In the age long since forgotten by mythes and fairy tales, resided the beginning of life. The machine that runs our world sparked into life, and the foundation of our existence, Code, came into being.

The code began to cluster together in compatible strands, forming blips of consciousness and self awareness. The first Admins we're born. Of them, two stood out, both holding power over life, and linked by an unbreakable bond. But one of these Admin, as the world became forged before them, did not see the same beauty and wonder that the other did. They saw the lies, deception and malice not only their creations possessed, but his fellow Admins held as well. For sixteen thousand years, he has fled to an isolated area, away from his other half, life, and admins. A place known as the Far Lands. Here he set up shop, and began learning how to end this imperfect creation, properly.

The Far Lands were nothing if not barren and bleak, an eternal sun hung high in the sky, the soil baked and burned by its endless heat. In a tower laboratory in the center of this lifeless landscape Vincent, one of the Admins of Life, worked without rest to perfect his plan. "Just a little more." They huffed. This project has taken them. As the funneled the last ingredient into the vial, an explosion caused them to get blasted against the wall. Looking back, their vial contained a small amount of energy, Colored Grey. "Yes! It worked."

The grey, just a tiny speck, began to do as intended, and grow before his eyes, doubling it's self every second. The energy to end this reality was complete. Then Vincent heard a voice as the grey pulsated, the voice monotone, emotionless, and even genderless. 'Primary function: Successful. Goal: Overload the machine, perminatly. Time till complete: Unknown. Creator: Vincent.'

"What the?" He said, tapping the glass of the vial. "That should not have happened. Either way, at least it knows it's objective." Vincent took the vial to the center of the tower lab, a large glass orb set firmly in stone. He moved the Grey Energy into the glass, various spell matrixes activating as he did. "I'll have to study everything about this new energy. Need to make sure people don't write it off as pointless too fast. Otherwise this will take longer than it already will." They mumbled to themselves, taking notes.

'Enhancing spell matrix.' Grey spoke, the Grey staying contained, yet leaking through and enhancing the spells containing it and monitoring it.

"Oh? Now that's interesting." Vincent said, seeing the spell matrix amplified and it's analysis report rapidly speeding up. "This can be very useful."

It was some time later that a change occurred. By this point grey had grown enough to warrant it's own room for study. Yet it all began with a question. 'Creator Vincent. Inquiry: What is defined as Life?'

"Anything and everything that is either physical such as the dirt and stones. But there's more to- wait…" Vincent realized, placing their notes down. "The fuck did you… fuck it's concioucse!"

'Inquiry: Was I not ment to have thought?' Grey asked, it's voice still emotionless and monotone.

"No… shit." Vincent huffed, looking at their hands. Even without Code, his creations are life. They gripped their fists, then had an idea. "But, this can work out. If you have thoughts, it means you can learn. Perhaps, you may not be exactly what I wanted to create, but this could work out even better."

'You are my creator. You are my will. My goal is still the end of the machine, as you intended.' Grey spoke, a faintest hint of emotion in the voice, however it simply could have been Vincent's imagination.

"Well then, if you can think, then you can Learn. Might be time to get back in touch with some of my siblings…"

'I shall go back to my task of growing while waiting, Creator Vincent.' Grey said before going silent.

Vincent returned sometime later after taking off. Grey noticing there was someone with them. A young Brown haired woman who gave off a similar feel to Vincent. "This is it." Vincent said.

"That? You bring me to middle of litteral nowhere in the hottest place in creation second to a suns core and it's for a cloud of fog in a jar?" She asked.

'Creator Vincent, who is this female? Her energies share a 98.3527% to your own. Grey spoke in it's emotionless voice.

"Code be damned it talks?!" She yelped.

"Grey, this is Karlia, my sister and the Admin of Form. Karlia, this is my latest project. It calls itself Grey." Vincent said.

"So ... you made living gas?" Karlia asked

"It's an energy, actually. It seems to exponentially boost the anything it touches, from complex spell Matrixes to the raw energy itself. Even code."

"Really? And why am I here?"

"Put that brain it apparently has in a body."

'Creator, Why do I need a body? It asked, having the faintest touches of curiosity in it's voice.

"Let's just say it will help in the long run." Vincent said.

"So that's why I'm here." Karlia said with a sigh. "Alright but you owe me." She said, clapping her hands together, opening them code formed around her hands, dripping to the floor like water and it all crawling to the center of he floor before her. A puddle of code moving and churning before, something emerged from it. It was a body, young, early teen years in age, brown hair, and male. "Now for you." She said, placing a finger of the glass Grey called home. They felt themselves drawn to her touch, once there Karlia moved the concioucness to the body, a snap of her fingers clothing it in a leather cloak and pants. "There."

"This is…is this what feeling is like." It, now he, said, rubbing his fingers as he slowly sat up. His eyes opened to show whatever color Karlia had made them had changed to a smokey grey.

"Good. Thank you Karlia." Vincent said.

"Hey, what's family for. Well, I'm off, later bro." Karlia said, taking leave.

"What is family?" Grey asked Vincent as soon as Karlia had left.

"Family huh? Family is… people you've know your whole life, who care for you and vise versa…" Vincent said, clearing their throat. "Enough about that, it's time to start really testing you."

"Very well." Grey said, though his mind was elsewhere.

"Creator, I have done research on verious topics, yet the concept of children and parents keep appearing." Grey said, by now small hints of emotion apparent, but as long as they don't get in the way of the goal, they don't matter.

"That's irrelevant information for you Grey." Vincent said, tinkering away at his own desk. "You're not a person, your sentient energy, almost like us Admins."

"I understand, however, I checked many definitions from countless cultures, and by definition I would be your child." Grey said, working at his own desk to ask like this didn't bother them. "I just can't help but be curious if you think of me as your child in a sense."

"... You're a project. Not a child." Vincent said with a huff, getting up from their desk. "I'm going out." Vincent said, taking leave rapidly.

Grey watched them leave before putting a hand to his face. "What is this liquid? Why is salt water leaving my eyes?" He said quietly after Vincent had left earshot.

Some hours had passed and Vincent was still not back yet. Grey just reading through various notes and such. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck this desert!!!" The loud groaned scream of someone who wasn't Vincent yelled from outside.

"I blame you…" Another voice, different from the first and also not Vincent, groaned like the first.

Grey took a breath and focused on the invisibility matrix they had just been studying before activating it. Once confirming they were invisible, grey pressed themselves against a wall. 'Who are these people…?' he thought, prepared to do whatever was necessary.

Looking outside, they saw two people, roughly their physical age. Both were female, based on biology books Vincent had Grey read, one with long blond hair and blue eyes, The other shorter brown hair with brown eyes. Both drenched in their own sweat. "Persila, if we die I'm fucking dragging you to hell…" The brown haired one said.

"And when you do I'll drag you along with my crazy escape plans Malty." The blond, Persila, replied.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Grey spoke, using the echo to his advantage to make it hard to pin where the voice is coming from. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Ahh! Ghost!" The blond yelled, shooting off various pyromancies in random directions… then collapsing. "Too tired… too hot… end me now…"

"Knew I could have learned some ice magic before coming here…" Malty said, falling over like the other.

Grey was tempted to just throw them out… but felt a pressure in his chest from that though. Remembering the small room Vincent never uses unless it is to have Grey sleep, Grey walked over before lifting the blond up first and taking her to the room, before returning for the other. 'Why am I doing this? Won't Vincent be upset with me?' he thought as he laid them down in the cooler room on the bed.

To be safe he took their bags and weapons, locking them in and searching their bags. 'Why do they need weapons? What were they searching for? Why do I care?' Grey thought, always asking the question Why.

Malty's bad contained some clothes and bandages, a mixture of herbs, a pouch of small stones with small symbols.

Persila's bag had various dried meats, two bottles of water, both near empty, a pouch with the same symbol bearing stones, and another pouch containing sweet smelling hard orbs. They smelled like cherries.

"Strange, no sign as to what they are after." He said before moving a few bricks and hiding the supplies in the wall. "What do I do when Vincent returns…"

"What about when I return?" Grey jumped, for reasons not entirely understood by them. Vincent entered the doorway, a large dead creature tied to their back. "What happened while I was out?"

Instantly, in the emotionless voice Grey was known for. "Two beings tried to enter the tower. As I had no combat training as of yet, I resorted to using my energies to overload their own, and fall dead. The sands must have covered over their bodies already, or a wild animal, as I left them outside the door." Grey said, blanked faced and empty eyed dispite the inner termoil raging inside of them.

"Bullshit. No animals live this far in this region, and the soil is too baked to even toss up enough sand for that." Vincent said, dropping the dead animal. "I should know, I BUILT this region of existence. It's lifeless eternal sunbaked wasteland for miles in all directions. Still though, why would people travel this far out here? You're hiding them in your room aren't you?"

'Quick Grey. Half truths, or they die.' Grey thought, still not sure why he even cares. "Apologies. You are right they are inside my room, however I could not find out what they were looking for in their belongings. I planned to keep them there in order to study the effects of my energies on living being that are not directly a admin or made by a admin." Grey said, not a single lie, but not the whole truth.

“Not piss you’re lying, pissed you’re bad at it. Where’s their stuff?” Vincent said, looking around.

Grey pulled out their weapons before moving a few bricks aside, pulling out their packs. "This is all the two females had in them."

“Females? That’s new.” Vincent said, looking through the belongings. “Bare minimum supplies, just medicine and food… and Cherry hard candy.” Vincent said, sniffing the bag of candy. He looked at their weapons, they both had two longswords. Unsheathing them, their blades were marked by a symbol. A Wolf with a Snake wrapped around it. “They’re adventurers. This is the symbol for the Adventure Guild Galitropa. Pretty far, their headquarters is a months walk from here. Idiots must have come here in search of new locations for villages or a Dungeon.”

"Whatever the reason, both were frail. Starved, over heated, and dehydrated. They would have died had they been forced one more day of walking." Grey said.

“With these supplies they wouldn’t have lasted a full day. No night here, always daylight. Let me see them.”

