaned her head on Pomme’s shoulder, and Pomme knew that it couldn’t possibly be comfortable considering their height difference. “You’re a good person, and I hope to be as good a person as you one day.”

Pomme felt her heart ache at the words. Perhaps she didn’t deserve this world either. She was too sadistic to deserve good things. “I’m not. You should get a better role model than what I can offer you.”

“Why would I need better when I have the best?” Hope argued, not caring for what Pomme just said. There was a teasing smile on her lips. Hope understood depression enough to know that it was all ups and downs, more downs than ups, but she couldn’t help but feel proud that she had caused an up.

“I am far from the best.” Hope really did deserve better, so Pomme would convince her.

Hope got up off her shoulder and looked her in the eye. “Pomme, you are better than you think. Everyone here adores you, and you simultaneously try to live up to expectations and denounce those expectations. Be yourself for once and accept that you are flawed, but we love you, not just despite those flaws, but with those flaws.”

Pomme knew Hope had a way with words, had read many of her books, her most favourite centering on the human mind and how it cracks, yet the words still shocked her. Hope wasn’t going to accept Pomme’s argument, because she believed it was one against everyone else, Pomme being the one. “You are too kind,” Pomme responded.

“I’m exactly as kind as I believe you deserve, and I want you to love yourself the same way.” Hope’s usually voided hazel eyes had a shine to them, one of belief and pure love for her friend. Pomme didn’t spend much time with Hope, and they had never been very close other than how Hope ran to her to talk when the words bundled up in her brain, but she wanted to be now. She wanted to befriend Hope more and take all the love she gave Pomme and keep it locked in her chest forever to warm her up in her darkest nights.

Pomme pulled her into a hug, her face on Hope's shoulder now. “I’ll try, if it’s for you.”

Hope hummed and wrapped her arms around Pomme. “You don’t understand how much that means to me.” How had she let Hope slip between her fingers for so long? Someone who truly understood what to say to her to make her want to get better as well as Bobby did. 

“Then I will try to understand.” She was going to try more for Hope now. She found herself obsessing over the idea of Hope in a way that was perhaps a little bit unhealthy, but after the night she had, she just wanted someone who cared for her.

Hope let Pomme hold her for a long while until a yawn was ripped from her throat. “Climbing a tree is a lot of work apparently,” Hope joked.

Pomme pulled away and stood up, pulling Hope up with her, quickly grabbing Hope’s stuff as it threatened to fall between them. “Think you’ll be good to get home?” Pomme asked as she handed Hope her stuff.

Hope nodded. “Yeah, I’m not afraid of the dark or anything.” Hope let a little smile grace her lips. “We should do this again sometime, I like talking to you.” There was a grin on her face, and her cheeks were flushed from the cold, night air.

Pomme smiled back. “I agree, I enjoyed this.” Hope waved and Pomme felt a warm feeling settle in her heart. She hadn’t imagined that talking to Hope would make her feel so good, but it felt like exactly what she needed after all she’s been through.

She began her journey home again, the air getting warm around her, as though the island knew she was happy. The walk home was much better.

She entered the door, and was shocked to see Dapper awake and drinking some coffee. He looked up to see her and tilted his head with a smile. “Look at you, waking up early. Usually you’re asleep until at least 11 am. Then again, I’m also up earlier than I usually like.”

Pomme gazed at the clock and saw that it was 5:47 am. Had she really been up for that long? It only felt about an hour when she was experiencing it. “I, uh, I haven’t actually slept all night,” she admitted with a stutter, staring down at the ground.

She heard a splutter as coffee got stuck in Dapper’s throat mid sip. Dapper coughed and exclaimed, “None!?”

Pomme shook her head shyly. She always felt guilty when her brother brought up how horrible her sleep schedule was. She knew he cared for her, and it felt like she was doing him wrong when she failed to care for herself.

“You should really try to sleep,” Dapper spoke as he passed by her. This wasn’t her brother, and she knew that, yet she couldn’t help but feel like she was hurting her brother.

“I’ll be fine,” she muttered before she yawned. “I’m used to it.” She had to be used to it, for she certainly couldn’t sleep while every part of her being screamed she wasn’t safe enough.

Dapper frowned. “Well, you shouldn’t be used to it.” After he left, she really did try to sleep, even if she did fail. She didn’t like upsetting her brother, even if it’s not truly him.

Dapper put his cup down and sighed. “You should go to sleep soon, I’m not letting you go twenty four hours without sleep.” 

She was tired enough that she could sleep for at least a few hours. But she thought back to earlier that night, which must have been hours ago at this point. “I will, soon, but there is something I’d like to talk about first.”

Dapper tilted his head and pulled out a stool at the island he was sitting at. “Go ahead, if it allows you to sleep, that’s okay.”

Pomme moved to sit on the stool, having to pull herself up a lot. She settled her hands in her lap. “The other world, what do you think of it?” she began.

There was a shine in his endless eyes, and that said all she needed to know, but Dapper spoke anyway. “I’ve never been more interested in something before. There is a world that is so similar to our own, that realistically, if I tried hard enough, I could access.”

Pomme frowned. Bobby was likely right. Dapper got absorbed with many things, and he had been far less interested in things that had hurt him before. “Are you sure accessing it is something you should do?” she asked.

Dapper nodded and smiled. “Of course, I’m the best magic user there is in this world, but this is a challenge I want to take.” Oh shit. “Hermes has always denied me, but even his own powers are limited. If I can get there myself, I can create my own limits.” It was times like these that made Pomme glad that her brother was such a sweetheart. If he were evil, the world would have been wiped out already.

“Dapper, I think you’re getting way too into this,” Pomme warned. “It isn’t as good as you think it is.” She had an amazing time there towards the end, but that first stretch of time, she was in a blanket of misery and anger.

Dapper frowned before his smile returned moments later. “It will be fine. I’m making the choice to go this time around whereas you didn’t. I want this and know what I’m getting into.”

Pomme would have stood in anger if her feet could have even touched the bar of wood near the bottom of the stool, but alas, she was that tiny and these stools were originally made for giant demons. “You don’t know what you’re getting into!” she shouted at a volume that would have been a problem for her sleeping family if this house were any less big. 

Dapper’s eyes widened at the outburst. “Pomme-,” he began. 

“You’re already blind to the worry of myself and Bobby, how can you think you will be ready for what people you don’t know will think of you,” she began, her voice wavering. “That world is too similar and too new simultaneously. It warped my mind so much, I don’t think I will ever be the same. I don’t want you to change too quickly.”

Dapper leaned over and took Pomme into a hug. “You and Bobby are worried for me?” he whispered in curiosity.

Pomme hugged back. “Of course, Bobby has told me you have cooped yourself up thinking about it all, and that’s not healthy. You are so social, I’m worried about how this has gotten you so closed up.”

Dapper pulled away and stared at his lap. “I just want to know more. I never thought about the multiverse much, but now that you’ve been, I can’t help it.” He looked up at his sister with sorrowed eyes. “While you were away I was broken, you never left my mind. When we found out it was the multiverse, I couldn’t help but think that I could have stopped it.”

Pomme propped herself up on her elbows. “What are you talking about, you couldn’t have.” She didn’t know anything about it until she was there, all at the fault of a necklace.

Dapper stood up, uncomfortable at the act of sitting when he had so much to think about.  “But I feel like I could have. If I just knew more about the multiverse, I could have found you and brought you home. Instead, I was just sitting around, feeling useless, while you were off somewhere I didn’t know about, nor trusted entirely.” He turned to Pomme yet again, waving his hands in the air. “You could have been dead for all I know!”

Pomme slipped off the stool and stood in front of her brother, crossing her arms. “I am stronger than that, don’t underestimate me,” she pouted. She hurt people in that world, not the other way around.

Dapper frowned deeply. “But I didn’t know if they were stronger. I only know our universe, and I hate it. I want to know more so I can be sure you are safe.” He stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. She missed the caring touch of her brother over the past few days. He didn’t touch her often these days, but when they were younger, he always had a hand on her, making sure she didn’t run off and get hurt. He really was worried for her. “I know you are strong and can protect yourself, but please, let me fulfill my role as your big brother and allow me to want to protect you. You don’t have to face the worlds alone.”

Pomme held the hem of her silk pyjama top in her hands, a set of white, buttoned pyjamas with a variety of red apples on them, and her mouth quivered. She couldn’t cry, not over something so small, yet she wanted to. She hated being treated like a child, like she was helpless, yet she had been treated like a child many times lately, and she didn’t entirely hate it. 

No, she argued with herself. Not a child. You are not helpless, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need help, can’t want help. They loved her, and that is why they helped. Not because she is useless, but because they want her happy, just like why she tries so hard to fight for people.

“And neither do you,” she stated. She was his sister as much as he was her brother. “If you want to learn more, go and talk to people. I won’t allow you to bundle yourself up in your room any longer.” She looked up and was faced with a soft smile.

Dapper moved in and hugged Pomme, bending his knees to reach the appropriate height. “Okay, I will listen to you.”

Pomme hugged back. “Good, you should. I’m smart with these things.” Dapper may be a genius when it came to magic, but even he admitted that he failed when it came to common sense and communication. She was better than him at that.

Dapper chuckled. “I know, I know, I’m a communication idiot.” He pulled back slightly. “Miracle I managed to get a partner before you.”

Pomme hummed. There was always a part of her that was a little jealous that Dapper got Bobby. Yet she didn’t feel all that jealous today. Bobby was something, beautiful and kind, and just apathetic enough to intrigue her. When did that kind of thing stop interesting her? Beautiful and kind were things she still cared for, but after so many emotions, maybe apathy wasn’t what she wanted. Or maybe it was because he was unachievable. So much to think about.

“I’ll get a partner some day, just you wait.” She wasn’t the type that wanted to be single all her life. She pulled away fully. “I do have a whole nother world to work with now.” It was more of a tease. The people there were interesting, but she had a feeling her heart would forever stay where her home was.

Dapper sat back down, looking at his forgotten coffee cup. “Okay, I’ll wait until you find love to visit the other world.” Pomme made a curious noise. “I want to be here for you throughout your life goals, so my adventure can wait. You are the most important thing in my life.” Dapper reached over to flick her nose. “Which means you should also take care of yourself, go to bed.”

Pomme smiled gently at her brother. “You are the most important thing in my life as well, so you better not run off on me.” A yawn pushed past her lips. “And okay, I will go to bed.”

Dapper waved as she headed towards the stairs up to her room. “Have a good sleep, I will remain in this world for you.”

When Pomme got to her room, she face planted down on the bed, almost tripping over a sword she had lying around. Even without the sheets, sleep called to her like a siren. Tonight had been a lot, but she felt as though she had worked out a large majority of her issues with the other world. Except one.

“I’ll miss you,” she cried to Etoiles. Tears ran down her face, and she felt stupid for getting so attached to a world she always planned to leave behind.

“I’ll miss you too,” Etoiles spoke, pulling her close. “But I’ll always be in your memory, okay?” Pomme nodded against his chest. “So just keep me in yours. You may not be my Pomme, but you are my daughter nonetheless.”

She finally turned to where Hermes was waiting for her. She had to leave, and that was that.

She stared up at where she had left the necklace. She could go there again, but she knew it wasn’t what she was meant for. This world was her own, and the other was Lullah’s. They had to give up the fact they had seen more than those not born to higher powers are supposed to. One day there would be no reason to think about the other worlds, and it would slip into memory. In a few years, maybe some would vaguely remember that Pomme had disappeared, or that there was an outsider. But after that? It would be completely forgotten.

She went to sleep, and for the first time in days, she had no dreams.

Chapter Text

Lullah tried to ignore the shaking. Hope didn’t really have another way to wake her up, so she had gotten used to the shaking. She just wanted to stay in her dreams. Two weeks had passed since she got home, and yet her mind remained a mess because of it. How was she supposed to move on from the fact that she had lived in two separate worlds? Her dreams certainly couldn’t, as she struggled to separate the two worlds, both morphing into an amalgamation of both.

The shaking continued, and she groaned as she opened her eyes to a smiling Hope. Hope pulled away and began signing. ‘Winterfest!’ she signed excitedly. They had taught her the word a few days ago, and they had yet to see a word more repeated.

Right. Winterfest. A time where magic was at an alltime high, and families spent the day together celebrating it and each other. It was also a time where there was snow and ice everywhere, and Lullah would mostly be cooped up at home. Still, she smiled. She at least had her family. “Yeah, Winterfest.”

Hope grinned and pulled her out of bed, trying to get her out the door. “Can I get dressed first?” Lullah asked. Hope was still in her pyjamas. Made sense, considering just how eager she was to get the festivities started.

Hope shook her head and just continued to drag Lullah out of her room, causing her to chuckle. “Okay, okay. I’m coming.” She began to walk beside Hope. Hope enjoyed not having to drag her around.

The two descended the stairs, and Lullah couldn’t help the gasp that left her lips as she saw who was talking to Roier at the bottom of the stairs. Lullah let go of Hope’s hand, and made the rather dumb decision of jumping off the stairs. “Abueloroier!” she shouted, jumping into his arms.

Abueloroier shouted as he caught her, only stumbling slightly as he got his balance back. “I’m not as young as I used to be, you can’t go jumping me like this,” he grumbled, holding her close.

Lullah giggled. “I have a cutoff age, so you better tell me what your age is if you want me to stop.” Abueloroier was really old, and yet not even her dad knew his age. He just told her he was born a grandpa.

“Too old for this crap, ain’t that enough?” He put her down as Hope descended the final step. “At least you aren’t trying to break a poor, old man’s back, are you?” Hope tilted her head in confusion.

Roier cleared that confusion. “Hope, I realise this is the first time meeting my grandpa, so please, meet your great grandpa, Abueloroier,” he spoke with a move of his hands.

