Capítulo 8: Interlude 1
XXX
Bell Cranel
Level 1
Strength: H102 – G224
Defense: I85 – H156
Dexterity: I58 – H189
Agility: H150 – F310
Magic: I0
Skill
[Awakening of the Blessed Key]: Unlocks the user's true potential, which is found within them should they possess a strong "Heart". Moderate Growth Acceleration. Boosts offensive and magical parameters (Pending).
[Ephemeral Shadow]: In response when the user is in peril, a shade will step in to lend their aid. Rate of activation decreases with prolonged or frequent usage.
Magic
[…]
XXX
The captain of the Hestia Familia rubbed his forehead as he gave the Falna sheet one more glance out of the 15 that he's made ever since his Goddess showed it to him. There was just…so much to unpack from this. Discounting the boy's dive to the heart revealing to him glimpses of the Foretellers' sigils, he was just flabbergasted with just about everything right now.
"Still trying to wrack your head around it?" The bittersweet aroma of coffee pervaded his senses and with a quiet *thunk* a wooden mug of it was placed near the crinkled sheet of paper. "Here. You might as well fuel up on caffeine for some extra brain power."
A mirthful laugh crept past Michael's lips as he gratefully took a sip of the toasty beverage. "Thanks, My Goddess."
Well, at least the comfort of being back home in the presence of his jovial Goddess made it manageable for him to process…whatever this sudden new development was. When he was coming home today after finally finding his way o-navigating his way out of the dungeon, he expected some nonsensical chaos to happen during his absence. It was Orario after all…
God, he's really getting used to this erratic world if he's gotten to the point to think of it like that so casually.
"Haaah~!" Sliding onto the seat next to his, the Goddess of the Hearth luxuriantly rested her head on his shoulder. "You're welcome…"
"My Goddess?"
"Shush. I'm refilling my Michael gauge; I've running low ever since you left." Hestia hushed.
'I missed you too, Hestia.' Michael thought with a smile.
He noticed how exhausted the small woman was and questioned what was wrong before reminding himself about the punishment doled out to her by Chi. He remembered how much of a tantrum she threw at dinner before coming to him for help. She thought that he of all people could change Chi's mind.
Heh, he wouldn't even entertain such a delusion.
Sure, he was flattered, but even he doesn't push his chances with his Chirithy. A full five years of being a keyblade wielder developing through his bratty childhood phase and puberty whittled down the dream eater's tolerance for nonsense. It just so happens that his beloved Goddess is eternally stuck with some of that immaturity.
"Mumumumu! I don't know why, but I've got this distinct feeling like you're making me of me right now…"
Yet, her immaturity must never be used to underestimate her (along with any other Goddesses…and women in general) since she's scarily able to pick up on things.
"I have no idea what you're talking about?" He slyly smiled and took a sip of his coffee.
"…I can tell you're lying." Her divinity powers were on point today it seemed.
"So?" He grinned as she raised her head to impetuously stick her tongue out at him.
His brief bout laughter lasted for a good clean ten seconds before the pair continued to wait for their "Guest" to arrive. After a few minutes of relative silence, Hestia decided to ask him the question that's been on her mind since Bell's status update.
"Are you sure that Bell-kun was simply chosen?" She really didn't want to doubt the notion that such a pure and sweet boy like her fourth Child wouldn't be found worthy. However, she gleaned from Michael's stunned reaction to the boy's stats and strange dream that there might have been something else that warranted her kernel of doubt.
"Unless someone other than me has bequeathed to him the power, then yeah." Michael held no doubt that the boy wasn't bequeathed anything since he'd have sensed the potential brimming from his heart before now. And he highly doubted that he accidentally bequeathed the power again since he's never willingly done it or considered suggesting the ritual until today. "The chances of him being chosen are higher than him being bequeathed."
Hestia nodded. She saw the logic in that, but that still didn't answer her question. "…Then what are the chances that something besides him being chosen could happen?" She rephrased the question and was met with silence.
A vali for your thoughts, Hestia jokingly thought to herself as she watched the man rub his chin in deep thought.
A deep exhale passed through the Familia Captain as he gave the Falna one more glance. "Like I said before its more than likely that he's been chosen than the alternative, but beyond that I have no clue…"
"There's something more?" She asked.
He nodded. "Probably."
"Is it probably a good thing or a very bad thing?" Hestia worriedly asked, giving glances to the Falna, but most especially searching Michael's furrowed expression for any clear-cut answers, but was only met with the silence of the empty dining room and the strong gust of the night wind brushing against the building.
