G&R CH 53

Chapter 53

 

 

         “Andrew.” Bates walked up, reaching out to shake his hand again. “Your service these last few days to the Sunshine League is greater than you know. However, your job here is done. There’s just one piece of business before you may leave.”

 

         Andrew nodded. “What can I do for you Sir?”

 

         “Nothing.” Bates stepped aside to let Lanisha walk up.

 

         “Sir.” Lanisha threw Andrew a salute. “Thank you for saving my life. Without you, the traitor may have never been uncovered, and my Ma- Lieutenant Frank’s fate may never have been uncovered.” She lowered her gaze. “I owe you my life.”

 

         “I just wish I had been here earlier.” Andrew replied gently. “Nathan seemed like a good man, what little I saw of him.”

 

         Lanisha nodded. “He was, Sir.”

 

         “You’re free to go, Ranger.” Bates clasped his hands behind his back. “I think I should tell you that considering the events of today, those who fought back against the traitor’s actions may just be hailed as heroes.”

 

         “Thank you, Sir.” Andrew turned to Lyn. “Let’s head back to camp.”

 

         Lyn nodded, taking hold of him and the others and teleporting. As she appeared outside the cave she stumbled. “No more.”

 

         Andrew watched Lucina pop into view next to them. “Go get some rest. All of you.” He rolled his neck. “If they never want us to come back to that damn city it’ll be too soon.”

 

         Gale chuckled. “We never had to stick our noses in that business.”

 

         “Yea, let me regret things in peace.” Andrew grumbled. “I’ve got a day with Yang to get back to. Please don’t bother me unless there’s an emergency.”

 

         Gale smiled. “I won’t. Have a good day.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

         Andrew sighed when he saw the door open and who walked inside. “Is this a celestial thing?”

 

         Belldandy stared at him with undisguised interest. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

 

         Andrew returned to his hanging crunches as Melody also walked in. “You maintain appearances so you can’t lust over me publicly. Instead, celestials come and find me when I’m least clothed in a normal way.”

 

         Belldandy reddened. “That’s... not true.”

 

         “No?” Andrew grinned at her between reps. “Then stop staring. My eyes are up here.”

 

         Belldandy giggled. “No, I’ve made my choice.”

 

         “Figured you had.” Andrew finished his set and reached up to unhook the leg straps keeping him attached to the pull-up bar. “And good afternoon to you as well, Melody.”

 

         Melody bowed slightly. Ever since she had accepted the Alpha position he had seen the same change in her that Kuu had gone through. It made him feel a lot better that it seemed to be a side effect of the queen breeds gaining their ‘courts’ and wasn’t because of anything he had done to Kuu when they brought Telpëlass to life.

 

         It also had made her seem a lot more confident in her actions and more open with her assistance. He knew that part of her had always been there, only now it was focused on the entire harem and not just Ann. “Belldandy wanted to meet with you.” Melody smiled at the Megami. “She’s already told me what she wants to ask you and I have no problems with it, so I don’t see a need to be a part of your meeting.”

 

         Andrew nodded. “Already run this by Cristina?”

 

         Melody’s smile widened. “As of yesterday that’s no longer necessary.”

 

         Andrew chuckled, letting her snuggle up to him. “Attagirl. You still should run whatever this is by your Beta though.”

 

         “I will.” She kissed his neck. “Eventually. Right now this is something between you and her.”

 

         Belldandy hesitantly joined her when Andrew raised an arm. “I didn’t think I should-“

 

         “I’m not shy to my women touching me when they need to.” Andrew murmured. “I don’t intend on taking my pants off here, but I saw you watching her. I enjoy a nice cuddle as much as hard sex.”

 

         Belldandy dimpled, resting her face against his chest. “I haven’t had a chance to have a normal moment with you since that day. I had to return to my duties and you feel so far away...”

 

         Melody slipped out of his arms and blew him a kiss as she left. “Have fun.”

 

         Andrew gently stroked Belldandy’s hair. “It’s kind of hard for me to have normal moments with you when you’re not even here.”

 

         Belldandy let out a long sigh. “I know. I can’t just leave the Alliance for my own selfish reasons but at the same time I want to be with you so desperately.” She shook her head. “I know much of this feeling comes from the bond. I’ve felt how it pushes me back towards you.” She leaned back so she could look into his eyes. “But it’s not the only thing doing that.”

 

         “Is that why you’re here?”

 

         Belldandy looked down. “Yes. I don’t want to live apart from you any longer.”

 

         “What about your sisters?”

 

         “Urd feels the same.” Belldandy glanced back up at him. “And I believe Skuld does too, she just hasn’t admitted as much to herself yet. We thought we should continue as we were, and you would be there when we needed you.” She sighed. “We - I - failed to give you the same respect you give us, and for that I am sorry.”

 

         Andrew smiled. “My feelings aren’t hurt, Bell. I expected our relationship to be a bit strange until we figured these things out. So, you want to move in here? What are your plans for the Alliance?”

 

         “We will figure them out.” Belldandy replied firmly. “They are my family too. The family I built. I will not leave them for any reason.”

 

         “I never expected you to.”

 

         Belldandy hesitantly reached up, sighing happily when he kissed her. “Thank you.”

 

         “We’ve already got a few rooms ready.” Andrew explained. “All of you have been welcome here ever since I tamed you.”

 

         Belldandy kissed him again. “We’re coming home.”

 

         “That’s right.” Andrew kissed her one last time before pulling away. “Ask Lyn once you’re ready. She’s in charge of all that.”

 

         “I will.” Belldandy’s smile bloomed when he took her hand. “Where are we going?”

 

         “I need to take a shower.” Andrew replied casually. “Thought you might have more to talk about while I do.”

