#mod eclipse

When Uni awoke, the first thing she felt was the texture of sand caressing her skin as she stared up at the night sky. She also felt something else, a hand maybe? But she was still a bit asleep, so she couldn’t quite tell. Despite these sensations, there was just one thing that she thought to say.

“Am… Am I dead…?”

“Thankfully, no. Unless I’m dead too… But that doesn’t seem to be the case!” A very familiar voice responded to Uni’s query.

Uni adjusted her position and woke up more, now most certainly feeling a hand holding her face gently, and most certainly seeing just whose hand it was.

“L… Lattè?!” Uni exclaimed in surprise. There she was, peering over her so tenderly. The one who Uni had yearned for so greatly for what had felt like so long. She looked at Uni with a loving gaze, and wings that were much bigger than they had been the last time Uni saw her.

“You… You saved me…!” Uni stated in awe.

“Of course I did, silly! What else are girlfriends for?” Lattè remarked, light hearted and carefree, just as she had always been.

“... How??” Uni wondered.

“Oh! Well, you see these wings of mine?” Lattè responded.

“I thought… I thought they weren’t big enough to fly with…!” Uni recollected, remembering Priestess Archæsis’ findings the day prior.

“Not originally, no! But earlier today, something absolutely incredible happened! You see, we had another rally in the cafeteria, and during it, an animal trainer was brought in and he had with him a baby Petal-scaled Dragon!” Lattè began to elaborate.

“Wait, What?!” Uni blurted, genuinely not expecting what Lattè had said.

“I know, right?! Anyway, even crazier than the dragon just being there in general - Lord Doom assimilated it into the Black Arms!! Right there on stage!! And when he did so, I felt a tingling sensation on my back, surging through my wings! Next thing I knew, my wings had grown like three times in size!!” Lattè continued.

“Woah…” Uni uttered - she had no idea what else to say.

She felt so incredibly happy to be alive and with Lattè again, and was admittedly very intrigued by the grand tales Lattè was telling her, but she still felt incredibly uneasy over the whole situation. She understood deep down that to become a Black Arms was just simply her fate at this point, but she still felt an attachment to the life she had lived thus far. She had spent her whole life living to the expectations of Madam Moonshine and those under her rule, she had imagined herself being loyal to Moonshine for the rest of her days. But now… well, that wasn’t going to be the case, it would seem.

Having some closure would be nice. Some understanding as to what really happened to Moonshine. The remaining parts of her stuck in the past still wanted to believe that she was still alive, but Uni was beginning to come to terms with the idea that she really was dead.

Besides, wouldn’t Moonshine being alive make things worse rather than better? If she was alive, then why wasn’t she speaking to any of the clergy, not even Archæsis? Why would she essentially leave Uni for dead, the reason she’s still alive now solely being because of the Black Arms rather than because of her?

Uni needed some time to deal with it.

For now, she was content with just being with Lattè.

“Hey, I know this might sound… Silly, but-” Uni began to speak again.

“Who cares if it does? I just like hearing you say things.” Lattè interjected lovingly.

“... Your wings are kind of hot, actually.” Uni revealed, making Lattè’s face a bit green.

“Is that so? Why don’t I just wrap you up in them, then!!” Lattè replied teasingly, tackling Uni as her two giant wings wrapped around Uni’s body.

“You fool, that’s what I wanted you to do! You’ve fallen for my trap!” Uni remarked playfully, to which both of the girls giggled.

As Uni enjoyed Lattè’s loving embrace, she began to overhear a conversation nearby.

“That was a risky maneuver, Rehkloos. Whether or not you thought it was justified, you at least need to admit that.” One voice said, masculine and intentionally tough sounding, but also still pubescent.

“Risky is deeply underselling it. And, to be blunt, it was not justified. What did I just say to you and Lattè earlier today about not killing kids?” Another voice chimed in, this one more androgynous sounding. Lattè seemed to hear the conversation too, and got up to try to see where it was coming from.

“Oh, good… Vladmira and Death managed to rescue Rehkloos…” Lattè said with relief.

“... I wonder if the others made it too…” Uni muttered, getting up as well. Though she had always cared at least a little bit about the members of Mini Mayhem, despite the trouble they would cause her, the day’s events made her feel quite attached to them.

“Well, I saw Kæ’Mirah safe and sound just before I was sent out to go get you, so I bet she's alright.” Lattè testified. “... Not sure about Kuel and Katrien though…”

“They had left the building just before you arrived.” Uni explained.

“... I see.” Lattè replied, unable to hide the fact that she was worried as well.

Looking out in front of her, Uni saw Rehkloos alive and well for herself, with Vladmira and Death on each side of her. She looked quite remorseful, probably partly due to the chastising that Vladmira and Death were understandably giving her.

Though, Uni did also catch a glimpse of something that was behind the three of them, and shifting her view slightly, she managed to make out what it was that she was seeing. A Petal-scaled Dragon, in the flesh, fully grown as well, from the looks of it.

“I… I thought you said the one you brought in was a baby…!” Uni exclaimed in awe.