Grey didn't know why he felt a out in his stomach as he walked over to his room, unlocked it, and held the door open. "They passed out shortly after arriving. To maximize chance of survival, I left them in here where the air is cool and damp."

“Hm.” Vincent said, looking them over. He then looked over at Grey, walking over to him. “Hand. Now.”

Grey offered his hand. "What are you going to do Creator." He asked

Vincent, using their thumb nail and creating a cut, Grey’s blood leaking out, red and grey. He dipped two fingers in it, then walked over to the females, on the backs of their necks doting Grey’s blood on them. He then begins muttering things, a spell as the blood takes form of a seal. “Like I am your creator I too… and my other half, made these creatures before you. One thing I want you to learn, and understand without hesitation Grey, we are ABOVE them. Since you chose to spare them, they will be your responsibility. That seal will link you to them, you will hear their thoughts, feel their intentions. Best part, if one tries to kill you, the wound will appear on them, and kill them both. Any injury you get will appear on them. They are, and will forever be, your lessers. Like… Pets. For lack of a better word.”

"Very well creator." Grey said with a nod, looking over the two bound to him. 'Now, why did I spare them…'

“Come on. Unlike you and I these creatures need to eat. Which makes your lesson for tonight a two for one.” Vincent said, picking up the dead animal. “Never imagined I’d have to use this room.”

Grey followed Vincent down to the lower levels of the tower. To his surprise a hidden basement level was opened. Pressing a button stones began glowing, brightening up the room. Grey recognized it as a kitchen, from the few books that were not solely information.

"Not that it isn't useful to the current situation, but what was the point in having this if there is no need to eat?" Grey asked, following Vincent to a large table with a assortment of knifes.

“Decoration mostly. That and while we don’t need to eat, we can for fun or just to enjoy the flavor.” He said, tossing the animal onto the table. He took out a knife from a drawer, handing it to Grey. “Slice the belly open, and gut it. A first hand experience in biology.”

Grey nodded, doing as he was told to the letter, all while having his mind still on the two females in his room.

Once all the guts were out and tossed Vincent has Grey clean our the inside with water, which Grey was surprised this tower had a working well here in it’s surprise kitchen. And began splicing the beast up. “Remember, force when cutting bones. They don’t break that easily.”

"Yes Vincent." Grey said, despite having no struggle at all after enhancing his body. "I have also discovered I can enhance this body physically much the same way I do spells and other energies." He decided to tell his Creator.

“Good.” Vincent said. Once the animal was washed and sliced, Vincent had Grey light a fire in the stove, the flame burning off pure magic rather than wood or coal. Once the meat was screwed he placed it on a rotisserie. “Keep spinning it. If it’s raw they get sick. Weak creatures.”

"Yes sir." Grey obeyed, doing as he said. "However, for creatures as weak as they are, it is impressive they survived for as long as they did with that miniscule amount of supplies."

"They're likely new. Must not have the resources or wealth yet to at least purchase a covered wagon with a stone beast to pull it. Beings made from stone are the only other beings that could pass through here, other than fire based ones or demons." Vincent said.

Then grey slipped. "I wish I knew why I spared them… it… frustrates that I don't know."

"Biology." Vincent said. "They're female of your physical age, you're a male coming into that age, you've read the biology books, you can figure it out."

"It may be." Grey said, though himself not believing that to be the case.

Grey had to admit, the scent of the meat cooking over the fire was producing a newfound discovery. Hunger, and want. They wanted to consume it, despite not needing to.

With the entire beast now cooked Vincent had Grey carry it all up in a large platter. Placing it on the table, Grey checked on the two. Still out cold.

“What do I do…” Grey sighed out before walking over and trying to gently shake the blonde awake.

To their surprise, the Blonde, Persila, if they remembered correctly, stretched her arms, yanking Grey into their embrace on the bed. "It's too early mom…" She said hazily as she fell back to sleep.

Grey felt his face heat up for some reason. ‘Why is my chest pounding?!’ He thought, not understanding any of this, trying to get free but not finding any way that doesnt end in harming Persila. ‘Why do I care, why is my chest pounding, why did I save them, why was water coming out of my eyes, why why why whywhywhywhywhywhy?!’ He thought, breaking down as tears streamed out of his eyes, though he didnt know why it felt good to cry.

"So how are the-" Vincent asked, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw Grey in the situation. Vincent backed up out of the doorway, and closed the door.

Grey just whimpered pathetically as he felt sleep come for him.

"Aaaaah! Pervert!" Grey awoke to that screaming in his ear, a pain as she kicked him off the bed and through the door, breaking it as he rolled into the main room where Vincent sat, overseeing the event.

"Four hours. Huh." Vincent said casually as Grey got up on two feet.

“I have no clue why that happened.” Grey said emotionless again.

"W-what are you gonna do with us?" Persila asked, fear I'm her tone as Malty woke up, seeing the situation and gaining similar fear.

“I have no idea. You are the intruders into our home. And Persila was it? You were the one that dragged me to bed, not the other way around.” Grey said, blank faced and emotionless.

"Lies!" Persila declared.

"Persila you do that all the time… fuck you've sleep walked into my bed to cuddle. Not that I mind." Malty said.

"Enough." Vincent said, tone low but silencing them both. "First off, you two are idiots for trying to travel this wasteland unprepared. Second, You have trespassed on my land."

"And… who are you?" Malty asked.

"Vincent, Admin of Life." Malty and Persila seemed to be processing that for a moment, looking Vincent over before their eyes went wide with a mix of fear and awe. "That being said, as punishment for both you and… the kid here." Vincent have Grey a fairly hard smack to the back. "You're his property."

"What?!" Persila and Malty both said as once in shock.

"I've already placed the slave crests to the back of your necks, and linked them to him. Try and stab him, the wounds will appear on him, poison, it will flow through your blood, try and leave and the second you make it a mile the crest will stop your hearts." Malty and Persila checked each other's necks, seeing the crest marks and dread filling their thoughts. "You'll be sharing a bed with the kid. Theretonly the one here and while I can make more I'm not wasting code on two idiot adventurers. Either sleep with the kid or sleep on the floor. Either way I don't really care."

Grey looked at Vincent and even he couldn't hide the emotion in his eyes. 'Did… did he just call me kid?' shaking his head, grey turned to the other two. "I, along with Vincent, have made you food. I Have no wish to use you two in any way, only to complete the studies Creator Vincent sets before me. There is no need to fear for your safety."

"Creator? Oh right, Admin… and we're now slaves to a teenage boy…" Malty said. "Fuck…"

"You two eat and then just clean or something. Do something useful." Vincent said, tapping Grey's arm. "Let's talk privately." Vincent lead him to the next room, a small library filled with many books Grey has already read. "Now then about that display a few hours ago."

"The one where in I asked if I could been considered your child? I already understand. I am not a person, but a project. One that was never ment to have sentience in the first place." Grey said

"No, the one where you were in the blondes arms crying. It was… unexpected. But after some review of your development and your rapid evolution I realized the cause."

"Oh?" Grey said, the faintest hint of… nervousness in his voice, only recognizable due to how monotone he normally is. "And what was the cause?"

"Me. Like it or not, and I don't, I am an Admin of Life. Despite my best efforts to make you ONLY energy, you grew a mind, and now with a body you're developing emotions. Rather poorly but it's development nonetheless. Even if I tried I can't remove them, so I… called someone over here to… help you out with that. Plus given you saved those two girls it means there is something about them, biology or not, that made you make that choice so if they can further your development it's worth the headache of having them here."

"I… don't know what to say." Grey said, aloss for words for the first time in his short life. "Who is it that will help me with these… emotions I've been trying to suppress?"

"Her name is… Diva. She's… the Other Admin of Life." Vincent said.

"Other…. Strange. Everything I read said normally there is one admin for one aspect. But now thinking on the nature of life at a primal level, it makes a form of sense as it requires a male and female to create new life, regardless of species. All female species even have forms of fatherhood. I retract my statement." Grey said, going on a bit of a rant there.

"Heheheh… yeah but with Admins it's different. We aren't built like the life in those books. Hell kid we made them. We are made from code." Vincent said, raising a hand as the green number energy flowed in his hand. "It's the building blocks of everything. Endless and can do anything. It's only able to be used by Admins. Everything in those books you've read, Diva, Myself, or others constructed and made it. When we were made we were a lot like you, just code floating in the Empty, then we realized we could think. Over time we learned to manipulate the unclustered code and give or take a few sextillion years the world is as you see it now. It's rare for Admins to be made in twos but not impossible. Aside from Diva and myself there's the Admins of Abilities, Joseph and Yimmi. Also the Admins of Fire, Gro and Gru."

"Then… If you and the others worked so hard to create Existence, even with all its imperfections, and spent so long developing under what most mortals would call a family with one another, why make me, and my purpose for existing." Grey said, being veuge for any listening ears that might be around.

"Let me show you." Vincent said, placing a hand to Grey's head. Grey saw the early years if existence. Planets, suns, life, plants, water, animals. Beauty. Soon as time passed a new life was entered. Sentient life. As intelligent as the admins, but lacking their power, a being to build and explore the vast reality they were given. Two turned to four, turning to hundreds turning to thousands as soon these intelligent beings covered various planets and In various shapes and races/species. The admins teaching them farming, hunting, building, fighting the primal monsters built to challenge them. Then… death. One of these beings smashing a rock into the head of their own kin long after it has died. More was showed, these beings creating wars, corrupting admin teachings and knowledge and using it for slaughter. Young and infants killed and burned alive, no mercy given or to be seen by the killer. Cities rised and fell because of this cycle of kill, rebellion, fear and misery they would spread time and time again. "They abused our teachings. Used it to murder one another, not advance what we built for them. In the end, all they do is kill."

"What about the ones that don't? I know what I have studied, there are those that never kill, even one going as far as to stop a war by just walking, no violence. What about those who don't fight out of desire, or even need of resources, but simply to defend themselves from the very ones that disgust you?" Grey asked, whipping the strange liquid from his eyes again.

