FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

In the gentle silence of an old study, five people slept in the safety of old chairs as the sounds of tender breaths filled the room with soft snorting sounds and little twitches from their dreams. The smell of old books was strangely soothing to them, the cabinets on either side of the room keeping them locked and secure behind cross-barred windows that glinted in the pale light. Outside the world was gone, an endless abyss from which no hope nor light returned as the cathedral still remained with its clock tower looming above as the pinnacle of madness. Time remained still, the hands upon its face still mangled and broken as the endless fog continued to wrap itself around the ancient stone structure, the space of what felt like hours passing until the travellers awoke, the rods of golden shapes still clinging to their chests.

"Mmmmnnnngh..." Koopin yawned stretching his arms, "good...morning?"

"Yeah I guess," James smacked his lips with a heavy sigh, "god I needed that, how are you guys holding up?"

"Not bad," Roy shook his head nudging Jacob awake, "c'mon son, we gotta get ready."

"Nnnngh five more minutes okayyy," the yoshi whimpered.

"Mmmm alrigh' then...no reason we gotta go soon."

Slumping back in his chair Roy took a deep breath and dozed off next to his son, the sounds of his armour clinking and rustling with the grinding of chainmail round his legs as his cloak wrapped round his chest in a sea of blue. Koopin looked towards his husband, his shell looking more pale with its two arrows pointing up on its back as they saw Oddclaw already awake, hunching over in his seat and checking his gun. James cleared his throat and sat himself up proper as he pulled at his polo shirt.

"Hey uh, Oddclaw?"

He looked to see his father rubbing at his arm.

"Can I, talk to you about stuff...privately?"

"You can tell me here," his son glowered.

"No, this is about us. And your family."

His voice hardened with as much strength as he could muster, hoping Oddclaw would understand as the younger raptor nodded. Roy watched them leave as Koopin smiled to him and they looked down upon the sleeping Jacob. Across the old chapel was another room, behind an old creaking door where a sofa sat in front of a crumpled armoire with a broken glass table between them. James sat himself down first and beckoned Odd to join him.

"I know the way I told you all about me leaving wasn't good enough for you."

"No," the son shook his head, "it is not good enough."

"I can't really explain it in a way that would make sense to the others, and everyone keeps interrupting so I just wanted to tell it to you straight, cuz this is all about you."

"Alright." Oddclaw sat beside him. "Tell me."

The father took a deep breath and pressed his fingers to his lips. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to form the words in his mind which took longer than he wanted. He felt Oddclaw's impatience, a tapping of the foot as he crossed his arms with a severe breath until James finally spoke.

"Have you ever...had a dream where it's like you've fallen asleep for an entire year and in that dream you've lived someone else's life?"

"Wh-...what?" Oddclaw pulled back with eyes blinking fast.

"When I had that breakdown, I felt like I had fallen asleep, and I had this dream that I was this other raptor, this other person called Oddscar."

He bowed forwards clenching his hands together.

"I dreamt I watched myself run with this pack of ferals, they brought me in, they taught me to kill a human...I hunted it, I ate it, they gave me a mate, she was already pregnant, called herself Barren. We didn't like each other at first, didn't talk much. But I gave her food, I helped raise her kids, then she and I uh...well-"

"Mated," Oddclaw nodded.

"But all the while I was still just...I felt like I was watching myself do all these things, like it wasn't me, but it was my body, even my voice was different, it sounded a lot like when you growled at me."

"You mean like this?" the son snarled in feral.

"YEAH, that voice, like that!" James grinned sitting up. "I know it's not really a great excuse but this is the truth. I felt like I was dreaming of someone else who looked exactly like me, but talked and acted so different from anyone I knew-"

"I un-derstand."

"...wait, what?"

"I...I have also dreamed I was someone else too."

The son looked towards his father with eyes turning wide, James shaking his head in disbelief.

"Are you...are you serious?"

"Yes," Oddclaw nodded, "I dreamt, some years ago that I was...you."

"Wait, hold on, you dreamt about me?"

"It was so strange, but...I do un-derstand what you mean, for my dream was...well, I dreamt I was you but as a child...and I watched you, became you, for an entire year but then I woke up...and only a day had passed."

"Holy shit...really?" James gasped trying not to laugh. "God that's so weird, what was it like?!"

"Scary." Oddclaw rubbed his knees. "I was in this place, full of very tall homes, made of stone and steel. The land was covered in black, everything smelt horrible, thick and poisonous. I lived in this home, full of children, all of whom lost their parents-"

"Like an orphanage?"

"Yes, and it had a name, it said...i-it said, eye-koora, monassi-"

"Iqra-Monassi." James shook his head fast and reeled back clutching his chest. "How...how the fuck do you know that, NOBODY knows that, not even Koopin or Roy know that!"

"I saw it in my dream," Oddclaw rubbed his head, "I saw you and your friend, running through this place, fighting other children, all in one year, but I woke up and only a day had passed."

"That is fucking weird," James almost started laughing as he clutched his face, "what else did you dream?!"

"I saw you and your friend trying to hunt ghosts in a place full of bones, and a monster attacked you, you turned sick and your friend became frightened because you were seeing ghosts-"

"Waaait wait wait that did NOT happen."

"But I dreamed it!"

"No I remember a lot of my childhood and I definitely didn't get attacked by ghosts, I think that part was just actual dreams."

"...oh." Oddclaw blushed rubbing his head.

"But the other part, that's legit, the orphanage name there's no way you coulda guessed that."

The father smiled with a hopeful sigh as Oddclaw tried to look away.

"You said that...you felt another inside of you, yes?"

"Something like that," he nodded tapping his head, "it's weird but it's like he was still inside me, in my mind, that's how I started to remember things over time like years after."

"Did he...speak, to you?"

"Actually...yeah, yeah he did."

"Ahh!" Oddclaw grinned sitting closer. "My brother has that too, someone inside his head that speaks to him!"

"Okay, come on you can't be serious."

"No I am, someone lives inside his head and gives him great power, but they speak of their own will, and share different memories!"

"Huh...so you, you get what I'm saying, like you understand?"

"Yes, I do! I do un-derstand now...but."

Oddclaw pulled back grinding his teeth.

"I am...I am still not sure if I can forgive you-"

"Hey no, look I get it." James patted his back. "You don't have to forgive me, I mean, I wouldn't, so I don't blame you. I just wanted to tell you the whole truth and I'm really glad you understand, even if you don't forgive me."

"Yes," Oddclaw nodded, "so...what do we do?"

"Well, what do YOU want to do? After we're done with all this, is there any way I can make it up to you? I know I screwed up, and I can't give back all the years your mom spent waiting and worrying about me...but, if there is anything I can do-"

"Alright." Oddclaw put a hand on his father's knee. "Come home to her."

"Wh-what?"

"Come home. Tell her, tell her what happened, why you never came back, tell her you are sorry."

"Like...just, as a visit right?" James stiffened.

"Yes, I cannot make you stay, I know that, it is too late now."

"Oh alright alright, okay, sure!" He offered his hand to shake. "I'll come back, stay with your family a few days, Koopin won't mind he'll probably make me if I didn't."

"You are sure?"

"Yeah! I'll come back, you want me to come back, I will come back, see everyone, tell tthem everything and apologise for everything. Promise."

The raptor looked at his father's face, older with lines crackling over his snout and the eyes turning dimmer with crow's feet around the edges. But his smile was hopeful, subdued and willing.

"Do you promise?"

"I do, Oddclaw."

"Alright." He smiled back and shook his hand. "Then it is a promise...father."

A sigh of relief came from James as Oddclaw stood up to leave the room.

"Come, we should get back."

"No prob, lemme just catch my breath, old age and all."

"Alright, I will see you back there."

As his son departed, the old raptor looked up towards the unseen heavens. A sigh escaped him almost of relief, but a sombre look crossed his face.

"I know, you made me promise not to go back...but he wants it. He's your son, and mine too I guess so, whatever he wants, I'm going to give him that. I can't tell him you promised, he's suffered enough...right, Oddscar?"