“O-Oh! That’s… That’s not the one that we brought in…” Lattè revealed.

“Huh??” Uni turned to Lattè, completely confused. “Then where did-?!” As Uni turned back towards the scene playing out before her, she and Lattè witnessed something even more unexpected than the presence of a random adult dragon. The two of them watched as the “dragon’s” form began to change and shift, eventually revealing it’s true identity as the mysterious, god-like being that lead the Black Arms, which now, finally, Uni had a name to give to him, feeling the information shoot right into her from what she figured now was the Black Arms hivemind. The one and only Black Doom.

“... Huh. I had no idea that he could actually control the shapeshifting thing.” Lattè remarked with surprise.

“It makes enough sense to me. If he’s able to shapeshift unintentionally, then shapeshifting intentionally shouldn’t be that much harder.” Uni speculated.

“I forgot that you knew about that.” Lattè stated, looking slightly shocked.

“I figured. It’s not the most remarkable for only one god to give the most insignificant crumbs of information to Archæsis to then regurgitate to us.” Uni admitted, deciding to lay back down, though this time on Lattè’s lap.

“... Makes me wonder if they’re even going to try to look for Lord Doom, or if they think that we’re not gonna do enough damage to warrant imprisoning him again!” Lattè said out of the blue.

“... Again?” Uni echoed, curious.

“Yeah — from what I remember being told, before he came here to PetalBloom, Lord Doom was in charge of “stabilizing” the chaos energy in the universe. By “stabilizing” they more meant “getting rid of”, which basically forced him to stay in his chambers all day every day, and he wasn’t allowed to ever leave to Pantheon’s Plane. The only reason why they’re even here now is because another god used an ability called “Chaos Control” to warp him onto our planet!” Lattè explained. “I’d say that’s pretty prison-like!”

“... And Moonshine knew about that?” Uni asked, feeling rather concerned by the thoughts her words implied.

“Most definitely! She was the one who made him in the first place!” Lattè answered.

Suffice to say, Uni was appalled by what she was hearing. The actions attributed to Moonshine in the tale Lattè retold certainly didn’t sound like the gentle-and-caring-but-also-a-little-strict persona that Uni had been raised to see Moonshine as. In fact, the only thing that seemed to be true according to such tales would be strict, though it was certainly not just a “little bit”. It made her angry, angry that everyone had lied to her all these years… Maybe joining the Black Arms wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“While you two are certainly correct, I must ask that you give Rehkloos some mercy… I can sense a deep instability within her.” Uni overheard Doom say to Vladmira and Death. “I will talk to her later. For now, allow her to calm herself and be grateful for her continued life.” He added.

“Can’t you just talk to her now? She’s right here.” Death questioned.

“I very much could, but I believe that there is something else that needs my attention first… Someone else, you might say.” Doom responded.

Uni turned over while still laying down to see where Doom would go, her curiosity piqued. As she did, she realized that where Doom was going was actually towards Lattè and herself.

When Uni realized this, she started to get up and try to make herself look presentable, but Doom told her that she could stay right where she was, he just wanted to get to know her more and make her feel at home. It caught Uni off guard, but she complied.

“Though, first, I would feel it rude of me to not commend you on just how quickly you took action when the call came to you, Lattè.” Doom began.

“Well of course! I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I lost Uni…” Lattè responded.

“... Yeah, same here.” Uni agreed.

“I figured as much, given how you just kept trying to find me..!” Lattè surmised. “Sorry for leaving like that, by the way… I know I said that I wouldn’t, but-”

“No, I get it now… You had things to do and you were worried that if you told me then I’d try to stop you or tattle on you… It’s a reasonable assumption to make.” Uni said reassuringly.

“I can tell that you two have a very close bond with one another…” Doom pointed out, to which both Lattè and Uni’s faces began to blush in response to.

“We’ve been friends for a really long time even before we started dating!” Lattè exclaimed.

“Lattè was the only person I’ve ever trusted with my secrets…” Uni added softly.

“Well then, I am glad to see you two reunited, then.” Doom replied.

“Thank you for making it happen.” Uni stated suddenly.

“Hmm?” Doom wondered curiously.

“Lattè told me it was the introduction of a baby Petal-scaled Dragon into the Black Arms that caused the enhancement of her wings to the point of being able to fly with them… She also said that such was your idea, right?” Uni elaborated.

“That is what I said.” Lattè confirmed.

“Yes, that was mostly my idea. An animal trainer from the capital had been brought into the hivemind last week during the rally at the plaza — he and his wife had come to Riverbed after hearing some rumors about us back home. When I noticed this, I began to discuss ideas of expanding our connection and power to the animals they cared for. We ended up settling on the baby dragon for now, but this is by no means the end to such experimentation.” Doom explained.

“Well thank you for that.” Uni reiterated, holding out her hand for a handshake.

“You are quite welcome, young one.” Doom replied, accepting Uni’s offer.

“... I think I’ve come to terms with my fate.” Uni said, still holding Doom’s hand.

“In what sense?” Doom wondered.