She grinned. ‘Hi,’ she signed before lifting up her arms, silently asking for a hug. 

Abueloroier sighed with a smile before lifting her up. Despite his age, he was stronger than you would think. Lullah isn’t entirely sure he is human. “I take that back, you’re lucky you’re cute enough that I don’t mind you attempting to break my back.”

“What about me?” Lullah asked.

Abueloroier grinned at her. “You’re aging out of it, take advantage while you can,” he teased, bringing another giggle out of the girl.

She heard Cellbit enter the room from the kitchen. “Is Lullah awake finally?” he asked before his eyes landed on Abueloroier. “Oh, you didn’t tell me you were coming,” he spoke, slowly and with a forced smile.

Abueloroier held Hope on his hip. “Can’t a man drop in to see his family?” he answered back, the same forced smile on his wrinkled lips.

“Oh, but we are just so busy, I’m not sure if we will have the time and the things to host you properly.” Lullah always found their rivalry somewhat amusing. She knew they tried to hide it from the kids, but they failed horribly.

Roier butted into their conversation with a genuine smile. “Oh don’t worry, I knew Abuelo would be here, so I made sure to set up everything with him in mind.”

Whereas Cellbit was more than happy to argue with Abueloroier, he all but worshipped the ground his husband walked on. He leaned over and kissed his cheek. “My Guapito, so smart, such a good planner.” 

Roier chuckled. “I love it when you praise me, Gatinho.” He paid back the kiss with another on the lips.

Abueloroier put Hope down and grumbled as he moved to sit down on the couch. “Roier, I warned you about marrying a sweet talker. Be careful with him, never know what he’s thinking.”

Roier sighed. “I know my husband, you need to trust me on this. And be careful, we’ve been needing to get a softer couch as of late. Let me go get you a pillow.” He ran off to get a pillow for his grandpa, and moments later, two sets of footsteps were coming down the stairs.

“What’s up with the party at the bottom of the staircase? And why didn’t we get invited?” Mousey asked with a grin.

“I did, I don’t know why you didn’t,” Phoebe teased.

“Abueloroier is here,” Lullah answered, pointing at the man, who waved at the two girls as they reached the bottom.

Phoebe moved to sit next to Abeuloroier with a smile. “Hello sir, it’s been so long since I’ve last seen you, how have you been?”

Abeuloroier smiled back. “Fantastic, I've been kept busy but happy. And about that sir business, I’ve got no need for titles. I’m too old for that nonsense.” If Abueloroier had a catchphrase, Lullah is sure it would be ‘I’m too old for this’.

Hope rushed to go talk to the two sitting down, happy to join the pleasant conversation. Lullah stayed with her dad and Mousey. “Would have liked a letter or something saying he would be here,” Cellbit complained.

Mousey snorted. “You say that every year and yet he comes here every year.”

Cellbit grumbled. “Every year I think it will be the year he doesn't show up, but I am… disappointed, every time.” His eyes landed on Lullah as he spoke. She could speak up about how she knows about their rivalry, but at this point it's funnier to have them think she doesn't know.

“It'll happen one day, I'm sure of it,” Mousey stated. “But Abueloroier loves his grandson, so it won't be a good reason why he doesn't.” Mousey, despite still being young in the idea of demons, was smart. She had dealt with this rivalry longer than Lullah had, and she's sure she's the only reason they haven't tried to kill each other yet. And Roier of course, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

“I know, I know,” Cellbit complained. “I will just have to pray it doesn't, wouldn't be good for anyone.” Lullah was lucky she was so good at hiding her laughter.

Roier returned with a pillow for Abueloroier when they heard the door open. In stepped Bobby and Evie, chatting. They both looked solemn, but their faces lit up when they saw the family.

“Hey!” Bobby shouted as his eyes scanned the room. “I hope it's not a big deal if Evie joins us? Her family doesn't really celebrate,” he asked, gesturing to an awkward looking Evie.

“It's okay if not. I just, you know, want to see what it's like, even if it's not my family's thing.” Her voice was trembling ever so slightly. It was clearly not okay if not.

Cellbit separated himself from the two girls and guided Evie inside. Bobby followed them as she was taken to sit down. “Of course you're welcome. I already expected that you would be showing your face, you’re practically a part of the family.” Evie grinned at his words, tears threatening to leak, although she refused to let them. 

“Thank you, it means so much to me,” her voice continued to waver slightly. Bobby moved to sit beside her, and the presence of her greatest friend calmed her as they were pressed to each other’s sides.

Roier moved to his son’s side, sitting on the armrest of the seat. “Are you sure you want to spend Winterfest with us instead of Jaiden?” Lullah sometimes believed that despite all the time that’s passed, Roier still fears life is like when Bobby was younger, when he preferred Jaiden heavily. Maybe once it was like that, but now? Lullah can’t really remember the last time he was happy to see Jaiden.

Bobby nodded. “I’m sure. You’ve been asking the same question since Lullah’s birthday, and I have answered the same every time. I want to be here.” He placed a hand on Evie’s arm. “Plus Evie is here, why would I leave her alone?”

Roier smiled lightly. “I’m just worried Jaiden is lonely is all, she really only ever talks to you. I’m worried about the both of you.”

The conversation lulled into the back of Lullah’s head as she got lost in her thoughts. Roier and Jaiden had really fallen apart. Even she could remember the days where they coparented Bobby side by side, and they were so happy. Now, Bobby was all that linked them. She couldn’t help but compare her to the other Jaiden and Roier she had met off in that other world. Could her own have ever been like that if Bobby hadn’t gotten kidnapped? They were so close, such good friends, that they had gotten married. They lived life so easily by each other’s sides, as though they didn’t have anything that could set them apart.

She brushed the thought away. She had barely gotten to see any part of their lives, it wasn’t fair for her to compare. But still, what if she could figure out how to help Jaiden and Roier again? She thought about the amulet that sat at the bottom of a draw before her thoughts were ripped away by the sound of the door opening yet again.

“Richas, you little scamp,” Abeuloroier called. “Thought I’d miss out on seeing you. Always running off.” Richas grinned from the doorway before running and jumping into Abueloroier’s lap. He groaned as he held their weight, as though he wasn’t sitting and already strong enough to do so with ease. “Kids these days only want to break my back. When Roier was a little girl he never did such a thing. He was so polite.”

Roier snickered. “I wouldn’t call myself polite.”

“I just really, really missed you,” Richas replied. “I spent so many Winterfests with Pai Felps, I want to spend one with you guys now.” They grinned as they spoke, and Lullah was excited to spend her Winterfest with Richas for the first time. With the mess of Winterfests she’s had in her lifetime, she will take any extra happiness for the cursed day she can. 

Mousey took her hand and they joined the rest of the family as they grouped up at the couch. “We’ve got a lot of people around this year,” she began. “Hope everyone brought a present.”

Hope nodded excitedly, and the rest of the family made various agreements. This was a part that Lullah always enjoyed. Gift giving. No ice or snow to be seen, it wasn’t entirely family based, it was just about giving someone you cared about a gift and hoping it worked out. A few left to get their presents, while some had them with them already. Lullah was one who had to go get her present. 

She used the time to quickly get dressed, before grabbing the present from her drawer. Her eyes lingered on the amulet, and she quickly shut the drawer and went back to where everyone was gathering. She can’t let herself get caught up in what ifs. That world should be separated from her now, no matter how tempting it and it’s people are. 

She was the last person there, and she saw that Phoebe held a hat in her hands. It must hold names. Lullah sat down on the floor, allowing others to sit on elevated surfaces. “Alright,” Phoebe began. “Who would like to pull the first name?”

Abueloroier held out his arm, asking for the hat to be brought closer. “I’ll do it, I’m the oldest after all.” Phoebe nodded and held out the hat. Abueloroier reached in and picked out a piece of folded paper. He brought it closer and opened it, smiling at the words written. He placed the paper in his pocket and picked up his gift, a really large one by the looks of it, holding it in Bobby’s direction. “For you, Bobby. I hope you like it.”

Bobby carefully grasped the box, placing it in front of him and tearing off the paper. He then opened the box beneath, revealing a very intricate looking chess board. Bobby looked rather shocked. “Wow, this is so expensive looking.”

Abueloroier laughed. “Nothing is expensive if you steal it.”

Roier sighed. “Please don’t teach my kids how to steal.”

Bobby was very focused on the chess board, pulling out gold and silver pieces from the compartment beneath. “Evie, want to play later?”

Evie grinned. “Yes,” she answered.

Abueloroier took the hat from Phoebe’s hand and held it out to Bobby. “First, you should give someone their gift. Can’t have you running off.”

Bobby took it from his hands. “I should do that.” he reached in and grabbed his own piece of paper, opening it and reading out the name. “Evie,” he spoke with a smile before scooting the gift he had gotten over to her. “I am sure you will like this one.”

Evie grasped the box with a small thank you and ripped through the paper, finding a box she quickly opened and slid the gift out of. It was a mushroom shaped bottle full of purple liquid. “It’s perfume,” she spoke as she grinned. She sprayed it on her wrist and sniffed it. “Pomegranate.” She grinned at Bobby. “I love it.”

Bobby couldn’t help but mimic the grin. “I’m glad you do.”

Evie carefully rested the perfume bottle next to her before reaching into the hat in Bobby’s lap, pulling out another piece of paper. She nodded and picked up the gift she had brought, getting on her knees and reaching over to give it to Richas. “This is my first Winterfest, so I do hope this is something that makes sense.” 

Lullah briefly worried as Evie handed her gift over to Richas. Winterfest gift giving didn’t have that many rules, but after her first Winterfest as part of this family, they had certainly made one up of their own. Phoebe didn’t mean to scare her, Lullah didn’t even entirely understand what was going on when she was younger, but seeing that snow globe, the snow specifically, it had almost ruined Winterfest. Since then, they had a rule about no gifts with snow or ice iconography. Hopefully Bobby had clued Evie in on that.

Richas took the gift and followed what others had done, except this time there was no box, just a blue, frowning octopus plushie. Lullah didn’t know what it was, but Richas seemed to know and stuck their thumbs beneath it and flipped it inside out, now showing a green, smiling octopus plush. “It’s so cute, I saw one of these in another world and was wanting one of them, thank you.” Evie looked pleased that her gift had been received well.

She reached into Bobby’s lap again, and this time took the hat and handed it to Richas to repeat the process. They reached in, accidentally plucking out two papers before dropping one back inside and reading the one it kept. “Hope!” it shouted excitedly. Hope’s eyes gleamed.

Richas tossed the gift over, and Hope barely caught it but looked excited either way. She eagerly ripped the paper and revealed a big book beneath. Did Richas rig this? A book is the perfect gift for Hope. She held up the book for all to see, showing the title. ‘Keeper Of The Lost Cities: Everblaze’. It sounded interesting, and something right up Hope’s alley. 

She placed the book down and quickly signed. ‘Thank you!’ Her eyes barely left her book, and it was almost a shame she would have to wait to read it. She reached out for the hat, and Richas gave it to her. She immediately dug in and pulled out a paper, grinning as she read it. She took her own gift and handed it to Mousey.

“Can’t wait to see what I got,” Mousey spoke, ripping the paper open. Lullah felt bad for whoever was going to have to clean up this mess. Probably Cellbit. She opened up the box and slid out a mug with pixel graphics on it. There was text on it that read ‘Coffee. It smells delicious. This is sure to give you a boost. + 3 energy, + 1 health, + 1 speed.’ It was an odd, yet cute looking mug. Mousey grinned at the text. “The mug says coffee, my heart says everything but coffee.” Even Hope expected that.

Mousey reached over and plucked the hat from Hope’s lap. She took out her piece of paper and read it aloud. “Roier.” 

Roier held out his hand expectantly for his gift, causing the group to laugh. Mousey placed the gift in his hand, and he pulled it in, immediately opening it. It was in a flat box, which he eagerly opened as well. He lifted a circular object with red and white sand in it from inside it and propped it up properly, watching as the sand made pretty dunes.

“The sand is from the Nether,” Mousey answered, always one to out do.

“I’m going to put it up in my bedroom,” Roier replied, “Change the dunes every day.” He was smiling at the gift, as was Cellbit. It was technically a gift for the both of them, but Roier certainly didn’t mind. He was one to love decorations, so a decoration was the perfect gift.

“I’m glad you like it,” Mousey responded as she passed the hat over to him. 

Roier plucked a piece of paper from it, the number reducing quickly, and read the name out with a smile. “Lullah.” Lullah grinned. It was finally her turn, and she was excited to see what she was getting. Besides the unfortunate first gift she had gotten in this family, she typically got ones she enjoyed. Roier held out the gift, and she took it into her hands. “I think you will like this one.”

The box was the smallest yet, but size never indicated how good a gift would be. She ripped off the paper, hearing movement from within the box. She opened the box, and saw several little charms within the box, shaped like stars and moons and planets. “They’re adorable," she cooed. She was going to put them everywhere.

Roier smiled. “I knew you would like them. You were perhaps the best for them to go to.” Lullah couldn’t help but agree, these felt made for her.

“Thank you,” she spoke. She always enjoyed the gift giving part of Winterfest, and how she got to spend it with her family. She then reached out to get the hat herself, and see who her gift would go to. She pulled the paper out, leaving only one remaining. She flipped it open and read it. Phoebe. She grinned as she passed her gift over to the girl, watching as her eyes lit up in delight.

Phoebe grasped it from her, and she undid the paper. Lullah was getting better and wrapping the gifts. She revealed a box beneath the paper and opened it, pulling out a candle from inside. Phoebe looked excited, and Lullah couldn’t help but mimic that feeling. She had tried her best when picking it out. Phoebe sniffed the candle and smiled. “Lemongrass, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Lullah answered. She was glad Phoebe enjoyed her gift. She had yet to give a gift that wasn’t well received, but she still feared that one day it might happen. She passed the hat over now that her fears for this year were quelled. 