"I thought about them too." Again, Vincent placed a hand to Grey's head. Images of these few special beings living their lives, growing old, children, dying, the children… holding the blade… "If their own offspring can be as heartless to kill them off why should we let them make that discovery the hard way? Better to die ignorant of such cruel truths than learn them from experience."

"I will not argue with you Creator, but… i… feel… and I don't know why these words come to my mind… but 'the brightest lights shine in the Darkness.' I know not why I think that, or why my chest hurts from saying such words." Grey said, his hand over where most beings would have a heart.

"Well as long as you don't forget your-" The ground. Shook. Violently but just for a moment. "She's early…" Vincent groaned. Grey took a look outside. The vast endless baked desert their tower home resided in was suddenly at the center of a vast, unending Forest. Mountains with large waterfalls in the distance, even a river where fish swam in was just outside their front door. "Damn it she Terraformed the whole area!" Vincent barked angerly.

"So, this is what a forest looks like." Grey said simply.

"Heeeeeeeey Vincent!* Appearing in front of Vincent was a black haired, green eyes woman with what Grey's research would describe as a healthy and desirable figure. "Did ya miss me?"

"Like… a little." Grey took notice of that, knowing Vincent was going to make an insult, but stopped part way.

“Is this Diva, the one you spoke to me about?” Grey asked.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Diva said, upon laying eyes on Grey she ran up to him, pinching his cheeks. A sensation that filled Grey with much physical pain. "He's so handsome!"

“I am?” Grey asked, rubbing his cheek.

"Diva, this is Grey. The one with the emotional issues." Vincent said with a huff.

“Nice to meet you. Creator Vincent told me you are to help me with these emotions?” Grey said, his voice mostly monotone, with hints of other emotions inside.

"Yeah. She's better at this than I am."

"Such a cutie! Tell me, when did Vincent make you? Has he been a good Daddy to you?" Diva asked.

"Diva…" Vincent growled.

“He is not my dad. My creator, yes, not my father. He has said so himself.” Grey said with not much emotion shown, but Diva saw right through it, seeing the sadness hidden in his eyes. "Besides, I am a project. The sooner I can control these emotions, the sooner I can suppress them and go back to my studies."

"Actually kid, she's not here to help you suppress them, she's here to help you embrace them." Vincent corrected Grey

"What?" Grey said, shock present on his face.

"When you were having that… episode, your energy production levels skyrocketed. Forty percent increase in multiplication. Even after you passed out, just having contact with that girl kept it raised to a two percent increase. In short, your emotions play a large role in your energy production. The stronger the emotion the more rapid rate you multiply your energy."

Grey went silent for a moment. "Alright. Alright I'll… try."

"Good. Now then, Diva, go give Grey lessons. I'll be someplace less… green "

"Awh, Vinc, don't be such a downer." Diva said with a smile.

"It's Vincent and your the one who turned the place into a forest." He said with a roll of his eyes. "I'll be back in a few days." With that, Vincent left, Diva had a clear look of sadness as he left and lasted well after til he was gone.

She shook it off, looking over to Grey. "Alright then child, let's see what you can feel and express." Diva said.

"Well… I sometimes get a pressure in my chest, followed by salt water coming out of my eyes. The first time it happened was when Vincent confirmed that I was not a person but a project. And because I was not a person, he was not my father and me not his child." Grey began.

"Oh that man left knowing I'd have…" Diva growled. "Okay, that can actually be a few emotions. Mainly Sadness and Misery. Sadness can happen for a lot of reasons, like what Vincent said to you. Swear if he wasn't… anyway, and Misery is a worse form of sadness, basically after experiencing it you find it hard to find any reason to be happy or to move on, and often the cause for this misery will longer with you for a long time. And don't hold it against him for being a jerk. He hasn't been the same since he saw what our kids were capable of."

"He showed me... and yet I can't help but have these words come to my head. 'The brightest lights shine in the Darkness.' I don't know what it means or why it… feels warm." Grey said.

"Oh. That's something Kingdom Hearts says all the time. Guess little bro already knows about you."

"Who is Kingdom Hearts?" Grey asked, cocking his head to the side in a way that ended up looking adorable.

"One of our little brothers and the Admin of Hearts. Despite being one of the youngest he is one of the more powerful ones of us."

"Huh. What other emotion should I embrace?" Grey asked, his voice slightly less monotone.

"A good one is allway happiness. Everyone should be happy. Now then, what can make you happy?"

"I… don't know. I mean, I enjoyed it when Vincent taught me cooking, and when I saw the two mortals after I made sure they were safe. Though I still don't know why I did it, save them I mean." Grey explained.

“Oh? You have some here? Where are they?”

"In the tower. Because I spared them, Vincent bound them to me… one of them also caused the episode Vincent no doubt told you about, admittedly in her sleep." Grey said simply.

“Oh. Good to know. Our kids were born with emotions so I guess they would be a great help in helping you understand them also. Also, bonded how?”

"Well, one of them mentioned the term enslaved. They can not harm me without the same happening to them, and can not leave very far from the tower without dieing. Also I can hear their thoughts, though have been uncounsously blocking it for their privacy." Grey explained in detail.

“Oh, I think I know that bond. Cosmic Entanglement. Powerful hex that, wonder why Vincent used it though? Normally he’d just go with a basic branding hex. Well, in any case let’s go say hello and get to work.”

Grey nodded before leading Diva inside. "I apologise if I come off as cold. I was not meant to have a conscious much less emotions." Grey spoke with sinserity

“Oh I’m aware, trust me. Vincent said in his letter than you were meant to be a new kind of energy or power, stronger than magic or something. From what I understood he got it right but you still grew a mind. Makes sense, Vincent and I can’t make anything without it being alive. In some way, shape or form.”

"Interesting." Grey said before making a small orb of his namesake into his hand. "As for what I do… I enhance anything I come into contact with, including the body and code." Grey said before causing the orb to disappear and he opened the door for Diva.

“Forever talented.” Diva said, looking over at the table where Malty and Persila were still eating at the cooked bore. Grey felt some pride in seeing they were eating it without any noticeable worry or disdain.

"I take it you two enjoy the boar? Good." Grey said, his pride slipping its way into his voice.

“It’s tasty.” Persila said, a mouth full of the beasts meat.

“Better than farmed pork.” Malty said.

“So you are the two mystery people.” Malty and Persila took notice of Diva at that moment, dropping their food in shock. “I see my reputation is still standing.” She said happily.

“Diva of Life… Holy crap…” Persila said.

“Yup, that’s me. I hear Grey here saved you two.”

“Heh, we suck at planning ahead. Mostly Persila.” Malty stated.

“Hey!” Persila snipped back.

Grey did something he had never done before. On his face appeared the smallest of smiles. "It could have gone worse. You could have bumped into my fa-... My creator." Grey said with a slight air of humor.

Diva smiled at hearing that. She knew it was there, just needed a proper push. “So, you two, what are your names?”

“My name is Persila.”

“I’m Malty.”

“Persila, Malty. Lovely names. Where do you two come from?”

“Well, I’m from way north, Kragons Tulf. Bunch of viking villages and such. I am one too, kinda.” Persila said.

“I’m from Malgoru.” Malty said.

“Malgoru? I’m afraid I haven’t heard of it.” Diva said.

“You wouldn’t. Small isolated city way in the East Kilvanu Mountains. One path in and out of the place and even by horse of flying magic it’s a three day journey.”

“How did you two meet?”

“The Adventurers Guild Galitropa, they sent me and her to the West Wastelands to help settlers fend off the wild beasts. Malty and I bonded in the heat of battle and kept traveling since.” Persila said.

“Aren’t you both a little young to travel and adventure? You’re both no older than fourteen at least.” Diva asked.

“I’m fifteen actually.” Malty stated. “That being said I left home because while Malgoru is nice, you can see the whole city in a day, two if you are lazy. I wanted to see more.”

“I left after my mom died.” Persila said, twiddling her food around. “She was… a brothel whore. No idea who my dad is, but all I know is that I didn’t want to live my life like she did. After she passed from the Burning Plague six years ago I got on the first train I could out of the city. Just road til the end of the line in Scala Ad Caelum. People there were nice, raised me til I was old enough to adventure out with confidence.”

"At least you got to be with her. From what I read, some never meet their mothers when they have that profession. Keep the memories close." Grey said in a sudden spout of compassion, confusing even himself.

“Yeah. She was nice, learned a lot from her, aside from the obvious.”

“The obvious being how to flirt and fuck.” Malty stated bluntly.

"The first of which is useful for any situation. Getting into buildings, information, what have you. The later only useful in intimacy." And the compassion was gone as grey read off the uses for those skills like a dictionary.

“Eh, you’re not wrong.” Persila said.

"You two are remarkably calm for two females bound to a being with no control of their emotions, and told you'd die if you try to leave." Grey said, looking at the two.

“Sometimes life just happens like that.” Persila stated. “In the end as long as we aren’t dead any situation can end up in our favor or at least not get any worse.”

“That’s remarkable positivity Persila, I wish more beings could think like that.” Diva said. “Now then, let’s get to work. Grey here, your master I guess, needs to learn about emotions properly. We will be teaching him happiness.”

“Teaching emotions?” Malty asked. “How are we gonna do that?”

“However we have to.” Diva stated, “We can start with the most basic way of making someone happy.” Diva said. She turned to Grey, kneeling down a bit and wrapping her arms around their torso, and holding them in her embrace gently. “This is called a hug Grey.”

Grey's mouth opened and shut, unable to voice the thoughts going through his head as he felt a warmth blossom in his chest. "Why does it feel… comforting?"

"A hug can be many things, but is often a sign of trust or love." Diva said, hugging Grey tighter. "A hug can tell you a lot about a person too. For example, judging by your question and reaction, this is your first time getting a hug. It's a way to say high to someone you know very well or care about, and a way to say goodbye when someone has to leave for a while. A hug is many things, but as for why it is comforting, it's because it's the second best way of embracing another person."

Grey hesitated, the other two seeing a torn look on his face before grey returned the hug akwardly. "I…. Thank you."

“You’re welcome.” Diva said.

“Wow, really doesn’t know much does he?” Malty asked.

