Ch.66

[Loredas, 19th Hearthfire, 4E: 221]

“You okay, sis?” Shade asked me with a steadying hand on my shoulder, but she was just as wobbly. After we arrived in Coldharbour, the link between us and our souls must’ve been strained because I felt like I wanted to die for a moment.

“I’ll be fine. We need to find my child.” I thought hard on what Thia said. Something about how the Key Pinion of Great Dark Anchors would be nearby. We were in a courtyard of sorts that was eerily devoid of enemies. I chose to believe it was because we’d depleted the garrison here on the other side because the Schemer wasn’t devious enough for a proper ambush.

“Well, you’re their mom. Use that motherly instinct or something to find them.” Shade said with a mixture of amusement and seriousness that I actually took to heart. I let my feelings flow and focused on the connection I should have with my offspring. It wasn’t bullshit, Mysticism is awesome like this, it should-there!

I bolted towards the feeling that led to a solid stone brick wall. I prepared my right pointer finger and readied a totally bullshit skill the Oghma Infinium taught me that proves Hermais traded all sorts of books with Jhunal. “Bakusai Tenketsu~!” I shouted, because techniques like this used verbal cues to strengthen them, before I stabbed my index finger into the stone with laughable ease. The brick wall promptly detonated as if my finger was a well-placed stick of dynamite.

“W-what the fuck?! Where were you hiding that, sis?!” Shade demanded as I shrugged off the stone impacting me and strode into the chamber. In a horrific caged cradle-like bed slept an 8-year old fox boy. I grabbed the ribs of the cage and with a herculean scream of righteous fury, I ripped the whole fucking thing out of the floor!

“Back through the portal! We’ll work on freeing him on the other side!” I shouted as I carried my sleeping boy’s prison out like a LoZ throwable over my head, but I had to drop him when a soul hurting roar of fury echoed through me, waking my son with wailing cries. I felt the tether between my body and soul nearly snap from that!

“You dare?! I do not care if you mimic The Vestige, your soul will be mine!” Echoed the cruel voice that screamed through the very air of Coldharbour!

“Huh, another like me.” Chuckled a skeleton that was suddenly standing nearby. The skeleton was weird. It seemed to have bones from every mortal race of Tamriel prior to the recent bullshit. “Hello, name is Osamodas, former Vestige and now troll of Coldharbour. Don’t worry, Molag talks a big game, but he’s all bark when it comes down to it.”

“Well, we need to escape regardless, but why are you here?” Shade questioned as I picked my crying son’s prison back up a bit more gingerly to avoid stressing him further.

“Because I told my friend who partly fused with my soul before they sacrificed themselves to ensure our victory: ‘hey, when I die I want to be sent here with my soul in Meridia’s hands so I could fuck over Molag’. I’ve been playing pranks and telling bad puns ever since. Now, what are you doing here?”

“Rescuing my son and putting distance between Coldharbour and Mundus. Come with us if you want to be free.” I huffed and prepared to jump into the portal.

“Alright then.” Osamodas promptly agreed before he jumped into the portal with us.

📜

“Brennie, remind me to punish Hermais and Eris, because Rei is basically becoming a female Ranma.” Hunter grumbled after he invisibly returned to Mundus through the portal just before the sisters and their new bony companion did in case the Key Pinion leaving the realm would collapse the portal. “As in terms of skills and the fact she’s a harem magnet.”

“I’ll make a note of it. Did you leave a present for Molag?” Brennie asked him, still sounding a little down.

“Yep, one tactical high explosive with the yield of a small nuke on a timer. It should be small enough not to endanger Rei’s other kids still in that monster’s realm.” Hunter replied as he watched Rei, Shay and the skeleton with the annoying name land.

“Break the pinions!” Rei shouted and the men with warhammers at the ready smashed the points of the Anchor almost simultaneously. The black three-pronged anchor whipped free and pulled out of the floor in time for a giant gestalt of the bones of untold victims to appear in the portal. However, it was too late. The anchor ripped past it, tearing a chunk out and then the portal collapsed, dropping the remaining heap of bones to the floor.

The cries of a child echoing in the chamber pre-empted any cheers and Rei struggled to pry open the cage holding her son. Several men and Shade promptly moved to assist while the weird skeleton managed to somehow sneak past everyone to the pile of bones. He kept an eye on him in case he was about to pull a surprise ambush or something, but it wasn’t necessary.

