*The Nithloraul watched as Flynn swam toward her, more than likely expecting him to kick her further down into the water in an attempt to drown her. But when he saw him slice through the creatures tentacle, she felt more relieved than shocked as she floated to the surface. Once she made it to the top, she breathed in before responding* Aww, so you do really care, Flynn

"Was worth the wait?" Oasis panted, the glow of the tattoos that marked her body cooling into dimness until it disappeared. She leaned her cheek more into Rosemary's hand and grinned some. "Who said that we were done just yet?" She kissed Rose deeply, suckling on her tongue before she rolled her over onto her stomach. Her finger immediately entwined with her lovers. She placed Rose's hands above her head, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I love you, Rosemary Quartz. I really fucking doo~"
Her length still throbbed, asking for just a bit more pleasure.

Oasis squeezed her erection between Rose's thighs from behind, pushing it all back into her. A sharp gasp came before the moan this time, her shaft still sensitive from just releasing seconds earlier.

~

"A commoner?" Joseph looked at the lords as he finally pulled the bullet from his skull and flicked it at Alberto's forehead. "I, a commoner? Why? Because I see no need to flaunt my fortune as you do? You'd mind watching your tongue, peasant lord." He eyed them all, his wounds seeming to seal close and heal on their own. "We have a fat man, failure at doppelgangers, a man who looked as if he were cursed with hideousness by his own mother. This is quiet the selective few you've chosen to associate yourself with Wein."

Wein's eye twitched. "And one could assume that at the moment I would like you to associate yourself with a few more. All of them consist of led. Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be locked under the prison somewhere to rot where they left you?"

"You know that they weren't going to keep me long. I was merely a guest there. But haven't you heard the news Weiny Boy? Mother has put me in charge of the welcoming opening for these rats you have with you." Joseph gave a ghastly chuckle.

*Rosemary's eyes lit up with more excitement before she was turned over onto her stomach. She turned her head to look at Oasis before she spoke* W-Wait, you aren't gonna stick it in my a-AAAAHHH! *She was unable to finish as Oasis pushed her length back inside of her, moaning with lustful desire as she felt herself lose control again, her butt moving back and slamming against Oasis' pelvis as she moved inside of her*

*Alberto gave an offensive scoff* Rats!
*Ferdinand gave an assortment of offended noises, the rolls of flesh under and around his face shaking with rage as he spoke* Who do you think you are to mock us!?
*Amadeus turned his attention to Wein before he spoke* Wein, I do hope that you do something about this ruffian. Clearly, something is wrong with this man! And I don't just speak for his rude behavior

Before Nithloraul could even finish, she was splashed heavily by a large wave of water Flynn was able to create with a little extra strength. "No, I really, really don't. Anyways, are you done being deadweight? Or bait? You seem to be both often." He remarked with a rather uninterested expression before moving out of the way so he wouldn't get hit by the creature's limbs.

*Nithloraul gave an over-exaggerated expression of sadness as she spoke in a sarcastic tone* Aw, why do you hate me, Fwynn! *She made sure to move to the side by an inch as the limb came crashing down, the body of Zaath continuing its attack*

Oasis leaned over Rosemary's shoulder and kissed her lips with a savage passion, her hips moving harder and harder forward with every thrust. She couldn't stop moaning now, the pleasure being to much for her to keep them concealed behind the lips of her lover. She wanted to tell her so desperately how much she loved her, how much she wanted to give her her everything. But with the moans coming out first, she could barely bring herself to form a sentence that could be understood.

~

"Then you should clearly speak for yourself and yourself only, Lord Amadeus." Joseph's eyes cut at Amadues for only a brief second. "Or more or less find yourself beheaded."

"And I'm sure Mother would peel your skin back from your skull down." Wein replied, his hand itching towards his gun again.

The two exchanged a death glare, or for the most part, Wein gave out one while Joseph merely smirked at him knowingly as if it were all a game for him.

*As the two continued to stare at each other, Duncan walked back into the room, breaking the tension as he spoke* Uh, Lord Wein, I came to inform you that the request you asked of me has been taken care of

*With each thrust, each pleasured moan that escaped Oasis' lips, Rosemary followed with a moan of her own, her backside continuing to move back into Oasis' thrusting pelvis, moving her body against hers as she covered her mouth with a pillow to suppress her moans*

Oasis's trance of ecstasy was broken for a few small seconds, though her hips never stopped moving, chuckling throughout her moans when she used the pillow to cover her mouth. She smacked Rose's backside, leaning down to kiss along the back of her neck. "I-I love you Rosy!--ooooh~!" With one last hard thrust, she pushed her length as deep as she could into her lover before she began to release, her arms wrapping around her and holding her in a loving embrace. She released in spurts with small thrusts in between, moaning loudly.

~

"What a unexpected surprise," Joseph's smirk grew into a grin of triumph. "I didn't expect you to keep the dog around the house." That was the last thing he said before turning to the door. "Come on then. Mother awaits us."

Wein's glare turned towards Duncan, his jaw clenching. But he said nothing, and instead turned to follow behind Joseph reluctantly, motioning stiffly for the lords to do the same.

*The lords were hesitant at first, not wantig to follow this ruffian. But, reluctantly, they moved forward, with Duncan looking at the leaving group in curiosity* So, shall I go on patrol, Lord Wein?

*Rosemary loud out a howling moan of ecstasy, fully losing herself in the desire for Oasis, before her head fell forward into the pillow, clenching it tightly against her blushing face as she panted heavily, speaking to Oasis in a muffled tone* .... Damn, O

Oasis snickered while she too panted heavily, her length giving a few twitches still before finally, it began to soothe slowly. But as she pulled it out, she couldn't help but to release a small, shivering moan. She rested her chin on Rose's shoulder, nibbling on her neck a little more. "Now that, was amazing." Her hands wandered across Rose's skin, her palms warm and welcoming. "I hope I was able to make up for at least a little of those two years." She joked with a chuckle, a few beads of sweat trailing down her face.