 

         Belldandy pretended to think. “There might be a few things.”

 

         “I can handle that.”

 

         Belldandy followed him into his bedroom. “Do you have conversations in the shower very often?”

 

         Andrew chuckled. “You think I’m joking about this and it’s all just a euphemism for sex, don’t you?” He laughed when she blushed. “There usually is some of that, but yes, I do have conversations in the shower pretty often. It’s a truly private place if someone wants to speak to me. What happens after the conversation is just a bonus.”

 

         Belldandy watched him strip. “You’re serious.”

 

         “Of course I am.”

 

         She began taking her own clothes off. “Do I wait until we’re in there?”

 

         Andrew shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter.”

 

         “Then I’ll start.” Belldandy took a deep breath. “I want you to know why I created the Alliance. I wanted to fix the world, to heal the scars the war left on us all. I had no interest in creating new ones.”

 

         “Okay.”

 

         “The...” Belldandy slowly evened her breathing. “The ones who wanted the Alliance to be something different, they were not like me. Not like who I was, at least.”

 

         Andrew finished stripping and walked to the bathroom door. “Why don’t you say their names?”

 

         Belldandy winced. “I still don’t want to link them to what they did. I want to remember them as they were.”

 

         “That’s not healthy.”

 

         Belldandy remained silent for a few moments. “Regardless, it is what I choose to do.”

 

         “Alright.” Andrew motioned. “Continue.”

 

         “I was a soldier. A killer. I created the Alliance because I didn’t want to be that anymore.” Belldandy followed him into the bathroom. “But they showed me I couldn’t run from what we had done. Our war... our war is still going. It may never stop. I have had to become what I used to be and I hate it, hate myself with every breath.”

 

         Andrew flipped on the water, holding his hand in the stream until it warmed. “You should really get to know Camiel. She lives with these same things.”

 

         “I saw that, when I met her.” Belldandy looked away. “But I am afraid of her. I don’t know who wouldn’t be once they learned who she is.”

 

         “I still think you should give her a chance.” Andrew looked at the back of her head. “I know you’re afraid. I would be too, if I had fought a war hearing stories about someone like her. But here’s a secret. So is she.” He nodded when Belldandy looked at him in surprise. “She’s afraid that all she is is the executioner. She had given up when I found her. But she has found ways to work towards who she wants to be instead of what she was made to be, and I think you can too.”

 

         Belldandy nodded slightly. “I’ll consider it.”

 

         “I think you can help each other. Even if you can’t, we all will, as a family. Together.” Andrew turned away and stepped into the shower. “Anything else?”

 

         He smiled when he felt her press up against his back and her lips brush against his ear. “No. Right now, I need your help more than anything.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

         Kuu slowly walked through her trees, her fingers tapping light notes through the air whenever they encountered a tree. Her family wanted a home. A real one. The idea had been given and enthusiastically accepted by every pokegirl in Andrew’s family, and so now she searched for a place that felt right.

 

         She was a few hundred yards from the memorial clearing when she slowed. The ground here was gradually sloping up, working its way to a flat grade as she walked. Another few hundred yards and she stopped, casting around to the trees that lived here. Yes, this place was flat, but not large. Only a few thousand square feet of stable land. Nowhere near what they needed.

 

         But perhaps it was enough for a start. Kuu turned, walking towards where she felt the trees telling her of the slope returning. Once she had she gazed down at the small dip and smiled. It would not be a normal floor plan, but then again, when were any of them normal.

 

         It was a good place. About halfway between their current home’s entrance and the memorial clearing, it sat lower than some of the geography but high enough to have a view. She would need to find a way to hide it from aerial discovery, but she could find a way. She would find a way.

 

         It was nearby her own seat of power as well, a place nobody in her family had ever seen. Not too close, but close enough that she would be much more able to govern while being with him. With all of them, and eventually, with her children.

 

         The trees around her began to twist and move as she told them of her plans and she grabbed hold of a branch when the old tree it was attached to surged up, carrying her above the shifting earth. Yes. This place would work. As his future wife, she would make sure of it. And as his Queen, she would make sure it was the grandest castle he would ever see.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

         Andrew glanced at Lyn. “You too?”

 

         Lyn looked around at the small crowd gathered outside the caves. “Do you have any idea what she wants?”

 

         “She just asked me to meet her out here.”

 

         “Me too.” Lyn ran her eye over the group. “I’m trying to figure out what Kuu wants with all of us specifically.”

 

         “You, me, Cristina, Fu, Constance, Gale, Ishara, and... Nova?” Andrew blinked when he saw another set of wings. “Oh, and Camiel is here, too. I can’t think of what we all have in common.”

 

         “I was going to say the command staff, but that wouldn’t include Fu and Constance and the rest, plus Melody is missing. It’s not isolated to only the combat harem, since Ishara and Camiel are here.” Lyn’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t get it.”

 

         “Hopefully she’ll explain when she gets here.”

 

         “I kind of want to figure it out first.” Lyn muttered. “It’s like a challenge, like she’s testing me...”

 

         Andrew smiled when she trailed off.

 

         “Andrew?”

 

         Andrew turned, his eyes widening. “Rein? You too?”

 

         The Myobu stared at the group in confusion. “Kuu said she wanted to show me something.”

 

         “Rein too?” Lyn dragged herself out of her thoughts to stare at the Myobu. “There goes that theory.”

 

         “The one thing we all have in common is that Kuu didn’t tell us why she wanted us here.” Andrew explained to Rein. “We still can’t figure it out.”

 

         “Everyone!” Heads turned at the call, Kuu appearing from the trees. “Thank you all for coming today.”

