Pyzis looked at the floor of the throne room, Thyme admonished her for following but there was no way she was staying alone. He kissed her head protectively and she settled a little. When the room quieted down and Angela spoke everyone in the room relaxed. Despite her appearance the Goddess was confident in her ability to keep them safe. Again the ground shook around them and the Mother threw out her powers, making it hard for Pyzis to draw a breath. In her mind she was back in the cage being squeezed until she released phoenix tears. The only thing keeping her from collapsing was her tight grip on Thymes upper arm. Pyzis buried her face in Thymes muscular chest until the crushing feelings fled. 

"I need to get out of here," she whispered to Thyme before looking up at him with pleading eyes. Pyzis knew that his duty lay with his Mother but she needed to go before another attack happened. She wasn't sure she could handle a flash back like that again so she laced her fingers in his in a tight grip and headed back to their chambers. 

When she sat on the bed Pyzis realized she was shaking, her face was pale and she began to play with her hair nervously. "What is going to happen? I have every confidence that the Mother will keep us safe, but how long can everyone stay here?" she asked Thyme. While the both of them had spent all of eighteen months within the Goddess' realm, many others came and went often. The floor shook again and Pyzis shuddered even though she couldn't feel Angela's power this time. 

"Thyme, why would Dalanesca blame your mother for the loss of her child? Don't these things happen, or is it different for a deity?" she asked, trying to distract herself from the tightening of fear in her chest. It took all her might to remember she was not alone in the darkness anymore. For the most part she feared what would happen to Thyme, he was served his mother frequently and even if the attacks ended would it be safe for him outside of this realm? Since Gods were immortal it could be dangerous for either of them to be caught by Dalenesca or any of her servants. The reality of the repercussions of this war crashed around her and the only thing that was left was Thyme.  

Thyme was quick to follow Pyzis. She was now his number one concern as they traveled through the temple and got back to their bedroom. He sat on the bed and pulled her down with him so he could play with her hair and calm her. He pressed his lips to her head of hair and thought about her questions for a long time.

“As long as either can hold out. I wouldn’t worry much about it. If Mother is confident I think we will be fine in the long run.” His fingers twirled around her hair as he thought. “She… Mother was the healer on duty for Dalanesca’s baby. Something happened here and she couldn’t watch over her. She didn’t tell Dalanesca simply because she thought the baby was healthy enough and that nothing could go wrong. She made an error that under normal circumstances wouldn’t have happened.”

He reached over and pulled some blankets over them so he could keep her warm, or at least in an intimidate space. “Whatever you want me to do to make you feel better Pyzis, or distract you… I’ll do it. Just ask.” He whispered to her softly as he tried to talk during the booms so he could distract her.

Pyzis let the soothing familiarity of Thymes hands in her hair calm her nerves. It was a while before he answered her questions and in that time she could feel her body relax against his. If he thought that they would be safe they probably would be, if anyone knew what Angela was capable of it was Thyme. When he pulled the blankets to cover them she felt his body press against her back. His warmth enveloped her in a cocoon of safety. Before long Pyzis could almost completely ignore the intermittent shaking. The only thing that mattered in that moment was  the two of them.

"I'd like a distraction," she blushed as she rolled over to face him, knowing full well what it was he was offering. Despite having been an item for a year and a half, neither of them had pressured each other to be physical. Thyme was a patient gentleman who understood Pyzis' fear of anothers touch. She stared into his green red eyes and cupped her hand on his cheek. The world around them fell away and Pyzis kissed him. 

"I love you, you know," she murmured breathlessly. Her hand moved from his cheek into his shoulder length blonde tresses. This was one of the few times she had let herself say those words aloud. Pyzis knew that Thyme was very aware of her feelings, but uttering them was something she hesitated at. Most Phoenix's didn't have the luxury of love and it seemed to her that the words seemed insignificant next to the enormous feelings she had toward him. 