There was something going on that he couldn't put his finger on. First, the tears that he shared with Bell upon their first meeting, and now the contents of his Dive to the Heart revealing sigils that have long since been forgotten by countless souls who fell with the World into darkness, except for him.
Those sigils can't just be imagined up by his Station of Awakening as a coincidence. Neither Iris nor Karen exhibited the same sigils during their Awakening. Both described their images in explicit detail with each one they saw being that of six kind, heavenly women, the Princesses of Light. So, why did Bell's platform show him sigils that only union keyblade wielders of eld (like him, he thought bitterly) saw?
It was baffling. Whatever is shown in one's Station of Awakening is indicative of their Heart's true nature and feelings. Anything that a person holds dear and important will forever be etched into their Heart. But from the boy's questions, he had no clue on what exactly he saw. So, it just doesn't make sense!
Why does the reminder of his failure have to be brought up to him through the dreams of an innocent boy? Has he not been punished enough for failing to save anyone? To know that his efforts despite them being the most he had ever endeavored in his whole life to stop that War amounted to nothing. Was this the will of the World itself mocking him!?
*Crack!*
"Michael."
A tug on his sleeve, and the man looked down to find his Goddess glowering at him with that concerned look in her eyes. *SIGH!* For every Vali that he'd earn for each thought that traps him in his head, he'd be a billionaire (sadly, he currently holds approximately 250,000,000 valis in the bank).
"S-Sorry, My Goddess, I guess I was just too lost in thought…" He tried laughing it off, but like he'd expected, Hestia was not convinced.
How could she be?
Especially when she had been present to witness every bout of conflict that frenzied on in his head ever since they first established the Hestia Familia together. The only one who came close to identifying the signs of his inner turmoil was Iris, the second person to join their familia. Except in comparison, the Cows woman wouldn't always catch the subtle cues that something's amiss unlike the surprisingly perceptible Goddess of the Hearth.
"You promised…" He winced at how genuinely sad she sounded. He dared not look her in the eye lest his guilt grows more for even his shoulders to carry. Crap, he just realized that he broke cracks into his coffee mug. Now he'll have to buy a new one later…
Grabbing one of the nearby rags, he cleaned his hands and the table of the seeping contents of the cracked mug. The pair of blue sad puppy dog eyes followed him with each wipe he made on the counter.
"Well, I promised to at least try my best." It was a reasonable promise to make after all, he hated making promises that he couldn't keep. Being the one left behind by two of the most important broken promises in his life helped shaped that mentality for him.
"Did you?" Her question gave him pause.
He honestly couldn't answer with a "yes" with that much confidence. This wasn't the only time he's been stuck in his head today, and it wouldn't be the last. He's able to pull himself out of falling into a rut because of it, but he couldn't deny that he fell so easily to the inhibitions that plagued his mind.
"No." He quietly muttered, turned to her, and gave an apologetic bow of his head. "This time I really promise to try my best." At his resolute words, Hestia wrapped her arms around his own as tightly as she could.
"Please…" She pleaded, her voice cracking. "Remember you don't have to hold it in, but…you can always come to me if it becomes too much. I want to be there for you as much as you have been there for me." It's not fair if I can't even do my job as your Goddess to help you with the burden you carry, she thought, sorrowfully. They've had this little run around many times, and every time he'd resolutely keep his word and confide in her.
Ever since her fated encounter with him, which began the best years of her life down in the Lower World, Hestia wasn't one to shy away about letting her affection toward her first Child be known. He was brave, selfless, handsome, and kind (and did she forget to mention handsome?). To have found someone like him to be her Child was a blessing.
That's why she was insistent to one day be someone, he would undeniably trust and be dependent on. She admits that she was a "bit" possessive of him back then, but in the end, she desperately wanted to know the reason behind the grief that lied in the young man's eyes. If she could just let her love be known to him, then maybe his sorrow would disappear forever, she once naively thought.
It only took one terrifying close call with a whole pack of loose monsters bizarrely targeting her to finally let her feelings for the man be known.
…And he accepted it. He accepted her. The fatigue and terror of almost getting sent back to the Upper World in the most brutal way imaginable was worth it! Finally! The pure adulation of finally getting to know more of the young man's inner turmoil besides his general duty to face the Heartless could finally be undone with her love.
So, they were happy, and they kept being happy until the flames of their passion eventually calmed down and settled into an amorous comfort between the pair. That was the perfect moment, she thought, now was finally the chance to prove the power of her love and cure him of the venomous dejection that he quietly carries in him.