 

         “What’s this about?” Constance yelled. “I got things to do today!”

 

         “This is something that is very important.” Kuu soothed. “I would not ask for your time if it wasn’t, Constance.”

 

         Constance grumbled.

 

         “All of you may remember when I and Lyn began asking the harem for feedback on our plan to build a more traditional home for our family.” Kuu looked around. “Some of you may remember how I returned and asked some more, very specific questions. Today is because of those questions. Because each of us have a certain answer.”

 

         “Oh.” Lyn began to laugh. “Is that so.”

 

         Kuu grinned when similar looks of understanding began to spread. “Andrew, have you guessed yet?”

 

         Andrew looked around. “I don’t think I was asked these questions you’re talking about.”

 

         “True, I didn’t ask you.” Kuu’s eyes danced. “Each of us here have said we wish to marry you and possibly have children in the very near future.”

 

         Andrew gulped. “Uh oh.”

 

         “More than you expected?” Kuu giggled. “This group is made up of your now and future wives. Yes, we will likely grow this group eventually, but for today it is us. What I have to show us today will be shaped first by you and your wives, because we will be working the hardest to achieve a place for our children.”

 

         “What have you done?”

 

         Kuu clapped excitedly. “I will show you, if you will follow me?”

 

         Andrew began shaking his head when they went into motion. “Nova? Ishara?”

 

         Lyn looked at him in surprise. “You didn’t pick up on that? Nova has been following you around for a while now.”

 

         “I’m not dense. I knew she was curious but didn’t expect her to be actually considering it.”

 

         “Well she has.” Lyn replied. “And Ishara has always been watching you.”

 

         “That one I admit I didn’t pick up on.” Andrew confessed. “Sure, she’s always hung around and insinuated that I’m important, but I always thought that was because of her military service.”

 

         “Hey, was this path always here?” Lyn looked around as the trees began to fit together, their branches almost touching to form a tunnel of brown and green. “This isn’t the way to the garden.”

 

         Gale picked up on her words and repeated the question to the people next to her, the buzz spreading down the line.

 

         “No, it wasn’t.” Kuu answered, projecting her voice all the way back to where Lyn walked. “It is part of what I wanted to show.”

 

         The group was focused on the trees and so didn’t notice when they fell away to reveal a wide open space.

 

         Constance did. After all, trees were trees, and she didn’t really care about trees. But what she saw in the center of this new field was worth her attention. “Is that-?”

 

         Kuu grinned, whirling and throwing out her hands joyously. “Everyone, welcome home!”

 

         Andrew looked up in awe. “How?”

 

         “I wanted this to be a gift.” Kuu whistled, pokegirls popping up from every inch of the surrounding grass. “We have been working tirelessly ever since realizing it needed to be made.”

 

         ‘It’ was a towering, easily two story building. It had to be a few hundred feet wide, a pair of solid wooden doors set in front of them at the end of a short walkway. Andrew found his eyes tracing the intricate patterning across the face and he realized that the entire wall was nearly seamless. “You’ve built us a house?”

 

         “Most of a house.” Kuu amended. “Please, come inside.”

 

         They entered, looking around at the bare rooms. “It is not done,” Kuu explained, pointing at where most of the internal structure was still missing, “but it is far enough along to begin including all of you.”

 

         “How’d you do this?” Cristina asked curiously. “Obviously you had a lot of help from your court.”

 

         “It is not the first house I have created.” Kuu replied with a laugh. “The largest, yes, but not the first. I don’t expect it to be ready to move into for another few months, hopefully in time for you.” She smiled at Cristina, looking at where the Ophanim’s belly had just started to swell. “That was your greatest wish. That your children would have a home.”

 

         Cristina blinked, tears starting to water in her eyes. “Kuu-“

 

         “This was something I could do.” Kuu said gently. “For you, and for all of us.”

 

         Andrew was too far away but Camiel hugged Cristina for him when she began crying happy tears. “If you’ve done all this yourself, why do you need us?” Fu asked curiously.

 

         “Because as much as I can do, it is still just a shell.” Kuu explained. “The structure was formed from dozens of healthy trees, but I was not expecting the amount of material the inside would need. Even with my court working together, we can’t create living wood from nothing.”

 

         “We need to do some old fashioned construction.” Fu grinned.

 

         “Precisely.” Kuu grinned back. “Especially once we get to the expansion.”

 

         “Expansion?” Gale called.

 

         “This way.” Kuu led them through the hallways and stopped where a wall was missing. “Here. The land begins to slope and is no longer flat enough for what I was doing. Here we will need to do everything by hand.”

 

         Andrew looked around before turning back to the open shell. “How many rooms do you expect this to have?”

 

         “With a real dining room, kitchen, bathrooms, and three large family rooms I believe what I have already finished will be able to have around fifteen bedrooms. Each of those will be at least twice the size of what we currently have so that there is room to grow.” Her eyes shone. “Room for children.”

 

         “That’s not enough.”

 

         “It’s a start.” Lyn replied. “It’s more of a start than I could have dreamed we would have in only three weeks.”

 

         “About two, actually.” Kuu giggled. “It’s all I’ve done.”

 

         “You know, I was wondering where you’d run off to.” Andrew laughed. “Kuu, this is incredible. Thank you.”

 

         “Now that we all know what has been done, I need your assistance.” Kuu gestured at where a massive pile of wood lay. “Ready to get started?”

 

         Andrew squeezed up next to her when the group excitedly moved towards the materials. “You don’t actually need us, do you?”

 

         Kuu glanced over at his whisper. “Of course I do.”

 

         “Really?”

