It was now morning and a small section of ground just inside the Everfree forest collapsed in on itself. A Jackal head peek out of the newly formed hole for a brief moment. “All clear,” the Jackal said, pulling himself out of the hole before reaching in and pulling out Bayek.

“Thanks,” Bayek said, as he got his footing and began to keep a lookout as the hole enlarged. The next out of the hole was John as he carried a sleeping Lyra in his arms, bridal style. “How’s she doing, Romeo?” He joked to John.

“Depends on how your partner is doing,” John responded with a smirk as he stood up straight shielding his eyes as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight.

“That is none of your concern!” Ba snapped as he helped Pear out of the hole before helping the freed prisoners out of the hole.

“Ba, he’s a former cop,” Bayek said, facepalming. “The word doesn’t mean lover or whatever you were thinking.” Ba only shrugged in response.

“However we decide to interpret words, I just want to know who you two Assassins are, and how you knew I was down there?” Pear Butter asked.

“Well concerning me, I’m a person who was forced into an undead form, and I’m sure that Anubis and maybe Amun might have a hand in it,” Bayek answered for his ‘side’ of things.

“And in my case, just a normal person, nothing special about me about from being a policeman before this,” John added.

“Former Order soldier converted to Anubis’ Army,” Ba said. “Given some time, a Commander should eventually pick me up for orientation in the Duat.”

“You should realize that some of what you two desert dwellers said isn’t making sense to me,” Pear said in a deadpan tone.

“In simple terms, they are both beings that shouldn’t theoretically exist,” John admitted. “That and Anubis is a god of death.”

“Okay, but that aside, how did you know where to find me?” She asked.

“We captured a changeling SOB that gave us some surface information that helped us get to where you were being held,” Bayek said. “His information, coupled with the information we got from your husband when I helped bring his soul rest gave us what we needed to find you.”

“But my husband was killed when I was captured,” Pear said with some confusion on her face.

“I think it’s better you explain that one, Bayek,” John admitted.

“I’m going to propose a theory that Timberwolves are restless and vengeful souls possessing wood to form them,” Bayek said. “After revealing his soul and releasing it from the wooden husk, he was able to give a final goodbye to his children, give information about you’re capture and his mental enslavement, and was given a grave fit for a Pharaoh.”

“Mental enslavement?”

“We cannot confirm this last bit, but it may have been caused by one of the Pieces of Eden,” John suggested.

“Pieces of Eden?” Pear asked. “What does one normally look like?”

“You really can’t claim a normal look for them,” John admitted. “Heck, I’m wearing at least two on me this second.”

“And I’m suspicious of my hidden blade being one, as I thought I saw it glowing as I was fighting the Order,” Bayek said.

“They could be anything from a ring to a building and everything in between,” John admitted.

“That complicates things...what can they do?” She asked.

“It varies from item to item,” Bayek said. “John’s Shroud is an article of clothing or something like that that heals the wearer. Another piece that I’ve heard of, called the Broken Spear of Leonidas, enhances the skills, strengths, and abilities of the user.”

“Then there's the ‘Apple’ of Eden which can forcibly bend the will of the living to do whatever the holder wants and a staff that works with it to boost its power,” John added.

“So, after we get back to the farm and get properly rested, we should probably see about getting the Brotherhood jump-started back up and making sure said Pieces don’t get into the hands of the Order or the Cult,” Pear summarized.

“Maybe for the best, we also need to see what we can learn about them, from the documents we found and put everything we know together and plan or next move out,” John agreed.

“And with what John was able to do concerning “converting” Lyra, we don’t kill unless they are stubborn about their ideals and won’t “convert” to the Assassins,” Bayek said.

“Honestly, I don’t think she really needed any, convincing per say, I think she wanted to be near something ‘exotic’ as she put it, and I’ll admit I sort of played on that a lot to find things out.”

“Just admit that you like me at least,” Lyra said, opening her eyes. “I may like being near exotics, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely lusty.”

“If you behave, maybe I will. Eventually,” John admitted.

“I will, just so long as we share a bed at night. No sex required,” Lyra said with a purr.

“And yet that’s the first thing you said, mentioning sex,” John admitted as he rolled his eyes. “Not lusty my ass.”

“I was talking about legitimate sleep, not nightly sex sessions,” she said with a pout.