So, she asked albeit with less fervor than her earlier excitement would warrant. He was reluctant at first, but he pushed himself to open up to her about…everything. By the end, she was left a crying blubbering mess, a complete opposite to her usual cheery gait. And Michael? He smiled and comforted her in his arms.
Recounting such horrid memories that would best be forgotten without showing a hint of breaking down, she wondered why the young man wasn't as much of a wreck as she was at the time. Then that's when she noticed his smile.
A smile that was worn to comfort her, alone. She reprimanded herself, she was supposed to be the one doing the comfort and now she looked pathetic.
No tears were shed from his eyes; eyes that radiated his utter loneliness. It broke her heart to see the vibrant young man so…resigned to carry that weight. As a Goddess, she doubted that she could carry on if she experienced half of what he's been through (just being told about it left a mess of tears for days afterward). Yet here he was, smiling for her sake and allowing the audacity of her to be the one crying after hearing his tale. The strength of heart that her Child possessed was outstanding.
…Unfortunately, his strength only kept him from breaking, it was not enough to quell the turmoil that he's been unfairly forced to shoulder.
That was the day when Hestia finally realized a truth that forever stained the naïve perception of love that she developed in the Upper World. No matter how much happiness her love could give him, there was no way imaginable for her to soothe ache that was Michael's burdening loneliness and sorrow.
His loss couldn't be mended with honeyed words of romance and empty promises like "things will get better soon" and "as long as we're together, you'll eventually get past it". That would be callous and uncaring of the struggles that he went through.
That was also a wake-up call to how secretly self-serving her intentions were. She was selfishly assuming that his feelings were so easy to grasp and manipulate to better her claim on him as his lover. Such a crude disposition of possessiveness was natural for all deities, but she still couldn't deny how ashamed she was with herself at the time. The pain (hurt) he carries won't vanish or mend through confiding in her.
That was when she herself decided to better herself otherwise she'll repeat the same mistake over again.
Because all of that led her to figuring out the cursed knowledge that's been following her these past two years: she couldn't help him.
The warmth of his hand caressing her arm did break the goddess out of her stupor. He was now looking at her with the very same comforting smile that he's given her numerous times. A smile meant to comfort her and her alone. In the past that would have delighted her to no end, but now it was just a reminder of her role to helplessly witness the suffering of her beloved.
"My Goddess, I truly promise to air my troubles out to you should I get caught up in my own head again. Thank you." He gratefully smiled and tapped his forehead against hers.
"…Don't mention it." Some hesitation filled her tone of voice, but Hestia happily accepted the gratitude in stride. The hurt she feels from knowing her helplessness to be unable help the one she loved was maddening but it was a feeling that tied her to him that much closer. If she can only empathize and feel all but a fraction of what he's going through, then she'll hold no regrets.
It was a far cry from the romance she had hoped to experience before descending to the Lower World, but it was her romance, and she'd see it through and embrace every moment of it.
"S-So back to the good or bad thing about…" She desperately wanted to steer away from this topic, unwilling to let herself break down again and shamefully let him be the one to console her like so many times before.
"Right…right!" He turned back to the Falna sheet and coughed in his hand. "I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. He's earned himself the power to wield the keyblade so that's a benefit, but…since I don't know much about it, I can't really say it's wholly a good thing either." He paused before an emotional mixture of confusion and warmth (?) caused his features to soften. "But for some odd reason, I trust it."
"Huh?"
"I don't get it either, but its just this feeling I've got. He could be chosen and there might be something else at play, but…" He placed his hand on his heart. "My Heart holds no trace of doubt whenever I really start to question it." The feeling was almost reminiscent to odd tearful elation he felt when he first met Bell.
'Could this be the reason or is there something more?' He thought and continued to scan the sheet.
"So then everything's just fine." Hestia let out a sigh of relief and giggled. "Like you always say, follow your heart and whatnot. If it turns out that your feeling is right then there's no need to worry, but if something does go awry, then we'll be sure to handle it. So then there's no need to get worked up over it."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He chuckled.
"Huhuhu~! Of course. As your Goddess, it's my job to always provide wisdom to help my faithful Children." Along with the added benefit to help cement for him to not doubt the feeling. "So, I guess this feeling of trust also applies to the skill too?"
Oh, right there's that, Michael mentally groaned. "Apparently so, but I take it its more for the fact of the name than the feeling itself." He intently looked at the title [Ephemeral Shadow] or more specifically, the "Ephemeral" part. It sounded a lot like…no, it was just a coincidence. A simple word that closely resembles the name of a friend, who should be (regrettably) long gone.