Phoebe chuckled as she picked out the last name in the hat before placing it next to her. She opened the paper even though it was pointless before handing her gift over to Cellbit. “For you,” she stated.

He graciously took it. “It’s heavy,” he stated with a smile. He pulled back the wrapping paper and encountered yet another box. There were so many boxes this year. He opened the box and pulled out an odd gun looking thing with a ball at the end. “What’s this?” he asked.

“It’s a massager. Everyone here is either getting old, does a lot of active stuff or both. Other than me and Hope. Good thing it went to you,” Phoebe explained.

Cellbit smiled. “I will definitely put this to use, thank you.” He placed it back in the box for later. He paused for a moment before grimacing as he realised who he would have to give a gift to. He took a deep breath and turned to Abueloroier, holding his gift. “How great that I ended up with you,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Yes, how great,” Abueloroier grumbled as he took the gift from Cellbit. “Everyone knows you give such amazing gifts.” Lullah would never tire of seeing these two pretend to not hate each other. Abueloroier tore the wrapping off, and they weren’t met with a box this time. He pulled out a dark blue journal with a strap keeping it together. “It’s not half bad,” Abueloroier spoke, surprisingly truthful.

“I spent a lot of time picking it out,” Cellbit answered, perturbed by his answer. These two can’t even trust actual niceness anymore.

The group got caught up in their gifts, and barely noticed when there was a knock on their door. The group only truly looked up when they saw Nikki approach. “Nikki, what caused you to join us?” Cellbit asked as he stood up to join her.

“I was hoping to spend some time with Lullah for a while. After all, you are bound to go outside in the snow soon, right?” Her voice became softer, more careful. Lullah knew that tone well. Winterfest was supposed to be a wonderful time of year, full of family and fun, yet it wasn’t completely the case for Lullah. It meant being confined in the house, and being pitied for it. 

“Oh,” Cellbit glanced back at Lullah, who was trying not to frown. “Well, if she says she’s okay with it, it would be a good idea to bring Hope and the rest out into the snow.” He turned back fully to Lullah. “Would you like to spend some time with Nikki while we are out of the house?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” She liked spending time with Nikki, and Hope would love to experience snow. It wouldn’t be fair to let her emotions make her say no. 

Cellbit gave a smile. “Such a mature girl,” he commented. That made her feel better about everything. He turned to the kids. “Let's go play in the snow, how about that?” The kids reacted well, and everyone, even Abueloroier, got up, and soon the room was empty except for Lullah and Nikki.

Nikki moved and sat down next to Lullah. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up,” Nikki apologised.

Lullah sighed. “No, it’s fine. Hope would ask to go outside eventually, and I’m used to staying inside.” Her world was so much smaller during Winterfest. She couldn’t help but think of the other world, and how hot it had been. Was it snowing there? She pushed the thought out of her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about the other world, it was never time to be thinking about the other world.

Nikki hummed. “How about we make some cookies? You still have that vegan chocolate I brought over a few days ago, right?” Her voice was a little higher than usual, a clear show she wanted to up the mood.

Lullah smiled slightly. “We do, and I would like to make some cookies with you.” Cookies always made her feel better. Whether it was her sweet tooth or the fact most cookies on this island were made with love, she wasn’t sure, but the reason didn’t matter so much as the result. If she couldn’t have fun with her family, she would have fun with Nikki.

Nikki stood up and offered her hand to Lullah, which she took. They went to the kitchen and began to pull out the ingredients needed. “Are we making chocolate chip or just chocolate?” Lullah asked as she brought out the vegan chocolate.

“Chocolate chunk,” Nikki answered as she started pulling out bowls and measuring cups. “Diced chocolate and chocolate chips are different, and chocolate cookies require cocoa rather than chocolate,” she explained. She always loved how much Nikki understood about baking and the science behind each recipe. 

“Yeah, we don’t have any cocoa,” Lullah spoke as she looked through the pantry. “But we should do that next time, I like your chocolate cookies.”

Nikki smiled over at her. “Of course.”

Lullah brought all the ingredients over, and Nikkie began to explain what they would do. “This recipe is very easy, you just have to combine all the wet ingredients, and once thoroughly combined, you add the dry ingredients. Not the chocolate though, that comes after once everything is combined since it'll lead the chocolate to become too floury.” She leaned down and preheated the oven to the correct temperature.

Lullah nodded, and Nikki explained what the correct amount of each wet ingredient was. She poured in each, and then picked up a whisk and began to stir. Due to the lack of eggs, it didn’t take on as much of a yellow-brown colour as it did a pale beige. “Okay, dry ingredients next,” Nikki stated.

Lullah nodded, and repeated the process. When she mixed it this time, it looked a lot more similar to regular cookie dough than just the wet ingredients did. When Lullah first became vegan, she asked if the lack of eggs meant she could eat raw cookie dough safely, and that is where she learned the dangers of uncooked flour. Despite how tempted she was to eat the cookie dough, she didn’t for her health.

Nikki pulled out a chopping board and a knife and began to chop at the chocolate. She was really quick at it, and she knew Lullah well enough to know she would attempt to match her speed, so she didn’t give Lullah a knife for her health as well. The chunks ended up more raggedy, and a little larger than chocolate chips, which Lullah liked. More chocolate per bite. She picked up the chopping board and pushed the chocolate chunks in before placing it in the sink. “Alright, time to mix again.”

Lullah got to work combining the chocolate chunks into the cookie dough while Nikki placed some baking paper on some trays so they could place the cookies on top. Once Lullah decided they were thoroughly mixed, the two began picking pieces of dough from the bowl and rolling them into balls to place on the trays. They ended up with three full trays, which they slid into the oven. Nikki set a timer, and clapped her hands in satisfaction. “I will clean up. How about you go find your gemstone?” she asked.

That was a good idea. At least that was another tradition she could take part in, finding the gem her family set out for her. Typically the whole island would be open for someone her age, but due to her inability to go outside in the snow, her gem still stayed inside the house. “Okay, I will do that,” she spoke. She waved goodbye and began wandering the halls, trying to figure out where it could be. 

Her first year it had been under her pillow, and it had taken far too long to find it and many laughs were had. Since then, it became a tradition to check there first whenever she went out searching, even if it would likely never be there again. Another year, it had been put in her bag she typically carried around. She hadn’t put it on today, so she checked there and put it on as she realised it was not inside it.

She checked in every nook and cranny, and everywhere in plain sight as well. She luckily knew the castle like the back of her hand, so she knew she would find it far quicker than any of her siblings would. Still, it felt like it was taking far too long. It felt like she had looked everywhere, and yet she had yet to find it. She grumbled as she walked through the halls again. She stood by her room, and she wondered if maybe she had missed it. She checked under her pillow and in her bag, but then only gave a brief glance everywhere else. Her search of her room was more tradition than an actual look, so perhaps they decided to actually put it there this year.

She opened her door, and stared at her room. There weren’t many places to hide something, but it was better than nothing. She waved to Delilah, who was always quite sleepy when it snowed, so she stayed asleep most of the day on Winterfest. She then got to searching, checking on her shelves and her desk, and then began to look around in her drawers. She perhaps had more drawers than someone needed, but she had a lot of stuff. She opened the ones on her desk, in her dresser, and finally moved onto the drawers next to her bed. She opened the top one, and found nothing, and then opened the bottom one. There, in plain sight, laid a sapphire, wrapped up in her amulet.

She had seen her amulet before, and it certainly wasn’t on top of a sapphire. Had someone snuck back in while she was cooking to place it here? They must have. She reached in and unwrapped the sapphire, searching for a rune they occasionally put on them. She smiled as she saw the dagaz rune, representing inspiration and day. How sweet.

She placed her sapphire in her bag and looked down at the amulet in her hand. She hadn’t held it since she first put it in. It was such a pretty amulet, despite its power that she had once cursed for being evil. She should put it back in, she knew that well. Sapphires meant wisdom, and she knew she shouldn’t be touching this thing anymore. She could hear Cellbit’s explanation on intelligence versus wisdom as she put the amulet back on, hiding it beneath her shirt and moving more of her thick curls over her shoulder to hide the string. No one would need to know, this could be her own little secret. It shouldn’t be a secret she kept, but she was young, she could make her mistakes.

She stepped out of her room and returned to Nikki. She felt on edge, wearing the amulet she promised to never wear again. Yet the symbol of all that is good called to her, and who was she to deny what she wanted? Or at least what her hands said she wanted, as her brain felt quite detached from her actions. She returned to the kitchen, and as her worries grew, her shock appeared as she caught sight of who was in the kitchen with Nikki.

Nikki looked at her. “Leo showed up after you left, I hope you don’t mind sharing some cookies.” Leo looked at her with a smile. They hadn’t gotten much time to talk lately, ever since she got back. Leo was acting oddly around her, and always seemed to be busy. She was happy to see him, but had so many questions.

“I don’t mind,” she answered. The cookies were now out of the oven, and Leo was munching on one. She grabbed one of her own, and the kitchen filled with an awkward silence. Nikki was watching the two, seeing how they would solve the issue, so Lullah decided to speak up. “What brought you here?” she asked as she finished her cookie. She was getting better and better.

“My dad thought it would be good to see you,” Leo answered, an awkward smile on his face. “And, you know, I wanted to see you.” It was nice knowing the truth, but she couldn’t deny she felt a little bitter.

“And you haven't for the last few weeks?” she mumbled. She saw Leo flinch and she sighed. “I’m sorry, that was rude.”

“No, I deserved it,” he responded. “But, I,” he hesitated before changing topics. “Let’s go to your room, this should be a private conversation.”

She glanced at Nikki, who was looking everywhere but the two teens. She turned back to Leo. “Yes, we should do that.” They stood and had a silent walk to Lullah’s room. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears. What was Leo even going to say? They had been friends for so long, so why was Leo now acting so distant, and why was he now trying to fix that distance?

They stepped inside, and Lullah glanced at her bottom drawer. She shouldn’t have worn her amulet, but it was too late to turn back now. She turned to face Leo again. “So, what was it you wanted to say to me?” she asked carefully. Leo was looking everywhere but her, and she briefly feared he knew she had taken the amulet out of her drawer, but he would have no idea she promised not to wear it anymore.

“I have been avoiding you, and there is no excuse for that,” Leo spoke quickly, his pose rigid. That was surprisingly honest from Leo, who always found some way to add humour to a situation. “But when you first disappeared to the other world, right after I said I wanted to tell you something, I felt like you had been avoiding me.”

Lullah had completely forgotten that Leo said he wanted to tell her something, and guilt rose in her chest. “Leo, I’m so sorry. I wish I could have stayed, you didn’t deserve to worry.”

Leo smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “No, it’s okay. You couldn’t do anything to stop it.” He looked away from her and frowned again. “I just got too in my head about it, worried too much about what would happen when I did tell you. I thought you would run away from me, and I would lose you forever.”

What could he possibly say that made him lose her forever? She had been by his side when he told her about his family, and had stayed through all the ups and downs that supplied. He was her best friend, the person she trusted most in life. “You won’t lose me,” she answered. “I can hear anything you want to tell.”

Leo looked at her again. “Promise? It will be a lot, it will change us.” Isn’t that what she was used to? A constant change?

“I can handle change.” She would handle change for Leo.

Leo nodded and moved to sit on her bed, patting the space beside him so that Lullah sat down as well. She did so, and Leo seemed odd about the proximity between them. “Sorry, this is a lot. I thought I had my words, but it’s different when you are here beside me,” he apologised, looking at the carpet.

“Take your time, I want you to be comfortable,” Lullah spoke. She didn’t want to scare Leo off from being truthful with her, especially since he has struggled so much to say what he already has.

Leo nodded. “I have mentioned that you are my best friend before. I trust you so much, and spending time with you is probably the best I feel at any given day. For years, I have told you everything. I have wanted to know everything about you, and share your hard times and your good times.” Lullah listened patiently, but she was mightily confused. Why was he saying this? It was all something he had told her before, all something she knew well. Why was he so scared about saying this? She let him continue. “And I want to do that for the rest of my life, more than I know I should. If I could spend the rest of my life beside you, I think I could be happy forever.”

He seemed to stop, so she took the opportunity to ask her question. “I am sorry, but I don’t understand what you are talking about, can you continue?” She always knew she was a little slow on things. She could discover some things unsaid, but most of the time she didn’t know what anyone was saying unless it was stated directly, or if she had experienced such a thing before.

Leo smiled awkwardly. “Yes, I will do that.” He took a deep breath. “I think I am in love with you. No. That was weeks ago. Now, I know I am in love with you.” The words repeated in her head like an echo. “I don’t know when this started, it just slowly happened, until everything felt normal, but different.” His eyes met Lullah’s. “Do you feel the same?”

Lullah’s head felt heavy, her limbs unmoving. She had never expected such a confession from her dearest friend, she had never expected a confession from anyone. She knew romance wasn’t impossible for her, it surrounded her in friends and family, and she was attracted to people before, but her life had been so different from everyone else’s lately, it just didn’t feel like something she would get to do for a very long time.

“I,” she stuttered. “I don’t know, this is a lot for me to deal with right now,” she answered slowly. He was right, this was going to change everything. Even if she rejected him, and they stayed friends, something was going to be different until Leo’s feelings faded, maybe longer. “I need time to think. Can I have that?”

Leo’s expression quivered slightly before he nodded. “Yes, I can give you that time. How much will you need?”