~

"Yes. Go on patrol on the borders of this country." Wein answered sharply just to give Duncan something to do, anything that would rid him of the pest of a man. He straightened out his clothes, brushing himself off again to rid himself of the dust that only he could seem to see.

*Rosemary couldn't help but continue panting, a brief chuckle coming from it, as she turned her head to Oasis, a smile gracing her face as her hands locked with hers. She responded* Hmm. Let's make plans to do this again tonight and I think you'll be a little close

*Duncan gave a nod* Y-Yes, Lord Wein *He turned without another word*

(Okay, now Duncan, THAT is the Beta-Cuck male right there XD)

The corner's of Oa's lips lifted into a soft smile as she gave her reply. "Tonight it is then. It'll give us a chance to try that date that we never could get around to." She kissed her lips tenderly, climbing off of her to lay beside her. She propped herself up onto her elbow. She was silent in her brief second of thought until she spoke again. "So...how ya been?" She asked. "You guys been keeping yourselves out of too much trouble?"

*Rosemary returned the kiss as she responded* I look forward to it *She turned to her with a playful grin before she answered* Oh, you know, a little of this and a little of that. Had no trouble finding you. You being at the right place at the right time made it easy. I mean, I could've gone and visted Enricho and Ossiana, but, now that your here.... Eh, I guess we can always forget about it *A grin came to her face. It was clear that, despite her previous intentions, she'd be lying if she wasn't the least bit excited to run into the two again*

Mom and dad... Oasis again found herself thinking about her parents, as she had been since she had left them. "I'll have to pay them a visit soon." She said. "They're probably worried sick. I haven't been able to contact them myself for a while now. I hope they don't have their stomachs tied into too much of a knot." She reached out to Rose, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer, their bodies mashing together.
"Either way, I still know that they'll be more than happy to see you."

"You want the short story or the long one?" He growled back at her before he swam out of the way again, then dove into the water when another limb came crashing down so that he could slice it off clean as he had done so previously when the artifact was in trouble.

* * *

Helga's eyes suddenly shot open at the noise of a soft knock, but in her head, sounded like gunshots from afar. Her vision blurred, realizing she was still in the same room. Her arm was no longer dislocated, and she felt oddly... light. The mother rubbed the crust from her eyes, looking around some more before her eyes narrowed at the door that opened. She stared at Zealia walk in with a tray of breakfast, eyeing the bagel with cream cheese besides half an avocado and a small bowl of fruits. She made eye contact with her daughter, her left ear perking slightly when she heard her say good morning.

"I-I know it's not much, but this should be enough to help you start gaining back your energy." Zealia attempted a smile for her mother as she set the tray on her lap. She went to open the curtains to let the sun beam through the windows, but ended up frowning some and closing them a little when she realized her mother's eyes were too sensitive for the sunlight.

Helga stared down at her plate of food, then back up at Zealia. She didn't take a bite, and instead slowly leaned against a pillow while fidgeting with the napkin. It didn't take long for Zealia to sit besides her and instead resort to forcing her to eat. She cut the bagel into slices, stabbing one with a fork and holding it against her mother's shaking head.

".....n....n-n..oo.." Helga turned her head to the side, almost as if she was scared of what she held.

"Mom, please, you must eat! It's just a bagel!!!" Her brows furrowed, and despite her not wanting to do this in the first place, she forced Helga's mouth open and shoved the slice inside. Helga immediately gagged at the solid food, spitting it out as she continued to cough. Zealia took a step back in surprise, fetching a trashcan where she held it up for minutes as her mother puked into it. She wasn't used to eating anything solid for three years. Her food only consisted of expired oatmeal, rotten bananas, and occasional green jello.

The sick woman wiped her mouth after she was done, tears on the brink of her eyes while watching her daughter hold back her own vomit to empty out the bucket. Helga sighed, her ears drooping. She went to curl a piece of her tangled hair to distract herself, only to realize... there was no loose strand anymore. No bouncy curls, or in this case, knots. No more of her luxurious hair. No more dignity. She patted her shaved head, heaving in disbelief while unwrapping her headwrap. Tears yet again began to drip from her face, her hands sliding from her scalp down to her neck. She continued to touch her face, inspecting her swollen cheeks and crusty lips. She could feel the dead skin cells on her face that deeply needed an exfoliation. She could touch how disgusting she felt on the inside now. But before she could whimper, she heard whimpering from the bathroom where her daughter had gone. Although her hearing was not as sharp, she could never confuse her children's cries. She heard sniffling and sobbing from the bathroom where Zealia was. She could feel her pain from where she sat.


Helga rubbed at her eyes to hide herself from crying before her daughter would walk out. She sniffed too before looking down at the avocado and fruits, before suddenly smashing the avocado and squishing it repeatedly until it was nothing but mush. She did the same for the fruits, crushing them from their solid states. And when Zealia came out, she was relieved that her mother was indeed cooperating and eating scoops of the mush.

*Rosemary gave Oasis a smile as she looked at her* Well, how soon did you consider, O? *As they spoke, she reached toward her pile of clothes, finding it rather difficult with Oasis hugging her, not that she was complaining. She was just barely able to grab hold of her carrying bag, reaching in to take out a few stray bullets as she spoke* I was planning on using the gunpowder inside to lead us to Enricho. And, after all, Oswald did say we had a few days before we reach dry land. So what do you say, O. I'm sure your parents are worried about you. We can go and visit them before our date *She gave Oasis a smile, doing her absolute best to try and get Oasis to crack a smile*

The one that makes it easy for me to make you stop *Nithloraul said before she jumped from the water, using her abilities to slice through another oncoming limb before landing perfectly into the water*

Oasis frowned some at first as she thought about it, but as she looked at Rosemary, a smile slowly crept onto her face. And soon, she was chuckling lightly, shaking her head until she leaned in to kiss her again. "You know what..yeah, that sounds like a plan to me, Rose." She said finally. "It'll give us enough time for you and I to catch up on some more." She paused for a moment. "What do you think they'll say about this?" She gestured to her mechanical arm and leg. "Think they'll freak too much?"