Even so why does his eyes always trail back to it.
"Why?"
"Urh…no reason." He noticed the signs of a pout forming on her lips. "Seriously. It's just something that captured my attention that's all. Besides, its description does sound helpful despite it being incredibly vague."
Hestia had to agree on that one. "I know right! Just what does it mean by a Shade coming to help him?" It sounded a little ghastly with the word "shade" being used, but a part of her was happy that there was some reassurance that her beloved Child would get more protection when in the dungeon.
"No clue." He sighed and rubbed his chin with intrigue. "But we'll just have to wait and see on what the skill is capable of."
"B-But what if whatever this skill is somehow possesses Bell-kun and messes him up?" Hestia whimpered.
"I know, I'm just as concerned too My Goddess, but making assumptions like that won't do us any good. Like you said, there's no need to get so worked up over it." He smiled and she flinched, he was successful in redirecting the Goddess' own words of wisdom back at her. "Should something happen, we'll take care of it, but for now lets be open minded and hope that it's a skill for Bell's benefit. We'll figure things out as we go." It was a skill so giving it the benefit of the doubt was fair.
"Guugh~! I really hate it when the Falna pulls this kind of vague crap."
"There, there…"
Hestia grumbled and soon settled down once her Familia's Captain returned to placating her with a couple of head rubs that she always reveled in receiving.
*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*
Too bad for her it was cut short as the metallic rattling of knuckles against the wooden front door reached their ears. The pair looked to each and blink in surprise then amusement. Did their conversation really eat up that much time?
"I'll go get it." The Goddess strode her way towards the door as Michael turned his seat around to face their guest emerging from the shadows of the night and into the warm lighting of their closed establishment. "Come in, come in. You must be shivering from staying out in the dark for so long."
"Please forgive me for my lateness. I must humbly give you both my thanks for allowing me the opportunity to reconvene with you at this time of night." The voice of their guest held an indistinguishable echo that sounded both masculine and feminine that it was near impossible to pinpoint their gender.
"Nonsense. We know how much of a busybody you can be when that stuffy old God has you working 24/7." Hestia snickered as she saw the back of their guest straighten up at the mention of the ruling God that presided underneath the Guild. "So just relax and take a load off~! Besides, we've gotten used to these late night "visits" of yours, so don't beat yourself up."
Besides the night was still young, she still has her chance to properly "welcome" Michael back home with a little fun afterward. So, there's no real rush.
"I see…" Their guest bowed their head. "Thank you for your understanding."
"C'mon, Fels, you don't have to be so stiff. Just think of this meeting as a brief reprieve before you go back to Old Man Ouranos." Michael smiled and waved. "Also, hi."
"Good evening, Michael-san. Though the reports of your arrival back to surface with your mission completed brought us some comfort, it does not compare to actually seeing you so hale and hearty in the flesh."
"Thanks. Things were a bit chaotic down there than usual, but I made sure there were no casualties faced when I assisted the others down below." Michael explained while folding away Bell's Falna, it was about time their focus shifted to other important matters.
"That's a relief. Were there any complications that I should be made aware of?"
"Apart from the Heartless and Monsters attacking each other and by extension the rest of us whenever we moved as a group, no. But if you're talking about the cohesion of the group during my supervision then that's another story. Unless you count *AHEM!*" Michael coughed in his hand and wore an energetic expression.
""Hey, hey, Mikiichi! I know we're making good time already, but why don't try going a little deeper today!" or…" Michael's bubbly impression soon turned gruff and snarly. ""Peh! Damned human, who died and made you leader! You're only here to support us. not be our goddamn babysitter. So, stay away from us, shut up, and know your place!" as a complication, then that's up to interpretation." Michael shrugged.
"I-I see…" Michael could tell from the sweatdrop that their guest was sporting that it might as well have been. Except they were problems for two whole different reasons based on the impressions of the two most notable special characters that reside in the dungeon.
"Now if you want more specifics on them, the best I can tell you is that they're still keeping their distance and observing us from afar. So basically, like the last time I went, there was no change. When I first joined up with the others after getting the mission, they told me that the frequency of their scouting parties getting attacked have considerably dropped." Michael explained.
"…This does not bode well…" Their guest raised one gauntleted hand to their chin that's masked under the dense shadows casted by their hood. If they were no longer hasty enough to attempt their typical attack and capture strategies anymore, then that could only mean they were plotting something.
"Exactly how I felt, which was why I told everyone before I left to limit any scouting beyond the necessary floors." Michael said.
