*Rosemary nodded in agreement, before she gave it some thought. She kept her hand close to her blade, ready to attack if anything went wrong*

*Enricho ran through the sand, but looked down at Oriocho, noticing she dropped her food. He patted her head and spoke* Oh, don't cry, Orio. After this is all over, I promise to get you a big snake. A boa, even. I swear it.

*Kirstoff stood perfectly still as he was hit in the head, before he responded* I understand you are upset, Flynn, but that doesn't require you to take your anger out on me
*Nithloraul shrugged* Yeah, he usually takes it out on me
*As Flynn retrieved the stone, Ophelia walked over to him, with her arms behind her back and a worried expression on her face* Flynn, is... is it alright if I accompany you. There are some things I have to do and other things I need to tell you

*Oswald looked at Layla, not responding to her, but he gave a nod* Your concern is always appreciated Layla. But, I assure you.... I'm fine *This was another lie*

Y'iel had already been halfway inside the shop when she heard the familiar voice that made her ears perk. "Ms. Quartz? Helga?" She called out, letting the door close behind her softly as she stepped away from the door, her eyes quickly catching sight of the two figures that weren't too far a distance away from where she was already. More relief came over her when she could see for herself that Helga seemed to be doing better as well. Better than when she had attempted to help her herself.
Her ears lowered slightly when this thought ventured into her mind, but regardless, she began to make her way towards them, the natural light that emitted from her outline taking the form of a sparkling glow that made it seem that if the sunlight always hit her skin at the perfect angles.

Her eyes shifted to the woman who she recognized vaguely as one of the triplets when she was close enough to get a better look at her.

~

As the two were making their way further into the desert, Oasis became more and more wary. She could feel something coming towards them. yet it felt so much more like paranoia. That is, until she heard the snarling scream that rung across the vicinity. "Rose move!"

In the blink of an eye, Oa's arms were wrapped around Rosemary and they were diving out of the way, a red flash of aura that looked like burning embers leaving a deep slash into the earth. "Shit, Rose, you alright?"

But before Rosemary could answer, a cackling laughter could be heard from above, the heat of the desert now taking a orange gaseous form as it began to build up in the sky. The gas quickly ignited and bolted towards them.

~

Oriocho pouted while her father spoke to her about getting another snake for her to eat. But soon, her attention was brought to the sky as she witnessed what looked like a giant bubble of orange become present in the sky. "Pre...tty..." She watched in curiosity, and then in awe as the orange globe became a sphere of violent flames that shot towards the ground like a shooting star. "

*Enricho looked up to the sky, looking at the ball of fire as it came crashing to the ground* What the fu- Heck is that!? *Without much thought, he ran toward it, making sure to keep at a safe distance for Oriocho's sake as he moved towards it*

*Rosemary got up as she looked at the ball of fire heading towards them. She didn't answer Oasis. She just looked at the ball of fire, and already, her anger was shown, her teeth gritted in anger as she took out her sword* No, goddammit! Not today! You are not gonna ruin our good day, you son of a bitch! *She didn't give much thought before her other arm extended* Eros, don't stop until whatever the fuck this thing is is dead!

It didn’t take too long before Helga was finally able to escape her daughter’s grasp, and she used most of her energy to walk quickly with a few stumbles towards Y’iel. She didn’t say a word, and instead, just embraced the Therian with the weak strength she had in a hug.

Zealia quickly caught up with her mother, glancing between her and the mysterious women some with an uncertain, puzzled expression.

“Th-This Y’iel! She t-teach!” She introduced her for her. Zealia blinked again, hesitating before she gave a nod to her and greeted her with a bow.

“you're.... real..." She said, more to herself now as she stared at the Therian in front of her. She shook her head as her mind processed back to when Helga described who she was. "...you are the one that saved my mother, correct?” Her ears twitched some. “Thank you for your generosity and hospitality. We have something for you."

***

“Oh, let me guess, is it to see your brother?” Flynn rolled his eyes before finally turning to face her.

*Ophelia was a little surprised* Y-Yes, it is
*Nithloraul waved her hand* Sheesh, cranky today, Flynn? I'm sure that frown will turn upside down once we get to see Franziska and Layla again. The only two people you don't hate with a passion in this god forsaken world. And knowing you, that's more than I expected *She gave a chuckle, patting (Or rather, slapping) his back*

When Y'iel saw Helga stumbling the first few times while coming towards her, her pace double itself until she was being embraced by the witch in a hug. Her body was extremely warm, the warmth like a welcoming, a haven of safety. She returned the hug without question, glad to see that the woman was doing at least a little bit better now. Her gaze shifted in cuiriosity to Zealia as Helga introduced them to one another.

Her ears perked when Zealia spoke to her, a small greeting smile coming to her lips. "Oh it was not an issue at all. I do not desire anything for assisting your mother, for her company was well appreciated even if it was only for a while. A nonetheless, I am more than relieved to see that she is within the care of her children." She smiled a bit more before a more concerned look came onto her expression. "Say, there was a mentioning of another Therian, yes? And W-Wiezen, where about hath he gone?"
She had many questions now, all in which could potentially lead her to a way to find her students.

~

"Ain't gotta tell me twice!" Eros replied, her being angry as well about how quickly things had started to make turn for the worst. The arm that Rosemary had extended began stretch away from her body, bones adding themselves and rearranging quickly while her arm constructed into a three fingered large mass of twisted flesh and much more durable bone. "Let's bat this shit off Rose!" Eros closed the three finger morphed hand, a dark aura pouring out of it. She moved Rose's body accordingly, turning and swinging the arm forcefully, the aura colliding with the flames and stunning its movement. "GEt....thIS.....shit...OUTTA HERE!!"
With one hard push of effort, the sphere of fire that had been attacking them was deflected back in the direction that it came from where it withered away.

"AHAHAHAAA! RAISE THE FUCKING ROOF!!!" Someone screamed suddenly as their figure could be seen falling from the sky. "RHAH RHAH RHAH!" The heat in the atmosphere made another switch, becoming ignited immediately and falling with the individual.