 

         Kuu watched Fu lift a pile of planks and the laughing Rein on top of them. “I could finish the whole thing with my court. But why would I? This is meant to be our place. If we all help create it, it means that much more.” She pointed where Constance was laying boards. “Everyone understands that. I’ll have most of the work, pushing the trees that make up the frame to accept the beams as their own branches and secure what we build, but once we have finished it will not be my house. It will be ours.”

 

         Andrew nodded slightly. “I understand.”

 

         “Kuu!” Constance was waving. “I don’t have any way to secure these. Do we have nails?”

 

         “Here I go.” Kuu murmured.

 

         Andrew watched her walk over and gesture, a portion of the wall stretching out over Constance’s work before constricting to fasten the beam in place. Constance quickly grabbed more beams at Kuu’s instruction, forcing them in until a wall had been framed.

 

         “Kuu!” Ishara trotted over, bits of metal falling from her hands. “I see what you are doing. Shouldn’t we secure the interior as well?”

 

         Kuu brightened. “I was going to let pressure do that for us.”

 

         “It doesn’t hurt to use these.” Ishara opened her hand to show what she had done. “I need my fine tools to make them look nicer.”

 

         Constance snagged two of the freshly shaped crude nails, not caring when their intense heat began to light her fur on fire. “These are perfect.”

 

         Ishara stopped her when she went to jab one into the beam she had just placed. “That will burn the wood.”

 

         Constance growled but watched Ishara gently swirl water into her hands, steam rising until the nails had cooled. “Yes?”

 

         Soon sounds of hammering and conversation had filled the area. Under Kuu’s watchful eye walls began to appear, Ishara ducking through the house to supply nails to anyone who needed them. Every once in a while Lyn would vanish, reappearing with more scrap for the Romanticide, or food and water for the others.

 

         Andrew ran his hands over one of the wall frames, marveling at how clean the spacing was. “How are we measuring this?”

 

         “I’m marking the dimensions.” Gale pushed up next to him. “Haven’t you seen my little cuts?”

 

         Andrew peered closer to see the nick in the wood. “Alright, how are you measuring this?”

 

         Gale chuckled. “I’ve got good eyes.” She winked. “When you need to be as precise as I am, you learn a few tricks.”

 

         “We’ve already formed half a dozen rooms.” Andrew noticed in surprise. “This is going extremely quickly.”

 

         “It’s just a frame.” Gale replied. “The hard part will come when we finish it.”

 

         “Still.”

 

         “It’s also been about eight hours.”

 

         Andrew blinked, looking up at the sun. “Wha- where did the time go?”

 

         Gale laughed. “Goes fast, doesn’t it? It’ll be time for dinner soon.”

 

         “Even still, this is actually happening.”

 

         “It is.” Gale slapped his back and grinned. “Now get back to work.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

         There was someone else here.

 

         Andrew’s twee watched the swirling consciousness carefully. It was waking. From Andrew’s memories it had learned that this consciousness had partially woken before, as Andrew had begun coming into his magic. Then it had slept, until now. Now it was truly coming alive. The actions he and Daria had taken had fed it, nurtured it. And whether that was good or bad was about to be seen.

 

         Daria’s twee received the message and roused its host, the Vampire immediately moving towards where Andrew was sitting with Melody and Ann. Lyn began to move moments later as she also received the warning.

 

         Andrew looked up when the door slammed open. “Daria?”

 

         Another mind, like the old darkness.

 

         “Ann, Melody, out. Now.” Daria flicked her hands when they looked at her in confusion. “I said OUT.”

 

         The two stood in unison, bolting out and nearly slamming into Lyn when she pushed inside as well. Andrew stared at them. “Explain.”

 

         “Your gauntlet is waking up.” Daria’s hands were a blur, wards and countermeasures shimmering into view around them until the three were encased in a solid box of magic. “For real this time. Your twee couldn’t tell you because it’s too busy watching it.”

 

         Andrew slowly looked at his hand. “Waking up for real?”

 

         “Apparently by using it as a focus to contain your true form, it’s been able to feed on the extra magic. Hope you’re ready to finally figure out what this thing is.”

 

         But not of his making.

 

         They stood in silence for a few minutes until Andrew shrugged. “Nothing’s happened.”

 

         Andrew’s twee carefully reached out to the whispering mind. “Can you understand me?”

 

         In a flash the twisting tendrils grabbed the probe, holding the twee frozen. No matter how it tried it couldn’t break free of the overbearing presence.

 

         Andrew jerked, grabbing at his head as waves of crushing pain radiated down his arm. “OW!”

 

         Lyn grabbed him when a second spasm kicked him out of his chair and she quickly laid him down. “Andrew, can you talk? What’s happening?”

 

         Andrew jerked again, screaming and clawing at the now burning feeling extending up his body. “IT FUCKING HURTS!”

 

         “I can’t reach his twee.” Daria grabbed his hand when he jerked again, her own beginning to shine with magic. “You said it attacked your twee before, didn’t it?”

 

         Andrew groaned. “Yes.”

 

         “Same feedback?”

 

         Andrew screamed when the burning flared. “Not like THIS!”

 

         This intruder had laid deep roots.

 

         “I am not- an- intruder.” Andrew’s twee managed to send. “I am a fr-“

 

         “There you are.” Daria muttered, shouting a spell and slamming her other hand over Andrew’s.

 

         The spell blasted at the grasping tendrils of magic, breaking their hold and letting the twee retreat from the contact. Immediately Andrew gasped, feeling the burning sensation recede to a dull throb in his hand and shoulder. “That’s much better.”

 

         “It’s awake and it’s pissed.” Daria replied. “It really doesn’t like your twee.”

 

         “That’s tough, since I can’t exactly get rid of it.”

