It had been three days since the Fallen had basically declared war on us, their assault having ended at around the second day. I was walking along with Roxie in a wheelchair, her distaste of the situation apparent after she insisted she had finally fully recovered from her wounds. I have been catching her up on the situation.”-Oh, and you're going to be an auntie.” Aaand I had just told her the whole entire series of events that transpired while she was healing… Here’s hoping she’s not too mad at me.

Roxie was silent for a rather unbearable amount of time, at least it was to me before she finally spoke up. “...Is she good…?” Her voice, obviously because of the lack of use for three months had turned it rather gravelly and rough. Well, rougher than usual.

I nodded “Chrysalis is wonderful. Although, it took some figuring out… what with how my body is.” I said with a blush. “She is currently using her magic to set up natural camouflage from the air. Only those who know what to look for will be able to find us and not be blown to bits.” I grinned “Well, those who mean us ill, anyway.”

She was looking me directly in the eyes before letting out a sigh, breaking the expression she had. “If you...say so…” Roxie stiffly sits up with her joints loudly popping satisfyingly. Come to think of it, she seemed rather out of it still judging from her rather quick acceptance of Chrysalis.

...No, it's more like she’ll deal with it later... That's more like Roxie.

Orvok was walking up to us from across the street. I grinned and whispered to her. “He spent every free moment he had with you, trying to help you heal. He actually used some of his life force to heal you apparently.”

She only could manage a nod of acknowledgment.

Orvok smiled weakly to her “It is good to see you are well, Foxy Roxy.” he said with a slight shimmer of tears in his eyes. “Er… I actually had to update Simon on the Everfree expansion, we have successfully pushed it back from our borders, but a local, an extremely ancient and powerful one, wants to see us three, she asked for us by name, apparently.”

Again, a simple nod of acknowledgment from my sister. “...Who…?”

Orvok smiled in a restrained manner as if he was forcing himself to do so, instead of a tremble with fear. “Quathak herself. She seems to be… intrigued by us.”

I paled “You mean to tell me… that an ancient, obscenely powerful goddess of Kin worship, has decided to talk to the three of us?” Orvok nodded weakly. “Shit.”

“...Kin…? Like… Family Kin…?” Roxy questions before coughing for a bit. “Also, water...please...”

Orvok was already on top of it, handing her his canteen. “The Kin is the term we have come up with for The Olog, Uruk and Changeling people. Basically, Quathak is the goddess responsible for the Everfree.”

She was listening to this though was a little more focused on drinking her water slowly, occasionally coughing mid-sip ending in her clearing her throat. “I… See…” She says, still weak-voiced.

I looked to Roxy with worry. “If you want, I could try to just go with me and Orvok… If you still need to recover.”

Orvok nodded, concern plain on his face as he looked to Roxy. “Quathak is one of the more understanding members of kin divinity, she’d understand if you still need to heal.”

“Slept… enough. Just need to hydrate and stuff.” She says with a bit more clarity in her voice, shaking her head. “Doubt I’ll be walking any time soon though…”

Orvok nodded. “The legs are the last things to recover after the raising, and that’s for Uruk, who have adapted to heal quickly, I don’t know how fast your race heals… it could take a long while.”

I looked to Orvok and smiled. “So, lead the way?”

Orok nodded warily. “Yes, we should not keep her waiting too long. I doubt that would end well for us.”

As Orvok turned to lead us towards the town cullis gate, a recent addition to assist with the transit between us, and our various allies. I looked to Orvok as i pushed roxy up to it. “So… forest gate?”

He smirked. “Actually, she gave me a special cullis charm, we are going to Greenvale, her realm.” He then took out a charm that was equal parts bone, stone, and plant, all seeming to fuse together seamlessly. It was in the shape of a wolf skull, and had a green glow to it, he calmly set it at the apex of the gate and channelled magic into it, the gate being filled with green and yellow fire. “You two first, I have to close the gate behind us.”

Roxy with semi-blurry eyes watches the gate closely, trying to see past it almost.

I cautiously push Roxy past the gate, getting overtaken with brief pins and needles before finding the three of us in what looked like a forest of sentient trees. The trees looking at us and whispering to each other in an unknown language.

My sis was watching them back without much of an expression, eyes lacking any curiosity or hostility.

Orvok was staring at the trees with equal parts trepidation and scholarly curiosity. “The talking trees… they are said to be the most powerful creatures in Greenvale, second only to Quathak herself… Everyone, be polite and be courteous. Offending the talking trees is a fools decision that will lead to an early death. They are more powerful druids than anything seen on our realm.”

I nodded and pushed Roxy after Orvok once he started walking. He took great pains to answer the trees questions in a manner similar to a fearful servant. By the time we had almost reached what looked like a clearing of some sort, a massive wooden hand stopped us, the tree it belonged to smiling at us. “Tree-mother meets another now, wait til she orders I raise my bough.”

I nodded and waited with Roxy and Orvok, wondering who it was that was taking Quathaks time, fairly certain that whoever it was, they were extremely powerful. Not only from the sheer power emanating from the clearing, but from the feel on the air, the very realm itself shivering with fear at the potential of whoever was just across from this trees bough.

Roxy seemed the denser of the three of us, seeming to not notice or just barely feel the energy permeating around us. That, or she did not give a damn. Both were equally likely, at this point.

Orvok was shivering like a leaf in a windstorm, only for the pressure to instantly recede, as we felt whatever it was that owned this power finally noticed us. “Gah, dang it, Quathak! You should have told me you were having guests! You know how visiting other realms makes me! These poor mortals are probably scared silly!” The masculine voice said as I instantly recognized the voice as Hank. What the hell was he doing here?