"Shit, Rose get movin'!" Eros urged, knocking away another one of the spheres of devastating heat.

Fast, it's fast, Oasis's acted quickly, and instead went in head first without any hesitation her eyes searching through the attackers technique as she maneuvered herself swiftly, her hand moving to her sword. Her feet slid across the sand. "Where the hell is it?" Her eyes narrowed when she found her answer much sooner than expected, jumping forward into a tuck and roll when she sensed the attacker right behind her.
She recuperated without difficulty, being back on her feet quickly with her sword now from its sheathe. But then she was brought to a stop, shock coming across her face.

"What? Kehehehehe, done already? It was just gettin' fun ya know." The young man in front of Oasis grinned with a pair of razor blade teeth, his style of clothing that of the desert city folks. However, the brand newness to them was enough to say that they had been stolen. His hair was an odd tint of off-green with traces of blonde and tribal type tattoos could be seen marking portions of his upper body. And behind him rose a spiny....scorpion's tail.

*Rosemary was forced to move out of the way as she sent the ball of fire away from them, her attention turning to the man in front of them. Her eyes rested on his tail, but her attack didn't let up as she responded* You wanna fight, asshole? Then you better get ready to die! We aren't gonna let some creepy crawly fuck get in our way

Zealia nodded to reassure what Y’iel was told was indeed true. “Yes. Another Therian made its way into my boutique last night, perhaps his smell lingers there where you can track him. He is after another man-made creature who goes by the name Carlyle and is apparently my… cousin? Oh, and as for Wiezen, he left last night as well and said he was off to retrieve some holy oil from a priest, so I assume he must at a church.” Before she could continue, Helga interrupted her to announce what she wanted to give her.

“M-M-M-Ms. Y-Yiel, I-I gift for you! I r...ree...mem...beerr,” She paused, struggling to pronounce the word she had forgotten how to. But then she shook her head and continued. “Y-You like w-water! E-Element, r-right? I sh-show a-a-appreciation--”

Zealia stepped forward and interrupted Helga. “What my mother is trying to say is, she sends her thank you through this gift she thought you would like.

When Y’iel opened the oyster-shaped box, her eyes met with the gleam of the luxurious piece of jewelry in it. It was a link of rose gold, with seashells chosen by Helga herself in the shop. There were little charms of starfish as well, and polished pearls that were attached to the bracelet. On the very back of one of the largest shells, Y’iel’s name was imprinted on it with cursive. With Zealia insisting her mother to buy something, she decided to do so, but used the money on someone else rather than herself. With having Y’iel’s natural element in mind, she thought this was the perfect gift to get her as a token of appreciation.

***

“Don’t. Touch. Me.” Flynn slowly turned to Nithloraul with a serious, almost menacing expression on his face. “You don’t touch me. You don’t touch Franziska. You don’t touch my daughter. You stay away.” He ordered her again, before turning his attention back to Ophelia. “Yeah, it’s about time you decide to meet him, especially knowing he’s been looking for you for years.”

"Hey, could you be a little more harsh why don't ya!?" Oasis exclaimed, a little hurt by the whole "Creepy crawly" line from Rosemary. Since, obviously, or at least from her perspective, what was in front of her was another...Scorpia? She remembered her mother speaking on being the last of her people, the people who had been cursed. Her focus went to the young man in front of them, and she stared for a long moment. "Hey Rose...sit this one out. I got it."
She had stowed away her tail after stretching, and now was the moment that it made its return.

This seemed to surprise and excite the strange attacker. "Huh?! You're one too? What did that stinkin' ol professor make you for?" He scoffed.

"Make me?" Oasis's brows furrowed. "Who are you? Who sent you here to get your ass pummeled?"

"Hah! In your dreams lady, I'm not tellin' you nothing! All you need to know is that I'm here to kill ya if you don;t tell me where Two is. I know she's been here!"

~

Y'iel listened closely to Zealia when she was explaining everything. But even with the explanation, it only brought more confusion and questions to her mind. Her ears twitched a few times while she tried to piece everything together to look at from a more whole perspective.

Her attention turned to Helga at the mentioning of a gift, a smile of patience coming to her face as Helga fought to pronounce some of the words she wanted to use to express herself, and she became even more curious once Zealia gave the shortened version of what Helga was already trying to tell her.

Upon the opening of the oyster shaped box, Y'iel's eyes brightened some at the sight of what was within it. She eyed the jewelry closely, her gaze brushing across the polished pearls and the vague gloss of the rose gold. But what she favored the most about it were the seashells. She outstretched her fingertip and placed it on one of the seashells, and almost immediately, the dazzling scales appeared on her finger tip.
When she looked back to Helga, there was a genuine and sincere smile on her face. "Thank you, Helga. I love it, and I will cherish the effort you put into the creation of this." She lifted the bracelet carefully from it's box and slid it onto her wrist, observing it now from wearer's standpoint.

*Rosemary looked over at Oasis, already feeling a little embarrassed* S-sorry, O *Her attention immediately shifted to the man, her stance not wavering a bit as she responded to O* No can do, O. I'll kill this son of a bitch if he tries anything. I'll rip his goddamn heart out if he makes a move

*Nithloraul looked at Flynn, her usual grin on her face as she spoke, but the moment she brought up Franziska and Layla, she gave an almost offended expression before she spoke under her breath* I'd never touch them!
*Ophelia gave a nod* Y-Yes, I'm aware. I just needed to deal with Zaath before we could meet. I feel now is the right time

"No, don't kill him Rose. He's the onl--" Oasis started, only to be interrupted by a loud yell that sounded more like a roar. Or a war cry. And then once again, she found herself surprised. "Mom?!?!"