*Rosemary gave a chuckle* Ha, yeah right. Maybe for a second, but then they'll remember they got Helga, the strongest witch in the world. She'll grow you some new limbs, good as new. May be terrifying and painful at first, but it gets the job done *She couldn't help but chuckle, a snort coming from her laugh before she calmed herself and responded* So, I'll go and tell our beloved captain that we're going on leave for a few moments. I'm sure I can convince my little baby brother. You just make yourself look presentable for the hunter and his wife, okay *She gave Oasis a thumbs up, shaking ever so slightly from a small ounce of excitement*

Oasis stared at Rosemary this time, not being able to help but to smile at her. But what separated this one from the previous was that it was...vulnerable. Tender and loving, and meant for Rosemary only. She moved a few disheveled strands of hair from in front of Rose's face, resting her forehead against hers. "You know...it's been a few years, Ro.." She took Rosemary's free hand into her own, smiling a bit more. "Hey...take a guess at what I'm thinking right now."

*Rosemary couldn't help but return the smile as she looked at Oasis smile, her hand wrapping around hers, her fingers becoming entwined with Oasis', before she attempted an answer* You're thinking, "How do I get myself into these sorts of messes" *A fit of laughter with a snort followed*

Oasis rolled her eyes, laughing a little. "I mean, if this would be considered a mess, then I'd be happy as hell to be wallowing in it." She grinned for a moment, but then smiled again. "But no, you're a little far off."

*Rosemary gave a playful smile, her hand resting on her cheek before she responded* Hmm, I don't know. Tell me, O

Oasis rested her hand on hers, giving a sort of awkwardly nervous, yet calm sort of chuckle. "Well...I remember those years ago that I sorta made you a promise. Or..err...myself, a promise I guess. Rose...will you mind letting me put a ring on that pretty little finger of yours?" She grinned a little. "Or I guess to be straightforward, will you marry me?"

*Rosemary's grin seemed to disappear into a look of total surprise, before changing to a massive grin, unable t stop herself from blushing and giggling* O-Oh... Wow, O. Y-You aren't supposed to see me get this flustered. I-I- *She covered her cheeks with her hands, unable to stop smiling before she looked up at O* O-Of course, O. I told you I never wanna leave your side again, and I ain't about to change my mind

A small but deep blush of red came to Oasis's cheeks, and she looked away a little out of embarrassment. But upon hearing Rosemary's answer, she grinned like never before. "I hope you never do, because I plan on staying with you for the rest of my life. And I dunno, maybe stick my foot in a dude's mouth if they try messing with ya."

*Rosemary giggled as she kept her hand locked with Oasis* Hey, I'm a strong girl. I can handle myself. Don't forget, I'm still five years older than you *She giggled before getting up, working on throwing her clothes on* You'd better get ready, O. We'll be meeting your parents in a few seconds. I'll be damned if my bride to be isn't gonna have the greatest reunion ever, and I ain't just talking about us

"Lets hope we can make it just that. The greatest ever." Oasis stretched some while she still had to opportunity to in bed, letting out a sigh of complete satisfaction. And as she got up and turned to where her clothes had been thrown, her back was exposed. And with it, the latest addition that had added itself to the patterns that marked her body. Unlike the others, these markings had sharper ends to them, yet their curves were so graceful in form and complimented her figure well.

*Rosemary looked as Oasis turned around, her eyes setting themselves on her back, a smile gracing her lips. Once she was dressed, she grinned playfully, slapping Oasis on her rear before heading out* Be back in a bit, love

Oasis was swift enough to return the smack or on the rear with a playful grin of her own, calling to her while she was on her way out. "Don't take too long baby, we've got a lot too do and I'd rather you be at my side before anything is settled."

*Rosemary gave a playful yelp as she turned to her* Well aren't you a quick little devil *She smiled to her before she hurried out the door to meet with Oswald, but once she did, the entire ships crew turned to her, their arms crossed. Oswald was the first to speak* Could you two be any louder?
*Rosemary gave a shrug as she responded* Sorry. Had to catch up on things. Anyway, Lil' Ozzy, Oasis and I are going to be heading out for a bit. Gotta meet the parents and all that stuff. You understand, right?
*Oswald raised his eyebrow before responding* As long as you promise to bring her back before we reach dry land. She's one of our better fighters, and I'd hate for her to be missing if something went bad
*Rosemary gave a shrug* Please. You got enough crew members her *She turned to Crow* You got a machine *To Lilith* The Holy knight *And finally, to Layla* And, uh..... Well I'm not too familiar with you, but I'm sure you got something
*Oswald gave a sigh, before waving her off* You two just make sure to make it back soon
*Rosemary smiled* Thanks, Ozzy. *She didn't hesitate to run off back into the room with Oasis, already taking her potion out of her pouch, ready to add the gunpowder to it* O, you'd best be ready

"That one doesn't and will never exist." Flynn replied after he rose to the surface of the water, shaking his head some and observing the giant creature for any weak spots. As it was distracted with Nithloraul, he took advantage of sneaking behind it and crawling up where he could place magical bombs on every crevice possible. And when he set them off, he quickly hopped off its body and took Nithloraul with him to avoid exploding as well.

* * *

"---huh?" Layla blinked from the letter she read and held in her hands, tears on the edge of her eyes. She sniffled some before processing Rosemary's words in her mind, searching through her bag to pull out a pan she used years ago. "I-I've got this!" She said in an effort of a joke before she curled a strand of her short hair behind her ear. She folded the letter from one of her best friends, clutching it lightly within her grasp. It had been so long since Zealia messaged her. So many times she denied her request of going out and having fun after her parents went missing. She noticed how thin she was getting after refusing to buy anything to eat, saying that all her savings would go to her parents and none for her. And later on, she pushed Layla away for the better good, knowing that having close friends would only make her vulnerable in the world, or so her brother said.