“Shush! Shush~! Mommy’s here! Shush~...” Rei practically sobbed even though she couldn’t shed tears as she hugged her crying boy to her armored bosom and he wept into her chest while confused and touched people looked on. “Mama’s so sorry. She’s so sorry she lost you.”

“Sis, he was in your womb and you were defenseless.” Shade berated her sister and helped comfort her distraught nephew as well as her crumbling sister, who everyone else was shocked to see keening and wailing in a painfully heartbreaking way. So that is how Argonians cry.

“Sis, do you hold yourself responsible for not protecting her?” Hunter asked when he heard Shade’s statement.

“...Yes.” Brennie’s mental voice cracked a little, memories of her past flooding into his mind as he saw the final moments of a doomed world fading away. Failing to protect Meen-Rei, failing to protect Shade and temporarily dying at the hands of the one who committed it all.

📜

Seeing Meen-Rei so empty and destroyed was heartbreaking. She had her son, but at what cost? The woman refused to leave her son, who she named Daniel, who was now in a restful sleep, likely the first one of his tragically accelerated and still young life. Of interest to many was the fact the green-furred fox boy had angelic wings, too cute and tiny to be useful right now, but would certainly grow as he did.

Neethsi lamented that she couldn’t do more. She’d used her Mastery of Mysticism to delve into the boy’s mind and discovered an unnatural maturity to him combined with a natural childishness. He even spoke to her, insisting she tell his mom that he just needed to rest. This didn’t help. Rei was so broken at all of the tragedy catching up to her at last that she was sightlessly staring at her son’s sleeping face.

“You will do no more good sitting here than she is.” The voice of High King Bloodraven or Vartine, because when you have children with someone you don’t dislike they get first-name privileges even if they’re a king, said as he put a hand to the small of her back. The intimate contact didn’t repulse her, in fact she took comfort. “Come, let her wallow. We all must cry in our own way at some point.”

“I-but-okay.” Neethsi hesitantly caved. Rei wasn’t responding to her and was nearly catatonic. She’d be sleeping staring at her son like a hawk, but she’d be sleeping. Shade had already left her be. Clearly Rei’s twin knew the right thing to do, so she allowed Vartine to guide her from the private room he’d given for Rei’s son to recover once several healers both scholarly and religious had gone over him with a fine-toothed comb.

“Let us go to our eggs, dear. I think you could use some maternal comfort. The gods know that whenever my Elisif was beside herself with sorrow, our children always helped.” Vartine said moments before they entered a private room now dedicated to her eggs. He put her in the bed and brought one of them to her. Neethsi whimpered and gently cradled the egg to her abdomen, beneath her breasts. It helped. “Rest, come out when you are ready.”

“Thank you.” Neethsi whispered and stroked the shell of one of her first children. Had she allowed herself to get closer to Vartine back during his adventures...she realized she would’ve probably turned him away from Elisif. However, this what-if couldn’t upset her. She had found love and he had found it too. She could take comfort in her old friend supporting her like this.

📜

“Is she asleep?” Brennie asked sullenly as Hunter lowered the limp form of Meen-Rei into the bed next to their nephew. Palutena may have been an adopted sister, but the ties that bind with a True deity like her are deeper than any blood. Young Daniel was an angel, not to mention his luminous green fur matched Palu’s hair, so there was no denying his parentage.

“Yes. Funny though, if I remember correctly, isn't your younger brother’s name also Daniel?” Hunter asked her and she gave a chuckle.

“Yes and his favorite animal was a fox. Ironically enough.” It was strange for her to remember one of her actual family member’s names, even their favorite things. “I miss him.”

“You should get some shut-eye. You’re starting to look like hammered shit.” Hunter pointed out as the stress of today started to wear her face down. “Look, whenever you get the chance, talk to her about it. For now, you need rest.”

She was about to protest, but she grunted when Felsa gave a vigorous punch to her uterus. “Fine, fine. I’m clearly outnumbered. It'll just be really hard to talk about. Not to mention we cannot bring Palu into this. She’d rip this world a new one and destroy the delicate balance on the turtle’s back.” Brennie stressed and her siblings all nodded in agreement.