There was no response. James shook his head and stepped out of the room heading back down the ancient stone aisle of the cathedral.

"Jacob?"

Roy smiled when his son awoke, staring around the room as he rubbed his eyes.

"You alrigh' son?"

"Yeah," the yoshi yawned, "nnnraaaarh s-sorry, haven't slept good in like forever."

"That's fine," he nodded, "you ready to go?"

"Honestly?" Jacob cringed. "No, not really but we gotta try right, or else we can't get home."

"Don't worry," Koopin patted his knee, "we'll be fine, you have your father and your uncles."

"And Oddclaw too! You haven't seen him fight, he's real scary, like he just TEARS guys apart like nothing!"

"Well ah sure hope your uncle James'll come back in one piece," his father chuckled with a teasing nudge, "we got this, don't you worry."

"Still kinda blows my mind that...well," the yoshi rubbed his hands, "that you and uncle James are like from another world and I'm practically part-alien-"

"Raptor, part-raptor."

"So that makes me Oddclaw's cousin, I think?!"

"Well, you DO realise me an' James aren't actually brothers?"

"Oh yeah I known that for ages like come on," Jacob shrugged, "just yanno, do you think he'd see it that way?"

"Ask him when he gets back," Koopin chuckled rubbing his cane, "I hope those two get along, I know it's going to be rough."

"Ah wanted to ask," Roy leaned forwards, "is uh, is Oddclaw alright? He seemed kinda distracted."

"I-i don't really wanna say anything," the yoshi sighed turning towards him, "we had some really rough...times, and Oddclaw's dealt with a lot of big problems and I think it's taking a lot on him so-"

"Understood. Whut about you, are you alright?"

"Yeah...now that I'm with you."

The yoshi hugged him tight as Roy shivered sweetly, nuzzling his son with a tender kiss to his cheek.

"Mmmmhhh god ah wuz so worried ah lost you."

"M-me too...hey, dad?"

Jacob pulled back to stare into his eyes.

"When we get back, can you promise me something?"

"Of course son, anything."

"...can you, promise me we tell mom...everything."

"Wh-whut?"

"We go to whoever's the boss, and tell them what we've gone through and THEN we tell mom. You tell her everything you've gone through, you tell me everything as well."

"J-jacob...I...I-i can't-"

"Do you promise me or not?"

He crossed his arms sternly with the coldest look he ever gave his father. Roy was stunned by the strength in his eyes to the point it rattled him to a brief submission.

"I...y-yes, alright ah will. I will tell you...everything ah gone through, but you really wanna tell your mother all this?"

"You said I've been gone for a year, she's gonna want to ask and I can't lie to her. I don't want to hide things from her dad, I've gone through too much I can't be like you and just hold all this in me."

"N-no, you don' have to-"

"Every night that you couldn't sleep because you had 'nightmares' was that because of all this?! You think that's healthy?!"

"It's not sumthin' that goes away Jacob!" snarled his father. "Ah hafta carry this, an' fer your information ah DO share it with others like your uncle James who KNOWS whut ah been through."

"Well I don't, and we're both here so I want to tell mom, now either you promise me we tell her, or we don't and we hide it forever!"

"A-alright, alright...we..." the raptor sighed pinching his snout, "we do this...together. It's not right fer you to shoulder all of this."

"You shouldn't have to shoulder it alone either." Jacob rubbed at his arm. "That's what family does, we carry it together."

"...well, ah mean, ah don't want you to have to carry everythin' on your own so...if you want to tell your mother...then ah will be there too."

"Thank you." Jacob sighed lifting his head. "I just...stars I really can't hold this for long and it's gonna be weird to get back home."

"I can't even imagine being away for two years," Koopin sighed sitting back, "I still don't quite understand how this time...compression, I guess is the best term, if we get back home and nothing's passed, I guess it's a small consolation no one else has worried about us."

"But I did." Jacob gulped. "I-i...I really thought for a moment I might've been stuck forever, away from you all and away from home."

"I've been scared thinking of that ever since we got here. A part of me once wanted to leave our home and see what was out there, all the sights that James and Roy saw but I wanted to see myself."

"It's a lot better than this," Roy nodded, "that said, your world's thuh best place me an' James have ever lived an' we'd never wanna leave."

"He's right."

James returned with his son beside him showing his first smile much to their relief.

"There's just one other place I'd like to go to though. See, me and Oddclaw, we talked it out and, after all this, I think I should go back and visit his family, just yanno every once in a while."

"Oh wow, really?" Koopin smiled pulling himself up. "That's a great idea hun!"

"You don't mind?"

"No of course not, just...well, you are getting older, don't wanna put too much strain on you."

"I know," said Oddclaw nodding, "I only want him to visit and speak to my mother, to tell him everything, after that you two can decide when he visits, as long as he does."

"I understand," the koopa walked over to pat him, "so are you both alright?"

"Yes, better." He sighed. "But we have to kill the demon first."

"I know, but we have time so make sure you're all relaxed and ready."

"Yes mom," James smirked giving him a nudge, "you gonna give us some packed lunches and a kiss on the cheek?"

"James come on this is serious."

"I knoooow I know but like you said we gotta relax."

"You did say that," Roy nodded standing up, "so you guys cool then? By thuh way ahm Roy, Jacob's dad, we didn't really get a chance to say hi."

"I am Oddclaw." He shook MacGregor's hand. "It is good to meet you, your son has told me many things about you."

"Hopefully all good!"

"...do you...no."

"Hmm?"

"Sorry, you," Oddclaw shook his head, "you remind me of something, I cannot remember."

"Uhh, alrigh', so we all good?"

"Yep," James patted Oddclaw's back, "we kill this bastard up in his tower, we get on back, I check in on Oddclaw's family, we sort out a schedule, that sound good?"

"Yes," his son grinned looking to him, "and Jacob can go home too."

"Oh you bet I am," the yoshi groaned lifting himself, "not that I didn't like your home, just...two years dude. Two. Years."

"I know, I am sorry."

"Hey-ey no it's not your fault just...yanno, kinda tired and yet real excited at the same time?"

"Mmmm yes, like when I have been hunting all day and am just waiting for prey to come."

"Right yeah that's totally relatable," James widened his eyes at Koopin who simply waved his hands, "sooo you hunt for your food huh?"

"Yes, that is how we live," Oddclaw started to walk out the room, "how do you hunt for food?"

"I just buy it at the store," he shrugged following.

"Ah, like the humen."

"Yeah basically!"

As they started to leave with a final stretch of their limbs, they walked towards the back of the old cathedral and past the rows of broken pews to where there lied a set of steel doors that stood deeply out of place. Oddclaw noticed the button at the side and tapped it once, seeing the doors would not open before tapping it again.

"Is it...broken?"

"Naw this an elevator," Roy said, "it's coming down you just called it."

"Oh...I never used one."

Standing a little ways back, Koopin nudged his husband as he tried to pull at the golden key fixed to his front.

"This rod's chafing my shell."

"Yeah same here...so what you think about Oddclaw?"

"He looks just like you," Koopin murmured.

"Yeah it's like super weird," James shook his head, "I mean minus that birthmark on his eye."

"Wait, what?" Koopin looked back seeing the orange mark over the left eye. "Huh, I never noticed that."

"Gee I wonder why."

"Well I...um..."

Koopin blushed horribly as James turned with a growing grin.

"Eyes up there cutie."

"WHA-I wasn't-"

"Oh you totally were, hey look, I'm not mad."

"Wha, what?!"

"You're just admiring my fine-ass genes that's all."

"James, NO." Koopin thrust a finger at him lowering his voice. "You are not, this is your son!"

"I'm not the one ogling him."

"I just keep forgetting he's literally naked, okay?!"

"Hhhahahahaa!" he patted the koopa's shell. "Ahhhh you're so cute when you're flustered."

"It is fine."

They both flinched when Oddclaw turned his head.

"The humen kept staring at it too."

"What are you guys whispering about?!" Jacob asked cocking his head.

"They kept looking at my penis."

"WHA?!"