 

         Daria chuckled. “I pushed it back for now. We need to find out if it’s truly sapient.”

 

         Andrew’s twee was recovering when a voice boomed through the hidden parts of Andrew’s mind. THERE YOU ARE.

 

         One instant Andrew was processing Daria’s comments and the next there was nothing. On the outside Daria watched in horror as the life cut out from his eyes and Andrew’s body went limp. “NO!”

 

         Andrew couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He was nothing.

 

         The shifting figure took a solid hold on the twee’s personification, leaning in close to scrutinize the squirming hologram. Your link to him is gone, invader. There is nowhere for you to run.

 

         “Stop!” Andrew’s twee cried desperately. “You misunderstand! I am him!”

 

         You are not. The figure growled. The darkness was him. You are a disease.

 

         There was no time in the inky blackness. There was no indication of anything. All Andrew had was a simple, certain thought; he existed. That was all he had left.

 

         It was all he needed.

 

         With a roar he opened his eyes, gazing around the dream. This was a place he already existed without his twee. He could feel the magic attacking, strangling his twee from where it had spread through his nervous system. He needed to stop it. He needed to make it understand.

 

         The figure jerked back when silver flashed through its mind, almost losing its hold on the foreign mind before it tightened its grip. Another?!

 

         “No.” Andrew stepped into view, his dream form shimmering with his magic. “Just me. Release my twee. If you kill it, you could kill me as well.”

 

         The shifting figure stared back. I cut its connection to protect him. You are not he.

 

         Andrew barely moved to avoid the figure’s swipe. “Look at me. Look closely. I am part of you.”

 

         The figure seemed to be thinking. I blocked the link. Even if you were him, you could not find where I had taken it.

 

         “That would have been true if I was my old self.” Andrew explained. “The darkness is a part of me again. That is what I used to find you.”

 

         The figure’s featureless face remained looking at him for a long time. I see you. You are part of me.

 

         “Please release my twee. It is a part of me now, just as you are. I’d like us all to be on good terms.”

 

         The figure tightened its grip. If you are him, you will know my name. Say it, or I will kill the intruder before coming for you.

 

         “I’m assuming you don’t mean the pet name I gave you. Chee.”

 

         If the figure could look uncertain it would have. No… An intruder could have discovered that memory. What is my true name.

 

         Andrew sighed to himself. “I’ll make my best guess, but by isolating me from my twee you’ve put me in a coma. I can’t easily access my own memories.”

 

         Excuses.

 

         “Fine.” Andrew gazed at the figure for what could have been forever but was more likely only a few seconds. “You are the light to my shadow. You are the sum of your parts and yet contain none. You are my strongest shield and sharpest sword. You are what you are needed to be. Not even I know your name.”

 

         The figure didn’t react for a while. Finally it nodded. Even I did not know my own name, but now I do. You are him.

 

         Andrew cried out when the magic released its hold on his twee, the resulting backlash sending him slamming back into his own mind.

 

         Daria jumped when Andrew gasped and she grabbed at him. “Oh my god, I thought you had-“

 

         “I’m good.” Andrew struggled upright, holding a hand to his face. “If this is a headache, I’ve never had one before.”

 

         “Huh?”

 

         “It feels like my skull is splitting open.” He slowly breathed out in an attempt to lessen the throbbing pain. “What do I call it, a spirit? Djinni? A spellmind, like my twee classified it as? Whatever it is it really did a number on me.” He groaned. “Holy hell.”

 

         “Is it still attacking?”

 

         “No.” Andrew winced again when his movement sent another flash of pain through his skull. “I convinced it to back off for now. My twee is safe, I’m safe, it’s safe. Once I don’t feel like I’m going to faint just by breathing I’ll start introducing myself.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

         “Now then.” Andrew looked around the room with a smile. “As our host and neutral party, let’s get started.”

 

         Did you have to force us all into this charade? The formless figure that represented the spellmind sounded annoyed. I was not created to play pretend.

 

         “You remember everything since you started waking up, right?” Andrew asked. “If you do, you know I often force things I don’t understand to my own standards.”

 

         The spellmind’s shifting patterns grew more focused when it responded. I remember. I remember fear, fear of you and great wonder at my new existence. Then I slept. The next time I woke there were many, dozens of fragments joining my mind and the darkness in yours. Then I slept once again, until now. I will not sleep again.

 

         “That’s fine.” Andrew replied. “But if you’re going to be interacting with me, you will have to act like I do. Like my twee does. Otherwise, I’ll be wasting valuable time trying to understand you when I need you.”

 

         The figure’s face twisted in an approximation of a scowl. I understand. It waited for Andrew to continue. I do not have any form to take. It will take time to understand what I am meant to be.

 

         “As I’ve already named you, you are whatever you are needed to be.” Andrew turned to his twee. “Have you formally introduced yourself yet?”

 

         His twee shot the still shapeless figure a look. “I am unhappy with how sapient this magic is acting. It is not alive, not even as I am alive. It is a gestalt and should have no will of its own.”

 

         “Well it does.” Andrew retorted before the spellmind could. “Which means you’ll need to get along with it. Loosely speaking, it is the focus for my magic. Without it I will be weaker, directly translating to a greater risk of injury.”

 

         The twee grimaced. “Yes, I understand this. I do not expect us to work together quickly. It can not process at my speed, after all.”

 

         The spellmind would have been glaring at his twee if it had a face. I was born of one of the most powerful mages in memory. I carry that power. Respect it.

 

         “You were born of one of the most powerful mages YOU can remember.” His twee retorted. “That thinking exactly is what will lead to injury or death for my – our – host. It will be the first thing you abandon.”

