Revelations

'I feel like I'm forgetting something important...' thought Andrew, his hand indenting the helmet of an Imperial Officer as their remaining men piloted the assault craft he had commandeered to land.

"We've done as you instructed! Now, let us go!" exclaimed one of the less-injured crew members, a young Hume woman with silvery hair and vibrant blue eyes. Her eyes were sharp, and she exuded the aura of an aristocrat, but Andrew didn't especially care about her background as he said, "Calm your tits. I said I would spare your lives in exchange for your airship, and I intend to. Now, sit down, shut up, and wait to be arrested."

As she didn't have much of a choice, the haughty-looking Optio(Imperial Communications Officer) fell silent, hung her head, and balled her hands into fists. Andrew half-expected her or one of her surviving crewmates to trigger the ship's self-destruct sequence, but they seemed to understand the futility of such actions and chose to hold on to their lives.

'I'm definitely overlooking 'something'...' concluded Andrew, concurrently opening his Correspondence Menu to communicate the situation onboard the airship and to ensure everyone that mattered was okay. This included Minfilia, whom he asked, 'How did something like this happen? I definitely warned that an attack may occur.'

'I'm not sure,' replied Minfilia, her voice echoing within Andrew's head as she added, 'We chose this location because it's only a stone's throw from Ul'dah, and there are frequent airship patrols. The only thing I can think of is that someone orchestrated a gap in Ul'dah's border patrols and knew of our location from the start...'

'In other words, there's a traitor in our midst...' appended Andrew, his memories stirring but not enough to recall who the traitor might be. The faces of Thancred and Urianger immediately popped into his head, but he was certain both had important roles to play in future expansions. It didn't make sense for them to be turncoats.

Just to be safe, Andrew looked for the duo in his Correspondence Menu, allowing him to see their Statuses and present locations. To his surprise, Urianger's coordinates were beside Minfilia's, the Elezan scholar nursing a fairly vicious head wound but still helping to coordinate the treatment of the injured. As for Thancred...

Interrupting Minfilia's response, Andrew telepathically stated, 'Thancred is the traitor. Check his Status. It says he's being possessed by someone called Hephaistos.'

Following a prolonged pause, Minfilia replied, 'You're right...' in a notably somber tone. Thancred was one of her oldest friends, having looked after her since she was twelve, so his betrayal, even if by someone else's hand, hit her pretty hard...

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After arranging to have his new airship stripped of Garlean surveillance tech and markings, Andrew rendezvoused with Minfilia and Y'sthola at his penthouse, the duo seated at the kitchen counter as the latter ate from a tub of ice cream.

Seeing his favorite cat girl engoring herself, Andrew raised his brows and remarked, "I thought you didn't like sweets...?"

Rolling her eyes, Y'sthola placed the tub of ice cream in her Item Box and revealed, "Ardbert and his merry band engaged and defeated Titan while you were occupied with matters at the Waking Sand."

"Yeah, I got his message..." replied Andrew, causing Y'sthola's ears to twitch as he habitually ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead. She used to criticize him for 'treating her like a pet' but now permitted him to caress her head as he pleased.

Turning his gaze to Minfilia, Andrew's expression softened as he drew her close, cradling one girl with each hand as he asked, "What do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure..." replied Minfilia, leaning into him as she exhaled a tired sigh and muttered, "This Hephaistos must be related to Lahabrea and the Ascians. How they came to possess Thancred and how to separate them without the latter coming to harm...we know too little at the moment..."

"Then, how about I teleport him over to Etro?" asked Andrew, causing the buxom blonde's lips to part and remain as such since she was at a loss for words. Only Garnet and Nanamo had met with Etro thus far, so petitioning the otherwordly Goddess for assistance hadn't crossed her mind.

Amused by the turn of events, Y'sthola exhaled a husky laugh before narrowing her eyes into a catty gin and remarking, "Aye, I suspect that a Goddess who presides over death and the cycle of reincarnation ought to be sufficiently acquainted with the cleansing and separation of souls."

Undoubtedly drawn by Y'sthola's laughter, Yuffie abruptly entered the kitchen wearing little more than an oversized white dress shirt and a pair of panties, raising her brows as she asked, "Weren't you just with Tifa? Do you not take 'any' breaks?"

Instead of responding to Yuffie's question, Andrew elected to carry out introductions, officially introducing the petite ninja as the future 'Unified Empress of Wutai.' Her father and the former Lords/Daimyo of Wutai had decided to separate the nation into six major and several lesser provinces to focus on reconstruction, while Yuffie, feeling she wasn't yet prepared to participate in the governance of her nation directly, chose to serve as a figurehead representing them on the inter-world stage.

"It's a great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Empress Kisaragi," said Minfilia, wearing a radiant smile as she placed her hand over her chest in a way that drew Yuffie's eyes, bowing her head slightly. In response, the would-be Empressed waved her hand dismissively and said, "You can cut it out with the formal crap. I mean, this is 'neutral territory,' and I'm here in my skivvies. Not exactly a circumstance mandating decorum."

"Entreating Filia to dismiss with propriety is akin to asking others to cease breathing," mused Y'shtola, her words, ears, and distinctive tail garnering Yuffie's gaze. The latter's world didn't possess many non-human races, so she found Y'sthola's appearance both novel and fascinating.