"I am, SO sorry," Koopin pressed his hands together and bowed, "I know that was rude of me an-"

"I do not mind!" Oddclaw chuckled with shrug. "I just do not wear clothes, I do not like them."

"Guess you really are his son," Roy poked at James, "this guy took years 'til we convinced him to wear a shirt."

"I get cold nowadays!" James shrugged. "When you get to my age it gets colder with everything."

"Also because we kept getting looks at the restaurant," said Koopin raising his brow.

"OH hey it's here!"

Jacob pointed to the doors as they opened, showing a cluster of stars thickly swirling to form a portal of darkness, crackling with a vile hiss like living static.

"Alrigh' that's definitely broken," Roy pointed, "that's not whut it's supposed to do."

"Should we go in?" Jacob asked.

"There's no other way to go," James shrugged, "what do you think son?"

"Yes." Oddclaw nodded. "That scent, it is through there."

"Then that's where we're going." He pulled out his scissors free from his sheath. "Real talk, I'm trying to keep light on this, but I'm really fucking sick of this asshole still not dying after like how many years."

"Same," Koopin stepped forth with his cane, "I don't know if I can handle this honestly, I mean...I fought him off because I had the power of the stars, and that only works back in my world where they are-"

"We got this." Jacob took his hand and braced his shield. "I mean, I made it through right?"

"...yeah. Alright. Let's do this."

"Let's light 'im up!" Roy pounded his spear as they walked in together. "Hold onto yer ass scissorboy, it's tahm to say your prayers finally."

The five stepped through the portal as their bodies disappeared briefly, the howling shimmer of eternity swallowing them whole as they found themselves within a grand tower of crunching gears that could be seen and heard from all around them, a staircase twisting around a central column sculpted from flesh and bone that cracked and shattered the marrow with every turn in a constant churning sound that twisted in their stomachs. In the gears they saw skulls, rendered to dust through eternity that fell through the cracks like sand in the hourglass.

Climbing towards the top as they took each other's hand, the travellers ascended to the peak of the clock tower where they found five faces showing different times, the remnants of a giant bell shattered to a dozen pieces. In the centre of the floor was a symbol none of them knew, a star of inhuman comprehension that constantly shifted into shapes of disturbing proportions that made all of them uneasy. But even worse was the corpse of a raptor floating above them, a monster of steel and amber skin transfixed by a dozen strings of red sinew as it hung from the ceiling. Something pulsed inside its pregnant belly, a black festering skull that forced itself against the lining of the womb with muted screams as Koopin and Jacob pulled back clutching their stomachs.

"H-hoh STARS!"

"Th-this...it's her, that's HER!"

"Riptor."

The raptor shuddered its head towards him. Her eyes were draped in black, her tongue dripping purple blood as a voice came lurching far beyond the realms of anything they knew.

S O N O F C A M P B E L L

"Hello, scissorcunt."

James twirled the dual-blades with shining light towards the hanging body.

"You really have to learn how to fucking die, we're all REAL sick of you."

D E S T I N Y

A cracking twist of her neck caused a shivering screech.

D E A T H I S T H E O N E D E S T I N Y O F L I F E I T S E L F

"Were you the one that did this?!" Oddclaw shouted. "WAS IT YOU WHO MADE RIPTOR LIKE THIS?!"

H E R A M B I T I O N E M P O W E R E D M E

The raptor's claws twisted downwards trying to reach out to them.

P O W E R W I T H I N A P E R F E C T B O D Y

"You call THIS a perfect body?!" Roy barked. "You can't even walk wit' yo freaky-ass homunculus shit!"

N O T T H I S B O D Y

Her hands swept towards her womb.

T H E B L O O D O F C A M P B E L L

"Oh...o-oh stars no," Jacob shook his head, "I-i know what he means-"

"Wait, what does he mean?!" Koopin looked to his husband. "JAMES, what does he mean!?"

"DON'T!" The raptor pointed at the demon. "What the FUCK do you mean my blood, we fucking banished your ass and ripped your stupid shit apart!"

Y O U R S E E D

A smile crept across Riptor's deadened face towards Oddclaw.

T H E S O N W H O S E S E E D S H A L L R E B I R T H M E

They turned towards the raptor, his shotgun out and aimed upon the beast as he fired twice into the hanging corpse that shrieked and cackled with a maddening howl of wretched monstrosity, deafening their ears with a piercing shriek as Oddclaw hissed in his feral tongue.

"I do not know what you are...or why you obsess over my father, and my blood. But you are all I despise even more than anything I have known in my life. I will not kill you for what you did to me, for violating me and taking my body...I will eviscerate you until not even the stars themselves remember that you ever lived, for what you DID TO MY SOOOOOON!"

Firing his gun twice as the corpse shuddered with a gasp, he leapt upon Riptor's remains and tried to claw at her face before some wretched force slammed him down and pinned him against one of the clock faces. James followed next as he dodged a slithering tendril that plunged from the coccoon, slashing it apart with the scissors before he tried to get close and was caught in the same aura of hatred. One after another, their approach had them thrust upon a different clock face each where the hands wrapped round their bodies tight to restrain them. Slowly the tower unveiled itself, the walls peeling off to show a devastated land, of mountains on fire and a deep purple sky where fragments of houses floated above the ocean of blood. The central spire of the tower twisted through its stone, the gears unveiling to become a wretched metal diorama, a valley of broken teeth and forgotten skulls in one direction, whilst a house of fractured parts came thudding like meteors into another side of the expanding arena. The column of flesh and bone unveiled a red carpet that stretched into a river of blood, whilst another path crackled into existence as a vile screech of static, forming a road of black and white snow that constantly flashed. The last road was a cavern, a long tunnel of infinite darkness that gaped like the corpse of a wyrm to which its end lied unknown as the five travellers were suddenly thrown into each separate path, far from the others despite all of them seeing the demon at the central dais, now a giant hand of stone claws that held the raptor's corpse stuttering in gestation, awaiting the birth of its master. The rods tightened against their chests as they struggled to break free, before a light shimmered from the staffs that cracked the binding clock hands and tore them apart, letting the five stand up free.

"JACOB!" Roy cried from the cavern. "JACOB WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"DAD?!" he shouted back from the blood-stained road. "I'M OVER HERE, I CAN'T GET BACK!"

"WE'RE EACH ON A ROAD RIGHT?!" James called from the steel path. "WHERE DOES IT GO TO?!"

"THE GUARDIANS!" Oddclaw barked from the broken house. "WE HAVE TO FIND AND DESTROY THEM, LOOK!"

Above them they saw five electrical currents, or something resembling such that resonated from the central corpse.

I S H A L L B E R E B O R N

"IS THAT WHERE THE PIECES ARE?!" Koopin cried.

T H E S O N O F T H E G R E A T F A T H E R

"IT HAS TO BE!" James shouted. "FOLLOW YOUR ROADS, KILL THE GUARDIAN AND DESTROY THAT PIECE!"

R E B I R T H O F S C I S S O R I P T O R

"THAT IS STILL A STUPID-ASS NAME!" Roy snarled. "JACOB, YOU ALRIGHT?!"

"I'M GOOD!" the yoshi screamed. "JUST DO YOUR BEST, WE CAN'T LOSE NOW!"

"LET US GO!"

Oddclaw marched through the fractured house, stepping through the side bedroom via a broken window before him to find water flooding the room as the furniture slid constantly, the walls shifted by themselves trying to throw Oddie off-balance as he stumbled through the sodden carpet and leapt over the broken king-size bed when he felt the pull of his heart guiding him towards the outside room. The flood continued past his feet, soaking him to his knees as he grabbed the walls and saw a burning figure at the end of the passage, where there lied an old foyer with twisting stairs. A vaguely familiar shape stood in the centre of the marble hall, water racing past his feet with his other hand clutching his head in constant spasms of anguish and shivering fears. A rodent's head in a cracked embittered armour of red with a long spear in its hand where a sharp metal blade gleamed with cruel light.

"Now, we end this."

He clicked his gun and leapt down into the foyer.

"Whatever you are, you shall not live past this day. For my son...for my friends and family, THIS IS WHERE YOU FALL!"