Lullah frowned. “I don’t know.” It felt as though she knew nothing. Why was everything so difficult for her? She just wanted things to be easy, but had things ever been easy? There was Payne, and the kidnappings, and her stupid phobia of snow. Perhaps nothing had ever been easy for her before, but at least her and Leo’s friendship felt easy. Couldn’t she at least have that?

Leo slowly nodded. “Okay, I will see you later then. Hopefully.” He stood up and left her room, not daring to look at her.

The moment he was out the door, she began to cry. She couldn’t stop the tears, and they just streamed down her face. She had ruined what was between them, surely. What even was between them? Friendship? Romance? She didn’t know. Everything just felt normal between them, but what was normal? She had so many questions, and not enough answers. She fell back against her bed, and sniffled. She wanted to know what was going on in her life, but more than that, she wanted to escape her confusion. She wanted to go somewhere where she just felt good. She didn’t want to be surrounded by people having much more fun than her because their brains were normal and could handle snow, and she didn’t want to upset anyone.

She closed her eyes as a sob left her throat, and it felt as though she was floating.

Pepito walked down the stairs, glancing at his parents who were trying to put their Christmas tree together.

“It deserves white tinsel, for the snow,” Roier announced as he tried to find it in the box they had filled over the years.

“Our Christmas is in Summer, what would snow do on our tree?” Cellbit argued. “I think we should go with gold, it is classy.”

“I don’t care what colour tinsel we put on as long as we put the star Richarlyson made on it,” Jaiden joined with her own idea. Her working eye was the one that found Pepito leaving. “Oh, Pepito, where are you going?” she asked. Jaiden seemed to have found her greatest joy in life the moment she had Bobby, and that extended to the rest of her kids, making them always doted on and asked questions.

‘I am going to my snow,’ he signed. Everyone knew his snow. There was a part of the island forever covered by snow, even in Summer as it was now. The heat was difficult on his elven skin, so he found himself going to the snow desert a lot more often in Summer.

“Okay, be safe,” Cellbit answered as he started searching in the box as well.

“And come home for dinner,” Roier spoke as he tried to search faster.

Pepito nodded and was out the door. He passed through the forest and town easily as he made his way to his sacred place. There were very few things in life that made him feel safe, but the snow desert was one of them. On that list was his family, Chun, and being able to communicate. It was a small list, but one he treasured.

His mind flickered to the doppelganger of Tallulah, who he is pretty sure just went by Lullah, who showed up a few weeks ago. She was odd, but he didn’t feel uncomfortable around her. Not safe, but not uncomfortable. Had he gotten more time with her, maybe she could have joined his list. He didn’t like thinking about what ifs, they were annoyances, but in his solitude he often had too much time to think, and that meant many what ifs. He should really find something else interesting to fill his thoughts.

Luckily, he reached the snow desert, and did his usual things. Creating and moving and letting the snow and ice surround him. Ice was his greatest pleasure, the first thing that ever knew him. Still, even with his cold withstanding genetics and his love for the cold and the joys it brings to the world, he knows he should step out of it for a few moments before he gets sick. 

He climbs the broken steps, which had been here since he first found the snow desert, and made his way over to the frost covered glowberry vines and the cave behind them. He suspects it may be the obsidian that lines the cave entrance that kept them in such good condition despite the frost that covers them, and what makes the cave beyond them so untouched and warm.

The humid heat of the cave was uncomfortable for a few moments, but soon the frost left his bones and it felt calming, and left a somewhat tired haze covering his mind. The discomfort came back quickly, when a weight landed on him. 

Lullah screamed as she landed on a rather annoying surface. She was quickly shoved off of the surface from beneath, and it certainly didn’t help her tears. She looked at what she landed on, and was shocked to find out it was a who. She searched her memory for a few moments, and quickly realised she had landed on Pepito, but not her Pepito. 

Pepito glared at her, before his face soon turned to confusion and shock. ‘You!” he quickly signed before pointing. ‘You aren’t supposed to be here!’

He was right, she wasn’t. She hadn’t even realised she was wishing that hard. She really shouldn’t have worn her amulet. “You don’t have to say it,” she answered anyway, her voice a little croaky from crying. She clambered to her feet. “I’ll just go, I’m not ready to go home so I’ll just be around.” Maybe she could find Dapper or Pomme again.

Pepito got up himself and stood in front of Lullah as she tried to find the entrance to the overgrown cave. ‘Snow,’ he signed simply.

She tilted her head. “Snow?” she repeated. 

Pepito, now sure he had her attention and that she wasn’t just going to run off, continued. ‘There is a lot of snow outside, you won’t react well.’ He moved and lifted the glowing vines slightly, showing a winter wonderland beyond them. She shivered slightly and pulled away, stepping lightly into a warm pool of water before stepping out of it. It felt so warm in here, how was it snowing outside? Wasn’t it supposed to be summer?

“Is this… where you often spend time?” she asked. She remembered Foolish telling her something about a snow desert, is that where she was?

Pepito gave an odd tilt back and forth with his head, one that would be accompanied by something like ‘kinda’ for someone who could speak. ‘I go outside a lot, but the cave isn’t somewhere I always visit. Usually only in Summer, when I spend a lot of time here.’ So she was right about it being Summer. 

“I would much rather be in here than out there, it’s a shame you have to go through it to visit this place,” she muttered as she looked around. It was so warm, too warm for just a cave, and it was so beautiful as well. It was overgrown, and Lullah suspected Pepito didn’t know how to tend to plants, but it gave off a lush feel. The moss and the vines made everything feel alive. There were amethysts everywhere, and the ones beneath the shallow pool of water glimmered from the berries of the glowing vines. Had this existed in her world, she would always visit. As long as it wasn’t barred off by snow.

Pepito tilted his head again. When words were no longer there, it was interesting to see how much people actually moved to speak. ‘I only come in here to warm up, the snow is much more fun to me.’ Pepito’s interest in snow was odd, but it fit him well. ‘But I’ll stay in here for longer, it wouldn’t be right to leave you alone.’

Lullah felt her heart warm slightly. Pepito was so sweet. Still, he shouldn’t make himself uncomfortable just for her comfort. “You don’t have to do that, I will be fine alone.”

Pepito shook his head. ‘No, you won’t be. I’ve seen how you are, you are a very social person, and you were crying when you got here.’ He was annoyingly right about that. If she had to deal with this alone any longer, she would end up crying again, and she was tired of tears already. ‘So tell me what made you upset, and I can help you deal with it.’

Lullah grumbled. She wanted help, she really did, but as much of a help Pepito was, she barely knew the guy. He was always so willing to help, even not knowing anything, but she couldn’t say she was having love troubles, not now. “I just had a bad Winterfest is all,” she answered. She’s never really had a good Winterfest before, but she has had decent ones.

Pepito frowned. ‘I don’t know what,’ he paused as he tried to figure out a way to sign it, ‘the Winter festival is.’

Another way their worlds, or maybe just their islands, were different. “It’s our end of year celebration, although some places hold it in the middle of the year. When Winter comes and we get snow, we all get together and celebrate as a family. I’ve never really had a good one before, but I thought it could at least be decent this year.” It already felt too vulnerable. “Have you ever had a bad end of year holiday?”

Pepito was clearly worried about Lullah’s statement, but decided answering was the best way to cheer her up. ‘We have,’ he began, signing an unknown word before he paused. He traced some letters in their air until they spelt CHRISTMAS. ‘My first one was pretty bad, since no one knew I was mute, and everyone thought there was something wrong with me because I didn’t speak. My parents were nice about it, but it didn’t feel good and everyone was too worried about me to have any fun, and then I felt horrible.’

She felt bad, but it also felt nice that someone else had suffered. “Is Christmas going on right now?” she asked. Pepito bounced his shoulders as though he was laughing. Pronunciation would have to be worked on later. Chris-t-mass was not the way apparently.

Pepito shook his head. ‘No, in a few days. I like coming here a lot since the snow helps calm me for the noisy mess it is. Sometimes I am able to get out after the gifts are given, but usually I have to stay the whole time.’

“I do things that calm me before Winterfest too,” she spoke, adding in a little sign language on the word Winterfest. If they were going to talk about their holidays, he should be able to say hers. “Since I can’t go in the snow, it means I get lonely a lot, and can’t do a lot of the festivities.” She looked down and sighed. She was speaking about every issue but Leo, and yet they were issues nonetheless. How much of a mess was she? “I just want to be able to face everything.”

She looked up, knowing Pepito was going to respond. ‘You can’t face everything.’ She was not expecting that reaction. ‘That’s not normal, you wouldn’t be a person if you could face everything.’ Would she really? Everyone around her seemed to be able to face everything, but they were definitely people. Pepito gave a small smile. ‘You can’t face everything, but if you really want to, I can help you face snow and ice.’

The words moved around in her head, destroying her previous thoughts. “You can?” After so long, she could be fixed?

Pepito nodded. ‘I can’t guarantee you will be great in the snow, but you won’t freak out if it’s close to you.’ Good enough.

“So when I leave here I can be near the snow?” she asked desperately. She didn’t care what she’d have to do, she would do it.

Pepito frowned. ‘It’ll be a slow process. I can only get you started today.’ She frowned at his words before she perked back up again. It would be fine, she would still be okay.

“What do I have to do?” she asked, enthusiastic. She could be almost normal.

Pepito looked at the vines covering the entrance. ‘Think you can look at the snow while we talk a bit? The snow and ice doesn’t cross the obsidian, so you will be safe.’

She looked at the vines with him. She could see the snow beneath, and it was true that they didn’t pass the obsidian. There was a straight line where the snow and cave separated. “Yes, I can try.” She would finally get past this, especially if she had Pepito by her side. Pepito, while not very close with her, was always so willing to help despite his antisocial nature, and he loved snow with such a passion, so he must know something about finding solace in it.

Pepito stepped away and moved the vines again, pinning them into place with ice to either side. She froze at the sight of both the ice and snow, but she would prevail. Pepito joined her side again and sat on the warm moss. That’s right, this cave was warm, she had nothing to worry about, she could convince herself to stop shaking. She sat down next to Pepito. ‘Tell me about your Winterfest traditions,’ Pepito asked.

“Well, there are gifts, and you spend a lot of time with family. Your family puts out gems with runes on them to find sometimes, always gems, sometimes runes. You also look at constellations,” she discussed, naming ones from her head. “Do you have any of those?” It was hard to think when she was determined to look at the snow, and she was glad when she could look away to check Pepito’s response.

‘I mentioned the gifts before, but we don’t have the other two. The constellations sound nice though.’ He was also looking at the snow, and despite his blank face, he looked happy. She looked at it again. She hated the sight, but she wanted to see what Pepito saw in the thing she feared most. What beauty was he seeing?

“They are very nice. My favourite is Sagittarius, although it’s also known as the Archer,” Lullah spoke, her voice a little breathless. She could keep looking at the snow as long as she was distracted. The breaks she could take to look at Pepito’s answers certainly helped.

Pepito tilted his head yet again. ‘I’ve never heard of that one, it might not exist in this world.’ That made sense.

“What’s your favourite?” she asked. 

Pepito smiled. ‘I like the Lover. Mum told me the story a lot.’

“I haven’t heard of that one either, what’s the story?” The words made her think of Leo, and she tried to ignore the tightening of her heart.

‘They say that a god hung the stars up for his lover, to commemorate the fact his lover had only one eye. He was mortal, so it’s how he lives on. I don’t believe it, but it’s a nice story, and apparently the lover was a prince of ice.’ There was a smile on his lips as he spoke of the story. Love and ice were always one for him, so a story that combined the two must have been everything he wished for. Ice and love, two things she was struggling with. 

“You have a boyfriend, right?” she asked, staring at the snow again. She felt so cold, but if she was going to break down, might as well have it be for multiple things.

Pepito paused for a moment. ‘Yes, what is it?’

“Well,” she hesitated. She started this, but it was difficult to speak the rest. “Who asked who out?”

‘He did,’ he answered. Okay, this could work.

“How did you react?” she asked. Maybe she could get some tips for when she next talks to Leo, once she figures out how to deal with how she feels.

Pepito shook his shoulders in a silent laugh again. ‘I rejected him, harshly.’ That caused Lullah to tilt her head in shock. How had he managed to react worse than she had? ‘I didn’t know how I felt at the time, he was my only friend so it was all I knew. I took days to realise what I was feeling was the same, and made him a sculpture of ice to apologise, and a few days later he asked me out again, and I said yes. I haven’t regretted my decision once since that day.’

Lullah looked back at the snow. It was so endless, and the shivering never stopped. If Lullah managed to deal with the issue with Leo, would she be able to deal with snow and ice? She hoped Pepito didn’t mind how she went silent, but she couldn’t stop thinking. Leo. Leo who was always so kind, and right by her side. They hadn’t always been best friends, but after everything went down six years ago, they became close. Things had changed so much between them, but that was just growing up. Or was it feelings? Would she want to be in a relationship with Leo?

Dating, holding hands, kissing, anniversaries, always being there for each other. That last one was what she already had with him, but was she willing to have the others? Did she want the others? She tried to think about it more closely. Could she see herself spending her life with him? Honestly, it scared her to imagine a life where he wasn’t by his side. She had experienced so much love in her life, but was the love she held for Leo the right kind? Was it enough? Her heart ached at the idea of making the wrong answer. She could toss his feelings to the side, and move on with her life, but it would hurt them both. If she chose yes, could she escape misery? Would it give her more than just the happiness of choosing the best answer?

She felt a hand poking at her shoulder, and she looked at Pepito. Air left her lungs, and it felt good to not be looking at the snow any longer. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

Lullah frowned. “I don’t know,” she answered back. “I,” she stuttered, “My friend said he liked me, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I even like him back.” She liked him, but like-like him?

