12 Interlude

Interlude 1: Shirone

Red light flashed as I stared uncomprehendingly at the corpse of my next-door neighbor. As I stumbled over him, screams sounded behind me, prompting me to start moving again.

'Mother… she said she would hold them off…' I reminded myself, fighting back tears. 'I have to get away, I can grieve later.'

I began to run, knowing that I could hide in the forest for help to arrive. As I dashed, I remembered what Nee-sama had taught me of Senjutsu. Could that help me here? No. I wasn't any good at illusions, those were Nee-sama's specialty.

I stumbled over a tree root, and my sensitive ears began picking the soft flaps of Devil's wings. I picked up the pace, ducking between trees to hide from my airborne pursuers. It worked for a bit, but not for very long. Shouts came from above as one of them spotted my white hair, and I growled quietly to myself. 'It was worth a shot.'

I glanced behind me as I ran, trying to see if I could recognize any of my pursuers. A man with a pointy chin and black hair was immediately recognizable as Nee-sama's fellow )Bishop(, and the blonde next to him was a )Rook(. I blinked. 'Why would Nee-sama's Peerage be chasing me? I didn't do anything, did I?' I thought in terror. I remembered what Nee-sama told me about their abilities—I had no chance if they caught me.

I ran through a clearing, aiming for an opening in the trees to my left. In my rush, I neglected to check the ground. I felt my foot hook on a root, and down I fell. I turned, desperately checking for my pursuers. And there they were. Nee-sama's entire Peerage was fanned out in a semicircle, each one most definitely not looking friendly. 'All of them.' I realized with a sinking feeling. 'If all of them are here, then… mama…'

I watched as the blonde )Bishop( formed a fireball in front of himself. The fireball grew in size, and closed my eyes. I recalled all that I had lost. 'Father… Mother… Nee-sama…' I trembled slightly, tears dripping from my closed eyes as I felt my terror fade slightly. 'I'll see you all soon.'

The fireball was launched, and it roared across the field towards me… until a red-haired boy appeared directly in its path. He turned, noticing the fireball, and held out a hand. The fireball… bent, almost, returning the way it had come. I heard a scream from the )Bishop( as several of the other Peerage members fled from the blast radius. The boy didn't even bother looking back towards the carnage he had caused, instead dashing towards me and taking me by the hand.

He pulled me into a stumbling run, nearly dragging me forward until I regained my footing. I ran along behind him, barely keeping up with his stride. I could use Senjutsu to boost my speed like I had before, but I didn't want to leave the boy behind. As I ran along behind him, I took note of the aura he gave off, tinting the natural energy around him with a dreamlike aurora of color. I could tell it was an illusion spell just from the vague hints of structure that the shifting colors didn't erase.

The aura filled me with a… feeling. I can't describe it with words, but it reminded me of something. Something… safe. I didn't know what it was, or where I had felt it before, but it was extremely soothing. I could feel the terror fade and logic return at the comforting sensation.

The boy slowed, turning to me and looking almost sheepish. "Have you ever seen a giant red mansion around here?"

I nodded, falling into step beside him and catching my breath. He looked… embarrassed? Envious? And gestured for me to lead.

As we began to run once more, I noticed that no wing beats accompanied our steps. 'That must be the purpose of his illusion spell.' I realized, 'To hide our presence.'

"Hey!" The boy behind me called hesitantly, "You! Do you mind if I try something? It might help."

I debated the pros and cons of letting him try his 'something', which he clearly wasn't that confident of judging by his initial hesitation. "As long as you keep running." I called back, knowing that our pursuers hadn't stopped searching.

"))I know Nothing.((" He murmured, his aura visibly responding to his words. "))Yet, understand Everything.(("

His aura seemed to gain a mind of its' own, swirling in an iridescent kaleidoscope of colors around him. It seemed to be looking for something… and whatever it was looking for, it found. I could feel it sharpening, becoming less passive to our surroundings. "))And so, I shall chase the Dream.((" He finished.