"That's good. They may be sticking to surveil their movements, but it won't change the fact that should Lyd and everyone thin out their numbers by spreading too far apart, they'd still be seen as easy prey to pick off." Fels nodded, seeing the logic in Michael's warning. "I take it that there were some objections from you voicing that concern?"
Scratching his head, Michael bitterly smiled. "Only from the usual crowd." Of the two that came to mind, it was always the Gargoyle and Arachne, who still voiced their displeasure of his presence. "They might not like to hear it coming from me, but I'm sure they'll take it into account…" The young man tried to look assured by that but furrowed his brow and looked to Fels imploringly. "But if you don't mind…"
Nothing else needed to be said. Their guest nodded. "I'll be sure to inform Ouranos-sama and suggest limiting the use of the Xenos until we're able to perceive what our enemy has planned."
"Thanks. That's a relief." Michael chuckled as their guest followed with one as well.
"Well, it's just nice to have another ally to speak with and also worry about the health of our hidden friends." It may not look it what with the hood of the coat hiding their face, but Fels sounded like he was smiling.
"What? Mr. Level 7 isn't showing enough compassion for ya, Fels?" Michael playfully jabbed at his absent friend.
"It's more with the fact that his duties as Captain to the Ganesha Familia is keeping him too preoccupied from being a part time supporter to the Xenos like you." Fels felt for the Ganesha Familia's Captain's plight. "He and Ganesha are still trying to ease the public's concerns about monsters through the Monster Feria. Through exposure to that Familia's tamers culling the violent monsters of the dungeon, Orario's citizens will eventually become desensitized to their presence."
Looking intently at Michael then noticing the sudden disappearance of Hestia, Fels coughed into their hand. "But…an incident dealing with one of the two past Ferias has embittered the public's trust on the festivities."
"…"
True neutral. That was what Fels could describe the expression (or lack thereof) on Michael's face. To this day, that Monster Feria disaster from two years ago was still used to ridicule the event to this day. All investigations about the sudden release of ALL the captured monsters ended in a cold case with no answers. The only evidence they had was that half of them that weren't wreaking havoc had been focused on a single defenseless target: The Goddess of the Hearth.
It was obvious from the insensate guards who were stuffed away from the kennels and cages restraining the monsters that it had to have been a Goddess of Love. But the lack of evidence to pinpoint who the exact culprit was led those investigating to a dead end.
When questioned on whether they knew the culprit that targeted them, they both truthfully replied with having no clue, who was out for them to the authorities (Ganesha Familia). That was two years ago. One year and a half later, those within the Ganesha Familia tried to infer from the two again in order to better their security and see if they had figured out who wanted harm done to the Goddess. Hestia's reply was the same as it was last year.
While Michael's response…was generally the same save this time, his words did not match the hardness of his voice and the stone masked expression he wore. Those investigating clearly saw that there was something that had happened but were called off from further questioning them from orders of the Ganesha Familia's captain.
To this day, the young man has kept a tight lip, and Fels knew that trying to get answers of his own to take to Ouranos would unnecessarily prolong his stay in the comfort of his home for much longer than their patronage will allow. So, he decided to let it go.
"That's why Fair-san is putting his complete attention on bolstering the security of the Feria to ensure no more unfortunate incidents happen again." Fels said. "He and Ganesha-sama have even already planned in advance on how to accommodate the Xenos when their time to rise to the surface is near."
"I get it." Michael took a deep breath and exhaled. Then with a smile, he laughed. "But I guess I'm not the only one, who's going to be working himself stiff these oncoming days."
"Yes, I've heard about your extended summons to the Guild to give your lectures for the rest of this week. My condolences." Fels bowed.
"Gee, thanks." Michael huffed amusedly. "But at least I'm back home. It was fun hanging with the others down below while it lasted." He then snapped his fingers and pointed at Fels, who was taken aback by the gesture. "Though it does make me feel good to come back and see one of my pals enjoying the gift that I worked so hard on making for them."
He was referring to his guest's new form of attire. Gone were the old tattered robes and in their place a black leather ankle-length coat, with a large hood that concealed their face, and long sleeves. It has a large silver zipper with pulls at the top and bottom to seal the coat from both ends. It has two silver drawstrings for the hood, each with a large silver bead hanging from the end. It also has a silver chain ornament with lobster claw clasps on each end that fasten to loops on either side of the collarbone region.
Along with the black gauntlets they wore, Fels' entire body was enshrouded in concealing black clothing that hugged their unnaturally slim body.
"So…I couldn't be around to hear how your test run turned out before I left on my mission and I desperately want to hear your thoughts." Michael excitedly clapped his hands.