Persila perked up at that. “Then, does that mean you have never fought a monster or beast?” She asked, standing up in anticipation for Grey’s answer.

"No. Vincent has not started my combat training as of yet. As for why I don't know much, I was created only a few months ago." Grey informed them.

“Heh, so you’re just a baby then?” Malty asked.

“No time for jokes Malty, this man baby child… person… whatever he is must know the thrill of a fight! Admin Diva, when you made this place a forest, did you also create animals and monsters?”

“Of course, basic requirment for anything I make.” Diva answered. “And just Diva is fine.”

“Right then.” Persila said, grabing hers and Malty’s bags and then pulling Malty and Grey by the wrists down the tower. “We need to show this guy how a good fight goes.”

As the three reached the doorway, Grey halted just before stepping outside. In the short time they had existed, they have never gone further than ten or so feet from the tower exterior, and he could tell Persila would take him far further than that.

"I… don't know. I never left the tower." He said, a slight spark of fear evident on his face.

“Oh come on, the world won’t bite you. Much.” Persila said with a laugh, pulling Grey through the doorway and into the forest with Malty.

Running through the trees, the grass the flowing river, the fish swimming in it, the smaller animals, so much life, so much going on around him. So many colors, smells and plants. The barren, empty desert he was born into, was now teaming with life as if it was always this way.

Panting, his body not used to much activity, Grey was only able to keep up due to being dragged along, and putting some of his energy into his body. "This… is beautiful." He said, looking around.

“That’s what an Admin of life can do.”Malty said.

The trio ran for what Grey calculated to be half a mile before Persila halted them. Pointing around a tree’s corner, there was a large boar. Much like the one Vincent brought, but easily four times larger. “A Primal Alpha Boar. Those things are tough.” Persila said with a smile.

“So, just like Diamond City?” Malty asked Persila, handing her her sword as Malty drew her’s. “Watch and learn Baby man.”

Malty and Persila split, heading around in different ways around the giant boar before rushing at it from both sides. The boar seeing this, charged Malty. She smirked, passing a hand across her blade.

“Power of the sky, heat of the sun, speed of light. Power on.” She said, the blade now crackling with electricity. She slashed, the bolt of Electricity jolting into the massive boar, paralyzing it for a moment as Persila lept onto it’s back, driving her blade into the back of it’s head. The boar fell over with a loud thud as Persila and Malty gave one another a proud elbow bump.

“Still got it.” Persila said.

"That was impressive." Grey said, looking at his own hand as grey smoke flowed around it. He was so focused on his hand he didn't notice the primal bear behind him until a shadow was over him. Time seemed to freeze for him as his brain processed the situation. 'Large, territorial predetor. Most likely angry over intrusion of territory and lose of meal. Strike in coming in 1.59737 seconds. Body integrity: Optimal. This body would substan the blow, however it would leave the other two in danger. Objective: Protect the females and nutrualize the threat.' the grey flowing in his hand condensed into itself, the two girls feeling a crushing amount of power localized into that tiny area before with a pivot that broke the sound barrier, grey turned around and punched the bear in its chest, sending it flying with a fist sized hole threw its body, leaving grey panting before falling over, somehow tired.

Persila whistled. "So there's a fire in that chest after all." She said, her and Malty walking over and helping Grey up.

"What happened? I stopped thinking and just…. Acted." He said before looking down at his blood covered hand.

"Sometimes it happens." Malty said. "Some people act without realizing or thinking, their bodies move on their own when there is danger."

"You both are unharmed, correct?" Grey asked

"Yeah. Not a scratch." Persila said.

"Think you went Overkill enough?" Malty asked with a smirk.

"Overkill? Is that when one uses more energy than necessary to complete a task? If so, then I fail to see how, as my objective was to nutralize the target and… protect you two. As for the energy, that was hardly any of me, only the amount I had at the ready condensed." Grey said, a faint blush on his face when he mentioned protecting the two of them.

"Yeah, but we're not that easily broken. I mean fuck look at yourself, just that little bit if your power and your hand got fucked." Malty said.

Grey looked at their hand, blood mixed with Grey, his own, bled from various wounds along his hand and wrist. "Maybe you need to learn how to control just how much you should hold back when using that power of yours." Persila said.

"It's… not easy. I am my power, and I am constantly growing and multiplying myself. I enhance everything I touch, including myself." Grey said before wincing, the pain now making itself known.

"Well, energy is energy." Malty said. "And if you are the energy, then of course you can control it. Control yourself."

"I… I will try." Grey said finally, grunting in pain when his hand twitched.

Over the next Week, with Diva, Persila and Malty's teachings and help, Grey learned the basics of emotions. Joy, sadness, pain, comfort, and dread among others. In terms of controlling themselves, Grey was able to reduce his power to a drop no bigger than a skin cell. Doing so gave enough power to be useful but not harm their physical body.

Vincent had returned in this time and when she could Diva would force him to participate in Grey's teachings and activities. Their latest activity however.

"This is a bad idea." Vincent said bluntly.

"He needs to experience community and the other beings. We have to bring grey to a town or city." Diva countered.

"I get that, it will help his development but what if something happens. You three and myself is one thing, small and controlled, out there among the mortals, if he blows up it's on you."

"Oh please, Persila and Malty can help teach him sentient being customs and cultures. This will be good, trust me."

“I think it will be good for all of us. It will help teach me more, while also letting Persila and Malty visit their home. They have been looking more and more depressed with each day, and frankly they don't deserve that.” Grey said, adding his own two cents.

Vincent groaned. "Fine, but I'm going with."

Grey smiled “I don't mind, do you M- Diva.” Grey said, catching himself.

"Not at all!" Diva said, In a snap and flash, her normal attire was replaced by a white long sundress and large yellow hat.

"Shit…" Vincent groaned.

The town they entered was called Sphere Hills. A place where floating islands dotted the sky for hundreds of miles all connected by bridges built by man and magic, everything connected.

Grey saw people walk all out and around, all races and breeds. The influx of new faces was an amazing sight and the noises and voices were all so new. "This is just… wow!" He said, a smile on his face as he looked around.

"And this is a small town too." Persila informed. "The bigger cities like Scala will blow your mind."

"She's not wrong either." Vincent said, dressed in his typical attire. "I sense sixty two thousand, eight hundred and forty two people here, including unborns. Small compared to Scala, whose current population is at just shy of eighty two million. Even then no where near Home City."

"They're at little over forty two Centillion about now." Diva said with a nod.

"That's… wow." Grey said. It's strange, feeling a large range of emotions, but at the same time, it felt nice.

"So, what should we do first?" Diva asked.

"Persila and I should check in with the Guild Office since we're here." Malty said.

"And tell them what?" Vincent asked.

"We found an artifact that turned that desert into a forest. Good cover story?"

"Well, better than giving away the current residence of the two admins of life and this kid." Vincent said, that last part he gave a somewhat hard tap on Grey's back. "Go on then, I'll just wonder and try and lose Diva."

"Hey!" Diva snipped.

Malty and Persila left with Grey following. The Guilds Office was a tall stone building with various guild symbols on its front wall.

Persila and Malty entered, Grey following and eyeing everything and everyone. Their talk was fairly short and simple with the Guild representative, and when it was over Persila took them all over for a snack. "So, never had ice cream before?" Persila asked.

"Heh, well, I didn't start eating food until a week ago when we had that boar." Grey admitted.

"Here." Malty said, handing Grey a paper bowel with a cold brown treat. "Can never go wrong with chocolate."

Grey shrugged before taking a spoon and putting some in his mouth. For a moment he froze before a look of nervana spread across his face. "Hmm wonder what sea salt ice cream would taste like." He said, as the ice cream man looked at grey with a look of inspiration before rushing to the back room.

With treats in hand the trio looked at all the sights and shops. Grey looked over at a weapons shop, wondering what types they would have. He had read about the basics, swords, Sheilds, Spears, Lance's and bows, but not sure how many there were.

“Would you all mind if we stop in there?” Grey said, pointing out the weapon shop.

"Hm? Thinking of buying something for yourself?" Persila asked.

"Do you even have your own money?" Malty asked.

"I...erm… I could make some but I don't want to cause a economic crisis." Grey said, embaresed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Hmm… you boost everything you touch right? Is it permanent?" Persila asked.

"Well, unless I make it not so." Grey said with a shrug. "I could add to a spell matrix or a person, and until I remove the energy,it's boosted and gets stronger every moment."

"Hm…" Persila thought for a time, quickly entering a different store then exiting. In her hands was a small vial of red liquid. "This is a cheap health potion. Can you boost it's quality?"

"I can try." Grey said before taking a breath, and having grey smoke flow from his body ant into the potion. The liquid turned into a silver color, the power radiating from it growing by the second.

"Hm. Well then, let's see what they'll buy it at."

The trio entered the weapons shop, Grey seeing all the varied weapons on display on the walls, in barrels, in display cases and even a few left on the floor. "Welcome to the Hording Hog weapon shop, what do you need?" The merchant behind the desk asked.

"Yes, can you appraise this?" Persila asked, placing the potion on the table.

"Hm? Don't typically deal in potions but sure kid." The man said, hands around the potion as magic flowed around them and the potion between them. After a bit of time it stopped, the man still for a bit. "Where in the hell did you get this?"

"A dungeon." Malty said quickly.

"If my appraisal spell worked, and it should, best one out there, this potion heals you for way over Max health, and keeps healing you for a solid month after drinking it!"

"Seriously?" Persila asked, surprised and giving a quick look at Grey.

"Yeah. This potion is worth more than this whole block of shops."

"Huh. Well… know anywhere we can sell it? If we were a single team it would be priceless, but as a team it is hard to split something like this without someone being cheated." Grey said with a suprising about of diplomacy.

"The only place you could even sell something like this is the Auctioners Guild. They are more business than anything but all the rich fat cats buy rare and hard to come by items. My money says more than one will be willing to buy this month-long immortality potion."

"Thank you. With any luck we'll be back to buy your wares. Maybe even give you a small cut for pointing us in the right direction and not cheating us out on it's real value." Grey said with a smile.

