#grumpy teddybear(emet)

Here is a fic that I wrote some time ago. Hope you all enjoy maybe now I will finish part two.

She had been passing through a passage that forked when she felt it. The path ran right along the perimeter of the throne room. Symphony pressed her plump lips together as she looked between the two routes before her. One would lead her to safety, and the other to a space that lay right below the throne. It was a good spot for listening in on whatever was going on. There were no spaces on the front for one to see, so she should be decently safe. The one most likely to see her was someone she would not mind seeing. What would he do to her? She wondered as she licked her lips. 

[[MORE]] Perhaps too eager to find out, she headed down the passage that would take her to the space under the throne. A shiver moved through her as his energy enveloped her. It had been a long time since she had felt it, and a part of her had missed it dearly. The swirling purple power was like a soothing balm and made her feel safe. With him, she knew she would always be loved and cherished no matter what. It was one of his promises to her, and she knew he would never break it. 

As she neared the crawl space, she heard his voice above her. A small step allowed one's head to fill the small space beneath the throne. As she looked through the tiny crack that lay in the back of the throne, she was met with the sight of his boots. Symphony swallowed and knew she would have to be quiet as she listened to this. She knew that Varis had taken over as emperor not long ago. How fared his relationship with his grandson now? It was still good when she was alive, but a lot could have happened in the 20 years after the end of that life. 

“ I should be the one to sigh.” There was a shiver that moved through her as he spoke. It was so few words, but he was likely just getting started. Symphony watched as his boots disappeared from view. Hades could be long-winded and though grumpy, was often very dramatic. “ I played my part to perfection. I had earned my rest. And then, thanks to Lehabrea’s crowning act of idiocy, our favorite emissary sees fit to summon me back.”

Played his part? Her eyes closed as her anxiety sparked, and her arms wrapped around herself. Had it all been a lie? No, no, if it had been a lie, he would have never revealed himself to her. She would still be in the dark about his true name and everything else. It wasn’t a lie. He would never do that to her. He must have meant after her death. It became just another part to play after her death. Yeah, that was it. That had to be it.

“ Elidibus was ever a worrier. A most tiresome trait, would you not agree?” Symphony continued to listen as she managed to get her anxiety in check. Why did she feel this conversation would leave her with so many doubts? How many of them would he confirm later? No, there wouldn’t be any to ensure. She was precious to him. They had been together since before the sundering. 

There was a long pause, and she could hear footfalls. When they stopped, she held her breath for a moment. Why was all of this so tense? Sure, it was jarring finding out that your grandfather was an Ascian, but this felt like more than that. Had their relationship deteriorated that much since her death? She supposed it was possible if he shut down as he almost had when their son died. Symphony knew she was the only reason he hadn’t shut down, mostly because she refused to let him.

“ What, have you no words for me? No matter. I’ve long grown tired of this mummery.” The last word made her breath hitch, and she covered her mouth. Eyes squeezed shut as she prayed that none had heard her. She was quiet, but two people in this room knew about the space under the throne. If Varis decided to look, it would be the death of her.

“ Now, my dearest grandson. Let me remind you of your place, in the simplest terms.” Oh boy, he was getting ready to get started on a lecture. From what she remembered, Varis had never been fond of those. She highly doubted he would be now that he was 46 either. Though, compared to Hades, Varis might have well be a baby. Heck, she might as well be a baby, too, compared to the twelve thousand-year-old dramatic grump. “ You do not make judgments-you administer them. Swiftly and to the letter. Naught else concerns you.”

Ouch, telling him how to be emperor, that had to sting. Was she surprised, though? The Ascians needed Varis to do as he was told to bring the next calamity. Though, she did wish that they would wait another 100 or so years to let the world recover. Was that so much to ask for? They were immortal and could always cause one of these to happen later. Maybe she could get Hades to stall his plans at the very least. Give the world time to recover while she discovers how to remove the temperament. 

“ Elidibus may be an insufferable bore, but he is no fool. His choices as emissary seldom err.” Emet stated as he looked at Varis. He got up and turned toward the throne only to raise a brow. There was someone in the space under the throne. How? Only the royal family knew it was there… Wait a second. He knew that color, and seeing it here made him ache. But that still left the question of how she remembered. Then again, she was well known for remembering things from her past lives. “ If aught threatens the balance ‘twixt light and dark, it falls to you to remove it.”