"LEKTU SHLAVANA!!" Ossiana breathed heavily as she entered scene, her nostrils flaring, her velvet-ginger hair in a wild mane of a mess. Her left eye twitched repeatedly, and her ax's aura flared when her grip tightened on it. Her gaze was wild, blood lusting, and exhausted all at the same time, and she spoke fiercely. "Shlovokava ankh novich NIEVA!!"

Oasis's brows raised. "M-mom, what the hell are you talking about?! It's me!"

"Alright! There are three of us? Now things are getting good!" The scorpion boy smacked his knuckles into his palm, oblivious to what was occurring and seeing it as a challenge rather than for what it actually was.

Ossiana began to growl, her skin hardening further and further, and her tail seemed to swell in size. Her skin darkened into a charcoal black as the lower half over her body began to morph, her height increasing rapidly until she towered over them all, her lower half now that of a scorpion's body.

*Rosemary, despite letting Eros take control of her, couldn't help but be shocked as she watched Ossiana change her body into a different form, and she looked at Oasis* Holy shit, that's Ossiana? I know it's been twenty years, but... holy fuck, is this even the same woman?

Helga’s hands were cupped with one another, picking at her fingers as she awaited anxiously for her to open the box. Her ears twitched briefly under her head wrap at Y’iel’s reaction to her gift, her lips twitching into a crooked smile. She glanced at Zealia with a happy nod, as if telling her again the Therian did approve of her gift, and she thanked her for letting her buy it in the first place. She smiled even brighter now that she had actually decided to wear it. “....H-H-Ha..ppy… ch-chrismas!” Helga choked out her famous exclamation she always said while giving gifts or surprising someone. She tapped her fingers together again before she looked back at Y’iel. “W-W-Wiezen, n-not Wiezen. More h-human.” She also added onto what her daughter said earlier.

"I don't know who you knew, but I can tell you what I do know NOW," Oasis planted her feet firmly into the ground. "This ain't mom. Somethin's up with h--OHSHITGOGOGOGO!!" Rosemary was once again rushed out of the way as Ossiana swung one of her crushing pincers with enough force to stir the sand into a twister that started off at just a few feet above them, but quickly grew into a massive rotating vacuum of sand and hot air.

"Alright, a battle royal! Imma kill all ya'll!" The attacker, unlike Rosemary and Oasis, didn't flee. Instead, he started inhaling deeply, his chest glowing a dim shade of orange before he let out a roar that came out in the form of a heat sphere similar to the one from before.
The sphere shot towards the ground and exploded on impact, causing the twister to disperse in a violent wave of sand and unstable energy.

Oasis shielded her eyes from the sand and knelt down into a crouch where she was able to stab her sword into the ground. "Fucking hell!"

~

Y'iel chuckled some at Helga's exclamation, but it stopped abruptly as soon as information about "Wiezen" was mentioned. "More human?" She asked, blinking in perplexity. "What does thou mean? The Source cannot produce human life." Her brows knitted together further. "Tell me more of this other Therian that was here? There is much to be unraveled."

*Rosemary was knocked to the down, covered by Oasis as she struggled to get up, calling to her* O, you know I love being close to you. But, I need you to kindly get the hell off me so I can rip that fuckers throat out! We'll worry about your not-mom later
*As the attacking Scorpia let out another ball of fire, a pursuing attacker took the chance and fired at him, the bullet chipping the armored shell on his shoulder, as if to get his attention. The sight, from Rosemary's perspective, was of a tired man with a hat to block the sun and an old hunters coat, holding a small child in his hands, his arm that held her covering her head in protection, his other hand hold a now smoking pistol* I don't know who you are, but you'd better get out of here while you still have some legs to stand on. You're outnumbered!

“I—I was told th-hat-“ Helga began before she was interrupted again.

“I don’t know how he became more humanized, but he crashed into the boutique with fire all over him and said he somehow was kicked out of literal hell!”

“B-b-but—“

“HE HAD FIRST BORN MAGIC! It was fathe- uh —Wieze— I mean, Charlie’s light!” Zealia shrieked, flailing her arms in almost a childish way. She suddenly paused, a light blush stinging her face since she never showed as much emotion to a stranger for what were years. “Uh hmm.. pardon me.” She cleared her throat and stood straight. “He was after Carlyle Quartz who apparently is a traitor to the Kingdom of Fre and product of the same madwoman who created that fake-for-nothing copy of my dad! Not only that, but according to him he was designed to eliminate our birthers and maybe even my brother and I. And as if things couldn’t get worse, THERES A WHOLE ARMY OF EM COS HE HAS SIBLINGS!” She suddenly yelled again, blinking before blushing again. “My apologies.”

Helga placed a trembling hand on her daughter’s shoulder to calm her before she looked back at Y’iel. “B-Blood!” She reminded her of Bonnus draining some of Wiezen’s DNA.

**
Before Nithloraul could even finish, she was kicked off the rock they all stood on mercilessly, and Flynn didn’t even watch her fall into the water, instead he just grabbed Ophelia’s wrist. “Let’s go before that pest comes back.”

*Ophelia looked at Nithloraul before her eyes went to Flynn* B-But Flynn-
*Before another word was spoken, Kristoff snapped his fingers, sending the group back, before he turned to Reinard, who crossed his arms and spoke in a disgusted tone to Kristoff* You kicked Flynn off the dock. What were you thinking?
*Kristoff sat down, already setting up his usual pot of tea as he responded* I was thinking of the mission. Nothing more. Flynn is a tool. The Nithloraul is a tool. They are expandable. I won't let them waste time with constant bickering when there are people to be saved
*Reinard shook his head, his hands reaching for his axe, but Kristoff responded as he heated up water for his tea* Don't bother. You and I both know I'll just come back again
*Reinard moved his arms to his side, before he responded to Kristoff* Careful you don't become the things you hunt, Kristoff

*As soon as Flynn and Ophelia were back on the ship, it was almost instantanious when Franziska started to climb down the crows nest of the ship, the agility of a primate still in her before she got down and hugged Flynn* Flynn, are you okay? Are you hurt? You aren't mad, are you? Did Reinard manage to crack even a semblance of a smile when you told him that funny joke I told you to pass to the others? Oh, I missed you so much
*Ophelia nodded with a warm smile* It's great to see you as well, Franziska

"I'm... okay." Flynn summarized an answer for all of her questions as he gently stroked her hair. He nodded at his lover, pulling away from her a little as his gloved thumb grazing across her freckled cheeks. He kept silent as he stared at her for a couple seconds. Those seconds became a full minute of just silence before he finally blinked and spoke slowly. "Are you okay? Is Layla alright?"