The phantom of flame shrieked as it swung towards him, the raptor blocking with his gun and firing the first shot to punch a dent in its armoured belly. The rodent howled with thrusting lance as Oddclaw rolled past, drenching his back in the constant flood before he kicked out the back of its leg and shot its head with a vile screech when it turned and swiped behind itself to whack the blunt of the spear against Oddie's head. Staggering slightly he grabbed for its arm and crunched his jaws into its neck, tearing savagely into the spine and throwing it down into the water as if trying to drown the guardian in the depths. Something however burst from its body, a dark force that blasted the raptor off and crunched him against the wall where he rolled fast to avoid the hurtling lance that buried deep where his head had been. The fallen prince suddenly rushed across the waters, his rodent feet almost gliding over the surface as he grabbed his spear and pulled it out with a vicious backhand swing towards the raptor, rolling through the drench and swinging his leg in a hard sweep to send the false guardian down for another strangling under the depths, throttling him with one hand and trapping the lance with his gun slamming against it.

With a snarling scream the raptor pierced his claws into the mouse's neck, lifting its head to punch it down again into the watery depths before the guardian pulled up its feet to kick him hard in the stomach and throw him back with incredible strength. With spear in hand it pulled itself up and came rushing towards him with a vicious lunge and a harrowing scream with tears down its eyes as Oddclaw blocked him once, but not the second strike that slashed his shoulder and cut him deep, red running down his arm as he socked the beast in its jaw to stagger it before his gun recharged and he fired one shot direct to the skull, breaking its head open with a shuddering scream and white fragments revealed beneath the mousey fur as it started spinning with its spear, the wild halberd singing a song of death with its razor blade as Oddclaw quickly dove under its whirling strike and shot again into the creature's leg, sending it falling like a spinning top except for its saving throw when it thrust at his belly and he was surprised when he dodged too late and the spear grazed his side with a flensing cut. Stumbling back they both felt the shifting of the world as the stone hall began to crumble, crackling apart at the foundations as water started running out beneath their feet and the columns holding the stairs to the second level came falling down upon them, the roof tearing itself apart to show the wretched indigo sky of crackling thunder as the house's walls disappeared and Oddclaw was slammed into by the rodent guardian, punched through the crumbling wall to land in an old dining room. The guardian staggered through with its split-open skull, slowly reforming the bone and sinew together with a gasping howl as it braced its spear.

On the road of blood, Jacob stood gripping his shield as he ran quickly towards a wretched plaza of pure shining crimson that splashed beneath his boots whilst the sickening scent of hot metallic tint crept through his nostrils. In a wide circle were the bones of giant beasts that loomed above him, skulls of horned reptilians laid solemn with carved wounds into their faces as he approached the grand corpse of a dragon, its wings outstretched to form a vile throne made of scales enamoured upon its surface with twisting marrow where a wretched humanoid sat on, his head a bizarre skull shaped like an onion with his entire body covered in the bones of other beasts, sculpted to form an armour as it stood up to face Jacob. In his hands were a long black gun, and a wicked sword of dark gleaming rust.

"Alright...let's do this." He tightened his shield and approached him. "You're not gonna stop me, from saving everyone! I fought a lotta monsters, worse than you maybe, so I'm not afraid of you! I'm NOT, afraid of you!"

The guardian roared firing his gun with one hand as the yoshi blocked, racing towards it with his mightiest cry of fury as the blade swung up high to clash against his shield and scrape over the mushroom face, the yoshi parrying the second strike as the hunter dodged to try and bash him with the side of its gun, slamming him down hard and aiming the barrel upon his face as Jacob quickly shot his tongue at the creature's face to make it reel back in snarling hiss. Standing up Jake leapt forth with a powerful strike, bashing the side of his shield against the hunter's skull and sending it staggering back before it tightened its stance and readied to thrust its cruel blade that Jacob dodged fast, kicking out the guardian's leg before slamming his shield hard upon its face like a guillotine.

Blocking with his gun against the shield, the monster aimed for Jake's head as he dodged back before it fired a burning laser, the cracking boom deafening his ears as the brigand lunged for him with ruthless sabre that he guarded against, parrying the third strike to punch across the face but not before the fiend came slashing down from above to cut Jacob's incoming hand and tear along his arm causing him to shriek and recoil, red slivers pouring across his skin as he gritted his teeth and dodged the next attack, the blade coming for his throat as he spun his body low and whipped his tail to strike against the guardian's legs to make it buckle. With a roar it fired from its gun that ripped past his leg and made the yoshi cry out clutching his leg from the deep burn of its searing laser.

"GA-AAAARGH! NNNNGH...n-no...no you DON'T!"

Pushing himself on his leg he threw his entire body forth like a shooting star to crunch his shield against the hunter's body, toppling it over against its throne which fell backwards to shatter into a thousand pieces of brittle white. The monster became enraged as Jacob stared him down before they lunged at each other, sword striking upon shield as he parried the blow before driving his fist straight into its jaw and slamming his boot into its stomach.

On the other side of the nexus, Roy faced off against a tattered robe floating above a pit in the depths of a cavern. The soulless fiend hovered across the floor with a brazen sword of glimmering handle, striking against the raptor's spear as he parried with a twirl to knock him down before following with a kick. The creature blocked his foot with a pale shield and rolled back, shooting a fireball from his blade that Roy dodged before charging with his halberd to drive at the guardian's face, the flames trailing to hit the wall where ancient murals showed similar-robed beasts being crushed under stone and falling into pits filled with the corpses of their brethren. With a harrowing shriek the guardian parried Roy's spear and stabbed at his side with the sword, the raptor quickly turning aside to dodge the blade before throat-chopping with the spearhead to slash at the beast, causing it to stagger back with a guttural hiss and a bursting shot of ice to force him back.

"Oh you wanna use magic on ME?!" Roy shouted. "You wanna make this a magic fight, then COME AT ME!"

Goading the beast with a beckoning hand, he watched the guardian scream with a burst of wind as it suddenly twisted its body into a fierce tornado, hurtling towards the raptor who stood firm in his armour and waited to dodge at the last moment, scarring its side with a brutal slash of his spear as the creature turned to bash his face with the shield and knock him back before shooting a ball of flame that burst across Roy's head, scarring the top of his skull as he roared in pain and blasted a cool palm of ice upon his burn. The warlock spun his blade within its circular handle shining in the dark as MacGregor braced himself for the next attack, seeing the guardian charge up for another wind-blasting rush as Roy smiled bracing his fists.

"WULD!"

With a stronger burst he suddenly forced a furious gust from his hands and went shrieking towards the guardian, surprising the fiend with a ruthless stab of sonic force that ripped through the tattered cloak and pierced out its back, twisting the staff of his halberd to wrench it free in a vicious tear that sent gushing black spittling from its wound. The sorcerer slashed with a heaving gasp, catching Roy unawares by the surprising turn that raked across his snout and nearly hit his eye as he clenched his teeth and grabbed the guardian's throat, lifting it off its feet and driving his head hard to crush into its soft-snouted skull before hurling it against the wall in a crunch.

"TAHM TO PUT YOU ON ICE!"

Twirling his staff in one hand he shot out a bolt of ice that cracked upon the creature's chest, pinning it against the rock when it spread out in a clear white pattern to trap it fully for a moment. He rushed to stab it in the head, but the guardian screamed with its hands placed upon the ice and furiously burned through the ice to melt it off its form and swing a burning sword upon MacGregor, sliding into a tackle underneath its firey gleam to kick out both its legs and drive his spear between its thighs, tossing it over his head to crush its neck into the cavern floor before quickly pushing himself up.

"Ah may be in mah fifties but ah ain' never lost a father-son race at thuh school day yet!"

He cracked his knuckles with a toothy grin as the warlock pushed itself back up. With a howling rage it slammed its shield into the earth and cracked a tearing split towards Roy as he leapt to the side straight in the path of a fireball that punched his chest, burning his cloak briefly before a second one tore across his leg and had him stumbling fast to with a shield of ice as he quickly circled around his foe, shooting out a frigid lance that punched the warlock's side and caused him to stagger before Roy made another furious lunge.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

"I am SICK OF YOU!"