"Were you the one who was laughing? What happened...?" asked Yuffie, recognizing Y'sthola as the source of the husky laughter.

Shaking her head, Y'shtola gazed up at Andrew as she replied, "Nothing of note. Just a matter made trifling due to the capabilities of a particular monkey..."

Despite the presence of Minfilia and Yuffie, Y'sthola stood on the tips of her toes and snapped her teeth provocatively at Andrew. He had turned around when Yuffie entered the kitchen, but his hands were still wrapped around her and Minfilia's waists. More notably, Andrew had hooked his tail around hers, eventually forming a kind of braid that provoked her instincts and caused her to feel increasingly aggressive.

Playing it cool, Andrew maintained a relaxed smile as he continued coiling his tail around Y'sthola's, looking to Minfilia as he said, "Anyways, just let me know when and how you want to settle things. If Etro can't split them apart, we can at least imprison them within Valhalla."

"I understand," replied Minfilia, her smile regaining its usual vigor as she added, "But, for now, I believe it best if we observe the situation and try to find a solution on our end. It is apparent this Hephaistos is unaware of the existence of your system or lacks an understanding of its functions. If we use it to our advantage, we could uncover the true plot of the Ascians and prevent it at its source..."

Nodding in affirmation and approval, Andrew said, "Just be sure to let me know if you need my help. Just like today, I'll immediately come running..."

"I think on it often..." mused Minfilia, seizing the initiative to cup Andrew's cheek and give him a chaste kiss. Then, as she had a lot going on back in her world, she narrowed her eyes and whispered, "Be well. And may fate see us reunited soon..." before giving him one more kiss and disappearing into thin air.

"There she goes..." muttered Andrew, strengthening his hold on Y'sthola as he looked to Yuffie, grinning as he noted, "I see you're back on your feet..."

Cupping her forehead, Yuffie exhaled an exasperated "Ugh..." before lowering her hand, crossing her arms, and asking, "Can we not? I came this way because I was hungry. The last thing I need is you pushing up my guts the moment I finish eating..."

"Fair enough..." replied Andrew, maintaining a smile as he gestured for Yuffie to come closer. She narrowed her brown eyes into a deadpan but didn't hesitate to move closer, allowing him to grab her bottom and give her a peck on the lips before sending her off with a light spanking and a comment about how her attire was especially sexy...

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Instead of immediately changing into her default attire once they had finished up and taken a bath together, Y'sthola donned one of Andrew's shirts and a pair of pure white panties, her ears twitching and tail swishing behind her as he carefully combed through her hair with a silver brush.

Pouring a bit of cold water on Y'shtola's good mood, Andrew asked, "Is there something you want to tell me...?"

Though she knew what Andrew was referring to, Y'shtola pretended to be oblivious, meeting his gaze through the mirror with narrowed eyes and a catty smile as she mused, "Mmmmm~? What could you be talking about, I wonder?"

"First, I find you eating ice cream despite being lactose intolerant and not liking sweets..." remarked Andrew, his throat tensing slightly as he added, "Then you tell me to be gentle despite 'forcing' me to be rough with you in the past..."

"Deduced something, have we~?" asked Y'shtola, leaning her head back and bumping against Andrew's diaphragm as she placed her hands on her lower abdomen, all but confirming his suspicions.

"You should have told me..." muttered Andrew, prompting Y'shtola to giggle and retort, "Oh, but I did~" in a husky, sonorous tone that could give those that heard it goosebumps.

"You know what I mean..." muttered Andrew, recalling that Y'shtola had informed him about her pregnancy. The issue was that she followed it by telling him she was lying, resulting in him feeling like an idiot twice over...

"Does it even matter...?" asked Y'shtola, leaving Andrew at a slight loss for words as she shrugged and sported an untroubled expression, stating, "I warned you about impregnating me, and you countered, saying you would accept full responsibility. You weren't particularly concerned about it back then, so I see no reason to quibble over it now."

Raising her arms and kicking out her legs, Y'shtola performed a satisfying stretch, groaning in an overtly sensual manner before relaxing, staring up at Andrew, and adding, "I've already discussed this matter at length with your beloved Queen, Garnet. Our child will stay at the castle and grow up alongside the heir or heiress-apparent to the throne. Fate willing, they will be reared as a Court Mage, Minister, or Scholar."

Though he didn't disapprove of the path Y'shtola had chosen for their kid, Andrew frowned, stating, "I don't particularly appreciate being kept out of the loop..."

"Certain loops are best bereft of male input," countered Y'shtola, rising to her feet and turning to face Andrew as she stated, "You've had your focus all over the place, and that's proven advantageous for the still-developing Interworld Alliance..."

Walking over and linking her arms around Andrew's neck, Y'sthola added, "If you're truly concerned with the possibility of having children outside your awareness, I would advise being more 'conscientious' in the future. With how 'unremitting' you are at the onset of your relationships, I would wager my tail that I'm not the only one you've conferred a child..."

Understanding that Y'shtola wouldn't make such a claim unless she knew of at least one other person, Andrew briefly considered all the people she actively communicated with before asking, "Is it Nanamo...?"

"And here I was starting to believe you only knew how to use your bottom head..." teased Y'shtola, punctuating her words with a tittering snicker as she took advantage of Andrew's slackjawed expression to slip her tongue into his mouth...

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