*Franziska smiled to Flynn, her head turning as he remained silent, but her smile not changing one bit. But once he spoke, she answered* Layla's fine, sweetie. She's below deck if you want to-
*As she spoke, Flynn was grabbed from behind by Nithloraul, dripping wet, before she turned her attention to Franziska with a smile* Fran, could you please show Ophelia her little brother. Flynn and I need to have a chat *She turned to Flynn, her expression immediately changing to a frown* Thank Kristoff for sending me here along with you *With that, she spun around and threw Flynn against the railings of the ship until he was sitting down, before she sat in front of him* Now I am going to talk and you are gonna answer what I have to say, Flynn. And don't ignore me, don't brush them off, and be honest. Why do you hate me so much? What could I have possibly done that I haven't already tried to make up for could you possibly despise me so much for? Is it because I was a Servant once as well? Is it because I was a part of this whole God thing?

Y'iel's frown deepened further and further the more the two Quartzs spoke of the situation, her eyebrows raising and furrowing at some of the details that were mentioned. The Therian that kept being mentioned, a clone of Wiezen made by...an earthly creature? Not only that, but by what she was hearing, the clone wasn't lacking in terms of capabilities, however, that was something that she would have to witness for herself. But the fact that there were apparently more of them concerned her greatly.

When Zealia yelled the second time, Y'iel's ears perked in surprise and she was dragged from the depths of her thoughts. And at the re-mentioning of the blood that had been taken from Wiezen, she finally spoke, turning to Zealia first. "A creation designed to take the lives of your birthers? Meaning, your mother and father." Her gaze went back to Helga. "Which also means that you are in danger. Your recovery is a must, for you are not in the condition to defend yourself. And if this individual that has come from the depths of hell is claiming to be Wiezen, then I must investigate at once."
And then there was also that fact that Wiezen's light, her light, was being replicated to be abused. And that within the hands of mere humans...

~

"Dad!" Oasis recuperated herself, getting to her feet quickly.

The male Scorpia gave a surprised "Huh?" when the bullet came in contact with his shoulder, his gaze trailing over to where it had come from. "Hey...that actually hurt a lil.." He said while rubbing his shoulder, his eyes finally coming in contact with the hunter. "More to the party huh? Coo--"

There was not enough time for words to be spoken again, nor for the attacker to finish speaking when Ossiana let out a sudden war cry, her enlarged body already lunging forward and starting to attack any and everything in her line of sight.

“I-It’s o-okay! B-ecause I s-aac...rifice! -E-Easy b-bait!” She exclaimed, indicating it was okay if they killed her if it meant they were only after her.

Zealia sighed, lowering her eyes some. “Yes... Jr. and I have already prepared for our deaths if it means it can save innocent people.”

***
Flynn instead released a long groan of annoyance. “Please just leave me alone.”

*Nithloraul stared at Flynn with an annoyed expression before she spoke* No! Not until we sort this out! I don't know why you hate me so much! So I start a few orgies in public like a crazed exhibitionist. Helga has done the same and far more than I had and you used you have a schoolboy crush on her. I want to get to the bottom of this right now! Despite what you may think, our mission is the same. I want to protect Franziska and Layla as much as you do, believe it or not. So why can't we just agree to work together instead of you constantly pushing me away and insulting me. Kristoff I'm fine with you insulting, but why me?!

Enricho: O-Oasis? *Before Enricho could say anymore, he had to duck underneath one of Ossiana's attacks, holding Oriocho close to his chest before he picked his head back up and spoke* Oss, stop attacking now! The guys outnumbered! Look, Oasis is back, Oss! Our little Oasis has come home! You can calm down now!

Ossiana's mind seemed to have slipped further from what was reality, only an enraged grunt coming from her. And when she looked at Enricho, there was much more than just blind rage. Her gaze towards him was one of absolute loathing, as if he were someone who's entire existence she despised. "Mac....ross...." She snarled, towards Enricho.

"Ma-ma! M-mama don't hurt daddy!" Oriocho cried out, wrapping into a bawl in Enricho's arms out of fear.

But this seemed to agitate the infuriated Scorpia, for her hands went to her head before she shook it harshly, one of her large pincers raising and swinging downwards to silence the noise.

However, the large pincer was brought to a sharp halt, Oasis's swift and spur of the moment thinking getting her there just in the nick of time. She was quickly forced to her knees by the weight along with the deadly force that was put behind it. But just as quickly, she began to force it away from her father and sibling. "Mom, the fuck are you doin'?!" She grunted out. But before she could react quickly enough, Ossiana's other claw smashed into her side, sending her flying across the air and into the sand.

Ossiana was also already much more prepared for the attack coming from above via the newcomer of the bunch, or as she was seeing, another Macross and Essil.

"Don't forget about me! KAWABONG--OOF!!" Before the spiky haired menace could land his ax kick, Ossiana's tail whipped around and smashed into the ground.

~

Y'iel looked between the both of them, a full frown now resting on her face uneasily. "No." That was her answer to all of it. "If you were to die, I do not believe that it would change a thing. If you were to sacrifice yourselves, though it is a very heartfelt notion, it would be in vain, for those very people will still die." She paused, lifting her finger to her chin much like "Wiezen" would do. "I do not believe that your deaths alone are the motives here."
Her brows furrowed together more, and she turned away from the for a moment while in thought. She had to sort things out, and quickly. And from her perspective, it was like one thing was going to lead to the other. "If there is indeed a Wiezen that has returned, then I fear that I must find him. Perhaps he has a steeper insight on what may be going on. And if it is truly he, then perhaps Macross will release my children."