The realm shook and boomed as Pyzis finally realized that she may only get to have Thyme for a short time. If the Goddess' war turned to mortal fighting both would be sent out, one a healer and one a soldier. She had expected to have many years longer to get to know him, but fear of his loss pushed her admit just how much she loved Thyme.

"I never thought I'd know love in any of my lifetimes, promise me you will stay safe?" she pleaded as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Pyzis knew that barring drowning she would be reborn, Thyme was different. He had a long lifespan but if he died that was it. She needed to know that he would be there for her even if the world around them fell apart. 

At her, word Thyme smiled. He hadn’t ever even mentioned it before for he knew how she was. There wasn’t a time when it bothered him and he had simply thought it was the time to ask. He wanted to make sure she could drown the world out for right now the world wasn’t what they needed it to be. He softly nuzzled her forehead after their kiss and chuckled. “I love you as well Py.” 

His gaze turned soft when she asked him to promise that he would remain safe. “Don’t make promise things that you know I might break. I will try but I will not make a promise. It’s not because I don’t want to but because it just might happen.” He kissed her forehead and before she could possibly fight him, he hushed her with a kiss.

He softly tossed her back and pinned her arms. There was a moment of hesitation as he stared down at her but it was more so that he was admiring her and not because he was afraid. He leaned down and kissed her again. He was slow in most of his movements over to make sure she was absolutely sure this was what she wanted.

“Thyme,” her words made him stop dead as he hung over her, “I am not going to break and we don’t have time for this.” It more made Thyme laugh as he didn’t expect anything like that from her. He shook his head at her and brought himself back down. 

The time they spent together he made sure that she absolutely enjoyed herself. At the quakes of the realm, he made sure that she didn’t even notice. If anything he was very good at this kind of distraction. He had lots to teach her if she had the time and right now they had nothing but time.

By the end, he kissed up her shoulder and pulled her back over to him so she was laying on his chest. “Do you feel better now?” He wasn’t about to turn her down if she didn’t. “You’re all that matters right now.”

Pyzis dozed in Thyme's arms after all of the excitement was finished. Despite the occasional tremors, she didn't wake until the sun peeped through the thick rainforest canopy above them. This time she didn't jump at the clangor but rolled over and kissed Thyme on the nose. A smile crept across her lips as his blonde curls hung low across his eyes in a tangle. It was so uncharacteristic that Pyzis began to giggle. 

"I love your hair," she chuckled as she moved his hair out of his face. An idea sprung into her head as she sat up in excitement. Despite their predicament, she couldn't help but be in a good mood after the night they had. "Let's run"

That was all that was needed before she stood and dressed in the same type of clothing she had worn since her first night here in the Goddess' realm. The simple dress was an off white cotton material that was fitted through the bust and waist but flared out at her hips. It was plain, but feminine and emphasized Pyzis' curves without being inappropriate. It seemed that Angela knew what would flatter most women. Once clothed Pyzis shifted her weight on her feet, trying to be patient while Thyme finished getting dressed. It had been a few months since the two of them had gone tree running. The Alchemist work had been taking precedence over play and she knew he was feeling keyed up. Both of them needed to get out and Pyzis couldn't wait to fly again.

"Which forest will we be running in today?" she asked with big eyes. They had visited many of them, but she knew there were dozens more she had yet to explore. It seemed to her that the Realm of the Goddess was unending. Pyzis flinched as she heard more booms and the ground shook. At least from the air, she wouldn't be able to feel the rumbling. It would be almost as good a distraction as the one last night. 

He blew at her fingertips as she moved his hair. “Well, I’m glad because someone has to.” A chuckle left his lips as he watched how happy she was. It made him laugh even more when she insisted on getting out of bed and running at first light. “Alright, alright.” As if he needed to be convinced.

He lazily rolled himself over and watched her as he dressed. “You are a walking tease.” When she started to get impatient with him Thyme swooped down and slipped him arms around her. “Keep tapping your foot like that and I won’t let you leave.” He nipped at her ear and laughed more as he got dressed.