“Between what I’ve heard from Lattè and the distance I’ve felt all my life, I realize now that Moonshine would never dare be so openly kind and loving as you have been in just this little moment. You prove yourself to be someone worth following, Lord Black Doom.” Uni concluded.

Lattè audibly gasped, clearly being unable to contain her excitement. “YAAAAAAY!!! UNI’S A BLACK ARMS NOW!!!!!” She cheered as she tackled Uni to the ground with a hug.

“Huhuhuhu… I think it is safe to call this meeting of ours a success~!” Doom exclaimed with pride.

“I agree… And at the very least with me being brought in, I’ll have an easier time making sure the Mini Mayhem members are alright.” Uni remarked.

“My… What a selfless way of looking at things…!” Doom noted.

“Yeah! That’s exactly the Uni I know!” Lattè added.

“... Thank you, both of you…” Uni replied, her face green and eyes watery.

“But before we part ways, there is one last thing we must do.” Doom then said. Uni was confused and curious as to what he could be talking about, but Lattè cut off her chance to speak.

“Oh, right! Do you need me to be out of the way?” She vaguely inquired.

“Not at all. The more comfortable Uni is, the better…” Doom responded.

After the short meeting with Black Doom, it was decided that it became late enough into the night to have Lattè and Uni not go back to their respective homes. Instead, the both of them along with Mocha, the members of Mini Mayhem, and some other miscellaneous Black Arms — such as the one who provided the baby Petal-scaled Dragon that was brought into the hivemind during the night’s festivities, went to Lillian’s cabin to stay for the rest of the night.

When morning came, some of the Black Arms being housed in the cabin were given errands to run. Even little Mocha was given something to do. But Lattè and Uni were not a part of such activities, as the leaders had decided that after everything that the two had been through this past week, they deserved a break. And so, the morning came and went, the two spending their time together in one of the hammocks that were in the process of being put up about the cabin. When Uni first awoke, she had insisted on wanting to do something, feeling obligated to, probably because of the pressure put on her all her life, or out of gratitude for her life being saved the night prior, or even both. But Lattè relayed to her what she had been told by the leaders.

Rest.

Which managed to convince her. Hell, eventually, Uni ended up just going right back to sleep!

Just as the afternoon had begun, Lillian came by the two of them, looking to strike up a conversation. “Tell me… Is the hammock treating you two well?” She inquired.

“I’d certainly say so! And I bet Uni would too, given how she not only slept through the night in it, but has gone back to sleep still in it!” Lattè answered enthusiastically.

“Oh well isn’t that just wonderful to hear?” Lillian remarked.

She then handed Lattè a newspaper.

“What’s this?” Lattè asked.

“A newspaper, have you never seen one before?” Lillian replied teasingly.

“No no I’ve… I’ve seen newspapers before..!” Lattè assured between giggles. “I guess I was just wondering why you’re handing this to me.”

“I figured that you might have been getting bored up there all alone. I mean, you don’t even have your girlfriend to talk to, since she’s asleep.” Lillian explained.

“Oh! That makes sense.” Lattè figured.

Looking at the newspaper, Lattè noticed that just like during previous stunts of theirs, the front page story was about the Black Arm’s escapades. But there was something a bit different about this article compared to the others, for as Lattè read it for herself, she came to realize that the writer spoke quite positively about the Black Arms in this article! After she read the article, Lattè went to see who it was that wrote it.

Endrose Ræa.

Ræa…

That name sounded familiar, but not to Lattè. She could feel through the hivemind that for whom it was familiar to was actually Uni, but couldn’t exactly access why.

"Hey, Miss Lillian, did we bring a journalist into the hivemind by chance?" Lattè wondered.

"I think so, why do you ask?" Lillian responded as she was nearby in the kitchen, chopping up some vegetables.

"The article about us in today's paper is positive!" Lattè exclaimed, displaying the newspaper outside of the hammock for Lillian to see.

Intrigued by Lattè's claims, Lillian went back over to her and Uni's hammock to read the article for herself.

"Well I'd say, you're absolutely right, Lattè!" Lillian remarked with pleasant surprise. "I should get more of these for the rest of the hive! Or at least the rest of us leaders."

"I could… Do that for you… Miss…" Uni muttered out in a half asleep state.

"No no, you were told to rest! You and Lattè! I'll do it myself." Lillian insisted.

"Hi Uni! Sorry if Miss Lillian and I woke you up." Lattè said as Uni laid back down.

"It's… fine…" Uni tiredly replied with a yawn.

"Oh hey! Miss Lillian! Before you go!" Lattè called.

"Yes?" Lillian replied.

"Uni was wondering last night if the members of Mini Mayhem aside from Rehkloos were alright… Do you have any info on that?" Lattè asked, her tone becoming more serious.

"They are all alive, that I do know." Lillian answered.

"Oh thank goodness…" Lattè sighed in relief. She could feel Uni be relieved as well.

"Kæ'Mirah is out running an errand right now, actually. As for Kuel and Katrien… They are unconscious, knocked out by the blast. It might take them a few days to wake back up. And they did sustain some injuries — of which we're not sure yet. Right now we have some doctors that we managed to bring into the hive taking care of them." Lillian elaborated somberly.