Pepito nodded his head. ‘You should go for it,’ he answered quickly, shocking her. He doesn’t even know Leo, or that it is Leo, and yet is just telling her to go for it. He answered before she could ask anything. ‘You seem like the type to surround yourself with good people, and if you are genuinely thinking about the possibility of going for it, I think you should take the risk.’

“But what if I’m wrong?” If she did take the risk, there were of course consequences.

‘Then you’ll be wrong. Is this friend the type of person to hold it against you if you say you were wrong?’ Pepito offered good advice, and knew Leo better than he should considering he didn’t even know who he was talking about, but there was still an anxiety in her chest.

“No, but…” she didn’t know how to argue. She could have as much time as she needed, but she wanted to give an answer. Leo was her dearest friend, and the idea of hurting him hurt her. Was that liking someone? It wasn’t an impossible possibility. She continued to think about dating Leo. She could be happy, cuddling and going on dates and such. Maybe, even if her feelings were only budding, she could help them grow into something they both wanted. “No,” she repeated. “I need to do this, I want to date him.” She wanted something to come out of this. She knows if she rejects, the idea of what could have been will haunt her. At least if they end up breaking up, she will know what could have been, and if she liked it.

Pepito smiled. ‘Then I release you from your exposure therapy for today.’ Lullah felt even better. She hadn’t even cried. ‘Go and get them.’

She gave a nod and clasped her amulet. She focused on Leo, and hoped it would bring her straight to him. She closed her eyes, and the air began to feel colder, before it abruptly became freezing.

A flaky lump of cold landed on her head and she almost screamed. Her eyes shot open, and she was right in front of Leo’s home, but her sudden landing had caused snow to fall from a ledge and fall right atop her head. She couldn’t cry, not now, but it was so hard to control her breathing. She had seen enough snow, and she wasn’t currently seeing any snow. She could ignore it, maybe.

Okay, she couldn’t ignore it, but she had magic. Her body heated up, and the snow quickly became a warm liquid. It would mess up her curls since it wasn't a wash day yet, but she needed to be in a somewhat stable condition to face Leo. 

To escape the snow, she slammed open the door, a little too harsh than she should have, but she was learning how to not freak out at the idea of snow, not how to properly process the emotions given. There were several heads that swerved towards the sound, and she likely looked a little crazed. “Where is Leo,” she asked, a little out of breath.

They were all a little quiet as they took in the situation, but then Willy spoke up. “He is in his room. He was just at yours and he came back looking off, did something happen?” he asked. 

“I’ll explain later, thank you,” she spoke quickly before rushing up to Leo’s bedroom, leaving behind several questions. 

She opened Leo’s room, and she watched as Leo looked at her. She felt so confident, so driven, when she was getting here, but actually facing him washed away all confidence she had. Was this how he felt when he faced her about his feelings? He continued to stare, and she forced herself to speak. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he responded, a small smile on his lips. “How did you get here?” he asked. Right, it was snowing outside.

“It’s a long story,” she answered. “And if I say it right now, I don’t think it would be worth it. I came here for a reason, and that reason wasn’t just to come here.” She found herself tripping over her words and repeating herself. She had done so much in her short life, so much that had caused confusion and fear to strike at her heart, but this just felt so different to everything.

Leo carefully stood from the bed he was sitting on. He had a troubled expression on now, which did not help level the bubbling emotions in Lullah’s chest. “What did you come here for then?”

Lullah took in a deep breath. “What you told me, about how you want to be with me. I have my answer.”

She studied his face, which turned into a mixture of shock and excitement and fear. “And that answer is?” he asked hopefully, although his tone dared not rise.

“You are my greatest friend, and a constant I want to keep in my life,” she began. She just needed to find a way to say what she wanted to say, and figure out how to get there with all her stumbles. “I have always been one to accept change, whether it was needed or was cast upon me, but now, I want the change solely because I want it. I want to try and make this work. I love you dearly, and I feel as though the platonic nature of love and the romantic nature of it are mixing. Is that enough? Can I date you even though I am not sure and it is scary? Will you let that happen?”

She was shivering again. After watching the snow, feeling it on her head and around her, it was easy to believe she would be above fear, but it continued to linger in her heart. She struggled to breath as she watched Leo’s expression twist. It seemed to take him a few moments to register the words, but his face turned into a grin and he ran towards her, crossing the short distance quickly and picking her up in a hug, spinning her while shouting. “You love me! You want to be with me!”

Lullah laughed as she was spun around. She clung to Leo, and enjoyed the feeling. “I do! Is that what you want?” she shouted. There was not much noise, but being spun around made it feel more appropriate to shout. 

She was finally put down, and awkwardly moved her head to get hair out of her mouth. “Yes. I want to be with you,” he answered, a large smile on his face. His cheeks flushed, and he continued. “So, are you my girlfriend?” He struggled to look at her, but it was cute to see him act so shy.

“Yes, I would love that,” Lullah answered. She officially had a boyfriend! 

Leo looked her in the eye again, his expression just as flustered. “I have wanted to do this for a while.” Before Lullah could ask what was going on, Leo leaned in, and lips were on hers. She sighed and closed her eyes, softly pressing her lips against his. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Leo pulled away again, but Lullah felt as if everything had slotted into place. She could really get used to this. “Was that okay?” he asked bashfully.

Lullah smiled. “More than okay.” This would be a lot to get used to, but once she got used to it, she doubts she will ever regret her decision to change the nature of her relationship with Leo.

They were broken from their conversation by a knock at the door. “Leo, is Lullah in there with you?” Tina called. “Her dads are worried that she managed to get here on her own.” 

Leo looked at her for a moment before she nodded. It was best her fathers knew where she was, she had completely forgotten that this would worry them. “Yes, she is in here!” Leo called back. He pulled away slightly, and Lullah missed the contact, but Tina soon walked in.

“Your fathers asked if I could send you home, do you think you can make it?” she asked. If she thought anything was going on between the two teens, she didn’t say anything. 

Lullah thought about the snow. She still didn’t really have any idea of how to exactly use the amulet, and it would lead to too many questions. “No, I don’t think I can,” she answered. She frowned. She hadn’t thought that through. Was she just going to be separated from her family for the rest of Winterfest?

Tina noticed her worry, and gave a reassuring smile. “How about I tell your dads that, and we can invite them over for the rest of Winterfest?” she offered.

Lullah thought for a few moments before smiling softly. “Yes, I would like that.” 

Tina nodded. “Okay, I will give them a call.” She then closed the door and left, leaving the teens alone yet again.

Lullah turned to Leo again. “I hope you don’t mind the sudden change of plan.” When both of them woke up that morning, neither would have expected that this is how their day would end. Lullah less so, but that didn’t make it easier for Leo.

Leo shrugged. “It is what it is. Besides, I like your family, and I want to spend Winterfest with you.” It was something Leo would have always said, but the new information she had about his feelings, and their new relationship, made her happier than it typically would have. It just felt like there was something different about the words.

“I would like that too,” she answered. This Winterfest has been a mess so far, but maybe she could have a good ending at the very least.

They left back to where the rest of Leo’s family was, and it wasn’t long until her family arrived. Pepito called over to Lullah when they first arrived, acting as though he had something to say, but as he looked behind her, he said it was nothing. When she looked back at her family, they were lacking the snow that would normally cover them from such a trip in the snow. That was awfully nice of Pepito. It sounded like something the other Pepito would do, and she had to push down the emotions that came with such a thought.

The two families grouped together, and everything felt right. Winterfest was still a time in the year that she wasn’t ever excited for, but perhaps one day she could have a good Winterfest.

Hours later, when it was time to settle into bed, she was going through her stuff, and discretely took off her amulet to place into her bag. As she opened it, she cocked her head as she noticed an amethyst. There was certainly no amethyst in there before. She picked it up to examine it, and found a note underneath.

Hi. You mentioned gems before being a part of winter fest, so I got you one. I hope it means something well.

Lullah smiled, knowing exactly who put it in her bag. He almost got the spelling tight. She placed all her stuff back in her bag, feeling as though she had ended the day well. She had only good hopes for the future of her Winterfests.

Chapter Text

“We’re dating,” Lullah pushed out. She knew her parents were incredibly supportive of anything she did, but she was still scared. She had never dated before, yet she had heard enough stories of parents freaking out at their children dating, especially when they were as young as Lullah was. Leo was beside her, but they kept a rather safe distance between them. It felt better that way.

She watched as her parent’s expression’s twisted, and she feared rejection, but they smiled at her and Leo. “I had a feeling this would happen eventually,” Roier spoke. She felt the fear and anxiety drip away from her bones and mind. 

“You are a little young for this, but we support what’s going on,” Cellbit added. It made sense. “No being in your room alone together without the door open, and we’ll be telling Leo’s household the same, got it?” 

“Got it,” the two teens spoke. Lullah wasn’t quite sure why she would need the door open, but it was a reasonable request. It’s not like she had much to hide while Leo was over, and if they needed secret conversations, the island was large enough to provide.

Roier turned to face Leo. “If you harm my daughter, you will learn what fear truly is,” he spoke darkly. It was hard to see her dad as scary, but as she looked over at Leo, it was clear it wasn’t the case for him.

“Of course,” Leo murmured quickly. Leo may be scared, but this went down a lot better than Lullah had expected. Nothing could happen that could ruin her mood today.

“Yoon Chun Min! You can’t space out during your training!” a voice shouted as a sword struck fast. 

Chun deflected it with ease after being torn from his thoughts. Stanley is getting older, he is only losing strength and agility these days. He had a feeling Stanley purposefully put them in these stuffy rooms during his training to stop him from using the wind to feel where attacks were coming from and put Chun at a disadvantage, but Chun quickly got used to it. “I will be fine, I promise, sir,” he answered. He knows the fighting style of every person in the Federation, he could fight them without breaking a sweat. And they haven’t had a break in since before he started his training.

“You say that, but you will be regretting it once a weapon is in your gut,” Stanley answered. Chun began to be annoyed, but didn’t let it show. When was the last time that was even a risk?

“Okay, I understand, sir,” he answered. He pushed his sword harshly in a diagonal pattern, and Stanley was knocked off guard, falling to the ground. He placed his sword tip to his throat. “Have I completed my training for the day?”

Stanley touched the top of the sword, flat and unharming, and pushed it away. “Yes, but remember you have your duties. You are a security guard, you can’t zone out while doing that.” Stanley was always the type to say he had a role to fulfill. He knew that everyone here had a role to fulfill, but it was as though Stanley thought he specifically needed to be reminded of such things. It was hard to not be upset about it.

“I know Stanley can be a bit much, but do know he is just worried,” his mother, Jiwoo, answered once, when he first spoke of his troubles. “We’ve had this happen before. We let someone in, and then they betray us. We don’t want another Phoebe.” It was as though that was all he was. He was not the child she had adopted with a smile, but a chance to become another Phoebe. Deep down, he believed Phoebe was right. Who would want to stay here if you had nothing to tie you down? Perhaps it was for the best that she and his father had Emily so soon after his adoption. They got their family, and he had something to stay for.

“I know, sir,” he murmured. He had long lost playtime. He wasn’t a child anymore, he was a worker, and he would never get to be a child again. It was his job to survey the halls, protect the rest of the workers, and make sure Emily never got her childhood stolen from her as he did.

“Good. Go on now, I have work to do as well.” Stanley got up and walked away, leaving Chun in the room for a little while longer. He sighed before leaving as well. He couldn’t let him know he didn’t want to do this.

He followed his route. The north-western corner’s halls were surveyed, every right room besides the highest authorised were checked through, and the men’s bathroom was looked through. He entered the final door before he made his way back around and saw that it was far more crowded than it should be. “Excuse me, shouldn’t you be off doing your rounds?” he asked the security guards who were crowding the room. They weren’t the only ones, but he was the only one supposed to be inside this room.

“Nah, we were called here,” Zahir answered for them, his hands shoved unprofessionally into his pockets. “Stein’s got a ton of stuff planned, and it’s all taking place in this room, so she’s asked for extra protection here.” Zahir, while one of the very few Chun could genuinely say he enjoyed the company of, wasn’t someone he would trust with protecting anything. Half the time his music was so loud he couldn’t hear someone shouting in his ears.

“What has she got planned?” And why wasn’t he told about this? He was young, but dedicated to his job. It wasn’t like he could do anything but his job.

Zahir frowned and shrugged his shoulders. “Man, I don’t know, I was just told to be in here. Wouldn’t understand what was going on even if they told me, I’m not a scientist for a reason.” It was good he wasn’t a scientist, he would leave far too many things unattended. It’s a miracle he’s even kept his job this long.

“Who would I ask if I wanted to know?” he asked. He didn’t like being kept in the dark. He wanted to know what exactly was happening so he knew how to keep Emily safe. 

Zahir just shrugged again. “I dunno, I asked a few people and they said nothing. Just relax, probably not a big deal,” he murmured, although his eyes narrowed in the direction of a few scientists, who rolled their eyes at the security guard. ‘Not a big deal’ he says about the project that has got so many people in the room. He felt curiosity and need buzz inside him. He needed to know what was happening, this could put his sister at risk. They had yet to put her at risk, but she had yet to make herself useful. It was good she hadn’t, she was too young to work, but the federation didn’t see her as a child, just someone whose use hasn’t been found yet. He hoped they never found a use for her, but also that they wanted to keep her around.

“I will try to find out,” he murmured, just loud enough for Zahir to hear. “I will cut this out of my schedule, make sure nothing wrong happens,” he answered at a normal volume.

“Yeah, sure, I can do that,” Zahir answered, pulling his hands out of his pockets and putting earbuds in. Let’s hope someone else is paying attention, cause Zahir certainly isn’t.