I felt the aura shielding me turn from passive to aggressive in a heartbeat. The odd thing was, it wasn't aggressive towards me. No, it curled around me, surrounding me in a cocoon of warm fuzzies. But I could still feel it lash against the rest of the world. Nature actively recoiled from the sheer hatred the aura was exuding towards anything that might touch me.

I came back to reality, stumbling at the sudden influx of feelings. We kept running, stepping over roots and dodging low-hanging branches. We had just passed a small copse of trees when the boy seemed to notice something, gathering up his magic and focusing it on himself. He let out a small whine and stumbled, so I stopped to check on him. His face was twisted in pain, and he was gritting his teeth. He waved me off. "Stay here." He managed to get out, "I'll be back soon."

He held out an egg-sized gem. It was a deep violet color, and polished to perfect smoothness. There were diamonds inlayed in the surface, painstakingly designed in a geometric shape. "This should keep you unnoticed, just feed it mana to activate it." He told me seriously. "If a red-haired man named Sirzechs comes by, give him the garnet and tell him that The Red Man gave it to you. Just remember to STAY STILL while you wait."

I was about to refuse, but he cut me off. "They're waiting up there, armed to fight a high-ranked mage. I used an illusion spell when I first appeared, so they don't know that there is no high-class mage, just me. Worst-case, I can continue the illusion while I slip away."

I blinked. That was… pretty clever, actually. Huh. "Are you sure you'll survive?"

He nodded, and I took the gem. It gleamed softly as I fed mana into it, and the boy's eyes became unfocused. He turned away, drawing his aura close to himself, and a complex matrix forming out of the soft colors. I could only see the visible part of what I assumed was a high-level spell, but it was impressive nonetheless. A body formed out of lines and colors, his original body fading into nothingness. His newer, larger form exploded into movement, the ground buckling beneath the force of its' first steps. He quickly disappeared from view.

I sighed, feeling the empty nothingness of the gem dulling my senses. The small gem seemed to be… charging for something. I heard the distant sounds of combat, and of trees breaking beneath a large force. Then, the gem activated, and I was gone.

I was in a small bedroom, with a very 'homey' atmosphere. It was very clean, and the only furniture was a small writing desk, a dresser, and a bed in the corner. I walked over to the bed, sitting down and noticing that it was extremely late.

The clock on the desk said 12:30 AM, and I could certainly verify that it seemed that way. As my adrenaline rush died down, I yawned. 'Just five minutes.' I decided, laying back on the bed. 'The boy should be here by then. Just… five…'

I sleepily opened my eyes and noticed the boy sleeping next to me. I yawned, crawling towards my source of warmth. I quickly fell back asleep.

When I next woke, the boy was stroking my head. I blearily opened my eyes. I decided to attempt to say something. Perhaps 'what?'. I opened my mouth, and said "Nya?"

I froze. 'Kyaaa! I didn't mean to, it just slipped out! I mean—'

"Breakfast is soon." He interrupted my thoughts, continuing to stroke my head.

I yawned, panic dying down. "Okay."

I still refused to move. I liked it here. His aura was soft, comforting, protective. Home. I pulled it closer, allowing it to curl around me. Unlike yesterday, there was no magic in the aura, just presence. That was slightly confusing, but I didn't mind. I was more concerned with making sure I didn't have to move.

"Shirone? Can you get off?"

I blinked, noticing exactly where 'here' was. And I must say, his lap is extremely comfortable.

"Any reason you're not moving?"

"Because you left." I replied easily.

"Then why aren't you mad?" He asked, tilting his head inquisitively.

I smiled softly. "Because you came back."

He winced. "I understand, but we have to get to breakfast soon."

I slowly nodded, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I stood, brushing the wrinkles out of my grass-stained clothes. The boy stood as well, taking off his jacket and unrumpling his clothes. I wandered over to the door of the room, noting an odd map on the back of the door. It depicted the floorplan of a large mansion, several floors high. There was a red dot over one of the smallest rooms, labeled 'YOU ARE HERE'.

"Why do you have a map on the back of your door?" I asked, turning to see his face.

He glanced up. "Hmm? Oh, that's so I don't get lost on the way to breakfast. It doesn't actually help, but it made my parents feel better for trying."

