It had been about a week since she had last seen Naota. It broke her heart but also he had left her on the Airship. They had gone on vacation and got real close. Perhaps even closer than she would have originally liked and now he had straight up just vanished. Probably his weird-o family. It had her in a sour mood and she had taken a few jobs by herself. She was reckless but efficient. As she crashed down on the seventh day of being alone in a shabby little inn she groaned and let sleep take her.

It was what happened when she woke up that she was in a panic. Her normally grubby white hair was silk like and washed. Gently braided over her shoulder, the way Naota would when they would bathe together. She had on a silk night dress, one that she had never even seen before. It was a dress too. She threw the blankets off of her and patted herself down before looking up at the huge room around her. “What the hell…” She was almost in a panic. Fight or flight responses were kicking in as she analyzed everything around her. 

She rolled out of the bed and nearly slipped on the smooth floor as she scattered towards a far wall. She could see out into the snowy peaks around her. “What the hell.” It left her lips again as she spun around and seen all of the gemstones about. The fireplace was warm on her skin as she began to panic not knowing entirely where she was.  She ran for the closest door and found herself in a huge closet. “NO,” she yelled as she ran back out and towards another door. She ripped it open, if it hadn’t been stronger it would have been ripped off the wall, and she bolted.

She was so quick that she was scaring other people who were already in the temple. Some of them asked her if she was okay but she was too afraid and jumpy to answer.

It had been a full week since his ascension and during that time he had become more in-tune with himself.  It was strange, no longer having his daemon living inside of him, but knowing that he could still access him no matter where he was helped a great deal.  He was alone, truly alone, and had never felt that before…The silence was nearly unbearable, and though he was coping with it, it would take some time before it would be normalized to him.  More than that he felt more energized than he ever had in his entire life. 
 
Though he dared not speak the words he knew what it meant: he was immortal now, a deity.  Why had The Voice chosen him…?  After it had happened he was too stunned to stay still for too long.  In fact, he’d found himself bouncing around from place to place wherever light could be found.  The Crystal Palace was his only safe haven during all of this, and his throne room was where he drew in the most calm.
 
The black tourmaline helped him greatly, and that’s where he was: sitting with his legs up, ankles crossed one over the other and Torinasu resting horizontally in his lap.  His eyes were closed gently as he meditated.  There were no visitors in the throne room as of now, though there were still gifts on his alter from those that wished to show their gratitude.  That was another thing he’d have to get used to…
 
Echo had been brought the night before and to say it hurt him to see her in the state she was would have been an understatement.  Even if she hated him for their rest of her life, he wanted to bring her here, to explain.  Most of all, he wanted her in a warm loving bed for the night…Not alone at an inn.  Suddenly, he heard surprised gasps and a few yells from the lower floors.  His eyes opened, constantly glowing brightly from the inner light that now dwelled within him.
 
His legs unfolded and he dropped off of his floating throne and flickered from his throne room to the first floor.  He looked up, trying to see where the ruckus was coming from, but he could sense the location.  With a bit of concentration he was able to instantly come into view right in front of a very frazzled looking Echo. 
 
He looked different than the last time they had met: his clothing, while usually earthy tones of brown, was now black with white and golden accents.  He was fully clothed, but you could still see the white markings that ran down the tops of his arms and hands; how they crept up the back of his neck and down his spine, likewise across and down his chest.  These holy markings were permanently on his skin now…and always emitted a gentle glow except when he was asleep.  And his eyes, so brightly they shone, matching the emeralds that adorned different parts of his temple.
 
Trying his best not to frighten her, he attempted to rest his hands at her shoulders, eyes wide in concern as he gently waved away a clergy member, “E-Echo you’re safe, it’s all right…”  He wanted to touch her more, comfort her, wrap his arms around her now the he knew no matter what she was safe: Minasé would never be able to hurt her, not even a chance…

She was busy being upset and disoriented. Her wild amber eyes were staring at him the moment he stepped foot. However, it didn’t exactly go the way he might have wanted. She was too scared and the moment he touched her she sent her fist into his shoulder. “Get off of me you creep!” She screamed at him startling the clergy around her. It was sort of like blasphemy watching the small woman beat up the god.