Chun left the room, did a quick scope of the halls, and quickly went to find Stanley’s office. He would have answers, surely. He hid from eyes that knew he should be elsewhere, and soon found his way to Stanley’s office. He knocked on the door, and waited for a few moments. Nothing. He then tried to open the door. Locked. He frowned. Stanley locked his doors too often. Luckily, he had a plan to get information out of Stanley, even if he refused to speak to him.

He moved over to a wall a little bit away, and stacked a few boxes for him to climb on. He carefully used air magic to twist the screws, letting them fall into his hands before he pulled himself up through the vent. He pushed a gust of wind, causing the boxes to fall over, before closing the vent and crawling to his destination. When he first started training his air magic, it was quite common for Stanley to lock him in the vents where the air flow was best. At the time he was miserable, and he still doesn’t forgive him, but good things came from it, like strong air magic, and knowing exactly how to sneak through the federation through the vents.

Using the air flow to dampen the noises of weight against thin metal, he crawled to the vent cover that would allow him to see directly into Stanley’s office. It was high up, and out of the way, so unless Stanley was looking for him, he wouldn’t be caught. He looked through the slits, and saw Stanley sitting behind his desk. His office was rather pristine, as it always was, with the exception of the absence of his prized chess board. He didn’t have time to wonder where it went, as Stanley was talking to Callum. He didn’t often talk to Callum, but Stanley did, which meant there had to be something to learn from overhearing these two speak. 

“Whatever that amulet is, they are hiding it from us for a reason,” Stanley drawled, expression serious. What amulet? They kept so many things from Chun.

“What would they be hiding?” Callum asked. Callum was allowed to ask questions, he was a higher up. Chun wished he could do the same.

“Whenever Tallulah is seen with it, she is shortly not seen at a later date. And must I remind you of that girl that stole Pomme’s name? She had one that looked rather similar to hers.” Chun knew Tallulah’s name well, but he struggled a bit when it came to Pomme. Was that the girl that had almost caused a lockdown of the Federation when she first arrived? “We keep a careful eye on the islanders. No one should be able to get in or out without our agreement, so how did they seemingly swap?”

“So you believe the amulets can cause these girls to teleport?” Callum asked again. He was rather calm considering just how insane this mess sounded. “The other girl would have said something about our operations if they did teleport, or Tallulah could have.”

Stanley leaned back and sighed. “I did think about teleportation at first. Pomme’s name stealer didn’t have time to learn our operations, and Tallulah is young, she has zero identification that she even exists outside the island, it wouldn’t have been too big a deal that they know of our exploits.” He leaned forward and rested his head in his hands. “It was only when I was talking to Amelia that she suggested it may be something more.”

“What did she believe it could be?” Callum inquired. Chun’s breath was hitched. He also wanted to know, desperately so. Just how much was hiding beneath the surface of the Federation and this island?

Stanley laughed. “You believe I can get anything out of that woman? She is an enigma I can only hope to understand someday. All I know is she wants that amulet, and she will get it. That’s where you come in.” Dammit, he wasn’t going to learn anything.

Callum sighed. “You want me to steal it? She’s thirteen.” Stealing from a child didn’t sound good at all.

Stanley narrowed his eyes at Callum. “You don’t get to your status by being a good person. I know there is something else plaguing your want to serve me. I thought you said you wouldn’t let your prior commitments interfere with your job.” He drawled out prior commitments. Callum always seemed so attached to his job, as though there was nothing tying him down. What kind of commitments would stop him from fulfilling his job?

“I did,” Callum muttered. “And I won’t. I promise this is just about her age.” Callum was trustworthy, but Chun refused to believe that wasn’t a lie. 

Stanley shook his head. “She is also a common enemy of the Federation. I don’t care how you feel, you will go steal the amulet. Bring the bears, and you better return with the amulet with you when you return.” Stanley was upset now, and wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Callum opened his mouth to argue before sighing and answering, his head pointed to the ground. “Of course sir.” Callum moved to leave, and Stanley went back to his work. Chun quickly crawled through the vent again, and got everything fixed before he dropped to the floor. He could go back to work, now knowing it must be something about that amulet, but he wanted to know more. This was dangerous, but he had been complacent enough as of late. 

He moved through the halls, using wind to distract people, and as he hid behind a corner, he heard the familiar clunk of the bears walking over. He hadn’t seen the bears in action, but he had seen them wandering around before. They were creepy, and Chun wished they had never been created. He still remembers the first time Emily had a nightmare about them.

Chun peaked his head around the corner and watched. Callum was between the two, and was talking to a very angry Erin. Callum was calm, if a little sad, but Erin was shouting. “We can’t let anyone out! This is very important!” Callum answered quietly, and Erin tossed her arms up. “Sure! Don’t listen to me! I’m not supposed to keep you cunts safe or anything!” Despite her words of safety, she stormed away. Wasn’t she supposed to be making so no one got in or out?

Callum didn’t care much, as he just went up the stairs. Chun didn’t have time to worry, and this was good for him. He quickly yet silently followed him up the stairs. The black bear ducked through the doorway, and Chun followed.

Chun wished he had time to focus on where he exited to, as he was met with artwork of a beauty he had never seen before. Paintings and statues and pottery filled his sights. It was all so gorgeous, and he was almost tempted to stay here until Callum returned. As he often mourned as but a ten year old, he had a job to do, so he quickly followed after them.

He did his best to stay in the shadows and the bushes, and it was luckily quite easy due to the fact that most people left as soon as they saw the robotic bears. They likely never even saw Chun as he hid. Although perhaps he was a little slow at times. Everything was just so beautiful. How had he gone his whole life without this? Or maybe this beauty was stripped from him. His parents had never mentioned where they had adopted him from, and it hurt to believe he could have been adopted from outside the federation. It was easier to believe he had been adopted from within, he doesn’t think he could handle the idea of this being taken from him even more. Maybe that is why he was almost caught when he kept moving, ready to follow, only to have to hastily stop and hide behind a tree as Callum paused and turned to face the bears.

“Oh, what am I to do?” he lamented. “I do not wish to harm that girl, young and as important to me as she is.” So he did have a connection to her. Chun tried to wrack his brain for information, but he struggled. Lullah’s previous dad was part of the Federation, correct? Was Callum that father? Surely not, he looked a bit too old to have a thirteen year old daughter. Chun at times wonders if the Federation purposely keeps him in the dark about the great break in and things connected to it in order to keep ideas out of his head. Callum breathed a deep sigh, breaking Chun out of his thoughts. “Stay here and don’t move until I say so, I want to see if I can get the amulet without violence.”

“We will move if you take too long,” the white robot stated. The bears did as they wished, believing Stanley and Stein’s words to be absolute. They were likely told in advance to ignore Callum if he became too sentimental. Callum did seem rather out of place in the Federation. He was smart and ruthless, but at the same time, he cared too much. It did not make him a good person, but it did make him a confusing person.

Callum looked as though he wanted to argue, pain stretched across his aging face, but he didn’t get as far as he did by being stupid. “Of course, I won’t be too long.” He turned and began to walk away, and Chun only had a few moments to figure out how to sneak past the bears. He decided to go the long way around, running as sneakily as he could so he could follow Callum. 

It was a while before he followed him more directly. Without the bears, it was less scary following the man, but if he got caught, it would still be dangerous. Callum would tell Stanley, and the Federation would punish him. He didn’t want to think about what they would do if they found out he had been sneaking out. They already saw him as a ticking time bomb of a traitor. 

Luckily, Callum didn’t stare back, or even show a sign of wondering if there was something or someone behind him, so once he reached the edge of a castle, he stopped, and just stared. Chun used this time to slip behind a tree, awaiting his next move. It took a while for a move to be made, and it wasn’t by Callum. He just waited, as though that’s all he could do.

The first move was instead a man storming out of said castle, his face angered. Chun slipped behind the tree a little more. Chun couldn’t see the expression on Callum’s face, but his voice was soft, not matching the anger of the other man. “Cellbit, it’s been so long,” he began. A small noise came from him, perhaps the beginning of a word, but he was quickly shut off by Cellbit.

“For fucks sake dad, did you expect me not to remember you, or do you really think I would be happy to see you?” Cellbit growled, anger never leaving his eyes. Chun’s own eyes widened, and he barely didn’t gasp. If he remembered correctly, Cellbit was Lullah’s dad, which in turn made Callum Lullah’s grandpa if what Cellbit said was true. 

Callum’s shoulders slumped. “I wanted you to remember me,” he answered weakly. “I know I did something wrong, and me just being here now won’t change anything, but please, you need to listen to me-,” he begged before getting cut off again. Cellbit was not having any of his shit.

“I don’t need to do anything. If you can’t even be in my life, instead running off to join some organisation that has done nothing but ruin my family's lives, then you don’t deserve any of my time!” Cellbit shouted, his hands waving wildly.

Callum still tried to defend himself, however weak he sounded while doing so. “The Federation has done well to me, and it can do well to you and the rest of our family, just please-,” Cellbit wouldn’t let him get a word in.

“You are not part of my family. Stop pretending you have any right to be.” Chun had half the mind to leave. He shouldn’t be hearing this. Whatever he thought he would be getting from this experience, this certainly wasn’t it. What had Callum done to deserve so much hate from his own son? The other half of his mind was too intrigued, and he knew he would end up hearing too much and have it weigh on him for quite some time. “Tell me what you want, and then leave.”

Callum hesitated for a few moments before answering. “Your daughter’s amulet, the Federation wants it,” he answered dejectedly.

Chun was surprised that Cellbit's face could get any more angry. “You abandon me, ignore me for years, and the moment you decide to actually come back into my life, you ask for my daughter's jewellery?!” He took a step closer and pulled Callum in by his shirt. “You’ve got nerve, why do you think you deserve my daughter’s gift?” he growled.

Callum was shaking. Chun knew he was strong enough to fight back, but he wasn’t. “I don’t deserve it, but I need it. Your daughter, she has more power in her hands than anyone deserves. We just want to remedy that by taking it off her hands.”

Cellbit looked as though he was about to punch Callum, and Chun was wondering if he should find a way to get out of there, but instead, he just shoved Callum away from him. “Don’t come near my family again, and don’t you dare say my daughter cannot handle the power of that amulet. She will do more good with it than the Federation ever will.”

Callum didn’t let the shove stop him from trying. “Cellbit, please-.”

“You believe the Federation is more trustworthy than your own granddaughter, I will not be hearing you out,” Cellbit replied blankly. He spun around to face his castle again. “Leave me alone.” With those words, he went back into his castle.

It was then several moments of Callum just looking at the castle, unmoving. Chun felt bad for the man. Sure, he had done something wrong, but he didn’t even seem to understand that he couldn’t make it right anymore. After too long, Callum stopped just staring at the castle, and spoke. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” he spoke. Chun held his breath and hid further behind the tree. He couldn’t be talking about him, surely. Right?’ “I know you’ve been following me Chun, I am not an idiot.” Oh dear.

Chun slowly stepped out from behind the tree, and Callum turned to face him. “Again, I am sorry for making you see that, I had foolishly expected him to be more agreeable.” So he did know he couldn’t make it right anymore.

“Your son, he is very upset with you, isn’t he?” Chun asked carefully. He had no idea what would happen to him, but it would be rude, and worse for him, to run. 

Callum sighed. “Yes. And I don’t blame him. Had I been in his position, I would have done the same.” He let a bitter smile cross his lips. “But I am old, and I forget what it is like to be wronged by someone who should love me. I just assumed that being family would be enough. And perhaps it would have been, but I am not family to him. Blood does not equal family to him.” Callum looked straight at Chun now, making him shuffle on his feet awkwardly. “And it is the same to you, isn’t it?”

Chun looked up at him, not knowing how to end the eye contact. “What?”

Callum chuckled. “Your sister. You are adopted, and she isn’t, but you barely think about that, do you?”

Chun frowned slightly. He wanted to get angry at Callum and yell at him for daring to assume Emily is any less his sister just because they don’t share DNA. Instead, he replied, “No, she is my sister even if we aren’t related by blood.”

“And what of your bio family? Would you consider them family as you would Emily?” Callum pushed. Chun began to wonder if he was purposefully leaving out his parents in this equation.

Chun didn’t even know who his bio parents were. The only time he ever really questioned who they were was if they were inside the federation or not. Beyond that, he didn’t care for them. For some reason, they didn’t want him, whether they couldn’t, or simply didn’t want to take care of him. He didn’t need anything more than that knowledge, even if it would eat other people up. They were simply nothing to him, he couldn’t imagine seeing them as family. “No, Emily is my family, no one else.”

Callum hummed in response. “Tell me, what would your bio family have to do for you to recognise them as family?” There was a small ‘a’ sound, before it was quickly shut off, as though he was about to say ‘again’ but decided against it. 

Chun thought, and thought, and finally came to an answer. “First they would have to come back into my life, and then there is nothing they could do. I choose, no one else, and I don’t want them trying to win me back just to be their son again. I want them to care for me as a person before I even think about it.”

Callum’s face fell before he solemnly nodded. “I see, that does make sense.” Callum sighed. “Let’s go get the bears, perhaps we can diverge this mission into saying you got kidnapped and we had to stop to bring you home.”

It wasn’t a very good idea, but it was all they had, so Chun nodded, and he started following Callum again, although this time much closer. It felt wrong to be in his presence while he knew. Callum seemed to want to make sure he didn’t get in trouble, but it was hard to feel like he was actually safe from trouble. Callum didn’t decide if he got punished, Stanley did. He was brought out of his thoughts by a muttered ‘Shit.’

“What’s wrong?” Chun asked.

“The bears,” Callum replied. Chun looked forward, and shit indeed, the bears weren’t there. 

“You took a while getting the blanket, did something happen?” Leo asked as he cleared some sticks from beside the river. Hope was trying to build a small tent-like thing out of them, but she wasn’t very good at stacking them against each other.