I glanced over at the magic circle in the corner across from the bed. "And the magic circle on the ground, over there?"

He looked sheepish. "…That's what they did when the map failed."

He walked over to his dresser, pulling out a red jacket with white cuffs and slipping it on. He pulled a few gems out of a different drawer, before walking over to the circle. I joined him, and he held up a bluish gem. The gem flashed, and the circle glowed to life.

We arrived in a lavish dining room with many chairs around a long table. At the head of the table sat an elegant man, who was wearing pajamas and a towel around his head. He was having a loud conversation with a silver-haired maid with larger breasts than Nee-sama. I pulled the 'safety' gem out, just in case the man was like Nee-sama's master.

The boy next to me walked over to the table, near the man's left hand. "Hey, Dad." He greeted, much to my surprise. "How did last night go?"

The man turned, noticing the boy. He looked… tired. Like he had just crossed a vast desert alone. ""It was a disaster. It would seem that The Red Man had a foot in this, and left something behind this time. You can see it if you look out the window."

The boy next to me visibly twitched, and his aura stilled for a moment. The elegant man sipped his tea, apparently not noticing the odd behavior. "Unfortunately, the Devils in the Noble's area orchestrated a hunt for all the Nekoshou. Since we don't know the location of the one who started this whole mess, we believe that the Nekoshou are now completely extinct."

He sighed tiredly. "Sometimes I hate my job. If I weren't forced to remain impartial in all disputes, I could've done something."

I unconsciously took a step back, causing him to notice me. He turned to the boy. "Millicas," he asked with icy calm, "Who is this?"

I froze. 'Oh no! I'll get him in trouble and—'

The boy, Millicas, apparently oblivious to my inner panic, shrugged. "I dunno. You sent me to my room alone, and I got lost. She seemed tired and alone, so I assumed she was a stray and decided to take her in."

My ear twitched. 'I'm a pet now? And since when has getting lost been an excuse for bringing strange girls home?'

The elegant man sighed. "You know, if it were anyone else, I wouldn't believe you." He blinked. "Wait, so that's what was bugging me! I knew I forgot something…"

The silver maid sent Millicas an odd look I couldn't decipher. I took another step back, just in case. Millicas noticed, and motioned for me to put away the gem. He then thought to himself for a moment, walked up behind me, and wrapped his arms around me. "Can I keep her? Please?"

I was baffled by this, until I saw the elegant man smile widely and proclaim "Of course! Anything for my adorable son! Just be sure to keep her fed and watered—Ow! Gwayfia! That huwts! Leggo!"

The silver maid sighed in exasperation, holding the elegant man by the cheek. "Rias got her Evil Pieces when she was your age, so I see no problem with you receiving yours, as well. The girl seems to trust you, but it's still her decision in the end."

I frowned. 'Evil Pieces? Like Nee-sama's )Bishop( Piece?'

Millicas, his arms still around me, nodded. "Sure, but breakfast first!"

He released me and gestured towards a vacant chair. We sat down and waited. As the meal was brought out, I sighed. 'There are no sweets.'

Millicas seemed to notice my problem and signaled for a maid. He quietly asked something involving the word 'sweet', and the maid nodded. She gave me an amused look, then left. She came back shortly after, holding a bottle of something white. I took a sip. It was undeniably milk, but… sweeter. It flowed smoothly over my tongue, and it was gone before I knew what happened. The maid giggled at my pleading look, and left to get more. She returned with a crate of several different bottles. I enjoyed all of them… except one that tasted disgustingly leafy.

Once breakfast was over, and the maids had removed the dishes and themselves from the room, the silver maid decided to hug me. Millicas started laughing at the elegant man's pout.

Becoming serious, the man stood and spoke. "I will go and get dressed. Millicas, take Miss…"

"Shirone, Shirone—well, just Shirone." I stumbled slightly, realizing that a family name was nothing without a family.

The man didn't seem to care about my slip, carrying on regardless. "…Miss Shirone, and go to the sitting room." He paused, remembering last night's 'mistake'. "And have a maid take you."

He gracefully left the room.