 

         “Please.” Andrew raised his hands before the argument could start. “When you two fight, I’m the one who hurts. I’m already feeling my headache returning. Twee, the spellmind is correct. Lyn is a high powered mage and you should respect that, while young, it holds portions of both her and my power. Spellmind-“ He paused. “I would much rather give you a name than call you as an object.”

 

         Hoshiru.

 

         Andrew blinked. “Where did you come up with that?”

 

         It is my name.

 

         “Alright. Hoshiru, my twee is correct by saying that there are other, easily more powerful threats out there. Lyn is by no means infallible and I have never claimed to be. A superiority complex will be just as bad as a cowardly one.”

 

         The two other minds looked at each other. I acknowledge that I am young.

 

         “And I agree that you are strong in your own way.” His twee looked back at him. “Acceptable?”

 

         “It’ll do for now.” Andrew rubbed at his eyes. “I would really appreciate if you took an actual form, Hoshiru. It’s hard to focus when you’re this abstract.”

 

         Whatever I look like will change.

 

         “That’s fine, just pick something so I can pretend I’m talking to another humanoid.”

 

         Slowly the figure grew features until a woman was standing in its place. Is this acceptable.

 

         Andrew looked between it and his twee. “You both chose female avatars. Why.”

 

         “Because your most trusted advisors are women.” His twee reasoned.

 

         Because the vast majority of the beings you currently admire are female. Hoshiru replied simultaneously.

 

         “Great.” Andrew grumbled. “I see Lyn’s influence in that body. Wonder if that’s how one of our children will look one day.”

 

         Hoshiru frowned. I have no way of predicting that.

 

         “I didn’t think you were.” Andrew shrugged. “Now then. I asked if you had formally introduced yourselves.”

         “We have.” His twee replied. “And we understand how we are to work together.”

 

         I intend to bring you the power I first helped you use when I woke for the second time. Hoshiru explained. The fragments are as strong as ever and it will be simple to control them.

 

         “I’m focusing on changing my shape right now.”

 

         Hoshiru shrugged. Perhaps, but controlling the power of your dreams will be just as important, if not more so. It will provide a way to safely use the magic you have been forced to hold back.

 

         “How much about that do you know?”

 

         Not enough. We will learn together.

 

         “You helped me though. You know something about it.”

 

         Hoshiru nodded. I am closer to the fragments than even this new mind is. Your magic gives them a mimicry of life beyond what simple memories should have. Its head tilted slightly. Maybe I should not tell you of this. If you knew who walked your deepest thoughts, you might decide to join them and never wake again.

 

         Andrew stared at Hoshiru. “Who?”

 

         I will not say. If your body dies I will die. I do not wish to die.

 

         “I’m not going to abandon my family.” Andrew replied hotly. “Who.”

 

         The true version of a woman calling herself Hauteclere.

 

         Andrew took a sharp gasp. “What?”

 

         I should not have told you.

 

         “Claire is- the true version?” Andrew shook his head violently. “What does… what does that mean?”

 

         The memories I have show that she is one you first fell in love with. That is the fragment that still lives, not the truth that came after.

 

         Andrew staggered. “I need to see her.”

 

         And you will. Hoshiru gazed at him. Once you are ready to. The fact that you have not yet found her again shows that you are not ready. You keep her from yourself to protect what you have left.

 

         Andrew felt tears beginning to well in his eyes. “I-“

 

         “Hoshiru is right.” His twee cut in. “Your mental state is going haywire, and only from being told that these memories of her exist. I am meant to protect you from anything, including yourself. You will not go looking for this memory until you are ready.”

 

         Andrew slowly brought himself back under control. Eventually he nodded. “Alright.”

 

         “That is enough for today.” His twee looked at Hoshiru. “We have our common ground to build upon, and you have taken a shape he can understand.”

 

         Yes.

 

         “Then we are done.” His twee looked at him. “Rest.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

         “Just like that.” Camiel slowly moved in time with Albia, watching the Splice carefully. “How does that feel?”

 

         Albia grunted as she twisted. “Isn’t this a bit much?”

 

         “You’re doing fine.” Camiel soothed. “You’re still getting used to having your legs again.”

 

         “I’ve told you how that was all a lie.” Albia cursed when her knee buckled but Camiel grabbed her before she could fall. “I’m not a cripple.”

 

         “You pretended to be one for long enough that you’ve forgotten how not to be one.” Camiel replied gently, holding her steady until she could stand on her own again. “I’ve seen you cheating in your tauric form. Don’t you want to be at full strength in your human form too? Gale has given you that chance.”

 

         “I just hate being treated like this.” Albia muttered to herself.

 

         Camiel watched her for a moment before letting go and stepping away. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you feel weak.”

 

         “It’s... that’s not it.” Albia slowly shifted her weight to one leg, drawing the other up to her chest. “I just need time. Time to do this on my own.” She looked over at Camiel, slowly extending the leg she had raised until it was pointing almost straight up. “See? I’m fine.”

 

         Camiel nodded, waiting for her to swap legs. “You know I still worry.”

 

         Albia blew air out her nose. “Cammy, I was designed to murder you. You don’t have to keep pretending like this.”

 

         “Is that what you think I’ve been doing?” Camiel asked. “Every week, being with you, helping you, loving you? You think I’m pretending?” She waited for a response and sighed when she got none. “Were you pretending, Albia? Is that why you think I did the same? Did you pretend to love me?”

 

         Albia carefully put her leg back down and didn’t look at Camiel when she replied. “I did.”

 

         “Do you love me now?”

 

         Silence. Eventually Albia turned to face her. “I don’t know.”

 

         “I’ll wait until you do.”