Lullah draped the blanket against the ground, making a picnic-like scene. “My dad was really upset for some reason, I wanted to make sure he was okay, but he just said he needed some time to himself. Sorry for getting distracted, I just hate seeing my parents upset.” Cellbit was better at keeping track of his emotions than Roier, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been caught crying a few times.

Hope looked up with a worried look. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything in front of her, it wouldn’t do well to have her worry. Leo rubbed her back in an attempt to make her feel better. “Did he say anything about what made him so upset?”

Lullah shook her head. “No, but he said he would tell me when he is ready.” She wanted to push, wanted to know what made him so upset, but she knew better. He just needed time. She turned to Hope. “He’ll tell you as well, we just have to give him time, okay? If he was in danger, he would have told us. There is nothing to worry about.”

Hope nodded, but it was clear that she wasn’t entirely convinced. Still, they moved on, and had a happy picnic together for a little while. Hope was starting to cheer up, and all felt well. It wasn’t until they began to hear a rustling, followed by a thumping, that they thought something was wrong.

‘What is that?’ Hope signed, hiding behind Leo. Leo twitched, wanting to get up, but not wanting to rid Hope of her hiding spot.

“I don’t know,” Leo muttered, a troubled look on his face. “Lullah, do you have any idea what it is?”

Lullah was reminded of when they first found Hope. It was such a crazed few minutes, but the thumping felt so similar. “The bears,” she replied.

Leo looked at her, confused. “Bears don’t make those sounds,” he answered. Hope however, knew exactly what she was talking about and hid behind Leo further.

“Not real bears,” she added. “Robot bears. The federation had two of them. They were protecting Hope I think, or at least guarding her. That sounds too much like them.” 

“How do we get rid of them?” Leo asked.

“I don’t know,” Lullah muttered. “Fit and my dad dealt with them last time while I got Hope out of there.” They were behemoths, how was she and Leo supposed to fight them? Did they have to fight them?

They spent too long worrying, and soon the two bears were stepping into the clearing they were gathered in. They stopped a few steps ahead of them. “Surrender the amulet, or we will take it by force,” the black one said.

The three children could guess what amulet they were talking about. “I don’t have it on me!” Lullah shouted. Somewhat of a lie. She was not wearing it, but it was tucked securely in her bag. She wasn’t going to give it over.

“You are a liar,” the white one spoke, holding out a paw. “Give it to us, so that the Federation can use it, or we will not be above violence.”

“Don’t do it, we can take them,” Leo spoke from beside her, his voice stern, yet angry. Not at her of course, but rather towards the bears. 

“I won’t, but do you really think we can take them? My dad looked horrible after his own fight with them,” she worried. She didn’t even know if they were defeated, just that the fight was over. 

“Well, do we really have a choice?” Leo asked. He was right, it was either hand it over to them and fail, do nothing and fail, or fight and hope for the best. She nodded. Leo called over to Hope. “Stay back, this could be really dangerous.” There was the noise of rustling grass and they could tell she was at a safe distance, so they striked.

Lullah slid under one’s legs and used shadowy tendrils to snake around it’s limbs, applying a harsh pressure that caused it’s metallic body to creak and groan, but no matter how hard she got it to close in around the limbs, nothing happened beyond noises. Leo went for the other, the black one, and used light magic to slice at its skin, but all that did was cause a screeching sound that quickly faded into the air. The white bear broke out of Lullah’s hold, causing pieces of shadowy material to float through the air, before quickly turning and swiping at Lullah. She was fast, so it wasn’t brutal, but it did still leave a nasty, flowing gash on her arm.

Leo was caught up in her injury, so he didn’t notice the black bear raising it’s arm until it was too late. He moved, but he also wasn’t quick enough. He wasn’t met with claws, and there was no blood, but Lullah could still hear the crunch of bone beneath Leo’s scream.

She ran to his side and pulled him away, careful to not touch his broken arm or add too much movement to her own bleeding arm. “This is bad, this is so bad,” she muttered. This was a horrible idea, they would die, and then they would take the amulet and steal back Hope.

“Stay behind me, and you will be fine,” Leo mumbled. He wasn’t even fine. 

“No,” she stated as she moved in front of him. “I can still fight.” It certainly wasn’t a good idea, but it was all she had.

The white bear stalked up to her, and she could tell he was about to strike again, but with her dominant arm injured and her mind racing, she was struggling to cast magic to stop it. It struck down slightly, before a gust of harsh wind came their way, and sparks appeared from the white bear's arm. Hope. It had to be, even if she had no time to check.

The bear lowered its arm away from Lullah, and she could see the circuitry as it moved its arm. Right. Lullah didn't know much about robots, but she had to imagine it must be hard to armour a joint as well as a part of the body that didn't have constant friction.

“Aim for the joints!” She exclaimed as the black bear tried to finish what the other started. Luckily, she dodged that attack.

Leo took her advice easily, and as the black bear took a step, he sent a blast of fire right at the back of it's knees. The sound of sizzling metal and wiring filled the air, and they were left to watch how the bear struggled to bend it's knee.

Lullah got prepared while Leo aimed for the other joints on the black bear. She aimed for the white bear's leg, and slowly, they exposed more and more circuits.

“When will they drop?” Leo shouted, doing his best to fight with one arm.

Lullah eyed the river. “Soon,” she announced. “If we want to attack the whole body, we have to do it from the inside, which means we have to get them in the river.” Leo’s eyes lit up at the idea of destroying these automatons, and they could feel the wind around them begin to push in the direction of the river. Hope was proving far more useful in this than they had thought. She was too young to be getting into fights, Lullah was as well if she was being honest, but the life they lived required it.

The bears kept swiping and trying to hit them, but with so much circuitry exposed, they were slow. Using shadow magic, they pushed them closer and closer to the edge, and finally, with a well placed eruption of magma, they fell in. The sounds of circuits being smothered by water from all sides and grainy, robotic voices disappearing into a slow groan was something that would surely live on in Lullah’s head for weeks.

“That was a lot,” Leo muttered as he stood beside Lullah. “You said you’ve seen these things before?” he asked.

“Yes, when we found Hope. I didn’t fight them, only my dad did, but he came back looking horrible. I don’t think he had as easy a time as we did.” Although it was hard to call what they had easy.

Her arm was gushing blood still, and if she didn’t get home soon they would have to find someone with the same blood type as her for a transfusion, which sucked because the idea of having someone else’s blood running through her veins that she didn’t choose went against everything she has learned to stand for these past few years. Leo wasn’t any better, and would certainly need an arm wrap until his bones fixed themselves. The only reason they got out as good as they did was because of Hope.

She turned to face Hope, who was looking at the robots in fear a few steps back. “You hit them in their joints on purpose, didn’t you?” she asked softly as to not upset her further. Hope nodded. “How did you know to do that?”

Hope walked over to where her notebook was left. She scribbled for a few moments before turning it back around. ‘The scientists thought I was stupid, they said so much in my room.’ Hope may not be strong, but she clung to information in a desperate pursuit of knowledge.

Lullah smiled and walked over to her, using her uninjured arm to pet her head. “You are very smart, thank you.” The way Hope grinned at her words was too adorable. “I’ll tell our dads you did well, but how about we pick up this picnic another day? I don’t think we can stay out much longer.”

Hope frowned but still nodded, and they made their way back home as quickly as they could.

Chun and Callum walked down the stairs, expecting to be immediately faced with Erin and have to spin a lie, but she was nowhere to be found. “The security here gets worse every year, first they act like Erin is good at her job and then they hire children,” Callum scoffed. “As good as you are, you should not be working until you are much older.” Doesn’t he know it. 

Before Chun could open his mouth to agree, Erin rounded the corner. As she set her eyes on the two, she looked rather embarrassed. “Chun, you took my shift,” she forced out.

“Yes,” Chun spoke hastily. If he could convince her that he took her shift, she wouldn’t have to know he left at all. “I was just meeting Callum.”

Erin glared at him. “I didn’t ask you to do that, I was going to come back.” How ungrateful. “Take your break and tell no one about this,” she demanded. She looked towards Callum and noticed the bears were not with him. “It seems we have something to talk about.”

Chun looked at Callum, waiting for him to ask for him to stay, but Callum waved him away. “Spend some time with your sister, I can continue my report to her.” Chun nodded. He did not know what Callum would say, but he hoped he would save his hide.

He took his break and weaved through the hallways until he found the rooming unit he called home. He opened the door and was met with his mother, who looked his way with a fond smile. “Chun Min,” she acknowledged before she went back to typing away at her laptop. He nodded, although she could not see, and placed his sword next to the door, taking off his shoes and placing them with the rest. He moved to the kitchen and pulled out some sandwich materials to make himself a snack before he found Emily. Perhaps he could make her one too. He was not a good cook, as his parents were more interested in turning him into a soldier than any useful life skills, but he could make a half decent sandwich.

“There is a lot going on in the Federation,” he mentioned as he started assembling a sandwich. 

“There is,” his mother responded, not looking up.

“They aren’t telling me anything, so I believe they are scared. It’s annoying they treat me like a monster but still put their trust in me protecting them,” he continued.

“You are doing a good job at work,” she answered, reading over what she wrote and barely paying attention to what he said. 

“I think there is something up, I just don’t know what. I will figure it out, if they can’t trust me with information, why trust me with their safety? I think they know I will not agree,” he rambled as he finished the second sandwich.

“That’s good sweetie, my brave little boy.” It was very clear she did not care for what he was saying. Chun put the two sandwiches on plates and put away the ingredients. He took both plates in hand before moving towards Emily’s room. He was stopped by his mother. “Chun Min, come here for a second.” 

He turned around and walked over to her, putting the two plates on the coffee table where she worked. She leaned over and held his face in her hand gently. She smiled down at him with more love than any other action of hers ever held. “You are my baby boy, and I love you. I know life is hard, but remember, the higher powers give the hardest battles to their toughest soldiers, and you will rise above everyone else.”

He nodded. Once, he believes there were days where he was more than her darling little soldier, but those days disappeared far too soon for a child. She let him go and went back to her laptop. He picked up the two plates and started going towards Emily’s room again.

He knocked on her door using his foot, and the door opened to reveal his smiling sister. “Chun!” she declared, moving to allow him inside. Her room looked like a child’s, unlike his own. Light colours and childish decorations littered the room. He wishes he could have such a room. “Is that mine?” she asked as she pointed to a sandwich.

Chun nodded. “Yeah, sorry if it isn’t very good, I don’t really know what I should be doing when making food.” He passed the sandwich to her, and she began eating. He sat down in one of her bean bags and began pulling off his crusts before eating the remains.

“Thank you, I love it when you make me food. Daddy says I need to learn how to make my own already,” she praised. Despite her words, she held a large smile on her face.

“You’re seven, don’t listen to him,” he warned. “These people don’t see us as anything besides our use. Cling to being a child for as long as you can, or they will force you to become an adult before you reach double digits.” It had happened to him, and if he had it his way, Emily would get what she deserves and wouldn’t become an adult before she reached eighteen.

Emily nodded. It was scary at times how easily she soaked up people’s words. Chun wanted to pretend that it was just because it was him, but Emily was far too trusting of the world, as a child should be.

“How was work,” she asked.

“It was fine,” he answered. “You know how Stanley is, never tells me anything, expects everything. Big things are happening, but we have to wait a little longer to learn what it is.” It was exhausting, but what else could he do?

“I hope it’s a party,” she decided innocently. Emily was always so sweet and innocent. It was such a shame she lived a life where she would be punished for such behaviour, as if it weren’t simply who kids were. His mother always went on about how many luxuries they got for working in the Federation, but Chun knew childhood was not one of those luxuries.

“A party would be nice,” he agreed. “But I don’t think it’s a party. The scientists are doing a lot.” He wasn’t sure what they were doing, as they do not have the amulet, but they were still being overworked.

“Science party,” Emily murmured to herself, a smile on her face. This was the girl he worked so hard to protect. She truly was the sunlight in the prison that was the Federation.

Chun opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by the sound of clunking metal. Emily frowned at the door. “Stay here, I will check it out.” That specific sound of metal was known to many of the occupants, but it didn’t sound nearly as heavy as it should. Chun left the room, and didn’t have to go far before he saw Walter Bob standing there with a leg of one of the bears at his side.

“Your son may have to take more shifts, with the bears out of commission for a while, we need more safety,” he spoke, a frown on his face. Chun couldn’t help but mimic it. He didn’t want more shifts, he already had to work every day. He didn’t have enough free time.

His mother just smiled. “Oh, don’t you worry at all. You know my son, so strong and protective. He will defend us every day, all day if he had to. He would be happy to have those extra shifts.” Chun had no idea where that idea of him came from.

“How long will the bears be out of commission?” Chun asked as he joined the conversation at their sides.

Walter Bob shrugged. “No idea. Too complicated for someone like me to know all the workings, but once they’ve started I’m sure they will keep us up to date.”

His mother waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, they can take as long as they need. We are a machine, we can’t rush anyone and we need to pick up slack sometimes when things go wrong.” Had Chun not been ten, perhaps he could have called out how her metaphor made no sense, but he didn’t know how machines worked.

“I’m sure they will be as speedy as they can regardless, they don’t want their pay docked after all,” Walter Bob answered.

Chun wouldn’t really know what that is like. He has no access to the money he makes, or even access to the knowledge of if he was being paid or not. There may be something set up so he gets his money when he is eighteen, but knowing the Federation, likely not. 

“Well, I ought to be off now,” Walter Bob stated, picking the leg back up. “I will see you soon.” He put his shoes back on, and then left, and his mother picked up her laptop and went to her and his father’s room, leaving him alone.