*Enricho was prepared to avoid the attack as she sent the claw down, but as soon as Oasis was knocked out of the way, Enricho had to think of a plan. Who used the chance to get some distance before he ran over to Rosemary, not recognizing her in the slightest* Hey, you're with Oasis, right?
*Rosemary nodded in a frantique manner as she spoke* Y-Yeah, but-
*Without hesitation, he put Oriocho into her arms and spoke*Keep my child safe, you hear me! Don't do anything stupid like getting into this. And try to keep Oasis back as well *Before Rosemary had a chance to speak, Enricho had already run back to Ossiana, calling out to her* Oss, you have to stop this. There is no Macross. She's been gone for twenty years. It's me, Enricho, your husband. Oasis is back as well. You've been worried about her for so long. Don't tell me this is the impression you want to make after having not seen her for three years straight
*As Enricho confronted her, Rosemary looked down at Oriocho* Uh... Hey, little guy. Uh, damn, I'm not great with kids *She held Orio with both of her arms as best as she could and ran over to Oasis* O, you okay!?

"You...will not....hurt my fami--" Ossiana had began, only for a ball of sludgy sand to smack her in the face. And instantly, her mind snapped further.

"Hey! I want in on some of this action too! After all, I have to bring a piece of one of you guys back to the Professor or she'll be mad at me and throw me back in H1!" The male Scorpio butted in.

Ossiana began to bare her teeth, her armor like skin now starting to sizzle. And it would take a moment for it to become clear to Enricho of what was going on. A harsh reminder of what had happened to the Oasis he had met long ago when Macross was their biggest problem. "I'll...take yoU WITH ME!!" She snarled. "I'll make...sure YOU....don't come BACK!!!" The utter hatred in her voice and lack of any form of kindness. A dark grey steam began to flow slowly from the corners of her mouth ash she started forward and began to attack wildly with her scorpion half, every swing one meant to bring death upon all that they sought.

Oriocho was still reaching out for Enricho after he had put her into the care of a stranger, and soon, more tears began to swell up in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Oasis was just starting to recover from her daze, pushing herself up from the ground with a groan. Grains of sand poured off of her while she got to her feet with a slight stagger, and her body was already moving back towards the fight when Rosemary got to her. "Yeah--I-I'm good." She said, her mind not even registering that Oriocho was in Rosemary's arms.

*Enricho did his best to dodge, the lack of sleep finally getting to him, as he was already tripping over himself trying to stay up, some of Ossiana's attacks already getting him, slashing his arms and legs*
*As Rosemary saw the fight, she turned over to Oasis, and ran over to her, grabbing her by the shoulder with one hand* Hey, O, hope you're okay. Listen, I got a crazy plan *She placed Oriocho into her arms* Here, you hold the little tyke *With that, she ran over to the fight, screaming loudly in an attempt to alert Ossiana away from Enricho before she jumped over her attacks and onto her back, latching onto her body as she spoke* Hey, Ossiana! What the hell are you doing?! You don't see me in over twenty years and you still got those damn moodswings?! Sheesh, the least you could do is talk to a therapist or something. Let me tell you from experience, I've seen Macross. A real piece of shit. Can't stand that bitch. But this isn't Macross. Does this pale, tired dude really look like a Macross to you? Hell no he doesn't. So how about opening your eyes and stop being all crazy so you can greet your daughter properly, cause I'd hate to have to knock some sense into that head. And I really don't wanna have to do that. I remember you fighting that freak in the cave when we went on that little trip and you fucked that guy up. But if you don't stop, you won't give me any choice

Helga slowly frowned when she was told it didn’t matter if she died or not. A spur of emotions grumbled in her chest, and she was so confused as to why the Oni was doing this in the first place. To avenge her lover’s death? Her family had nothing to do with anything. And the fact that she was targeting her innocent kids made her even more mad, to the point where she tugged at her ears in frustration to rip them off.

Zealia has to intervene and hold Helga so she wouldn’t harm herself before looking back to Y’iel. “I know he went to retrieve holy oil to bless his sword and himself. He must be in a church not so far away if true. I will go with you.”

***

Flynn just stared in silence at Nithloraul, hatred boiling within his eyes. The more she talked, the more his left eye twitched. He had to clutch his hands into fists to prevent beating her to the ground there. “-N-Not now.” He growled.

*The Nithloraul grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, already, her calm attitude had changed into frustration, for the first time. Flynn, being used to her joking manner, was seeing her rage for the first time in twenty years. She shouted at him* Then when!? When the hell will you tell me what I do wrong!? When are you gonna tell me what you hate about me so much?! When are you just gonna let your anger get the best of you so you can beat me to death!? When will you allow me to die!? *She kept her gaze on him, her grip on her collar tightening as she stared him in the face, before she continued* You think I want to be here? You think I like the suffering of others. Once, maybe, but... Well, things change, Flynn. I don't know how, but they do. Maybe it's because being in your head for twenty years made me know what it is to feel some sort of emotions, maybe it's because I've been draining you dry of any feelings you have for myself, I don't know. But I know that I want these Servants off this world as badly as you do. And that includes me as well. But goddammit, why is it that you hate me so much!? And... Why do I care so much what you think about me *As she spoke, she didn't take notice that tears were falling from her eyes until they fell onto the hand that grabbed him. Once she noticed, she let go, and turned her head, before getting up* Fine, you don't have to talk about it *With that, she walked away from him in total silence*

Y'iel gave a small nod, turning to face the two now as things were finally starting to come together within her mind. "Then I will began my search there. Why a Therian would need to be blessed by human means puzzles me greatly. But you dear, you must stay here to care for you mother, no?"

