[GrayGriffin]

"No...he looked just like Janie...facing off...against them..." whispered Terra.

"I did nothing!" protested Anonomastos. "It wasn't me..."

"No," agreed Terra. "It was just that...he was a Prismatic Fellox...and so you looked so similar to him..."

"What do you mean, though? Who was Janie?" asked Tono.

"Tono! Can't you see that was a traumatizing experience for her? Stop asking questions!" snapped Nin.

"I only asked one, sis."

"A family...they were aligned with the Imperials...but they were so kind..."

"No..." hissed Gray, an inkling of what might have happened forming in her head.

"The Purines killed them all..."

"No!"

[175, 165, 36, 63, 36, 39, 11, 6]

[Freezair]

I stepped back.

I couldn't avoid the associations with the Purines. I was one of the stars. Avani standing next to me was proof of that. But I remember a story Fluffy told me, when he was newly made feeling. He'd met a very kind Imperial on a mission. The Imperials were humans, too. You heard that about everyone war. The other side were humans, too...

I solemnly fell back into Sky's wings. Even the presence of the dog didn't upset me. She folded herself around me.

"...Jimmy?" Avani looked at me.

"Dang it! Why'd you have to go bringing that up?" Krii said. "That's one of the two things you just don't talk about with Jimbo. Her parents, and the war."

Fluffy fell, sitting low on his tentacles. "This is supposed to be a happy day," he said softly. "Why is there so much sadness, crawling up on us like this..."

[445, 119]

[GrayGriffin]

"I...am...sorry," said Anonomastos at last, slowly saying the last word, his voice strained. "I will leave now."

"No...stay," snapped Tono. "You can at the very least make up for what you have induced."

"I cannot cure the mind," replied Anonomastos. "Unless I pour my consciousness into it, and make it my puppet. I do not think you want that for your friend."

"I'm sorry..." whispered Terra. "Sorry for bringing up the war, Jimmy..."

"Hey, it's okay," replied Nin. "I'm sure it would have happened eventually..."

"Anonomastos...can you not talk?" asked Coco softly. "Then talk..."

"About what? War is an evil. It destroys. My domain is torn and ravaged, on those fields where your sides fought. How can I reassure her about what is already evil?"

"Please...brother...don't talk about the war..." whispered Truce. "I am named Truce, because I didn't want war...I wanted to have a home, to be safe somewhere...that's all..."

"Master," said the Velix, mechanically yet gently, laying its head at the Shartile's feet.

Anonomastos looked both flustered and shamed.

[176, 166, 37, 64, 37, 40, 12, 7]

[Freezair]

"...Just go," I said softly. "Just go! All of you, just go away!"

I tore out of Sky's wings; her big, glowing eyes gaped at me. I ran off, away. Somewhere. Anywhere. Who knew where. Out of there.

I heard Krii screaming at Anon as I ran away. I won't repeat what he called him here. It quickly descended into incomprehensible rage anyway. "You lily-livered some of a jackal! You snivelling, inconsiderate--why I oughta--!"

"Wait! Come back! He's going to apologize!" I heard Avani's voice shift as she dashed toward me.

"No more sadness!" Fluffy wailed. "No more! No more!"

[446, 120]

[GrayGriffin]

[After a long absence, I officially return!]

Anonomastos backed away from Krii, appearing horrified. "I do not understand-why is this-what have I done wrong?" His head flicked back and forth, and his back legs had already begun to dissolve into mist again.

"No!" exclaimed Coco. "Anonomastos, as your sister, I order you to stay!"

"I-I am older than you..."

"You just incarnated!"

Her fierceness seemed to stop him, and he paused for a long while before suddenly dissolving into a whirlwind of water droplets, which reformed into a form that looked almost identical in shape to Gray, only male. His skin was the same dark brown as his mask had been, and retained its stripes. His hair, and the cloak he now wore, were rainbow-colored, and his ribbon still fluttered behind his head.

"Is this form more pleasing?" he asked.

"Weird...but better," admitted Gray.

Terra, meanwhile, had moved towards Fluffy, wrapping her tendrils around his, buzzing and whispering at a frequency somewhat too high to hear. The Velix and Truce were huddled together, but looked somewhat less apprehensive now. Sta had bent to nuzzle them, whispering soft words of comfort.

"That was impressive," commented Tono.

"Oh please! You're just the same!" added Nin. "Well, you're related now, so that makes sense!" she added with a light chuckle.

"Related????"

"Come on, let's go after Jimmy!" added Truce, jumping up all of a sudden. "Can you tell where she is?" he asked the Velix.

"Scanning...scanning...lifeform known as 'Jimmy' is moving in that direction at a fast pace, and possibly accelerating," it said, pointing one claw.

"Well then, let's go!" he exclaimed, and began to run.

[177, 167, 38, 65, 38, 41, 13, 8]