Koopin shouted towards his opponent as he dodged a lightning bolt.

"Everything you have done, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE has been nothing but pain and suffering, ARE YOU NEVER SATISFIED?! ARE YOU?!"

In a world of static the koopa stood his ground watching a violent jagged landscape of black and white lines flickering with epileptic screams. All around him were half-sunken TVs of every shape and size between which a phantom of grey slithered and jumped between screens whilst shooting bolts that he dodged back and forth, waiting for the demon's avatar to come close as the thin spindly gecko blasted a scream of static upon the floor that made a technicolour shockwave forcing Koopin to jump over as he quickly popped into his shell and went hurtling towards the fiend, striking it just before it disappeared into another TV. With the creature knocked onto the ground it became frantic with rage, one of the handles wrapped round its neck as it tried to slam its fists relentlessly into Koopin's shell with thundering shocks that made him shiver and cry out before popping out once more to whack him with his cane. The guardian tried to grab at the staff, but the koopa stabbed him in the head with the blunt tip and whalloped him twice with a double strike before tripping him with a sweep of the leg.

The gecko countered as soon as it fell with a swipe of its tail, tripping Koopin down before it launched on top of the turtle and slammed its fists into his jaw with crackling bolts that shocked him fierce. Koopin blocked after three blows with his cane, shoving it against the neck and rolling hard with a swing of his leg to pin the guardian down and drive his own fists deep into the electrical beast, the flesh of static slightly stinging him but not enough to dissuade him. Hooking the top of his cane into the scissor handle, Koopin wrestled and choked the guardian with a hard pull trying to move himself up on his feet and put him in a stranglehold, yanking the creature back as it tried to reach for one of the TVs with a screeching shudder, sparking bolts from its body with its tail lashing behind that Koopin stomped under his foot, punching the back of its head to further weaken it.

"I, HAVE HAD, ENOUGH OF YOU! EVEN, AFTER, ALL THESE YEARS, YOU STILL, WON'T-"

" FUCKING DIE!"

Leaping towards the savage beast, James swung his scissors true upon the feral raptor that jumped at him with claws wide open, clashing blades against teeth as they kicked back from each other in a broken world of steel rusted hills and glass tubes that shattered across the land, the flames of a burning wreckage gasping in the wind as the anthro spun his scissors in one hand to shoot out a trailing arc of fire towards the charging beast. The guardian leapt over the sweeping burn, its shining bolted screw buried in its chest as it struck with its metal tail that he blocked quickly against before strafing to slash its head, the claws of wicked gleam deflecting his strike as the tail came out swinging with piercing blades that James parried with his own in a biting clench of his scissors. Wrenching the beast hard he tried to pull it to the floor to cleave down upon its head, but it quickly swiped his legs that he barely jumped over leaping back as it rolled back up and belched a violent ball of toxic flame that James forced back with a blast of wind from his hand, volleying it towards the feral's head who dodged beneath its arc and jumped with a double front kick to his chest.

"HNNNGH! GOD, F-FUCK YOU!"

The guardian screeched biting down on his head as James grabbed its neck and forced it back, pulling up his scissors to try and thrust before the creature caught its blade within its teeth as they were trapped in a brief tug of war, snarling breaths and tensing muscles as James burned a thicker drench of flame through his fingers, roasting its neck muscles and burning deeper into the wounds that grew within the feral's throat, a rasping shriek escaping it before it slipped its tail between them and threw James hard across the land. Blasting a whirling breeze underneath he landed safe and drew his scissors towards the enemy, waiting for the lunging shriek as the guardian leapt up high and belched a volley of fireballs that splashed across the steel and melted through with sizzling acid, Kennidon dodging quickly between the pools to meet the fiend with a vicious backhand swing that cracked against its jaw and threw it backwards in a somersault, landing perfect on its feet to immediately plunge its vile tail towards him as he deflected with sparking shivers down the cold metal blades. He charged forth as the guardian came to meet him, jumping before they clashed as James leapt in time to scorch his scissors hard with burning flames and spin his entire body with a furious hurricane around him, turning himself into a fire tornado that ripped deep blackened scars through its ghastly form.

"_DON'T FUCK WITH ME! _"

The tearing gouge that ran deep through the guardian made it crumple down to the floor, struggling to pull itself up and try to limp off as James landed with a stagger and a shuddering breath as he clutched his chest.

"G-god...dammit that was more than I should've done."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, James walked towards the guardian and spun his scissors with a lick of his lips, savouring the moment to end all this as he raised up his blades and readied to plunge down. Then the entire world shifted in a violent slant, the road of steel now a mountain slope as he found himself skidding down in a stumbling scatter with the guardian's wounded form sliding faster back towards the central nexus of the former scissor-demon. The other roads had joined him too, carving themselves upwards and over the entire clock tower to form a giant coccoon over the demon's own, wrapping themselves like wings of flesh and steel as all five of the Hearts and their opponents fell with them back beneath the creature's eternal resting form. The hunter, the feral, the gecko, the sorcerer and the rodent all stood up in a row full of bruises and scars, bleeding thick as the five Hearts stood opposite ready to engage with heavy breaths. The demon however forced a vile explusion of black energy, radiating around its corpse as the guardians were suddenly incensed by a monstrous aura that turned them black as night with burning eyes of white, the scissor parts shining resplendent of bloodied rust with trails of violet dripping off them.

"THIS, ENDS, NOW!" Koopin cried.

"EVERYONE GRAB YOUR PIECE!" said James. "WE TAKE THEM OUT TOGETHER!"

"RAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

They all rushed at once for their counterpart as they tried to grab for the scissor piece; Jacob blocked a rifle shot with his shield whilst Roy twirled his spear to crack two heads at once; Koopin barrelled into the gecko with a shouldercharge whilst swinging out his cane to hook the feral's throat and send it driving into James' fist coming the other way; lastly there was Oddclaw firing off both shots at the rodent and immediately stabbing his claws into the feral to further weaken it, the father and son teaming up to jump on the fiend as James grabbed its arms within his scissorblades and twisted in a full 90-degree crack with Oddclaw tearing its throat out with a vicious rend of his teeth. The guardian wasn't dead, a shivering shadow of its former shape as it threw off both raptors in a hard strike of its tail to their heads. Roy grabbed the rifle of the hunter and pulled it just before it shot, driving his lance into its neck and stabbing it into the ground whilst Jacob leapt in front of his father's back to protect him from a bursting flame of the warlock from behind. Koopin quickly parried the gecko still upon him as it lunged with savage fists of electrical bolts, the koopa using his staff like a fencer to block and crack against its punches as it howled with wilting rage before he spun his body round into a hard roundhouse kick, crunching his boot straight to its jaw to send it spinning down as it tried to lash out with its tail. But it was blocked by James and his scissors between it and his husband before stabbing down into its chest with a plunging twist.

"You alright cutie?"

"Yeah, thanks," Koopin sighed hugging him, "I think they're almost done, we just watch each other's backs."

"You know it."

They grabbed each other's hand with a fierce surge of strength, their wedding rings shining of black opal with a twinkling star shape within before they both punched a guardian each. A twinkle in their eyes signalled an idea as Koopin balled himself up in his shell and James leapt on top with scissors open wide.

"EVERYONE GET BACK!"

"Whuh-OH SHIT!"

Roy grabbed Jacob to pull out to the outer circle of the nexus, Oddclaw joining them as both husbands started spinning into a whirlwind of silver and green that ripped across the arena like a pinball, tearing the guardians of the scissor-demon through and through with tearing slashes, ripping pieces of rodent and warlock and hunter that all tried to block and counter, before having their guard ripped open to be slashed and shattered through with red, black and purple ichor slathering across the stones with every rending tear of the scissors, Koopin spinning hard into their feet to knock them down whilst James whirled with savage death cutting them three at a time until the feral raptor struck against his blade with its tail, doubling back with a hard crack against the koopa's shell to send both of them crumpling down and Koopin spinning off in one direction to hit one of the enclosed walls with a crunch. The warlock came down with rending sword upon James, a burning blade of purest rage before it was shot in the face with such force that its head exploded, sending it falling back as the raptor looked up to see his son.