~

"Rose get back!" Eros took control for a quick second, using their legs to push off of Ossiana's body as her skin had began to flush with a glowing devilish orange that began to grow in intensity. "W-what the hell!?" She made some more distance away from Ossiana as extreme degrees of heat began to radiate from her. She slipped out of control, letting Rosemary take the wheel again. "Shit, feels like the inside of a fucking furnace!"

Ossiana swung her ax this time around when the Scorpio attacked her again, missing but landing a crushing blow with the handle of it and sending the attacker across the ground. She began to look around her now, everyone in the vicinity now a handful of Essils and Macross'.

Fuck! Oasis went to run forward until she re-realized that Oriocho was within her arms. And man, was the child not happy. "Whoa! Watch it!" She found herself growling when the child almost stabbed her in the face with her stinger. "It's me, big sis! Come on!"

*Rosemary growled as she found it difficult to keep up with Ossiana* Dammit, what the hell are we gonna do with her!? We gotta think of someway to get her out of that damn scorpion body. And after that...... Eh, I'm sure something will come to mind by that point *With that, she rushed at her again, making sure to duck under her swinging attack* Come on, Ossiana. You don't recognize your family and friends from some dreaded she-bitch? You can't be that blind, can you?
*Enricho grabbed his head in his hand, as he saw Rosemary running towards her. Still not aware of who she was, he called out to her* H-Hey, if you hurt her, I'll k-kill you! *He stumbled towards Ossiana, exhaustion finally getting the better of him before he fell to his knees, and then head first into the sand*
*Rosemary looked back, groaning* Great, now we got one sleeping old man to worry about

“She will be fine, I’ll lock her in the shop!” Zealia assured Y’iel. “Won’t you, mom?”

Helga’s ears twitched as she looked back and forth between the women. She promised Zealia she wouldn’t hurt herself, or at least try not to. She she knew tagging along would probably only anger Wiezen more. Perhaps her daughter going could knock some sense into him. Hesitantly, she slowly nodded while fidgeting with her fingers.

Zealia wanted to help her father like he helped her throughout her early life. He had to repay him back some how, or rather show her appreciation for him and maybe this was the perfect time. “He wants to defeat the oni but he can’t do it alone.”

***

“You’re just an artifact.” Was all Flynn replied to Nithloraul’s ranting session. However, he remained seated there a little longer.

*Franziska, despite trying her bet to keep her smile, witnessed the scene, before she turned to Flynn* Flynn... I think that, maybe, it's more than her just being an artifact. I think you should at least talk to her about this. She does seem upset

Y'iel's ears twitched some when Zealia said that she would lock Helga in the shop, but she said nothing on the matter when Helga nodded in agreement. But at Zealia's last few words, Y'iel's ears perked and she gave a light scoff. A Therian unable to suppress an Oni? Though she would never admit to thinking such acts of violence, she thought what it would be like to crush an Oni.
She turned to Helga when she started to speak again, summoning a small orb in the palm of her hand. She placed it gently into Helga's before closing the witch's fingers around it. The orb was like a ball of warmth and an unexplainable feeling of solace. "Keep this with you at all times. It will help you contact me if need be. Is that alright with you, Helga?"

~

Rosemary looking back to check on Enricho was just as it would have been with a prey taking its eyes away from its predator, with Ossiana closing the distance between them much faster than expected for the size that she had now. The heat that came from her now was comparable to that of actual fire, the steam that poured from the corners of her mouth darkening. The atmosphere of the desert began to become drier than its natural climate already was, the heat burning away what little moisture there was in the air.

Eros began to utilize the brand to give their body a sharp boost of speed that allowed them back pedal, the blade of Ossiana's ax leaving a deep gash across the bridge of their nose that extended under their eyes. But unlike any ordinary type of cut, this one was persistent with a pain that was like hot coals being placed onto bare skin. "Damnit she's fast! We can't use the brand fast enough!"

*Rosemary was barely able to avoid the attack before she came up with an idea. In her head, it was the perfect plan for anything of this situation. She grinned, as if finally coming up with a perfect plan* Don't worry, Eros. I think I got what I need *With that thought in mind, she leapt forward, her one hand extended, taking the chance after Ossiana's attack left her open for a brief second, and with a swing of her arm, slapped her across the face and shouted* Wake up, Ossiana! *She fell down to the ground, landing on her feet, as she looked up with a proud grin* There. That should about do it.

Helga stared at the small orb in curiosity, turning it around and inspecting it. She sniffed the ball of warmth before daring to stick her tongue out and taste it, retreating just as fast and shaking her head with a blink of perplexity. She looked back at Y’iel and gave her a very small, almost discrete nod. “T-T-Tell... I s-say hi!” Her croaky voice choked out a few words.

“There are plenty of things you can do in the shop, mother. There’s a gramophone to listen to music, and a small kitchen with a few items in the fridge, there are all sorts of materials to play with! We’ll be back in no time at all. You will have to manage yourself alone, okay?”

Helga’s left ear fell crooked as she turned to listen to her. Alone... A word she detested with all her being. Nonetheless, she smiled crookedly before she was teleported into the shop under strong barriers and locks.

**
“Huh?” Flynn blinked at Franziska’s response. “Why do you care about that item?”

*Franziska was a little surprised at his answer, before she responded* Well... Maybe she's trying, you know. Trying to be less of an item and more of a human. And you've always been one to give people the benefit of the doubt, so... Why should she be any different, you know?

"MOVE!!" Oasis shoved Rosemary out of the way, Ossiana's pincer smashing into the ground and leaving a surface crater.
She held Oriocho under one arm, wincing with each time she felt the child's stinger jab into her skin. But regardless, she held onto her tightly. The heat coming from her mother didn't bother her too much, considering she had almost the same amount of resistance to heat. "Mom, SNAP OUT OF IT!" She yelled, having to jump back to a safer distance.