That potion ended up selling for well over six million rem. With the money the group needed a slightly better cover for the tower and all that, Vincent did some alterations to the tower home. Now it was massive, the lower half now a dungeon entrance as to sell that story about the potion better and the top half where the group lives. Special magic and code worked in to hide visual and audio giveaways just in case, as well as a secret way in and out of the tower so no one knew it was a tower.

This size increase of their home gave a lot more space and empty rooms, but helped in also with the issue Grey had with finer control over weaponizing his power. "Alright." Vincent said, he, Persila, Malty and Grey all in the new schoolroom he built as a new part of the tower. "What do you know about dungeons Grey?"

“I know adventurers dive into them for loot and experience, that they hold a hoast of monsters, and some need to be cleared less the monsters come out.” Grey said

"Mostly correct." Vincent said. "To start, I made Dungeons. Was one of my attempts at keeping our intelligent creations from killing one another. Didn't quite work out as hoped. Needless to say you are right about their loot, monsters and all that. There's a wide variety of dungeons but they all fall into two categories. Floored and Fields. Floor dungeons go up or down a vast number of floors, some even reaching a million floor, but only the hardest of dungeons have that many floors. Such as our tower is now, but, then there are field dungeons, such as the forest now surrounding the tower. Field dungeons spawn monsters at night and normal various animals in the day. Of course the monsters don't disappear in the daytime nor do the animals at night. They coexist with one another, but not all of them leave one another alone. Field dungeons can have floor dungeons spawn within them, these are harder Dungeons when they do."

“Thats interesting. I’m guessing our dungeon is not only to sell the story but to train my abilities?” Grey asked.

"Exactly. This is a level four dungeon. Second hardest in reality."

“Well then, how are we going to do this? Use Me as a weapon rather than a booster.” Grey asked

"Sorta. When you boosted that potion, I noticed the boost effect was only while you were holding it. After that it kept the stats and effects but didn't grow by itself oddly. So, we'll be using this as a means as seeing how infusing your power into weapons, armor, and of course, these two." Vincent motioned to Malty and Persila.

Grey nodded. "Ready when you are dad." He said before wincing, not catching himself in time. "I-I'm sorry."

Vincent said nothing. "Get to it then you three. Just get as far as you can in floor one for now."

Awkwardly, Grey, Malty and Persila left, heading out the secret exit and into the dungeon. The tower's dungeon first floor was made entirely of cobblestone. Various long hallways and rooms decorated the floor as well as cosmetic paintings, banners and the likes. "Well that was unexpected." Persila said.

"Yeah… just a bit." Grey said, sighing. "Let's just focus on this."

"In that case, care to upgrade our swords?" Malty asked, she and Persila pulling their weapons out. "They'll break just touching a monster in a level four dungeon."

Grey nodded before griping the swords, having his power flow over them as both began to change, the blades now having a swirling smoke design in the metal. "Here, try them out now." He said handing them back.

Persila and Malty gave them a few swings, nodding as the trio headed into the first area. Two goblins with crimson red eyes met them. They were fast but Grey defended while Malty and Persila attacked, the Goblins going down in one hit each. "Definitely effective." Malty said, looking the blade over.

"Hmm… I'm going to try something." Grey said before taking a breath and focusing. Before the two, for a brief moment, they saw what grey truly looked like, appearing like a lake of grey colored fog, before it flowed over his body, forming two short swords in his hands. "Huh, worked better than I thought, though I was aiming for bastard swords."

"That's cool." Persila said.

With their weapons and teamwork the dungeon was fairly easy to clear out. Even the rooms with Multiple strongly armored monsters proved at best teadius. This success gave Malty, Persila and Grey some rare and powerful armor.

"You two should have the best ones. The ones I touch will just get better anyways." Grey said, gesturing to the heavily enchanted armors.

"Fair point. Oh, try this!" Persila said, handing Grey what just by looks seemed to be a simple set if black leather armor, but was perfectly fire, ice, lightning and Spectral proof. "Better than your normal clothes."

"Thanks." Grey said with a small smile, the armor only gaining a grey trim once grey put it on. "How do I look?"

"Not bad. Still scruffy but more like an adventure." Malty said. Her own armor was a lightweight metallic armor with a chrome polish. Persila's was a light blue mix of metal and leather.

"So, that was floor one, wanna continue or head back up?" Grey asked after moving a bit to get used to the armor.

"Best head back." Malty said. "Pretty sure Vincent will want a report on how this all went."

"Yeah… I just hope my comment didn't make things too awkward." Grey said, apparently that he wanted to continue so to not face the music.

The trio made their way back up, Persila stopping them just before they opened the door. “You hear that?” She whispered.

Listening in at the door, shushed laughs could be heard. “Laughing?” Malty asked.

"Be quiet, but we can check it out with the same invisibility spell I cast all those weeks ago." Grey said, drawing the matrix in the air before all three of them turned completely invisible. "Now, hold each other's hands so we don't lose the other." Grey said, slowly opening the door.

Once inside and invisible, the trio went towards the source of the noise. In one of the bedrooms they saw- “Oh god!” Malty yelped, breaking the invisibility spell. Before them under blankets on the bet was Diva and Vincent, both clearly intimate with one another, now interrupted as they saw their audience.

“This… is exactly what it looks like.” Diva stated, Vincent face palming and hiding under the blanket.

“So… you three came back fast.” Vincent said, some time later after the incident.

"Uh, yeah." Grey said, unable to look Vincent in the eye.

"So, what was up with that exactly?" Malty asked.

"That was… old emotions. You all know Diva and I are the Admins of life, it was… hard, leaving her and all I knew to…" Vincent shook their head. "For now let's just say it's complicated and leave it at that."

"If ya say so player." Persila said with a chuckle.

“Why don’t you spend more time with her, especially if what you have planed for me works out.” Grey asked, rubbing his arm. Recently it has been harder and harder to keep it a secret, the reason for his existence.

“Drop it.” Vincent sternly said. He then took a deep breath. “So, how did the combat go?”

Grey sighed. "It went well. I made short swords out of my power, their swords are stronger, and the first floor is clear." Grey said, Persila and Malty noting that whatever it was that Grey kept hidden was eating up at him.

“You made swords out of your power? Not just infusing?” Vincent asked.

Grey took a breath before summoning the two to his hands. "I turned my energy into matter, and made these." He said, handing one over.

“Incredible.” Vincent said, looking them over. “I didn’t even think you could shift your energy into matter.”

"I just… felt like I wanted a weapon that suited me, and focused." Grey said, sheepish.

Looking it over, Vincent studied the design, their energy and form. He touched their sharp edges, a cut formed on his finger. “Huh, that hasn’t happened in-” Suddenly, a blast of Grey from Vincent’s cut sent him flying against the wall, Grey, Persila and Malty also.

Grey got back up, the blast of his own energy not harming him, and Malty and Persila were not hurt badly… but Vincent…

"Dad!" Grey yelled, ignoring any restraint as he sprinted over to the bloody mess that was Vincent. "Diva! If you're here hurry down now!" Grey yelled, using his power to amplify the sound waves as he held his dad's bleeding head in his arms.

It was several hours later. Diva did what she could, but called the Admin of Biology, the small grey admin walking out of the bedroom. “He’s in bad shape. Whatever energy he made that you are kid, it damaged his very code.” The tiny admin spoke.

“Will he…?” Diva asked.

“You are his other half, he’ll need a steady constant flow of your code to rebuild his.” At that, Diva ran into the room immediately.

Grey sat down, his back against the wall and cried. "I didn't… I didn't know that I could hurt him…" Grey said, having been a emotional mess ever since the event.

“Do you know how exactly Vincent created you lad?” The Admin of Biology asked.

"I… I could find the notes, but he was trying to create a energy that constantly grew without end. He didn't know I could boost anything I touched, or that I would gain sentience." Grey said getting control enough to answer the questions.

“Hmm… Interesting. Well, I may not know what you are as a whole, but to do that much damage to an admins code, you yourself have to be an Admin.”

“Grey’s an Admin?” Persila asked.

“To deal damage that lethal, yes.”

"How do we check?" Grey asked, looking up at the small admin.

“Let me see your arm. Any arm.” The tiny admin asked.

Grey offered his arm, looking apprehensive. "What are you going to do?" He asked.

“A simple way to confirm if you are an Admin.” They said, code flowing over their hand as they passed it along Grey’s arm. In a spark of dull green colors, Code formed and flowed around his arm. “By… My word.” They said, shocked and speechless.

"Am I an admin?" Grey asked, looking at the code flowing over his arm.

“Well, yes but… your code is different. While it operates much like the normal, it’s foundation is completely different. Whatever you are, what Vincent Created, he didn’t just make energy, he invented an entirely new form of code. Nothing like this has existed before.”

"So… it was like two operating systems trying to work in a single computer?" Grey said, his head looking over to the room where Vincent was.

“Well, yes and no. It’s designed much like the code myself and Vincent and Diva use, but it’s foundation is different, something from scratch not created when the machine first turned on. Interesting… your ability to self replicate your code and energy seems primal.”

"Primal…. So I am basically the first truly new admin since the birth of the machine, and my powers are primal in nature?" Grey asked, happy for the distraction.

“In a sense, yes. But, new code like this is an unknown. It seems you best be cautious. By the time we Admins gained our consciousness as clusters of code, it was far less primal.”

"Yeah…" Grey said, looking over to the room again. "I can guess why."

“He will be asleep for quite a while. Diva will take care of his health, their code structures are similar enough that just being next to him will allow him to heal and rebuild his code. All you three can do is wait.”

Grey nodded. "Thank you… For everything." He said to the admin before unconsciously resting his head on Persila's shoulder.

The Admin of Biology left, Grey taking a look at Vincent. Wrapped in heavy code constructed bandages, Diva laid next to them on the bed, arms gently wrapped around him as code flowed between them.

"Mo- Diva, I'm sorry, I didn't meant to." Grey said, bits of his code still flowing around his arm. "I don't think even dad- even Vincent knew what he had done."