A female voice, presumably Quathak, then spoke. “Zmatok, you honestly expect me to wait to finally meet my child, after all this time? For the god of Chaos, you can be quite dense as to a lady, no, a mother’s desires.”

The voice that I thought was Hanks then chuckled. “Ouch, you know where to hit where it hurts, eh? Well, I’ll be off, be sure to think on my request, okay?”

Quathak chuckled and had the talking tree raise his bough. I then saw that it was indeed hank in the clearing, or at least who i knew as Hank. “Well, I’d say a long time no see, Simon, but I’d be a liar, as I haven’t stopped looking after you since you’ve come to Equestria.”

Quathak smiled warmly at Orvok as she gestured for him to come over to her side. “Come, my child, we have much to discuss.”

Zmatok then looked to Roxy and me, before sighing. “I think we should talk too.”

My, not so little sister, gives a firm nod at Zmatok.

I then grunted. “Whatever do you mean? Should we talk about how you used us like pawns, how our entire friendship was based on a lie, or how you took me, a doctor, and made me have to start hurting people? I was a pacifist Hank, I did not BELIEVE in hurting people, and now I can’t go two days without having to kill something or someone! TWO DAYS!”

Zmatok then frowned. “Would you have believed me if I told you the truth? That I was a chaos god of a dying world, and that I needed your help to save it? To remove cancer that was within that self-same world, I’d have to change you, body and soul? I may have done wrong, but at least I am not lying to myself. I have seen the threads where I told you, they ALL led to you avoiding me, and my world dying. I had to risk our friendship, which I honestly came to treasure so that I could save a population five times that of Earth's!” As he spoke, he looked to me in hurt and self loathing, as if what he had done had left him feeling dirty, stained.

I sighed, realizing that he was right. “Okay… okay. I guess you did the right thing, but… Damn if I‘m not still mad at you.”

Zmatok nodded. “It will take time, but I hope you come to forgive me.” he smirked. “Now, I saw that the Eliksni have declared war on your kingdom, while I cannot simply wipe them out, I CAN give advice. You need to discover the other half of your powers, you have been leaning on your SIVA too much, and you need to learn how to use your wraith powers.” He smiled. “It is the only way to weather the coming storm.”

“Anything for me, I hope.” Roxy adds her two cents the second he was done talking, clearing her throat after speaking.

He waved his hand, a red mist going over Roxy. “I’ve healed you, and My advice? Train with Simon, learn to fight alongside him, work off of his moves, you need to be his right hand, his confidant, he will need you just as you will need him. Also, I have talked to Quathak about Orvok for you, she approves~.”

While most of this filed in one by one into her head as she stand up and stretched, that last comment went of her head. “Approves of what?” She asks about popping a shoulder along with her knee.

Zmatok grinned. “Well, let’s see, Orvok is head over heels for you, he has literally given up part of his life force to save you, and he placed a curse that would make even me shudder on the bitch who hurt you.” He grinned. “Momma Quathak wants plenty of grandbabies when the time comes~.”

There was a hint of her flinching with her eyebrows throwing up but she quickly composes herself. Though she could not hide the slight blush forming on her face, she hoped that they would not notice her surprise nor the blush. “I...see.” Was all she said to that, clearing her throat awkwardly.

Orvok then likely heard from Quathak about her… desire for heirs. “WHAT?! YOU SAID WHAT TO THEM?!”

Zmatok then chuckled. “Seems Quathak just spilled what I told you to him as well. Let’s listen in on them, shall we?” He then opened a small portal, letting us hear what Orvok and Quathak were discussing.

Quathak smiled. “What, you do not love her?”

Orvok’s face was beet red, an odd feat for an Uruk. “I-it’s not that! I just, I don’t know if she feels the same way! I mean, what if she resents me for not letting her pass on?! O-or… what if she likes someone else! I can’t just tell her how I feel, without any regards to her feelings! A-and… I don’t know if she even thinks of me that way… Not to mention that my appearance might be repulsive to her for all I know!” He started pacing. “I mean, what if she opposes the idea?! I’d have no choice but to let her go, but… the very thought hurts…” He clutched his head and groaned in frustration. “Gah, I wish I never prayed to you for guidance!”

Roxy’s finger went to her temples, grimaces lightly at the little tangent he went off to before giving Zmatok a ‘was that necessary’ look with a hint of mild irritation.

Zmatok then pointed to the portal, then smirked as Quathak spoke again. “Why don’t you just ask her out on a date? See where it goes? I swear that if it does not work out, I will not push you. But I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I’ve seen how you reacted when she was threatened. It is rare for a druid to feel this strongly, especially one with your… condition.”

Orvok sighed. “Okay, I’ll… I’ll ask her out, but if she says no, I will try to just be her friend! Nothing more… No matter how much I wish otherwise.”

I smiled at this, fairly certain that Orvok stood a chance, but also worried as Zmatok closed the portal. “What condition does he have?”

Zmatok smiled sadly. “His heart is hollow, he took over half the mass of his heart to ensure that Roxy would survive, it’s a small miracle he is not an emotionless husk right now, much less that he is not dead. He is recovering slowly, but yes, he had given much to save you Roxy. Here’s hoping that things go well!”

He then disappeared in a flash of light, and we were standing by ourselves as Quathak and a blushing Orvok came back to our group. Quathak then cleared her throat. “Well, it seems that Simon needs training in wraith magic, so I have been reaching out to my champions to find a suitable teacher. I just wanted you two here to inform you, you have the gods in your corner, as it were.”

I deadpanned “And we have to walk back, don’t we?”

She shook her head. “No, In fact, I have a portal ready for you, just behind you. Plus, I wanted to check up on my son, can’t blame a mother for worrying!”