It took her a moment to calm down and stare at him. Her breaths were heavy and she stared at him like he was the first person she had ever seen before. “N-Naota?” Her voice was shaky as she climbed into his arms like a child. She had been so alone, she hadn’t been use to it and the night before she only slept because she had passed out from exhaustion.

“Why did you leave me? Why is everything so different? Why did you change my clothes? Where are we?” She wasn’t one to like change and it showed from her panic. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him. “What’s going on? Why can’t I sense Minasé?” She watched those glowing eyes of his and trembled a bit at the sheer power she felt growing within Naota. She burrowed her head into him and felt like she could collapse as she calmed down. 

“What’s going on?”

He let the hit come with a wince and his eyes lifted up quickly to the approaching clergy.  They didn’t touch her though, only looked on in worry until he nodded at them, letting them know that they could leave.  Each member knew exactly who and how important Echo was to him…His hands hovered, waiting for her to calm until he finally let them touch her again.  As she moved into him he wrapped his arms and gently scooped her up against his chest.  She had so many questions and he didn’t blame her for them, there were still enough he had of his own that they could fill the entire library and then some. 
 
Rather than flicker them to their room, he walked steadily, going down one of the spiral staircases and towards the black tourmaline stairs that led up to his throne room.  His fingers gently moved through her hair, tucking a few strands behind one of her pointed ears.  There was so much to say, and he was almost ashamed to admit that he was worried about how it might be taken…His footsteps moved silently up the dark steps and the sigil marked doors opened on their own for him.
 
The energy in the throne room was always thickly charged, melding perfectly with his own, and the doors closed silently behind them, “I…well, I left because of what happened to me…”  That night should have been a normal one that would have led him back to her in his airship, but things had changed so much that night…
 
His voice grew softer, almost a whisper after he flickered them to be sitting on his floating throne with her in his lap.  He kept her cradled there against his chest, his fingers gently moving through her hair, down the back of her neck, her back, and back up in what he hoped was a soothing motion.  “Minasé is gone…”  As glad of the fact as he was, the statement still sounded sad…It was more the absence he felt from him being gone that got him.  True that he could connect to him if he so chose, but it was a choice now: spend your entire, already very long, life with someone inside of you and you can’t help but get attached. 
 
“I don’t know why, but…The Voice ascended me into deityhood.  And the process purified me and split us away from each other: giving us each our own bodies…”  His lips pulled in and he rested his cheek in her hair atop her head before letting his eyes gently close, “Really I was afraid…I didn’t know what was happening to me or why, I still don’t know completely why.  I just knew that I was different and wanted to be away from any and everyone…I didn’t mean to abandon you, I just didn’t know what else to do…” 

His arms wrapped more, protectively around her, “This is my temple…my home.  And…if you’d like, it can be your home too.”

His fingers caressing her hair was good to her. It felt good and right. She nudged his shoulder with her head and let out a sigh. The strands of hair were pushed back behind her ear as she smiled at him. It was a sad smile as if she knew what he was going to tell her. She held onto him as they flickered to his chair. She snuggled into him turned her eyes up to him. They were gentle and more understanding than they had been before they went into the room.

“First, you must be so alone without Minase there with you. You’ve always had him.” She took a deep breath and gave him a stubborn look. “Two, if you want to go off on your own to have a silly little pity party,” harsh but she gave a smile, “leave a damn note next time.”

She snuggled into him more and rested her head against his chest. Her forehead was against his cheek now. “Third, you are a good man and I think you would make an excellent deity. Just keep me in the loop next time and remember I suppose you.” She moved again and cupped his face and kissed his lips softly.