Layla stood up from where she was sitting, dusting her hands off her pants before she cleared her throat and spoke towards Oswald who wasn't far. "Oswald, y-your mother and f-father have been f-found." She said with a smile, hoping that would give him some sort of happiness from all the stress he's had to endure in the past.

* * *

Helga forced herself to eat every last clump of mush that was in the plate, because deep down she knew she had to or else her body would fail her. It was already not receiving the necessary requirements it needed daily or at least weekly. She licked the last bit of strawberry mush from her thumb before drying her hands. Zealia helped hold the glass of water against her mother's lips so that she could drink, for the light weight of it was still too much for Helga to hold. However, she did admit that the simplicity of an avocado did fulfill her hunger, but only briefly. She rested against the bed again, closing her eyes for a moment before she slowly opened them again, making eye contact with her daughter.

"....i-i-i.....h...ve... n-night...m..are..." Her hoarse voice attempted to speak.

"I'm sorry." Was all that Zealia could say. "You must have been having nightmares every day for the past three years and I didn't do anything about it."

Helga shook her head at her daughter. "....b...br..others... o..kay?"

"Wiezen Jr. told me he would visit later today to check on you. Oswald is sailing across the sea in search for his sister." However, there was no word about Elijah. This made Helga frown tiredly.

"....E-Eli?"

Zealia's eyes wavered as she tried to keep contact with her mom's, but she had to look away, distracting herself with making the empty plates disappear. "...I-I don't know, mama."

"....w-w-what.... h-h..ow... n...n-not... k-know?"

"He doesn't want anyone to know." Her voice cracked slightly. "...I think we should go out for a walk to get some vitamin D, don't you think? We can have a picnic and I can help you with magic and---"

"ELIJAH!!!!!" Helga strained her vocal chords to shout her son's name, tears from the pain heating her skin. Zealia recoiled some, her ears drooping when she released a sigh.

"I-I'm sorry, mom, I don't know."

Helga looked around again, her chest already falling and rising faster than it should have as she unintentionally began to heave in a panic. "...e-eli???? ....T-T-Two?!?!...." She paused for a moment, thinking about Wiezen now being back in this world. "M-Ms. Y-Y-Yiel?!?!?" The mother screamed in her guttural voice.

Zealia tapped her fingers, for she was not sure of who were Two or Y'iel. She wasn't sure if they were her imaginary friends Wiezen Jr. warned her about or if they were real. Her hands cupped her mother's in attempt to calm her down. "Please, mom, breathe!"

Helga took deep breaths in an effort to reduce her anxiety, even though it was skyrocketing through the roof. But her eyes suddenly shot open and she screamed. "MACROSS!!!" She had forgotten about her, for she was the reason she had to leave and tell her children and maybe even Wiezen that she was loose. Was she the reason Elijah wasn't there? Why Two wasn't?

"....what?" Zealia blinked, looking around awkwardly before she went to touch her mother's forehead to see if she had a fever. "Mom, I don't know what you're saying!" She frowned, her eyebrows wiggling into a helpless furrow.

Helga wanted to rip her hair out in frustration, but she had none left. She wasn't given the chance to tell Wiezen about the Therian or about Y'iel or about Macross or about anything she wanted to tell him. She banged her head against the wall rather harshly, to the point where Zealia had to step in and remove her mother from the bed and hold her down until she calmed. She refused to believe her brother was right about her needing to go back to the asylum, and would do everything in her power to fix her mom.

"....new th-th..erian! p-profe..ssor monster! Macross m-m-mon..ster! m-monster p-p-partner...ship??!?! Niece h-h-hurt?! N-Niece captured?! Ms. Y-Y-Yiel n-no t-teacher w-without s-students!!!" She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "WH-WHERE T-T-TOWEL?!" She screamed brokenly.

Zealia frowned as she listened to her mother, but eventually started to put piece by piece together with what she could. She blinked when her mother yelled for a towel, and when she brought her one, she threw it back and told her to get her the one she brought from Y'iel's house – or rather, the purple one. And once it was brought to her, she sniffed it and held it closely. "M-Ms. Y'iel!" She held up the towel at Zealia.

The young woman stared at the towel and her mother in confusion. The towel... was Y'iel? She shook her head before speaking to her mom. "We encountered a therian with father's features." She informed her, perking Helga's interest. "Papa said it was former queen of the Oni who designed him and this other person named Carlyle who looks a lot like someone familiar... He said he would take care of it last night. Is that your... niece?"

Helga was right! It was her who was behind all of this! She sighed of relief, but not because she was relieved, but rather because she was glad that the information she shared with Y'iel was true. At the last of her question, she slowly nodded softly, rubbing at the towel she now held.

*The Nithloraul let out a pout* T-That's no fair, Fly- *Before she could finish, Flynn and her fell back into the water, the bombs exploding over Zaath's body. The flesh and bone was blown to pieces, but it's heart managed to survive the blast. It's beating heart kept going, as the corpse, in vain, readied for another attack*

*Oswald sat down, giving a sigh, before he looked at Layla. He was ready to dismiss her, his hand already waving her off* Please, Layla, I know you have many questions about this Rosemary, but I would prefe- *He stopped himself once she spoke about his mother. He looked up, an expression of shock and surprise on his face* W-Wait, are you serious? How can you be so sure?

"My goodness, that body!!" Eros exclaimed when Rosemary walked in to witness Oasis redressing.

Oasis was just pulling down her short shirt all the way when Rosemary came back into the room, and she turned to her after she had spoken, though she hadn't caught Eros's comment. "Already ready, don't have to tell me twice." She took the time to take in all of Rosemary's features at that moment, which in turn brought a smile back onto her face. She kicked the jacket that she had been wearing upon arrive up into her grasp where she proceeded to slide it on.