"M-mom?" Oriocho's fit in an attempt to be released came to a stop as she repeated the word. Mom
Mama...?
She began to eye Oasis curiously. "Mom...is mama?" Her thin brows knitted together. "Dad...daddy?" She mumbled to herself, her child mind finally connecting two and two.

Ossiana's attention had been snagged by Oasis now, only for it to be averted again with the Scorpio boy finally popped up again, this time attacking Oasis.

Oasis grimaced as she managed to evade the incoming attack, turning skillfully on her heel and planting her foot into his face harshly. "Get fucking lost!" She snarled.

"F....fu....uck." Oriocho repeated the word blandly, blinking with a perplexed expression of interest. "Fuck."

"Hey, watch you mouth squirt!" Oasis told her, taken back by her quick learning for the brief seconds that she could.

Oriocho blinked at her. "Fuck." She said it again.

"Knock it o--" Oasis didn't have enough time to repeat herself when she had to get them both out of the way once again.

~

Y'iel gave Helga a smile of her own when she saw her crooked smile. "Yes, we do intend to return shortly Ms. Quartz." She watched as the mother disappeared, sympathy beginning to weigh more in her heart as she stared at the place where Helga was just a second ago.

Her attention turned to Zealia now. "I can sense the great abundance of magic within you. I can assume that you are quiet adequate with it as well, yes?"

Zealia gave a small, hesitant nod at Y'iel. "However, I am nothing compared to what my brother can do." Was all that she said before she adjusted her floppy hat. "Let us be on our way to finish things quickly." She suggested.

* * *

Flynn scoffed. "Why? WHY?! Come on, Franziska! You really think that THING is capable of feeling anything at all?! It possessed me for years and didn't care for a single thing! And now it's trying to act all hUmAn and CaRiNg so that she can live for eternity!"

*Rosemary was knocked back, taking notice as Ossiana kept attacking* Dammit! I knew that wouldn't work, but I thought it would at least do something *As soon as her attention returned to the attacking Scorpia, she focused her attention on him instead* Alright, Eros, we'll deal with Ossiana in a bit. First, let's tear this fucker apart *She rushed toward him, allowing Eros to take control. But as she rushed toward him, her attention was bought to Enricho again, picking himself up from the sand, dusting himself off before he walked toward Ossiana again*
*Enricho stood in front of Ossiana, shouting to get her attention* Ossiana! *Despite his lack of sleep, and his inability to stay awake for much longer, he still stood in front of her. He tried to stand still, but he could only wobble, having to catch himself a few times to stop him from falling down again. He stood still, not attacking her, not moving around her, just standing perfectly still* We've been going about this all wrong. She sees us as the enemy, and when we attack her, it only causes her to attack. So I ain't gonna attack anymore, Oss *With that said, he sat down, his legs crossed and his hands on his knees as he spoke again* Oss, please. You're very sick. We're all worried about you. Your two daughters are worried about you. And I'm worried about you two. Please stop this fighting so we can help you get better, okay? We aren't trying to fight you. We just want you to wake up from this fever dream of yours. There is no Macross. She's been gone for over twenty years. Is she dead? I don't know. But she's gone. Please, snap out of it, Oss. *He kept his gaze on her, his attention on her not wavering a bit, yet he had no intention of moving out of the way if she decided to strike*

*Franziska turned her head, her opinion not changing a bit before she spoke* Flynn, wasn't it you that said that humans have a chance to change? You told her that yourself, when she only thought that humans had one set of emotions. That they were just selfish. You told her that, and I think she is only now understanding that. Come on, Flynn. At least give her a chance. Pleeease?

Y'iel gave a nod, turning to a blank space in front of them. She effortlessly drew a quick circle in the air in front of them, a trail of colors following the shape. "Asthperra" There was a sudden burst of a vast amount of magic that entered the air for just a moment when the circle expanded and began to spin quickly until a portal formed. She turned to Zealia. "Come, we shall start from the nearest town's church."

~

The male Scorpio was recovering from the kick to the face he had received, the print of Oasis's boot marking it's place where it had landed. But he grinned as Rosemary when he saw her coming at him. "Alright lady, lets do this!"

Ossiana glared at Enricho, who she saw as Macross. But this glare was different, for this one looked as if she had to tear him apart at any and all costs. Or rather, Macross. And as she saw him sit down, the only thing that she could see was Macross sitting down...on Enricho. Her eyes widened, her chest beginning to rise and fall sharply as she became furious. Her teeth began to grit hard, small sparks of orange igniting over her body briefly as the heat swelled inside of her. She stormed towards him, the many feet of her scorpion lower half stabbing into the ground as she approached him where he sat. Her stinger lifted and stabbed at him with an aim that looked to skewer his face and take his head off.

Blood splattered over Enricho's face a moment later. However, he still remained he was, for it was not his own.
"G...gotcha....y-you're..good....rig­ht?­&qu­ot; Oasis coughed out, Ossiana's stinger protruding from her side and stomach as she held Oriocho away from it. But slowly, the color within her eyes began to fade.

*Rosemary was prepared to rush at him, her attention on him, before noticing that Oasis had run off. Her attention immediately shifted to her, and once she saw her stabbed, she froze in shock* O! *In a quick movement, she delivered a powerful kick to the attacker's head, sending him flying to the side before she ran over to Oasis*
*Enricho's eyes widened in shock as he saw her stabbed, and immediately went to catch her* Oasis! What the hell were you thinking!? Are you insane!? *He looked at the wound, before his attention was brought to Rosemary* You! Hurry to my burrow down the way. There is a cabinet with a red potion in there and some bandages. Get there and get moving! Now, goddammit!
*Rosemary was shocked at the sight of Oasis' wound, her eyes darting back in forth* Oh god, oh dear god, this isn't happening! *Without another word, she ran as fast as she could to the burrow* Eros! Do what you can to get me moving faster! I don't want to waste anytime!
*Enricho kept his arms around Oasis and Oriocho, trying his best to not tear up* Why did you do something like that, Oasis!? You should've just let me handle it! *Despite his best efforts, his voice was already cracking*

"After thee." The Quartz daughter bowed politely, awaiting her turn in the portal. Once she went through, the portal closed from where they were. On the other side, Zealia finally spoke again. "My apologies for not contacting you sooner. We weren't sure if you were, well... real."