“I know.” She said, still looking at Vincent. She looked over at Grey, seeing Malty and Persila were not in the room. “I know… why Vincent made you. I know what you are. I know Vincent all too well to have not figured it out why he made you Grey. To be perfectly honest it doesn’t actually bother me.”

"It… doesn't?" Grey asked, looking a Diva with a look of surprise. "But… I'm meant to end everything, no hope of a restart, no comebacks, I am the world ending event most authors write about. I am the end. And that doesn't bother you?" Grey said, tears falling from his face. "Then why… why does it bother me so much?"

“Because that isn’t all you are, and Vincent left that part out.” She said, holding him still and taking a deep breath. “We are the Admins of Life, Grey. He built you to end THIS worlds resets, but I know the nature of your code just from seeing how you use it. You are the end of this world, but you are the beginnings of a new one. One Vincent felt this one could never become.”

"How?! I am designed to end the machine, to end it all until nothing remains at all!" Grey said, not even realizing he started yelling. "I… I don't want to hurt anything. Yet my existence is the end if everything."

“To end this world, yes, but an important thing Vincent and I learned early in our lives and experimenting in our code and how our creations work, if we create something that is made to kill, it will also make something new. You are built to end this world, but if you succeed, you will also create a new one.”

"I… how do we know? I'm an admin and I don't know of what. And how many times will I end a world and rebuild it? How many times until it becomes too much? How many times?" Grey shouted before going quiet again. "I… I never asked to be created. I don't want… I don't want to be the end. I don't want those who I care about to leave because of me." Grey said, looking at the floor as a tear fell from his face.

“Then don’t.” Diva said.

"What?" He said looking up with his watery, grey eyes.

“If you can create, create. Or, if you can’t stop yourself from expanding, find something, or make something, that can. Balance yourself out.”

"I… I'll try." Grey said, taking a shuttering breath. "I'm… I'm sorry. That had built up from the moment I woke up. I'm sorry."

“There is no need to apologize Grey. It’s important you never suppress your emotions.”

“So…. what do you think I’m the admin of?” Grey said, trying to change the topic

"That you will have to discover for yourself. We all had to."

“That sucks.” Grey said, a small frown on his face.

"If you are still unsure, maybe you should speak with our sister, the Admin of Death."

“Maybe… how do I contact her?” Grey asked.

"That's… the hard part." Diva sighed. " She lived in the furthest explored southlands, a frozen wasteland called Graveyard. You'd have to go there in person to speak with her."

“Yeah… if it was just me I could figure something out, but I would need to bring the other two along…” Grey sighed.

"You can keep them safe."

“I… I’ll try. But only if they want to go. I’d never force them to go.” Grey said with finality

"Doubt you could stop them."

“What do you…” Grey said before slowly turning around, seeing the two at the door.

"We got your back Grey." Malty said with a grin.

"Didn't hear all of that but if it helps you out, we're okay with it." Persila said.

“You two are willing to travel a frozen wasteland, filled with who knows what, too meet the admin of death?” Grey asked.

"Gives us a good chance to test out the gear. Plus gets you out there and seeing the world." Malty stated.

"Thank you." Grey said with a soft smile. "When do we go?"

"Whenever you're ready." Persila said with a smile.

"You two…" he said, shaking his head with a smile. "Let's get packed. I might be fine, but we need to pack food at least for you two." He said, walking pasted them, his love palpable, even if he didn't notice.

"Given all the cash we now have buying food won't be too much of an issue I imagine. Hmm. Enchanted bags will be a must though." Malty said.

"..... How much would a basic bag of holding hold when I touch it?" Grey asked the air.

"Hmm. A typical bag will hold up to seven hundred items, so not sure how much you'll boost that up by." Malty said.

Grey shrugged. "Probably make it nearly bottomless." He said with a small smirk, one that little did he know would become a signature of his.

"Well, beat go get the supplies then." Persila said. "I know we can catch a DTL in scala ad caelum, but to get there from here we'll be lucky if we can find a Dragon Rider to fly us there. Would only take two days flying, three if it's a Garknakal Dragon."

"Yet I have the feeling something will go wrong." Grey said, summoning his blades and creating sheaths for them. “So how do we open a DTL?”

"A DTL, or Door to Light, can only be opened by a Keyblade Wielder. Sadly neither I or Malty have one. Their Grand Council of Keyblade Masters decides who gets one and who doesn't. I didn't get one because they said my Heart wasn't pure enough. They're ridiculously finicky in who they pick. But bright side we don't have to get one we just need to find a DTL station that can open one for us that can take us to a town called Lorver. It's the closest town to Graveyard."

“That doesn't sound fair. Isn't there keyblades attuned to darkness, such as Oblivion? Shouldn’t the keyblade choose the heart for it’s self, rather than a bureaucracy?”

"Tell that to those old pricks." Malty said.

Grey felt his powers flowing around him, the grey smoke flowing out of the pores of his body. “I might just if I ever meet them. They are not the ones who control destiny. Keyblades fall under Kingdom Heart’s domain, NOT theirs.”

"Guess that's a lot stop along the way." Malty said with a laugh.

Grey calmed down and chuckled along with her. “Sorry bout that.”

“Eh, at least you care more than most people. Everyone else mostly just accepts that as fact and that’s it. Well, come on then, let’s let Diva heal Vincent and head on off.”

"Yeah. Though if we stop there, prepare for me to challenge them to a duel. I'll used a 'Wooden sword' against their keyblades." Grey said, his idea already forming.

"Well, this will be interesting."

Once the group got their supplies in order they managed to find a Dragon rider to Scala. Grey looked at the gigantic beast, so tame and gentle. Once it took off Grey looked out at the world from the birds eyes, and smiled. The world was so big, and it only got bigger the farther you traveled.

"This is amazing…" Grey said breathlessly.

"That's the world. It never ends." Persila said with a nod.

"Always something to see." Malty agreed.

"I wish this would never end. I wish I could protect this." He said quietly. "What is Scala like?"

"City build atop man made floating islands within the ocean. Every island connected via cables carts travel along. Pretty freaking massive." Persila stated.

"So long as we make that detour, any place you two wanna go while we are there?" Grey asked.

"Not really." Persila said.

"I've never been so not really." Malty said.

"You two ready to see this so called council get their asses handed to them." he asked with a smirk, his plan already in motion

The two day flight went by fast, Grey seeing a lot of the world from a birds eye and even marked some places to see on a map he purchased. Scala was… gorgeous. It's design, bright colors and bursting with life and people was amazing. "The council is all in the center island. We'll either need to catch several cable carts there or find someone willing to fly us there." Persila said.

"Or we take a fun way. Do you two trust me?" Grey said, standing up.

"We're kinda bound to ya, so yes." Malty said.

"So long as that trust goes both ways." Persila said with a smile.

“Kay then.” He said before handing the rider a few coins before holding old to the two and jumping off the dragon, flow motion onto one of the cables. “Wooo hooooo!”

Once the trio landed, Malty and Persila hugged the ground, Malty throwing up. “That was cool… Never do that again.” Persila said.

“Do that again and you’ll get a first hand experience in having a sword shoved up your ass.” Malty groaned.

Grey just shrugged, smirk strong on his face. “You all enjoyed it, admit it.” He said with a chuckle.

Malty gave Grey a death glare, and in that split second, Grey felt a pain every man fears, as he grabbed his genitals, and fell to the ground.

After that recovery, Malty kept a bit of distance out of anger from Grey, though it was only two feet behind.

“Sorry....” Grey said once he had calmed down. “That was me being a bit of a jackass.”

“So like any man ever?” Malty said.

“Malty, Grey could have told us beforehand, but he is still new to people and communication and… pretty much everything.” Persila said, losing her point as she was now lost in thought.

“At least he knows how hard I can kick now.” Malty grumbled.

"Look I'm sorry Malty. I got lost in the rush that I didn't think about you two… I'm sorry." Grey said, looking down in shame

“Hmm… Prove it.” Malty said, the trio stopping as Persila and Grey turned to look at her. “What are you willing to do to prove it?”

“I uh…” Grey said before sighing. “You have a freebie to do whatever you want to me for a day. Beat me, dress me, make me fuck a guy, you name it.”

“Hmm…” Malty thought it over. “Alright.”

“Alright. Cash that in whenever.” Grey said with a small smile. “Where do we go from here?”

“That place.” Persila said, pointing up at the tallest building on the island next to them. “That’s the grand council’s building. It’s also where they make Keyblades. I hear just to make them take thirty years of training and schooling. Not sure if it’s true though.”

“Knowing them, likely.” Malty added.

“Well then, lets go prove to these old farts that They are not the ones who decide who is a keyblade wielder and who isn't.” Grey said, walking with so much determination the other two could have mistaken him for someone else.

Once the three reached the building, two Keyblade wielders stopped them, their Keyblades both Olympia Keyblades. “What brings you to the council?” One asked.

“Simple. I wish to speak to them on the possibility on becoming a Keyblade wielder. And if that is not available I will still speak to them on other maters.”

"Oh, you want a Trial of the Heart?" A guard asked.

“Oh yes.” Grey said with a smile, only the other two able to know he was lieing through his teeth.

"Then head on in, just leave your weapons in the lobby. No weapons aside from Keyblades are allowed. Armor is fine though." The other guard said, the two disbanding their Keyblades.

“Well, Mind If I bring a wooden training blade? I just want to test something with the council’s permission. Besides, how much damage can a untrained kid do with a wooden sword against keyblade masters?” Grey said, rolling a 20 on his persuasion.

"So long as it's for training." They shrugged.

Entering, they placed their weapons away in rented storage lockers before Grey kept his training wood swords as the trio entered. The council was twenty, all cloaked in black robes.

“Hi there. How are you all doing this fine day.” Grey said, standing before them with two wooden swords in his sheaths.

"Do you seek power?" One asked.

"Do you seek friendship?" Another asked.

"Do you seek knowledge?" A third asked.

"Answer honestly." All spoke, Grey feeling a magic field activate within the room.

"Well, I've always wanted to seek my own destiny. But in you all are forcing me to choose, it would be friendship." He said, glancing behind him to his friends with a smile.