Gazing at the sleeves of their new attire, Fels quietly pondered on something before quietly giggling. "It's fascinating. It wards of darkness' corruption and negates curses fairly well." Daresay, he unquestionably put it a league above his old coat.
"See? Told ya it'd come in handy." Michael cheered. Another win for the powerful craft of Synthesizing. "Especially with your work in the shadows, you're more likely to run into Heartless, so a little precaution so no one would get hurt." He picked up his own black long coat on the seat next to and show it off. "If you don't like the style, you can always customize it like I did. It won't affect its protection against darkness plus…" He pulled the fabric and watched as it easily stretched and pulled in his hands. "It magically fits the size, height, and stature of whoever wears it."
"And your synthesizing made this?" Fels wondered aloud, intrigued by the magical clothing and the fact that something other than the [Mystery] developmental skill could create something this wonderful.
"Yep. Just followed an old recipe, gathered the materials, and got to work on it."
He didn't feel right to take credit for the creation of the Black Coat. Since the true first crafter of it was the Master of Masters, who needed protection while he was studying the depths of the Realm of Darkness. It was a difficult task to make his own coat along with Fels, but he'd been more than acquainted with the art of Synthesis ever since he was taught it as a little apprentice learning under the Foretellers with countless other children around his age.
Spotting how enthralled Fels was with result of his craft, Michael grinned. "Y'know, I can teach you how to Synthesis too." He's already taught their Familia's allies Miach and Naaza how to synthesize the more potent and volatile potions that many Keyblade wielders in Unions were taught to make. "But at a price…"
"…You're usually so charitable. What exactly do you wish in return for learning your craft?" Fels cautiously questioned.
"Easy, I want you to tell me you're true gender."
"…? What?" Fels was stunned by the quick admittance.
"C'mon. You can tell me! I won't tell anyone else; I swear!" Michael drew a cross of his heart and raised his hand.
"Why do you want to know my gender?"
"Because you've never told me. We've known each other for two years and you still haven't revealed that tidbit about yourself. The only thing you call yourself is Fels, the faithful follower to Ouranos, nothing more and nothing less."
"That's because I am."
"I-I know that, but you can share the secret with me. We've been friends for a while now, and I think that deserves a little trust. I mean, you haven't told Mr. Level 7 your gender, and you've known him for way longer than me, so I think this could be a real milestone in our friendship."
"…Did you make a bet with Fair-san to find out?"
"N-No…"
"…" Fels pondered and tiredly groaned. "I'm doubting your intentions on wanting to keep me safe from the darkness, but was part of your intention to make this coat for me because you wanted to know my gender?"
"Pfft! Of course not! I would never stoop THAT low, who do you think I am, Hermes?" Michael waved it off with an offended gasp. Then blinked for a while and nervously rubbed his neck. "But you are happy with the black coat, yes? So happy that you'd share your secr-?"
"No."
"I'll get you next time, Fels." The Keyblade Master didn't even try to deny it. Uncovering that secret before his friend was the only thing keeping him from claiming the sweet victory and his prize.
"We'll see, Michael-san, we'll see."
The two stood in a friendly tense atmosphere, which was soon broken by the oncoming footsteps of Hestia entering the main dining room from the back of the kitchen with a mug of coffee and platter of brownies.
"Huh, Fels-san? Were you just about to leave? Did you already give us the reward for the Mission?" Hestia wondered aloud why their guest was standing.
"Actually no…thanks for reminding me." Their visitor ambled over to the countertop beside Michael and pulled out from their coat a medium sized portable mahogany chest box. Opening it, they revealed the chest's glorious contents of valuable gold, silver rings, rare gemstones, and even a sizeable amount of Valis that filled the majority of the chest. But the cherry on top of it all was the Unicorn Horn.
"Thank you for your hard work and I only hope that our cooperation will continue to bear fruit for the futu-."
*SMACK!*
"Ow!"
Fels stopped to look over at the Goddess, who piteously whined to her Familia Captain for slapping her hand away from the valuable contents of the chest.
"Sorry, My Goddess. This will ALL be going to our coffers; you'll have to make back what you owe the hard way." Michael calmly wore a zen expression in the face of his puppy dog eyed Goddess.
"B-B-But this could pay off everything! Please~! Don't you love me enough to let this slide?" Hestia begged.
"My Goddess…" He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and gently smiled. "I'm only hard on you because I love you."
"Guh!" Hestia froze and slumped down in defeat at the handsome smile her Child shot her way.