"Are you alright?!"

"Yeah...thanks!" He grabbed Oddclaw's hand and pulled himself up. "Damn that gun of yours is crazy."

"It was enchanted," he spun it in his claws, "I do not need shells for it."

"Awww that's rad as fuck, alright LET'S FINISH THIS!"

"HELLLL YEAH!" Roy pumped his fist with spear coming in. "C'MON SON WE'RE ALMOST THERE!"

"RIGHT BEHIND YOU DAD!"

Storming through the crowd of guardians with his shield, Jacob slammed through the gecko and the hunter whilst Roy charged up his lance with crackling bolts of ice to shoot into the feral beast, turning to strike against the rodent with its halberd as they crossed blades and parried each other in hard sparks, the dragoon's shade clashing upon Roy as he stepped back and swung his spear to knock it aside and try to stab for its chest. The rodent quickly swerved out of its path and made a backspinning strike to lash across Roy's face, scarring above his eyes as MacGregor gritted his teeth and ducked beneath the coming swing to stab through the guardian and grab its gleaming blade with his right hand.

"Remember me mutherfucker?"

He stepped forwards with steel fingers creaking around the blade as the guardian struggled to move.

"You tried to take mah body, took mah hand an' tried to possess me cuz ah wuz a bigger, better FG. Ahm flattered, but ahm not available."

He shoved his spear harder into the dragoon that roared with a savage shriek.

"Ah now you didn't take mah hand away from me but...call it a favour."

Gripping the demon's edge tighter he swung it towards Oddclaw, body and all like a ball-and-chain as the raptor shot its chest out of the air with a devastating blast to send it crumpling to the ground before he grabbed at the demon's blade. Focusing the strength in his heart, the golden rod strapped to his chest started to glow with a fervent energy. Koopin grabbed the handle round the gecko's throat, as did Jacob with the flat edge of the hunter's blade, Roy leaping over to punch the sorcerer and grab his blade's handle with James slamming his palm straight into the bolted screw in the feral's chest.

"Finally...we're finishing this."

As their shining keys started to pulse in contact with the fragments they felt a tightening in their chests. A trembling fervour built in their lungs as their souls clenched and their throats started to burn with the tremendous power resonating through Noh'jhin's devices. It was an odd feeling at first, one they couldn't quite place as their heads turned warm, their minds dizzying and their hearts overswelling to the point they began to shake with a shuddering force that almost felt like they would collapse at any moment. James and Oddclaw looked to each other. They understood what this feeling was as their breaths became short and their blood started to run thin in their veins with a fearful look as their arms shivered and their spirits started to inflame with the heat of a dying star.

"I...I'm sorry," James gasped.

"I know," Oddclaw nodded, "I...I just wanted to go home."

"...I did too."

They smiled and closed their eyes, grasping the demon's parts tighter as the corpse above in its pupal state shivered with anguish, writhing burning venomous fury that twisted through its form and caused the body of Riptor to spasm and stutter with deathless breaths. The strength of the light emanating from the five channelled through the scissor-demon's pieces even stronger, burning it stronger from inside as its screams rancorous and foul bulged from the depths of its womb and shook through the tower.

W H A T I S T H I S

N O

I M U S T B E R E B O R N

I M U S T B E C O M E D E A T H

James looked to Koopin with a saddened smile as his eyes widened with a new fear. But he nodded with a gasp and awaited his fate, with Roy turning towards Jacob shaking his head.

"Is...is this...i-is this thuh way we're going?"

"D-dad...da-ad, my...m-my chest h-hurts."

"Ahm sorry...oh g-god ahm so sorry son-"

"No...it's okay." Jacob smiled at him keeping his grip tight. "We gotta...k-keep everyone safe...that's what heroes do, r-right dad?"

"...right." He gasped choking back tears. "You're right...thank you Jacob. I...I'm proud of you."

They felt their arms trembling as the force in their hearts turned sharper, the rods intensifying until it burned their flesh with their golden hue blinding everything around them. They could hardly scream from the pressure building inside them, crushing their ribs and tearing their souls to fractured atoms with feverish gasps and trembling faces as the demon rasped and screeched even harder with the world unfolding, the wretched mist starting to part and the twisting walls that tried to enclose upon them were tearing open once again. The five flickered their eyes, their breaths starting to fade as their spirits burned harder and the golden keys shone brighter. Then they felt something. A cold hand upon each of their shoulders.

I'm here.

They tried to look through the piercing light.

I'm sorry...I almost lost you.

"Who...who's there?" gasped Koopin.

Someone who answered your prayers.

"James, J-james you hear that?!"

"I...I-i do," he muttered craning his head, "is...why is that voice so familiar?"

Their eyes were too blinded to see the five spirits that floated upon them. An old human female, a thin steel mantis, a long-snouted boar of gangly build and a small raptor youth beside a floating purple face.

Quickly, everyone grab one key!

Should we take them dear? They seem awfully tightly-bound.

We must transfer the metaphysical energy to ourselves, quickly.

Normally ya don't grab onto hot things, they make wooden handles on skillets fer a reason!

F-FATHER!

Oddclaw gasped as his heart shivered.

"Did...did I hear-"

Father, I'm here, we're here father!

GRAB THE KEYS, NOW!

In the light of the growing power, five hands grabbed the golden staves as the five mortals gasped from a sudden shift in power retreating into their bodies. The burning force started to fade, their souls hurt less and the throbbing in their minds began to recede. The light still burned ethereal, the demon still suffering as the sum of its parts continued to shake in their hands with a gentle crack of its old rusted steel, the monstrous howl of extinction rending through the Son of the Great Father who clawed from inside Riptor's body, stuttering vile screams of greater anguish that tore through the fabric of this realm.

"Whuh...whut's happening?" Roy shivered.

"I-i feel...s-someone there," Jacob felt his voice return, "s-someone's making me feel...better, like I got a power-up."

"M-me too...hey, who's there?"

Someone who heard your case.

He felt an elder's hand grabbing his chest.

Do not worry dear, just leave the defence to me.

"D-dad?" the yoshi cried. "Dad, are you okay?!"

It's okay Longtongue!

Jacob felt the claws of youth.

I promised I'd save everyone...right?

"...yeah...you did."

"Is...is that..." Oddclaw shivered harder, "no...it cannot be-"

Save yer breath pal.

The scent of a warm kitchen flowed past his cheek.

I got this, I know how to handle hot things.

"Wh-where...where is my son? I heard him!"

Slowly but surely they felt the golden rods pulling off from their bodies, transferring from one source to the other as the souls of the five spirits resonated to a purest gold that cloaked upon the living, comforting them with their strength and shielding them from the power that now grew inside of them. One hand placed upon the shining staff, the other upon the demon's part as it fractured even further with every crack causing another scream from the infinite darkness of the one who would be reborn, spasming in its corpulent chrysalis with harrowing shrieks.

DON'T LET GO!

Kirie screamed grabbing Koopin's chest as he screamed louder.

WE'RE...A-ALMOST...DONE!

"NNNNGH!" James snarled as his strength began to return. "I-i-i...I know that...K-kirie?!"

Do not falter.

A mechanical voice burned through his heart.

Strengthen your resolve, we must not fall together.

"R-right...nnngh, g-god haven't felt this in years."

This is but the second time my soul has suffered. But this time, it is my choice alone to keep my friend and his family safe.

James smiled warmly in understanding, clinging onto the demon's piece embedded within the feral's chest as he gritted his teeth and cried out in furious gasps. But none cried louder than the Son of the Great Father, his mother-corpse screeching with his voice resonating through as the tower finally fell, the sound of crumbling debris burning in all their ears as stones fell, gears crunched and the walls disappeared into the abyss of the fading fog. The shining keys turned to pure white and with it the demon screamed its final words of existence.