“You choose friendship. Which would you give up in exchange?”

"I guess knowledge, though why would I need to give something up? Just because I want friendship doesn't mean I can't study, or train for the other two." He said, holding back the edge in his tone, if barely.

“You choose Friendship, and would give up Knowledge. Now, does Temptation distort your ideals?”

The whole room went dark, Grey seeing they were suddenly alone as a light shined up above them. “Heh, what are you doing?” Grey turned around, seeing himself but skin was the same color as their eyes. “You know what you were built for, why play around with the insects?”

"Because I care. Because even if I will cause the end, I don't want to. I want to hold those I care about close. I want injustices in this world to be done away with. I wish that everyone be given the chance to grow and grab their own futures with their own two hands. Because they are not insects if I can find something in them that I love." Grey said, walking up till he is face to face with himself.

“You forget, you have no choice. Every second you exist takes away from the time their world has. Maybe it won’t be tomorrow, and maybe not even hundreds of years from now, but one day, you’ll see them all die, either by your hands, or by your energy.”

"And when it happens, I will learn to live with it and find a way to move on. But I won't deny myself happiness. Death comes to us all. It is inevitable, even for people like us. One day we too will end." Grey said sadly before his eyes hardened. "But look around. Mortals live with the knowledge that every day could be their end. Yet they love, laugh and find happiness. Why can't we?"

“Because we are not mortals. We are barely Admins. What we are does not exist anywhere. Hell, did you forget that body isn’t even what you truly are? Just a flesh puppet to move around in.”

"I am me." Grey said with a small smile. "It doesnt matter the form, or if there ever is one. We still think. We still feel. We have a heart, and I say that even if we lose our body, I think that those who care about us will continue to care, making it all worth it. Now that is not to say there are those who arnt worth it. I bet half of this council, if not more are self centered individuals, playing with powers not their own. However, those who have done no wrong shouldn't be punished for the wrongs of others, otherwise it makes us no better then them."

"It's what dear old dad built us to be. Heh, if we can almost kill him, put in the effort, how many of these old fools can you kill?"

"I can kill them all, but can is different than will." Grey said calmly.

"You didn't even try to kill Vincent, and yet he's hanging by a thread. You didn't even try, he barely got cut by your blades, a cut almost killed him, when will it get to the point being near someone will kill them? How can you keep yourself in check then? Isolation? You'll go mad with your needy desire to be around people now."

Grey frowned. “Because I won't let it get to that point.”

"Acting like you actually have a choice is the matter is a fools beleifs. But who am I to convince you otherwise, I'm just the you that could have been, the you Vincent invissioned originally."

"And yet you still are me. You are also the me I will show those who dare try to play with powers not their own. You are the me I will show those who dare harm that in which I hold dear. You are still me, just as much as I am still you."

"Agree to disagree." They said, shrugging. "So, your plan is to what? Abuse your power? Or take a power you know nothing about?"

"Earn a power that I know nothing of, and learn both about, and from it." Grey said with a shrug of his own.

"Heh. Ever the good boy, for now anyway." The other me vanished, and I was back in the council room.

"Well, your virdict?" Grey said with a smug grin, hoping they say no.

"A final test we have for thee." The center sat Council elder spoke, old and wise I'm her voice. "Conflict in mind, are battles hard won." She said, a mirror appearing in front of Grey. "Conflict of the heart, can lead thine undone."

Grey's reflection then walked, without Grey moving as it left the mirror, it's transparent form stopping less than a foot before them. The reflection blinked, eyes glowing yellow as both it and Grey were pulled into the mirror by a sudden blinding light. Looking around Grey and their yellow eyed copy stood in a seemingly endless mirror reality.

"Well, this is creative, I'll give the old farts that." Grey said, staring down the other him.

The copy stated back, skin shifting to a pitch black color as well as their hair. They blinked again, this time their eyes shifting to a pure grey color, as Grey felt his power begin to flow from the copy.

"A literal mirror match." Grey said, walking forward.

The dark copy charged in. Grey reacted fast, mirroring the mirror before he gathered energy to hit the reflection.

The two swing a punch, both their gathered energy clashed in an explosion, but the darkness around the copy latched onto Grey's arm, a tendril of pure negativity growing Barb's suddenly that dug into their arm, a scream of pain as their copy smiled devilishly, teeth shifting to needle like fangs and tongue elongating like a snake as it threw Grey off into an invisible wall. Looking back, Grey saw it grow another barbed Tendril around it's other arm, and a dark aura emerge from it's back.

"That's interesting… why a snake though?" Grey said, grunting as he forced himself to his feet. With a breath he began to draw a spell matrix, overloading it with grey before firing off a ball of plasma at the beast.

It's right arm and tendril merged, forming a curved longsword looking blade as it funneled Darkness and Grey into itself, slicing the plasma in half before rushing in again. Thinking fast, Grey formed their energy swords, crossing blades with the beast as the impact sent grey and grey boosted Darkness into the air around the two.

Grey suddenly had an idea as he started to funnel light and darkness into each of his blades, using a phsudo-Balance mixed with his grey to combat the darkness. "Take this!"

Grey managed to push them back, managing to get a clean cross slash in on their head. Their upper skull above their nose falling off and desintegrating. For a moment their darkness and grey began subsiding, then suddenly began expanding.

Quadrupling every second as a dark silhouette replaced the missing skull half, eyes a bright yellow glowing grey along their outlines as their dark aura cloaked the battlefield.

Yet grey stood defiant, not even taking a single step back. "I am not fearless. How ever, I have courage." He said before flash stepping back to it, slicing with the grey infused light sword, but hanging on to the dark one. "Courage is not the lack of fear. It is being afraid, yet fighting in anyways!" He said before bringing both blades together. "You are nothing."

Their dark aura blacked out everything. Grey went in for a slash, but, something in the darkness grabbed his blades. "Nothing huh?" That voice, Grey recognized. Walking out of the darkness was Vincent, hand gripping Grey's blade. "So why does that make you?"

"Dad?" Grey said before trying to teleport away.

He was grabbed by the hair on the back of his head, thrown to the ground hard. "You have one purpose. One job, one reason for existing!" Vincent said, stomping a foot on Grey's gut. "Then you go and grow a brain and a consciousness and suddenly you think you know better than the man who made you. You think you know better than me?!" He kicked Grey again, sending his rolling a few feet. "I created you!" Another kick. "I created all these mortals you have stupidity grown so attached to!" Kicked again. "You think they are all worth saving, but that's a lie. I know my own creations better than you ever will!" Vincent then picked Grey up by his shirt, looking them right in the eyes. "Conscious or not, you'll do your job."

Something inside Grey snapped. He started to chuckle, followed by a laugh. "Oh, I know not everyone is worth saving. In fact, deep down, I know over half of these morons don't deserve my kindness. But you forget something father." Grey said before drawing a blade and slicing with the intent to kill. "Not everything needs to die. But if killing is the only way to peace, then I'll do so happily!" He shouted feeling his dark and light flare up, shaking the very illusion he was in.

Vincent smiled. “Then off to the slaughter, my little-” Vincent stopped talking, looking down, there was an arm through his chest.

Grey looked behind Vincent… only to see… Vincent. Still badly injured, bruised and slightly bleeding. “Don’t… talk…” They said, eyes almost lifeless as they gripped their fist, an explosion of large vines from the dark copy that vanished, as well as the area.

Grey saw themselves back in the council room, everyone in shock, as the injured Vincent was still there. Looking at Grey.

Grey gulped but listened to his dad, shaking as he looked at his hands. Vincent began walking, or rather, limping, towards Grey. Grey closed his shaking hands and looked down, crying as he sobbed quietly, the faint words only heard by Vincent. "I don't want to be evil."

As Vincent walked up to Grey, stopping right in front of them. Grey flinched when he saw Vincent raise a hand, only to feel it suddenly gently pat his head. "What did… I make you for… again?" After that, Vincent fell over.

It was a mad rush to get Vincent back to the tower and into Diva's as to heal him again, Asmith, the Admin of genetics, checked up on Vincent again.

"How is Dad?" Grey asked again for the second time in less then a month.

"It's as I expected. His code was too damaged, while Diva is healing him, parts of, well, him are either missing or incomplete." Asmith said with a sigh. "While his and Diva's code is identical, the code that stores traits like personality, ideals, even his memory is missing large chunks from even as far back as our early days from what I analyzed. While Diva can heal him physically, mentally who knows if his code can reconstruct what was damaged or missing. For the time at least, when he does gain the strength to properly awaken, he will be fragments of the Vincent he was, and who knows if he can regain all of who he was."

"I… I… didn't…." Grey broke, whatever fight was in him gone as he collapsed to his knees. "Why… why did he have to go after me… he would be okay! It's my fault. If I was never created, none of this would have ever happened. I never asked to be created! I wish it never happened!"

The next few months were all largely silent. Grey was lazing about. Vincent hasn't moved since that day, still as death almost. Then finally… "Grey." Persila said, the man buried under ten blankets.

"Mph…." He said. By this point grey had attempted to end his life multiple times, each time stopped by one of the two girls. All he brought, all he was destined to bring, was pain and destruction. Best to end the threat. But they wouldn't let him.

"Vincent is awake… and you are gonna wanna see this."

Grey poked his head out of the covers before sighing. “Fine.”

Persila lead Grey to the central room of the tower, where he saw Vincent, wearing bandages and short as he looked at the holding pod that Grey's true form and self, his energy resided. He then looked over at Grey. "Hey… what's this thing again?" He asked Grey. "I… know it's important and relates to you… but I can't remember what it is… or you really."

“That… is me in a sense. You made me to be a energy that self replicates into infinity.” Grey said carefully, not sure if this is a trick or not. “You never intended for me to have sentience, nor for me to basically become a brand new admin with my own code, but I am, and you did.”

"Huh… sounds about right. So… ah, you're my new son then!" Vincent said, giving Grey a pat on his head. "Been a while since I raised a kid. At least, I think it has… not sure."

Grey looked thoroughly creeped out, turning to Diva, mouthing “Help me!”