“ Be it by your own hands or your armies. You have ample means at your disposal.” Best to act like he hadn’t seen anything for now. It would not due to give her away. The last thing either of them needed was the guards hunting for her. No, he would corner her after he was done with this little lecture. Corner her and perhaps do terrible and euphoric things to her, things they would both enjoy very much. Turning to face Varis, Emet smiled as he walked toward the other. “ That is why this empire exists-why. I built it.”

A smirk touched the Ascian's lips as he regarded his grandson. Varis didn’t seem pleased, but the boy was never pleased these days. He knew too much to be happy with how the world was. In truth, Emet always wondered how she managed to stay so comfortable and upbeat even after he told her. She had just carried on with life business as usual. It had irked him initially, and then he asked her how she could do it. He was transported back into the greenhouse he had built for her here for a moment. She had just smiled at him and said that there was nothing she could do to change it at present, and to let it bring her down would be a waste of her life. It was logical, but how she did it was still beyond him.

“ Oh, dear, have I touched a nerve? You always were an easy one to read.” He did understand it, though. Emet knew that most would be happier not knowing. Azem was always the exception, not the norm. Honestly, she would get offended if anyone called her normal. Such was her way. An unruly woman that caused endless trouble, but she was his trouble. She was his headache, but his soul also sang in her presence. “ I pity you, I do. As they say, ignorance is bliss. And I know how much happier you would be not knowing what you know.”

“ The founding father was an Ascian!” Emet proclaimed as he turned to face the throne. He threw his head back, and his arms were outstretched as he smiled. Yes, he was an Ascian, a relic from an age long past. That was ok, though. He would bring back his people. He would fix this shattered world and these broken people. Turning, he looked at Varis and struck a pose. “ And he created the Empire solely for sowing the seeds of chaos!”

Emet took in a breath and smirked. Varis was such a bore, but this was what he had to work with. Would things have been easier if he had named Titus’s son his heir? Ultimately, he needed to leave this world with a bang, and the civil war had done just that. “ Don’t take it personally. I merely do my duty.”

“ To bring about a Calamity requires no small amount of power. And there is no surer way to obtain such power Than by collecting powerful pawns.”  Emet went on as he watched the other. Was he pulling out his pistol? This ought to be enjoyable and a waste of time and energy on both sides. It seemed like Varis was not enjoying this though he didn’t care much about it. No, he was more interested in finishing this than cornering their uninvited guest. It was going to be such a sweet reunion. “ To that end, I have labored long and hard, and I must say I am quite pleased with my handy work-paltry as it seems in comparison to Allag.”

Symphony jumped and nearly yelped as she heard the gunshot go off. What had just happened? Had Varis finally gotten tired of listening to him talk? They were sometimes overly fond of hearing themselves talk, though she had always enjoyed listening to Hades talk. Then again, she wasn’t even on the other side of a condescending lecture. She vividly remembered having to smooth things over between Hades and Varis in her last life after such a lecture.

“ You fiends are over-fond of your voices.” Ope, there was Varis. Could she blame him for being tired of his grandfather's bullshit? No, no, she really couldn’t be. The man was forty-six and tired of condescending lectures from a man that was supposed to be dead. “ Mark me, Ascian. Man is master of his destiny!”

“ Such a waste of time and energy. Both yours and mine.” He was a man that was not going to stay dead either. Symphony knew this all too well, though none of them stayed dead. No, they were all shards of ancients split against their will.  Seven times had they been rejoined, and seven times had Hydealen become weaker. “ Lest you forget, you are Emperor now. If you wish to spout drivel about man’s destiny, save it for the masses. It will give them a sense of purpose… and you pliant pieces for the game.”

It was time to move. Symphony could tell that this conversation was ending, and she had heard enough. It was also better for her to start moving now as it would give her a head start. Was it still likely that she was going to get caught? Yes, but this way, she could at least say she attempted to get away unnoticed. It was also still technically possible that he hadn’t noticed her. As unlikely as it was. Scrambling down that passageway, she turned at the fork to head down the one that led out of the palace. However, she didn’t get very far down it before getting caught in a tangle of tentacles.

“ Well, well, it looks like I have caught a little purple bunny. I wonder how much she remembers!” Emet chuckled as the tentacles came out from around his legs. She was a veria in this life. How entertaining. Hee wondered how sensitive those ears would b for a moment, but he could get to that in a moment. A hum left as he looked her up and down. She still had a similar body type as her previous life, as well as an abundance of purple curls. Her hair was wild as ever, to be sure. “ Don’t answer yet. Let's move somewhere a bit more private.”