📜

[Sundas, 20th Hearthfire, 4E: 221]

Rarity got next to no sleep last night despite how wonderful her day had otherwise been. She ghosted Pinkie on her date and watched as her embittered yet still funny and fun-loving friend bubbled out of her shell from Dar-Ja charming her with his roguish demeanor and adventurous nature. Were he not inclined to merchantry, Rarity might’ve assumed he was a thief or other rapscallion.

It was during then that Rarity was struck with a sensation of woe. Her parents, rest their souls, warned her that when she found someone she loved Romantically rather than Platonically or Familially, that should they suffer greatly, she too would suffer. She was found in a nearly catatonic state by some guards, having stumbled to a building and collapsed against the wall.

Her friends, Pinkie included, which filled Rarity with guilt for interrupting her date, gathered at the LUM clinic where she explained that one of her future wives was in pain, terrible pain. Rarity was only avoiding sobbing uncontrollably because Mellow dosed her with a powerful antidepressant. She wasn’t even able to leave the clinic and slept overnight.

Even with sleep potions, at best, she only got maybe two or three hours of uninterrupted sleep. The rest were plagued with nightmares so vivid and cruel she considered that Vaermina may have decided to play with her. Each portrayed Meen-Rei gutted and crying over the corpses or crushed eggs of her children with her demanding why Rarity gave her them if only to suffer.

Thus, it was to a dark-eyed and exhausted Rarity Belle that her precious sister Sweetie entered the clinic to see. “Oh, Rarity.” Sweetie muttered sadly and sat next to the bed. When she offered her hand, Rarity couldn’t clutch it quickly enough to be assured that she wasn’t alone, that she had someone she loved in her grasp. “Mom and dad always warned us it was overwhelming.”

“They didn’t warn us enough.” Rarity tiredly rasped through a hoarse voice. Had she been screaming herself raw through the night? She couldn’t remember. “I need them. I need to know Meen-Rei is alright at least physically if not mentally or emotionally.”

“I know sis. I still remember when Scoots broke her leg and I thought my leg suddenly snapped.” Sweetie shuddered with her eyes closed and Rarity patted her hand comfortingly. She’d commiserated before because as her sister it was her duty, but now, having experienced her love’s nearly suicidal sorrow? She could much better appreciate this gift or rather curse the Belle Family possesses.

“Don’t forget, that mom died because she felt when dad…” Rarity sniffled and the sisters sat in quiet grief for a long moment before taking a shuddering breath. “Till Death Do Us Part.” The sisters intoned darkly, for that was the ultimate result of their curse.

📜

I woke up to an unfamiliar sensation, of something small, fluffy and warm snuggled against me. I reached up and instinctively petted it, assuming one of the palace pet dogs had gotten into my room. “Mm~! Mama~. You’re hand is so warm~.” A boy’s voice mumbled into my still-armored chest and I paused before snapping my eyes open and looking at the green and cream furred fox boy with radiant green eyes and angelic white wings on his back.

“...Son?” I asked hopefully and the boy nodded as he hugged me and I choked on a sob as I hugged him back, trying not to crush him. “My boy. My baby boy.”

“I’m afraid I didn’t get to be a baby, mama. Fama Palu would be so upset by this, she’d go right up to Molag and rip his Balls off!” Daniel declared with the certainty a only child could have and I giggled at the visual of Palu indeed storming Coldharbour, probably teaming up with Meridia since they’re both deities of Light, then totally curb-stomping that BDSM jackass.

“Well, even so, I’m glad to be able to meet you.” I sat up and my son politely scooted back to sit in a seiza position with his tiny wings fluttering and his bushy fox tail wagging happily. “What did they do to you to make you so...well, older and so mature for your age?”

“I think you mean polite, mama. Maturity and politeness don’t go hand-in-hand.” Daniel pointed out and I nodded, that was true. “Well, I don’t know how. I was asleep the whole time. I can only figure the why of it is so I could survive being the Key Pinion, but they couldn’t age me too much or I’d be too strong and break free. As for why I am the way I am; dunno. We’d have to ask fama Palu if she has any clue. I just am who I am.”