“Keep it in your pants and let’s get moving,” Ba said in annoyance. “Everyone’s out of the tunnel.”

John just rolled his eyes before he asked Lyra, “Think you can walk or do you still need me to carry you?”

“Since you’re offering,” She said, before displaying an impressive amount of flexibility and moved herself from his arms to his back. “I can walk, but I like the view from here.” She rested her arms and head on his head, while wrapping her legs around his torso.

John just rolled his eyes at her antics even though Bayek seemed to catch a small smile that only lasted a moment. “I’ll tease you later,” Bayek whispered to him.

“Just great,” John muttered back with a roll of his eyes.

“And it might be best if you try to limit your eye rolls,” Bayek added. “The frequency and reasons of your rolling reminds me of my mother’s ‘smile,’ which is basically just eye rolls.”

“Males,” Pear muttered, before switching her attention from them to getting home. After roughly 11 years, she would finally be home.

---

As the group returned to the farm they looked around finding that everyone they had saved had collapsed onto the ground before John looked to everyone before saying, “Maybe we should check on everyone before we head in.”

“Sounds fair. Save for two of us, these people aren’t worth anything to us dead,” Bayek said, attempting to joke. Ba, Lyra, and Pear simply facepalmed while John pinched the bridge of his nose while shaking his head.

“You just had to do that,” Lyra said, as she and John checked over the Diamond Dogs in the group, while Pear checked on some of the Griffins. Bayek was given disapproving looks from Ba as they checked on the Dragons.

After about five minutes later the group had checked over everyone the group joined back up before they made their way towards the door as John looked to Pear before he said, “Are you ready?”

With a deep breath and a nod, she answered, “Yes.” And knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the door slowly opened as Granny Smith stood on the other side before she almost calmly said, “Butter, John, step inside.” She turned to Bayek and Lyra. “You stay right there.”

She then stepped back in a bit, before she grabbed a nearby blunderbuss, before she stood up straight, and shot Bayek, knocking his head off his body and his body backwards. “That will be you if you step one hoof out of line, got it, Miss Lyra?”

At this Lyra simply nodded her head with wide eyes before entering the house and immediately hiding behind John as she trembled in fear.

“It’s a good thing I stayed back,” Ba said as he walked in, holding Bayek’s head as he did so.

It was then everyone in the room looked back over to Granny Smith, as the group saw her hugging and crying alongside Big Mac and the Pear Butter. “Eleven years. For eleven years, we thought you were dead.”

It was then that Pear Butter started crying a bit more while at the same time seeming to relax a bit. “There were times I wished I was, Granny. But now, I’m glad I lived.”

The group just watched as everyone continued hugging and crying as Yang turned back to the entrance, where Lyra was having a mild quiet freak out behind John as the Ba picked up and put Bayek’s head back on his body, which was standing there with his arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. “I don’t know why you left my body outside and only brought my head inside,” Bayek said.

“It’s easier to keep you from being too annoying that way,” Ba said before he turned to another Jackel that was black furred and clad in gold and teal armor and robes who was standing in the room close to where Yang was sitting as Ba looked towards him and saluted. “Private Ba, reporting in!”

“At ease, soldier,” the new Jackel said, tapping his staff on the ground. “Report to the Duat, on the double.” The ground just under Ba seemed to collapse into sand, sucking him up. When the Jackal was gone, the ground reformed back into the hardwood floor it was. “Now, Bayek, John, I have a few words I need to say to you after you send Miss Xiao Long back to her world.”

“Alright then,” Bayek said as he produced the choker. “Yang, you may return home. Our contract is complete.”

Yang then attempted to stand up, but before she could a portal opened up under her feet as she fell into as it instantly closed behind her.

“So… that's how that works,” John remarked looking at where Yang had been moments before.

“What did you expect? A magic carpet and a Genie flight attendant?” Bayek asked as he walked up to the Jackal Commander.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe to turn into sand and fall into a portal,” John retorted.

“Gentlemen, let’s take this outside,” the Jackal said, opening the door. “The Apples need to catch back up after roughly 11 years of separation.” Just as he said that, Applebloom came down the stairs and saw the group of Apples hugging. She moved forward towards them before joining the group hug.

John then looked to the group before walking towards the door as Lyra followed closely behind him.

“Now, we have a few things to go over, like the Isu relics that are currently in your possessions,” the Jackal said.