“You know I wouldn’t turn down living with you. Next time give me a bit more warning so I don’t punch you out and get weird looks from the people around me. It looked like I committed a huge sin out there.” She chuckled a bit more and snuggled him more. “So, that room that I was in? Was that ours? It was absolutely huge. I think it was bigger than the airship.”

She couldn’t have been more right about Minasé, and despite himself his eyes saddened when he thought about him.  That silence was almost unbearable, even when there were people inside the temple, it wasn’t the same.  Sometimes he found himself opening the link he’d created between them just to know what it was like to still have that.  Though, his daemon twin seemed happy as ever to finally have his own body, though he still hated the restraint that Naota forced on him.  After all, he couldn’t have him running around slaughtering people.  Hopefully the freedom would be good for him…and if not, well, he could actually kill him now.
 
He let her pull his face down and pressed his lips back to her for the short seconds they were there.  It had been a week since he’d seen her but so much had happened between now and then that it felt much longer.  There was so much about his ascension he wanted to tell her about, to explain to her, each and every reason he had stayed away from her in great detail…but all of that could wait.  Right now he just wanted to enjoy the time he had to spend with her.  He couldn’t help but chuckle himself when she spoke about the clergy, “They were warned that you might have been…we’ll call it ‘feisty’.”
 
The room started to warm and he felt his energy finally leveling out the longer he stayed.  There was a soft charge in his fingers as he ran them through her hair now, “Yes that’s our bedroom.  I think my mind wanted it to remind me of the ship with its size.  I spend a lot of time there to be alone since it’s one of the few rooms in the temple that no one else has access to…”  His nose gently moved along her temple, his fingers weaving into her hair to cup the back of her head as he continued on in a soft whisper, “The airship is still here thought: hidden from view.  Aside from me you’re the only other soul that can access it on their own, just like our bedroom…I’ll show you how later.”

A light blush came to her cheeks as she thought of the way she had acted. “Well, if someone would have left me a note…” Her voice left in a whisper as she realized she wouldn’t have even seen it. “Never mind… I might have not even seen it if you had.” She chuckled a bit more as the stress and tension left her body. The charge at his fingertips made her shiver softly as she curled closer into him and she chuckled more.

“I like it… at least what little of it I can remember. I was panicking too much to have taken in a lot of detail but what I do remember I like a lot.” His touch was ever gentle as usual as his fingers moved to undo the braid that he had most likely done himself. She chuckled a bit more as she realized some things would never change. “I didn’t doubt that you wouldn’t share those things with me. We share a lot together which is odd since we were once solitary creatures by ourselves.” That much was true. They were much alike.

She pulled herself away from him but it was slow motion at best, she was trying not to leave. Her legs unfolded and hit the floor, her hands took his and she gave him a good pull. “When I was up in…” a blush came to her cheeks at first as she realized how formal it sounded. “In our bedroom… I noticed stables.” She wanted them to relax and everything seemed so out of place.

She wanted this place to feel like home if she was going to live here. She dragged him out to the stables, asking around to even find it, and told him to shush as she needed to learn her way around. She didn’t want him flickering them places because she would never learn. Once she was out in the arena she climbed over the fence and stared up at him. It must have been quite the sight as she blushed and climbed down into where colts and fillies were. They rushed her and started to nibble on her gown. She began to shoo them and pet them. “They are all nightmares..” She got wide-eyed for a moment.

“Naota… is this place for me?” There would be no other reason for them to be here as she hugged them all to her, as much as she could. She fell to the ground and got loved on by the lot of them as if they knew who she was already. To them, she would be Mom. She hugged them by their little necks and manes laughing from their little kisses. “They are wonderful!”

His eyes opened, brighter from excitement when she mentioned the stables.  Of all the areas in his temple that had been constructed, that was the one he was most excited to show her.  After all it had been created completely for her.  Even though it could serve useful for anyone that visited, it would always be known for whom those stables were meant.  She hopped down from the throne and he materialized next to her before taking her hand to lead.  Of course Echo was Echo and stubbornly tried to blaze her own path to the arena.  He let it go on for a while, always having to hold back a smile or laugh when she got them turned around until his own excitement built too strong.
 