M O T H E R

W H Y

Y O U P R O M I S E D M E

M O T H E R

The five pieces shattered with a deafening song, one by one they cracked and bent and withered in the hands of the five spirits as their hearts shone brighter than that of the mortals beside them. Blades shattering into dust, the handles crumbling to ashes and the single bolted screw becoming a fragment of its piece. The wretched beast was finally gone as its corpse-mother dissolved into a pile of flesh, entrails separating from the skin as the blackening smoulder of what once had been the Scissoraptor fell onto the cobbled stones and scattered like smoke on the wind. The world of chaos turned silent, the fog cleared to reveal an endless pale void as they stood upon the nexus, the five warriors gathering their thoughts as the golden rods fell from their chests to clatter lifeless on the stones.

"Is it...is it over?" Koopin shook his head.

"Don't say that," James muttered, "everytime someone says that it never is-"

James

They looked up towards the five spirits hovering over them.

I'm...sorry James

The raptor stared upon her in disbelief.

"You...you had something to do with this?"

Only just...to destroy the demon...Noh'jhin...wanted to destroy you

"WHUT?!" Roy shouted in a burst. "Wh-WHY?! Why's everybody gotta pit against us?!"

He does not...trust you all to...not complicate your world's futures...you are all loose ends to him...even Oddclaw and the friends who settled in his home.

"Oh ahm gonna complicate his face if HE'S thuh one that dragged mah son into this-"

"Dad."

Jacob pulled him back and pointed towards Oddclaw. Staring upon one of the spirits, the father looked upon the weakening form of his child turning more and more faint with each passing second.

"S-sea...Seaclaw."

Father...I did it.

He took his father's hand in his.

I saved you...again.

"You...y-you did."

His gasping shudder brought tears to his eyes as Seaclaw floated down to him.

"You...you saved us all...my son."

I'm sorry father...I wanted...I-i just wanted everyone to be safe.

"No. No do not be sorry."

He hugged him close as he felt his son's breath against his cheek.

"You...you will always be greater than I ever could be...I love you."

I love you too...father.

"I do not want you to go...I wish you could be with me."

I want to...stay too. But I...I'm so tired. Can I sleep, father?"

"......yes."

He took a deep breath and stepped back.

"You can sleep now son...everyone is safe now."

Okay! Goodnight...father.

"Goodnight...Seaclaw."

The boy disappeared with a smile on his face, Oddclaw looking up to find Anna, Mohberra and Stonevoice all starting to fade in turn.

"I am sorry...I could not save-"

Ohh don't say that Oddie.

The human shook her head.

You've done more than enough, just like me.

"But now, none of you can return home."

If I were you, I would tell that Noh'jhin fellow about what he tried to do to you without your knowing, and how it breached your rights as an individual.

"Hold up, you a lawyer?" Roy asked raising a hand.

Oh yes, quite a bit...but now I can finally retire, just make sure you tell Noh'jhin that and you can make a LOT of trouble for him.

"Hah...alrigh', we'll do that."

"Thank you," Koopin bowed to the spirits, "for saving our lives."

S'no problem.

The moblin waved his hand before turning to Oddclaw.

We never met but I know you helped Liz.

"Is he...here too?" the raptor asked.

He's happy now...I am too cuz my people are safe. Thanks to you.

"And...Stonevoice?"

The mantis looked upon him with eternal stare.

"Thank you...for keeping my brother safe."

It was my priority.

The spirit bowed his head of wide solar rim.

I protected and preserved. My mission is done. Thank you for allowing me to complete it, Oddclaw.

"I wish we coulda done more," Jacob rubbed his arms, "so you didn't have to...do this."

I have no regrets. Not anymore.

They thought they saw a smile creep over his face, his eyes of gold closing as he began to fade with Mohberra and Anna in turn until Kirie was left. She was but a remnant of her former self, her lush purple folds now a pale violet adrift on the winds of space. James shook his head with a strange smirk.

"You really can't stop getting involved, can you?"

I...I was trying to bring peace to Oddclaw's home

"Why? Why would you keep doing this?"

Because...I loved you

She smiled closing her eyes.

I wanted to give you the greatest gift...something you felt always missing in your life

Her hand swept towards Oddclaw, the two looking to each other as the son's tears stained his face. James took his hand and pulled him into an embrace, holding him tight as he wept softly into his shoulder.

"I...I don't know what to say," he looked back to Kirie, "I know you care...you always did."

I never had a family...but I hoped...that I could bring yours back together in peace

"You...you did." He hugged his son tighter. "Thank you Kirie. For everything."

That is good...enjoy your years...I...your parents...I met them

"Wh-what?"

They...they have always...loved you too

The haunter grinned with her best smile, a wide mischievous look as flames began to pour off her body in dark velvet strips as her hands melted into ashes, her eyes drooping and her face peeling off to reveal a ball of black spectral gas that so too would fade from existence. There was the sound of a bell, and then a light glimmered from inside that went piercing through the void like a shooting star, fading to the depths of eternity as they all stood confused and dazed upon the barren platform.

"So...a-are we done?" Jacob muttered looking around.

"I think we are," Koopin nodded limping over, "but I honestly don't know how."

"It's...it's really over?"

James shook his head and almost collapsed to the floor.

"I...I'm not even sure if it is, like is it real this time? Did we actually destroy it, or did we just delay it again?"

"It felt different this time," Koopin put a hand on his shoulder, "it felt...I know what you mean, I'm kinda worried to believe it too."

"That uh...that Kirie lady saved us." Roy rubbed his arm. "Guess we oughta go back to Noh'jhin an' have sum real talk with him."

"Why not speak with me now."

A portal opened up with stars swirling from the depths of the cosmos, the five turning towards the shape of Noh'jhin stepping forth with wings spread and wounds covered across his body.

"It would appear my plan has both succeeded and failed."

"Did you really wanna kill us?!" Jacob snarled clenching his fists. "These rods you put on us, you just turned us into bob-ombs?!"

"Just as Kirie told you, my mission as the Doer who undoes, was to make certain that all loose ends were tied for the sake of preservation to the futures of the worlds that you now currently reside in."

"You...were gonna FUCKIN' WIPE US OUT?!" Roy snapped.

"Why would you DO THAT?!" Koopin shrieked. "You have no right, YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE-"

"ENOUGH!"

He blasted a golden ring from behind him with a trembling energy that shook the dais they stood on.

"Too long have I tolerated the mistakes of Hau'rhun, that wretched predecessor whom lead James Campbell to many a world and with it a long series of repercussions that all too easily could have been avoided if not for his ignominious solution to a greater problem."

"What problem was that?!" the koopa thrust his cane at him. "What problem was so terrible that we are apparently a mistake?!"

"Nothing that will concern you now, the fact of the matter is that you are all still alive, and that the demon has been permanently destroyed once and for all."

"Is that true?" Jacob pointed his finger. "You mean that, for real?!"

"I swear to you now, upon my reputation as a scientist of the Cocytan race, that the demon is forever gone. Not banished, not rid, but completely erased from all existence."

"Good."

Koopin sighed laying down on his side as James stood up, gasping the longest sigh for his entire life as he felt years creep on his shell.

"Hhhhhaaaaaaaah stars it's over, it really is just...over."

"As such, I feel that I deserve some recompense in my-HNRRGH!"

Noh'jhin gasped with a stuttering choke as he crumpled on his knees at the edge of the platform. Falling with a bitter cough as his burning wounds continued to seethe, he stared upon the face of James Kennidon whose fist had buried into his gut.

"You...d-DARE, touch me-GUHH!"

"Shut the fuck up."

The old raptor slammed his fist across his face and stepped back cracking his knuckles.

"Trying to kill me, I got no problem with that cuz hey, that's understandable. Trying to kill my husband, my best friend, my best friend's son and also MY son...you should be real glad I'm not ripping the fuck out of your eyes cuz if you tried that shit on me twenty years ago I would definitely have killed you."

"You pathetic WASTE!"

The rasping alien lunged for him in a fit of rage as James dodged back, Koopin whacking the side of his lowered head with a cane and Oddclaw punching out his eye with the barrel of his gun before it clicked loud against his ear.