“That you are. You’re a wise little kit.” I chuckled with a mixture of amusement, pride and sorrow. I didn’t get to raise him, just like I didn’t get to raise Shade. Will I never be able to raise my children? My other kits from Palutena are certainly like Daniel, so I won’t get that chance with them either. “Well, let’s get you dressed and I can take you home. I just know your future step-mom is going to adore you.”

“You married someone other than fama?” Daniel asked sadly and I winced. “No, no! I get it. Fama and you were essentially a one-time event of intense passion and desire. Yes, they’re different things. So, you love this woman?” Daniel asked and I nodded before I raised a finger.

“Not just her. Your...well, she would have been your sibling, but outside forces have turned her into my sibling in everything, hopefully besides blood, then there’s-.” I didn’t even get to speak the devil’s name before she appeared and Neethsi promptly entered the room. “There she is-.”

“Goddess Nerevarine! Wow mom, you have great taste!” Daniel praised me happily with excitement as he jumped out of bed. “Hi! I’m Danny, I’m mom’s son. Not the eldest though, mom has to find her, but anyway. I’m gonna be your son when you marry mama, is that okay?” I felt a mixture of mortified and greatly amused at Daniel not even giving Neethsi a word in.

“Why wouldn’t I, Little One?” Neethsi cooed and bent down to pick him up, hugging my son to her bosom and nuzzling his snout as his tail wagged miles a minute. “I wish to have many children with my wives, I hope you are looking forward to siblings.”

“Yes! I want many siblings! Mostly so I’m not the youngest-aw dang! I just admitted I’m the youngest!” Daniel pouted and I shared a hiss-snicker with Neethsi.

“So, Neethsi. Are you finally done training those shipwrights?” I asked as I got out of bed, willfully ignoring all of the gristle and other nasty things that had gotten on me in the fighting. Ew~. Now I can’t ignore it. I must reek! Daniel slept with me while I’m so gross!

“Yes. They’ve got the book I wrote on the matter, they have intellectuals, I told them they can take care of themselves from now on. I’m done with babysitting them.” Neethsi huffed and moved Daniel to sitting on her shoulder...where are his privates?! Why does my boy not have privates~?! Did something go horribly wrong?! Was he made genderless by those bastards?!

“Mama! Calm down! I’m a boy! I just have the ability to make my stuff not exist when I don’t need it.” Daniel somehow read my mind! Is he a telepath?! “Yes mom and you’re screaming!” Sorry! “Just stop screaming your brain at me please!” Sorry~... “Look, mama; fama Palu may prefer to have her organs all the time, but I’m an angel. Angels don’t have a need for earthly mortal necessities such as making babies or going potty. Or even eating, actually.”

“Oh, such a strange little angel.” Hermais said when she appeared. The chaos noodle looked a little better than the last I saw of her. “In mama Wiatr’s world...old world, angels were essentially just the inhabitants of Heaven and servants of Jehovah. They had all the same needs as mortals, just far less urgently.”

“Well, fama didn’t have anything like that established if my powers are right. I’m one of the first actual angels born from her at all I think, so maybe we’re just like fama Palu?” Daniel half-asked and Hermais shrugged.

“Despite that Palutena is really close to my step-dads as an adopted sister, we’ve rarely had dealings with her, so I don’t actually know. Nothing we’ve done before involved her.” Hermais admitted before looking at me. “Rei, you need to go home. Rarity’s family curse is making her suffer because you suffered.”

“What?!” Shade, who burst in at this moment, Neethsi and I, all shouted in dread and rushed from the room High King Bloodraven had been so kind to lend us for my son’s recovery.

“So Rarity is my future mom and her family is cursed?” Daniel questioned from where he clung to Neethsi with his arms wrapped around her neck, flapping behind her like the world’s most adorable cape with how fast we were running through the halls of the Blue Palace.

“Yes, she is!” I told him when we exited the palace and ran for the wayshrine, which was strategically placed in the courtyard of Castle Dour in the center of the city.

“Maybe I can do something? Angels are good at dealing with dark magics.” Daniel suggested and we slowed at the closed gate of Castle Dour, forced to deal with our fucking passports.

“Sure thing little fella. I’m your other future mom Shade, by the way.” Shade quickly introduced, but then the guards gestured for Danny’s ID. He needs a passport?! Seriously?!

“Excuse me?” We heard from behind us as a giant of a man came forward. “What seems to be the hold up?”

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