~

"Enkantardae!" The mist within the crystal ball grew into a thick smog that shifted between colors that seemed to be mashed together and separated all in the same motion. The sphere began to tremble some before cracking, and soon, exploding into tiny fragments that perished in the process. Another process of failure.

Y'iel let out a groan of frustration that quickly began to shift into a stressful growl. She sniffled lightly, her ears lowered and a deep frown settled at her lips.

"Ms. Y'iel, please. I am well aware that this would be the most inappropriate moments to be relaying this, however, you have to remain calm enough for us to at least conjure up a vague idea of where she may be." Gildrit walked to her side with two different types of potions in his possesion: one being a bubbling oily purple liquid, and the other being a light blue in contrast. "You haven't taken a rest since yesterday."

"The children..." Y'iel let out a tedious sigh. "I cannot...I will not allow myself to take even a moments rest until they are all back within the confines of safety. Macross has to be found! She MUST!"

~

[Meanwhile]

Charlie watched as the members of the cathedral began to pour out through the doors to depart, and, as one could assume, go home. Or at least, that's what he believed people did after going to things like churches. He waited while each individual went their separate way, some in clusters and groups that they associated themselves with. And it wasn't until they all had cleared the grounds did he start to make his way onto them again, grimacing at the sharp ringing that entered his head. However this time, he kept forward, his eyes on the doors of the holy building. He could hear the low hymn that drifted from within, that burned into his mind and peeled at his eardrums.
He crossed the distance that set him away from the cathedral quickly, pushing open the doors despite it feeling like it took a greater effort to do so than it normally would have with a door of all things. As he walked inside, he immediately took note at the massive size of the cathedral's interior, not that it hadn't already seemed large enough from the outside. A vibrant light from the enclosed flames that were placed in numerous places for lighting splashed across the bare isles and the rows that separated them. And soon, he would find that he was not alone.

The stone that constructed the walls of the building seemed cold and steep, the windows a colorful display of visual scriptures and depictions. The floors were covered in single strips of red carpet that led up to the alter. The alter, in which a figure dressed in light robes knelt peacefully in prayer. Or so it seemed. "So the spirits speak truth. There is indeed a foulness that has entered the grounds of the Savior. What be it your business that you have waited to seek me out specifically in isolation, daemon?"

*Rosemary tired to shake her head from Eros' comment so she could focus on what Oasis was saying, a smile coming to her face* Perfect. Then let's get ready. *Without hesitation, she poured the contents of the gunpowder into the potion, shaking the bottle so that it would get it's blue hue, and passed it to Oasis* You first, O

*Enricho placed a cooked snake onto the plate that rested on Orio's highchair, observing as she ate before his attention was brought back to Ossiana, who was still lying on the bed* A whole week and still no change. What the hell could be affecting her like this?

Oasis's brow furrowed together, an expression of distaste coming onto her face. "...freaking hate these things.." She mumbled, taking the potion into her hands reluctantly. "See you on the other side then." She gave her a quick peck on the lips before drinking some of the potion and passing it back to her. There was enough time for her to give a thumbs up, and then poof! She was gone.
-
Oasis reappeared just at the borders of the desert, magic dust falling from around her as she blinked her eyes a few times for them to adjust. The intense heat from the sun felt good enough to almost make her shiver, for it had been a long while since she had been back home. Back to the desert.

She looked at her hands, catching patches of dark brown and black disappearing, as if her detecting them had caused them to flee from existence. The smooth surface of her tail grew slightly rigid and spiny, and she stretched like never before. "I'M BACK BITCHES!!!"

-

Back within the room, Ossiana's eyes slowly opened, her tail and ears twitching. She began to sniffle hard until she could pick up on some sort of smell. Intruder She jumped up entirely, the scent that had managed to register in her clogged nostrils being identified as competition. Someone was invading her territory.

*Rosemary giggled* I think they taste great, as great as dirty socks taste *Once Oasis disappeared, Rosemary wasted no time drinking the potion, before she too appeared in the desert, and already, she gave a tired sigh* Oh god, O. You never told me Enricho and Ossiana lived out here. I understand how Ossiana could survive, but how did that ol' hunter manage this for so long

*As soon as she god up, Enricho's eyes opened wide with surprise. His first instinct was to walk over and wrap his arms around her, holding her close as he could* Oh, thank god, Oss. I didn't think you'd ever wake up. How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Orio was worried about you as well

"Prema--sphrava!" Ossiana hissed as she broke away from Enricho's embrace and shoved him off of her. "Off, human!" She exhaled hard through her nostrils, which only led to her sneezing a few times. She snatched up her ax and was making her way to the door all in the next moment.

-

Oasis looked up at the sun, shading her eyes and smiling some. "He managed how we always have. With us, and as a family. They say home is where your heart is, right? And it feels pretty good out here though too wouldn'cha say?"

*Enricho was barely bale to catch himself as he fell to the ground, watching as she suddenly picked up her axe. He got up, clutching his head, before he spoke to her* Oss, what's going on? You can't be moving around so much after you just woke up. We still don't know what happened to you

*Rosemary waved her hands to cool herself down, as she answered* Hey, if you're enjoying yourself, I guess I can too

"You never spoke to me about her, or about any other possible Quartzes in this world!" Zealia exclaimed with slight agitation.

Helga remained quiet, fidgeting with the purple towel as she avoided contact with her daughter. Her and Wiezen had spoken to them about their dead siblings and aunt a very long time ago, however, they never really went into detail about them. ".....s-s-so...rry...." She choked out an apology. Zealia sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed before she suddenly hugged her mother. Helga's eyes widened in shock, hesitantly stroking Zealia's hair in their embrace before she placed a small kiss on her forehead. "n-n-need... t...o... c-c-contact Y-Y'iel..."

Zealia blinked, thinking it was maybe just another one of her mom's imaginary friends. "I-It's okay, mom, you're safe now, no need to contact what isn't real! Let me dress you and we can go out for some--"

"i..is... real...." Her ears drooped now in doubt of her own self.