Putting his arm around her he kissed her cheek. “The Fire Maple Forest. I figured that one has to be your favorite.” They spent much time together in the forest that day. Everything seemed to be going great. Much of their free time when not being in the alchemist lab was spent either running or in bed. He wasn’t going to complain much.

When Drae approached him about finding Marth and helping end the war on his mother he was quick to accept. It wasn’t just for his mother but for Pyzis. “I’m going to be going out again with Drae,” he was putting his boots on after another long night with his love. “I’m going to try and be safe about it but Dalanesca is getting relentless.”

His words of caution were much like what actually happened. They hadn’t seen the hellfire coming. By the time they were able to ward it had sent them flying, greatly burning him, and breaking the bones in his arm and leg. His mother’s aura as angry as it was healed his burns but like Drae broken bones took time to heal. 

After moving the men to different rooms and helping them get comfortable they had noticed that Angela had vanished. When she came back she was in worse shape than they were but still Drae insisted that Angela rested. A cleric was frantically crawling the temple until she found Pyzis who was most likely trying to shut the once rumbling world out. Now everything was quiet. “Pyzis… it’s terrible. Thyme and Drae got caught in a hellfire attack by Dalanesca! He’s in the clinic.”

Pyzis made sure to dress slowly for Thyme, her confidence was growing the more time they spent together. She made sure to wiggle her hips as she pulled her dress over her head. A frown formed though when he told her about his idea with Drae. A knot formed in her stomach and soon the noises were again as loud as thunder. If Thyme left there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to come back at all. Either he would be taken down by Dalenesca or she would prevent him from returning to help Angela. With her back still toward the bed, she let a few small tears escape her sunburst orange eyes. It would not do to waste their time together in sadness, her last memories of him would have to be cheerful. Pyzis wiggled her hips one more time before turning back around to him and silently wiping her eyes on her sleeve. 

"You will have to come back to me," she teased. "Angela would die if she couldn't get a grandbaby out of our relationship." Pyzis went and sat next to him on the bed. She placed one hand over his and squeezed a little too tight for the light hearted things she was saying. "I love you," she whispered as she nipped his ear playfully. 

It wasn't much of a goodbye, but it would have to do. She memorized every plane of his body as he dressed and kissed her one more time before leaving. As soon as the door shut behind him she crumpled on the bed and sobbed. Her entire frame shook with the trembling of the earth around her. Pyzis couldn't stand just waiting so she decided to go walk among the fire maples. She sat at the base of one of the massive trees sketching the orange veins of the red leaves when a cleric found her. The look in her eyes told Pyzis everything. The pencil and paper burst into flames as her body became consumed by fire. She could feel her limbs shrinking and stretching until she became her Phoenix self. 

Swiftly she made her way to the clinic where she saw Thyme lying on a bed, one arm and leg wrapped up in splints. She landed beside him and for once she didn't have to try for the tears that would heal him. Her bird head rested on his injured arm and the pearlescent tears dripped down onto him. While the knowledge that he would be healed should have been enough for her, she was completely irrational. Her small bird body shook and she couldn't find it in herself to transform back into a human even though she could hear Thyme speaking to her. His words flowed over her but she couldn't make sense of what she was saying. Panic gripped her and for a moment she was afraid she would be stuck like this forever. 

When she felt Thyme's hand on her back she stilled and transformed into a human again. Her naked from clung to his uninjured arm, not caring who was present. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rained kisses on every inch of exposed skin she could reach. 

"You can't scare me like that again!" she sobbed. Her eyes were puffy and red as she finally looked into his seeing that he truly was okay. She was not going to let him out of her sight any time soon. 

Thyme gave her a gentle smile as he reached out and caressed her curves. “I’ll be back even if Drae has to drag me back half dead.” It was a joke from his tone. “I’ll always come back to you. One way or another.” He squeezed her hand back and kissed it before smiling and leaning into her lips as she nipped at him. “And I love you.” 

