#claudien

"…I will hear no more. Though you may possess Erichtonius's memories, you are not him. In rebirth you have become someone else entirely, and you belong to this age." -Lahabrea

U'rahn writhed, body dripping sweat into the sheets of his bedding. Another memory flashed, certain now that it was Unukalhai's face he was seeing between, younger and calling him papa. Startled awake he looked around, panting hard as he found himself in Y'zel's Sharlayan apartments.

Catching his breath, he closed his eyes tight, trying to remember how he'd gotten there. He'd been called to the Thirteenth by the Azem stone, helped defeat the buff hair lady, then fended off a strange void-sent that had pursued him until felling it and after…After he'd fell into an Echo…one that kept going on and on.

"You're awake," a familiar voice rang.

Entering the room, Claudien opened the drapes and let light in on U'rahn. "Uncle Claudien? Uh…how'd I get here?"

Claudien chuckled. "You know calling me that drives Y'zel crazy. As for how you got here, you tell me. I was told you got summoned to the Thirteenth then on your return calling out for me, so you were brought here. Y'zel seems to think your soul was rejoined in your time there. Without a working aetherial sea the right circumstances aligned that like aether was released and found it's way to it's proper host. Fascinating really, though I'll end up going on forever about it if I don't stop myself now. Any idea why I of all people came to mind?"

U'rahn scrunched up his face, trying to remember what he'd wanted Claudien for. He was still trying to shake off the dream, rather the Echo he'd been stuck in. There was a light stinging in his eyes, and upon rubbing them he found his cheeks wet with tears, Claudien having been polite enough to comment on them…or perhaps not noticing them as he went on about the life stream.

Closing his eyes, he hummed a bit in attempt to get his bearings before the memory properly set in. The Echo had been of another Gelos shard, the one of thirteenth that he'd absorbed into himself. Themis was there, rather Elidibus, unmasked and calling him Ophiuchi, and so tenderly. He remembered being aware of the what exactly was happening to the star, Elidibus being able to sway him…and then they had Unukalhai. Their son, and that complicated things. A happy life at the end of a doomed world. It was all so real…too real.

"I had a really intense Echo," U'rahn said, wincing as his head throbbed from sleeping to much. "All of the guy's memories are tumbling around in my head. I'm trying to sort myself out. I…he had a son…and I know the little guy. I…I needed you because," he said, the idea on the tip of his tongue. "You're the only one that's had that happen that I know," he breathed out, surprised at his own genius.

"Well, that's a mystery solved. I'm uncertain what help I'd be though. They've mostly faded into the background now. I have a brief recollection now and then, but nothing as intense as the first bout," Claudien mused. "You'll eventually sort yourself out…though, I suppose my one experience is universal. We'd need at least…a thousand more subjects before we could have conclusive data on the matter."

U'rahn opened an eye, looking at Claudien as he smiled at him. The font of words was a little much for first waking up, but he didn't want to be rude, especially since he'd apparently imposed himself on the other. "Okay…but right now…Gods…just right now…I miss them so much. And Unukalhai…he was all alone and this entire time…," he choked out, eyes welling up.

Claudien frowned, finding a tissue to hand over to U'rahn a bit to late as the other wiped his face into the bedding. "I'm uncertain who you are referring to, but as I said, things will sort itself out and you'll feel yourself again," he offered with a smile. "You were there when I woke up. Do you remember Lahabrea's words?"

"A little bit, yeah," U'rahn said, rubbing his eyes. "He said you're not Toni…but, well you love Uncle Y'zel? Like Toni loved Praxithius. You're soulmates. Isn't that kind of contradictory?"

"True. We've always felt drawn together, his book a testament to it. And who knows, perhaps Lahabrea had said what he did as a mercy. So I didn't have to lose a father twice in one life time. Permission to not mourn him, a small blessing. Though it was less of a connection I felt and more of the things that weighed in Ericthonius's soul. Maybe Lahabrea rather have heard it from his son," Claudien mused, closing his eyes. "I identified with my counterpart on many levels. Yet, he is more me than I am him. Erichtonius and Praxithius might have bound themselves together, a romantic notion, and I choose to believe in it. But that's the thing. I chose to give it meaning."

U'rahn nodded. "Makes sense," he breathed before leaning back, raking his fingers through his hair as he started to calm down. "I've already got U'rahn Tia…and now seven Mi'kittens on the way. I've been worried I wouldn't be a good dad but…that Ophiuchi guy…he was a good guy, a devoted dad. Themis too, until he he lost Ophicuhi to their calamity…" he said, thinking of Unukalhai again. "I'm…gonna be glad that he's in there with me. It's possible for me to be a good dad…and I'm going to visit the First a lot more. Check in on my little guy…brother…son."

"I think you should rest a little more before you start committing yourself to making large gestures and big life changes. Especially ones that could have averse effects on the others involved," Claudien said, pulling a blanket back over U'rahn to get him to settle back down. "I don't think I'd have been keen on Lahabrea calling me son even with how much my counterpart was surfacing in that moment."

"Rrright right," U'rahn mumbled, laying down allowing himself to rest on his own terms rather than inspired by the Echo. "Thanks for taking care of me."