We somehow managed to get lost multiple times on the way to the sitting room. A path that the maid insisted was a straight line. I now understood how 'I got lost' was a valid excuse with this boy. As we approached a pair of fancy double doors, the maid stepped ahead of us to open them.

The room was rather simple, with bookshelves covering every wall, and several chairs set in front of a roaring fire. I eyed one of the chairs, which looked rather out of place in the array of seats. Millicas, having seen the place before, headed for the couch. I followed.

The magical circle of the Lucifer clan appeared on the floor, the lights dimming, leaving only the light of the fire. The elegant, red-haired, man slowly appeared, clad in menacing armor. The silver-haired maid stood at his shoulder.

I gaped. 'Lucifer clan? Red hair? I-is this a Maou?'

Millicas spoke up from beside to me, amusement coloring his tone. "Hey, Dad?"

He turned to stare menacingly down at the boy. "Yes, my son?"

"Your fly is open."

The man froze, glancing down at the offending fly. He quickly zipped it, accompanied by the giggles of the silver maid. "Thank you, my son, for your most gracious aid."

He forged on, trying to ignore the laughter. "I am Sirzechs Lucifer, the Crimson Maou, the Prince of Darkness. Welcome to my humble abode—stop laughing, Millicas!" He whined, scowling. "You ruined it!"

I stared in shock as I watched the most powerful man in Hell pout.

Millicas turned to me, smirking. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Millicas Gremory, the son of the current Lucifer. Please take care of me!"

I blinked. Twice. 'What? But why- how- when- what?'

"What do you want from me?" I blurted, not thinking.

He smiled. "Would you like to be in my Peerage?"

I frowned, remembering how Nee-sama had spoken of her fellow Peerage members, not to mention her master. "Like Nee-sama? She didn't like her Peerage much." I said doubtfully.

He mock-frowned back at me, comically stretching his face. "Your Nee-sama had a bad master." He looked me square in the eye. "I'll make sure that you never have to go through that again."

I considered this for a moment. I definitely believed that he knew what he was doing. Of that I had no doubt. 'But can I trust him?'

I nodded. "Okay. What do I have to do?"

He beamed, before turning to his father. The armored man handed his son a drawstring bag. "First pour in your magic to claim the pieces, then take out the one you intend to use and command it to activate." He instructed.

I could see a brief look of panic cross Millicas's face at that. He grabbed the bag, seemingly calming down slightly. The bag glowed, before fading. He reached inside, pulling out a clear crystal rook piece that had an odd warping in the center.

Holding it in front of me, he intoned in a clear voice, "In the name of Millicas Gremory, rise and serve me. I name you Shirone Gremory, for you are now part of my family."

At that moment, the aura that I had felt caressing me and comforting me seemed to… offer itself to me. It was a silent plea, a desperate request. It offered to protect me forever, to keep all my enemies away, to keep me safe from any evil. I smiled and accepted the silent plea, allowing the aura to fill me completely.

There was a sensation of… filling, almost, with something warm and comfortable. Something that I had been missing all my life, suddenly given to me. I could feel it brushing softly against my mind, seemingly unable to completely take me.

I shivered, realizing how cold it was without the aura keeping me safe. I desperately reached for it, knowing it was my only comfort here. I eventually found it, curled around my soul like a blanket, quietly holding my soul together as the Piece changed it.

I was yanked from my introspection by the elegant man, Sirzechs, speaking up. "Good. Now, have a seat and let her rest for a bit. She still should relax for a bit as the changes fully take effect. Now, we have a Tree to investigate, so you'll be on your own today. You may stay here as long as you wish, but call a maid to lead you should you decide to leave."

Millicas helped me onto the couch, where I slumped down tiredly. I wanted to rest, but my new master handed me a small ruby. I gave him a confused look. He grinned sheepishly. "My magic is shot for a couple of weeks. I used too much at one time, and now my core and Circuits have to repair."

I nodded. 'No wonder his aura is gone. He must've used it up trying to… wait, no. He had no magic before, either. So, what could cause his aura, his soul, to drain like that? I think I remember Nee-sama telling me about a Soul-Bond, but I thought that was only a myth.'