"Mom, it was a dream, remember? T--"

"N-N-no... sh-she t-talks, a-and l-la..ughs, a-and b-blinks, and l-likes wate--"

"Mother." Zealia looked into the broken ones of the woman who raised her. "Please. Take a walk with me, and your mind will finally relax."

"b-b-but... m-m-must s-send m-message..."

"Accompany me to the shop to retrieve ink for your letter then." Zealia shifted her idea in attempt to lure her mom into going. Helga found it weird that they didn't have ink, or paper for that matter, but she said nothing of it. Instead, she just nodded without arguing.

Zealia sighed, now relieved as she helped her mother up and prepared her for the day.

* * *

Flynn growled when he realized the explosion had not done that much damage, for the heart was still beating. He released the artifact into the water before telling her to seek shelter in case the heart bursted into sharp "icicles." And without much thought of what he would do next, he crawled at a high point to jump off of, his body diving like a torpedo with his magical sword aimed downward at the heart while he fell.

* * *

Layla smiled some at Oswald's reaction before she gave him reassuring nod. "Yes! Your sister teleported me a letter!" She said, waving the papers she had in her hand. But then her smile slowly turned into a frown as he further explained. "She is recovering from the years spent in the asylum, but... I'm afraid your father had to leave. However, Zealia wanted to let you know he sent his goodbyes for you and the rest of your siblings." She handed him the letter, and at the very end of it there was a small photograph attached with a paperclip, it being an image of the distressed woman he knew as his mom sleeping within the thick bed covers.

*Oswald looked over the paper, his expression softening as he read the letter, his eyes not leaving it once. As he finished, he just kept his eyes on the paper before he looked up at Layla, giving her a nod* Thank you, Layla. I appreciate you giving this letter to me. *Despite his reassurance, there was a hint of sadness in his tone of voice*

*As soon as Flynn sent the blade into the heart, all that could be heard from the corpse of Zaath was a low, gutteral moan of pain before his body began to wilt, the beating of the heart stopping completely, as did the falling ash of the city. As the ash stopped falling, voices came into the minds of Flynn and the Nithloraul. And the voices spoke as such*

This town
This damn town
A place you go when you have lost everything
Cheated, left with nothing
A victim of chance
This town is where criminals, enemies of the state, traitors, and those wanting to get away head to
But our lives are ruined and we've nowhere to go
We are nothing
But then came Zaath
With the promise to make us more than nothing
The chance to make us something
...
And you took that away from us
Why must everything be taken from us
No matter how hard we claim it

*Kristoff watched as the ashes from the sky continued to fall, and watched as the corpse of Zaath slowly crumbled into ash itself, falling into the sea* So... That is what came of the residence of this little town, huh? The Servants have no consideration for the world.

Layla nodded at him, however, the small smile she conjured was one of pity. She hesitated before slowly resting her hand on his shoulder. "Are you... okay? You seem... troubled..." She attempted to start a conversation with him, hoping maybe it would make him feel better.

* * *

Flynn tried to shun the voices out of his head by plugging his ears, but he found that they were inside of him. He let himself fall into the water, and didn't really react as he sunk deeper and deeper. It was almost like hearing the voices made him not want to come up for air at all. However, with only a few minutes to spare of what others would consider too long underwater, he indeed rose, but his expression was blank as he swam towards a protruding rock to catch his breath in for a while.

* * *

Helga stood there, her arms hung to the side as she was being measured by her own daughter. She stayed in the comfy robe she was put in last night to keep warmth, awaiting Zealia's ideas on her outfit for the day. As she did so, she looked around the luxuries boutique that was closed for today. The fabrics were one of a kind, and the dozens of textures she utilized made her stand out from the rest of the designers. She grazed her thumb on one of the silky dresses that hung on a skeleton model, eyeing the dozens of replicas of the dress stacked on the rack below them of different sizes. Only then she realized her wedding dress was one of the best items sold in that boutique, a dress that she herself designed when she married Wiezen. The corner of her lips twitched into a crooked smile and the memories that flowed through her mind, like cutting the wedding cake, only to realize Elijah was eating the cake inside out. She released a hoarse giggle, her ears drooping some before her attention went back to Zealia when she brought her outfit for the day.

Zealia helped dress her mother in a pair of black, high waisted pants, accompanied with a black turtleneck and comfortable flat shoes. She topped her mother's look off with a grey trench coat that had a belt tied securely around her thin waist. As for her head, she tied a colorful link to hide her scalp and her chipped, crooked ears. Unlike ever before, Helga's outfit was now very reserved and secretive. One because she was constantly cold, and two because she hated her appearance and saw no motive of putting effort on how she looked. However, despite her conserved outfit, her bewitching Quartz face was still visible. Her bruised lips and small scars around her cheeks were the only source of color on her fair skin. Her bushy, but arched brows gave her some sort of "wild" vibe, and there was no makeup covering her scattered freckles or wrinkles that held signs of aging surprisingly nice. She no longer looked like she was in her late twenties, and instead in her early forties. And despite being dragged through the very worst, there was a part of her beauty that never seemed to fully go away.

Helga tucked her trembling hands into the trench coat's pockets, rubbing at its velvety fabric. She denied Zealia's offer of makeup, and instead hurried her to get ready so that they could be on their way. She made sure to bring the purple towel with her too.

*Oswald looked up at Layla, before he nodded Yes, I am alright. Thank you for your concern, Layla *Despite that, it was clear there was more to it than just that. He was not telling Layla everything, but it was as if he didn't want to*

*As Flynn rose from the water, he was helped up by the Nithloraul and Ophelia, who brought him to shore as Kristoff kept his gaze on the collapsing corpse of Zaath, his body crumbling to the last bit of ash before he spoke* That takes care of another servant, Flynn. You may go and see your family until we find the next Servant, Nucatath (New-Sah-Tah-th), The Starved. I'll send Reinard with you when you arrive
*Nithloraul waved her hand* Yeah, yeah. Alright, Flynn, here *She reached into the pouch that Franziska had given her and took out a small pebble* One of those pebbles Franziska loved collecting. Use it to make us a teleportation potion and make it snappy. The sooner the better, okay!