"Just like… Kuel's brother…" Uni stated quietly.

"... Please know that we did not intend this outcome…" Lillian told the two, trying to comfort them.

"I know… I just hope they… recover…" Uni replied.

Feeling bad about the situation, Lattè turned over in the hammock to embrace Uni, handing the newspaper back to Lillian.

As Lattè got closer to Uni, she began to hear someone speaking in the hivemind once again.

“Hey, is this by chance a bad time?” It sounded like Widow was the one talking.

Heh, what are the chances? Lattè gets to overhear a conversation involving Widow twice in a row!

“Are… Are you talking to me?” And the other person speaking was… Uni? This is sure to be interesting.

“Yeah, I was hoping to, anyway.” Widow admitted.

“I don’t think us having a conversation would breach the assignment I was given. Go right ahead.” Uni responded.

“I mean, I figured as much, since I’m one of the leaders who gave you the orders to rest.” Widow remarked light-heartedly. “Anyways, I was just interested in coming up with a costume change for you.”

“A… Costume change…?” Uni echoed with confusion.

“What you’re wearing currently looks pretty battered up from what you went through yesterday… And besides, it’s a nice way to show off the new chapter of your life that you’ve begun.” Widow explained.

“... Yes, I think I’ve noticed that! You yourself as well as the other Black Arms leaders had a change of outfits in the days after the Plaza Rally, right?” Uni recollected, now seeming to understand the concept that Widow was attempting to relay.

“Indeed! And they were all done by yours truly!” Widow replied proudly.

“Were they now? I think I do remember hearing about such passions of yours over the years…” Uni testified.

“Right…! Goodness me, with everything else going on, I nearly forgot that we’ve known each other for quite a while now!” Widow admitted.

“... For me, I think I’m thinking of having myself something relatively similar to my old usual outfit… But also a bit inspired by the outfit you made for Vladmira.” Uni requested of Widow after having a moment to think about her choice.

“Really?” Widow responded, surprised, though not unpleasantly so.

“... I know, you probably figured I hated them…” Uni awkwardly acknowledged.

“Ehhhhh…” Widow reacted, clearly not wanting to give away what she actually had thought.

“I had certainly convinced myself that I did.” Uni stated. “I mean, I also convinced myself that I disliked you, but I really went in hard with it on Vladmira. It began as a desire to not be associated with the two of you, as you two had a reputation of being “cursed” and “wicked”. I wanted to stay in good standing with my family and the church, so I did everything I could to separate myself from you, from them. But then Lattè joined the Riverbed Choir… And while she was there, she met Vladmira and became friends with them… I was deeply jealous… But I was also incredibly paranoid. I was afraid that if Lattè stayed friends with Vladmira while I was dating her, that all the effort I had put into making me look “better” than them would go to waste, and I would be shunned as well… Perhaps even abandoned completely, like how Archæsis did with Vladmira… I even started to worry that such things would happen to Lattè too… So I antagonized them even further, not just for my sake anymore, but for what I thought was Lattè’s own good…” She explained in detail. “But now I look back on that behavior and I… I hate myself for it… The both of you have been so kind to me… And Lattè didn’t deserve me trying to make her stop being friends with Vladmira… She told me last night just how much Vladmira helped her in trying to get me back… I want to return the favor. I want to be their friend too, just like Lattè. I figured that having similar outfits would be a start.”

As Uni finished speaking, Widow hugged her gently. Lattè, feeling the tenderness of the hug and being moved by Uni’s words, began to tear up a little, the sounds of her choking on her tears being heard by Uni and Widow.

“L-Lattè…! Have you been… listening this whole time…?” Uni asked, tearing up as well.

“Uhm… Y-yeah, it’s just kinda something that happens to me…” Lattè answered skittishly.

“You must be exceptionally good at tuning into the hivemind, then…! It makes sense, given your circumstances over the past week!” Widow pointed out with intrigue.

“Yeah… Uh, one of those times I heard things from the hivemind may or may not have been when you and Sen talked about her feelings for you, by the way.” Lattè admitted.

“... I… Okay.” Widow reacted, not knowing how to respond to that, it would seem. “Do you want a costume change too, Lattè?” She then asked, changing the subject.

“Sure! I uh, don’t really know what it would be yet, but I’ll let you know if I come up with anything!” Lattè answered.

“Anyways, back to what you were saying, Uni… I will let Vladmira know about how you really feel, okay? I mean, I’m sure they’d understand… We all had shitty parents like that, and the church is no better.” Widow said. “And on the topic of admitting things…” She continued, “I was kind of jealous of how you were allowed to become a girl as a kid when I wasn’t, I won’t lie… But I was naive back when I had those feelings. As I grew up, and watched you grow too, I noticed just how strict the barriers that your folks made your identity be really were… and instead of being jealous… I just felt bad for you. Sure, the outcomes were different, but in theory, the expectations put onto us weren’t all that different. And in the end, I ended up just wishing so badly that you would realize that… That you would fight back… Because I felt like you deserved to.”