"Touch my father...and I will take your head."

"NNNGH! H-how...how are you feckless worms able to unmend my greater plans?!"

"Because we're us," Roy shrugged before thrusting his spear, "now you better believe we gonna complain to your council about how you tried to trick us into a suicide pact without ever mentioning it, an' trust me ah know mah rights."

"PAH! You cannot even recite the names of our home let alone spell it!"

"But I remember where it is," James tapped his head, "and I might not be as smart as Roy, but I know how to make myself a real fucking nuisance for you so here's the deal. You let us go home, you stop interfering with us, there's no more demon, no more shit, we just go home and that's the end of it."

"Hmph. Fine."

He felt the gun push against his eye as he stared towards Oddclaw.

"Son, you wanna add anything to this?"

"Yes," the raptor nodded, "my father's friend, Kirie, said you wanted to be rid of me, and the friends who live in my home?"

"Correct," the alien crossed his arms.

"What would you do to them if we had died?"

"I was simply going to observe the ones in your home, the humans, the reploids and badniks, the Hyrule folk and the ultraraptors, wait until their deaths and collect their remains so that they would never tarnish the historical record of your home."

"What do you mean?" Jacob shook his head. "Why would that even be-"

"Oddclaw's world is a prehistoric land, of which its future shall become ever worse if the fossil record were to become irreparable by the actions of the humans of the base."

"But that's stupid!"

"No." Oddclaw stepped back holstering his gun. "He is right...they did speak of that."

Noh'jhin stood up and brushed his knees with a harumph as he looked upon the five, the bitterest look towards James who simply shrugged with a grin that festered deep in his heart.

"I want to ask something," Oddclaw bowed, "I will not tell your alpha what you tried to do, if you do something for me."

"As the agreement goes, yes," the Cocytan nodded.

"My friends the humen...can you send them back to where they came?"

"I do not have the power over Time itself."

"But can you make them the portal to do so, one that can send them back?"

"Ah...of course, I can hand them the materials and the correct calculations."

"Whut about everyone else?" Roy scratched his head. "Dontcha got other friends too?"

"They wish to stay," Oddclaw rubbed his chin, "I remember we spoke of that, some wish to stay, some might return, and it was their choice."

"For those who wish to stay my mission remains," said Noh'jhin, "to collect their bodies and to return them to-"

"No." He shook his head. "Some of them escaped their homes and do not wish to return, even in death such as the Mohberrin village."

"There is no other option, your world has become far too-"

"UHH, ah got a question!"

Roy stepped into view with a sauntering look.

"You said you had great powers over Space but not Time, right?"

"Correct."

"Well...why not just move all them to another space, if you can't move 'em to another time?"

The alien blinked somewhat insulted at the raptor's suggestion, staring into the blue-ringed eyes with a scorn not because it was absurd, but because he had not thought of the idea himself as he tightened his jaw.

"That...would be not unreasonable."

"I mean," James raised a claw, "that's how it works right? Sixth dimension is just every timeline out there starting from a single point, and seventh is when every world exists with different starting points, and then you got the eighth which is just basically infinity?"

They all looked to James with incredulous blink as the raptor smirked.

"How...do you understand such a thing?" Noh'jhin raised his brow.

"Oh Hau'rhun told me, you know, the guy you hate?"

"...of course he did." His malice was palpable as his claws crunched into the stone. "Is that what you are suggesting then, that I obtain permission to split the timeline of Oddclaw's world so that it will not affect the humans?"

"Basically! What you think Oddclaw, that sound good?"

"I..." Oddclaw rubbed his head, "all I want, is my family and friends to be safe. I want those who want to live in my home to be at peace, and their bones laid to rest along with those of my tribe, and the humen to return home to theirs. If you can make that happen, then I would be happy."

"And then we don't squeal on you!" Jacob slammed his shield down and leaned over upon it. "What you say Nohj, we got a deal?"

"Considering the great complexity of Oddclaw's home," said the alien stroking its chin, "this would be an amendment I can accept so long I never suffer your presences again."

"The feeling's mutual," Koopin crossed his arms, "so we all agree?"

"OH yeah," James rubbed his hands, "I'm gonna need the coordinates to whatever new home you put for Oddclaw so I can go visit him."

"Understood." The Cocytan offered his hand. "So it shall be done."

"And no funny stuff," James grabbed it firm and squeezed it tight, "or I'll fucking end your entire career."

"An' if not us, then any of our friends," said Roy pointing his spear, "we got lotsa friends in high places."

"Undoubtedly...much to my chagrin. Shall we begin?"

"Wait."

James bent down to Koopin and muttered something in his ear. His eyes sparked slightly with surprise but he nodded slowly and gave him a kiss before the raptor walked over to his son.

"Just so I don't forget."

He took off the scabbard with the scissors and tossed it over to Noh'jhin with a clattering thud, then pulled off the ring from his finger and placed it in Oddclaw's hand.

"That's my wedding ring. Don't lose it."

"Wh-what?!"

"When I head over to your world, I'm gonna need that back. That's proof I won't forget, that I'll come see your family."

"Are you...you are serious."

"I could just say I will, but I don't want you to worry, so you keep hold of that, and I'll come by when everything's all cleared to get back that ring, see your mom and everything. Promise you'll keep it safe."

"I...I promise."

Oddclaw slipped it onto his finger feeling it snugly against his scales.

"I will keep this safe...for when you come, father."

"Thanks son." He hugged him tight once more with a firmer squeeze. "I'll see you again soon, I promise."

He hugged him back, sighing with relief before they stepped away and Noh'jhin raised his arms above his head and summoned two separate portals that spanned across the empty plateau. The cold familiar embrace of the void between worlds soon took them, as Oddclaw was alone staring across to the other four who were drifting further and further away back to whence they came.

"I must first speak with my council," said Noh'jhin, "then after I have explained, I shall make tasks to honour my word to Oddclaw, then I shall give James the designation of his home anew."

"Thank you!" Oddclaw cried. "I...Jacob!"

The yoshi looked towards him.

"Thank you for being my friend!"

"Hey, you're my uncle's son, that makes us COUSINS Oddie!"

"...hah! You are right, then I hope you stay safe, cousin Jacob!"

"You too bud!" Jacob waved with a growing smile. "Thank you for everything, for keeping me safe, tell all your pals I said hi!"

"I will!"

"You ready to go home son?" Roy took Jacob's hand. "We got a lotta stuff to tell your mother."

"Yeah." He nodded firm. "But I still got that eighteenth birthday coming up, right?"

"Of course, ah mean you only lived in thuh Mushroom Kingdom seventeen years, that means legally ya haven't aged a bit!"

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," Koopin rubbed his shoulders, "your uncle James knows more of that than most."

They last saw each other in a world without stars, the space of dimensions soon disappearing as Oddclaw waved goodbye to the four, the ring shining on his hand as his father gave a thumbs up. The cosmos sang once more as their portals closed and with it came another through the long infinite dark, a wormhole of the beyond that twisted and spiralled around him, shifting his mind in contortions of space until he saw a blinding light of opal brilliance. A world beyond that at first he did not recognise when he smelt the industrious steel and felt the cold hard metal when he hit the floor in a staggering fall. But it wasn't until he heard her voice that his heart skipped a beat.

"O-...Oddclaw?!"

He looked up. The Goddess Egg remained with its walls of black and red, with the faces of Andrea, Schroeder and Chanoch all looking upon him. The sounds of the rumbling engines felt so unfamiliar, the smell of oxides so alien that he almost feared that he had lost. But the first ones he saw, were his wife and daughter who without even thinking suddenly leapt upon him, licking his face with tears ashiver down their throats, nuzzling him in relief and gasping cries.

"OH, o-oh Oddclaw, OHHH you came back!"

"I...am I back?" he looked around still in disbelief.

"Y-you left, you left through a light!" Skyfang wept. "W-we thought you were gone, we thought you left!"

"I did." He pulled them close and kissed both their heads. "I have so much to tell you...all of you."