Ossiana paid no mind to anything that Enricho was saying to her, clutching her head in pain and agitation as she staggered her way to the door, the door in which she had torn off days ago during one of Tiger's visits, and shoved it out of her way.

Once she was outside, she growled at the sudden brightness that met her eyes and caused her to take a few steps back. It didn't take long for her to overcome this, however. Her gaze shifted from left to right rapidly, and when she finally pin pointed what she had smelled earlier, she was off instantly towards it.

-

Oasis looked over at Rosemary with an raised eyebrow. "That's somethin' I've been wanting to ask you about. Do you and Jud ever get hot? Like is heat something that you guys can feel?"

"Well, before we decided to make amends and mend bridges, her sense of touch was...out of whack." Eros answered for her. "It still sorta is for us really. What's cold to you is warm to us. What maybe hot to you is warm to us too, but sense wise anyways. You're the first thing that's...I dunno..."

"Huh? Hey, don't do that!" Oasis furrowed her brows. "What does "I dunno" mean?"

"You have a different type of heat. Makes us feel...warm and...tingly inside." Eros admitted, the tone of her voice showing hints of embarrassment.

A chuckle came from Oa, and she smiled. "Well I hope that I can keep that feeling going then."

~

"Demon?" Charlie lifted his eyebrows and whistled for a long moment. "Name calling already huh? I thought you religious people were against that sorta stuff. "Judge not or be judged" or somethin' like that right?"

"Do not trifle with me. I believe I asked you a question." The individual at the alter rose to his feet, the white robes perishing to reveal the red and tan holy robes. The man that was revealed was one of his late thirties, a well groomed beard rolling off of his chin. And as he turned around, his hands were at a rest behind his back.

"You're a priest right? And the head over this place too I'd assume, at least by the feeling of that aura comin' off ya." Charlie leaned against once of the long wooden benches. "And if you're the head of this place, then I'd think that you'd know some pretty nifty stuff huh? Though, you don't look like the average priest either uh--, Father Shuong Lou? And besides, didn't want to scare your pupils off and all."

The priest narrowed his eyes, an expression of unamusement chiseling onto his face. "Get out." The man spoke firmly and with a simple message, his hands now resting in front of him.

"What? I haven't even gotten to the part about why I'm here!" Charlie exclaimed. "SO, what happened wa--" Before he could finish, what felt like two devilishly hot irons being pushed against his chest, followed by a force that blew him off of his feet. He was sent flying all the way to the door where he crashed into it before slumping down to the ground.

The monk-priest released a long, calm sigh, his fists trembling with a shimmering dim light that faded away. He straightened himself from his attacking stance. "The wicked are not served here. May the light guide your soul to Elsewhere."

((Father Shuong Lou of the Ministry of Holy Disciples.))

*Enricho hurried after Ossiana, but before he could head out, she was already heading out into the vast desert, and he called out to her* Oss! *He was prepared to run after her, but he didn't dare run and leave Orio behind. He hurried back in, picking Orio up from her high chair* Sorry to interrupt your meal, Orio. But we gotta go after your mom *He placed a small cloak over Orio to cover her from the heat and made his way outside, following the footprints in the sand after Ossiana*

*Rosemary gave a nod* Yeah, what Eros said *As she continued to fan herself, an echoing call could be heard throughout the desert. It was faint, but Rosemary could still hear it* What was that?

"What was what?" Oasis questioned, her posture stiffening with wariness as she looked around, listening. And though she couldn't see anything, if Rosemary heard something then she trusted her instincts just as much as she would her own. And then she heard the faded echo of the calling as well.
"C'mon, lets get on the move."

-

Orio let out a wail of dismay as she was taken from her highchair, her hands reaching out for the snake that she had just been given only seconds before. At first she managed to get a grip on it until it slipped from her hands and onto the floor. And with that, her bottom lip poked out in a pout, tears welling up in her eyes.

Layla frowned at Oswald's response, recognizing the fake grin and words used. They were similar to her mother's words when she constantly asked for her daddy when she was still a toddler. "...Hey...." She began softly. "It's okay.... My mom always says if you keep all your feelings up, you're going to explode like a grenade and destroy everything at once, including yourself."

* * *

Flynn stared at the pebble he was given, polishing it gently with his thumb before his glance returned to Nithloraul. He then eyed Kristoff, then back at the artifact as if he was debating something. He already had drowned Nithloraul, so with that in mind, he launched the pebble right at Kristoff's forehead with incredible force for him to shut up about his next mission. He didn't say a word as he went to retrieve it to carry on with the spell.

* * *

Helga struggled to keep up with Zealia's pace as they strolled through the streets of the city, but she didn't mind interlocking her arm with her mother's to make sure she had somewhere to lean on in case she got tired. Helga's eyes were squinted constantly because she was still not used to the natural lighting of the sun. But boy did it feel good to finally inhale aromas that were not week-old urine stains or vomit. The sun was beaming strongly, and Helga seemed to be the only one in the crowd with a full outfit on. This was also because her skin was too sensitive to the sun now after being locked from it for years. She avoided contact with people that passed them by, and even when they complimented her head wrap or trench coat, she was still too scared and shy to reply. Zealia attempted to distract her mother by taking her to bakeries and restaurants, however, she was surprised when she noticed her mother no longer found interest as much in sweets. She looked... a little bored with what her daughter was trying to cheer her up with. She said no thank you to cotton candy, and instead took samples of prune juice from grocery stands. Helga indeed enjoyed spending time with Zealia, but she still had things to take care of. She tapped her shoulder and nudged her some more as her daughter inspected different jewels from a jewelry stand.