“... I will. I will fight back. That’s my promise to you.” Uni pledged.

“Thank you.” Widow muttered.

“... How about tonight? I know you told me to rest, but-” Uni began to speak again after releasing herself from the hug that she and Widow had been in.

“For what?” Widow asked.

“To fight back… To get my revenge for all the years my parents controlled me and my identity.” Uni clarified. “I’m starting to come up with ideas.”

“Oh, I see…! I’ll ask the others what they think, but I personally am not against the idea.” Widow replied. “Mind sharing what those ideas of yours are?”

“Yeah! I wanna hear them too!” Lattè chimed in, excited for what Uni had in store.

“Well, since you both asked so nicely…”

As day began to shift into night, the Bishop household was quite busy, as the parental figures of the home were quickly preparing a last minute celebratory dinner, excited to see their daughter Uni finally return home safely, accompanied by her darling girlfriend and her girlfriend’s sister.

They had become worried sick for Uni when she didn’t come home the day prior, asking Priestess Waning to go out and search for the girl. Lattè and Mocha’s parents were deeply worried as well, from what Uni’s parents relayed. Their usually very busy father actually came home for once to support his terrified wife in this time of need, telling his work that he would not be returning until his daughters came home.

And now they were home — that’s what Uni’s parents said. After this dinner, they would send Lattè and Mocha home to their likely overjoyed parents.

But Uni’s parents had been worried about the two as well, and they wanted to take this moment to celebrate the girls’ return.

Just as Uni had expected they would.

“Will the Priestess be joining us tonight?” Uni asked as her mother was setting the plates at the dinner table. “You did mention her going out to find me, so surely you let her know that I’m back home now, right?”

“Oh, I did find her back when I went out after you three arrived!” Uni’s mother replied, “She was so happy to hear that you three were safe. But she unfortunately had to turn down the offer to join us for dinner. She had gotten a summons by the mayor of Lunar High-Rise up north while she was out looking for you. She had been delaying her response to it so she could keep searching, but when I told her that you had come home, she finally allowed herself to start packing for the trip.”

“Oh… That’s quite the shame… I would have loved to see her off!” Uni lamented. “Do you know why she was asked to travel up north?” She then asked.

“She told me that apparently this awful problem we’ve been having here with those rioters has started to spread into other towns and cities…” Uni’s mother somberly explained.

“Oh dear…! Well, even if she can’t be here tonight, I still give her my sincerest wishes of luck while dealing with this whole mess…” Uni responded, mimicking her mother’s sadness.

“It’s probably for the best that she isn’t here, anyways…” Lattè added.

“What… exactly do you mean by that, Lattè?” Uni’s father asked, Lattè’s connections to the Black Arms probably still lingering in the back of both his mind and the mind of Uni’s mother, for she too looked a bit concerned by Lattè’s words.

“What she probably means is that… It’s better that she’s attending to whatever the situation is over there. Better to act early, and all that.” Uni reasoned.

Uni’s parents looked a little unsure of Uni’s explanation, but they decided to roll with it.

Once the plates of food had all been placed at the table, everyone took their seats and gave a united prayer of thanks to Madam Moonshine. Part of Uni wanted to chuckle, considering how she knew now that Moonshine would never hear the words she spoke. But to maintain her ruse, she kept such a desire at bay, and carried on with the prayer until its end.

What Uni’s parents had made for dinner on this night was not very extravagant, which made sense given the short notice. Just fish fillet and vegetables, a very common meal in the Riverbed Town. The star of the meal, however, was instead the beverage served alongside it — a special blend of tea prepared by none other than Uni herself.

As everyone chowed down on the meal after prayer, Uni made sure to keep her eye out for just how much of the tea her parents were having. She noticed that her father was drinking significantly more rapidly than her mother was. On the other side of things, however, Uni’s parents didn’t seem to notice how Uni nor Lattè or even Mocha had taken so much as a sip of their cups of tea.

“So, Uni… How did you end up finding Lattè and Mocha, anyways? You took quite the time doing so…” Uni’s mother eventually inquired.

“Oh dear me, it certainly was quite the adventure! One that I just don’t think we’d have the time for me to tell in full, I’m afraid.” Uni replied.

“Don’t be ridiculous! No one here is in any rush! There’s really no reason for you to feel that way-” Uni’s mother tried to insist, but Uni cut her off.

“Oh no, no, I’m quite sure I remembered you two having an appointment with Madam Moonshine later, surely!” Uni argued, which seemed to cause the confusion likely already stirring within her mother to come up to the surface.

“A-A meeting with Madam Moonshine? What ever could you mean by that, Uni??” Her mother questioned, a bit of panic slipping into her voice.

Before Uni could answer, the sound of the head of Uni’s father slamming into the dinner table resounded throughout the room.

Uni watched with morbid fascination as her mother attempted to awaken her husband, then realizing in her attempt that he no longer had a pulse. Her panic becoming much stronger now, Uni’s mother desperately begged Uni’s father to wake up, to not leave her side like this, as she struggled to grasp the reality of her husband’s sudden demise. But soon, a realization seemed to come to her, as she then turned to Uni with a horrified expression.