I absently activated the gem. Once the gem glowed to life, he began to speak. "How are you feeling?"

I frowned. "Different. Not good, not bad, just… different."

He nodded. "And about this entire situation? You did just lose everything."

I nodded slowly. "At first, I was panicked. There were screams, and blood, and death. My mother burst into the room, rushing me out the door, telling me to run, that she would hold them off. Then I was being chased, running for my life. I knew that everyone I loved was dead, and that nothing would ever be the same. They just kept chasing me, I tripped, and by the time I stood up, they were upon me. As Nee-sama's Peerage closed in… I just gave up. I had nothing left, no family, no friends, no home. So I closed my eyes, and wished that… that… that it would all be over, and I could see my home again."

I felt tears tracing their way down my cheeks. Millicas slid me onto his lap and I sat there, shuddering with sobs. "And then… you appeared out of nowhere, deflected the man's fireball. I thought that you felt familiar, that you reminded me of something I had felt somewhere before, something that I had lost and missed terribly. And then we were running again, but this time I had a reason to keep running. When you told me to lead us to the red mansion, I had a destination. I had hope again, a plan, and a way to survive. As we ran, you asked me if you could try to help. You said those odd words, and I realized why you felt so familiar…"

'…you felt like home.'

After my sobs had died down, the boy spoke. "Your Nee-sama, she killed her master. The people were afraid, that's why all the others were killed. They thought that if one teenaged Nekoshou could kill a High-Class Devil and live to tell of it, then even a child could kill hundreds of them. Then the Peerage joined in, trying to kill you, just to make your Nee-sama feel the pain they felt."

He paused for a moment. "Your Nee-sama's master… was doing research into creating a Super Devil. Your Nee-sama was too old to be of any use, so he turned to you instead. When he ordered her to bring you to him, she made a choice. She decided to kill her master and flee, rather than hand you over to him."

I sniffled, wiping my eyes. "But… why didn't she take me with her?"

I could feel him shrug. "I dunno. I only know what I saw."

I frowned. "What you saw?"

He sighed. "I can see little bits of the past, whenever I see someone or something for the first time. That's what I saw when I looked at you."

I nodded. 'Nee-sama… I have to help her. And Millicas-no, Master, can help me with that.' "I'm going to find her one day, and ask her why. Until then, I'm going to stay with you." I looked up at him, feeling lost and alone. "That's okay, right?"

He nodded. "As long as you want."

I beamed, snuggling into his chest. 'I have the best master ever.'

Several weeks later, I felt Master moving me off his chest. This had become routine. I sighed, reluctantly waking up so that I could catch my silly master before he got too lost. I changed into clothes, catching up to the sheepish )King(, leading him back to the room. After breakfast, Master took me to what he called the 'Tree of Knowledge' and taught me how to harness the raw natural energy there. I already knew the basics of Senjutsu, so Touki was the topic of today's lesson.

Hours later, Master stepped through the Gate, looking haggard. I ran up to him. "Shishou, look!" I held up a Touki-infused fist. "I can almost move the Sea, now!"

He laughed and ruffled my hair -moremoremoremore- before speaking. "Good girl. Oh, and before I forget, you'll be getting a few new training partners, soon."

I tilted my head in 'confusion', leaning into his hand. "Training partners?"

He nodded. "A boy named Issei, and my new )Queen(. So be sure to treat them well, as their Sempai."

My eyes widened. "You're getting a )Queen(?" I asked in terror. 'A-are they replacing me?'

Apparently noticing my inner turmoil, he quickly added to his statement. "Yes, but don't worry, you're not getting replaced. If all goes well, then I'll have a full Peerage by the end of the month."

I relaxed. I considered my options, realizing that if he had a )Queen(, his -my- attention would be reduced. "Can I still sleep with you?" I asked, slightly hysterical.

He sighed. "Sure."

I sighed in relief.

Later that night, I opened the door of our room to see a beautiful girl cradling -my- master.

She was a fair-skinned young girl with long red hair that reaches down her waist, styled with a single strand of her bangs braided, as well as the sides of her hair pulled back and held together with a small clip shaped like a Queen Piece. She wore a long sleeved thick black blouse with a high collar and red trim on the sleeves, a black waist cincher with red lacing up the front, and a black skirt with red trim. She also wore a pair of thick black stockings and black combat boots with red laces, red trim around the top and red soles.