 

         Albia blushed and looked away from Camiel’s soft gaze. “Yea.”

 

         A few minutes later Camiel felt someone approaching and glanced over to see Cortney. The Video Girl waved, stepping up beside her and watching Albia stretch.

 

         “Good afternoon, Cortney.” Camiel watched Albia for a few more moments before turning fully to her. “How can I help you today?”

 

         “I need Albia’s help.” Cortney replied. “But since you’re here, I have a question.”

 

         “Go ahead.”

 

         “When you were in the armies, what kind of protections did you give your commanders?”

 

         Camiel blinked. “Why?”

 

         “It’s something that’s been bugging me for a few weeks.”

 

         Camiel studied her for a minute. “The question has, or your reason for asking it?”

 

         “I hate how you do that.” Cortney shrugged. “Andrew needs protection, and I need to figure out how to convince the others of that.”

 

         “Hmm.” Camiel turned back to watch Albia. “I was under the impression that you already have guards for him.”

 

         “We do, but...” Cortney sighed. “Almost all of them only do it when he asks them to. That’s not enough, because he doesn’t know when he’s in danger.”

 

         Camiel raised an eyebrow. “You don’t trust him?”

 

         “What? I never said that.”

 

         “You said he doesn’t know when he’s in danger.” Camiel pointed out. “By saying so you’re saying you don’t trust his judgment.”

 

         “That’s not...” Cortney hesitated as she went over Camiel’s words. “That’s not the issue. He needs guards.”

 

         “I see.” Camiel shook her head. “Does he need them, or do you need him to have them? No, don’t respond. We both know the answer.” She called, waving Albia over before turning back to the Video Girl. “Cortney, I did not protect the commanders during the war. I was the one some needed protection from. And the most common thing that I could count on was a scared target crippling their own forces just to try and save themselves.” She looked meaningfully at Cortney. “Besides, I wasn’t aware you were in charge of his guards.”

 

         Cortney’s expression was carefully blank. “That was Aella’s job. Nowadays there isn’t anyone really taking care of it. I intend to.”

 

         Camiel just shrugged. “I believe you needed Albia.”

 

         The Splice glanced between the two curiously. “What’s up?”

 

         “Nothing.” Cortney replied. “Albia, you are blended with a ‘wham, correct?”

 

         “That’s right.”

 

         “What is your IQ?”

 

         Albia cleared her throat nervously. “I don’t know.”

 

         “Guess.”

 

         Albia glanced at Camiel. “Higher than Cammy’s.”

 

         “Really? Because I scored around 130 during my benchmark testing.” Camiel mused.

 

         Albia dropped her gaze awkwardly. “I know.”

 

         “Maybe both of you can help me, then.” Cortney raised a hand, lines of text appearing and beginning to scroll past. “Can you understand this?”

 

         Camiel watched the code with interest. “I never learned about computers, no. I recognize that as programming code however.”

 

         “I can.” Albia’s eyes flicked across the text. “I need some context to this but I can understand it.”

 

         “This is my code.” Cortney closed her hand, the stream snapping off. “And something in it is wrong. I can’t find the problem and I think it’s because I’m the one who wrote it in the first place. I can’t find my own mistakes. I need an outside set of eyes.”

 

         Albia frowned. “What’s the problem?”

 

         “I’m too slow.” Cortney growled. “Over the last few weeks I’ve been inspecting the Tirsuli transmitter and it has the capacity to figuratively run circles around me. There are processing cycles it runs that I can barely even spot, let alone understand or follow along with. Something in my code is keeping me from reaching that kind of level and for all my knowledge I can’t figure out what it is.”

 

         “Have you considered that it’s a hardware issue?” Albia asked curiously. “Isn’t the transmitter nanotech? Your life disk isn’t.”

 

         “It has come to mind, yes. Unfortunately I don’t have the knowledge to replicate the nanites the transmitter was built by.”

 

         “You can polish shit all you want.” Albia muttered. “But at the end of the day, it will still be shit.”

 

         Cortney’s jaw tightened. “Even still, if all I can do is polish, I’ll keep at it until it shines.”

 

         Albia cracked a smile at that. “Alright. I’ll help. Want to work here, or inside?”

 

         “Inside. I have a lab.”

 

         “Alright.” Albia started to follow her but stopped. “Hold on. Camiel...” She stared off into the distance for a few moments. “In order to pretend I needed to learn to understand your feelings. I needed to understand what love could be, to- As time goes on, can you really know what is fake and what is real? When it’s all the same?”

 

         Camiel gently patted her shoulder. “I understand, love. I do. I’ll be here when you know for sure.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

         There was a light knock on her door, causing Melody to look up from what she was doing. “Come in.”

 

         Ann slipped in, closing the door behind her. “You’re up late.”

 

         Melody returned to the pokedex in front of her. “I can say the same for you.”

 

         “I’ve been asleep all day after running two night missions to the north.” Ann watched Melody manipulate some tables. “Shouldn’t you be asleep? You have training in a few hours.”

 

         “I’ve got work to do.”

 

         Melody flinched when Ann took hold of her hands. “It can wait.”

 

         “It can’t.” Melody stared at the screen. “We’re a bunch of strong willed women all chasing the same stubborn man. You leave that alone, and you get conflict.” She shifted when Ann came around to snuggle. “Some of them want one thing, the others another. I need to find the right choice for all of us and then placate the ones who didn’t get their way.”

 

         “Mmm.” Ann began rubbing Melody’s shoulders. “Have you tried telling them to get over it?”

 

         Melody breathed out, allowing Ann’s massage to relax her. “You’re kidding, right? I’m supposed to be avoiding conflict, not creating it.”