“No… No…! You… You couldn’t have…!” Uni’s mother begged, failing to truly comprehend the current situation.

“But I did, didn't I?” Uni replied simply, maintaining a smile.

“Why…? Why would you do this- Don’t you realize what you’ve done???” Uni’s mother wailed out hopelessly. Did she really not understand what has happened? What was happening at this very moment? To be so lost felt so strange to Uni. It was almost like through Uni’s perspective, that her mother’s mind existed in a different realm of consciousness from her own, an inferior realm, compared to her own. The concept captured her curiosity, making her wonder what the cause of this separation could be. Perhaps Lord Doom would know the answer.

But Uni would have to save those thoughts for later, as she did not want to lose the only chance she has at savoring her vengeance against the ones who controlled her all her life.

For now she was in control. Not of their lives, per say… But rather, of their deaths.

“Have… Have you…?” Uni’s mother muttered out, her body struggling to keep itself going as the toxins from the tea took hold.

“What else would it be, mother? I’m surprised you hadn’t even considered the idea. I was away for a whole day and a half, looking for two individuals who you knew were sworn into their hivemind… Was it really not obvious that they had taken me too?” Uni answered her, locking eyes with her mother, watching the life fade out from her mother’s eyes. “Or was it that… You perhaps, in some part of your mind… Actually considered it? But the rest of you was not ready for such a revelation? You were unequipped to face the corruption of your sweet beloved daughter… So you, consciously or not, forced yourself to remain ignorant… Heheheheheheh…. How ironic, isn’t it? That you act this way… Despite treating me as if I was already corrupt my whole life, no matter how much I tried to prove I wasn’t? Well, now I am. I’m your corrupted little girl… Are you happy now, mother?”

Uni’s mother tried and tried to speak, to respond to Uni’s words. But everything that came out was incomprehensible, the toxins and Uni’s betrayal seeming to quite literally break her mind. The sight brought much delight to Uni, as well as Lattè and Mocha. Uni was able to have her revenge, and her parents, or at the very least her mother, was able to experience chaos through means of utter madness before she met her demise. A win in every aspect.

But soon enough, the last bit of life finally left Uni’s mother, and she, just like her husband, slumped in her chair and let her face fall onto the dinner table, her body without a single heartbeat.

As the tension from Uni’s reveal settled, Uni looked upon the lifeless corpses of her parents, fixated upon them, almost.

“What’re ya thinking about?” Lattè asked her.

“... Do you think that in their last bits of coherent thought… Despite my own words… That they still referred to me in their minds as their son?” Uni pondered.

“Knowing them… They probably did.” Lattè replied.

“Hmph… Then this fate of theirs was exactly what they deserved, that much is certain.” Uni stated. Lattè nodded, but then spoke again soon after.

“I just wish it could have been… Bloodier.” She admitted.

“I understand that, I really do. And in hindsight, it would seem I did not have much need for this way of doing things after all… But you know very well the reason why I had chosen this method.” Uni reminded her. “While I might not have the plans completely worked out just yet, I do wish to help Vladmira get their revenge on Archæsis when the time does come for that… And for what I have planned currently to work, I would need Archæsis to trust me still.”

“I know, I know! I’m just really craving some guts right now…” Lattè elaborated slightly.

“Goodness me, dear Lattè… Isn’t that rather selfish of you~? This is my first time doing something like this, and all you can think about is how much gorier you wish it would have been~?” Uni chastised her playfully, wrapping Lattè into her arms.

“It’s not like that, I swear! I-I just-” Lattè attempted to stammer out an argument in her defense as her face began to glow green.

“I’m just teasing you, my love…~” Uni reassured Lattè, playing with her hair ever so tenderly. “But if your bloodlust is truly so insatiable… I’m sure your parents would just love it if we stopped by~.” She then proposed.

“Oooh, that’s a great idea!” Lattè replied joyfully.

“Can I come too?” Mocha asked.

“Of course! It’d be rude of us to leave you out!” Lattè answered her, Uni nodding in agreement.

“But first… Let us please savor this moment, my sweet Lattè~...” Uni requested, pulling Lattè in for a kiss on the lips.

Lattè fulfilled Uni’s request, reciprocating the tender moment.

Case 01 CLOSED

-☆☆☆-

“Wooo!! Yeah!! Everybody give it up for Uni and Lattè reuniting within the Black Arms!!” Garrick commanded excitedly. Seeing no reason to not comply with the young prince’s order, everyone else currently congregated gave their applause.

As the applause was happening, Eclipse stood up and seemed ready to return to their work, but stopped themself when they heard the sound of Shadow sniffling.

“Are you alright?” They asked her with concern.

“Oh… Y-yeah… Just emotional over the story again…” Shadow assured them, wiping away her tears.

“What’s got ya this time, hun?” Rouge inquired teasingly, though still rather sincerely.