Her outfit was topped by a red hooded cloak fastened to her shoulders by rose-shaped pins. The Queen Piece emblem also appeared as a large silver brooch and was pinned to a wide black belt slung around her hips on an angle, which had a red box-like object strapped on.

I blinked, 'Mmm… She really is pretty…'

"I assume you're Master's new )Queen(?"

She nodded, flushing. "Y-yes. M-my name is R-Ruby G-Gremory."

I smiled at her. "Okay. Let's get to bed, then."

She nodded, still blushing. "W-where should I-I…"

My smile shifted to a smirk. "On the bed, of course."

She frowned, her blush fading. "But, isn't that where he sleeps?"

I shrugged. "And? I sleep with him all the time."

She started blushing again. "I-is that normal between couples?"

I nodded. She swallowed, before seeming to gather her courage, "V-very well, then. I shall join you."

I woke the next morning to Master shaking me. I looked up confusedly. Master sighed. "Wake up, kitten. We have a lot to talk about."

Seven minutes later, Master concluded his explanation on Claims.

I yawned. "I knew." '…Or at least, I suspected.'

"What?"

"I knew that I was making a Soul-Bond. I just wanted to make sure that I always knew where you were, and if you ever needed my help." I yawned again, rubbing my eyes. "It's not a big deal. You promised that I could stay by your side as long as I like, right?"

There was a pause. I assumed from his erratic aura that Master was changing some part of his soul. 'O-oh… he's supposed to kiss me now…'

I flushed slightly as Master turned to me. He leaned over to me, and kissed me on the lips.

A chorus of voices told a story. A story that was achingly familiar, yet still so very alien.

The Fool… loves completely.

I was startled from my thoughts by the sound of a door opening. I stayed still, unable to sit up as a giant entered my field of vision. He had long, red hair, a pretty face, and green eyes.

He stands with arms wide open, hoping to give away hugs for free. He does not consider this work, he believes this is necessary. Believes that someone has to hold you captive from your own fears. No need to disavow a need to be held. Weld your arms around his shoulders, glue your cheek to his chest, test his commitment if you must, The Fool will never let you go. Nor will he keep you forever. He will be yours until you say so.

I smiled, allowing my new mother to hold me. Even if she wasn't my first mother, I would still protect her like she were. I decided, right then, that I really enjoyed cuddles. I wasn't sure if past-me did, but I loved the comfort and security it provided to both the giver and the receiver. If I ever fell in love, I would snuggle them as much as possible, so that they never had any doubt about what they meant to me.

The Fool was brought up with no sense of direction. If it comes down to it he will fall up. The Fool doesn't know how to stop, but he is expected to understand in the instant his hand is let go, he is expected to know that the tiny kindnesses… were just pretend. He is expected to transcend his own feelings and step aside to make way for the 'something better' that so suddenly came along.

"Millicas-sama!" a voice called, "There you are, Millicas-sama. Honestly, this is the third time today. You really must stop getting lost." I turned, my wide, four-year-old eyes turning to see a maid approaching me. I sighed.

Silly creature.

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T̬̪͚͉͖̝̪͋ͨͥ̾ͧ̊̌h͙̬̺̤̪̺͐́ĕ̙̠̪̠̘̜̩͌͘ ̫̈̃̚v͎̪̠͖̹̰̊͞ͅǫ̲̣̇ͩ͊̒̑̇ͮi͉̘̺̖͚̺̥͑͘d̾ ̺́w̤ͦa̷̍̒ͧs̘̭͒ͧͪͣ̋ ̰̃̀n̟͎̤̺̺͔͚ͨͣ̃ͪͨ̚ô̴ͤ̐̐͂ẗ̛́ ̘̰̫͓̪̈́ͭ̎́fͭ̃ͪ̽̍ͩo̿̓̏ͦ̓҉̜̜͕̦̝͎r̵̐͛̏̀ͫͦ̚ ͗̌ͩ̎͋m̼͕̺ͣ̇o̴͕͙̖͌̃͊̇̓̏ͦr̖͚̆ͨ̉͑̄̉t̪͍̱̹ͯ̑͝a̡̝ͯl͐͏͈̫͓ ̶ͪͭͣ͌̒̚m̹̯͍͛͗̇ͫͤ͆ͤ̀i̖̜̼̰͍̱̅̅͒ͧņ͈̻d̤̟̘͎͎s͎̱͙̰̜

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Love is for humans.