"---huh?"

Helga held up the purple towel she brought with her with an eager expression to send a message. "....p-p-pa..per..."

"Oh, mom, why don't you put that down and look at the jade earrings here? I can get you whatever you want! I have enough money to spoil you more than you did with me!"

The mother sighed, shaking her head. She didn't want precious jewels or chocolate or candy, she wanted paper. And a pen. She held the towel back up again, insisting to do what she wanted with begging eyes.

Zealia finally sighed before thanking the woman from the jewelry shop and exiting with her mom. This brought a smile to her face. However, her crooked smile soon turned into a frown when she was lead to one of the benches by the park. She looked around, confused as to where or why they were sitting down now. But then her ears twitched briefly in her headwrap when she heard papers ruffle in Zealia's pocket. She did have paper! And a pen! Her daughter handed her a scroll and a quill hesitantly.

Helga's face brightened as she took it, but right when she was about to write something... She realized... She had forgotten how to spell the simplest of words. The quill in her hand trembled, and she sighed before asking Zealia to write it instead for her. The young woman's eyes furrowed a little, but she did as she was told and prepared to write whatever her mother had to say.

"....d-d-dear M-M-Ms. Teacher...---NO! M-Ms. Y'iel, o-o-or M-Ms. Y-Y'iel Teacher!" She hesitated as to what to say for her greetings, a small almost invisible blush stinging her cheeks.

Zealia blinked, before she just wrote "Ms. Y'iel." She continued to listen to her mother blabber for another ten minutes, sometimes repeating herself or stuttering or forgetting a few key details. But Zealia was able to write down the main ideas she herself knew as well as her mother's knowledge.

Meanwhile in Eden, Y'iel was flipping through the pages of the large book that she had been going through when Helga had been there, her eyes scanning through each and every word carefully. She knew that there was no way to bring Wiezen back, especially against the will of the Source. And that only meant that there would be trouble.
She had summoned guards of earth to stand watch over the upper and lower sections of her world, a precaution in case Macross attempted to return to take anymore of her students. She summoned a stack of books from her shelf over to her desk, looking for all the information that she could find on tracking demons specifically.

As Y'iel flipped through the pages of several books in attempt to find any information, there was suddenly a swoosh heard from above her. And when she looked up, a small scroll scented of rose and vanilla and adorned with a red ribbon fell onto her nose and rolled to the floor. And when Y'iel were to open it, the first thing she would notice were the intricate cursive writing of Zealia Quartz. However, at the very bottom of the letter, Helga's signature was sloppily written where it was not aligned to the rest of the text and had a very different spiky font where she trembled writing it. There was also a small smudge of chocolate in the corner that could've inevitably been from Zealia snacking on so many chocolate chip cookies. Though the message was short, it held everything Helga wanted to say. From being reunited with her children, to the return of Wiezen. She provided her with the location and additional information Wiezen Jr. and Zealia heard their father and the new Therian say.

* * *

"Moom, I don't think it went anywhere." Zealia scratched her head awkwardly, not sure if following the towel to send the letter lead to an actual person. But Helga's shake of her head reassured her that she wasn't crazy, and Y'iel was real, not an imaginary friend.

"Th-Th-Thank you, my L-Lia..." Helga managed to speak with a sincere smile. Whether it was sent or not, Zealia didn't care. Seeing her mother smile sent an odd feeling of warmth through her body. Her only goal was to see the corner of her lips lift, and she had accomplished that with the little she had done. She believed that without Wiezen present, there would have been no way to get through Helga. But here she was, outside, with a very small smile on her face.

However, Helga was indeed still weary and weak. If anything, she got out of bed for her daughter. She followed her around the stores just to see her smile and enjoy and mom and daughter date.

Y'iel had been switching from book to book when she heard the swoosh of magic that came from above her, which caused her to immediately look up, her ears perked. The the small scroll landed on her nose, her nostrils flared lightly, which was soon followed by a sneeze. Recovering quickly, she retrieved scroll, but skeptically, eyeing it as she hesitantly took it into her possession.
The flipping pages of the books that floated around her came to a stop, and the books themselves began to stack neatly on the desk while she used her magic to slice off the ribbon tied around the scroll and allowed it to roll out. Her eyes followed the curves of the classy cursive all the way down to the sloppily written scribble of her signature that she finally managed to make out as Helga's after some seconds.

She let out a sigh of relief now knowing that Helga was indeed safe within the care of her family. But what left her in a state of perplexity and disbelief was the bit about Wiezen's return. Her eyes went back over the letter once more, and then she folded it neatly, placing it in the back of one of her books before replacing her place at the desk with a clone. They gave a dutiful nod to one another before she left the room.

-

It was only ten minutes later that there was a electricity like distortion in front of the boutique, the air distorting until there was a poof. Y'iel brushed some of the particles of light from around her, her gaze shifting to the sign that was attached to the shop. She had made a quick change of clothing into something more casual, the skin tight legging-like jeans that she wore having a silky texture to their exterior and the black t-shirt that she wore had long sleeves and only reached to just above her stomach. Her hair was tied back into a loose pony tail.

She took another look around to familiarize herself with the section of the area that she was in a little before entering the shop. "Ms. Quartz? Ms. Quartz, are you still here?"

"Y-Y-Y'iel!!!" A hoarse voice addressed the Therian informally before she even entered the shop. The choke could not have been from anyone else but Helga, who was a distance away from the shop, her left arm interlocked with her daughter's who was helping her walk. But at the sight of her, Helga just felt like running. She tried to, but failed to escape her daughter's grasp who held her protectively.

"-W-Wait, mom! Hold on! You don't know who that is, it can be a stranger or whatever demon you were talking about earlier!"

Helga shook her head softly to avoid messing up her head wrap. "N-N-No! Th..at Y-Y'iel!" She failed to untie the trench coat she wore in attempt to escape Zealia's grasp again. Instead, she waved weakly at the being ahead of them.