“What… What Uni said towards the end there, about how she pushed mom and Vladmira away to look good in the eyes of those who had dictated her life… It… It really resonated with me…” Shadow admitted, its eyes watering up again as they spoke.

“Oh come here you…!” Eclipse said as they pulled Shadow into a tender hug.

“And you got better, just like Uni did!” Garrick pointed out, which really seemed to make Shadow feel better.

“I guess I did… Didn’t I?” Shadow replied.

“Considering we’ve reached the end of this part of the story, we can take a five minute break if you want some time to pull yourself back together, Shadow.” Widow suggested.

“Oh, you really don’t have to do that for me-” Shadow tried to object, but was interrupted by a rather familiar voice.

“No no, I think that would be rather good for you, don’t you think?” In the spot where Leanni once sat, Yuki now stood, its shared body having shifted back into its default form, and now wearing Yuki’s signature navy blue face mask, decorated with dark gray spikes on each cheek, just as it had always been.

“O-oh, okay..!” Shadow obliged, her face a very vibrant shade of green.

“Shall we get some drinks from the communal fridge in the energy chambers? I could certainly go for a can of ginger ale right about now.” Yuki suggested.

“Oh, I think I’m heading that way anyways, why don’t I go get them for you two?” Eclipse chimed in.

“Are you sure, you’d have to come all the way back here — wouldn’t that time be better spent working on Rouge and Relic’s assimilation pods?” Shadow questioned.

“... Have you not considered that I could just use Chaos Control to teleport back here? Or even just teleport the cans themselves?” Eclipse responded incredulously.

“... Wait.” Shadow spoke, the realization registering in her mind. “... Oh yeah.” She added with embarrassment. Yuki couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the situation, something that several others joined him in on.

"Oh, wait! I just remembered! I had something to tell you about!" Shadow suddenly exclaimed.

"Tell me through the hivemind. That way I can easily store it within the databases for later." Eclipse responded as they prepared to take off.

"That's quite a smart idea of yours, I must say…!" Widow remarked.

"Thank you, Madam Widow." Eclipse replied.

"I agree! This is something you'd probably want to have documented, honestly." Shadow noted.

"Well then, you shouldn't waste anymore time stalling! Tell me every detail of what you've had in mind." Eclipse instructed.

As Eclipse began to travel back to their laboratory on the opposite end of the Aerth Temple, and Shadow and Yuki began to get themselves seated back in the area that everyone else was still congregated in, Shadow began to lay out the plan she and several others had devised earlier that night to take over Starlight City to Eclipse through the hivemind. Even from a distance, Widow could see that at some point, Eclipse had stopped walking, clearly incredibly intrigued by Shadow's ideas.

"Lord Doom Almighty, how did I not pick up on this when you all first discussed this??" Eclipse questioned with awe over the hivemind.

"Must've been so absorbed in your work that you just didn't hear it! Sounds like something you'd do!" Harazuki suggested an answer quite teasingly.

"Oh quiet you…" Eclipse sneered, everyone being able to tell that they were absolutely rolling their eyes at that moment despite the distance.

"Well it's good that you're hearing about it now, isn't it?" Relic chimed in, to which everyone else agreed.

"Yes! Shadow! Everyone! This plan you have plotted is quite brilliant, honestly!! If we are to use anywhere to rebuild our once great army, why shouldn't it be a city with "Star" in the name?! And besides, I'd like to think that I've already made a start on something akin to this! You all are aware of the fact that I've already assimilated the Starlight City Militia, yes?" Eclipse continued on with enthusiasm.

"Oh yes, that's right! What a useful bit of leverage!" Relic recollected.

"And my most recent work will do wonders in keeping off that foolish Doctor, too!" Eclipse added.

"Ooh! Ooh! And for the rally, we could attract a crowd by having Roses & Renegades play a show beforehand!" Shadow suggested.

"Well aren't you three being quite productive right now…?" Doom remarked, a sense of admiration coming from his voice.

"I'd certainly say so!" Eclipse responded.

"Goodness, this reminds me of when we would plan out the rallies on PetalBloom!" Widow pointed out, her comment clearly making Shadow feel very proud of herself.

"I concur…" Doom added, contributing to Shadow's sense of pride, which seemed to start rubbing off onto the other members of the hive.

"Yippee!! We're gonna make the Black Arms a big name once more, just like those before us!!" Garrick cheered.

"Oh! This actually has me thinking of something of a prelude into the next part of the story!" Widow said suddenly. "We can still take our little break, but may I tell that first?" She then asked everyone.

"I say yes!!" Garrick answered.

"I'd love that!" Shadow agreed.

"You are the one telling the story, your majesty." Yuki remarked.

"As you had said before yourself…" Doom added.

"Of course, I would love to listen in as I make my way back to the lab. Just let me make sure our plans are not forgotten…!" Eclipse responded.

! One new item added to the Black Arms Information Inventory under "Future Plans" !

"There! You now have the floor, Madam!" Eclipse concluded.

"Thank you very much!" Widow replied cheerfully.