Wrapping his arms around her, he flickered them away in a flash of light only to reappear at the center of the rose quartz arena.  His hands cupped over her eyes and he gave the area a quick once over, the colts and fillies already neighing softly in anticipation to see their new leader.  His lips moved, resting them behind her ear where he softly whispered, “This place is my gift to you…”  With a gentle kiss there he moved his hands away and watched as she moved towards the small nightmares.  It was like the first time he’d seen her after their very first fight together, and right now he couldn’t possibly love her any more.
 
A flaming tale whipped past him, nearly singeing the threads of his sleeve as it went to join the others in showing her gleeful affection.  He moved closer, his own fingers moving along a black ear but not trying to part them away from her as he knelt down, watching. “This is part of my temple, but here you will also keep charge.  I wanted you to have a place to continue your training and one of your passions.”  He stood back up, looking down at them with a broadening smile, “Do you want me to leave you to get accustomed?”

Echo immediately had a blush to her face as he kissed her ear. She smiled towards him and she loved them all already. She was now kneeling and petting all of the little ones who were all around her. She gave Naota a smile and it seemed like she was so full of energy as she loved on each and every one. She was about to reply when one of the colts moved in and grabbed at her hair. She laughed a bit and winced as she got it away from him.

“I don’t want you going anywhere.” She gave a smile. “There will be time to be acquainted with my new friends but you I am more interested in.” She had a difficult time getting up as she forced herself from the prying mouths of her new babies. “They are so playful and the best Naota.” She was happy to be the leader of this arena. “I’ll make sure I am a good stern leader when I am here.” Naota knew that was true, he had to of.

She wrapped her arms around one of his and smiled up at him. Naota was much larger than she was in aspects. He could toss her about if he wanted and she would probably crack like fine china. “I want to spend time with you. You must be terribly overwhelmed by everything underneath.” She moved one of her hands free and cupped his chin. “So lets just relax together alright? I mean I did run a muck in your temple.” She chuckled softly. “The bedroom was nice for what I seen of it. Why not go there and relax?”

He rose with her and his smile broadened as the colts and fillies tried to keep her down.  This would be an interesting place indeed, not just for her and the little ones, but for anyone that came to the stables seeking help and a worthy steed.  Suddenly he had an image of her with strong fully grown nightmares, all of them in a stubborn and intimidating line.  Hmm…  She did have fire of her own running through her veins.  He leaned into her touch instantly, his eyes closing as he felt a newfound fatigue trying to overcome him.  Sometimes he forgot how much she eased him, even from only a touch.
 
Right now the promise of a soft bed sounded perfect, and he nodded to her suggestion as his hands shifted to rest on her hips and moved to her lower back.  She was so small, and he worried about his new power; if there ever would come a time that he might harm her.  Minasé was no longer within him, but this deity hood was going to take getting used to.  Thus far it had only been used for safe things, beautiful things, but he knew how quickly that could change. 
 
Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead to hers and opened his eyes but made sure to keep them half lidded so that their now constant glow wouldn’t harm her eyes, “A shared bed with you sounds perfect…”  As new and frightening as his powers were, they hardly held a candle to the relief he felt in knowing that she’d never be harmed or threatened by Minasé.  Any touch from his hands would be his, no one else’s. “I’ll take us there…”  Keeping his arms around her, he stepped back into a sun’s ray, instant dematerializing with her only to come back together in their dimly lit room. 

Teleportation had always been his preferred form of travel, as well as gate travel, but now that he held all mastery of light he was ever working to blend it into his every day routines.  This one was one of his favorites in particular, and he kissed the apple of her cheek before gently unwrapping his arms, “We can lay down to rest if you like…”  A corner of his lips upturned to a light smirk, “Or…not rest, but remain in the bed.”  The lack of fear was nearly intoxicating, he enjoyed it, but a part of him always feared it could and would be taken away from him.  Best to enjoy that freedom while he was still able.