))I know Nothing.((

))Yet, I understand Everything.((

))And so, I shall chase the Dream.((

He smiles as his ears become garbage bins, filling with the throw away advice that people always give, but never seem to take. His body becomes the lake into which others will throw the stone of his heart, hoping it will sink beyond rescue. Even in this, he will glue his hands together, and wish you an unrelenting happiness. He will break himself open and offer up his trust, knowing it is the only gift worth giving, that the hardest part of living, is watching what others will do with it.

))I soothe the restless((

))And console the weary((

))A fading memory,((

))A living memorial, ((

))The lost ones take form.((

But the Fool believes.

))We stand with the Infinite,((

))As We weep for the Dream.((

The Fool believes that there are those who would keep it bastioned within the heavy chambers of their marrow, sacrificing their own bones for its protection. That the risk of finding one honest connection in the midst of bedlam is what makes the hurt worth it.

))Fight with me, Oh ye lost ones.((

))Free the broken ones,((

))Create peace between giants.((

He does this to prove that the only things that belong to us are the choices we choose. That we lose everything by risking nothing. That we bring about our own ending by pretending away our pain, as if we were somehow above it.

))For which we fight,((

))This Eternal freedom,((

The Fool steps blindly, reminding us we cannot simply bear what is necessary...

))Dreams of the Fallen.((

...we must love it.

I blinked back tears at the sight of his shattered psyche. 'I-is this what Master meant when he told me he was Distorted? Why have I never noticed?'

Master, almost panicking at the sight of my tears, sent me comforting thoughts. Eventually I calmed, but I still felt terrible.

Master crossed the room, gently pulled Ruby's hood away from her red face. He leaned over, and brushed his lips with hers.

My new Bond came to life.

Mostly... I get hung up on the stopping, the suddenness of abandoning a tether I both love and hate. Mostly I think that in stopping, there is loss. A vacuum I cannot imagine, but nevertheless dread.

A great red Dragon floated in a void before a single grave, standing lone sentinel, paying its' respects to everything it had lost. It turned, leaving the void in its' past, leaving for the future.

I am crushed under the fury of a perceived disgrace, my resolve corrupted by the whispering razors of suspicion, skinning my confidence, making trophies of my ruins.

A white Dragon flew in, setting the lone grave ablaze.

I convince myself to accept failure, before sacrifice is required. But still… I forge myself a philosophy that insists that if I am to succeed, then I must first surrender the relief my excuses provide.

The red Dragon returned, horrified at the carnage of the gravestone. Despite trying to leave it in the past, the Dragon still took up arms, charging the White One, demanding bloody recompense for its' losses.

There will be no alibis to let me deny my ability to make change happen. Mostly I'm afraid of the ending. When victory becomes a funeral. A lament for all the terrible poisons I thought were cures.

They fought endlessly over this, like they had fought over everything. Despite them once being siblings, they were now bitter enemies. They nursed their grievances into grudges, each choosing to blame the other for their losses, instead of accepting them.

Eventually, they stopped caring about the damage. When the world itself burned from their conflict, they merely raged on. So others were forced to stop them. They bound them with chains they dared not break, and placed them in prisons they could not destroy.

Mostly I shudder at the purity of a fresh start. I pause like boots in honor of untouched snow. Like a pen, raised in salute, giving the highest of respect to the start of a new sentence in a story.

Yet in the red Dragon's rage, a lone boy approached her. He smiled. Ignoring the chains, ignoring the scars. He held out his hand, asking her to leave behind her burnt bridges to build new ones.

It is changing.

She took the outstretched hand, her chains falling away as her form shrunk.