-☆☆☆-

It had been about a week since the rally at the schoolhouse. With how hectic the week following the plaza’s rally had been with so many newly recruited Black Arms taking shelter at Lillian’s place after having abandoned their old residences for whatever reasons they may have had, most of the time it was that they had killed their resistant caretakers, the past week’s focus was to truly expand the Black Arms’ presence beyond the Riverbed Town. Sure, they had already attracted some folks from other towns and cities, but the people from there had to come to Riverbed to be with their brethren in arms, which was the root of the problem as far as overcrowding goes.

Slowly but surely, the Black Arms that had emigrated from other towns moved back to their old residences to spread the hivemind’s influence. A good lot of the Black Arms that were native to the Riverbed Town were also traveling to other places, too. They had come to understand that the cabin was becoming too crowded and desired to help clear out the space, as well as hoped that they could spread the hivemind into parts of PetalBloom that were still untouched by its metaphorical tendrils.

Eventually, the cabin had become a lot more habitable, with only about a dozen members left living in the cabin, not including the leaders that were in there as well — all but Death and Tsunami.

But it was still kind of crowded, at least to Sendrir’s liking.

Despite being constantly made to do such labor all her life by her now late father, Sendrir found herself usually in the kitchen helping Lillian with cooking and/or cleaning. It kept her away from the crowd, at least. Though it also kept her away from her friends and her girlfriend most of the time, which did bum her out. She could tell that they could tell it did, but what were they to do? She figured that she’d just have to wait it out til the last of the non leaders found a place to be other than the cabin.

But for now, she was in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes from the most recent meal. While she was fortunately not too closely reminded of her childhood, she still was a bit bored. So she decided to pass the time by eavesdropping on whatever it was that was happening this time in the living room.

“I was told that it should be any day now that he wakes up, but I just couldn’t stand to see you so upset for days on end like that… So I figured I’d bring you here.” The voice of a man said in a comforting tone.

“I… Thank you… But I’m still… I still feel lost.” The voice of another man, noticeably younger than the first, responded.

“Heh… Sorry ‘bout that, kiddo.” The older man apologized.

“So what does this all mean…? Are you… one of them?” The younger man questioned the older one.

“You’re in a room with several of us, buddy.” A bystander remarked.

“O-oh, um, right. Sorry…” The young man muttered with guilt. “... Is he one of you?”

“Partially. Though even that partial introduction into his body and mind is irreversible.” The older man explained.

“And why should I trust you on that matter? I mean, other than because you’re my boss. How can you possibly have an unbiased viewpoint?” The younger man argued.

“Funny how you’re asking me such a question about this and not about the recent articles I’ve written.” The older man retorted.

“W-well-” The younger man was about to speak, but was interrupted.

“We’re just about ready to go!” A woman called out to one of the people in the room.

“Oh shit! Thanks, honey. I got distracted.” The bystander from before replied.

Shortly afterwards, Sendrir heard the door to the kitchen open. Not putting two together in her mind at first, she immediately lamented to herself about possibly getting an unwanted flirting with when she didn’t pick up the new presence as that of another Black Arms leader.

“No need to worry about that, Miss. I’m a married man!” But when the new person in the kitchen spoke, Sendrir recognized it to be the same voice as the bystander in the living room, and as she turned and saw the bystander for herself, her mind started finally connecting the dots.

“Well if it isn’t Ferosæ the Dragon Trainer?” She greeted him.

“That would be me, yes.” Ferosæ responded.

“So, was the woman I heard out there that wife of yours, then?” Sendrir inquired in a playful manner.

“Indeed she is! She’s just about ready to head back home to Lunar High-Rise!” Ferosæ answered.

“And I assume you’re going with her, right?” Sendrir asked, wanting to mess with the guy while also admittedly being relieved that the cabin was clearing up more.

“Of course!” Ferosæ replied. “Though we won’t be traveling alone, actually.” They then added.

“Is that so? Who’s coming with?” Sendrir queried.

“Lord Doom, Queen Widow, and you! The three of you will be staying in a hotel that us High-Rise Black Arms collectively funded!” Ferosæ explained quite casually, as if Sendrir wouldn’t be completely caught off guard by that answer.

“I’m sorry??? ME??? I-I’m going to Lunar High-Rise???” Sendrir reacted with absolute shock.

“No one told you? Like… Actually no one told you?? I thought you were doing a bit!” Ferosæ questioned, just as surprised.

Just like that, a memory of Doom talking to her about the trip a few days ago came to Sendrir’s mind.

“... I think I forgot.” Sendrir admitted.

“Hey, that happens to the best of us. I was supposed to tell you to get ready like thirty minutes ago but when I entered the living room to get here I ran into another Black Arms with an outsider and it caught my attention.” Ferosæ testified, clearly trying to kill two birds with one stone as he comforted Sendrir as he also explained his lateness.

“Well, we’ve got no time left to waste here talking then, don’t we? Come on, let’s get packing!” Sendrir told Ferosæ, setting down the cleaning supplies she had been using and heading off to where her stuff was.

“Yep! Got it!” Ferosæ uttered, following behind her.