His eyes glanced back at Emily’s room. He should go back like a good brother, but he couldn’t deny that he wanted to see more of the robots. He had no idea why they were even in that state. He glanced at the front door again, and with a heavy heart, put on his shoes and left in pursuit.

He was doing a lot of following today, and it was good that he was good at it. He followed Walter Bob all the way to Apollo’s lab, and pressed his ear against the wall so he could hear their conversation.

“Thanks,” Apollo spoke in a muffled voice. He had always known Apollo to use that mask of his to help with his breathing, but apparently he had not always used it. Something to do with an icicle. How does one injure himself with an icicle? Wouldn’t it melt?

“You should try to fix it quickly, Stein is already upset at how long everything is taking,” Walter Bob replied.

Apollo grumbled. “I’ll do it however fast I want. I am the professional here, you don’t get to tell me anything.” He glared at Walter Bob. “And I hope you remember how to thank me after this, considering you use Stein’s name so lightly, as if she isn’t better than you.”

Walter Bob sighed. “I’m sorry, for everything, I won’t rush you. I know everything’s been a bit much since Phoebe left-,” he started.

“Don’t you dare say her name!” Apollo shouted. “That bitch is long gone, and she deserves to be gone! She did nothing but ruin my life!” It was scary to hear Apollo shout. He was not big, or strong, but he carried himself like someone who knew he could kill, and that was enough.

“Girly knew what she was doing when she betrayed us,” a new voice, Erin, started. Did Erin ever do her job these days? “She’ll be dead in a ditch eventually, we just have to wait.”

“Yes,” Walter Bob replied sadly. “I should get going, don’t let me get in your way.” There were footsteps and Chun quickly backed behind a corner. He watched Walter Bob walk away, and he went back and pressed his ear up against the wall again.

“Can’t ever get enough betrayal, can we?” Erin asked. “First it was Pheebs, then the little ranga, and then we’ll probably get that adoptive kid.” Him. Of course it was him. It was always him. He was never Chun, just whoever he needed to be to fulfill their narrative.

Apollo scoffed. “Has Stein even seen that she’s abandoned her? I don’t think she’s mentioned her once in weeks.”

Erin laughed loudly. “Yeah nah, totally not,” she answered. “She’s smart, not observant.” Chun could argue, but he liked having her be insulted. 

“It’s always the little sister’s, isn’t it?” Apollo asked. “First mine, then Stein’s. Hey, maybe we were all wrong about Chun, maybe it's his little sister that we have to worry about.” Dread dropped into the middle of his stomach. He could handle the comments about him, as hurtful as they were, if he had a chance out, he would take it immediately (As long as he could take Emily with him), but leave Emily out of this. She deserved to get out of this, but she was not a traitor, she was a child. They had stolen that from Chun, but they could not steal it from her. Not for as long as he lived.

Chun risked opening the door slightly, just to see how they were acting. They were rather laidback, Apollo checking just how much material is salvageable. The Federation was far too used to accusations. “Nah Poz, it’d be both of them. You know how that little shit is, he’s poisoning the other little ranga with his ideas. She is sweet, she would need to be corrupted like Pheebs.”

Anger continued to bubble up inside of Chun. How dare they say that about Emily! He was just warning her, he was nor corrupting her! If he did not give his warnings, they would be the ones corrupting her. Chun, as angry as he was and also young, made a horrible mistake of trying to lean in further to hear better, completely forgetting that the door was somewhat open. Due to this, his weight leaned on the door, and he soon found himself on the floor with Erin and Apollo staring right at him.

“Oh, you little shit!” Erin growled. “You were spying on us!” Chun was not afraid of most things, it had been trained out of him young. Erin was not on that list. She was a towering amalgamation of strength, anger, and cruelty. The way she walked around like nothing more than a schoolyard bully only staved off how terrifying she was until you got on her bad side once.

“No, I-,” he tried to argue, but Erin stormed forward and held him up by the shirt, cutting off some oxygen and making it hard to speak.

“You’re a useless little brat aren’t you? Mummy not giving you enough attention? That why you feel the need to stalk your betters?” Erin mocked, her face truly evil. He had made a dire mistake. He should have just stayed with Emily. Tears welled in his eyes as he regretted the decisions that led him to this moment.

“Chun? Why has Erin got a hold of you?” he heard from behind him. He was promptly dropped to the floor, where he picked himself up and turned around to see Walter Bob staring at him.

“Hey!” Apollo shouted. “Didn’t you just leave?” Why was Walter Bob back?

Walter Bob joined Chun’s side. “I am so sorry, I had forgotten I had asked Chun to meet me here, he must have thought I was still inside.”

Chun had no idea what Walter Bob was talking about, why he was defending him, or how he even knew he needed defending, but as he did multiple times today, he decided to just go with it. Chun bowed in apology. “I am sorry, I should have just knocked and asked rather than trying to see for myself.”

Erin went silent, scrutinising him, but Apollo answered in her place. “Control him better, he should know better than to scurry around where he’s not wanted.” Chun looked up now that he was done apologising. Erin was clearly not happy at being interrupted, but she said nothing. That would be for later.

Walter Bob placed a hand on Chun’s shoulder. “I will, I am so sorry.” He looked down at Chun. “Come on, we’ve got places to be.” 

Chun nodded, and the two left Apollo’s lab. Walter Bob kept his hand on Chun’s shoulder, making everything continue to look very professional and planned long after they left the area. It was only once Walter Bob had led Chun into his own office that he let go. Walter Bob sighed. “I am against the Federation hiring children for so many reasons, most being legal and moral issues, but one thing I will never understand even if I had been fine with it is why they would even want to hire children. You kids are curious and mischievous to the point where being in a work environment only makes things worse.”

Chun frowned and looked at the floor. “I’m sorry.” He liked Walter Bob, and he didn’t want to make him upset for ruining things.

Walter Bob made a noise above him. “No, that’s not what I meant. You are doing nothing wrong, it’s good that you have this curiosity and that they haven’t trained it out of you.”

Chun looked up at Walter Bob’s worried face. “Really?” He himself already knew that he was curious and mischievous like a child, and he wasn’t worried about it usually, but something about hearing someone say for the first time that this is how he should be made it so hard to grasp. He was so ready to expect that everyone around him would simply see him as an annoyance or a mess for being childish. To Walter Bob, he wasn’t childish, just a child.

Walter Bob nodded. “Yes.” He sighed. “I just wish the rest of my coworkers understood that it’s healthy to be curious, and to make life a little difficult along the way. Thought we would get more understanding with so many parents, but they have been blinded by the Federation.”

Walter Bob, while one of the very few that Chun truly respected, was a man he knew naught about. Maybe this was the time to ask a question. “Are you a parent?” It would have made sense.

Walter Bob smiled. “Yes, but that’s not where my understanding of children comes from. I adopted her a bit later in life.” He tilted his head. “Well, she’s where it came from a little. She grew up in the Federation, and while I was not her legal guardian for most of her time here, those kids weren’t growing up with the love they needed, so every day after work, I would read them stories, play with them, just give them someone to talk to as they got older. That’s where I learned that kids are annoying, loud, and curious, and that they have every right to be.”

Despite how he talked of kids, it really was coming from a place of understanding. He decided to push further. “Where did those kids come from?” 

Walter Bob still smiled, but his eyes were sad. “Sorry Kid, can’t tell you that. Made us sign an NDA years ago.” Chun pouted. He didn’t know what an NDA was, but it sounded complicated and important. “If you’re curious, I can at least say that you were adopted through completely legal means.” Walter Bob knew a lot, even what Chun was thinking without saying.

Chun nodded and hummed. He did not care for his birth family, as there was no point. They had given him up for some reason, and he didn’t remember them. But there was always part of him that wondered if he had been taken rather than given up. He knew the Federation’s games. But he trusted Walter Bob, and that meant he could finally put those thoughts behind him. “Where is your daughter?”

Walter Bob beamed at getting to talk about his daughter. “She is visiting soon, you should meet her. She lives outside the Federation, as that is what was planned from when they were kids, but she pops by on occasion. She’s got a kid of her own now, although I’ve only met him once. She has shared custody over him and I barely get to see her to begin with. Plus his stepdad would kill us if he knew we were interacting with his stepkid.”

Chun had only asked a single question, but Walter Bob had just kept talking. Chun smiled. He wished his parents talked about him like that, but all that really mattered to them was that he was security. Walter Bob was getting older, and it was hard to have time with him, but if there had been someone like him, that loved him even if he was not their son, and Emily too, would he have been happier?

There was a knock on the door, and Walter Bob’s smile only grew. “That’s my daughter,” he spoke quietly before getting louder. “Come in.”

The door opened and a woman walked in with dyed blue hair, almost the same colour as her tired eyes. Walter Bob and her looked different, but had so many similarities that had Walter Bob said she was his biological daughter Chun wouldn’t have questioned it. They both had tired eyes and smiles that stretched in certain ways, and the way they stood was definitely impacted by each other. 

She looked down at Chun. Her movements were slow like Walter Bob’s, tired, but her tiredness didn’t seem to come from age and work, but rather something that seeped into her very being. “Hello, I don’t think I’ve seen you before. I am Jaiden.” Chun had heard the name before, but couldn’t quite link it to anything.

“I’m Chun Min. Yoon Chun Min, but most people call me Chun.” His mother had started it. She had said the name Chun Min’s meaning could be roughly translated to ‘Justice of the people’, but that Chun could just mean ‘Justice’, and that was all he had to worry about.

Jaiden smiled a tired smile. “That’s a lovely name.” She turned to Walter Bob. “Sorry for dropping in without much warning today.”

Walter Bob waved his hands dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I would drop anything if you decided to show up without a moment’s notice. Your presence is most important to me.”

Jaiden nodded. “I won’t be able to stay long sadly,” she spoke, causing Walter Bob’s expression to fall. “I have to tell the higher ups that I accepted their deal.” Deal?

He turned to face Walter Bob in hopes he would supply more, but he simply looked horrified. “You can’t accept their deal!” he shouted. It wasn’t an angry shout, as Walter Bob was never angry, but worry seeped into his words. They weren’t effective on Jaiden, as she just looked at him sadly.

“I know you don’t want me to. I don’t want to either, but parents have to make sacrifices for their children. You taught me that,” she explained calmly. Chun realised he should not be here. 

“This is not what I meant when I said sacrifices!” Walter Bob pleaded. The way he had talked about Jaiden, Chun couldn’t imagine that whatever this argument was about made him very happy at all.

“I am a grown woman,” Jaiden argued. “I don’t need you telling me what to do.” Chun didn’t listen to his parents, but he personally thought that Walter Bob was in the right here. Probably because Walter Bob usually gave good advice and he had never met this woman before.

“I know you don’t, but I am really trying to help you here,” Walter Bob continued. His eyes glanced down at Chun a few times rapidly, as though he had forgotten Chun was here. “I am not letting you go and do this, I will convince you that this won’t end the way you want, but Chun here should go home, we’ve caused him enough trouble.”

“It was lovely meeting you,” he spoke. Less lovely to watch an argument, but he was taught to be polite and keep his thoughts a secret.

“Same for you,” she replied with an even more tired look.

Chun left, and the argument started up almost immediately. He sighed. Would life ever be easy? Was he not just taken into an unfair life, but born into one as well? He dragged his feet as he went back home. He could call in sick for after his break, he just wanted to spend time with Emily.

“I knew Jaiden would see that we were the correct way eventually,” Stanley answered after Jaiden left. She had been crying, likely from the argument with her father, but tears weren’t a deterrent for them.

Stein chuckled. “I doubt she does, we just offer something she wants. There is no use in pretending she would have joined in a better time,” Stein answered. Difficult Stanley, always trying to be right.

“Amelia, some of us like to believe we are better than we actually are,” Stanley responded. Stein couldn’t imagine wanting to be better, or caring if you are good. It sounds exhausting. Why be good when you can simply do what’s best?

“I am not one of those people, I will simply say things how they are.” It was better that way. 

Stanley sighed. “You always do, and I must simply accept that.”

The two walked in silence for a few minutes, until they reached the lowest floor of the Federation. Stanley swiped his card, opening the door for Stein. She stepped inside without thanks. The two continued down the long hallway until they reached a room at the end.

“If Callum can’t give us what we want, and with the bears out of commission, I think it is finally time we use her,” Stein murmured, her grin growing. She opened the door, allowing a blue glow to call to them. In the middle of the room was a figure with electronic tubes sticking into her. “I think Stella would like to see the world now.”

Chapter Text

Hi there any readers this story still have! We never properly meet before but I am Miika, one of the co creators of Tales of Quesadilla and the mind before many of the early ideas of the story and many that would still come!

Unfortunely these ideas may not come to fruition since this will be the last "chapter" of ToQ, as some of you may have noticed the chapter frequency became slower and slower as time went on and that was because the other co creator of this story and the main writer who asked to remain anonymous and I started following different paths of how we wanted the next chapters to go until eventually agreeing to go our separate ways and leaving this project entirely on my hands.

Now, I didn't told you readers all this for no reason, I decided to be open with the people who been loyal to this project this entire time and deserve to know why it is suddently coming to an stop like this, from the bottom of my heart thank you all for giving me the strenght to continue something that is truly special to me, all of you readers are the true stars of any story <33333

Now, as much I would have loved to finish this amazing tale, it brings me too many bittersweet memories that I don't want to blend in on your experience reading it, so I will be starting anew for any fans still wanting to know the true mysteries hidden deep within this magical island, however I will warn my dear readers that unlike my former partner I am an yet an novice writer who will be needing all the help I can get throught the comments to become the amazing writer both this project and the loyal fans deserve, okay?

Well, that's it, I will be leaving commments open to anyone wanting to leave final considerations here and hopefully see you all on Whispers of Chaos <333

Ad Astra!