* * *
Helga watched from the window in Zealia's room how her and Y'iel vanished. At the sight of no longer seeing them, she held the orb given to her closely. She finally closed the curtains, turning around to face her daughter's dormitory.

Silence...

No screams or cries of pain. No begging to be let out or to eat. No drilling noises or sounds of blood pouring down a metal table.

Just complete, utter silence. Her eyes glanced at the place where Zealia said her gramophone would be, and there it was indeed. She slowly approached it, thinking it was best to fill the silence of the room with music. Her fingers slowly grazed across the disc, and when she lowered the needle to play music, she suddenly cringed and her ears went flat at what she heard. What should've been classic piano and violin, was now link that made her recoil in shock. She plugged her ears with her hands, grunting at the ear-piercing screams that invaded her ears until she decided to kick the gramophone until it broke and silenced for good. Shaking, Helga released her ears from her hands and mumbled a few things. She frowned a little, disheartened before taking a few steps back and exiting the room.

* * *

Flynn's eyes squinted as they wavered, trying to keep the contact with her lover. "Uuuuuughhhhh, fiiiineeeeee. What do you want me to do?! Kiss her ass and tell her she's the most perfect human ever?"

*Franziska shook her head* No, of course not. Just... talk to her. Try to ask her what's with her, and just try to get some understanding of her. And if she says something you don't like, even a little, I won't push you to keep going. You can choose to leave her alone after that. I promise. But just give it a try

Oasis gave a crooked grin to her father, despite the severity of her wounds and the agony that her body felt. "The same....reason...you would.." She answered, blood now seeping out the corners over her mouth and down her chin.

"Ohgodohgodohgod--FUCK!" Eros began to panic. "O-Oa, Oa hold on! We're gonna, you're alright!" She had to back track to what Rosemary had said about moving faster. The skin on their legs twisted out of shape, tightening around their thigh and leg muscles which had buffed themselves some with the power of the brand.

"Ju..st a....scratch...." Oasis muttered weakly, coughing up more crimson and cringing in agony. That, and the stabbings she had endured from Oriocho, who was slowly slipping from her grasp as her arms were draining of strength.

Behind her, Ossiana's tore her stinger removed itself, and her ax arm was raised as if she had already been about to lop Oa's head off completely while she was at it. However, she didn't attack, and was instead, standing their frozen in shock as the images of Macross flickered back and forth between what was reality and what was not. Her eyes were wide with confusion at what she had just done, tears pouring down her face as she began to step back until--

"STOP SPAM KICKING!" The male Scorpio yelled out suddenly, rubbing the front of his face. "This is the second time I've been kicked in the FACE!"

Ossiana's attention was tore away, the image of Macross slowly settling back in.

~

On the other side, Y'iel had looked to be about to make a response to what Zealia had said about not knowing if she was real. But once the portal behind them closed, it could be realized that she had stopped speaking completely, her gaze following the sight of broken buildings, and what seemed to be some sort of disease growing upon them. She could feel the presence of evil there, the presence of maliciousness. And at first, she thought it was Macross. But Macross's presence felt...darker, much darker, rather than malicious. She couldn't feel a single presence of human life there whatsoever.
"..What wicked sorcery is this..." She muttered in question. "It is as if it is...alive."

*Rosemary ran as fast as she could* Come on, Come on *She only bursted through the door, breaking it off the lock as she ran to the cabinet, taking out a potion that glowed with a red huegh and some bandages* Come on, Eros, pick up the pace! We gotta hurry *She was quick to turn around, carrying the items in her hand as she ran back to the spot, speeding up as fast as she could*

*Enricho shook his head, tears already welling up in his eyes* No, dammit! It wasn't supposed to be like that! You can't just go around doing stuff like that after you've been gone for so long. We were worried, but we never gave up hope that you were alive! And I ain't... I ain't going to give up hope now. You are supposed to be a fighter. You shouldn't... Be here on the ground, bleeding. You need to bear through it, Oasis *More and more tears started to well up in his eyes, falling down onto the sand. He completely ignored Ossiana now, his attention only on Oasis as he did what he could to stop the bleeding with his hands, which was very little*
O! *Rosemary ran toward them, seeing the group again. She ran as fast as she could, once again, kicking the attacker back down* Out of the way! *She slid against the sand as she came to a stop, holding the potion vial* Alright, O, I got here just in time. Take this and you'll be okay!

Zealia looked around in a frantic matter at the broken buildings, one of puzzlement rather than fear. Her left blue eye twitched the more she stared without blinking. She looked back at Y'iel and attempted to guess who it was based on what she had heard previously. "Is it that Macross woman? Or that Oni woman? Perhaps it is both?"

* * *

"You know, you're a real pain in the ass." Flynn commented sarcastically about his lover before finally sighing of defeat and standing from the barrel he sat on. "Fiiine." He groaned again and followed the path the artifact had taken when she left.

*Franziska smiled* I only do it cause I care, Flynn *She kept her grin as she watched him walk off*
*The Nithloraul sat on the tip of the bowspirt in front of the ship, her legs dangling on each side as she looked down into the water*

As the Nithloraul sat on the edge of the ship, Flynn creeped up behind her and pushed her off of the watercraft. But as she fell down towards the water, what should've been a splash ended up being her sitting on a barrel in front of the human again. He blinked apathetically. "Alright. Talk."

*The Nithloraul turned her head as she stared at him, before she gave a shrug* What is there to talk about? I thought you didn't want to talk to an item *As she kept her eyes away from him, she responded* What do you want to know

"I don't want to talk to an item." He pointed at where he came from where Franziska once was standing. "But Franny over there wouldn't leave me alone until I did. So here I am." He shrugged at her.