"Uhh, Vincent. Mind if I speak with Grey for a while. There is a dungeon in this tower." Diva said.

"Oh? Sweet." Vincent said, jumping out the nearby window.

“Okay…. Who is he? That is not the dad I remember.” Grey said, wide eyes and honestly a bit scared from the shift.

"It's because he doesn't remember. The wars and bloodshed of our children. That much and more seems to be blank still. This is Vincent… before that all happened. It's nice to see him like that again… but it hurts too." Diva said, holding a hand over her heart.

“I… I did this to him… and he’s going to find out all over again….” Grey said, looking at his hands, still remembering the blood.

"Will he though?" Persila asked. "The last major war was over seven hundred years ago, hardly anyone outside if a school talks about them and all in all the world is fairly peaceful now."

"It could also give Grey time to… figure out what he really is from his notes." Malty offered.

“Wern’t we going to go see the admin of death for that originally?” Grey asked, not looking from his hands… again…

"True. Hmm… so, what should we do now then?"

"If we tell him all at once it might backfire." Diva sighed. "We'll have to hope he remembers on his own. Might take a long time though."

"So we lie to him?" Grey asked.

"We will tell him, just after a bit of time has passed."

The month passed by fast. Vincent being nice, considerate and happy was still something everyone was weird about, but everyone kept on. Eventually Grey walked in on Vincent by the sphere his true form was held in. He was, to Grey's surprise, looking it over from some display that was never there before.

"What, what is that?" Grey asked.

"This?" Vincent asked. "It's a Console. Admins true power, a Console gives you full and total access over whatever you use it to access. In this case, you."

"And… what does it tell you?"

"Honestly, not a clue. Whatever I was thinking when I made you I can't make heads or tails of it now. But good news is, there’s parts I can understand.”

“...Like…?”

“Well, according to this you can generate this unique energy that is, well, you forever, self replicating and boosting all other energies, even code! A lot like the Generation ability, in fact I belive I must have used Generation as a baseline. Anyway, the bright side is, From the console I have full control over how fast, how much, all that stuff about your ability.”

“...Can you… Shut it off?”

“Sort of. There’s no shut down per say, there is however an alternative version of your grey you can generate. It’s just labbled as Beta though.”

“Is it like my current grey?”

“Kinda. It self generates but it does it by converting normal code into your grey. However it only lasts for as long as you are using it, and disbands itself after a minute or two back to normal raw code.”

“And my current code does it permanintly?”

“Yeah. Why though is the part I still don’t fully understand.”

“Well, can you put me into beta… please?”

“Good call, energy like this you could accedentily hurt someone.”

Grey flinched at that, though Vincent did not notice as he put Grey into Beta. Grey felt the Beta version of his powers take over, if was diffrent, slightly. It’s potency was far less, and was only present when he commanded it, not eternally present.

“I feel so much… lighter.”

“Not surprisnig. Well, that’s about the only thing I really understand. Everything else is encrypted, and given it looks like whatever I did I can’t remember, I’m just gonna leave all that alone.” Vincent said, closing up the Console. “Now then, Diva mentioned you wanted to speak to my little sister, right?”

“The Admin of Death, yeah. Can you open a portal or something?”

“Son, I can do you one better. I can show you how.” Ever since he woke up, Vincent kept calling Grey his son. It was a conflicted emotion to hear him say that. "There are two ways Admins learn. First is how I've been teaching you, books, word of mouth, that stuff. Then there is a simple data transfer."

"Data transfer?"

"Kinda like sharing memories, but only the important stuff." Vincent played a hand to Grey's head, in a rush, Grey just knew, a complete understanding of code portals, how they work, realities gridline layout, and the coordinates of the tower and the Admin of Death's location. Vincent saw Grey stagger a bit. "It's always like that, only really use it when you can't completely explain something."

"R-right." Grey said, rubbing their temples. Shaking off the headache, Grey tested it out, and successfully opened a portal to Graveyard.

Graveyard was as the name implied. A snow laidin flatlant covering further than the eye could see. Each tombstone had a name, age, and other information about the dead. "What brings you here?" Looking up, Grey saw her, the Admin of Death. Her skin ash grey and blue, eyes white with decay and hair deep black, wet with the slime of rot.

“Uhh… Hi. So, the name is Grey and… I need you to help me."

"You seek out death to help with a matter relating to life?"

"Not exactly… I know you can tell I am an Admin, Vincent made me and… he made me to… to hurt and to kill, to end everything."

"Brother's grief and hatred have devolved then. What are you crafted to do? Smear the blood of life across the ground? Tear apart the soils of reality and burry our mortals?"

"Well, I grow. I'm actually energy, this body is just how I go about and such, I'm this energy that grows and grows and doesn't stop…"

"Ah, to fill and suffocate the world is his goal. Slow and painful, memorable for the cruelest of reasons. I'm almost worried he might claim my title."

"This is serious! How do I keep from being that… being what I am…"

"Vincent is many things, but he is still an admin of life. He can't kill, even if he spills the blood of his creations across the ground they die but are reborn immediately, as such he can not create a destroyer without being forced to create it's own counterpart."

"A… counterpart?"

"Take poison for example, it can't be made by Vincent without also crafting the antidote to it. So, there must be a counterpart to you. Something or someone that can undo what you do."

"How… how do I find it, them?"

"That you will have to figure out from Vincent, but don't fret, I hear brother is not in possession of all of his marbles, so tricking him or getting information can be easy if he remembers it at all, if not, well, best of luck to your journey to come."

Over the next few months Grey tried to see how much Vincent would remember. It came back, bits and pieces over time but never the whole amount. In that time also Grey felt their urges to fight, to… kill, their code and programing trying to remind him what he was made for. In fact, Grey became exceptionally close to Persila and Malty. They seemed to suppress and calm the little episodes, the trio growing closer and more connected.

Grey didn't like endlessly trying to ask Vincent these questions and just end up confusing him. "Damn it…" Grey huffed, sat in his room on his bed. "Why does this all have to be so complicated… why did I have to gain sentience."

Grey sat in their room for a time, pondering nothing and everything. After a time they got up, heading to the tower's roof, a good place to stargaze and be alone. As they arrived out of the hatch they stopped for a moment, seeing Vincent up here as well. "Vincent?"

"Sit." Was all Vincent said, though the tone and emotionlessness of his voice put a pit in Grey's stomach. Grey sat next to Vincent on the rooftop. "I remember everything." Upon hearing this Grey felt an internal panic building. "The wars, the deaths… your purpose. All of it."

"What… what are you going to do?" Grey asked nervously.

"Me? Huh… that's actually a good question." Vincent sighed, Grey not expecting that answer. "I spent so long, believing everything was flawed and should never have existed, but… the time I forgot, those new, unclouded memories reminded me… I was the flawed one. Diva and I, Me especially are so flawed. It took me forgetting I was trying to create something to end it all to realize all those wars, murders and bloodshed I hated them all for… it came from somewhere… came from me, because I was so willing to do just that. I'm a hypocrite."

"So… what will you do now knowing this?"

"As much as I would like to, this time I won't forget everything. Bloodshed and murder are… something that comes from me, and therefore exists in all of you, you especially. So… knowing this, I guess I'll just leave things as they are, maybe go back to guiding them."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Heh… yeah. I realize now that life, like it's makers, is imperfect. Peace and all that can exist, but I guess in the end violence is just part of life."

"... What about me?"

"You?"

"I mean… how can I… stop growing and stop this urge to…"

"Heh. When making you, I put a lot of effort and work to ensure you would keep growing and expanding, but I did put fail-safes."

"Fail-safes?"

"Failsafe one, the beta grey. Which you already have." Vincent said, Grey giving a smile and laugh. "Failsafe two, deactivation of your other half."

"Other half?"

"Those urges and such you have, it's your most basic instincts, your code that keeps you trying to follow your directive, the reason I made you. It's will be a pain to deactivate and even more so to remove, and then lastly is erasing grey the energy."

"You can destroy it?"

"Not really destroy. It's a conversion program, like how your beta grey converts normal energy and code into grey energy temporarily, this program converts grey inal normal code and energy permanently."

"But with grey gone… I will have to go as well. After all, that ball in your lab… that is me… hey, there's an idea…" Grey said, thinking. "We will need kingdom heart's permission, but what if we take that instinct, and instead transfer it into a weapon than could handle that pressure. A keyblade. So that in times of great need I can call upon my other half when something threatens that in which I want to protect. Surely transferring the code is easier than deactivation and deletion."

"It would be, but remember, Keyblades have minds too, let's just hope it doesn't develope one like you did."

"Hopefully… so, how do I… or how do we go about this?"

"Well, first I'll call up Little Bro then we'll worry about the rest."

Within a few hours, Kingdom Hearts arrived. Grey did not expect them to be a young child, clearly no older than ten or so. "Long time no see Vincent." Hearts said.

"Likewise. So… we need a Keyblade." Vincent said. "One than can hold in a lot of power and dangerous code."

"So it's a X-Blade you want. " Hearts asked.

"Yeah, if it will work."

"Easy. So, where is this dangerous code then?"

"In him." Vincent pointed at Grey, who scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Oh? So you're gonna pull it from him?" Hearts asked.

"Yup." Vincent said as he walked over to Grey. "I won't sugar coat it kid, this is gonna hurt. This line of code I'm taking out is part of your base foundation. You'll live, obviously, but it will hurt. You ready?"

"Never been more ready." Grey said with a nod.

"Alright, brace yourself." Vincent rolled up their sleeve, code flowing out from them around their arm and hand.

Grey tensed up for a bit, once Vincent made contact, Grey felt a pained stab into their very being. Their code being cut through as Vincent removed the unneeded code. The few minutes it was, felt like hours to Grey. Finally though, Vincent pulled the length of code out. Grey catching their breath finally as Vincent sealed it within a cage of code. "That sucked…" Grey huffed.

"That it did. But, the worst is over now. Just gonna run down to the final floor of our dungeon and get the last thing needed to free you Grey. After that, guess we just live."

Grey smiled, feeling hopeful for their future for the first time in their life.