Turning to Fels, the Keyblade Wielder chuckled. "Sorry about that."
"N-No worries. I-I've grown accustomed to Hestia-sama's quirks over the time of our partnership, and Ouranos-sama's warnings were the perfect heads up to mentally prepare myself." Fels sweatdropped.
"Ouranos has been saying what behind my back!?" Hestia hissed at their guest, her twin tails snapping about the place.
"There, there…"
"Hmph!"
Thank goodness Michael was there to placate here otherwise thing would get even more tiresome.
Picking up the Unicorn Horn, Michael frowned and turned to Fels. "H-Hey. Next time when you come over to pay us for the Mission could you please try not to include…this?" It filled the young man with a heavy heart to see a Monster Drop like this especially when he personally knew the rest of the Monster it belonged to.
"My apologizes, I know how dissatisfied you can be with these portions of your reward, but the others were quite insistent on giving you this as thanks for the constant support you've been giving them. I'll try to distribute these out to other adventurers who we'll call for aid, but I won't deny that I'll crumble under pressure to give these pieces of their gratitude to you if they're so insistent." Fels noticed that the frown didn't leave Michael's face. He's told him countless times that the parts they give out regrow over time, but it still did not appease the unsettling sight of seeing parts of his friends handed out so willy-nilly.
Its these signs of concern and discomfort that made him another apt candidate for Ouranos to reach out to and help aid the trapped Children of the dungeon, who so desperately craved to see the sun.
Stuffing the Unicorn Horn back into the chest and putting the chest away through a small portal into some other space unbeknownst to the Follower of Ouranos, who still to do this day cannot believe how nonchalant the Keyblade Wielder was with his odd form of magic.
He even continued to act like normal as if what he just did wasn't in any way shape or form abnormal. Well, if he wasn't already informed of the young man's true origin along with Ouranos, he'd have made a bigger fuss about it then.
"So…" Michael coughed, ignoring the whines that Hestia made at the now vanished reward chest of her broken dreams. "Did Mr. Level 7 ever give you what I asked for?"
Knowingly nodding, Fels reached into the confines of his coat once more to procure a meaty stack of organized files and handed them to the grimacing 19 year old.
"Woof. I knew it wasn't going to be good if I dug into this, but I wasn't expecting my lead to be this bad." Michael sadly sighed as he began to gloss over the contents of the files. "Looks like I'll have myself some homework to do while I'll giving lectures this week and doing patrols, perfect…" He tiredly groaned.
"Is there a reason why you requested the case files of dead Level 1 adventurers from Fair-san?" Fels asked, hoping to see the sudden logic behind the Keyblade Wielder's actions.
"Well, I figured that since those guys want to stick to observing and plotting against the others down in the dungeon, I decided to get the crazy idea to scope out any leads that might connect to them." Michael explained as he flipped through the files and wore a deeper grimace with each new page. "I already have something in mind…" He glanced over at their café's locked compartment containing all of their alcohol, and particularly stared at a fancy bottle of wine that was just too overpriced to buy more than one in a span of two months. "But first I need evidence, and evidence to that evidence to confirm my lead correct."
"Is there any way I could assist you with your investigation?" Fels deemed the man's proactive response to those harming and capturing the poor children of the dungeon to be vital. Should he actually succeed, they may just get enough information to locate those responsible for threatening the lives of their allies.
"Yes, but not now, I'll be sure to contact you after I get through with enough of my findings." Michael chuckled.
"If that is what you believe is best." Fels nodded. "Then I'll take my leave." Fels bowed his head and began making his way to the exit.
"Wait, you're just going to leave that quickly?" Michael gaped.
"I don't want to impose any further than I already." Fels shook their head.
"Well, the night's still young." Hestia chimed in. "And I refuse to have a customer, who hasn't at least relaxed in our fine establishment!"
"E-Eh?" If they could see it, they would be able to tell that Fels' jaw dropped. "N-No, that's okay, you don't have to…"
"I didn't bring this coffee out for myself, Fels." Hestia gestured to the mug she brought out then snuck one of the brownies into her mouth. "I might've brought these out for myself, but this…" She pointed to the mug then to the cloaked being. "Is for you."
"B-But-."
"A few minutes won't kill you, well, it can't you any more than you are now…" Michael rephrased that knowingly. "So just relax, it'll be nice to chat for a while before you really have to go."
"…" Looking between the smiling young man and Goddess, Fels heaved out a wistful sigh. Their shoulders relaxed, and despite no one being able to ever see it again: they smiled. "Thank you." Moving back towards the front counter, Fels took the seat next to Michael as Hestia happily stood on the side of the counter indulging herself in the day-old brownies that were remaining from the day.