Though he had no idea of how right he had been about Drae dragging him back. He felt Pyzis as she entered. She was so upset and all he could do was deep breaths through the pain of his broken limbs. He winced as she landed on his broken arm. Lifting up his other arm he gently rubbed her head. His feathers brushing her feathers of red and flames. “Shh Pyzis. I am fine.”

Once she was transformed back he took her with his good arm and held her close as she kissed. Her tears were helping mend the broken bones faster but still, it would take some time. “Pyzis,” he called gently to her as he wiped her tears away. “You need to calm down for the baby.”

He would wait for her to catch on before smiling up at her like an idiot. “Mother gave us a present while she let my stupid ass get carried away.”

Pyzis felt his arm wrap around her and suddenly the world came back into focus. He wasn't dying and she would not be left alone, though his comment about being calm had her in tears again for another reason. They were having a child, her hand went to her belly and hesitantly a smile came to her lips. It was an unexpected surprise, but a wanted one to say the least. Py knew that it was part of her duty to further her dying race. Now she need not fear ramifications for serving in human form so much. Other Phoenix would let it slide if she had offspring to speak of. 

"Angela had the mind to think of us during all of this?" she wondered. Pyzis looked around the room, realizing she was still naked and the infirmary was not empty. She felt flustered, not entirely sure what to do but then another member of the clergy brought her a dress which she donned silently, taking the moment to collect her thoughts. When her eyes met Thyme's as he lay on the cot she noticed the smile on his face and couldn't help but blush. 

"I guess you are going to be a Dad, I guess I should have expected this seeing as your mother is the Goddess of fertility." She said in awe as she knelt down next to him once more. Pyzis placed a kiss on Thyme's forehead, wanting to be sure she wasn't hurting him any more than he already was. They were going to be parents, the thought kept crossing her mind and she squeezed Thyme's good hand as she felt butterflies in her stomach. If this disaster didn't end soon though they would raise have to raise the child in the safety of the Mother's realm. With a deep breath, Pyzis pushed all her worries aside and basked in the glory of the new news. 

"You know if it's a girl I like the names Ember or Honeysuckle," she offered. Trying to lighten the mood, seeing as he had been attacked by a Goddess mere hours ago. At least there was something good coming out off all of this mess. Pyzis clung to that thought and laid her head on Thyme's chest. 

"What do you think? Could Angela tell us if it's going to be a boy or girl? I'm not as patient as I pretend." she giggled. The thought of being able to connect so early with her child was a beautiful thing. 

Thyme rubbed her back and smiled. “I think she has been thinking about us all since the day it started to happen. My mother isn’t a selfish person on most levels.”  He was glad to see Pyzis so excited about everything. “I like them both and oddly enough both of them fit how Rosenites name their children so we would be keeping the tradition.”

Thyme laughed a bit and shook his head. “Not at the moment, she can’t Py. I don’t think you’ve been pregnant enough to tell but if Rosenites have their say we will have a girl.” He didn’t mind because he had rarely thought about having a child before Pyzis came into his life. “And… I know you aren’t patient. It doesn’t take a fly on the wall to see that.” He knew his lover well.

He pulled himself up and another clergy member came. “It’s terrible Lady Angela is sick!” The clergy member was in a panic and suddenly the happiness went from the room.

“What do you mean my mother is sick? She is a god!” Thyme pressured himself to get up in a panic and hurt himself a bit. “What is going on?”

“I don’t know Lord Drae has asked for no visitors while she rests. She doesn’t look good at all… She keeps vomiting strange metal and now there are chains keeping Dalanesca in her realm. I think your mother made a deal with the devil.”

Thyme bit at his lip as he looked at Pyzis. What the hell were they going to do? “I think… we need to talk about an exit plan just in case things keep getting bad.”