“You mean his shroud?” Bayek asked.

“And the sword and your barely functional hidden blade,” the Jackal added. When he mentioned the hidden blade, Bayek’s blade sprung out, a few mechanism pieces falling off. “I take that back, non-functional hidden blade.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t maintain that properly Bayek,” John responded with a smirk.

“It was just a decorational prop back at the convention,” Bayek shot back. “Heck, I haven’t even used it at all when I got here.”

“Wait, are you talking about Relics of Harmony and Chaos?” Lyra asked.

“Wait, what are you on about? Aren’t they called Pieces of Eden?” John responded.

“According to your world and history, yes they are,” the Jackal said. “However, different world, different names. Care to explain the naming system your former Order has for these relics, Miss Lyra?”

“Well, any relics used to the general benefit of the Order are called Relics of Harmony,” she explained. “Those used against the order are considered Relics of Chaos and are generally hunted down to repurpose them into Relics of Harmony.”

“Interesting, making them seem like they have a side and to be on one side is to not be on the other…” Bayek muttered before shaking his head. “Anyway, what about the Isu relics we have?”

“Well, the hidden blade needs reforging into the relic it should be, and the sword needs a little fixing,” The Jackal said. “There is a forge where that can be accomplished.”

“And can you tell us both where it is and how we can get into it. I very much doubt it’s in plain sight for anyone to access.” John asked.

“Pretty much,” the Jackal agreed. “Head to the Castle of the Two Sisters.. I’ll meet you there.” The Jackal then turned into a small sandstorm that blew towards the Everfree.

“Are you sure we can trust him?” Lyra asked. “I mean, while the Order does use the Everfree at times, they generally avoid it. And I’m pretty sure you might know why.”

“No idea,” John responded.

“Maybe animals and certain things that are literally uncontrollable?” Bayek asked. Lyra nodded. “Okay then, so off we go into the dark, creepy forest?”

“May I come along?” Lyra asked out of nowhere. “I don’t feel safe around trigger happy Granny Smith.”

John then looked to Bayek before he said, “Do you think we should take her?”

“She probably is safer with us,” Bayek answered. “Yes, we may be going into the dark and creepy forest, but the two of the Apples saw or witnessed her threatening Applebloom. If given the chance, what happened to me on the porch a few minutes ago would happen to her...and sadly, she can’t reform.”

“You may be right on that, right now if she as much as sneezed in their general direction she may kill her anyway.”

“Okay then, so off we go… after we tell the Apples that we’ll be gone for a bit?” Bayek asked.

“I’ll let you do the honours, I don’t want to risk getting shot,” John stated. Bayek slumped in defeat and went back inside. A few seconds after he entered, the door opened and another gunshot rang out, sending Bayek flying out. He landed, with a huge hole in his chest, at John’s feet and Lyra’s hooves.

“I’ll have to ask permission from Pear, but if Miss Smith does that one more time, I’ll kill her,” Bayek said with a bland frown on his face. “Once was okay. Twice can be overlooked. Three times, she’s asking for it. When the fourth time comes, I’ll show no mercy.”

“Umm, are you sure that’s a good idea, considering the fact without them we’d have nowhere to live, it may be a stupid idea to kill one of them and get thrown out,” John admitted.

“Two things wrong with that statement,” Bayek said while standing up. “First off, I said I would ask permission, meaning that I would only kill her if I’m granted permission. Second off, I’m pretty sure some of the Apples have a chance of wanting her punished in some way for doing that unnecessarily and too much.”

“I very much doubt that,” John responded clearly doubting Bayek.

“How about you just agree to disagree and wait for the next time Miss Smith shoots him?” Lyra interjected. “Now let’s get going. And may I ride on your back, Johnny Boy?”

“What is it with you and wanting me to carry you?”

“You’re so good at carrying me,” she said with a slight pout. “But I never said you can’t say no.”

“Okay, well just incase something happens it may be best if you walk so I can defend myself easier if necessary,” John responded, “I’m guessing you don’t use weapons yourself?”

“Not really,” she said. She then looked contemplative. “Maybe I could ride your back until we get to the forest edge?”

“Okay, but only till we get to the edge of the Everfree, after that you’ll need to walk.”

“Gotcha!” She quickly jumped onto his back and rested her head and arms on his head. “Tally Ho!” She said with an obnoxious British-like accent.

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