"Don't mention it." Michael returned to reading the files.
Raising one gauntleted hand, Fels carefully took their mug of coffee and was about to taste their first sip of caffeinated euphoria for the day, but…
*Staaaaaaaaaaare~!*
*Staaaaaaaaaaare~!*
"Is something the matter?" They asked, curious why they were intently staring at him.
"Well…" Michael began.
"Aren't you going to take off your hood?" Hestia finished.
"…!" The two didn't need to see their expression to see their shock.
"Y-You know if you want to. We know how you can be self-conscious about it." Michael scratched his cheek.
"Yeah, we won't mind if you want to make yourself comfortable." Hestia waved her arms about trying to explain.
"…" Fels thought about it in silence which left the Keyblade Wielder and Goddess very tense. "Are you sure? I don't want to make either of you uncomfortable…"
"Psshaw!" Hestia waved it off. "After coming down to the Lower World, I've seen tons of things that would give me nightmares that'll follow me back up to the Upper World. Seeing you let your hair…ugh…your hood down won't freak me out." Besides, she's already seen what's under that hood, and it honestly wasn't so bad (at least she's steeled herself not faint this time).
"Plus, if I'm going to be honest. This world has yet to produce something that could honestly unsettle me." Michael shuddered, he still remembered that talking cheshire smiling purple cat that played with its own disattached head like a ball of yarn from his childhood as a rookie Keyblade Wielder. Sometimes when he disappeared, the only thing that remained were its creepy wide smile and those beady eyes that just wouldn't STOP staring at him.
So as of yet, he's failed to see anything as unsettling in this world that could top the deranged madness that was the world of Wonderland.
"…Michael?" Hestia poked his shoulder.
"Y-Yeah, so don't worry, Fels." Michael shook it off. Great, now he'll have nightmares about that damned cat again. "Feel free to let it go around us."
"…" Taking a deep breath, their guest did just that. Some hesitation was evident from how they stopped mid-pull to take the hood off, but once they gathered the strength to go through with it, they were met with the kind smiles of the pair, who simply went back to reading their files and engorging on brownies.
Though Fels no longer had the lips to form it, he was sure that if he could, he'd be wearing a smile right about now as he unclenched his bleached white jaw to partake in the delicious coffee and enjoy the comforting silence of the Heart Café after hours.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Retribrutus
Retribrutus Hey, guys, I hoped that you enjoyed this concluding chapter to Keeping Up with the Hestia Familia introductory arc.
So, I'm going to get the elephant (I AM GANESHA) out of the room first, yes there is a Final Fantasy character in the fic, who's been around in Orario for ten years and in the Ganesha Familia. You all might have pieced it together from this chapter, so all I'll say is look forward to the amount of hell that Revis will face for taking the life of one of HIS own. Just like Keyblade Wielders, the Final Fantasy characters aren't people you want to fuck with.
Now for this chapter, I addressed a concern that readers might have had dealing with the story's sudden two-year time skip: Michael's trauma from the Keyblade War. It's still there. He hasn't magically gotten over it, and the only good thing to result from the time skip was him no longer snapping into episodes of the traumatic experience like he did in the Prologue. Now he'll still have these episodes, but it'll have to be severe to dredge them back to surface again.
Another thing this chapter did was calm any detractors, who have issues with Hestia's known possessiveness that exaggerated in the anime and sometimes the LN by getting to know her perspective about her relationship with Michael. I wanted to depict her possessiveness in a negative light, so she'll do her best to better herself after the revelation that her shallow attempts at showing her love weren't going to heal Michael of his trauma. Also, the knowledge that no matter how hard she bettered herself it wouldn't ever relieve him of the weight he carries.
This plays a part as to why she's so accepting of Iris also forming a relationship with Michael along with him actually answer to the Goddess' feelings. She's willing to detract herself from her overt clinging to better herself and try to figure a selfless way to make Michael without selfishly imposing her love onto him so carelessly without considering his feelings. Making her the perfect foil to the story's well-known Goddess of Love, who'll make her debut eventually.
Oh, right, so yeah, Michael's coat is a customized version of the coats that Organization XIII wore, which were originally made and worn by the Master of Masters. So, there's that.
Also, I really wanted to make a wholesome chapter especially there at the end with Fels, who's more or less been acquainted with the Hestia Familia for a while now.
Now time for me to get some rest since I've been cranking out chapters for days now…
Well, I'm Out so Peace Out, and have a lovely day!
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