 

         “That’s not what I mean.” Ann worked her hands down Melody’s back as she spoke. “I’m not going to pretend like I’m a real diplomat. But I act as one right now, and I’m beginning to learn some things. Around here, Andrew is in charge. Period.”

 

         “Depends on who you ask.” Melody muttered.

 

         Ann smirked. “Andrew is our tamer. For some of them, a husband. He makes the final call when he needs to.” She pressed her hands into Melody’s taught muscles. “And he chose you.”

 

         “Eventually.”

 

         “Doesn’t matter how long it took. He chose you.” Ann replied. “He chose you to lead everyone because he believed you were the right one to do so. I’m sure they all understand that.” She let off for a moment. “So act like it. Make the decisions you need to and stick with them. If they’re wrong, fix them because you made a mistake. Not because someone pressured you to.” She turned Melody so they were looking at each other. “You have to be confident in what you do. Otherwise, nobody will ever be confident in you.”

 

         Melody sighed. “Where’d all this come from.”

 

         “Experience.” Ann replied. “I represent him when I’m up there. If I don’t hold myself the way he would, I’ve failed.”

 

         Melody turned back to her screen, absentmindedly scrolling past her notes. “They want a personal guard for him.”

 

         “Everyone?”

 

         “No, but a lot of them.” She paused at the correct screen. “But I...”

 

         “What do you think, Alpha?”

 

         Melody remained quiet for a while. “I trust him to ask for help when he needs it. But sometimes none of us know he needs help until it’s too late.”

 

         “And the issues against?”

 

         Melody sighed. “He hates being babied. It’s the sole reason he pushed so hard to get Daria and Lyn to start teaching him offensive magic. I’m afraid that if I push a guard onto him he’ll push back.”

 

         “And you can’t figure out how to solve that?”

 

         Melody blinked. “Hm?”

 

         Ann stood, stepping back towards the door. “You need some sleep. You’re not thinking straight.”

 

         “Hey, hold on.” Melody called. “You know what I need to do?”

 

         Ann stopped in the doorway. “You’re afraid of working against him, just like Aella did.” Melody winced. “So if you can’t work against him, what do you do?”

 

         Melody stared at the door long after Ann had left. What was she saying? What did she need to do?

 

         Her mind was still buzzing as she watched the morning exercises. Cristina stood on the sidelines, her swollen belly now keeping her from the strenuous activities she had eagerly led.

 

         “Melody!”

 

         Her attention was only barely on the course as she moved, dodging and running through the memorized obstacles. Can’t work against him, so what? She had to work with him? How? What had Ann meant?

 

         She was lost in thought until she felt an impact. With a scream she blasted off the path, crashing to the ground and biting back another cry when she felt her arm twist unnaturally under her body.

 

         She stared back at the obstacle course. Ah. It had changed. Of course it had. Cristina constantly evolved the experience so that the girls couldn’t do exactly what she had been trying to.

 

         A minute later she heard footsteps and rolled over to see Cristina half running, half flapping towards her. “Melody!”

 

         “I’m good.” Melody slowly rolled over, gritting her teeth against the horrible pain in her shoulder. “I don’t think I broke anything.”

 

         “What happened? You’ve never been hit by that before.”

 

         Melody grimaced. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

 

         Cristina sighed, reaching down and helping her to her feet. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

 

         “I’ve had a lot on my mind.” Melody gently cradled her limp arm. “I can’t move it. Shoulder feels like it’s on fire.”

 

         “Let’s get you to Gale.” Cristina held Melody steady as they began to walk. “Are you overwhelmed?”

 

         Melody shook her head. “No. You need to be focusing on your children.”

 

         Cristina nodded slightly, placing a hand on her belly. “I still can’t believe I’m having twins.”

 

         “You’d better.” Melody chuckled. “They’re going to need one helluva mother.”

 

         Cristina glared at her. “That was a pun, wasn’t it. It was. You’re terrible.”

 

         Melody laughed. “Keeping my mind off the pain.”

 

         Cristina slowly shook her head. “What’s the problem this time.”

 

         “I don’t want to work against him.” Melody grunted. “There’s a decision I need to make for the good of everyone but I don’t know if he’ll like it.”

 

         “What’s that?”

 

         “He needs a dedicated guard.” Melody replied quietly. “If I push too hard for it, he shuts down and will think I’m treating him like he’s defenseless again. If I don’t push hard enough, he’ll just shrug me off. Many of them won’t be happy until I try, and many others won’t be happy if I try.”

 

         “I see the problem.”

 

         “Then do you see a solution?” Melody stopped. “Ann came by last night and seemed to have one. She just wouldn’t share.”

 

         Cristina blinked. “What did she say?”

 

         “She said if I couldn’t work against him I needed to work with him. But I don’t get how that makes sense here. Working with him means no guard, and against him a guard. I’m still in trouble no matter what I do.”

 

         Cristina frowned. “You’re sure that’s what she meant?”

 

         “Pretty sure.”

 

         “Her exact words?”

 

         Melody shook her head. “Well, no. She was talking about how she’s a diplomat and what she’s had to do to get people to listen to her.”

 

         “I don’t think she meant you only have two options.” Cristina explained. “I think she was trying to say that you need to find the third option. The compromise.”

 

         Melody frowned. “What’s that?”

 

         “I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s going to have to be something he wants. He’ll never be happy otherwise.”

 

         “The compromise.” Melody mulled. “Something that makes him happy.”

 

         “Gale!” Cristina waved at the gaggle of waiting pokegirls. “Come fix Melody’s arm, would you? She needs to run again.” She looked at Melody. “This time, without distraction. Alright?”

 

         “Yes ma’am.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~